Stable Quasi-Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Novel Low Molecular Mass Organogelators and Room-Temperature Molten Salts

Stable quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) were fabricated by using room-temperature molten salts (1-methyl-3-hexyl-imidazolium iodide), and a series of diamine derivatives with different lengths of alkyl chain as low molecular mass organogelators (LMOGs). The number of methylene (−CH₂−) units between the two amide carbonyl groups in the gelator molecule has significant influence on the charge transport property of gel electrolyte, and the kinetic processes of the electron transport and recombination. Less compact networks of the ionic liquid gel electrolytes containing odd-numbered −CH₂– gelator facilitate the diffusion of I₃^– and I^–. Also, the odd-numbered −CH₂– gelators-based DSCs exhibit longer electron recombination lifetime and a higher open circuit potential (<i>V</i>_oc) compared with the DSCs based on even-numbered −CH₂– gelators; consequently, the photovoltaic performances of DSCs based on odd-numbered −CH₂– gelators are much better than those even-numbered −CH₂– gelators. Remarkably, the results of the accelerated aging tests showed that the ionic liquid gel electrolyte-based DSCs could retain 93%–99% of their initial photoelectric conversion efficiencies (η) under heat at 60 °C, and 100% of their initial photoelectric conversion efficiencies under one sun light soaking with UV cutoff filter at 50 °C for 1000 h. This excellent long-term stability of quasi-solid-state DSCs is very important for application and commercialization of DSCs

Cascade CO/CC/C–N Bond Formation: Metal-Free Reactions of 1,4-Diynes and 1‑En-4-yn-3-ones with Isoquinoline and Quinoline <i>N</i>‑Oxides

The metal-free reactions of 1,4-diynes and 1-en-4-yn-3-ones with isoquinoline and quinoline <i>N</i>-oxides are developed, resulting in the formation of 3,4-dihydro-<i>2H</i>-pyrido­[2,1-<i>a</i>]­isoquinolines and 2,3-dihydro-<i>1H</i>-pyrido­[1,2-<i>a</i>]­quinolines via cascade CO/CC/C–N bond formation. It is the first report in which in the alkyne oxidation by <i>N</i>-oxides both the oxygen atom of <i>N</i>-oxides and the nitrogen atom are involved in a second C–heteroatom bond formation. The reactions showed a broad substrate scope and functional group tolerance. Furthermore, the products were found to display green-blue fluorescence in DMSO with fluorescence quantum yields up to 0.59

Label-Free Real-Time Microarray Imaging of Cancer Protein–Protein Interactions and Their Inhibition by Small Molecules

A rapid optical microarray imaging approach for anticancer drug screening at specific cancer protein–protein interface targets with binding kinetics and validation by a mass sensor is reported for the first time. Surface plasmon resonance imager (SPRi) demonstrated a 3.5-fold greater specificity for interactions between murine double minute 2 protein (MDM2) and wild-type p53 over a nonspecific p53 mutant in a real-time microfluidic analysis. Significant percentage reflectivity changes (Δ%<i>R</i>) in the SPRi signals and molecular-level mass changes were detected for both the MDM2–p53 interaction and its inhibition by a small-molecule Nutlin-3 drug analogue known for its anticancer property. We additionally demonstrate that synthetic, inexpensive binding domains of interacting cancer proteins are sufficient to screen anticancer drugs by an array-based SPRi technique with excellent specificity and sensitivity. This imaging array, combined with a mass sensor, can be used to study quantitatively any protein–protein interaction and screen for small molecules with binding and potency evaluations