Designed Synthesis of Well‐Defined Pd@Pt Core–Shell Nanoparticles with Controlled Shell Thickness as Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

Improving the electrocatalytic activity and durability of Pt‐based catalysts with low Pt content toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is one of the main challenges in advancing the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Herein, a designed synthesis of well‐defined Pd@Pt core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) with a controlled Pt shell thickness of 0.4–1.2 nm by a facile wet chemical method and their electrocatalytic performances for ORR as a function of shell thickness are reported. Pd@Pt NPs with predetermined structural parameters were prepared by in situ heteroepitaxial growth of Pt on as‐synthesized 6 nm Pd NPs without any sacrificial layers and intermediate workup processes, and thus the synthetic procedure for the production of Pd@Pt NPs with well‐defined sizes and shell thicknesses is greatly simplified. The Pt shell thickness could be precisely controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of Pt to Pd. The ORR performance of the Pd@Pt NPs strongly depended on the thickness of their Pt shells. The Pd@Pt NPs with 0.94 nm Pt shells exhibited enhanced specific activity and higher durability compared to other Pd@Pt NPs and commercial Pt/C catalysts. Testing Pd@Pt NPs with 0.94 nm Pt shells in a membrane electrode assembly revealed a single‐cell performance comparable with that of the Pt/C catalyst despite their lower Pt content, that is the present NP catalysts can facilitate low‐cost and high‐efficient applications of PEMFCs.     

A New Series of C‐6 Unsubstituted Tetrahydropyrimidines: Convenient One‐Pot Chemoselective Synthesis,Aggregation‐Induced and Size‐Independent Emission Characteristics

A new series of C‐6 unsubstituted tetrahydropyrimidines 6 have been directly synthesized via a convenient urea‐catalyzed chemoselective five‐component reaction (5CR) under mild conditions. Compounds 6 show typical aggregation‐induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristics because they are practically no emissive in solution but emit blue or green fluorescence in aggregates with fluorescence yield up to 93 %. One of the 5CR products, 6 aa , exhibits blue‐ and green‐fluorescence aggregates (bf‐ and gf‐aggregates). The bf‐ and gf‐aggregates are prepared under different conditions and proved to result from different J‐aggregations by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. In addition, the bf‐ and gf‐aggregates of 6 aa show unusual size‐independent emission (SIE) characteristics because their maximum emission wavelengths in different sizes (suspension particles, film, powder and crystals) are the same, 434 and 484 nm, respectively. Based on the obtained experimental results, the 5CR mechanism, the origins of AIEE and SIE characteristics are discussed.     

阳离子聚丙烯酰胺水分散液的制备及表征

通过丙烯酰胺(AM)与甲基丙烯酰氧乙基三甲基氯化铵(DMC)的水相分散共聚合制得阳离子聚丙烯酰胺(CPAM)水分散液.以红外光谱(FTIR),核磁共振(1H-NMR),光学显微照片(OP)证实了产物结构与形成机理;研究了引发剂类型及用量,无机盐选择及用量,分散剂用量及单体配比对CPAM转化率、分子量及分散液黏度的影响.结果表明,采用2,2’-偶氮二[2-(2-咪唑啉-2-代)丙烷]二氢氯化物(VA-044)和过硫酸钾(KPS)/甲醛次硫酸氢钠(SFS)复合引发剂,在硫酸铵浓度28%～32%,同时添加少量硫酸锂或氯化钠,分散剂0.5%～1.5%(所有物质用量皆对总反应体系而言)条件下,可在高转化率同时得到分子量较高、流动性良好的CPAM水分散液.     

建筑用梳形共聚物分散剂溶液行为的光散射研究

采用激光光散射研究了一种主链为聚丙烯酸侧链为聚乙二醇的梳形共聚物分散剂的一些溶液行为.从静态光散射得出了较为合理的表观重均分子量、均方旋转半径等参数.动态光散射给出了流体力学半径分布及其角度和浓度依赖性.结合静态和动态光散射,上述梳形共聚物分散剂在溶液中的构象也得到初步的表征.通过与描述梳形聚合物的Gay-Raphae模型进行比较表明,这类梳形共聚物溶液在低盐离子和低pH值条件下存在聚集行为,形成以PAA主链为核PEG为壳层的类胶束聚集.     

La3+,Ce4+对制备堇青石材料晶相转变及烧结性能的影响

以菱镁矿风化石、工业氧化铝和二氧化硅微粉为原料,加入不同含量氧化镧、氧化铈添加剂,通过固相反应合成制备堇青石材料。用XRD法和SEM法表征试样中的晶相组成和显微结构,用X’Pert Plus软件计算主晶相的晶格常数、晶胞体积和试样的相对结晶度,用半定量法计算试样中各晶相含量,用Scherrer公式计算主晶相的粒径大小。研究分析了La3+,Ce4+对制备堇青石材料晶相组成、主晶相粒径大小、晶胞常数、试样相对结晶度、显微结构及烧结性能的影响。结果表明:氧化镧比氧化铈具有更好的助堇青石烧结性,加入氧化镧的堇青石试样具有更好的致密性;随着氧化镧、氧化铈加入量的增加,堇青石晶胞常数和晶胞体积呈现先增大后减小趋势;Ce4+更高的电场强度促进了堇青石材料更容易发生晶相转变形成莫来石。     

Fluorescent sensor based on dimesitylborylthiophene derivative for probing fluoride and cyanide

A new D-π-A dimesitylboron derivative with terminal phenothiazine bridged by fluorenevinyl (PFTB) has been synthesized. It was found that PFTB could selectively recognize fluoride and cyanide anions by naked eyes. Upon addition of F⁻ and CN⁻, the color of the solution of PFTB in DCM turned to yellowish-green from yellow and strong green emitting was observed under UV light, while the emission of PFTB in DCM was weak. Moreover, the presence of 10 equiv of tetrabutylammonium salts of other anions, such as Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻, AcO⁻, HSO₄⁻, H₂PO₄⁻, could not lead to obvious changes of the UV–vis absorption and the fluorescent emission spectra of PFTB. The detection limits of PFTB towards F⁻ and CN⁻ were 7.52×10⁻⁸ mol/L and 6.12×10⁻⁸ mol/L in DCM, respectively. Therefore, the D-π-A type triarylborane derivatives can be used as ‘turn on’ fluorescent sensors for detecting F⁻ and CN⁻.     

Ultra‐fast LC–ESI‐MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of six highly toxic Aconitum alkaloids from Aconiti kusnezoffii radix in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

A fast, sensitive, and efficient ultra‐fast LC–ESI‐MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous quantitation of six highly toxic Aconitum alkaloids, that is, aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, and benzoylhypaconine, in rat plasma after oral administration of crude ethanol extracts from Aconiti kusnezoffii radix by ultrasonic extraction, reflux extraction for 1 h, and reflux extraction for 3 h, respectively. The separation of six Aconitum alkaloids and aminopyrine (internal standard) was performed on an InertSustain® C₁₈ column, and the quantification of the analytes was performed on a 4000Q ultra‐fast LC–MS/MS system with turbo ion spray source in the positive ion and multiple‐reaction monitoring mode. Absolute recoveries ranged within 65.06–85.1% for plasma samples. The intra‐ and interday precision and accuracy of analytes were satisfactory. The methods were validated with sensitivity reaching the lower LOQ for aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, benzoylaconine, benzoylmesaconine, and benzoylhypaconine, which were 0.025, 0.025, 0.050, 0.025, 0.025, and 0.100 ng/mL, respectively. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of six Aconitum alkaloids in rat plasma after oral administration of crude ethanol extracts from the raw root of Aconitum kusnezoffii Reichb. by three different extraction processes.     

One‐step strategy for the synthesis of a derivatized cyclodextrin‐based monolithic column

Derivatized β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) functionalized monolithic columns were prepared by a “one‐step” strategy using click chemistry. First, the intended derivatized β‐CD monomers were synthesized by a click reaction between propargyl methacrylate and mono‐6‐azido‐β‐CD and then sulfonation or methylation was carried out. Finally, monolithic columns were prepared through a one‐step in situ copolymerization of the derivatized β‐CD monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The sulfated β‐CD‐based monolith was successfully applied to the hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography separation of nucleosides and small peptides, while the methylated β‐CD‐functionalized monolith was useful for the separation of nonpolar compounds and drug enantiomers in capillary reversed‐phase liquid chromatography. The structures of the monomers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The physicochemical properties and column performance of monoliths were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and micro high performance liquid chromatography. This strategy has considerable prospects for the preparation of other derivatized CD‐functionalized methacrylate monoliths.     

Transformations of iodine species inside elliptical channels of AlPO4‐11 crystals at low temperature: a Raman study

Raman spectra of iodine species confined in one‐dimensional elliptical channels of AlPO₄‐11 (AEL) crystals have been studied from room temperature down to −196 °C. As temperature decreases, thermal fluctuations of individual iodine molecules confined in AEL channels are slowed down and they prefer to rotate to channel axis direction, which increases the population of iodine molecules along channel axis (i.e., lying molecules and chains). Such temperature‐driven orientation transformation of iodine molecules is found to be reversible upon heating up to room temperature. The experimental observations are in good agreement with our theoretical simulations by molecular dynamics on low density iodine‐filled AEL crystals. We thus provide a new way to modulate the orientation of iodine molecules in nanochannels, which may have implications in low‐temperature‐sensitive nanoscale devices. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Ti3C2TX/Pt–Pd based amperometric biosensor for sensitive cancer biomarker detection

The detection of cancer biomarkers is of great significance for the early screening of cancer. Detecting the content of sarcosine in blood or urine has been considered to provide a basis for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. However, it still lacks simple, high-precision and wide-ranging sarcosine detection methods. In this work, a Ti₃C₂T_X/Pt–Pd nanocomposite with high stability and excellent electrochemical performance has been synthesized by a facile one-step alcohol reduction and then used on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with sarcosine oxidase (SO_x) to form a sarcosine biosensor (GCE/Ti₃C₂T_X/Pt–Pd/SO_x). The prominent electrocatalytic activity and biocompatibility of Ti₃C₂T_X/Pt–Pd enable the SO_x to be highly active and sensitive to sarcosine. Under the optimized conditions, the prepared biosensor has a wide linear detection range to sarcosine from 1 to 1000 µM with a low limit of detection of 0.16 µM (S/N = 3) and a sensitivity of 84.1 µA/mM cm². Besides, the reliable response in serum samples shows its potential in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. More importantly, the successful construction and application of the amperometric biosensor based on Ti₃C₂T_X/Pt–Pd will provide a meaningful reference for detecting other cancer biomarkers.