Development of a Genus-Universal Nucleotide Signature for the Identification and Supervision of Ephedra-Containing Products

Ephedra plants generally contain ephedrine alkaloids, which are the critical precursor compounds of methamphetamine (METH). METH could cause serious physical and mental damage, and therefore Ephedra materials are strictly in supervision internationally. However, unlawful utilization of Ephedra herbs and its products still exist. Thus, it is imperative to establish a universal method for monitoring Ephedra ingredients in complex mixtures and processed products. In this study, 224 ITS2 sequences representing 59 taxa within Ephedra were collected, and a 23-bp genus-level nucleotide signature (GTCCGGTCCGCCTCGGCGGTGCG) was developed for the identification of the whole genus. The specific primers MH-1F/1R were designed, and 125 individuals of twelve Ephedra species/varieties were gathered for applicability verification of the nucleotide signature. Additionally, seven batches of Chinese patent medicines containing Ephedra herbs were used to test the application of the nucleotide signature in complex and highly processed materials. The results demonstrated that the 23-bp molecular marker was unique to Ephedra and conserved within the genus. It can be successfully utilized for the detection of Ephedra components in complex preparations and processed products with severe DNA degradation. The method developed in this study could undoubtedly serve as a strong support for the supervision of illegal circulation of Ephedra-containing products.     

Gain characteristics and optimization of dual-pump fiber optical parametric amplifier using two-section highly nonlinear fibers

In this paper the gain characteristics of two-pump fiber optical parametric amplifiers (FOPA) with two-section highly nonlinear fibers are analyzed numerically and the parameters of the fibers are optimized to reach broad and flat gain spectra using genetic algorithm. Different from the previous methods, here the space between two pump wavelengths and the parameter β₄ of the fibers are included as a pivotal factor in the optimization. The numerical simulation shows that using two-section practical high nonlinear fibers, the amplifier may reach 110 nm bandwidth covering 1495–1605 nm with 10.5 dB average gain and gain ripple of 0.17 dB, when the total pump power is 1 W.     

A General and Mild Catalytic α‐Alkylation of Unactivated Esters Using Alcohols

Catalytic α‐alkylation of esters with primary alcohols is a desirable process because it uses low‐toxicity agents and generates water as the by‐product. Reported herein is a NCP pincer/Ir catalyst which is highly efficient for α‐alkylation of a broad scope of unactivated esters under mild reaction conditions. For the first time, alcohols alkylate unactivated α‐substituted acyclic esters, lactones, and even methyl and ethyl acetates. This method can be applied to the synthesis of carboxylic acid derivatives with diverse structures and functional groups, some of which would be impossible to access by conventional enolate alkylations with alkyl halides.     

The morphology and crystalline region distribution of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers prepared by electrospinning

The effects of electrospinning parameters in a wider range on the morphology and diameters of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers are studied in detail. The fibers’ diameter increases from 288 to 3469 nm swiftly with the increasing PAN concentration. With the increasing voltage or prolonging gap distance, the diameter increases primarily and decreases later. The combined effects of surface tension, splitting and stretching, electric force, viscosity, and solvent volatilization are the main reasons. Ultrasonic etching method, Atomic force microscope (AFM), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) technology have been utilized to verify the nature structure of electrospun PAN fibers. Combining all the results, it is deduced that there are many grooves arranging nearly perpendicular to the fiber axis on the surface of electrospun PAN fibers. The thickness of relative ordered region is 40 to 190 nm and the thickness of amorphous region is 20 to 35 nm.     

Development and validation of LC–MS/MS method for amlexanox in rat plasma and its application in preclinical pharmacokinetics

Amlexanox, an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic agent, has been widely used clinically for the treatment of canker sores, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. Recently, amlexanox has received considerable attention in curing nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases and hepatitis virus infection. Herein, we first established a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrum (LC–MS/MS) method for the determination of amlexanox in rat plasma. Propranolol was used as the internal standard (IS). Using a simple protein precipitation method, the amlexanox and IS were separated with Capcell Pak C18 column (2.0 × 50 mm, 5 μm) and eluted with water and acetonitrile each containing 0.1% formic acid using gradient elution condition at a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min⁻¹. Amlexanox and IS were detected by a triple quadrupole mass in multiple reactive monitoring (MRM) under the transitions of m/z 299.2 → 281.2 and m/z 259.9 → 116.1 with positive electrospray ionization, respectively. The calibration curves of amlexanox were established with the range of 50 to 2000 ng·mL⁻¹ (r² > 0.99). The validation method consisted of selectivity, accuracy, precision, carryover effect, matrix effect, recovery, dilution effect, and stability. The fully validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of amlexanox in Wistar rats.     

Co3O4/UiO-66@α-Al2O3陶瓷膜对VOCs废气的分离催化性能

以α-Al₂O₃为支撑层, UiO-66为分离层, Co₃O₄为催化层, 构建了Co₃O₄/UiO-66@α-Al₂O₃陶瓷膜.对其形貌结构进行了表征, 并研究了其对挥发性有机物(VOCs)的分离催化性能. 结果表明, 该陶瓷膜对喷涂行业废气中苯与吡啶两种主要成分体现出良好的分离性, 透过侧的气体中吡啶与苯的摩尔浓度比值可由给料侧的1提高至17; 体系中引入臭氧后, 给料侧苯的浓度明显降低, 其去除率可达到89%. 透过侧的吡啶去除率仅为27%, 得到了较大程度的保留, 剩余的吡啶经收集后可进行单独的深度处理. Co₃O₄/UiO-66@α-Al₂O₃陶瓷膜在对喷涂行业废气中苯成分高效降解的同时, 能够有效解决喷涂行业废气处理过程中氮氧化物的排放问题, 有望成为喷涂行业废气预处理工艺的理想选择.     

印刷有机数字电路及应用

印刷有机电子技术是基于印刷原理的有机电子器件制造技术,是指将有机电子材料配制成功能性油墨,用印刷方式来制造电子器件与系统的方法,其发展涉及到材料化学、微电子学等多个学科方面的知识。其独特的制造方式和器件形态具有柔性、低成本、大面积制造等优势,并且与传统硅基电子器件在应用场合上形成了互补,在生物传感、电子皮肤、柔性显示等领域展示出优势。为了及时跟进这一快速发展的领域,对领域的发展有宏观的把握,本文从印刷技术和电路系统的角度进行了全面概述,介绍了喷墨打印、丝网印刷和转印印刷等印刷技术和基于印刷技术制备的有机数字电路(反相器、与非门、环形振荡器、D触发器),以及实现功能化的印刷电子应用(RFID、电子皮肤、OLED显示驱动背板等);最后,对本领域目前存在的问题和未来发展方向做了简要探讨。     

Highly Luminescent One-Dimensional Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Double-Perovskite-Inspired Materials for Single-Component Warm White-Light-Emitting Diodes

Double perovskites (DPs) are one of the most promising candidates for developing white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) owing to their intrinsic broadband emission from self-trapped excitons (STEs). Translation of three-dimensional (3D) DPs to one-dimensional (1D) analogues, which could break the octahedral tolerance factor limit, is so far remaining unexplored. Herein, by employing a fluorinated organic cation, we report a series of highly luminescent 1D DP-inspired materials, (DFPD)₂M^IInBr₆ (DFPD=4,4-difluoropiperidinium, M^I=K⁺ and Rb⁺). Highly efficient warm-white photoluminescence quantum yield of 92 % is achieved by doping 0.3 % Sb³⁺ in (DFPD)₂KInBr₆. Furthermore, single-component warm-WLEDs fabricated with (DFPD)₂KInBr₆:Sb yield a luminance of 300 cd/m², which is one of the best-performing lead-free metal-halides WLEDs reported so far. Our study expands the scope of In-based metal-halides from 3D to 1D, which exhibit superior optical performances and broad application prospects.     

丝网印刷柔性电子器件

有机电子器件的主要优势之一是溶液可处理性,这使得可以通过多种印刷方法制备有机电子器件。丝网印刷作为一种十分成熟的印刷方法,被广泛应用于微电子器件的制备。本文主要从丝网印刷的组成、影响丝网印刷精密度的因素以及丝网印刷在场效应晶体管、太阳能电池、有机发光二极管等柔性电子器件制备中的应用分别作以介绍,并对目前丝网印刷在印刷柔性电子器件中存在的困难和挑战作以总结。     

Au促进Pt/WO3催化甘油氢解制1,3-丙二醇

近年来, 以生物质为基础的生物柴油得到了迅速发展, 导致了粗甘油过剩. 通过甘油选择性氢解制1,3-丙二醇, 进而被用于合成高价值的聚对苯二甲酸丙二醇酯被认为是最具工业应用潜力的反应之一, 对于提高生物柴油的利用效率有着极其重要的意义. 但由于反应空间位阻和热力学上的限制给甘油氢解制1,3-丙二醇带来了很大的挑战, 因此需要设计高活性的金属-酸双功能催化剂以降低甘油第二个C-O键断裂的活化能和减少其他副反应的发生. 目前Pt-W和Ir-Re双功能催化剂可高选择性制得1,3-丙二醇, 但仍需较严苛的反应条件实现对氢气的活化和解离. 本课题组曾将准单原子/单原子Pt高度分散于具有大量氧空位和酸位点的WOx载体上, 十分有利于甘油选择性氢解制1,3-丙二醇反应; 在Au-Pt/WOx催化剂中添加Au可促进B酸产生, 进而提高了甘油转化率和1,3-丙二醇的选择性.为了进一步研究Au对Pt/WOx催化剂结构和催化性能的影响, 本文利用CTAB辅助吸附法制备了Au/WO3, 再浸渍Pt制得Pt/Au/WO3双金属催化剂. 在甘油选择性氢解制1,3-丙二醇反应中, 所制催化剂表现出比Au-Pt/WOx更好的催化活性, 1,3-丙二醇时空收率为0.078 g1,3-PDO/(gcat·h), 是后者的1.95倍. 值得一提的是, Au-Pt/WOx催化剂在低压时活性较高, 而Pt/Au/WO3催化剂活性则在压力的升高而提高; 另外反应温度的升高导致副产物正丙醇的选择性上升, 1,3-丙二醇的选择性降低. 因此, 适宜的反应条件为155℃和5 MPa. 与Pt/WO3和Pt/WOx相比, Pt/Au/WO3表现出了更优异的催化性能, 其1,3-丙二醇的时空收率是Pt/WO3的2.36倍和Pt/WOx的4倍.为了探究Au的掺入对Pt/WOx催化剂性能的影响, 通过XRD, TEM, H2-TPR和XPS等技术对催化剂进行了深入表征. 结果表明, 与Pt/WO3相比, Pt/Au/WO3-600催化剂的XRD衍射峰向小角度偏移, 其原因是Au3+离子半径(0.85 ?)比W6+的(0.60 ?)大, Au3+以取代晶格W6+形式进入WO3晶格中; 对H2-TPR前300 ℃耗氢量的计算可知:Pt/WO3可被还原至Pt/WO2.96, 而Pt/Au/WO3可被还原至Pt/Au/WO2.91. 因此与Pt/WO3相比, Pt/Au/WO3表面氧空位更加丰富. TEM和XPS表征可知, 添加0.1 wt%Au后, 促进了更低价态的Pt均匀分散在WO3载体上, 其平均粒径为2.36 nm.综上所述, Au的掺杂改变了Pt/Au/WO3双金属催化剂的结构, 不仅降低了Pt和W的还原温度, 削弱了Pt和W之间的相互作用, 也促进了更低价态的Pt均匀分散于WO3载体上, 使得Pt/Au/WO3双金属催化剂在甘油氢解制1,3-丙二醇反应中具有更为优异的活性和产物选择性. 该催化剂有望被广泛运用于其他生物质平台化合物加氢脱氧的反应中.