Van der Waals Coupled Organic Molecules with Monolayer MoS for Fast Response Photodetectors with Gate-Tunable Responsivity.

As a direct-band-gap transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), atomic thin MoS has attracted extensive attention in photodetection, whereas the hitherto unsolved persistent photoconductance (PPC) from the ungoverned charge trapping in devices has severely hindered their employment. Herein, we demonstrate the realization of ultrafast photoresponse dynamics in monolayer MoS by exploiting a charge transfer interface based on surface-assembled zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) molecules. The formed MoS/ZnPc van der Waals interface is found to favorably suppress the PPC phenomenon in MoS by instantly separating photogenerated holes toward the ZnPc molecules, away from the traps in MoS and the dielectric interface.

Fused Isoindigo Ribbons with Absorption Bands Reaching Near-Infrared.

Through fusing isoindigo (IID) units at 6,7;6',7'-positions, a series of new near-infrared (NIR) absorbing and stable ribbon-like conjugated molecules, namely nIIDs in which n represents the number of IID units, have been synthesized. The optical band gaps of the molecules are lowered from 2.03 eV of 1IID to 1.

Hierarchical theranostic nanomedicine: MRI contrast agents as a physical vehicle anchor for high drug loading and triggered on-demand delivery.

The loading of drugs and imaging agents in theranostic nanomedicines by a physical approach is usually poor (<5%), which limits their therapeutic effect and translation potential. We report a hierachical hybrid nanocarrier made of a manganese phosphate core, an outermost lipid shell, and an electrostatically deposited campothecin phosphonate interfacial middle layer. The hydrophobic interactions between camptothecin and lipid layers maintained the integrity and stability of the hybrid nanocarrier.

Pharmaceutical micelles featured with singlet oxygen-responsive cargo release and mitochondrial targeting for enhanced photodynamic therapy.

The efficacy of nanoparticulate photodynamic therapy is often compromised by the short life time and limited diffusion radius of singlet oxygen as well as uncontrolled intracellular distribution of photosensitizer. It was hypothesized that rapid photosensitizer release upon nanoparticle internalization and its preferred accumulation in mitochondria would address the above problems. Hence, the aim of this study was to engineer a multifunctional micellar nanosystem featured with singlet oxygen-responsive cargo release and mitochondria-targeting.

Metal-Organic Framework Derived Core-Shell Co/CoO@N-C Nanocomposites as High Performance Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with diverse structures, adjustable pore sizes, and high surface areas have exhibited awesome potential in many fields. Here we report a simple carbonization strategy to obtain a series of core-shell structured Co/CoO nanoparticles encapsulated into nitrogen-doped carbon shells from cobalt-based metal-organic framework precursors at different carbonization temperatures. When it is applied as an anodes for lithium ion batteries, the Co/CoO@N-C-700 electrode delivers a maximum initial discharge capacity of 1535 mAh g, the highest reversible capacity (903 mAh g at a current density of 100 mA g after 100 cycles), and the best rate performance (i.

Improvement of mimetic peroxidase activity of gold nanoclusters on the luminol chemiluminescence reaction by surface modification with ethanediamine.

Peroxidase is a commonly used catalyst in luminol-H O chemiluminescence (CL) reactions. Natural peroxidase has a sophisticated separation process, short shelf life and unstable activity, therefore it is important to develop peroxidases that have both high catalytic activity and good stability as alternatives to the natural enzyme. Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) are an alternative peroxidase with catalytic activity in the luminol-H O CL reaction.

Construction of Polarized Carbon-Nickel Catalytic Surfaces for Potent, Durable, and Economic Hydrogen Evolution Reactions.

Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solution is hindered by its sluggish kinetics toward water dissociation. Nickel-based catalysts, as low-cost and effective candidates, show great potentials to replace platinum (Pt)-based materials in the alkaline media. The main challenge regarding this type of catalysts is their relatively poor durability.

N-Type 2D Organic Single Crystals for High-Performance Organic Field-Effect Transistors and Near-Infrared Phototransistors.

Organic field-effect transistors and near-infrared (NIR) organic phototransistors (OPTs) have attracted world's attention in many fields in the past decades. In general, the sensitivity, distinguishing the signal from noise, is the key parameter to evaluate the performance of NIR OPTs, which is decided by responsivity and dark current. 2D single crystal films of organic semiconductors (2DCOS) are promising functional materials due to their long-range order in spite of only few molecular layers.

A multifunctional MOF as a recyclable catalyst for the fixation of CO with aziridines or epoxides and as a luminescent probe of Cr(vi).

A multifunctional metal-organic framework (1) containing 24-nuclear zinc nanocages shows high solvent- and pH-stability. Compound 1 can be employed as a catalyst for the conversion of CO2 with aziridines or epoxides, which can be reused at least ten times just by a simple and rapid method. The PXRD of compound 1 after ten recyclings remains well consistent with the original one.

Enhancement effect of p-iodophenol on gold nanoparticle-catalyzed chemiluminescence and its applications in detection of thiols and guanidine.

In the present study, the effects of nine compounds on the luminol-O chemiluminescence (CL) reaction catalyzed by gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were investigated. p-Iodophenol (PIP), known as a traditional enhancer in horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed luminol-HO CL reaction, exhibited the highest enhancement effect on the luminol-O-Au NPs CL reaction. The addition of PIP at a final concentration of 1.

Medium-Bandgap Small-Molecule Donors Compatible with Both Fullerene and Nonfullerene Acceptors.

Much effort has been devoted to the development of new donor materials for small-molecule organic solar cells due to their inherent advantages of well-defined molecular weight, easy purification, and good reproducibility in photovoltaic performance. Herein, we report two small-molecule donors that are compatible with both fullerene and nonfullerene acceptors. Both molecules consist of an (E)-1,2-di(thiophen-2-yl)ethane-substituted (TVT-substituted) benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) as the central unit, and two rhodanine units as the terminal electron-withdrawing groups.

2D GeP: An Unexploited Low-Symmetry Semiconductor with Strong In-Plane Anisotropy.

Germanium phosphide (GeP), a new member of the Group IV-Group V compounds, is introduced into the fast growing 2D family with experimental and theoretical demonstration of strong anisotropic physical properties. The indirect band gap of GeP can be drastically tuned from 1.68 eV for monolayer to 0.

Narrowing the diversification of supramolecular assemblies by preorganization.

We designed and synthesized three phosphorylated peptides as precursors of the same peptide Nap-YYY. We found that different precursors led to different materials with almost identical chemical compositions at the final stages. Only Nap-YpYY could form very uniform nanofibers in a stable supramolecular hydrogel by enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA) at the physiological temperature (37 °C).

Novel Balanced Charged Alginate/PEI Polyelectrolyte Hydrogel that Resists Foreign-Body Reaction.

Foreign-body reaction (FBR) has been a long-term obstacle for implantable biomedical devices and materials, especially to those that require mass/signal transport between the implants and the body. However, currently, very limited biomaterials can mitigate FBR. In this work, we develop a balanced charged polyelectrolyte hydrogel that can efficiently resist FBR and collagenous capsule formation in a mouse model.

Transition-Metal-Triggered High-Efficiency Lithium Ion Storage via Coordination Interactions with Redox-Active Croconate in One-Dimensional Metal-Organic Anode Materials.

Coordination polymers (CPs) have powerful competence as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their structural diversity, tunable functionality, and facile and mild synthetic conditions. Here, we show that two isostructural one-dimensional croconate-based CPs, namely, [M(CO)(HO)] (M = Mn for 1 and Co for 2; CO = croconate dianion), can work as high-performance electrode materials for rechargeable LIBs. By means of the coordination between the redox-active transition metal ion and the ligand, the anode materials were stable in the electrolyte and showed high capacities, impressive rate capabilities, and excellent cycling performance during the discharging/charging processes.

Catalytic Effects in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Promoted Sulfur Transformation and Reduced Shuttle Effect.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery has emerged as one of the most promising next-generation energy-storage systems. However, the shuttle effect greatly reduces the battery cycle life and sulfur utilization, which is great deterrent to its practical use. This paper reviews the tremendous efforts that are made to find a remedy for this problem, mostly through physical or chemical confinement of the lithium polysulfides (LiPSs).

Photo-triggered micelles: simultaneous activation and release of microtubule inhibitors for on-demand chemotherapy.

The nonspecific biodistribution of cytotoxic drugs and associated adverse effects greatly limit the efficacy and patient compliance of chemotherapy. To address this, we employed a photoswitchable microtubule inhibitor (Azo-CA4) that was physically loaded in cyclodextrin-bearing micellar nanocarriers through the host-guest interaction. Azo-CA4 was only activated upon ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation to trigger the transition from the "trans" (inactive) to "cis" (active) state.

In Situ Probing Intracellular Drug Release from Redox-Responsive Micelles by United FRET and AIE.

Redox-responsive micelles are versatile nanoplatforms for on-demand drug delivery, but the in situ evaluation of drug release is challenging. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique shows potential for addressing this, while the aggregation-caused quenching effect limits the assay sensitivity. The aim of the current work is to combine aggregation-induced emission (AIE) probe with FRET to realize drug release assessment from micelles.

Zero-Order Release of Gossypol Improves Its Antifertility Effect and Reduces Its Side Effects Simultaneously.

Gossypol was considered a promising male contraceptive but finally failed due to two side effects: hypokalemia and the irreversibility of its contraceptive effect. Here we demonstrate that sustained zero-order release could be a solution for these problems. The in vitro release of gossypol from gossypol/PEG layer-by-layer films follows a perfect zero-order kinetics.

Quinoline-Flanked Diketopyrrolopyrrole Copolymers Breaking through Electron Mobility over 6 cm V s in Flexible Thin Film Devices.

Herein, the design and synthesis of novel π-extended quinoline-flanked diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) [abbreviated as QDPP] motifs and corresponding copolymers named PQDPP-T and PQDPP-2FT for high performing n-type organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) in flexible organic thin film devices are reported. Serving as DPP-flankers in backbones, quinoline is found to effectively tune copolymer optoelectric properties. Compared with TDPP and pyridine-flanked DPP (PyDPP) analogs, widened bandgaps and strengthened electron deficiency are achieved.

Ethanol synthesis from syngas over Cu(Pd)-doped Fe(100): a systematic theoretical investigation.

Although the reaction mechanism of syngas on Fe or Cu(Pd)-doped Fe has been studied extensively both experimentally and theoretically, the systematic prediction of the catalytic activity and selectivity for the formation of ethanol at the molecular level has not been reported to the best of our knowledge. In our present work, density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate the reaction mechanisms of the synthesis of ethanol, methanol, and methane from syngas over bimetallic Cu/Fe and Pd/Fe catalysts. Possible elementary steps involved in the formation of ethanol from syngas have been studied from thermodynamic and kinetic viewpoints.

Interpenetration-Dependent Luminescent Probe in Indium-Organic Frameworks for Selectively Detecting Nitrofurazone in Water.

Two novel anionic In-MOFs V101 and V102 were synthesized and structurally characterized. The structrual transformation from 2-fold interpenetration to noninterpenetration was completed by changing solvent from DMF to DEF. Luminescence investigations reveal that only V102 not V101 can sensitively and selectively detect traces of antibiotics nitrofurazone in water solution via an environmentally friendly manner, and the detection limit can reach to 0.

n-Type Azaacenes Containing B←N Units.

We disclose a novel strategy to design n-type acenes through the introduction of boron-nitrogen coordination bonds (B←N). We synthesized two azaacenes composed of two B←N units and six/eight linearly annelated rings. The B←N unit significantly perturbed the electronic structures of the azaacenes: Unique LUMOs delocalized over the entire acene skeletons and decreased aromaticity of the B←N-adjacent rings.

Tandem Molecular Self-Assembly in Liver Cancer Cells.

We herein describe the tandem molecular self-assembly of a peptide derivative (1) that is controlled by a combination of enzymatic and chemical reactions. In phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), compound 1 self-assembles first into nanoparticles by phosphatase and then into nanofibers by glutathione. Liver cancer cells exhibit higher concentrations of both phosphatase and GSH than normal cells.

Tunable white-light emission by supramolecular self-sorting in highly swollen hydrogels.

Fluorescence-tunable hydrogels especially emitting white-light were achieved by swelling hydrogels in solutions containing two kinds of dyes. The fluorescence of the dyes was enhanced by the orthogonal supramolecular complexation with different binding sites in the hydrogels.