The density of surface ligands regulates the luminescence of thiolated gold nanoclusters and their metal ion response

The fascinating luminescence properties of gold nanoclusters(AuNCs) have drawn considerable research interests,and been widely harnessed for a wide range of applications.However,a fundamental understanding towards ligand density's role in the luminescence properties of these ultrasmall AuNCs remains unclear yet.In this communication,through systematic investigation of surface chemistries of glutathione-protected Au NCs(GSH-Au NCs) with diffe rent density of GSH as well as other thiolates,it is discovered that the density of surface ligands can significantly regulate the luminescence properties of AuNCs.Fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that AuNCs with a higher density of electron-rich ligands facilitate their luminescence generation.Moreover,differences in the surface coverage of AuNCs can also affect their interactions with foreign species,as illustrated by significantly different fluorescence quenching capability of GSH-AuNCs with different ligand density towards Hg~(2+).This study provides new insight into the intriguing luminescence properties of metal NCs,which is hoped to stimulate further research on the design of metal NCs with strong luminescence and sensitive/specific responses for promising optoelectronic,sensing and imaging applications.     

Molecular reactivity of thiolate-protected noble metal nanoclusters: synthesis,self-assembly,and applications

Thiolate-protected noble metal (e.g., Au and Ag) nanoclusters (NCs) are ultra-small particles with a core size of less than 3 nm. Due to the strong quantum confinement effects and diverse atomic packing modes in this ultra-small size regime, noble metal NCs exhibit numerous molecule-like optical, magnetic, and electronic properties, making them an emerging family of “metallic molecules”. Based on such molecule-like structures and properties, an individual noble metal NC behaves as a molecular entity in many chemical reactions, and exhibits structurally sensitive molecular reactivity to various ions, molecules, and other metal NCs. Although this molecular reactivity determines the application of NCs in various fields such as sensors, biomedicine, and catalysis, there is still a lack of systematic summary of the molecular interaction/reaction fundamentals of noble metal NCs at the molecular and atomic levels in the current literature. Here, we discuss the latest progress in understanding and exploiting the molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs in their synthesis, self-assembly and application scenarios, based on the typical M(0)@M(i)–SR core–shell structure scheme, where M and SR are the metal atom and thiolate ligand, respectively. In particular, the continuous development of synthesis and characterization techniques has enabled noble metal NCs to be produced with molecular purity and atomically precise structural resolution. Such molecular purity and atomically precise structure, coupled with the great help of theoretical calculations, have revealed the active sites in various structural hierarchies of noble metal NCs (e.g., M(0) core, M–S interface, and SR ligand) for their molecular interactions/reactions. The anatomy of such molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs in synthesis, self-assembly, and applications (e.g., sensors, biomedicine, and catalysis) constitutes another center of our discussion. The basis and practicality of the molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs exemplified in this Review may increase the acceptance of metal NCs in various fields.

The interactions/reactions of thiolate-protected noble metal nanoclusters with diverse ions, molecules and other metal nanoclusters have been deciphered.     

N-acetylcysteine induced quenching of red fluorescent oligonucleotide-stabilized silver nanoclusters and the application in pharmaceutical detection

In this work, we reported a new, simple and sensitive method for determination of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) based on quenching of the red fluorescence of oligonuleotide-protected silver nanoculsters (Ag NCs) with the quantum yield of 68.3 ± 0.3%. This method was successfully used for the assay of NAC granules presenting a linear range from 100 nM to 1200 nM (LOD of 50 nM) with minimal interferences from potential coexisting substances. It is for the first time that quenching performance of the thiol-containing compound was found to follow a non-linear Stern–Volmer profile, indicative of a complicated quenching mechanism with static quenching dominating, in which DNA-template of Ag NCs was partly replaced by NAC, as elucidated by spectral investigations. This study extended the analytical application of silver nanoclusters as well as provided a more insightful understanding of the quenching mechanism of thiol-compounds on the fluorescence of Ag NCs.     

Metal-directed supramolecular assembly of metal(II) benzoates (M = Co,Ni, Cu,Zn, Mn,and Cd) with 4,4′-bipyridine: Effects of metal coordination modes and novel catalytic activities

Six polymeric metal(II)-benzoate complexes of formula [Co₂(O₂CPh)₄(4,4′-bpy)₂]_n (1-Co), [Ni(O₂CPh)₄(H₂O)₂(4,4′-bpy)]_n (2-Ni), [Cu₂(O₂CPh)₄(4,4′-bpy)]_n (3-Cu), [Zn₂(O₂CPh)₂(OH)₂(4,4′-bpy)₂]_n (4-Zn), [Zn₃(O₂CPh)₄(μ-OH)₂(4,4′-bpy)₂]_n (5-Zn), and [Cd₂(O₂CPh)₄(4,4′-bpy)₂]_n (6-Cd) have been synthesized and characterized (4,4′-bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine). 1-Co and 6-Cd show ladder-type double chains, 2-Ni does a helical structure, 3-Cu does a one-dimensional chain containing paddle-wheel units, 4-Zn does a zigzag chain, and 5-Zn does two-dimensional sheets. Since different structures provide different coordination geometry of each metal ion, it is clear that selection of appropriate metal ions can control the coordination geometry of each metal ion to form different crystal structures. Reactivity study of the compounds 1–7 for the transesterification of a variety of esters has shown that 4-Zn and 5-Zn are very efficient and the best among them. The catalyst 6-Cd containing Cd ion, well known as an inert metal ion for the ligand substitution, also catalyzed efficiently the transesterification of a variety of esters, and its reactivity is comparable to 4-Zn and 5-Zn. Moreover, the redox-active metal-containing polymers, 1-Co, 3-Cu, and 7-Mn, have shown efficient catalytic reactivities for the transesterification reactions, while 2-Ni has displayed a very slow conversion. The reactivities of the compounds used in this study are in the order of 5-Zn > 4-Zn > 6-Cd > 7-Mn ∼ 3-Cu > 1-Co > 2-Ni, indicating that the non-redox metal-containing compounds (5-Zn, 4-Zn, and 6-Cd) show better activity than the redox-active metal-containing compounds (7-Mn, 3-Cu, 1-Co, and 2-Ni). These results suggest that it is possible to tune the catalytic activities by changing from Zn to those metals such as Cd, a kinetically inert metal, or Cu, Mn, and Co, the redox-active metals.     

New bicyclic phosphorous ligands: synthesis, structure and catalytic applications in ionic liquids

New azadioxaphosphabicyclo[3.3.0]octane ligands showing a trans arrangement with regard to the two five-membered heterocycles, were obtained as a mixture of three conformers, in agreement with molecular modelling studies. The stability of oxaphosphane ligands was studied under basic catalytic conditions, monitored by NMR spectroscopy. Palladium catalytic systems containing these ligands were active in Suzuki C-C cross-coupling reactions between phenylboronic acid and aryl halides (bromide and chloride derivatives) bearing electron-donor or electron-withdrawing substituents, in both organic and ionic liquid solvents. The catalytic systems showed a high stability even under the most severe reaction conditions used in this work. The ionic liquid catalytic phase could be recycled up to ten times without significant activity loss.     

One-step synthesis and applications of fluorescent Cu nanoclusters stabilized by l-cysteine in aqueous solution

Herein, an innovative and simple strategy for synthesizing high fluorescent Cu nanoclusters was successfully established while l-cysteine played a role as the stabilizer. Meaningfully, the current Cu nanoclusters together with a quantum yield of 14.3% were prepared in aqueous solution, indicating their extensive applications. Subsequently, the possible fluorescence mechanism was elucidated by fluorescence, UV–vis, HR-TEM, FTIR, XPS, and MS. Additionally, the CuNCs were employed for assaying Hg²⁺ on the basis of the interactions between Hg²⁺ and l-cysteine; thus facilitating the quenching of their fluorescence. The proposed analytical strategy permitted detections of Hg²⁺ in a linear range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹, with a detection limit of 2.4 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Significantly, this CuNCs described here were further applied for coding and fluorescent staining, suggesting may broaden avenues toward diverse applications.     

Design,photophysical properties,and applications of fluorene-based fluorophores in two-photon fluorescence bioimaging: A review

Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) emerged as a powerful alternative to conventional one-photon microscopy. 2PFM typically uses two near-infrared (NIR) photons to excite fluorescent dyes, which minimizes light scattering in biological samples. Multiphoton absorption also suppresses background signal and autofluorescence from tissues and allows to achieve higher 3D resolution images with low photodamage and photobleaching. Fluorene dyes possess distinct properties that meet the strict criteria of probes used for 2PFM such as enhanced solubility, photostability, and two-photon absorption cross-section. The fluorene molecule also includes many active positions that allow versatile synthesis, selective functionalization, bioconjugation, and tuning solubility. These properties have led to reporting several fluorene probes including monomers, polymers, and dendrimers with important uses in understanding molecular dynamics and bioimaging. The current review presents a compact summary of fluorene-based fluorophores for 2PFM bioimaging applications, shedding light on structure-photophysical property relationships in fluorenes and polyaromatic probe designs.     

Comparative study of two new grid complexes: synthesis,X-ray structure characterization,thermogravimetric, and spectroscopic properties

The synthesis and characterization of two new grid complexes, [Ni₄(L)₄(DMF)₄]?·?2H₂O (1) and [Mn₄(L)₄(DMF)₄] (2) (where L is the anion of 3,5-dichlorosalicylaldehyde pyridine-2-formyl hydrazone), were investigated. X-ray crystal structure analysis reveals that the metal centers in both complexes exhibit slightly distorted square-bipyramidal coordination geometry. The dominating interaction of two adjacent grids for 1 and 2 is Cl?···?H hydrogen bonds. The halogen–hydrogen bond is a key factor to stabilize the crystal structure of chloro-substituted grid compounds. Thermogravimetric curves of 1 and 2 exhibit distinct weight loss stages at different temperatures and reflect the thermal stability of the complexes. Both UV-visible and fluorescence spectra of 1 and 2 indicate they have a stronger conjugated system and the same significant quenching ability compared with H₂L. The ESI-MS spectra of 1 and 2 prove that the tetranuclear grids decompose in methanol/water solution.     

New route to synthesis of PVP‐stabilized palladium(0) nanoclusters and their enhanced catalytic activity in Heck and Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions

Herein we report a new method for the synthesis and characterization of PVP‐stabilized palladium(0) nanoclusters and their enhanced catalytic activity in Suzuki coupling and Heck reactions of aryl bromides with phenylboronic acid and styrene, respectively, under mild conditions. The PVP‐stabilized palladium(0) nanoclusters with a particle size of 4.5 ± 1.1 nm were prepared using a new method: refluxing a mixture of potassium tetrachloropalladate(II) and PVP in methanol at 80 °C for 1 h followed by reduction with sodium borohydride. Palladium(0) nanoclusters prepared in this way were stable in solution for weeks, could be isolated as solid materials and were characterized by TEM, XPS, UV–vis, and XRD techniques. The PVP‐stabilized palladium(0) nanoclusters were active catalysts in Heck and Suzuki coupling reactions of arylbromides with styrene and phenylboronic acid affording stilbenes and biphenyls, respectively, in high yield. Recycling experiments showed that PVP‐stabilized palladium(0) nanoclusters could be used five times with essentially no loss in activity in the Heck and Suzuki coupling reactions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Triazoles as complexing agents: Synthesis and structural studies of some bivalent metal ion complexes with Bi- and tridentate ligands

Summary Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-trifluoromethyl-s-triazole (AMTT) and 5-mercapto-4-salicylideneamino-3-trifluoromethyl-s-triazole (MSTT) have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, magnetic measurements, infrared and electronic spectral data. The ligandsAMTT andMSTT were characterized by elemental analyses, infrared and¹H NMR spectral studies.AMTT, involving N and S as donor atoms, andMSTT, involving N, O and S as donor atoms, act as bi- and tridentate ligands, respectively. The geometry of the complexes has been assigned on the basis of magnetic and electronic spectral data. EPR parameters for copper (II) complexes have been calculated. Thermal stabilities of the complexes are also reported. Due to insolubility in water and common organic solvents and infusibility at higher temperatures, all the complexes are thought to be polymeric in nature.

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Triazole als Komplexierungs-Agentien: Synthese und Strukturuntersuchungen an einigen bivalenten Metallionenkomplexen mit zwei- und dreizähnigen Liganden

Zusammenfassung Es wurden Co(II)-, Ni(II)-, Cu(II)-, Zn(II)- und Cd(II)-Komplexe von 4-Amino-5-mercapto-3-trifluormethyl-s-triazol (AMTT) und 5-Mercapto-4-salizylidenamino-3-trifluormethyl-s-triazol (MSTT) hergestellt und mittels Elementaranalyse, magnetischen Messungen, Infrarot- und Elektronenspektroskopie charakterisiert. Die LigandenAMTT undMSTT wurden elementaranalytisch und spektroskopisch (IR und¹H-NMR) charakterisiert.AMT wirkt über die N-und S-Donoratome als zweizähniger Ligand,MSTT über N, O und S als dreizähniger Ligand. Die Geometrie der Komplexe wurde auf der Basis von magnetischen und elektronenspektroskopischen Daten zugeordnet. Für die Cu(II)-Komplexe wurden die EPR-Parameter berechnet. Die thermischen Stabilitäten der Komplexe wurde ebenfalls untersucht. Wegen ihrer Unlöslichkeit in Wasser und gängigen organischen Lösungsmitteln und der Unschmelzbarkeit bei höheren Temperaturen wird eine polymere Natur der Komplexe angenommen.

     

8-Hydroxyquinoline anchored to silica gel via new moderate size linker: synthesis and applications as a metal ion collector for their flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination

The silica gel modified with (3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane) was reacted with 5-formyl-8-hydroxyquinoline (FHOQ_x) to anchor 8-quinolinol ligand on the silica gel. It was characterised with cross polarisation magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformation (DRIFT) spectroscopy and used for the preconcentration of Cu(II), Pb(II), Ni(II), Fe(III), Cd(II), Zn(II) and Co(II) prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The surface area of the modified silica gel has been found to be 227 m² g⁻¹ and the two pKa values as 3.8 and 8.0. The optimum pH ranges for quantitative sorption are 4.0–7.0, 4.5–7.0, 3.0–6.0, 5.0–8.0, 5.0–8.0, 5.0–8.0 and 4.0–7.0 for Cu, Pb, Fe, Zn, Co, Ni and Cd, respectively. All the metals can be desorbed with 2.5 mol l⁻¹ HCl or HNO₃. The sorption capacity for these metal ions is in range of 92–448.0 μmol g⁻¹ and follows the order Cd3, NaCl, NaBr, Na₂SO₄ and Na₃PO₄, glycine, sodium citrate, EDTA, humic acid and cations Ca(II), Mg(II), Mn(II) and Cr(III) in the sorption of all the seven metal ions are reported. The preconcentration factors are 150, 250, 200, 300, 250, 300 and 200 for Cd, Co, Zn, Cu, Pb, Fe and Ni, respectively and t_1/2 values <1 min except for Ni. The 95% extraction by batch method takes ≤25 min. The simultaneous enrichment and determination of all the metals are possible if the total load of the metal ions is less than sorption capacity. In river water samples all these metal ions were enriched with the present ligand anchored silica gel and determined with flame atomic absorption spectrometer (R.S.D.≤6.4%). Cobalt contents of pharmaceutical samples (vitamin tablet) were preconcentrated with the present chelating silica gel and estimated by flame AAS, with R.S.D.1.4%. The results are in the good agreement with the certified value, 1.99 μg g⁻¹ of the tablets. Iron and copper in certified reference materials (synthetic) SLRS-4 and SLEW-3 have been enriched with the modified silica gel and estimated with R.S.D.<5%.     

肌球蛋白中金属离子与ATP相互作用及其催化ATP水解的研究进展

生物体内细胞在氧化物质的过程中释放出的大量自由能,这些能量先形成高能磷酸化合物三磷酸腺苷（adenosine 5′-triphosphate,ATP）,当ATP水解为ADP（二磷酸腺苷,adenosine 5′-diphosphate）和无机磷酸时.     

Ruthenium(II) 9,10-phenanthrenequinone thiosemicarbazone complexes: synthesis,characterization, and catalytic activity towards the reduction as well as condensation of nitriles

The ligands 9,10-phenanthrenequinone-N⁴-substituted thiosemicarbazones (HL_1–3) and their ruthenium(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental and spectroscopic methods. The ligands are tridentate, monobasic chelating ligands with O, N, and S as the donor sites and are in the thiol form in all the complexes. Catalytic studies showed that all the complexes displayed good catalytic activity towards the reduction of nitriles and also the condensation of nitriles with 2-aminoalcohol under solvent-free conditions.     

二氧化碳膨胀乙醇体系中碳基金属复合物的合成及其催化和电化学性能(英文)

与块体材料相比,功能复合材料表现了更加优异的性能,而且比其中任何单一组分的性能都好,因此在催化、锂离子电池等领域得以广泛研究.通常情况下,在复合材料的制备中金属或金属氧化物粒子要求能够以足够小的粒径在基底上均匀分散,并实现活性组分负载量的可控.据报道,很多方法可以将金属(或氧化物)活性组分引入到载体之中,比如水热/溶剂热、水解、热分解、化学气相沉积等,但这些方法均存在如下缺点.第一,为了获得满意的负载量和可控包覆,碳基底需要预氧化处理使其表面含有丰富的含氧官能团.例如,由于碳纳米管自身的相容性和加工性较差,需要硝酸预氧化处理;石墨烯也需要预处理为石墨烯氧化物然后再进行第二组分的负载.但是,剧烈的氧化处理条件不可避免地造成对碳sp~2结构和电子特性的破坏,并且增加了繁杂的后续处理过程.第二,金属组分前驱体在基底上负载不完全,易形成自由粒子聚集在溶液中,从而降低活性组分的有效利用.第三,传统方法中由于使用水、乙醇等表面张力大的极性溶剂,导致粒子结晶再生长,形成的颗粒尺寸大,对催化剂会降低活性表面积及催化效率;对于电池材料会增加电极/电解液的接触面积,增加锂离子的扩散距离及电池充电过程的内部应力.而且,有机溶剂由于粘度大,不利于金属纳米粒子在基底上的均匀分散及合成过程的绿色化.因此,我们利用资源丰富,廉价的二氧化碳作为绿色溶剂,研究了二氧化碳膨胀的乙醇体系中金属(氧化物)纳米粒子在碳基底上均匀负载的方法.由于超临界二氧化碳具有独特的低粘度、"零"表面张力、高扩散能力、以及物性参数随温度和压力可调等特点,可以使金属(氧化物)前驱体不受液体毛细作用的限制在孔道中快速、均一地分散,保证孔结构稳定,对多孔复合材料的加工和制备表现了巨大的优势.同时,超临界二氧化碳的抗溶剂能力也能够有效降低乙醇和水引起的溶剂效应,从而降低纳米粒子之间的聚集.此外,通过改变前驱体的浓度可以精确调控表面组分的负载量.更重要的是,碳基底可以直接利用制备碳基复合材料,无需任何预处理及表面活性剂参与,避免了前处理对基底的形貌和电子特性的破坏.本综述首先介绍了超临界二氧化碳膨胀乙醇体系的属性,讨论了碳基复合材料在该体系中的形成机理.然后分别介绍了零维碳球、一维碳纳米管、二维石墨烯、三维多孔碳材料作为基底形成的一系列金属(氧化物)复合材料,及这些材料在催化和锂离子电池领域中的应用.最后,对超临界二氧化碳沉积方法的应用进行了总结和展望.     

Silver nanoclusters doped in X and mordenite zeolites as heterogeneous catalysts for the decomposition of carbamate pesticides in solution

Ag(I) nanoclusters doped in X and mordenite zeolites were prepared and analyzed using spectroscopy. Both experimental and theoretical studies of the prepared compounds show the presence of silver nanoclusters with various sizes and environments. The presence of Ag(I) nanoclusters doped in X and mordenite zeolites with high silver loadings enhanced the photodecomposition rate of carbofuran 215-and 184-fold, respectively, while the photodecomposition of carbaryl in the presence of these catalysts show room temperature rate constants that are 182-and 168-times faster than the photodecomposition of carbaryl in the absence of the silver-doped zeolite catalysts. The reaction rates were found to be dependent on the amount of silver loaded into the zeolite.     

Peptidomics and proteomics based on CE‐MS as a robust tool in clinical application: The past,the present,and the future

Capillary electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry (CE‐MS) has been used for several years for the investigation of proteins and peptides as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. In addition, the technology has recently been introduced to support the stratification of patients in clinical trials and in large clinical studies. In this review, we aim at presenting the development of CE‐MS over the last 20 years, by focusing on the clinical potential of proteome and peptidome analysis and highlighting some of the key technical issues and advancements that have been made in this context towards implementation. Based on the reviewed literature, it has become evident that CE‐MS is now an accepted tool in clinical application in several disease areas. Apart from a critical overview on the current state‐of‐the‐art in CE‐MS, we also indicate the expected developments for potential future use.     

Recent advances in the synthesis,biological activities and various applications of ferrocene derivatives

Ferrocene derivatives constitute an important class of organometallic compounds with not only an extensive range of biological activities but also diverse industrial as well as material science applications. These stimulating features of ferrocene derivatives spurred us to review the recent advances in synthesis methods and biological and other applications reported in the latest literature. An effort has been made to summarize the recent developments in synthetic methods providing access to ferrocene scaffolds and the useful medicinal and material applications, including agricultural, catalytic, polymer, conducting, redox mediating, ferrocenyl stationary phase, rocket propellant and ion sensing applications. Ferrocene‐based bulky metallocenes are also discussed.     

Transition metal complexes of acetamidomalondihydroxamate: synthesis,spectral, thermal and electrochemical studies

Acetamidomalondihydroxamate (K₂AcAMDH) and its manganese(II), iron(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV–VIS, IR and magnetic susceptibility. The pK _a1 and pK _a2 values of the dihydroxamic acid in aqueous solution were found to be 8.0?±?0.1 and 9.7?±?0.1. The dihydroxamate anion AcAMDH behaves as a tetradentate bridging ligand through both hydroxamate groups, forming complexes with a metal to ligand ratio of 1?:?1 in the solid state. The FTIR spectra and thermal decompositions of the ligand and its metal complexes were recorded. The redox behavior of the complexes was investigated in aqueous solution by square wave voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry at neutral pH. In contrast to the solid state, in solution the copper(II) and zinc(II) ions form stable complex species with a metal to ligand ratio of 1?:?2. The iron(II) and nickel(II) complexes show a two-electron irreversible reduction behavior, while the copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes undergo reversible electrode reactions. The stability constants of the complexes were determined by square wave voltammetry.