Due to its high electron affinity and electron mobility in a wide absorption range of the visible solar spectrum, [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) is often used as an efficient acceptor in organic photovoltaics. In... more
Due to its high electron affinity and electron mobility in a wide absorption range of the visible solar spectrum, [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) is often used as an efficient acceptor in organic photovoltaics. In turn, imines are additives to the active layer of organic solar cells, mainly due to the free electron pair of the imine nitrogen atom and the presence of various chemical groups affecting the polarity and conformations of molecules. However, the attainable efficiency is not as high as expected. Therefore, we have systematically investigated two imines and their mixtures with PC71BM by spectroscopic (the high pressure UV–Vis and frequency domain dielectric), thermoelectric, and mechanical methods for organic, flexible photovoltaics. Both the imines, (N,NʹE,N,NʹE)-N,Nʹ-([2,2ʹ:5ʹ,2ʺ-terthiophene]-5,5ʺ-diylbis(methanylylidene))bis(benzo[d]thiazol-2-imine) (SC3) and (6E)-N-((5-(5-(5-((E)-(4-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl)phenylimino)methyl)thiophen-2-yl)th...
The article presents the Gaussian model of the electromagnetic radiation attenuation properties of two resin systems containing 75% or 80% of a carbonyl iron load as an absorber in the 4–18 GHz range. For the attenuation values obtained... more
The article presents the Gaussian model of the electromagnetic radiation attenuation properties of two resin systems containing 75% or 80% of a carbonyl iron load as an absorber in the 4–18 GHz range. For the attenuation values obtained in the laboratory, mathematical fitting was performed in the range of 4–40 GHz to visualize the full curve characteristics. The simulated curves fitted up to a 0.998 R2 value of the experimental results. The in depth analysis of the simulated spectra allowed a thorough evaluation of the influence of the type of resin, absorber load, and layer thickness on reflection loss parameters such as the maximum attenuation, peak position, half-height width, and base slope of the peak. The simulated results were convergent with the literature findings, allowing a much deeper analysis. This confirmed that the suggested Gaussian model could provide additional information, useful in terms of comparative analyses of datasets.
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We have shown that admixtures of 5CB and SWCN accelerate the degradation of l,d-PLA in the composite layer due to hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface in the layer and act as plasticizers. The mechanism of the degradation process is also... more
We have shown that admixtures of 5CB and SWCN accelerate the degradation of l,d-PLA in the composite layer due to hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface in the layer and act as plasticizers. The mechanism of the degradation process is also discussed.
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The aim of this study has been to examine in depth three siloxane resins (R1–R3) and two silanes (S1–S2) as hydrophobic self-cleaning layers for silicon and dye-sensitized solar cells.
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Many armies around the world showed an increasing interest for the technology of renewable energy sources for military applications. However, to profit fully from solar or wind energy, an energy storage system is needed. In this article,... more
Many armies around the world showed an increasing interest for the technology of renewable energy sources for military applications. However, to profit fully from solar or wind energy, an energy storage system is needed. In this article, we present an energy storage system based on acid-lead batteries as a component of a modular generation-storage as a model of military “smart camp”. We proposed a technical approach to study four different types of batteries: DEEP CYCLE, AGM, WET and VRLA in laboratory and real conditions typical for military equipment. It was observed that the best performance was observed for AGM battery in terms of the highest cold cracking amperage equal to 1205 A combined with the most compact construction and resistance to varying thermal conditions from −25 °C, 25 °C and 50 °C. Additionally, a 12-month long-term testing in real conditions revealed that AGM and VRLA showed decrease in capacity value maintaining only approx. 80% of initial value.
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A highly stretchable elastic organic charge-transfer polymer displays improved photovoltaic characteristics under high pressure.
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The crystal structure was determined for the first time for 4-[(di-p-tolyl-amino)benzylidene]-(5-pyridin-4-yl-[1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-imine (trans-PPL9) by X-ray diffraction. The imine crystallized in the monoclinic P21/n space group with... more
The crystal structure was determined for the first time for 4-[(di-p-tolyl-amino)benzylidene]-(5-pyridin-4-yl-[1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-imine (trans-PPL9) by X-ray diffraction. The imine crystallized in the monoclinic P21/n space group with a = 18.9567(7) Å, b = 6.18597(17) Å, c = 22.5897(7) Å, and β = 114.009(4)°. Intermolecular interactions in the PPL9 crystal were only weak C−H⋯N hydrogen bonds investigated using the Hirshfeld surface. The electronic and geometric structure of the imine were investigated by the density functional theory and the time-dependent density-functional theory. The properties of the imine in neutral and protonated form with camforosulphonic acid (CSA) were investigated using cyclic voltammetry, UV–vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Theoretical and experimental studies showed that for the 1:1 molar ratio the protonation occured on nitrogen in pyridine in the PPL9 structure, as an effect of Brönsted acid–base interactions. Thermographic camera was used to defined d...
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This review presents the current state of the knowledge regarding the use of radioactive sources to generate photonic light in scintillators as converters of ionizing radiation to electricity in photovoltaic cells. The possibility of... more
This review presents the current state of the knowledge regarding the use of radioactive sources to generate photonic light in scintillators as converters of ionizing radiation to electricity in photovoltaic cells. The possibility of using the phenomenon of the excitation of light photons in the scintillation materials during the interaction with particles and photons of ionizing radiation was analyzed in detail. The light photons obtained in such a way can generate an electric charge in photovoltaic cells. The whole process can be named as a nuclear cell (nuclear battery). Theoretically, the use of such physical phenomena seems to be an ideal practical solution to meet the energy needs of the modern world. However, there are many physical and technical problems that limit its widespread use in practical applications. In an ideal system, the ionizing radiation sources can emit the radiation for billions of years, and the energy of particles and photons from the radiation can be conv...
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In this review, the concept of a hybrid solar cell system, called all-weather solar cells, a new view on energy harvesting device design, is introduced and described in detail. Additionally, some critical economical, technological, and... more
In this review, the concept of a hybrid solar cell system, called all-weather solar cells, a new view on energy harvesting device design, is introduced and described in detail. Additionally, some critical economical, technological, and ecological aspects are discussed. Due to drastic global climate changes, traditional energy harvesting devices relying only on solar energy are becoming less adaptive, hence the need for redesigning photovoltaic systems. In this work, alternative energy harvesting technologies, such as piezoelectric and triboelectric devices, and photoelectron storage, that can be used widely as supporting systems to traditional photovoltaic systems are analysed in detail, based on the available literature. Finally, some examples of all-weather solar cells composed of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) and silicon solar cells, often modified with graphene oxide or phosphors materials, as new perspective trends in nanotechnology are presented. Two types of solar cell tr...
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The one of the most important issues in constructing light-harvesting photovoltaic (PV) systems with a charge storage element is its reliable and uninterrupted use in highly variable and weather-dependent conditions in everyday... more
The one of the most important issues in constructing light-harvesting photovoltaic (PV) systems with a charge storage element is its reliable and uninterrupted use in highly variable and weather-dependent conditions in everyday applications. Herein, we report the construction and applicability evaluation of a ready-to-use portable solar charger comprising a silicon solar cell and an enhanced energy hybrid supercapacitor using activated carbon electrodes and iodide-based aqueous electrolyte to stabilise the PV power under fluctuating light conditions. The optimised electrode/electrolyte combination of a supercapacitor was used for the construction of a 60 F/3 V module by a proper adjustment of the series and parallel connections between the CR2032 coin cells. The final photo-rechargeable device was tested as a potential supporting system for pulse electronic applications under various laboratory conditions (temperature of 15 and 25 °C, solar irradiation of 600 and 1000 W m−2).
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Planar perovskite solar cells were fabricated on F-doped SnO2 (FTO) coated glass substrates, with 4,4’-((1E,1’E)-((1,2,4-thiadiazole-3,5-diyl)bis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))bis(N,N-di-p-tolylaniline) (bTAThDaz) as hole... more
Planar perovskite solar cells were fabricated on F-doped SnO2 (FTO) coated glass substrates, with 4,4’-((1E,1’E)-((1,2,4-thiadiazole-3,5-diyl)bis(azaneylylidene))bis(methaneylylidene))bis(N,N-di-p-tolylaniline) (bTAThDaz) as hole transport material. This imine was synthesized in one step reaction, starting from commercially available and relatively inexpensive reagents. Electrochemical, optical, electrical, thermal and structural studies including thermal images and current-voltage measurements of the full solar cell devices characterize the imine in details. HOMO-LUMO of bTAThDaz were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and energy-resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (ER-EIS) and were found at −5.19 eV and −2.52 eV (CV) and at −5.5 eV and −2.3 eV (ER-EIS). The imine exhibited 5% weight loss at 156 °C. The electrical behavior and photovoltaic performance of the perovskite solar cell was examined for FTO/TiO2/perovskite/bTAThDaz/Ag device architecture. Constructed devi...
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A new unsymmetrical imine with four thiophene rings was synthesized in a one-step reaction, starting from the commercially available and relatively inexpensive reagents.
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The main goal of this paper was to show that organic layers prepared for organic solar cells construction can be partially characterized by IR thermographic camera to detect dysfunctionalities of the active layer. Moreover, we used IR... more
The main goal of this paper was to show that organic layers prepared for organic solar cells construction can be partially characterized by IR thermographic camera to detect dysfunctionalities of the active layer. Moreover, we used IR thermographic camera to check thermal and electrical behaviour of created simple solar cells to reduce time and cost in global production of solar cells. As model system organic compounds such as PTB7 polymer and small molecule PC71BM as commercial components and newly synthesized imine PV-BLJ-SC11 there were used, to construct simple devices. Full Text: PDF ReferencesK. D. G. I. Jayawardena, L. J. Rozanski, C. A. Mills, M. J. Beliatis, N. A. Nismy, S. R. P. Silva, "Inorganics-in-Organics’: recent developments and outlook for 4G polymer solar cells", Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 8411-8427. CrossRef Y. Lin, X. Zhan, "Oligomer Molecules for Efficient Organic Photovoltaics", Accounts of Chemical Research, 2016, 49, 175-183. CrossRef R. Steim, S...
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In recent years, a great importance has been given to hybrid systems of energy generators and energy storages. This article presents the results of our research aimed at checking the possibility of connecting a photovoltaic (PV) module... more
In recent years, a great importance has been given to hybrid systems of energy generators and energy storages. This article presents the results of our research aimed at checking the possibility of connecting a photovoltaic (PV) module and a lithium-ion battery (LIB), using a simplified control module towards a cheap and efficient system. The photovoltaic modules based on crystalline silicon solar cells, tempered glass as the front layer and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer as encapsulation material are the most popular type in the industry. The disadvantage of such module type is the high weight of about 15 kg/m2. The weight of PV module used in the presented energy storage system is twice as small. This new type of PV module is based on treated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as back sheet; high transparent foil as front sheet. Changing glass layer to PMMA requires additional modification of the lamination process parameters and EVA polymer type. For this reason, an EVA pol...
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The main goal of this paper was to study the optical, electrical, and thermal properties of hybrid composites based on biodegradable polymers (L,D-poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone or Ecoflex®), single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCN),... more
The main goal of this paper was to study the optical, electrical, and thermal properties of hybrid composites based on biodegradable polymers (L,D-poly(lactic acid), polycaprolactone or Ecoflex®), single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCN), and 4′-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (5CB). The biodegradable polymers’ binary and ternary compositions were analyzed in detail by ultraviolet and visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy taking into consideration their chemical structure and interactions with 5CB and SWCN. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies of the created hybrid layers showed thermal stability and changes in glass transition temperature and melting point in comparison to neat polymers, depending on the chemical structure of the polymer used and the type of composition. Morphology of the created layers were investigated by atomic force and polarizing microscopy. The static contact angle measurements of a water drop showed that all of the neat polymer layers were hydrophobic with ang...
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Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) water and toluene solutions were investigated in detail, taking into consideration their stability, wettability, transparency, and electrochemical properties, along with... more
Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) water and toluene solutions were investigated in detail, taking into consideration their stability, wettability, transparency, and electrochemical properties, along with change polarity caused by dopant. As dopant, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol were used with different dipole moments (1.70, 1.69, and 1.66 D) and dielectric constants (33.0, 24.5, and 18.0). Three techniques, i.e., spin coating, doctor blade coating, and spray coating, were employed to created PEDOT:PSS layers on glass, glass/indium tin oxide (ITO), and glass/fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates with optimized technical parameters for each used equipment. All used PEDOT:PSS water and toluene solutions demonstrated good wetting properties with angles below 30° for all used surfaces. Values of the energy bandgap (Eg) of PEDOT:PSS investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in solution showed increase energy Eg along with addition of alcohol to the ...
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Organic–inorganic hybrids based on liquid crystalline symmetrical imine (8Z)-N-(4-((Z)-(4-pentylphenylimino)methyl)benzylidene)-4-pentylbenzenamine (AZJ1) with two aliphatic chains and TiO2 nanomaterials were obtained and investigated... more
Organic–inorganic hybrids based on liquid crystalline symmetrical imine (8Z)-N-(4-((Z)-(4-pentylphenylimino)methyl)benzylidene)-4-pentylbenzenamine (AZJ1) with two aliphatic chains and TiO2 nanomaterials were obtained and investigated taking into account thr crystallographic form of titanium dioxide i.e. anatase versus rutile. The type of TiO2 influences the mesomorphic properties of imine AZJ1, as observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM) techniques. Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to investigate the interactions of oxygen vacancies located on the TiO2 surface with the studied AZJ1 imine together with studying the influence of temperature. Both imine:TiO2 anatase versus rutile hybrids possessed the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels of about −5.39 eV (AZJ1:anatase) and −5.33 eV (AZJ1:rutile) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels of about −2.24 eV. The presence of TiO2 in eac...
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We report on the application of l,d-poly(lactic acid) (l,d-PLA) with dispersed Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCN) as a flexible translucent electrode for organic devices. We used commercially available nanotubes in various weight... more
We report on the application of l,d-poly(lactic acid) (l,d-PLA) with dispersed Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCN) as a flexible translucent electrode for organic devices. We used commercially available nanotubes in various weight ratios from 0 to 8% dispersed in chloroform polymeric solution by ultrasonication and were drop cast. The created hybrid materials were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry to determine the influence of SWCN content on the thermal behavior, while polarizing optical microscope was used to find the effect of mechanical deformations on the textures. Drop-cast films were studied by optical transmittance, conductivity, dielectric properties and by thermal imaging under applied potential. Thermal imaging provided evidence of visible voltage-activated conduction. Simple mechanical deformation such as bending with stretching at edge to ca. 90 and elongation test were performed. Moreover, interactions between l,d-poly(lactic acid) and SWCN were inves...
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We report the synthesis of new liquid crystalline thiophene esters, ThBz1 and ThBz2, for use in lithium-ion batteries as new, safe, solvent-free ionic conductors.
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Abstract Membranes with a high but remarkably humidity-independent proton conductivity were prepared. Side-chain liquid crystalline polyethers (SCLCPs), based on poly(epichlorohydrin) (PECH) and poly(epichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide)... more
Abstract Membranes with a high but remarkably humidity-independent proton conductivity were prepared. Side-chain liquid crystalline polyethers (SCLCPs), based on poly(epichlorohydrin) (PECH) and poly(epichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide) (P(ECH-co-EO)), dendronized with potassium 3,4,5-tris[4-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy]benzoate were specially designed for this purpose. When cast as membranes, these tailored polymers self-assembled into columns, driven by exo-recognition. They thus mimic the highly specific supramolecular organization observed in nature and present the first biomimetic material for proton transport out of which stable, oriented and self-sustained membranes could be prepared. As revealed by combined X-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy, polymeric column formation was obtained in the cast membranes following a thermally induced homeotropical orientation. Two unique and highly desired properties were found in the resulting membranes. While conventional proton conducting membranes exploit an “acidic group-based” transport mechanism, the current columns pillaring across the membranes formed ionic paths, giving rise to a remarkable size-dependent antiport transport mechanism. It resulted in conductivity values in the range of 10−2–10−3 S/cm, comparable to current state-of-the-art Nafion membranes, but, most importantly, with a complete independency from relative humidity. Reported membranes thus open excellent opportunities for further fine-tuning of their properties, wider exploitation of the exceptional transport mechanism, and final applications in fuel cells and related fields.
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In this paper, four new aromatic imines containing at least one thiazole-based heterocycle were analyzed in detail by UV–Vis spectroscopy, taking into consideration their chemical structures and interactions with PTB7, a known polymeric... more
In this paper, four new aromatic imines containing at least one thiazole-based heterocycle were analyzed in detail by UV–Vis spectroscopy, taking into consideration their chemical structures and interactions with PTB7, a known polymeric electron donor widely used in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. It is demonstrated that the absorption spectra of the investigated active compositions can be modified not only by changing the chemical structure of imine, but also via formulations with PTB7. For all investigated imines and PTB7:imine compositions, calibration curves were obtained in order to find the optimum concentration in the composition with PTB7 for expansion and optimization of absorption spectra. All imines and PTB7:imine compositions were investigated in 1,2-dichlorobenzene by UV–Vis spectroscopy in various concentrations, monitoring the changes in the π–π* and n–π* transitions. With increasing imine concentrations, we did not observe changes in absorption maxima, while...
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Unoriented and oriented membranes based on dendronized polymers and copolymers obtained by chemical modification of poly[2-(aziridin-1-yl) ethanol] (PAZE) with the dendron 3,4,5-tris[4-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy]benzoate were... more
Unoriented and oriented membranes based on dendronized polymers and copolymers obtained by chemical modification of poly[2-(aziridin-1-yl) ethanol] (PAZE) with the dendron 3,4,5-tris[4-(n-dodecan-1-yloxy)benzyloxy]benzoate were considered. DSC, XRD, CP-MAS NMR and DETA, contribute to characterize the tendency to crystallize, the molecular mobility of the benzyloxy substituent, the dendritic liquid crystalline group and the clearing transition. The orientation of the mesogenic chain somewhat hindered this molecular motion, especially in the full substituted PAZE. The fragility, free volume and thermal expansion coefficients of these membranes near the glass transition are related to the orientation and the addition of the dendritic groups. PAZE-based membranes combine both order and mobility on a supramolecular and macroscopic level, controlled by the dendritic group and the thermal orientation, and open the possibility of preparing membranes with proper channel mobility that promote...
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Abstract A new generation of hybrid biomimetic membranes, combining dendronised liquid-crystalline poly[2-(aziridin-1-yl)ethanol] with different modification degrees and anodized aluminum oxide as support, is reported here. The hybrid... more
Abstract A new generation of hybrid biomimetic membranes, combining dendronised liquid-crystalline poly[2-(aziridin-1-yl)ethanol] with different modification degrees and anodized aluminum oxide as support, is reported here. The hybrid membranes are prepared by impregnation of the support with a 30% THF polymeric solution. The presence and homogeneous distribution of the polymeric material inside the membrane is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and line microanalysis. The polymers show tendency to self-assemble into columns, arraying into columnar liquid-crystalline mesophase. Columns homeotropical-like orientation, as a result of a thermal treatment at optimal conditions, is confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies at low 2θ angles. Polymeric wires, being potential ion conductive pathways, resulting from assembling of polymeric columns are detected by SEM microscopy. Low absorption values for water and aqueous methanol solution are observed for hybrid systems, which suggest limited contribution of water in ion transport. Altogether, the new generation of hybrid membranes represents a promising class of biomimetic materials able to form oriented channels inside inorganic support.
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Controlled release of photosensitive systems is widely studied because of its numerous applications. However, just a few descriptions of the mechanism of this phenomenon have been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the... more
Controlled release of photosensitive systems is widely studied because of its numerous applications. However, just a few descriptions of the mechanism of this phenomenon have been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the behaviour of a real system based on light-sensitive α-methylstilbene-based copolyester microcapsules with vanillin as an upload under UV irradiation. For this purpose we aimed to elucidate some of the structural features of the chains by means of quantum chemical calculations applying periodic boundary conditions. Additionally, the excitation energy of an approximated model was used to verify the influence of large size and various functionalities of attached groups on the system. From the optimized structure of trans and cis isomers, it was proved that trans-to-cis isomerization can be responsible for a main chain length reduction by 20% in comparison to the initial state, thus confirming the experimental findings. Moreover, the major influence of double bonds on photoactivity of the system was justified by comparison of the calculated UV-visible spectra of both forms with empirically obtained data which were in good agreement. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
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Photosensitive microcapsules and membranes based on poly(α-methylstilbenesebacoate-co-α-methylstilbeneisophthalate), containing the photosensitive α-methylstilbene moiety, were prepared by a phase-inversion precipitation process. In order... more
Photosensitive microcapsules and membranes based on poly(α-methylstilbenesebacoate-co-α-methylstilbeneisophthalate), containing the photosensitive α-methylstilbene moiety, were prepared by a phase-inversion precipitation process. In order to simulate the morphology and behavior of the microcapsule shell under UV irradiation, an exhaustive characterization of a membrane was first performed by ESEM, POM, AFM, and contact angle measurements. The prepared microcapsules contained either chloroform or a concentrated solution of vanillin in chloroform as the core; in all cases, before UV irradiation, their outer surface appeared smooth and dense. The influence of vanillin on microcapsule cross-section morphology was observed by ESEM microscopy. Release of vanillin in water, at room temperature, was markedly influenced by UV irradiation: in the absence of irradiation, it was practically negligible, while when microcapsules were submitted to continuous irradiation with UV light, the surface morphology of the capsules changed drastically and vanillin started to be released after ca. 20 min of irradiation.