Role of redox centre in charge transport investigated by novel self-assembled conjugated polymer molecular junctions

Molecular electronics describes a field that seeks to implement electronic components made of molecular building blocks. To date, few studies have used conjugated polymers in molecular junctions despite the fact that they potentially transport charge more efficiently than the extensively investigated small-molecular systems. Here we report a novel type of molecular tunnelling junction exploring the use of conjugated polymers, which are self-assembled into ultrathin films in a distinguishable ‘planar' manner from the traditional vertically oriented small-molecule monolayers. Electrical measurements on the junctions reveal molecular-specific characteristics of the polymeric molecules in comparison with less conjugated small molecules. More significantly, we decorate redox-active functionality into polymeric backbones, demonstrating a key role of redox centre in the modulation of charge transport behaviour via energy level engineering and external stimuli, and implying the potential of employing tailor-made polymeric components as alternatives to small molecules for future molecular-scale electronics

Peptide-decorated polymeric nanomedicines for precision cancer therapy

The advancement of tissue and cell-specific drug delivery systems is a key to precision cancer therapy. Peptides, with easy synthesis, low immunogenicity and biological functions closely mimicking or surpassing natural proteins, have been actively engineered and explored to provide nanomedicines with the ability to overcome various extracellular and intracellular delivery barriers ranging from phagocytic clearance in the circulation, low tumor penetration, poor cancer cell selectivity, inferior cell penetration, to endosomal entrapment as well as poor blood brain barrier permeation for brain cancer therapy. Anti-tumor studies with peptide-decorated polymeric nanomedicines are currently in the experimental stage. Most of the reported peptide-directed polymeric nanomedicines do have a rather complex design requiring a multi-step reproducible fabrication process. Moreover, many of the proposed peptide-decorated polymeric nanomedicines are still not able to effectively overcome the drug delivery cascade barriers. Consequently, in order to facilitate clinical translation the complexity of the systems has to be reduced, while maintaining the added functions after the introduction of the different peptides and further progress has to be made in passing the various drug delivery barriers. In this review, we give an overview of the rational design, development and preclinical performance of peptide-decorated polymeric nanomedicines, and further discuss their challenges and future perspectives as a next generation cancer treatment modality

Organic photoresponse materials and devices

Organic photoresponse materials and devices are critically important to organic optoelectronics and energy crises. The activities of photoresponse in organic materials can be summarized in three effects, photoconductive, photovoltaic and optical memory effects. Correspondingly, devices based on the three effects can be divided into (i) photoconductive devices such as photodetectors, photoreceptors, photoswitches and phototransistors, (ii) photovoltaic devices such as organic solar cells, and (iii) optical data storage devices. It is expected that this systematic analysis of photoresponse materials and devices could be a guide for the better understanding of structure–property relationships of organic materials and provide key clues for the fabrication of high performance organic optoelectronic devices, the integration of them in circuits and the application of them in renewable green energy strategies (critical review, 452 references)