With a certified efficiency as high as 25.2%, perovskite has taken the crown as the highest efficiency thin film solar cell material. Unfortunately, serious instability issues must be resolved before perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are commercialized. Aided by theoretical calculation, an appropriate multifunctional molecule, 2,2‐difluoropropanediamide (DFPDA), is selected to ameliorate all the instability issues. Specifically, the carbonyl groups in DFPDA form chemical bonds with Pb2+ and passivate under‐coordinated Pb2+ defects. Consequently, the perovskite crystallization rate is reduced and high‐quality films are produced with fewer defects. The amino groups not only bind with iodide to suppress ion migration but also increase the electron density on the carbonyl groups to further enhance their passivation effect. Furthermore, the fluorine groups in DFPDA form both an effective barrier on the perovskite to improve its moisture stability and a bridge between the perovskite and HTL for effective charge transport. In addition, they show an effective doping effect in the HTL to improve its carrier mobility. With the help of the combined effects of these groups in DFPDA, the PSCs with DFPDA additive achieve a champion efficiency of 22.21% and a substantially improved stability against moisture, heat, and light.
Cesium‐based inorganic perovskites, such as CsPbI2Br, are promising candidates for photovoltaic applications owing to their exceptional optoelectronic properties and outstanding thermal stability. However, the power conversion efficiency of CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is still lower than those of hybrid PSCs and inorganic CsPbI3 PSCs. In this work, passivation and n‐type doping by adding CaCl2 to CsPbI2Br is demonstrated. The crystallinity of the CsPbI2Br perovskite film is enhanced, and the trap density is suppressed after adding CaCl2. In addition, the Fermi level of the CsPbI2Br is changed by the added CaCl2 to show heavy n‐type doping. As a result, the optimized CsPbI2Br PSC shows a highest open circuit voltage of 1.32 V and a record efficiency of 16.79%. Meanwhile, high air stability is demonstrated for a CsPbI2Br PSC with 90% of the initial efficiency remaining after more than 1000 h aging in air.
The optoelectronic properties of perovskite films are closely related to the film quality, so depositing dense, uniform, and stable perovskite films is crucial for fabricating high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). CsPbI 2 Br perovskite, prized for its superb stability toward light soaking and thermal aging, has received a great deal of attention recently. However, the air instability and poor performance of CsPbI 2 Br PSCs are hindering its further progress. Here, an approach is reported for depositing high-quality CsPbI 2 Br films via the Lewis base adducts PbI 2 (DMSO) and PbBr 2 (DMSO) as precursors to slow the crystallization of the perovskite film. This process produces CsPbI 2 Br films with large-scale crystalline grains, flat surfaces, low defects, and long carrier lifetimes. More interestingly, PbI 2 (DMSO) and PbBr 2 (DMSO) adducts could significantly improve the stability of CsPbI 2 Br films in air. Using films prepared by this technique, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.78% is obtained in CsPbI 2 Br PSCs, which is the highest PCE value reported for CsPbI 2 Br-based PSCs to date. In addition, the PSCs based on DMSO adducts show an extended operational lifetime in air. These excellent performances indicate that preparing high-quality inorganic perovskite films by using DMSO adducts will be a potential method for improving the performance of other inorganic PSCs.
The Cre-loxP recombination system is the most widely used technology for in vivo tracing of stem or progenitor cell lineages. The precision of this genetic system largely depends on the specificity of Cre recombinase expression in targeted stem or progenitor cells. However, Cre expression in nontargeted cell types can complicate the interpretation of lineage-tracing studies and has caused controversy in many previous studies. Here we describe a new genetic lineage tracing system that incorporates the Dre-rox recombination system to enhance the precision of conventional Cre-loxP-mediated lineage tracing. The Dre-rox system permits rigorous control of Cre-loxP recombination in lineage tracing, effectively circumventing potential uncertainty of the cell-type specificity of Cre expression. Using this new system we investigated two topics of recent debates-the contribution of c-Kit cardiac stem cells to cardiomyocytes in the heart and the contribution of Sox9 hepatic progenitor cells to hepatocytes in the liver. By overcoming the technical hurdle of nonspecific Cre-loxP-mediated recombination, this new technology provides more precise analysis of cell lineage and fate decisions and facilitates the in vivo study of stem and progenitor cell plasticity in disease and regeneration.
Light plays a pivotal role in the regulation of affective behaviors. However, the precise circuits that mediate the impact of light on depressivelike behaviors are not well understood. Here, we show that light influences depressive-like behaviors through a disynaptic circuit linking the retina and the lateral habenula (LHb). Specifically, M4type melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) innervate GABA neurons in the thalamic ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and intergeniculate leaflet (vLGN/IGL), which in turn inhibit CaMKIIa neurons in the LHb. Specific activation of vLGN/IGL-projecting RGCs, activation of LHbprojecting vLGN/IGL neurons, or inhibition of postsynaptic LHb neurons is sufficient to decrease the depressive-like behaviors evoked by longterm exposure to aversive stimuli or chronic social defeat stress. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the antidepressive effects of light therapy require activation of the retina-vLGN/IGL-LHb pathway. These results reveal a dedicated retina-vLGN/ IGL-LHb circuit that regulates depressive-like behaviors and provide a potential mechanistic explanation for light treatment of depression.
The Cs‐based inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs), such as CsPbI2Br, have made a striking breakthrough with power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 16% and potential to be used as top cells for tandem devices. Herein, I− is partially replaced with the acetate anion (Ac−) in the CsPbI2Br framework, producing multiple benefits. The Ac− doping can change the morphology, electronic properties, and band structure of the host CsPbI2Br film. The obtained CsPbI2−x Br(Ac)x perovskite films present lower trap densities, longer carrier lifetimes, and fast charge transportation compared to the host CsPbI2Br films. Interestingly, the CsPbI2−x Br(Ac)x PSCs exhibit a maximum PCE of 15.56% and an ultrahigh open circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.30 V without sacrificing photocurrent. Notably, such a remarkable Voc is among the highest values of the previously reported CsPbI2Br PSCs, while the PCE far exceeds all of them. In addition, the obtained CsPbI2−x Br(Ac)x PSCs exhibit high reproducibility and good stability. The stable CsPbI2−x Br(Ac)x PSCs with high Voc and PCE are desirable for tandem solar cell applications.
SummaryRetinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an irreversible, inherited retinopathy in which early-onset nyctalopia is observed. Despite the genetic heterogeneity of RP, RPGR mutations are the most common causes of this disease. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from three RP patients with different frameshift mutations in the RPGR gene, which were then differentiated into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and well-structured retinal organoids possessing electrophysiological properties. We observed significant defects in photoreceptor in terms of morphology, localization, transcriptional profiling, and electrophysiological activity. Furthermore, shorted cilium was found in patient iPSCs, RPE cells, and three-dimensional retinal organoids. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated correction of RPGR mutation rescued photoreceptor structure and electrophysiological property, reversed the observed ciliopathy, and restored gene expression to a level in accordance with that in the control using transcriptome-based analysis. This study recapitulated the pathogenesis of RPGR using patient-specific organoids and achieved targeted gene therapy of RPGR mutations in a dish as proof-of-concept evidence.
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