Transport properties of copper phthalocyanine based organic electronic devices

Ambipolar charge carrier transport in Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) is studied experimentally in field-effect transistors and metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes at various temperatures. The electronic structure and the transport properties of CuPc attached to leads are calculated using density functional theory and scattering theory at the non-equilibrium Green's function level. We discuss, in particular, the electronic structure of CuPc molecules attached to gold chains in different geometries to mimic the different experimental setups. The combined experimental and theoretical analysis explains the dependence of the mobilityand the transmission coefficient on the charge carrier type (electrons or holes) and on the contact geometry. We demonstrate the correspondence between our experimental results on thick films and our theoretical studies of single molecule contacts. Preliminary results for fluorinated CuPc are discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures; to be published in Eur. Phys. J. Special Topic

Use of a Multiple Hydride Donor to Achieve an n Doped Polymer with High Solvent Resistance

The ability to insolubilize doped semiconducting polymer layers can help enable the fabrication of efficient multilayer solution processed electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, we present a promising approach to simultaneously n dope and largely insolubilize conjugated polymer films using tetrakis[ 4 1,3 dimethyl 2,3 dihydro 1H benzo[d]imidazol 2 yl phenoxy methyl]methane tetrakis O DMBI H , which consists of four 2,3 dihydro 1H benzoimidazole DMBI H n dopant moieties covalently linked to one another. Doping a thiophene fused benzodifurandione based oligo p phenylenevinylene co thiophene polymer TBDOPV T with tetrakis O DMBI H results in a highly n doped film with bulk conductivity of 15 S amp; 8239;cm 1. Optical absorption spectra provide evidence for film retention of amp; 8764;93 after immersion in o dichlorobenzene for 5 min. The optical absorption signature of the charge carriers in the n doped polymer decreases only slightly more than that of the neutral polymer under these conditions, indicating that the exposure to solvent also results in negligible dedoping of the film. Moreover, thermal treatment studies on a tetrakis O DMBI H doped TBDOPV T film in contact with another undoped polymer film indicate immobilization of the molecular dopant in TBDOPV T. This is attributed to the multiple electrostatic interactions between each dopant tetracation and up to four nearby anionic doped polymer segment

Trace element composition of amphibole and petrogenesis of hornblendites and plutonic suites of Cretaceous magmatic arcs developed in the Fuegian Andes, southernmost South America

The evolution of continental crust in convergent margins can be explored in southernmost South America (54-56°S). Plutonic rocks of the Fuegian Batholith and the rear-arc satellite Ushuaia Pluton were emplaced within the magmatic arc and the Fuegian fold-and-thrust belt, respectively. They record subduction zone processes in two distinct tectonic settings during the evolution of the Rocas Verdes Basin. We report new U-Pb zircon geochronology, bulk rock chemistry, Sr-Nd isotope data, and EPMA and in-situ LA-ICP-MS analyses of amphibole from ‘hornblendites’ and gabbroic-granitoid suites in order to evaluate the origin and evolution of the magmatic plumbing systems in the upper plate of the subduction zone. Textural relationships and amphibole compositions in hornblendite indicate crystallization at lower crustal depths with pressures of 7-8 kbar in the Fuegian Batholith and of 5-6 kbar in the Ushuaia Pluton. Lower Cretaceous suites of hornblendite and calc-alkaline hornblende-gabbro, diorite and tonalite in the Fuegian Batholith have εNdt values ranging between +2 and +4. They were emplaced within an island arc coeval with mid-oceanic type spreading in the Rocas Verdes back-arc basin. Isotope ratios and amphibole compositions in hornblendite indicate crystallization from primitive and hydrous sub-alkaline basaltic melts with relatively low LREE/HREE and low alkali contents. The Late Cretaceous plutons in the fold-and-thrust belt were emplaced after the tectonic juxtaposition of Rocas Verdes ophiolitic complexes. The Ushuaia Pluton, consisting of clinopyroxene-hornblende cumulates, hornblende-gabbro, diorite and monzodiorite, was emplaced during the waning stage of Late Cretaceous magmatism. In this case hornblendite amphiboles show high contents of alkalis, LREE and incompatible elements with a strong crustal affinity (Th, Ba, Rb). The enriched incompatible trace element patterns indicate their derivation from K-rich transitional magmas formed in supra-subduction settings. Chemical variations in amphibole from hornblendites and spatially related plutonic rocks are evaluated in terms of fluid flux from the subducted slab and partial melting of the sub-arc mantle, ultimately controlled by the thermal state of the subducted slab and convergence rates

IL-33 controls IL-22-dependent antibacterial defense by modulating the microbiota

IL-22 plays a critical role in defending against mucosal infections, but how IL-22 production is regulated is incompletely understood. Here, we show that mice lacking IL-33 or its receptor ST2 (IL-1RL1) were more resistant to Streptococcus pneumoniae lung infection than wild-type animals and that single-nucleotide polymorphisms in IL33 and IL1RL1 were associated with pneumococcal pneumonia in humans. The effect of IL-33 on S. pneumoniae infection was mediated by negative regulation of IL-22 production in innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) but independent of ILC2s as well as IL-4 and IL-13 signaling. Moreover, IL-33's influence on IL-22-dependent antibacterial defense was dependent on housing conditions of the mice and mediated by IL-33's modulatory effect on the gut microbiota. Collectively, we provide insight into the bidirectional crosstalk between the innate immune system and the microbiota. We conclude that both genetic and environmental factors influence the gut microbiota, thereby impacting the efficacy of antibacterial immune defense and susceptibility to pneumonia

Clinically used broad-spectrum antibiotics compromise inflammatory monocyte-dependent antibacterial defense in the lung

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is associated with high mortality and costs, and frequently caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Although prior antimicrobial therapy is a major risk factor for HAP, the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that antibiotic therapy in hospitalized patients is associated with decreased diversity of the gut microbiome and depletion of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producers. Infection experiments with mice transplanted with patient fecal material reveal that these antibiotic-induced microbiota perturbations impair pulmonary defense against MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae. This is dependent on inflammatory monocytes (IMs), whose fatty acid receptor (FFAR)2/3-controlled and phagolysosome-dependent antibacterial activity is compromized in mice transplanted with antibiotic-associated patient microbiota. Collectively, we characterize how clinically relevant antibiotics affect antimicrobial defense in the context of human microbiota, and reveal a critical impairment of IM´s antimicrobial activity. Our study provides additional arguments for the rational use of antibiotics and offers mechanistic insights for the development of novel prophylactic strategies to protect high-risk patients from HAP