Enhancement of critical current density in superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−x films by nanostructure development of substrate surface using sol–gel method

In this paper, a simple sol–gel route has been adopted in developing substrate surface for the first time. Only by adjusting the concentration of precursor solution, LaAlO₃ (LAO) nanodot arrays were directly obtained on LAO single crystal substrate, without incorporating additional processing steps. Subsequently, YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x (YBCO) superconducting films were prepared on the nanodot arrays using a low-fluorine solution process. In contrast, J _c of YBCO films grown on the substrate developed with nanodot arrays is almost three times as large as that of YBCO films grown on undeveloped substrate in an applied magnetic field with the strength of 3 Tesla. The pinning force density (F _p ) of YBCO film on the nanodot arrays developed substrate is 2.7 GN/m³ which exceeds that (1.8 GN/m³) of YBCO films on undeveloped substrate. The results of cross-section transmission electron microscope (TEM) images show that the extended defects along the a–b planes of YBCO, induced by the developed substrate with nanodot arrays, should be the origin of the J _c enhancement.     

Osteopontin: A Uranium Phosphorylated Binding‐Site Characterization

Herein, we describe the structural investigation of one possible uranyl binding site inside a nonstructured protein. This approach couples spectroscopy, thermodynamics, and theoretical calculations (DFT) and studies the interaction of uranyl ions with a phosphopeptide, thus mimicking a possible osteopontin (OPN) hydroxyapatite growth‐inhibition site. Although thermodynamical aspects were investigated by using time‐resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), structural characterization was performed by extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) at the U L_III‐edge combined with attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy. From the vibrational and fluorescence spectra, several structural models of a UO₂²⁺/peptide complex were developed and subsequently refined by using theoretical calculations to fit the experimental EXAFS obtained. The structural effect of the pH value was also considered under acidic to moderately acidic conditions (pH 1.5–5.5). Most importantly, the uranyl/peptide coordination environment was similar to that of the native protein.     

Fully Synthetic Self‐Adjuvanting Thioether‐Conjugated Glycopeptide?Lipopeptide Antitumor Vaccines for the Induction of Complement‐Dependent Cytotoxicity against Tumor Cells

Glycopeptides of tumor‐associated mucin MUC1 are promising target structures for the development of antitumor vaccines. Because these endogenous structures were weakly immunogenic, they were coupled to immune‐response‐stimulating T‐cell epitopes and the Pam₃Cys lipopeptide to induce strong immune responses in mice. A new thioether‐ligation method for the synthesis of two‐ and three‐component vaccines that contain MUC1 glycopeptides as the B‐cell epitopes, a T‐cell epitope peptide, and the Pam₃CSK₄ lipopeptide is described. The resulting fully synthetic vaccines were used for the vaccination of mice, either in a liposome with Freund′s adjuvant or in aqueous PBS buffer. The three‐component vaccines that contained the Tetanus Toxoid P2 T‐cell epitope peptide induced strong immune responses, even when administered just in PBS. By activation of the complement‐dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) complex, the antisera induced the killing of tumor cells.     

Underpotential Deposition‐Induced Synthesis of Composition‐Tunable Pt?Cu Nanocrystals and Their Catalytic Properties

Pt? Cu alloy octahedral nanocrystals (NCs) have been synthesized successfully by using N,N‐dimethylformamide as both the solvent and the reducing agent in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride. Cu underpotential deposition (UPD) is found to play a key role in the formation of the Pt? Cu alloy NCs. The composition in the Pt? Cu alloy can be tuned by adjusting the ratio of metal precursors in solution. However, the Cu content in the Pt? Cu alloy NCs cannot exceed 50 %. Due to the fact that Cu precursor cannot be reduced to metallic copper and the Cu content cannot exceed 50 %, we achieved the formation of the Pt? Cu alloy by using Cu UPD on the Pt surface. In addition, the catalytic activities of Pt? Cu alloy NCs with different composition were investigated in electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid. The results reveal that the catalytic performance is strongly dependent on Pt? Cu alloy composition. The sample of Pt₅₀Cu₅₀ exhibits excellent activity in electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid.     

Fast Reductive Amination by Transfer Hydrogenation “on Water”

Reductive amination of various ketones and aldehydes by transfer hydrogenation under aqueous conditions has been developed, by using cyclometallated iridium complexes as catalysts and formate as hydrogen source. The pH value of the solution is shown to be critical for a high catalytic chemoselectivity and activity, with the best pH value being 4.8. In comparison with that in organic solvents, the reductive amination in an aqueous phase is faster, and the molar ratio of the substrate to the catalyst (S/C) can be set as high as 1×10⁵, the highest S/C value ever reported in reductive amination reactions. The catalyst is easy to access and the reaction is operationally simple, allowing a wide range of ketones and aldehydes to react with various amines in high yields. The protocol provides a practical and environmental friendly new method for the synthesis of amine compounds.     

Three‐Dimensional Architectures Incorporating Stereoregular Donor–Acceptor Stacks

We report the synthesis of two [2]catenane‐containing struts that are composed of a tetracationic cyclophane (TC⁴⁺) encircling a 1,5‐dioxynaphthalene (DNP)‐based crown ether, which bears two terphenylene arms. The TC⁴⁺ rings comprise either 1) two bipyridinium (BIPY²⁺) units or 2) a BIPY²⁺ and a diazapyrenium (DAP²⁺) unit. These degenerate and nondegenerate catenanes were reacted in the presence of Cu(NO₃)₂?2.5 H₂O to yield Cu‐paddlewheel‐based MOF‐1050 and MOF‐1051. The solid‐state structures of these MOFs reveal that the metal clusters serve to join the heptaphenylene struts into grid‐like 2D networks. These 2D sheets are then held together by infinite donor–acceptor stacks involving the [2]catenanes to produce interpenetrated 3D architectures. As a consequence of the planar chirality associated with both the DNP and hydroquinone (HQ) units present in the crown ether, each catenane can exist as four stereoisomers. In the case of the nondegenerate (bistable) catenane, the situation is further complicated by the presence of translational isomers. Upon crystallization, however, only two of the four possible stereoisomers—namely, the enantiomeric RR and SS forms—are observed in the crystals. An additional element of co‐conformational selectivity is present in MOF‐1051 as a consequence of the substitution of one of the BIPY²⁺ units by a DAP²⁺ unit: only the translational isomer in which the DAP²⁺ unit is encircled by the crown ether is observed. The overall topologies of MOF‐1050 and MOF‐1051, and the selective formation of stereoisomers and translational isomers during the kinetically driven crystallization, provide evidence that weak noncovalent bonding interactions play a significant role in the assembly of these extended (super)structures.     

铁促进的Cu/SiO2-Al2O3催化剂上高效气相合成3-甲基吲哚

以苯胺和生物质来源的丙三醇为反应原料,在铁促进的Cu/SiO2-Al2O3催化剂上气相合成了3-甲基吲哚,采用X射线光电子能谱、氢气程序升温还原(H2-TPR)、X射线衍射、透射电子显微镜、电感耦合等离子体发射光谱(ICP)、氨程序升温脱附(NH3-TPD)以及热重(TG)分析等技术对催化剂进行了表征.结果表明,向Cu/SiO2-Al2O3催化剂加入铁助剂不仅能明显提高催化剂的活性和选择性,而且能大大改善催化剂的稳定性.在Cu-Fe/ SiO2-Al2O3催化剂上,反应3h,3-甲基吲哚收率能够达到48％,而且催化剂经过再生可以重复使用,即使反应43 h,其产物收率也没有明显的降低.各种表征表明,向Cu/SiO2-Al2O3加入铁助剂能增强铜和载体之间的相互作用,由此大大提高了铜粒子在载体表面的分散度,并且有效减少了反应过程中铜组分的流失;此外,铁助剂还能显著减少催化剂的中强酸中心数,增加弱酸中心数,从而提高3-甲基吲哚的选择性,并且抑制了积炭的形成.     

对固体圆二色光谱测试方法的再认识——兼谈“浓度效应”

对近期发展的固体圆二色(CD)光谱测试方法进行了概述、评价和比较,着重探讨了"浓度效应"的存在使固体CD光谱失真的原因.通过对本课题组和其他作者已报道的四种化合物的固体CD谱再测试的反思,强调了依手性化合物的手性光谱学性质不同,根据浓度梯度实验选择其合适测试浓度的必要性.对固有手性的阻转异构化合物(S)-1,1-联二萘酚(S-BINOL)进行了成膜法固体CD谱浓度梯度测试,发现所得固体薄膜CD谱中也存在着"浓度效应".     

树状功能高分子负载锡配合物的合成及其催化酮的Baeyer-Villiger氧化反应性能研究

通过固相合成方法将聚酰胺-胺树状分子担载于氯球上,对其外围分别用2,4-二羟基苯甲醛和邻羟基苯甲醛进行修饰,再与SnCl2.2H2O反应,形成配体不同的两类树状高分子锡配合物.将此类配合物用作30%的双氧水氧化酮的Baeyer-Villiger反应的非均相催化剂,具有较好的催化活性.2-金刚烷酮、环己酮、3-甲基-2-戊酮等都转化为相应的酯和内酯,底物的转化率和产物选择性均较高.对2-羟基苯甲醛、2,4-二羟基苯甲醛和邻羟基苯甲醛修饰的不同类型催化剂催化下的反应进行比较,发现配体对锡的担载量和催化活性均有不同程度的影响.其中邻羟基苯甲醛修饰的配合物因具有较高的锡担载量而具有了最佳的催化活性.此催化体系使用环境友好的低浓度双氧水为氧化剂,催化剂制备方法简单、催化反应完成时间短、催化剂在多次重复利用后活性没有明显降低,可回收和重复利用.