We present the development and application of a generic analysis scheme for the measurement of neutrino spectra with the IceCube detector. This scheme is based on regularized unfolding, preceded by an event selection which uses a Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance algorithm to select the relevant variables and a random forest for the classification of events. The analysis has been developed using IceCube data from the 59-string configuration of the detector. 27,771 neutrino candidates were detected in 346 days of livetime. A rejection of 99.9999 % of the atmospheric muon background is achieved. The energy spectrum of the atmospheric neutrino flux is obtained using the TRUEE unfolding program. The unfolded spectrum of atmospheric muon neutrinos covers an energy range from 100 GeV to 1 PeV. Compared to the previous measurement using the detector in the 40-string configuration, the analysis presented here, extends the upper end of the atmospheric neutrino spectrum by more than a factor of two, reaching an energy region that has not been previously accessed by spectral measurements.

A trimethylamine (TEA)-assisted synthesis approach that combines the preparation of hierarchical porous zeolitic, imidazolate framework ZIF-8, nanoparticles and one-pot encapsulation of target molecules is presented. Two dye molecules, rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB), and one protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) were, tested as the target molecules. The addition of TEA into the solution of zinc nitrate promoted the formation of ZnO nanocrystals, which rapidly transformed to ZIF-8 nanoparticles after the addition of the linker 2-methylimidazole (Hmim): Hierarchical porous dye@ZIF-8 nanoparticles with high crystallinity, large BET surface areas (1300-2500 m(2)/g), and large pore Volatiles (0.5-1.0 cm(3)/g) could be synthesized. The synthesis procedure was fast (down to 2 min) and scalable. The Hmim/Zn ratio could be greatly reduced (down to 2:1) compared to previously reported ones. The surface areas, and the mesopore size, structure, and density could be modified by changing the TEA or dye concentrations, or by postsynthetic treatment using reflux in methanol. This synthesis and one-pot encapsulation approach is simple and can be readily scaled Up. The photophysical properties such as lifetime and photostability of the dyes could be tuned via encapsulation. The lifetimes of the encapsulated dyes were increased by 3-27-fold for RhB@ZIF-8 and by 20-fold for MB@ZIF-8, compared to those of the corresponding free dyes. The synthesis approach is general, which was successfully applied for encapsulation of protein BSA. It could also be extended for the synthesis of hierarchical porous cobalt-based ZIP (dye@ZIF-67).

Two isostructural series of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks denoted as SUMOF-7II (Ln) and SUMOF-7IIB (Ln) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd) were synthesized using4,4',4 ''-(pyridine-2,4,6-triyl)tris(benzoic acid) (H(3)L2) and a mixture of H(3)L2 and 4,4',4 ''-(benzene-1,3,5-triyl)tris(benzoic acid) (H3BTB) as linkers, respectively. Both series were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (TGA), and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Photoluminescence measurements show that Eu-MOFs demonstrate a red emission while Pr- and Nd-MOFs display an emission in the near-infrared (NIR) range. On the other hand, La-, Ce-, Sm- and Gd-MOFs exhibit only a ligand-centered emission. The average luminescence lifetimes in the SUMOF-7IIB series are 1.3-1.4-fold longer than the corresponding ones in the SUMOF-7II series. SUMOF-7IIs show a good photo- and thermal stability. Altogether, the properties of SUMOF-7II and SUMOF-7IIB render them promising materials for applications including sensing, biosensing, and telecommunications.

Attaching the phosphonated molecular catalyst [(ReBr)-Br-I(bpy)-(CO)(3)](0) to the wide-bandgap semiconductor TiO2 strongly enhances the rate of visible-light-driven reduction of CO2 to CO in dimethylformamide with triethanolamine (TEOA) as sacrificial electron donor. Herein, we show by transient mid-IR spectroscopy that the mechanism of catalyst photoreduction is initiated by ultrafast electron injection into TiO2, followed by rapid (ps-ns) and sequential two-electron oxidation of TEOA that is coordinated to the Re center. The injected electrons can be stored in the conduction band of TiO2 on an ms-s time scale, and we propose that they lead to further reduction of the Re catalyst and completion of the catalytic cycle. Thus, the excited Re catalyst gives away one electron and would eventually get three electrons back. The function of an electron reservoir would represent a role for TiO2 in photocatalytic CO2 reduction that has previously not been considered. We propose that the increase in photocatalytic activity upon heterogenization of the catalyst to TiO2 is due to the slow charge recombination and the high oxidative power of the Re-II species after electron injection as compared to the excited MLCT state of the unbound Re catalyst or when immobilized on ZrO2, which results in a more efficient reaction with TEOA.

Ultrafast fluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the hole injection in CdxSeyZn1-xS1-y gradient core-shell quantum dot (CSQD) sensitized p-type NiO photocathodes. A series of CSQDs with a wide range of shell thicknesses was studied. Complementary photoelectrochemical cell measurements were carried out to confirm that the hole injection from the active core through the gradient shell to NiO takes place. The hole injection from the valence band of the QDs to NiO depends much less on the shell thickness when compared to the corresponding electron injection to n-type semiconductor (ZnO). We simulate the charge carrier tunneling through the potential barrier due to the gradient shell by numerically solving the Schrodinger equation. The details of the band alignment determining the potential barrier are obtained from X-ray spectroscopy measurements. The observed drastic differences between the hole and electron injection are consistent with a model where the hole effective mass decreases, while the gradient shell thickness increases.

Quantum dot (QD) sensitized NiO photocathodes rely on efficient photoinduced hole injection into the NiO valence band. A system of a mesoporous NiO film co-sensitized with CdSe QDs and a molecular proton reduction catalyst was studied. While successful electron transfer from the excited QDs to the catalyst is observed, most of the photogenerated holes are instead quenched very rapidly (ps) by hole trapping at the surface thiols of the capping agent used as linker molecules. We confirmed our conclusion by first using a thiol free capping agent and second varying the thiol concentration on the QD's surface. The later resulted in faster hole trapping as the thiol concentration increased. We suggest that this hole trapping by the linker limits the H-2 yield for this photocathode in a device.

In this paper we report the photophysical properties of a series of bis-tridentate Ru-II-complexes, based on the dqp-ligand (dqp = 2,6-di(quinolin-8-yl) pyridine), which display several microsecond long excited state lifetimes for triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((MLCT)-M-3) at room temperature. Temperature dependence of the excited state lifetimes for [Ru(dqp)(2)](2+) and [Ru(dqp)(ttpy)](2+) (ttpy = 4'-tolyl-2,2': 6', 2 ''-terpyridine) is reported and radiative and non-radiative rate constants for the whole series are reported and discussed. We can confirm previous assumptions that the near-octahedricity of the bis-dqp complexes dramatically slows down activated decay at room temperature, as compared to most other and less long-lived bis-tridentate RuII-complexes, such as [Ru(tpy)(2)](2+) with tau = 0.25 ns at room temperature (tpy = 2,2': 6', 2 ''-terpyridine). Moreover, the direct non-radiative decay to the ground state is comparatively slow for similar to 700 nm room-temperature emission when considering the energy-gap law. Analysis of the 77 K emission spectra suggests that this effect is not primarily due to smaller excited state distortion than that for comparable complexes. Instead, an analysis of the photophysical parameters suggests a weaker singlet-triplet mixing in the MLCT state, which slows down both radiative and non-radiative decay.

Recently, cobalt redox electrolyte mediators have emerged as a promising alternative to the commonly used iodide/triiodide redox shuttle in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Here, we report the successful use of a new quasi-liquid, polymer-based electrolyte containing the Co3+/Co2+ redox mediator in 3-methoxy propionitrile solvent in order to overcome the limitations of high cell resistance, low diffusion coefficient and rapid recombination losses. The performance of the solar cells containing the polymer based electrolytes increased by a factor of 1.2 with respect to an analogous electrolyte without the polymer. The performances of the fabricated DSCs have been investigated in detail by photovoltaic, transient electron measurements, EIS, Raman and UV-vis spectroscopy. This approach offers an effective way to make high-performance and long-lasting DSCs.

It is well established that the lack of understanding the crystallization process in a two-step sequential deposition has a direct impact on efficiency, stability, and reproducibility of perovskite solar cells. Here, we try to understand the solid-solid phase transition occurring during the two-step sequential deposition of methylammonium lead iodide and formamidinium lead iodide. Using metadynamics, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, we reveal the microscopic details of this process. We find that the formation of perovskite proceeds through intermediate structures and report polymorphs found for methylammonium lead iodide and formamidinium lead iodide. From simulations, we discover a possible crystallization pathway for the highly efficient metastable alpha phase of formamidinium lead iodide. Guided by these simulations, we perform experiments that result in the low-temperature crystallization of phase-pure alpha-formamidinium lead iodide.

With the price-competitiveness of solar and wind power, hydrogen technologies may be game changers for a cleaner, defossilized, and sustainable energy future. H-2 can indeed be produced in electrolyzers from water, stored for long periods, and converted back into power, on demand, in fuel cells. The feasibility of the latter process critically depends on the discovery of cheap and efficient catalysts able to replace platinum group metals at the anode and cathode of fuel cells. Bioinspiration can be key for designing such alternative catalysts. Here we show that a novel class of iron-based catalysts inspired from the active site of [FeFe]-hydrogenase behave as unprecedented bidirectional electrocatalysts for interconverting H-2 and protons efficiently under near-neutral aqueous conditions. Such bioinspired catalysts have been implemented at the anode of a functional membrane-less H-2/O-2 fuel cell device.

Mixed ion perovskite solar cells (PSC) are manufactured with a metal-free hole contact based on press-transferred single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film infiltrated with 2,2,7,-7-tetrakis(N, N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,90-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD). By means of maximum power point tracking, their stabilities are compared with those of standard PSCs employing spin-coated Spiro-OMeTAD and a thermally evaporated Au back contact, under full 1 sun illumination, at 60 degrees C, and in a N-2 atmosphere. During the 140 h experiment, the solar cells with the Au electrode experience a dramatic, irreversible efficiency loss, rendering them effectively nonoperational, whereas the SWCNT-contacted devices show only a small linear efficiency loss with an extrapolated lifetime of 580 h.

A flexible, slightly transparent and metal-free random network of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on plain polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic substrate outperformed platinum on conductive glass and on plastic as the counter electrode (CE) of a dye solar cell employing a Co(II/III)tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) complex redox mediator in 3-methoxypropionitrile solvent. The CE charge-transfer resistance of the SWCNT film was 0.60 Omega cm(2), 4.0 Omega cm(2) for sputtered platinum on indium tin oxide-PET substrate and 1.7 Omega cm(2) for thermally deposited Pt on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass, respectively. The solar cell efficiencies were in the same range, thus proving that an entirely carbon-based SWCNT film on plastic is as good CE candidate for the Co electrolyte. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We demonstrate a high efficiency perovskite solar cell with a hybrid hole-transporting material-counter electrode based on a thin single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film and a drop-cast 2,2,7,-7-tetrakis(N, N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,90-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD) hole-transporting material (HTM). The average efficiency of the solar cells was 13.6%, with the record cell yielding 15.5% efficiency. The efficiency of the reference solar cells with spin-coated Spiro-OMeTAD hole-transportingmaterials (HTMs) and an evaporated gold counter electrode was 17.7% (record 18.8%), that of the cells with only a SWCNT counter electrode (CE) without additional HTM was 9.1% (record 11%) and that of the cells with gold deposited directly on the perovskite layer was 5% (record 6.3%). Our results show that it is possible to manufacture high efficiency perovskite solar cells with thin film (thickness less than 1 mu m) completely carbon-based HTMCEs using industrially upscalable manufacturing methods, such as press-transferred CEs and drop-cast HTMs.

A semitransparent, flexible single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film was efficiently used in place of evaporated silver as the counter electrode of a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polymer-based solid-state dye solar cell (SSDSC): the solar-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency of the SWCNT-SSDSC was 4.8 % when it was 5.2 % for the Ag-SSDSC. The efficiency difference stemmed from a 0.1-V difference in the open-circuit voltage, whose reason was speculated to be related to the different recombination processes in the two types of SSDSCs.

This work presents results of experimental kinetics and modelling of the isotopic exchange between hydrogen and water in a reactive stripping column for water dedeuteriation. The missing physical properties of deuterium and tritium isotopologues in hydrogen gas and water forms were predicted and validated using existing literature data. The kinetic model relevant to a styrene-divinyl-benzene copolymer-supported platinum catalyst was used for modelling, by Aspen plus modular package, impact of design parameters including temperature, total pressure, gas to liquid flowrate ratio, pressure drop and flow mixing, on the separation of deuterium and further the separation of tritium. The modelling by the rate-based non-equilibrium, including design correlations of model of mass and heat transfers, chemical kinetic constants, mass transfer coefficients and overall exchange rate constants, allowed access to separation trends in a good agreement with published data. The synergy between the rates of chemical isotopic exchange and gas/liquid mass transfer, and by inference the performance of reactive stripping, was particularly sensitive to high temperatures, low hydrogen flow rates, pressure drops and internals properties. Extension to tritium confirmed a slightly slower mass transport compared with deuterium leading to potentially under-estimated design features for detritiation processing when deuterium is used instead.

Generation of hydrogen using photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has attracted researchers for the last two decades. Several materials have been utilized as a photoanode in a water splitting cell, including ZnO due to its abundance, low production cost and suitable electronic structure. Most research attempts focused on doping ZnO to tailor its properties for a specific application. In this work, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to precisely dope ZnO with hafnium (Hf) in order to enhance its PEC performance. The resultant doped materials showed a significant improvement in PEC efficiency compared to pristine ZnO, which is linked directly to Hf introduction revealed by detailed optical, structural and electrical analyses. The photocurrent obtained in the best performing Hf-doped sample (0.75 wt% Hf) was roughly threefold higher compared to the undoped ZnO. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and open-circuit potential-decay (OCPD) measurements confirmed suppression in photocarriers' surface recombination in the doped films, which led to a more efficient PEC water oxidation. The enhanced PEC performance of Hf-doped ZnO and effectiveness of the used metal dopant are credited to the synergistic optimization of chemical composition, which enhanced the electrical, structural including morphological, and optical properties of the final material, making Hf-doping an attractive candidate for novel PEC electrodes.

The performance of perovskite solar cells is highly dependent on the fabrication method; thus, controlling the growth mechanism of perovskite crystals is a promising way towards increasing their efficiency and stability. Herein, a multi-cation halide composition of perovskite solar cells is engineered via the two-step sequential deposition method. Strikingly, it is found that adding mixtures of 1D polymorphs of orthorhombic delta-RbPbI3 and delta-CsPbI3 to the PbI2 precursor solution induces the formation of porous mesostructured hexagonal films. This porosity greatly facilitates the heterogeneous nucleation and the penetration of FA (formamidinium)/MA (methylammonium) cations within the PbI2 film. Thus, the subsequent conversion of PbI2 into the desired multication cubic alpha-structure by exposing it to a solution of formamidinium methylammonium halides is greatly enhanced. During the conversion step, the delta-CsPbI3 also is fully integrated into the 3D mixed cation perovskite lattice, which exhibits high crystallinity and superior optoelectronic properties. The champion device shows a power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 22%. Furthermore, these devices exhibit enhanced operational stability, with the best device retaining more than 90% of its initial value of PCE under 1 Sun illumination with maximum power point tracking for 400 h.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-stabilized lipodisks have emerged as innovatiive, promising nanocarriers for several classes of drugs. Prior research underscores the important role of lipid composition and preparation method in determining the lipodisk size, uniformity, and drug loading capacity. In this study, we investigate dual centrifugation (DC) as a novel technique for the production of PEG-stabilized lipodisks. Moreover, we explore the potential use of DC for the encapsulation of two model drugs, curcumin and doxorubicin, within the disks. Our results show that by a considerate choice of experimental conditions, DC can be used as a fast and straightforward means to produce small and homogenous lipodisks with a hydrodynamic diameter of 20-30 nm. Noteworthy, the technique works well for the production of both cholesterol-free and cholesterol-containing disks and does not require pre-mixing of the lipids in organic solvent. Furthermore, our investigations confirm the efficacy of DC in formulating curcumin and doxorubicin within these lipodisks. For doxorubicin, careful control and optimization of the experimental conditions resulted in formulations displaying an encouraging encapsulation efficiency of 84 % and a favourable drug-to-lipid ratio of 0.13 in the disks.

Singlet fission is an exciton multiplication process in organic molecules in which a photogenerated spin-singlet exciton is rapidly and efficiently converted to two spin-triplet excitons. This process offers a mechanism to break the Shockley-Queisser limit by overcoming the thermalization losses inherent to all single-junction photovoltaics. One of the most promising methods to harness the singlet fission process is via the efficient extraction of the dark triplet excitons into quantum dots (QDs) where they can recombine radiatively, thereby converting high-energy photons to pairs of low-energy photons, which can then be captured in traditional inorganic PVs such as Si. Such a singlet fission photon multiplication (SF-PM) process could increase the efficiency of the best Si cells from 26.7% to 32.5%, breaking the Shockley-Queisser limit. However, there has been no demonstration of such a singlet fission photon multiplication (SF-PM) process in a bulk system to date. Here, we demonstrate a solution-based bulk SF-PM system based on the singlet fission material TIPS-Tc combined with PbS QDs. Using a range of steady-state and time-resolved measurements combined with analytical modeling we study the dynamics and mechanism of the triplet harvesting process. We show that the system absorbs >95% of incident photons within the singlet fission material to form singlet excitons, which then undergo efficient singlet fission in the solution phase (135 +/- 5%) before quantitative harvesting of the triplet excitons (95 +/- 5%) via a low concentration of QD acceptors, followed by the emission of IR photons. We find that in order to achieve efficient triplet harvesting it is critical to engineer the surface of the QD with a triplet transfer ligand and that bimolecular decay of triplets is potentially a major loss pathway which can be controlled via tuning the concentration of QD acceptors. We demonstrate that the photon multiplication efficiency is maintained up to solar fluence. Our results establish the solution-based SF-PM system as a simple and highly tunable platform to understand the dynamics of a triplet energy transfer process between organic semiconductors and QDs, one that can provide clear design rules for new materials.

CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) are promising candidates for optoelectronic devices. The substitution of oleic acid ( OA) and oleylamine ( OLA) capping agents with a quaternary alkylammonium such as di-dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) has shown an increase in external quantum efficiency (EQE) from 0.19% (OA/OLA) to 13.4% (DDAB) in LED devices. The device performance significantly depends on both the diffusion length and the mobility of photoexcited charge carriers in QD solids. Therefore, we investigated the charge carrier transport dynamics in DDAB-capped CsPbBr3 QD solids by constructing a bi-sized QD mixture film. Charge carrier diffusion can be monitored by quantitatively varying the ratio between two sizes of QDs, which varies the mean free path of the carriers in each QD cluster. Excited-state dynamics of the QD solids obtained from ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that the photogenerated electrons and holes are difficult to diffuse among small-sized QDs (4 nm) due to the strong quantum confinement. On the other hand, both photoinduced electrons and holes in large-sized QDs (10 nm) would diffuse toward the interface with the small-sized QDs, followed by a recombination process. Combining the carrier diffusion study with a Monte Carlo simulation on the QD assembly in the mixture films, we can calculate the diffusion lengths of charge carriers to be similar to 239 +/- 16 nm in 10 nm CsPbBr3 QDs and the mobility values of electrons and holes to be 2.1 (+/- 0.1) and 0.69 (+/- 0.03) cm(2)/V s, respectively. Both parameters indicate an efficient charge carrier transport in DDAB-capped QD films, which rationalized the perfect performance of their LED device application.

Nonuniform local flow inside randomly porous media of gas solid packed beds of low aspect ratios ranging from 1.5 to 5 was investigated by three-dimensional modeling and near-infrared tomography. These beds are known to demonstrate heterogeneous mixing and uneven distributions of mass and heat. The effects of the confining wall on flow dynamics were found nonlinear, particularly for aspect ratios lower than 3. High velocities were mainly observed in regions near the wall of aspect ratio value of 1.5 and those of values higher than 3, owing to high local porosities in these zones. Mass dispersion characterized both by experimental near-infrared imaging and by particle tracking showed discrepancies with literature models, particularly for aspect ratios lower than 3. Uncertainties were more significant with the radial dispersion due to bed size limits. Beyond this value, the wall affected more the axial dispersion, confirming the nonlinear impact of the wall on global hydrodynamics.

Scaling up the results on catalyst deactivation to industrial operations, where transport phenomena are of significance, is often not straightforward. The operations of industrial reactors are judiciously focused on the dynamics of the deactivation along the axial length of the reactors, which are generally known approximately. Processes of strong energy release or fast chemical kinetics, such as oxidation reactions, cracking, etc., are associated with a deactivation where the time characteristics of the flow and transports are of magnitudes of the deactivation time-on-stream. Local deactivation of the preferential oxidation of CO was investigated by three-dimensional modelling of flow, mass and heat transfers inside a packed-bed reactor and validated by near-infrared tomography. The profiles of deactivation were sensitive to the rates of deactivation, heat transfer by dispersion and intra-particle mass transfer. At pore scale of the packing, pronounced deactivation was revealed near the wall due to a preferential flow circulation. The deactivation progressed at the exteriors of the catalytic particles, particularly over the regions in contact with the convective flow. Unlike the mass dispersion, the heat dispersion promoted the deactivation by shifting the moving waves of deactivation upstream, leading to asymmetrical maps inside the catalytic particles.

A biomimetic model complex of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase active site (FeFeOH) with an ethylene bridge and a pendant hydroxyl group has been synthesized, characterized and evaluated as catalyst for the light-driven hydrogen production. The interaction of the hydroxyl group present in the complex with 3-isocyanopropyltriethoxysilane provided a carbamate triethoxysilane bearing a diiron dithiolate complex (NCOFeFe), thus becoming a potentially promising candidate for anchoring on heterogeneous supports. As a proof of concept, the NCOFeFe precursor was anchored by a grafting procedure into a periodic mesoporous organosilica with ethane bridges (EthanePMO@NCOFeFe). Both molecular and heterogenized complexes were tested as catalysts for light-driven hydrogen generation in aqueous solutions. The photocatalytic conditions were optimized for the homogenous complex by varying the reaction time, pH, amount of the catalyst or photosensitizer, photon flux, and the type of light source (light-emitting diode (LED) and Xe lamp). It was shown that the molecular FeFeOH diiron complex achieved a decent turnover number (TON) of 70 after 6 h, while NCOFeFe and EthanePMO@NCOFeFe had slightly lower activities showing TONs of 37 and 5 at 6 h, respectively.

A global hydrogen economy could ensure environmentally sustainable, safe and cost-efficient renewable energy for the 21st century. Solar hydrogen production through artificial photosynthesis is a key strategy, and the activity of natural hydrogenase metalloenzymes an inspiration for the design of synthetic catalyst systems. [FeFe]-hydrogenase enzymes, present in anaerobic bacteria and green algae, are the most efficient class of biological catalysts for hydrogen evolution. The enzymes operate in an aqueous environment, utilizing electrons that ultimately stem from photosynthesis as the only energy source. Functional synthetic models of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase enzyme active site have garnered intense interest as potential catalysts for the reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen. Herein, we take an extensive journey through the field of biomimetic hydrogenase chemistry for lightdriven hydrogen production. We open with a brief presentation of the structure and redox mechanism of the natural enzyme. Synthetic methodologies, structural characteristics, and hydrogen generation metrics relevant to the synthetic diiron catalysts ([2Fe2S]) are discussed. We first examine multicomponent photocatalysis systems with the [2Fe2S] cluster, followed by photosensitizer-[2Fe2S] dyads and molecular triads. Finally, strategies for the incorporation of [2Fe2S] complexes into supramolecular assemblies, semiconductor supports, and hybrid heterogeneous platforms are laid out. We analyze the individual properties, scope, and limitations of the components present in the photocatalytic reactions. This review illuminates the most useful aspects to rationally design a wide variety of biomimetic catalysts inspired by the diiron subsite of [FeFe]-hydrogenases, and establishes design features shared by the most stable and efficient hydrogen producing photosystems. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hypoxia, an oxygen-deprived condition of the tumor, is one of the major reasons for resistance to chemotherapy. Carbonic anhydrases are generally involved in pH homeostasis in normal conditions, but in solid tumors having a strong relation with hypoxia, the carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX) enzyme is overexpressed and results in an extracellular acidic environment. For most weakly basic anticancer drugs, including doxorubicin (Dox), the ionization in an acidic environment limits their cellular uptake, and consequently, the tumor exposure to the drug at sub-therapeutic concentration comes out as chemoresistance. Herein, a combined drug delivery system of liposomes and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) was developed for the co-delivery of the CA-IX enzyme inhibitor and Dox in hypoxic condition. The unique structure of MSNPs with higher surface area was utilized for higher drug loading and sustained release of Dox. Additionally, the biocompatible nature of liposomal coating as a second loading site for the CA-IX enzyme inhibitor has provided gatekeeping effects at pore opening to avoid premature drug release. Lipid coated MSNPs as a co-delivery system for Dox and the CA-IX inhibitor have synergistic cytotoxic effects against MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells in hypoxic conditions. These findings assure the potential of this drug delivery system to overcome hypoxia-related chemoresistance.

The immediate release of chemotherapeutics at the target site, along with no premature release in circulation is always challenging. The purpose of this study was to develop a stimuli responsive drug delivery system, composed of lipid supported mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) for triggered drug release at the target site and simultaneously avoiding the premature release. MSNPs with a higher drug loading capacity and very slow release were designed so as to enhance release by FDA approved US-irradiation. Doxorubicin, as a model drug, and perfluoropentane (PFP) as a US responsive material, were entrapped in the porous structure of MSNPs. Lipid coating enhanced the cellular uptake and in addition provided a gatekeeping effect at the pore opening to reduce premature release. The mechanical and thermal effects of US induced the conversion of liquid PFP to a gaseous form that was able to rupture the lipid layer, resulting in triggered drug release. The prolonged stability profile and non-toxic behavior made them suitable candidate for the delivery of anticancer drugs. This smart system, with the abilities of better cellular uptake and higher cytotoxic effects on US-irradiation, would be a good addition to the applied side of chemotherapeutic advanced drug delivery systems.

Student responses to introduction of pedagogical initiatives, such as adoption of research-based educational practices, can be very influential on the future of such initiatives (National Research Council, 2012). To inform this type of introduction processes, we present results from an investigation on beginner student's expectations of how academic teachers will contribute to their learning.

Enrolling students in science and technology were asked the following open question as part of a web-based survey: "How do you expect your teachers to contribute to your learning?" 553 of about 880 students in the surveyed population choose to respond. Their answers were coded and iteratively sorted in a grounded theory approach (Robson, 2011).

The three most common themes found in the answers were providing lectures, answering questions and providing information and structure. 58% of the students focussed on information transfer from the teachers, whereas 27% focussed on pedagogical approaches and student centred practices. The remaining 15% were too vague to be classified. A small minority of the student described contributions to learning that could be expected from a teacher inspired by the scholarship of teaching and learning. Some themes show statistically significant differences depending on student background factors, such as gender, programme affiliation and parents education. As an example, students from non-academic families to a larger extent expect teachers to be accessible for providing support.

Our findings provide valuable insights into expectations of teachers from a heterogeneous student population. They also have important implications for how to introduce and motivate research-based teaching approaches to the whole student population.

References

National Research Council (2012). Discipline-Based Educational Research: Understanding and Improving Learning in Undergraduate Science and Engineering. National Academy Press, Washington D. C., p. 180-181.

Robson, C. (2011). Real world research: a resource for users of social research methods in applied settings. (pp. 146-150) Chichester: Wiley.

Engineering students train to discuss conclusionsand results in different ways as part of their education. This is often done in connection to learning disciplinary knowledge where comparisons with and connections to previous courses play an important role. Students from different programs can have distinctly different repertoires of concepts and experiences when starting a course. This influences their learning on the course and how they communicate afterwards. We explore this issue in relation to engineering students’ explanations about entropy and how these change during a course in thermodynamics. A questionnaire study was done during the spring semester 2014 with students enrolling in a course on chemical thermodynamics. Students were asked to explain the concept of entropy and list scientific concepts they relate to entropy both before and after the course. A qualitative analysis was done for the 73 students who answered the questionnaire both before and after the course. Analysis showed that disorder was the most common aspect in student explanations, both before and after the course, but that many students used the concept ina more critical and reflective manner after the course. We also found that student explanations develop in richness by involving more aspects after the course. This development is dependent on the resources students bring with them when enrolling in the course. This is especially clear for students from the Master Programme in Chemical Engineering, who to a larger extent use microscopic elements, such as interaction between particles, in their explanations already before the course.

Research on study choice and participation in higher education, particularly in science and engineering, stresses the importance of students' on-going identity work as learners (Holmegard, Ulriksen & Madsen, 2014; Henriksen, Dillon & Ryder, 2015), especially on the scale of field of study. Our project explore how such identity work takes place on course level.

An interview study concerning course achievement was undertaken with 21 students on a third-semester physics course. An interpretative discourse analysis (Gee, 2011) of the interviews yielded a model for students' negotiations of their practice in the course. Three types of practice were described: Ignoring to study, Studying to pass, and Studying to learn. The choice between these was influenced by the significance recognized for the course. This recognition, in turn, was generally discussed in relation to identity, largely connected to programme affiliation.

This negotiation process becomes especially relevant when differently profiled programmes allow students to recognize and expect different ways of doing disciplines. However, in the study context they often study the same courses. We will present examples of the consequences this can have, based on quantitative data from the fields of physics and economics. Our results emphasize the importance of designing and teaching courses in a way that enable all students to recognize them as significant, to encourage both learning and participation.

References

Gee, J.P. (2011). An introduction to discourse analysis: theory and method. (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.

Henriksen, E.K., Dillon, J., & Ryder, J. (Eds.). (2015). Understanding student participation and choice in science and technology education. Springer.

Holmegaard, H.T., Ulriksen, L.M., & Madsen, L.M. (2014). The process of choosing what to study: A longitudinal study of upper secondary students' identity work when choosing higher education. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 58(1), 21-40.

Differences in student achievement, as measured by course grades, were explored on a third-semester Electromagnetism course through a mixed-methods approach. Interpretative discourse analysis of interviews showed how students describe their studying in relation to practice, significance and identity. Students that only saw a formal significance of the course, as an eligibility requirement, related to a practice of Studying to pass. A practice of Studying to pass was related to the recognition of vocational and disciplinary significance of the course. Program affiliation, associated with different views regarding vocations and the discipline of physics, were described as central for the on-going identity work of these students as learners. The results indicated that program affiliation played a central role for student achievement on the course. This was corroborated by a quantitative analysis showing that male and female students on most programs performed equally. This study was initiated to inform pedagogical development with the outspoken goal to

help all female students, but the situation was not that simple. Our results emphasize the importance designing and teaching courses in a way that enable all students to recognize them as significant, to encourage both learning and participation.

In this work, four-terminal (4T) tandem solar cells were fabricated by using a methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) perovskite solar cell (PSC) as the front-cell and a lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dot solar cell (CQDSC) as the back-cell. Different modifications of the tandem interlayer, at the interface between the sub-cells, were tested in order to improve the infrared transparency of the perovskite sub-cell and consequently increase the utilization of infrared (IR) light by the tandem system. This included the incorporation of a semi-transparent thin gold electrode (Au) on the MAPbI₃ solar cell, followed by adding a molybdenum(VI) oxide (MoO₃) layer or a surlyn layer. These interlayer modifications resulted in an increase of the IR transmittance to the back cell and improved the optical stability, compared to that in the reference devices. This investigation shows the importance of the interlayer, connecting the PSC with a strong absorption in the visible region and the CQDSC with a strong infrared absorption to obtain efficient next-generation tandem photovoltaics (PVs).

Mesoporous NiO films were cosensitized with a coumarin 343 dye and a proton reduction catalyst of the [Fe-2(CO)(6)(bdt)] (bdt = benzene-1,2-dithiolate) family. Femtosecond ultraviolet visible transient absorption experiments directly demonstrated subpicosecond hole injection into NiO from excited dyes followed by rapid (t(50%) similar to 6 ps) reduction of the catalyst on the surface with similar to 70% yield. The reduced catalyst was long-lived (2 mu s to 20 ms), which may allow protonation and a second reduction step of the catalyst to occur. A photo electrochemical device based on this photocathode produced H-2 with a Faradaic efficiency of similar to 50%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography experiments demonstrated that the observed device deterioration with time was mainly due to catalyst degradation and desorption from the NiO surface. The insights gained from these mechanistic studies, regarding development of dye-catalyst cosensitized photocathodes, are discussed.

Understanding electron mobility on TiO2 is crucial because of its applications in photocatalysis and solar cells. This work shows that shallow traps believed to be involved in electron migration in TiO2 conduction band are formed upon band gap excitation, i.e., are not pre-existing states. The shallow traps in TiO2 results from large polarons and are not restricted to surface.

We demonstrate the use of an X-ray free electron laser synchronized with an optical pump laser to obtain X-ray diffraction snapshots from the photoactivated states of large membrane protein complexes in the form of nanocrystals flowing in a liquid jet. Light-induced changes of Photosystem I-Ferredoxin co-crystals were observed at time delays of 5 to 10 µs after excitation. The result correlates with the microsecond kinetics of electron transfer from Photosystem I to ferredoxin. The undocking process that follows the electron transfer leads to large rearrangements in the crystals that will terminally lead to the disintegration of the crystals. We describe the experimental setup and obtain the first time-resolved femtosecond serial X-ray crystallography results from an irreversible photo-chemical reaction at the Linac Coherent Light Source. This technique opens the door to time-resolved structural studies of reaction dynamics in biological systems.

A 2e(-)/2H(+) redox platform has been implemented in the ethenyl-bridged bisphosphol-3-ol 1 to afford the first phospholes that feature chemically reversible oxidations. Oxidation of the title compounds to the corresponding bisphosphol-3-one 2 leads to a change in conjugation topology and a concomitant hypsochromic shift of the lowest-energy absorption maximum by 100nm. Electrochemical oxidation proceeds without any detectable intermediates, whereas the deprotonated form of 1 can be observed in an aprotic medium during the reduction of 2. This dianionic intermediate 3 is characterized by end absorptions that are bathochromically shifted by circa 200nm compared to those of 2.

The light-driven activation of halophosphines R₂PX (R = alkyl- or aryl, X = Cl, Br) by an Ir^III-based photocatalyst is described. It is shown that initially formed secondary phosphines R₂PH react readily with the remaining R₂PX in a parent–child reaction to form diphosphines R₂P–PR₂. Aryl-containing diphosphines can be further reduced to secondary phosphines R^Ar₂PH under identical photoredox conditions. Dihalophosphines RPX₂ are also activated by the photoredox protocol, giving rise to unusual 3-, 4-, and 5-membered cyclophosphines. Transient absorption studies show that the excited state of the Ir photocatalyst is reductively quenched by the DIPEA (N,N-di-iso-propylethylamine) electron donor. Electron transfer to R₂PX is however unexpectedly slow and cannot compete with recombination with the oxidized donor DIPEA^•+. As DIPEA is not a perfectly reversible donor, a small proportion of the total Ir^II population escapes recombination, providing the reductant for the observed transformations.

We describe a method to measure ultrafast protein structural changes using time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering at an X-ray free-electron laser. We demonstrated this approach using multiphoton excitation of the Blastochloris viridis photosynthetic reaction center, observing an ultrafast global conformational change that arises within picoseconds and precedes the propagation of heat through the protein. This provides direct structural evidence for a 'protein quake': the hypothesis that proteins rapidly dissipate energy through quake-like structural motions.

A quantum description adapted to scrutinize chemical reaction mechanisms obtains by implementing an electronuclear separation via quantum numbers method; truly diabatic base states obtain that sustain quantum states expressed as linear superpositions. A proto-type bond breaking/formation case: H-2(+) double left right arrow H(1s) + H+ test possibilities via mathematical modeling. Asymptotic states (vertical bar H > circle times vertical bar H+>) and (vertical bar H+> circle times vertical bar H >) and basis states for quantized electromagnetic radiation complete the model; Feshbach-resonance-like quantum states obtain that play pivotal roles gating association/dissociation processes. A fixed grid of floating Gaussian orbitals permits actual computations compatible with this method. The information therefrom gleaned is used to construct model Hamiltonians easily adaptable to second quantization formalisms. Theoretical developments and non-routine computations results can directly be related to experiment.

We have recently proposed an approach where chemical transformations can be described as quantum processes involving the modulation of entangled states by an applied external field (Arteca and Tapia in Phys Rev A 84:012115, 2011). In practical implementations, we gain insight into these processes by using simple quantum-mechanical models derived from diabatic schemes. In this context, reactant, product, and, eventually, intermediate species, are assigned to diabatic basis functions, and then entangled by an external field into a quantum state from which all observable properties of the chemical reaction should emerge. Here, we extend our previous model for bond breaking/formation in diatomic molecules (Arteca et al. in J Math Chem 50:949, 2012). We consider the entire manifold of semiclassical models defined by only two diabatic basis functions: a harmonic well for the "molecular" bound state, and an exponential potential energy function for the asymptotically separated fragments (the "product" channel). Using a two-parameter space to describe all models, we determine how the topology of the total energy function is affected by the shape of the applied field. We show that strong and weak local couplings with the external field modify substantially the occurrence of energy barriers, in contrast to using the uniform (i.e., space-invariant) coupling employed in previous works.

The leaves of Ficus johannis Boiss (F. johannis), commonly known as Fig tree, Anjir, and Teen, are used by the folk medicinal practitioners in Iran for controlling hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. This study investigated the pharmacological basis for antidiabetic effect of the ethanolic extract of F. johannis leaves using in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Qualitative screening of phytochemicals, estimation of total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and in vitro antioxidant and α-amylase inhibition assays were performed. Moreover, the High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification, acute toxicity, glucose tolerance, and in vivo antidiabetic effect along with the evaluation of gene expressions involved in diabetes mellitus were carried out. Significant quantities of phenolic (71.208 ± 2.89 mgg⁻¹ GAE) and flavonoid (26.38 ± 3.53 mgg⁻¹ QE) were present. Inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of the plant extract exhibited an excellent in vitro antioxidant (IC₅₀ = 33.81 µg/mL) and α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 12.18 µg/mL) inhibitory potential. The HPLC analysis confirmed the gallic acid (257.79 mgg⁻¹) as main constituent of the extract followed by kaempferol (22.86 mgg⁻¹), myricetin (0.16 mgg⁻¹), and quercetin (3.22 mgg⁻¹). Ethanolic extract displayed glucose tolerance in normo-glycemic rats. Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia declined dose dependently in the extract treated rats with improvement in lipid profile and liver and renal function biomarkers. The F. johannis-treated groups showed an increase in mRNA expressions of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4), glucokinase, insulin growth like factor 1 and peroxisomal proliferator activating receptor gamma in pancreas. However, the Glucose-6-phosphatase was downregulated. Present study suggests that the ethanolic extract of F. johannis leaves demonstrates a good anti-diabetic profile by improving insulin sensitivity, GLUT-4 translocation, and carbohydrate metabolism while inhibiting lipogenesis.

Electron and proton transfer reactions of diiron complexes [Fe(2)adt(CO)(6)] (1) and [Fe(2)adt(CO)(4)(PMe3)(2)] (4), with the biomimetic azadithiolate (adt) bridging ligand, have been investigated by real-time IR- and UV-vis-spectroscopic observation to elucidate the role of the adt-N as a potential proton shuttle in catalytic H-2 formation. Protonation of the one-electron reduced complex, 1(-), occurs on the adt-N yielding 1H and the same species is obtained by one-electron reduction of 1H(+). The preference for ligand vs. metal protonation in the Fe-2(i,0) state is presumably kinetic but no evidence for tautomerization of 1H to the hydride 1Hy was observed. This shows that the adt ligand does not work as a proton relay in the formation of hydride intermediates in the reduced catalyst. A hydride intermediate 1HHy(+) is formed only by protonation of 1H with stronger acid. Adt protonation results in reduction of the catalyst at much less negative potential, but subsequent protonation of the metal centers is not slowed down, as would be expected according to the decrease in basicity. Thus, the adtH(+) complex retains a high turnover frequency at the lowered overpotential. Instead of proton shuttling, we propose that this gain in catalytic performance compared to the propyldithiolate analogue might be rationalized in terms of lower reorganization energy for hydride formation with bulk acid upon adt protonation.