Biotic Cathode of Graphite Fibre Brush for Improved Application in Microbial Fuel Cells

The biocathode in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) system is a promising and a cheap alternative method to improve cathode reaction performance. This study aims to identify the effect of the electrode combination between non-chemical modified stainless steel (SS) and graphite fibre brush (GFB) for constructing bio-electrodes in an MFC. In this study, the MFC had two chambers, separated by a cation exchange membrane, and underwent a total of four different treatments with different electrode arrangements (anodeǁcathode)—SSǁSS (control), GFBǁSS, GFBǁGFB and SSǁGFB. Both electrodes were heat-treated to improve surface oxidation. On the 20th day of the operation, the GFBǁGFB arrangement generated the highest power density, up to 3.03 W/m³ (177 A/m³), followed by the SSǁGFB (0.0106 W/m³, 0.412 A/m³), the GFBǁSS (0.0283 W/m³, 17.1 A/m³), and the SSǁSS arrangements (0.0069 W/m⁻³, 1.64 A/m³). The GFBǁGFB had the lowest internal resistance (0.2 kΩ), corresponding to the highest power output. The other electrode arrangements, SSǁGFB, GFBǁSS, and SSǁSS, showed very high internal resistance (82 kΩ, 2.1 kΩ and 18 kΩ, respectively) due to the low proton and electron movement activity in the MFC systems. The results show that GFB materials can be used as anode and cathode in a fully biotic MFC system.     

The first example of enantioselective allyl transfer from a linear homoallylic alcohol to an aldehyde

[reaction: see text] The first example of enantioselective linear homoallylic alcohol transfer reaction was revealed. In all cases, the whole rearrangement is thermodynamically favorable and a steric effect is the driving force of this reaction. The preservation of the stereocenter and olefin geometry together with the isolation of gamma-adduct homoallylic alcohols in one isomeric form have warranted the proposed mechanism.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of linear 22R-homoallylic sterols via a triflic acid-catalyzed 2-oxonia Cope rearrangement

[reaction: see text] Poor stereoselectivity caused by the involvement of side reaction pathways was observed in the In(OTf)(3)-catalyzed allyl-transfer reaction (R = electron-withdrawing group). Subsequently, it was found that the employment of triflic acid (TFA) as catalyst could successfully suppress the side reaction pathways and, hence, achieve high stereoselectivity.     

Reduction of inelastic scattering effect by introduction of GalnAs/GalnP strain-compensated superlattice into multi-quantum barriers

The effect of inelastic scattering on the electron reflection in multi-quantum barriers (MQBs) has been examined using the damped resonant tunnelling model for the first time. The electron reflectivity in the virtual barrier region for unstrained GalnAs/InP MQB deteriorates below 100% by about 10% for phase relaxation time of 0.22ps. We propose a strain-compensated GalnAs/GalnP MQB which not only has virtual barrier 4 times as high as that of an unstrained MQB, but whose reflectivity deterioration is reduced to less than 5% in comparison with 10% for unstrained MQB for the same phase relaxation time. We have also successfully grown a Ga_0.25In_0.75As (1.5% compressive) well/Ga_0.25In_0.75P (1.2% tensile) barrier short-period superlattice with six wells by chemical beam epitaxy, which exhibits the possibility of fabrication of the strain-compensated MQBs.     

Eclipsed M2X6 compounds exhibiting very short metal-metal triple bonds

The preparation, characterization, and electronic structure of homoleptic complexes of molybdenum and tungsten bridged by bis(alkylamido)phenylboranes, M(2)[RN-B(Ph)-NR](3) (M = Mo, R = Et (1), (i)Pr (2); M = W, R = Et (3), (i)Pr (4)), are described. These triple metal-metal bond species (i) exhibit a nearly eclipsed ligand geometry and (ii) possess the shortest metal-metal bonds of neutral dimolybdenum and ditungsten M(2)X(6) complexes observed to date (d(Mo-Mo) = 2.1612(6) A (1); d(W-W) = 2.2351(7) A (4)).     

An unusual approach to the synthesis of enantiomerically cis linear homoallylic alcohols based on the steric interaction mechanism of camphor scaffold

Camphor is used as the chiral auxiliary for the enantioselective synthesis of cis linear homoallylic alcohols. A range of catalysts, aldehydes, and solvents were investigated to obtain the optimum yield, enantioselectivity, and cis olefinic geometry. [structure: see text]     

Diverse cyclization catalyzed by In(OTf)3 for the convergent assembly of substituted tetrahydrofurans and tetrahydropyrans

[reaction: see text]. A novel In(OTf)3-catalyzed (3,5) oxonium-ene type cyclization for the facile construction of various multisubstituted tetrahydrofurans and tetrahydropyrans was successfully developed. Further mechanistic investigations unveiled an In(OTf)3-catalyzed skeletal reorganization of the tetrahydrofuran to its thermodynamic isomer under thermal conditions.