Hydrothermal LiFePO4 as an Artificial Enzyme to Mimic Peroxidase and Its Applications to Glucose Detection

Journal of Analytical Chemistry - Lithium iron phosphate materials as one of the most representative cathode materials for lithium-ion battery were found to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like...     

CO2-fixation into carbonate anions for the construction of 3d-4f cluster complexes with salen-type Schiff base ligands: from molecular magnetic refrigerants to luminescent single-molecule magnets

Six new carbonate-bridged Zn₂Ln₂ cluster complexes derived from salen-type Schiff base ligands [H₂L^a = N, N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,3-diaminopropane and H₂L^b = N, N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)- 1,2-diaminoethane] have been synthesized. The bis-imine chain in Schiff base ligands have an obvious influence on the cluster complexes' structures, magnetic and luminescence properties. The carbonate bridging ligand exactly comes from autoimmobilization of carbon dioxide, which may mediate ferromagnetic coupling between Ln³⁺ ions, favoring magnetocaloric effects and single molecule magnet (SMM) properties. Complexes Zn₂Dy₂(μ³-CO₃)₂(L^a)₂(NO₃)₂(MeOH)₂ ( 1 ) and [Zn₂Dy₂(μ³-CO₃)₂(L^b)₂(NO₃)₂]·2MeOH ( 2) show field-induced SMM properties; complexes Zn₂Tb₂(μ³-CO₃)₂(L^a)₂(NO₃)₂(MeOH)₂ ( 3 ) and [Zn₂Tb₂(μ³-CO₃)₂(L^b)₂(NO₃)₂]·2MeOH ( 4 ) display both luminescence and field-induced SMM behaviors; while complexes [Zn₂Gd₂(μ³-CO₃)₂(L^a)₂(NO₃)₂]·2MeOH ( 5 ) and [Zn₂Gd₂(μ³-CO₃)₂(L^b)₂(NO₃)₂]·2MeOH ( 6 ) exhibit medium magnetic entropy changes, which are candidates for cryogenic molecular magnetic refrigerants.     

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) composite membranes based on amino-modified halloysite nanotubes that effectively immobilize phosphotungstic acid

In this work, we prepared amino-modified halloysite nanotubes (PEI-DHNTs) via the co-deposition of self-polymerized dopamine and polyethylenimine (PEI) on the surface of nanotubes, which was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A series of composite proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were prepared by incorporating PEI-DHNTs and phosphotungstic acid (HPW) into sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK). It was found that both PEI-DHNTs and HPW were well dispersed in the polymer matrix, exhibiting excellent filler-matrix compatibility. The composite membranes demonstrated enhanced proton conductivity, reaching as high as 0.078 S cm⁻¹ with 33.3 wt.% HPW loading, which was ~90% higher than that of SPEEK control membrane. Such improvement was mainly attributed to the strong acid–base pairs formed by PEI-DHNT with both SPEEK and HPW, which shortened proton hopping distance and created more continuous proton conduction pathways. Furthermore, the membrane conductivity remained almost constant after 1 year's immersion in liquid water, indicating the successful immobilization of HPW in the composite membranes.     

Slippery liquid-infused porous surface via thermally induced phase separation for enhanced corrosion protection

Slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) is a rising star in corrosion protection owing to its outstanding corrosive medium resistance and self-healing property. The large-area and facile fabrication of SLIPS remains a challenge lying on the way of its practical application. Herein, we develop a novel SLIPS based on a porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) substrate fabricated by thermally induced phase separation. A sphere-packing structure can be easily obtained by blade-coating followed by cooling. The SLIPS exhibits an extremely low sliding angle of 5.8° so that it can resist the fouling of even the Chinese ink, ascribing to its slippery dynamic surface with low surface energy. We also evaluated the anti-corrosion performance of the SLIPS and superhydrophobic PVDF coating by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning Kelvin probe technique (SKP), both of which exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution due to the physical oil and air barriers against the corrosive medium penetration. Nevertheless, the SLIPS coatings performed outstanding self-healing properties because of the high fluidity of infused oil to recover the surface damages, and the self-healing process was recorded by the SKP.     

Light Hydrocarbon Separations Using Porous Organic Framework Materials

Light hydrocarbons (C₁–C₃) are used as basic energy feedstocks and as commodity organic compounds for the production of many industrially necessary chemicals. Due to the nature of the raw materials and production processes, light hydrocarbons are generated as mixtures, but the high-purity single-component products are of vital importance to the petrochemical industry. Consequently, the separation of these C₁–C₃ products is a crucial industrial procedure that comprises a significant share of the total global energy consumption per year. As a complement to traditional separation methods (distillation, partial hydrogenation, etc.), adsorptive separations using porous solids have received widespread attention due to their lower energy costs and higher efficiency. Extensive research has been devoted to the use of porous materials such as zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as solid adsorbents for these key separations, owing to the high porosity, tunable pore structures, and unsaturated metal sites present in these materials. Recently, porous organic framework (POF) materials composed of organic building blocks linked by covalent bonds have also shown excellent properties in light hydrocarbon adsorption and separation, sparking interest in the use of these materials as adsorbents in separation processes. This Minireview summarizes the recent advances in the use of POFs for light hydrocarbon separations, including the separation of mixtures of methane/ethane, methane/propane, ethylene/ethane, acetylene/ethylene, and propylene/propane, while highlighting the relationships between the structural features of these materials and their separation performances. Finally, the difficulties, challenges, and opportunities associated with leveraging POFs for light hydrocarbon separations are discussed to conclude the review.