Enantiodifferentiating photoisomerization of cyclooctene included and sensitized by aroyl-beta-cyclodextrins: a critical enantioselectivity control by substituents

A series of 6-O-benzoyl-beta-cyclodextrins (CDs) with methyl, methoxy, methoxycarbonyl, and bromo substituent(s) at the ortho-, meta-, and/or para-position(s) were synthesized as chiral sensitizing hosts for the use in supramolecular enantiodifferentiating photoisomerization of (Z)-cyclooctene (1Z) to its chiral (E)-isomer (1E). The complex stability constants (K(S)) of the modified beta-CDs with 1Z in aqueous methanol solutions were highly sensitive to the substituent(s) introduced to the benzoate moiety, and the log K(S) values decreased linearly with slightly different slopes with increasing methanol content. The enantiomeric excess (ee) of 1E obtained upon photosensitization with these hosts was a critical function of the size and position of the substituent, varying from almost zero to 46% ee. This indicates that even an apparently small structural difference between methyl and methoxy can critically affect the enantiodifferentiating photoisomerization of a guest included in the chiral cavity, probably through manipulation of both the orientation of ground-state 1Z and the subsequent rotational relaxation of excited 1Z inside the chiral cavity.     

人参属中药腐解化感作用研究进展

人参、西洋参和三七为人参属近缘物种,形态和化学成分相似,均具有连作障碍的特性。人参属中药连作后,土壤环境逐渐变得不适宜其生长,植株长势变弱易患病,导致生长发育受到抑制,出现严重的根腐病、须根脱落,甚至植株死亡现象。而造成人参属连作障碍的主要原因之一是化感物质的自毒作用,人参残体降解物作为人参化感物质主要来源之一,会导致种子发芽率下降,种苗死亡率升高、根腐病等病害加重,最终造成连作障碍。在人参属中药连作过程中,通过化感物质与土壤交流,也会直接或间接影响土壤理化性质的变化。对人参属中药腐解化感作用的研究进展以及腐解对土壤成分的影响进行综述,以期为人参属中药腐解化感作用及土壤利用的相关研究提供借鉴。     

Scalable and Robust Bio-inspired Organogel Coating by Spraying Method Towards Dynamic Anti-scaling

Scaling usually causes serious problems in daily life and industrial production. Currently, developing passive anti-scaling coatings has shown promises to overcome this problem. In this work, we fabricated a scalable and robust bio-inspired organogel(BIO) coating, showing dynamic scale resistance in the oil/brine mixture. The oil layer of the BIO coating was utilized as a barrier to inhibit scale nucleation and reduce scale adhesion. The mechanical strength of the coating was optimized by regulating nanoparticle contents. Moreover, the universality of scale resistance was demonstrated by varying the types of nanoparticles, oils and scales. Compared with commercial pipeline materials, such as copper, this BIO coating significantly reduces scale deposition after 240-h scaling test(ca. 93% reduction). Therefore, this study designs scalable and robust organogel coatings for sustainable scale resistance, which may be used for practical application in oil production.     

Designing Solid Electrolyte Interfaces towards Homogeneous Na Deposition: Theoretical Guidelines for Electrolyte Additives and Superior High-Rate Cycling Stability

Metallic Na is a promising metal anode for large-scale energy storage. Nevertheless, unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and uncontrollable Na dendrite growth lead to disastrous short circuit and poor cycle life. Through phase field and ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, we first predict that the sodium bromide (NaBr) with the lowest Na ion diffusion energy barrier among sodium halogen compounds (NaX, X=F, Cl, Br, I) is the ideal SEI composition to induce the spherical Na deposition for suppressing dendrite growth. Then, 1,2-dibromobenzene (1,2-DBB) additive is introduced into the common fluoroethylene carbonate-based carbonate electrolyte (the corresponding SEI has high mechanical stability) to construct a desirable NaBr-rich stable SEI layer. When the Na||Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ cell utilizes the electrolyte with 1,2-DBB additive, an extraordinary capacity retention of 94 % is achieved after 2000 cycles at a high rate of 10 C. This study provides a design philosophy for dendrite-free Na metal anode and can be expanded to other metal anodes.     

Unveiling the High-valence Oxygen Degradation Across the Delithiated Cathode Surface

Charge compensation on anionic redox reaction (ARR) has been promising to realize extra capacity beyond transition metal redox in battery cathodes. The practical development of ARR capacity has been hindered by high-valence oxygen instability, particularly at cathode surfaces. However, the direct probe of surface oxygen behavior has been challenging. Here, the electronic states of surface oxygen are investigated by combining mapping of resonant Auger electronic spectroscopy (mRAS) and ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) on a model LiCoO₂ cathode. The mRAS verified that no high-valence oxygen can sustain at cathode surfaces, while APXPS proves that cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) layer evolves and oxidizes upon oxygen gas contact. This work provides valuable insights into the high-valence oxygen degradation mode across the interface. Oxygen stabilization from surface architecture is proven a prerequisite to the practical development of ARR active cathodes.     

Selective CO2-to-C2H4 Photoconversion Enabled by Oxygen-Mediated Triatomic Sites in Partially Oxidized Bimetallic Sulfide

Selective CO₂ photoreduction into C₂ fuels under mild conditions suffers from low product yield and poor selectivity owing to the kinetic challenge of C−C coupling. Here, triatomic sites are introduced into bimetallic sulfide to promote C−C coupling for selectively forming C₂ products. As an example, FeCoS₂ atomic layers with different oxidation degrees are first synthesized, demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy spectra. Both experiment and theoretical calculation verify more charges aggregate around the introduced oxygen atom, which enables the original Co−Fe dual sites to turn into Co−O−Fe triatomic sites, thus promoting C−C coupling of double *COOH intermediates. Accordingly, the mildly oxidized FeCoS₂ atomic layers exhibit C₂H₄ formation rate of 20.1 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, with the product selectivity and electron selectivity of 82.9 % and 96.7 %, outperforming most previously reported photocatalysts under similar conditions.     

Elaborating E/Z-Geometry of Alkenes via Cage-Confined Arylation Catalysis of Terminal Olefins

A visible light photosensitizing metal-organic cage is applied as an artificial supramolecular reactor to control the reaction of aryl radicals with terminal olefins under green light/solvent conditions, which facilitates selective transformation in the confined enzyme-mimicking environment to give a series of geometrically defined E/Z-alkenes. The hydrophobic cage displays good host–guest inclusion with aromatic substrates, promoting Meerwein arylation and protecting E-isomeric products during reaction; while a small amount of benzonitrile can turn on efficient E→Z isomerization. Besides π–π stacking, the hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding interactions also act as control forces for the arylation of aliphatic terminal olefins known as poor acceptors in classic Meerwein arylation. The application of this switchable cage-confined arylation catalysis has been demonstrated by the syntheses of Tapinarof and a marine natural product from the same substrate via controllable E/Z selectivity.     

含肟基的钴和铜双核金属配合物催化磷酸二酯水解

本文合成了双核铜（II）和钴（II）配合物,并用动力学方法研究了它们对双-（对硝基苯基）磷酸二酯（BNPP）水解的催化活性。实验结果表明,单去质子化的肟基可以作为反应过程中的分子内亲核剂。双核铜（II）配合物比与其具有相似结构的单核配合物催化底物水解的活性高很多的事实表明,在双核配合物作催化剂的体系中很可能包含两个金属中心的双路易斯酸催化的机理。     

Ceramic Filter Balls Loaded with α-Fe2O3 and Their Application to NH3-N Wastewater Treatment

Hydrolysis reaction of Fe(NO₃)₃ at a high temperature in the presence of urea as the homogeneous precipitant was studied. With the prepared ceramic filter balls loaded with α-Fe₂O₃ after high temperature calcination, the loading of α-Fe₂O₃ on the porous ceramic filter balls from Fe(NO₃)₃ solutions of different concentrations and mechanical stability of the loaded α-Fe₂O₃ were studied. The product was characterized using XRD and SEM. Adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the product in adsorbing NH₃-N. It turned out that the specific surface area of the ceramic filter balls loaded with α-Fe₂O₃ had increased to 36.5387 m²/g from original 4.6127 m²/g. When the concentration of Fe(NO₃)₃ was 0.40 mol/L, the loading of α-Fe₂O₃ on the ceramic filter balls accounted for 8.4% of the total mass of the adsorbent and α-Fe₂O₃ was adsorbed on the filter balls very well. The adsorption isotherm of NH₃-N on the ceramic filter ball adsorbent loaded with α-Fe₂O₃ was of Langmuir type. The saturated adsorption capacity was 3.33 mg/L, and the adsorption constant K was 0.1873. NH₃-N was adsorbed by α-Fe₂O₃ more easily, which was a kind of specific adsorption.     

Studies on the Thermodenaturation Behavior of Bacillus subtilis α‐Amylase on Chromatographic Media

The thermodenaturation behavior of Bacillus subtilis α‐amylase on some chromatographic media was studied by determining their adsorption parameters with frontal analysis. The experimental results show that on a RP‐C₁₈ reversed‐phase medium, a Chelating Sepharose Fast‐Flow chelated by Zn²⁺ affinity medium and a WCX‐1 cation‐exchange medium, a stable conformation of α‐amylase molecule separately exists below or over 30 °C; while on a PEG‐400 hydrophobic medium and a modified PEG‐400 medium, a stable conformation of α‐amylase molecule separately exists below 40 and 30 °C, and when the experimental temperatures are separately over 40 and 30 °C, a drastically conformational change of α‐amylase molecules can continuously take place. And by combining the intrinsic fluorescence emission spectrum and thermal inactivation profile of α‐amylase in free solution and on the PEG‐400 and modified PEG‐400 hydrophobic media, it can be concluded that in liquid chromatographic procedure, chromatographic media can induce the conformational change of α‐amylase molecules and promote their thermodenaturation; and in hydrophobic interaction chromatography, the higher the hydrophobicity of chromatographic medium, the lower the conformational change temperature of α‐amylase molecules on the chromatographic medium.