Pluronic p123 surfactant

MBGs B, Ga_1, Ga_2, and Ga_3 were obtained by EISA process using Pluronic^® P123 surfactant (P123, Sigma Aldrich, Saint Louis, MO, USA). Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), triethylphosphate (TEP), calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, and gallium nitrate monohydrate (Sigma Aldrich) were used as source of SiO₂, CaO, P₂O₅, and Ga₂O₃, respectively. These reactants were added in the desired ratio to a solution of P123 (4.5 g) and HNO₃ 0.5 N (1.12 mL) in ethanol (85 mL). The sol was cast in Petri dish followed by gelation, ageing, and drying at room temperature for 7 days. The dried gel was calcined at 700 °C for 3 h to remove surfactant and then subjected to milling and sieving to obtain grains under 32 µM for the pellets preparation.

Copper (II) chloride (CuCl₂.2H₂O, 99%, CAS number 10125-13-0, Alfa Aesar, Haverhill, MA, USA) and iron (II) chloride (FeCl₂.4H₂O, 98%, CAS number 13478-10-9, Alfa Aesar, Haverhill, MA, USA) were used for the synthesis of Cu-ferrite. Ethanol (200 Proof, CAS number 64-17-5) was purchased from Pharmco Aaper Products, Brookfield, CT, USA. Pluronic P123 surfactant (CAS number 9003-11-6) and propylene oxide (CH₃CHCH₂O, 99%, CAS number 75-56-9) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) supplied the preprocessed corn stover feedstock (avg. size of 1.12 mm). For the activation of hydrochar, analytical-grade KOH (90%, CAS number 1310-58-3, Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and hydrochloric acid (HCl, 35.5%, CAS number 7647-01-0, Fisher-Scientific, Hampton, NH, USA) were used. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE 60 wt.% dispersion in water, CAS number 9002-84-0, Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA), Super P conductive carbon black (CAS number 1333-86-4, MSE Supplies, Tucson, AZ, USA), and nickel foam substrates (1.6 mm thick, 99.9% purity, MTI Corporation, Richmond, CA, USA) were utilized for the preparation of working electrodes.

Titanium isopropoxide (Ti(IP)₄, 95%), Zn powder (particle size $<45\mathrm{\mu }$ m), Hydrochloric acid (HCl, 36 wt%), Ethanol ( $\ge$ 99.99%), Acetone ( $\ge 99.5\%$ ), 2-propanol ( $\ge 99.8\%$ ), N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF, 99.8%), Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, 99.8%) were purchased from Merck. Cesium iodide (CsI, 99.9%), Pluronic P123 surfactant, 1-butanol (99.8%), Chlorobenzene (99.98%), Chloroform ( $\ge 99\%)$ were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich. Lead bromide (PbBr₂, 99.99%), Lead iodide (PbI₂,99.99%), Formamidinium iodide (FAI, $>99.5\%$ ), Methyl ammonium bromide (MABr, $>99.5\%$ ) were supplied from Luminescence technology corp (Lumtec). TiO₂ paste (PST-20T) and CuInS₂ ink (INK-20 CIS) were prepared from Sharif Solar. FTO (resistance 15 Ω sq⁻¹) coated glass was supplied from Dyesol. Gold (Switzerland, 99.99%). All chemicals were used without further purification.