Cu(I)-catalyzed cascade reaction of N-tosylhydrazones with 3-butyn-1-ol: A new synthesis of tetrahydrofurans

The Cu(I)-catalyzed cascade coupling/cyclization reaction of N-tosylhydrazones with 3-butyn-1-ol has been explored. This new strategy represents a simple platform for the synthesis of tetrahydrofurans in moderate to good yields.     

Robust cellulose-carbon nanotube conductive fibers for electrical heating and humidity sensing

Multifunctional fibers have attracted widespread attention due to applications in flexible smart wearable devices. However, simultaneously obtaining a strong and functional woven fiber is still a great challenge owing to the conflict between the properties mentioned above. Herein, mechanically strong and highly conductive cellulose/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite fibers were spun using an aqueous alkaline/urea solution. The microstructure as well as physical properties of the resulting fibers were characterized via scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, mechanical and electrical measurement. We demonstrated that carboxylic CNTs can be well dispersed in alkali/urea aqueous systems which also dissolved cellulose well. The subsequent wet spinning process aligned the CNTs and cellulose molecules inside the regenerated composite fiber well, enhancing the interaction between these two components and endowing the composite fiber having a 20% CNT loading with an excellent mechanical strength of 185 MPa. Benefiting from the formation of conductive paths, the composite fiber with the diameter of about 50 μm possessed an electrical conductivity value in the range of 64–1274 S/m for 5–20 wt% CNT loading. This excellent mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity enable the composite fiber to exhibit a great potential in joule heating; the heating temperature of cellulose/CNT-20 fiber reached more than 55 °C within 15 s at 9 V. In addition, the multifunctional filaments are further manufactured as a water sensor to measure humidity. This work provides a potential material that can be applied in the fields of wearable electronics and smart flexible fabrics.

Graphic abstract

     

Determination of the Inclusion Constants for the Inclusion Complexes between meso-Tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) Porphyrin and Cyclodextrins by Three Methods

In this paper, the interactions of meso-Tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS 4 ) and six cyclodextrins have been studied, respectively, by fluorescence spectroscopy, polarography and thin-layer chromatography. The inclusion constants of different methods are determined and the comparison of inclusion capacity of various cyclodextrins indicates that for the ionic cyclodextrins the charge interaction plays an important role in the inclusion procedure. The thermodynamic parameters of interaction imply that the inclusion process shows the enthalpy-entropy compensation effect. Cyclodextrin, being regarded as an artificial analogue of proteinoid of heme, provides a protective sheath for porphyrin. However, the TPPS 4 , encapsulated within this saccharid-coated barrier, its solubility is enhanced prominently, which exhibits that this interaction may modify the biological properties of TPPS 4 that owned the similar properties as hematoporphyrin.     

2,2′-Biimidazole as an Efficient Ligand for Copper(I)-Catalyzed C‒N Coupling Reactions

An efficient copper(I)-catalyzed system using 2,2′-biimidazole as the ligand was applied to N-arylation of a broad spectrum of nitrogen nucleophiles with aryl halides. The reactions were carried out in relatively mild conditions with good to excellent yields.     

Adsorption of Methylene Blue on Montmorillonite

ABSTRACT

Adsorption of Methylene Blue ( MB) on Na-, Fe- and Al-montmorillonite suspensions at 298.15 K were studied. The effect of different exchangeable cation on the adsorption amount of MB was determined. The results show that methylene blue cations( MB⁺ ) replace Na? more easily than they do Fe³⁺ and Al^{3 +} The adsorption isotherms on the three montraorillonites were all of Langmuir type, except that the isouHerm of MB on Na-montmorillonite presents nonmonotonic curve at low surface coverage. The specific surface areas in suspension were calculated by( MB ^{3 +} )method, and Na^? is more effective to determine the specific surface area by MB method in suspension than Fe^{3 +} and A^{3 +} The discrepancy of the specific surface area measured by MB and BET method was discussed.     

Double-Network Heparin Dynamic Hydrogels: Dynagels as Anti-bacterial 3D Cell Culture Scaffolds

Double cross-linked dynamic hydrogels, dynagels, have been prepared through reversible imine bonds and supramolecular interactions, which showed good pH responsiveness, injectability, self-healing property and biocompatibility. With the further encapsulation of heparin, the obtained hydrogels exhibited good anti-bacterial activity and promotion effects for 3D cell culture.     

The Tri(imidazole)-Derivative Moiety: A New Category of Electron Acceptors for the Design of Crystalline Hybrid Photochromic Materials

The intermarriage of neutral and tripodal imidazole ligand, tris(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)amine (TIPA), with zinc phosphite yields two hybrid phosphites, [Zn₂(HPO₃)₂(TIPA)]⋅2 H₂O ( 1 ) and [Zn₃(HPO₃)₃(TIPA)]⋅6 H₂O ( 2 ). Compound 1 has a hybrid sheet with neutral zinc-phosphite chains as supramolecular building blocks (SBBs), whereas 2 exhibits a 3D hybrid architecture with other neutral zincophosphite chains as supramolecular building blocks. The structural discrepancy between 1 and 2 is mainly due to the distinct linkage modes between organic TIPA ligands and inorganic zincophosphite chains. Interestingly, compounds 1 and 2 feature fast photochromism in response to UV light irradiation under ambient conditions. The discrepancy of photochromic performance between 1 and 2 is mainly due to the different geometrical configuration of the TIPA ligand. Different to majority of reported hybrid photochromic compounds driven by photochromic active units, the photochromism in 1 and 2 is derived from the electron transfer (ET) between phosphite and non-photochromic triimidazole-derivative ligand TIPA. Compared with the widely explored nonphotochromic polypyridine-derivative as electron acceptors (EAs), our work provides a new EA model for the design of hybrid photochromic materials based on the ligand-to-ligand ET mechanism. A multiple anti-counterfeiting application based on 1 and 2 was investigated.     

CPT symmetry in honeycomb lattices and quantum brachistochrone problem

In this paper, we have provided a matrix Hamiltonian model for honeycomb lattices and subsequently obtained the dispersion relation. Furthermore, we have constructed the C operator for the given non-Hermitian Hamiltonian model. The quadratic surfaces are sketched and the quantum Brachistochrone problem is discussed for the given honeycomb lattice model.     

Porous Media Compressed-Air Energy Storage (PM-CAES): Theory and Simulation of the Coupled Wellbore–Reservoir System

Expansion in the supply of intermittent renewable energy sources on the electricity grid can potentially benefit from implementation of large-scale compressed air energy storage in porous media systems (PM-CAES) such as aquifers and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs. Despite a large government research program 30 years ago that included a test of air injection and production in an aquifer, and an abundance of literature on CAES mostly relevant to caverns, there remain fundamental questions about the hydrologic and energetic performance of PM-CAES. We have developed rigorous simulation capabilities for PM-CAES that include modeling the coupled wellbore–reservoir system. Through consideration of a prototypical PM-CAES wellbore–reservoir system representing a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir, we have simulated 100 daily cycles of PM-CAES. We find that (1) PM-CAES can store energy but that pervasive pressure gradients in PM-CAES result in spatially variable energy storage density in the reservoir, (2) the wellbore–reservoir storage component of PM-CAES is very efficient, (3) cap-rock and hydrologic seals along with proper sizing of the PM-CAES reservoir prevent excess pressure diffusion from being a problem, and (4) injection and production of air does not significantly mobilize residual liquid water in the reservoir.     

Rate effect and coupled evolution of atomic motions and potential landscapes

Since rate effect of materials plays a key role in impact engineering, the microscopic mechanism of rate effect is investigated at molecular level in this paper. The results show that rate effect on the strength of atomic system is closely related to the coupled evolution of atomic motions and potential landscapes. Accordingly, it becomes possible to develop a new algorithm of molecular simulation, which could properly and efficiently demonstrate strain rate effect under a wide range of loading rates and unveil the mecha- nisms underlying the strain rate effects.