Turn‐Number‐Dependent Motion Behavior of Catalytic Helical Carbon Micro/Nanomotors

Helical micro/nanomotors (MNMs) can be propelled by external fields to swim through highly viscous fluids like complex biological environments, which promises miniaturized robotic tools to perform assigned tasks at small scales. However, the catalytic propulsion method, most widely adopted to drive MNMs, is seldom studied to actuate helical MNMs. Herein, we report catalytic helical carbon MNMs (CHCM) by sputtering Pt onto helical carbon nano‐coils (HCNC) that are in bulk prepared by a thermal chemical vapor deposition method. The Pt‐triggered H₂O₂ decomposition can drive the MNMs by an electrokinetic mechanism. The MNMs demonstrate versatile motion behaviors including both directional propulsion and rotation depending on the turn number of the carbon helix. Besides, due to the ease of surface functionalization on carbon and other properties such as biocompatibility and photothermal effect, the helical carbon MNMs promise multifunctional applications for biomedical or environmental applications.     

Bidirectional Chemical Communication between Nanomechanical Switches

The interplay of biological machines depends critically on the bidirectionality of chemical information exchange. The implementation of such a communication procedure for abiological systems is achieved using two nanoswitches that both operate as transmitters and receivers by transfering copper ions in oxidation states +I and +II. Even at micromolar concentrations, communication in both directions is remarkably fast, occurring at t_1/2=2–3 min. Metal ion translocation triggers a 20 Å relocation of the toggle at both nanoswitches, entailing major geometric and electronic changes.     

Chemical Communication between Organometallic Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles

Chemical communication between macromolecules was studied by observing the controlled single chain collapse that ensues the exchange of a metal cross-linker between two polymer chains. The rhodium (I) organometallic cross-linker transfer from a low molecular weight collapsed polybutadiene to a larger polymer was followed using size exclusion chromatography. The increased effective molarity in the larger polymer seems to be the driving force for the metal migration. Thus, we demonstrate here a strategy for transferring a molecular signal that induces chain collapse of a polymer chain based on non-covalent interactions, mimicking biological behaviors reminiscent of signal transductions in proteins.     

第一个人工合成元素锝：化学家与物理学家合作的结晶

1871年，门捷列夫依据元素周期律和元素周期表预见了“类锰”（即锝元素）的存在；至20世纪，随着科学家对原子核变化的研究进展、回旋加速器的发明以及人工放射性元素的发现，化学家和物理学家一起用回旋加速器加速的氚核轰击钼靶得到了锝元素。锝成为了第一个人工合成的元素，是化学家与物理学家合作的结晶。它的发现不仅显示了先进的科学方法和科学仪器的重要作用，也证明了学科间合作的重要性。     

Bioinspired Thermoresponsive Photonic Polymers with Hierarchical Structures and Their Unique Properties

Thermoresponsive photonic materials having hierarchical structures are created by combining a template of Morpho butterfly wings with poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) through a chemical bonding and polymerization route. These materials show temperature‐induced color tunability. Through reacting with both NIPAM monomers and the amino groups of chitosan in wing scales, glutaraldehyde workes as a bridge by creating chemical bonding between the biotemplate and the PNIPAM. The corresponding reflection peaks red‐shift with increase in temperature—an opposite phenomenon to previous studies, demonstrating a thermoresponsive photonic property. This unique phenomenon is caused by the refractive index change due to the volume change of PNIPAM during the temperature rising. This work sets up an efficient strategy for the fabrication of stimuli‐responsive photonic materials with hierarchical structures toward extensive applications in science and technology.

     

Protocell Communication through the Eyes of Synthetic Organic Chemists

The bottom-up fabrication of synthetic cells (protocells) from molecules and materials, is a major challenge of modern chemistry. A significant breakthrough has been the engineering of protocells capable of chemical communication using bio-derived molecules and ex situ stabilised cell machineries. These, however, suffer from short shelf-lives, high costs, and require mild aqueous conditions. In this Concept Article we analyse the chemistry at the heart of protocell communication to highlight new opportunities for synthetic chemists in protocell engineering. Specifically, we (i) categorise the main bio-derived chemical communication machineries in enzyme cascades, DNA strand displacement, and gene-mediated communication; (ii) review the chemistries of these signal transduction machineries; and (iii) introduce new types of bio-inspired, fully synthetic artificial enzymes to replace their natural counterparts. Developing protocells that incorporate synthetic analogues of bio-derived signal transduction machineries will improve the robustness, stability, and versatility of protocells, and broaden their applications to highly strategic fields such as photocatalysis and fine chemicals production.     

Parallel Optimization of Synthetic Pathways within the Network of Organic Chemistry

Finding a needle in a haystack: The number of possible synthetic pathways leading to the desired target of a synthesis can be astronomical (10(19) within five synthetic steps). Algorithms are described that navigate through the entire known chemical-synthetic knowledge to identify optimal synthetic pathways. Examples are provided to illustrate single-target optimization and parallel optimization of syntheses leading to multiple targets.     

Chemical network algorithms for the risk assessment and management of chemical threats

A network of chemical threats: Current regulatory protocols are insufficient to monitor and block many short-route syntheses of chemical weapons, including those that start from household products. Network searches combined with game-theory algorithms provide an effective means of identifying and eliminating chemical threats. (Picture: an algorithm-detected pathway that yields sarin (bright red node) in three steps from unregulated substances.).     

Sulfones as Chemical Chameleons: Versatile Synthetic Equivalents of Small-Molecule Synthons

Sulfones are flexible functional groups that can act as nucleophiles, electrophiles, or even radicals. Changing the reaction conditions can completely alter the reactivity of a sulfonyl group, and as a result, molecules bearing multiple sulfones are versatile building blocks. This Review highlights the unique ability of 1,1- and 1,2-bis(sulfones) to masquerade as a vast array of reactive synthons including methane polyanions, vinyl cations, and all-carbon dipoles that would be difficult or impossible to access directly.     

信号处理技术在重叠化学信号解析中的应用*

重叠峰解析是目前分析化学中亟须解决的一个重要问题,化学计量学用于重叠峰解析就是借助某些数学或统计学方法,把通过化学方法和仪器未能完全分离的复合量测信号分解成几个单儿组分的信号,从而从重叠谱中获取每个组分的相关信息。本文综述了几种常见信号处理技术在重叠化学信号分辨中的应用,引用文献146篇。     

多糖化学合成研究进展

多糖是一类结构复杂的生物大分子,广泛分布于微生物、植物、动物等生物体中,参与众多重要的生命过程.然而,多糖研究一直受限于难以获得足量结构均一的多糖物质,这使得多糖的结构和功能研究及其相关的应用研究进展缓慢.近几十年来,随着糖合成技术的进步,糖的化学合成效率不断提高,人们开始关注复杂多糖的化学合成,并取得了一些进展.本文主要对多糖化学合成所涉及的糖基化方法、糖组装策略和代表性的合成工作进行综述,并对研究前景进行展望.     

化学平衡的信息化教学工具研究——以合成氨为例

针对现行化学平衡教学中存在的突出问题，研发了一款以合成氨为例的化学平衡知识学习和习题验证的教学软件。该软件采用了可视化的技术，用柱状图、曲线、数据来展示反应达到平衡的动态变化过程，便于学生从反应平衡的图像和数据中获取信息并进行推理，从而认知化学平衡的原理。该软件不仅能用于化学平衡各概念的教学，也能为化学平衡习题课的讲解创设必要的教学情境。     

Intrinsic Organic‐Based Synthetic/Artificial Antiferromagnets

Mn(TCNE)[C₄(CN)₈]_1/2 (TCNE=tetracyanoethylene) and [NEt₄]Mn^II₃(CN)₇ have extended layers with nearest neighbor intralayer S=5/2 and S=1/2 spin sites that couple antiferromagnetically forming ferrimagnetic layers. These layers are uniformly connected via diamagnetic (nonmagnetic) bridging μ₄‐[(C₄(CN)₈]^2? (8.77 Å) or μ‐CN (5.48 Å) ligands, respectively, that antiferromagnetic couple the ferrimagnetic layers resulting in an antiferromagnet. The J_inter/k_B is ?1.0 and ?1.8 K (H=?JS_i?S_j) for Mn(TCNE)[C₄(CN)₈]_1/2 and [NEt₄]Mn^II₃(CN)₇, respectively. Albeit intrinsically multilayered, these antiferromagnets have the same motif as that for artificial/synthetic antiferromagnets that exhibit giant magnetoresistance (GMR) and are commercially used in many magnetic memory applications.     

The Effect of Chemical Reducing Agents in the Synthesis of Sol-Gel Ru-Sn Catalysts: Selective Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde

The influence of chemical reduction on the properties of bimetallic Ru-Sn/SiO₂ catalyst was studied. Prepared sol-gel catalysts were reduced by NaBH₄, KBH₄, H₂, and CH₂O. Physical and catalytic properties of reduced catalysts were compared to non-reduced ones in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde. The influence of boron impregnation was investigated. The observed hydrogenation activity and selectivity towards cinnamylalcohol were effected by reduction pretreatment. The NaBH₄ reduced catalyst exhibited the highest activity and selectivity. Reduction pretreatment influenced the pore sizes, active metal surface as well as content of carbon impurities. Traces of the reduction agents were detected in the catalysts. Boron impregnation presumably improved the catalyst activity, but had a minor effect on the selectivity.     

Chemical waves

In our paper we try to describe the basic concepts of chemical waves and spatial pattern formation in a simple way. We pay particular attention to self-organisation phenomena in extended excitable systems. These result in the appearance of travelling waves, spiral waves, target patterns, Turing structures or more complicated structures called scroll waves, which are three-dimensional systems. We describe the most famous oscillating reaction, the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, in greater detail. This is because it is of great interest in both physical chemistry and in studies on the evolution and sustenance of self-organising biological systems.     

Five-membered ring systems with one heteroatom: Synthetic routes,chemical reactivity,and biological properties of furan-carboxamide analogues

This review described the synthetic methods, chemical reactivity and biological applications of furan carboxamide compounds. Furan-carboxamides are reported to have important and variable biological properties. The aim of this review is to highlight the chemistry and biological importance of this class of bioactive compounds. The basic sections covers: structure studies, synthetic methods pathways, synthesis of different heterocycles, reactions and biological applications. The reactions mechanisms of the unexpected products are discussed. The present study covers all the published work on the furan-carboxamides until now.     

Chemical Morphing of DNA Containing Four Noncanonical Bases

The ability of alternative nucleic acids, in which all four nucleobases are substituted, to replicate in vitro and to serve as genetic templates in vivo was evaluated. A nucleotide triphosphate set of 5‐chloro‐2′‐deoxyuridine, 7‐deaza‐2′‐deoxyadenosine, 5‐fluoro‐2′‐deoxycytidine, and 7‐deaza‐2′deoxyguanosine successfully underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using templates of different lengths (57 or 525mer) and Taq or Vent (exo‐) DNA polymerases as catalysts. Furthermore, a fully morphed gene encoding a dihydrofolate reductase was generated by PCR using these fully substituted nucleotides and was shown to transform and confer trimethoprim resistance to E. coli. These results demonstrated that fully modified templates were accurately read by the bacterial replication machinery and provide the first example of a long fully modified DNA molecule being functional in vivo.     

In Situ Vesicle Formation by Native Chemical Ligation

Phospholipid vesicles are of intense fundamental and practical interest, yet methods for their de novo generation from reactive precursors are limited. A non‐enzymatic and chemoselective method to spontaneously generate phospholipid membranes from water‐soluble starting materials would be a powerful tool for generating vesicles and studying lipid membranes. Here we describe the use of native chemical ligation (NCL) to rapidly prepare phospholipids spontaneously from thioesters. While NCL is one of the most popular tools for synthesizing proteins and nucleic acids, to our knowledge this is the first example of using NCL to generate phospholipids de novo. The lipids are capable of in situ synthesis and self‐assembly into vesicles that can grow to several microns in diameter. The selectivity of the NCL reaction makes in situ membrane formation compatible with biological materials such as proteins. This work expands the application of NCL to the formation of phospholipid membranes.     

Tyrosinase Inhibitors Naturally Present in Plants and Synthetic Modifications of These Natural Products as Anti-Melanogenic Agents: A Review

Tyrosinase is a key enzyme target to design new chemical ligands against melanogenesis. In the current review, different chemical derivatives are explored which have been used as anti-melanogenic compounds. These are different chemical compounds naturally present in plants and semi-synthetic and synthetic compounds inspired by these natural products, such as kojic acid produced by several species of fungi; arbutin—a glycosylated hydroquinone extracted from the bearberry plant; vanillin—a phenolic aldehyde extracted from the vanilla bean, etc. After enzyme inhibition screening, various chemical compounds showed different therapeutic effects as tyrosinase inhibitors with different values of the inhibition constant and IC₅₀. We show how appropriately designed scaffolds inspired by the structures of natural compounds are used to develop novel synthetic inhibitors. We review the results of numerous studies, which could lead to the development of effective anti-tyrosinase agents with increased efficiency and safety in the near future, with many applications in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.     

综合化学实验中空气敏感合成实验的选取和教学

选择硅基芳胺的合成与表征作为综合化学实验无水无氧合成技术的教学内容,实验涉及特殊用途玻璃仪器的干燥与组装、空气敏感物质的操作、惰性气体保护下的化学反应、溶剂浓缩、萃取、少量液体的减压蒸馏以及结构测定等操作。深入分析了无水无氧反应装置的准备、溶剂和物料的转移、正丁基锂的取用、双排管和施伦克玻璃仪器的使用等操作细节问题,并对产物的核磁共振氢谱进行了解析。通过该实验,学生能够实践较高层次的化学实验操作,对拓宽学生专业知识面、提高学生综合实验操作技能有良好的教学效果。