Design of Amphiphilic Peptide Geometry towards Biomimetic Self‐Assembly of Chiral Mesoporous Silica

In nature, diatoms and sponges are exquisite examples of well‐defined structures produced by silica biomineralisation, in which proteins play an important role. However, the artificial peptide templating route for the silica mesostructure remains a formidable and unsolved challenge. Herein, we report our effort on the design of amphiphilic peptides for synthesising a highly ordered two‐dimensional (2D)‐hexagonal and lamellar chiral silica mesostructure using trimethoxysilylpropyl‐N,N,N‐trimethylammonium chloride as the co‐structure directing agent (CSDA). The geometry of the peptide was designed by adding proline residues into the hydrophobic chain of the peptide to break the β‐sheet conformation by weakening the intermolecular hydrogen bonds; this led to the mesophase transformation from the most general lamellar structure to the 2D hexagonal P6mm mesostructure by increasing the amphiphilic molecules packing parameter g. Enantiomerically pure chiral mesostructures were formed thanks to the intrinsic chirality and relatively strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds of peptides.     

Water‐Soluble Luminescent Cyclometalated Gold(III) Complexes with cis‐Chelating Bis(N‐Heterocyclic Carbene) Ligands: Synthesis and Photophysical Properties

A new class of cyclometalated Au^III complexes containing various bidentate C‐deprotonated C^N and cis‐chelating bis(N‐heterocyclic carbene) (bis‐NHC) ligands has been synthesized and characterized. These are the first examples of Au^III complexes supported by cis‐chelating bis‐NHC ligands. [Au(C^N)(bis‐NHC)] complexes display emission in solutions under degassed condition at room temperature with emission maxima (λ_max) at 498–633 nm and emission quantum yields of up to 10.1 %. The emissions are assigned to triplet intraligand (IL) π→π* transitions of C^N ligands. The Au^III complex containing a C^N (C‐deprotonated naphthalene‐substituted quinoline) ligand with extended π‐conjugation exhibits prompt fluorescence and phosphorescence of comparable intensity with λ_max at 454 and 611 nm respectively. With sulfonate‐functionalized bis‐NHC ligand, four water‐soluble luminescent Au^III complexes, including those displaying both fluorescence and phosphorescence, were prepared. They show similar photophysical properties in water when compared with their counterparts in acetonitrile. The long phosphorescence lifetime of the water‐soluble AuIII complex with C‐deprotonated naphthalene‐substituted quinoline ligand renders it to function as ratiometric sensor for oxygen. Inhibitory activity of one of these water‐soluble Au^III complexes towards deubiquitinase (DUB) UCHL3 has been investigated; this complex also displayed a significant inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ value of 0.15 μM .     

Ketimido Metallophthalocyanines: An Approach to Phthalocyanine‐Supported Mononuclear High‐Valent Ruthenium Complexes

A “metal–ketimine+ArI(OR)₂” approach has been developed for preparing metal–ketimido complexes, and ketimido ligands are found to stabilize high‐valent metallophthalocyanine (M? Pc) complexes such as ruthenium(IV) phthalocyanines. Treatment of bis(ketimine) ruthenium(II) phthalocyanines [Ru^II(Pc)(HN?CPh₂)₂] ( 1a ) and [Ru^II(Pc)(HNQu)₂] ( 1b ; HNQu=N‐phenyl‐1,4‐benzoquinonediimine) with PhI(OAc)₂ affords bis(ketimido) ruthenium(IV) phthalocyanines [Ru^IV(Pc)(N?CPh₂)₂] ( 2a ) and [Ru^IV(Pc)(NQu)₂] ( 2b ), respectively. X‐ray crystal structures of 1b and [Ru^II(Pc)(PhN?CHPh)₂] ( 1c ) show Ru? N(ketimine) distances of 2.075(4) and 2.115(3) Å, respectively. Complexes 2a , 2b readily revert to 1a , 1b upon treatment with phenols. ¹H NMR spectroscopy reveals that 2a , 2b are diamagnetic and 2b exists as two isomers, consistent with a proposed eclipsed orientation of the ketimido ligands in these ruthenium(IV) complexes. The reaction of 1a , 1b with PhI(OAc)₂ to afford 2a , 2b suggests the utility of ArI(OR)₂ as an oxidative deprotonation agent for the generation of high‐valent metal complexes featuring M? N bonds with multiple bonding characters. DFT and time‐dependent (TD)‐DFT calculations have been performed on the electronic structures and the UV/Vis absorption spectra of 1b and 2b , which provide support for the diamagnetic nature of 2b and reveal a significant barrier for rotation of the ketimido group about the Ru? N(ketimido) bond.     

Luminescent Palladium(II) Complexes with π‐Extended Cyclometalated [RC^N^NR′] and Pentafluorophenylacetylide Ligands: Spectroscopic,Photophysical, and Photochemical Properties

A series of cyclometalated Pd^II complexes that contain π‐extended R? C^N^N? R′ (R? C^N^N? R′=3‐(6′‐aryl‐2′‐pyridinyl)isoquinoline) and chloride/pentafluorophenylacetylide ligands have been synthesized and their photophysical and photochemical properties examined. The complexes with the chloride ligand are emissive only in the solid state and in glassy solutions at 77 K, whereas the ones with the pentafluorophenylacetylide ligand show phosphorescence in the solid state (λ_max=584–632 nm) and in solution (λ_max=533–602 nm) at room temperature. Some of the complexes with the pentafluorophenylacetylide ligand show emission with λ_max at 585–602 nm upon an increase in the complex concentration in solutions. These Pd^II complexes can act as photosensitizers for the light‐induced aerobic oxidation of amines. In the presence of 0.1 mol % Pd^II complex, secondary amines can be oxidized to the corresponding imines with substrate conversions and product yields up to 100 and 99 %, respectively. In the presence of 0.15 mol % Pd^II complex, the oxidative cyanation of tertiary amines could be performed with product yields up to 91 %. The Pd^II complexes have also been used to sensitize photochemical hydrogen production with a three‐component system that comprises the Pd^II complex, [Co(dmgH)₂(py)Cl] (dmgH=dimethylglyoxime; py=pyridine), and triethanolamine, and a maximum turnover of hydrogen production of 175 in 4 h was achieved. The excited‐state electron‐transfer properties of the Pd^II complexes have been examined.     

Efficient Red Electroluminescent Devices with Sterically Hindered Phosphorescent Platinum(II) Schiff Base Complexes and Iridium Complex Codopant

Sterically hindered platinum(II) Schiff base complexes were prepared. Complex 4 , which displays red emission with a quantum yield of 0.29 in a thin film and a self‐quenching rate constant of 1×10^?7 dm³ mol^?1 s^?1, was used to fabricate organic light‐emitting diodes with single or double emissive layers (EMLs). An iridium(III) complex with a wide band gap was codoped into the electron‐dominant EML to act as a deep electron trapper, and red‐light‐emitting devices with the highest current, power, and external quantum efficiencies of 20.43 cd A^?1 18.33 Lm W^?1, and 11.7 %, respectively, were fabricated. A high current efficiency and EQE of up to 14.69 cd A^?1 and 8.3 %, respectively, were achieved at a high brightness of 1000 cd m^?2. The significant delay of efficiency roll‐off is attributed to the bulky 3D structure of the norbornene moiety at the periphery of the Schiff base ligand of 4 and to the new device design strategy. The fabricated device had a projected lifetime (LT50) of 18 000 h.     

Designed Synthesis of a Highly Conjugated Hexaethynylbenzene‐Based Host for Supramolecular Architectures

The construction of efficient synthetic functional receptors with tunable cavities, and the self‐organization of guest molecules within these cavities through noncovalent interactions can be challenging. Here we have prepared a double‐cavity molecular cup based on hexaethynylbenzene that possesses a highly π‐conjugated interior for the binding of electron‐rich guests. X‐ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, fluorescent spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and SEM were used to investigate the structures and the binding behaviors. The results indicated that the binding of a guest in one cavity would affect the binding of the same or another guest in the other cavity. The effect of electron transfer in this system suggests ample opportunities for tuning the optical and electronic properties of the molecular cup and the encapsulated guest. The encapsulation of different guests would also lead to different aggregate nanostructures, which is a new way to tune their supramolecular architectures.     

STUDY ON AEROSOL TRANSMISSION ROUTES OF HEMORRHAGIC FEVER WITH RENAL SYNDROME （HFRS）

The present paper reviews our studies on transmission routes and prophylactic measures of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), including aerosol inhalation, skin injury/mucosa, insect vectors, peroral infection and vertical transmission. The results show that HFRS is transmitted by Hantaan virus via multi-reutes. One of them, the aerosol transmission, is perhaps the main route transmitting HFRS from mouse to human beings. The injury and mucosa is the main transmission route from mouse to mouse and also an important agent from mouse to human beings.The peroral infection may occur in very serious pollution of foods. The insect vectors may play an important role in the focus of HFRS and in the transmission of HFRS from mouse to human. The epidemiological significance of vertical transmission is yet uncertain. According to the results, four proposals should be emphasized including killing insects and mice, long lasting and combined prophylactics, intensive studies on prophylactic measures on viral aerosols and the blocking of transmission of HFRS from mouse to human via aerosols.     

Fabrication of Chiral Materials via Self‐Assembly and Biomineralization of Peptides

With different scales of chirality, chiral materials have various particular properties and potential applications in many fields. Peptides are the fundamental building units of biological systems, and a variety of ordered functional nanostructures are produced through self‐assembly and biomineralization of peptides in nature. This Personal Account describes chiral silica materials fabricated by using amphiphilic peptides as building blocks. Three particular biomineralization approaches are described based on different kinds of geometry of amphiphilic peptides: the influence of the specific amino acid proline in the peptide sequence, the hydrophilicity of amphiphilic peptides, and different kinds of hydrophobic tails in amphiphilic peptides. These strategies are useful for designing peptides toward the bottom‐up synthesis of nanomaterials as well as improving the understanding of the mechanism of peptide self‐assembly.     

新型纳米材料/结构在光电转化中的应用

自纳米概念提出至今,纳米科技作为材料科学和化学各分支学科的交叉点在能量转化技术中起到了重要的作用.太阳能被认为是解决能源危机并能够替代传统能源的一个极好的可再生能源.人们从仿生的理念出发,在如何利用太阳能尤其是将太阳能转化为电能方面做了大量的工作.本文从新型纳米材料和纳米结构的角度出发对其在光电转化中的应用,尤其是在太阳能电池和离子通道光电转化中的应用进行了总结,并对其未来前景进行了展望.