Despite high in-hospital mortality associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), there is no effective therapeutic strategy. We tested the hypothesis that combined melatonin-mitochondria treatment ameliorates 100% oxygen-induced ARDS in rats. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 40) were equally categorized into normal controls, ARDS, ARDS-melatonin, ARDS with intravenous liver-derived mitochondria (1500 μg per rat 6 hr after ARDS induction), and ARDS receiving combined melatonin-mitochondria. The results showed that 22 hr after ARDS induction, oxygen saturation (saO2 ) was lowest in the ARDS group and highest in normal controls, significantly lower in ARDS-melatonin and ARDS-mitochondria than in combined melatonin-mitochondria group, and significantly lower in ARDS-mitochondria than in ARDS-melatonin group. Conversely, right ventricular systolic blood pressure and lung weight showed an opposite pattern compared with saO2 among all groups (all P < 0.001). Histological integrity of alveolar sacs showed a pattern identical to saO2 , whereas lung crowding score exhibited an opposite pattern (all P < 0.001). Albumin level and inflammatory cells (MPO+, CD40+, CD11b/c+) from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed a pattern opposite to saO2 (all P < 0.001). Protein expression of indices of inflammation (MMP-9, TNF-α, NF-κB), oxidative stress (oxidized protein, NO-1, NOX-2, NOX-4), apoptosis (mitochondrial Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and PARP), fibrosis (Smad3, TGF-β), mitochondrial damage (cytochrome C), and DNA damage (γ-H2AX+) exhibited an opposite pattern compared to saO2 in all groups, whereas protein (HO-1, NQO-1, GR, GPx) and cellular (HO-1+) expressions of antioxidants exhibited a progressively increased pattern from normal controls to ARDS combined melatonin-mitochondria group (all P < 0.001). In conclusion, combined melatonin-mitochondrial was superior to either treatment alone in attenuating ARDS in this rat model.

We have developed a new heptacyclic benzodi-(cyclopentadithiophene) (BDCPDT) unit, where 3,7-positions of the central benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophenes (BDT) subunit are covalently rigidified with 3-positons of the two external thiophenes by two carbon bridges, forming two external CPDT rings that share two thiophene rings with the central BDT core. The distannyl-BDCPDT building block was copolymerized with 1,3-dibromo-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) by Stille polymerization to afford a new alternating donor−acceptor copolymer PBDCPDT-TPD. The implementation of forced planarization greatly suppresses the interannular twisting to extend the effective conjugated length and preserve the interactions between the donor and acceptor segments. The device using the PBDCPDT-TPD/PC 71 BM (1:3 in wt%) blend processed with dimethyl sulfoxide as an additive delivered a marked PCE of 6.6% which represents a significant enhancement compared to the device using the corresponding nonfused polymer analogue with a PCE of 0.2%.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text

A triarylamine-based crosslinked hole-transporting material is integrated with an ionic dopant to achieve high-performance PEDOT:PSS-free polymer solar cells.

Although the tetracyclic angular-shaped naphthodithiophenes (aNDTs) derivatives are an emergent building block for constructing promising semiconductor conjugated polymers, the absence of aliphatic side chains as solubilizing groups on the aNDTs greatly restricted their further application toward polymer synthesis. To create a new class of aNDT-based polymers for widespread applications in solution-processable OFETs and PSCs, side-chain engineering of the aNDT-based structures plays a pivotal role in improving solubility and optimizing electronic/steric properties associated with the resultant solar cell characteristics. In this research, we developed an efficient and straightforward methodology to construct the angular naphthodithophene core with regiospecific introduction of two aliphatic chains at its 4,9-positions via a base-induced double 6π-cyclization. For the first time, the corresponding 2,7-distannylated-4,9-dialkylated aNDT monomers were polymerized with FBT and DPP acceptors to make two new PaNDTDTFBT and PaNDTDPP donor−acceptor copolymers. The photovoltaic devices based on the PaNDTDTFBT:PC 71 BM blend not only showed a promising PCE of 6.52% with conventional configuration but also achieved a higher PCE of 6.86% with inverted configuration. Moreover, PaNDTDPP with strong intermolecular interaction achieved a high FET hole mobility of 0.202 cm 2 V −1 s −1 . ■ INTRODUCTIONDonor−acceptor (D−A) copolymers have been extensively utilized in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and organic fieldeffect transistors (OFETs) due to their easy tunability of molecular properties and excellent solution processability. A variety of novel electron-rich conjugated building blocks have thus been developed for polymerization. 1 Compared to the tricyclic benzodithiophene derivatives representing the most successful component for constructing high-performance D−A copolymers of OPVs, 2 the tetracyclic naphthodithiophenes (NDTs) also attract growing attention considering their extended conjugation as well as diverse structures. 3 Depending on the molecular geometry, the NDT derivatives can have linear-shaped (lNDT) and angular-shaped (aNDT) isomeric structures (Figure 1). It was found that aNDT-based copolymers have higher ordered structures than the lNDTbased copolymers, thereby achieving higher OFET mobilities. 4 Furthermore, the aNDT molecules exhibit lower-lying HOMO energy levels than the lNDT counterparts, 5 which are beneficial for better air stability and greater open-circuit voltage (V oc ) for OPVs. To fully exploit the aNDT-containing polymers for the optoelectronic applications, side-chain engineering by introducing solubilizing groups onto an aNDT framework is highly essential to not only ensure the solution processability but also induce suitable molecular packing. 6 To address the issue, Takimiya and Osaka first introduced two alkyl groups at the outer positions (5,10-positions) of the central naphthalene moiety in the aNDT. 7 Compared to the polymer incorporating the unsubstituted aNDT units, 8 the 5,10-dialkyl aN...

A new class of heptacyclic ladder-type terbenzodithiophene (TBDT) structures merging three fused benzodithophenes was developed. Two TBDT conjugated isomers, named as syn-TBDT and anti-TBDT, where the two thienyl rings in the outmost BDT units are in the syn- and anti-fashion, are designed. Two decyl groups are introduced to their 6,13 and 7,14-positions to form four isomeric 6,13-syn-TBDT, 7,14-syn-TBDT, 6,13-anti-TBDT, and 7,14-anti-TBDT structures which are constructed by the DBU-induced 6-benzannulation involving propargyl-allenyl isomerization of the dieneyne moieties in the corresponding precursors followed by 6π-electrocyclization/aromatization, while isomeric TD-syn-TBDT and TD-anti-TBDT with four decyl groups substituted at 6,7,13,14-positions are synthesized via palladium-catalyzed dialkylacetylene insertion/C-H arylation of the corresponding iodobiaryl precursors. The intrinsic properties can be modulated by molecular manipulation of the main-chain and side-chain isomeric structures. anti-TBDT derivatives exhibit higher melting points, larger bandgaps, stronger intermolecular interactions, and higher mobility than the corresponding syn-TBDT analogues. These molecules can be further utilized as building blocks to make various TBDT-based materials for optoelectronic applications.

A new class of biselenophene-based materials including an sp(3)-silicon-bridged diselenosilole (DSS), an sp(3)-germanium-bridged diselenogermole (DSG), and an sp(3)-nitrogen-bridged diselenopyrrole (DSP) as well as an sp(2)-vinylidene-bridged dicyanodiselenofulvene (CDSF), a diacetylenediselenofulvene (ADSF), and a dioctylethylene-bridged benzodiselenophene (BDS) have been successfully synthesized and characterized. The bridging moieties play an important role in determining the optical and electrochemical properties. The six brominated derivatives are ready to construct various biselenophene-based conjugated materials with tunable properties for organic photovoltaics and field effect transistors.

Non-conjugated triethylene glycol (3-EG), tetraethylene glycol (4-EG) and pentaethylene glycol (5-EG) are presented as new cathode modification materials to achieve high-performance inverted-PCSs.