Chromo-chemodosimetric detection for Fe2+ by Fenton reagent-induced chromophore-decolorizing of halogenated phenolsulfonphthalein derivatives

A commercially-available sulfonphthalein derivative was demonstrated to be a chemodosimeter for Fe²⁺ and its sensing behavior was further investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy in aqueous media under the optimum conditions. In the presence of chlorophenol red (CPR) and H₂O₂, the absorption maximum at 435 nm decreased upon addition of Fe²⁺, resulting in a significant color change of the CPR solution from yellow to colorless. The chemosensor system did not show significant responses to a series of other metal ions including Al³⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe³⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, La³⁺, Ce⁴⁺, Th⁴⁺, Pd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Sb³⁺, Cr³⁺, Au³⁺, Ag⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, allowing for highly selective naked-eye detection of Fe²⁺. Quantitative analysis was carried out kinetically for practicable the Fe²⁺ assay when either fixed time method or the initial rate method was applied. When the detecting time was set, the decrease of absorbance signal was linear with Fe²⁺ concentration in the range of 0 to 7.50 × 10^?5 mol L^?1 and the regression equation was ΔA = 0.00759 + 0.00593C _Fe with a correlation coefficient r = 0.9953. The chemodosimetric system has employed an irreversible Fenton reagent-promoted oxidation of the CPR free chromophore and the hydroxyl radicals were generated in the presence of both Fe²⁺ and hydrogen peroxide. The mechanistic interpretation of the signaling process was partially confirmed by the radical scavenging experiment and the FT-IR analysis of the intermediates formed at different reaction periods.     

Spectroscopic study on the interaction between[Hg（SCN）4]2- and hemoglobin

The interaction between[Hg（SCN）₄]^2- and hemoglobin（Hb） under conditions that simulate a physiological environment was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy,fluorescence spectroscopy,resonance Rayleigh scattering（RRS） spectroscopy and circular dichroism（CD） spectroscopy.The results obtained from the change of UV-vis and CD spectra,the quenching of Hb fluorescence and the enhancement of RRS intensity proved that a 10:1 type complex was formed between[Hg（SCN）₄]^2- and Hb.The possible mechanism suggested for the interaction was that ten Hg（SCN）₄]^2- anions entered the four subunits of a Hb molecule to react with some residues to form an adduct by coordination and electrostatic forces.The coordination of[Hg（SCN）₄]^2- with Trp was the major cause of the fluorescence quenching of Hb.     

A fluorogenic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 3-azidocoumarins and acetylenes

Copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nonfluorescent 3-azidocoumarins and terminal alkynes afforded intense fluorescent 1,2,3-triazole products. The mild condition of this reaction allowed us to construct a large library of pure fluorescent coumarin dyes. Since both azide and alkyne are quite inert to biological systems, this reaction has potential in bioconjugation and bioimaging applications. [reaction: see text]     

Deep ultraviolet tip-enhanced Raman scattering

Electromagnetic mechanism of deep ultraviolet tip-enhanced Raman scattering (DUV-TERS) is investigated theoretically with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, stimulated by recent DUV-TERS experimental reports. FDTD results reveal that the strongest electromagnetic enhancement factor for DUV-TERS is as high as 7 orders in the optimal geometry.     

Structure of aqueous sodium metaborate solutions: X-ray diffraction study

A structural analysis of aqueous sodium metaborate solutions (NaBo₂ · nH₂O, n = 10, 15, 20) at 298 ± 0.5 K by a rapid liquid ??-?? X-ray diffractometry with a highly effective X??celerator detector is reported in present paper. The radial distribution functions (RDF) and theoretical partial radial distribution functions for B-O, O-O, Na-O, Na-B, and Na-Na atom pairs were obtained from precisely diffraction data processing. Structure of aqueous sodium metaborate solutions was given through model calculation and described in three different items: hydrated sodium ion, hydrated metaborate ion and ion association. Effects of concentration on the structure of the solutions were discussed in detail. The mechanisms of ion aggregation and the formation of crystal nuclei in the solution are proposed. The results show that a clear picture of the structure of aqueous sodium metaborate solution has been acquired.     

The Antioxidant and Hypolipidemic Effects of Mesona Chinensis Benth Extracts

In this study, the antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects of Mesona Chinensis Benth (MCB) extracts were evaluated. Seven fractions (F0, F10, F20, F30, F40, F50 and MTF) were obtained from the MCB ethanol extracts. Compared to the commercial antioxidants (vitamin C), MTF and F30 exhibited higher antioxidant activities in the antiradical activity test and the FRAP assay. The half-inhibition concentration (IC50) for MTF and F30 were 5.323 µg/mL and 5.278 µg/mL, respectively. MTF at 200 µg/mL significantly decreased the accumulation of TG in oleic acid (OA)-induced HepG2 cells and reversed the inhibitory effect of Compound C on AMPK (MTF and F30 significantly increased the glucose utilization of insulin-induced HepG2 cells). In addition, the components of MTF were identified by HPLC-MS, which were caffeic acid, quercetin 3-O-galactoside, isoquercetin, astragalin, rosmarinic acid, aromadendrin-3-O-rutinoside, rosmarinic acid-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol-7-O-glucoside. Through statistical correlations by Simca P software, it was found that the main antioxidant and hypolipidemic components of MCB might be caffeic acid, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, rosmarinic acid-3-O-glucoside and aromadendrin-3-O-rutinoside, which may play important roles in the AMPK pathway. MTF and F30 in MCB could be potential health products for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.     

Synthesis and Anti-Neuroinflammatory Activity of 1,7-diphenyl-1,4-heptadien-3-ones in LPS-Stimulated BV2 Microglia Via Inhibiting NF-κB/MAPK Signaling Pathways

A series of 1,7-diphenyl-1,4-heptadien-3-ones with various substituents (HO-, CH₃O-, CH₃-, Cl-) on the phenyl rings were synthesized and evaluated for anti-neuroinflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia. The pharmacological results showed that the target compounds bearing methoxy groups greatly inhibited LPS-induced NO release, and that the active compounds CU-19 and CU-21 reduced the level of NO, TNF-α, IL-6 and PGE-2, downregulated the expression of COX-2 and iNOS in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. A study of the mechanism of action revealed that CU-19 and CU-21 inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and phosphorylation of MAPKs (ERK, JNK, and p38). A preliminary pharmacokinetic study in rats revealed that the pharmacokinetic properties of CU-19 and CU-21 were dramatically ameliorated in comparison with the pharmacokinetic properties of curcumin.     

Joint Optimization of Control Strategy and Energy Consumption for Energy Harvesting WSAN

With the rapid development of wireless sensor technology, recent progress in wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSANs) with energy harvesting provide the possibility for various real-time applications. Meanwhile, extensive research activities are carried out in the fields of efficient energy allocation and control strategy design. However, the joint design considering physical plant control, energy harvesting, and consumption is rarely concerned in existing works. In this paper, in order to enhance system control stability and promote quality of service for the WSAN energy efficiency, a novel three-step joint optimization algorithm is proposed through control strategy and energy management analysis. First, the optimal sampling interval can be obtained based on energy harvesting, consumption, and remaining conditions. Then, the control gain for each sampling interval is derived by using a backward iteration. Finally, the optimal control strategy is determined as a linear function of the current plant states and previous control strategies. The application of UAV formation flight system demonstrates that better system performance and control stability can be achieved by the proposed joint optimization design for all poor, sufficient, and general energy harvesting scenarios.     

A molecular mechanics approach for analyzing tensile nonlinear deformation behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes

In this paper, by capturing the atomic information and reflecting the behaviour governed by the nonlinear potential function, an analytical molecular mechanics approach is proposed. A constitutive relation for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT’s) is established to describe the nonlinear stress-strain curve of SWCNT’s and to predict both the elastic properties and breaking strain of SWCNT’s during tensile deformation. An analysis based on the virtual internal bond (VIB) model proposed by P. Zhang et al. is also presented for comparison. The results indicate that the proposed molecular mechanics approach is indeed an acceptable analytical method for analyzing the mechanical behavior of SWCNT’s. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10121202, 90305015 and 10328203), the Key Grant Project of Chinese Ministry of Education (0306) and the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (HKU 7195/04E).     

Visible Light-Driven Alkyne-Grafted Ethylene-Bridged Azobenzene Chromophores for Photothermal Utilization

Molecular photoswitches are considered to be important candidates in the field of solar energy storage due to their sensitive and reversible bidirectional optical response. Nevertheless, it is still a daunting challenge to design a molecular photoswitch to improve the low solar spectrum utilization and quantum yields while achieving charging and discharging of heat without solvent assistance. Herein, a series of visible-light-driven ethylene-bridged azobenzene (b-Azo) chromophores with different alkyne substituents which can undergo isomerization reactions promoted in both directions by visible light are reported. Their visible light responsiveness improves their solar spectrum utilization while also having high quantum yields. In addition, as the compounds are liquids, there is no need to dissolve the compounds in order to exploit this switching. The photoisomerization of b-Azo can be adjusted by alkyne-related substituents, and hexyne-substituted b-Azo is able to store and release photothermal energy with a high density of 106.1 J·g⁻¹, and can achieve a temperature increase of 1.8 °C at a low temperature of −1 °C.