Steven Weinberg: a legend is lost

By unifying the electromagnetic and weak forces, Steven Weinberg was vital to the formation of the Standard Model of particle physics. Michael Banks looks back at a giant of theoretical physics.

Playing with the Weakest Supramolecular Interactions in a 3D Crystalline Hexakis[60]Fullerene Induces Control over Hydrogenation Selectivity

Weak forces can play an essential role in chemical reactions. Controlling such subtle forces in reorganization processes by applying thermal or chemical stimuli represents a novel synthetic strategy and one...

Phenazine derivatives for optical sensing: a review

Phenazine exhibiting an electron-deficient skeleton, lone pair of electrons on nitrogen atoms, and other properties (such as tunable structures, excellent optical performance and proper binding abilities) can effectively sense target ions or molecules via non-covalent interactions, involving hydrogen bonds, anion–π interactions, metal coordination and other weak forces.

A Review on Improving the Quality of Perovskite Films in Perovskite Solar Cells via the Weak Forces Induced by Additives

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) employing organic-inorganic halide perovskite as active layers have attracted the interesting of many scientists since 2009. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) have pushed certified 25.2% in 2019 from initial 3.81% in 2009, which is much faster than that of any type of solar cell. In the process of optimization, many innovative approaches to improve the morphology of perovskite films were developed, aiming at elevate the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as well as long-term stability. In the context of PSCs research, the perovskite precursor solutions modified with different additives have been extensively studied, with remarkable progress in improving the whole performance. In this comprehensive review, we focus on the forces induced by additives between the cations and anions of perovskite precursor, such as hydrogen bonds, coordination or some by-product (e.g., mesophase), which will lead to form intermediate adduct phases and then can be converted into high quality films. A compact uniform perovskite films can not only upgrade the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices but also improve the stability of PSCs under ambient conditions. Therefore, strategies for the implementation of additives engineering in perovskites precursor solution will be critical for the future development of PSCs. How to manipulate the weak forces in the fabrication of perovskite film could help to further develop high-efficiency solar cells with long-term stability and enable the potential of future practical applications.