Multiresolution Imaging Using Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer Identifies Distinct Biodistribution Profiles of Extracellular Vesicles and Exomeres with Redirected Tropism.

Extracellular particles (EPs) including extracellular vesicles (EVs) and exomeres play significant roles in diseases and therapeutic applications. However, their spatiotemporal dynamics in vivo have remained largely unresolved in detail due to the lack of a suitable method. Therefore, a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based reporter, PalmGRET, is created to enable pan-EP labeling ranging from exomeres (<50 nm) to small (<200 nm) and medium and large (>200 nm) EVs.

Growth process control produces high-crystallinity and complete-reaction perovskite solar cells.

The growth process control (GPC) method, a new method which is better than thermal evaporation, for producing high-crystallinity perovskites by controlling the growth time in a low vacuum, is explored in this work. Inspired by evaporation technology, GPC is an effective method for modifying traditional thermal evaporation and for controlling the crystal growth of perovskite CHNHI. Compared to fabrication with the process of co-evaporation, the MAPbI perovskite solar cell fabricated by GPC has high uniformity and film coverage.

Viromimetic STING Agonist-Loaded Hollow Polymeric Nanoparticles for Safe and Effective Vaccination against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.

The continued threat of emerging, highly lethal infectious pathogens such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) calls for the development of novel vaccine technology that offers safe and effective prophylactic measures. Here, a novel nanoparticle vaccine is developed to deliver subunit viral antigens and STING agonists in a virus-like fashion. STING agonists are first encapsulated into capsid-like hollow polymeric nanoparticles, which show multiple favorable attributes, including a pH-responsive release profile, prominent local immune activation, and reduced systemic reactogenicity.

Cell-Inspired All-Aqueous Microfluidics: From Intracellular Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation toward Advanced Biomaterials.

Living cells have evolved over billions of years to develop structural and functional complexity with numerous intracellular compartments that are formed due to liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Discovery of the amazing and vital roles of cells in life has sparked tremendous efforts to investigate and replicate the intracellular LLPS. Among them, all-aqueous emulsions are a minimalistic liquid model that recapitulates the structural and functional features of membraneless organelles and protocells.

Synthesis of side-chain regioregular and main-chain alternating poly(bichalcogenophene)s and an ABC-type periodic poly(terchalcogenophene).

Three unsymmetrical diiodobichalcogenophenes , , and and a diiodoterchalcogenophene were prepared. Grignard metathesis of , , , and occurred regioselectively at the lighter chalcogenophene site because of its relatively lower electron density and less steric bulk. Nickel-catalyzed Kumada catalyst-transfer polycondensation of these Mg species provided a new class of side-chain regioregular and main-chain AB-type alternating poly(bichalcogenophene)s-, , and -through a chain-growth mechanism.

Unimolecular decomposition rates of a methyl-substituted Criegee intermediate -CHCHOO.

Criegee intermediates play important roles in atmospheric chemistry. Methyl Criegee intermediate, CHCHOO, has two conformers, - and -conformers. -CHCHOO would undergo fast unimolecular decomposition to form OH radical 1,4 H-atom transfer.

Self-Healing Hydrogels and Cryogels from Biodegradable Polyurethane Nanoparticle Crosslinked Chitosan.

Hydrogels are widely used in tissue engineering owing to their high water retention and soft characteristics. It remains a challenge to develop hydrogels with tunable degradation rates, proper environmental responsiveness, and injectability. In this study, biodegradable difunctional polyurethane (DFPU) nanoparticle dispersions are synthesized from an eco-friendly waterborne process involving the use of glyoxal.

Enhanced Near-Infrared Photoresponse of Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells Through Rational Design of Bulk-Heterojunction Electron-Transporting Layers.

How to extend the photoresponse of perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) to the region of near-infrared (NIR)/infrared light has become an appealing research subject in this field since it can better harness the solar irradiation. Herein, the typical fullerene electron-transporting layer (ETL) of an inverted PVSC is systematically engineered to enhance device's NIR photoresponse. A low bandgap nonfullerene acceptor (NFA) is incorporated into the fullerene ETL aiming to intercept the NIR light passing through the device.

Parameters affecting the synthesis of carbon dots for quantitation of copper ions.

A simple, eco-friendly, and low-cost electrochemical approach has been applied to the synthesis of carbon dots (C dots) from histidine hydrochloride in the absence or presence of halides (Cl, Br, and I) at various potentials up to 10 V. The as-formed C dots refer to C dots, Cl-C, Br-C, and I-C dots. The time-evolution UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra provide more detailed information about the formation of C dots.

Enhancing Efficiency and Stability of Photovoltaic Cells by Using Perovskite/Zr-MOF Heterojunction Including Bilayer and Hybrid Structures.

In this study, the effectiveness of using a perovskite/Zr-metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) heterojunction in realizing efficient and stable inverted p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) is demonstrated. Two types of Zr-MOFs, UiO-66 and MOF-808, are investigated owing to their respectable moisture and chemical stabilities. The MOFs while serving as an interlayer in conjunction with the perovskite film are shown to possess the advantages of UV-filtering capability and enhancing perovskite crystallinity.

Electronic properties of the coronene series from thermally-assisted-occupation density functional theory.

To fully utilize the great potential of graphene in electronics, a comprehensive understanding of the electronic properties of finite-size graphene flakes is essential. While the coronene series with fused benzene rings at each side (designated as -coronenes) are possible structures for opening a band gap in graphene, their electronic properties are not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, because of their radical character, it remains very difficult to reliably predict the electronic properties of the larger -coronenes with conventional computational approaches.

Bis-Tridentate Iridium(III) Phosphors with Very High Photostability and Fabrication of Blue-Emitting OLEDs.

Sky-blue and blue-emitting, carbazolyl functionalized, bis-tridentate Ir(III) phosphors - with bright emission and short radiative lifetime are successfully synthesized in a one-pot manner. They exhibit very high photostability against UV-vis irradiation in degassed toluene, versus both green and true-blue-emitting reference compounds, i.e.

RNA: packaged and protected by VLPs.

Virus Like Particles (VLPs) are devices for RNA packaging, protection and delivery, with utility in fundamental research, drug discovery, and disease treatment. Using for combined expression and packaging of non-viral RNAs into Qβ VLPs, we investigated the extent of chemical protection conferred by packaging of RNA in VLPs. We also probed relationships between packaging efficiency and RNA size, sequence and intrinsic compaction.

Water-soluble cyclometalated platinum(ii) and iridium(iii) complexes: synthesis, tuning of the photophysical properties, and and phosphorescence lifetime imaging.

This paper presents synthesis and photophysical investigation of cyclometalated water-soluble Pt(ii) and Ir(iii) complexes containing auxiliary sulfonated diphosphine (bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (dppb), P^P*) ligand. The complexes demonstrate considerable variations in excitation (extending up to 450 nm) and emission bands (with maxima ranging from 450 to 650 nm), as well as in the sensitivity of excited state lifetimes to molecular oxygen (from almost negligible to more than 4-fold increase in degassed solution). Moreover, all the complexes possess high two-photon absorption cross sections (400-500 GM for Pt complexes, and 600-700 GM for Ir complexes).

The influence of Si(iv) on the reactivity of [[triple bond, length as m-dash]Fe(iii)]/[[triple bond, length as m-dash]Fe(ii)] couples for 2-nitrophenol reduction in γ-AlO suspensions.

In a natural environment, Fe(ii) adsorbed onto the surfaces of natural particles to form various surface complex species can influence the transformation of contaminants. The reductive reactivity of the [[triple bond, length as m-dash]Fe(iii)]/[[triple bond, length as m-dash]Fe(ii)] couples are close correlated with the surrounding conditions. In this study, we investigated the effects of Si(iv) on the reductive reactivity of [[triple bond, length as m-dash]Fe(iii)]/[[triple bond, length as m-dash]Fe(ii)] couples adsorbed onto γ-AlO.

Non-Fermi Liquids as Highly Active Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysts.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role in emerging energy conversion technologies such as rechargeable metal-air batteries, and direct solar water splitting. Herein, a remarkably low overpotential of ≈150 mV at 10 mA cm in alkaline solutions using one of the non-Fermi liquids, HgRuO, is reported. HgRuO displays a rapid increase in current density and excellent durability as an OER catalyst.

Linking leaf veins to growth and mortality rates: an example from a subtropical tree community.

A fundamental goal in ecology is to link variation in species function to performance, but functional trait-performance investigations have had mixed success. This indicates that less commonly measured functional traits may more clearly elucidate trait-performance relationships. Despite the potential importance of leaf vein traits, which are expected to be related to resource delivery rates and photosynthetic capacity, there are few studies, which examine associations between these traits and demographic performance in communities.