Bidirectional carrier channels boost photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over NiO/CdMnS/TiCT ternary heterojunction.

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) driven by solar energy has attracted considerable attention due to its outstanding efficiency, environmental compatibility, and sustainability. Regrettably, the sluggish progress of the HER and the limitations in charge separation efficiency impede its practical photocatalysis. Herein, a two-step electrostatic self-assembly approach is adopted to construct NiO/CdMnS/TiCT (NO/CMS/TCT) ternary heterojunction with bidirectional carrier channels for boost photogenerated separation and oriented carrier accumulation.

Ionic Liquid Top Surface Engineering: In Situ GIWAXS Insights Into 1D/3D Heterojunction Perovskite Formation.

Low-dimensional perovskites have been demonstrated repeatedly to improve the performance of perovskite photovoltaic devices in both light-to-electricity conversion efficiency and device durability. In this work, the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate (EMIMHSO) is innovatively introduced as a capping layer, which interacts with the residual PbI on the 3D perovskite top surface to generate the 1D perovskite, EMIMPbI. By adjusting the concentration of the IL, 1D perovskite formations with distinct morphologies is achieved.

Variable-Temperature X-Ray Scattering Unveils the Solution Aggregation Structures and Processing Resiliency of High-Efficiency Organic Photovoltaics with Iodinated Electron Acceptors.

Polymer photovoltaics are promising for low-cost, flexible, and lightweight power supplies. Their performance is heavily influenced by the morphology of the polymer: acceptor blend, where the aggregation structures of both components play a crucial role in charge generation, transport, and overall device performance. This study probes and resolves the solution aggregation behavior and processing resilience of high-efficiency polymer photovoltaics incorporating an iodinated electron acceptor, BO-4I, using variable-temperature small-angle X-ray scattering and neutron scattering.

Real-Time Probing of Morphological Evolution and Recrystallization During Solvent Annealing in Blade-Coated All-Polymer Organic Solar Cells Using In Situ X-Ray Scattering.

Optimizing the morphology of the active layer is crucial for achieving high photovoltaic conversion efficiency in all-polymer solar cells (APSCs). Solvent vapor annealing (SVA) is an essential post-treatment strategy for controlling active layer morphology. However, most current SVA are conducted ex situ, limiting their ability to accurately reveal the morphological evolution of active layers of APSCs.

Azine-Pyridine Frame Generated Covalent Organic Frameworks and Self-Polymerized Films.

Engineering covalent organic frameworks (COFs) into industrializable films with inherent functionalities has remained a major challenge in synthetic chemistry. Here, through developing skeletal azine-pyridine conformation, we present an effectual synthetic frame to convert a family of powdery COFs into self-polymerized COFs films under green and ambient conditions. The active proton tautomerism in our azine-pyridine frame offers a thermochromism, facilitating self-polymerization of large-area COFs films from ca.

Understanding the Effect of Regioselective Fluorination in Tuning Miscibility and Crystallinity of Polymer Donors for Efficient Organic Solar Cells.

Fluorination is a widely adopted strategy for modifying polymer donors (PDs) in organic solar cells (OSCs). The incorporation of fluorine atoms is known to enhance crystallinity and facilitate charge transport of PDs, thereby boosting the short-circuit current density  of related OSCs. However, improperly executed fluorination can impair miscibility with acceptors, leading to excessive self-aggregation, unfavorable phase separation, serious charge reorganization, and increased energy loss.

Size-effect induced controllable Cu-Cu sites for ampere-level nitrate electroreduction coupled with biomass upgrading.

The synergistic Cu-Cu sites is regarded as the active species towards NH synthesis from the nitrate electrochemical reduction reaction (NORR) process. However, the mechanistic understanding and the roles of Cu and Cu remain exclusive. The big obstacle is that it is challenging to effectively regulate the interfacial motifs of Cu-Cu sites.

Glabridin Suppresses Macrophage Activation by Lipoteichoic Acid In Vitro: The Crucial Role of MAPKs-IL-1β-iNOS Axis Signals in Peritoneal and Alveolar Macrophages.

Inflammation, a fundamental response to infection and injury, involves interactions among immune cells and signaling molecules. Dysregulated inflammation contributes to diseases such as autoimmune disorders and cancer. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), produced by macrophages in response to lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Gram-positive bacteria, is a key inflammatory mediator.

Scalable Electrocatalytic Urea Wastewater Treatment Coupled with Hydrogen Production by Regulating Adsorption Behavior of Urea Molecule.

Electrocatalytic urea wastewater treatment technology has emerged as a promising method for environmental remediation. However, the realization of highly efficient and scalable electrocatalytic urea wastewater treatment (SEUWT) is still an enormous challenge. Herein, through regulating the adsorption behavior of urea functional groups, the efficient SEUWT coupled hydrogen production is realized in anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE).

Polymer-like tetramer acceptor enables stable and 19.75% efficiency binary organic solar cells.

Limited by large batch differences and inferior polymerization degree of current polymer acceptors, the potential high efficiency and stability advantages of all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) cannot be fully utilized. Alternatively, largely π-extended and structurally definite oligomer acceptors are effective strategies to realize the overall performance of polymer acceptors. Herein, we report a linear tetramer acceptor namely 4Y-BO with identical molecular skeleton and comparable molecular-weight relative to the control polymer acceptor PY-BO.

Engineering bidirectional charge transport channels boosts solar driven sulfion oxidation upgrading coupled with hydrogen production.

The inefficient charge separation and transport remains a bottleneck in photocatalysis. While various strategies have been explored to improve this process, most focus on single-sided modulation either the conduction-band electrons or valence-band holes, limiting overall improvement. Herein, an innovative coupling modification approach is adopted where Ru and α-FeO (FO) nanoparticles are integrated onto ZnInS (ZIS) to prepare Ru/ZnInS/α-FeO, and constructs dual charge transfer pathways for electrons and holes.

Multiscale Structural Control by Matrix Engineering for Polydimethylsiloxane Filled Graphene Woven Fabric Strain Sensors.

Elastomer cure shrinkage during composite fabrication often induces wrinkling in conductive networks, significantly affecting the performance of flexible strain sensors, yet the specific roles of such wrinkles are not fully understood. Herein, a highly sensitive polydimethylsiloxane-filled graphene woven fabric (PDMS-f-GWF) strain sensor by optimizing the PDMS cure shrinkage through careful adjustment of the base-to-curing-agent ratio is developed. This sensor achieves a gauge factor of ∼700 at 25% strain, which is over 6 times higher than sensors using commercially formulated PDMS.

New Polymeric Acceptors Based on Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'] Difuran Moiety for Efficient All-Polymer Solar Cells.

In order to realize high-performance bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) all-polymer solar cells, achieving appropriate aggregation and moderate miscibility of the polymer blends is one critical factor. Herein, this study designs and synthesizes two new polymer acceptors (Ps), namely PYF and PYF-Cl, containing benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b'] difuran (BDF) moiety with/without chlorine atoms on the thiophene side groups. Thanks to the preferred planar structure and high electronegativity of the BDF units, the resultant Ps generate strong intermolecular interactions and π-π stacking in both the neat and blend films.

Manipulating key intermediates and suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction dual roles of Bi for high-efficiency nitrate to ammonia and energy conversion.

The nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) is a promising technology for simultaneous treatment of NO wastewater and synthetic ammonia. However, the NORR involves multiple electron and proton transfer processes, and the ammonia selectivity and yield are highly susceptible to the evolution of key intermediate (*NO) and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, bismuth (Bi), with a high hydrogen overpotential, is used as an inhibitor of the HER.

Vertically Oriented 2D Perovskite Layer with = 1 Phase Enables Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Surface passivation with 2D perovskites has been reported to be important for high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, it is challenging to achieve a controlled growth of 2D perovskites, which typically feature random orientation and various n number. In this paper, we fabricate a 2D layer with a highly ordered orientation and pure = 1 phase on top of the perovskite film using the organic spacer molecule 7-fluoro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolinehydrochloride (7-FTH).

Structurally Compact Penta(N,N-diphenylamino)corannulene as Dopant-free Hole Transport Materials for Stable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Hole transport materials (HTMs) are essential for improving the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, we have designed and synthesized a novel organic small molecule HTM, cor-(DPA), characterized by a bowl-shaped core with symmetric five diphenylamine groups. Compared to already-known HTMs, the bowl-shaped and relatively compact structure of cor-(DPA) facilitates intermolecular π-π interactions, promotes film formations, and enhances charge transport.

Visible Light Promoted de Mayo Type Reaction of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes.

We reported herein a visible light mediated de Mayo-type reaction between 1,3-diketones and BCB. The reaction proceeds through a [2π+2σ] cycloaddition and retro-aldol sequence, producing cis-difunctionalized cyclobutanes in high yields with good regio- and diastereoselectivity.

Significantly Increased Specific Discharge Capacitance at Carbon Fibers Created via Architected Ultramicropores.

Carbon is commonly used as an electrode material for supercapacitors operating on an electrical double-layer energy storage mechanism. However, the low specific capacitance limits its application. Increasing the specific surface area is by far the most common expansion method, and surprisingly, they are not always positively correlated.

Archimedean Spirals with Controllable Chirality: Disk Substrate-Mediated Solution Assembly of Rod-Coil Block Copolymers.

Spirals are common in nature; however, they are rarely observed in polymer self-assembly systems, and the formation mechanism is not well understood. Herein, we report the formation of two-dimensional (2D) spiral patterns via microdisk substrate-mediated solution self-assembly of polypeptide-based rod-coil block copolymers. The spiral pattern consists of multiple strands assembled from the block copolymers, and two central points are observed.

Probing nanoscale structural response of collagen fibril in human Achilles tendon during loading using in situ SAXS.

The specific viscoelastic mechanical properties of the human Achilles tendon are strongly dependent on the structural characteristics of collagen. Although research on the deformation mechanisms of the Achilles tendon in various animals is extensive, understanding of these mechanisms in the human Achilles tendon remains largely empirical and macroscopic. In this work, the evolution of D-space, orientation, and average length of voids between fibers are investigated during the stretching using SAXS techniques.

Modulating charge oriented accumulation via interfacial chemical-bond on InO/BiMoO heterostructures for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation.

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation presents an eco-friendly approach to converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia (NH), but the process faces challenges due to rapid interface charge recombination. Here, we report an innovative charge transfer and oriented accumulation strategy using an In-O-Mo bond-modulated S-scheme heterostructure composed of InO/BiMoO (In/BMO) synthesized using a simple electrostatic assembly. The unique interfacial arrangement with optimal photocatalyst configuration (3 % In/BMO) enabled enhanced photogenerated electron separation and transfer, leading to a remarkable nitrogen fixation rate of approximately 150.

Impacts of hyperthermic chemotherapeutic agent on cytotoxicity, chemoresistance-related proteins and PD-L1 expression in human gastric cancer cells.

Gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis is considered to be final stage gastric cancer. One current treatment approach for this condition is combined cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). However, the therapeutic mechanisms of HIPEC remain largely undescribed.

Efficient Dual Mechanisms Boost the Efficiency of Ternary Solar Cells with Two Compatible Polymer Donors to Exceed 19.

Ternary strategyopens a simple avenue to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). The introduction of wide bandgap polymer donors (PDs) as third component canbetter utilize sunlight and improve the mechanical and thermal stability of active layer. However, efficient ternary OSCs (TOSCs) with two PDs are rarely reported due to inferior compatibility and shortage of efficient PDs match with acceptors.