Recent studies on small molecular and polymeric hole-transporting materials for high-performance perovskite solar cells

A decade of significant research has led to the emergence of photovoltaic solar cells based on perovskites that have achieved an exceptionally high-power conversion efficiency of 26.08%. A key breakthrough in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) occurred when solid hole-transporting materials (HTMs) replaced liquid electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), because HTMs play a crucial role in improving photovoltaic performance as well as cell stability. This review is mainly focused on the HTMs that are responsible for hole transport and extraction in PSCs, which is one of the crucial components for efficient devices. Here, we have reviewed small molecular as well as polymeric HTMs that have been reported in the last two years and discussed their performance based on the analysis of their molecular architectures. Finally, we include a perspective on the molecular engineering of new functional HTMs for highly efficient stable PSCs.     

Palladium-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of axially chiral allenylsilanes and their application to SE2' chirality transfer reactions

Stepwise application of the Pd-catalyzed S(N)2' reaction and the desilylative S(E)2' reaction to the ambivalent 2-bromo-1-silyl-1,3-dienes provides a novel route to the highly enantioselective construction of tertiary and quaternary propargylic stereogenic centers via axially chiral allenylsilanes.     

Iron(III) bis-complexes of Schiff bases of S-methyldithiocarbazates: Synthesis,structure, spectral and redox properties and cytotoxicity

A series of iron(III) bis-complexes of the type [FeL₂]X 1-4 , X = OH⁻ ( 1 ), Cl^¯ ( 3 ), and FeCl₄^¯ ( 2 , 4 ), where LH is a tridentate (N,N,S) ligands such as N′-(1-pyridin-2-ylethylidene)-hydrazinecarbodithioic acid methyl ester ( HL1 ), N′-(phenylpyridin-2-ylmethylene)-hydrazinecarbodithioic acid methyl ester ( HL2 ), N′-quinolin-2-ylmethylene-hydrazinecarbodithioic acid methyl ester ( HL3 ), or N′-(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl-methylene)hydrazinecarbodithioic acid methyl ester ( HL4 ) has been isolated in moderate to good yields and completely characterized by elemental analyses, conductivity studies, and infrared and UV-visible spectral measurements. The single crystal X-ray structures of 1 , 2 and 4 revealed that two deprotonated tridentate (NNS) ligands are meridionally coordinated to constitute a distorted octahedral coordination geometry around iron(III). In acetonitrile solution, all the complexes show quasi-reversible Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox behavior. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the ligands HL1–HL4 (IC₅₀: HL1 , 64.5; HL2 , 51.0; HL3 , 124.0; HL4 , 45.0 μM at 24 h) and complexes 1–4 (IC₅₀: 1 , 84.5; 2 , 40.0; 3 , 168.5; 4 , 50.5 μM at 24 h) towards A549 lung cancer cell lines are similar to cisplatin (69.0 μM), revealing that free ligands cause cancer cell death with potency higher than the corresponding iron(III) complexes. Also, both the ligands and the complexes cause cell death mainly through apoptotic mode, as revealed by the observation of a higher percentage of apoptotic cells in acridine orange (AO)/ ethidium bromide (EB), and Annexin V-Cy3 stained cancer cells.     

Synthesis of 5-phenyl-3-(10H-phenothiazinyl)-Δ2-cyclohexen-1-ones by conventional and microwave-assisted methods and their antifungal activity

A series of 5-phenyl-3-(10H-phenothiazinyl)-Δ²-cyclohexen-1-ones were prepared using conventional and microwave-assisted methods. The condensation between 3-phenyl-1-(10H-phenothiazinyl) prop-2-en-1-one derivatives (3a–g) and acetyl acetone yielded 5-phenyl-3-(10H-phenothiazinyl)-Δ²-cyclohexen-1-one derivatives (7a–g). The products were characterized by UV, IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, 2D-NMR, MS, and elemental analysis. In vitro antifungal activity was carried out by zone of inhibition method against four species, namely Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Microsporum gypseum, and Aspergillus flavus. Compounds 7a and 7d showed good antifungal activity with zones of inhibition of 17 and 18 mm, respectively, and comparable with the standard substance, Bavinston, with 20 mm.     

Ruthenium hydrazone complexes with 1:1 and 1:2 metal–ligand stoichiometry: a comparison of biomolecular interactions and in vitro cytotoxicities

Transition Metal Chemistry - Two ruthenium(II) complexes [RuIICl(PPh3)2(L)] (1) and [RuII(L)2] (2) were synthesized by reacting [RuCl2(PPh3)3] and thiophene-2-carboxylic acid...     

Green Sources Derived Carbon Dots for Multifaceted Applications

For the past decade, the Carbon dots (CDs) a tiny sized carbon nanomaterial are typically much attentive due to their outstanding properties. Nature is a fortune of exciting starting materials that provides many inexpensive and renewable resources which have received the topmost attention of researchers because of non-hazardous and eco-friendly nature that can be used to prepare green CDs by top-down and bottom-up synthesis including hydrothermal carbonization, microwave synthesis, and pyrolysis due to its simple synthetic process, speedy reactions and clear-cut end steps. Compared to chemically derived CDs, green CDs are varied by their properties such as less toxicity, high water dispersibility, superior biocompatibility, good photostability, bright fluorescence, and ease of modification. These nanomaterials are a promising material for sensor and biological fields, especially in electrochemical sensing of toxic and trace elements in ecosystems, metal sensing, diagnosis of diseases through bio-sensing, and detection of cancerous cells by in-vitro and in-vivo bio-imaging applications. In this review, the various synthetic routes, fluorescent mechanisms, and applications of CDs from discovery to the present are briefly discussed. Herein, the latest developments on the synthesis of CDs derived from green carbon materials and their promising applications in sensing, catalysis and bio-imaging were summarized. Moreover, some challenging problems, as well as upcoming perspectives of this powerful and tremendous material, are also discussed.

     

Molecular Dynamics Approach to Probe the Allosteric Inhibition of PTP1B by Chlorogenic and Cichoric Acid

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a major negative regulator of the insulin and leptin signaling pathway, is a potential target for therapeutic intervention against diabetes and obesity. The recent discovery of an allosteric site in PTP1B has created an alternate strategy in the development of PTP1B targeted therapy. The current study investigates the molecular interactions between the allosteric site of PTP1B with two caffeoyl derivatives, chlorogenic acid (CGA) and cichoric acid (CHA), using computational strategies. Molecular docking analysis with CGA and CHA at the allosteric site of PTP1B were performed and the resulting protein-ligand complexes used for molecular dynamics simulation studies for a time scale of 10 ns. Results show stable binding of CGA and CHA at the allosteric site of PTP1B. The flexibility of the WPD loop was observed to be constrained by CGA and CHA in the open (inactive), providing molecular mechanism of allosteric inhibition. The allosteric inhibition of CGA and CHA of PTP1B was shown to be favorable due to no restriction by the α-7 helix in the binding of CGA and CHA at the allosteric binding site. In conclusion, our results exhibit an inhibitory pattern of CGA and CHA against PTP1B through potent binding at the allosteric site.     

1‐Alkyl‐1H‐imidazole‐Based Dipolar Organic Compounds for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A series of donor–π–acceptor‐type organic dyes based on 1‐alkyl‐1H‐imidazole spacers 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 have been developed and characterized. The two electron donors are at positions 4 and 5 of the imidazole, while the electron‐accepting cyanoacrylic acid is incorporated at position 2 by a spacer‐containing heteroaromatic rings, such as thiophene and thiazole. Detailed investigation on the relationship between the structure, spectral and electrochemical properties, and performance of DSSC is described here. Dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using dyes as the sensitizers exhibit good efficiencies, ranging from 3.06 to 6.35 %, which reached 42–87 % with respect to that of N719‐based device (7.33 %) fabricated and measured under similar conditions. Time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations have been performed on the dyes, and the results show that both electron donors can contribute to electron injection upon photo‐excitation, either directly or indirectly by internal conversion to the lowest excited state.     

Boron Nitride Nanosheets (BNNSs) Chemically Modified by “Grafting‐From” Polymerization of Poly(caprolactone) for Thermally Conductive Polymer Composites

To meet the growing demand for rapid heat dissipation in electronic devices to ensure their reliable performance with a high level of safety, many polymer composites with thermally conductive but electrically insulating 2D boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) are being developed. Here we present an efficient way to enhance the thermal conductivity (TC) of a polymer composite by means of “grafting‐from” polymerization of a poly(caprolactone) (PCL) onto BNNSs. The BNNSs, which were exfoliated from bulk BN by means of ultra‐sonication, were prepared by means of radical oxidation. These oxidized BNNSs (oxi‐BNNSs) were employed as initiators for subsequent ring‐opening polymerization of PCL, which successfully resulted in PCL chemically grafted onto BNNSs (PCL‐g‐BNNSs). The excellent dispersion of PCL‐g‐BNNSs in common solvents allowed us to readily fabricate a polymer composite that contained PCL‐g‐BNNSs embedded in a PCL matrix, and the composite showed TC values that were five and nine times greater in the out‐of‐plane and in‐plane mode, respectively, than those of pristine PCL.