http://www.hindawi.comThe latest articles from Hindawi Publishing Corporation© 2012, Hindawi Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/291579/Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years due to the possibility of low-cost conversion of photovoltaic energy. The DSSCs-based ruthenium complexes as sensitizers show high efficiency and excellent stability, implying potential practical applications. This review focuses on recent advances in design and preparation of efficient ruthenium sensitizers and their applications in DSSCs, including thiocyanate ruthenium sensitizers and thiocyanate-free ruthenium sensitizers.Yuancheng Qin and Qiang PengCopyright © 2012 Yuancheng Qin and Qiang Peng. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/637943/Indium sulphide has been extensively investigated as a component for different kind of photovoltaic devices (organic-inorganic hybrid devices, all inorganic, dye sensitized cells). In this paper, we have optimised the growth conditions of indium sulphide thin films by means of a low cost, versatile deposition technique, like spray pyrolysis. The quality of the deposited films has been characterised by micro-Raman, vis-UV spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Substrate deposition temperature and different postdeposition annealing conditions have been investigated in order to obtain information about the quality of the obtained compound (which crystalline or amorphous phases are present) and the morphology of the deposited films. We have shown that the deposition temperature influences strongly the amount of amorphous phase and the roughness of the indium sulphide films. Optimised postdeposition annealing treatments can strongly improve the final amount of the beta phase almost independently from the percentage of the amorphous phase present in the as deposited films.Hristina Spasevska, Catherine C. Kitts, Cosimo Ancora, and Giampiero RuaniCopyright © 2012 Hristina Spasevska et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/921780/The paper describes a methodology, very simple in its application, for measuring surface irregularities of linear parabolic collectors. This technique was principally developed to be applied in cases where it is difficult to use cumbersome instruments and to facilitate logistic management. The instruments to be employed are a digital camera and a grating. If the reflector surface is defective, the image of the grating, reflected on the solar collector, appears distorted. Analyzing the reflected image, we can obtain the local slope of the defective surface. These profilometric tests are useful to identify and monitor the mirror portions under mechanical stress and to estimate the losses caused by the light rays deflected outside the absorber.F. Francini, D. Fontani, P. Sansoni, L. Mercatelli, D. Jafrancesco, and E. SaniCopyright © 2012 F. Francini et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/703074/A real petroleum refinery wastewater, containing a range of aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds, was treated using nanotitania particles, as the photocatalyst in UV/TiO2 process. Samples were collected from the inlet point of the biological treatment unit. A conic-shape, circulating, and upward mixing reactor, without dead zone, was employed. The light source was an immersed mercury UV lamp (400 W, 200–550 nm). Optimal suspended catalyst concentration, fluid pH, and temperature were obtained at amounts of near 100 mg·L−1, 3 and 45°C, respectively. A maximum reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) of more than 78% was achieved after about 120 min and, hence, 72% after only 90 min. Significant pollutant degradation was also relevant under other conditions. The identification analysis of the organic pollutants, provided by means of a GC/MS, equipped with headspace injection technique, showed that different petroleum compounds were degraded with high efficiencies.Javad Saien and Fatemeh ShahrezaeiCopyright © 2012 Javad Saien and Fatemeh Shahrezaei. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/192380/The kinetics of photosensitizer 2-devinyl-2-(1-methoxylethyl) chlorin f (CPD4) uptake in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells is described by a diffusion kinetics model and experimentally investigated using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). CPD4 permeated into MCF-7 cells with increasing incubation time, which was followed by its binding to cell organelles. Subcellular distribution study revealed that CPD4 was primarily localized on the mitochondria and membranes, supporting that the mode of transmembrane transport was diffusion. A kinetics model describing CPD4 passing through the plasma membrane of MCF-7 cells was proposed based on Fick's first law of diffusion. The kinetics of cellular uptake of CPD4 was studied by three-dimensional LSCM. By fitting the experimental data using the above model, important cellular uptake and distribution parameters were obtained, which are of clinical significance in photodynamic therapy.Ping Chen, Feng Zhang, Lei Zhang, Song-Cheng Mao, Lie Lin, Hua Bai, Guo-Qing Tang, Jian-Zhong Yao, Jun-Hong Yang, and Yun-Feng MaCopyright © 2012 Ping Chen et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/671326/Polypyrrole films were coated on conductive glass by electrochemical deposition (alternative current or direct current process). They were then used as the dye-sensitized solar cell counter electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that polypyrrole forms a nanoparticle-like structure on the conductive glass. The amount of deposited polypyrrole (or film thickness) increased with the deposition duration, and the performance of polypyrrole based-dye-sensitized solar cells is dependant upon polymer thickness. The highest efficiency of alternative current and direct current polypyrrole based-dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is 4.72% and 4.02%, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy suggests that the superior performance of alternative current polypyrrole solar cells is due to their lower charge-transfer resistance between counter electrode and electrolyte. The large charge-transfer resistance of direct current solar cells is attributed to the formation of unbounded polypyrrole chains minimizing the I3 − reduction rate.Khamsone Keothongkham, Samuk Pimanpang, Wasan Maiaugree, Saman Saekow, Wirat Jarernboon, and Vittaya AmornkitbamrungCopyright © 2012 Khamsone Keothongkham et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/281068/Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a chemotherapeutic approach that utilizes a bifunctional reagent, a photosensitizer (PS) that localizes to the target tissue relative to the surrounding tissue and is toxic when exposed to laser light. PDT rapidly induces cell death, inflammatory and immune reactions, and damage of the microvasculature. DNA damage results from a variety of factors including UV-light, X-rays, ionizing radiation, toxins, chemicals, or reactive oxygen species. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of PDT as well as the influence of presensitization leading to the adaptive response (AR) on the integrity of DNA. Lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), and esophageal (SNO) cancer cells and Zn sulfophthalocyanine as PS with irradiation conditions of 10 J/cm2 at 636 nm were used. Subcellular localization of PS, cell morphology, and viability after PDT and DNA damage were determined. A significant decrease in viability and marked DNA damage was observed in all 3 cancer cell types in response to PDT while the adaptive response was demonstrated to significantly decrease the effectiveness of the PDT.A. El-Hussein, M. Harith, and H. AbrahamseCopyright © 2012 A. El-Hussein et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/759205/Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) modeling allows the prediction of the treatment results depending on the lesion properties, the photosensitizer distribution, or the optical source characteristics. We employ a predictive PDT model and apply it to different skin tumors. It takes into account optical radiation distribution, a nonhomogeneous topical photosensitizer spatial temporal distribution, and the time-dependent photochemical interaction. The predicted singlet oxygen molecular concentrations with varying optical irradiance are compared and could be directly related with the necrosis area. The results show a strong dependence on the particular lesion. This suggests the need to design optimal PDT treatment protocols adapted to the specific patient and lesion.I. Salas-García, F. Fanjul-Vélez, and J. L. Arce-DiegoCopyright © 2012 I. Salas-García et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/634147/The metal complexes (RuII (phen)2(phendione))(PF6)2(1), [RuII (phen)(bpy)(phendione))(PF6)2 (2), and (RuII (bpy)2(phendione))(PF6)2 (3) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine and phendione = 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione) have been synthesized as photo sensitizers for ZnO semiconductor in solar cells. FT-IR and absorption spectra showed the favorable interfacial binding between the dye-molecules and ZnO surface. The surface analysis and size of adsorbed dye on nanostructure ZnO were further examined with AFM and SEM. The AFM images clearly show both, the outgrowth of the complexes which are adsorbed on ZnO thin film and the depression of ZnO thin film. We have studied photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized nanocrystalline semiconductor solar cells based on Ru phendione complexes, which gave power conversion efficiency of (η) of 1.54% under the standard AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm−2) with a short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 3.42 mA cm−2, an open-circuit photovoltage (Voc) of 0.622 V, and a fill factor (ff) of 0.72. Monochromatic incident photon to current conversion efficiency was 38% at 485 nm.Hashem Shahroosvand, Parisa Abbasi, Mohsen Ameri, and Mohammad Reza Riahi DehkordiCopyright © 2011 Hashem Shahroosvand et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/156456/The effects of pH value, VUV intensity, initial dye concentration, initial H2O2 concentration, and TiO2 loading dose on the degradation of three azo dyes: acid Orange 8, acid Blue 29, and acid Blue 113 were studied to explore and compare the treatment efficiencies among the adopted AOPs. It was found that pH played an important role in the degradation of dyes using VUV irradiation. For VUV/H2O2, VUV/TiO2, and VUV/TiO2/H2O2 processes, the decoloration rates of the three azo dyes were more efficient under acidic conditions relative to alkaline conditions. The degradation rates of dyes increased with increasing concentrations of H2O2, but reaction rates were retarded at high concentrations of H2O2 because the H2O2 compound acted as a scavenger of the hydroxyl radical. In this paper, three azo dyes were decomposed efficiently by VUV irradiation only demonstrating the effectiveness of VUV direct photolysis.Chih-Ming Ma, Gui-Bing Hong, Hua-Wei Chen, Nguyen-Thi Hang, and Yung-Shuen ShenCopyright © 2011 Chih-Ming Ma et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/234931/Titania powder (P25) was dispersed by bead-milling breakdown method, and the dispersivity of TiO2 was controlled by adjusting the mean secondary TiO2 particle size to 45, 56, and 75 nm by changing the dispersion solvent blend ratio of ethanol and terpineol. The transparency of the coated layer increased when the particle size of TiO2 aggregates became smaller than 100 nm. Although the transparency was significantly different according to differences in the size of nanocrystallyne-TiO2 aggregates, the resulting photovoltaic (PV) effect of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was not significantly different between the different aggregate sizes. A double layer structure (transparent TiO2 layer/opaque TiO2 layer) was adopted to improve the PV effect, which resulted in an improvement of the photocurrent and conversion efficiency of 13.2% and 11.1%, respectively, from that for the DSSCs with single-layered TiO2 electrodes.Yasuhiro Yamamoto, Yukihiro Aoyama, Sumiyo Shimizu, Junya Kano, Fumio Saito, and Seigo ItoCopyright © 2011 Yasuhiro Yamamoto et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/713726/Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive treatment for different pathologies, cancer included, using three key components: non-toxic light-activated drug (Photosensitizer, PS), visible light, and oxygen. Their interaction triggers photochemical reactions leading to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation, that mediate cytotoxicity and cell death. In the present paper, the most important findings about the synthetic dye Rose Bengal Acetate (RBAc), an emerging photosensitizer for its efficient induction of cell death, will be reported with the aim to integrate RBAc phototoxicity to novel therapeutic PDT strategies against tumour cells. After its perinuclear intracellular localization, RBAc causes multiple subcellular organelles damage, that is, mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), lysosomes, and Golgi complex. Indeed, RBAc exerts long-term phototoxicity through activation of both caspase-independent and- dependent apoptotic pathways and autophagic cell death. In particular, this latter cell death type may promote cell demise when apoptotic machinery is defective. The deep knowledge of RBAc photocytotoxicity will allow to better understand its potential photomedicine application in cancer.Elisa Panzarini, Valentina Inguscio, and Luciana DiniCopyright © 2011 Elisa Panzarini et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/685935/Iodine-doped TiO2 was prepared by thermal hydrolysis of aqueous solutions of the titanium peroxo-complex, which includes no organic solvents or organometallic compounds. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), specific surface area (BET), and porosity determination (BJH). The morphology and particle size was determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). All prepared samples have a red-shifted band-gap transition, well crystalline anatase structure, and porous particles with a 100–200 m2 g−1 specific surface area. The photocatalytic activity of iodine-doped titania samples was determined by decomposition of Orange II dye during irradiation at 365 nm and 400 nm. Iodine doping promotes the titania photocatalytic activity very efficiently under visible light irradiation. The titania sample with 0.32 wt.% I has the highest catalytic activity during the photocatalyzed degradation of Orange II dye in an aqueous suspension in the UV and visible regions.Václav Štengl and Tomáš Matys GrygarCopyright © 2011 Václav Štengl and Tomáš Matys Grygar. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/518153/The potential of Fe(II)-orthophenatrolin, as doped with synthetic zeolite Y nanocluster (Na-Y) via complexation process, after wet impregnation of parent zeolite with FeSO4 aqueous solution, was studied as a photocatalyst in decolorization of Methyl Green (MG) under UV irradiation. The characterization of the synthesized zeolite nanocluster and the prepared catalyst was studied using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal analysis, and SEM methods. The dye photodecolorization process was studied considering the influence of experimental parameters and it was observed that photoreactivity of the photocatalyst was varied with catalyst amount, initial dye concentration, pH of dye solution, temperature, and the presence of KBrO3. The optimal experimental parameters were obtained as follows: catalyst amount: 1 gL−1, dye concentration: 40 ppm, pH: 9, and active component value: 100 mg Fe(II)-orthophenatrolin per g catalyst. The reusability of the intended catalyst was also investigated. The degradation process obeyed first-order kinetics.Alireza Nezamzadeh-Ejhieh and Elahe ShahriariCopyright © 2011 Alireza Nezamzadeh-Ejhieh and Elahe Shahriari. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/259453/Titanium dioxide was surface-modified by grafting vanadyl species using vanadyl triisopropoxide as a precursor. The resulting material, (VOx)n/TiO2, was characterized by Raman spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical methods. Photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol and cyclohexene were used to test oxidation selectivity and 4-nitro-benzaldehyde to assess selective photoreduction. The surface-modified TiO2 exhibits an enhanced selectivity to benzaldehyde in the photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol in an aqueous medium and an increase of cyclohexenol formation in the case of cyclohexene in nonaqueous solvent. The salient result is the 100% selective reduction of the nitrogroup in 4-nitro-benzaldehyde achieved under mild experimental conditions.Rossano Amadelli, Luca Samiolo, Andrea Maldotti, Alessandra Molinari, and Delia GazzoliCopyright © 2011 Rossano Amadelli et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/305650/It was previously reported that CO2 could be reduced into CO, CH4, and so forth, which can be used as fuels, by TiO2 as the photocatalyst under UV radiation. To increase the concentration of fuel and improve CO2 reduction performance on TiO2 photocatalyst, a membrane reactor composed of TiO2 and gas separation membrane prepared by sol-gel and dip-coating method has been built. Factors such as rising speed (RS) in the dip-coating process and the timing and amount of water injected in the membrane reactor in CO2 reduction experiment have been investigated. As a result, the largest amount of TiO2 film is obtained for RS=0.66 mm/s among various RS conditions investigated in this study. According to CO2 reduction experiment by gas circulation type reactor, too much water which cannot be consumed in CO2 reduction process would not help improving the CO2 reduction performance.Akira Nishimura, Yuki Okano, Masafumi Hirota, and Eric HuCopyright © 2011 Akira Nishimura et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/261828/An external lightguide (EL) for enhancing the light-harvesting efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was designed and developed. The EL attached to the exterior of a DSSC photoelectrode directed light on a dye-covered nanoporous TiO2 film (D-NTF) of the photoelectrode. Experimental tests confirmed that the EL increased the light-harvesting efficiency of a DSSC with an active area of 0.25 cm2 by 30.69%. Photocurrent density and the power conversion efficiency were also increased by 38.12% and 25.09%, respectively.Chi-Hui Chien, Ming-Lang Tsai, Chi-Chang Hsieh, and Yan-Huei LiCopyright © 2011 Chi-Hui Chien et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2012/637429/Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive procedure involving a photosensitizing agent that is activated by light to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that selectively destroy tumor cells. In recent years, PDT has been used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer (PC). The antitumor effects of PDT include three main mechanisms: direct tumor cell death (necrosis, apoptosis, and autophagy), vascular destruction, and immune system activation. The present paper systematically summarizes the effects of PDT in the treatment of PC from the experimental studies to the clinical studies and discusses the mechanisms of PDT-induced PC destruction.Wei Li, Qingyong Ma, and Erxi WuCopyright © 2012 Wei Li et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/843209/Many researches showed that the cost of the energy produced by photovoltaic (PV) concentrators is strongly reduced with respect to flat panels, especially in those countries that have a high solar irradiation. The cost drop comes from the reduction of the expensive high-efficiency photovoltaic surface through the use of optical concentrators of the solar radiation. In this paper, an experimental innovative PV low-concentration system is analysed. Numerical simulations were performed to determine the possible reasons of energy losses in the prototype, primarily due to geometrical factors. In particular, the effect of the shadows produced from the mirrors on the prototype performances was analysed: shadows are often neglected in the design phase of such systems. The study demonstrates that shadows may affect the performances of a hypothetical optimized PV low-concentration system up to 15%. Finally, an economical evaluation was carried out comparing the proposed optimized system to a traditional flat PV panel.Franco Cotana, Federico Rossi, and Andrea NicoliniCopyright © 2011 Franco Cotana et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/313952/Shifting the threshold zone of road tunnels with semitransparent tension structures has shown itself to be an effective way of saving energy in regards to electricity consumption, maintenance, and construction materials used in the electrical lighting, thus lessening negative environmental impacts. Even though the shape of the tension structure has a major influence on energy savings, the optimal type of structure for each tunnel is often difficult to determine, because experiments using real tunnels are extremely expensive. It is thus necessary to find methods of doing this that are both reliable as well as economical. In this research study, three candidate structures were set up at the portal of a scale model of a real tunnel. The energy savings in each case were analyzed and compared. As a result, it was possible to formulate a new equation that calculates the energy savings in the threshold zone.Antonio Peña-García, Luisa-María Gil-Martín, Roberto Escribano, and Antonio Espín-EstrellaCopyright © 2011 Antonio Peña-García et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/218427/1,3-Diazabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-ene systems represent a very interesting class of organic materials, possessing unique photochromic properties in the solid state. It has been demonstrated that these compounds form deeply colored, fairly stable materials under UV radiation. Here, for the first time we report synthesis of several 1,3-diazabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-enes with premade substituted quinoline and benzo[h]quinoline rings.Nosrat O. Mahmoodi, Elham Asadollahi, Hamzeh Kiyani, and Nahid NaseriCopyright © 2011 Nosrat O. Mahmoodi et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/821045/Bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) particles were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment and nanoporous thin films were prepared on conducting glass substrates. The structures and morphologies of the samples were examined with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Significant absorbance spectra emerged in visible region which indicated the efficient sensitization of Bi4Ti3O12 with N3 dye. Surface photovoltaic properties of the samples were investigated by surface photovoltage. The results further indicate that N3 can extend the photovoltaic response range of Bi4Ti3O12 nanoparticles to the visible region, which shows potential application in dye-sensitized solar cell. As a working electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the overall efficiency reached 0.48% after TiO2 modification.Zeng Chen, Shengjun Li, and Weifeng ZhangCopyright © 2011 Zeng Chen et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/371076/A metal-based light scattering layer (MLSL) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is formed from Al@SiO2 core-shell microflakes prepared and coated on a thin porous TiO2 electrode (approximately 4 μm thick). The DSSC corresponding to a TiO2 electrode with an MLSL exhibits a low electron transport resistance in the TiO2/electrolyte interface. Electron collection efficiency is greatly improved. Photovoltaic performance measurements indicate that the power conversion efficiency of the DSSC with the MLSL doubled from 1.37% to 2.96% (for an active area of 0.25 cm2), which is better than the 2.1% achieved by a DSSC with a conventional TiO2-based light scattering layer (TLSL) obtained under identical experimental conditions.Chi-Hui Chien, Ming-Lang Tsai, Chi-Chang Hsieh, and Yan-Huei LiCopyright © 2011 Chi-Hui Chien et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/532578/TiO2/ZnS/CdS composites for photocatalytic hydrogen production from water were prepared by homogeneous hydrolysis of aqueous solutions mixture of TiOSO4, ZnSO4, and CdSO4 with thioacetamide. Hydrogen evolution was observed in the presence of palladium and platinum nanoparticles deposited on TiO2/ZnS/CdS composites. The morphology was obtained by scanning electron microscopy, the nitrogen adsorption-desorption was used for determination of surface area (BET) and porosity. The method of UV-VIS diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was employed to estimate band-gap energies of prepared TiO2/ZnS/CdS nano-composites. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples were assessed by photocatalytic decomposition of Orange II dye in an aqueous slurry under UV irradiation at 365 nm wavelength and visible light up to 400 nm wavelength. Doped titanium dioxide by the CdS increased band-gap energy and doping with ZnS increased photocatalytic activity. The best photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution shows sample named TiZnCd7 on surface deposited with palladium, which contains 20.21% TiO2, 78.5% ZnS, and 1.29% CdS.Václav Štengl and Daniela KrálováCopyright © 2011 Václav Štengl and Daniela Králová. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/597854/This paper demonstrated the applicability of electrospun P(3HB) film as a dye adsorbent agent. Malachite green (MG) was used as the model dye in this study. Interestingly, the electrospun P(3HB) film exhibited excellent dye adsorption capacity whereby 78% of dye was adsorbed from a 30 μM solution of MG. The film was further improvised by incorporating titanium dioxide photocatalysts to form a dual dye treatment system employing adsorption and photocatalytic degradation techniques. The resultant electrospun P(3HB)-50 wt%   TiO2 was capable of completely decolorizing MG in 45 min under solar irradiation, which corresponded to 58.7%  COD removal. The fully decolorized MG solution also proved to be nontoxic against A. aegypti mosquito larvae. The reapplicability of this film was possible as it induced a decolorization rate of 98% or more at every usage for ten consequent usages. EDX analysis suggested that there were no significant changes in the concentration of titanium (Ti) in the film before and after ten times of usage. The concentration of Ti in cast P(3HB)-50 wt%  TiO2 film was found to decrease significantly during the repeated usage. The electrospun P(3HB)-50 wt%  TiO2 film has high potency as an efficient and inexpensive yet simple method for the dye effluent decolorization, degradation, and detoxification.Nanthini Sridewi, Yan-Fen Lee, and Kumar SudeshCopyright © 2011 Nanthini Sridewi et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/137328/The photo-assisted deposition (PAD) and impregnation (img) synthesis of nano-sized Au metal on Ti-HMS are reported. The prepared catalysts were characterized by different techniques such as XRD, XAFS, TEM and nitrogen adsorption analysis. Photocatalytic reactivity using Au/Ti-HMS catalysts under visible-light condition on the oxidation of CO with O2 reaction was evaluated. The results have shown notable photocatalytic activity of PAD-Au/Ti-HMS which was 2.1 and 5.7 times higher than that of img-Au/Ti-HMS and Ti-HMS, respectively.R. M. Mohamed and Elham S. AazamCopyright © 2011 R. M. Mohamed and Elham S. Aazam. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/201752/Pessimistic forecasts are growing in the Brazilian energy scenario demanding the use of renewable sources of energy such as the solar one. As metropolitan regions have become more populous, private and public companies have developed new technologies based on renewable energy sources. In order to supply such demand, new computer techniques have to be developed. This paper presents a framework to assist the developer to model new components and simulate solar energy applications. By applying the framework concepts, such as source code reuse, one can create a complete environment to evaluate solar energy data. The framework supports software development and tool implementation to be used in photovoltaic and thermosiphon processes.Gustavo Guidoni, Frederico Papatella, Elizabeth Pereira, and Mark SongCopyright © 2011 Gustavo Guidoni et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/986869/N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminium iodides (HEEDAIs) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazinium iodides (HEPIs) were synthesized, and their thermal properties were analysed. The influence of HEEDAI and HEPI on I3-/I- redox behavior in binary ionic liquid was investigated. The result revealed that HEEDAI can suppress the recombination between I3- and the injected electrons in TiO2 conduction band and be used as the alternative of 4-tert-butylpyridine in the electrolyte of dye-sensitized solar cells. The electrolyte C, 0.15 mol⋅L−1 I2, HEEDAI and MPII with mass ratio of 1 : 4, gave the short-circuit photocurrent density of 9.36 mA⋅cm−2, open-circuit photovoltage of 0.67 V, fill factor of 0.52, and the corresponding photoelectric conversion efficiency of 3.24% at the illumination (air mass 1.5, 100 mW⋅cm−2, active area 0.25 cm2).Yanzhen Yang, Renjie Sun, Chengwu Shi, Yucheng Wu, and Mei XiaCopyright © 2011 Yanzhen Yang et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/258635/Titanium dioxide/silver (TiO2/Ag) composite films were prepared by incorporating Ag in pores of mesoporous TiO2 films using a photoreduction method. The Ag nanoparticle sizes were in a range of 4.36–38.56 nm. The TiO2/Ag composite films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TiO2 and TiO2/Ag composite films were then sensitized by immersing in a 0.3 mM N719 dye solution and fabricated for conventional dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). J-V characteristics of the TiO2/Ag DSCs showed that the Ag nanoparticle size of 19.16 nm resulted in the short circuit current density and efficiency of 8.12 mA/cm2 and 4.76%.Chanu Photiphitak, Pattana Rakkwamsuk, Pennapa Muthitamongkol, Chaiyuth Sae-Kung, and Chanchana ThanachayanontCopyright © 2011 Chanu Photiphitak et al. All rights reserved.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijp/2011/596710/The preparation, characterization, and performance of an electrophotocatalytic cell, made of low-cost, planar interdigitated electrodes is reported hereby. The operation of the cell under small positive bias was demonstrated by photocatalytically degrading the dye rhodamine 6G in solution as well as by monitoring the degradation of self-assembled monolayer chemisorbed on the TiO2 electrode. Results point out to the importance of activated oxygen species formed in the process and suggest that the short distance between the two electrodes provides a way to utilize the activated oxygen species formed at the negatively biased electrode.Guy Shemer and Yaron PazCopyright © 2011 Guy Shemer and Yaron Paz. All rights reserved.