Search

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) plays an important role in the field of gene therapy and viral vaccines, especially as an oncolytic virus. However, the mass production of HSV-1 viral vectors remains a challenge in the industry. In this study, a microcarrier-mediated serum-reduced medium culture was used to improve the bioprocess of HSV-1 production and increase HSV-1 yields. The composition of the culture media, which included a basal medium, serum concentration, and glutamine additive, was optimized. The process was successfully conducted in a 1 L bioreactor, and virus production was threefold greater than that of conventional processes with a 10% serum medium. The bead-to-bead transfer process was also developed to further increase scalability. In spinner flasks, the detachment rate increased from 49.4 to 80.6% when combined agitation was performed during digestion; the overall recovery proportion increased from 37.9 to 71.1% after the operational steps were optimized. Specifically, microcarrier loss was reduced during aspiration and transfer, and microcarriers and detached cells were separated with filters. Comparable cell growth was achieved with the baseline process using 2D culture as the inoculum by exchanging the subculture medium. To increase virus production after bead-to-bead transfer, critical parameters, including shear stress during digestion, TrypLE and EDTA concentrations in the subculture, and the CCI, were identified from 47 parameters via correlation analysis and principal component analysis. The optimized bead-to-bead transfer process achieved an average of 90.4% overall recovery and comparable virus production compared to that of the baseline process. This study is the first to report the optimization of HSV-1 production in Vero cells cultured on microcarriers in serum-reduced medium after bead-to-bead transfer. Key points: • An HSV-1 production process was developed that involves culturing in serum-reduced medium, and this process achieved threefold greater virus production than that of traditional processes. • An indirect bead-to-bead transfer process was developed with over 90% recovery yield in bioreactors. • HSV-1 production after bead-to-bead transfer was optimized and was comparable to that achieved with 2D culture as inoculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unregulated metallic deposition and continuous cracking of the fragile solid electrolyte interphase are considered the critical barriers that compromise the cyclability of lithium metal batteries (LMB), especially under low N/P ratio (<3) pairing modes. Herein, an ultra‐thin (5 µm), lightweight (0.25 mg cm−2), and moisture‐proof interfacial layer composed of the high‐entropy alloys (denoted as HEAs) and interweaved carbon nanotubes (CNTs) scaffold is constructed to modify the current collector, moreover, the thermally‐induced Li22Si5 alloy blended with the hydrophobic ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) is infiltrated into the scaffold pores as the moisture‐proof cation reservoir. The HEA@CNT/Li22Si5@EVA interfacial layer not only maximizes the Li‐utilization degree with minimal voltage divergence in symmetric cells but also compensates for irreversible Li depletion in the pouch‐format anode‐less models. As the HEA@CNT/Li22Si5@EVA‐Cu substrate paired with the LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode in a 200 mAh prototype, the phase evolution of oxide cathode and efficient Li utilization at the anode substrate can be real‐time monitored by the transmission‐mode operando X‐ray diffraction. This interfacial layer strategy affords multifunctionality to enable the LMB prototyping without excessive Li abuse. Consequently, cycling endurance and the balanced energy densities (420.1 Wh kg−1) are obtained on the whole cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) in energy‐dense batteries faces severe challenges including sluggish ionic diffusion, oxidation tendency at the cathode interface, dendrite protrusion from the metallic anode, as well as the technological incompatibility with the layer stack‐up cell assembly. Herein, an in‐situ polymerization strategy is presented to deal with above dilemma for the solid battery prototyping. The in situ cross‐linked poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether is embedded within the nanocellulose framework, endowing SPE membrane with the reinforced mechanical strength (11.31 MPa) at the thickness of 10 µm as well as superior ionic conductance (150 mS). After a rigorous selection, the sacrificial triphenylphosphine additive preferentially oxidizes on the LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode to form the cathode electrolyte interface during the formation charging. Concurrently, the solvated zinc(II) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide constructs the polyether/LiZn mosaic layer on the Li foil, which effectively promotes interfacial cation diffusion and horizontal deposits propagation. By pairing the polymerized SPE with the thin‐layer Li foil (50 µm) and the NCM811 cathode (25 mg cm−2), the 94 mAh pouch‐format cell can realize a gravimetric/volumetric energy density of 397.5 Wh kg−1 and 1197.6 Wh L−1, high‐voltage tolerance till 4.5 V, and robust cyclability (95.1% capacity retention for 200 cycles). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fused naphthodithiophene diimide (NDTI) derivative is first used as cathode interlayer materials (CIMs) in organic solar cells, by introducing two dimethylamine‐functionalized fluorenes on both sides, namely NDTI1. Meanwhile, two non‐fused naphthalene diimide (NDI) derivatives are synthesized as the control CIMs to validate the design strategy of fused NDI. All three CIMs show high thermal stability, robust adhesion, and strong electrode modification capability. Compared with two NDI‐based materials, NDTI1 possesses excellent film‐forming capacity and strong crystallinity, simultaneously. Besides, NDTI1 presents a strong self‐doping effect and distinct intermolecular interaction with non‐fullerene acceptors. As expected, the NDTI1‐based OSCs achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.02% using the PM6:Y6 active layer and a champion PCE of 19.01% employing the active layer PM6:L8‐BO, which is attributed to improve charge transport and extraction, and suppressive charge recombination. More importantly, NDTI1 retains 91% of the optimal PCE when the film thickness increases from 7 to 20 nm. Furthermore, NDTI1 also exhibits satisfactory universality for different active layer materials and excellent device stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planar n–i–p carbon perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a hole transport layer that can be fabricated at low temperatures at low‐cost exhibit great potential for large‐scale manufacturing. Moreover, 2D perovskites have attracted considerable attention owing to their higher stability. In this work, scalable and highly efficient fully printed large‐area carbon electrode‐based 2D perovskite modules are reported through the insertion of a thin naphthaleneimide derivative (CATNI)‐based interfacial layer between tin (IV) oxide and the perovskite layer. The results show that this facilitates the formation of the interfacial contact, suppresses energy losses, and substantially improves the performance parameters of the PSCs, especially their VOC value. A significantly enhanced VOC of 1.13 V is achieved resulting in the device PCE value reaching over 18%, which is one of the highest reported for fully printed PSCs so far. It is found that with the deployment of this CATNI‐based interfacial layer, a more efficient carrier extraction is achieved. This ultimately contributed to enhanced spectral response as well as improved VOC for these carbon electrodes based on fully printed devices. Finally, the carbon‐perovskite solar modules (carbon‐PSMs) are fabricated on ITO glass substrates with dimensions of 5.0 × 5.0 cm. These prepared modules exhibited outstanding photovoltaic performance with the highest PCE value of over 14.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the voltage loss (ΔVloss) and thus increasing the open-circuit voltage (VOC) are key factors to further improve the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). For A–DA′D–A-type acceptors, the above goals could be achieved through the regulation of the central A′ core and terminal groups. Hence, a novel A′–A–DA′D–A–A′ type acceptor named BTA79 was developed, where the benzotriazole (BTA) unit was used as the A′ unit on both the central core and the terminal groups. Two BTA-based polymers, J52 and J52-Cl, were used as donors to fabricate OSCs. A J52:BTA79-based device realized a power conversion efficiency of 10.71%, with a VOC of 0.93 V and a nonradiative recombination voltage loss (ΔVnon-rad) of 0.23 V. Interestingly, the J52-Cl:BTA79 system showed a lower ΔVnon-rad of 0.18 V but an inferior efficiency of 2.48%. This design of the A′–A–DA′D–A–A′-type acceptor provides a key reference for the development of high VOC acceptors for OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organochalcogen molecules have extensive applications in various fields. They serve as pharmaceuticals, ligands, organocatalysts, agrochemicals, and other functional materials. Difunctionalization of olefins, which belong to a class of multicomponent reactions, is a successful technique for introducing two functional moieties in a single‐step reaction, both in terms of atom economy and step economy. The difunctionalization of olefins with diorganyl dichalcogenides may effectively increase the molecular complexity, which has achieved significant advancements in recent decades. This article describes recent advancements in the difunctionalization of olefins with diorganyl diselenides and diorganyl disulfides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three‐component reaction of olefins, indoles, and diaryl diselenides catalyzed by copper chloride under irradiation of blue LED light is disclosed. Various diaryl diselenides including diheteroaryl diselenides are suitable for this bifunctionalization of olefins. This protocol provides 26 examples of β‐(hetero)arylselenyl indoles in 60%–87% yields. The proposed mechanism involves activation of diaryl diselenides by coordination with copper chloride, generation of arylselenium cations by heterolysis of activated diaryl diselenides, electrophilic addition of arylselenium cations to styrenes, and then Friedel–Crafts‐type alkylation at the 3‐position of NH‐indoles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient microchannel cooling is the key to the development of microelectronics. The key to solving this problem is the geometry of the microchannel heat sink and the thermophysical properties of the fluid. We combined the cantor fractal principle with the microchannel heat sink to design a new type of three-dimensional microchannel structure. Thermal resistance is treated as a single objective function, and the simulated annealing process is utilized to minimize it and achieve satisfying results. When the Reynolds number (Re) = 100, the aspect ratio of the microchannel entrance (B / h), the aspect ratio of the Cantor fractal baffle (a / b) and the ratio of the width of the entrance of the microchannel to the length of the mixing unit (B / λ) are optimized. The important factors that affect the thermal resistance of the microchannel are the size and spacing of the baffle. Then the pressure drop and heat transfer under different Res were analyzed. The study found that the structure of the groove and baffle based on the cantor fractal principle will cause chaotic flow and greatly enhance the heat transfer performance. Compared with the reference microchannel, the comprehensive heat transfer coefficient PEC is greater than 1, the thermal resistance is reduced by 19.82%. Advanced working fluids and channel structures can be used to improve the heat transfer performance of the microchannel heat sink. The Cantor fractal principle with microchannel heat sinks have been combined to design a new three-dimensional microchannel structure. Thermal resistance as a single objective function and minimize it using a simulated annealing process will achieve satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidics is thought to have a high development potential and a wide range of applications in biomedical research. The design of micromixers has gotten a lot of attention because they are such a crucial aspect of microfluidic devices. The passive micromixer has the advantages of simple construction and steady performance over the active micromixer. In this paper, a fractal wall micromixer is proposed, and the flow characteristics and mixing process of the secondary fractal double wall micromixer are studied using intuitive flow patterns and quantitative calculation methods. The results show that the mixing efficiency of secondary fractal wall is higher than that of primary fractal wall, and with the increase of h, the mixing efficiency and pressure drop begin to decrease gradually. When there is a secondary fractal wall structure on both sides, when Reynolds number (Re) = 0.1, the mixing efficiency of the outlet can reach 95%, and when Re = 100, the mixing efficiency of the outlet can reach 99%, almost complete mixing. The fractal wall micromixer has good mixing effect and shows great application potential in chemical engineering and biological engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N‐Sulfenylation of sulfoximines with thiosulfonates under mild conditions was disclosed. By our method, a series of aliphatic and aromatic N‐sulfenyl sulfoximines were synthesized with good to excellent yields in the absence of transition metals. The applicability of this method was demonstrated by gram scale experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of inaccurate emissivity obtained by empirical or experimental measurements in traditional volcanic inversion methods, which leads to the discrepancy between the temperature inversion results and the actual temperature, this paper constructs a joint inversion model of volcanic temperature and emissivity, and solves the volcanic temperature and emissivity simultaneously from the image element scale.In order to obtain the two unknown parameters of volcanic temperature and emissivity simultaneously, the study image element is assumed to be a pure image element and Lambertian body, and based on the blackbody radiation law and energy conservation law, the volcanic radiation energy transfer equation under different irradiance conditions is established and solved jointly. In this paper, the study area is Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawaii, and the short-wave infrared band of Landsat 8 satellite day and night remote sensing images with an imaging interval of 36 hours are used as the study data, and the temperature and emissivity are calculated using the golden mean and parabolic interpolation method with the same emissivity of the same image element in both scenes and the temperature approximation as the constraints. The results are as follows: the temperature inversion of the study area has a banding phenomenon, the temperature of the lava lake is 800–1050 K and the emissivity is 0.5–0.7; the temperature of the crater surface outside the lava lake is 500–800 K and the emissivity is 0.7–1.0. The inversion results are consistent with the actual situation. The results show that the method can realize the simultaneous inversion of volcanic temperature and emissivity parameters on the image element scale, which provides a new method for the inversion of volcanic temperature and emissivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cold atom gravimeter (CAG) has proven to be a powerful quantum sensor for the high-precision measurement of gravity field, which can work stably for a long time in the laboratory. However, most CAGs cannot operate in the field due to their complex structure, large volume and poor environmental adaptability. In this paper, a home-made, miniaturized CAG is developed and a truck-borne system based on it is integrated to measure the absolute gravity in the field. The measurement performance of this system is evaluated by applying it to measurements of the gravity field around the Xianlin reservoir in Hangzhou City of China. The internal and external coincidence accuracies of this measurement system were demonstrated to be 35.4 μGal and 76.7 μGal, respectively. Furthermore, the theoretical values of the measured eight points are calculated by using a forward modeling of a local high-resolution digital elevation model, and the calculated values are found to be in good agreement with the measured values. The results of this paper show that this home-made, truck-borne CAG system is reliable, and it is expected to improve the efficiency of gravity surveying in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel synthesis method for less solvent solid state reaction (LSR) is presented. • The LSR method is a green and scalable manner to synthesize submicron ZIFs materials. • ZIFs synthesized via LSR method has nearly 100% yield with a small amount of solvent. • The ZIFs derived materials have excellent adsorption properties for organic dyes. In recent years, a variety of nanomaterial synthesis methods have been used to explore the preparation of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). The zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), are typically synthesized through high cost and environmentally unfriendly solvothermal methods, require a large amount of organic solvents, and have extremely low yields. Therefore, exploring scalable and environmentally friendly synthesis routes for ZIFs is crucial. The metal oxide and 2-methylimidazole are completely converted into submicron size ZIFs in stoichiometric ratio via less solvent solid state reaction (LSR) method. The ZIFs synthesized by LSR method have good crystallinity, large specific surface area, and the use of tiny solvent amount can achieve a yield of nearly 100%, which solves the problems of low yield and serious waste of solvent in the synthesis of ZIFs by traditional methods. Additionally, the fabricated ZIFs derived materials through high-temperature pyrolysis have high specific surface area, nitrogen rich content, and excellent chemical stability, being favorable for promoting the adsorption of organic dyes. The adsorption capacity of ZIF-8 derived materials fabricated by the LSR method for organic dyes is significantly better than that of ZIF-67 and bimetallic ZIFs (BZIFs) derived materials. Compared with the traditional method, the LSR method is a green and scalable manner to synthesize submicron ZIFs materials, paving the way for the preparation of various ZIFs with different metal centers, and also providing a new strategy for the commercial production of ZIFs derived materials widely used in the environment protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its simple structure and special flow mechanism, the Tesla valve is widely used in various microchannels. A three-dimensional new-fashioned micromixer was designed based on the Tesla valve-typed structure. A simulated annealing algorithm was used to optimize the width of the microchannel (h) , the height of the microchannel (s) , and the spacing of the mixing unit (λ) , and the effects of geometric parameters on mixing efficiency and pressure drop were investigated. Then, the mixing efficiency of different sizes of micromixers under four different Reynolds numbers (Res) was analyzed and compared. The mixing efficiency of the optimized micromixer is more than 99% at Re = 1 0 , 1 0 0. This is mainly because the liquid flows through the width of the microchannel (h) to form two streams of liquid, and then remixed together, form secondary flow and local vortex. The direction of the fluid flowing through the height of the microchannel (s) changes, and the two fluids collide, thereby greatly improving the mixing effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper does a three-dimensional steady-state simulation analysis of a microchannel heat sink with a cantor fractal structure, and the layout, size, spacing, and fractal frequency of the baffle are optimized. Following further testing, it was determined that putting rectangular baffles on the same sidewall provides a superior effect, with a 4. 9 5 ∘ C lower effect than normal microchannels. The temperature of the two-time fractal structure is 4. 4 7 ∘ C lower than that of the zero-time fractal structure at the Reynolds number (Re) of 200. The control variable method is used to explore the size and spacing of the rectangular baffles, and the temperature and pressure drop are thoroughly analyzed to determine the ideal structure, S = 0. 2 mm, B = 0. 1 mm, h = 0. 0 3 8 mm, and e = 0. 0 2 mm. Following that, the influence of Re on heat transmission is addressed. Finally, to incorporate the fluid's heat transmission and pressure drop, the enhanced heat transfer factor PEC is used to evaluate the overall heat transfer performance of the microchannel. In the Re range of 100–300, PEC is greater than 1, which is 10–42% higher than that of conventional microchannels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To explore and analyze the correlation between serum vitamins A and D levels and disease severity in children with tic disorder. Methods. A total of 59 children with tic disorders treated in the Linping Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from April 2018 to May 2021 were selected as the observation group. 55 healthy children with matched age and sex who underwent physical examination were selected as the control group. Children in the observation group were subdivided to the mild group (n = 35) and moderate-to-severe group (n = 24) according to the Yale comprehensive tic severity scale. Afterwards, they were grouped into the temporary group (n = 25), persistent group (n = 22), and Tourette's syndrome group (n = 12) according to their clinical characteristics and course of disease. The severity and serum vitamins A and D levels were collected and compared, and then, Spearman correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between the severity and serum vitamins A and D levels. Results. Compared with the control group, the serum vitamin A and D levels in the observation group were lower. Compared with the mild group, the serum vitamins A and D levels were lower in the moderate-to-severe group. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between disease severity and serum vitamins A and D levels. Regarding the serum D levels, the temporary group > the persistent group > Tourette's syndrome group. There was no significant difference in serum vitamin A levels among the three groups. Conclusion. Vitamins A and D deficiency in children is strongly associated with tic disorders, and vitamins A and D demonstrate a negative correlation with the severity of tic disorders. Vitamin D is also linked to the clinical type of tic disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SIRT6 is an NAD+-dependent deacetylase that plays an important role in mitosis fidelity and genome stability. In the present study, we found that SIRT6 overexpression leads to mitosis defects and aneuploidy. We identified SIRT6 as a novel substrate of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), which is a master regulator of mitosis. Both CDH1 and CDC20, co-activators of APC/C, mediated SIRT6 degradation via the ubiquitination-proteasome pathway. Reciprocally, SIRT6 also deacetylated CDH1 at lysine K135 and promoted its degradation, resulting in an increase in APC/C-CDH1-targeted substrates, dysfunction in centrosome amplification, and chromosome instability. Our findings demonstrate the importance of SIRT6 for genome integrity during mitotic progression and reveal how SIRT6 and APC/C cooperate to drive mitosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A D-A-D typed PDI derivative was developed and used as a CIL in PSCs. • PDTI1 could reduce the W F of Ag, thus forming ohmic contact. • PDTI1 shows better electron injection and transport. • PDTI1 can significantly enhance device performance and stability. The interfaces between the cathode and electron transport layer significantly influence the photovoltaic performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, a novel D-A-D typed fused-ring perylene diimide (PDI)-based organic small molecule, called PDTI1, is designed and employed as a cathode interface layer (CIL) for inverted PSCs. The introduction of PDTI1 at the interface of C60 and Ag electrode could form ohmic contact and the electron transport is also improved in the PDTI1-based devices. Based on these merits, the PSC with PDTI1-CIL achieves an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.64%. Notably, the PCE values of PSCs with the PDTI1 show thickness insensitivity. Furthermore, the PSCs with PDTI1 also exhibit better stability compared to the control devices. This work demonstrates the superior performance of PDTI1 as CIL for inverted PSCs and provides an alternative CIL material for high-efficiency PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The expression of PD‐L1 and its regulation in tumors remains unclear. The importance of IFN‐γ in upregulating the PD‐L1 expression in various tumors, and the effects of other essential cytokines in the tumor microenvironment (TME), need to be further elucidated. Methods: Constitutive expression of PD‐L1 and CD137L in all 13 lung cancer cell lines were tested by flow cytometry. CD137L mRNA of lung cancer cell lines was detected by RT‐PCR. PD‐L1 expression rates following stimulation with these cytokines (IFN‐γ, TNFα and IL2) were measured. After coculture of cells expressing CD137L (lung cancer cells or 293FT cells transfected with CD137L plasmid) with T cells, the PDL1 expression of lung cancer cells and IFN‐γ in supernatant was detected. Results: Our data revealed that adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma cells had the highest positive expression rate. IFN‐γ was the core‐inducing factor for enhancing the PD‐L1 expression. CD137L was also widely expressed in the lung cancer cell lines at the mRNA level, whereas its expression was generally low at the protein level. However, the low expression of CD137L protein was still enough to induce T cells to produce IFN‐γ, which subsequently increased the PD‐L1 expression by lung cancer cells. The CD137 signal induces IFN‐γ secretion by T cells, which stimulates high‐level of PD‐L1 expression in cancer cells; this negative immune regulation may represent a mechanism of immune escape regulation. Conclusions: CD137L mRNA was widely expressed in lung cancer cell lines whereas levels of protein expression were generally low. The low level of CD137L protein was still enough to induce T cells to produce IFN‐γ that subsequently increased PD‐L1 expression. The CD137L‐induced negative immune regulation may represent a mechanism of immune escape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We have designed and synthesized a new amino-acid ester derived ortho-ortho perylene diimides (PDI) diploid, namely oo -2PDIate, by Ullmann coupling reaction. The compound oo -2PDIate exhibits unique photophysical and electrochemical properties because of the presence of the ortho-ortho linkage and branched side chains. Moreover, the introduction of amino acid ester side chains for oo -2PDIate increases the molecular polarity and therefore making the target compound more soluble in the highly polar green solvent, which means that it can be carried out to green-solvent-processed organic solar cells as a suitable electron acceptor. By utilizing green solvent anisole as the processing solvent, the device based on oo -2PDIate as electron acceptor and PBDTTT-C as electron donor exhibits the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.24%, which is very close to the PCE (2.52%) of the device using chlorobenzene. Although the device performance is moderate, this strategy that introducing ester group side chains at the position of the imide to increase the solubility in green solvents provides an efficient way to develop PDI derivatives as the electron acceptor materials for green-solvent-processed organic solar cells (OSCs). Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SO42−/TiO2-La3+ solid superacids were prepared by the impregnation method. The structure, acidity strength, acid property, and morphology of catalysts were characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS, NH3-TPD, Py-IR, and TG. The optimum synthesis conditions were obtained as follows: calcination temperature at 500°C, 0.998 mol/L La3+ content, a dosage of catalyst 6%, reaction temperature at 80°C, reaction time 7 h, and n (α-pinene):n (oxalic acid) = 1:0.4. Under the optimal condition, the solid superacid SO42−/TiO2-La3+ catalyst showed the best catalytic performance. α-pinene was completely converted, and borneol exhibited a higher selectivity (62.60%). In addition, the solid superacid SO42−/TiO2-La3+ catalyst also showed a high-stability aspect during the recycled reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A temperature sensor based on the hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber filled with the CdSe/ZnS QDs dissolved in an ultraviolet (UV) curing adhesive is reported. The sensor shows a linear variation of the photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength for a temperature range from 40 °C to 140 °C, with a correlation factor of 0.99263 and a sensitivity of 0.05744 nm/°C. Although the peak intensity of emission spectrum increased exponentially with the temperature, a linear temperature-dependence result with a correlation factor of 0.99917 and a slope of 2.04 × 10 −3 °C −1 can be obtained with a self-reference spectral intensity method. The linear variation characteristics of the peak wavelength and the self-reference intensity of PL spectrum indicates the designed fiber temperature sensor is feasible in the practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of aryl-bisalkynyl bridged perylene diimides derivatives were efficiently synthesized through the Sonogashira-type coupling reaction, and their photophysical, electrochemical and electron-transporting properties were investigated in detail. With the introduction of aryl-bisalkynyl groups, their absorption spectra exhibit extra strong absorption in the short wavelength region and therefore realizing broad wavelength range from 300 to 700 nm, which can overcome the weakness of narrow half-peak width of N,N'-bis(1-ethylpropyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid bisimides ( PDI ). The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels (about −4.00 eV) are lower than that of the prototype PDI , which make them potential for excellent electron-transporting materials. As a result, the improved electron mobilities of 10 −4 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , which is three orders of magnitude higher than that of PDI , were obtained in space charge limited current (SCLC) devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dynamic AOM successions were found covariant with in-field or in-lab ROS gradient. • Oxidation resistances differed significantly among three AOM isolates exposed to ROS. • ROS might act as another key factor affecting AOM in redox-fluctuating environments. • ROS decreased the amoA gene expression of AOA strain Nitrososphaera viennensis PLX03. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are ubiquitous in O 2 -perturbed aquifers, but their role in shaping ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities is not clear. This study examined the dynamic responses of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOMs) in redox-fluctuating aquifers to ROS via field investigation and in-lab verification using transcriptomes/ metatranscriptome and RT-qPCR. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) dominated recharge aquifers with lower ROS levels, whereas ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and heterotrophic nitrifying aerobic bacteria (HNB) predominated in discharge areas with higher ROS levels. Similar succession in AOM enrichments was found in that the dominant AOMs changed from AOA Nitrosopumilus to AOB Nitrosomonas with increasing ROS. Ammonia oxidation and antioxidant capacity differed significantly among three AOM isolates exposed to ROS. ROS decreased the amoA gene expression of AOA strain Nitrososphaera viennensis PLX03, accompanied by inhibited ammonia oxidation capacity. By contrast, the catalase and superoxide dismutase activities of the AOB strain Nitrosomonas oligotropha PLL12 and HNB strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PLL01 increased, and the antioxidant genes katG, sodA, ahpC , and ahpF were significantly upregulated. These results demonstrate that ROS exert an important influence on AOMs in redox-fluctuating aquifers. This study improves our understanding of the ecological niches of AOMs in surface/subsurface environments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NH 4 + was mainly produced by mineralization, with < 2% produced by DNRA. • Mineralization created serial reactions to modulate the NH 4 + pool. • NH 4 + sink process shifted from nitrification (upstream) to anammox (downstream). • NH 4 + would accumulate and be retained continuously in strong reducing groundwater. Ammonium (NH 4 +) retention/removal processes in groundwater are of great interest because of the continuous increase in nitrogenous compound loading due to anthropogenic activities. However, the transition of multiple co-occurring transformation processes that determine the fate of NH 4 + in groundwater along a redox gradient remains underexplored. We selected a high nitrogen (N) groundwater system in the western Hetao Basin, China, to identify and quantify NH 4 + source and sink processes, including mineralization, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), nitrification, and anammox, to better understand the dynamics of NH 4 +. Based on redox-sensitive parameters, that is, the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and NH 4 + and nitrate (NO 3 −) contents, etc., the groundwater system was classified into three zones from upstream to downstream: zone I (oxidizing), zone II (moderately reducing), and zone III (strongly reducing). Using the 15N tracing technique, we found that NH 4 + was mainly produced by mineralization while < 2% was produced by DNRA throughout the study area. Mineralization increased downstream because the supply of biodegradable N-containing compounds was augmented, which created a strong redox gradient to host a serial reaction chain. In zone I, NH 4 + was mainly transferred to NO 3 − via nitrification, whereas in zones II and III, NH 4 + was mainly transferred to N 2 via anammox. The average NH 4 + production/consumption ratios (P/C) in zones I, II, and III were 0.7, 6.9, and 51.1, respectively. Obviously, the NH 4 + purification ability can only exceed the supply under aerobic conditions, thus suggesting that NH 4 + will accumulate without limitation and be retained in strongly reducing groundwater. The situation of NH 4 + accumulation would deteriorate over space and time in groundwater as human activities increase without an additional artificial supply of oxidants. The results provide mechanistic insights for quantitatively comprehending the dynamics and fate of NH 4 + in groundwater, shedding light on groundwater NH 4 + mitigation techniques. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A third component featuring a planar backbone structure similar to the binary host molecule has been the preferred ingredient for improving the photovoltaic performance of ternary organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, we explored a new avenue that introduces 3D‐structured molecules as guest acceptors. Spirobifluorene (SF) is chosen as the core to combine with three different terminal‐modified (rhodanine, thiazolidinedione, and dicyano‐substituted rhodanine) benzotriazole (BTA) units, affording three four‐arm molecules, SF‐BTA1, SF‐BTA2, and SF‐BTA3, respectively. After adding these three materials to the classical system PM6 : Y6, the resulting ternary devices obtained ultra‐high power‐conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 19.1 %, 18.7 %, and 18.8 %, respectively, compared with the binary OSCs (PCE=17.4 %). SF‐BTA1‐3 can work as energy donors to increase charge generation via energy transfer. In addition, the charge transfer between PM6 and SF‐BTA1‐3 also acts to enhance charge generation. Introducing SF‐BTA1‐3 could form acceptor alloys to modify the molecular energy level and inhibit the self‐aggregation of Y6, thereby reducing energy loss and balancing charge transport. Our success in 3D multi‐arm materials as the third component shows good universality and brings a new perspective. The further functional development of multi‐arm materials could make OSCs more stable and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A third component featuring a planar backbone structure similar to the binary host molecule has been the preferred ingredient for improving the photovoltaic performance of ternary organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, we explored a new avenue that introduces 3D‐structured molecules as guest acceptors. Spirobifluorene (SF) is chosen as the core to combine with three different terminal‐modified (rhodanine, thiazolidinedione, and dicyano‐substituted rhodanine) benzotriazole (BTA) units, affording three four‐arm molecules, SF‐BTA1, SF‐BTA2, and SF‐BTA3, respectively. After adding these three materials to the classical system PM6 : Y6, the resulting ternary devices obtained ultra‐high power‐conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 19.1 %, 18.7 %, and 18.8 %, respectively, compared with the binary OSCs (PCE=17.4 %). SF‐BTA1‐3 can work as energy donors to increase charge generation via energy transfer. In addition, the charge transfer between PM6 and SF‐BTA1‐3 also acts to enhance charge generation. Introducing SF‐BTA1‐3 could form acceptor alloys to modify the molecular energy level and inhibit the self‐aggregation of Y6, thereby reducing energy loss and balancing charge transport. Our success in 3D multi‐arm materials as the third component shows good universality and brings a new perspective. The further functional development of multi‐arm materials could make OSCs more stable and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In situ growth of NiFe-LDH by depositing porous Ni layer on Ni mesh. • NiFe-LDH/Ni/NM electrodes exhibit excellent catalytic activity. • The Ni/NM || NiFe-LDH/Ni/NM electrolyzer exhibits excellent stability at large current densities. The use of non-noble metals to prepare effective and stable catalysts is an excellent technique that reduces the cost and energy consumption of hydrogen synthesis using water electrolysis. In this study, a porous Ni layer was first electrodeposited on the surface of Ni mesh (NM) as a substrate, and then Ni/NM electrodes were prepared by CV oxidation for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); NiFe-LDH/Ni/NM electrodes were prepared by a hydrothermal approach for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The electrode has excellent electrocatalytic performance; when the current density reaches 10 and 100 mA cm−2, the Ni/NM electrode's HER overpotential is 65 and 178 mV, respectively; when the current density reaches 100 mA cm−2, the NiFe-LDH/Ni/NM electrode's OER overpotential is 236 mV. As cathode and anode, when the Ni/NM || NiFe-LDH/Ni/NM electrolyzer was constructed for total water splitting in 1 M KOH, the cell voltages required 1.53 V and 1.80 V were to achieve 20 and 100 mA cm−2 current density. When simulating industrial applications at high current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm−2, the electrolyzer retains stability for at least 154 h. This study can offer an effective strategy for the preparation of structurally stable electrocatalysts from large current water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat generated during operation of microelectronic devices often adversely affects product performance. A remedy for this problem can be through the incorporation of nanofluidic microchannel heat sinks. Advanced working fluids and channel structures can be used to improve the heat transfer performance of the microchannel heat sink. First, thermal resistance is treated as a single objective function, the geometry of the microchannel was optimized using a genetic algorithm. The flow and heat transfer characteristics of the optimized microchannel are analyzed. The effect of different nanofluid volume fractions and geometric parameters on the inlet and outlet pressure drop, flow resistance coefficient, substrate temperature, Nusselt number (Nu), and system thermal resistance in the fractal microchannel are investigated. The thermal resistance of Al2O3 nanofluid with a volume fraction of 5% is 12.5–14.7% lower than that of deionized water, and the microchannel substrate temperature is 6.26 °C lower than that of deionized water. [Display omitted] • Al 2 O 3 -water nanofluid is considered as the working coolant. • The structure of microchannel was optimized by genetic algorithm. • The optimal design is shown to be superior to the existing designs in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the spectral absorption effect of ZnO thin film, a wide measurement-range fiber optical temperature sensor with a sensitivity of 0.06m/°C is proposed. By optimally designing the sensing head structure and using the light sources with different bandwidths (8nm, 30nm and 47nm), the temperature-dependent transmission spectra from the sensor are measured and investigated experimentally. The results show that the spectral transmittance curves become smoother with the increased bandwidth of the incident light, and the red shift of the absorption edge is almost the same when the temperature is increased by 50K. Using the annealed ZnO thin film and the optimized light source (47nm), the temperature resolution of the designed sensor reaches approximately 1°C in a wide temperature range 373–873K. Besides a wide measurement range, the temperature sensor has some other advantages such as a simple optical structure, a low cost and a good stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reflective fiber temperature sensor based on the optical temperature dependent characteristics of a quantum dots (QDs) thin film is developed by depositing the CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots on the SiO glass substrates. As the temperature is changed from 30 to 200°C, the peak wavelengths of PL spectra from the sensing head increase linearly with the temperature, while the peak intensity and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of PL spectra vary exponentially according to the specific physical law. Using the obtained temperature-dependent peak-wavelength shift, the average resolution of the designed fiber temperature sensor can reach 0.12 nm/°C, while it reaches 0.056 nm/°C according to the FWHM of PL spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, robotic sensor systems have gained more attention annually in complex system sense strategies. The robotic sensors sense the information from itself and the environment, and fuse information for the use of perception, decision, planning, and control. As an important supplement to traditional industrial robots, co-bots (short for co-working robots) play an increasingly vital role in helping small and medium-sized enterprises realize intelligent manufacturing. They have high flexibility and safety so that they can assist humans to complete highly repetitive and high-precision work. In order to maintain robot safe operation in the increasing complex working environment and human–computer intelligent interactive control, this paper is concerned with the problem of applicant accuracy analysis and singularity avoidance for co-bots. Based on the dynamic model with load and torque sensors, which is used to detect the external force at the end of the robot, this paper systematically analyzes the causes of singularity phenomenon in the robot motion control. The inverse solution is obtained by analytical method and numerical method, respectively. In order to ensure the smooth and safe operation in the whole workspace, it is necessary for a robot to avoid singularity. Singularity avoidance schemes are utilized for different control tasks, including point-to-point control and continuous path control. Corresponding simulation experiments are designed to verify the effectiveness of different evasion schemes, in which the advantages and disadvantages are compared and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ring‐opening addition reaction of activated vinyl cyclopropanes with N‐tosylhydrazones in the presence of palladium(0) and triphenylphosphine affords N‐tosylhydrazone butenylmalonate compounds. Aromatic aldehyde‐derived N‐tosylhydrazones produced terminal and internal N‐allylated products, in which the terminal products are the main. While ketone‐derived tosylhydrazones produced only terminal addition products. The transformation relationship of the terminal and internal N‐allylated products in the reaction was also observed. A reasonable mechanism is proposed based on preliminary experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Conjugated polyelectrolyte was developed and used as a dopant in PSCs. • PPNNA doping improves the formation of the perovskite film. • PPNNA doping realizes efficient surface passivation and electron extraction. • PPNNA can significantly enhance device performance and stability. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved great success in the past few years because of outstanding photovoltaic performance. However, the existence of electronic trap states in the perovskite film is an obstacle for the fabrication of high-performance and stable PSCs. Herein, a linear conjugated polyelectrolyte was developed and employed as a dopant to improve the performance and stability of the perovskite film. The PPNNA doping can passivate surface defects to reduce the electronic trap states in the perovskite film, while simultaneously enhancing the electron extraction and transport to achieve high-efficiency solar cells. Furthermore, the PPNNA-doped perovskite film shows better stability from efficient surface passivation. The optimal 0.4% PPNNA-doped device exhibits better photovoltaic efficiency (20.38%) with enhanced device stability as compared to the control device (18.51%). This novel method by doping with the conjugated polyelectrolyte provides a pathway to fabricate high-efficiency and stable inverted PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work designed and synthesized a novel D'-A-DA'D-A-D' typed fused-ring-conjugated small-molecule cathode interlayer material (named FY1) to fabricate high-efficiency inverted PSCs and mini-PSC modules. FY1 improves electron transport, reduces energy barriers, and is ethanol-soluble for easy processing. It increases PSCs' performance, achieving 23.72% PCE and 82.3% FF, and maintains 98.5% efficiency after 850 h. [Display omitted] • A conjugated small molecule was developed and used as a CIL in PSCs. • FY1 improves interfacial contact and electron extraction. • FY1 modification realizes the work function of Ag and reduces the energy barrier. • FY1 can enhance the device performance and stability of the PSC modules. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) represent a highly promising photovoltaic technology wherein a low-work function metal cathode is essential for efficient electron collection. The effectiveness of PSCs is significantly enhanced by a well-designed cathode interface layer (CIL). Characterized by their simple structure and impressive modification capabilities, small-molecule CILs hold considerable commercial potential for advancing the performance of PSCs. Herein, we synthesized a conjugated small-molecule CIL, named FY1, for modulating the cathode interface of inverted PSCs to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long-term stability. FY1 not only optimized the molecule/metal contact to reduce traps but also uniformly improved the efficiency and speed of extracting photogenerated electrons, facilitating their effective extraction at the cathode interface. FY1 modification reduced the work function of Ag, subsequently lowering the energy barrier for electron transfer from the electron transport layer to the external cathode metal. By employing FY1 as a CIL, a record-high PCE of 23.72 % and a fill factor of 82.3 % were achieved in inverted PSCs. Furthermore, FY1 modification increased the PCE of PSC modules with an active area of 14 cm2 to 21.8 %; after continuous illumination for 850 h, it retained approximately 98.5 % of the initial efficiency. These findings show that FY1 can assist in unlocking the full potential of this emerging photovoltaic technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormal lipid metabolism is involved in the development of osteoarthritis (OA). ATP‐binding cassette protein G1 (ABCG1) is crucial in mediating the outflow of cholesterol, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin and reducing intracellular lipid accumulation. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether ABCG1 participates in the abnormal adipogenesis of chondrocytes in osteoarthritic cartilage of temporomandibular joint. Methods: Eight‐week‐old female rats were subjected to unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC) to induce OA in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Histochemical staining, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, and qRT–PCR were performed. Primary condylar chondrocytes of rats were transfected with ABCG1 shRNA or overexpression lentivirus and then stimulated with fluid flow shear stress (FFSS). Cells were collected for oil red O staining, immunofluorescence staining, and qRT–PCR analysis. Results: Abnormal adipogenesis, characterized by increased expression of Adiponectin, CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein α (Cebpα), fatty acid binding protein 4 (Fabp4) and Perilipin1, was enhanced in the degenerative cartilage of TMJ OA in rats with UAC, accompanied by decreased expression of ABCG1. After FFSS stimulation, we observed lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of cultured cells with increased expression of Adiponectin, Cebpα, Fabp4 and Perilipin1 and decreased expression of ABCG1. Knockdown of Abcg1 induced abnormal adipogenesis and differentiation of condylar chondrocytes. Overexpression of ABCG1 alleviated the abnormal adipogenesis and differentiation of condylar chondrocytes induced by FFSS. Conclusions: Abnormal adipogenesis of chondrocytes and decreased ABCG1 expression were observed in degenerative cartilage of TMJ OA. ABCG1 overexpression effectively inhibits the adipogenesis of chondrocytes and thus alleviates TMJ condylar cartilage degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High arsenic (As) groundwaters are generally associated with high concentration of ammonium in Pleistocene-Holocene aquifers. Ammonia/ammonium-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM) play an important role in the nitrogen cycle. To investigate AOM distribution and their diversity in the high As aquifers, 12 samples from deep wells (80–120 m below surface level) and another 12 samples from shallow wells (15–30 m) in the Hetao Plain of Inner Mongolia were taken for this investigation. Anammox bacteria were mainly detected in deep wells while ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) were detected only in shallow wells. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were detected in both shallow wells and deep wells. Anammox bacteria were diverse, but primarily composed of Candidatus Brocadia, Ca. Kuenenia, Ca. Scalindua, Ca. Jettenia, and unidentified groups. Only two genera were detected in both AOA and AOB, which were dominated by Nitrosopumilus (79%–100%) and Nitrosomonas (83.3%–100%), respectively. The distribution of AOM in high arsenic groundwater was associated with hydrogeological conditions and geochemical factors including oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), dissolved oxygen (DO), total organic carbon (TOC), and concentrations of As, NH 4 +-N, NO 2 −-N, and Fe. The qPCR results showed ratios of hzo / hzsB and amoA genes to 16S rRNA genes in shallow and deep wells varied widely (0.12%–3.04%). Positive correlations were observed between hzo /Arch- amoA gene abundances and Fe(II) as well as Fe(II) and As, implying microbial ammonia/ammonium oxidizing might be linked to iron reduction and As release. This work improves our understanding of the nitrogen cycle in high As aquifer systems. • The AOM distribution was associated with hydrogeochemical conditions in aquifers. • AOA and anammox bacteria were distributed in shallow and deep aquifer, respectively. • Anammox bacteria were diverse, dominated by four genera and unidentified groups. • AOA and AOB were dominated by Nitrosopumilus and Nitrosomonas , respectively. • Microbial NH 3 /NH 4 + oxidizing might be linked to iron reduction and As release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A naphthalene imide dimer was developed and used as an interfacial material. • 2FBT2NDI layer achieves efficient surface passivation and electron extraction. • The modified PSCs show superior photovoltaic performance (20.1%). • 2FBT2NDI could be used to obtain commercializable high-performance PSCs. How to design and synthesize interfacial engineered materials that have efficient surface passivation and electron extraction properties is an important problem in the field of optoelectronic materials. Herein, a simple naphthalene imide dimer, namely 2FBT2NDI, is developed by Stille coupling reaction with a high yield, and it is used as interface engineering material for inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Owing to the existence of intermolecular interactions between MAPbI 3 and the 2FBT2NDI layer, the introduction of the interfacial layer can passivate the surface defects of perovskite film and improve interface contact. In addition, 2FBT2NDI exhibits suitable energy levels and high electron mobility because of its large linear conjugated skeleton containing two fluorine atoms, which are beneficial for electron extraction for efficient PSCs. By employing 2FBT2NDI as an interfacial layer, inverted PSCs show a maximum power conversion efficiency of 20.1%, which is over 14% higher than that of the control devices without interfacial layer (17.1%). These results highlight that the naphthalene imide dimer can potentially be used as a commercializable interfacial material for achieving high-performance PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research of non-conjugated organic semiconductor materials with excellent photoelectric properties can promote the development of new materials in the field of material science. Herein, we developed three new oxygen-ether-bridged perylene diimide (PDI) dimers, namely bo -2PDI, oo -2PDI, and bb -2PDI, which were synthesized by coupling reactions with a moderate yield. Owing to the different ether-bridged positions, three PDI dimers exhibit different photophysical and electrochemical properties. Thus, three PDI dimers show strong absorption from 400 to 600 nm, suitable energy levels, and high electron mobilities, which implies that three PDI dimers can be used as the electron acceptors for non-fullerene organic solar cells (OSC). By using PTB7-Th as the donor and three PDI dimers to fabricate the inverted OSCs, the optimal power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.06% was obtained for the bb -2PDI-based OSC without any additive. This PCE value was higher than those of bo -2PDI (1.47%) and oo -2PDI (1.24%). Our advances show that oxygen-ether-bridged PDI dimers are promising high-efficiency electron acceptors for non-fullerene OSCs. Image 1 • Three oxygen-ether-bridged dimers were developed by the coupling reaction. • Three PDI dimers exhibit different photophysical and electrochemical properties. • Three PDI dimers show suitable LUMO levels and high electron mobility. • The bb -2PDI-based OSCs show superior photovoltaic performance than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of electron acceptors with suitable green solvent processing and excellent device performance is an important problem that hinders the development and commercialization of organic solar cells (OSCs). Here, an ortho-ortho perylene diimide (PDI) dimer (oo -2PDI) is developed and used as an acceptor for use in efficient green-solvent-processed (GSP) OSCs. By using chlorobenzene (CB), anisole, and ortho-xylene as the processing solvents, power conversion efficiencies (PCE s) of 5.04%, 5.03%, and 5.78% were achieved without the additive, respectively. In addition, the non-fullerene oo -2PDI-based GSPOSCs show superior photovoltaic performance to [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-based GSPOSCs under identical conditions. Therefore, these results demonstrate the possibility of achieving efficient non-fullerene GSPOSCs. Image 1 • An ortho-ortho perylene diimide dimer is developed and used as an acceptor in efficient GSPOSCs. • By using orhto-xylene as the processing solvents, the power conversion efficiency of 5.78% was achieved. • The oo -2PDI-based GSPOSCs show superior photovoltaic performance to PCBM-based GSPOSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HPDT is developed as an interface material in perovskite solar cells. • HPDT shows suitable energy levels and high electron mobility. • HPDT can achieve a homogeneous pinhole-free PCBM layer. • The PSC performance is improved with negligible hysteresis and enhanced stability. Fullerene derivatives are promising electron transporting materials for low-temperature processed inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, fullerene derivatives have some disadvantages, e.g. [6,6]-phenyl C 61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) has unmanageable morphology, low electron mobility and easily generated non-radiative recombination, which restrict the performance of PSCs. Herein, a novel n-type small organic molecule, homologous perylene diimide tetramer (HPDT), is designed and synthesized in this work to engineer the interface properties by enhancing interface contact, decreasing energetic barrier and recombination losses. HPDT shows suitable energy levels and high electron mobility and thus will increase the electron mobility during interface engineering in the inverted PSCs. Moreover, coating HPDT on top of perovskite prior to the deposition of PCBM is helpful to achieve a homogeneous pinhole-free PCBM layer, leading to enhanced power conversion efficiency from 17.38% up to 19.75% for inverted MAPbI 3 PSCs along with a negligible hysteresis. Significantly, our results undoubtedly provide new guidelines in exploring n-type organic small molecules for high-performance PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A photonic crystal fiber filled with argon gas was designed. • Pressure-dependent ultra-broadband modulation instability gain was obtained. • Raman competition from ultra-broadband modulation instability gain was found. • Provide a feasible way to get a bandwidth-tunable gain spectrum. Based on the As 2 Se 3 glass photonic crystal fiber (PCF) filled with Argon gas, pressure- and power-dependent modulation instability(MI) gain properties are studied. Two narrow MI gain bandwidths in the Stokes or anti-Stokes region expand gradually with the increasing light power, and merge into an ultra-broadband gain profile eventually by increasing the pump power from 1 W to 9000 W at a fixed gas pressure. Further increasing pump power will result in the reduction of the gain bandwidth and the formation of a constant narrow-band gain peak, which is a novel phenomenon and observed in our work for the first time. When the argon gas pressure is changed from 1 P 0 to 400 P 0 , a similar gain characteristic is also found. However, their maximum gain bandwidths are reduced from 5065 nm to 3833 nm with the increase of the gas pressure, and their pump power required to generate the narrow-band gain spectrum are reduced from 8450 W to 3060 W. These results indicate that the formation of the ultra-broadband MI gain mainly depends on some nonlinear effects rather than stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) effect, while the single gain peak with a narrow bandwidth mainly results from the SRS effect. And they also show that, it is feasible to control the MI gain characteristic in the mid-infrared region by changing the Argon gas pressure in the As 2 Se 3 PCF, and this scheme can also be used in optical communication and spectral shaping in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) acting as one of the most popular and low‐cost polymers is quite suitable for commercialization of organic solar cells but suffers from low power conversion efficiency (PCE) because of the limited matching non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs). One important reason that restricts the enhancement but remains unresolved is the undisclosed contributions of the subtle structure modification to the obvious performance change. In combination with the previous reports and this work, herein A2‐A1‐D‐A1‐A2 type NFAs with single, dual, and triple modifications based on parent BTA3 is designed, including benzyl‐substitution on A2 group (namely Bn modification), fluorine‐substitution on A1 group (namely F modification), and thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene‐substitution on D group (namely TT modification). It is finally found that the binary devices of P3HT with these NFAs underwent unexpected variations in the aspect of molecular optoelectronic property, blend morphological feature and charge generation process. The triple modification (including Bn, F, and TT) gives full play to their unique advantages and consequently increases PCE by 60%. To the knowledge, the obtained optimal PCE is one of the highest values for A2‐A1‐D‐A1‐A2 type NFAs. This study provides clearer insights into the rational substitutions on the A2‐A1‐D‐A1‐A2 acceptors matched with P3HT for high‐performance organic photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, lead halide perovskites have been developing rapidly in the field of photo-electric functional devices. The key to further enhancing its potential in thin-film photo-electronic devices lies in understanding the charge (electron/hole) separation process and its transfer across the interface. In addition to optimizing the preparation conditions, finding excellent electron/hole transport materials is a matter of priority for improving the efficiency of charge separation between different functional layers in optoelectronic devices. In this work, a novel organic metallic functionalized ferrocenyl acetylacetone (FAAT) derivative was developed as a hole transport material (HTM). The very stable lead halide perovskite material and CsPbBr3 quantum dots are used as carrier donors, and data from TRPL show that the addition of FAAT can improve the carrier separation efficiency at the quantum dot interface by at least 64.6%. Moreover, the excited state dynamics data from transient absorption experiments also show that the excited state dynamics of quantum dots rapidly change from the fluorescence relaxation process (2440 ps) to the hole transfer process (263 ps) after the addition of FAAT. FAAT was used as a dopant-free HTM to improve the photovoltaic performance of the inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). As a result, the optimal FAAT-based device efficiency reached 19.05%. All these studies indicate that FAAT is expected to be a cost-effective and chemically stable hole transport material for efficient PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries (RAZBs) suffer from the structural degradation of the layered oxide cathode, parasitic side reaction on the Zn foil as well as often‐overlooked self‐discharge phenomenon at the elevated temperatures. Herein, this study presents a thin‐layer (9 µm) molecular‐engineered separator strategy to achieve the concurrent shelf life, cycling endurance, as well as the practical energy density for the RAZBs prototype. On the face‐to‐cathode side, the biphthalic anhydride is anchored onto the polyethylene separator substrate (PE) via a robotic arm‐controlled spray‐coating method, inhibiting the spontaneous vanadium dissolution and shuttle at both the dynamic cycling or static high‐temperature storage; meanwhile the 3,3′‐diamino‐4,4′‐dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone molecular tailoring on the face‐to‐anode side provides ion‐sieving capability to repel detrimental SO42−, yet guiding uniform Zn2+ influx and preferential deposits accumulation along the (002) crystallographic orientation even at the extreme deposition scenario (20 mA cm−2, 20 mAh cm−2). Upon the layer‐stacked assembly of the V2O5 cathode (2.0 mAh cm−2), molecular‐engineered separator as well as the Zn foil (20 µm), the 0.78 Ah pouch‐format prototype exhibits the superior volumetric/gravimetric energy densities of 133.3 Wh L−1/71.4 Wh kg−1 and extreme power output (444.3 W L−1/238.0 W kg−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead formate (LF) has been successfully prepared from compounds in spent lead-acid batteries by a simple and low-cost method. The irregular sheets of LF pile up to form agglomerated particles. When it is used as an additive in the negative electrode, it makes the electrode perform better and be able to discharge a capacity of 107 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 to 1.75 V; it still discharges 86.5 mAh g−1 after 1200 cycles. EIS shows that the electrode has lower resistance and higher ion diffusion rates than the one without LF. The reason could be that LF produces formic acid when it meets sulfuric acid, and the formic acid could clear up the oxide on lead alloy grid as well as basic lead sulfate in the electrode, thus making the conduction network grow better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In this work, a novel degradation method for less solvent solid state reaction (LSR) is presented. • The results show that the PET material can be fully converted into Na 2 TP and EG by LSR. • The kinetic of waste PET degradation via LSR fits to D2 or D1 model. Wastes plastics have caused serious environmental pollution due to their difficult degradation, therefore, there is an imperious demand for their recycling. It is known that waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be degraded into sodium terephthalate (Na 2 TP) and ethylene glycol (EG) in alkaline aqueous solution, which could be utilized as the raw material for the manufacture of new PET. However, there are some obstacles in the recycling of waste plastics, such as low degradation efficiency, and complicated separation. Here, we report a novel method to degrade waste PET completely at 200 ℃ in 6 h, based on less solvent solid-state reaction (LSR) of PET and NaOH in the presence of a little amount of water and equivalent EG to terephthalate, the obtained product is sodium terephthalate (Na 2 TP) and EG. The kinetic of waste PET degradation fits to D2 or D1 model. Furthermore, into the reaction mixture is a stoichiometric concentrated H 2 SO 4 added to obtain terephthalic acid (TPA) at room temperature. This work provides a strategy with practical application value for efficient and selective degradation of plastics, easy product separation, and recycling of raw materials, and also affords a promising scheme for the recycling economy of other ester-based waste polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]