Novel organic pyridinium ylide sensitizers (NO109-111) consisting of various anchoring groups were synthesized and characterized for applications in dye sensitized solar cells. Compared with the pyridine-N-oxide dye (NO108), the ylide sensitizers with strong electron-withdrawing acceptors exhibited dominant ultraviolet absorption properties and efficient binding abilities to the TiO2 surface. Among these dyes, the pyridinium ylide NO111 sensitized solar cell showed the highest efficiency (5.15%), which was improved to 7.41% by employing coadsorbent chenodeoxycholic acid.

Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a nucleic acid-binding protein that is involved in transcription and translation regulation, non-coding RNA processing, and stress granule assembly. Aside from its multiple functions, it is also known as the signature protein in the hallmark inclusions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) patients. TDP-43 is built of four domains, but its low-complexity domain (LCD) has become an intense research focus that brings to light its possible role in TDP-43 functions and involvement in the pathogenesis of these neurodegenerative diseases. Recent endeavors have further uncovered the distinct biophysical properties of TDP-43 under various circumstances. In this review, we summarize the multiple structural and biochemical properties of LCD in either promoting the liquid droplets or inducing fibrillar aggregates. We also revisit the roles of the LCD in paraspeckles, stress granules, and cytoplasmic inclusions to date.

We report the incorporation of salicylaldehyde derivatives onto the hydrazine-tagged amyloidogenic peptides by forming photoisomerizable hydrazones. These hydrazones with positive photochromism are photostable under physiological conditions and enable photoswitching without the addition of external reductants or high-power irradiation. By applying superresolution microscopy, we were able to distinguish polymorphic nanoscopic structures of the hydrazone-incorporated peptides in vitro under different buffer conditions. Moreover, the additive-free condition in our platform allows the exploration of detailed amyloid aggregate morphologies in live cells.