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Tournefortia sarmentosa is a traditional Chinese medicine used to reduce tissue swelling, to exert the antioxidant effect, and to detoxify tissue. T. sarmentosa is also used to promote development in children and treat heart dysfunction. However, many of the mechanisms underlying the effects of T. sarmentosa in the treatment of disease remain unexplored. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effect of T. sarmentosa on rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). T. sarmentosa reduced the cell death induced by H2O2. T. sarmentosa inhibited H2O2-induced changes in cell morphology, activation of cell death-related caspases, and production of reactive oxygen species. In addition, we further analyzed the potential active components of T. sarmentosa and found that the compounds present in the T. sarmentosa extract, including caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A, and salvianolic acid B, exert effects similar to those of the T. sarmentosa extract in inhibiting H2O2-induced H9c2 cell death. Therefore, according to the results of this study, the ability of the T. sarmentosa extract to treat heart disease may be related to its antioxidant activity and its ability to reduce the cellular damage caused by free radicals.

Siloles are one of the most promising building blocks for the construction of functional materials that exhibit potential application in organic photovoltaic. In the present work, two novel organic dyes featuring highly conjugated and planar tetrathienosilole (TTS) as π-bridge have been successfully synthesized and employed in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the first time. For comparison, dye W13 with non-rigidified 2,2′-bithieno[3,2-b]thiophene linker was prepared as well. The effects of π-bridge rigidification upon the optoelectronic properties as well as the charge transfer energetic and kinetic features of these dyes have been systematically researched. It was found that a significant enhanced open-circuit voltage had been displayed for TTS-based sensitizers as the rigidification of π-bridge with tetrahedral silicon atom. Moreover, the energy levels alignment of the dyes could be fine-tuned through modulating the electron-donating groups to optimize the dyes regeneration process. Under AM 1.5G irradiation, the devices fabricated by W15 employing [Co(phen)3]2+/3+ electrolyte achieve the highest power conversion efficiency of 8.10%, which is about 19% higher than that of W13, demonstrating the great potential of TTS spacer for constructing highly efficient organic sensitizers for DSSCs.

Methoxy-free donors are an emerging class of alternative methoxy triphenylamine materials toward stable organic hole-transporting materials (HTMs). However, low cost, stable and efficient methoxy-free donors are scarce. Moreover, the lack of a molecular design strategy limits the further development of methoxy-free donor-based HTMs. This study reports a newly developed low cost hybrid methoxy-free donor (viz., indeno[2,1-b]carbazole) as well as a triple π-bridge strategy to enhance the performance of methoxy-free donor-based HTMs. Based on this strategy, two new indeno[2,1-b]carbazole HTMs, termed M136 and M138, were tailor-made and tested in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Upon incorporating the triple π-bridges (i.e. thiophene-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole-thiophene and thiophene-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-thiophene), the resulting indeno[2,1-b]carbazole HTMs (M136 and M138) exhibit a significantly increased hole mobility, improved charge extraction and minimized trap-assisted recombination as compared to M135 and M137 with unitary and binary bridges, respectively. Consequently, the optimized devices based on M138 achieved an efficiency of 21.37%, which is among the top efficiencies for PSCs based on methoxy-free donor HTMs. The findings demonstrate that indeno[2,1-b]carbazole is an excellent methoxy-free donor. In addition, this work underscores the effectiveness of π-bridge engineering to improve the performance of methoxy-free donor-based HTMs.

In this work, a comprehensive study on the deliberate molecular design and modifications of electron donors is carried out to elucidate correlations between the methoxy effects and donor configuration of hole-transporting materials (HTMs). Our initial findings demonstrate the donor-dependent methoxy effects. Photovoltaic performance of the HTM with twisted donor highly depends on the methoxy substituent. In contrast, efficiency's reliance on methoxy is insignificant for the HTM with planar donor. The HTM (M123) featuring the methoxy‑substituted carbazole shows a decent power conversion efficiency of 19.33% due to synergistic effects from both planar structure and methoxy. This work gives a guideline to access HTMs reaching both high-performance and good stability.

The Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a multi-protein complex composed of NLRP3, pro-caspase-1, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein that contains a caspase recruitment domain (ASC). After NLRP3 priming by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the ligand of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome triggers caspase-1 maturation, leading to pyroptosis and release of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). Expression of TLR4 modulates LPS-triggered inflammatory cascades as well as the NLRP3 signaling. L-type calcium channel antagonists are widely used as anti-hypertensive drugs and also exert anti-inflammatory effects through inhibiting release of cytokines including IL-1beta. However, few studies reveal effects of L-type calcium channel antagonists on the NLRP3 inflammasome. In this study, we investigated the effects of nicardipine and verapamil, both L-type calcium channel antagonists, on the NLRP3 inflammasome using differentiated THP-1 cells. Pyroptosis or levels of IL-1beta and caspase-1 were assayed by flow cytometry or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. ASC oligomerization was assayed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Expression of NLRP3 or TLR4 was assayed by polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was also studied. Our results showed that pyroptosis and IL-1beta release were attenuated by nicardipine, but not verapamil. Nicardipine also mitigated caspase-1 activation, inhibited ASC oligomerization, and reduced NLRP3 expression. Furthermore, nicardipine downregulated phosphorylation or nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB p65, consistent with the inhibitory effect of nicardipine on LPS-induced TLR4 expression. In conclusion, nicardipine exerted anti-inflammatory effects through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Nicardipine may mitigate NLRP3 priming via inhibiting NF-kappaB activation, mediated by suppressing LPS-induced TLR4 expression.

Safflower extract is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. The antioxidant and anticancer properties of safflower extracts have been extensively studied, but their antiaggregative effects have been less analyzed. We found that safflower extract inhibited human platelet aggregation induced by ADP. In addition, we further analyzed several safflower extract compounds, such as hydroxysafflor yellow A, safflower yellow A, and luteolin, which have the same antiaggregative effect. In addition to analyzing the active components of the safflower extract, we also analyzed their roles in the ADP signaling pathways. Safflower extract can affect the activation of downstream conductors of ADP receptors (such as the production of calcium ions and cAMP), thereby affecting the expression of activated glycoproteins on the platelet membrane and inhibiting platelet aggregation. According to the results of this study, the effect of safflower extract on promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis may be related to its direct inhibition of platelet activation.

With perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs) now reaching efficiencies of greater than 20 %, the stability of PSC devices has become a critical challenge for commercialization. However, most efficient hole-transporting materials (HTMs) thus far still rely on the state-of-the-art methoxy triphenylamine (MOTPA) donor unit in which methoxy groups usually reduce the device stability. Herein, a carbazole-fluorene hybrid has been employed as a methoxy-free donor to construct organic HTMs. The indeno[1,2-b]carbazole group not only inherits the characteristics of carbazole and fluorene, but also exhibits additional advantages arising from the bulky planar structure. Consequently, M129, endowed with indeno[1,2-b]carbazole simultaneously exhibits a promising efficiency of over 20 % and superior long-term stability. The hybrid strategy toward the methoxy-free donor opens a new avenue for developing efficient and stable HTMs.

Bulky rigid substituents, featuring distinctive steric configuration and interesting electronic properties, play an important role in advancing performance of metal-free sensitizers toward dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). However, the question about how to choose the relative position of bulky substituent for optimum device performance remains unclear, which necessitates understanding the structure-property relationship of organic sensitizers. In this work, two new isomeric dyes, W09 and W10, are designed to study the role of bulky rigid truxene unit which locates at the π-bridge and electron-donor, respectively. The comparative effects of truxene position on the optical properties, interfacial kinetic parameters and their synergistic contribution to the photovoltaic performance have been systematically investigated. A significantly improved molar absorption coefficient accompanied with a larger driving force for dye regeneration is obtained for W10 relative to those of W09, manifesting the effect of changing the truxene location. Combined with the slower charge recombination kinetics at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface, W10 sensitized solar cells exhibit the highest conversion efficiency of 7.62%, which is around 20% higher than that of W09. This work has demonstrated the feasibility of judiciously locating bulky rigid substituents into the right position to construct highly-efficiency metal-free sensitizers.

Deeply understanding of the performance discrepancy of hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with different configuration (inverted or direct) is important for designing efficient HTMs. Herein, three organic HTMs TZ1, TZ2, and TZ3 have been employed to fabricate the inverted PSCs. Optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic performance of these HTMs are investigated. TZ3 featuring the 3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene conjugate bridge shows a higher work function and enhanced capability of hole extraction, achieving a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.33% in the inverted PSCs. Importantly, results reveal that the conjugate bridge has a relevant effect on the photovoltaic performance of cells with different device configuration. The PCE trend of TZ1, TZ2, and TZ3 in inverted PSCs is diametrically opposed to that of direct devices. We proposed that linear triphenylamine HTMs contain a fused bridge with high degree of conjugation are good choice for the direct PSCs. On the other hand, it is better to incorporate linear triphenylamine HTMs with deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) toward the inverted PSCs, because the photovoltage plays a crucial role in the efficiency of the inverted PSCs. This systematic study provides a new viewpoint to design HTMs toward PSCs with different device configuration.

In this work, four new truxene-based hole-transporting materials (HTMs) have been synthesized and applicated in the inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The impact that the length of alkyl and periphery arylamine on the photophysical, electrochemical and hole transporting properties has been systematically investigated. These new HTMs exhibit decent hole mobility of 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1, which ensure efficient hole extraction in dopant-free devices. PSC using the dopant-free M118 achieves a power conversion efficiency of 17.1%, which is much higher than the value of 14.4% achieved using poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). Importantly, PSCs based on these truxene HTMs exhibit significantly enhanced durability under UV light. This work reveals that the adjustment of length of alkyl as well as periphery arylamine is necessary for development of stable and efficient truxene HTMs.

Judicious design alkyl side chain decorated fused aromatic heterocycles as π-spacers has proved to be an efficient strategy to construct highly efficient organic sensitizers. Three novel metal-free dyes W02–04 featuring a highly planar and extensively conjugated 9H-thieno[2′,3':4,5]thieno[3,2-b]thieno[2′,3':4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrrole (TTTP) π-bridge have been successfully constructed and applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the first time. To better understand the TTTP bridge, the dye W01 possessing the nonplanar 3-hexylthiophene-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole-3-hexylthiophene linker is prepared as a reference. Introduction of TTTP bridge into the dyes skeleton notably enhances the molar extinction coefficients (e) by comparison with the reference dye, and much improved short-circuit current (Jsc) have been realized. Meanwhile, dynamics measurements reveal that the charge recombination in devices has been significantly reduced by the incorporation of TTTP bridge. Among these dyes, the DSSCs fabricated with W03 employing cobalt electrolyte achieves an excellent power conversion efficiency of 9.43%, with open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 848 mV, Jsc of 16.2 mA cm−2, and fill factor of 0.70 under simulated AM 1.5 G conditions. This work provides important new insight into designing novel organic sensitizers with high e and efficient suppression of charge recombination.

The effect of Bacillus spp. on Re(VII) and Se(IV) diffusion in compacted GMZ bentonite was investigated by a through-diffusion method. Bacillus spp. had no significance effect on the effective diffusion coefficient (De) and the accessible porosity (eacc) of Re(VII), whereas a decrease of De and an increase of distribution coefficient (Kd) were observed for Se(IV). Moreover, Archie’s law and an exponential decay equation were employed to fit the De value of Re(VII) and Se(IV).

A complete thermodynamic description of the Mg-Ca-O system and phase diagrams is developed. It is based on our extensive thermodynamic analysis of solid CaO and MgO data and validation of the low-temperature Mg-Ca-O phase diagram up to 1050 K. This work presents the high- temperature oxygen solubilities and revisions of calculated melting points of the oxides. An extension of the empirical schemes for predicting the activity coefficient of oxygen in liquid elements is proposed to predict data for the Mg-O system. Consistent thermodynamic descriptions of the complete binary Ca-O and Mg-O systems are developed. It is shown that this framework is crucial to understand recently measured significantly different melting points of CaO under oxidizing versus reducing conditions. The revised description of the MgO-CaO quasibinary oxide system considers all experimental data, revealing significantly different melting equilibria compared to all previous publications.

Background Accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) in the dopaminergic neurons is a common pathology seen in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Overproduction of αSyn potentiates the formation of oligomeric αSyn aggregates and enhances dopaminergic neuron degeneration. Downregulating intracellular monomeric αSyn prevents the formation of αSyn oligomers and is a potential therapeutic strategy to attenuate the progression of PD. Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of gene delivery of αSyn-specific single-chain antibodies in vitro and in vivo. Methods and results The plasmids for αSyn and selective antibodies (NAC32, D10, and VH14) were constructed and were transfected to HEK293 and SH-SY5Y cells. Co-expression of αSyn with NAC32, but not D10 or VH14, profoundly downregulated αSyn protein, but not αSyn mRNA levels in these cells. The interaction of αSyn and NAC32 antibody was next examined in vivo. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-αSyn combined with AAV-NAC32 or AAV-sc6H4 (a negative control virus) were stereotactically injected into the substantia nigra of adult rats. AAV-NAC32 significantly reduced AAV-encoded αSyn levels in the substantia nigra and striatum and increased tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the striatum. Also, in the animals injected with AAV-NAC32 alone, endogenous αSyn protein levels were significantly downregulated in the substantia nigra. Conclusion Our data suggest that AAV-mediated gene transfer of NAC32 is a feasible approach for reducing the expression of target αSyn protein in brain.

Diphenylamine-substituted carbazole (DPACZ) compounds are one of the most interesting hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, most studies focused on the development of symmetrical DPACZ HTMs with two DPACZ arms or multiple ones. In this work, we developed a new class of asymmetric DPACZ-based HTMs (M111–114) through a combination of one DPACZ arm and different S,N-heterocyclic compounds (phenothiazine (PTZ) and dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole (DTP)), which endow the M111–114 with different electrochemical and photophysical properties as well as hole-transporting properties. Results conclude that the PTZ outperforms of the DTP when combined with the DPACZ arm. In addition, we have investigated the substituent and conjugation effects of heterocyclic properties on the photophysical and electrical properties, as well as performance in PSCs by using physical measurements. PSCs with M114 exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 17.17%, which is higher or comparable to that...

Some published experimental results on the thermodynamic data of pure solid CaO and MgO significantly contradict the widely used data in review books or tables, such as JANAF data. We scrutinized all the original experimental data forming the basis in review books and tables in order to establish a more realistic uncertainty range. The two Gibbs energy functions of CaO and MgO are combined with those of all other relevant phases to develop a thermodynamic database for the Mg–Ca–O system. The first systematic study of the calculated Mg–Ca–O phase diagram is presented. This phase diagram is validated by recently obtained dedicated experimental data using in-situ synchrotron radiation diffraction to study phase formation and reactions during melting and solidification of Mg and Mg–Ca alloys with CaO-additions below 1050 K. Intricacies in the solidification path of Mg-rich ternary alloys are revealed by the present thermodynamic calculations. Mg-rich alloys are categorized in four groups according to their participation in different invariant four-phase reactions. The development of non-equilibrium constitution of four phases, (Mg) + Mg2Ca + MgO + CaO, in the fully solidified sample is explained.

Dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole (DTP) derivatives are one of the most important organic photovoltaic materials due to better π-conjugation across fused thiophene rings. In this work, two new hole transport materials (HTMs), H16 and H18, have been obtained through a facile synthetic route by cross linking triarylamine-based donor groups with a 4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole (MPDTP) and N-(4-(4H-dithieno[3,2 b:2′,3′-d]pyrrol-4-yl)phenyl)-4-methoxy-N-(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline (TPDTP) unit, respectively. The H16 HTM outperforms the H18 in terms of conductivity, hole mobility, and hole transport at the interface. This result could be attributed to the enhancement of the conductivity, hole mobility and high quality of the film exerted by the MPDTP core. The optimized device based on H16 exhibits a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.16%, which is comparable to that obtained with the state-of-the-art-HTM spiro-OMeTAD (18.27%). Furthermore, the long-term aging test shows that the H16 based device has good stability after two months of aging under controlled (20%) humidity in the dark. Importantly, the synthesis cost of H16 is roughly 1/5 of that of spiro-OMeTAD. The present finding highlights the potential of DTP based HTMs for efficient PSCs.

Developing carbazole derivatives as the electron donor for organic dyes have attracted extensive interest recently. Three organic dyes M92-94 based on the 9-hexyl-2-(hexyloxy)-9H-carbazole (HHCBZ) electron donor have been successfully designed and synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells. M95 with the 9-hexyl-9H-carbazole (HCBZ) unit has also been synthesized for comparison. An introduction of the HHCBZ unit in triarylamine brings several advantages: (i) red shifting the absorption peak and increasing the maximum molar absorption coefficient of absorption bands; (ii) decreasing the charge recombination in cobalt cells as well as iodine cells; (iii) enhancing photocurrent/photovoltage and thus the power conversion efficiencies of cobalt cells as well as iodine cells. Devices prepared with M92 show consistently higher light-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies, with the champion device reaching 8.67%, surpassing M93-95.

Hole-transporting materials (HTMs) play a crucial role in achieving highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Currently, the vast majority of HTMs reported are applicable only for either n-i-p structured regular cells (r-PSCs) or p-i-n structured inverted devices (i-PSCs) (e.g. Spiro-OMeTAD shows an impressive efficiency in r-PSCs, while a poor performance was observed in i-PSCs). The restricted application of HTMs greatly causes waste of materials and increases the research cost of photovoltaic devices, which is harmful to industrial large-scale application and sustainable development. Here, we provide an effective and efficient approach to improve the performance of both r-PSCs and i-PSCs using HTM (PI-2) featuring with a phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole core via rational π-extension and lower symmetry. The other HTM, DI-1, using non-hybrid imidazole as the central core, was designed as control. Comparing with DI-1, the coplanar π-extended phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole based PI-2 endows enriched intermolecular interactions as well as enhanced π-π stacking, thus achieving a higher hole mobility. It also exhibits matched energy levels and high thermal stability for application in PSCs. Moreover, a decreased symmetrical conformation of PI-2 contributes to an amorphous film with superior morphological uniformity. Consequently, the p-i-n structured devices with PI-2 realize a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.11% and the n-i-p structured devices based on PI-2 achieve an encouraging champion PCE of 21.65%, representing one of the best results among universal HTMs in both i-PSCs and r-PSCs.

Asymmetric 8H-thieno[2',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-b]thieno[2,3-d]pyrrole (TTP) unit has been synthesized and used as a rigid and coplanar π-bridge to construct four new metal-free sensitizers W05-08. These dyes sensitized solar cells exhibit high photocurrent due to strong light harvesting capability. Among these dyes, the W05-based cell in conjunction with cobalt(II/III) redox shuttle exhibits the best power conversion efficiency up to 9.22%.

Three D–π–A sensitizers incorporating dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole (DTP)-based π-linkers were synthesized for fabricating efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DTP-based π-spacers were attached by 10-phenyl-10H-phenothiazine (JW1), 5,5,10,10,15,15-hexapropyl-10,15-dihydro-5H-diindeno[1,2-a:1′,2′-c]fluorene (JW2) and 4-hexyloxyphenyl (JW3). The bulky groups and alkyl chains are introduced to suppress dye aggregation as well as reduce electron recombination. An additional double bond spacer was introduced between the arylamine donor and DTP-based π-spacer in the studied dyes. Based on the theoretical calculation results, all of the dye molecules display good electron transport. The photovoltaic performances of device based on JW1, JW2 and JW3 were measured by J–V characterizations in Co-phen based electrolyte, achieving power conversion efficiencies of 7.09%, 7.87% and 6.50%, respectively. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) follows the order JW2 > JW1 > JW3, which is accordance with their photovoltaic performances. IMVS results indicate that the three dyes incorporating the modified DTP-based π-spacers have an influence on the CB shift of TiO2 and the inhibition of charge recombination. Therefore, the DTP-based π-spacer is a promising building block for developing new dyes to build highly efficient DSSCs.

Thiophene derivatives, including thieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (TBT), benzo[b]thiophene (BT), 2-phenylthieno[3,2-b]thiophene (PTT) and 2-phenylthiophene (PT), have been introduced as donors for the construction of triarylamine organic dyes (M52, M53, M56, M57 and M52A). The absorption, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties as well as the stabilities of these dyes are systematically investigated and compared with the reference dye (M55), whose donor is composed of the hexyloxybenzene (HOB) unit. It is found that introducing the TBT, BT, PTT or PT donors positively shifted the HOMO and LUMO levels of the organic dyes, providing a larger driving force for regeneration and reducing the energy loss for electron injection. In addition, we found that M52, which contains the TBT unit, exhibited better photovoltaic performance and photostability as compared to the reference dye. In contrast, M53 displayed the lowest efficiency and stability of these dyes, indicating that the BT unit is not a good building block for donors. Interestingly, upon the incorporation of the mixed donor (TBT-HOB), M52A achieved a desirable driving force for regeneration without a loss in light absorption, thus resulting in a further improved photovoltaic performance with respect to that of M52. This work demonstrates that introducing donors based on thiophene derivatives is a good strategy for tuning the energy levels and thereby enhancing the efficiency of the resulting devices.

Rosa multiflora Thunb. var. inermis and Rosa roxburghii f. normalis are two important diploid species for rose breeding. Interspecific crosses between diploid species and tetraploid rose cultivars result in triploids with generally decreased fertility. A most promising gene transfer strategy is the production of fertile tetraploid plants before mating with tetraploids. In our study, germinating seeds of R. multiflora and R. roxburghii were treated with colchicine, and cotyledon-stage seedlings of R. multiflora were treated with colchicine or trifluralin in order to obtain tetraploid plants. Also, various concentrations of antimitotic agents and different treatment durations were tested. The results showed the antimitotic agents affected the plant morphological characteristics (i.e. plant height, stem diameter) of R. multiflora and R. roxburghii. Twenty-three tetraploid plants were obtained from the germinating seed treatments (21 from R. multiflora and two from R. roxburghii), but no tetraploid pl...

Borondipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes are one of the most interesting organic dyes because of their unique characteristic in capturing near-infrared (NIR) solar radiation. However, the highest reported conversion efficiency of BODIPY dyes is still far behind that of other organic dyes. Herein, we demonstrated an efficient strategy for enhancing the photovoltaic performance of BODIPY dyes, i.e., introducing a long linker between the light harvesting antenna and acceptor. Interestingly, the linker length has opposite effects on the BODIPY (M62, M63, M66, and LB1) and triphenylamine (M64 and M65) dyes. This work suggests that the incorporated long linker in BODIPY dyes shows several favorable characteristics: (i) improving the light harvesting capability of BODIPY dyes in longer wavelength without a big change of the HOMO levels; (ii) efficiently increasing the photocurrent and photovoltage, leading to dramatically improved performance; (iii) significantly reducing the charge recombination between electrons in T...

To understand the role of electron donor in organic dye sensitized solar cells employing cobalt electrolytes, two new organic dyes (M41 and M42) and a reference dye (M29) have been synthesized. We investigated the effects of the electron-withdrawing/electron-rich group in the electron donor on the photophysical and electrochemical properties of these dyes. In addition, the electron transfer kinetics of devices were compared by using two cobalt electrolytes (Co(II/III)-phen and Co(II/III)-Clphen) with different oxidation potentials. Regardless of the electrolyte selection, M42 shows a higher efficiency in comparison with those of M41 and M29. M42 in combination with the Co(II/III)-phen redox couples yielded an efficiency of 9.69% under the standard light illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm–2). We also evaluate the influence of light harvesting capacity, regeneration force of oxidized dyes, and charge recombination on the performance of studied DSSCs. This study suggests that, given the good capacity of retard...

Benzothiadiazole (BTZ)-based dyes incorporating dithieno[3,2- b :2′,3′- d ]pyrrole (DTP) π-linker has been synthesized for fabricating efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A reference dye with ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) π-linker has also been prepared. The introduction of DTP broadens absorption, provides a more planar skeleton, and reduces HOMO and LUMO energy gap. IMVS and EIS measurements are used to investigate interfacial electron transfer processes of device. Dyes incorporating DTP exhibit more effective inhibition of charge recombination and more conducive to electron injection than the reference dye with EDOT. Therefore, much higher efficiency is obtained in device fabricated by DTP-based dyes, and the best performance achieves a power conversion efficiency of 8.14% by using Co-phen based electrolyte. In contrast, device based on the reference dye reaches 5.22% at most. IPCE characterizations and the effect of Co-bpy and I − /I 3 − redox couple are also discussed. The DTP moiety is a good candidate for the design of BTZ-based sensitizers used in DSSCs.

Construction of di-anchoring organic sensitizers has been recently recognized as an effective strategy to develop high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). However, the relatively low open-circuit photovoltage (Voc) for di-anchoring dyes have become to be the bottle-neck for further advancing the photovoltaic performance. In this work, two novel L(D-π-A)2 type di-anchoring sensitizers, W11–W12, featuring 9H-thieno[2′,3':4,5]thieno[3,2-b]thieno[2′,3':4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrrole (TTTP) as π-conjugated spacer, have been developed and well examined for a systematical study of the structure-property relationship of these dyes. Through the rational adjustment of donor-linking bridges, carbazole decorated W12 exhibits dramatically enhanced light-harvesting efficiency as well as self-anti-aggregation ability with respect to those of W11 employing triphenylamine linkage. More importantly, a compact arranged organic layer benefiting from the superior dye-loading amounts has been formed for W12, which is beneficial to keep the oxidized electrolyte from the TiO2 surface, thus bringing forth more efficient suppression of interfacial charge recombination and consequently higher Voc values. Under standard AM 1.5 G illumination, DSSCs sensitized by W12 employing [Co(phen)3]2+/3+ electrolyte display a fascinating power conversion efficiency as high as 8.28%, with an impressive open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 847 mV, which is among the highest cells efficiencies of L(D-π-A)2 type di-anchoring organic dyes.

Fused-ring thiophene compounds emerged as an important type of building blocks for organic dyes toward the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) because of their good charge transfer and light-harvesting properties. Nevertheless, some fused-ring thiophenes have a lack of desired alkyl chains or side alkyl chains, which may induce a severe charge recombination in devices. In this work, the hex-1-en-1-ylbenzene (HEYB) unit was introduced in two new fused-ring thiophene organic dyes (M60 and M59), resulting in a modest dihedral angle (∼36°) between the donor and spacer in dyes. The effect of the HEYB unit on optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties has been investigated by comparing with their congeners (M42 and M58) without the HEYB unit. It is found that introduction of the HEYB unit in arylamine donor enhanced the driving force for dye regeneration and beneficial for suppressing dye aggregation as well as reducing the charge recombination. Device performance characteristics demonstrate that intr...

The efficient production of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) from carbohydrates is achieved in the presence of polyaniline-based solid catalysts. The composite polyaniline–graphite oxide (PANI–GO) is prepared from in situ polymerization of aniline in the solution of colloidal GO which was obtained from oxidation of graphite with Hummers’ method. Moreover, the SO 4 2 /PANI and SO 4 2− /PANI–GO materials were synthesized from the sulfation of PANI and PANI–GO by a 70 % sulfuric acid solution. All obtained samples are respectively characterized with XRD, TG, FTIR, SEM and TEM techniques to reveal the physical properties and structures of these materials. When these materials were used in the dehydration of d-fructose, it was found that the PANI–GO and SO 4 2− /PANI–GO as the catalyst exhibited prominent activities in which 80.7 and 72.4 % yields of HMF were obtained in N-methylpyrrolidone solvent at 160 °C for 4 h. In addition, the effects of reaction temperature, time, solvents and the recycling of PANI–GO material were also investigated. The material provides a promising method for the catalytic conversion of other biomass feedstocks. Metal-free and efficient conversion of different carbohydrates to 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) with a novel PANI–GO catalyst has been successfully performed.

A new series of triarylamine-free organic dyes based on dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole has been synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The photophysical properties and DSSC performances of these dyes have been characterized. The effects of substituent in dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole on the performance of the dyes have been investigated by their absorption spectra, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties. In comparison with the hexyl, the incorporation of 4-hexyloxyphenyl in dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole has resulted in an improved light harvesting capacity, stability and thus photocurrent as well as efficiency of cells. X69 sensitized DSSCs affords a short circuit photocurrent of 12.1 mA cm −2 , an open circuit voltage of 520 mV, and a fill factor of 0.67, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 4.21% under standard AM 1.5 sunlight.

Three new dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole units (DTPA1–3) based on the truxene core have been designed and synthesized for a potential application in photovoltaic cells. One of these units (DTPA1) has been employed to construct a new organic dye (M47), exhibiting a higher solar-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency when compared to reference dyes (M48 and M49) under the same conditions. Absorption spectra, electrochemical cyclic voltammetry, theoretical calculations, current voltage curves and controlled intensity modulated photovoltage spectroscopy have been investigated. M47 sensitized solar cells employing a cobalt electrolyte afford a short circuit photocurrent of 12.1 mA cm−2, an open circuit voltage of 758 mV, and a fill factor of 0.56, corresponding to an overall power conversion efficiency of 5.1% under standard AM 1.5 sunlight. These results suggest that the truxene-substituted dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole derivatives are promising candidates for photovoltaic cells.

Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) used to treat clinical psychotic syndromes cause a variety of blood dyscrasias. APDs suppress the aggregation of platelets; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We first analyzed platelet aggregation and clot formation in platelets treated with APDs, risperidone, clozapine, or haloperidol, using an aggregometer and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). Our data indicated that platelet aggregation was inhibited, that clot formation time was increased, and that clot firmness was decreased in platelets pretreated with APDs. We also examined the role two major adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptors, P2Y1and P2Y12, play in ADP-mediated platelet activation and APD-mediated suppression of platelet aggregation. Our results show that P2Y1receptor stimulation with ADP-induced calcium influx was inhibited by APDs in human and rats’ platelets, as assessed byin vitroorex vivoapproach, respectively. In contrast, APDs, risperidone and clozapine, alleviated P2Y12-mediated cAMP suppression, and the release of thromboxane A2 and arachidonic acid by activated platelets decreased after APD treatment in human and rats’ platelets. Our data demonstrate that each APD tested significantly suppressed platelet aggregation via different mechanisms.

The core plays a crucial role in achieving high performance of linear hole transport materials (HTMs) toward the perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Most studies focused on the development of fused heterocycles as cores for HTMs. Nevertheless, nonfused heterocycles deserve to be studied since they can be easily synthesized. In this work, we reported a series of low-cost triphenylamine HTMs (M101-M106) with different nonfused cores. Results concluded that the introduced core has a significant influence on conductivity, hole mobility, energy level, and solubility of linear HTMs. M103 and M104 with nonfused oligothiophene cores are superior to other HTMs in terms of conductivity, hole mobility, and surface morphology. PSCs based on M104 exhibited the highest power conversion efficiency of 16.50% under AM 1.5 sun, which is comparable to that of spiro-OMeTAD (16.67%) under the same conditions. Importantly, the employment of M104 is highly economical in terms of the cost of synthesis as compared to that of spiro-OMeTAD. This work demonstrated that nonfused heterocycles, such as oligothiophene, are promising cores for high performance of linear HTMs toward PSCs.

With respect to the electron-withdrawing acceptors of D-A-π-A organic dyes, reports on the second electron-donating donors for D-D-π-A organic dyes are very limited. Both of the dyes have attracted significant attention in the field of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). In this work, four new D-D-π-A organic dyes with dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrrole (DTP) or bis(amine) donor have been designed and synthesized for a investigation of the influence of the terminal electron donor in D-D-π-A organic dye-sensitized solar cells. It is found that DTP is a promising building block as the terminal electron donor when introduced in the dithiophenepyrrole direction, but not just a good bridge, which exhibits several characteristics: (i) efficiently increasing the maximum molar absorption coefficient and extending the absorption bands; (ii) showing stronger charge transfer interaction as compared with the pyrrole direction; (iii) beneficial to photocurrent generation of DSCs employing cobalt electrolytes. DSCs based on M45 with the Co-phen electrolyte exhibit good light-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies as high as 9.02%, with a short circuit current density (JSC) of 15.3 mA cm(-2), open circuit voltage (VOC) of 867 mV and fill factor (FF) of 0.68 under AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW cm(-2)). The results demonstrate that N,S-heterocycles such as DTP unit could be promising candidates for application in highly efficient DSCs employing cobalt electrolyte.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have gained widespread attentions owing to their low production cost, tunable optical response, and high light-to-electricity conversion. In DSCs, the performance of redox mediators with iodide/triiodide or iodine-free redox couples is vital to internal quantum efficiency. For a long time, iodide/triiodide based electrolytes are the most widely used mediators because of their desirable kinetics. Recently, exciting progress has been made with respect to iodine-free metallorganic and pure organic redox shuttles. Their tunable redox potential and diverse electron transfer behaviors enable the rational screening of electrolyte composition for enhancing the light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of DSCs toward the Shockley-Queisser limit. In this Account, we emphasize on current knowledge of two distinct but interrelated interfacial processes (electron recombination and dye regeneration), particularly for DSCs with iodine-free redox couples. We show that a deeper understanding of electron transfer kinetics of the alternative redox couples is fundamental to develop rational strategies for cell optimization. Compared with iodine electrolyte, iodine-free metallorganic redox couples such as iron, cobalt, and nickel complexes display much faster electron transfer kinetics in dye regeneration and interfacial recombination. Evidently, rapid regeneration enables the employment of more positive metal complex for attaining a higher photovoltage. However, severe recombination reactions have to be well controlled by using several effective surface treatments such as the addition of Brönsted bases and atomic layer deposition. Although these methods offer different pathways in surface passivation, a trade-off between charge injection efficiency and electron diffusion length is always observed. It follows that an appropriate LUMO level of sensitizer is essential to ensure efficient electron injection at the passivated TiO2 surface. Apart from fast recombination behavior, bulky metal complexes suffer from inefficient charge transport. Thus, the combination of thinner TiO2 film and sensitizers with high mole extinction coefficient has been employed for both enhancing diffusion-limited current and maintaining light-harvesting efficiency. Unlike metal complexes, most of organic sulfur redox couples in DSCs exhibit slow recombination kinetics. This allows the use of thicker TiO2 film to achieve an optimized light harvesting. However, the concomitant sluggish behavior of dye regeneration requires the use of sensitizers with more positive HOMO level, which is beneficial to efficient regeneration. Moreover, lower level of TiO2 band edge in DSCs based on organic sulfur mediators hinders the achievement of desirable photovoltage, spurring future explorations on this class of redox mediator. Based on the comparison of electron transfer behavior between iodine-free metallorganic complexes and pure organic redox couples, we aim to provide a comprehensive Account of the intriguing interfacial processes in iodine-free DSCs as the key scientific point is linked with the kinetics of interfacial reactions. This demonstrates the advantages as well as disadvantages of each class of iodine-free electrolyte and should shed light on to judicious selection of the energy levels for redox mediators, sensitizers, and the conduction band of TiO2 for DSCs. The knowledge of the reaction kinetics in DSCs should be also beneficial to the interface engineering on recent developed perovskite cells.

Streptomyces griseorubens JSD-1 is a novel actinomycete that could grow efficiently upon lignin, and the ligninolytic genes active in this biotransformation were expected to be crucial. To investigate the molecular mechanism of utilizing lignin, genome sequencing was carried out to obtain its draft genome, which was deposited at GenBank under the accession No. JJMG00000000. Multiple copper oxidase (MCO) was obtained, which proved to be an extracellular enzyme and have relative high expression with the stimulation of ligninolytic materials. Judging from its putative 3D structure, the N-terminal of MCO was bared, which was fit for the linkage of poly-HIS10 tag. As a result, heterogeneous expression conditions of recombinant laccase was achieved with TransB(DE3) grown in a modified terrific broth (TB) medium with an extra addition of 0.5% glucose at 30 °C until optical density at 600 nm (OD600) reached 0.8 when expression was induced by 25 μM isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and also 100 μM copper sulphate as supplement. Finally, it exhibited special characters of thermal robustness, alkaline activity profiles, high resistance to metallic ions and chemical inhibitors as well as dye decolourization. In summary, our findings illustrated the genetic basic of utilizing lignin in this isolate. Additionally, a novel laccase expected to be potential in agricultural and industrial application was expressed and characterized as well.

Two organic dyes XS51 and XS52 derivated from triarylamine and indoline are synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) employing cobalt and iodine redox shuttles. The effects of dye structure upon the photophysical, electro-chemical characteristics and cell performance are investigated. XS51 with four hexyloxyl groups on triarylamine performs better steric hindrance and an improvement of photovoltage. XS52 provides higher short-circuit photocurrent density due to the strong electron-donating capability of indoline unit. The results from the redox electrolyte on cell performances indicate that the synthesized dyes are more suitable for tris(1,10-phenanthroline)cobalt(II/III) redox couple than I−/I3− redox couple in assembling DSCs. Application of XS52 in the cobalt electrolyte yields a DSC with an overall power conversion efficiency of 6.58% under AM 1.5 (100 mW/cm2) irradiation.

Triphenylamine (TPA) and their derivatives are well-known electron-rich compounds that are widely used in various optical and electronic fields. Here, two new organic dyes (M40 and M41) featuring TPA or dihexyloxy-substituted triphenylamine (DHO–TPA) electron donor have been designed and synthesized. M40 sensitized DSCs employing the Co(II/III)tris(1,10-phenanthroline)-based redox electrolyte affords a short circuit photocurrent of 14.32 mA cm−2, an open circuit voltage of 907 mV, and a fill factor of 0.68, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 8.83% under standard AM 1.5 sunlight. This efficiency is much higher than those of the M41 sensitized DSCs, being 7.81% under the same conditions. Absorption spectra, electrochemical measurements, theoretical calculations, and photovoltaic measurements are used to compare the light absorptions, energy-levels, and charge transfer dynamics that contribute to the photovoltaic behavior.

We report two new triarylamine-cyanoacrylic acid based push–pull dyes, X76 and X77, featuring the π-conjugated linkers of dihexyl- and dihexyloxybenzene-substituted dithieno[2,3-d:2′,3′-d′]thieno[3,2-b:3′,2′-b′]dipyrrole (DTDP), respectively. The absorption, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties for all sensitizers have been systematically investigated. Both dyes containing a DTDP moiety showed good light harvesting ability as compared to that of the reference dye incorporating the hexyl-substituted dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole (DTP) linker. Moreover, the substituents of DTDP moiety significantly influenced the electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of the dyes. The incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of the X77-based device is higher at longer wavelengths, and extends to nearly 800 nm. A dye-sensitized solar cell employing the X77 photosensitizer and the Co-bpy electrolyte exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 6.6% measured under the 100 mW cm−2 simulated AM1.5 sunlight.

We prepared nitrogen doped graphene (NG) by reacting pristine graphene oxide (GO) with urea hydrothermally and elucidated its usage as a Pt-free cathode material in the DSCs based on cobalt complex redox shuttles. In the process of hydrothermal reaction, the graphene oxide sheets are kept in a flocculating state. This experimental protocol prevents the graphene sheets from gelation and yields a maximum nitrogen content of 7.6 at%. The resultant NG sediments can be readily deposited onto conductive glass sheet for fabricating a porous cathode. The content ratio of the doped nitrogen atoms to the residual oxygen atoms is demonstrated as a determinant factor affecting the electrocatalytic activities of the as-prepared NG sheets. Annealing treatment to the NG cathodes gives rise to a remarkable increase of exchange current density. Moreover, the XPS results indicate that the electrochemically active pyridinic-N groups formed in the early stage of hydrothermal reaction are unstable to annealing. However, their thermal stability can be improved by extending the time of the hydrothermal reaction. By optimizing the composition of the embedded nitrogen species and oxygen containing groups, the DSCs with the NG cathode yield a maximal device efficiency of 8.2%.

Methamphetamine (Meth) is one of the most frequently abused drugs worldwide. Recent studies have indicated that antibodies with high affinity for Meth reduce its pharmacological effects. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique for virus-based passive immunization against Meth effects. We generated a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype-8 vector (AAV-MethAb) carrying the gene for a Meth-specific monoclonal antibody (MethAb). Infection of 293 cells with AAV-MethAb resulted in the expression and secretion of antibodies which bind to Meth. The viral vector was then examined in adult ICR mice. Systemic administration of AAV-MethAb resulted in long-term expression of MethAb in the serum for up to 29 weeks. Serum collected from the animals receiving AAV-MethAb retained a high specificity for (+)-Meth. Animals were challenged with Meth five weeks after viral injection. Meth levels in the brain and serum were reduced while Meth-induced locomotor activity was significantly attenuated. In conclusion, AAV-MethAb administration effectively depletes Meth from brain and serum while reducing the behavioral response to Meth, and thus is a potential therapeutic approach for Meth abuse.

Tournefortia sarmentosa, a Chinese herbal medicine, is considered an antioxidant or a detoxicating agent. Recently T. sarmentosa has received attention for its effects on the immune response. Here we provide evidence that aqueous extract of T. sarmentosa can induce increased phagocytic uptake of Escherichia coli by differentiated HL-60 cells and by neutrophils. Our results also revealed that T. sarmentosa can inhibit E. coli survival within differentiated HL-60 cells. Furthermore, aqueous extract of T. sarmentosa has been shown to enhance cell surface Mac-1 expression and the activated AKT signaling pathway in E. coli-stimulated neutrophils. We also examined the effect of each constituents in aqueous extract of T. sarmentosa on phagocytic uptake of E. coli by differentiated HL-60 cells or neutrophils. Bacterial survival, cell surface Mac-1 expression, and AKT activation of neutrophils were also examined. Our results showed that caffeic acid is an important constituent in mediating aqueous extract of T. sarmentosa-induced phagocytic uptake. Taken together, these results suggest that aqueous extract of T. sarmentosa exerts effects that enhance inflammatory responses by improving phagocytic capability, inhibiting bacterial survival within cells, and increasing Mac-1 expression of neutrophils.

For dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), it is of great significance to understand the structure–performance relationship of photosensitizers. Herein, we scrutinize the influences of the arylamine electron donors as well as the fused thiophene spacer on the optoelectronic features of thin-film DSCs employing the tris(1,10-phenanthroline)cobalt(II/III) or the iodide/triiodide redox couple. Interestingly, the incorporation of bulky dihexyloxybenzene-substituted triphenylamine (DHOB-TPA) electron donor does not resulted in an improved electron lifetime, which is sharp contrast with the conventional concept on bulky electron donor. On the other hand, the introduction of the DHOB-TPA electron donor or the dithienopyrrole spacer significantly increases the molar absorption coefficients of dyes, which govern the performance of thin-film DSCs. This work demonstrates how organic dyes must be tailored carefully depending on the electrolyte red/ox couple used.

A series of D-π-A organic dyes, X72-75, containing novel triarylamine electron donors have been synthesized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The superiority of the asymmetric design of the triphenylamine electron donor over the symmetrical triphenylamine when applied in organic dyes for cobalt cells has been observed. Using X72 with the cobalt(II/III) redox shuttle resulted in an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.18%, outperforming the state-of-the-art dye C218 under the same conditions.

D–A–π–A indoline dyes have exhibited an especially excellent performance and are regarded as one of the most promising classes of arylamine organic sensitizers. Two new D–A–π–A indoline dyes (XS45 and XS46) with different additional donor as well as a reference D–π–A indoline dye (XS47) have been synthesized to investigate the influence of donor and bridge structure in indoline dyes on the photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized solar cells employing iodine/cobalt electrolyte. The incorporation of bulky dipropylfluorene unit in the donor part significantly increases the light harvesting ability and notably retards the charge recombination at the titania/electrolyte interface. On the other hand, the introduction of benzothiadiazole (BTD) in spacer not only evokes a large responsive range of wavelengths into NIR region, but also decreases the molar absorption coefficients of indoline dyes. DSCs incorporating Co(II/III)tris(1,10-phenanthroline)-based redox electrolyte/iodine electrolyte and three synthesized organic dyes as photosensitizers are described. The results confirm that using D–A–π–A indoline dyes as sensitizers for cobalt cells is feasible.

Three new small-molecule triphenylamine-based hole-transporting materials are easily synthesized by using commercially available and inexpensive starting reagents as a precursor. They are applied as new small-molecule hole-transporting materials for planar cesium-containing triple-cation mixed-halide perovskite solar cells using tin oxide, yielding efficiency values over 18%. The new compounds adopt a benzene-pi-triphenylamine structure and have reasonable energy levels. The positions of the substituents on the central benzene ring are different. Perovskite solar cells devices on the basis of these new compounds show good reproducibility and significantly suppressed hysteresis. According to the steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence, space-charge-limited current, and electrical impedance spectroscopy analyses, our devices using the new compounds show higher power conversion efficiency than the state-of-the-art 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis-(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene under the same conditions because of faster charge transport and lower recombination losses. Therefore, these new triphenylamine-based molecules are promising candidates for cost-effective hole transport materials in use of fabrication of highly efficient perovskite solar cells.