Characterization of MPK family members in the genus Citrus (Rutaceae) and analysis of the function of AbMPK13 in the response to citrus canker in Atalantia buxifolia.

Citrus bacterial canker has deleterious effects on global citrus production. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade regulates plant defense against pathogen infection. Here, we identified 11 MAPKs in Atalantia buxifolia, a wild citrus species with high stress tolerance.

Supermolecule-Opitimized Defect Engineering of Rich Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbons for Advanced Zinc-Ion Hybrid Capacitors.

Pitch-based porous carbons with adjustable surface chemical property and controllable pore structure are regarded as promising cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs), while its disordered carbon matrix and microstructure as well as insufficient surface defects often result in low Zn-storage capacity and poor rate capability of ZIHCs. Herein, a synergetic strategy of self-assembled supermolecule and enriched defective carbon engineering was developed to achieve ultrahigh edge-nitrogen doping for ZIHCs. The crystallite defects and surface structure of porous carbon could be effectively achieved through grafting electronegative oxygen-containing small molecules and high-level nitrogen-containing functional groups between modified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and supermolecule framework.

A Low-Noble-Metal Ru@CoMnO Spinel Catalyst for the Efficient Oxidation of Propane.

Noble metals have become a research hotspot for the oxidation of light alkanes due to their low ignition temperature and easy activation of C-H; however, sintering and a high price limit their industrial applications. The preparation of effective and low-noble-metal catalysts still presents profound challenges. Herein, we describe how a Ru@CoMnO spinel catalyst was synthesized via Ru in situ doping to promote the activity of propane oxidation.

Free-standing ultrathin silicon wafers and solar cells through edges reinforcement.

Crystalline silicon solar cells with regular rigidity characteristics dominate the photovoltaic market, while lightweight and flexible thin crystalline silicon solar cells with significant market potential have not yet been widely developed. This is mainly caused by the brittleness of silicon wafers and the lack of a solution that can well address the high breakage rate during thin solar cells fabrication. Here, we present a thin silicon with reinforced ring (TSRR) structure, which is successfully used to prepare free-standing 4.

Osa-miR162a Enhances the Resistance to the Brown Planthopper via α-Linolenic Acid Metabolism in Rice ().

The brown planthopper (BPH) is the most serious pest causing yield losses in rice. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as key modulators of plant-pest interactions. In the study, we found that osa-miR162a is induced in response to BPH attack in the seedling stage and tunes rice resistance to the BPH via the α-linolenic acid metabolism pathway as indicated by gas chromatography/liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

Carbohydrazide-Assisted Morphology and Structure Controlling for Lead-Free CsAgBiBr Double Perovskite Solar Cells.

The stability and toxicity problems have haunted the development and applications of metal halide perovskite materials, for which the lead-free inorganic double perovskite CsAgBiBr has emerged as a promising substitute in recent years. However, poor film quality has severely limited its photovoltaic performance that could have been induced by some key factors such as high annealing temperature. Herein, we present a facile strategy to fabricate high-quality pinhole-free CsAgBiBr films with large grain sizes by introducing carbohydrazide (CBH) into the precursor.

Utilization of nitrogen, sulfur co-doped porous carbon micron spheres as bifunctional electrocatalysts for electrochemical detection of cadmium, lead and mercury ions and oxygen evolution reaction.

The development of high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction and heavy metal ion (HMI) detection is significant and challenging. Here, a novel nitrogen, sulfur co-doped porous carbon sphere bifunctional catalyst was designed and fabricated by hydrothermal followed by carbonization using starch as carbon source and thiourea as nitrogen, sulfur source for HMI detection and oxygen evolution reactions. Under the synergistic effect of pore structure, active sites and nitrogen, sulfur functional groups, C-S-HT-C demonstrated excellent HMI detection performance and oxygen evolution reaction activity.

Evolution of the Composition and Melting Behavior of Spinnable Pitch during Incubation.

The physical and chemical properties of spinnable pitch showed a huge impact on the performance of resultant pitch carbon fiber even if its physical and chemical properties were slightly changed. Various polycyclic aromatic compounds and abundant free radicals existed in spinnable pitch, and there are many interactions among molecules and free radicals. The molecular structure and composition of spinnable pitch were investigated during incubation, and the effect of molecular evaluation on rheological properties of spinnable pitch was illustrated using various characterization methods in this work.

One-step synthesis of SiO nanomesh for antireflection and self-cleaning of solar cell.

SiO nanomaterials are widely used for antireflection and self-cleaning, but the preparation process is usually complex and time-consuming. Hence, we present a facile one-step synthesis of a hydrophobic two-dimensional SiO nanomesh by tuning the reaction temperature using dodecylamine as a catalyst. SiO nanomesh has the advantages of an adjustable refractive index, simple preparation process, and low cost, which affords both antireflection and self-cleaning functions for solar cells.

Plasma membrane-nucleo-cytoplasmic coordination of a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase promotes EDS1-dependent plant immunity.

Plants use cell-surface immune receptors to recognize pathogen-specific patterns to evoke basal immunity. ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY (EDS1) is known to be crucial for plant basal immunity, whereas its activation mechanism by pattern recognition remains enigmatic. Here, we show that the fungal pattern chitin induced the plasma membrane-anchored receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase PBS1-LIKE 19 (PBL19) to undergo nuclear translocation in Arabidopsis.

Broadband and photovoltaic THz/IR response in the GaAs-based ratchet photodetector.

High-performance broadband infrared (IR)/terahertz (THz) detection is crucial in many optoelectronic applications. However, the spectral response range of semiconductor-based photodetectors is limited by the bandgaps. This paper proposes a ratchet structure based on the GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction, where the quasi-stationary hot hole distribution and intravalence band absorption from light or heavy hole states to the split-off band overcome the bandgap limit, ensuring an ultrabroadband photoresponse from near-IR to THz region (4 to 300 THz).

Hierarchically nanostructured ZnCS@Co(OH) for high-performance hybrid supercapacitor.

It is a great challenge to achieve both high specific capacity and high energy density of supercapacitors by designing and constructing hybrid electrode materials through a simple but effective process. In this paper, we proposed a hierarchically nanostructured hybrid material combining ZnCoS (ZCS) nanoparticles and Co(OH) (CH) nanosheets using a two-step hydrothermal synthesis strategy. Synergistic effects between ZCS nanoparticles and CH nanosheets result in efficient ion transports during the charge-discharge process, thus achieving a good electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor.

Plant elicitor peptide signalling confers rice resistance to piercing-sucking insect herbivores and pathogens.

Rice is a staple food crop worldwide, and its production is severely threatened by phloem-feeding insect herbivores, particularly the brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens), and destructive pathogens. Despite the identification of many BPH resistance genes, the molecular basis of rice resistance to BPH remains largely unclear. Here, we report that the plant elicitor peptide (Pep) signalling confers rice resistance to BPH.

MnCoO/NiS nanocomposite for hybrid supercapacitor with superior energy density and long-term cycling stability.

MnCoO is regarded as a good electrode material for supercapacitor due to its high specific capacity and good structural stability. However, its poor electrical conductivity limits its wide-range applications. To solve this issue, we integrated the MnCoO with NiS, which has a good electrical conductivity, and synthesized a MnCoO/NiS nanocomposite using a two-step hydrothermal process.

Overexpression of an Osa-miR162a Derivative in Rice Confers Cross-Kingdom RNA Interference-Mediated Brown Planthopper Resistance without Perturbing Host Development.

Rice is a main food crop for more than half of the global population. The brown planthopper (BPH, ) is one of the most destructive insect pests of rice. Currently, repeated overuse of chemical insecticides represents a common practice in agriculture for BPH control, which can induce insect tolerance and provoke environmental concerns.

Enhancement in external quantum efficiency of light-emitting diode based on colloidal silicon nanocrystals.

Herein, we report an enhanced red emission from colloidal silicon nanocrystals (c-Si NCs) solution-processed light-emitting diode. c-Si NCs were synthesized by facile femtosecond laser ablation. Based on the structural characterization and opto-electrics properties analysis, both photoluminescence and electroluminescence arise from the radiative recombination of carriers due to quantum confined effect.

Interfacial and Permeating Modification Effect of n-type Non-fullerene Acceptors toward High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells.

Interface passivation in the electron transport layer (ETL) has emerged as a very important and challenging topic for the improvement of stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, we introduce the n-type small organic molecule Y6 that acts as an effective ETL modifier through surface engineering. As a result, the simple PCBM + Y6 ETL led to significantly stronger light absorption, higher electron extraction ability and transportability, and reduced recombination loss in regular MAPbI PSCs.

Flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors based on PPy/rGO nanocomposite on cotton fabric.

Polypyrrole (PPy) has high electrochemical activity and low cost, so it has great application prospects in wearable supercapacitors. Herein, we have successfully prepared polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide (PPy/rGO) nanocomposite cotton fabric (NCF) by chemical polymerization, which exhibits splendid electrochemical performance compared with the individual. The addition of rGO can block the deformation of PPy caused by the expansion and contraction.

SnO /graphene anode material with multiple oxidation states for high-performance Li-ion batteries.

Tin and its oxides are promising anode materials owing to their high theoretical capacity, rich resource, and environmental benignity. To achieve low cost and green synthesis, a facile synthetic route of SnO /graphene composites is proposed, using a simple galvanic replacement method to quickly obtain abundant foamed tin as raw material and ball milling method to realize a mechanochemical reaction between SnO (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) and graphene. Under different annealing conditions, the foamed tin is converted to tin oxides with multiple oxidation states (SnO, SnO, and SnO).

Porous 3D graphene aerogel co-doped with nitrogen and sulfur for high-performance supercapacitors.

Heteroatom-doped carbon materials with a high specific area, a well-defined porous structure is important to high-performance supercapacitors (SCs). Here, S and N co-doped three-dimensional porous graphene aerogel (NS-3DPGHs) have been synthesized in a facile and efficient self-assembly process with thiourea acting as the reducing and doping agent solution. Operating as a SC electrode, fabricated co-doping graphene, i.

Electrochemical Deposition of CsPbBr Perovskite for Photovoltaic Devices with Robust Ambient Stability.

Alkali halide perovskites have emerged as representative candidates for novel opto-electronic devices owing to their balanced efficiency and stability. However, their fabrication method still remains a challenging topic with conflicts among their effectiveness, complexity, and cost. Herein, a complete two-step electrochemical method has been applied in the fabrication of inorganic perovskites for the first time.

High-Efficiency Silicon Inverted Pyramid-Based Passivated Emitter and Rear Cells.

Surface texturing is one of the most important techniques for improving the performance of photovoltaic (PV) device. As an appealing front texture, inverted pyramid (IP) has attracted lots of research interests due to its superior antireflection effect and structural characteristics. In this paper, we prepare high-uniform silicon (Si) IPs structures on a commercial monocrystalline silicon wafer with a standard size of 156 × 156 mm employing the metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and alkali anisotropic etching technique.

A High-Performance Carbonate-Free Lithium|Garnet Interface Enabled by a Trace Amount of Sodium.

Garnet-type solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are promising for the realization of next-generation high-energy-density Li metal batteries. However, a critical issue associated with the garnet electrolytes is the poor physical contact between the Li anode and the garnet SSE and the resultant high interfacial resistance. Here, it is reported that the Li|garnet interface challenge can be addressed by using Li metal doped with 0.

Hierarchy of interfacial passivation in inverted perovskite solar cells.

The crucial hierarchy of the interfacial passivation at different positions of perovskite solar cells together with the corresponding mechanism has been studied despite the selection of passivation mediums in this work. The passivation on the upper interface could more effectively enhance the device performance with an efficiency of 19.55% compared to the pristine and lower passivated cells (15.

Engineered Artificial MicroRNA Precursors Facilitate Cloning and Gene Silencing in Arabidopsis and Rice.

Plant genome sequences are presently deciphered at a staggering speed, due to the rapid advancement of high-throughput sequencing technologies. However, functional genomics significantly lag behind due to technical obstacles related to functional redundancy and mutant lethality. Artificial microRNA (amiRNA) technology is a specific, reversible, and multiplex gene silencing tool that has been frequently used in generating constitutive or conditional mutants for gene functional interrogation.