Studies on the collision‐induced dissociation of adipoR agonists after electrospray ionization and their implementation in sports drug testing

AdipoR agonists are small, orally active molecules capable of mimicking the protein adiponectin, which represents an adipokine with antidiabetic and antiatherogenic effects. Two adiponectin receptors were reported in the literature referred to as adipoR1 and adipoR2. Activation of these receptors stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and results in an improved oxidative metabolism (via adipoR1) and increased insulin sensitivity (via adipoR2). Hence, adipoR agonists are potentially performance enhancing substances and targets of proactive and preventive anti‐doping measures. In this study, two adipoR agonists termed AdipoRon and 112254 as well as two isotopically labeled internal standards (ISTDs) were synthesized in three‐step reactions. The products were fully characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and density functional theory (DFT) computation. Collision‐induced dissociation pathways following electrospray ionization were suggested based on the determined elemental compositions of product ions, comparison to product ions derived from labeled analogs (ISTDs), H/D‐exchange experiments and the results of DFT calculations. The most abundant product ions were found at m/z 174, tentatively assigned to protonated 1‐benzyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydropyridine for AdipoRon, and m/z 207, suggested as protonated 1‐(4‐methoxybenzyl)piperazine, for 112254. Notably, the loss of the heterocyclic ring (i.e. piperazine and piperidine, respectively) in a supposedly intramolecular elimination reaction was observed in both cases. A qualitative determination of both AdipoR agonists in human plasma was established and fully validated for doping control purposes. Validation items such as recovery (86–89%), specificity, linearity, lower limit of detection (1 ng/ml), intraday (3–18%) and interday (5–16%) precision as well as ion suppression or enhancement were determined. Based on these findings adipoR agonists can be implemented in sports drug testing procedures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High Catalytic Activity of Nitrogen and Sulfur Co‐Doped Nanoporous Graphene in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Chemical doping has been demonstrated to be an effective way to realize new functions of graphene as metal‐free catalyst in energy‐related electrochemical reactions. Although efficient catalysis for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been achieved with doped graphene, its performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is rather poor. In this study we report that nitrogen and sulfur co‐doping leads to high catalytic activity of nanoporous graphene in HER at low operating potential, comparable to the best Pt‐free HER catalyst, 2D MoS₂. The interplay between the chemical dopants and geometric lattice defects of the nanoporous graphene plays the fundamental role in the superior HER catalysis.     

Doping Effects in Cluster‐Mediated Bond Activation

Gas‐phase investigations of judiciously doped oxide clusters permit to address fundamental challenges related to, for example, the low‐temperature oxidation of CO or the selective conversion of hydrocarbons. Modifying the size and composition of a free cluster in a controlled way enables the modification of local charge effects and of spin states, and spectroscopic studies in combination with computational work help to identify the active site of a catalyst and to unravel mechanistic details. Also, the interplay of the support material with the reactive part of a composite catalyst cluster can be addressed. Examples will be presented demonstrating how and why the gas‐phase reactivities of heteronuclear clusters, in comparison with their homonuclear counterparts, toward small, generally rather inert molecules can be increased, decreased, or not significantly affected.     

N,Fe, La三掺杂锐钛矿型TiO2能带调节的理论与实验研究

采用基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的平面波超软赝势方法(PWPP), 利用Material studio 计算N, Fe, La三种元素掺杂引起的锐钛矿TiO₂晶体结构、能带结构和态密度变化. 并通过溶胶-凝胶法制得锐钛矿型本征TiO₂, N, Fe共掺杂TiO₂和N, Fe, La共掺杂TiO₂; 用X射线衍射和扫描电镜表征结构; 紫外-可见分光光度计检测TiO₂对甲基橙的降解效率变化. 计算结果表明, 由于N, Fe, La三掺杂TiO₂的晶格体积、键长等发生变化, 导致晶体对称性下降, 光生电子-空穴对有效分离, 同时在导带底和价带顶形成杂质能级, TiO₂禁带宽度由1.78 eV变为1.35 eV, 减小25%, 光吸收带边红移, 态密度数增加, 电子跃迁概率提升, 光催化能力增加. 实验结果表明: 离子掺杂使颗粒变小, 粒径大小: 本征TiO₂>N/Fe_TiO₂>N/Fe/La_TiO₂, 并测得N/Fe/La_TiO₂发光峰425 nm, 能隙减小, 光催化能力比N/Fe_TiO₂强, 增强原因是杂质能级和电子态数量增加引起.     

B,P掺杂β-Si3N4的电子结构和光学性质研究

运用第一性原理方法, 计算了B, P两种元素单掺杂和共掺杂的β -Si₃N₄材料的电子结构和光学性质. 结果表明: B掺杂体系的稳定性更高, 而P掺杂体系的离子性更强; 单掺和共掺杂均窄化带隙, 且共掺在禁带中引入深能级, 使局域态增强; 单掺杂体系介电函数虚部、吸收谱和能量损失谱各峰均发生红移、幅值减小, 而共掺后介电函数虚部主峰出现蓝移、能量损失峰展宽、高能区电子跃迁大大增强, 且控制共掺杂的B, P比例可获得较低的带电缺陷浓度.     

Ti掺杂NbSe2电子结构的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法, 计算了理想2H-NbSe₂和Ti掺杂2H-NbSe₂晶体的几何结构及电子结构; 对掺杂前后超胞的能带图、态密度及分波态密度图进行了分析. 结果表明, 掺杂后费米能级附近能量区域的电子态密度出现了较高的峰值, 且费米能级位置发生了改变. 理论上可以认为Ti的掺杂会使得NbSe₂的导电性增强, 有利于开发新型的电接触复合材料.     

Ca2+掺杂对NaYF4:Yb,Er微米晶上转换发光性能的影响

采用柠檬酸钠辅助的水热方法制备了一系列不同Ca²⁺含量的Ca²⁺/Yb³⁺/Er³⁺共掺的NaYF₄微米片。利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射分析(XRD)、发光光谱等测量手段对样品进行了形貌、晶相、发光性质的表征。样品在980 nm激光泵浦下,可以观察到强的上转换绿色荧光。在Ca²⁺的摩尔分数从0增加到8%的过程中,紫外到可见的上转换发光随着Ca²⁺浓度的增加而显著增强。这是由于Ca²⁺的掺杂导致了晶体内部的不对称性,同时也提高了晶体的结晶性。     

Gd~(3+),Tm~(3+)和Yb~(3+)掺杂的Y_2O_3微晶中Gd~(3+)离子的紫外上转换发光及其增强的研究

采用均相沉淀法制备了Y(OH)3微米颗粒,经1 100℃焙烧后制备出具有上转换发光性质的Yb3+-Tm3+-Gd3+共掺的Y2O3微米晶体,讨论了Yb3+-Tm3+-Gd3+在Y2O3中能量传递过程及壳层对发光强度的影响。980 nm近红外光激发下的上转换光谱表明,在Yb3+-Tm3+-Gd3+共掺Y2O3体系中,核-壳结构大幅提高了Gd3+离子和Tm3+离子的上转换发光强度,尤其是样品在紫外发光部分的增强相比于可见和红外光部分更为明显。同时,通过研究Tm3+和Gd3+在不同波段的发光强度与泵浦功率的关系探讨了氧化物中上转换发光的机制。     

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.