Additive assisted hydrothermal synthesis,characterization and optical properties of one dimensional DyPO4:Ce3+ nanostructures

One dimensional nanostructures of cerium doped dysprosium phosphate (DyPO₄:Ce³⁺) were synthesized via hydrothermal route in the presence of different surfactants [sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), dodecyl sulfosuccinate (DSS), polyvinyl pyrollidone (PVP)] and solvent [ethylene glycol and water]. The prepared nanostructures were characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectrophotometer and photoluminescence (PL) studies. The PXRD and FTIR results indicate purity, good crystallinity and effective doping of Ce³⁺ in nanostructures. SEM and TEM micrographs display nanorods, nanowires and nanobundles like morphology of DyPO₄:Ce³⁺. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) of DyPO₄:Ce³⁺nanostructures confirm the presence of dopant. UV-VIS-NIR absorption spectra of prepared compounds are used to calculate band gap and explore their optical properties. Luminescent properties of DyPO₄:Ce³⁺ was studied by using PL emission spectra. The effect of additives and solvents on the uniformity, morphology and optical properties of the nanostructures were studied in detail.     

A study of the catalytic behavior of phosphotungstic acid-modified Janus particles in a heterogeneous oil/water pickering emulsion system

An emulsion interface materialization method was used to obtain amphiphilic silica Janus nanoparticles. Reducing the photosynthesis of aquatic organisms after water pollution. PW₁₂O₄₀³⁻ was introduced onto Janus particles by ion exchange, and an amphiphilic particle emulsion catalyst (PWO-J) was prepared. Hydrogen peroxide was used as the oxygen source, and the amphiphilicty of the catalyst was used to assemble the catalyst at the Pickering emulsion interface. The PWO-J catalyst was found to exhibit very high catalytic activity toward the oxidation of oleic acid in water-in-oil systems. The results showed that PWO-J catalysis of oxidation had similar results as CTAB and phosphotungstic acid (control system) under the same conditions. The azelaic acid recovery rate was 86.7%, and PWO-J could be reused 4 times. A reaction mechanism was proposed, and the constructed model was used to calculate a reaction rate constant of 15.32 × 10⁻⁵L•mol⁻¹•s⁻¹ for the PWO-J system. The PWO-J system had a lower activation energy than the control system, showing that the catalytic oxidation of oleic acid into azelaic acid was more likely to occur in the PWO-J system.     

Infrared Responsive Choline Phosphate Lipids for Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Choline phosphate lipids have been designed and developed as new-generation zwitterionic nanocarriers with excellent biocompatibility and bioorthogonality to provide a more programmable performance for cancer therapy. However, there is a lack of spatiotemporal and reversible control for drug release at target tumor cells, which can lead to severe adverse effects to normal tissue and discounted treatment outcome. Here, light-inducible Lip-cRGDfk/ICG/Dox liposomes were developed for synergistic cancer therapy. ICG can effectively convert light energy into selective heating in a local environment upon laser irradiation, thus inducing thermal ablation of tumor cells, and further reversibly trigger the spatiotemporal release of anticancer drugs (Dox) at tumor cells due to the conformation transformation of CP lipids to synergistically kill tumor cells. That Lip-cRGDfk/ICG/Dox exhibited a significant improvement for breast cancer therapy in vitro and in vivo is also demonstrated, thus it can serve as an efficient platform to noninvasively and spatiotemporally control the activation of cytotoxicity at tumor cells for precision cancer therapy.     

Two-dimensional function photonic crystals

In this paper, we have studied two-dimensional function photonic crystals, in which the dielectric constants of medium columns are the functions of space coordinates , that can become true easily by electro-optical effect and optical kerr effect. We calculated the band gap structures of TE and TM waves, and found the TE (TM) wave band gaps of function photonic crystals are wider (narrower) than the conventional photonic crystals. For the two-dimensional function photonic crystals, when the dielectric constant functions change, the band gaps numbers, width and position should be changed, and the band gap structures of two-dimensional function photonic crystals can be adjusted flexibly, the needed band gap structures can be designed by the two-dimensional function photonic crystals, and it can be of help to design optical devices.     

3D Uranyl Organic Frameworks Supported by Rigid Octadentate Carboxylate Ligand: Synthesis,Structure Diversity,and Luminescence Properties

Seven three dimensional (3D) uranyl organic frameworks (UOFs), formulated as [NH₄][(UO₂)₃(HTTDS)(H₂O)] ( 1 ), [(UO₂)₄(HTTDS)₂](HIM)₆ ( 2 , IM=imidazole), [(UO₂)₄(TTDS)(H₂O)₂(Phen)₂] ( 3 , Phen=1,10-phenanthroline), [Zn(H₂O)₄]_0.5[(UO₂)₃(HTTDS)(H₂O)₄] ( 4 ), and {(UO₂)₂[Zn(H₂O)₃]₂(TTDS)} ( 5 ), {Zn(UO₂)₂(H₂O)(Dib)_0.5(HDib)(HTTDS)} ( 6 , Dib=1,4-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzene) and [Na]{(UO₂)₄[Cu₃(u₃-OH)(H₂O)₇](TTDS)₂} ( 7 ) have been hydrothermally prepared using a rigid octadentate carboxylate ligand, tetrakis(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)silicon(H₈TTDS). These UOFs have different 3D self-assembled structures as a function of co-ligands, structure-directing agents and transition metals. The structure of 1 has an infinite ribbon formed by the UO₇ pentagonal bipyramid bridged by carboxylate groups. With further introduction of auxiliary N-donor ligands, different structure of 2 and 3 are formed, in 2 the imidazole serves as space filler, while in 3 the Phen are bound to [UO₂]²⁺ units as co-ligands. The second metal centers were introduced in the syntheses of 4–7 , and in all cases, they are part of the final structures, either as a counterion ( 4 ) or as a component of framework ( 5 − 7 ). Interesting, in 7 , a rare polyoxometalate [Cu₃(μ₃-OH)O₇(O₂CR)₄] cluster was found in the structure. It acts as an inorganic building unit together with the dimer [(UO₂)₂(O₂CR)₄] unit. Those uranyl carboxylates were sufficiently determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and their topological structures and luminescence properties were analyzed in detail.     

Existence analysis of an optimal shape design problem with non coercive state equation

In this paper, a shape optimization problem, modelling a welding process, governed by a second order non coercive PDE is considered. The well posedness of the shape optimal design problem is showed using the degree of Leray–Schauder. Then the existence of an optimal solution is proved.     

Estimation of the solubility product of hydrocalumite–hydroxide,a layered double hydroxide with the formula of [Ca2Al(OH)6]OH·nH2O

From aqueous NaOH/Ca(OH)₂/NaAl(OH)₄ mixtures, after allowing short reaction times we observed the precipitation of Ca(OH)₂(s) at lower, and a mixture of Ca(OH)₂(s) and a layered double hydroxide, hydrocalumite (HC) at higher aluminate concentrations. From the maximum aluminate concentration, at which the equilibrium solid phase is still portlandite (i.e., further increase in the aluminate concentration results in HC appearing in the precipitate beside the portlandite), the concentration based solubility products of two polymorphs of HC with the formula of [Ca₂Al(OH)₆]OH·nH₂O (differing in n) has been estimated and was found to be log L_HC=−11.4 at 25 °C and −12.1 at 75 °C, respectively (where L_HC=[Ca²⁺]²[Al(OH)₄⁻][OH⁻]³) and at constant ionic strength (I=1 M NaCl). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published estimate for the solubility product of hydrocalumite. Additionally, from the composition obtained for NaOH/Ca(OH)₂/NaAl(OH)₄ mother liquors in equilibrium with Ca(OH)₂(s), attempts were made to extract the formation constant of the ion pair CaAl(OH)₄⁺. It was found, that the effects caused by the supposed formation of this solution species are too small to be reliably determined, which allowed an upper estimate for its formation constant, K, to be suggested in the temperature range of 25–75 °C (K<200 and 40 M⁻¹ at 25 and 75 °C, respectively).     

High sensitivity sensing of nitroaromatic explosive vapors based on polytriphenylamines with AIE‐active tetraphenylethylene side groups

Two polytriphenylamines (PTPAs) (P1 and P2) with aggregation induced emission (AIE)‐active tetraphenylethylene side groups have been designed and successfully synthesized. Both polymers only faintly emit in dilute solution but show strong emission in aggregated state, meaning that they are AIE‐active. The detection of 1,3,5‐trinitrobenzene (TNB) vapors has been investigated by photoluminescence (PL) quenching in polymer films. High solid state quantum yields and donor‐acceptor interactions of the electron‐rich PTPA chains with the TNB analyte, hereby, induce a high sensing sensitivity, both for P1 and P2 films towards TNB vapor. Contacting thin P1 and P2 films with saturated TNB vapor, the PL intensity was quenched by 85% for P1 and 89% for P2 within 600 s, respectively. The sensing process is reversible, >90% of the PL is recovered, also after repeated cycling. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 53, 1753–1761     

Cu3V2O8 Nanoparticles as Intercalation‐Type Anode Material for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Cu₃V₂O₈ nanoparticles with particle sizes of 40–50 nm have been prepared by the co‐precipitation method. The Cu₃V₂O₈ electrode delivers a discharge capacity of 462 mA h g^?1 for the first 10 cycles and then the specific capacity, surprisingly, increases to 773 mA h g^?1 after 50 cycles, possibly as a result of extra lithium interfacial storage through the reversible formation/decomposition of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film. In addition, the electrode shows good rate capability with discharge capacities of 218 mA h g^?1 under current densities of 1000 mA g^?1. Moreover, the lithium storage mechanism for Cu₃V₂O₈ nanoparticles is explained on the basis of ex situ X‐ray diffraction data and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses at different charge/discharge depths. It was evidenced that Cu₃V₂O₈ decomposes into copper metal and Li₃VO₄ on being initially discharged to 0.01 V, and the Li₃VO₄ is then likely to act as the host for lithium ions in subsequent cycles by means of the intercalation mechanism. Such an “in situ” compositing phenomenon during the electrochemical processes is novel and provides a very useful insight into the design of new anode materials for application in lithium‐ion batteries.