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Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the primary cause of mortality in patients afflicted with end-stage renal disease and undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a molecule known to exhibit a correlation with CVD mortality garners considerable interest. The objective of this study was to explore the potential association between serum Gal-3 levels and other CVD risk factors among PD patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 114 PD patients with a minimum of 3 months of PD treatment were enrolled. Serum Gal-3 levels were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data of patients with Gal-3 levels higher and lower than 26.744 pg/ml were compared using Mann–Whitney U tests or t tests. Pearson's correlation or Spearman's correlation analysis and multivariate regression were used to assess the associations between the known risk factors for CVD and Gal-3. Results: In comparison to the inter-group baseline data, the low Gal-3 group exhibited a higher glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Gal-3 levels correlate positively with PD duration, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), interventricular septal thickness in diastolic (IVST), and left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Conversely, Gal-3 exhibited a negative correlation with albumin levels. Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between Gal-3 levels and BNP, GDF-15, PD duration, IVST and LVMI. Gal-3 levels were negatively correlated with albumin levels. Conclusions: Gal-3 was strongly associated with BNP, GDF-15, IVST and LVMI in patients undergoing PD treatment. Prospective studies should be carried out to determine whether Gal-3 can be a promising biomarker in predicting increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innovation of high‐performance fused‐ring electron acceptors (FREAs) has carried the field of organic solar cells (OSCs) toward a new stage of development. However, due to high synthetic complexity and production costs, FREAs may not be the most promising candidates for future commercialization applications. To address these disadvantages of FREAs, a series of low‐cost acceptors, named as noncovalently FREAs (NFREAs), is successfully constructed by employing the strategy of noncovalently conformational locks. Herein, a novel NFREA (BDTO‐4F) based on 3,7‐dialkyloxybenzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene is synthesized and fully characterized. Benefiting from the complementary absorption of the donor and acceptor, balanced charge transport, and favorable film morphology, J52:BDTO‐4F based OSCs afford a satisfied power conversion efficiency of 12.09%, much higher than PBDB‐T:BDTO‐4F‐based devices (8.30%). It is worth mentioning that BDTO‐4F possesses a higher figure‐of‐merit value of 55.65 in comparison with several representative FREAs based on a cost‐efficiency evaluation. This work demonstrates the potential of the novel benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b″]dithiophene derivative for constructing low‐cost and high‐performance NFREAs, providing a valuable insight on the materials design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polymerization of fused-ring acceptors (FRAs) to afford their corresponding polymeric acceptors for high-performance all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) has achieved remarkable progress in the past few years. However, due to the high degree of synthetic complexity for the monomer, the high-cost of these polymeric acceptors may limit their commercial applications. Thus, it is urgent to develop inexpensive and high-performance polymeric acceptors for all-PSCs. Herein, two novel polymeric acceptors (PBTzO and PBTzO-2F) have been designed and synthesized by copolymerization of noncovalently fused ring acceptors (NFRAs), which were employed in all-PSCs for the first time. Upon introducing the "noncovalently conformational locks (NoCLs)" in the backbone and selective fluorination of the end-group, photophysical and electrical properties, and solid-state packing properties of the NFRAs have been rationally tuned. As a result, the PBDB-T:PBTzO-2F based devices presented an excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.04%, much higher than that of PBTzO based ones due to the increased charge generation and extraction, improved hole transfer and carrier mobilities, and reduced energy loss. More importantly, PBTzO-2F exhibited a much lower synthetic complexity (SC) index and higher figure-of-merit (FOM) values than the highperformance fused-ring acceptor based polymer acceptors (FRA-PAs) due to the simpler structures and more effective synthesis. This contribution provided a novel idea to achieve low-cost and high-performance all-PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid advance of fused‐ring electron acceptors (FREAs) has greatly promoted the leap‐forward development of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the synthetic complexity of FREAs may be detrimental for future commercial applications. Recently, nonfused‐ring electron acceptors (NREAs) have been developed to be a promising candidate to maintain a rational balance between cost and performance, of which the cores are composed of simple fused rings (NREAs‐I) or nonfused rings (NREAs‐II). Moreover, "noncovalently conformational locks", are used as an effective strategy to enhance the rigidity and planarity of NREAs and improve device performance. Herein, a novel series of NREAs‐II (PhO4T‐1, PhO4T‐2, and PhO4T‐3) is constructed as a valuable platform for exploring the impact of the end group engineering on optoelectronic properties, intermolecular packing behaviors, and device performance. As a result, a high power conversion efficiency of 13.76% is achieved for PhO4T‐3 based OSCs, which is much higher than those of the PhO4T‐1 and PhO4T‐2‐based devices. Compared with several representative FREAs, PhO4T‐3 possesses the highest figure‐of‐merit value of 133.45 based on a cost‐efficiency evaluation. This work demonstrates that the simple‐structured NREAs‐II are promising candidates for low‐cost and high‐performance OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state refrigeration based on the caloric effect is viewed as a promising efficient and clean refrigeration technology. Barocaloric materials were developed rapidly but have since encountered a general obstacle: the prominent caloric effect cannot be utilized reversibly under moderate pressure. Here, we report a mechanism of an emergent large, reversible barocaloric effect (BCE) under low pressure in the hybrid organic–inorganic layered perovskite (CH3–(CH2)n−1–NH3)2MnCl4 (n = 9,10), which show the reversible barocaloric entropy change as high as ΔSr ∼ 218, 230 J kg−1 K−1 at 0.08 GPa around the transition temperature (Ts ∼ 294, 311.5 K). To reveal the mechanism, single-crystal (CH3–(CH2)n−1–NH3)2MnCl4 (n = 10) was successfully synthesized, and high-resolution single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) was carried out. Then, the underlying mechanism was determined by combining infrared (IR) spectroscopy and density function theory (DFT) calculations. The colossal reversible BCE and the very small hysteresis of 2.6 K (0.1 K/min) and 4.0 K (1 K/min) are closely related to the specific hybrid organic–inorganic structure and single-crystal nature. The drastic transformation of organic chains confined to the metallic frame from ordered rigidity to disordered flexibility is responsible for the large phase-transition entropy comparable to the melting entropy of organic chains. This study provides new insights into the design of novel barocaloric materials by utilizing the advantages of specific organic–inorganic hybrid characteristics.Solid-state coolants: Hybrid crystals deliver big chills at low pressures Materials that can absorb and release heat under low mechanical pressure hold promise for high-efficiency refrigeration technology. Recent studies have shown that significant compression-induced cooling effects at low pressures can be achieved using crystals known as perovskites containing layers of organic chains and metal cations. Yihong Gao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and colleagues have now uncovered the mechanism underlying the thermal response of layered perovskites. Using a combination of x-rays, spectroscopy and theoretical calculations, the team discovered how the crystal structure changes at different temperatures. Their experiments revealed a low-energy phase transition where organic chains transform from rigid states to highly flexible conformations held in place by metallic layers. The large entropy change associated with this transition and its reversible nature could aid in the design of other organic–inorganic solid-state coolants.For the emergent colossal, reversible barocaloric effect in organic–inorganic perovskite hybrids (CH3–(CH2)n−1–NH3)2MnCl4 (n = 9, 10), we successfully grew a single crystal, and the underlying mechanism was determined by high-resolution SC-XRD, IR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The drastic transformation of organic chains confined to the metallic frame from ordered rigidity to disordered flexibility is responsible for the large phase-transition entropy, which is comparable to the melting entropy of organic chains. The result provides new insights into designing novel barocaloric materials by utilizing the disordering of organic chains of organic–inorganic hybrid materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triplet excitons have both longer lifetimes and diffusion lengths than singlet excitons due to the nature of triplet excitons, which is expected to increase the photocurrent and further improve the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the working mechanism of triplet excitons in OSCs is not clearly clarified. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new triplet acceptors for in‐depth understanding. Herein, a series of acceptors (BTn‐4Cl) are synthesized by fine‐tuning of the side‐chain branch positions. The generation of triplet excitons of BTn‐4Cl is confirmed by the time‐resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectra, magnetophotocurrent (MPC) experiment, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra. The effects of side‐chain engineering on the optoelectronic properties, packing behaviors, energy losses, charge transport properties, spin lifetimes of triplet polarons, and blend film morphologies are systematically studied. These results show that D18:BT3‐4Cl‐based OSCs possess the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.31% due to lower energy losses, less recombination losses, more balanced charge carrier mobilities, longer spin–lattice (T1) relaxation time, and more favorable morphology. This work enhances the understanding of the structure–property relationship for high‐performance triplet acceptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Side‐chain engineering is an effective strategy to regulate the solubility and packing behavior of organic materials. Recently, a unique strategy, so‐called terminal side‐chain (T‐SC) engineering, has attracted much attention in the field of organic solar cells (OSCs), but there is a lack of deep understanding of the mechanism. Herein, a new noncovalently fused‐ring electron acceptor (NFREA) containing two T‐SCs (NoCA‐5) was designed and synthesized. Introduction of T‐SCs can enhance molecular rigidity and intermolecular π–π stacking, which is confirmed by the smaller Stokes shift value, lower reorganization free energy, and shorter π–π stacking distance in comparison to NoCA‐1. Hence, the NoCA‐5‐based device exhibits a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.82 % in labs and a certified PCE of 14.5 %, resulting from a high electron mobility, a short charge‐extraction time, a small Urbach energy (Eu), and a favorable phase separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Side‐chain engineering is an effective strategy to regulate the solubility and packing behavior of organic materials. Recently, a unique strategy, so‐called terminal side‐chain (T‐SC) engineering, has attracted much attention in the field of organic solar cells (OSCs), but there is a lack of deep understanding of the mechanism. Herein, a new noncovalently fused‐ring electron acceptor (NFREA) containing two T‐SCs (NoCA‐5) was designed and synthesized. Introduction of T‐SCs can enhance molecular rigidity and intermolecular π–π stacking, which is confirmed by the smaller Stokes shift value, lower reorganization free energy, and shorter π–π stacking distance in comparison to NoCA‐1. Hence, the NoCA‐5‐based device exhibits a record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.82 % in labs and a certified PCE of 14.5 %, resulting from a high electron mobility, a short charge‐extraction time, a small Urbach energy (Eu), and a favorable phase separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noncovalently fused‐ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) have attracted much attention in recent years owing to their advantages of simple synthetic routes, high yields and low costs. However, the efficiencies of NFREAs based organic solar cells (OSCs) are still far behind those of fused‐ring electron acceptors (FREAs). Herein, a series of NFREAs with S⋅⋅⋅O noncovalent intramolecular interactions were designed and synthesized with a two‐step synthetic route. Upon introducing π‐extended end‐groups into the backbones, the electronic properties, charge transport, film morphology, and energy loss were precisely tuned by fine‐tuning the degree of multi‐fluorination. As a result, a record PCE of 14.53 % in labs and a certified PCE of 13.8 % for NFREAs based devices were obtained. This contribution demonstrated that combining the strategies of noncovalent conformational locks and π‐extended end‐group engineering is a simple and effective way to explore high‐performance NFREAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noncovalently fused‐ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) have attracted much attention in recent years owing to their advantages of simple synthetic routes, high yields and low costs. However, the efficiencies of NFREAs based organic solar cells (OSCs) are still far behind those of fused‐ring electron acceptors (FREAs). Herein, a series of NFREAs with S⋅⋅⋅O noncovalent intramolecular interactions were designed and synthesized with a two‐step synthetic route. Upon introducing π‐extended end‐groups into the backbones, the electronic properties, charge transport, film morphology, and energy loss were precisely tuned by fine‐tuning the degree of multi‐fluorination. As a result, a record PCE of 14.53 % in labs and a certified PCE of 13.8 % for NFREAs based devices were obtained. This contribution demonstrated that combining the strategies of noncovalent conformational locks and π‐extended end‐group engineering is a simple and effective way to explore high‐performance NFREAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isomeric effects play a crucial role in regulating electronic properties, molecular packing, and device performance of organic semiconductors. Herein, a series of unfused‐ring electron acceptor (UREA) regioisomers (NOF‐1, NOF‐2, and NOF‐3), which are constructed using 2,6‐α‐, 1,5‐β‐, and 3,7‐β‐type naphthalene cores, are successfully synthesized and characterized. The regioisomeric effects on geometries, photophysics, electrical properties, molecular packing behaviors, charge transport properties, blend film morphologies, and photovoltaic performance are systematically studied. As a result, the PBDB‐T:NOF‐3‐based device delivers a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.58% due to its more balanced charge mobility, efficient exciton dissociation, less charge recombination, and favorable film morphology. These findings encourage further attention to the regioisomeric effects to design high‐performance UREAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs) has made significant improvement. A large number of studies were reported to achieve high PCEs through exploring new active layer materials, especially the high efficiency fused ring acceptors (FRAs). Compared with FRAs, another type of so-called unfused-ring acceptors (UFAs), possessing some advantages such as simple synthesis and low cost, have attracted a lot of attention. Herein, a new UFA BTzO-4F, incorporating with a benzotriazole moiety and S⋯O intramolecular noncovalent interactions, has been successfully synthesized. The photovoltaic device based on PBDB-T:BTzO-4F achieved a record PCE of 13.8% for UFAs, which indicates that introducing the benzotriazole moiety is an effective strategy for high quality acceptors. Thus, these findings of this work demonstrate the great potential of UFAs for high performance OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triplet acceptors have been developed to construct high‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs) as the long lifetime and diffusion range of triplet excitons may dissociate into free charges instead of net recombination when the energy levels of the lowest triplet state (T1) are close to those of charge‐transfer states (3CT). The current triplet acceptors were designed by introducing heavy atoms to enhance the intersystem crossing, limiting their applications. Herein, two twisted acceptors without heavy atoms, analogues of Y6, constructed with large π‐conjugated core and D‐A structure, were confirmed to be triplet materials, leading to high‐performance OSCs. The mechanism of triplet excitons were investigated to show that the twisted and D‐A structures result in large spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and small energy gap between the singlet and triplet states, and thus efficient intersystem crossing. Moreover, the energy level of T1 is close to 3CT, facilitating the split of triplet exciton to free charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triplet acceptors have been developed to construct high‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs) as the long lifetime and diffusion range of triplet excitons may dissociate into free charges instead of net recombination when the energy levels of the lowest triplet state (T1) are close to those of charge‐transfer states (3CT). The current triplet acceptors were designed by introducing heavy atoms to enhance the intersystem crossing, limiting their applications. Herein, two twisted acceptors without heavy atoms, analogues of Y6, constructed with large π‐conjugated core and D‐A structure, were confirmed to be triplet materials, leading to high‐performance OSCs. The mechanism of triplet excitons were investigated to show that the twisted and D‐A structures result in large spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and small energy gap between the singlet and triplet states, and thus efficient intersystem crossing. Moreover, the energy level of T1 is close to 3CT, facilitating the split of triplet exciton to free charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AgWO/g-CN composites with different AgWO concentration and calcination temperature were synthesized via a mixing and heating approach. Various techniques were used to investigate the characters of the as-prepared samples, such as thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The degradation of rhodamine B (20 ppm) under visible light was performed to investigate the photocatalytic activity of AgWO/g-CN composites. Results indicate that the AgWO/g-CN is actually Ag/AgWO/g-CN ternary system. 7.5 wt% AgWO/g-CN prepared at 300 °C presented the best photocatalytic performance in rhodamine B degradation. The degradation rate reaches 0.0679 min, which is 3.25 times higher than the value of pure g-CN. The enhanced activity is attributed to the synergetic effect of AgWO, g-CN and metal Ag. Additionally, cycling experiments also proved that the AgWO/g-CN photocatalyst has good stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]