A facile route of polythiophene nanoparticles via Fe3+‐catalyzed oxidative polymerization in aqueous medium

We have demonstrated that unsubstituted thiophene can be polymerized by Fe³⁺‐catalyzed oxidative polymerization inside nanosized thiophene monomer droplets, that is, nanoreactors, dispersed in aqueous medium, which can be performed under acidic solution conditions with anionic surfactant. Besides, we proposed a synthetic mechanism for the formation of the unsubstituted polythiophene nanoparticles in aqueous medium. This facile method includes a FeCl₃/H₂O₂ (catalyst/oxidant) combination system, which guarantees a high conversion (ca. 99%) of thiophene monomers with only a trace of FeCl₃. The average particle size was about 30 nm, within a narrow particle‐size distribution (PDI = 1.15), which resulted in a good dispersion state of the unsubstituted polythiophene nanoparticles. Hansen solubility parameters were introduced to interpret the dispersion state of the polythiophene nanoparticles with various organic solvents. The UV–Visible absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectrum were measured to investigate the light emitting properties of the prepared unsubstituted polythiophene nanoparticle emulsions. According to non‐normalized PL analysis, the reduced total PL intensity of the polythiophene nanoparticle emulsions can be rationalized by self‐absorption in a wavelength range less than 500 nm. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2097–2107, 2008     

The Lattice of Convex Subsemilattices of a Semilattice

Abstract. The convex subsemilattices of a semilattice E form a lattice C o(E) in the natural way. The purpose of this paper is to study how the properties of this lattice relate to the semilattice itself. For instance, lower semimodularity of the lattice is equivalent, along with various properties, to the semilattice being a tree. When E has more than two elements the lattice does, however, fail many common lattice-theoretic tests. It turns out that it is more fruitful to describe those semilattices E for which every ``atomically generated' filter of C o(E) satisfies certain lattice-theoretic properties.     

Cyclisation reactions of 2-substituted benzoylphosphonates with trialkyl phosphites via nucleophilic attack on a carbonyl-containing ortho substituent

Dimethyl 2-acetoxy- and dimethyl 2-benzoyloxy-benzoylphosphonate undergo cyclisation and deoxygenation in the presence of excess trimethyl phosphite to give dimethyl (3-methyl-1-benzofuran-2-yl)phosphonate and dimethyl (3-phenyl-1-benzofuran-2-yl)phosphonate, respectively. The reaction pathway has been shown to involve phosphite attack on initially formed tricyclic dioxaphospholane intermediates with the subsequent loss of two molecules of trimethyl phosphate. In the absence of additional trimethyl phosphite the initially formed tricyclic dioxaphospholane intermediates lose one molecule of trimethyl phosphate and then undergo a novel rearrangement to give β-ketophosphonates. The mechanism for this reaction helps explain some previously reported epoxide rearrangements. In contrast, the initially formed anionic intermediate from the reaction of dimethyl 2-benzoyloxymethylbenzoylphosphonate with trimethyl phosphite undergoes decomposition to give a carbene intermediate which is trapped by the trimethyl phosphite to give an ylidic phosphonate.     

Dynamics of Adsorbate Islands with Nanoscale Resolution

Surface catalytic processes produce, under certain conditions, small clusters of adsorbed atoms or groups, called islands which, after they have been formed, move as individual entities. Here we consider the catalytic reduction of NO with hydrogen on platinum. (i) Using video field ion microscopy, we observe the dynamic motion of small hydroxyl islands on the Pt(001) plane; despite changes in their morphology, the islands dimensions are confined to values corresponding to 10 to 30 Pt atoms suggesting cooperative effects to be in operation. (ii) We construct an automaton (or lattice Monte-Carlo) model on the basis of a set of elementary processes governing the microscopic dynamics. The agreement between the simulation results and the experimental observations suggests a possible mechanism for the formation and dynamics of hydroxyl islands.     

过渡金属银配体簇化合物的质谱分析

用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱（MALDI－TOF－MS）测定含有过渡金属银配位的簇类化合物苯乙炔基银的结构及其聚合度,比较了线性（linear)和反射（reflectron)飞行时间普各自的特点,探讨了银^107Ag、^109Ag两种同位素在质谱中的贡献及其表现。     

Enhanced Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Using Zinc Dendrites Pulse‐Deposited on Silver Foam

The electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) can dynamise the carbon cycle by lowering anthropogenic CO₂ emissions and sustainably producing valuable fuels and chemical feedstocks. Methanol is arguably the most desirable C₁ product of CO₂RR, although it typically forms in negligible amounts. In our search for efficient methanol‐producing CO₂RR catalysts, we have engineered Ag‐Zn catalysts by pulse‐depositing Zn dendrites onto Ag foams (PD‐Zn/Ag foam). By themselves, Zn and Ag cannot effectively reduce CO₂ to CH₃OH, while their alloys produce CH₃OH with Faradaic efficiencies of approximately 1 %. Interestingly, with nanostructuring PD‐Zn/Ag foam reduces CO₂ to CH₃OH with Faradaic efficiency and current density values reaching as high as 10.5 % and ?2.7 mA cm^?2, respectively. Control experiments and DFT calculations pinpoint strained undercoordinated Zn atoms as the active sites for CO₂RR to CH₃OH in a reaction pathway mediated by adsorbed CO and formaldehyde. Surprisingly, the stability of the *CHO intermediate does not influence the activity.     

Direct asymmetric anti-Mannich-type reactions catalyzed by a designed amino acid

The development of catalysts for Mannich-type reactions that afford anti-products with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities under mild conditions and low catalyst loadings (1-5 mol %) is reported. Based on principles gained from the study of (S)-proline-catalyzed Mannich-type reactions that afford enantiomerically enriched syn-products, (3R,5R)-5-methyl-3-pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid (RR35) has been designed to catalyze the direct enantioselective anti-selective Mannich-type reactions. Computational studies of the above reaction using HF/6-31G* level of theory suggested that this design would be highly effective. The catalyst was subsequently synthesized and studied in organocatalytic Mannich-type reactions between unmodified aldehydes and N-PMP-protected alpha-imino esters. In accord with the design principles and in quantitative agreement with the theoretical predictions, reactions catalyzed by this catalyst afforded anti-products in good yields with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities (anti:syn 94:6 to 98:2, >97 to >99% ee).     

Agglomeration,colloidal stability,and magnetic separation of magnetic nanoparticles: collective influences on environmental engineering applications

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) which exhibit magnetic and catalytic bifunctionalities have been widely accepted as one of the most promising nanoagents used in water purification processes. However, due to the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction, MNPs can easily lose their colloidal stability and tend to agglomerate. Thus, it is necessary to enhance their colloidal stability in order to maintain the desired high specific surface area. Meanwhile, in order to successfully utilize MNPs for environmental engineering applications, an effective magnetic separation technology has to be developed. This step is to ensure the MNPs that have been used for pollutant removal can be fully reharvested back. Unfortunately, it was recently highlighted that there exists a conflicting role between colloidal stability and magnetic separability of the MNPs, whereby the more colloidally stable the particle is, the harder for it to be magnetically separated. In other words, attaining a win-win scenario in which the MNPs possess both good colloidal stability and fast magnetic separation rate becomes challenging. Such phenomenon has to be thoroughly understood as the colloidal stability and the magnetic separability of MNPs play a pivotal role on affecting their effective implementation in water purification processes. Accordingly, it is the aim of this paper to provide reviews on (i) the colloidal stability and (ii) the magnetic separation of MNPs, as well as to provide insights on (iii) their conflicting relationship based on recent research findings.

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Graphical abstract Interrelationship of agglomeration, colloidal stability, and magnetic separability of nanoparticles