Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Mingqing Chen, Yaowen Nian, Zelong Hu, Lianjie Zhang
Summary: This study reveals that modifying alkyl side chains of non-fullerene acceptors can adjust the photovoltaic performance, and the non-fullerene acceptor with hexyl side chains exhibits more compact intermolecular interactions compared to that with octyl side chains. Devices utilizing octyl side chains achieve higher power conversion efficiency in comparison to those using hexyl side chains.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE-MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chenyu Han, Huanxiang Jiang, Pengchao Wang, Lu Yu, Jianxiao Wang, Jianhua Han, Wenfei Shen, Nan Zheng, Shuguang Wen, Yonghai Li, Xichang Bao
Summary: The structure of the BHJ is crucial to the efficiency of organic solar cells, with side chain engineering being a feasible way to manipulate BHJ networks. Isomerization of alkyl chains can reduce the acceptor's crystallinity and enhance the BHJ morphology, leading to improved efficiency.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Simin Wu, Lingxian Meng, Zhe Zhang, Mingpeng Li, Yang Yang, Jian Wang, Hongbin Chen, Changzun Jiang, Xiangjian Wan, Chenxi Li, Zhaoyang Yao, Yongsheng Chen
Summary: A series of acceptor-donor-acceptor type fused-ring non-fullerene acceptors were designed and synthesized. The increased fluorine substitution in FOR-2F enhanced its light harvesting capacity and electron mobility significantly, leading to the highest reported performance for all pyran fused NFAs. The variations of electronic property, charge transport, film morphology, and photovoltaic property induced by fluorine number and location were systematically investigated.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kunyuan Zuo, Tingting Dai, Qiang Guo, Zongtao Wang, Mengzhen Du, Helin Wang, Ailing Tang, Erjun Zhou, Qing Guo, Youdi Zhang
Summary: In this study, we developed two A2-A1-D-A1-A2-type nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) to achieve high-voltage and high-performance organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Chlorine substitution at different positions in the polymer not only affected the photophysical properties but also resulted in different power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) and energy loss (Eloss). The result showed that chlorination is an effective method to modulate the properties of NFAs for high-voltage and high-performance OPVs.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Chao Wang, Feng Liu, Qiao-Mei Chen, Cheng-Yi Xiao, Yong-Gang Wu, Wei-Wei Li
Summary: Benzothiadiazole (BT) is an electron-deficient unit that can be used to construct conjugated polymers for organic solar cells, with significant progress achieved in recent years.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiwen Ji, Xinyu Mu, Hang Yin, Bin Cui, Xiaotao Hao, Kun Gao
Summary: Organic solar cells (OSCs) based on nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) have achieved rapid development, but the role of donor/acceptor (D/A) interfaces in NFA-based heterosystems has not been fully addressed. In this study, we found that the photoinduced spontaneous charge separation efficiency in typical NFA heterosystems can reach up to 67%, while the contribution of the D/A interface to charge separation efficiency is only 25%. The D/A interface plays a more important role in reducing the charge recombination rate and optimizing the competition between radiative and nonradiative charge recombination to minimize the nonradiative voltage loss.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Baofeng Zhao, Weiping Wang, Zhiyuan Cong, Liuchang Wang, Haimei Wu, Shengna Liu, Chao Gao
Summary: This study explores the performance of small-molecule electron-acceptors with twisted main chain geometry in polymer solar cells, developing a novel acceptor i-V-4F to broaden its absorption range. Through matching with different polymer donors, a high conversion efficiency was achieved in PSCs.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christina Cheng, Stephen Wong, Garrett LeCroy, Sebastian Schneider, Enrique Gomez, Michael F. Toney, Alberto Salleo
Summary: The performance of nonfullerene-based organic solar cells is influenced by the morphology of the donor:acceptor blend, which is controlled by the composition. However, it is challenging to identify morphological design rules due to the complex relationship between composition-dependent phase behavior and device properties. In this study, the authors establish a direct link between PM6:Y6 film morphology and device properties by combining X-ray scattering and photocurrent spectroscopy. The results reveal that the charge transfer state at the amorphous-PM6:crystalline-Y6 interfaces controls the open-circuit voltage.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuntong Guo, Zhenyu Chen, Jinfeng Ge, Jintao Zhu, Jinna Zhang, Yuanyuan Meng, Qinrui Ye, Shijie Wang, Fei Chen, Wei Ma, Ziyi Ge
Summary: In this study, a pair of isomeric nonfullerene acceptors based on quinoxaline core were designed and synthesized. The positioning of the alkoxy chain was adjusted to enhance the π-π stacking distance and crystallinity, resulting in improved performance of the organic solar cells. The results demonstrate that fine-tuning the side chains can effectively improve the efficiency of organic solar cells.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Xiaomin Wu, Xiangyu Hao, Ping Deng, Huipeng Chen
Summary: A newly designed and synthesized polymerized small-molecule acceptor, NC-PY6, showed promising results in polymer solar cells with the polymer donor D18, demonstrating the potential of this molecular design strategy for high-performance all-polymer solar cells.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wenqi Song, Lianjie Zhang, Feilong Pan, Xuncheng Liu, Lulu Fu, Hua Geng, Haiying Jiang, Dong Yuan, Yi Liu, Junwu Chen
Summary: The effective electronic coupling on the IDT-based nonfullerene core was investigated by changing the length of the linear alkyl side chain. Short alkyl side chains promoted edge-on orientation, leading to enhanced charge transport.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chentong Liao, Yufei Gong, Xiaopeng Xu, Liyang Yu, Ruipeng Li, Qiang Peng
Summary: Due to their outstanding thermal stability and mechanical properties, All-polymer solar cells (All-PSCs) have attracted increasing attention. However, the prevailing polymer acceptors BTTP-based polymers, have limitations in terms of energy levels and figure of merit (FOM) which restricts the selection of donor polymers. Therefore, the development of low-cost BTP-based polymer acceptors has significant importance.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hao Lin, Muhammad Abdullah Adil, Qian Zhang, Jianqi Zhang, Qiang Wang
Summary: By introducing flexible hexadecyl groups at the fused-ring core of organic small-molecule acceptors and altering the terminal groups to fluorinated or aromatic structures, the photovoltaic performance of nonfullerene acceptors can be greatly enhanced.
ORGANIC ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Jinjing Qiu, Miao Liu, Yang Wang, Xinxin Xia, Qi Liu, Xia Guo, Xinhui Lu, Maojie Zhang
Summary: This study proposes a facile random copolymerization strategy to improve the aggregation strength and charge mobility of polymer solar cells by inserting short alkyl chains in the polymer acceptor. The polymer acceptors with short alkyl chains exhibit better morphology and higher efficiency when matched with the polymer donor.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yongjie Ding, Jianhua Li, Shuaishuai Liu, Yanfang Tan, Kaihang Shi, Yunfei Jiao, Baoxiu Mi, Wenjuan Xu, Zhiqiang Gao
Summary: Two new phenothiazine dyes CBPTZ-BTD1 and CBPTZ-BTD2 were designed and synthesized in this work, with CBPTZ-BTD2 showing higher dye loading and strengthened ICT effect compared to CBPTZ-BTD1, resulting in better photovoltaic performance.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jie Song, Hao Wu, Feng He, Jing Qu, Yue Wang, Chunlong Li, Ji-Hong Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates that CBF1 in sweet orange directly regulates the expression of ADC gene and modulates Put synthesis, leading to enhanced cold tolerance. This research sheds light on the transcriptional regulation of Put accumulation and provides insights into the CBF-mediated cold stress response.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Ruilin Cui, Tianliang Zhang, Qian Yuan, Feng He, Ruoyu Han, Jiting Ouyang
Summary: In this study, the discharge characteristics and heating mechanisms of argon helicon plasma in different wave coupled modes with and without blue core were investigated. The results showed the existence of at least two distinct wave coupled modes, with one having a significant blue core and the other without. The emission intensity and electron density were measured, and it was found that the ion line intensity was dependent on both electron density and temperature, while the atom line intensity tended to be saturated in wave coupled modes due to neutral depletion. Theoretical analysis revealed that helicon waves were the dominant mechanism of power deposition or central heating of electrons in both modes.
PLASMA SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yunhua Xiao, Jing Yuan, Chongshuang Yang, Junru Xiong, Liangyu Deng, Qinghua Liang, Chuang He, Liangshan Li, Fengtian He, Xuequan Huang
Summary: The study demonstrates that I-125 radioactive particles induce cell apoptosis and protective autophagy of HCC. Inhibition of autophagy by silencing ATG9B enhances the radiosensitivity of HCC to I-125 radioactive particles.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Haojun Xiong, Liangbo Sun, Jiqin Lian, Fengtian He
Summary: In this study, the researchers revealed for the first time that the acetylation level of ATG4B at lysine residue 39 (K39) plays a crucial role in regulating its activity and autophagy. The deacetylation of ATG4B K39 by SIRT2 enhances ATG4B activity and autophagic flux, which can be countered by EP300/p300. Starvation treatment promotes the deacetylation of ATG4B K39 by suppressing EP300 and activating SIRT2, leading to the initiation of autophagy. The findings suggest that acetylation-mediated regulation of ATG4B activity is involved in the response to nutritional deficiency.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qing Li, Jiantao Yu, Li Lin, Yulin Zhu, Zixiang Wei, Feiyan Wan, Xindan Zhang, Feng He, Leilei Tian
Summary: Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) relies on the transformation of intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to hydroxyl radicals (OH) under the catalysis of Fenton/Fenton-like reagents, which amplifies oxidative stress and induces cellular apoptosis. However, CDT efficacy is limited by overexpressed GSH and insufficient endogenous H2O2 in tumors. Cu2+ and glucose oxidase (GOD) co-delivery can lead to GSH depletion and amplify the Fenton-like reaction. pH-responsive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are ideal for delivering Fenton/Fenton-like ions to tumors. However, it is challenging to abundantly dope Cu2+ in ZIF-8 MOF nanoparticles in aqueous conditions. This study developed a biomimetic mineralization method to synthesize GOD@Cu-ZIF-8, which showed promising antitumor capability through enhanced CDT in vitro and in vivo.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Sohail H. Dar, Pattath D. Pancharatna, Musiri M. Balakrishnarajan
Summary: Polyhedral boron clusters are highly stable and hard borides that form interconnected periodic networks. The electronic delocalization across these clusters has a significant impact on their stability and structure. Understanding the nature of electronic communication between polyhedra in polyhedral borides is crucial for designing advanced materials with desired properties.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Dongsheng Qiu, Xue Lai, Hanjian Lai, Mingrui Pu, Tahir Rehman, Yulin Zhu, Feng He
Summary: New strategies are needed to design efficient electron-deficient units for D-A-type donor copolymers. Halogenation of these units has been shown to be the most effective strategy to produce high-performance donor polymers. In this study, a single-step, one-pot synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted electron-deficient units was developed, resulting in higher power conversion efficiency compared to traditional units. The synthesized polymer donor with a deeper HOMO energy level, better aggregation behavior, and higher hole mobility achieved impressive photovoltaic performance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Liang Han, Jianhua Liu, Zixiang Wei, Ying Gu, Yulin Zhu, Lin Chen, Xindan Zhang, Weitao Wu, Feng He, Leilei Tian
Summary: In this study, a self-assembly and morphology control strategy was developed to enhance the afterglow luminescence of pi-conjugated polymers in water. Vesicular nanostructures with uniform sizes were self-assembled from a series of amphiphilic block copolymers, which promoted afterglow luminescence and resulted in long-persistent and bright signals.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Feng Jiang, Xianjun Deng, Yuanhong Gao, Wenchang Wu, Yan Li, Xugang Guo, Hong Meng, Feng He, Mingfeng Wang
Summary: π-Conjugated narrow-band-gap polymers (NBPs) have intrinsic electrical, optical, spintronic, and mechanical properties, and have attracted extensive interest. However, the current synthesis of NBPs heavily relies on traditional coupling reactions that involve toxic and flammable reagents. In this study, a greener chemistry approach of direct arylation polymerization (DArP) was used to synthesize NBPs without the use of toxic organometallic reagents or extra borylation. The resulting polymers exhibited narrow optical band gaps, near-infrared absorption, stable electrochemical performance, and tunable charge transport behavior.
Article
Polymer Science
Mingrui Pu, Yiwu Zhu, Pu Tan, Yulin Zhu, Xue Lai, Hui Chen, Jianfei Qu, Feng He
Summary: Substituting chlorine in a conjugated side chain is a simple and effective method to improve the photoelectronic properties of polymer donors. The chlorination and chlorine-substituted position have a significant impact on the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells. By synthesizing polymers based on a quinoxaline unit, the effects of chlorination and position isomerization on material performance were investigated. The results showed that introducing a Cl atom at the β-position dramatically enhanced absorption and aggregation abilities, while a Cl atom at the α-position improved backbone planarity, absorption, and molecular aggregation. Blending with the acceptor Y6 resulted in a more suitable nanoscale phase separation morphology and significantly improved power conversion efficiency compared to devices based on non-chlorinated polymers.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hui Chen, Hanjian Lai, Qiuju Jiang, Xue Lai, Yulin Zhu, Jianfei Qu, Qinghe Wu, Feng He
Summary: The researchers synthesized three molecules with graded hydrogen bond interactions by manipulating intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Introducing a layer of hydroxylated BTIC-OH-8 in the Q-PHJ film effectively protected the donor layer from erosion, thus improving the efficiency and stability of Q-PHJ organic solar cells.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mingrui Pu, Xue Lai, Yan Li, Yulin Zhu, Zixiang Wei, Yiwu Zhu, Hui Chen, Leilei Tian, Feng He
Summary: Enhancing the aggregation ability of polymer solution can optimize the morphology and form an ideal nanoscale interpenetrating network structure, thus improving device performance.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Dongsheng Qiu, Xue Lai, Hanjian Lai, Mingrui Pu, Tahir Rehman, Yulin Zhu, Feng He
Summary: Researchers have successfully constructed two new trifluoromethyl-substituted polymer donors, and it has been shown that the trifluoromethylation strategy can enhance the performance of the polymers.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yafei Ding, Shilong Xiong, Mingpeng Li, Mingrui Pu, Yiwu Zhu, Xue Lai, Yunpeng Wang, Dongsheng Qiu, Hanjian Lai, Feng He
Summary: The conjugate expansion of nonfullerene acceptors can improve the efficiency of organic solar cells by tuning the morphology and molecular stacking. In this study, two nonfullerene acceptors, YB2B and YB2T, were designed and synthesized using a 2D pi-conjugate expansion strategy. YB2T showed red-shifted absorption spectra, better charge transport properties, and more orderly molecular stacking, leading to higher exciton dissociation efficiency and lower charge recombination. As a result, YB2T-based binary OSCs achieved a power conversion efficiency of 17.05%, outperforming YB2B-based devices with only 10.94% efficiency. This research highlights the importance of the aromatic-ring substitution strategy in regulating the electronic structure and aggregation behavior of 2D nonfullerene acceptors, enabling the development of devices with superior photovoltaic performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiwu Zhu, Xiangyu Shen, Hanjian Lai, Mingrui Pu, Yulin Zhu, Xue Lai, Shilong Xiong, Feng He
Summary: This study explores the isomeric impact of a third constituent in ternary organic solar cells (TOSCs) and finds that one specific isomer significantly improves the open-circuit voltage and power conversion efficiency of the cells. The favorable packing behavior observed in this isomer-based ternary device facilitates charge transportation and improves morphology. These findings are important for enhancing the performance and reproducibility of TOSCs and advancing our understanding of the relationship between the structural attributes of the third component and the performance of the host system.
