Single-Molecule Magnetism in Dy2 Cluster Based on a Schiff Base Ligand

Two dinuclear Ln^III-based clusters, namely [Dy₂L₂(NO₃)₂(DME)₄] ( 1 ) and [Gd₂L₂(NO₃)₂(DME)₄] ( 2 ) [H₂L = (E)-2-((2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)phenol] were obtained under hydrothermal condition. Two Ln^III ions are bridged by two phenolic hydroxyl oxygen atoms, and the distances of them are 3.829 Å (Dy1–Dy1A) and 3.860 Å (Gd1–Gd1A). Two Dy1–O–Dy1A and Gd1–O–Gd1A angles are 109.4° and 109.8°, respectively. Magnetic studies reveal a weak antiferromagnetic interaction between Gd ions in complex 2 , and single-molecule magnet behavior for 1 with U_eff = 49.9 K and τ₀ = 1.54 × 10^–6 s.     

Substrate-Induced Dimerization Assembly of Chiral Macrocycle Catalysts toward Cooperative Asymmetric Catalysis

An artificial system of substrate-induced dimerization assembly of chiral macrocycle catalysts enables a highly cooperative hydrogen-bonding activation network for efficient enantioselective transformation. These macrocycles contain two thiourea and two chiral diamine moieties and dimerize with sulfate to form a sandwich-like assembly. The macrocycles then adopt an extended conformation and reciprocally complement the hydrogen-bonding interaction sites. Inspired by the guest-induced dynamic assembly, these macrocycles catalyze the decarboxylative Mannich reaction of cyclic aldimines containing a sulfamate heading group. The imine substrate can be activated toward nucleophilic attack of β-ketoacid by a cooperative hydrogen-bonding network enabled by sulfamate-induced dimerization assembly of the macrocycle catalysts. Highly efficient (>95 % yield in most cases) and enantioselective (up to 97.5:2.5 er) transformation of a variety of substrates using only 5 mol % macrocycle was achieved.     

An Enzymatic N-Acylation Step Enables the Biocatalytic Synthesis of Unnatural Sialosides

Chitin is one of the most abundant and cheaply available biopolymers in Nature. Chitin has become a valuable starting material for many biotechnological products through manipulation of its N-acetyl functionality, which can be cleaved under mild conditions using the enzyme family of de-N-acetylases. However, the chemoselective enzymatic re-acylation of glucosamine derivatives, which can introduce new stable functionalities into chitin derivatives, is much less explored. Herein we describe an acylase (CmCDA from Cyclobacterium marinum) that catalyzes the N-acylation of glycosamine with a range of carboxylic acids under physiological reaction conditions. This biocatalyst closes an important gap in allowing the conversion of chitin into complex glycosides, such as C5-modified sialosides, through the use of highly selective enzyme cascades.     

Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Inert C−H Bond Activation Assisted by a Chiral Transient Directing Group

A ruthenium(II)-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular hydroarylation assisted by a chiral transient directing group has been developed. A series of 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans bearing chiral all-carbon quaternary stereocenters have been prepared in remarkably high yields (up to 98 %) and enantioselectivities (up to >99 % ee). By this methodology, a novel asymmetric total synthesis of CB2 receptor agonist MDA7 has been successfully developed.     

Strong-Base-Assisted Synthesis of a Crystalline Covalent Triazine Framework with High Hydrophilicity via Benzylamine Monomer for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Methods to synthesize crystalline covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are limited and little attention has been paid to development of hydrophilic CTFs and photocatalytic overall water splitting. A route to synthesize crystalline and hydrophilic CTF-HUST-A1 with a benzylamine-functionalized monomer is presented. The base reagent used plays an important role in the enhancement of crystallinity and hydrophilicity. CTF-HUST-A1 exhibits good crystallinity, excellent hydrophilicity, and excellent photocatalytic activity in sacrificial photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (hydrogen evolution rate up to 9200 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹). Photocatalytic overall water splitting is achieved by depositing dual co-catalysts in CTF-HUST-A1, with H₂ evolution and O₂ evolution rates of 25.4 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and 12.9 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ in pure water without using sacrificial agent.     

Pathway from N-Alkylglycine to Alkylisonitrile Catalyzed by Iron(II) and 2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent Oxygenases

N-alkylisonitrile, a precursor to isonitrile-containing lipopeptides, is biosynthesized by decarboxylation-assisted -N≡C group (isonitrile) formation by using N-alkylglycine as the substrate. This reaction is catalyzed by iron(II) and 2-oxoglutarate (Fe/2OG) dependent enzymes. Distinct from typical oxygenation or halogenation reactions catalyzed by this class of enzymes, installation of the isonitrile group represents a novel reaction type for Fe/2OG enzymes that involves a four-electron oxidative process. Reported here is a plausible mechanism of three Fe/2OG enzymes, Sav607, ScoE and SfaA, which catalyze isonitrile formation. The X-ray structures of iron-loaded ScoE in complex with its substrate and the intermediate, along with biochemical and biophysical data reveal that -N≡C bond formation involves two cycles of Fe/2OG enzyme catalysis. The reaction starts with an Fe^IV-oxo-catalyzed hydroxylation. It is likely followed by decarboxylation-assisted desaturation to complete isonitrile installation.     

杂原子掺杂提升四氧化三钴电催化性能

正发展电解水制氢和金属-空气电池等电化学能源转化与存储技术对于解决日益严峻的能源短缺和环境污染问题具有重要意义~1。氧气析出反应(OER)是电解水制氢和金属-空气电池的关键半反应,但其缓慢的动力学过程却限制了上述能源技术的快速发展~(2,3)。钌/铱基催化剂是当前最为有效     

具有优异甲醇耐受性的Rh掺杂PdCu有序金属间化合物纳米粒子增强氧还原电催化

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), as one of the important energy conversion devices, are of great interest in the fields of energy, catalysis and materials. However, the application of DMFCs is presently challenged because of the limited activity and durability of cathode catalysts as well as the poisoning issues caused by methanol permeation to the cathode during operation. Herein, we report a new class of Rh-doped PdCu nanoparticles (NPs) with ordered intermetallic structure for enhancing the activity and durability of the cathode for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and achieving superior methanol tolerance. The disordered Rh-doped PdCu NPs can be prepared via a simple wet-chemical method, followed by annealing to convert it to ordered phases. The results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), power X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) successfully demonstrate the formation of near-spherical NPs with an average size of 6.5 ± 0.5 nm and the conversion of the phase structure. The complete phase transition temperatures of Rh-doped PdCu NPs and PdCu are 500 and 400 ℃, respectively. The molar ratio of Rh/Pd/Cu in the as-synthesized Rh-doped PdCu NPs is 5/48/47. Benefitting from Rh doping and the presence of the ordered intermetallic structure, the Rh-doped PdCu intermetallic electrocatalyst achieves the maximum ORR mass activity of 0.96 A·mg^-1 at 0.9 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) under alkaline conditions—a 7.4-fold enhancement compared to the commercial Pt/C catalyst. For different electrocatalysts, the ORR activities follow the sequence, ordered Rh-doped PdCu intermetallics > ordered PdCu intermetallics > disordered Rh-doped PdCu NPs > disordered PdCu NPs > commercial Pt/C catalyst. In addition, the distinct structure endows the Rh-doped PdCu intermetallics with highly stable ORR durability with unaltered half-wave potential (E_1/2) and mass activity after continuous 20000 cycles, which are higher than those of other electrocatalysts. Furthermore, the E_1/2 of the Rh-doped PdCu intermetallics decreases by only 5 mV after adding 0.5 mol·L^-1 methanol to the electrolyte, while the commercial Pt/C catalyst negatively shifts by 235 mV and a distinct oxidation peak can be observed. The results indicate that the ORR activity of the Rh-doped PdCu intermetallic electrocatalyst can be well maintained even in the presence of poisoning environment. Our results have demonstrated that Rh-doped PdCu NPs with ordered intermetallic structures is a potential electrocatalyst toward the next-generation high-performance DMFCs.     

BaO∙4B2O3∙5H2O纳米材料的制备及其对聚丙烯阻燃性能的热分解动力学方法评价

Borate is considered one of the most important additives for improving the fire-resistance of combustible polymers because of its smoke suppression, low toxicity, and good thermal stability. However, the size of prepared borate is usually in the micrometer range, which makes it difficult to disperse in a polymer matrix, thus hindering its use as fire-retardant material. The preparation and application of borate nanomaterial as flame retardant is considered an effective method. However, the preparation of barium borate nanomaterials as flame retardant has not been reported. In this paper, nanosheets and nanoribbons with different sizes for a new barium borate BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O are prepared by hydrothermal method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The flame-retardant properties of polypropylene (PP)/BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O composites are investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermal analysis methods and limited oxygen index (LOI) method. Considering the near TG mass losses and the near LOI values for PP with 10% prepared BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O nanosheet and nanoribbon, their flame-retardant properties need to be further evaluated by non-isothermal decomposition kinetic method. The apparent activation energy for this decomposition reaction was obtained from the slope by plotting ln(β/T_p²) against 1/T_p according to Kissinger's model. With the reduction of TG mass loss, increased heat absorption in DSC under N₂ atmosphere, increased apparent activation energy E_a for the thermal decomposition of PP/BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O composite as well as increased LOI value, the flame-retardant performance of prepared BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O samples with PP gradually improved from bulk to nanoribbon to nanosheet. This can be attributed to the decrease in the size of BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O samples because the smaller sample size leads to improved dispersion and increased contact area with the polymer. The flame-retardant mechanism is discussed by analyzing the after-flame chars of the PP/BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O composite in SEM images, which show that the char layer is more compact and continuous for the PP/BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O nanosheet composite. The influence of loading BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O nanomaterials on the mechanical properties of PP is also tested using a universal material testing machine, in which the PP/BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O nanosheet composite has higher tensile strength. The PP/BaO·4B₂O₃·5H₂O nanosheet composite has the best flame-retardant and mechanical properties, which is promising to be developed for the application as flame-retardant material.     

四卤化锰(Ⅱ)配合物的结构调控及力致发光性能

力致发光是一种力刺激诱导的发光现象。由于其独特的发光方式,使得力致发光材料在结构损伤检测、压力传感、显示和安全标记等方面展现出了巨大的应用价值。目前已报道的力致发光材料大多基于无机材料体系,而有机力致发光材料体系相对较少,并且人们对其发光机理的认识仍不清晰。在本文中,我们发现锰(Ⅱ)配合物[BPP]2[Mn Br4]具有力致发光特性,并在此基础上设计合成了一系列具有力致发光性质的四卤化锰(Ⅱ)配合物。改变有机阳离子配体或者卤素阴离子可对其光物理性质进行有效调控。固态下,这些锰(Ⅱ)配合物均显示出了较强的光致发光现象,同时表现出了明显的力致发光特性。晶体结构分析表明,分子内/分子间强的C―H…X (X=Br或Cl)相互作用对锰(Ⅱ)配合物的力致发光起到了至关重要的作用,它可在较大程度上降低由分子振动和旋转造成的能量损失。本工作将为力刺激响应型材料体系的拓展提供一定的参考价值。