Nucleophilic Activation of Sulfur Hexafluoride by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and N-Heterocyclic Olefins: A Computational Study

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) is considered as a potent greenhouse gas, whose effective degradation is challenging. Here we report a computational study on the nucleophilic activation of sulfur hexafluoride by N-heterocyclic carbenes and N-heterocyclic olefins. The result shows that the activation of SF₆ is both thermodynamically and kinetically favorable at mild condition using NHOs with fluoro-substituted azolium and sulfur pentafluoride anion being formed. The Gibbs free energy barrier during the activation of SF₆ has a linear relationship with the energy of HOMO of substrates, which could be a guideline for applying those compounds that feature higher energy in HOMO to activate SF₆ in high efficiency.     

Ratiometric Detection of microRNA Using Hybridization Chain Reaction and Fluorogenic Silver Nanoclusters

miRNA (miR)-155 is a potential biomarker for breast cancers. We aimed at developing a nanosensor for miR-155 detection by integrating hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). HCR serves as an enzyme-free and isothermal amplification method, whereas AgNCs provide a built-in fluorogenic detection probe that could simplify the downstream analysis. The two components were integrated by adding a nucleation sequence of AgNCs to the hairpin of HCR. The working principle was based on the influence of microenvironment towards the hosted AgNCs, whereby unfolding of hairpin upon HCR has manipulated the distance between the hosted AgNCs and cytosine-rich toehold region of hairpin. As such, the dominant emission of AgNCs changed from red to yellow in the absence and presence of miR-155, enabling a ratiometric measurement of miR with high sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor is 1.13 fM in buffered solution. We have also tested the assay in diluted serum samples, with comparable LOD of 1.58 fM obtained. This shows the great promise of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor for clinical application.     

Recent Advances of Freestanding Cathodes for Li-S Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) with high energy density and low cost have been recognized as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems. Although it has taken decades of development, the practical application of LSBs has been hindered by several inherent obstacles, particularly the severe shuttle effect and sluggish reaction kinetics in the sulfur cathode. Various strategies have been proposed to address these problems via rational design of electrode materials and configurations. Freestanding sulfur cathode could be a promising strategy to improve the sulfur mass loading at the cathode level and energy density of LSBs. This minireview will briefly summary the recent advances in freestanding cathodes for LSBs. The advantages and disadvantages of various freestanding cathodes are discussed and the prospects for the development of flexible cathodes are envisioned.     

Polyvinylpyrrolidone and graphene-modified hematite nanoparticles for efficient electrocatalytic oxidation of p-nitrophenol

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and graphene (G)-modified iron oxides (Fe2O3-PVP-G) are prepared by a simple hydrothermal reaction. Their morphology and...     

12β-Acetyloxyperforatin,a New Limonoid from Harrisonia Perforata

A new A, D-seco limonoid, named 12-acetyloxyperforatin (1), along with three known ones, were isolated from the leaves of Harrisonia perforata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including extensive NMR techniques and computational modelling. These compounds showed no inhibitory activity against the 11β-HSD1 enzyme.     

Syntheses,crystal structures and properties of Cd(II) and Ag(I) complexes based on 2-p-methylphenyl-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole

Abstract

Complexes of [CdL₂(NO₃)₂]·1.5H₂O and [Ag₂(μ-L)₂(NO₃)₂] were synthesized by the reactions of 2-p-methylphenyl-5-(2-pyridyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole (L) with Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O and AgNO₃, respectively. Their structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The photophysical property and thermal stability were characterized by FT???IR, UV???Vis absorption, fluorescence, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Both complexes belong to the triclinic system with space group p???1. The central metal of [CdL₂(NO₃)₂]·1.5H₂O has a distorted octahedral geometry [CdN₄O₂], while two central Ag(I) atoms of [Ag₂(μ-L)₂(NO₃)₂] exhibit distorted tetrahedral geometries [AgN₃O].     

Dynamic behavior and stability analysis of nonlinear modes in the fourth-order generalized Ginzburg–Landau model with near $$\mathcal{PT}$$ PT -symmetric potentials

Nonlinear Dynamics - Parametrically excited oscillators are used in several domains, in particular to improve the dynamical behaviour of systems like in the case of the parametric amplification or...     

衬底对单层二硫化钼光学性质的影响

为了实现二硫化钼器件化应用,通过机械剥离和PMMA纳米转移相结合的方法,研究二氧化硅、氮化硅和蓝宝石衬底对单层二硫化钼拉曼光谱以及光致发光光谱的影响.实验结果表明,单层二硫化钼在二氧化硅、氮化硅及蓝宝石衬底间转移会释放应力.氮化硅和蓝宝石衬底对单层二硫化钼引入p型掺杂,导致转移后拉曼光谱中的403 cm-1处A1g峰发生0.48 cm-1和1.20 cm-1的蓝移,光致发光光谱中的位于662 nm处的I峰有5.44 nm和12.73 nm的红移.本工作对单层二硫化钼的应用具有重要意义.