Engineering Lithium Ions Embedded in NiFe Layered Double Hydroxide Lattices To Activate Laminated Ni2+ Sites as High-Efficiency Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysts

NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been denoted as benchmark non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, for laminates of NiFe LDHs, the edge sites are active, but the basal plane is inert, leading to underutilization as catalysts for the OER. Herein, for the first time, light and electron-deficient Li ions are intercalated into the basal plane of NiFe LDHs. The results of theoretical calculations and experiments both showed that electrons would be transferred from near Ni²⁺ to the surroundings of Li⁺, resulting in electron-deficient properties of the Ni sites, which would function as “electron-hungry” sites, to enhance surface adsorption of electron-rich oxygen-containing groups, which would enhance the effective activity for the OER. As demonstrated by the catalytic performance, the Li−NiFe LDH electrodes showed an ultralow overpotential of only 298 mV at 50 mA cm⁻², which was lower than that of 347 mV for initial NiFe LDHs and lower than that of 373 mV for RuO₂. Reasonable intercalation adjustment effectively activates laminated Ni²⁺ sites and constructs the electron-deficient structure to enhance its electrocatalytic activity, which sheds light on the functional treatment of catalytic materials.     

One Way Traffic: Base-to-Backbone Hole Transfer in Nucleoside Phosphorodithioate

The directionality of the hole-transfer processes between DNA backbone and base was investigated by using phosphorodithioate [P(S⁻)=S] components. ESR spectroscopy in homogeneous frozen aqueous solutions and pulse radiolysis in aqueous solution at ambient temperature confirmed initial formation of G^.+-P(S⁻)=S. The ionization potential of G-P(S⁻)=S was calculated to be slightly lower than that of guanine in 5′-dGMP. Subsequent thermally activated hole transfer from G^.+ to P(S⁻)=S led to dithiyl radical (P-2S^.) formation on the μs timescale. In parallel, ESR spectroscopy, pulse radiolysis, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed P-2S^. formation in an abasic phosphorodithioate model compound. ESR investigations at low temperatures and higher G-P(S⁻)=S concentrations showed a bimolecular conversion of P-2S^. to the σ²-σ*¹-bonded dimer anion radical [-P-2S 2S-P-]⁻ [ΔG (150 K, DFT)=−7.2 kcal mol⁻¹]. However, [-P-2S 2S-P-]⁻ formation was not observed by pulse radiolysis [ΔG° (298 K, DFT)=−1.4 kcal mol⁻¹]. Neither P-2S^. nor [-P-2S 2S-P-]⁻ oxidized guanine base; only base-to-backbone hole transfer occurs in phosphorodithioate.     

Bromine-Functionalized Covalent Organic Frameworks for Efficient Triboelectric Nanogenerator

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) enable precise integration of various organic building blocks into porous skeletons through topology predesign. Here, we report the first example of COFs by integrating electron withdrawing bromine group onto the skeletons for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). The resulting framework exhibits high surface area and good crystallinity. Thus, the bromine functionalized COF has more regular aligned π columns and arrays over the skeleton than bare COFs, which in turn significantly enhances charge transport ability. As a result, bromine functionalized COFs showed higher electrical output performance at 5 Hz with a peak value of short circuit current density of 43.6 μA and output voltage of 416 V, which is 2 and 1.3 times higher than those of bare COFs (21.6 μA and 318 V), respectively. These results demonstrated that this strategy for engineering electron withdrawing groups on the skeleton could open a new aspect of COFs for developing TENG devices.     

Octaboraneyl Complexes of Nickel: Monomers for Redox-Active Coordination Polymers

Herein, we establish the preparation, characterization, and reactivity of a new diphosphine ligand, 1,2-bis(di(3-dicyclohexylboraneyl)propylphosphino)ethane (P₂B^Cy₄), a scaffold that contains four pendant boranes. An entryway into the coordination chemistry of P₂B^Cy₄ is established by using nickel, providing the octaboraneyl complex [Ni(P₂B^Cy₄)₂]—this species contains a boron-rich secondary coordination sphere that reacts readily with Lewis bases. In the case of 4,4′-bipyridine, an air-sensitive coordination polymer is obtained. Characterization of this material by solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopy reveals the presence of a charge-transfer polymer, which forms as a function of intramolecular Ni→4,4′-bpy electron transfer (ET), providing an array of oxidized nickel sites and reduced 4,4′-bpy radical anion sites. Notably, the related intermolecular reaction between the model fragments [Ni(dnppe)₂] (dnppe=1,2-bis(di-n-propylphosphino)ethane) and a bis(boraneyl)-protected 4,4′-bpy, provides no ET. Overall, the P₂B^Cy₄ fragment provides a unique opportunity for Lewis base activation, in one case allowing for the facile construction of monomers for incorporation into redox-active macromolecules.     

Tuning the Triplet Excited State of Bis(dipyrrin) Zinc(II) Complexes: Symmetry Breaking Charge Transfer Architecture with Exceptionally Long Lived Triplet State for Upconversion

Zinc(II) bis(dipyrrin) complexes, which feature intense visible absorption and efficient symmetry breaking charge transfer (SBCT) are outstanding candidates for photovoltaics but their short lived triplet states limit applications in several areas. Herein we demonstrate that triplet excited state dynamics of bis(dipyrrin) complexes can be efficiently tuned by attaching electron donating aryl moieties at the 5,5′-position of the complexes. For the first time, a long lived triplet excited state (τ_T=296 μs) along with efficient ISC ability (Φ_Δ=71 %) was observed for zinc(II) bis(dipyrrin) complexes, formed via SBCT. The results revealed that molecular geometry and energy gap between the charge transfer (CT) state and triplet energy levels strongly control the triplet excited state properties of the complexes. An efficient triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion system was devised for the first time using a SBCT architecture as triplet photosensitizer, reaching a high upconversion quantum yield of 6.2 %. Our findings provide a blueprint for the development of triplet photosensitizers based on earth abundant metal complexes with long lived triplet state for revolutionary photochemical applications.     

Di- and Tetracyano-Substituted Pyrene-Fused Pyrazaacenes: Aggregation in the Solid State

Five di- and tetracyano-substituted pyrene-fused pyrazaacenes were synthesized and studied as potential electron acceptors in the solid state. Single crystals of all compounds were grown and the crystal packing studied by DFT calculations (transfer integrals and reorganization energies) to get insight into possible use for semiconducting charge transport.     

Remote Fluorination and Fluoroalkyl(thiol)ation Reactions

Remote functionalization reactions have the power to transform a C−H (or C−C) bond at a distant position from a functional group. This Review summarizes recent advances and key breakthroughs in remote fluorination, trifluoromethylation, difluoromethylation, trifluoromethylthiolation, and fluoroalkenylation reactions. Several powerful strategies have emerged to control the reactivity and distal selectivity such as the undirected radical approach, the 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, the metal migration, the use of distant directing groups, and the ring-opening reactions. These unconventional and predictable C−H (and C−C) functionalization transformations should allow for the preparation of a wide range of otherwise-difficult-to-access alkyl, aromatic, heteroaromatic, and structurally complex fluorides.     

Facile synthesis of temperature-sensitive ABA triblock copolymers by dispersion RAFT polymerization

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Microvascular blood flow with heat transfer in a wavy channel having electroosmotic effects

The present paper addresses microvascular blood flow with heat and mass transfer in complex wavy microchannel modulated by electroosmosis. Investigation is carried out with joule heating and chemical reaction effects. Further, viscous dissipation is also considered. Using Debye–Huckel, lubrication theory, and long wavelength approximations, analytical solutions of dimensionless boundary value problems are obtained. The impacts of different parameters are examined for temperature and concentration profile. Furthermore, nature of pressure rise is also investigated to analyze the pumping characteristics. Important results of flow phenomena are explored by means of graphs.     

通过不对称氢转移/动态动力学拆分合成碳环N^3-嘌呤核苷

N^3-嘌呤核苷由于可能同时被嘌呤和嘧啶代谢酶识别,因而有望作为双靶点药物应用于抗病毒治疗.报道了一种以α-(N^3-嘌呤)取代的环烷酮为原料,通过不对称氢转移反应实现动态动力学拆分,高收率高立体选择性地合成系列碳环N^3-嘌呤核苷化合物.该催化体系也适用于α-嘧啶取代的环烷酮底物,且产物通过进一步衍生,合成了2’-F-,Ac S-,N^3-修饰的碳环嘧啶核苷.