Large-Scale Synthesis of MOF-Derived Superporous Carbon Aerogels with Extraordinary Adsorption Capacity for Organic Solvents

Carbon aerogels (CAs) with 3D interconnected networks hold promise for application in areas such as pollutant treatment, energy storage, and electrocatalysis. In spite of this, it remains challenging to synthesize high-performance CAs on a large scale in a simple and sustainable manner. We report an eco-friendly method for the scalable synthesis of ultralight and superporous CAs by using cheap and widely available agarose (AG) biomass as the carbon precursor. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) with high porosity is introduced into the AG aerogels to increase the specific surface area and enable heteroatom doping. After pyrolysis under inert atmosphere, the ZIF-8/AG-derived nitrogen-doped CAs show a highly interconnected porous mazelike structure with a low density of 24 mg cm⁻³, a high specific surface area of 516 m² g⁻¹, and a large pore volume of 0.58 cm⁻³ g⁻¹. The resulting CAs exhibit significant potential for application in the adsorption of organic pollutants.     

Stereoselective Syntheses of all the Possible Stereoisomers of Coronafacic Acid

An efficient and stereoselective syntheses of all the possible stereoisomers of coronafacic acid (CFA) has been developed. The stereochemistries of C3a and C7a were controlled in a diastereoselective Diels-Alder type cycloaddition using a chiral auxiliary. CFA and 6-epi-CFA were synthesized by hydrogenation of a common intermediate. During the synthesis of 6-epi-CFA, we established that its cis-fused configuration is important for the introduction of C4-C5 double bond by dehydration. This report is the first practical synthesis of both 6-epi-CFA, and its enantiomer.     

Homogeneous Oligomeric Ligands Prepared via Radical Polymerization that Recognize and Neutralize a Target Peptide

Abiotic ligands that bind to specific biomolecules have attracted attention as substitutes for biomolecular ligands, such as antibodies and aptamers. Radical polymerization enables the production of robust polymeric ligands from inexpensive functional monomers. However, little has been reported about the production of monodispersed polymeric ligands. Herein, we present homogeneous ligands prepared via radical polymerization that recognize epitope sequences on a target peptide and neutralize the toxicity of the peptide. Taking advantage of controlled radical polymerization and separation, a library of multifunctional oligomers with discrete numbers of functional groups was prepared. Affinity screening revealed that the sequence specificity of the oligomer ligands strongly depended on the number of functional groups. The process reported here will become a general step for the development of abiotic ligands that recognize specific peptide sequences.     

Large‐Scale Synthesis of MOF‐Derived Superporous Carbon Aerogels with Extraordinary Adsorption Capacity for Organic Solvents

Carbon aerogels (CAs) with 3D interconnected networks hold promise for application in areas such as pollutant treatment, energy storage, and electrocatalysis. In spite of this, it remains challenging to synthesize high‐performance CAs on a large scale in a simple and sustainable manner. We report an eco‐friendly method for the scalable synthesis of ultralight and superporous CAs by using cheap and widely available agarose (AG) biomass as the carbon precursor. Zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) with high porosity is introduced into the AG aerogels to increase the specific surface area and enable heteroatom doping. After pyrolysis under inert atmosphere, the ZIF‐8/AG‐derived nitrogen‐doped CAs show a highly interconnected porous mazelike structure with a low density of 24 mg cm^?3, a high specific surface area of 516 m² g^?1, and a large pore volume of 0.58 cm^?3 g^?1. The resulting CAs exhibit significant potential for application in the adsorption of organic pollutants.     

Regulated Single‐Axis Rotations of a Carbonaceous Guest in a van der Waals Complex with an Entropy Cost

In a tight host–guest complex assembled solely by nondirectional van der Waals forces, unique motions of the guest, such as solid‐state inertial rotations, emerge. The regulation of dynamic motions is an important element to be explored for novel functions of such complexes, which may be seemingly difficult to achieve because of the nondirectionality of the assembling forces. A regulated, single‐axis rotation was made possible by choosing an appropriate shape of the guest in the tubular host. Specifically, an ellipsoidal guest was made to stand along a cylinder axis of the host, which consequently resulted in single‐axis rotations of the guest in the solid. The rotational frequency was considerably high for solid‐state rotations but was suppressed to 10 GHz, which was 1/20 of the isotropic rotation of a spherical guest. In‐depth kinetic analyses quantitatively revealed that the entropy cost was a determining factor that regulated the dynamics.     

Facile synthesis of an ambient stable pyreno[4,5-b]pyrrole monoanion and pyreno[4,5-b:9,10-b′]dipyrrole dianion: from serendipity to design

The stability of singly or multiply negatively charged π-conjugated organic compounds is greatly influenced by their electronic delocalization. Herein, we report a strategic methodology for isolation of a mysterious compound. The isolated compounds, a pyreno[4,5-b]pyrrole monoanion and pyreno[4,5-b:9,10-b′]dipyrrole dianion, were highly stable under ambient conditions due to high delocalization of the negative charge over multiple electron deficient C N groups and pyrene π-scaffolds and allowed purification by column chromatography. To our knowledge, this is the first report on TCNE type reductive condensation of malononitrile involving pyrene di- and tetraone and formation of pyrenopyrrole. All compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. A UV-vis spectroscopic study shows an intense low energy absorption band with a large absorption coefficient (ε).

An ambient stable pyreno[4,5-b]pyrrole monoanion and pyreno[4,5-b:9,10-b′]dipyrrole dianion have been isolated and characterized, showing a low energy intense absorption band with the absorption coefficient reaching 7.1 × 10⁴ dm³ mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹.     

Highly Chemoselective Aerobic Oxidation of Amino Alcohols into Amino Carbonyl Compounds

The direct oxidation of unprotected amino alcohols to their corresponding amino carbonyl compounds has often posed serious challenges in organic synthesis and has constrained chemists to adopting an indirect route, such as a protection/deprotection strategy, to attain their goal. Described herein is a highly chemoselective aerobic oxidation of unprotected amino alcohols to their amino carbonyl compounds in which 2‐azaadamantane N‐oxyl (AZADO)/copper catalysis is used. The catalytic system developed leads to the alcohol‐selective oxidation of various unprotected amino alcohols, carrying a primary, secondary, or tertiary amino group, in good to high yield at ambient temperature with exposure to air, thus offering flexibility in the synthesis of nitrogen‐containing compounds.     

Microstructure of metallic copper nanoparticles/metallic disc interface in metal–metal bonding using them

This paper describes a metal–metal bonding technique using metallic Cu nanoparticles prepared in aqueous solution. A colloid solution of metallic Cu particles with a size of 54 ± 15 nm was prepared by reducing Cu²⁺ (0.01 M (CH₃COO)₂Cu) with hydrazine (0.6 M) in the presence of stabilizers (5 × 10^?4 M citric acid and 5 × 10^?3 M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) in water at room temperature in air. Discs made of metallic materials (Cu, Ni/Cu, or Ag/Ni/Cu) were successfully bonded under annealing at 400 °C and pressurizing at 1.2 MPa for 5 min in H₂ gas with help of the metallic Cu particle powder. Shear strength required for separating the bonded discs was 27.9 ± 3.9 for Cu discs, 28.1 ± 4.1 for Ni/Cu discs, and 13.8 ± 2.6 MPa for Ag/Ni/Cu discs. Epitaxial crystal growth promotes on the discs with a good matching for the lattice constants between metallic nanoparticles and metallic disc surfaces, which leads to strong bonding. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Competitive Assay for Theophylline Based on an Abasic Site‐Containing DNA Duplex Aptamer and a Fluorescent Ligand

A fluorescence assay for theophylline, one of the common drugs for acute and chronic asthmatic conditions, has been developed based on an abasic site‐containing DNA duplex aptamer (AP aptamer) in combination with an abasic site‐binding fluorescent ligand, riboflavin. The assay is based on the competitive binding of theophylline and riboflavin at the abasic (AP) site of the AP aptamer. In the absence of theophylline, riboflavin binds to the receptor nucleotide opposite the AP site, which leads to fluorescence quenching of the riboflavin. Upon addition of theophylline, competitive binding occurs between theophylline and riboflavin, which results in an effective fluorescence restoration due to release of riboflavin from the AP site. From an examination of the optimization of the AP aptamers, the complex of riboflavin with a 23‐mer AP aptamer (5′‐TCT GCG TCC AGX GCA ACG CAC AC‐3′/5′‐GTG TGC GTT GCC CTG GAC GCA GA‐3′; X : the AP site (Spacer C3, a propylene residue)) possessing cytosine as a receptor nucleotide was found to show a selective and effective fluorescence response to theophylline; the limit of detection for theophylline was 1.1 μM . Furthermore, fluorescence detection of theophylline was successfully demonstrated with high selectivity in serum samples by using the optimized AP aptamer and riboflavin.