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In recent years, the development of environmentally friendly, lead-free ferroelectric films with prominent electrostrictive effects have been a key area of focus due to their potential applications in micro-actuators, sensors, and transducers for advanced microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This work investigated the enhanced electrostrictive effect in lead-free sodium bismuth titanate-based relaxor ferroelectric films. The films, composed of (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.8-xBaxSr0.2TiO3 (BNBST, x = 0.02, 0.06, and 0.11), with thickness around 1 µm, were prepared using a sol-gel method on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates. By varying the Ba2+ content, the crystal structure, morphology, and electrical properties, including dielectric, ferroelectric, strain, and electromechanical performance, were investigated. The films exhibited a single pseudocubic structure without preferred orientation. A remarkable strain response (S > 0.24%) was obtained in the films (x = 0.02, 0.06) with the coexistence of nonergodic and ergodic relaxor phases. Further, in the x = 0.11 thick films with an ergodic relaxor state, an ultrahigh electrostrictive coefficient Q of 0.32 m4/C2 was achieved. These findings highlight the potential of BNBST films as high-performance, environmentally friendly electrostrictive films for advanced microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and electronic devices.
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Sn-based halide perovskites are expected to be the best replacement for toxic lead-based counterparts, owing to their similar ionic radii and the optimal band gap for use in solar cells, as well as their versatile use in light-emitting diodes and photodetection applications. Concerns, however, exist about their stability under ambient conditions, an issue that is exacerbated in polycrystalline films because grain boundaries present large concentrations of defects and act as entrance points for oxygen and water, causing Sn oxidation. A current thriving research area in perovskite materials is the fabrication of perovskite single crystals, promising improved optoelectronic properties due to excellent uniformity, reduced defects, and the absence of grain boundaries. This review summarizes the most recent advances in the fabrication of single crystal Sn-based halide perovskites, with emphasis on synthesis methods, compositional engineering, and formation mechanisms, followed by a discussion of various challenges and appropriate strategies for improving their performance in optoelectronic applications.
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In this study, single crystals of (K1-xNax)NbO3 are grown by the self-flux crystal growth method and their phase transitions are studied using a combination of Raman scattering and impedance spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction shows that single crystals have a perovskite structure with monoclinic symmetry. Single crystal X-ray diffraction shows that single crystals have monoclinic symmetry at room temperature with space group P1211. Electron probe microanalysis shows that single crystals are Na-rich and A-site deficient. Temperature-controlled Raman scattering shows that low temperature monoclinic-monoclinic, monoclinic-tetragonal and tetragonal-cubic phase transitions take place at -20 °C, 220 °C and 440 °C. Dielectric property measurements show that single crystals behave as a normal ferroelectric material. Relative or inverse relative permittivity peaks at ~-10 °C, ~230 °C and ~450 °C with hysteresis correspond to the low temperature monoclinic-monoclinic, monoclinic-tetragonal and tetragonal-cubic phase transitions, respectively, consistent with the Raman scattering results. A conduction mechanism with activation energies of about 0.5-0.7 eV was found in the paraelectric phase. Single crystals show polarization-electric field hysteresis loops of a lossy normal ferroelectric. The combination of Raman scattering and impedance spectroscopy is effective in determining the phase transition temperatures of (K1-xNax)NbO3.
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Lead-free double perovskites (DPs) have superior phase stability and optical properties, which make them competitive for future applications in illumination and displays. However, the preparation of DPs was mainly based on high-temperature heating and hydrochloric acid as a solvent to form powders, which increased the risk and cost of the preparation process and limited its further application. In this study, the growth of Cs2NaInCl6: Sb3+ DPs in polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) films was achieved using an in situ fabrication strategy with DMSO as the solvent. The prepared Cs2NaInCl6: Sb3+@PVDF composite films (CFs) can achieve a bright blue emission under 302 nm irradiation. To achieve the optimal luminescent performance of CFs, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of Cs2NaInCl6: Sb3+@PVDF CFs under various in situ preparation conditions was compared. In addition, the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of CFs was increased from 0.72% to 83.77% by adjusting the doping amount of Sb3+, and the fluorescence lifetimes t1 and t2 were 131.08 and 1048.52 ns, respectively. Temperature-dependent PL spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that these excellent optical properties are derived from the self-trapped excitons (STEs) at the [SbCl6]3- octahedron and [InCl6]3- octahedron connected via Cl-Na-Cl. The CFs also demonstrated excellent environmental stability, maintaining a relatively stable PL intensity even under conditions of water immersion, high temperatures, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Finally, we used the CFs to assemble a blue light-emitting device (LED), which showed good and stable blue emission performance at different currents. This work can provide a new idea for preparing DPs, which is conducive to promoting their commercial application in high-performance optoelectronic devices.
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Tin halide perovskites represent the most suitable alternative to their lead-based counterparts for sustainable photovoltaics. One of the most important drawbacks of this class of materials is the intrinsic tendency of tin (II) to oxidize under certain conditions and as a consequence of aging. Here, we explore plasma processing to gently treat the surface of the tin perovskite films. As shown by chemical, optical, and morphological analyses, this treatment by generating transient active species on the surface of the material impacts its aging, inhibiting the tendency of tin (II) to oxidize. Plasma-treated stored devices show a power conversion efficiency slightly higher and narrower in the distribution than that of the reference devices. The positive impact of this noninvasive technique, which can be easily implemented in large-area manufacturing facilities, increases the potential of lead-free alternative perovskite photovoltaics.
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The splendid energy storage performances with eminent stability of dielectric ceramics utilized in pulsed power devices have been paid more attention by researchers. This scheme can be basically realized through introducing Li+, Bi(Mg2/3Ta1/3)O3, NaNbO3, and LiF into KNN-based ceramics. Under the breakdown strength (BDS) of 460 kV/cm, an outstanding energy storage density (W) of 6.05 J/cm3 with a high energy efficiency (η) of 85.9% is implemented. Within the broad temperature range from 20 to 140 °C, the numerical fluctuations of energy storage characteristics can be maintained at a relatively stable level (ΔWrec ≈ 3.5%, Δη ≈ 2.8%). As for the charging-discharging performances, this component possesses a fast discharging speed (t0.90 ≈ 51 ns) and remarkable temperature stability (the variations are smaller than 3.5%). Additionally, the internal mechanisms of outstanding energy storage properties can be confirmed via crystal structures and domain structures, the content of oxygen vacancies, dielectric and impedance spectra, and phase simulation. Hence, the combination of outstanding energy storage with remarkable thermal stability can be fulfilled in one ceramic system according to this discovery, providing a research thought of developing the materials for dielectric capacitors.
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Birefringent crystal, which has the capacity to manipulate polarization light, holds an indispensable position in optics and optoelectronics, while it remains challenging to fulfill the modulation of birefringence. Here, we present wide spectral photo-pyroelectric effect in a silver-based hybrid pyroelectric, (N-CHM)Ag2I3 (N-CHM = N-cyclohexylmethylamine), serving as a feasible strategy to regulate birefringence through light stimuli. As the first silver-based hybrid pyroelectric, (N-CHM)Ag2I3 exhibits strong room-temperature photo-pyroelectricity with a large polarization of ~3.23 µC/cm2 and high voltage responsivity of ~0.96 m2/C across the UV-NIR spectral region. Strikingly, the photomodulation of its in-plane birefringence is established through pyroelectric effect, giving a saturation value of ~1.68×10-2 that is among the highest level achieved to date. This study on the birefringence photomodulation of lead-free hybrid pyroelectric is anticipated to boost future development of new smart optical and optoelectronic devices.
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Lead-free perovskite materials have received extensive attention due to their non-toxicity, super environmental stability and adjustable photoelectric properties. However, the inherent problems of low luminous efficiency and low photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) limit its development in multifunctional applications. Here, Te4+ doped Cs2ZrCl6 with high luminous efficiency and stability for multifunctional applications are developed. Te4+ ions are used as emission centers to improve the optical properties of Cs2ZrCl6 to make efficient and stable single-component white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs), and can be used as scintillator materials to improve scintillation performance to achieve high-resolution and low-dose X-ray imaging detection. In addition, it is found for the first time that Te4+ ions can be introduced into the trap center, so that the Cs2ZrCl6:Te4+ perovskite material exhibits excellent persistent luminescence (PersL) and mechanoluminescence (ML) after X-ray radiation, which has potential applications in the fields of delayed imaging and stress sensing. This work provides a method for designing lead-free perovskites with high optical performance and scintillating properties, as well as developing multifunctional applications.
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Eco-friendly lead-free halide perovskites have emerged as promising materials for multiple applications due to their unique optoelectronic properties. In this work, we investigate the ammonia (NH3)-sensitive CsCu2I3 film for its potential in NH3 sensor and stimuli-responsive fluorescence anti-counterfeiting. CsCu2I3-based NH3 sensor demonstrates a high response to NH3 (â³R/R0 = 1.07, at 100 ppm NH3) with rapid response/recovery time (21/19 s), as well as favorable gas selectivity. We proposed a potential NH3 sensing mechanism with the help of a series of semi-quantitative characterizations and excitation-dependent emission experiments. The electron-donating NH3 molecules can efficiently donate electrons to the p-type CsCu2I3 film, bringing about a decrease in film conductivity. Additionally, the adsorption of NH3 can also disorder the CsCu2I3 crystals with a high density of trap states, facilitating an energy transfer from self-trapped excitons (STEs) emission to defect-related emission, along with bright orange luminescence. Inspired by this phenomenon, we proposed a novel application of NH3-induced stimuli-responsive fluorescence for anti-counterfeiting. The results highlight the potential of CsCu2I3 for effective dual-function applications in gas sensors and gas-triggered anti-counterfeiting.
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Improving the efficiency of tin-based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) is significantly hindered by energy level mismatch and weak interactions at the interface between the tin-based perovskite and fullerene-based electron transport layers (ETLs). In this study, four well-defined multidentate fullerene molecules with 3, 4, 5, and 6 diethylmalonate groups, labeled as FM3, FM4, FM5, and FM6 are synthesized, and employed as interfacial layers in TPSCs. It is observed that increasing the number of functional groups in these fullerenes leads to shallower lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels and enhance interfacial chemical interactions. Notably, FM5 exhibits a suitable energy level and robust interaction with the perovskite, effectively enhancing electron extraction and defect passivation. Additionally, the unique molecular structure of FM5 allows the exposed carbon cage to be tightly stacked with the upper fullerene cage after interaction with the perovskite, facilitating efficient charge transfer and protecting the perovskite from moisture and oxygen damage. As a result, the FM5-based device achieves a champion efficiency of 15.05%, significantly surpassing that of the PCBM-based (11.77%), FM3-based (13.54%), FM4-based (14.34%), and FM6-based (13.75%) devices. Moreover, the FM5-based unencapsulated device exhibits excellent stability, maintaining over 90% of its initial efficiency even after 300 h of air exposure.
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Design of hypotoxic lead-free perovskites, e.g. Bismuth(Bi)-based perovskites, is much beneficial for commercialization of perovskite X-ray detectors due to their strong radiation absorption. Nevertheless, the design principles governing the selection of A-site cations for achieving high-performance X-ray detectors remain elusive. Here, seven molecules (methylamine MA, amine NH3, dimethylbiguanide DGA, phenylethylamine PEA, 4-fluorophenethylamine p-FPEA, 1,3-propanediamine PDA, and 1,4-butanediamine BDA) and calculated their dipole moments and interaction strength with metal halide (BiI3) are selected. The first-principles calculations and related spectroscopy measurements confirm that organic molecules (DGA) with large dipole moments can have strong interactions with perovskite octahedron and improve the carrier transport between the organic and inorganic clusters. Consequently, zero-dimensional single crystal (SC) (DGA)BiI5âH2O is synthesized. The (DGA)BiI5âH2O SCs demonstrate an exceptional carrier mobility-lifetime product of 6.55 × 10-3 cm2 V-1, resulting in the high sensitivity of 5879.4 µCGyair -1cm-2, featuring a low detection limit (4.7 nGyair s-1) and remarkable X-ray irradiation stability even after 100 days of aging at a high electric field (100 V mm-1). Furthermore, the (DGA)BiI5âH2O SCs for imaging, achieving a notable spatial resolution of 5.5 lp mm-1 are applied. This investigation establishes a pathway for systematically screening A-site cations to design low-dimensional SCs for high-performance X-ray detection.
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In this investigation, moisture-stable CsSnBr2Cl nanoparticles were synthesized by incorporating Cl into CsSnBr3 halide perovskite using the hot injection method. Various analyses including XRD, XPS, UV-vis absorbance, photoluminescence, and Mott-Schottky have confirmed that the structural properties, chemical states, optical properties, and electronic band structure of CsSnBr2Cl nanoparticles remain intact even after 75 days of water immersion, thereby conclusively demonstrating their moisture stability. In a three-electrode system, the comparative electrochemical performance of pristine CsSnBr3 nanoparticles and moisture-stable Cl-incorporated CsSnBr2Cl nanoparticles was evaluated in various aqueous electrolytes, including HCl, Na2SO4, and KOH. The results indicate that the CsSnBr2Cl electrode material exhibits superior electrochemical properties, such as a larger integrated cyclic voltammetry (CV) area, a wider potential window, longer charge-discharge times, and lower impedance parameters compared to the pristine CsSnBr3 nanoparticles. The electrochemical performance of CsSnBr2Cl nanoparticles was evaluated for potential applications in batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and water splitting, with a focus on reaction kinetics, charge storage mechanisms, and impedance parameters. The electrochemical properties of the nanoparticles were assessed using a three-electrode configuration across various 0.5 M aqueous electrolytes (HCl, Na2SO4, and KOH). In HCl, the nanoparticles demonstrated impressive charge storage capability, achieving a capacitance of 474 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, affirming their suitability for energy storage devices. In Na2SO4(aq.), the nanoparticles exhibited excellent stability for supercapacitors, operating up to 1.6 V without significant oxygen evolution. Notably, in KOH, they demonstrated potential as effective water-splitting electrodes. The practical applicability of the nanoparticles was evaluated using a symmetric two-electrode configuration with HCl and Na2SO4 electrolytes. The capacitance values were 117 F g-1 in HCl and 70 F g-1 in Na2SO4 at 1 A g-1. Notably, after 5000 GCD cycles in HCl(aq.), the nanoparticles retained 93% of their capacitance and maintained 91% Coulombic efficiency. They also demonstrated stable operation across a temperature range of 3 to 60 °C, achieving an energy density of 5.83 W h kg-1 at a power density of 600 W kg-1. This study emphasizes the considerable potential of CsSnBr2Cl nanoparticles in advancing electrochemical energy storage technologies and sets a solid foundation for future research and development in metal halide perovskites.
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CONTEXT: Novel optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties with broad compositional range, non-toxic nature and structural stability make halide-based double perovskites fascinating for flexible optoelectronic devices. In this work, the structural electronic, optical and transport properties of Rb2TlSbX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) were studied using density functional theory for optoelectronic devices. The elastic analysis demonstrates ductile nature, mechanical stability, anisotropic behaviour and feasibility for flexible optoelectronic devices. The band structure study using Tran-Blaha-modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential shows that all studied materials have direct bandgap. In addition, the bandgap of Rb2TlSbCl6 is more appropriate for optoelectronic devices. The small loss and maximum absorption in visible regions make these materials prime candidates for optoelectronic devices. The transport features indicate that all the studied double perovskites reflect p-type semiconducting behaviour as highlighted by positive Seebeck coefficient values. Furthermore, the high power factor values of Rb2TlSbX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) double perovskites make them suitable for thermoelectric device applications at high temperatures. Based on electronic optical and thermoelectric properties Rb2TlSbCl6 is the best candidate for flexible optoelectronic devices. METHODS: In this paper, structural optimization of Rb2TlSbX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) double perovskites was conducted utilizing the Wien2k software based on first principle calculations with Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof's generalized-gradient approximation (PBE-sol approximation). The TB-mBJ potential was employed to compute the accurate band gap of studied materials. The thermoelectric properties are evaluated with BoltzTraP code, showing a predominance of P-type charge carriers in all studied perovskites. This methodological strategy verifies the material's remarkable stability and optical properties and offers a solid framework for examining its potential in optoelectronic devices.
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Light management (LM) is the key to the encapsulation of high-performance silicon (Si) photovoltaic devices (PVs). In this work, simulation analyses provide meaningful insights into optical losses and guide the improvement of the PV performance of the encapsulated silicon solar cells (Encap-Si SCs). An antireflective layer, textured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), is designed to reduce reflection losses, especially at a lower illumination intensity, thereby achieving an improvement of 10.89% in the short-current density (JSC) and hence 12.67% in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) when illuminated at an incident angle of 60°. Subsequently, a luminescence down-shifting material, lead-free Cs2AgxNa1-xBiyIn1-yCl6 (CANBIC) double perovskite phosphor, is incorporated into the PDMS film to further enhance the energy yield in the ultraviolet (UV) region. The textured PDMS film with an optimized CANBIC content ultimately achieves a significant improvement in PCE from 21.770 to 23.136%. This enhancement is attributed to the increase in JSC by 2.381 mA/cm2 due to the reduced reflection losses (by antireflective PDMS) and down-converted UV energy (by CANBIC), providing a remarkable advance in LM toward highly efficient encapsulated PVs.
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This article presents the research results of lead-free Ba1-3/2xLax(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 (BFNxLa) ceramic materials doped with La (x = 0.00-0.06) obtained via the solid-state reaction method. The tests of the BFNxLa ceramic samples included structural (X-ray), morphological (SEM, EDS, EPMA), DC electrical conductivity, and dielectric measurements. For all BFNxLa ceramic samples, the X-ray tests revealed a perovskite-type cubic structure with the space group Pm3¯m. In the case of the samples with the highest amount of lanthanum, i.e., for x = 0.04 (BFN4La) and x = 0.06 (BFN6La), the X-ray analysis also showed a small amount of pyrochlore LaNbO4 secondary phase. In the microstructure of BFNxLa ceramic samples, the average grain size decreases with increasing La content, affecting their dielectric properties. The BFN ceramics show relaxation properties, diffusion phase transition, and very high permittivity at room temperature (56,750 for 1 kHz). The admixture of lanthanum diminishes the permittivity values but effectively reduces the dielectric loss and electrical conductivity of the BFNxLa ceramic samples. All BFNxLa samples show a Debye-like relaxation behavior at lower frequencies; the frequency dispersion of the dielectric constant becomes weaker with increasing admixtures of lanthanum. Research has shown that using an appropriate amount of lanthanum introduced to BFN can obtain high permittivity values while decreasing dielectric loss and electrical conductivity, which predisposes them to energy storage applications.
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This study focuses on the theoretical aspects of third-generation perovskite solar cells (PSC), with the aim of replacing traditional silicon-based counterparts. With potential for higher efficiency and low manufacturing costs, perovskite cells offer unique crystallographic structures allowing adjustments to photoluminescence wavelength. This research addresses challenges in cost-effective solar spectrum utilization and optimization of parameters, device architecture, and materials for high-efficiency cells. In this study, we simulated a perovskite-based solar cell (CH3NH3SnI3) using solar cell capacitance simulator-one dimension simulator under AM 1.5G illumination. The chosen electron transport layer is TiO2, and hole transport layer is CH3NH3SnBr3. The simulation explores variations in layer thickness, defect concentration, interface defects, doping concentration and electron affinity. Additionally, we analyzed the impact of back metal contact work function and temperature variations. Results indicate optimal absorber layer thickness at 0.5µm. Reduced defect concentrations, increased doping concentration and a higher work function for the back contact, enhance efficiency of PSC. The initial parameters yielded a 19.79% efficiency based on base values before optimization, which increased to 26.66% after optimization. According to the latest NREL data, the highest reported efficiency for PSC is 26.1%. This research provides insights into perovskite-based solar cell design for enhanced efficiency.
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Piezoelectric composite ceramics, as the key components of ultrasonic transducers, have their vibration modes, electromechanical coupling performance, and acoustic impedance closely related to the volume fraction of ceramics. This study employed a novel digital light processing 3D printing technique (DLP) to fabricate 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BCZT)-based 1-3 piezoelectric composite ceramics with different ceramic volume fractions (15.6 %, 23.5 %, 36.2 %, 48.4 %, 59.5 %). It demonstrates the suitability of the DLP process for the fabrication of 1-3 piezoelectric composite ceramics and investigates the influence of ceramic volume fraction on the performance of these ceramics. When the piezoelectric ceramic volume fraction was 59.5 %, the piezoelectric coefficient effective d33 of the 1-3 piezoelectric composite device reached 315 pC/N, demonstrating excellent piezoelectric performance. The acoustic impedance Z was 16.3 MRayl, and the thickness electromechanical coupling coefficient kt was 0.55, indicating high energy conversion efficiency. The air-coupled ultrasonic transducer prepared from the 1-3 piezoelectric composite ceramics with a ceramic volume fraction of 59.5 % exhibited a round-trip insertion loss (IL) of -70.32 dB and a -6 dB bandwidth (BW-6dB) of 7.42 %. This work provides a more convenient and new method for the preparation of lead-free piezoelectric ceramic ultrasonic transducers.
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Combining rare earth elements with the halide perovskite structure offers valuable insights into designing nonlead (Pb) luminescent materials. However, most of these compositions tend to form zero-dimensional (0D) networks of metal-halide polyhedra, with higher-dimensional (1D, 2D, and 3D) structures receiving relatively less exploration. Herein, we present synthesis and optical properties of Cs3CeCl6·3H2O, characterized by its unique 1D crystal structure. The conduction band minimum of Cs3CeCl6·3H2O becomes less localized as a result of the increased structural dimension, making it possible for the materials to achieve an efficient electrical injection. For both Cs3CeCl6·3H2O single crystals and nanocrystals, we also observed remarkable luminescence with near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield and exceptional phase stability. Cs3CeCl6·3H2O single crystals demonstrate an X-ray scintillation light yield of 31900 photons/MeV, higher than that of commercial LuAG:Ce (22000 photons/MeV); electrically driven light-emitting diodes fabricated with Cs3CeCl6·3H2O nanocrystals yield the characteristic emission of Ce3+, indicating their potential use in next-generation violet-light-emitting devices.
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Perovskites are an emerging material with a variety of applications, ranging from their solar light conversion capability to their sensing efficiency. In current study, perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) were designed using theoretical density functional theory (DFT) analysis. Moreover, the theoretically designed PNCs were fabricated and confirmed by various characterization techniques. The calculated optical bandgap from UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra were 2.15 and 2.05 eV, respectively. The average crystallite size of PNCs calculated from Scherrer equation was 15.18 nm, and point of zero charge (PZC) was obtained at pH 8. The maximum eosin B (EB) removal efficiency by PNCs was 99.56% at optimized conditions following first-order kinetics with 0.98 R2 value. The goodness of the response surface methodology (RSM) model was confirmed from analysis of variance (ANOVA), with the experimental F value (named after Ronald Fisher) of 194.66 being greater than the critical F value F0.05, 14, 14 = 2.48 and a lack of fit value of 0.0587. The Stern-Volmer equation with a larger Ksv value of 1.303710 × 10 6 for Pb2+ suggests its greater sensitivity for Pb2+ among the different metals tested.
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Radiation protection is an essential issue in diagnostic radiology to ensure the safety of patients, healthcare professionals, and the general public. Lead has traditionally been used as a shielding material due to its high atomic number, high density, and effectiveness in attenuating radiation. However, some concerns related to the long-term health effects of toxicity, environmental disease as well as heavy weight of lead have led to the search for alternative lead-free shielding materials. Leadfree multilayered polymer composites and non-lead nano-composite shields have been suggested as effective shielding materials to replace conventional lead-based and single metal shields. Using several elements with high density and atomic number, such as bismuth, barium, gadolinium, and tungsten, offer significant enhancements in the shielding ability of composites. This review focuses on the development and use of lead-free materials for radiation shielding in medical settings. It discusses the drawbacks of traditional lead shielding, such as toxicity, weight, and recycling challenges, and highlights the benefits of lead-free alternatives.