The wide field of polymer chemistry has recently encountered the unique, promising field of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Thanks to their chemical versatility, the possible applications of organic polymers within solar devices have been highly diversified as charge-transporting materials, of either hole or electrons, or as additives, being these blended into the designed layer or used as a buffer layer. The use of different organic polymers as additives has demonstrated to be beneficial for the device performance and stability, thanks to an improved morphology of the thin layers and to their assistance in the charge transport. This perspective intends to provide the reader with a clear viewpoint on the role that polymers play as additives in PSCs. Thus, the most important examples describing the use of these macromolecules as additives in each of the possible target layers within PSCs are reported. Understanding the role played by the polymer together with the necessary chemical functionalities that provide each role within the solar cells is of primary importance in the future design of polymeric materials to be used in PSCs. Therefore, with this perspective article, we expect to contribute in the rational design of next-generation organic polymers suitable to surpass the current state of the art in PSCs.

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HIV-1 maturation can be impaired by altering protease (PR) activity, the structure of the Gag-Pol substrate, or the molecular interactions of viral structural proteins. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of new cationic N,N-dimethyl[70]fulleropyrrolidinium iodide derivatives that inhibit more than 99% of HIV-1 infectivity at low micromolar concentrations. Analysis of the HIV-1 life cycle indicated that these compounds inhibit viral maturation by impairing Gag and Gag-Pol processing. Importantly, fullerene derivatives 2a-c did not inhibit in vitro PR activity and strongly interacted with HIV immature capsid protein in pull-down experiments. Furthermore, these compounds potently blocked infectivity of viruses harboring mutant PR that are resistant to multiple PR inhibitors or mutant Gag proteins that confer resistance to the maturation inhibitor Bevirimat. Collectively, our studies indicate fullerene derivatives 2a-c as potent and novel HIV-1 maturation inhibitors.

n-Type doping of perovskite solar cells is a very promising strategy to improve performance and stability of these devices.