1. |
- Yi, Chuixiang, et al.
(author)
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Climate control of terrestrial carbon exchange across biomes and continents
- 2010
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In: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 5:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding the relationships between climate and carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems is critical to predict future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of the potential accelerating effects of positive climate-carbon cycle feedbacks. However, directly observed relationships between climate and terrestrial CO2 exchange with the atmosphere across biomes and continents are lacking. Here we present data describing the relationships between net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and climate factors as measured using the eddy covariance method at 125 unique sites in various ecosystems over six continents with a total of 559 site-years. We find that NEE observed at eddy covariance sites is (1) a strong function of mean annual temperature at mid-and high-latitudes, (2) a strong function of dryness at mid-and low-latitudes, and (3) a function of both temperature and dryness around the mid-latitudinal belt (45 degrees N). The sensitivity of NEE to mean annual temperature breaks down at similar to 16 degrees C (a threshold value of mean annual temperature), above which no further increase of CO2 uptake with temperature was observed and dryness influence overrules temperature influence.
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2. |
- Bora, T., et al.
(author)
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Highly efficient ZnO/Au Schottky barrier dye-sensitized solar cells : Role of gold nanoparticles on the charge-transfer process
- 2011
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In: Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology. - : Beilstein Institut. - 2190-4286. ; 2:1, s. 681-690
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods decorated with gold (Au) nanoparticles have been synthesized and used to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The picosecond-resolved, time-correlated single-photon-count (TCSPC) spectroscopy technique was used to explore the charge-transfer mechanism in the ZnO/Au-nanocomposite DSSC. Due to the formation of the Schottky barrier at the ZnO/Au interface and the higher optical absorptions of the ZnO/Au photoelectrodes arising from the surface plasmon absorption of the Au nanoparticles, enhanced power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.49% for small-area (0.1 cm(2)) ZnO/Au-nanocomposite DSSC was achieved compared to the 5.34% efficiency of the bare ZnO nanorod DSSC. The TCSPC studies revealed similar dynamics for the charge transfer from dye molecules to ZnO both in the presence and absence of Au nanoparticles. A slower fluorescence decay associated with the electron recombination process, observed in the presence of Au nanoparticles, confirmed the blocking of the electron transfer from ZnO back to the dye or electrolyte by the Schottky barrier formed at the ZnO/Au interface. For large area DSSC (1 cm(2)), similar to 130% enhancement in PCE (from 0.50% to 1.16%) was achieved after incorporation of the Au nanoparticles into the ZnO nanorods.
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3. |
- Bora, T., et al.
(author)
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Plasmon resonance enhanced zinc oxide photoelectrodes for improvement in performance of dye sensitized solar cells
- 2014
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In: Materials Science Forum. - : Trans Tech Publications Inc.. - 0255-5476 .- 1662-9752. ; 771, s. 91-101
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nanocomposites of vertically aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays incorporated with gold (Au) nanoparticles have been used as photoelectrodes to fabricate dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Due to the surface plasmon resonance of the Au nanoparticles, the nanocomposite photoelectrodes demonstrate enhancement in the visible light absorption resulting in ~8% higher photocurrent compared to ZnO photoelectrode based DSSCs fabricated without any Au nanoparticles. In addition to the higher optical absorption due to the gold nanoparticles, a Schottky barrier forms at the ZnO/Au interface preventing the back electron transfer from the conduction band of the semiconductor nanorods to the redox electrolyte providing improvement in the charge separation at the nanocomposite photoelectrode. Upon incorporation of Au nanoparticles, the overall efficiency of the DSSC increased from 2. 41% to 3. 27%. The role of Au nanoparticles on the performance of the DSSCs for varying concentration of the Au nanoparticles as well as the post-growth annealing treatment of the nanocomposite photoelectrode is reported.
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4. |
- Niu, Shuli, et al.
(author)
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Thermal optimality of net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide and underlying mechanisms.
- 2012
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In: New Phytologist. - : Wiley. - 1469-8137 .- 0028-646X. ; 194:3, s. 775-783
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- • It is well established that individual organisms can acclimate and adapt to temperature to optimize their functioning. However, thermal optimization of ecosystems, as an assemblage of organisms, has not been examined at broad spatial and temporal scales. • Here, we compiled data from 169 globally distributed sites of eddy covariance and quantified the temperature response functions of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), an ecosystem-level property, to determine whether NEE shows thermal optimality and to explore the underlying mechanisms. • We found that the temperature response of NEE followed a peak curve, with the optimum temperature (corresponding to the maximum magnitude of NEE) being positively correlated with annual mean temperature over years and across sites. Shifts of the optimum temperature of NEE were mostly a result of temperature acclimation of gross primary productivity (upward shift of optimum temperature) rather than changes in the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration. • Ecosystem-level thermal optimality is a newly revealed ecosystem property, presumably reflecting associated evolutionary adaptation of organisms within ecosystems, and has the potential to significantly regulate ecosystem-climate change feedbacks. The thermal optimality of NEE has implications for understanding fundamental properties of ecosystems in changing environments and benchmarking global models.
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