Panagiotis Oikonomopoulos

Planar Sb₂S₃ solar cells, typically fabricated by spin-coating precursor solutions onto TiO₂/FTO (with or without CdS) superstrates, have achieved promising power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), especially when paired with suitable hole transport layers (HTLs). While doped small-molecule HTLs such as spiro-OMeTAD commonly enable record efficiencies above 5%, conductive polymers like poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) present a compelling alternative, offering high intrinsic hole mobility without the need for extrinsic dopants that can compromise chemical stability. However, the processing of P3HT—particularly the concentration in solution and resulting film thickness—often lacks systematic optimization. Here, we address this gap by investigating how P3HT concentration influences charge transport and recombination dynamics in Sb₂S₃ solar cells. Initially, we studied isolated P3HT films to elucidate the relationship between thickness, conductivity, and morphology/structure. Subsequently, we conduct a comprehensive electrical characterization of complete devices using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), transient photovoltage (TPV), transient photocurrent (TPC), and intensity-modulated photocurrent and photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS). These techniques probe time- and frequency-resolved charge extraction and recombination processes, which are correlated with device performance metrics from J–V measurements. Our results demonstrate that P3HT thickness variations critically impact film morphology, carrier dynamics and overall photovoltaic performance. This work provides new insights into the operation of P3HT/Sb₂S₃ solar cells, informing strategies to optimize their performance toward efficiencies comparable to those achieved with doped spiro-OMeTAD.

Semiconducting clathrates are a distinct class of inclusion compounds with considerable interest for thermoelectric applications. We report here the synthesis, crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of Sn₃₈Sb₈I₈. The compound was synthesized via planetary ball milling of the corresponding elements for 6 h and then sintering of amorphous mixture at 620 K for 3 days. The crystal structure of the polycrystalline product was determined via X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld refinement as a type-I clathrate (a = 12.0390(2), space group Pm-3n, No. 223) with mixed-occupied Sn/Sb framework sites and fully occupied I guest sites. Further analysis on the chemical composition, nanomorphology and vibrational modes of the material was carried out via Induced-Coupled-Plasma–Mass Spectrometry, SEM/EDX microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Thermoelectric measurements were performed on hot-pressed samples with ca. 98% of the crystallographic density. The clathrate compound behaves as an n-type semiconductor with a band gap of 0.737 eV and exhibits a maximum ZT of 0.0016 at 473 K. Theoretical calculations on the formation enthalpy, electron density of states and transport properties provide insights into the experimentally observed physical behavior.

Ultramicroporous and acid-resistant multivariate Al( iii ) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are reported, demonstrating selective CO ₂ adsorption properties and highly efficient uptake of dichromate.

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet #Preprint #PeerReviewMe: Warning: This is a unreviewed preprint. Readers are warned that the document has not been peer-reviewed by expert/patient reviewers or an academic editor, may contain misleading claims, and is likely to undergo changes before final publication, if accepted, or may have been rejected/withdrawn. Readers with interest and expertise are encouraged to sign up as peer-reviewer, if the paper is within an open peer-review period. Please cite this preprint only for review purposes or for grant applications and CVs (if you are the author). Background: Over 50% of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients are 65+ years old. Due to age-related factors and the presence of comorbidities, these patients are particularly vulnerable to developing cardiac toxicity associated with cancer treatments, which may lead to suboptimal interventions and undertreatment, resulting in poorer health outcomes, Quality of Life (QoL) deterioration and increased healthcare costs. Given the underrepresentation of elderly breast cancer patients in clinical trials and the increasing recognition of psycho-social and behavioural factors’ impact on cardiovascular (CV) disease onset, broader and interdisciplinary studies are required to develop new and innovative best practices for this clinical population. Objective: Using an innovative eHealth approach combining the CARDIOCARE (CARDIOCARE – “An Interdisciplinary Approach for the Management of the Elderly Multimorbid Patient with Breast Cancer Therapy Induced Cardiac Toxicity” – Grant Agreement 945175) Mobile App and technologically advanced wearable devices (i.e., the Garmin Venu SQ watch and the Polar h10), the CARDIOCARE prospective study pursues a twofold aim: 1) testing the effectiveness of the CARDIOCARE mobile App to monitor and assess elderly breast cancer patients’ intrinsic capacity and QoL and evaluating CARDIOCARE eHealth interventions effectiveness on these parameters 2) developing a holistic, patient-centred risk prediction model, specific for the detection of cardiotoxicity before it clinically emerges. Methods: The study is prospective and multicentric and involves six clinical and five technical partners across Europe. Seven hundred fifty elderly breast cancer patients (≥ 60years old) are randomised into either the intervention group or the control arm, with only patients in the former receiving access to eHealth psychological, behavioural, and functional interventions implemented on the CARDIOCARE eHealtHeart App. Patients will be recruited in the six clinical centres and will undergo clinical procedures to collect multi-modal data including clinical data, cardiac imaging, biochemical and psychological biomarkers and omics, intrinsic capacity, and QoL indicators, measured at baseline (T0) and every three months, up to 12 months (T5). Results: CARDIOCARE is a project funded by Horizon 2020 and enrollment (WP4) started in May 2023. Recruitment and first data analysis are currently underway. Conclusions: The CARDIOCARE prospective study will contribute to developing new best practice guidelines for managing elderly multimorbid breast cancer patients while preserving their intrinsic capacity and improving their QoL. Furthermore, the CARDIOCARE Mobile App and the wearable devices will allow clinicians to identify trajectories across the cardiotoxicity disease continuum and thus intervene in a preventative way on higher-risk patients. Such a healthcare approach will also benefit the healthcare system, which currently spends almost 40% of its resources on patients over 60, with long-term care and hospital admissions being the primary cost drivers. Clinical Trial: NCT06334445

In an attempt to expand the coordination chemistry of N,N′-bis(2,4-dicarboxyphenyl)-oxalamide (H₆L) ligand, we isolated and structurally characterized two new Fe(II) Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), namely [Fe₂(H₂L)(H₂O)₅] (3D-Fe-MOF) and [Fe(H₄L)(H₂O)₂]∙2H₂O, (2D-Fe-MOF) by carefully adjusting the reaction conditions to achieve the optimal degree of deprotonation of the bridging ligand. Both MOFs were found stable in water, as evidenced by powder X-ray diffraction data and their ability to sorb glucose (GLU) from either an aqueous solution or artificial sweat was investigated only to show negligible sorption. A graphite paste sensor (GPE) using the 3D-Fe-MOF as a modifier was fabricated. The 3D-Fe-MOF modified GPE was assessed for non-enzymatic GLU detection in aqueous solution at pH 6 via differential pulse voltammetry and the preliminary results were discussed.