Enhancing the Efficiency and Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells Using Chemical Bath Deposition of SnO Electron Transport Layers and 3D/2D Heterojunctions.

Chemical bath deposition (CBD) is an effective technique used to produce high-quality SnO electron transport layers (ETLs) employed in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By optimizing the CBD process, high-quality SnO films are obtained with minimal oxygen vacancies and close energy level alignment with the perovskite layer. In addition, the 3D perovskite layers are passivated with n-butylammonium iodide (BAI), iso-pentylammonium iodide (PNAI), or 2-methoxyethylammonium iodide (MOAI) to form 3D/2D heterojunctions, resulting in defect passivation, suppressing ion migration and improving charge carrier extraction.

Foldable Hole-Transporting Materials for Merging Electronic States between Defective and Perfect Perovskite Sites.

Defective and perfect sites naturally exist within electronic semiconductors, and considerable efforts to reduce defects to improve the performance of electronic devices, especially in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (ABX ), are undertaken. Herein, foldable hole-transporting materials (HTMs) are developed, and they extend the wavefunctions of A-site cations of perovskite, which, as hybridized electronic states, link the trap states (defective site) and valence band edge (perfect site) between the naturally defective and perfect sites of the perovskite surface, finally converting the discrete trap states of the perovskite as the continuous valence band to reduce trap recombination. Tailoring the foldability of the HTMs tunes the wavefunctions between defective and perfect surface sites, allowing the power conversion efficiency of a small cell to reach 23.

Asymmetrically Substituted 10H,10'H-9,9'-Spirobi[acridine] Derivatives as Hole-Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells.

Hole-transporting materials (HTMs) based on the 10H, 10'H-9,9'-spirobi [acridine] core (BSA50 and BSA51) were synthesized, and their electronic properties were explored. Experimental and theoretical studies show that the presence of rigid 3,6-dimethoxy-9H-carbazole moieties in BSA 50 brings about improved hole mobility and higher work function compared to bis(4-methoxyphenyl)amine units in BSA51, which increase interfacial hole transportation from perovskite to HTM. As a result, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on BSA50 boost power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 22.

Pretreatment of nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells with appropriate concentration of HO enhances their ability to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.

Background: Nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells (NPMSCs) transplantation is a promising treatment for intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). However, the transplanted NPMSCs exhibited weak cell proliferation, high cell apoptosis, and a low ability to resist the harsh microenvironment of the degenerated intervertebral disc. There is an urgent need to explore feasible methods to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of NPMSCs transplantation.

Area-Scalable ZnSnO Electron Transport Layer for Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Modules.

The development of a scalable chemical bath deposition (CBD) process facilitates the realization of electron-transporting layers (ETLs) for large-area perovskite solar modules (PSMs). Herein, a method to prepare a uniform and scalable thick ZnSnO ETL by CBD, which yielded high-performance PSMs, is reported. This ZnSnO ETL exhibits excellent electrical properties and enhanced optical transmittance in the visible region.

The biological effect of cobalt chloride mimetic-hypoxia on nucleus pulposus cells and the comparability with physical hypoxia .

: Nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) are cells extracted from the intervertebral disc and are important for research into intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). NPCs live in an avascular and relatively hypoxic environment. Cobalt chloride (CoCl) has been used in many cell studies to mimic hypoxia.

Exosomes derived from stem cells as an emerging therapeutic strategy for intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degenerative diseases are a common problem in the world, and they cause substantial social and economic burdens for people. The current methods for treating IVD degenerative diseases mainly include surgery and conservative treatment, which cannot fundamentally restore the normal structure of the disc. With continuous research on the mechanism of degeneration and the development of regenerative medicine, rapid progress has been made in the field of regenerative medicine regarding the use of stem cell-derived exosomes, which are active biological substances used in intercellular communication, because they show a strong effect in promoting tissue regeneration.

An Efficient Approach to Fabricate Air-Stable Perovskite Solar Cells via Addition of a Self-Polymerizing Ionic Liquid.

Despite the excellent photovoltaic properties achieved by perovskite solar cells at the laboratory scale, hybrid perovskites decompose in the presence of air, especially at high temperatures and in humid environments. Consequently, high-efficiency perovskites are usually prepared in dry/inert environments, which are expensive and less convenient for scale-up purposes. Here, a new approach based on the inclusion of an in situ polymerizable ionic liquid, 1,3-bis(4-vinylbenzyl)imidazolium chloride ([bvbim]Cl), is presented, which allows perovskite films to be manufactured under humid environments, additionally leading to a material with improved quality and long-term stability.

Stable and High-Efficiency Methylammonium-Free Perovskite Solar Cells.

Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.2% with complex compositional and bandgap engineering. However, the thermal instability of methylammonium (MA) cation can cause the degradation of the perovskite film, remaining a risk for the long-term stability of the devices.

Tuning the Fermi-level of TiO mesoporous layer by lanthanum doping towards efficient perovskite solar cells.

Tuning the band alignment is proved to be an effective way to facilitate carrier transportation and thus enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. Doping the compact layer with metal ions or modifying the interfaces among functional layers in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can appreciably improve the PCE of PSCs. Inspired by the rare earth elemental doping of TiO, which has witnessed the success in photocatalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells, we firstly demonstrated here that La doping in the mesoporous TiO layer of a mesostructured PSC can tune its Fermi level and thus significantly enhance the device PCE.

Subchronic toxicological study of two artemisinin derivatives in dogs.

The objective of our study was to profile and compare the systematic changes between orally administered artesunate and intramuscularly injected artemether at a low dose over a 3-month period (92 consecutive days) in dogs. Intramuscular administration of 6 mg kg-1 artemether induced a decreased red blood cell (RBC) count (anemia), concurrent extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen and inhibition of erythropoiesis in the bone marrow. We also observed a prolonged QT interval and neuropathic changes in the central nervous system, which demonstrated the cortex and motor neuron vulnerability, but no behavioral changes.