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Intravesical instillation of chemotherapeutic drugs such as epirubicin (EPI) is routinely used to prevent tumor recurrence and progression after transurethral resection of bladder tumor. However, the lack of tumor selectivity often causes severe damage to normal bladder urothelium leading to intolerable side effects. Here, we analyzed abnormal changes in glycosylation in bladder cancer and identified mannose as the most aberrantly expressed glycan on the surface of bladder cancer cell lines and human bladder tumor tissues. We then constructed a lectin‐drug conjugate by linking concanavalin A (ConA) – a lectin that specifically binds to mannose, with EPI through a pH‐sensitive linker. This ConA−EPI conjugate conferred EPI with mannose‐targeting ability and selectively internalized cancer cells in vitro. This conjugate showed selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells in vitro and better antitumor activity in an orthotopic mouse model of bladder cancer. Our lectin‐drug conjugation strategy makes targeted intravesical chemotherapy of bladder cancer possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel metal-free organic dyes containing the thiazolo[5,4- d]thiazole moiety were designed and synthesized for quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Different alkoxy chains were introduced into the electron donor part of the dye molecules for comparison. The optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties for all sensitizers were systematically investigated. It was found that the sensitizers with the different alkoxy groups have similar photophysical and electrochemical properties, such as absorbance and energy levels, owing to their close chemical structures. However, the quasi-solid-state DSSCs based on the resulting sensitizers exhibit different performance parameters. The quasi-solid-state DSSC based on sensitizer FNE74 with two octyloxy chains possessed the highest solar energy conversion efficiency of 5.10 % under standard AM 1.5G sunlight illumination without the use of coadsorbant agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thieno[3,4- c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-based organic sensitizers with triphenylamine ( FNE38 and FNE40) or julolidine ( FNE39 and FNE41) as electron-donating unit have been designed and synthesized. A linear hexyl group or a branched alkyl chain, the 2-ethylhexyl group, is incorporated into molecular skeleton of the dyes to minimize intermolecular interactions. The absorption, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties for these sensitizers were then systematically investigated. It is found that the sensitizers have similar photophysical and electrochemical properties, such as absorption spectra and energy levels, owing to their close chemical structures. However, the quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on the two types of sensitizers exhibit very different performance parameters. Upon the incorporation of the short ethyl group on the hexyl moiety, enhancements in both open-circuit voltage ( Voc) and short-circuit current ( Jsc) are achieved for the quasi-solid-state DSSCs. The Voc gains originating from the suppression of charge recombination were quantitatively investigated and are in good agreement with the experimentally observed Voc enhancements. Therefore, an enhanced solar energy conversion efficiency ( η) of 6.16 %, constituting an increase by 23 %, is achieved under standard AM 1.5 sunlight without the use of coadsorbant agents for the quasi-solid-state DSSC based on sensitizer FNE40, which bears the branched alkyl group, in comparison with that based on FNE38 carrying the linear alkyl group. This work presents a design concept for considering the crucial importance of the branched alkyl substituent in novel metal-free organic sensitizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dye ‐ sensitized solar cells are regarded as a candidate for renewable energy source owing to their low cost, abundance of raw materials, ease of fabrication, and low energy consumption in the production process. In their Full Paper on page 168   ff., Gang Zhou, Zhong ‐ Sheng Wang et   al. introduced an ethyl group into a sensitizer with a linear hexyl group. With this branched 2 ‐ ethylhexyl group, the corresponding quasi ‐ solid ‐ state DSSC displayed a significantly reduced charge recombination rate, a longer electron lifetime, a higher photovoltage, and consequently an improved power conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]