Doped/Undoped A1-A2 Typed Copolymers as ETLs for Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells

The electron transport layer (ETL) is a critical component in achieving high device performance and stability in organic solar cells. Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) have become an attractive alternative due to film-forming properties and ease of preparation. However, p-type CPEs generally exhibit poor charge mobility and conductivity, incorporation of electron-withdrawing units forming alternated D-A conjugated backbone can make up for these deficiencies. Herein, the ratio of electron withdrawing moieties are further increased and two poly(A1-alt-A2) typed PIIDNDI-Br and PDPPNDI-Br based on the combination of naphthalene diimide (NDI) with isoindigo (IID) or diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) via direct arylation polycondensation are synthesized. These CPEs possess excellent alcohol solubility, a suitable lowest unocuppied molecular orbital energy level, and work function tunability. Surprisingly, the incorporation of IID and DPP units generate distinct self-doping behaviors, which are confirmed by UV–vis absorption and ESR spectra. However, no matter doped or undoped, both CPEs present better charge-transporting properties and conductivity when utilized as ETLs. The PIIDNDI-Br and PDPPNDI-Br display good universal compatibility with the blend of PM6:Y6 and PM6:L8-BO, and PCEs of 18.32% and 18.36% are obtained, respectively, which also present excellent storage stability. In short, the combination of two different acceptors demonstrates an efficient strategy to design highly efficient ETLs for high performance photovoltaic devices.     

Recent Development of Jumping Motions Based on Soft Actuators

Drawing inspiration from the jumping motions of living creatures in nature, jumping robots have emerged as a promising research field over the past few decades due to great application potential in interstellar exploration, military reconnaissance, and life rescue missions. Early reviews mainly focused on jumping robots made of lightweight and rigid materials with mechanical components, concentrating on jumping control and stability. Herein, attention is paid to the jumping mechanisms of soft actuators assembled from various soft smarting materials and powered by different stimulus sources. The challenges and prospects of soft jumping actuators are also discussed. It is hoped that this review will contribute to the further development of soft jumping actuators and broaden their practical applications.     

An Apoptotic Body-based Vehicle with Navigation for Photothermal-Immunotherapy by Precise Delivery and Tumor Microenvironment Regulation

Tumor precision therapy and preventing tumor recurrence and metastasis are the main challenges to tumor eradication. Herein, an apoptotic body-based vehicle with imaging navigation is developed for precise tumor delivery and photothermal-immunotherapy by IR820-conjugated apoptotic body loaded with R848 nanoparticles. The apoptotic body serves as ammunition stores as well as vehicle drive engines, while IR820 acts as a fluorescence imaging navigation and photothermal controlling system. The apoptotic body vehicle can deliver the ammunition to tumor and achieve deep penetration by macrophage-hitchhiking. Fluorescence imaging navigation opens a control window for photothermal treatment, followed by photothermal triggering of in situ vaccine formation. Further, CD47 antibody loaded hydrogel strengthens innate and adaptive immunity, simultaneously the polarization of macrophages regulates the immunosuppressive microenvironment to further promote the combined antitumor immunotherapy. With breast tumor (4T1)-bearing mice model, the apoptotic body vehicle performs excellent therapeutic efficacy for primary tumor, distant tumor, tumor metastasis, and recurrence prevention.     

C-Shaped Cartilage Development Using Wharton's Jelly-Derived Hydrogels to Assemble a Highly Biomimetic Neotrachea for use in Circumferential Tracheal Reconstruction

A highly biomimetic neotrachea with C-shaped cartilage rings has promising clinical applications in the treatment of circumferential tracheal defects (CTDs) owing to its structure and physiological function. However, to date, most fabricated tracheal cartilages are O-shaped. In this study, finite element analysis demonstrates C-shaped cartilage rings that exhibit better compliance than O-shaped. Hydrogel is developed using methacryloyl-modified decellularized Wharton's jelly matrix (DWJMA) for the regeneration of C-shaped cartilage rings. This novel hydrogel possesses adjustable physicochemical properties and favorable cytocompatibility. When loaded with chondrocytes, DWJMA hydrogels support the optimal cartilage regeneration both in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, a highly biomimetic neotrachea simultaneously simulating the structural and physiological properties of the normal trachea is regenerated via modular assembly of several individual C-shaped cartilage rings. The results demonstrate the highly biomimetic neotrachea have better patency (88.6 ± 6.1% vs 74.4 ± 9.4%, p < 0.05), improve the survival rate, alleviate weight loss and mucoid impaction, than its O-shaped counterpart when used for the treatment of CTDs in a rabbit model. Therefore, this study proposes a novel hydrogel for the regeneration of C-shaped cartilage and provides new insights into the treatment of CTDs using a highly biomimetic neotrachea with C-shaped cartilage rings.     

Spring-Like Ammonium Salt Assisting Stress Release for Low-Temperature Deposited FAPbI3 Films Toward Flexible Photovoltaic Application

The substrates of conventional flexible perovskite solar cells (FPSCs) are thermoplastic polymer material polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), which will deform during high temperature annealing process. In addition, lead iodide (PbI₂) permanently formed and the substrate undergoes reversible deformation from 20 °C to 200 °C and back to 20 °C. Therefore, to balance the substrate supporting capacity and the crystalline quality of narrow band gap α-phase formamidinium lead iodide (α-FAPbI₃), an annealing process of 120 °C for 30 minutes is determined. Additionally, there will also be a large number of gaps and lattice strain at the perovskite grain boundaries during the annealing process as the FAPbI₃ phase transition is accompanied by much lattice shrinkage. As a result, 1,6-hexanediammonium diiodide (HADI) is chosen to passivate the defects and release the stress of perovskite film. Therefore, a recorded 1.4% extended stretch rate of the flexible film is attained. Finally, the champion PCE of 21.14% under AM 1.5G and 31.52% under 1062 lux is achieved after HADI treatment, accompanied by a better long-term and mechanical stability. This study provides annealing process optimization and stress relief strategies for the further development of narrow band gap FPSCs.     

Plasma Enhanced Lithium Coupled with Cobalt Fibers Arrays for Advanced Energy Storage

Construction of high efficiency and stable Li metal anodes is extremely vital to the breakthrough of Li metal batteries. In this study, for the first time, groundbreaking in situ plasma interphase engineering is reported to construct high-quality lithium halides-dominated solid electrolyte interphase layer on Li metal to stabilize & protect the anode. Typically, SF₆ plasma-induced sulfured and fluorinated interphase (SFI) is composed of LiF and Li₂S, interwoven with each other to form a consecutive solid electrolyte interphase. Simultaneously, brand-new vertical Co fibers (diameter: ≈5 µm) scaffold is designed via a facile magnetic-field-assisted hydrothermal method to collaborate with plasma-enhanced Li metal anodes (SFI@Li/Co). The Co fibers scaffold accommodates active Li with mechanical integrity and decreases local current density with good lithiophilicity and low geometric tortuosity, supported by DFT calculations and COMSOL Multiphysics simulation. Consequently, the assembled symmetric cells with SFI@Li/Co anodes exhibit superior stability over 525 h with a small voltage hysteresis (125 mV at 5 mA cm⁻²) and improved Coulombic efficiency (99.7%), much better than the counterparts. Enhanced electrochemical performance is also demonstrated in full cells with commercial cathodes and SFI@Li/Co anode. The research offers a new route to develop advanced alkali metal anodes for energy storage.     

Antioxidant High-Conductivity Copper Pastes Based on Core–Shell Copper Nanoparticles for Flexible Printed Electronics

As a nontoxic and cost-effective material, copper pastes have attracted great attention in both academia and industry. However, achieving the long-term stability of copper pastes remains challenging due to their susceptibility to oxidation. Therefore, stable copper nanoparticles with a Cu(0)–Cu(I) core–shell structure containing a surface passivation layer of formate ions-involved Cu(I) coordination polymers are developed. Based on the self-reducing nature of the passivation layer, the nanoparticle-based copper pastes can be sintered in <1 min, showing high electrical conductivity (220 000 S cm⁻¹), mechanical flexibility, and long-term stability after sintering. The excellent properties of the developed copper pastes are even comparable with the ones of silver pastes. These stable copper pastes have broad applications in printed electronics (e.g., glucose sensors, RFID tags, and electromagnetic shielding films), showing great potential in the fabrication of flexible printed electronics.     

Passivating Defects of Perovskite Solar Cells with Functional Donor-Acceptor–Donor Type Hole Transporting Materials

In this study, a series of donor–acceptor–donor (D-A-D) type small molecules based on the fluorene and diphenylethenyl enamine units, which are distinguished by different acceptors, as holetransporting materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells is presented. The incorporation of the malononitrile acceptor units is found to be beneficial for not only carrier transportation but also defects passivation via Pb–N interactions. The highest power conversion efficiency of over 22% is achieved on cells based on V1359, which is higher than that of spiro-OMeTAD under identical conditions. This st shows that HTMs prepared via simplified synthetic routes are not only a low-cost alternative to spiro-OMeTAD but also outperform in efficiency and stability state-of-art materials obtained via expensive cross-coupling methods.