We employ a ZnO nanorod/Si(3)N(4)-coated Si microgroove-based hierarchical structure (HS) for a light-harvesting scheme in 5 inch single crystalline Si solar cells. ZnO nanorods and Si microgrooves were fabricated by a simple and scalable aqueous process. The excellent light-harvesting characteristics of the HS, such as broadband working ranges and omnidirectionality have been demonstrated usin...

The steady state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic properties of the xanthophylls, violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein, and the efficiencies of singlet energy transfer from the individual xanthophylls to chlorophyll have been investigated in recombinant CP26 protein overexpressed in Escherichia coli and then refolded in vitro with purified pigments. Also, the effect of the different xa...

There exists a wealth of means of efficient utilization of solar energy in nature, with photosynthesis of chlorophylls as a prime example. Separately, artificially structured plasmonic materials are versatile in light harvesting and energy conversion. Using a simple and scalable design of near-percolating silver nanostructures, we demonstrate that the light-harvesting efficiency of chlorophylls...

Light harvesting systems based upon disordered materials are not only widespread in nature, but are also increasingly prevalent in solar cells and photodetectors. Examples include organic semiconductors, which typically possess low charge carrier mobilities and Langevin-type recombination dynamics--both of which negatively impact the device performance. It is accepted wisdom that the "drift dis...

Universität Bayreuth, Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, D–95447 Bayreuth, Germany (C.R.); Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, D–44801 Bochum, Germany (S.P., S.R.); Université Joseph Fourier et Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, F–38041 Grenoble cedex 9, France (P.P.-F., F.Q., S.R.); and Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, T...

Mediator complexes (MED) link transcriptional regulators to RNA polymerase II. Here, we summarize the latest advances on the functional organization of yeast Mediator. We argue for the existence of a "universal" Mediator structurally conserved from yeast to man, based on an extensive analysis of sequence databases. Finally, we examine the implications of these observations for the physiological...

Bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c is the main light-harvesting pigment of certain photosynthetic bacteria. It is found in the form of self-assembled aggregates in the so-called chlorosomes. Here we report the results of co-aggregation experiments of BChl c with azulene and its tailored derivatives. We have performed spectroscopic and quantum chemical characterization of the azulenes, followed by sel...

We examine the impact of cell phone base stations on prices of condominiums in Hamburg, Germany. This is the first hedonic pricing study on this subject for real estates in Europe and the first worldwide which examines the price impact of base stations within a whole metropolis. We distinguish between individual masts and groups of masts. Based on a data set of over 1,000 base stations set up i...

Highly omnidirectional and frequency controllable carbon/polyaniline (C/PANI)-based, two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) monopole antennas were fabricated using screen-printing and a one-step, dimensionally confined hydrothermal strategy, respectively. Solvated C/PANI was synthesized by low-temperature interfacial polymerization, during which strong π-π interactions between graphene and the qu...