Metal-free phthalocyanine single crystal: Solvothermal synthesis and near-infrared electroluminescence

A metal-free purple H₂Pc single crystal was synthesized by a facile solvothermal method, and its solubility and near-infrared (NIR) optical properties were also investigated due to its potential applications as a light-emitting layer for OLEDs. The H₂Pc single crystal is insoluble in 1-chlorine naphthalene and other organic solvents. It gives a wide absorption in the range from 620 nm to 679 nm and a wide emission in near 922 nm. As an active light-emitting layer, H₂Pc was employed to fabricate electroluminescent (EL) devices with a structure of ITO/NPB (30 nm)/Alq₃:H₂Pc (30 nm)/BCP (20 nm)/Alq₃ (20 nm)/Al. The emission center is at 936 nm when the H₂Pc doping concentration is 20 wt%. The doping concentration strongly governs the emission intensity. When doping concentration decreases from 10 wt% to 1 wt%, the emission intensity remarkably fades, and simultaneously the emission center undergoes a blue shift.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct Cross‐Coupling of Carboranyllithium with (Hetero)Aryl Halides

A palladium‐catalyzed direct C‐arylation reaction of readily available cage carboranyllithium reagents with aryl halides has been developed for the first time. This method is applicable to a wide range of aryl halide substrates including aryl iodides, aryl bromides, and heteroaromatic halides.     

硼原子掺杂对碳纳米管吸附Ne原子影响的第一性原理计算

采用基于第一性原理的密度泛函理论（DFT）和局域密度近似（LDA）方法，优化计算得到碳纳米管（CNT），硼原子取代碳原子及其吸附氖原子前后系统的几何结构，能量，电子能带和态密度。结果显示，碳纳米管的能带结构与石墨的层状几何结构相似，能量的变化只在kz=0和kz=0.5平面之间沿着c轴方向出现。B原子取代C原子使价带和导带分别分裂为两个和三个能带。对Ne原子的吸附使价带能量沿着c轴方向升高并导致Fermi面附近的态密度下降。Ne原子的吸附在谷位H最稳定，顶位A其次。C-C间σ键的弯曲使Ne原子吸附在桥位b1比桥位b2处更为稳定。Ne原子在管外的吸附均为放热过程，而管内则为吸热过程。结构分析表明Ne原子对C原子有排斥作用，对B原子却具有吸引作用。B原子取代C原子的位置略凸出于CNT的管壁之外，使Ne原子的吸附能增加。     

Ni–Al composite hydroxides fabricated by cation–anion double hydrolysis method for high-performance supercapacitor

Chemical doping of nickel hydroxide with other cations(e.g. Al~(3+)) is an efficient way to enhance its electrochemical capacitive performances. Herein, a simple cation–anion(Ni~(2+)and AlO_2) double hydrolysis method was developed toward the synthesis of nickel–aluminum(Ni–Al) composite hydroxides. The obtained composite hydroxides possesses a porous structure, large surface area(121 m~2/g) and homogeneous element distribution. The electrochemical test shows that the obtained composite hydroxides exhibits a superior supercapacitive performances(specific capacitance of 1670F/g and rate capability of 87% from 0.5 A/g to 20 A/g) to doping-free nickel hydroxide(specific capacitance of 1227 F/g and rate capability of 47% from 0.5 A/g to 20 A/g). Moreover, the galvanostatic charge/discharge test displays that after 2000 cycles at large current density of 10 A/g, the composite hydroxides achieves a high capacitance retention of 98%, indicative of an excellent electrochemical cycleability.     

Microporous Hypercross-linked Conjugated Quinonoid Chromophores of Anthracene: Novel Polymers for CO2 Adsorption

Microporous hypercross-linked conjugated quinonoid chromophores represent a novel class of amorphous polymers, synthesized by the reaction of anthracene with dimethoxy methane in the presence of FeCl3 catalyst. Their N2 adsorption isotherms confirm their microporous nature. Diffuse reflectance UV-Visible(DRS UV-Vis) spectroscopy confirms their matrix built with the conjugated quinonoids by their broad light absorption characteristics extending from 1000 nm to 200 nm with the absorbance maximum close to 400 nm. The catalyst cross-linked anthracene with ―CH2― bridges and subsequently dehydrogenating them to form quinonoids. Their Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectra showed their characteristic quinonoid vibrations between 1600 and 1700 cm-1. The synthesis of polymers was carried out at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 ℃, but the quinonoid content of the polymer obtained at 80 ℃ was higher than that of the others. Their scanning electron microscopy(SEM) images showed microspheres of 1 to 5 μm size built with tiny particles. Their surfaces were not smooth. The polymer synthesized at 80 ℃ showed 5.1 wt% CO2 sorption at 25 ℃ and 0.1 MPa, but when it was recross-linked, the CO2 sorption increased to 8 wt%. Hence, hypercross-linked conjugated quinonoid chromophores of anthracene are good for sorption of CO2.     

Water‐Soluble Luminescent Hybrid Composites Consisting of Oligosilsesquioxanes and Lanthanide Complexes and their Sensing Ability for Cu2+

Water‐soluble hybrid composites with great potential for selective and sensitive sensing and that are obtained through simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly methods are highly desirable and remain a challenging task. Herein, we present luminescent hybrid composites that were realized by linking Na₃[Ln(dpa)₃] (dpa=2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid) to octa‐amino functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS‐NH₂) through hydrogen‐bonding interactions between the oxygen atoms of the carboxylate groups of dpa and the hydrogen‐bond‐donor amino groups. The resulting hybrid composites Ln(dpa)₃@POSS‐NH₂ are highly soluble in aqueous solutions and the quantum yield of Eu(dpa)₃@POSS‐NH₂ is as high as 56.5 % or 46.3 % in the solid state and in aqueous solution, respectively, as determined by using the integrating sphere method. The novel water‐soluble luminescent hybrid composites exhibit high thermal and photostability, and the emitted colors of the resulting hybrid composite can be finely tuned by changing the Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺ ratio. Interestingly, Eu(dpa)₃@POSS‐NH₂ hybrid composites exhibited an effective switch‐off fluorescence response to Cu²⁺ over other common metal ions in aqueous media.     

Mechanism of Insertion Reactions between Silylenoid H2SiLiF and GeH3R (R =F,OH, NH2): a Theoretical Study

Theoretical investigations on the insertion reaction mechanisms of three- membered-ring silylenoid H2 Si Li F with GeH 3R(R = F, OH, NH2) have been systematically carried out by combined density functional theory(DFT) and ab initio quantum chemical calculations. The geometries of all stationary points for these reactions were optimized using the B3 LYP method and then the QCISD method was used to calculate the single-point energies. The calculated results indicate that, there are one precursor complex(Q), one transition state(TS), and one intermediate(IM) which connect the reactants and the products along the potential energy surface. The insertion reactions of three-membered-ring silylenoid with Ge H3 R proceed in a concerted manner, forming H2RSi-Ge H3 and Li F. The calculated potential energy barriers of the three reactions are 29.17, 30.90, and 54.07 k J/mol, and the reaction energies for the three reactions are –127.05, –116.91, and –103.31 k J/mol, respectively. The insertion reactions in solvents are similar to those in vacuum. Under the same situation, the insertion reactions should occur easily in the following order: GeH 3-F GeH 3-OH GeH 3-NH2. The elucidations of the mechanism of these insertion reactions provided a new mode of silicon-germanium bond formation.     

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the Rearrangement of 2‐Oxoazepane α,α‐Amino Acids into 2′‐Oxopiperidine β2,3,3‐Amino Acids: An Example of Intramolecular Catalysis

Enantiopure β‐amino acids represent interesting scaffolds for peptidomimetics, foldamers and bioactive compounds. However, the synthesis of highly substituted analogues is still a major challenge. Herein, we describe the spontaneous rearrangement of 4‐carboxy‐2‐oxoazepane α,α‐amino acids to lead to 2′‐oxopiperidine‐containing β^2,3,3‐amino acids, upon basic or acid hydrolysis of the 2‐oxoazepane α,α‐amino acid ester. Under acidic conditions, a totally stereoselective synthetic route has been developed. The reordering process involved the spontaneous breakdown of an amide bond, which typically requires strong conditions, and the formation of a new bond leading to the six‐membered heterocycle. A quantum mechanical study was carried out to obtain insight into the remarkable ease of this rearrangement, which occurs at room temperature, either in solution or upon storage of the 4‐carboxylic acid substituted 2‐oxoazepane derivatives. This theoretical study suggests that the rearrangement process occurs through a concerted mechanism, in which the energy of the transition states can be lowered by the participation of a catalytic water molecule. Interestingly, it also suggested a role for the carboxylic acid at position 4 of the 2‐oxoazepane ring, which facilitates this rearrangement, participating directly in the intramolecular catalysis.     

Chemistry of Lipid A: At the Heart of Innate Immunity

In many Gram‐negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its lipid A moiety are pivotal for bacterial survival. Depending on its structure, lipid A carries the toxic properties of the LPS and acts as a potent elicitor of the host innate immune system via the Toll‐like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (TLR4/MD‐2) receptor complex. It often causes a wide variety of biological effects ranging from a remarkable enhancement of the resistance to the infection to an uncontrolled and massive immune response resulting in sepsis and septic shock. Since the bioactivity of lipid A is strongly influenced by its primary structure, a broad range of chemical syntheses of lipid A derivatives have made an enormous contribution to the characterization of lipid A bioactivity, providing novel pharmacological targets for the development of new biomedical therapies. Here, we describe and discuss the chemical aspects regarding lipid A and its role in innate immunity, from the (bio)synthesis, isolation and characterization to the molecular recognition at the atomic level.