Photoelectrochemical Cytosensors

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cytosensors, a combination of the PEC process and the living-cell assay, have emerged as a powerful tool in the analytical and biological science. This mini review provides a brief introduction of this arena and summaries the key steps about the development of PEC cytosensors with representative examples, followed by future prospects based on our own opinions.     

A facile one-step route to synthesize titania hollow microspheres with incontinuous multicavities

The titania hollow microspheres with incontinuous multicavities were successfully fabricated via an oil/ water(O/W) emulsion process accompanied by sol–gel reaction in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP). In the one-step route, the addition of PVP to the tetrabutyl titanate(TBT) 1-octanol solution as the oil phase of the O/W emulsion clearly expands the size of the cavities inside the microspheres. The and atoleine alters the polarity of the oil phase to affect the interior structure significantly. The Span 80 is used as a stabilizer to preserve spherical shape. A preliminary mechanism based on phaseseparation for the structural evolution of titania hollow microspheres with multicavities is suggested. Zirconia and alumina hollow microspheres with incontinuous multicavities can also be prepared by this one-step route successfully.     

Geissoschizine methyl ether N-oxide,a new alkaloid with antiacetylcholinesterase activity from Uncaria rhynchophylla

Geissoschizine methyl ether N-oxide, a new oxindole alkaloid, along with 14 known alkaloids, was isolated from the aerial part of Uncaria rhynchophylla. Their structures were identified by comprehensive spectral methods, including 2D NMR experiments, and confirmed by comparing with the literature data. In vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity assay showed that the new compound exhibited anti-AChE activity with IC₅₀ value of 23.4 μM.     

Benzothiadiazole-based Conjugated Polymers for Organic Solar Cells

Benzothiadiazole(BT) is an electron-deficient unit with fused aromatic core, which can be used to construct conjugated polymers for application in organic solar cells(OSCs). In the past twenty years, huge numbers of conjugated polymers based on BT unit have been developed,focusing on the backbone engineering(such as by using different copolymerized building blocks), side chain engineering(such as by using linear or branch side units), using heteroatoms(such as F, O and S atoms, and CN group), etc. These modifications enable BT-polymers to exhibit distinct absorption spectra(with onset varied from 600 nm to 1000 nm), different frontier energy levels and crystallinities. As a consequence, BT-polymers have gained much attention in recent years, and can be simultaneously used as electron donor and electron acceptor in OSCs, providing the power conversion efficiencies(PCEs) over 18% and 14% in non-fullerene and all-polymer OSCs. In this article, we provide an overview of BTpolymers for OSCs, from donor to acceptor, via selecting some typical BT-polymers in different periods. We hope that the summary in this article can invoke the interest to study the BT-polymers toward high performance OSCs, especially with thick active layers that can be potentially used in large-area devices.     

A series of coordination polymers constructed from mixed ligands for highly selective luminescence sensing of Fe3+ ions

Transition Metal Chemistry - Four coordination polymers, namely {[Cd2(1,4-NDC)2(dbp)2]·DMF}n (1), {[Cd(1,4-NDC)(dbp)(H2O)]}n (2), {[Zn(2,6-NDC)(dbp)(H2O)]}n (3), and...     

Characterization and reactivity of γ-Al_2O_3 supported Pd–Ni bimetallic nanocatalysts for selective hydrogenation of cyclopentadiene

Several g-Al2O3 supported Pd–Ni bimetallic nanocatalysts(Pd–Ni(x:y)/Al2O3; where x and y represent the mass ratio of Pd and Ni, respectively) were prepared by the impregnation method and used for selective hydrogenation of cyclopentadiene to cyclopentene. The Pd–Ni/Al2O3 samples were confirmed to generate Pd–Ni bimetallic nanoparticles by X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The catalytic activity was assessed in view of the effects of different mass ratios of Pd and Ni, temperature, pressure, etc. Among all the samples, the Pd–Ni(1:1)/Al2O3(PN-1:1) catalyst showed extremely high catalytic ability. The conversion of cyclopentadiene and selectivity for cyclopentene can be simultaneously more than 90%.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of Ag and Hg complexes of bis(N-heterocyclic carbenes) on p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene platform

A series of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene 1,3-diimidazolium salts were successfully prepared by the alkylation of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene with dibromoalkanes, and sequential substitution reaction with 1-alkylimidazole. Furthermore, coordination reactions of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene 1,3-diimidazolium salts with silver oxide and mercury acetate gave novel Ag and Hg complexes of bis(N-heterocyclic carbenes) on p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene platform. The single-crystal structures of four p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene 1,3-diimidazolium salts and three metal complexes were successfully determined by X-ray diffraction. An Ag–Ag argentophilic interaction (Ag–Ag bond length is 3.1599(6) Å) is formed between the two Ag–NHC complexes and a dimetallic coordination mode exists in Hg–NHC complexes.     

基于探针光调制的皮秒分辨X-ray探测方法与实验

高能密度物理研究中涉及许多单次皮秒现象的诊断测量, 然而对单次X-ray脉冲形状、X-ray与激光脉冲的皮秒精度同步依然是极具挑战的课题. 传统行波选通分幅相机受电子渡越时间限制, 难以突破40 ps时间分辨极限. 本文围绕半导体中光学探针光的全光调制效应, 提出一种以低温GaAs材料为基础, 实现皮秒时间分辨X-ray探测的新方法, 详细阐述了该探测器的工作机理、器件参数设计和时间分辨能力. 通过飞秒激光打靶实验, 验证了其概念设计的正确性. 结果表明该探测器具有约1.5 ps时间响应和10 ps时间分辨能力, 通过材料优化可将时间分辨提升 至1 ps以内.     

基于Matlab数据库工具箱的实验数据自动抽取及应用

矩阵计算和多领域的算法库是Malab科学计算软件的核心,它所提供的大量函数库为科研工作者进行专业领域实验提供了巨大的方便。Matlab数据库工具箱虽然开启了自动化调用数据的功能,但是并不是每位科学实验的研究者均具备数据库编程和书写SQL语句的技能,而大规模参数赋值却是科学实验的基础。因此通过介绍工具箱中Query Builder的使用,建立ODBC/JDBC兼容数据源,对大规模实验数据进行自动抽取数据、变量赋值及图形化表示、函数测试及调用。实现不书写任何计算机语句,完成大规模数据的调用赋值以及函数调用的功能,旨在帮助实验者快速完成物理数据的计算工作。