Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) using titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) electrodes with different haze were investigated. It was found that the incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) of DSCs increases with increase in the haze of the TiO 2 electrodes, especially in the near infrared wavelength region. Conversion efficiency of 11.1%, measured by a public test center, was achieved using high haze TiO 2 electrodes. This indicates that raising the haze of TiO 2 electrodes is an effective technique for improvement of conversion efficiency.

Most solid-state materials are composed of p-block anions, only in recent years the introduction of hydride anions (1s2) in oxides (e.g., SrVO2H, BaTi(O,H)3) has allowed the discovery of various interesting properties. Here we exploit the large polarizability of hydride anions (H–) together with chalcogenide (Ch2–) anions to construct a family of antiperovskites with soft anionic sublattices. The M3HCh antiperovskites (M = Li, Na) adopt the ideal cubic structure except orthorhombic Na3HS, despite the large variation in sizes of M and Ch. This unconventional robustness of cubic phase mainly originates from the large size-flexibility of the H– anion. Theoretical and experimental studies reveal low migration barriers for Li+/Na+ transport and high ionic conductivity, possibly promoted by a soft phonon mode associated with the rotational motion of HM6 octahedra in their cubic forms. Aliovalent substitution to create vacancies has further enhanced ionic conductivities of this series of antiperovskites, resulting in Na2.9H(Se0.9I0.1) achieving a high conductivity of ~1 × 10–4 S/cm (100 °C).

The ethyl acetate soluble fraction of hops (Humulus lupulus) showed potent inhibitory activity on the production of nitric oxide (NO) induced by a combination of LPS and IFN-gamma. Four known prenylflavonoids (1-4) and a new prenylflavonoid (5), hulupinic acid (6), lupulone (7), and its six new derivatives (8-13) were isolated from the active fraction. The structures were determined on the basis of physiochemical properties and spectroscopic analysis. Their inhibitory activities on the production of NO in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells were examined.

Adhesion of yeast-form C. albicans was indifferent to surface roughness. In contrast, mycelial adhesion increased with surface roughness of the resin because mycelia infiltrated the minute protuberances on rough surfaces.