Dynamics of Energy Transfer in a Conjugated Dendrimer Driven by Ultrafast Localization of Excitations.

Solar energy conversion starts with the harvest of light, and its efficacy depends on the spatial transfer of the light energy to where it can be transduced into other forms of energy. Harnessing solar power as a clean energy source requires the continuous development of new synthetic materials that can harvest photon energy and transport it without significant losses. With chemically-controlled branched architectures, dendrimers are ideally suited for these initial steps, since they consist of arrays of chromophores with relative positioning and orientations to create energy gradients and to spatially focus excitation energies.

Microfluidic experiments reveal that antifreeze proteins bound to ice crystals suffice to prevent their growth.

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a subset of ice-binding proteins that control ice crystal growth. They have potential for the cryopreservation of cells, tissues, and organs, as well as for production and storage of food and protection of crops from frost. However, the detailed mechanism of action of AFPs is still unclear.