Given that the highest certified conversion efficiency of the organic-inorganic perovskite solar cell (PSC) already exceeds 22 %, which is even higher than that of the polycrystalline silicon solar cell, the significance of new scalable processes that can be utilized for preparing large-area devices and their commercialization is rapidly increasing. From this perspective, the electrodeposition method is one of the most suitable processes for preparing large-area devices because it is an already commercialized process with proven controllability and scalability. Here, a highly uniform NiO layer prepared by electrochemical deposition is reported as an efficient hole-extraction layer of a p-i-n-type planar PSC with a large active area of >1 cm . It is demonstrated that the increased surface roughness of the NiO layer, achieved by controlling the deposition current density, facilitates the hole extraction at the interface between perovskite and NiO , and thus increases the fill factor and the conversion efficiency. The electrochemically deposited NiO layer also exhibits extremely uniform thickness and morphology, leading to highly efficient and uniform large-area PSCs. As a result, the p-i-n-type planar PSC with an area of 1.084 cm exhibits a stable conversion efficiency of 17.0 % (19.2 % for 0.1 cm ) without showing hysteresis effects.

We report the electrical properties of rubidium-incorporated methylammonium lead iodide ((RbMA)PbI) films and the photovoltaic performance of (RbMA)PbI film-based p-i-n-type perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The incorporation of a small amount of Rb (x = 0.05) increases both the open circuit voltage (V) and the short circuit photocurrent density (J) of the PSCs, leading to an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, a high fraction of Rb incorporation (x = 0.1 and 0.2) decreases the J and thus the PCE, which is attributed to the phase segregation of the single tetragonal perovskite phase to a MA-rich tetragonal perovskite phase and a RbPbI orthorhombic phase at high Rb fractions. Conductive atomic force microscopic and admittance spectroscopic analyses reveal that the single-phase (RbMA)PbI film has a high electrical conductivity because of a reduced deep-level trap density. We also found that Rb substitution enhances the diode characteristics of the PSC, as evidenced by the reduced reverse saturation current (J). The optimized (RbMA)PbI PSCs exhibited a PCE of 18.8% with negligible hysteresis in the photocurrent-voltage curve. The results from this work enhance the understanding of the effect of Rb incorporation into organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites and enable the exploration of Rb-incorporated mixed perovskites for various applications, such as solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a plant native to Europe and has been widely used as a carminative and gastric stimulant worldwide. This plant also has been used in cosmetic formulations as a fragrance component and skin conditioning agent. This study investigated the effect of peppermint oil on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. The animals were randomized into 4 groups based on different topical applications: saline (SA), jojoba oil (JO), 3% minoxidil (MXD), and 3% peppermint oil (PEO). The hair growth effects of the 4-week topical applications were evaluated in terms of hair growth, histological analysis, enzymatic activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), known bio-markers for the enhanced hair growth. Of the 4 experimental groups, PEO group showed the most prominent hair growth effects; a significant increase in dermal thickness, follicle number, and follicle depth. ALP activity and IGF-1 expression also significantly increased in PEO group. Body weight gain and food efficiency were not significantly different between groups. These results suggest that PEO induces a rapid anagen stage and could be used for a practical agent for hair growth without change of body weight gain and food efficiency.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality characteristics and antioxidant activities of ganache added with Porphyra tenera powder (PTP). The levels of PTP addition to ganache were 0, 1, 2, and 3 wt%. The lightness (L) and yellowness (b) values of the ganache in the Hunter color system decreased upon increasing the amount of PTP. In addition, textural examinations showed that the hardness of the ganache increased upon PTP addition. Furthermore, sensory evaluations indicated that the overall acceptability score was highest for the ganache chocolate containing 1% PTP, whereby the color, flavor, and taste scores were the highest. Meanwhile, the moisture content decreased upon increasing the PTP content, which differed significantly from the control. Moreover, the sugar content (°Brix) and reducing sugar content increased upon increasing the PTP content. It was also found that the phycocyanin and chlorophyll contents in the ganache containing 3% PTP were higher than for the other samples, and the total phenolics and flavonoid contents increased upon increasing the amount of added PTP. Finally, the DPPH radical scavenging and SOD-like activities of the ganache increased with greater quantities of PTP. These results, therefore, indicate that the addition of PTP to ganache chocolate can lead to the manufacture of high quality chocolate with a high antioxidant activity.