Multifunctional Porous Microspheres Based on Peptide–Porphyrin Hierarchical Co‐Assembly

Photocatalytically active, multi‐chambered, biomolecule‐based microspheres were prepared by hierarchical co‐assembly of simple dipeptides and porphyrins. The colloidal microspheres are highly hydrated and consist of a network of J‐aggregate nanoscale substructures that serve as light‐harvesting antennae with a relatively broad spectral cross‐section and considerable photostability. These optical properties can be exploited in photocatalytic reactions involving inorganic or organic species. Taken together, these structural and functional features suggest that soft porous biomolecule‐based colloids are a plausible photosynthetic model that could be developed towards demonstrating aspects of primitive abiotic cellularity.     

Mimicking Primitive Photobacteria: Sustainable Hydrogen Evolution Based on Peptide–Porphyrin Co‐Assemblies with a Self‐Mineralized Reaction Center

Molecular evolution, with self‐organization of simple molecules towards complex functional systems, provides a new strategy for biomimetic architectonics and perspectives for understanding the complex processes of life. However, there remain many challenges to fabrication of systems comprising different types of units, which interact with one another to perform desired functions. Challenges arise from a lack of stability, dynamic properties, and functionalities that reconcile with a given environment. A co‐assembling fiber system composed of simple peptide and porphyrin is presented. This material is considered a prebiotic assembly of molecules that can be rather stable and flexibly self‐functionalized with the assistance of visible light in a “prebiotic soup”; acidic (pH 2), hot (70 °C), and mineral‐containing (Na⁺, Ti⁴⁺, Pt²⁺, and so forth) water. The co‐assembled peptide–porphyrin fiber, with self‐mineralized reaction centers, may serve as a primitive photobacteria‐like cellular model to achieve light harvesting, energy transfer, and ultimately sustainable hydrogen evolution.     

CBS reductions with a fluorous prolinol immobilized in a hydrofluoroether solvent

A fluorous prolinol precatalyst bearing only 34 fluorine atoms has been immobilized in the hydrofluoroether solvent HFE-7500. The CBS reduction of acetophenone proceeded rapidly, in high yield and in high ee in the absence of any organic solvent. The organic product was stripped from the HFE-7500 phase with a polar solvent, and the HFE-7500 phase was reused "as is" with satisfactory results through eight runs. This process is an attractive prototype for the large-scale use, recovery, and reuse of fluorous organocatalysts.     

Modeling the COVID-19 epidemic and awareness diffusion on multiplex networks

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has been widely spread around the world,and the control and behavior dynamics are still one of the important research directions in the world.Based on the characteristics of COVID-19’s spread,a coupled disease-awareness model on multiplex networks is proposed in this paper to study and simulate the interaction between the spreading behavior of COVID-19 and related information.In the layer of epidemic spreading,the nodes can be divided into five categories,where the topology of the network represents the physical contact relationship of the population.The topological structure of the upper network shows the information interaction among the nodes,which can be divided into aware and unaware states.Awareness will make people play a positive role in preventing the epidemic diffusion,influencing the spread of the disease.Based on the above model,we have established the state transition equation,through the microscopic Markov chain approach(MMCA),and proposed the propagation threshold calculation method under the epidemic model.Furthermore,MMCA iteration and the Monte Carlo method are simulated on the static network and dynamic network,respectively.The current results will be beneficial to the study of COVID-19,and propose a more rational and effective model for future research on epidemics.     

Electrospun Li<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript>/Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> composite nanofibers for enhanced high-rate lithium ion batteries

Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/Li₂TiO₃ composite nanofibers with the mean diameter of ca. 60 nm have been synthesized via facile electrospinning. When the molar ratio of Li to Ti is 4.8:5, the Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/Li₂TiO₃ composite nanofibers exhibit initial discharge capacity of 216.07 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C, rate capability of 151 mAh g^?1 after being cycled at 20 C, and cycling stability of 122.93 mAh g^?1 after 1000 cycles at 20 C. Compared with pure Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanofibers and Li₂TiO₃ nanofibers, Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/Li₂TiO₃ composite nanofibers show better performance when used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The enhanced electrochemical performances are explained by the incorporation of appropriate Li₂TiO₃ which could strengthen the structure stability of the hosted materials and has fast Li⁺-conductor characteristics, and the nanostructure of nanofibers which could offer high specific area between the active materials and electrolyte and shorten diffusion paths for ionic transport and electronic conduction. Our new findings provide an effective synthetic way to produce high-performance Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anodes for lithium rechargeable batteries.     

Polyethylene glycol-functionalized benzylidene cyclopentanone dyes for two-photon excited photodynamic therapy

A series of polyethylene glycol-functionalized benzylidene cyclopentanone dyes with varying lipid/water partition coefficients were synthesized in high yields by a simple process. Detailed characterization and systematic studies of these molecules, including linear and nonlinear photophysical properties, reactive oxygen yields, and in vitro photodynamic therapy (PDT) activities, were conducted. Four of these dyes exhibited good solubility in PBS (>2 mg ml(-1), which is sufficient for clinical venous injection), high reactive oxygen yields, large two-photon absorption and low dark toxicity, under the therapy dosage. Among them, two dyes could be absorbed efficiently by human rectal cancer 1116 cells, and presented strong two-photon excited PDT activity in in vitro cell experiments.     

Facile and efficient synthesis of C3-symmetric benzoxazine: a novel tri-arm molecular scaffold

Six novel C₃-symmetric benzoxazines (1a–f) were synthesized via a one-pot condensation, in which twelve covalent bonds were formed up to 96% yield. Two X-ray crystal structures confirmed their proposed conformations and showed their potential as a novel tri-arm molecular scaffold.     

肽超分子自组装:结构调控和功能化

生物分子自组装对生物体有重要意义,利用生物分子构筑具有功能性的有序组装体一直是人们关注的焦点.肽分子是一类重要的组装基元,肽的超分子自组装可形成多种纳米或微米尺度的结构,并可应用于能源、医药等领域.如何实现肽自组装结构的精准调控以及精准调控肽自组装实现功能化,是目前该领域面临的新挑战.肽的自组装是基于非共价键力的协同作用实现的,通过各种因素调节这些非共价键力的作用,是实现自组装结构调控和功能化的关键.虽然自组装结构调控可以通过改变外部环境调控,但是通过精确分子设计、组装基元分子间的相互作用调控可以更好地实现结构的精准调控;并有利于进一步通过引入功能性分子作为组装基元,实现自组装体的功能化.本文将针对肽自组装体的结构调控以及功能化两个方面对相关研究进行综述.     

Oxidations of two-dimensional semiconductors: Fundamentals and applications

Since the discovery of graphene, two-dimensional(2D) semiconductors have been attracted intensive interest due to their unique properties. They have exhibited potential applications in next generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, most of the 2D semiconductor are known to suffer from the ambient oxidation which degrade the materials and therefore hinder us from the intrinsic materials’ properties and the optimized performance of devices. In this review, we summarize the recent ...