No abstract

No abstract

Meeting our current energy demands requires a reliable and efficient renewable energy source that will bring balance between power generation and energy consumption. Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), perovskite solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are among the next-generation technologies that are progressing as potential sustainable renewable energy sources. Since the discoveries of highly conductive organic charge-transfer compounds in the 1950s, organic semiconductors have captured attention. Organic photovoltaic solar cells possess key characteristics ideal for emerging next-generation technologies such as being nontoxic, abundant, an inexpensive nanomaterial with ease of production, including production under ambient conditions. In this review article, we discuss recent methods developed towards improving the stability and average efficiency of nanostructured materials in OPVs aimed at sustainable agriculture and improve land-use efficiency. A comprehensive overview on developing cost-effective and user-friendly organic solar cells to contribute towards improved environmental stability is provided. We also summarize recent advances in the synthetic methods used to produce nanostructured active absorber layers of OPVs with improved efficiencies to supply the energy required towards ending poverty and protecting the planet.

Although literature studies on earlier viruses such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and other similar viruses, in terms of treatment of coronavirus suggested the repurposing of some antiviral drugs, some Covid-19 specific treatments, general forms of treatments, the use of convalescent plasma, as well as nutritional interventions in the form of vitamins, it is imperative to interrogate the nutritional status, age, and comorbidities of each infected patient before receiving any form of treatment. In the absence of any conclusive treatment so far, the study encourages the use of all likely interventions that could help arrest the spread of the disease. In addition, the current study has a particular interest in the syntheses and applications of vitamins and their derivatives which have been touted to play a significant role in the fight against Covid-19, namely, vitamins A-E. It must, however, be mentioned that literature is not comprehensive.

N-Substituted 2-exo-hydroxybornyl-10-sulfonamides, prepared as potential chiral auxiliaries for use in asymmetric Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reactions, have been treated with acryloyl chloride to afford the corresponding 2-exo-acrylate esters as MBH substrates. Reaction of selected 2-exo-acrylate ester substrates with pyridine-4-carbaldehyde and 6-methylpyridine-2-carbaldehyde in the presence of DABCO gave the expected MBH adducts in > 91% yield and with diastereoselectivities of 7-33% d.e.