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Insertion/Deletion (InDel) polymorphic genetic markers are abundant in human genomes. Diallelic InDel markers have been widely studied for forensic purposes, yet the low polymorphic information content limits their application and current InDel panels remain to be improved. In this study, multi-allelic InDels located out of low complexity sequence regions were selected in the datasets from East Asian populations, and a multiplex amplification system containing 31 multi-allelic InDel markers and the Amelogenin marker (FA-HID32plex) was constructed and optimized. The preliminary study on sensitivity, species specificity, inhibitor tolerance, mixture resolution, and the detection of degraded samples demonstrates that the FA-HID32plex is highly sensitive, specific, and robust for traces and degraded samples. The combined power of discrimination (CPD) of 31 multi-allelic InDel markers was 0.999 999 999 999 999 999 85, and the cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) was 0.999 920 in a Chinese Han population, which indicates a high discrimination power. Altogether, the FA-HID32plex panel could provide reliable supplements or stand-alone information in individual identification and paternity testing, especially for challenging samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of integrated circuits according to Moore's law, traditional silicon-based devices have gradually reached their performance limitation. Nanoelectronics based on carbon nanomaterials provides a broad prospect for the continuation of Moore's law. In particular, in the field of optoelectronic devices, it is necessary to further develop new types of nano-optoelectronic devices. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the representative materials of nanoelectronics with excellent electrical and optical properties, e.g., high mobility, suitable band structure, and good infrared absorption. The application of CNTs in optoelectronic devices is a very attractive research topic, which has been developed rapidly in recent years. Until now, various prototypes of CNT-based optoelectronic devices have been developed. In this Review, we briefly introduce the structure and photoelectric properties of CNTs. Then, according to different photo-electron coupling mechanisms, four types of CNTs based on optoelectronic devices are introduced in detail, namely, solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, and lasers. Intrinsic and composite CNT-based optoelectronic devices are presented in order to describe the development of CNT-based optoelectronic devices. Finally, different material preparation, separation, and mixing methods of CNTs are discussed, which are the methods for basic material preparation for the fabrication of high performance CNT-based optoelectronic devices. An in-depth study of the development trend of CNT-based optoelectronic devices will contribute to the future development of novel high-performance nanoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droplet depositing onto hot surfaces above the so-called Leidenfrost temperature will float on a cushion of its own vapor. The vapor flow below the drop could be rectified by asymmetric surface textures, resulting the self-propelled droplet motion. Asymmetric structures like ratchets are used to rectify Leidenfrost droplet movement. Hence, it is possible to enhance the droplet mobility using surfaces with combined asymmetric macro/micro-structures. Continuous scale-like microcraters stacked end-to-end were fabricated on steel surfaces by wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM). The crater orientation always vectored towards the machining direction (MD), which oriented the droplet motion. Further, by integrating micro and macro-ratchets, dual-scale ratchets were constructed by one-step process using WEDM. The travelling velocities of Leidenfrost droplets on dual-scale and traditional single-scale ratchets were compared and the enhanced mechanism on dual-scale ratchets was analyzed. One-step process was developed to fabricate transport platforms for Leidenfrost droplets, that continuous scale-like microcraters formed simultaneously on the macroratchets. The highest droplet travelling velocity was achieved compared to previous research. Further study shows that the enhanced drop mobility is attributed to the dual-scale roughness which endows a larger propelling force. This finding presents a high-efficiency method to fabricate transport platforms for Leidenfrost droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the anticancer effect of pachymic acid (PA) in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells and the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Cell Count kit-8 assay was performed to examine the effect of PA on the cell proliferation of SGC-7901 cells. Cell cycle, cell apoptosis, mitochondria membrane potential (Dψm) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis were assessed by flow cytometry, respectively. DNA fragmentation assay was performed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Western blotting was performed to detect the effect of various concentrations of PA on the levels of BCL2 associated X protein (Bax) expression as well as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), cytochrome C (cyt-c) and caspase-3 in SGC-7901 cells. It was demonstrated that PA was able to significantly inhibit the viability and induce G0/G1 cell cycle arrest of SGC-7901 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The apoptotic rate and ROS generation were markedly increased, while Dψm was decreased following the treatment of SGC-7901 cells with various concentrations of PA. Moreover, the expression of Bax, cytochrome c and caspase-3 were markedly increased and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was significantly inactivated and BCL-2 expression was decreased following PA treatment in SGC-7901 cells. Notably, JAK2 inhibitor (AG490) mimics the effects of PA on the viability and apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells. Further in vivo study indicated that treatment with PA significantly inhibited the growth of tumor in nude mice that were transplanted with SGC-7901 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. These results may advance the current understanding of the anticancer mechanisms of PA in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organometal halide perovskite solar cell enjoys a rapid development in the last decade. However, the severe J-V hysteresis existed in perovskite solar cells leads to an over- or under-estimation of device efficiency. Herein, we introduce an ammonium salt as a new dopant of perovskite. As a result, the J-V hysteresis is almost eliminated, and a higher average efficiency is obtained. Besides, the degradation under constant illumination in ambient atmosphere observed in control devices is greatly improved. Thin film characterizations reveal that the addition of ammonium salt leads to smoother, more homogenous and better crystalline perovskite films, which exhibit more intense photoluminescence and a little longer fluorescent lifetime. Such improvements are owing to the dual-functional sulfoxide (S O) in the dopant that can assist in perovskite crystallization and passivate the surface defects, thus giving rise to the eliminated J-V hysteresis. Our results provide an easy way to eliminate the J-V hysteresis in perovskite solar cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify and analyze the 50 most-cited gastroenterology and hepatology articles originating from mainland China. Methods: We utilized the 2015 edition of Journal Citation Reports and PubMed to determine the 50 mostcited gastroenterology and hepatology articles from 75 professional journals and four leading journals in clinical medicine, which are The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, The Journal of the American Medical Association, and The British Medical Journal. Then we excluded the articles written outside mainland China and collected the basic information, including the title, authors, year of publication, source journal, city, institution, number of citations, and topic of the research. Results: The number of citations for the top 50 papers ranged from 279 to 89 (mean, 129). These articles were published between 2005 and 2012, in which 2009 was the year with the largest number of highly cited papers(13). All articles were published in 15 journals. The journal Hepatology published the largest number of articles(21), followed by Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology(4), Journal of Hepatology(4) and World Journal of Gastroenterology(4). The top 50 articles originated mainly from Shanghai(20), Guangzhou(13) and Beijing(6). Sun Yat-sen University produced most highly cited papers(10). The number of basic research was far more than clinical research, of which the ratio was about 1.78(32:18). In all these articles, hepatocellular carcinoma was the most-discussed topic(19), followed by hepatitis B virus(8) and endoscopic(5). Conclusions: Although a large gap remains between mainland China and the global community, the gastroenterology and hepatology research from China is gradually recognized by the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a robust orientation estimation algorithm by using magnetic, angular rate, and gravity sensors. The robustness is achieved by two online methods: compensation of hard iron effect for the magnetometer and separation of the accelerometer signals into gravity projections and linear accelerations. Further, direct cosine matrix is used for the rotation matrix relative to the north, east, down frame. The fusion equations are solved using state-constrained Kalman filter. The simulation and experiment results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in estimating the orientation under acceleration and hard iron influence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study aims at estimating the human walking speed using wearable accelerometers by proposing a novel virtual inverted pendulum model. This model not only keeps the important characteristics of both the biped rolling-foot and the inverted pendulum model, but also makes the speed estimation feasible using human body acceleration. Rather than using statistical methods, the proposed kinematic walking model enables calibration of the parameters during walking using only one tri-axial accelerometer on the waist that collects the user's body acceleration. In addition, this model also includes the effect of rotation of the waist within a walking cycle, which improves the estimation accuracy. Experimental results for a group of humans show a 0.58% absolute error mean and 0.72% error deviation, which is far better than the results of other known studies with accelerometers mounted on the upper body. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Poly(amido amine) (PAMAM, generation 2), a solution-processable dendrimer, is used as the electron-collection interlayer on indium tin oxide (ITO) for inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester as the active materials. The inverted PSCs exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 3.53% under AM1.5G illumination, which is significantly higher than that of the control inverted PSCs with blank ITO and comparable to that of the control PSCs with normal architecture. The high-performance of the inverted PSCs is attributed to the reduction of the work function of ITO by 0.75 eV by PAMAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrole (DPP) is an important electron-deficient unit, and the alkylation of DPP can gives rise to good solubility of organic and polymer semiconductors in solvent. In this paper, we report our observations on the isomers of dialkyl DPP. The alkylation of DPP can take place on both the nitrogen and oxygen atoms, leading to the formation of three isomers. The presence of the isomers is evidenced by the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectra. The yields of the isomers are affected by the experimental conditions, including the reaction temperature, reaction time and solvent. The isomers have different electronic structures and optical properties as revealed by the UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescent spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and theoretical simulation using Gaussian 03 program with B3LYP/6-31G(d). Small molecules based on the DPP isomers with dialkylation at different sites were synthesized and investigated as donor materials of organic solar cells (OSCs). The photovoltaic performances of OSCs are consistent with the electronic structures of the DPP isomers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Less conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS, Clevios P VP Al 4083) is usually used as a buffer layer in polymer solar cells. The conductivity of PEDOT:PSS can be enhanced from 10−3 to 100 Scm−1 through a treatment with a cosolvent of hydrophilic methanol and hydrophobic 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB). The conductivity enhancement is attributed to the preferential solvation of hydrophobic PEDOT and hydrophilic PSS chains with the two components of the cosolvent. It induces PSSH reduction of the PEDOT:PSS films and morphological change of the polymer chains. Moreover, the cosolvent treatment of the PEDOT:PSS buffer layer can remarkably improve the photovoltaic efficiency of polymer solar cells. The treatment of the PEDOT:PSS buffer layer with a cosolvent of methanol and DCB can improve the photovoltaic efficiency of polymer solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) from 3.98% to 4.31%. The PCE improvement is attributed to the high conductivity and high surface area of the cosolvent-treated PEDOT:PSS buffer layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports polymer solar cells (PSCs) using chlorinated indium tin oxide (Cl-ITO) substrates with high work function as the anode. There is no conducting polymer buffer layer between the Cl-ITO anode and the active layer in these PSCs. PSCs with P3HT:PCBM (P3HT=poly(3-hexylthiophene), PCBM=[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester) exhibited high photovoltaic performance, short-circuit current density (J sc) of 9.91mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage (V oc) of 0.57, fill factor (FF) of 0.69, and photovoltaic efficiency of 3.90% under AM1.5G illumination immediately after the device fabrication. The photovoltaic performance is comparable to that of normal PSCs with a conducting polymer buffer layer. But the photovoltaic efficiency of PSCs with Cl-ITO degrades quickly. The photovoltaic efficiency dropped to 3.43% and 3.24% just 10 and 20min after the device fabrication, respectively. The reasons for the photovoltaic degradation were studied by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The work function of Cl-ITO decreases with time. The decrease in the work function of Cl-ITO is attributed to Cl desorption from the surface of ITO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: In plant species, anthocyanin accumulation is specifically regulated by light signaling. Although the CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1/SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA‐105 (COP1/SPA) complex is known to control anthocyanin biosynthesis in response to light, the precise mechanism underlying this process remains largely unknown.Here, we report that Increase in BONSAI Methylation 1 (IBM1), a JmjC domain‐containing histone demethylase, participates in the regulation of light‐induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.The expression of IBM1 was induced by high light (HL) stress, and loss‐of‐function mutations in IBM1 led to accelerated anthocyanin accumulation under HL conditions. We further identified that IBM1 is directly associated with SPA1/3/4 chromatin in vivo to establish a hypomethylation status on H3K9 and DNA non‐CG at these loci under HL, thereby releasing their expression. Genetic analysis showed that quadruple mutants of IBM1 and SPA1/3/4 resemble spa134 mutants. Overexpression of SPA1 in ibm1 mutants complements the mutant phenotype.Our results elucidate the significance and mechanism of IBM1 histone demethylase in the epigenetic regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis under HL conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are considered ideal photovoltaic materials due to their variable crystal material composition and excellent photoelectric properties. However, this variability in composition leads to complex crystallization processes in the manufacturing of Metal halide perovskite (MHP) thin films, resulting in reduced crystallinity and subsequent performance loss in the final device. Thus, understanding and controlling the crystallization dynamics of perovskite materials are essential for improving the stability and performance of PSCs (Perovskite Solar Cells). To investigate the impact of crystallization characteristics on the properties of MHP films and identify corresponding modulation strategies, we primarily discuss the relevant aspects of MHP crystallization kinetics, systematically summarize theoretical methods, and outline modulation techniques for MHP crystallization, including solution engineering, additive engineering, and component engineering, which helps highlight the prospects and current challenges in perovskite crystallization kinetics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are considered ideal photovoltaic materials due to their variable crystal material composition and excellent photoelectric properties. However, this variability in composition leads to complex crystallization processes in the manufacturing of Metal halide perovskite (MHP) thin films, resulting in reduced crystallinity and subsequent performance loss in the final device. Thus, understanding and controlling the crystallization dynamics of perovskite materials are essential for improving the stability and performance of PSCs (Perovskite Solar Cells). To investigate the impact of crystallization characteristics on the properties of MHP films and identify corresponding modulation strategies, we primarily discuss the relevant aspects of MHP crystallization kinetics, systematically summarize theoretical methods, and outline modulation techniques for MHP crystallization, including solution engineering, additive engineering, and component engineering, which helps highlight the prospects and current challenges in perovskite crystallization kinetics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic thermoelectric (TE) materials are regarded as the next‐generation TE materials because of their merits including low cost, high mechanical flexibility, and low intrinsic thermal conductivity. However, their Seebeck coefficient is usually quite low. Herein, a new strategy is demonstrated to greatly enhance the Seebeck coefficient of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxy‐thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), which is the most popular TE polymer, through polaron level splitting via π–π overlapping with nonpolar small aromatic molecules including anthracene, naphthalene, and pyrene. Although these aromatic molecules are neither oxidizing nor reducing agent, they can greatly enhance the Seebeck coefficient of PEDOT:PSS films pre‐treated with dimethyl sulfoxide, acid, or acid then base, while they do not lower the electrical conductivity too much. Through such a treatment with anthracene, the Seebeck coefficient can be up to 45.5 µV K−1, and the ZT value can be up to 0.27. The enhancement is ascribed to the splitting of the lower polaron energy level of PEDOT, which is induced by the π–π overlapping between the aromatic compounds and conjugated PEDOT. This can shift up the Fermi level, thereby enhancing the Seebeck coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterojunction perovskite solar cells combine the stability of 2D perovskites and the high efficiency of 3D perovskites, making them an excellent photovoltaic candidate. While heterojunctions with intermixed or gradient perovskites can reduce surface recombination, the aggregation and phase distribution of 2D perovskite induce transport losses, thereby limiting device fill factors. Accordingly, a bulk in situ reconstruction (BISR) strategy is proposed to induce the reconstruction of 3D perovskites on a minim self‐assembled 2D crystal seed, forming heterojunction perovskite that runs through the entire active layer. This facilitates charge extraction, relieves tensile stress, and avoids the decomposition of perovskite on grain boundaries. As a result, the best‐performing heterojunction perovskite solar cells show a high‐power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.06% with 82.9% FF for the small‐area device (0.105 cm2) and a superior PCE of 19.2% for the large‐area module (5 × 5 cm2). Importantly, the unencapsulated device shows dramatically improved operational stability, maintaining 87% of its initial efficiency after 8000 h of storage under ambient atmosphere at room temperature. This work provides an effective and simple approach to establish heterojunction perovskite to simultaneously boost the efficiency and stability of PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In recent years, the research on intrinsically safe aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) has gained significant attention. However, the commercialization of AZIBs is hindered because of the formation of dendrites in them and undesired hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at their anode. MXene is a promising two-dimensional material that can inhibit dendrite growth and undesired HER at the anode when used as a protective layer for the anode in AZIBs. MXene's surface functional groups play a crucial role in this protective function. However, the working mechanisms of these surface functional groups have not been thoroughly understood. Based on first-principles calculations and molecular dynamics simulation, we investigated the mechanisms of MXene with nine surface functional groups, including oxygen and halogen elements, as an anode protection layer. We checked their structural stability, electronic structure, adsorption energy, HER reaction free energy, Zn2+ diffusion energy barriers, coordination number of Zn2+- H 2 O and diffusion coefficients of Zn2+. The MXene species with -S and -O functional groups exhibit good electrical conductivity and greatly adsorb Zn2+. Conversely, MXene species with halogen-functional groups significantly inhibit HER reactions. MXene materials with -Se functional group have the best desolvation effect (ΔCN = 0.31), while those with -I end group have the fastest ability to diffuse zinc ion. This research provides a theoretical guidance for the design of MXene based anode protection layers, which can help to develop dendrite-free and low side-reaction AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Drought stress is one of the major limiting factors for the growth and development of perennial trees. Xylem vessels act as the center of water conduction in woody species, but the underlying mechanism of its development and morphogenesis under water‐deficient conditions remains elucidation.Here, we identified and characterized an osmotic stress‐induced ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 15 (PtoERF15) and its target, PtoMYC2b, which was involved in mediating vessel size, density, and cell wall thickness in response to drought in Populus tomentosa.PtoERF15 is preferentially expressed in differentiating xylem of poplar stems. Overexpression of PtoERF15 contributed to stem water potential maintaining, thus promoting drought tolerance. RNA‐Seq and biochemical analysis further revealed that PtoERF15 directly regulated PtoMYC2b, encoding a switch of JA signaling pathway. Additionally, our findings verify that three sets of homologous genes from NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) gene family: PtoSND1‐A1/A2, PtoVND7‐1/7‐2, and PtoNAC118/120, as the targets of PtoMYC2b, are involved in the regulation of vessel morphology in poplar.Collectively, our study provides molecular evidence for the involvement of the PtoERF15‐PtoMYC2b transcription cascade in maintaining stem water potential through the regulation of xylem vessel development, ultimately improving drought tolerance in poplar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic thermoelectric (TE) materials are considered as the next‐generation TE materials owing to their merits including high mechanical flexibility, low cost, abundant elements, and nontoxicity. However, their Seebeck coefficient is lower than that of the inorganic counterparts by around one order of magnitude, and thus they have a lower dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) value. Herein, the significant enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient and thus the overall TE properties of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) that is the most popular TE polymer by adding a zwitterion like rhodamine 101 (R101), N‐dodecyl‐N,N‐dimethyl‐3‐ammonio‐1‐propane‐sulfonate (DDMAP), or 1‐(N,N‐dimethylcarbamoyl)‐4‐(2‐sulfoethyl) pyridinium hydroxide (DMCSP) are reported. In particular, R101 can enhance the Seebeck coefficient of the acid‐then‐base‐treated PEDOT:PSS from 21.2 to 61.6 μV K−1. The PEDOT:PSS/R101 film can exhibit a power factor of 546 μW m−1 K−2 and a ZT of 0.46 that is the highest for pure organic solid films. The enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient is ascribed to the energy filtering induced by the dipole moment of zwitterion and the π–π overlapping between conjugated rhodamine 101 and PEDOT:PSS. To distinguish it from the conventional methods, this method is named as the molecular energy filtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tri-allelic patterns can occasionally be observed during the profiling of short tandem repeats (STRs) in routine forensic practice. In previous studies, the Type 2 tri-allelic pattern at TPOX has been widely studied in African and Brazilian populations. In this study, we investigated the incidence, rearrangement, and inheritance of the Type 2 tri-allelic pattern at the TPOX locus in a Chinese Han population. The frequency of the Type 2 pattern at TPOX was approximately 0.0189%, and the major extra allele was allele 11 in the Chinese Han population. Two major allelic combinations, 8/11 and 11/12, were observed, which are different from the configuration of that in both African and Brazilian populations. Tight linkage between alleles 11 and 12 was observed in the majority of the Type 2 pattern at TPOX in the Chinese Han population, while the location of the extra copy on chromosome 2 was validated, which shows an identical ancestral origin. The excess allelic combination 8/11 implies a homogeneous origin and tight linkage relationship. However, the rearrangement in the Type 2 pattern with the 8/11 allelic combination remained unknown. Altogether, these results show the configuration of the Type 2 tri-allelic pattern at the TPOX locus in the Chinese Han population, which will assist in the understanding of the Type 2 tri-allelic pattern at the TPOX locus in the global population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rationally designed structure prevent the aggregation of Mn-doped MoS 2 nanosheets. • Mn-doping enhance the intrinsic electronic conductivity and Li+ diffusion rate. • The as-synthesized electrode shows high rate capacity of 659 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1. Developing anode materials for lithium-ion batteries with excellent electrochemical performance is crucial to satisfy the requirement for energy storage. Molybdenum disulfide is recognized as a prospective anode material due to its high theoretical capacity and two-dimensional layered structure. However, its further application is mainly hindered by its poor electronic conductivity. Herein, we report Mn-doped MoS 2 nanosheets anchored on hierarchical carbon skeleton (MMSC) acting as an anode material. The as-synthesized electrode exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 1280 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, high rate capacity (920 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1), and long-time cycling stability (71% capacity retention after 1000 cycle). Compared to that of pristine MoS 2 electrode, the improved performance of MMSC anode can be attributed to the synergetic effects of optimized composite structure and Mn doping. The hierarchical carbon skeleton provides a larger surface area, allowing effective electrolyte penetration and preventing aggregation of MoS 2 nanosheets in charge/discharge cycles. To further understand the mechanism of the improved rate capability, calculation of corresponding atomic models according to experimental results and first-principles calculation are conducted. The calculated results prove that the Mn-doped MoS 2 (MMS) has a lower diffusion barrier of Li+ than that in pristine MoS 2. Moreover, the as-synthesized MMSC electrode also demonstrates better electronic conductivity because of the electronic injection by Mn atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancestry inference is of great interest in diverse areas of scientific researches, including the forensic biology, medical genetics and anthropology. Various methods have been published for distinguishing populations. However, few reports refer to sub-populations (like ethnic groups) within Asian populations for the limitation of markers. Several InDel loci located very tightly in physical positions were treated as one marker by us, which is multi-InDel. The multi-InDel shows potential as Ancestry Inference Marker (AIM). In this study, we performed a genome-wide scan for multi-InDels as AIM. After examining the FST distributions in the 1000 Genomes Database, 12 candidates were selected and validated for eastern Asian populations. A multiplexed assay was developed as a panel to genotype 12 multi-InDel markers simultaneously. Ancestry component analysis with STRUCTURE and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to estimate its capability for ancestry inference. Furthermore, ancestry assignments of trial individuals were conducted. It proved to be very effective when 210 samples from Han and Tibetan individuals in China were tested. The panel consisting of multi-InDel markers exhibited considerable potency in ancestry inference, and was suggested to be applied in forensic practices and genetic population studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigated the deposition of AlN film on GaN substrate by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The effects of GaN substrate surface, growth temperature, and injected N: Al flux ratio on the growth of AlN film were simulated and studied. Consequently, the deposited AlN film on the (0001) Ga-terminated GaN surface achieves better surface morphology and crystallinity than that on the (000-1) N-terminated GaN surface due to the different diffusion ability of Al and N adatoms on two GaN surfaces. Furthermore, with the increase of growth temperature, the surface morphology and crystallinity of AlN film were improved owing to the enhanced mobility of adatoms. At the optimised injected N: Al flux ratio of 1, comparatively good surface morphology and crystallinity of deposited AlN films were realised. This method lays a foundation for the follow-up real-time study of defects and stress evolution of AlN on GaN and can be applied to film growth of other materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of organic semiconductor materials and on‐going improvement of device technology, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of organic solar cells (OSCs) have surpassed the threshold of 19%. Now, the low production cost of organic photovoltaic materials and devices have become an imperative demand for its practical application and future commercialization. Herein, the feasibility of simplified synthesis for cost‐effective small‐molecule acceptors via end‐cap isomeric engineering is demonstrated, and two constitutional isomers, BTP‐m‐4Cl and BTP‐o‐4Cl, are synthesized and compared in parallel. These two non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs) have very similar optoelectronic properties but nonuniform morphological and crystallographic characteristics. Consequently, the OSCs composed of PM6:BTP‐m‐4Cl realize PCE of 17.2%, higher than that of the OSCs with PM6:BTP‐o‐4Cl (≈16%). When ternary OSCs are fabricated with PM6:BTP‐m‐4Cl:BTP‐o‐4Cl, the averaged PCE value reaches 17.95%, presenting outstanding photovoltaic performance. Most excitingly, the figure of merit (FOM) values of PM6:BTP‐m‐4Cl, PM6:BTP‐o‐4Cl, and PM6:BTP‐m‐4Cl:BTP‐o‐4Cl based devices are 0.190, 0.178, and 0.202 respectively. The FOM values of these systems are all among the top ones of the current high‐efficiency OSC systems, revealing high cost‐effectiveness of the two NFAs. This work provides a general but accessible strategy to minimize the efficiency‐cost gap and promises the economic prospects of OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance n‐type solid‐state ionic thermoelectrics (SS i‐TEs) for low‐grade heat harvesting are highly desired and challenging. Here, the design and synthesis of an efficient n‐type mixed conductor via ion pair modulation is demonstrated, which consists of biguanide hydrochloride (MfmCl) and a poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) polymeric complex in a solid film. Theoretical calculations and nano/microstructure characterization reveal that the binding preference of ion pairs offers energetically favorable ion exchange in the matrix, which induces not only tightly bound Mfm PSS species but also favorable anion diffusion channels. Consequently, an enhanced ionic conductivity of 1.40 S m−1 with a record highest negative thermopower of −46.97 mV K−1 is achieved for the n‐type mixed conductor thus far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic‐inorganic lead halide perovskite are promising photovoltaic materials, but their intrinsic defects and crystalline quality severely deteriorate the solar cells efficiency and stability. Herein, potassium 1,1,2,2,3,3‐hexafluoroprop‐ane‐1,3‐disulfonimide (KHFDF) is introduced into PbI2 precursor solution to passivate various defects and improve the crystalline quality of perovskite films. It is found that KHFDF can inhibit PbI2 crystallization, thus tuning the crystal orientation and growth of perovskite films. Furthermore, KHFDF with dual‐functional sulfonyl group cannot only passivate grain boundaries (GBs), but also passivate the defects at GBs via strong interaction with undercoordinated Pb2+ and/or hydrogen bonding with FA+, while the K+ counter cations allow ionic interaction with undercoordinated I−. As a result, the KHFDF‐modified films exhibit high quality with a larger grain size and a reduced trap‐state density, thereby suppressing the trap‐state nonradiative recombination. And the devices show a champion efficiency up to 24.15%, benefiting from a sharp enhancement of open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.183 V and fill factor of 81.78%. In addition, due to the enhanced humidity tolerance and chemical structure stability, the devices exhibit excellent long‐term humidity and thermal stability without encapsulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma-catalytic WGS was upgraded under 150 °C low temperature and the underlying mechanisms were proposed by Experimental and theoretical results. [Display omitted] • Plasma-catalytic WGS reaction achieves 96% CO conversion at 150 °C. • In-situ experimental results reveal the participation of gaseous radicals. • DFT calculations propose a WGS reaction mechanism under plasma condition. • Microkinetic model clarify the enhancement by radicals and vibrational excitation. Low temperature WGS reaction is kinetically limited though it is thermodynamically favored. Herein, an outstanding synergistic effect between dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and non-precious CuO x /CeO 2 catalysts was observed to robustly accelerate the water gas shift (WGS) reaction at 150 °C (increase from 6% to 96% after plasma on). The apparent activation energy of the reaction was remarkablly diminished by plasma (69.6 to 15.0 kJ/mol). In-situ characterization experiments (e. g. OES and DRIFTS) revealed that the OH radicals generated by plasma-induced H 2 O dissociation was found to participate in the WGS reaction. In the furtherly study in DFT calculation and microkinetic modelling investigation, the OH radicals were proved to be one of the reasons for the giant increase in reaction rate. Besides, the vibrational excitation of reactants (e. g. CO) promoted by plasma could also reduce the reaction barriers of some crucial elementary reactions, thus accelerating the reaction rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: An ion–electron coupled thermoelectric material was successfully prepared, which theoretically proved the ion–electron thermoelectric synergy effect and this material can work for a long time, which promoted low-grade thermal energy conversion. In the new operating mode of ion–electron thermoelectric synergy effect, our ionic thermoelectrics have a high Seebeck coefficient of 32.7 mV K−1 and a high energy density of 553.9 J m−2, enabling self-power for electronic components. Ionic thermoelectrics (i-TE) possesses great potential in powering distributed electronics because it can generate thermopower up to tens of millivolts per Kelvin. However, as ions cannot enter external circuit, the utilization of i-TE is currently based on capacitive charge/discharge, which results in discontinuous working mode and low energy density. Here, we introduce an ion–electron thermoelectric synergistic (IETS) effect by utilizing an ion–electron conductor. Electrons/holes can drift under the electric field generated by thermodiffusion of ions, thus converting the ionic current into electrical current that can pass through the external circuit. Due to the IETS effect, i-TE is able to operate continuously for over 3000 min. Moreover, our i-TE exhibits a thermopower of 32.7 mV K−1 and an energy density of 553.9 J m−2, which is more than 6.9 times of the highest reported value. Consequently, direct powering of electronics is achieved with i-TE. This work provides a novel strategy for the design of high-performance i-TE materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Woody plants provide the most abundant biomass resource that is convertible for biofuels. Since lignin is a crucial recalcitrant factor against lignocellulose hydrolysis, genetic engineering of lignin biosynthesis is considered as a promising solution. Many MYB transcription factors have been identified to involve in the regulation of cell wall formation or phenylpropanoid pathway. In a previous study, we identified that PtoMYB115 contributes to the regulation of proanthocyanidin pathway, however, little is known about its role in lignocellulose biosynthesis and biomass saccharification in poplar. Results: Here, we detected the changes of cell wall features and examined biomass enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol production under various chemical pretreatments in PtoMYB115 transgenic plants. We reported that PtoMYB115 might specifically regulate lignin biosynthesis to affect xylem development. Overexpression of PtoMYB115 altered lignin biosynthetic gene expression, resulting in reduced lignin deposition, raised S/G and beta-O-4 linkage, resulting in a significant reduction in cellulase adsorption with lignin and an increment in cellulose accessibility. These alterations consequently improved lignocellulose recalcitrance for significantly enhanced biomass saccharification and bioethanol yield in the PtoMYB115-OE transgenic lines. In contrast, the knockout of PtoMYB115 by CRISPR/Cas9 showed reduced woody utilization under various chemical pretreatments. Conclusions: This study shows that PtoMYB115 plays an important role in specifically regulating lignin biosynthesis and improving lignocellulose features. The enhanced biomass saccharification and bioethanol yield in the PtoMYB115-OE lines suggests that PtoMYB115 is a candidate gene for genetic modification to facilitate the utilization of biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic thermoelectric (i‐TE) materials have attracted much attention due to their ability to generate ionic Seebeck coefficient of tens of millivolts per Kelvin. In this work, we demonstrate that the ionic thermopower can be enhanced by the introduction of multiple ions. The multi‐ionic hydrogel possesses a record thermal‐to‐electrical energy conversion factor (TtoE factor) of 89.6 mV K−1 and an ionic conductivity of 6.8 mS cm−1, which are both better than single salt control hydrogel. Subsequently we build a model to explain thermal diffusion of the ions in multi‐ionic hydrogels. Finally, the possibility of large‐scale integrated applications of multi‐ionic hydrogels is demonstrated. By connecting 7 i‐TEs hydrogels, we obtained an open‐circuit voltage of 1.86 V at ΔT=3 K. Our work provides a new pathway for the design of i‐TEs and low‐grade heat harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin biosynthesis in the sclerenchyma cells is strictly controlled by a complex network of genetic and environmental signals. In the last decades, the transcriptional regulation of lignin synthesis in woody species has been established. However, the role of microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional modulation in secondary cell wall biosynthesis remains poorly understood. Here, we identified a microRNA, miR828, involved in the regulation specific to lignin biosynthesis during stem development in Populus tomentosa Carr. miR828 is preferentially expressed in the secondary vascular tissues during stem development. Two MYB genes (MYB171 and MYB011) were validated as direct targets of miR828 by degradome analysis and green fluorescent protein signal detection. Overexpression of miR828 in poplar downregulated genes for lignin biosynthesis, resulting in reduced lignin content in cell walls. Conversely, suppression of miR828 in plants by the short tandem target mimics elevated the expression of lignin biosynthetic genes and increased lignin deposition. We further revealed that poplar MYB171, as the most abundant miR828 target in the stem, is a positive regulator for lignin biosynthesis. Transient expression assays showed that both MYB171 and MYB011 activated PAL1 and CCR2 transcription, whereas the introduction of miR828 significantly suppressed their expression that was induced by MYB171 or MYB011. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the miR828-MYBs module precisely regulates lignin biosynthesis during the stem development in P. tomentosa through transcriptional and post-transcriptional manners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioelectronics, an emerging discipline formed by the biology and electronic information disciplines, has maintained a state of rapid development since its birth. Amongst the various functional bioelectronics materials, bacteriorhodopsin (bR), with its directional proton pump function and favorable structural stability properties, has drawn wide attention. The main contents of the paper are as follows: Inspired by the capacitive properties of natural protoplast cell membranes, a new bio-capacitor based on bR and artificial nanochannels was constructed. As a point of innovation, microfluidic chips were integrated into our device as an ion transport channel, which made the bio-capacitor more stable. Meanwhile, a single nanopore structure was integrated to improve the accuracy of the device structure. Experiments observed that the size of the nanopore affected the ion transmission rate. Consequently, by making the single nanopore's size change, the photocurrent duration time (PDT) of bR was effectively regulated. By using this specific phenomenon, the original transient photocurrent was successfully transformed into a square-like wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphology optimization of active layer plays a critical role in improving the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, a volatile solid additive‐assisted sequential deposition (SD) strategy is reported to regulate the molecular order and phase separation in solid state. The OSC adopts polymer donor D18‐Cl and acceptor N3 as active layer, as well as 1,4‐diiodobenzene (DIB) as volatile additive. Compared to the D18‐Cl:N3 (one‐time deposition of mixture) and D18‐Cl/N3 (SD) platforms, the D18‐Cl/N3(DIB) device based on DIB‐assisted SD method exhibits a finer phase separation with greatly enhanced molecular crystallinity. The optimal morphology delivers superior charge transport and extraction, offering a champion power conversion efficiency of 18.42% with significantly enhanced short‐circuit current density (Jsc) of 27.18 mA cm−2 and fill factor of 78.8%. This is one of the best performances in binary SD OSCs to date. Angle‐dependent grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering technique effectively reveals the vertical phase separation and molecular crystallinity of the active layer. This work demonstrates the combination of volatile solid additive and sequential deposition is an effective method to develop high‐performance OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y6 and its derivatives have greatly improved the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Further developing high‐performance Y6 derivative acceptor materials through the relationship between the chemical structures and properties of these materials will help accelerate the development of OPV. Here, machine learning and quantum chemistry are used to understand the structure–property relationships and develop new OPV acceptor materials. By encoding the molecules with an improved one‐hot code, the trained machine learning model shows good predictive performance, and 22 new acceptors with predicted PCE values greater than 17% within the virtual chemical space are screened out. Trends associated with the discovered high‐performing molecules suggest that Y6 derivatives with medium‐length side chains have higher performance. Further quantum chemistry calculations reveal that the end acceptor units mainly affect the frontier molecular orbital energy levels and the electrostatic potential on molecular surface, which in turn influence the performance of OPV devices. A series of promising Y6 derivative candidates is screened out and a rational design guide for developing high‐performance OPV acceptors is provided. The approach in this work can be extended to other material systems for rapid materials discovery and can provide a framework for designing novel and promising OPV materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the expression of the Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD) and p21 proteins have been shown to be closely associated with the development and progression of a number of cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the expression levels of the two proteins in gastric carcinoma and precancerous lesions, and to determine the clinical significance of this. A total of 109 gastric cancer, 57 precancerous gastric lesion, 50 chronic superficial gastritis and 17 normal gastric mucosa patients were recruited for immunohistochemical staining of NICD and p21 protein expression. The protein expression levels in the gastric cancer patient samples were associated with the clinicopathological and survival data. NICD protein levels were upregulated gradually from normal gastric mucosae through chronic superficial gastritis and precancerous gastric lesions to gastric cancer tissues (P<0.01), whereas p21 protein levels were downregulated accordingly (P<0.01). Increased NICD and a loss of p21 expression were closely associated with tumor dedifferentiation, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, surface morphology and Lauren classification in gastric cancer. Thus, NICD expression was inversely associated with p21 expression. In addition, the overall survival rate was greater in NICD-and P21+ patients than in NICD+ and P21- patients, respectively (P<0.05). The COX regression multivariate analysis revealed that NICD+, p21-, depth of tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis were all independent prognostic factors for patients with gastric cancer. NICD and p21 proteins are differentially expressed in gastric cancer and the aberrant expression of these proteins is associated with an advanced tumor stage, tumor metastasis and overall patient survival. Future studies are required to further evaluate the two proteins as novel prognostic markers for patients with gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial modification is an effective method to improve the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, defects in SnO 2 itself and interfacial defects with perovskite (PVK) lead to the limited performance of PSCs. In this study, 3, 5-dibromobenzoic acid (3,5-DBBA) material was added at the interface between electron transport layer (ETL)and perovskite absorption layer. It was found that Br in 3,5-DBBA can passivate the oxygen vacancies and uncoordinated Sn4+ defects in SnO 2 , and optimize the interface contact between ETL and perovskite film, inhibit the non-radiative recombination of charge carriers, and improve the carrier lifetime and extraction yield. Br is also able to interact with the perovskite lattice to passivate Pb2+ defects and regulate the crystal growth of the perovskite. The open circuit voltage of perovskite solar cells was increased from 1.12 V to 1.16 V, and the power conversion efficiency was increased from 19.19 % to 22.27 %. The bromine templates strategy can also effectively improve the stability of PSCs. It provides a new strategy for realizing high performance perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface defect is one of the main factors that lead to non-radiative recombination of carriers at the interface and the decomposition of perovskites. This ultimately results in low efficiency and poor stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, a passivated molecule called 2-Aminopyridine (2-APy) was proposed to reduce the defects of the interface between the perovskite and the hole transport layer. The results showed that the amino group in 2-aminopyridine can interact with the vacancy and free iodide ions on the surface of perovskite, thus passivating the defects at the interface and enhancing the hole transport capacity. As a result, 2-APy-modified PSCs exhibited inhibited non-radiative recombination, and the efficiency of PSCs increased to 21.46 %. The increase in the efficiency of PSCs is primarily seen in the rise of the open circuit voltage (V OC , from 1.12 to 1.15 V) and short circuit current (J SC , from 22.86 to 23.77 mA/cm2). This work demonstrates that pyridine is an effective group for passivating the defects between the perovskite layer and the hole transport layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solvent engineering is a key aspect in the fabrication of high-quality perovskite films towards highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the major solvents used in preparing the different solutions of PSC components are considered hazardous, which poses a significant threat to human beings or the environment. Besides, perovskite materials are reputed to exhibit serious environmental stability issues, limiting their production in ambient environment, thus hindering their practical applications. Therefore, it is of critical importance to develop eco-friendly strategies for fabricating PSC devices in ambient air, which will pave the way for industrial applications. In this review, the toxicity of commonly employed solvents was explored, and their greener alternatives were thoroughly examined. Advances in the development of green solvents for perovskite precursor solutions, as well as for the charge transport layers and their application in ambient environment were also discussed. Finally, an overall perspective is presented and key challenges limiting the development of eco-friendly PSC fabrication routes highlighted. [Display omitted] • Routinely used processing solvents are extremely toxic to humans and environment. • Latest significant studies using green solvents for PSCs in ambient air are studied. • Mechanism underlying the improved stability in ambient conditions is revealed. • Ionic liquids are the best for highly efficient and stable PSCs in ambient air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discrimination of body fluid stains provides crucial evidence during the investigation of criminal cases. Previous studies have demonstrated the practical value of mRNA profiling in body fluid identification. Conventional strategy of mRNA profiling entails reverse transcription and PCR amplification in two separate procedures with different buffer systems. In this study, we subjected the one-step multiplex reverse transcription PCR strategy to mRNA profiling with the inclusion of the same 18 tissue-specific biomarkers in the F18plex system targeting peripheral blood, menstrual blood, vaginal secretion, saliva, semen, and urine. The Qiagen OneStep RT-PCR kit and Titanium One-Step RT-PCR kit were applied to multiplex construction, while reproducible profiling results were obtained with both kits. Compared to the F18plex system, similar expression profiles of biomarkers were obtained in targeted tissues, while expected cross-reaction was observed in non-targeted body fluids. However, CYP2B7P1 and SPINK5 were detected in menstrual blood samples, which was not observed using the F18plex system. Full-profiling results were obtained in all samples using 0.1 ng peripheral blood and semen RNA, and 1 ng menstrual blood, vaginal secretion, saliva, and urine RNA. In conclusion, the application of one-step mRNA profiling strategy could be a reliable and economical method for the simplified, specific, and simultaneous analysis of tissue-specific biomarkers for the discrimination of body fluid origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: D5S818 discrepancies have been reported in forensic parental testing due to null alleles. However, more cases may be ignored since proportional null alleles were missed without detection of heredity discrepancy between parents and offspring. Results: In this study, null allele 12 at D5S818 was detected by the PowerPlex® 21 System with a higher occurrence rate on the basis of review on 2824 samples from the 1282 routine cases in Chinese Han population. Sequencing results revealed novel variant of guanine (G) into adenine (A) in the 7th [AGAT] repeats in the core repeat region accompanied by rs1187948322 in the samples with null allele 12. Conclusions: Forensic STR typing may benefit from this discovery: (1) primer design of CE profiling system could be improved for sensitive population and (2) polymorphic information could be enriched for the accuracy and precision of NGS genotyping system. Peak area of D5S818 was also analyzed through different commercial STR kits. It is suggested that more attention should be paid on observed homozygosity with reduced peak area, especially for the samples from Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), as a powerful nanoscale characterization technique, has been extensively utilized to elucidate diverse underlying physics of ferroelectricity. However, intensive studies of conventional PFM have revealed a growing number of concerns and limitations which are largely challenging its validity and applications. In this study, an advanced PFM technique is reported, namely heterodyne megasonic piezoresponse force microscopy (HM‐PFM), which uses 106 to 108 Hz high‐frequency excitation and heterodyne method to measure the piezoelectric strain at nanoscale. It is found that HM‐PFM can unambiguously provide standard ferroelectric domain and hysteresis loop measurements, and an effective domain characterization with excitation frequency up to ≈110 MHz is demonstrated. Most importantly, owing to the high‐frequency and heterodyne scheme, the contributions from both electrostatic force and electrochemical strain can be significantly minimized in HM‐PFM. Furthermore, a special measurement of difference‐frequency piezoresponse frequency spectrum (DFPFS) is developed on HM‐PFM and a distinct DFPFS characteristic is observed on the materials with piezoelectricity. By performing DFPFS measurement, a truly existed but very weak electromechanical coupling in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite is revealed. It is believed that HM‐PFM can be an excellent candidate for the ferroelectric or piezoelectric studies where conventional PFM results are highly controversial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single junction binary all‐small‐molecule (ASM) organic solar cells (OSCs) with power conversion efficiency (PCE) beyond 14% are achieved by using non‐fullerene acceptor Y6 as the electron acceptor, but still lag behind that of polymer OSCs. Herein, an asymmetric Y6‐like acceptor, BTP‐FCl‐FCl, is designed and synthesized to match the recently reported high performance small molecule donor BTR‐Cl, and a record efficiency of 15.3% for single‐junction binary ASM OSCs is achieved. BTP‐FCl‐FCl features a F,Cl disubstitution on the same end group affording locally asymmetric structures, and so has a lower total dipole moment, larger average electronic static potential, and lower distribution disorder than those of the globally asymmetric isomer BTP‐2F‐2Cl, resulting in improved charge generation and extraction. In addition, BTP‐FCl‐FCl based active layer presents more favorable domain size and finer phase separation contributing to the faster charge extraction, longer charge carrier lifetime, and much lower recombination rate. Therefore, compared with BTP‐2F‐2Cl, BTP‐FCl‐FCl based devices provide better performance with FF enhanced from 71.41% to 75.36% and Jsc increased from 22.35 to 24.58 mA cm−2, leading to a higher PCE of 15.3%. The locally asymmetric F, Cl disubstitution on the same end group is a new strategy to achieve high performance ASM OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic thermoelectric materials attract widespread attention due to their large Seebeck coefficient compared with electronic thermoelectric counterparts whose main charge carriers are electrons or holes. The present work shows that the ion-polymer matrix interaction can alter the Seebeck coefficient to a great extent. To further shed light on the role of ions, seven water-soluble inorganic chlorides are utilized in this work, to highlight the influence of the cationic softness parameter on the Seebeck coefficient in a PEDOT:PSS ionic conductor. We notice that cations with a positive or a small negative softness parameter value exhibit a negative Seebeck coefficient, resulting from limited thermal diffusion of the cations that are strongly bound to PSS- anions. Conversely, cations with a sufficiently negative softness parameter exhibit fast thermal diffusion due to weak binding to PSS- and, thus, lead to a positive Seebeck coefficient. Based on the established relationship, robust thermoelectric materials with a tunable Seebeck coefficient ranging from –9.63 mV/K to +3.07 mV/K are demonstrated. Our work highlights the important role of ionic properties and provides a pathway for the rational selection of ions in ionic thermoelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging energy crisis has focused significant worldwide attention on solar cells. Although crystalline silicon solar cells are currently widely used, their high cost limits the development of solar power generation. Consequently, hybrid solar cells are becoming increasingly important, especially organic‐Si hybrid solar cells (HSCs). Organic‐Si HSCs combine a mature technology and high efficiency with the low‐temperature manufacturing process and tunable optoelectronic properties of organic solar cells. The organic material can be P3HT, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and PEDOT:PSS. Here we review the performance of PEDOT:PSS/Si HSCs and methods for improving their efficiency, such as PEDOT:PSS modification, optimization of the trapping effect, passivation of the silicon surface, addition of an interface layer, improvement of a back contact, and optimization of the metal top electrode. This Review should help fill the gap in this area and provide perspectives for the future development of the PEDOT:PSS/Si HSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vor dem Hintergrund aktueller Energieprobleme haben Solarzellen weltweit eine große Aufmerksamkeit erfahren. Die Entwicklung der Solarstromerzeugung wird von den hohen Kosten herkömmlicher Solarzellen auf der Basis von kristallinem Silicium gebremst. Aus diesem Grund steigt das Interesse an Hybrid‐Solarzellen (HSCs) auf der Basis von organischen Materialien sowie Si. Diese kombinieren die Vorteile einer vorhandenen ausgereiften Technologie und eines hohen Wirkungsgrades mit Vorteilen organischer Solarzellen wie die Herstellung bei niedriger Temperatur und abstimmbare optoelektronische Eigenschaften. Die verwendeten organischen Materialien sind P3HT, Kohlenstoff‐Nanoröhren, Graphen und PEDOT:PSS. Dieser Aufsatz beschäftigt sich mit der Leistung von PEDOT:PSS/Si‐HSCs sowie mit den Methoden zur Steigerung ihres Wirkungsgrades, d. h. mit der PEDOT:PSS‐Modifizierung, der Optimierung des Lichtfalleneffekts, der Passivierung der Si‐Oberfläche, dem Einbau einer Grenzflächenschicht, der Verbesserung des Rückkontakts und mit der Optimierung der metallischen Deckelektrode. Der vorliegende Artikel betrifft einen Themenbereich, der in einschlägigen Publikationen bisher wenig Berücksichtigung fand, und soll Perspektiven für die künftige Entwicklung von PEDOT:PSS/Si‐HSCs aufzeigen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar evaporation is considered a promising technology to address the issue of fresh water scarcity. Although many efforts have been directed towards increasing the solar–thermal conversion efficiency, there remain challenges to develop efficient and cost‐effective solar–thermal materials from readily available raw materials. Furthermore, further structural modification of the original biomass structure, particularly at multiple length scales, are seldom reported, which may further improve the solar–thermal performance of these material systems. Herein, a novel low‐cost system is developed based on a common bio‐waste, pomelo peels (PPs), through a bioinspired fractal structural design strategy, fractal carbonized pomelo peels (FCPP). This FCPP system shows an extremely high solar spectrum absorption of ≈98%, and marvelous evaporation rate of 1.95 kg m−2 h−1 with a solar–thermal efficiency of 92.4%. In addition, the mechanisms of the evaporation enhancement by fractal structural design are identified by numerical and experimental methods. Moreover, using FCPP in solar desalination shows great superiority in terms of cost and its potential in sewage treatment is also studied. The present work is an insightful attempt on providing a novel proposal to develop bio‐waste‐derived solar–thermal materials and construct biomimetic structures for efficient solar evaporation and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D18:Y6:PC 61 BM (1:1.6:0.2) ternary solar cells afforded >16% PCEs with active layer thickness over 300 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible and stretchable organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted enormous attention due to their potential applications in wearable and portable devices. To achieve flexibility and stretchability, many efforts have been made with regard to mechanically robust electrodes, interface layers, and photoactive semiconductors. This has greatly improved the performance of the devices. State‐of‐the‐art flexible and stretchable OSCs have achieved a power conversion efficiency of 15.21% (16.55% for tandem flexible devices) and 13%, respectively. Here, the recent progress of flexible and stretchable OSCs in terms of their components and processing methods are summarized and discussed. The future challenges and perspectives for flexible and stretchable OSCs are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]