Synthesis of new 2-aryl-6-styryl-2,3-dihydropyridin-4(1H)-one derivatives from curcuminoids

Series of new 2-aryl-6-styryl-2,3-dihydropyridin-4(1H)-one derivatives were synthesized in acceptable to good yields by treatment of the curcuminoids with aqueous ammonia,the mechanism was proposed.By modification of the primary products,total 13 new compounds were obtained.The structures of all products were elucidated by spectroscopy analysis including HR-MS,~1H NMR and ~(13)C NMR.     

Fingerprint developing of coffee flavor by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and combined chemometrics methods

In this paper, chromatographic fingerprint was firstly used for quality control of tobacco flavors. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and combined chemometrics methods, a simple, reliable and reproducible method for developing chromatographic fingerprint of coffee flavor, one of tobacco flavors, was described. Six coffee flavor samples obtained from different locations were used to establish the fingerprint. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of coffee flavor sample from Shenzhen was completed with the help of subwindow factor analysis (SFA). Fifty-two components of 68 separated constituents in coffee flavor sample from Shenzhen, accounting for 88.42% of the total content, were identified and quantified. Then, spectral correlative chromatography (SCC) was used to extract the common peaks from other five studied coffee flavor samples. Thirty-eight components were found to exist in all six samples. Finally, the method validation of fingerprint analysis was performed based on the relative retention time and the relative peak area of common peaks, sample stability and similarity analysis. The similarities of six coffee flavor samples were more than 0.9104 and showed that samples from different locations were consistent to some extent. The developed chromatographic fingerprint was successfully used to differentiate coffee flavor from coco flavor and some little difference sample prepared with coffee flavor and coco flavor by both similarity comparison and principal component projection analysis. The developed method can be used for quality control of coffee flavor.     

A Semi‐Conductive Copper–Organic Framework with Two Types of Photocatalytic Activity

Based on the newly designed ligand 4′‐(3,5‐dicarboxyphenyl)‐4,2′:6′,4′′‐terpyridine (DCTP), a unique semi‐conductive 3D framework {[Cu^ΙCu^ΙΙ₂(DCTP)₂]NO₃?1.5 DMF}_n ( 1 ) with a narrow band gap of 2.1 eV, was obtained and structurally characterized. DFT calculations with van de Waals correction employed to explore the electronic structure of 1 , clearly revealed its semi‐conductive behavior. Furthermore, we found that 1 exhibits a superior band alignment with water to produce hydrogen and degrade organic pollutants. Without adding any photosensitizers, 1 displays an efficiently photocatalytic hydrogen production in water based on the photo‐generated electrons under UV/Vis light. 1 also exhibits excellent photo‐degradation of methyl blue under visible‐light owing to the strong oxidization of excited holes. It is the first example of MOFs with doubly photocatalytic activities related to photo‐generated electrons and holes, respectively.     

Polymorph selection in the crystallization of hard-core Yukawa system

Colloid-colloid interactions in charge-stabilized dispersions can to some extent be represented by the hard-core Yukawa model. The crystallization process and polymorph selection of hard-core Yukawa model are studied by means of smart Monte Carlo simulations in the region of face-centered-cubic (fcc) phase. The contact value of hard-core Yukawa potential and the volume fraction of the colloids are fixed, while the Debye screening length can be varied. In the early stage of the crystallization, the precursors with relatively ordered liquid structure have been observed. Although the crystal structure of thermodynamically stable phase is fcc, the system crystallizes into a mixture of fcc and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structures under small Debye screening length since the colloidal particles act as effective hard spheres. In the intermediate range of Debye screening length, the system crystallizes into a mixture of fcc, hcp, and body-centered-cubic (bcc). The existence of metastable hcp and bcc structures can be interpreted as a manifestation of the Ostwald’s step rule. Until the Debye screening length is large enough, the crystal structure obtained is almost a complete fcc suggesting the system eventually reaches to a thermodynamically stable state.     

Probing the effects of external species on poly(acrylate acid) chain dynamics by using cationic AIE-active fluorophore

We report here our results on the investigation of the chain dynamics of poly(acrylic acid) in aqueous solution. The concentration of poly(acrylic acid) was approximately 3.8×10~(-4) mol/L, two orders of magnitude higher than that reported in the literature. The p H value of the solution was 3.9, and the hydrogen bonds between the intrinsic and ionized carboxylic acid groups formed dynamic networks, which captured aggregation-induced emission-active molecules(a tetra-quaternary ammonium modified tetraphenylethene derivative) inside the polymer coils and induced fluorescence emission. The hydrogen bonds can be classified as intra- or intermolecular; both can be probed based on the emission change of the tetra-quaternary ammonium modified tetraphenylethene probes. The effects of different external stimuli on the polymer chain dynamics were investigated using different metal cations(including Na~+, Li~+, Zn~(2+), Ni~(2+), Ca~(2+), and Co~(2+)), different cation concentrations(1×10~(-6) to 4×10~(-4) mol/L), different poly(acrylic acid) molecular weights(5, 240, and 450 k Da), and different copolymers. The experimental results indicate that the long poly(acrylic acid) chains(high molecular weight) tend to form dense globular coils and exclude the probe molecules outside, which are robust and unsusceptible to water-soluble metal cations. However, the shorter poly(acrylic acid) chains tend to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which are helpful in capturing more probe molecules inside the networks, thus inducing stronger emission. Because of the dual functions of forming hydrogen bonds with carboxylic groups and acting as an acceptor of protons from the carboxylic acid group to form cationic species, copolymerization with acrylate amide [poly(acrylic acid)-co-poly(acrylamide)] can greatly affect the chain dynamics of poly(acrylic acid) segments, which is reflected by the drastically decreased emission intensity from the fluorescent probes.     

Electrochemical C−H/N−H Functionalization for the Synthesis of Highly Functionalized (Aza)indoles

Indoles and azaindoles are among the most important heterocycles because of their prevalence in nature and their broad utility in pharmaceutical industry. Reported herein is an unprecedented noble‐metal‐ and oxidant‐free electrochemical method for the coupling of (hetero)arylamines with tethered alkynes to synthesize highly functionalized indoles, as well as the more challenging azaindoles.     

Construction of a Graphene/Au‐Nanoparticles/Cucurbit[7]uril‐Based Sensor for Pb2+ Sensing

The development of highly sensitive and selective methods for the detection of lead ion (Pb²⁺) is of great scientific importance. In this work, we develop a new surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)‐based sensor for the selective trace measurement of Pb²⁺. The SERS‐based sensor is assembled from gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and graphene using cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) as a precise molecular glue and a local SERS reporter. Upon the addition of Pb²⁺, CB[7] forms stronger complexes with Pb²⁺ and desorbs from AuNPs, resulting in a sensitive “turn‐off” of SERS signals. This SERS‐based assay shows a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.3 nm and a linear detection range from 1 nm to 0.3 μm for Pb²⁺. The feasibility of the assay is further demonstrated by probing Pb²⁺ in real water samples. This SERS‐based analytical method is highly sensitive and selective, and therefore holds promising applications in environmental analysis.     

Anion‐Directed Copper(II) Metallocages,Coordination Chain,and Complex Double Salt: Structures,Magnetic Properties,EPR Spectra,and Density Functional Study

A series of Cu^II metallo‐assemblies showing anion‐directed structural variations, including five metallocages [(G^n?)?{Cu₂(Hdpma)₄}]^(8?n)+(A^?)_8?n (G^n?=NO₃^?, ClO₄^?, SiF₆^2?, BF₄^?, SO₄^2?; A^?=NO₃^?, ClO₄^?, BF₄^?, CH₃SO₄^?; Hdpma=bis(3‐pyridylmethyl)ammonium cation), a complex double salt, namely, (H₃dpma)₄(CuCl₄)₅Cl₂, and a coordination chain, namely, [Cu₂(dpma)(OAc)₄], are reported. The influence of the anion can be explained by its coordinating ability, the affinity of which for the Cu^II center interferes significantly with metallocage formation, and its shape, which offers host–guest recognition ability to engage in weak metal–anion coordination and hydrogen bonding to the organic ligand, which are responsible for metallocage templation. EPR studies of these metallocages in the powder phase at room temperature and 77 K showed a trend of the g values (g_||>2.10>g_⊥>2.00) indicating a ‐based ground state with square‐pyramidal geometry for the Cu^II centers. The magnetism of these metallocages can be interpreted as the result of a combination of relatively small magnetic coupling integrals and a substantial contribution of temperature‐independent paramagnetism (TIP). The weak magnetic interaction is corroborated by the results of DFT calculations and the EPR spectra. Availability of the low‐lying state for spin population was confirmed by a magnetization study, which revealed a magnetic moment approaching 2Nβ, which would explain the presence of the larger TIP term.     

Cadmium(II)–Triazole Framework as a Luminescent Probe for Ca2+ and Cyano Complexes

A bidentate ligand, 1‐{4‐[4‐(1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)phenoxy]phenyl}‐1H‐1,2,4‐triazole (TPPT), has been designed and synthesized. By using TPPT as a building block for self‐assembly with Cd(NO₃)₂ ? 4 H₂O and CdCl₂ ? 10.5 H₂O, novel 1D double‐chain {[Cd(TPPT)(NO₃)₂] ? 3 H₂O}_n ( 1 ) and 2D (4,4) layer [Cd(TPPT)Cl₂(H₂O)]_n ( 2 ) have been constructed. When 1 was employed as a precursor and exposed to DMF or N,N′‐dimethylacetamide (DMAC), the crystals of 1 dissolved and reassembled into two types of brown block‐shaped crystals of 1D double chains: {[Cd(TPPT)₂(NO₃)₂] ? DMF}_n ( 1 a ) and {[Cd(TPPT)₂(NO₃)₂] ? DMAC}_n ( 1 b ). The anion‐exchange reactions of complex 2 have also been investigated. After gently stirring crystals of 2 in CHCl₃/C₂H₅OH/H₂O containing NaBr, NaI ? 2 H₂O, or NaOAc ? 3 H₂O, the crystals retained their crystalline appearances. A remarkable single crystal to single crystal transformation was observed and 1D double chains of {[Cd(TPPT)Br₂] ? C₂H₅OH}_n ( 2 a ) and {[Cd(TPPT)₂I₂] ? CHCl₃}_n ( 2 b ), and 1D single chains of [Cd(TPPT)(H₂O)₂(CH₃COO)₂]_n ( 2 c ), can be obtained. Luminescent properties indicate that 1 shows excellent selectivity for Ca²⁺ and cyano complexes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a luminescent probe for Ca²⁺ based on triazole derivatives.