Amid the investigation of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (SDSSCs), it was found that the incorporation of F4TCNQ into the solid hole-transporting materials (HTMs) spiro-MeOTAD forms a spiro-MeOTAD/F4TCNQ (strong electron acceptor) polaron charge-transfer complex. Careful examination indicates that the formation of the polaron charge-transfer complex not only facilitates the conductivity of HTMs but also inhibits the charge recombination across the interface of the heterojunction, i.e. photoanode/HTMs and/or counter electrode/HTMs. As a result, the performance of SDSSCs has been markedly improved by using the organic dye A2-F. At AM1.5 illumination the short circuit current densities J(SC) increase from 8.29 mA cm(-2) (w/o F4TCNQ) to 10.95 mA (w/F4TCNQ), accompanied by a 20% increase of the overall power conversion efficiency, η, from 4.55% to 5.44%.

In this work, we present the use of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as the counter electrode materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). rGO was first deposited on a fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate by screen-printing, followed by post-treatment to remove excessive organic additives. We investigated the effect of atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) treatment on the DSSC performance. A power conversion efficiency of 5.19% was reached when DSSCs with an rGO counter electrode were treated by APPJs in the ambient air for a few seconds. For comparison, it requires a conventional calcination process at 400 °C for 15 min to obtain comparable efficiency. Scanning electron micrographs show that the APPJ treatment modifies the rGO structure, which may reduce its conductivity in part but simultaneously greatly enhances its catalytic activity. Combined with the rapid removal of organic additives by the highly reactive APPJ, DSSCs with APPJ-treated rGO counter electrode show comparable efficiencies to furnace-calcined rGO counter electrodes with greatly reduced process time. This ultrashort process time renders an estimated energy consumption per unit area of 1.1 kJ/cm(2), which is only one-third of that consumed in a conventional furnace calcination process. This new methodology thus saves energy, cost, and time, which is greatly beneficial to future mass production.

Abstract. In a study of the metal-related ion generation mechanism in matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), crystals of matrix used in MALDI were grown from matrix-and salt-containing solutions. The intensities of metal ion and metal adducts of the matrix ion obtained from unwashed crystals were higher than those from crystals washed with deionized water, indicating that metal ions and metal adducts of the matrix ions are mainly generated from the surface of crystals. The contributions of preformed metal ions and metal adducts of the matrix ions inside the matrix crystals were minor. Metal adducts of the matrix and analyte ion intensities generated from a mixture of dried matrix, salt, and analyte powders were similar to or higher than those generated from the powder of dried droplet crystals, indicating that the contributions of the preformed metal adducts of the matrix and analyte ions were insignificant. Correlation between metal-related ion intensity fluctuation and protonated ion intensity fluctuation was observed, indicating that the generation mechanism of the metal-related ions is similar to that of the protonated ions. Because the thermally induced proton transfer model effectively describes the generation of the protonated ions, we suggest that metal-related ions are mainly generated from the salt dissolution in the matrix melted by the laser.

Phosphorylation is among the most widely distributed mechanisms regulating the tunable structure and function of proteins in response to neuronal, hormonal and environmental signals. We demonstrate here that the low-voltage electrochemical reduction of histidine residues in reflectin A1, a protein that mediates the neuronal fine-tuning of colour reflected from skin cells for camouflage and communication in squids, acts as an in vitro surrogate for phosphorylation in vivo , driving the assembly previously shown to regulate its function. Using micro-drop voltammetry and a newly designed electrochemical cell integrated with an instrument measuring dynamic light scattering, we demonstrate selective reduction of the imidazolium side chains of histidine in monomers, oligopeptides and this complex protein in solution. The formal reduction potential of imidazolium proves readily distinguishable from those of hydronium and primary amines, allowing unequivocal confirmation of the direct and energetically selective deprotonation of histidine in the protein. The resulting ‘electro-assembly’ provides a new approach to probe, understand, and control the mechanisms that dynamically tune protein structure and function in normal physiology and disease. With its abilities to serve as a surrogate for phosphorylation and other mechanisms of charge neutralization, and to potentially isolate early intermediates in protein assembly, this method may be useful for analysing never-before-seen early intermediates in the phosphorylation-driven assembly of other proteins in normal physiology and disease.

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