Self-Assembled Monolayer-Mediated Crystallization Improvement and Energy Level Optimization in Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

The improved crystallization and precise energy level alignment achieved through self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) implementation constitute a critical technological advancement, facilitating inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with simultaneously enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational stability. Here, a benzocarbazole-derived SAM, BCPPA, is designed and synthesized as a hole-transporting layer (HTL) by fusing an additional benzene ring in one side of the carbazole core. In comparison to the commonly used carbazole-derived SAM of MeO-2PACz, BCPPA exhibits a larger molecular dipole moment, a deeper HOMO energy level, and a more hydrophobic character.

Constructing a hemostatic sponge loaded with copper nanoparticles and carboxymethyl chitosan for wound hemostasis and infection prevention.

Uncontrolled hemorrhage and infection pose serious risks to patient survival, highlighting the critical need for multifunctional hemostatic materials that are safe, effective, and highly biocompatible. In response to this clinical demand, we have developed a novel design strategy that rapidly achieves hemostasis and prevents infection. This research introduces a dual-network multifunctional hemostatic sponge, CMC/PDA@Cu, crafted from polysaccharide materials and specifically engineered for application at bleeding sites compromised by drug-resistant bacteria.

SiO-Coated ZnO for Photothermal and Photodynamic Antibacterial Applications in Bone Repair.

Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) is a promising material for bone substitutes due to its biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, its limited osteogenic activity and antibacterial properties restrict its applications. To address these challenges, this study develops PLLA/SiO@ZnO/PDA/PLL composite fibrous materials using an approach that integrates electrospinning with ultrasonic techniques.

Radical-activable charge-transfer cocrystals for solar thermoelectric generator toward information conversion.

Solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) that can effectively harvest solar energy and convert it into affordable electricity, provide a promising solution for self-powered wearable electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT). However, their electricity generation is often limited by the low thermal concentration or unstable temperature gradients in practical applications. Herein, we rationally designed an organic radical-activable charge-transfer (CT) cocrystal based on the open-shell radical electron acceptor of 2,6-dibromonaphthalene-1,4,5,8-tetracarboxylic dianhydride.

Directed Anion Diffusion Induces Defect Passivation in 0D/3D Perovskite Single-Crystal Heterostructures.

0D/3D perovskite heterostructures have been extensively utilized in optoelectronic devices. However, synthesizing 0D/3D heterostructures with well-defined interfaces, high-exposure crystal facet orientations, and high-purity phases remains challenging due to their soft ionic nature, which complicates the understanding of ion defect passivation mechanisms in these heterostructure systems. In this study, a one-step vapor-phase epitaxial growth of pure-phase 0D/3D single-crystal heterostructures is reported with well-defined interfaces.

Local Structure-Induced Selective Interactions Enables High-Performance and Burn-in-Free Organic Photovoltaics.

Oligomeric acceptors (OAs) have attracted considerable attention in the organic photovoltaics (OPV) field owing to their capacity in balancing the merits from both monomeric and polymeric acceptors. A delicate control over the distortion between blocks of OAs usually determines the performance and stability of relevant OPV devices. However, it imposes great complexity to realize a controllable degree of distortion by tuning the skeleton of blocks and the position of linker between blocks.

A Top-Down Strategy to Engineer ActiveLayer Morphology for Highly Efficient and Stable All-Polymer Solar Cells.

A major challenge hindering the further development of all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) employing polymerized small-molecule acceptors is the relatively low fill factor (FF) due to the difficulty in controlling the active-layer morphology. The issues typically arise from oversized phase separation resulting from the thermodynamically unfavorable mixing between two macromolecular species, and disordered molecular orientation/packing of highly anisotropic polymer chains. Herein, a facile top-down controlling strategy to engineer the morphology of all-polymer blends is developed by leveraging the layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition.

Vinylene-Inserted Asymmetric Polymer Acceptor with Absorption Approaching 1000 nm for Versatile Applications in All-Polymer Solar Cells and Photomultiplication-Type Polymeric Photodetectors.

The emerging polymerized small-molecule acceptors (PSMAs) with near-infrared (NIR) absorption have not only significantly boosted the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) but have also exhibited great potential for sensitive NIR polymeric photodetectors (PPDs). However, there is no report regarding PSMAs with photo-response that can approach 1000 nm, which is an important criterion for applications in NIR-responsive all-PSCs and PPDs. Herein, by unidirectionally inserting vinylene segments into a selenophene-rich polymer backbone to improve the electron-donating strength and quinoidal character, an asymmetric PSMA, namely, PY3Se-1V, was developed, which showed an extensively red-shifted absorption approaching 1000 nm.

Side-Chain Substituents on Benzotriazole-Based Polymer Acceptors Affecting the Performance of All-Polymer Solar Cells.

Recently, the strategy of polymerized small-molecule acceptors (PSMAs) has attracted extensive attention for applications in all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs). Although side-chain engineering is considered as a simple and effective strategy for manipulating polymer properties, the corresponding effect on photovoltaic performance of PSMAs in all-PSCs has not been systemically investigated. Herein, a series of PSMAs based on the benzotriazole (BTz)-core fused SMAs with different N-alkyl chains including branched 2-butyloctyl, linear n-octyl, and methyl on the BTz unit, namely PZT-C12, PZT-C8, and PZT-C1, respectively, is presented.

Tumor necrosis factor-α promotes airway mucus hypersecretion by repressing miR-146a-5p and miR-134-5p levels in human airway epithelial cells.

Background: Airway mucus acts as an indispensable protective component of innate immune response against invading pathogens. However, airway mucus hypersecretion, largely consisting of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC), is the leading cause of airflow obstruction and airway hyperresponsiveness that contributes to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in the pathogenesis of COPD, but the definite role of miRNAs in airway mucus hypersecretion is not well understood.

Regulating the Aggregation of Unfused Non-Fullerene Acceptors via Molecular Engineering towards Efficient Polymer Solar Cells.

Tuning molecular aggregation via structure design to manipulate the film morphology still remains as a challenge for polymer solar cells based on unfused non-fullerene acceptors (UF-NFAs). Herein, a strategy was developed to modulate the aggregation patterns of UF-NFAs by systematically varying the π-bridge (D) unit and central core (A') unit in A-D-A'-D-A framework (A and D refer to electron-withdrawing and electron-donating moieties, respectively). Specifically, the quantified contents of H- or J-aggregation and crystallite disorder of three UF-NFAs (BDIC2F, BCIC2F, and TCIC2F) were analyzed via UV/Vis spectrometry and grazing incidence X-ray scattering.

Multi-Selenophene-Containing Narrow Bandgap Polymer Acceptors for All-Polymer Solar Cells with over 15 % Efficiency and High Reproducibility.

All-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) progressed tremendously due to recent advances in polymerized small molecule acceptors (PSMAs), and their power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) have exceeded 15 %. However, the practical applications of all-PSCs are still restricted by a lack of PSMAs with a broad absorption, high electron mobility, low energy loss, and good batch-to-batch reproducibility. A multi-selenophene-containing PSMA, PFY-3Se, was developed based on a selenophene-fused SMA framework and a selenophene π-spacer.

High Efficiency (15.8%) All-Polymer Solar Cells Enabled by a Regioregular Narrow Bandgap Polymer Acceptor.

Despite the significant progresses made in all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) recently, the relatively low short-circuit current density () and large energy loss are still quite difficult to overcome for further development. To address these challenges, we developed a new class of narrow-bandgap polymer acceptors incorporating a benzotriazole (BTz)-core fused-ring segment, named the PZT series. Compared to the commonly used benzothiadiazole (BT)-containing polymer PYT, the less electron-deficient BTz renders PZT derivatives with significantly red-shifted optical absorption and up-shifted energy levels, leading to simultaneously improved and open-circuit voltage in the resultant all-PSCs.

Fuller-Rylenes: Paving the Way for Promising Acceptors.

The hybridization of different acceptors remains a fertile ground awaiting exploration, to fully promote the properties of both components. The concept of this work is to exploit a new form of fuller-rylene hybrids as promising acceptors by integrating planar rylene dye and spherical fullerene for boosting the power conversion efficiency. The synthesis of the fuller-rylenes via a straightforward synthetic strategy by one-pot Pd-catalyzed cyclization can be scaled-up.

Polymer Donors for High-Performance Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells.

Over the past few years, non-fullerene organic solar cells have been a focus of research and their power conversion efficiencies have been improved dramatically from about 6 % to over 14 %. In addition to innovations in non-fullerene acceptors, the ongoing development of polymer donors has contributed significantly to the rapid progress of non-fullerene organic solar cell performance. This Minireview highlights the polymer donors that enable high-performance non-fullerene organic solar cells.

Isomeric N-Annulated Perylene Diimide Dimers for Organic Solar Cells.

Two isomeric N-annulated perylene diimide dimers, namely, p-BDNP and m-BDNP were designed and synthesized via geometric tuning. The distinct molecular geometry and packing arrangements of isomers with almost identical optical and electrochemical properties rendered us an in-depth understanding of the molecular structure-aggregation state-photovoltaic performance relationship. Blended with the commercially available donor PCE-10, p-BDNP and m-BDNP showed distinct differences in photovoltaic performance with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 5.

Spiro-Fused Perylene Diimide Arrays.

The straightforward palladium-catalyzed synthesis protocol toward spiro-fused perylene diimides is developed. The reaction involves two palladium-catalyzed C-H activations and 4-fold C-C bond formation sequence from readily available precursors. This facile and step-economic approach also provides another convenient access to ethylene-bridged dimer (NDP) and further π-extended spiro system (SNTP).

Rigid Nonfullerene Acceptors Based on Triptycene-Perylene Dye for Organic Solar Cells.

Three kinds of nonconjugated rigid perylene bisimide (PBI) derivatives based on a triptycene core were designed, synthesized and characterized. The unique three-dimensional (3D) conformation of triptycene could enable formation of polymer with the favorable morphology for organic polymer solar cells (PSCs) by relieving the self-aggregation of rigid PBI units. The low-lying LUMO energy levels of these compounds demonstrated that they are very suitable for use as acceptors in organic solar cells.

Ternary Organic Solar Cells Based on Two Compatible Nonfullerene Acceptors with Power Conversion Efficiency >10.

Two different nonfullerene acceptors and one copolymer are used to fabricate ternary organic solar cells (OSCs). The two acceptors show unique interactions that reduce crystallinity and form a homogeneous mixed phase in the blend film, leading to a high efficiency of ≈10.3%, the highest performance reported for nonfullerene ternary blends.

Three-Bladed Rylene Propellers with Three-Dimensional Network Assembly for Organic Electronics.

Two kinds of conjugated C3-symmetric perylene dyes, namely, triperylene hexaimides (TPH) and selenium-annulated triperylene hexaimides (TPH-Se), are efficiently synthesized. Both TPH and TPH-Se have broad and strong absorption in the region 300-600 nm together with suitable LUMO levels of about -3.8 eV.

[Study on the relationship between odor intensity and components concentrations of odor mixture].

Odor pollution has become a serious environmental problem arising from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants. But the studies on odor intensity and other olfactory evaluations are seriously influenced by the diversity, distinct concentration fluctuation and complex interaction of pollutants. In order to explore the relationship between odor intensity and components concentrations of odor mixture, several typical VOCs in indoor environment were used to simulate odor mixtures.

Isolation of motile spermatozoa with a microfluidic chip having a surface-modified microchannel.

Conventional methods to prepare sperm have been amenable to the investigation of outcomes such as rates of recovery and conventional semen parameters. The standard preparation of sperm for assisted reproduction is criticized for its centrifugation steps, which might either recover motile sperm in variable proportions or increase the probability of damage to sperm DNA. An microfluidic system was designed to separate motile sperm according to a design whereby nonmotile spermatozoa and debris flow along their initial streamlines and exit through one outlet-up, whereas motile spermatozoa have an opportunity to swim into a parallel stream and to exit through a separate outlet-down.