Self-Lifting Droplet Driven by the Solidification-Induced Solutal Marangoni Flow.

Multicomponent droplets are pertinent to diverse applications ranging from 3D printing to fabrication of electronic devices to medical diagnostics and are typically inherent with the occurrence of the phase transition in the manifestation of evaporation and solidification. Indeed, the versatile transformations and fascinating morphologies of the droplets have been identified, which primarily arise from the evaporation-induced flow. Here, we report the self-lifting behavior of a frozen binary droplet, resulting in a nearly doubling in height, in a fashion that defies against the gravitational effect. This counterintuitive observation is attributed to an internal solutal Marangoni flow up to 1 mm/s, which is driven by the enriched solute concentration locally in the vicinity of the solidification front. Moreover, we perform theoretical analysis by incorporating the propagation of solidification front, and the calculated spatiotemporal evolution of droplet shape agrees with experiments excellently. The effects of several key physical parameters on self-lifting are elucidated quantitatively, providing guidance to control the self-lifting. These results will further advance our understanding of underlying physicochemical hydrodynamics in the multicomponent liquid systems subjected to heat transfer and phase change, consequently shedding light on the relevant technological applications.

Design of a Negative Temperature Coefficient Temperature Measurement System Based on a Resistance Ratio Model.

In this paper, a temperature measurement system with NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistors was designed. An MCU (Micro Control Unit) primarily operates by converting the voltage value collected by an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) into the resistance value. The temperature value is then calculated, and a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) outputs a current of 4 to 20 mA that is linearly related to the temperature value. The nonlinear characteristics of NTC thermistors pose a challenging problem. The nonlinear characteristics of NTC thermistors were to a great extent solved by using a resistance ratio model. The high precision of the NTC thermistor is obtained by fitting it with the Hoge equation. The results of actual measurements suggest that each module works properly, and the temperature measurement accuracy of 0.067 °C in the range from -40 °C to 120 °C has been achieved. The uncertainty of the output current is analyzed and calculated with the uncertainty of 0.0014 mA. This type of system has broad potential applications in industry fields such as the petrochemical industry.

Insights into reactive oxygen species formation induced by water-soluble organic compounds and transition metals using spectroscopic method.

Ambient particulate matter (PM) can cause adverse health effects via their ability to produce Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Water-Soluble Organic Compounds (WSOCs), a complex mixture of organic compounds which usually coexist with Transition Metals (TMs) in PM, have been found to contribute to ROS formation. However, the interaction between WSOCs and TMs and its effect on ROS generation are still unknown. In this study, we examined the ROS concentrations of V, Zn, Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (SRFA), Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) and the mixtures of V/Zn and SRFA/SRHA by using a cell-free 2',7'-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH) assay. The results showed that V or Zn synergistically promoted ROS generated by SRFA, but had an antagonistic effect on ROS generated by SRHA. Fluorescence quenching experiments indicated that V and Zn were more prone to form stable complexes with aromatic humic acid-like component (C1) and fulvic acid-like component (C3) in SRFA and SRHA. Results suggested that the underlying mechanism involving the fulvic acid-like component in SRFA more tending to complex with TMs to facilitate ROS generation through π electron transfer. Our work showed that the complexing ability and complexing stability of atmospheric PM organics with metals could significantly affect ROS generation. It is recommended that the research deploying multiple analytical methods to quantify the impact of PM components on public health and environment is needed in the future.

Observation of Remote Electroconvection and Inert-Cation Concentration Valley within Supporting Electrolytes in a Microfluidic-Based Electrochemical Device.

The electrochemical system is playing an increasingly important role in the advanced technology development for drinkable water and energy storage. While the binary electrolyte has been widely studied, such as the associated intriguing interfacial instabilities, multi-component electrolyte is by far less known. Here, based on the classic Cu|CuSO4 |Cu electrochemical system, the effect of supporting electrolyte is systematically investigated by highlighting the inert cations. In an annulus microfluidic device, the suppression of a previously known electro-osmotic instability and the emergence of an array of the remote electroconvection along the azimuthal direction is found. A distinctive inert-cation concentration valley propagates radially outward at a speed limited by the electromigration velocity. Remarkably, the simultaneous visualization of spatiotemporal evolution demonstrates the correlation of the concentration valley and electroconvection at a microscopic level. The underlying physical mechanism of their correlation is discussed, and the scaling analysis agrees with experiments. This work might inspire more future work on the multi-component electrolyte, such as for the suppression of interfacial hydrodynamic instability and mitigation of dendrite growth, with the technological implications for water treatment and energy storage in batteries.

Dendrobium nobile Lindl polysaccharides improve testicular spermatogenic function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Dendrobium nobile Lindl polysaccharides (DNLP) exhibited various biological functions. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of DNLP on testicular spermatogenic function in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats in comparison with metformin. The blood glucose level was significantly increased and the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) aggravated markedly in diabetic rats. The weight of testis and epididymis, and the sperm number and motility were decreased in the diabetic rats. The pathologic changes occurred in the spermatogenic tubules along with the decreased number of spermatogenic cells, downregulated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression and increased cell apoptosis in the testes. Compared with the model group, DNLP and metformin treatment significantly decreased the level of blood glucose, improved the HOMA-IR, and increased the weight of testis and epididymis, as well as the sperm number and sperm motility. Furthermore, the pathologic changes in the spermatogenic tubules improved significantly with increased number of spermatogenic cells, the upregulation of PCNA and SIRT1 and suppression of cell apoptosis in the testes. Collectively, our study for the first time examined the effects of DNLP on the male reproductive system of STZ-induced diabetic rats, and indicated that DNLP was protective against diabetes mellitus-induced testis injury via increasing the proliferation, inhibiting cell apoptosis and upregulating SIRT1 expression in testicular spermatogenic cells.

Follicular fluid-derived exosomal miR-143-3p/miR-155-5p regulate follicular dysplasia by modulating glycolysis in granulosa cells in polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by follicular dysplasia. An insufficient glycolysis-derived energy supply of granulosa cells (GCs) is an important cause of follicular dysplasia in PCOS. Follicular fluid (FF) exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to regulate the function of GCs. In this study, exosomes extracted from clinical FF samples were used for transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, and a human ovarian granulocyte tumour cell line (KGN cells) was used for in vitro mechanistic studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: In FF exosomal RNA-seq analysis, a decrease in glycolysis-related pathways was identified as an important feature of the PCOS group, and the differentially expressed miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p may be regulatory factors of glycolysis. By determining the effects of miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p on hexokinase (HK) 2, pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme M2 (PKM2), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), pyruvate, lactate and apoptosis in KGN cells, we found that upregulated miR-143-3p expression in exosomes from the PCOS group inhibited glycolysis in KGN cells; knockdown of miR-143-3p significantly alleviated the decrease in glycolysis in KGN cells in PCOS. MiR-155-5p silencing attenuated glycolytic activation in KGN cells; overexpression of miR-155-5p significantly promoted glycolysis in KGN cells in PCOS. In this study, HK2 was found to be the mediator of miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p in FF-derived exosome-mediated regulation of glycolysis in KGN cells. Reduced glycolysis accelerated apoptosis of KGN cells, which mediated follicular dysplasia through ATP, lactate and apoptotic pathways. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, these results indicate that miR-143-3p and miR-155-5p in FF-derived exosomes antagonistically regulate glycolytic-mediated follicular dysplasia of GCs in PCOS. Video Abstract.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel chalcone-like compounds as potent and reversible pancreatic lipase inhibitors.

Pancreatic lipase (PL), a crucial enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of dietary lipids, has been validated as a key therapeutic target to prevent and treat obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of chalcone-like compounds as potent and reversible PL inhibitors. Following two rounds of structural modifications at both A and B rings of a chalcone-like skeleton, structure-PL inhibition relationships of the chalcone-like compounds were studied, while the key substituents that would be beneficial for PL inhibition were revealed. Among all tested chalcone-like compounds, compound B13 (a novel chalcone-like compound bearing two long carbon chains) displayed the most potent PL inhibition activity, with an IC50 value of 0.33 µM. Inhibition kinetic analyses demonstrated that B13 could potently inhibit PL-mediated 4-MUO hydrolysis in a mixed inhibition manner, with the Ki value of 0.12 µM. Molecular docking simulations suggested that B13 could tightly bind on PL at both the catalytic site and a non-catalytic site that was located on the surface of PL, which was consistent with the mixed inhibition mode of this agent. In addition, B13 displayed excellent stability in artificial gastrointestinal fluids and good metabolic stability in human liver preparations. Collectively, our findings suggested that chalcone-like compounds were good choices for design and development of orally administrated PL inhibitors, while B13 could be served as a promising lead compound to develop novel anti-obesity agents via targeting on PL.

Combined use of Diane-35 and metformin improves the ovulation in the PCOS rat model possibly via regulating glycolysis pathway.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disease with unknown pathogenesis. However, the treatment of Diane-35 combined with metformin can improve the endocrine and ovulation of PCOS. In this study, we investigated the effects of Diane-35 combined with metformin (DM) treatment on ovulation and glucose metabolism in a PCOS rat model. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups, control group, model group (PCOS group) and Diane-35 combined with metformin (PCOS + DM group). The mRNA expression levels were determined by qRT-PCR. The hormone levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunostaining detected the protein levels of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A), pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 (PKM2) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in the ovarian tissues. TNUEL assay was performed to determine cell apoptosis in the PCOS rats. The metabolites in the ovarian tissues were analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: PCOS rats showed an increased in body weight, levels of luteinizing hormone and testosterone and insulin resistance, which was significantly attenuated by the DM treatment. The DM treatment improved disrupted estrous cycle and increased the granulosa cells of the ovary in the PCOS rats. The decreased proliferation and increased cell apoptosis of granulosa cells in the ovarian tissues of PCOS rats were significantly reversed by the DM treatment. The analysis of metabolics revealed that ATP and lactate levels were significantly decreased in PCOS rats, which was recovered by the DM treatment. Furthermore, the expression of LDH-A, PKM2 and SIRT1 was significantly down-regulated in ovarian tissues of the PCOS rats; while the DM treatment significantly increased the expression of LDH-A, PKM2 and SIRT1 in the ovarian tissues of the PCOS rats. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study demonstrated that Diane-35 plus metformin treatment improved the pathological changes in the PCOS rats. Further studies suggest that Diane-35 plus metformin can improve the energy metabolism of the ovary via regulating the glycolysis pathway. The mechanistic studies indicated that the therapeutic effects of Diane-35 plus metformin treatment in the PCOS rats may be associated with the regulation of glycolysis-related mediators including PKM2, LDH-A and SIRT1.

The effect of laser-assisted hatching on the methylation and expression pattern of imprinted gene IGF2/H19 in mouse blastocysts and offspring.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effects of drilling and thinning treatment of laser-assisted hatching on the expression and methylation of imprinted gene IGF2/H19 in embryos and offspring. METHODS: The prehatching blastocysts with treatment of drilling or thinning, or control prehatching blastocysts, were transplanted in surrogate uteri. The DNA methylation of IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) and the expression of IGF2 and H19 were respectively evaluated using bisulfite conversion-mediated sequencing and real-time PCR. RESULTS: The drilling group showed a significant increase in the development rate of hatched blastocysts in comparison with the control and thinning group. DNA methylation level of IGF2/H19 ICR of hatched blastocysts in the thinning group was 27.33% in comparison with the 38.67% and 36% observed in the control and drilling group. The thinning treatment increased the DNA methylation level of IGF2/H19 ICR in the placenta in comparison with the control and drilling group. The drilling and thinning treatment decreased the expression level of H19 mRNA in prehatching and hatched blastocysts as well as placenta, while a significant increase in the expression level of H19 mRNA of offspring was observed in the thinning group. The thinning treatment increased the expression level of IGF2 mRNA of prehatching blastocysts and offspring and a significant decrease in placenta, while the drilling treatment resulted in a significant increase in the expression level of IGF2 mRNA of hatched blastocysts and placenta. CONCLUSION: These observations suggested that drilling used for hatching of in vitro cultured mouse blastocysts may improve the production of offspring.

Genome-wide identification of GhAAI genes reveals that GhAAI66 triggers a phase transition to induce early flowering.

Plants undergo a phase transition from vegetative to reproductive development that triggers floral induction. Genes containing an AAI (α-amylase inhibitor) domain form a large gene family, but there have been no comprehensive analyses of this gene family in any plant species. Here, we identified 336 AAI genes from nine plant species including122 AAI genes in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The AAI gene family has evolutionarily conserved amino acid residues throughout the plant kingdom. Phylogenetic analysis classified AAI genes into five major clades with significant polyploidization and showing effects of genome duplication. Our study identified 42 paralogous and 216 orthologous gene pairs resulting from segmental and whole-genome duplication, respectively, demonstrating significant contributions of gene duplication to expansion of the cotton AAI gene family. Further, GhAAI66 was preferentially expressed in flower tissue and as responses to phytohormone treatments. Ectopic expression of GhAAI66 in Arabidopsis and silencing in cotton revealed that GhAAI66 triggers a phase transition to induce early flowering. Further, GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis of RNA sequencing data and qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse transcription-PCR) analysis indicated that GhAAI66 integrates multiple flower signaling pathways including gibberellin, jasmonic acid, and floral integrators to trigger an early flowering cascade in Arabidopsis. Therefore, characterization of the AAI family provides invaluable insights for improving cotton breeding.

The effects of IAM38 blocking or CD4 blocking on the binding of exogenous DNA in rabbit sperm.

The binding of exogenous DNA to sperm is a key process for sperm-mediated gene transfer; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to identify the DNA binding proteins (DBPs) in rabbit sperm and to gain further understanding of the molecular mechanism of sperm and exogenous DNA interaction. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used for separating free sperm proteins and complexes of DNA fragment/sperm proteins. A distinct band was found after Coomassie blue staining, and seven potential proteins were identified by mass spectrometry analysis. An analysis of the physical/chemical properties of the seven proteins revealed that the sperm inner acrosomal membrane protein IAM38 (IAM38) matched the features of the DBPs. Western blotting analysis showed that the IAM38 and CD4 were present in the sperm but not in the seminal plasma. Blocking of the IAM38 impaired the DNA-binding capacity of the sperm. Blocking the CD4 decreased the DNA-uptake capacity of the sperm but did not influence the DNA-binding capacity of the sperm. Moreover, the EGFP-positive embryos and EGFP-positive blastocysts were also decreased after IAM38 blocking or CD4 blocking in comparison with the control group. In conclusion, our results imply that foreign DNA first binds to the transmembrane IAM38 of the sperm plasma membrane and then forms the complex of DNA/IAM38/CD4 with CD4 to complete the transportation of exogenous DNA into the nucleus of sperm.

[Energy Demand and Its Regulatory Mechanism during Folliculogenesis].

The growth and development of follicles are regulated by genes,hormones and growth factors autocrined and paracrined from granulosa cells,theca cells,and oocytes.Products of glycolysis from granulosa cells such as pyruvate and lactate are one of the main energy sources,which play an important role during folliculogenesis and follicle maturity.Studies on the changes of the products and rate-limiting enzymes during granulosa cells' glycolysis help to clarify the molecular mechanism of energy demand in folliculogenesis and guide the clinical treatment of infertility due to abnormal follicular development.This article reviews recent research advances in the energy demand and regulatory mechanism in different states of folliculogenesis.

A Titanium Oxo Cluster Model Study of Synergistic Effect of Co-coordinated Dye Ligands on Photocurrent Responses.

The use of multiple sensitizers in dye sensitized solar cells has been attractive as a promising way to achieve highly efficient photovoltaic performance. However, except for the complementary absorption, synergistic effects among the dye components have not been well understood. Herein, using ferrocene-1-carboxylate (FcCO2) and catechol (Cat) as dye ligands, two titanium oxo clusters (TOCs), [Ti3O(OiPr)6(Cat)(FcCO2)2] (1) and [Ti7O4(OiPr)8(Cat)5(FcCO2)2] (2), were synthesized and structurally characterized. Another TOC, [Ti7O3(OiPr)12(Cat)4( o-BDC)] (3) ( o-BDC = o-benzene dicarboxylate), was also prepared as a contrast. Electronic spectra and theoretical calculations showed that charge transfer occurs from ligands FcCO2 and Cat to the TiO cluster core and the contribution of redox active FcCO2 is greater than that of Cat. Using the clusters as TiO-dye pre-anchored precursors, multi-dye sensitized TiO2 electrodes were prepared. Although the two dyes FcCO2 and Cat do not complement each other in spectra, a synergistic effect on the enhancement of photocurrent responses was found and discussed in view of the inter-dyes electron communication.

Ligand-to-Ligand Charge Transfer within Metal-Organic Frameworks Based on Manganese Coordination Polymers with Tetrathiafulvalene-Bicarboxylate and Bipyridine Ligands.

A systematic study on ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer (LLCT) properties of three closely related metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is presented. These compounds are formulated as [MnL(4,4'-bpy)(H2O)]n·nCH3CN (1), [MnL(bpe)0.5(DMF)]n·2nH2O (2), and [MnL(bpa)(H2O)]n·2nH2O (3) (L = dimethylthio-tetrathiafulvalene-bicarboxylate, 4,4'-bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine, bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene, bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane). The X-ray single-crystal diffractions show that complexes 1-3 are all two-dimensional (2-D) coordination polymers with different frameworks in crystal lattices. Charge-transfer (CT) interactions within these MOFs are visually apparent in colors and vary according to the conjugated states of the bipyridine ligands (4,4'-bpy, bpe, and bpa). Theoretical calculations show that the charge transfer occurs from ligand L to bipyridine. The intensity of the LLCT is in the order of 2 > 1 > 3 investigated by theoretical calculations and ESR, which indicates that the intensity of CT is related to the bipyridyl conjugated state. Photocurrent responses of these compounds are consequently studied, and the results are in agreement with the intensity of charge transfer and linearly related to the LLCT energy.

Confinement Effects of Metal-Organic Framework on the Formation of Charge-Transfer Tetrathiafulvalene Dimers.

Three transition metal coordination polymers (CPs) based on the redox-active dimethylthio-tetrathiafulvalene-bicarboxylate (L) and 1,3-bi(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) ligands, formulated as [MnL(bpp)]n (1), [CdL(bpp)]n (2), and [Cd2L(bpp)2(H2O)(C2O4)0.5]n·n(ClO4)·n(H2O) (3), are crystallographically characterized. Complexes 1 and 2 are isostructural 2-D polymers, and 3 features an unusual 3-D metal-organic framework (MOF). The 3-D MOF is constructed from tetranuclear cluster nodes built through the µ2-O bridge of the TTF ligand, which is first found for TTF coordination polymers. It is found that the channel generated by the 3-D MOF exerts a confinement effect on the formation of TTF dimers. The TTF dimers show strong intradimer interaction with partial electron transfer or charge transfer, and hence, the Cd compound 3 has relatively good photocurrent response property in comparison with that of 2-D Cd compound 2.

Noble-metal Ag nanoparticle chains: annealing Ag/Bi superlattice nanowires in vacuum.

One-dimensional noble-metal Ag nanoparticle chains have been prepared by electrodepositing Ag/Bi superlattice nanowires in a porous anodic alumina oxide (AAO) template and following an annealing process in vacuum. It is found that Bi, as a sacrificial metal, can be removed completely after annealing at 450 °C with a vacuum degree of 10(-5) Torr. The regulation of particle size, shape and interparticle spacing of Ag NP chains has been realized by adjusting the segment length of the Ag/Bi superlattice nanowires and the annealing condition. With an extension of the annealing time, it is observed that Ag particles display the transform trend from ellipsoid to sphere. Our findings could inspire further investigation on the design and fabrication of metal nanoparticle chains.

An ionic charge-transfer dyad prepared cost-effectively from a tetrathiafulvalene carboxylate anion and a TMPyP cation.

Great progress has been made in combining a TTF moiety with a porphyrin unit by covalent bonds, but only a few examples were reported in which TTF and porphyrin assembled by noncovalent interactions. In contrast to the energy- and time-consuming synthetic procedures for the covalent system, the assembly of a non-covalent ionic system would be a cost-effective way to construct donor-acceptor ensembles. Herein a new type of ionic TTF-porphyrin dyad is obtained. A methylated tetra(4-pyridyl) porphyrin (5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)-porphyrin, TMPyP) is selected as the cation, and TTF-bicarboxylate (L(1)) or TTF-tetracarboxylate (L(2)) is used as the anion. Crystal structures of two TTF-TMPyP ionic D-A compounds, TMPyP-(HL(1))4·3H2O (1) and TMPyP-(H2L(2))2·5H2O (2), were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The strong ionic interaction enhances the charge-transfer between the regular mixed-stacking donors and acceptors, which are investigated comprehensively by spectral, electrochemical and theoretical studies. The variation in properties between L(1) and L(2) is of great advantage to understand the influence factors for charge-transfer. The charge-transfer properties can be modulated not only by the nature of the donor or the acceptor, but also the cation-anion ratio in the salt, which shows great flexibility of the D-A ionic dyad in the design and preparation of new charge-transfer systems.

A new type of charge-transfer salts based on tetrathiafulvalene-tetracarboxylate coordination polymers and methyl viologen.

Although charge-transfer compounds based on tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives have been intensively studied, {[cation](n+)·[TTFs](n-)} ion pair charge-transfer (IPCT) salts have not been reported. The aim of this research is to introduce functional organic cations, such as photoactive methyl viologen (MV(2+)), into the negatively charged TTF-metal coordination framework to obtain this new type of IPCT complex. X-ray structural analysis of the four compounds (MV)2[Li4(L)2(H2O)6] (1), {(MV)(L)[Na2(H2O)8]·4H2O}n (2), {(MV)[Mn(L)(H2O)2]·2H2O}n (3), and {(MV)[Mn(L)(H2O)2]}n (4), reveals that the electron donor (D) TTF moiety and the electron acceptor (A) MV(2+) form a regular mixed-stack arrangement in alternating DADA fashion. The TTF moiety and the MV(2+) cation are essentially parallel stacked to form the column structures. The strong electrostatic interaction is a main force to shorten the distance between the cation and anion planes. Optical diffuse-reflection spectra indicate that charge transfer occurs in these complexes. The ESR and magnetic measurements confirm that there is strong charge-transfer-induced partial electron transfer. Compounds 2, 3, and 4 show an effective and repeatable photocurrent response. The current intensities of 3 and 4 are higher than that of 2, which reflects that the coordination center of the Mn(II) ion has a great effect on the increasing photocurrent response.

Effect of metal coordination on photocurrent response properties of a tetrathiafulvalene organogel film.

Organic low molecular weight gelators with a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) unit have received considerable attention because the formed gels usually exhibit redox active response and conducting or semiconducting properties. However, to our knowledge, metal coordination systems have not been reported for TTF-derived gels up to date. We have designed and synthesized a series of TTF derivatives with a diamide-diamino moiety that can coordinate to specific metal ions with square coordination geometry. Gelation properties and morphologies of the films prepared by the gelators in different hydrophobic solvents are characterized. The TTF derivative with a dodecyl group shows effective gelation properties, and electrodes with the organogel films are prepared. The effect of the Ni(II) and Cu(II) coordination on the photocurrent response property of the electrodes is examined. The metal square coordination significantly increases the photocurrent response. This gel system is the first metal coordination related TTF-gel-based photoelectric material. The mechanism of the metal coordination-improved photocurrent response property is discussed based on the crystal structural analysis and theoretical calculations.