Preparation and application of selenite ion selective electrode

A new selenite ion selective electrode using 4,6-dibromopiaselenole as active material, PVC as membrane matrix and dibutyl phthalate as plasticizer has been developed. An analytically useful potential change occurs from about 10(-6)-10(-1)M Se(IV), and the slope of the linear portion is -23.6 mV/10-fold change in Se(IV) concentration at a temperature of 21 degrees . The electrode shows fairly good selectivity for selenite ion over other anions and has been used for the successful determination of total selenium in human hair.     

High-resolution single-stranded DNA analysis on 4.5 cm plastic electrophoretic microchannels

Plastic microchannels (4.5 cm long) fabricated from an etched glass master were tested for high-resolution single-stranded DNA analysis. Using replaceable denaturing linear polyacrylamide as sieving matrix, one-color separation of a fragment sizing standard with single-base resolution (R > 0.5) was achieved up to 275 bases. Two-color sizing analysis of four loci short tandem repeat (STR) allelic ladder (CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, vWA) with single-base resolution (R = 0.62) on TH01 alleles 9.3 (198 bp) and 10 (199 bp) was demonstrated. An average standard deviation of +/- 0.06 bp and +/-0.11 bp in sizing 32 alleles of the CTTv ladder was attained between runs and between channels, respectively. Four-color sequencing separation of a terminator sequencing standard showed a base-calling accuracy of 99.1% out to 320 bases in 13 min.     

Highly efficient rhodium/monodentate phosphoramidite catalyst and its application in the enantioselective hydrogenation of enamides and alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives

An easily prepared and highly efficient monodentate phosphoramidite ligand derived from BINOL, (S)-2,2'-O,O-(1,1'-binaphthyl)-dioxo-N,N-diethylphospholidine, was examined in the hydrogenation of both enamides and alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives. The catalyst provided remarkably high enantioselectivities (up to 99.6% ee for enamides and >99.9% ee for alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives).     

Influence of drying procedure on the mesoporosity and surface fractal dimensions of silica xerogels prepared with different agitation methods

Silica xerogels were prepared by thermal drying wet gels in an electric oven (70 degrees C) after certain duration of ambient drying, and the relevant effect is investigated on the mesopore structures and surface fractal dimensions of the resultant xerogels. The silica gels were derived from a hydrochloric acid-catalyzed TEOS (tetraethylorthaosilicate) system, and both magnetic stirring and ultrasonic vibration were adopted during sol preparation. The percentage mesoporosity and surface fractal dimensions are evaluated using image analysis methods, based on FE-SEM (field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy) images. The results show that the mesoporosity of the resultant xerogels decreases with the duration of ambient drying for samples prepared using magnetic stirring and low-intensity ultrasonic vibration, while samples subjected to high-intensity ultrasound show a somewhat reverse trend. Samples prepared with magnetic stirring have almost constant surface fractal dimensions (nearly 3), irrespective of the ambient drying before thermal drying. The surface fractal dimensions of samples prepared using ultrasound increase with the duration of ambient drying.     

Non‐Alkaloidal Constituents from the Stem of Ficus Septica

Seven triterpenes, two lignans, and twelve other known compounds were isolated from the non‐alkaloidal fractions of the stem of Ficus septica Among these triterpenoids, a rare triterpene skeleton derivative, 13,27‐cycloursan‐3β‐ylacetate was isolated from natural sources for the first time. All the structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.     

Copper-catalyzed iminohalogenation of γ, δ-unsaturated oxime esters with halide salts: Synthesis of 2-halomethyl pyrrolines

A copper-catalyzed iminohalogenation of unactivated alkenes of γ, δ-unsaturated oxime esters is achieved by using readily available halide salts. Utilizing this protocol, a sequence of structurally diversiform 2-halomethyl pyrrolines are efficiently synthesized and a mechanism involving iminyl radical intermediates, which were initiated by Cu(I) species, was proposed.     

2D Titania–Carbon Superlattices Vertically Encapsulated in 3D Hollow Carbon Nanospheres Embedded with 0D TiO2 Quantum Dots for Exceptional Sodium‐Ion Storage

Two‐dimensional (2D) superlattices offer promising technological opportunities in tuning the intercalation chemistry of metal ions. Now, well‐ordered 2D superlattices of monolayer titania and carbon with tunable interlayer‐spacing are synthesized by a molecularly mediated thermally induced approach. The 2D superlattices are vertically encapsulated in hollow carbon nanospheres, which are embedded with TiO₂ quantum dots, forming a 0D‐2D‐3D multi‐dimensional architecture. The multi‐dimensional architecture with the 2D superlattices encapsulated inside exhibits a near zero‐strain characteristic and enriched electrochemical reactivity, achieving a highly efficient Na⁺ storage performance with exceptional rate capability and superior long‐term cyclability.     

Manipulating the Stacking of Triplet Chromophores in the Crystal Form for Ultralong Organic Phosphorescence

Provided here is evidence showing that the stacking between triplet chromophores plays a critical role in ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) generation within a crystal. By varying the structure of a functional unit, and different on‐off UOP behavior was observed for each structure. Remarkably, 24CPhCz, having the strongest intermolecular interaction between carbazole units exhibited the most impressive UOP with a long lifetime of 1.06 s and a phosphorescence quantum yield of 2.5 %. 34CPhCz showed dual‐emission UOP and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) with a moderately decreased phosphorescence lifetime of 770 ms, while 35CPhCz only displayed TADF owing to the absence of strong electronic coupling between triplet chromophores. This study provides an explanation for UOP generation in crystal and new guidelines for obtaining UOP materials.     

Self‐Assembly of MXene‐Surfactants at Liquid–Liquid Interfaces: From Structured Liquids to 3D Aerogels

2D transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), a class of emerging nanomaterials with intriguing properties, have attracted significant attention in recent years. However, owing to the highly hydrophilic nature of MXene nanosheets, assembly strategies of MXene at liquid–liquid interfaces have been very limited and challenging. Herein, through the cooperative assembly of MXene and amine‐functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane at the oil–water interface, we report the formation, assembly, and jamming of a new type MXene‐based Janus‐like nanoparticle surfactants, termed MXene‐surfactants (MXSs), which can significantly enhance the interfacial activity of MXene nanosheets. More importantly, this simple assembly strategy opens a new platform for the fabrication of functional MXene assemblies from mesoscale (e.g., structured liquids) to macroscale (e.g., aerogels), that can be used for a range of applications, including nanocomposites, electronic devices, and all‐liquid microfluidic devices.     

Molecular Design,Circularly Polarized Luminescence,and Helical Self‐Assembly of Chiral Aggregation‐Induced Emission Molecules

Aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) are a new class of luminophors, which are non‐emissive in solution, but emit intensively upon aggregation. By properly designing the chemical structures of the AIEgens, their aggregation process can be tuned towards a desired direction to give diverse novel luminescent architectures of micelles, rods, and helical fibers. AIEgens represent a kind of promising building block for the fabrication of luminescent micro/nanostructures with controllable morphologies. In this review, we describe our recent work in this research area, focusing on the molecular design, circularly polarized luminescence properties, and helical self‐assembly behavior of AIEgens.