An Intermediate-Aided Perovskite Phase Purification for High-Performance Solar Cells.

In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered considerable attention as a prime candidate for next-generation photovoltaic technology. Ensuring the structural stability of perovskites is crucial to the operational reliability of these devices. However, the nonphotoactive yellow phase (δ-FAPbI) of formamidine (FA)-based perovskites is more favorable in thermodynamics, making it challenging to achieve pure α phase in crystallization.

A Bifunctional Imidazolyl Iodide Mediator of Electrolyte Boosts Cathode Kinetics and Anode Stability Towards Low Overpotential and Long-Life Li-O Batteries.

The addition of a redox mediator as soluble catalyst into electrolyte can effectively overcome the bottlenecks of poor energy efficiency and limited cyclability for Li-O batteries caused by passivation of insulating discharge products and unfavorable byproducts. Herein we report a novel soluble catalyst of bifunctional imidazolyl iodide salt additive, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide (DMII), to successfully construct highly efficient and durable Li-O batteries. The anion I can effectively promote the charge transport of LiO and accelerate the redox kinetics of oxygen reduction/oxygen evolution reactions on the cathode side, thereby significantly decreasing the charge/discharge overpotential.

Surface Doping to Suppress Iodine Ion Migration for Stable FAPbI Perovskite Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

Formamidine lead iodide (FAPbI) quantum dots (QDs) have attracted great attention as a new generation of photovoltaic material due to their long carrier diffusion length, benign ambient stability, and light-harvesting ability. However, its large surface area with inherent thermodynamic instability and highly defective ionic termination are still major obstacles to fabricating high-performance devices. Herein, a metallic ion dopant is developed to post-treat FAPbI QDs immediately after their fabrication by using a metal-glutamate salt solution.

Malate initiates a proton-sensing pathway essential for pH regulation of inflammation.

Metabolites can double as a signaling modality that initiates physiological adaptations. Metabolism, a chemical language encoding biological information, has been recognized as a powerful principle directing inflammatory responses. Cytosolic pH is a regulator of inflammatory response in macrophages.

A comprehensive investigation of the impact of cross-linker backbone structure on protein dynamics analysis: A case study with Pin1.

Understanding protein structure is essential for elucidating its function. Cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) has been widely recognized as a powerful tool for analyzing protein complex structures. However, the effect of cross-linker backbone structure on protein dynamic conformation analysis remains less understood.

Successive Reactions of Trimethylgermanium Chloride to Achieve > 26% Efficiency MA-Free Perovskite Solar Cell With 3000-Hour Unattenuated Operation.

The rapidly increased efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) indicates their broad commercial prospects, but the commercialization of perovskite faces complex optimization processes and stability issues. In this work, a simple optimized strategy is developed by the addition of trimethylgermanium chloride (TGC) into FACsPbI precursor solution. TGC triggers the successive interactions in perovskite solution and film, involving the hydrolysis of vulnerable Ge─Cl bond forming Ge─OH group, then forming the hydrogen bonds (O─H···N and O─H···I) with FAI.

Stacking Configurations of Triangular Au and Tetrahedral Au Units in Thiolate-Protected Gold Nanoclusters: Insights into Structural Stability and Growth Mechanisms.

Triangular Au and tetrahedral Au are key structural units in the face-centered cubic gold core of thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters. Understanding their stacking arrangements is essential for elucidating the growth mechanisms of these gold cores. In this study, we design two new isomers of Au(SR) nanoclusters via deliberately adjusting the stacking pattern of Au and Au based on the grand unified model and ring model to show preferable packing arrangements.

Achieving Photocatalytic Overall Nitrogen Fixation via an Enzymatic Pathway on a Distorted CoP Configuration.

Photocatalytic nitrogen (N) fixation over semiconductors has always suffered from poor conversion efficiency owing to weak N adsorption and the difficulty of N≡N triple bond dissociation. Herein, a Co single-atom catalyst (SAC) model with a C-defect-evoked CoP distorted configuration was fabricated using a selective phosphidation strategy, wherein P-doping and C defects co-regulate the local electronic structure of Co sites. Comprehensive experiments and theoretical calculations revealed that the distorted CoP configuration caused a strong charge redistribution between the Co atoms and adjacent C atoms, minimizing their electronegativity difference.

Zeolite Encapsulation to Enhance Interfacial Gas Availability for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production.

The photocatalytic oxidation of water with gaseous oxygen is environmentally benign for the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (HO), but it is currently constrained by the inadequate supply of gaseous oxygen at the catalyst surface in a solid-liquid-gas triple-phase reaction system. Herein, we address this challenge by employing the zeolite encapsulated catalysts that efficiently enrich gaseous oxygen and accelerate the HO synthesis in aqueous conditions. We focus on the classical titania photocatalyst, encapsulating it within siliceous MFI zeolite crystals.

A 17.73 % Solar-To-Hydrogen Efficiency with Durably Active Catalyst in Stable Photovoltaic-Electrolysis Seawater System.

Developing durably active catalysts to tackle harsh voltage polarization and seawater corrosion is pivotal for efficient solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion, yet remains a challenge. We report a durably active catalyst of NiCr-layered double hydroxide (RuNiCr-LDH) with highly exposed Ni-O-Ru units, in which low-loading Ru (0.32 wt %) is locked precisely at defect lattice site (Ru) by Ni and Cr.

In Situ MXene-Controlled Synthesis of Polycrystalline TiO for Highly Efficient Enrichment of Phosphopeptides.

Phosphopeptide enrichment methods based on commercial TiO suffer from difficulties in regulating intermolecular interactions, resulting in low coverage rate and the loss of information on multiphosphorylation sites, thereby limiting comprehensive phosphoproteomic analysis. In this work, MXene TiCT was incorporated into the design of enrichment materials, with its surface structure functionalized and regulated to address the low elution efficiency of TiO for multiphosphorylated peptides. Upon oxidation treatment, the TiCT material formed numerous uniformly distributed TiO nanoparticles on the surface of TiCT-O, providing abundant affinity sites (Ti-O) for selective phosphopeptide enrichment.

Renal Clearable Chiral Manganese Oxide Supraparticles for In Vivo Detection of Metalloproteinase-9 in Early Cancer Diagnosis.

In this study, polypeptide TGGGPLGVARGKGGC-induced chiral manganese dioxide supraparticles (MnO SPs) are prepared for sensitive quantification of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in vitro and in vivo. The results show that L-type manganese dioxide supraparticles (L-MnO SPs) exhibited twice the affinity for the cancer cell membrane receptor CD47 (cluster of differentiation, integrin-associated protein) than D-type manganese dioxide supraparticles (D-MnO SPs) to accumulate at the tumor site after surface modification of the internalizing arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (iRGD) ligand, specifically reacting with the MMP-9, disassembling into ultrasmall nanoparticles (NPs), and efficiently underwent renal clearance. Furthermore, L-MnO facilitates the quantification of MMP-9 in mouse tumor xenografts, as demonstrated by circular dichroism (CD) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 2 h.

Interfacial hydrogen bonds induced by porous FeCr bimetallic atomic sites for efficient oxygen reduction reaction.

Interfacial hydrogen bonds are pivotal in enhancing proton activity and accelerating the kinetics of proton-coupled electron transfer during electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here we propose a novel FeCr bimetallic atomic sites catalyst supported on a honeycomb-like porous carbon layer, designed to optimize the microenvironment for efficient electrocatalytic ORR through the induction of interfacial hydrogen bonds. Characterizations, including X-ray absorption spectroscopy and in situ infrared spectroscopy, disclose the rearrangement of delocalized electrons due to the formation of FeCr sites, which facilitates the dissociation of interfacial water molecules and the subsequent formation of hydrogen bonds.

Real-Time Detection of Dynamic Restructuring in KNiFe F Perovskite Fluorides for Enhanced Water Oxidation.

Mechanistic understanding of how electrode-electrolyte interfaces evolve dynamically is crucial for advancing water-electrolysis technology, especially the restructuring of catalyst surface during complex electrocatalytic reactions. However, for perovskite fluorides, the mechanistic exploration for the influence of the dynamic restructuring on their chemical property and catalytic mechanism is unclear due to their poor conductivity that makes the definition of electrocatalyst structure difficult. Herein, for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), various operando characterizations are employed to investigate the structure-activity relationships of the KNiFe F@NF.

Controllable Active Intermediate in CO Hydrogenation Enabling Highly Selective ,-Dimethylformamide Synthesis via -Formylation.

,-Dimethylformamide (DMF) is a widely used solvent, and its green and low-carbon synthesis methods are in high demand. Herein, we report a new approach for DMF synthesis using a continuous flow reaction system with a fixed-bed reactor and a ZnO-TiO solid solution catalyst. This catalyst effectively utilizes CO, H, and dimethylamine (DMA) as feedstocks, demonstrating performance with 99% DMF selectivity and single-pass DMA conversion approaching thermodynamic equilibrium.

A flexible, water anchoring, and colorimetric ionogel for sweat monitoring.

As water-saturated polymer networks, the easy water loss of hydrogels directly affects their end-use applications. Minimizing the ratio of free water and increasing the ratio of bound water in the gel system has become key to extending the service life. In this work, an ionogel is prepared that effectively regulates the proportion of free water and bound water through the formation of wrinkle angles by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic chains in the gel system and the non-volatile nature of the ionic liquid.

Regulating Strain and Suppressing Defect States Through Polymer Ionization and Chemical Chelation for Efficient Inverted Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells.

Flexible perovskite solar cells (FPSCs) have great promise for applications in wearable technology and space photovoltaics. However, the unpredictable crystallization of perovskite on flexible substrates results in significantly lower efficiency and mechanical durability than industry standards. A strategy is investigated employing the polymer electrolyte poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) to regulate crystallization and passivate defect states in perovskite films on flexible substrates.

Lithocholic acid binds TULP3 to activate sirtuins and AMPK to slow down ageing.

Lithocholic acid (LCA) is accumulated in mammals during calorie restriction and it can activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to slow down ageing. However, the molecular details of how LCA activates AMPK and induces these biological effects are unclear. Here we show that LCA enhances the activity of sirtuins to deacetylate and subsequently inhibit vacuolar H-ATPase (v-ATPase), which leads to AMPK activation through the lysosomal glucose-sensing pathway.

Lithocholic acid phenocopies anti-ageing effects of calorie restriction.

Calorie restriction (CR) is a dietary intervention used to promote health and longevity. CR causes various metabolic changes in both the production and the circulation of metabolites; however, it remains unclear which altered metabolites account for the physiological benefits of CR. Here we use metabolomics to analyse metabolites that exhibit changes in abundance during CR and perform subsequent functional validation.

Thermal deformation compensation scheme to the sub-nanometre level of a piezoelectric offset mirror for MHz repetition rate free-electron laser.

Free-electron laser (FEL) facilities operating at MHz repetition rates can emit lasers with average powers reaching hundreds of watts. Partial absorption of this power induces thermal deformation of a few micrometres on the mirror surface. Such deformation degrades the characteristics of the reflected photon beam, leading to focal spot aberrations and wavefront distortions that fail to meet experimental requirements.

Highly enhanced reactivity of HCl on the Ag/Au(111) alloy surface via rotational quantum state excitation.

Rotational excitations of reactants are often considered to have little impact on chemical reactivity compared to the excitations of vibrational modes and translational motion. Here, we reveal a significant influence of the rotational excitation of HCl on its dissociation on an Ag/Au(111) alloy surface. This finding is based on six-dimensional time-dependent wave packet calculations performed on an accurately fitted machine learning potential energy surface.

Quantification of multi-pathway metabolites related to folate metabolism and application in natural population with MTHFR C677T polymorphism.

Folate, serving as a crucial micronutrient, plays an important role in promoting human growth and supporting transformations to a variety of metabolic pathways including one-carbon, pyrimidine, purine, and homocysteine metabolism. The 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme is pivotal in the folate metabolic pathway. Polymorphism in the MTHFR gene, especially C677T, was associated with decreased enzyme activity and disturbance of folate metabolism, which is linked to various diseases including birth defects in newborns and neural tube abnormalities.

Simulation and experimental study of local high frequency resistance distribution in proton exchange membrane fuel cells under steady and dynamic conditions.

Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) dry-wet variation during PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) operation markedly affects PEMFC lifespan. Therefore, deeper insights into the mechanical degradation mechanism of PEM require analysis of the membrane dry-wet change process. The stress changes caused by PEM dry-wet variations may induce mechanical failure.