Sky-blue and blue-emitting, carbazolyl functionalized, bis-tridentate Ir(III) phosphors Cz-1-Cz-3 with bright emission and short radiative lifetime are successfully synthesized in a one-pot manner. They exhibit very high photostability against UV-vis irradiation in degassed toluene, versus both green and true-blue-emitting reference compounds, i.e., fac-[Ir(ppy)3] and mer-[Ir(pmp)3]. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on Cz-2 exhibit maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 21.6%, EQE of 15.1% at 100 cd m-2, and with CIE x,y coordinates of (0.17, 0.25). This study provides a conceptual solution to the exceedingly stable and efficient blue phosphor. It is promising that long lifespan blue OLED based on these emitters can be attained with further engineering of devices suitable for commercial application.

This work unraveled kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamic properties of methylene blue (MB) adsorbed on polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY). The two polymers, PANI and PPY, synthesized by a facile C-dot (CD)-initiated polymerization method have been proven as the effective adsorbent materials to remove MB from wastewater. This dye model is also generally employed as a redox indicator in analytical chemistry and exhibits blue in an oxidizing environment, but it is colorless when exposed to a reducing agent. The effects of temperature, adsorbent amount contact time, and dye concentration were consistently examined. The adsorption capacity of the polymers at 28 °C could reach 19.2 mg/g. The adsorption equilibrium of the dye was attained after 90 and 120 min of contact time with PANI and PPY, respectively. The equilibrium details were well described by Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Results showed that PANI and PPY prepared using CD-initiated polymerization are better adsorbents compared to the commercial PANI powder for the removal of MB from water.

As a new type of energy harvesting device, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can convert almost all kinds of mechanical energy into electricity based on the coupling of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction. Here, a novel TENG is constructed with a conducting polymer polypyrrole nanowire (PPy NW) electrode, which is prepared by an electrochemical polymerization method with anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as the template. The PPy NW-based TENG shows high output performance with a maximum short circuit current density of 23.4 mA m-2 and output voltage of 351 V, which can light 372 commercial red LEDs. Moreover, a self-powered anticorrosion system powered by the PPy NW-based TENG is designed, which can provide extra electrons to inject into the surface of the protected metals, forming effective impressed current cathodic protection by harvesting mechanical energy or wind energy. This smart device has potential applications for protecting metals from corrosion in daily life, industrial production and ocean exploration by harvesting the energies in the ambient environment.

Visible light-mediated radical alkenylation of benzylsulfonium salts was achieved by means of fac-Ir(ppy)₃ as a photocatalyst, giving allylbenzenes as products. A variety of functional groups, such as halogen, ester, and cyano, were well tolerated in this transformation. Starting benzylsulfonium salts could be readily prepared from benzyl alcohols by an acid-mediated substitution, increasing the synthetic utility of this transformation.

Intrinsically multimodal nanomaterials have revealed their great potential as a new class of contrast agents. We herein report a bandgap engineering strategy to develop an intrinsically Raman-photoacoustic (PA) active probe that is based on semiconducting conjugated polymers. This dual modal probe is prepared by doping a semiconducting conjugated polymer with polydopamine (PDA) through a one-pot reaction. When applied in the polypyrrole (PPy), this strategy can enhance Raman scattering and the PA amplitude of PPy-PDA hybrid by 3.2 and 2.4 times, respectively, so that both signals can be further applied in bioimaging. In the hybrid, such a dual-enhancement effect is achieved by infusing these two macromolecules at the nanoscale to reduce the optical bandgap energy. This work not only introduces a dual modal contrast agent but also provides a new method of manipulating semiconducting polymer's inherent optical features for bioimaging.

Enormous research effort has been put into optimizing organic-based opto-electronic systems for efficient generation of free charge carriers. This optimization is mainly due to typically high dissociation energy (0.1-1 eV) and short diffusion length (10 nm) of excitons in organic materials. Inherently, interplay of microscopic structural, chemical, and opto-electronic properties plays crucial role. We show that employing and combining advanced scanning probe techniques can provide us significant insight into the correlation of these properties. By adjusting parameters of contact- and tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), we perform morphologic and mechanical characterizations (nanoshaving) of organic layers, measure their electrical conductivity by current-sensing AFM, and deduce work functions and surface photovoltage (SPV) effects by Kelvin force microscopy using high spatial resolution. These data are further correlated with local material composition detected using micro-Raman spectroscopy and with other electronic transport data. We demonstrate benefits of this multi-dimensional characterizations on (i) bulk heterojunction of fully organic composite films, indicating differences in blend quality and component segregation leading to local shunts of photovoltaic cell, and (ii) thin-film heterojunction of polypyrrole (PPy) electropolymerized on hydrogen-terminated diamond, indicating covalent bonding and transfer of charge carriers from PPy to diamond.

Currently, there is no universally accepted treatment for traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI), a pathology that can cause paraplegia or quadriplegia. Due to the complexity of TSCI, more than one therapeutic strategy may be necessary to regain lost functions. Therefore, the present study proposes the use of implants of mesoparticles (MPs) of polypyrrole/iodine (PPy/I) synthesized by plasma for neuroprotection promotion and functional recovery in combination with treadmill training (TT) for neuroplasticity promotion and maintenance of muscle tone. PPy/I films were synthesized by plasma and pulverized to obtain MPs. Rats with a TSCI produced by the NYU impactor were divided into four groups: Vehicle (saline solution); MPs (PPy/I implant); Vehicle-TT (saline solution + TT); and MPs-TT (PPy/I implant + TT). The vehicle or MPs (30 μL) were injected into the lesion site 48 h after a TSCI. Four days later, TT was carried out 5 days a week for 2 months. Functional recovery was evaluated weekly using the BBB motor scale for 9 weeks and tissue protection using histological and morphometric analysis thereafter. Although the MPs of PPy/I increased nerve tissue preservation (P = 0.03) and promoted functional recovery (P = 0.015), combination with TT did not produce better neuroprotection, but significantly improved functional results (P = 0.000) when comparing with the vehicle group. So, use these therapeutic strategies by separately could stimulate specific mechanisms of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration, but when using together they could mainly potentiate different mechanisms of neuronal plasticity in the preserved spinal cord tissue after a TSCI and produce a significant functional recovery. The implant of mesoparticles of polypyrrole/iodine into the injured spinal cord displayed good integration into the nervous tissue without a response of rejection, as well as an increased in the amount of preserved tissue and a better functional recovery than the group without transplant after a traumatic spinal cord injury by contusion in rats. The relevance of the present results is that polypyrrole/iodine implants were synthesized by plasma instead by conventional chemical or electrochemical methods. Synthesis by plasma modifies physicochemical properties of polypyrrole/iodine implants, which can be responsible of the histological response and functional results. Furthermore, no additional molecules or trophic factors or cells were added to the implant for obtain such results. Even more, when the implant was used together with physical rehabilitation, better functional recovery was obtained than that observed when these strategies were used by separately.

We studied the use of three biocompatible materials obtained by plasma polymerization of pyrrole (PPy), pyrrole doped with iodine (PPy/I) and a copolymer formed with pyrrole and polyethylene glycol (PPy/PEG), implanted, separately, after a complete spinal cord transection in rats. Motor function assessed with the BBB scale and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in the implanted rats were studied. Results showed that the highest motor recovery was obtained in rats with PPy/I implants. They also showed a significant reduction in the latency of SEPs. Histological analyses showed no signs of implant rejection; on the contrary, implants based on PPy improved the SEPs conduction and motor function after lesion.

Conductive electrospun nanofiber scaffold containing conductive polypyrrole (PPy) polymer was fabricated to accelerate healing of damaged tissues. In order to prepare these scaffolds, various weight percentages of polypyrrole (5, 10, 15, 20, 25%) relative to the polymers combination (chitosan, collagen, and polyethylene oxide) were used. The fabricated composite scaffolds were characterized using chemical, morphological, physio-mechanical, and biological analyses including; FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, electrical conductivity, tensile test, in vitro degradation, MTT Assay and cell culture. The polypyrrole particles were perfectly dispersed inside the nanofibers, and the fibers average diameter were reducing by increasing the polypyrrole content in the composites. The presence of polypyrrole in fibers enhanced their conductivity up to 164.274 × 10^-3 s/m which is in the range of semi-conductive and conductive polymers. MTT and SEM analyses displayed that nanofibers composing 10% polypyrrole possess better cell adhesion, growth and proliferation properties comparing to other compositions. Furthermore, the suitable mechanical properties of scaffolds ideally fitted them for different kinds of tissue applications including skin, nerve, heart muscle, etc. Therefore, these fabricated conductive nanofiber scaffolds are particularly appropriate for employing in body parts with electrical signals such as cardiovascular, heart muscles, or nerves.

Keywords: Electrical conductive polymer; Electrospinning; Nanofiber; Polypyrrole (PPy); Scaffold; Tissue engineering.

Immobilization of proteins on a biocompatible conductive interface is highly desirable for the fabrication of biosensors. In this study, a nanocomposite has been prepared by assembling well-distributed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the surface of a polypyrrole-reduced graphene oxide (PPy-rGO) composite through electrostatic adsorption. This serves as a platform for immobilization of a capture antibody, which was conjugated onto the ferrocene doped polypyrrole-gold nanoparticles (PPy@Fc/AuNPs) composite. The design and performance of the biosensor was tested against detection of a whole-cell bacteria E. coli K12. This nanocomposite has a high surface area, good conductivity and biocompatibility, which is shown to be very suitable for enzyme-free detection of this bacteria. Results show excellent analytical performance with a linear range from 1.0 × 101 to 1.0 × 107 CFU mL-1 and a low detection limit of 10 CFU mL-1. The sensor has high selectivity, excellent reproducibility, and good stability.

An antibacterial and conductive bionanocomposite (BNC) film consisting of polypyrrole (Ppy), zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs), and chitosan (CS) was electrochemically synthesized on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate by electrooxidation of 0.1 M pyrrole in aqueous solution containing appropriate amounts of ZnO NPs uniformly dispersed in CS. This method enables the room temperature electrosynthesis of BNC film consisting of ZnO NPs incorporated within the growing Ppy/CS composite. The morphology of Ppy/ZnO/CS BNC was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. ITO-Ppy/CS and ITO-Ppy/ZnO/CS bioelectrodes were characterized using the Fourier transform infrared technique, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The electrical conductivity of nanocomposites was investigated by a four-probe method. The prepared nanocomposites were analyzed for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. The results demonstrated that the antioxidant activity of nanocomposites increased remarkably by addition of ZnO NPs. The electrical conductivity of films showed a sudden decrease for lower weight ratios of ZnO NPs (5 wt%), while it was increased gradually for higher ratios (10, 15, and 20 wt%). The nanocomposites were analyzed for antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results indicated that the synthesized BNC is effective against all of the studied bacteria, and its effectiveness is higher for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The thermal stability and physical properties of BNC films were increased by an increase in the weight ratio of ZnO NPs, promising novel applications for the electrically conductive polysaccharide-based nanocomposites, particularly those that may exploit the antimicrobial nature of Ppy/ZnO/CS BNCs.

Photothermal therapy (PTT), as a promising treatment for tumours, has rarely been reported for application in artery restenosis, which is a common complication of endovascular management due to enduring chronic inflammation and abnormal cell proliferation. In our study, biodegradable polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy-NPs) were synthesized and characterized, including their size distribution, UV-vis-NIR absorbance, molar extinction coefficients, and photothermal properties. We then verified that PPy-NP incubation followed by 915 nm near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation could effectively ablate inflammatory macrophages in vitro, leading to significant cell apoptosis and cell death. Further, it was found that a combination of local PPy-NP injection with 915 nm NIR laser irradiation could significantly alleviate arterial inflammation by eliminating infiltrating macrophages and further ameliorating artery stenosis in an ApoE(-/-) mouse model, without showing any obvious toxic side effects. Thus, we propose that PTT based on PPy-NPs as photothermal agents and a 915 nm NIR laser as a power source can serve as a new effective treatment for reducing inflammation and stenosis formation in inflamed arteries after endovascular management.

Multifunctional nano-platform for the combination of photo-based therapy and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) for cancer treatment has recently attracted much attention to nanotechnology development. In this study, we developed iron-platinum nanoparticles (FePt NPs) with the polypyrrole (PPy) coating as novel agents for combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and PAI. The obtained PPy-coated FePt NPs (FePt@PPy NPs) showed excellent biocompatibility, photothermal stability, and high near-infrared (NIR) absorbance for the combination of PTT and PAI. In vitro investigation experimentally demonstrated the effectiveness of FePt@PPy NPs in killing cancer cells with NIR laser irradiation. Moreover, the phantom test of PAI used in conjunction with FePt@PPy NPs showed a strong photoacoustic signal. Thus, the novel FePt@PPy NPs could be considered as promising multifunctional nanoparticles for further applications of photo-based diagnosis and treatment.

Several types of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy) nanocomposites with embedded glucose oxidase (GOx) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were formed by enzymatic polymerization of corresponding monomers (aniline and pyrrole) in the presence of 6 and 13 nm diameter colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs_(6nm) or AuNPs_(13nm), respectively) or chloroaurate ions (AuCl₄^-). Glucose oxidase in the presence of glucose generated H₂O₂, which acted as initiator of polymerization reaction. The influence of polymerization bulk composition and pH on the formation of PANI- and Ppy-based nanocomposites was investigated spectrophotometrically. The highest formation rate of PANI- and Ppy-based nanocomposites with embedded glucose oxidase and gold nanoparticles (PANI/AuNPs-GOx and Ppy/AuNPs-GOx, respectively) was observed in the solution of sodium acetate buffer, pH 6.0. It was determined that the presence of AuNPs or AuCl₄^- ions facilitate enzymatic polymerization of aniline and pyrrole.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), an inert electrochemical species, is difficult to be detected by a simple and direct electrochemical method. In the present work, a novel photoelectrochemical sensor is developed on highly ordered and vertically aligned TiO(2) nanotubes (TiO(2) NTs) with convenient surface modification of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) (denoted as MIP@TiO(2) NTs) for highly sensitive and selective determination of MC-LR in solutions. Molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (PPy) of MC-LR is chosen as the recognition element. The designed MIP@TiO(2) NTs photoelectrochemical sensor presents excellent applicability in MC-LR determination, with linear range from 0.5 to 100 μg L(-1) and limit of detection of 0.1 μg L(-1). Moreover, the sensor exhibits outstanding selectivity while used in coexisting systems containing 2,4-dichorophenoxyacetic acid, atrazine, paraquat, or monosultap with high concentration, 100 times that of MC-LR. The sensor presents good photoelectric conversion efficiency and detection sensitivity, as well as broad linear detection range, mainly because of the high specific surface area and photoelectric activity of TiO(2) NTs and the π bond delocalized electron system of PPy that promotes the separation of electron-holes. The prominent selectivity is from the MIP by forming multiple hydrogen bonds between PPy and MC-LR. Mechanisms for photoelectrochemical analysis and selective recognition are also discussed.

Conductive polymers are promising for bone regeneration because they can regulate cell behavior through electrical stimulation; moreover, they are antioxidative agents that can be used to protect cells and tissues from damage originating from reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, conductive polymers lack affinity to cells and osteoinductivity, which limits their application in tissue engineering. Herein, an electroactive, cell affinitive, persistent ROS-scavenging, and osteoinductive porous Ti scaffold is prepared by the on-surface in situ assembly of a polypyrrole-polydopamine-hydroxyapatite (PPy-PDA-HA) film through a layer-by-layer pulse electrodeposition (LBL-PED) method. During LBL-PED, the PPy-PDA nanoparticles (NPs) and HA NPs are in situ synthesized and uniformly coated on a porous scaffold from inside to outside. PDA is entangled with and doped into PPy to enhance the ROS scavenging rate of the scaffold and realize repeatable, efficient ROS scavenging over a long period of time. HA and electrical stimulation synergistically promote osteogenic cell differentiation on PPy-PDA-HA films. Ultimately, the PPy-PDA-HA porous scaffold provides excellent bone regeneration through the synergistic effects of electroactivity, cell affinity, and antioxidative activity of the PPy-PDA NPs and the osteoinductivity of HA NPs. This study provides a new strategy for functionalizing porous scaffolds that show great promise as implants for tissue regeneration.

The quantitative detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is significant to assess tumor status and therapeutic efficiency. In this study, a sandwich-type amperometric immunosensor for CEA detection sensitively was fabricated by novel signal amplification system. The signal amplification system was formed by gold nanoparticles loaded on amino functionalized graphene sheet (Au NPs/NH2-GS) and gold@palladium nanodendrites loaded on ferrous-chitosan functionalized polypyrrole nanotubes (Au@Pd NDs/Fe2+-CS/PPy NTs). Au NPs/NH2-GS as platform enhanced the electron transfer proven by apparent electron transfer rate constant. Au@Pd NDs/Fe2+-CS/PPy NTs nanocomposite as label appeared high catalytic activity to hydrogen peroxide reduction. Thus, the immunosensor showed wide linear concentration range (50 fg/mL to 50 ng/mL) and low detection limit of 17 fg/mL via amperometric i-t curve (i-t). Significantly, the nanocomposite can act as electroactive substance, which provided a good method to detect CEA without additional electroactive substance via square wave voltammetry (SWV). An overlapping linear concentration range (500 fg/mL to 5.0 ng/mL) was obtained compared i-t with SWV. The good reliability was verified mutually by i-t and SWV in actual sample analysis under overlapping linear concentration range. The detection method of without additional electroactive substance has vast potential for future development, due to simple testing condition.

A new polymeric coating consisting of a dual-phase, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polypyrrole (PPY) was developed for the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) of antidepressants (mirtazapine, citalopram, paroxetine, duloxetine, fluoxetine and sertraline) from plasma samples, followed by liquid chromatography analysis (SBSE/LC-UV). The extractions were based on both adsorption (PPY) and sorption (PDMS) mechanisms. SBSE variables, such as extraction time, temperature, pH of the matrix, and desorption time were optimized, in order to achieve suitable analytical sensitivity in a short time period. The PDMS/PPY coated stir bar showed high extraction efficiency (sensitivity and selectivity) toward the target analytes. The quantification limits (LOQ) of the SBSE/LC-UV method ranged from 20 ng mL(-1) to 50 ng mL(-1), and the linear range was from LOQ to 500 ng mL(-1), with a determination coefficient higher than 0.99. The inter-day precision of the SBSE/LC-UV method presented a variation coefficient lower than 15%. The efficiency of the SBSE/LC-UV method was proved by analysis of plasma samples from elderly depressed patients.

In this study, we report our effort to realize high performance single emissive layer three color white phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) through sequential Dexter energy transfer of blue, green and red dopants. The PHOLEDs had a structure of; ITO(1500 Å)/NPB(700 Å)/mCP:Firpic-x%:Ir(ppy)3-0.5%:Ir(piq)3-y%(300 Å)/TPBi(300 Å)/Liq(20 Å)/Al(1200 Å). The dopant concentrations of FIrpic, Ir(ppy)3 and Ir(piq)3 were adjusted and optimized to facilitate the preferred energy transfer processes attaining both the best luminous efficiency and CIE color coordinates. The presence of a deep trapping center for charge carriers in the emissive layer was confirmed by the observed red shift in electroluminescent spectra. White PHOLEDs, with phosphorescent dopant concentrations of FIrpic-8.0%:Ir(ppy)3-0.5%:Ir(piq)3-0.5% in the mCP host of the single emissive layer, had a maximum luminescence of 37,810 cd/m(2) at 11 V and a luminous efficiency of 48.10 cd/A at 5 V with CIE color coordinates of (0.35, 0.41).

The present work describes development of a simple and cost-effective electrochemical sensor for determination of 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (1,4-DAQ) based on molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (PPY). The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was electrochemically synthesized onto surface of multi-walled carbon-nanotubes-modified pencil graphite electrode (MWCNs-PGE). A computational approach was employed to select the best functional monomer for rational design of MIP. Based on the computational results, pyrrole (PY) was selected as functional monomer. Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was used for selecting the variables which affected the analytical response (current). After screening, the main factors that affect on the MIP-MWCNTs-PGE response efficiency were also optimized using central composite design (CCD). Under the optimized conditions, calibration curve of the imprinted sensor showed a linear concentration range from 10 nmol L(-1) to 100 µmol L(-1), with the limit of detection (LOD) of 4.15 nmol L(-1). The imprinted sensor showed the advantages of high porous surface structure, ease of preparation, good reproducibility and repeatability, high selectivity and sensitivity. Furthermore, the proposed method was successfully extended for the determination of 1,4-DAQ in serum and plasma real samples.

This work describes the development of an electrochemical sensor based on a new molecularly imprinted polymer for detection of metoprolol (MTP) at ultra-trace level. The polypyrrole (PPy) was electrochemically synthesized on the tip of a pencil graphite electrode (PGE) which modified whit functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The fabrication process of the sensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the measurement process was carried out by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). A computational approach was used to screening functional monomers and polymerization solvent for rational design of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). Based on computational results, pyrrole and water were selected as functional monomer and polymerization solvent, respectively. Several significant parameters controlling the performance of the MIP sensor were examined and optimized using multivariate optimization methods such as Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and central composite design (CCD). Under the selected optimal conditions, MIP sensor was showed a linear range from 0.06 to 490 μmol L(-1) MTP, a limit of detection of 2.88 nmol L(-1), a highly reproducible response (RSD 3.9%) and a good selectivity in the presence of structurally related molecules. Furthermore, the applicability of the method was successfully tested with determination of MTP in real samples (tablet, and serum).

Lactose (LAC) is a disaccharide - major sugar, present in milk and dairy products. LAC content is an important indicator of milk quality and abnormalities in food industries, as well as in human and animal health. The present study reports the development of an innovative imprinted voltammetric sensor for sensitive detection of LAC. The sensor was constructed using electropolymerized pyrrole (Py) molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) on graphite paper electrode (PE). The MIP film was constructed through the electrosynthesis of polypyrrole (PPy) in the presence of LAC (template molecule) on PE (PPy/PE). To optimize the detection conditions, several factors affecting the PPy/PE sensor performance were assessed by multivariate methods (Plackett-Burman design and central composite design). Under optimized conditions, the proposed analytical method was applied for LAC detection in whole and LAC-free milks, where it demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity, with two dynamic linear ranges of concentration (1.0-10 nmol L^-1 and 25-125 nmol L^-1) and a detection limit of 0.88 nmol L^-1. The MIP sensor showed selective molecular recognition for LAC in the presence of structurally related molecules. The proposed PPy/PE sensor exhibited good stability, as well as excellent reproducibility and repeatability. Based on the results obtained, the PPy/PE is found to be highly promising for sensitive detection of LAC.

Keywords: Electropolymerization; Experimental design; Lactose sensing; Molecularly imprinted polymers; Non-enzymatic electroanalysis; Paper-based electrode.

The construction of nanoporous conductive polymer membranes has potential applications in catalysts and energy-conversion devices. In this letter, we present a facile method to prepare free-standing polypyrrole (PPy) nanotube films by simply heating pulp-like homogeneous suspensions at a low temperature, which can be employed as a novel counter electrode (CE) to substitute for the expensive fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass and Pt used in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DSSCs assembled with these paper-like PPy membranes show an impressive conversion efficiency of 5.27%, which is about 84% of the cell with a conventional Pt/FTO CE (6.25%).

Carbon-oxygen single bonds are ubiquitous in natural products whereas efficient methods for their reductive defunctionalization are rare. In this work an environmentally benign protocol for the activation of carbon-oxygen single bonds of alcohols towards a reductive bond cleavage under visible light photocatalysis was developed. Alcohols were activated as 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-substituted benzoates and irradiation with blue light in the presence of [Ir(ppy)2(dtb-bpy)](PF6) as visible light photocatalyst and Hünig's base as sacrificial electron donor in an acetonitrile/water mixture generally gave good to excellent yields of the desired defunctionalized compounds. Functional group tolerance is high but the protocol developed is limited to benzylic, α-carbonyl, and α-cyanoalcohols; with other alcohols a slow partial C-F bond reduction in the 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzoate moiety occurs.