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[Display omitted] • TTF-pm was used as buffer layers in PTB7-Th:PC71BM organic solar cells for the first time. • The device based on these bilayered HTLs yielded a notably high FF of 74.05%. • The TTF-pm film can also be employed in PM6:Y6 non-fullerene solar cells as a result of efficient interfacial modification. Interface engineering has been widely proved to be an effective approach to improving the overall efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs). Among the enhanced photovoltaic parameters, a high fill factor (FF) is more responsible for a stable and efficient device. Herein, a simple and effective strategy with a view to improving the FF is demonstrated by modification of hole transporting layers (HTLs). By using a non-planar conjugated tetrathiafulvalene derivative (named TTF-pm) and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) as double HTLs, the conventional device based on PTB7-Th:PC 71 BM bulk heterojunction delivers a boosted power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.80% and an impressive FF of 74.05%. The analyses presented indicate that the enhanced FF is mostly attributed to the optimized morphology of active layer, improved mobility and suppressed charge recombination via interfacial modification. Moreover, the device stability is also improved benefiting from the optimized film morphology. In addition, a PCE of 16.5% for non-fullerene organic solar cells based on PM6:Y6 blend film using the new HTLs is obtained, which is 7.8% higher than the control. This study highlights the potential of TTF derivatives as new HTLs for high and stable performance in the field of organic photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hole-transporting materials play an important role in perovskite solar cells. In this study, we introduced a novel hole-transporting material without p-type dopant, a tetrathiafulvalene derivative anchored with eight carboxyl groups (TTA) into inverted structure perovskite solar cells. The devices with TTA as hole-transporting layer showed high power conversion efficiency of 16.7%, which was 44.5% improvement compared with the reference devices without hole-transporting layer. The performance improvement was ascribed to three factors: 1) the better match of energy level between ITO and perovskite layer; 2) enhanced hole extraction at anode interface; 3) improved perovskite morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is still one of the important diseases that threatens the health of the people. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the main factor that leads to the failure of cancer chemotherapy. Thus, MDR diagnosis could facilitate the monitoring of the therapy process and realization of efficient treatment of tumors. In this study, we have tried to use a new tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivative (TTF-(COONBu)) to sensitively recognize the MDR through the multi-signal responsive strategy. The relevant electrochemical and spectroscopic studies demonstrates the specific binding behavior of TTF-(COONBu) with P-glycoprotein (P-gp) as well as drug-resistant leukemia cells. Especially due to the over-expression of specific components of P-gp on the plasma membranes of drug resistant cells, the electrochemical and hydrophilic/hydrophobic features of drug resistant-leukemia cells are apparently different from those of other kinds of leukemia cells. Meanwhile, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic study illustrates that the most intense vibration band of TTF moieties in the 1400-1600 cm range is almost smeared out upon binding to P-gp, and the binding of TTF-(COONBu) to P-gp may also lead to changes in protein secondary structure and backbone. This observation may advance the development of the new TTF agent for the promising clinical diagnosis and monitoring of MDR of tumors with the aim of successful chemotherapy for human cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of a new tetrathiafulvalene derivative with an electron-withdrawing benzothiadiazole moiety and its use in thin-film organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are reported. Compared to reported OFETs with other TTF derivatives, a high hole mobility up to 0.73 cm2 V−1 s−1, low off-current and high on/off ratio up to 105 are demonstrated. In addition, the developed OFETs show fast responsiveness toward chemical vapors of DECP (diethyl chlorophosphate) or POCl3 which are simulants of phosphate-based nerve agents. In contrast to previously reported OFET-based sensors, off-current is used as the output signal, which increases quickly upon exposure to either DECP or POCl3 vapors. High sensitivity is demonstrated toward DECP and POCl3 vapors, with concentrations as low as 10 ppb being detected. These OFETs are also responsive to TNT vapor. The sensing mechanisms for the new type of OFET are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]