Scientific Papers in SCI

The efficiency and reliability of perovskite solar cells have rapidly increased in conjunction with the proposition of advanced single-junction and multi-junction designs that allow light harvesting to be maximized. However, Sn-based compositions required for optimized all-perovskite tandem devices have reduced absorption coefficients, as opposed to pure Pb perovskites. To overcome this, we investigate near- and far-field plasmonic effects to locally enhance the light absorption of infrared photons. Through optimization of the metal type, particle size, and volume concentration, we maximize effective light harvesting while minimizing parasitic absorption in all-perovskite tandem devices. Interestingly, incorporating 240 nm silver particles into the Pb-Sn perovskite layer with a volume concentration of 3.1% indicates an absolute power conversion efficiency enhancement of 2% in the tandem system. We present a promising avenue for experimentalists to realize ultrathin all-perovskite tandem devices with optimized charge carrier collection, diminishing the weight and the use of Pb.

This review paper delves into the diverse ways in which carbonaceous resources, sourced from renewable and sustainable origins, can be used in catalytic processes. Renewable carbonaceous materials that come from biomass-derived and waste feedstocks are key to developing more sustainable processes by replacing traditional carbon-based materials. By examining the potential of these renewable carbonaceous materials, this review aims to shed light on their significance in fostering environmentally conscious and sustainable practices within the realm of catalysis. The more important applications identified are biofuel production, tar removal, chemical production, photocatalytic systems, microbial fuel cell electrodes, and oxidation applications. Regarding biofuel production, biochar-supported catalysts have proved to be able to achieve biodiesel production with yields exceeding 70%. Furthermore, hydrochars and activated carbons derived from diverse biomass sources have demonstrated significant tar removal efficiency. For instance, rice husk char exhibited an increased BET surface area from 2.2 m2/g to 141 m2/g after pyrolysis at 600 °C, showcasing its effectiveness in adsorbing phenol and light aromatic hydrocarbons. Concerning chemical production and the oxidation of alcohols, the influence of biochar quantity and pre-calcination temperature on catalytic performance has been proven, achieving selectivity toward benzaldehyde exceeding 70%.

The Casimir-Lifshitz force, FC − L, has become a subject of great interest to both theoretical and applied physics communities due to its fundamental properties and potential technological implications in emerging nano-scale devices. Recent cutting-edge experiments have demonstrated the potential of quantum trapping at the nano-scale assisted by FC − L in metallic planar plates immersed in fluids through appropriate stratification of the inner dielectric media, opening up new avenues for exploring physics at the nano-scale. This review article provides an overview of the latest results in Casimir-Lifshitz based-optical resonator schemes and their potential applications in fields such as microfluidic devices, bio-nano and micro electromechanical systems (NEMS and MEMS), strong coupling, polaritonic chemistry, photo-chemistry, sensing, and metrology. The use of these optical resonators provides a versatile platform for fundamental studies and technological applications at the nano-scale, with the potential to revolutionize various fields and create new opportunities for research.

The objective of this study was to determine the ability of sugar scum (SS), an industrial waste, as a novel biosorbent for the removal of Basic Blue 41 (BB 41) from aqueous solutions. The biosorbent was characterized by SEM/EDS, BET, FTIR, and pH_pzc measurements, respectively. To reach a maximum adsorption capacity of 26.45 mg.g^–1, impacting operational factors such as pH, biosorbent dose, contact duration, starting dye concentration, and temperature were adjusted, when the removal efficiency reached 84% during 60 min at pH 10, 1.5 g.L^–1 of biosorbent and C_o = 10 mg.L^–1. The experimental data were modeled by various isotherm models, whereas the best fit was found for Freundlich with a high correlation coefficient (R² = 0.991). Other kinetic models including pseudo-first, pseudo-second order, and intra-particle diffusion models were tested to fit the kinetic data. The biosorption of BB 41 onto SS was spontaneous (∆G° < 0) and exothermic (∆H° < 0), while the biosoprtion mechanism of BB41 over SS was proposed with repeated reuse showing that SS could be regenerated after four successive runs. Furthermore, this study revealed that sugar scum is an underutilized bioresource in Algeria, with the potential to provide low-cost environmental removal of additional contaminants in the wastewater treatment domain.