A new flavonoid from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrothelypteris torresiana</Emphasis>

A new flavonoid, 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(1-hydroxy-2,6-dimethoxy-4-oxo-cyclohex)-chromen-4-one (1), was isolated from the roots of Macrothelypteris torresiana (Gaud.) Ching. (Thelypteridaceae). The structure of the product was identified on the basis of detailed spectral analysis, including X-ray structure analysis.     

Antibacterial Constituents from Isodon Excisoides

Two new ent‐kaurane diterpenoids, taihangexcisoidesin C (1) and its acetonide, taihangexcisoidesin D (2), along with 9 known compounds were isolated from the leaves of Isodon excisoides. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy analysis. Compounds 3‐6 and 8‐9 were tested for their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and S. saprophyticus. Compound 6 showed inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and S. saprophyticus MIC values 32, 16 and 16 μg/mL, respectively. All of the compounds didn't show effects on Escherichia coli (MIC > 10 mg/mL).     

Synthesis of seco-chlorinated derivatives of phenanthroindolizidine precursors via Friedel-Crafts reaction

In the course of synthesizing 3-demethyltylophorine (1) by Lewis acid catalyzed intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction starting from N-(3-hydroxy-2,6,7-trimethoxy-phenanthr-9-ylmethyl)-2-chloromethylpyrrolidine, two chlorinated phenanthrene derivatives N-(4,10-dichloro-3-hydroxy-2,6,7-trimethoxyphenanthr-9-ylmethyl)-2-chloromethylpyrrolidine (4) and N-(4-chloro-3-hydroxy-2,6,7-trimethoxyphenanthr-9-ylmethyl)-2-chloromethylpyrrolidine (5) were obtained. The structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis.     

On the Origin of the Visible‐Light Activity of Titanium Dioxide Doped with Carbonate Species

Plane‐wave‐based pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to elucidate the origin of the high photocatalytic efficiency of carbonate‐doped TiO₂. Two geometrically possible doping positions are considered, including interstitial and substitutional carbon atoms on Ti sites. From the optical absorption properties calculations, we believe that the formation of carbonates after doping with interstitial carbon atoms is crucial, whereas the contribution from the cationic doping on Ti sites is negligible. The carbonate species doped TiO₂ exhibits excellent absorption in the visible‐light region of 400–800 nm, in good agreement with experimental observations. Electronic structure analysis shows that the carbonate species introduce an impurity state from Ti 3d below the conduction band. Excitations from the impurity state to the conduction band may be responsible for the high visible‐light activity of the carbon doped TiO₂ materials.     

A rapid and universal bacteria-counting approach using CdSe/ZnS/SiO2 composite nanoparticles as fluorescence probe

In this paper, a rapid, simple, and sensitive method was described for detection of the total bacterial count using SiO₂-coated CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as a fluorescence marker that covalently coupled with bacteria using glutaraldehyde as the crosslinker. Highly luminescent CdSe/ZnS were prepared by applying cadmium oxide and zinc stearate as precursors instead of pyrophoric organometallic precursors. A reverse-microemulsion technique was used to synthesize CdSe/ZnS/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles with a SiO₂ surface coating. Our results showed that CdSe/ZnS/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles prepared with this method possessed highly luminescent, biologically functional, and monodispersive characteristics, and could successfully be covalently conjugated with the bacteria. As a demonstration, it was found that the method had higher sensitivity and could count bacteria in 3 × 10² CFU/mL, lower than the conventional plate counting and organic dye-based method. A linear relationship of the fluorescence peak intensity (Y) and the total bacterial count (X) was established in the range of 3 × 10²–10⁷ CFU/mL using the equation Y = 374.82X − 938.27 (R = 0.99574). The results of the determination for the total count of bacteria in seven real samples were identical with the conventional plate count method, and the standard deviation was satisfactory.     

2-(5-Benzoacridine)ethyl-p-toluenesulfonate as sensitive reagent for the determination of bile acids by HPLC with fluorescence detection and online atmospheric chemical ionization-mass spectrometric identification

2-(5-Benzoacridine)ethyl-p-toluenesulfonate (BAETS), a dual-sensitive probe, was reacted with bile acids in the presence of K₂CO₃ catalyst in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent to give BAETS–bile acid derivatives. Derivatives exhibited intense fluorescence (FL) with an excitation maximum at λ _ex 270 nm and an emission maximum at λ _em 510 nm. MS analysis using APCI-MS indicated that derivatives had excellent APCI-MS ionizability with percentage ionization δ values changing from 0 to 88.83% in aqueous acetonitrile and from 0 to 89.15% in aqueous methanol. The collision induced dissociation spectra of m/z [M + H]⁺ contained specific fragment ions at m/z [M + H−H₂O]⁺, [M + H−2H₂O]⁺, [M + H−3H₂O]⁺, 347.3, and 290.1. Repeatability was good for LC separation of BAETS–bile acid derivatives with aqueous acetonitrile as mobile phase. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of retention time and peak area at 6.6 nmol mL⁻¹ levels with fluorescence detection (FL) were from 0.045 to 0.072% and from 2.16 to 2.73%, respectively. Excellent linear responses were observed, with regression coefficients >0.9995. The FL detection limits (S/N = 3) were in the range of 18.0–36.1 fmol. The online APCI-MS detection limits are in the range of 500–790 fmol (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3).     

Patterned growth of vertically aligned silicon nanowire arrays for label-free DNA detection using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Patterning is of paramount importance in many areas of modern science and technology. As a good candidate for novel nanoscale optoelectronics and miniaturized molecule sensors, vertically aligned silicon nanowire (SiNW) with controllable location and orientation is highly desirable. In this study, we developed an effective procedure for the fabrication of vertically aligned SiNW arrays with micro-sized features by using single-step photolithography and silver nanoparticle-induced chemical etching at room temperature. We demonstrated that the vertically aligned SiNW arrays can be used as a platform for label-free DNA detection using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), where the inherent “fingerprint” SERS spectra allows for the differentiation of closely related biospecies. Since the SiNW array patterns could be modified by simply varying the mask used in the photolithographic processing, it is expected that the methodology can be used to fabricate label-free DNA microarrays and may be applicable to tissue engineering, which aims to create living tissue substitutes from cells seeded onto 3D scaffolds.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Photophysical Properties, and DFT Calculations of a Bis(tetrathia-calix[4]arene) Tetracadmium Complex

Abstract  

Thiacalix[4]arenes are a unique family of polydentate ligands that offer a combination of four soft sulfur atoms together with four hard phenol oxygen atoms for binding to metal ions. In this study, the tetranuclear cadmium (II) complex Cd₄^II(tca)₂·1.5CH₂Cl₂ (tca⁴⁻ = tetra-anionic p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene) (1) was synthesized by reaction of a deprotonated p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene and various Cd^II salts. The structure of 1 was established by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The neutral complex 1 contains a square arrangement of four cadmium (II) ions sandwiched between two tca⁴⁻ ligands that have a ‘cone’ conformation similar to that of the free ligand. The absorption and emission properties of the free ligand H₄tca and complex 1 have been recorded and explained by DFT calculations of the molecular orbitals and electronic transitions between them.     

Structures and properties of metal-free and magnesium tetrathieno[2,3-b]porphyrazine investigated using density functional theory

Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculation were adopted to study the structures and properties of metal-free and magnesium tetrathieno[2,3-b]porphyrazine (TTPPzH₂ and TTPPzMg) using B3LYP method with the 6–31G(d) basis set. A comparison of the geometrical structures, atomic charges, molecular orbitals, UV-vis spectra and infrared (IR) spectra among tetrathieno[2,3-b]porphyrazine (TTPPzH₂), phthalocyanine (H₂Pc) and porphyrazine (H₂Pz) compounds was performed. The substituent effect of the thiophene heterocycle for electron-donating on the structures and properties of these compounds has been discussed. Compared with other atoms, the charge distribution of C_β atoms adjacent to the sulfur atom is significantly influenced by the thiophene heterocycle substituents. The enlargement of the HOMO-LUMO gaps from H₂Pc and MgPc to TTPPzH₂ and TTPPzMg is at the origin of the observed blue shift of the Q band when moving from H₂Pc to TTPPzH₂ compounds. Special emphasis has been devoted to the strongest B bands for TTPPzH₂ compounds which show red shift due to the large destabilization of the lower lying occupied orbitals compared with the corresponding B bands of H₂Pc compounds. With the assistance of animated pictures produced on the basis of the normal coordinates, the significant peaks and vibration modes in the IR spectra of all the compounds were assigned and analyzed.     

2-甲氨基-5-(2-芳氧吡啶-3-基)-1,3,4-噻二唑类化合物的合成与荧光性质研究

设计合成了一系列未见文献报道的2-甲氨基-5-(2-芳氧吡啶-3-基)-1,3,4-噻二唑衍生物,其结构均经过1HNMR,IR和元素分析表征.测定了其荧光性能,结果显示此类化合物具有较好的荧光性,其荧光发射波长在384～390nm范围,最大荧光量子产率为0.12.