Dysprosiacarboranes as Organometallic Single-Molecule Magnets

The dicarbollide ion, nido-C₂B₉H₁₁²⁻ is isoelectronic with cyclopentadienyl. Herein, we make dysprosiacarboranes, namely [(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂Ln(THF)₂][Na(THF)₅] (Ln=Dy, 1Dy ) and [(THF)₃(μ-H)₃Li]₂[{η⁵-C₆H₄(CH₂)₂C₂B₉H₉}Dy{η²:η⁵-C₆H₄(CH₂)₂C₂B₉H₉}₂Li] 3Dy and show that dicarbollide ligands impose strong magnetic axiality on the central Dy^III ion. The effective energy barrier (U_eff) for the loss of magnetization can be varied by the substitution pattern on the dicarbollide. This finding is demonstrated by comparing complexes of nido-C₂B₉H₁₁²⁻ and nido-[o-xylylene-C₂B₉H₉]²⁻, which show a U_eff of 430(5) K and 804(7) K, respectively. The blocking temperature defined by the open hysteresis temperature of 3Dy reaches 6.8 K. Moreover, the linear complex [Dy(C₂B₉H₁₁)₂]⁻ is predicted to have comparable properties with the linear [Dy(Cp^Me3)₂]⁺ complex. As such, carboranyl ligands and their derivatives may provide a new type of organometallic ligand for high-performance single-molecule magnets.     

Full Dissolution of the Whole Lithium Sulfide Family (Li2S8 to Li2S) in a Safe Eutectic Solvent for Rechargeable Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The lithium–sulfur battery is an attractive option for next‐generation energy storage owing to its much higher theoretical energy density than state‐of‐the‐art lithium‐ion batteries. However, the massive volume changes of the sulfur cathode and the uncontrollable deposition of Li₂S₂/Li₂S significantly deteriorate cycling life and increase voltage polarization. To address these challenges, we develop an ?‐caprolactam/acetamide based eutectic‐solvent electrolyte, which can dissolve all lithium polysulfides and lithium sulfide (Li₂S₈–Li₂S). With this new electrolyte, high specific capacity (1360 mAh g^?1) and reasonable cycling stability are achieved. Moreover, in contrast to conventional ether electrolyte with a low flash point (ca. 2 °C), such low‐cost eutectic‐solvent‐based electrolyte is difficult to ignite, and thus can dramatically enhance battery safety. This research provides a new approach to improving lithium–sulfur batteries in aspects of both safety and performance.     

Biomimetic stimuli‐responsive nanochannels and their applications

Biomimetic smart nanochannels have been studied extensively to achieve the precise ionic transport compared to biological ion channels. Similar to ion channels in living organisms, biomimetic smart nanochannels can respond to various stimuli, which allows for promising applications in many fields. In this review, we mainly summarize the recent advances in the design of biomimetic stimuli‐responsive nanochannels and their potential applications including biosensors and drug delivery. Finally, an outlook on the challenges and opportunities for biomimetic stimuli‐responsive nanochannels is provided.     

Electric modeling and characterization of pulsed high‐voltage nanoelectrospray ionization sources by a miniature ion trap mass spectrometer

A better understanding of nanoelectrospray ionization (nano‐ESI) would be beneficial in further improving the performances of nano‐ESI. In this work, the pulsed high‐voltage (HV) nano‐ESI has been electrically modeled and then systematically characterized by both voltage‐current and mass spectrometry measurements. First, the equivalent resistance of a nano‐ESI source changes with respect to both emitter tip diameter and the HV applied. Increased voltage could improve both spray current and ionization efficiency of the pulsed HV nano‐ESI. Compared with conventional DC HV method, a pulsed HV has less heating effect on the capillary tip and thus allowing the application of a much higher voltage onto a nano‐ESI source. As a result, a pulsed HV nano‐ESI could further boost the ionization efficiency of nano‐ESI by employing even higher voltages than conventional DC nano‐ESI sources.     

Combination of sp2‐ and sp3‐Type Phosphorus Atoms for Gold Chemistry: Preparation,Structure, and Catalytic Activity of Gold Complexes That Bear Ligated 2‐Silyl‐1,3‐diphosphapropenes

Kinetically protected 2‐silyl‐1,3‐diphosphapropenes that bear both sp²‐ and sp³‐type phosphorus atoms were employed in the preparation of gold complexes. The structural properties of the 1,3‐diphosphapropene digold(I) complexes were characterized by spectroscopic and crystallographic analyses, which revealed unique aurophilic interactions and conformational properties of the ligand. The 2‐silyl‐1,3‐diphosphapropene‐bis(chlorogold) complexes catalyzed cycloisomerization reactions of 1,6‐enyne derivatives even in the absence of silver co‐catalyst, and were able to be recovered after the reaction. The catalytic activity of the digold complexes primarily depended on the sp²‐type phosphorus atom and the silyl group, and could be tuned by the sp³‐phosphino group. Additionally, results on the catalytic activity of the digold complex in the presence and absence of silver salts showed considerable differences.     

Adsorption of aqueous Hg (II) by a novel poly(aniline‐co‐o‐aminophenol)/mesoporous silica SBA‐15 composite

A novel poly(aniline‐co‐o‐aminophenol) (PAOA)/mesoporous silica SBA‐15 nanocomposite was synthesized and investigated for adsorption of Hg (II) from aqueous solutions of wide pH range. A chemical oxidation method was employed for polymerization of aniline and o‐aminophenol on an ordered SBA‐15 template to obtain a significantly enlarged BET surface area of the adsorbent. Efficiency study revealed that the PAOA/SBA‐15 could reach a maximum Hg (II) adsorption capacity of over 400 mg/g. Kinetic study showed that the Hg (II) adsorption by the PAOA/SBA‐15 fitted a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model, indicating that the mercury adsorption process was predominantly controlled by chemical process. The results of this study also proved that the adsorbed Hg (II) could be effectively desorbed from the PAOA/SBA‐15 in 0.1M HCl and 5% sulfocarbonide solutions. Associated adsorption mechanism was also investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microbial carbonylation and hydroxylation of 20(R)-panaxadiol by Aspergillus niger

20(R)-panaxadiol (PD) was metabolised by the fungus Aspergillus niger AS 3.3926 to its C-3 carbonylated metabolite and five other hydroxylated metabolites (1–6). Their structures were elucidated as 3-oxo-20(R)-panaxadiol (1), 3-oxo-7β-hydroxyl- 20(R)-panaxadiol (2), 3-oxo-7β,23α-dihydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (3), 3,12-dioxo- 7β,23β-dihydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (4), 3-oxo-1α,7β-dihydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (5) and 3-oxo-7β,15β-dihydroxyl-20(R)-panaxadiol (6) by spectroscopic analysis. Among them, compounds 2–6 were new compounds. Pharmacological studies revealed that compound 6 exhibited significant anti-hepatic fibrosis activity.     

Preparation and evaluation of a novel molecularly imprinted SPE monolithic capillary column for the determination of auramine O in shrimp

A novel method combining molecular imprinting and SPE was developed in a capillary column for the determination of auramine O in shrimp. The capillary monolithic column was prepared by UV‐initiated in situ polymerization, using auramine O as template and methacrylic acid and ethylene dimethacrylate as functional monomer and cross‐linker, respectively. The properties of the prepared capillary monolithic column were investigated under the optimized conditions coupled with HPLC, and then the morphologies of the inner polymers were characterized by SEM. The calibration curve was expressed as A = 103C + 19.8 (r = 0.9992) with a linear range of 0.25–25.0 μg/mL, and the recoveries of auramine O at different concentrations in shrimp ranged from 90.5 to 92.4% with RSDs ranging from 2.1 to 4.4%. The capacities of the molecularly imprinted polymer and nonimprinted polymer columns were 0.722 and 0.147 μg/mg, respectively, and the LOD (S/N = 3) of auramine O in shrimp was 17.85 μg/kg. Under the selected conditions, the enrichment factors obtained were higher than 70‐fold. The results indicate that the prepared molecularly imprinted capillary monolithic column was reliable and applicable to the analysis of auramine O in shrimp.     

Theoretical study of electronic structure of rhodium mononitride and interpretation of experimental spectra

Potential energy curves of 22 electronic states of RhN have been calculated by the complete active space second‐order perturbation theory method. The X¹Σ₀⁺ is assigned as the ground state, and the first excited state a³Π₀+ is 978 cm^?1 higher. The ¹Δ(I) and B¹Σ⁺ states are located at 9521 and 13,046 cm^?1 above the ground state, respectively. The B¹Σ⁺ state should be the excited state located 12,300 cm^?1 above the ground state in the experimental study. Moreover, two excited states, C¹Π and b³Σ⁺, are found 14,963 and 15,082 cm^?1 above the X¹Σ⁺ state, respectively. The transition C¹Π₁–X¹Σ₀⁺ may contribute to the experimentally observed bands headed at 15,071 cm^?1. There are two excited states, D¹Δ and E¹Σ⁺, situate at 20,715 and 23,145 cm^?1 above the X¹Σ⁺ state. The visible bands near 20,000 cm^?1 could be generated by the electronic transitions D¹Δ₂–a³Π₁ and E¹Σ⁺₀–X¹Σ⁺₀ because of the spin–orbit coupling effect. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Photocurrent generation in multilayer self-assembly films fabricated from water-soluble poly(phenylene vinylene)

A novel, water-soluble, cationic PPV derivative poly[(2,5-bis(3-bromotrimethylammoniopropoxy)-phenylene-1,4-divinylene)-alt-1,4-(2,5-bis(2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy))phenylene vinylene] (BH-PPV) has been synthesized by a Heck coupling reaction. Multilayered assemblies of the BH-PPV and the sodium salt of hexa(sulfobutyl)fullerenes (C(60)-HS) were fabricated successfully by an alternate deposition technique. The multilayer structures were studied by UV/Vis spectroscopy, small angle X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. The photoinduced charge transfer property of the self-assembled multilayer film was also measured by a three-electrode cell technique. A steady and rapid cathodic 5.5 microA cm(-2) photocurrent response was measured as the irradiation of the multilayer film was switched on and off. Importantly, the response of on/off cycling is prompt and reproducible. A possible mechanism for the electron-transfer process is proposed.