Since the experimental observation of the encapsulation of different species inside fullerene (endohedral fullerenes) cages, several research groups have focused their research in the elaboration of new and novel compounds. Exohedral functionalization of the carbon cages has helped in the discovery of new species and has expanded their potential applications in material science and medicine. Our research group has contributed to the discovery, functionalization, and characterization of new and interesting compounds that have been explored in different applications, but mainly in the field of organic photovoltaics. Here, we report the contribution and progress of our research group in the field of buckyball "maracas." Figure 9. Cyclic Voltammogram (top) and Osteryoung Square Wave Voltammetry (bottom) of Sc 4 O 2 @I h -C 80 in 0.05 M TBNPF 6 / o -DCB with ferrocene as internal reference at a scan rate of 100 mV/s BUCKYBALL MARACAS: ENDOHEDRAL FULLERENES Figure 13. Correlation between electrochemical gaps and [(LUMO + 3) À (LUMO + 2)] orbital gaps in free carbon cages BUCKYBALL MARACAS: ENDOHEDRAL FULLERENES

Three new dyes (1–3) with a triarylamine electron donor, a cyanoacrylic acid moiety as both electron acceptor and anchoring group, and a fluorene‐9‐ylidene moiety as an antenna were synthesized, and their electrochemical, photophysical, and photovoltaic properties were evaluated. Despite minor differences in absorption properties, as the starburst shape of the dyes increases and highly hindered hydrophobic groups are introduced, the measured open‐cell voltage (Voc) increased noticeably from 0.79 to 0.83 V, and the power‐conversion efficiency (PCE) value increased from 3.98 to 4.73 %.

C60-Triphenylamine dyads were synthesized for incorporation as photoswitched interfacial layers in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of these dyads on gold (through S-Au and C60-Au interactions) were prepared through one or two adsorption processes, and their packing densities were fully characterized. Analysis using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements indicated that all SAMs exhibit dense coverage on the gold surfaces. Electrochemical desorption in KOH confirmed that the cis-1 dyad is anchored to the gold surface through its thiol group. Impedance measurements in the absence and presence of UV irradiation were performed to observe the photoswitched properties of these surface confined dyads. Upon UV light exposure of the SAMs, the charge-transfer resistance decreased when Fe(CN)6(3-/4-) was used as the probe redox couple and increased with Ru(NH3)6(3+/2+), confirming the generation of positive charges on the surface upon UV irradiation.

A new donor-acceptor system, in which the electron donor triphenylamine (TPA) and the electron acceptor C60 are bridged through a cis- or trans-platinum(II) acetylide spacer have been prepared. Ground-state studies were conducted using electrochemistry and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Fluorescence studies suggested that charge transfer is the deactivation mechanism for the singlet excited state, and this was verified by transient absorption spectroscopy. Selective photoexcitation of 1 and 2 at 387 nm leads to a fast charge transfer between the TPA and C60, which gives rise to a radical ion-pair state (TPA(·+)-Pt-C60(·-)). Our results suggest that charge transfer is favored for the cis configuration while the presence of the trans configuration in the Pt(II) diacetylide results in a longer-lived charge separated states.

Public Health Laboratories (PHLs) in Puerto Rico did not escape the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. We implemented a quality management system (QMS) approach to systematically reestablish laboratory testing, after evaluating structural and functional damage. PHLs were inoperable immediately after the storm. Our QMS-based approach began in October 2017, ended in May 2018, and resulted in the reestablishment of 92% of baseline laboratory testing capacity. Here, we share lessons learned from the historic recovery of the largest United States’ jurisdiction to lose its PHL capacity, and provide broadly applicable tools for other jurisdictions to enhance preparedness for public health emergencies.