Seeded Polymerization of an Amide-Functionalized Diketopyrrolopyrrole Dye in Aqueous Media

The self-assembly of an amide-functionalized dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) dye in aqueous media was achieved through seed-initiated supramolecular polymerization. Temperature- and time-dependent studies showed that the spontaneous polymerization of the DPP derivative was temporally delayed upon cooling the monomer solution in a methanol/water mixture. Theoretical calculations revealed that an amide-functionalized DPP derivative adopts an energetically favorable folded conformation in the presence of water molecules due to hydration. This conformational change is most likely responsible for the trapping of monomers in the initial stage of the cooperative supramolecular polymerization in aqueous media. However, the monomeric species can selectively interact with externally added fragmented aggregates as seeds through concerted π-stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Consequently, the time course of the supramolecular polymerization and the morphology of the aggregated state can be controlled, and one-dimensional fibers that exhibit a J-aggregate-like bathochromically shifted absorption band can be obtained.     

FeOOH Nanocubes Anchored on Carbon Ribbons for Use in Li/O2 Batteries

A composite of FeOOH nanocubes anchored on carbon ribbons has been synthesized and used as a cathode material for Li/O₂ batteries. Fe²⁺ ion-exchanged resin serves as a precursor for both FeOOH nanocubes and carbon ribbons, which are formed simultaneously. The as-prepared FeOOH cubes are proposed to have a core–shell structure, with FeOOH as the shell and Prussian blue as the core, based on information from XPS, TEM, and EDS mapping. As a cathode material for Li/O₂ batteries, FeOOH delivers a specific capacity of 14816 mA h g⁻¹_cathode with a cycling stability of 67 cycles over 400 h. The high performance is related to the low overpotential of the oxygen reduction/evolution reaction on FeOOH. The cube structure, the supporting carbon ribbons, and the -OOH moieties all contribute to the low overpotential. The discharge product Li₂O₂ can be efficiently decomposed in the FeOOH cathode after a charging process, leading to higher cycling stability. Its high activity and stability make FeOOH a good candidate for use in non-aqueous Li/O₂ batteries.     

Freestanding Carbon Nanotube Film for Flexible Straplike Lithium/Sulfur Batteries

Flexible lithium/sulfur (Li/S) batteries are promising to meet the emerging power demand for flexible electronic devices. The key challenge for a flexible Li/S battery is to design a cathode with excellent electrochemical performance and mechanical flexibility. In this work, a flexible strap-like Li/S battery based on a S@carbon nanotube/Pt@carbon nanotube hybrid film cathode was designed. It delivers a specific capacity of 1145 mAh g⁻¹ at the first cycle and retains a specific capacity of 822 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles. Moreover, the flexible Li/S battery retains stabile specific capacity and Coulombic efficiency even under severe bending conditions. As a demonstration of practical applications, an LED array is shown stably powered by the flexible Li/S battery under flattened and bent states. We also use the strap-like flexible Li/S battery as a real strap for a watch, which at the same time provides a reliable power supply to the watch.     

Validation of a HPLC/MS method for simultaneous quantification of clonidine,morphine and its metabolites in human plasma

A high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of morphine, morphine's major metabolites morphine‐3‐glucuronide and morphine‐6‐glucuronide, and clonidine, to support the pharmacokinetic analysis of an ongoing double‐blinded randomized clinical trial that compares the use of morphine and clonidine in infants diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Plasma samples were processed by solid‐phase extraction and separated on an Inertsil ODS‐3 (4 μm) column using an 0.1% formic acid in water–0.1% formic acid in methanol gradient. Detection of the analytes was conducted in the positive multiple reaction monitoring mode. The range of quantitation was 1–1000 ng/mL for morphine, morphine‐3‐glucuronide and morphine‐6‐glucuronide, and 0.25–100 ng/mL for clonidine. Intra‐day and inter‐day accuracy and precision were ≤15% for all analytes across the quantitation range. Extraction recovery rates were ≥94% for morphine, ≥90% for M3G, ≥87% for M6G and ≥ 79% for clonidine. Matrix effect ranged from 85–94% for clonidine to 101–106% for M3G. The method fulfilled all predetermined acceptance criteria and required only 100 μL of starting plasma volume. Furthermore, it was successfully applied to 30 clinical trial plasma samples.     

Effect of rotation in magneto-thermoelastic transversely isotropic hollow cylinder with three-phase-lag model

This article deals with the various heat source responses in a transversely isotropic hollow cylinder under the purview of three-phase-lag (TPL) generalized thermoelasticity theory. In presence of magnetic field and due to the rotating behavior of the cylinder, the governing equations are redefined for generalized thermoelasticity with thermal time delay. In order to obtain the stress, displacement and temperature field, the field functions are expressed in terms of modified Bessel functions in Laplace transformed domain. When the outer radius of hollow cylinder tends to infinity, the corresponding results are discussed. Finally an appropriate Laplace transform inversion technique is adopted.     

Inorganic Molecular Electride Mg4O3: Structure,Bonding, and Nonlinear Optical Properties

Growing demands of material science and, in particular, in the field of nonlinear optics (NLO) encourage us to look for stable highly polarizable molecules with excess diffuse electrons. An unusual class of compounds called electrides comply with these requirements. Many attempts have been made, yet only few electrides have been synthesized as solids and none of them as molecular species. In this paper, a new theoretically designed molecular species with electride characteristics is reported. The idea of this molecular electride comes from the formation of electride-like features in the MgO crystal with defect F-centers. The geometry of the investigated molecule can be described as a Mg₄O₄ cube with one oxygen atom removed. In Mg₄O₃, two 3s electrons are pushed out from the inner area of the molecule forming a diffuse electride multicentered bond. Our calculations show that this electride-like cluster possesses a noticeably large first hyperpolarizability β=5733 au. At the same time, a complete cube Mg₄O₄ and Mg₄O₃²⁺ without electride electron pair have much smaller β: 0 au and 741 au, respectively. This fact indicates the decisive role of the electride electron pair in NLO properties. Additionally, vertical detachment energies of isomers (VDE), excitation energies ΔE, polarizabilities α, and IR spectra were calculated. These properties, including β, are supposed to be observable experimentally and can serve as indirect evidence of the stable molecular electride formation.     

A pH-Sensitive Zwitterionic Iron Complex Probe with High Biocompatibility for Tumor-Specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Accurate diagnosis of tumor characteristics, including its location and boundary, is of immense value to subsequent therapy. Activatable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents that respond to tumor-specific microenvironments, such as the redox state, pH, and enzyme activity, enable better mapping of tumor tissue. However, the practical application of most reported activatable agents is hampered by problems including potential toxicity, inefficient elimination, and slow activation. In this study, we developed a zwitterionic iron complex (Fe-ZDS) as a positive MRI contrast agent for tumor-specific imaging. Fe-ZDS could dissociate in weakly acidic solution rapidly, accompanied by clear longitudinal relaxivity (r₁) enhancement, which enabled the complex to act as a pH-sensitive contrast agent for tumor-specific MR imaging. In vivo experiments showed that Fe-ZDS rapidly enhanced the tumor-to-normal contrast ratio by >40 %, which assisted in distinguishing the tumor boundary. Furthermore, Fe-ZDS circulated freely in the bloodstream and was excreted relatively safely via kidneys owing to its zwitterionic nature. Therefore, Fe-ZDS is an ideal candidate for a tumor-specific MRI contrast agent and holds considerable potential for clinical translation.