Highly efficient preparation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from sucrose using ionic liquids and heteropolyacid catalysts in dimethyl sulfoxide–water mixed solvent

Several types of ILs and solid acids were used as catalysts in one-pot conversion of sucrose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (abbreviated as 5-HMF) in a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/water mixed solvent under hydrothermal conditions. A remarkable 5-HMF yield of 91.8% was achieved catalyzed by the cesium salt of dodecatungstophosphoric acid (Cs_2.3H_0.7PW₁₂O₄₀) within 3 h at 180 ℃. The ionic liquid N-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([Hmim][HSO₄]) gave the 5-HMF in 82.0% yield from sucrose. To the best of our knowledge, it was almost the highest yield of HMF from sucrose by now. Various reaction parameters including reaction temperature and time and catalyst dosage were optimized. A possible mechanism for this catalytic process was proposed. Furthermore, fructose and glucose were also investigated, good yields of 5-HMF was obtained respectively. This increases the possibility of large-scale production of 5-HMF from carbohydrates.     

Synthesis of Stimuli-responsive Nanoparticles by Solution Polymerization

In this study, stimuli-responsive nanoparticles were prepared by solution polymerization. Two synthesis routes are proposed to synthesize the particles, the monomer route and the polymer/monomer route. For the monomer route, pH and thermal sensitive nanoparticles were synthesized from acrylic acid and N-isopropylacrylamide. For the polymer/monomer route, the pH sensitive nanoparticles were synthesized from chitosan and acrylic acid. The effect of reaction time, initiator concentration and agitation rate on the particle size and the size distribution were investigated. The stimuli-responsive nanoparticles could be directly blended with other polymers to prepare stimuli-responsive functional membranes.     

Preparation and Characteration of UV-cured EA/MMT Nanocomposites Via In-Situ Polymerization

A long-chain surfactant, enzoylbenzyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-octadecylammonium bromide (BDOB) with a benzophenone group, was synthesized to modify the montmorillonites (MMT) for the preparation of nanocomposites via photo-induced polymerization. The BDOB-modified MMT was characterized by the fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results of XRD indicated that the intercalated structures of BDOB-modified MMT was obtained. The conversion of the bisphenol A epoxy diacrylate (EA) was quantified by the FTIR, and the results indicated that conversion increased with an increase in the amount of BDOB-modified MMT. The morphologies of the UV-cured EA/MMT nanocomposites prepared from this organically modified MMT were studied by means of XRD and TEM, and the results showed that all the samples contained an intercalated structure with partial exfoliated structure. The results of TGA and mechanical properties also indicated that the thermal and mechanical properties of UV-cured nanocomposites were significantly enhanced due to the presence of the long chain surfactant organically modified MMT.     

Activation of Hydrogen Peroxide by Ionic Liquids: Mechanistic Studies and Application in the Epoxidation of Olefins

Imidazolium‐based ionic liquids that contain perrhenate anions are very efficient reaction media for the epoxidation of olefins with H₂O₂ as an oxidant, thus affording cyclooctene in almost quantitative yields. The mechanism of this reaction does not follow the usual pathway through peroxo complexes, as is the case with long‐known molecular transition‐metal catalysts. By using in situ Raman, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations, we have shown that the formation of hydrogen bonds between the oxidant and perrhenate activates the oxidant, thereby leading to the transfer of an oxygen atom onto the olefin demonstrating the special features of an ionic liquid as a reaction environment. The influence of the imidazolium cation and the oxidant (aqueous H₂O₂, urea hydrogen peroxide, and tert‐butyl hydrogen peroxide) on the efficiency of the epoxidation of cis‐cyclooctene were examined. Other olefinic substrates were also used in this study and they exhibited good yields of the corresponding epoxides. This report shows the potential of using simple complexes or salts for the activation of hydrogen peroxide, owing to the interactions between the solvent medium and the active complex.     

Vacuum Ultraviolet Free-Electron Laser Photoionization Mass Spectrometry of Alpha-pinene Ozonolysis

\begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene is the most abundant monoterpene that represents an important family of volatile organic compounds. Molecular identification of key transient compounds during the \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene ozonolysis has been proven to be a challenging experimental target because of a large number of intermediates and products involved. Here we exploit the recently developed hybrid instruments that integrate aerosol mass spectrometry with a vacuum ultraviolet free-electron laser to study the \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene ozonolysis. The experiments of \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene ozonolysis are performed in an indoor smog chamber, with reactor having a volume of 2 m\begin{document}$^3$\end{document} which is made of fluorinated ethylene propylene film. Distinct mass spectral peaks provide direct experimental signatures of previously unseen compounds produced from the reaction of \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene with O\begin{document}$_3$\end{document}. With the aid of quantum chemical calculations, plausible mechanisms for the formation of these new compounds are proposed. These findings provide crucial information on fundamental understanding of the initial steps of \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene oxidation and the subsequent processes of new particle formation.     

Amorphous Carbon Film with Self-modified Carbon Nanoparticles Synthesized by Low Temperature Carbonization of Phenolic Resin for Simultaneous Sensing of Dopamine and Uric Acid

A self-modified film electrode consisting of homogeneous snowflake-shaped nanoparticles on the amorphous carbon substrate (HNAC) was prepared by low temperature carbonization of phenolic resin. Such a unique structure was beneficial to enhance the electroanalysis signal responds. Simultaneous detection of DA and UA was performed on the HNAC using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at pH 8 phosphate buffer. The well-defined oxidation peak potential separation reached 260 mV between DA and UA. Meanwhile, the detection limit of HNAC were 0.401 μM (DA) and 2.800 μM (UA).     

硅单粒子位移损伤多尺度模拟研究

本文结合分子动力学方法和动力学蒙特卡罗方法, 研究了单个粒子入射硅引起的位移损伤缺陷的产生和演化过程; 基于Shockley-Read-Hall理论计算了单个粒子入射引起的位移损伤缺陷导致的泄漏电流增加及其演化过程, 比较了缺陷退火因子与泄漏电流退火因子之间的差异, 并将计算结果与实验值进行了对比. 结果表明, 计算泄漏电流时, 仅考虑一种缺陷的情况下缺陷退火因子与泄漏电流退火因子相同, 考虑两种缺陷类型情况下二者在数值上有所区别, 但缺陷退火因子仍能在一定程度上反映泄漏电流的退火行为. 分子动力学模拟中采用Stillinger-Weber势函数和Tersoff势函数时缺陷退火因子和泄漏电流退火因子与实验结果一致, 基于Stillinger-Weber势函数的计算结果与实验值更为接近.     

Analysis of nitrobenzene compounds in water and soil samples by graphene composite-based solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this work, solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was developed to determine trace levels of nitrobenzene compounds in water and soil samples. Graphene was chosen as the extraction material and its composite was coated on a stainless steel wire through sol–gel technique for the solid phase microextraction. The key parameters influencing the extraction efficiency were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the linearity for the compounds was observed in the range of 0.02–15.0 mg/L for water samples, and 0.2–60.0 mg/kg for soil samples, with the correlation coefficients（r） of 0.9966–0.9987. The limits of detection of the method were 0.0025–0.005 mg/L for water samples, and 0.02–0.04 mg/kg for soil samples. The recoveries for the spiked samples were in the range of 72.0%–113.2%, and the precision, expressed as the relative standard deviations, was less than 12.1%.     

Facile Synthesis of Hierarchical Nanosized Single-Crystal Aluminophosphate Molecular Sieves from Highly Homogeneous and Concentrated Precursors

The synthesis of hierarchical nanosized zeolite materials without growth modifiers and mesoporogens remains a substantial challenge. Herein, we report a general synthetic approach to produce hierarchical nanosized single-crystal aluminophosphate molecular sieves by preparing highly homogeneous and concentrated precursors and heating at elevated temperatures. Accordingly, aluminophosphate zeotypes of LTA (8-rings), AEL (10-rings), AFI (12-rings), and -CLO (20-rings) topologies, ranging from small to extra-large pores, were synthesized. These materials show exceptional properties, including small crystallites (30–150 nm), good monodispersity, abundant mesopores, and excellent thermal stability. A time-dependent study revealed a non-classical crystallization pathway by particle attachment. This work opens a new avenue for the development of hierarchical nanosized zeolite materials and understanding their crystallization mechanism.