Latest ArticlesIn recent years, with the emergence of non-fullerene fused-ring acceptors, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of organic solar cells (OSCs) have exceeded 19%. However, compared to inorganic or perovskite photovoltaic cells, a higher voltage loss has become one of the key factors limiting further improvement in the PCEs of OSCs. The ternary/quaternary strategy has been identified as a feasible and effective way to obtain high-efficiency OSCs. In this review, a brief outline is given of the key roles that guest materials played in reducing voltage losses in solar cell devices and a brief look at the future material design and the design of ternary/quaternary systems.
Membrane permeability and intracellular diffusion of fluorescent probes determine staining selectivity of intracellular substructures. However, the relationship between the molecular structure of fluorescent probes and their membrane permeability and intracellular distribution is poorly understood. In this paper, we reported a series of 1,8-naphthalimide dyes and carried out cell imaging experiments, and found that the presence of amino hydrogen in these dyes played a crucial role in their cell membrane permeability and intracellular distribution. The secondary amino group containing compounds 1–4 show excellent membrane permeability and strong fluorescence in living cells. While the tertiary amine containing dyes 5 and 6 can hardly permeate the cell membrane though they show extremely similar structure with compounds 2–4. Compound 1 can selectively image lipid droplets by selecting the wavelength of excitation light. With the specificity for lysosomes, 2 and 4 have been used in long-term time-lapses imaging of lysosomal dynamics and tracking the process of lysosome–lysosome interaction, fusion and movement. The effect of hydrogen-containing amino substituent on the cell membrane permeability of fluorescent molecules is promising for the development of better biocompatible probes.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) regeneration is necessary for the sustainable application of enzymatic industry. The Rh-based complex [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H)]+ has been widely used as an important mediator in NADH regeneration systems, but it is limited by complexity and high cost. Here, a Z-scheme was constructed by loading Rh onto carbon nitride nanosheets/carbon nitride quantum dots (CN-CNQD). The resultant catalyst achieved a high yield of NADH in a mediator-free (M-free) system of 0.283 mmol L−1 g−1 min−1, which is 5.29 times that of pure CN. ADH enzyme introduction experiments confirmed that the enzyme active product 1,4-NADH could reach 34.21% selectivity in the M-free system. Mechanism research revealed that the heterojunction between CNs and CNQDs improved the NADH regeneration activity in the traditional M-involved system, while Rh loading was proved to optimize the yield and selectivity of 1,4-NADH in M-free system. The immobilized Rh shows more competitiveness than [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H)]+. This study contributes to the construction of an M-free system for further application in greener, lower-cost enzymatic processes.
Boosting the interfacial stability between electrolyte and Li-rich cathode material at high operating voltage is vital important to enhance the cycling stability of Li-rich cathode materials for high-performance Li-ion batteries. In this work, vinyltrimethylsilane as a new type of organic silicon electrolyte additive is studied to address the interfacial instability of Li-rich cathode material at high operating voltage. The cells using vinyltrimethylsilane additive shows the high capacity retention of 73.9% after 300 cycles at 1 C, whereas the cells without this kind of additive only have the capacity retention of 58.9%. The improvement of stability is mainly attributed to the additive helping to form a more stable surface film for Li-rich cathode material, thus avoiding direct contact between the electrolyte and the cathode material, slowing down the dissolution of metal ions and the decomposition of the electrolyte under high operating voltage. Our findings in this work shed some light on the design of stable cycling performance of Li-rich cathode toward advanced Li-ion batteries.
Si-based materials have shown great potential as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) anodes due to their natural reserves and high theoretical capacity. However, the large volume changes during cycles and poor conductivity of Si lead to rapid capacity decay and poor cycling stability, ultimately limiting their commercial applications. Herein, we have skillfully utilized the microporous MCM-22 zeolite as the unique silicon source to produce porous Si (pSi) sheets by a simple magnesiothermic reduction, followed by a carbon coating and further Ti3C2Tx MXene assembly, obtaining the ternary pSi@NC@TNSs composite. In the design, porous Si sheets provide more active sites and shorten Li-ion transport paths for electrochemical reactions. The N-doped carbon (NC) layer serves as a bonding layer to couple pSi and Ti3C2Tx. The conductive network formed by 2D Ti3C2Tx and medium NC layer effectively enhances the overall charge transport of the electrode material, and helps to stabilize the electrode structure. Therefore, the as-made pSi@NC@TNSs anode delivers an improved lithium storage performance, exhibiting a high reversible capacity of 925 mAh/g at 0.5 A/g after 100 cycles. This present strategy provides an effective way towards high-performance Si-based anodes for LIBs.
The compatibility of the gate dielectrics with semiconductors is vital for constructing efficient conducting channel for high charge transport. However, it is still a highly challenging mission to clearly clarify the relationship between the dielectric layers and the chemical structure of semiconductors, especially vacuum-deposited small molecules. Here, interfacial molecular screening of polyimide (Kapton) dielectric in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is comprehensively studied. It is found that the semiconducting small molecules with alkyl side chains prefer to form a high-quality charge transport layer on polyimide (PI) dielectrics compared with the molecules without alkyl side chains. On this basis, the fabricated transistors could reach the mobility of 1.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 the molecule with alkyl side chains on bare PI dielectric. What is more, the compatible semiconductor and dielectric would further produce a low activation energy (EA) of 3.01 meV towards efficient charge transport even at low temperature (e.g., 100 K, 0.9 cm2 V−1 s−1). Our research provides a guiding scheme for the construction of high-performance thin-film field-effect transistors based on PI dielectric layer at room and low temperatures.
Ischemic stroke (IS) represents a significant threat to brain health due to its elevated mortality and disability rates. The efficacy of small-molecule neuroprotective agents has been impeded by challenges associated with traversing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and limited bioavailability. Conversely, advanced nano drug delivery systems hold promise for overcoming these obstacles by facilitating efficient transportation across the BBB and maintaining optimal drug concentrations. This review aims to explore advanced neuroprotective nano drug delivery systems as a means of effectively administering neuroprotective agents to the brain using pharmaceutical approaches in the treatment of IS. By examining these systems, researchers and clinicians can gain valuable insights and innovative concepts, illuminating the potential of advanced neuroprotective nano drug delivery systems. Leveraging these advancements can drive the progress of pioneering and efficacious therapeutic interventions for IS.
A charge transfer complex (CTC)-enabled photoreduction of ether phosphonium salts for the generation of oxyalkyl radicals was described. The photoreduction provides a convenient method to achieve selective oxyalkylation of enamides with broad substrate scope. The method features operational simplicity, mild and inherent green conditions.
Four pillar[5]arene-based bicyclic compounds, so-called molecular universal joint (MUJ), were synthesized by incorporating a bisamide ring containing N, O, or S-heteroatom groups, which served as stimuli-responsive chiroptical molecular devices. The structure of MUJ was confirmed by 1H NMR spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and their planar-chiral enantiomers were successfully separated. Chiroptical inversion behaviors from in to out configurations triggered by temperature, solvent, and guest complexation were investigated by circular dichroism spectra. Chiroptical inversion could be realized in the presence of adiponitrile in certain solvents due to the solvation effects on the side ring and the threading of the guest into the pillar[5]arene cavity. However, the stronger self-included interactions between the cavity and the inside ring of certain MUJs led to inhibition of the switching.
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