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Summary: The superior productivity of C4 plants is achieved via a metabolic C4 cycle which acts as a CO2 pump across mesophyll and bundle sheath (BS) cells and requires an additional input of energy in the form of ATP. The importance of chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase‐like complex (NDH) operating cyclic electron flow (CEF) around Photosystem I (PSI) for C4 photosynthesis has been shown in reverse genetics studies but the contribution of CEF and NDH to cell‐level electron fluxes remained unknown.We have created gene‐edited Setaria viridis with null ndhO alleles lacking functional NDH and developed methods for quantification of electron flow through NDH in BS and mesophyll cells.We show that CEF accounts for 84% of electrons reducing PSI in BS cells and most of those electrons are delivered through NDH while the contribution of the complex to electron transport in mesophyll cells is minimal. A decreased leaf CO2 assimilation rate and growth of plants lacking NDH cannot be rescued by supplying additional CO2.Our results indicate that NDH‐mediated CEF is the primary electron transport route in BS chloroplasts highlighting the essential role of NDH in generating ATP required for CO2 fixation by the C3 cycle in BS cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants rely on solar energy to synthesize ATP and NADPH for photosynthetic carbon fixation and all cellular need. Mitochondrial respiration is essential in plants, but this may be due to heterotrophic bottlenecks during plant development or because it is also necessary in photosynthetically active cells.In this study, we examined in vivo changes of cytosolic ATP concentration in response to light, employing a biosensing strategy in the moss Physcomitrium patens and revealing increased cytosolic ATP concentration caused by photosynthetic activity.Plants depleted of respiratory Complex I showed decreased cytosolic ATP accumulation, highlighting a critical role of mitochondrial respiration in light‐dependent ATP supply of the cytosol. Consistently, targeting mitochondrial ATP production directly, through the construction of mutants deficient in mitochondrial ATPase (complex V), led to drastic growth reduction, despite only minor alterations in photosynthetic electron transport activity.Since P. patens is photoautotrophic throughout its development, we conclude that heterotrophic bottlenecks cannot account for the indispensable role of mitochondrial respiration in plants. Instead, our results support that mitochondrial respiration is essential for ATP provision to the cytosol in photosynthesizing cells. Mitochondrial respiration provides metabolic integration, ensuring supply of cytosolic ATP essential for supporting plant growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Traditional leaf gas exchange experiments have focused on net CO2 exchange (Anet). Here, using California poplar (Populus trichocarpa), we coupled measurements of net oxygen production (NOP), isoprene emissions and δ18O in O2 to traditional CO2/H2O gas exchange with chlorophyll fluorescence, and measured light, CO2 and temperature response curves. This allowed us to obtain a comprehensive picture of the photosynthetic redox budget including electron transport rate (ETR) and estimates of the mean assimilatory quotient (AQ = Anet/NOP). We found that Anet and NOP were linearly correlated across environmental gradients with similar observed AQ values during light (1.25 ± 0.05) and CO2 responses (1.23 ± 0.07). In contrast, AQ was suppressed during leaf temperature responses in the light (0.87 ± 0.28), potentially due to the acceleration of alternative ETR sinks like lipid synthesis. Anet and NOP had an optimum temperature (Topt) of 31°C, while ETR and δ18O in O2 (35°C) and isoprene emissions (39°C) had distinctly higher Topt. The results confirm a tight connection between water oxidation and ETR and support a view of light‐dependent lipid synthesis primarily driven by photosynthetic ATP/NADPH not consumed by the Calvin–Benson cycle, as an important thermotolerance mechanism linked with high rates of (photo)respiration and CO2/O2 recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving both high efficiency and stability in organic solar cells (OSCs) remains a significant challenge. Inverted structure OSCs, compared to those with a normal structure, show great potential for combining high efficiency with enhanced stability. However, despite their improved stability, the efficiencies of inverted OSCs still lag behind those of conventional structure OSCs, largely due to the performance of electron transport layers (ETLs). Herein, a water‐soluble hybrid ETL is developed by modifying SnO2 nanoparticles with an aqueous potassium carboxylate salt, PMA. This modification effectively passivates the oxygen vacancy defects in the SnO2 nanoparticles and eliminates the light soaking issue observed in the control device. As a result, the PM6:Y6‐based device shows an improvement in efficiency from 16.68% to 17.85% with PMA modification. Notably, an exceptional efficiency of 19.07% is achieved for the PM6:BTP‐eC9‐based device using this hybrid ETL, marking the highest efficiency reported to date for single‐junction inverted OSCs. In addition, all tested OSCs with the hybrid ETL demonstrate superior stability under both thermal and light illumination at the maximum power point compared to the control devices. Furthermore, utilizing this water‐processed hybrid ETL, a large‐area module based on PM6:BO‐4Cl is fabricated and shows an outstanding efficiency of 15.02%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computational methodology, founded on chemical concepts, is presented for interpreting the role of nuclear motion in the electron transport through single‐molecule junctions (SMJ) using many‐electron ab initio quantum chemical calculations. Within this approach the many‐electron states of the system, computed at the SOS‐ADC(2) level, are followed along the individual normal modes of the encapsulated molecules. The inspection of the changes in the partial charge distribution of the many‐electron states allows the quantification of the electron transport and the estimation of transmission probabilities. This analysis improves the understanding of the relationship between internal motions and electron transport. Two SMJ model systems are studied for validation purposes, constructed from a conductor (BDA, benzene‐1,4‐diamine) and an insulator molecule (DABCO, 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane). The trends of the resulting transmission probabilities are in agreement with the experimental observations, demonstrating the capability of the approach to distinguish between conductor and insulator type systems, thereby offering a straightforward and cost‐effective tool for such classifications via quantum chemical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clothianidin (CL) is a neonicotinoid insecticide widely used in crop protection against insect pests. However, its effects on photosynthesis remain largely unknown. Here, by investigating the influence of CL at the concentrations of 22 and 110 μg/L on the primary processes of photosynthesis, membrane fluidity and structural changes of pea chloroplasts, we located several primary binding sites of this pesticide. Similar dynamics were observed for both concentrations. However, statistically significant differences were only found at 110 μg/L for all methods used. The light saturated rate of linear electron flow decreased mainly due to the disturbance of electron flow on the acceptor side of photosystem II (PSII) associated with the appearance of QB‐nonreducing centers and empty QB binding sites of PSII. The functioning of the donor side of PSII, the activity of photosystem I (PSI) and the maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) were not found to be significantly altered. Increased membrane fluidity and structural alterations of the thylakoid membrane led to a decrease in the development of the proton gradient ΔрН and membrane energization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet solid‐state electrolyte Li6.5La3Zr1.5Ta0.5O12 (LLZTO) holds significant promise. However, the practical utilization has been seriously impeded by the poor contact of Li|garnet and electron leakage. Herein, one new type of garnet‐based solid‐state battery is proposed with high performance through the disparity in interfacial energy, induced by the reaction between trace fluorinated carbon dots (FCDs) and Li. The work of adhesion of Li|garnet is increased by the acquired Li‐FCD composite, which facilitates an intimate Li|garnet interface with the promoted uniform Li+ deposition, revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It is further validated that a concentrated C−Li2O−LiF component at the Li|garnet interface is spontaneously constructed, due to the significant disparity in interfacial energy between C−Li2O−LiF|LLZTO and C−Li2O−LiF|Li. Furthermore, The electron transport and Li dendrites penetration are effectively hindered by the formed Li2O and LiF. The Li‐FCD|LLZTO|Li‐FCD symmetrical cells demonstrate stable cycling performance for over 3000 hours at 0.3 mA cm−2 and 800 hours at 0.5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the LFP|garnet|Li‐FCD full cell exhibits remarkable cycling performance (91.6 % capacity retention after 500 cycles at 1 C). Our research has revealed a novel approach to establish a dendrite‐free Li|garnet interface, laying the groundwork for future advancements in garnet‐based solid‐state batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Human skeletal muscle mitochondria regulate energy expenditure. Research has shown that the functionality of muscle mitochondria is altered in subjects with overweight, as well as in response to nutrient excess and calorie restriction. Two metabolic features of obesity and overweight are (1) incomplete muscular fatty acid oxidation and (2) increased circulating lactate levels. In this study, I propose that these metabolic disturbances may originate from a common source within the muscle mitochondrial electron transport system. Specifically, a reorganization of the supramolecular structure of the electron transport chain could facilitate the maintenance of readily accessible coenzyme Q pools, which are essential for metabolizing lipid substrates. This approach is expected to maintain effective electron transfer, provided that there is sufficient complex III to support the Q‐cycle. Such an adaptation could enhance fatty acid oxidation and prevent mitochondrial overload, thereby reducing lactate production. These insights advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning metabolic dysregulation in overweight states. This provides a basis for targeted interventions in the quest for metabolic health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photorespiration is an essential process related to photosynthesis that is initiated following the oxygenation reaction catalyzed by rubisco, the initial enzyme of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle. This reaction produces an inhibitory intermediate that is recycled back into the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle by photorespiration which requires the use of energy and the release of a portion of the carbon as CO2. The energy use and CO2 release of canonical photorespiration form a foundation for biochemical models used to describe and predict leaf carbon exchange and energy use (ATP and NAPDH). The ATP and NADPH demand of canonical photorespiration is thought to be different than that of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle, requiring increased flexibility in the ratio of ATP and NADPH from the light reactions. Photorespiration requires many reactions across the chloroplasts, mitochondria and peroxisomes and involves many intermediates. Growing evidence indicates that these intermediates do not all stay in photorespiration as typically assumed and instead feed into other aspects of metabolism and leave as glycine, serine, and methylene‐THF. Here we discuss how alternative flux through and from canonical photorespiration alters the ATP and NADPH requirements of metabolism following rubisco oxygenation using additional derivations of biochemical models of leaf photosynthesis and energetics. Using these new derivations, we determine that the ATP and NADPH demands of photorespiration are highly sensitive to alternative flux in ways that fundamentally changes how photorespiration contributes to the ratio of total ATP and NADPH demand. Specifically, alternative flows of carbon through photorespiration could reduce ATP and NADPH demand ratio to values below what is produced from linear electron transport. Summary statement: All carbon produced following rubisco‐catalyzed reaction with oxygen may not flow through textbook photorespiration. Here we review the consequences of this "noncanonical" carbon flow to the ATP and NADPH demands of this vital process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi(III)‐based oxides are emerging as important semiconductors for future electronic applications. Through hybrid density functional theory calculations and defect analysis, we demonstrate that ABi(III)O2 (A = Na or K) is a promising wide‐band‐gap bipolar semiconductor. Our calculations predict ABiO2 to have a large band gap of 1.97 eV for NaBiO2 and 2.77 eV for KBiO2. Unlike widely‐used oxide semiconductors such as In2O3 and ZnO, the spatially extended cation states (Bi 6s) of ABiO2 significantly contribute to the valence band maximum, enhancing p‐type dopability. We indeed show that potential acceptors, such as SrBi, produce shallow levels. In addition, n‐type doping is found to be possible through the extrinsic doping of heterovalent elements such as Te and F. The band‐structure analysis reveals that ABiO2 has small effective masses for electrons and holes (< 1m0 where m0 is the electron rest mass), indicating favorable electron and hole transport properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heme is a primordial macrocycle upon which most aerobic life on Earth depends. It is essential to the survival and health of nearly all cells, functioning as a prosthetic group for oxygen‐carrying proteins and enzymes involved in oxidation/reduction and electron transport reactions. Heme is essential for the function of numerous hemoproteins and has numerous other roles in the biochemistry of life. In mammals, heme is synthesised from glycine, succinyl‐CoA, and ferrous iron in a series of eight steps. The first and normally rate‐controlling step is catalysed by 5‐aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), which has two forms: ALAS1 is the housekeeping form with highly variable expression, depending upon the supply of the end‐product heme, which acts to repress its activity; ALAS2 is the erythroid form, which is regulated chiefly by the adequacy of iron for erythroid haemoglobin synthesis. Abnormalities in the several enzymes of the heme synthetic pathway, most of which are inherited partial enzyme deficiencies, give rise to rare diseases called porphyrias. The existence and role of heme importers and exporters in mammals have been debated. Recent evidence established the presence of heme transporters. Such transporters are important for the transfer of heme from mitochondria, where the penultimate and ultimate steps of heme synthesis occur, and for the transfer of heme from cytoplasm to other cellular organelles. Several chaperones of heme and iron are known and important for cell health. Heme and iron, although promoters of oxidative stress and potentially toxic, are essential cofactors for cellular energy production and oxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Improvement of photosynthesis requires a thorough understanding of electron partitioning under both natural and strong electron sink conditions. We applied a wide array of state‐of‐the‐art biophysical and biochemical techniques to thoroughly investigate the fate of photosynthetic electrons in the engineered cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a blueprint for photosynthetic biotechnology, expressing the heterologous gene for ene‐reductase, YqjM. This recombinant enzyme catalyses the reduction of an exogenously added substrate into the desired product by utilising photosynthetically produced NAD(P)H, enabling whole‐cell biotransformation. Through coupling the biotransformation reaction with biophysical measurements, we demonstrated that the strong artificial electron sink, outcompetes the natural electron valves, the flavodiiron protein‐driven Mehler‐like reaction and cyclic electron transport. These results show that ferredoxin‐NAD(P)H‐oxidoreductase is the preferred route for delivering photosynthetic electrons from reduced ferredoxin and the cellular NADPH/NADP+ ratio as a key factor in orchestrating photosynthetic electron flux. These insights are crucial for understanding molecular mechanisms of photosynthetic electron transport and harnessing photosynthesis for sustainable bioproduction by engineering the cellular source/sink balance. Furthermore, we conclude that identifying the bioenergetic bottleneck of a heterologous electron sink is a crucial prerequisite for targeted engineering of photosynthetic biotransformation platforms. Significance Statement: We coupled the photosynthetic and biocatalytic (whole‐cell biotransformation) performance of model cyanobacteria. We employed a heterologous NAD(P)H utilising enzyme, as a strong artificial electron sink, allowing us to gain a comprehensive understanding of photosynthetic electron partitioning. We demonstrated that the strong electron sink outcompetes natural electron sinks and cyclic electron transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The systematic advances in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been driven by the developments of perovskite materials, electron transport layer (ETL) materials, and interfacial passivation between the relevant layers. While zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising ETL in thin film photovoltaics, it is still highly desirable to develop novel synthetic methods that allow both fine‐tuning the versatility of ZnO nanomaterials and improving the ZnO/perovskite interface. Among various inorganic and organic additives, zwitterions have been effectively utilized to passivate the perovskite films. In this vein, we develop novel, well‐characterized betaine‐coated ZnO QDs and use them as an ETL in the planar n‐i‐p PSC architecture, combining the ZnO QDs‐based ETL with the ZnO/perovskite interface passivation by a series of ammonium halides (NH4X, where X = F, Cl, Br). The champion device with the NH4F passivation achieves one of the highest performances reported for ZnO‐based PSCs, exhibiting a maximum PCE of ~22% with a high fill factor of 80.3% and competitive stability, retaining ~78% of its initial PCE under 1 Sun illumination with maximum power tracking for 250 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeS2 cathode is promising for all‐solid‐state lithium batteries due to its ultra‐high capacity, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the poor performances, induced by limited electrode‐electrolyte interface, severe volume expansion, and polysulfide shuttle, hinder the application of FeS2 in all‐solid‐state lithium batteries. Herein, an integrated 3D FeS2 electrode with full infiltration of Li6PS5Cl sulfide electrolytes is designed to address these challenges. Such a 3D integrated design not only achieves intimate and maximized interfacial contact between electrode and sulfide electrolytes, but also effectively buffers the inner volume change of FeS2 and completely eliminates the polysulfide shuttle through direct solid–solid conversion of Li2S/S. Besides, the vertical 3D arrays guarantee direct electron transport channels and horizontally shortened ion diffusion paths, endowing the integrated electrode with a remarkably reduced interfacial impedance and enhanced reaction kinetics. Benefiting from these synergies, the integrated all‐solid‐state lithium battery exhibits the largest reversible capacity (667 mAh g−1), best rate performance, and highest capacity retention of 82% over 500 cycles at 0.1 C compared to both a liquid battery and non‐integrated all‐solid‐state lithium battery. The cycling performance is among the best reported for FeS2‐based all‐solid‐state lithium batteries. This work presents an innovative synergistic strategy for designing long‐cycling high‐energy all‐solid‐state lithium batteries, which can be readily applied to other battery systems, such as lithium‐sulfur batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high‐performance organic solar cells (OSCs) with high operational stability is essential to accelerate their commercialization. Unfortunately, our understanding of the origin of instabilities in state‐of‐the‐art OSCs based on bulk heterojunction (BHJ) featuring non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs) remains limited. Herein, we developed NFA‐based OSCs using different charge extraction interlayer materials and studied their storage, thermal, and operational stabilities. Despite the high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the OSCs (17.54%), we found that cells featuring self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) as hole‐extraction interlayers exhibited poor stability. The time required for these OSCs to reach 80% of their initial performance (T80) was only 6 h under continuous thermal stress at 85 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere and 1 h under maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in a vacuum. Inserting MoOx between ITO and SAM enhanced the T80 to 50 and ~15 h after the thermal and operational stability tests, respectively, while maintaining a PCE of 16.9%. Replacing the organic PDINN electron transport layer with ZnO NPs further enhances the cells' thermal and operational stability, boosting the T80 to 1000 and 170 h, respectively. Our work reveals the synergistic roles of charge‐selective interlayers and device architecture in developing efficient and stable OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous catalysts promoting efficient production of reactive species and dynamically stabilized electron transfer mechanisms for peroxomonosulfates (PMS) still lack systematic investigation. Herein, a more stable magnetic layered double oxides (CFLDO/N‐C), was designed using self‐polymerization and high temperature carbonization of dopamine. The CFLDO/N‐C/PMS system effectively activated PMS to remove 99% (k = 0.737 min−1) of tetracycline (TC) within 10 min. The CFLDO/N‐C/PMS system exhibited favorable resistance to inorganic anions and natural organics, as well as satisfactory suitability for multiple pollutants. The magnetic properties of the catalyst facilitated the separation of catalysts from the liquid phase, resulting in excellent reproducibility and effectively reducing the leaching of metal ions. An electronic bridge was constructed between cobalt (the active platform of the catalyst) and PMS, inducing PMS to break the O–O bond to generate the active species. The combination of static analysis and dynamic evolution confirmed the effective adsorption of PMS on the catalyst surface as well as the strong radical‐assisted electron transfer process. Eventually, we further identified the sites where the reactive species attacked the TC and evaluated the toxicity of the intermediates. These findings offer innovative insights into the rapid degradation of pollutants achieved by transition metals in SR‐AOPs and its mechanistic elaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi(III)‐based oxides are emerging as important semiconductors for future electronic applications. Through hybrid density functional theory calculations and defect analysis, we demonstrate that ABi(III)O2 (A = Na or K) is a promising wide‐band‐gap bipolar semiconductor. Our calculations predict ABiO2 to have a large band gap of 1.97 eV for NaBiO2 and 2.77 eV for KBiO2. Unlike widely‐used oxide semiconductors such as In2O3 and ZnO, the spatially extended cation states (Bi 6s) of ABiO2 significantly contribute to the valence band maximum, enhancing p‐type dopability. We indeed show that potential acceptors, such as SrBi, produce shallow levels. In addition, n‐type doping is found to be possible through the extrinsic doping of heterovalent elements such as Te and F. The band‐structure analysis reveals that ABiO2 has small effective masses for electrons and holes (< 1m0 where m0 is the electron rest mass), indicating favorable electron and hole transport properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unspecific peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerite (AaeUPO) is a remarkable catalyst for the oxyfunctionalization of non‐activated C−H bonds under mild conditions. It exhibits comparable activity to P450 monooxygenase but offers the advantage of using H2O2 instead of a complex electron transport chain to reductively activate O2. Here, we demonstrate the successful oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone (KA‐oil) using sol‐gel encapsulated AaeUPO. Remarkably, cyclohexane serves both as a solvent and a substrate in this system, which simplifies product isolation. The ratio of cyclohexanone to cyclohexanol using this approach is remarkably higher compared to the oxidation using free AaeUPO in aqueous media using acetonitrile as a cosolvent. The utilization of sol‐gel encapsulated AaeUPO offers a promising approach for oxyfunctionalization reactions and improves the chances for this enzyme to be incorporated in the same pot with other chemical transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are promising battery electrodes owing to their designable functional groups, tunable pore sizes, and exceptional stability. However, their practical use is limited because of the difficulty in establishing stable ion adsorption/desorption sites. In this study, a melt‐salt‐stripping process utilizing molten trichloro iron (FeCl3) is used to delaminate the layer‐stacked structure of fluorinated covalent triazine framework (FCTF) and generate iron‐based ion storage active sites. This process increases the interlayer spacing and uniformly deposits iron‐containing materials, enhancing electron and ion transport. The resultant melt‐FeCl3‐stripped FCTF (Fe@FCTF) shows excellent performance as a potassium ion battery with a high capacity of 447 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and 257 mAh g−1 at 1.6 A g−1 and good cycling stability. Notably, molten‐salt stripping is also effective in improving the CTF's Na+ and Li+ storage properties. A stepwise reaction mechanism of K/Na/Li chelation with C═N functional groups is proposed and verified by in situ X‐ray diffraction testing (XRD), ex‐situ X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and theoretical calculations, illustrating that pyrazines and iron coordination groups play the main roles in reacting with K+/Na+/Li+ cations. These results conclude that the Fe@FCTF is a suitable anode material for potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs), sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), and lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a rational strategy is presented to reduce the energy barrier of singlet ground state to singlet excited state transitions, whilst simultaneously reducing energy losses in populating triplet excited states. The approach relies on constructing 3D space connected donor–acceptor systems in COFs. The 3D space connected D–A system in 8‐connected 3D COFs (denoted as COF‐1 and COF‐2) allows the efficient transfer of electrons, overcoming the traditional electron transport limitations of 2D COFs and significantly boosting the solar energy utilization efficiency under visible light irradiation. COF‐2, possessing an extended π‐conjugated structure relative to COF‐1, demonstrated high selectivity for the photocatalytic generation of H2O2 (6.93 mmol g−1 h−1) in natural seawater without the need for sacrificial reagents, exceeding the performance of most previously reported COF‐based photocatalysts. The 3D space connected D–A system reported in this work offers a new approach for optimizing electron and energy transfer in COF‐based photocatalysts for H2O2 production and other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary Tin oxide (SnO2) has been widely used as an electron transport layer (ETL) in optoelectronic devices. However, there are numerous surface or bulk defects in SnO2, working as charge recombination centers to degrade device. Here, an electroactive and self‐healing polyurethane (PHNN) was designed by integrating conjugated unit – naphthalene diimide (NDI) into a typical polyurethane backbone. Numerous hydrogen bonds and π interactions in PHNN work as non‐covalent interactions to endow this polymer with superior self‐healing properties. PHNN contains lots of aliphatic amine and carbonyl groups, which effectively passivate the defects in SnO2. The π stacking of NDI units will facilitate electron delocalization, endowing PHNN with electrical activity compared with traditional polyurethane. Doping SnO2 with PHNN can improve the conductivity and reduce the work function of SnO2 layer, which is conducive to efficient charge extraction and transport. Using PHNN doped SnO2 as ETL for PM6: Y6 and PM6: BTP‐eC9 based inverted organic solar cells can achieve a high efficiency of 17.16% and 17.51%, respectively. Devices containing doped SnO2 ETL show significantly improved efficiency and stability. Thus, the electroactive polyurethane doped SnO2 interlayers show high performance interfacial modification to align energy‐levels in solar cell devices, which have promising applications in organic electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon materials comprise a wide range of microstructures and excellent electrical and thermal properties while being cost‐effective and readily available. They can be obtained through carbothermal processes at high temperatures, starting from cellulose. Catalytically active compounds, for example, iron salts, strongly influence the carbon microstructure during the graphitization process. Different degrees of structural order can, therefore, be achieved by adjusting the concentration of the iron salts. An infusion withdrawal impregnation approach is used on filter paper to prepare a continuous gradient of the carbon microstructure. This structural change is accompanied by a continuous variation of the closely related electrical and thermal transport properties. Even more, the synergistic interplay of local sheet resistance and thermal diffusivity results in the formation of switchable temperature gradients when an external current is applied. Steady state temperature differences of up to 80 °C are observed along the centimeter‐scaled samples. The controllable temperature gradient formation will be of great interest for applications requiring a fast temperature screening. Furthermore, the temperature gradient can be imposed onto other materials, which will be particularly relevant for advanced thin film characterization applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing nonprecious metallic electrocatalysts for water splitting is of vital importance for sustainable environment and energy technologies. As for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), FeCo‐based bimetallic catalysts have been found to act as promising candidates owing to their high intrinsic activity. Herein, a novel FeCo‐oxalate organic framework was grown on nickel foam (FeCo‐OA@NF) under mild conditions. The optimized electrocatalyst shows good OER performance with a low overpotential of 275 mV at the current density of 100 mA cm−2 in alkaline environment, comparable to that of commercial Ru‐based catalyst. Moreover, the quantification of produced oxygen by both gas chromatography and drainage method demonstrates nearly 100 % Faradaic efficiency. Except for the contribution of Fe and Co species for the excellent OER catalytic activity, in‐situ Raman spectroscopy reveals that the positive effect of oxalate coordination also makes a difference, which can possibly reduce electron transport resistance and provide more active sites. This work provides a promising approach for the preparation of alkaline oxygen evolution electrocatalysts with low‐cost and high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, a Co and Fe bimetallic metal‐organic framework (BMOF) nanosheet array (NSA) employing 5,5′,5′'‐(1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6‐triyl)tris(azanediyl)triisophthalic acid (H6TDPAT) as the organic ligand is in situ controllably self‐assembled on iron foam (IF). The obtained IF@CoFe‐TDPAT NSA exhibits an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity much superior to most reported catalysts and even Ru and Ir‐based ones and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity higher than most metal‐organic framework (MOF)‐based catalysts. The excellent bifunctional activities are ascribed to the superhydrophilic (3D) vertically aligned, interconnected NSA of CoFe‐TDPAT MOF with in situ activated coordinatively unsaturated metal sites remarkably enhancing OH− and H2O adsorption, accelerating electron transfer and transport, and facilitating O2/H2 diffusion. When adopted as a bifunctional electrode for overall water splitting, it achieves 300 mA cm−2 at 1.753 V and exhibits negligible current decay after 100 h. This performance is the highest of recently reported noble‐metal‐free water electrolyzers, and even much higher than those using commercial noble metal‐based catalysts. This work offers an economical, facile, and controllable strategy to fabricate low‐cost, highly efficient, and bifunctional BMOF nanostructured array electrodes for large‐current‐density water splitting, and also sheds light on the mechanisms for in situ self‐assembly and outstanding OER and HER performance of 3D free‐standing complex‐organic‐ligand‐based BMOF nanoarchitectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of heterojunctions is often considered an effective strategy for achieving visible light driven photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. In this work, defective g‐C3N4 ultrathin nanosheets were synthesized via alkaline etching method. Subsequently, a S‐scheme heterojunction was constructed between the contact interface of ZnO nanorods and alkaline C3N4 (aC3N4) to promote the electron transfer, resulting in a novel piezo‐photocatalyst (aC3N4/ZnO). The piezo‐photocatalytic performance of aC3N4/ZnO samples with different ratios was studied by adjusting the addition amount aC3N4. In addition, optimum 7 %‐aC3N4/ZnO samples exhibited the highest piezo‐photocatalytic degradation activity under light and ultrasonic irradiation with MB as the target pollutant, exhibiting the 99.89 % degradation rate and 65.68 % mineralization rate within 50 minutes. The capture experiments showed that 1O2,⋅O2− and ⋅OH were active substances in promoting the performance of piezo‐photocatalysis. The mechanism studies indicated that the enhanced piezo‐photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the piezoelectric properties of ZnO and the S‐scheme heterojunction formed at the aC3N4/ZnO interfaces, which provides power for the separation and transport of electron and hole. This work highlights the importance of carefully construction S‐scheme heterojunction and defective structures to precisely understand the catalytic properties, benefiting catalytic design and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of molecular aggregates is crucial for charge transport and photovoltaic performance in organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, the intermolecular interactions and aggregated structures of nonfused‐ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) are precisely regulated through a halogen transposition strategy, resulting in a noteworthy transformation from a 2D‐layered structure to a 3D‐interconnected packing network. Based on the 3D electron transport pathway, the binary and ternary devices deliver outstanding power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 17.46 % and 18.24 %, respectively, marking the highest value for NFREA‐based OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunosuppression is ubiquitous in solid tumors, characterized by few cytotoxic T infiltrations, abundant inflammation enrichment, immunosuppressive cell recruitment, etc., which is especially potentiated by incomplete tumor resection. In this report, multi‐hierarchical Fe single‐atom nanozymes (SAzymes) featuring axially‐coordinated O‐Fe‐N4 active centers are constructed to reshape tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) epigenetics via repolarizing their phenotypes, which is highly profitable for mitigating tumor immunosuppression after incomplete radiofrequency ablation (iRFA). Therein, a nitrogen‐doped bamboo‐like carbon nanotube (N‐BCNT) is engineered to coordinatively immobilize Fe atoms, wherein another axial coordination (O) is introduced to further switch non‐polar Fe‐N4 to polar O‐Fe‐N4. The polarization switching of active centers synergies with N doping‐encouraged electron transport, low‐temperature synthesis‐discouraged N loss and large surface area‐unlocked O‐Fe‐N4 enrichment to confer tetra‐enzymic catalysis activities including peroxidase, oxidase, catalase, and glutathione oxidase, maximumly favoring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and hypoxia reversal. After delivering TAMs polarization‐encouraged drug, toosendanin, TAMs epigenetics are altered and their phenotypes are repolarized to relieve immunosuppression and magnify immune responses, which suppress residual tumor progression after iRFA. Such a comprehensive structure optimization strategy provides a versatile route to design and construct SAzymes‐like drugs with multi‐enzymatical catalysis activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnesium chalcogenide spinel MgSc2Se4 with high Mg‐ion room‐temperature conductivity has recently attracted interest as solid electrolyte for magnesium ion batteries. Its ionic/electronic mixed‐conducting nature and the influence of the spinel composition on the conductivity and Mg2+ migration barrier are yet not well understood. Here, results from a combined experimental and computational study on four MgB2Se4 spinels (B = Sc, Y, Er, Tm) are presented. The room‐temperature ionic conductivities (σion = 2 × 10−5–7 × 10–5 S cm−1) of the spinels are accurately measured, as electron transport is effectively suppressed by purely Mg‐ion conducting electrode interlayers. Using the same approach, reversible Mg plating/stripping as well as good electrochemical stability are achieved. Driven by the good accordance of the computationally and experimentally obtained Mg2+ migration barriers Ea(th) and Ea, respectively, further periodic density functional calculations are performed on the MgB2Se4 spinel system, revealing the role of trigonal distortion on the migration path geometry and Ea(th). These findings provide deeper understanding how to reach small Mg2+ migration barriers Ea in the MgB2Se4 spinels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of a high density of defects at the perovskite/electron transport layer (ETL) interface results in significant nonradiative recombination losses, thus impeding the efficiency enhancement of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells (TSCs). In this investigation, a metallocene‐based molecule, cobalt (III) dichlorophene hexafluorophosphate (CcPF6), is employed for perovskite surface passivation. To maximize its efficacy, the molecule is dissolved in a mixed solvent of acetonitrile and chlorobenzene, leading to the reconstruction of the perovskite surface and effective passivation of surface defects. This modification strategy substantially enhances the overall efficiency of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells by mitigating the issue of low fill factor resulting from non‐uniform coating of the top perovskite layer on the textured silicon bottom cell. Leveraging a double‐sided textured silicon heterojunction (HJT) bottom cell, a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 30.43% for a monolithic perovskite/silicon TSC (1.00 cm2) is achieved, featuring an open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.93 V and a fill factor (FF) of 78.43%. After storage in the drying cabinet (5% humidity at 20 °C) for 1000 h, the device retains 94.27% of its initial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of fluorescent down‐conversion layer inside perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can highly improve the ultraviolet response of the devices and the light stability. However, such a device is usually confronted with the problem of inter‐diffusion with the perovskite absorber layer, which severely limits its further development. To address this problem, herein, this work employs an interfacial dual electron transport layers (ETLs) strategy, sandwiching Cd‐CsPbCl3:Mn2+ luminescent quantum dots within gap of the ETLs, which not only reduces the interface energy level offset, but also improves the nucleation and crystallization kinetics of perovskite films and prevents their diffusion to the perovskite absorber layer. As a result, the efficient synergy effect effectively elevates both the open‐circuit voltage and fill factor of the PSCs, reaching maximum values of 1.181 V and 81.14%, respectively, finally delivering progressively increased device power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.32% with significantly improved light stability. To further improve the ultraviolet response, this work further adopts the strategy of dual fluorescent conversion layers inside and outside the PSCs, and finally obtains PCE of 24.63%, which is the best for various luminescent conversion cells. This work opens a new door for the development of efficient and stable photoluminescence conversion PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The materials for electron transport layers (ETLs) play a significant role in the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) but face challenges, such as low electron transport mobility and conductivity, low solution processibility, and extreme thickness sensitivity, which will undermine the photovoltaic performance and hinder compatibility of large‐scale fabrication technique. To address these challenges, a new n‐type perylene diimide‐based molecule (PDINB) with two special amine‐anchored long‐side chains is designed and synthesized feasibly. PDINB shows very high solubility in common organic solvents, such as dichloromethane (>75 mg ml−1) and methanol with acetic acid as an additive (>37 mg ml−1), which leads to excellent film formability when deposited on active layers. With PDINB as ETLs, the photovoltaic performance of the PSCs is boosted comprehensively, leading to power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 18.81%. Thanks to the strong self‐doping effect and high conductivity of PDINB, it displays an appreciable thickness‐tolerant property as ETLs, where the devices remain consistently high PCE values with the thickness varying from 5 to 30 nm. Interestingly, PDINB can be used as a generic ETL in different types of PSCs including non‐fullerene PSCs and all‐polymer PSCs. Therefore, PDINB can be a potentially competitive candidate as an efficient ETL for PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing amount of electronic exerts a profound impact on both the environment and human health. Looking forward, it is imperative to develop electronic products that can degrade under mind condition, which largely relies on the development of degradable organic semiconductors (OSCs). Yet, designing degradable OSCs with decent electrical properties is challenging. In this study, two degradable n‐type OSCs based on a dynamic covalent C═C bond formed via the Knoevenagel condensation reaction are reported. The cleavage of Knoevenagel formed C═C bond through a retro‐Knoevenagel process imparts the degradability of these two OSCs in the weak base, particularly in the human‐friendly α‐amino acid of lysine. Meanwhile, the C═C bond formed by Knoevenagel reaction preserves optimal backbone planarity and good electron delocalization of the molecules. This, in turn, endows the OSCs with commendable electron transport performance, achieving an electron mobility of up to 0.57 cm2 V⁻¹ s⁻¹ in organic thin‐film transistors. This work provides a new insight into the molecular design strategy for the development of OSCs with degradability and good electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin oxide (SnO2) with high conductivity and excellent photostability has been considered as one of the most promising materials for efficient electron transport layer (ETL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Among them, SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) dispersions have been extensively utilized due to their facile film formation. However, the inherent defects and agglomeration issues of SnO2 NPs, as well as the limited tunability and instability of the post‐treatment process for surface/interface engineering strategy, still hinder its further applications. Herein, a ligand‐management strategy implemented during the in situ synthesis of NPs that can effectively achieve uniform modification of NPs is proposed. During the synthesis of SnO2 NPs, the grafting reaction between diethyl 2‐chloromalonate (DCMA) and the surface of SnO2 NPs is completed. Compared with the post‐treatment process, this intrinsic DCMA‐passivated SnO2 (DCMA‐SnO2) effectively reduces the trap state density at the interface between perovskite and ETL while enhancing surface chemical stability. Consequently, PSCs based on DCMA‐SnO2 achieve a champion PCE of 25.39% for small cells (active area of 0.0655 cm2) and 20.61% for solar modules (active area of 23.25 cm2), demonstrating excellent shelf‐life/light soaking stability (advanced level of ISOS stability protocols). This ligand‐management strategy exhibits significant application potential in preparing high‐efficiency large‐area PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea associated with antibiotic therapy. The ability of this anaerobic pathogen to acquire enough iron to proliferate under iron limitation conditions imposed by the host largely determines its pathogenicity. However, since high intracellular iron catalyzes formation of deleterious reactive hydroxyl radicals, iron uptake is tightly regulated at the transcriptional level by the ferric uptake regulator Fur. Several studies relate lacking a functional fur gene in C. difficile cells to higher oxidative stress sensitivity, colonization defect and less toxigenicity, although Fur does not appear to directly regulate either oxidative stress response genes or pathogenesis genes. In this work, we report the functional characterization of C. difficile Fur and describe an additional oxidation sensing Fur‐mediated mechanism independent of iron, which affects Fur DNA‐binding. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we show that Fur binding to the promoters of fur, feoA and fldX genes, identified as iron and Fur‐regulated genes in vivo, is specific and does not require co‐regulator metal under reducing conditions. Fur treatment with H2O2 produces dose‐dependent soluble high molecular weight species unable to bind to target promoters. Moreover, Fur oligomers are dithiotreitol sensitive, highlighting the importance of some interchain disulfide bond(s) for Fur oligomerization, and hence for activity. Additionally, the physiological electron transport chain NADPH‐thioredoxin reductase/thioredoxin from Escherichia coli reduces inactive oligomerized C. difficile Fur that recovers activity. In conjunction with available transcriptomic data, these results suggest a previously underappreciated complexity in the control of some members of the Fur regulon that is based on Fur redox properties and might be fundamental for the adaptive response of C. difficile during infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the synthesis, followed by a detailed evaluation of the structural, optical, and electrical properties of the N‐ZnO/N‐rGO nanocomposite prepared using a one‐step low‐temperature hydrothermal process, is reported. By employing N, N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) as the reducing agent and urea as the nitrogen precursor, simultaneous reduction and nitrogen doping are achieved in the nanocomposite. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman measurements are used for the structural evaluation. The formation of composites is verified using the ZnC/ZnOC bonds in the XPS. The nitrogen doping in the nanocomposites varies from 0.8% to 1.8%. The major nitrogen moieties observed here include pyrrolic N, pyridinic N, and graphitic N. The electrical response is measured using current–voltage characteristics, and enhanced conductivity was observed in the sample with the highest percentage of pyrrolic N. This is attributed to the superior electron transport mechanism of pyrrolic N in the graphene structure. The current response is found to increase from 2 to 10 μA from ZnO/rGO to N‐ZnO/N‐rGO nanocomposite. The integration of N‐rGO support with extensively doped pyrrolic end groups for the N‐ZnO nanoparticles has been found to improve the conduction mechanism and is hence promising for many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin dioxide (SnO2), one of the best electron transport layer materials for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), has high electrical conductivity and low photocatalytic activity. However, the defects in its inside and surface result in nonradiative recombination at the SnO2/perovskite interface. Complex and time‐consuming passivation methods are not conducive to the commercialization of PSCs, and simple passivation strategies should be used to improve the photovoltaic performance of the devices. Herein, a facile and efficient method is proposed to simultaneously passivate the inside and surface defects by adding histidine (HIS) to SnO2 colloidal solution. This one‐step doping strategy also modulates carrier dynamics at the SnO2/perovskite interface. HIS reduces suspended hydroxyl groups, oxygen vacancies, and uncoordinated Sn4+ defects on the surface of SnO2, as well as uncoordinated Pb2+ and halogen vacancy defects at the buried interface of perovskite. Surprisingly, HIS can prevent perovskite from decomposition to form PbI2, which further decomposes to photoactive metallic Pb0 and I, causing ion migration in PSC. As a result, the PSC efficiency has significantly improved 23.11% after HIS doping. The efficiency of unencapsulated device with HIS is 94% of the primary efficiency after storage in relative humidity = 70 ± 5% for 1000 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work explored the electrochemical behavior of two organic compounds, o‐hydroxybenzylidene‐orthochloroaniline(Anil‐1) and o‐hydroxynaphthalidene‐orthochloro aniline(Anil‐2) through a series of theoretical and experimental investigations. The vibrational frequencies of two anilswere analyzed experimentally by FTIR and theoretically by DFT studies. A comparison of the frequencies with their unsubstituted analog, o‐hydroxybenzylideneaniline, confirmed the electron‐donating nature of the −Cl and −OH substituents in anils. The hyperconjugative interaction energy obtained from NBO analysis divulged the direction of the electron donation from the donor orbitals to the acceptor orbitals. UV‐visible studies illustrated prominent π→π* electronic transitions with significant oscillator strength(0.10–0.26) and molar extinction coefficient(~104) experimentally. Analysis of the global and local reactive descriptors of anils revealed a lower HOMO‐LUMO energy gap of Anil‐2(4.05 eV) than Anil‐1(4.46 eV), corroborating the order of decreasing reactivity to be Anil‐2>Anil‐1. The Cyclic Voltammetry studies disclosed the involvement of an oxidation process in Anil‐1 and Anil‐2 with a higher oxidation potential of Anil‐1 (1.43 V) than Anil‐2(1.31 V) due to the naphthyl moiety of the latter. However, the absence of a cathodic peak in both cases envisaged the irreversible nature of oxidation. The results demonstrated that both the anils could be suitable optical materials for microelectronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of heterojunctions that mimic natural photosynthetic systems holds great promise for enhancing photoelectric response. However, the limited interfacial space charge layer (SCL) often fails to provide sufficient driving force for the directional migration of inner charge carriers. Drawing inspiration from the electron transport chain (ETC) in natural photosynthesis system, we developed a novel anisotropic dual S‐scheme heterojunction artificial photosynthetic system composed of Bi2O3−BiOBr−AgI for the first time, with Bi2O3 and AgI selectively distributed along the bicrystal facets of BiOBr. Compared to traditional semiconductors, the anisotropic carrier migration in BiOBr overcomes the recombination resulting from thermodynamic diffusion, thereby establishing a potential ETC for the directional migration of inner charge carriers. Importantly, this pioneering bioinspired design overcomes the limitations imposed by the limited distribution of SCL in heterojunctions, resulting in a remarkable 55‐fold enhancement in photoelectric performance. Leveraging the etching of thiols on Ag‐based materials, this dual S‐scheme heterojunction is further employed in the construction of photoelectrochemical sensors for the detection of acetylcholinesterase and organophosphorus pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2Se3 has a unique surface state and excellent electron transport performance, but because of its narrow band gap, Bi2Se3‐based photodetectors are difficult to achieve high response to ultraviolet (UV) light. In this paper, the TiO2/Bi2Se3 heterostructure was constructed by spin‐coating TiO2 on Bi2Se3 film, and TiO2/Bi2Se3 heterostructure‐based photoelectrochemical (PEC) photodetector was constructed, and a series of measurements were carried out. The measure results showed that the photoresponse performance of TiO2/Bi2Se3 heterostructure‐based photodetector was improved in the visible region, and the performance in the UV was further improved. This is because the type ii band alignment between TiO2 and Bi2Se3 is beneficial for the effective separation and transfer of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs, reducing recombination losses and enhancing the overall photoresponse. In addition, under the action of the built‐in electric field formed by the heterostructure, the photogenerated electrons and holes are easier to separate, which reduces the recombination probability of the photogenerated electron‐hole pair and improves the photoelectric conversion efficiency. In the UV, TiO2/Bi2Se3 heterostructure can make more efficient use of the light absorption characteristics of TiO2 and absorb more photons, resulting in a larger photocurrent. These results indicate that TiO2/Bi2Se3 heterostructure‐based photodetector has great application potential in the UV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Epsilon‐negative materials (ENM) at radio frequency, usually designed based on percolation theory, recently drew much attention because of their potential applications in capacitors, transistors, and antennas. However, randomly distributed conductive functional materials cannot achieve directional long‐range electron transportation within the material, resulting in decreased utilization efficiency. The morphology design of the substrate material can change the distribution state and electron transfer pathway of conductive fillers. By controlling the size of the polystyrene (PS) and the content of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), PS/MWCNTs composites with random structures and segregated structures were designed, both of which exhibited negative permittivity with increasing MWCNTs content. Further investigation revealed that negative permittivity behavior is due to the establishment of the conductive network and the plasma oscillation of free electrons. Moreover, components with segregated structures have lower percolation thresholds, as directional electron transport is achieved and conductive fillers are efficiently utilized. This work provides a new method for guiding the electron transport pathway and effectively changing the distribution state of conductive fillers in ENM. Negative permittivity is achieved by plasma oscillation at radio frequency. The segregated structure leads to a decrease in the percolation threshold. Epsilon‐negative materials have good prospects in inductive components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is great interest in developing advanced electrical conductors with higher conductivity, lighter weight, and higher mechanical strength than copper (Cu). One promising candidate is copper‐graphene (Cu‐Gr) composite, which is hypothesized to have a higher electrical conductivity than Cu. In this work, it is shown that this is not true, supported by state‐of‐the‐art first‐principles calculations of electron transport. Particularly, contrary to the belief that graphene in the composite is more conductive than pristine Cu, it is less conductive due to increased scattering despite increased carrier concentration. On the other hand, it is found that compressive strain along the (111) plane increases the conductivity, which is confirmed experimentally, while tensile strain has little effect. The work offers new insights into understanding and developing advanced conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crucial challenge in the development of semi‐transparent solar cells is to maintain a reasonable power conversion efficiency (PCE) while reaching a high average visible transparency (AVT). Typically, organic semiconductors are favorable for this application since they can selectively absorb infrared light while transmitting visible light. This ability stems from limited electronic states at high(er) energies in contrast to inorganic semiconductors with their typical rise of the absorption coefficient toward higher photon energies. To increase PCE at high AVTs, a series of infrared dielectric Bragg reflectors is developed for semi‐transparent organic solar cells. Using the multi‐layered back electrode (TiO2|SiN|TiO2|AZO|Ag|AZO) with PV‐X Plus as photoactive layer and a metal‐free PEDOT:PSS top electrode, a light utilization efficiency (LUE = AVT × PCE) of up to 4.32% is achieved, together with an AVT of 47.9%. Although the short circuit current and AVT agree well with optical simulations, a low fill factor (FF) and partial shunting limit the overall device performance. Using ZnO and PFN‐Br as additional electron transport layers and modifying the back electrode stack (TiO2|SiO2|TiO2|AZO|Ag|AZO) accordingly leads to an LUE of up to 4.6% with a remarkable AVT of 51.9% and a maximum PCE of 8.79%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects that exist in perovskite semiconductors and at their interfaces with charge transport layers limit the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Highly sensitive photocurrent measurements reveal at least two sub‐bandgap defect states in n–i–p PSCs that use tin oxide covered with [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as the electron transport layer and tris(4‐carbazoyl‐9‐ylphenyl)amine (TCTA) as the hole transport layer. Semitransparent PSCs with an optical spacer‐mirror bilayer on top are used to modulate the interference of light. By varying the thickness of the optical spacer and analyzing the changes in the photocurrent spectra using optical simulations, the defect states that produce photocurrent with sub‐bandgap excitation are found to be located near the PCBM‐perovskite interface. This conclusion is supported by quasi‐Fermi level splitting measurements on perovskite n–i–p half stacks. The observations are explained by an enhanced extraction of trapped electrons from the perovskite at the interface with PCBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption and electron transport play an important role in CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Herein, we have demonstrated a new class of diverse hollow ZnSnOx (ZSO) through the amorphization of hydroxides to enhance CO2 adsorption and accelerate electron transport. The amorphization is occurred by calcination process, as indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectra. In particular, the ZnSnOx hollow spheres (ZSO HSs) achieve a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of HCOOH up to 92.7 % at best, outperforming the commercial ZSO (Comm. ZSO, 85.7 %). ZSO HSs also exhibit durable stability with negligible activity decay after 10 h of successive electrolysis. In‐situ attenuated total reflectance infrared absorption spectroscopy further reveals strong adsorption of CO2 and rapid intermediate configuration transformation in amorphous ZSO HSs. This work demonstrates the practical application of ZSO for CO2RR and provides a new insight to create efficient CO2RR electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient cathode interfacial layers (CILs) have become a crucial component of organic solar cells (OSCs). Charge extraction barriers, interfacial trap states, and significant transport resistance may be induced due to the unfavorable cathode interlayer, limiting the device performance. In this study, poly(4‐vinylpyridine) is used as the CIL for OSCs, and a new type of CIL named P4VP‐I is synthesized through the quaternization strategy. Compared to P4VP, P4VP‐I CIL exhibits enhanced conductivity and optimized work function. OSCs employing the P4VP‐I ETL demonstrate prolonged carrier lifetime, suppressed charge recombination, and achieve higher power conversion efficiencies (PCE) than the commonly used ETLs such as PFN‐Br and Phen‐NaDPO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) while enlarging the active area is necessary for their industrialization, where the key part is the uniform carrier extraction. Here, a conformal electron transport layer (ETL) is reported with eliminated low‐conductive contacts through a tailored deposition that combines chemical bath deposition and modified spin‐coating on a light‐managing textured substrate. The KPFM and C‐AFM are utilized to prove the uniform and optimized electrical properties. This study further employs the 2D measurements of PL and TRPL mapping to focus on revealing the enhanced uniformity of electron extraction. The uniform ETL conductivity and electron extraction contribute to a substantial decrease in device up‐scaling losses, making the δPCE (PCE0.08−PCE1PCE0.08)$\frac{{{\mathrm{PC}}{{{\mathrm{E}}}_{0.08}} - {\mathrm{PC}}{{{\mathrm{E}}}_1}}}{{{\mathrm{PC}}{{{\mathrm{E}}}_{0.08}}}})\ $ between 0.08 cm2‐device and 1 cm2‐device decrease from 5.02% to 2.97%, while the perovskite film is deposited using two‐step method. When using one‐step method to deposit perovskite film, PCEs of 25.13% and 23.93% for the active area of 0.08 cm2 and 1 cm2 are achieved, and the δPCE decreases from 7.89% to 4.77%, validating the significant effects on reducing up‐scaling losses. This work provides a new perspective to maintain high efficiency while device up‐scaling, providing more opportunities to push forward the PSCs industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring efficient and low‐toxicity radiosensitizers to break through the bottleneck of radiation tolerance, immunosuppression and poor prognosis remains one of the critical developmental challenges in radiotherapy. Nanoheterojunctions, due to their unique physicochemical properties, have demonstrated excellent radiosensitization effects in radiation energy deposition and in lifting tumor radiotherapy inhibition. Herein, they doped selenium (Se) into prussian blue (PB) to construct a nano‐heterojunction (Se@PB), which could promote the increase of Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio and conversion of Se to a high valence state with Se introduction. The Fe2+‐Se‐Fe3+ electron transfer chain accelerates the rate of electron transfer on the surface of the nanoparticles, which in turn endows it with efficient X‐ray energy transfer and electron transport capability, and enhances radiotherapy physical sensitivity. Furthermore, Se@PB induces glutathione (GSH) depletion and Fe2+ accumulation through pro‐Fenton reaction, thereby disturbs the redox balance in tumor cells and enhances biochemical sensitivity of radiotherapy. As an excellent radiosensitizer, Se@PB effectively enhances X‐ray induced mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage, thereby promotes cell apoptosis and synergistic cervical cancer radiotherapy. This study elucidates the radiosensitization mechanism of Se‐doped nanoheterojunction from the perspective of the electron transfer chain and biochemistry reaction, which provides an efficient and low‐toxic strategy in radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a methodology to increase the open‐circuit voltage of perovskite solar cells via modulating the buried interface using π‐conjugated molecules, featuring a push‐pull electronic structure configuration. In the planar perovskite solar cells using tin oxide nanocrystal as an electron transport layer, the 2‐methyl‐1‐aminobenzene derivatives with 4‐(Heptafluoropropan)‐2‐methylaniline notable not only reduce the interfacial energy barrier but also passivate the defects at the buried interface. This modulation enhances the open circuit voltage of Cs0.05(FA0.85MA0.15)0.95Pb(I0.85Br0.15)3 (bandgap ≈1.60 eV) perovskite solar cell to a high value of 1.241 V and thus the power conversion efficiency to 24.16% under standard testing condition. An even higher efficiency of 25.11% can be achieved when employing in the Cs0.05MA0.05FA0.9PbI3 (bandgap ≈1.54 eV) perovskite solar cell. The open circuit voltage (1.241 V) is among the highest in triple‐cation perovskite solar cells which reaches 95% Shockley–Queisser limit. A solar‐to‐CO conversion efficiency of 11.76% can be achieved in the fabricated perovskite solar minimodule driven carbon dioxide electrolyzer. This demonstrates the potential of utilizing perovskite solar cells for CO2 conversion as a clean and green energy environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we reported the numerical simulation studies of the metal halide perovskite solar cells (MHPSCs) using solar cell capacitance one‐dimensional (SCAPS‐1D). CsPbI2Br perovskite has been adopted as the absorber layer and thickness of the absorber layer has been optimized to improve the performance of the simulated MHPSCs. Various electron transport layers (ETLs) and hole transport layers (HTLs) were explored for the optimization of high performance MHPSCs. The simulation studies demonstrated excellent efficiency of 20.22 % for the optimized device structure of FTO/SnO2/CsPbI2Br/PTAA/Au using SCAPS‐1D. The experimental study was also conducted to explore the potential of the simulation investigations. The MHPSCs device (FTO/SnO2/CsPbI2Br/PTAA/Au device) was fabricated under controlled humidity (40 %). The CsPbI2Br layer was grown on FTO substrate and its phase purity, crystallinity, surface morphological, and optical properties were determined by using X‐ray diffraction, and ultraviolet‐visible absorption spectroscopy. The fabricated MHPSCs showed decent efficiency of 14.4 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti3C2TX MXene with the merits of metallic conductivity, superhigh volumetric capacitance, and efficient absorption of the electromagnetic wave is considered a promising building block for fiber fabrication; nevertheless, the simultaneous improvement in electrochemical charge storage and electrical conductivity/thermal management is seldom achieved for MXene‐based fibers due to the contradictory in material design. Typically, aligned and densified packing of MXene fibers is highly desired for an enhanced intra‐/inter‐flake electron transport; however, the narrowed inter‐layer spacing restricts the kinetics of ion diffusion (the intercalation/de‐intercalation of electrolyte ions) and diminishes the accessible active sites for charge storage. Herein, the electron and ion transports of Ti3C2TX MXene fiber are synergized via a unique dot‐sheet heterostructure covalently bonded by Ti─C─Ti which provides the optimal inter‐layer spacing for rapid ion diffusion and enhances the intra‐/inter‐flake cross‐linking for fast electron transport. As a result, the obtained fiber offers an improved conductivity of 2405 S cm−1, a desirable capacitance of 1597 F cm−3, an impressive energy density of 19.8 mWh cm−3 for the assembled supercapacitor, superior Joule heating performance, and a photo‐thermal temperature. These remarkable attributes enable their practical applications in energy‐supply scenarios, such as powering LEDs and wearable thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]