Solar energy has been recognized as an alternative energy source that can help address fuel depletion and climate change issues. As a renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels, it is an eco-friendly and unlimited energy source. Among solar cells, thin film Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) is currently being actively studied as an alternative to heavily commercialized Cu (In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells, which rely upon costly and scarce indium and gallium. Currently, the highest efficiency achieved by CZTSSe cells is 14.9 %, lower than the CIGS record of 23.35 %. When applied to devices, CZTSSe thin films perform poorly compared to other materials due to problems including lattice defects, conduction band offset, secondary phase information, and narrow stable phase regions, so improving their performance is essential. Research into ways of improving performance by doping with Germanium and Cadmium is underway. Specifically, Ge can be doped into CZTSSe, replacing Sn to reduce pinholes and bulk recombination. Additionally, partially replacing Zn with Cd can facilitate grain growth and suppress secondary phase formation. In this study, we analyzed the device’s performance after doping Ge into CZTSSe thin film using evaporation, and doping Cd using chemical bath deposition. The Ge doped thin film showed a larger bandgap than the undoped reference thin film, achieving the highest Voc of 494 mV in the device. The Cd doped thin film showed a smaller bandgap than the undoped reference thin film, with the highest Jsc of 36.9 mA/cm2. As a result, the thin film solar cells achieved a power conversion efficiency of 10.84 %, representing a 20 % improvement in power conversion efficiency compared to the undoped reference device.

Electrical and thermal transport properties of a polycrystalline carrier-doped wide-gap semiconductor LaCu1-δ S0.5Se0.5O (δ = 0.01), in which the CuCh (Ch = S, Se) layer works as conducting layer, were measured at temperatures 473~673 K. The presence of δ = 0.01 copper defects dramatically reduces the electrical resistivity (ρ) to approximately one part per million compared to that of δ = 0 at room temperature. The polycrystalline δ = 0.01 sample exhibited ρ of 1.3 × 10-3 Ωm, thermal conductivity of 6.0 Wm-1 K-1, and Seebeck coefficient (S) of 87 μVK-1 at 673 K. The maximum value of the dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) of the δ = 0.01 sample was calculated to be 6.4 × 10-4 at T = 673 K. The ZT value is far smaller than a ZT ~ 0.01 measured for a nominal LaCuSeO sample. The smaller ZT is mainly due to the small S measured for LaCu1-δS0.5Se0.5O (δ = 0.01). According to the Debye model, above 300 K phonon thermal conductivity in a pure lattice is inversely proportional to T, while thermal conductivity of the δ = 0.01 sample increases with increasing T.

Se sorption onto Ca-type montmorillonite purified from Bentonil-WRK—a new research bentonite introduced by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute—was examined under ambient conditions (pH 4−9, pe 7−9, I = 0.01 M CaCl2, and T = 25°C). Se(IV) was identified as the oxidation state responsible for weak sorption (Kd < 22 L∙kg−1) by forming surface complexes with edge functional groups of the montmorillonite. Thermodynamic modeling, considering reaction mechanisms of outer-sphere complexation (≡AlOH2 + + HSeO3 − ⇌ ≡AlOH3SeO3, log K = 0.50 ± 0.21), inner-sphere complexation (2≡AlOH + H2SeO3(aq) ⇌ (≡Al)2SeO3 + 2H2O(l), log K = 7.89 ± 0.51), and Ca2+-involved ternary complexation (≡AlOH + Ca2+ + SeO3 2− ⇌ ≡AlOHCaSeO3, log K = 7.69 ± 0.28) between selenite and aluminol sites of montmorillonite, acceptably reproduced the batch sorption data. Outer- and inner-sphere complexes are predominant Se(IV) forms sorbed in acidic (pH ≈ 4) and near-acidic (pH ≈ 6) regions, respectively, whereas ternary complexation accounts for Se(IV) sorption at neutral pHs under the ambient conditions. The experimental and modeling data generally extend a material-specific sorption database of Bentonil-WRK, which is essential for assessing its radionuclide retention performance as a buffer candidate of deep geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste.

In this study, four different samples of Se60Ge40-xBix chalcogenides glasses were synthesized by heating the melt for 18 h in vacuum Pyrex ampoules (under a 10-4 Torre vacuum), each with a different concentration (x = 0, 10, 15, and 20) of high purity starting materials. The results of direct current (DC) electrical conductivity measurements against a 1,000/T plot for all chalcogenide samples revealed two linear areas at medium and high temperatures, each with a different slope and with different activation energies (E1 and E2). In other words, these samples contain two electrical conduction mechanisms: a localized conduction at middle temperatures and extended conduction at high temperatures. The results showed the local and extended state parameters changed due to the effective partial substitution of germanium by bismuth. The density of extended states N(Eext) and localized states N(Eloc) as a function of bismuth concentration was used to gauge this effect. While the density of the localized states decreased from 1.6 × 1014 to 4.2 × 1012 (ev-1 cm-3) as the bismuth concentration increased from 0 to 15, the density of the extended states generally increased from 3.552 × 1021 to 5.86 × 1021 (ev-1 cm-3), indicating a reduction in the mullet’s randomness. This makes these alloys more widely useful in electronic applications due to the decrease in the cost of manufacturing.

We report the effect of plastic deformation on the thermoelectric properties of n-type Bi2Te2.5Se0.5 compounds. N-type Bi2Te2.5Se0.5 powders are synthesized by an oxide-reduction process and consolidated via sparkplasma sintering. To explore the effect of plastic deformation on the thermoelectric properties, the sintered bodies are subjected to uniaxial pressure to induce a controlled amount of compressive strains (-0.2, -0.3, and -0.4). The shaping temperature is set using a thermochemical analyzer, and the plastic deformation effect is assessed without altering the material composition through differential scanning calorimetry. This strategy is crucial because the conventional hotforging process can often lead to alterations in material composition due to the high volatility of chalcogen elements. With increasing compressive strain, the (00l) planes become aligned in the direction perpendicular to the pressure axis. Furthermore, an increase in the carrier concentration is observed upon compressive plastic deformation, i.e., the donorlike effect of the plastic deformation in n-type Bi2Te2.5Se0.5 compounds. Owing to the increased electrical conductivity through the preferred orientation and the donor-like effect, an improved ZT is achieved in n-type Bi2Te2.5Se0.5 through the compressive-forming process.

The ultimate objective of deep geological repositories is to achieve complete segregation of hazardous radioactive waste from the biosphere. Thus, given the possibility of leaks in the distant future, it is crucial to evaluate the capability of clay minerals to fulfill their promising role as both engineered and natural barriers. Selenium-79, a long-lived fission product originating from uranium- 235, holds significant importance due to its high mobility resulting from the predominant anionic form of selenium. To investigate the retardation behaviors of Se(IV) in clay media by sorption, a series of batch sorption experiments were conducted. The batch samples consisted of Se(IV) ions dissolved in 0.1 M NaCl solutions, along with clay minerals including kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite-smectite mixed layers. The pH of the samples was also varied, reflecting the shift in the predominant selenium species from selenious acid to selenite ion as the environment can shift from slightly acidic to alkaline conditions. This alteration in pH concurrently promotes the competition of hydroxide ions for Se(IV) sorption on the mineral surface as the pH increases and impedes the selective attachment of selenium. The acquired experimental data were fitted through Langmuir and Freundlich sorption isotherms. From the Freundlich fit data, the distribution coefficient values of Se(IV) for kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite-smectite mixed layer were derived, which exhibited a clear decrease from 91, 110, 62 L/kg at a pH of 3.2 to 16, 6.3, 12 L/kg at a pH of 7.5, respectively. These values derived over the pH range provide quantitative guidance essential for the safety assessment of clay mineral barriers, contributing to a more informed site selection process for deep geological repositories.

양산시 동면 금산리 일원의 공사현장 사면 3개 지점에서 미고결 퇴적층을 절단하는 단층이 확인되었으며, 노두 단면에서 관찰되는 단층의 상세 구조분석을 수행하였다. 이곳 금산리 지점은 기존에 제4기 단층운동이 보고된 가산단층 지점으로부터 북쪽으로 약 0 .6 k m 떨어진 곳에 위치한다. 관찰된 총 6조의 단층들은 14o-32oE 주향을 가지고 3조의 단 층들은 77o-87oNW, 나머지 3조의 단층들은 53o-62oSE로 경사진다. 단층에 의해 절단된 미고결 퇴적층은 동편의 금정산 에서 유래된 선상지 역암으로 주로 화강암 또는 화산암 기원의 직경 0.5m 이상의 거력으로 구성된다. 단층면 상에 발 달하는 단층조선은 역이동성 성분이 포함된 우수향 주향이동단층 운동감각을 지시하며, 이러한 변형특성은 한반도 현생 응력환경인 동북동-서남서 압축응력과 부합한다. 사면에서 관찰되는 기반암과 미고결 퇴적층과의 부정합면을 기준으로 산정한 단층의 겉보기 수직변위는 동편이 15 m, 서편이 1 m이다.

Structural inversion refers to the reverse reactivation of extensional faults that influence basin shortening accommodated by contractional faults or folds. On the Korean peninsula, Miocene inversion structures have been found, but the Cretaceous rocks on Geoje Island may have undergone inversion as early as the Upper Cretaceous. To evaluate the structural inversion on Geoje Island, located on the eastern side of South Korea, and to determine the effects of preexisting weakness zones, field-based geometric and kinematic analyses of faults were performed. The lithology of Geoje Island is dominated by hornfelsified shale, siltstone, and sandstone in the Upper-Cretaceous Seongpori formation. NE and NW-oblique normal faults, conjugate strike-slip (NW-sinistral transpressional and E-W-dextral transtensional) faults, and NE-dextral transpressional faults are the most prominent structural features in Geoje Island. Structural inversion on Geoje Island was evidenced by the sinistral and dextral transpressional reactivation of the NW and NE-trending oblique normal faults respectively, under WNW-ESE/NW-SE compression, which was the orientation of the compressive stress during the Late Cretaceous to Early Cenozoic.

본 논문은 교정보호체계 내 대상자 수 적정화 필요성과 그 방향에 대해 다룬다. 범 죄자의 실효적 재범방지를 위해서는 증거기반 정책의 수립과 집행체계의 전문성 강화 등 다양한 이슈가 논의 될 수 있다. 다만, 이러한 정책들이 성공하기 위해서는 정책의 집행대상을 명확히 하여 밀도 높은 교정교화 활동을 실시 할 필요가 있다. 이러한 관 점에서, 우리 교정보호체계가 가진 큰 문제점은 교정과 보호체계 모두 필요 이상의 많 은 범죄자들을 관리감독하고 있다는 점에 있다. 교정시설의 과밀수용현상과 보호관찰 소의 만성적 인력부족 현상은 이러한 현상의 단면을 잘 보여준다. 우리 교정보호체계 는 이러한 문제점을 시설과 인력의 확충이라는 방법을 통해서 해결하려 해왔다. 그러 나 교정보호체계가 각자의 몸집을 불려가는 망의 확장 현상은 귀중한 형사사법 자원 의 낭비를 초래할 뿐 아니라, 최근 가장 설득력 있는 교정이론 중 하나인 RNR이론에 따르면 재범률 감소에 긍정적 영향을 주지 못한다. 교정과 보호 두 기관은 지역사회안전을 해치지 않는 범위내에서 대상자의 수를 감소시킴으로써 근본적인 문제를 해결 해야 한다. 시설내 교정체계는 지금 보다 많은 수용자를 탈 시설화(decarceration) 하여야 하고, 사회내 처우체계도 재범위험성이 낮은 범죄자를 조기해방(early release) 시켜줘야 한다. 본 논문은 한국의 교정보호체계가 전체 교정보호 대상자 총량의 감소 를 통해 스마트한 교정보호체계로 거듭날 수 있도록, 실효적 정책대안과 향후 제언을 제시하였다.

The lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM) is considered one of the promising approaches to overcome the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER), bypassing -OOH* coordination with a high energetic barrier. Activated lattice oxygen can participate in the OER as a reactant and enables O*-O* coupling for direct O2 formation. However, such reaction kinetics inevitably include the generation of oxygen vacancies, which leads to structural degradation, and eventually shortens the lifetime of catalysts. Here, we demonstrate that Se incorporation significantly enhances OER performance and the stability of NiFe (oxy)hydroxide (NiFe) which follows the LOM pathway. In Se introduced NiFe (NiFeSe), Se forms not only metal-Se bonding but also Se-oxygen bonding by replacing oxygen sites and metal sites, respectively. As a result, transition metals show reduced valence states while oxygen shows less reduced valence states (O-/O2 2-) which is a clear evidence of lattice oxygen activation. By virtue of its electronic structure modulation, NiFeSe shows enhanced OER activity and long-term stability with robust active lattice oxygen compared to NiFe.

This study demonstrates a different approach method to fabricate antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) thin-films for the solar cell applications. As-deposited Sb2Se3 thin-films are fabricated via electrodeposition route and, subsequently, annealed in the temperature range of 230 ~ 310oC. Cyclic voltammetry is performed to investigate the electrochemical behavior of the Sb and Se ions. The deposition potential of the Sb2Se3 thin films is determined to be -0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl (in 1 M KCl), where the stoichiometric composition of Sb2Se3 appeared. It is found that the crystal orientations of Sb2Se3 thin-films are largely dependent on the annealing temperature. At an annealing temperature of 250 oC, the Sb2Se3 thin-film grew most along the c-axis [(211) and/or (221)] direction, which resulted in the smooth movement of carriers, thereby increasing the carrier collection probability. Therefore, the solar cell using Sb2Se3 thin-film annealed at 250 oC exhibited significant enhancement in JSC of 10.03 mA/cm2 and a highest conversion efficiency of 0.821 % because of the preferred orientation of the Sb2Se3 thin film.

The sorption behavior of Se(IV) on montmorillonite clay, a promising buffer and backfill material, was investigated in the presence of aquatic fulvic acid. Selenium-79 is one of the major radioactive nuclides which are long-lived and highly mobile in subsurface environments. Moreover, it is highly toxic even in small amounts, so the selenium quantity in soil and groundwater should be assessed. Although natural organic matters such as humic and fulvic acids are present in the environment, the influence of natural organic matters on Se(IV) migration has not yet been extensively studied. The batch sorption experiments were performed under oxic conditions. Suwannee River III standard aquatic fulvic acid (International Humic Substances Society) was used to build an organicrich environment. The N2 – BET surface area of the montmorillonite (Clay Minerals Society) was 97 ± 5 m2·g−1. The montmorillonite suspensions with/without fulvic acid were equilibrated with air before adding Na2SeO3. The solid-to-liquid ratio was 5 g·L−1, the ionic medium was 0.1 M NaCl, fulvic acid concentration was 50 mg·L−1, and the final pH was 3. The horizontal vial roller was used to prevent the clay from sinking. After 7 days of sorption at room temperature, the suspensions were centrifuged at 10,600 g for 15 min and filtered through 0.2 μm PTFE filters. The colloidal fulvic selenide and free Se(IV) concentrations were entirely measured by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The sorption results were fitted with Langmuir and Freundlich models. At concentrations lower than 20 μM, the distribution coefficients (Kd) were 50 ± 9 L·kg−1 without fulvic acid, and 36 ± 5 L·kg−1 with 50 mg·L−1 fulvic acid. For the concentrations between 20 and 100 μM, the Kd values without and with fulvic acid were 16 ± 7 L·kg−1 and 10 ± 1 L·kg−1, respectively. As a result, it turned out that fulvic acid interferes with the sorption of Se(IV) on montmorillonite in competition with the selenite anion. This indicates that such organic matter may facilitate the migration of selenium in deep geological groundwaters.

본 연구의 목적은 􋺷연오랑과 세오녀􋺸설화를 통해서 본 연오랑과 세오녀의 상징성 고찰이다. 그리고 본 연구는 이러한 상징성을 샤머니즘 접근을 통해서 수행하고자 한다. 기본적으로 연오랑과 세오녀는 하늘에 제사를 지내는 제례의 주관자이면서 소금 제조, 제철 생산, 그리고 직조 기술을 지녔던 첨단기술자 집 단이었다. 제철 기술을 보유했던 연오랑과 세오녀 집단의 이주는 제철 생산 중 단 및 기술의 유출을 의미했다. 세오녀가 지녔던 직조 기술은 씨실과 날실로 상 징되는 수평과 수직의 조화로서 신성한 대상이었다. 현대인은 샤머니즘을 미신 과 연관 짓는 경향이 있다. 그러나 고대 사회에서 샤머니즘은 다양한 기능과 역 할을 했다. 고대 사회에서 샤머니즘은 천문, 제철 기술, 그리고 직조 기술과 같 은 문명의 전파와도 관련성을 갖기 때문이다. 따라서 􋺷연오랑과 세오녀􋺸 설화 는 단순한 이동에 관한 것이 아니라, 문명의 전파와 관련된 것으로 볼 수 있다.

Herein a rich, Se-nanoparticle modified Mo-W18O49 nanocomposite as efficient hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst is reported via hydrothermal synthesized process. In this work, Na2SeSO3 solution and selenium powder are used as Se precursor material. The structure and composition of the nanocomposites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), EDX spectrum analysis and the corresponding element mapping. The improved electrochemical properties are studied by current density, and EIS analysis. The as-prepared Se modified Mo-W18O49 synthesized via Na2SeSO3 is investigated by FE-SEM analysis and found to exhibit spherical particles combined with nanosheets. This special morphology effectively improves the charge separation and transfer efficiency, resulting in enhanced photoelectric behavior compared with that of pure Mo-W18O49. The nanomaterial obtained via Na2SeSO3 solution demonstrates a high HER activity and low overpotential of -0.34 V, allowing it to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm2.

To build a highly active photocatalytic system with high efficiency and low cast of TiO2, we report a facile hydrothermal technique to synthesize Ag2Se-nanoparticle-modified TiO2 composites. The physical characteristics of these samples are analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy and BET analysis. The XRD and TEM results show us that TiO2 is coupled with small sized Ag2Se nanoplate, which has an average grain size of about 30 nm in diameter. The agglomeration of Ag2Se nanoparticles is improved by the hydrothermal process, with dispersion improvement of the Ag2Se@TiO2 nanocomposite. Texbrite BA-L is selected as a simulated dye to study the photodegradation behavior of as-prepared samples under visible light radiation. A significant enhancement of about two times the photodegradation rate is observed for the Ag2Se@TiO2 nanocomposite compared with the control sample P25 and as-prepared TiO2. Long-term stability of Ag2Se@TiO2 is observed via ten iterations of recycling experiments under visible light irradiation.

Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) based thin-film solar cells have attracted growing attention because of their earthabundant and non-toxic elements. However, because of their large open-circuit voltage (Voc)-deficit, CZTSSe solar cells exhibit poor device performance compared to well-established Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) and CdTe based solar cells. One of the main causes of this large Voc-deficit is poor absorber properties for example, high band tailing properties, defects, secondary phases, carrier recombination, etc. In particular, the fabrication of absorbers using physical methods results in poor surface morphology, such as pin-holes and voids. To overcome this problem and form large and homogeneous CZTSSe grains, CZTSSe based absorber layers are prepared by a sputtering technique with different RTA conditions. The temperature is varied from 510 oC to 540 oC during the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. Further, CZTSSe thin films are examined with X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, IPCE, Energy dispersive spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy techniques. The present work shows that Cu-based secondary phase formation can be suppressed in the CZTSSe absorber layer at an optimum RTA condition.

Recent advances in technology using ultra-thin noble metal film in oxide/metal/oxide structures have attracted attention because this material is a promising alternative to meet the needs of transparent conduction electrodes (TCE). AZO/ Ag/AZO multilayer films are prepared by magnetron sputtering for Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) of kesterite solar cells. It is shown that the electrical and optical properties of the AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer films can be improved by the very low resistivity and surface plasmon effects due to the deposition of different thicknesses of Ag layer between oxide layers fixed at AZO 30 nm. The AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer films of Ag 15 nm show high mobility of 26.4 cm2/Vs and low resistivity and sheet resistance of 3.58*10−5 Ωcm and 5.0 Ω/sq. Also, the AZO/Ag (15 nm)/AZO multilayer film shows relatively high transmittance of more than 65% in the visible region. Through this, we fabricated CZTSSe thin film solar cells with 7.51% efficiency by improving the short-circuit current density and fill factor to 27.7 mV/cm2 and 62 %, respectively.

ZnO thin films are of considerable interest because they can be customized by various coating technologies to have high electrical conductivity and high visible light transmittance. Therefore, ZnO thin films can be applied to various optoelectronic device applications such as transparent conducting thin films, solar cells and displays. In this study, ZnO rod and thin films are fabricated using aqueous chemical bath deposition (CBD), which is a low-cost method at low temperatures, and environmentally friendly. To investigate the structural, electrical and optical properties of ZnO for the presence of citrate ion, which can significantly affect crystal form of ZnO, various amounts of the citrate ion are added to the aqueous CBD ZnO reaction bath. As a result, ZnO crystals show a nanorod form without citrate, but a continuous thin film when citrate is above a certain concentration. In addition, as the citrate concentration increases, the electrical conductivity of the ZnO thin films increases, and is almost unchanged above a certain citrate concentration. Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cell substrates are used to evaluate whether aqueous CBD ZnO thin films can be applicable to real devices. The performance of aqueous CBD ZnO thin films shows performance similar to that of a sputter-deposited ZnO:Al thin film as top transparent electrodes of CIGS solar cells.