Carboxylate-Containing Wide-Bandgap Polymers for High-Voltage Non-Fullerene Organic Solar Cells.

As one of the polymer modification strategies, carboxylate functionalization has proved effective in downshifting the energy levels and enhancing polymer crystallinity and aggregation. However, high-performance carboxylate-containing polymers are still limited for organic solar cells (OSCs), especially with open-circuit voltage () above 1.0 V.

Microfluidic-based exosome isolation and highly sensitive aptamer exosome membrane protein detection for lung cancer diagnosis.

Non-invasive methods of detecting cancer by circulating exosomes are challenged by inefficient purification and identification. This study hereby proposed an automated centrifugal microfluidic disc system combined with functionalized membranes (Exo-CMDS) to isolate and enrich exosomes, which will then be processed by a novel aptamer fluorescence system (Exo-AFS) in order to detect the exosome surface proteins in an effective manner. Exo-CMDS features in highly qualified yields with optimal exosomal concentration of 5.

Nanoionics from Biological to Artificial Systems: An Alternative Beyond Nanoelectronics.

Ion transport under nanoconfined spaces is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature and plays an important role in the energy conversion and signal transduction processes of both biological and artificial systems. Unlike the free diffusion in continuum media, anomalous behaviors of ions are often observed in nanostructured systems, which is governed by the complex interplay between various interfacial interactions. Conventionally, nanoionics mainly refers to the study of ion transport in solid-state nanosystems.

Imide-Functionalized Fluorenone and Its Cyanated Derivative Based n-Type Polymers: Synthesis, Structure-Property Correlations, and Thin-Film Transistor Performance.

The development of high-performance n-type polymer semiconductors is powered by the design and synthesis of electron-deficient building blocks with optimized physicochemical properties. By meticulously installing an imide group onto fluorene and its cyanated derivative, we report here two very electron-deficient building blocks, imide-functionalized fluorenone (FOI) and its cyanated derivative (FCNI), both featuring a deep-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level down to -4.05 eV and highly coplanar framework, endowing them ideal units for constructing n-type polymers.

Electrochemical activation-induced surface-reconstruction of NiO microbelt superstructure of core-shell nanoparticles for superior durability electrocatalysis.

The tailoring of intrinsic electronic structures and extrinsic hierarchical morphologies is widely recognized as a promising strategy to enhance the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of electrocatalysts. It is generally accepted that the surface of the transition metal-based electrocatalyst exposed to the alkaline electrolyte is highly oxidized and reconstructed, forming an amorphous layer during the electrochemical process. This amorphous active phase is favorable for OER due to its abundant dangling bonds, vacancies and defects, which is tricky to be rationally prepared by conventional methods.

Zero-dimensional hybrid binuclear manganese chloride with thermally stable yellow emission.

Photoluminescence (PL) thermal quenching of hybrid metal halides blocks their applications. Herein, a novel type of 0D hybrid metal halide, [Pb(CHO)Cl][MnCl], with broad yellow emission and near-unity PL quantum yield is reported. Importantly, it preserves outstanding thermal stability up to 450 K.

Metabolic control of arginine and ornithine levels paces the progression of leaf senescence.

Leaf senescence can be induced by stress or aging, sometimes in a synergistic manner. It is generally acknowledged that the ability to withstand senescence-inducing conditions can provide plants with stress resilience. Although the signaling and transcriptional networks responsible for a delayed senescence phenotype, often referred to as a functional stay-green trait, have been actively investigated, very little is known about the subsequent metabolic adjustments conferring this aptitude to survival.

A molecular framework of ethylene-mediated fruit growth and ripening processes in tomato.

Although the role of ethylene in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening has been intensively studied, its role in tomato fruit growth remains poorly understood. In addition, the relationship between ethylene and the developmental factors NON-RIPENING (NOR) and RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN) during ripening is under debate. Here, we carried out comprehensive genetic analyses of genome-edited mutants of tomato ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 2 (SlEIN2), four EIN3-like genes (SlEIL1-4), and three EIN3 BINDING F-box protein genes (SlEBF1-3).

Dangling Octahedra Enable Edge States in 2D Lead Halide Perovskites.

The structural reconstruction at the crystal layer edges of 2D lead halide perovskites (LHPs) leads to unique edge states (ES), which are manifested by prolonged carrier lifetime and reduced emission energy. These special ES can effectively enhance the optoelectronic performance of devices, but their intrinsic origin and working mechanism remain elusive. Here it is demonstrated that the ES of a family of 2D Ruddlesden-Popper LHPs [BA CsPb Br , BA MAPb Br , and BA MA Pb Br (BA = butylammonium; MA = methylammonium)] arise from the rotational symmetry elevation of the PbBr octahedra dangling at the crystal layer edges.

Synchronized bursts of productivity and success in individual careers.

Notwithstanding a significant understanding of epidemic processes in biological, social, financial, and geophysical systems, little is known about contagion behavior in individual productivity and success. We introduce an epidemic model to study the contagion of scholarly productivity and YouTube success. Our analysis reveals the existence of synchronized bursts in individual productivity and success, which are likely mediated by sustained flows of information within the networks.

Nitrogen and phosphorous recycling from human urine by household electrochemical fixed bed in sparsely populated regions.

Decentralized treatment of human urine in sparsely populated regions could avoid the problem of sewage collection in traditionally centralized treatment schemes and simultaneously utilize the recovered N/P fertilizer in-situ to nurture gardens. Herein, an integrated electrochemical fixed bed packed with divided magnesite and carbon zones was constructed for the pretreatment of human urine, followed by the recovery of 95.0% NH and 85.

Self-assembly of Ni(II) metallacycles (a square and a triangle) supported by tetrazine radical bridges.

Two Ni(II) molecular metallacycles of [Ni(bpz*tz˙)(N)] (1) and [Ni(bpztz˙)(pz(Cl)tz˙)]·1.3CHOH·9.3HO (2) (bpz*tz = 3,6-bis(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazolyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine; bpztz = 3,6-bis(3-phenyl-pyrazolyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine; and pz(Cl)tz = 3-bis(3-phenyl-pyrazolyl)-6-Cl-1,2,4,5-tetrazine) are reported.

sp-to-sp transitions in graphite during cold-compression.

Pressure-induced sp-to-sp transitions in graphite have been studied for decades by experiments and simulations. In general, pressures of 15-18 GPa are needed to initiate structural transitions in graphite at room temperature, and the high-pressure phases are usually unquenchable, as evidenced by resistivity and optical transmittance measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS). However, our Raman results show that the onset transition pressure can be as low as 9.

CLE42 delays leaf senescence by antagonizing ethylene pathway in Arabidopsis.

Leaf senescence is the final stage of leaf development and is influenced by numerous internal and environmental factors. CLE family peptides are plant-specific peptide hormones that regulate various developmental processes. However, the role of CLE in regulating Arabidopsis leaf senescence remains unclear.

New Insights and Predictions into Complex Homogeneous Reactions Enabled by Computational Chemistry in Synergy with Experiments: Isotopes and Mechanisms.

Homogeneous catalysis and biocatalysis have been widely applied in synthetic, medicinal, and energy chemistry as well as synthetic biology. Driven by developments of new computational chemistry methods and better computer hardware, computational chemistry has become an essentially indispensable mechanistic "instrument" to help understand structures and decipher reaction mechanisms in catalysis. In addition, synergy between computational and experimental chemistry deepens our mechanistic understanding, which further promotes the rational design of new catalysts.

[Au(CN)]-Armed [FeFe] Square Complex Showing Unusual Spin-Crossover Behavior Due to a Symmetry-Breaking Phase Transition.

The incorporation of two different cyanide building blocks of [(Tp)Fe(CN)] and [Au(CN)] into one molecule afforded a novel hexanuclear [FeFeAu] complex (), in which the cyanide-bridged [FeFe] square was further grafted by two [Au(CN)] fragments as long arms in orientations. Complex undergoes a gradual spin crossover (SCO) ffrom low-spin (LS) to high-spin (HS) state for the Fe(II) centers upon desolvation. Remarkably, its desolvated phase () exhibits a reversible but atypical two-step (sharp-gradual) SCO behavior with considerable hysteresis (21 K).

Hybrid Layered Double Perovskite Halides of Transition Metals.

Hybrid layered double perovskite (HLDP) halides comprise hexacoordinated 1+ and 3+ metals in the octahedral sites within a perovskite layer and organic amine cations between the layers. Progress on such materials has hitherto been limited to compounds containing main group 3+ ions isoelectronic with Pb (such as Sb and Bi). Here, we report eight HLDP halides from the family, where = -phenylenediammonium (PPDA), 1,4-butanediammonium (1,4-BDA), or 1,3-propanediammonium (1,3-PDA); = Cu or Ag; = Ru or Mo; X = Cl or Br.

Corticosteroid plus glycyrrhizin therapy for chronic drug- or herb-induced liver injury achieves biochemical and histological improvements: a randomised open-label trial.

Background: Treatment of chronic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) or herb-induced liver injury(HILI) is an important and unresolved challenge. There is no consensus regarding the indications for corticosteroids for chronic DILI/HILI.

Aims: To investigate the efficacy and safety of corticosteroid plus glycyrrhizin for patients with chronic DILI/HILI.

Pressure-Induced Amorphization and Crystallization of Heterophase Pd Nanostructures.

Control of structural ordering in noble metals is very important for the exploration of their properties and applications, and thus it is highly desired to have an in-depth understanding of their structural transitions. Herein, through high-pressure treatment, the mutual transformations between crystalline and amorphous phases are achieved in Pd nanosheets (NSs) and nanoparticles (NPs). The amorphous domains in the amorphous/crystalline Pd NSs exhibit pressure-induced crystallization (PIC) phenomenon, which is considered as the preferred structural response of amorphous Pd under high pressure.

Ethylene-responsive factor ERF114 mediates fungal pathogen effector PevD1-induced disease resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF) family transcription factors are well-documented in plant responses to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses, but their roles in mediating elicitor-induced disease resistance remains largely unexplored. PevD1 is a Verticillium dahliae secretory effector that can induce disease resistance in cotton and tobacco plants. In our previous work, Nicotiana benthamiana ERF114 (NbERF114) was identified in a screen of genes differentially expressed in response to PevD1 infiltration.

Circular Dichroism Based Chirality Sensing with Supramolecular Host-Guest Chemistry.

Optical methods are promising to address the ever-increasing demands for chirality analysis in drug discovery and related fields because they are amenable to high-throughput screening. Circular dichroism-based chiroptical sensing using host-guest chemistry is especially appealing due to the fast equilibrium kinetics, wide substrate scope, and potential for sustainable development. In this Minireview, we give an overview on this emerging field.

Conjugated Oligoelectrolytes for Long-Term Tumor Tracking with Incremental NIR-II Emission.

The design and synthesis of the near-infrared (NIR)-II emissive conjugated oligoelectrolyte COE-BBT are reported. COE-BBT has a solubility in aqueous media greater than 50 mg mL , low toxicity, and a propensity to intercalate lipid bilayers, wherein it exhibits a higher emission quantum yield relative to aqueous media. Addition of COE-BBT to cells provides two emission channels, at ≈500 and ≈1020 nm, depending on the excitation wavelength, which facilitates in vitro confocal microscopy and in vivo animal imaging.