Melatonin improves the germination rate of cotton seeds under drought stress by opening pores in the seed coat.

The germination of cotton ( L.) seeds is affected by drought stress; however, little is known about the physiological mechanism affecting germination and the effect of melatonin (MT) on cotton seed germination under drought stress. Therefore, we studied the effects of exogenous MT on the antioxidant capacity and epidermal microstructure of cotton under drought stress.

Tandem mass tag-based (TMT) quantitative proteomics analysis reveals the response of fine roots to drought stress in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Background: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the most important cash crops worldwide. Fine roots are the central part of the root system that contributes to plant water and nutrient uptake.

Exogenous melatonin accelerates seed germination in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Seed germination is considered the beginning of the spermatophyte lifecycle, and it is a crucial stage in determining subsequent plant growth and development. Although many previous studies have found that melatonin can promote seed germination, the role of melatonin in cotton germination remains unexamined. The main objective of this study is the characterization of potential promotional effects of melatonin (at doses of 0, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 μM) on cotton seed germination.

Excess Cesium Iodide Induces Spinodal Decomposition of CsPbIBr Perovskite Films.

We report an exploratory study on the crystal formation behavior of CsPbIBr perovskite films by adding excess cesium iodide (CsI). Surprisingly, facile co-crystallization of CsI and CsPbIBr in the form of spinodal decomposition is observed. Significantly, the two phases spontaneously form morphing into a remarkably uniform bicontinuous nanoscale blend with high orientational correlation through the well-matched (110) plane of CsI and the (200) plane of CsPbIBr.

Pinning Down the Anomalous Light Soaking Effect toward High-Performance and Fast-Response Perovskite Solar Cells: The Ion-Migration-Induced Charge Accumulation.

The light soaking effect (LSE) is widely known in perovskite solar cells (PVSCs), but its origin is still elusive. In this study, we show that in common with hysteresis, the LSE is owed to the ion migration in PVSCs. Driven by the photovoltage, the mobile ions in the perovskite materials (MA/I) migrate to the selective contacts, forming a boosted P-i-N junction resulting in enhanced charge separation.

A PCBM Electron Transport Layer Containing Small Amounts of Dual Polymer Additives that Enables Enhanced Perovskite Solar Cell Performance.

is reported that enables high-performance perovskite solar cells with a high power conversion efficiency of 16.2% and with negligible hysteresis. Unlike previous approaches of reducing hysteresis by thermal annealing or fullerene passivation, the success of our approach can be mainly attributed to the doping of the PCBM layer using an insulating polymer (polystyrene) and an amine-containing polymeric semiconductor named PFNOX.

Correction: Iron-doping-enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of nanostructured WO3: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

Correction for 'Iron-doping-enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of nanostructured WO3: a combined experimental and theoretical study' by Teng Zhang et al., Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 2933-2940.

Mesoporous SnO₂ single crystals as an effective electron collector for perovskite solar cells.

Mesoporous single crystals are prized for their fast electron transport and high surface area. Here we report the first synthesis of mesoporous SnO2 single crystals (SnO2 MSCs) by a simple silica-templated hydrothermal method, and its application in solution-processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs). A relatively low efficiency (3.

Iron-doping-enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of nanostructured WO3: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

In this paper, we have studied Fe-doping of nanostructured tungsten trioxide (WO3) and its pronounced effect in promoting the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance. Vertically aligned Fe-doped WO3 nanoflakes on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) were synthesized via the hydrothermal method. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the Fe(3+) substitution at the W(6+) site in the prepared films.