Unprecedented Acid‐Promoted Polymerization and Gelation of Acrylamide: A Serendipitous Discovery

Dilute acid polymerizes degassed, aqueous acrylamide with concomitant gelation, without the need for added free radical initiator or cross‐linking agent. This reaction is accelerated by sonication or UV irradiation, but inhibited by adventitious oxygen or the addition of a free radical inhibitor, suggesting an acid‐accelerated free radical process. The resulting hydrogels are thixotropic in nature and partially disrupted by the addition of chaotropic agents, indicating the importance of hydrogen bonding to the 3D network. This discovery was made while trying to prepare pectin‐polyacrylamide hydrogels. We observed that pectin initiated the gelation of acrylamide, but only if the aqueous pectin samples had a pH lower than ca. 5.     

Structure and Bonding in CE5− (E=Al–Tl) Clusters: Planar Tetracoordinate Carbon versus Pentacoordinate Carbon

The structure, bonding, and stability of clusters with the empirical formula CE₅^? (E=Al–Tl) have been analyzed by means of high‐level computations. The results indicate that, whereas aluminum and gallium clusters have C_2v structures with a planar tetracoordinate carbon (ptC), their heavier homologues prefer three‐dimensional C_4v forms with a pentacoordinate carbon center over the ptC one. The reason for such a preference is a delicate balance between the interaction energy of the fifth E atom with CE₄ and the distortion energy. Moreover, bonding analysis shows that the ptC systems can be better described as CE₄^?, with 17‐valence electrons interacting with E. The ptC core in these systems exhibits double aromatic (both σ and π) behavior, but the σ contribution is dominating.     

Ratiometric fluorometric determination of the anthrax biomarker 2,6-dipicolinic acid by using europium(III)-doped carbon dots in a test stripe

Europium(III)-doped carbon dots (Eu-CDs) were prepared from citric acid and europium nitrate via a one-pot pyrolytic method. The Eu-CDs emit intense blue fluorescence (with excitation/emission peaks at 365/465 nm), are water soluble and biocompatible. On addition of 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA; an anthrax biomarker), ligand-to-ion energy transfer occurs from DPA to Eu(III) which has a red emission peaking at 615 nm. This results in an increase of the intensity of the red fluorescence. DPA can be detected by the ratio of fluorescence intensities at 616 and 475 nm. The method has an analytical range that extends from 5 to 700 nmol·L^?1, with a 5 nmol·L^?1 detection limit. The Eu-CDs also were incorporated into a test paper for visual detection of DPA with a portable UV lamp and a smartphone. In this case, the detection limit is 1 μmol·L^?1. The Eu-CDs internalize well into HeLa cells, and this paves the way to bioimaging.

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Graphical abstract Schematic of a method for visual detection of 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA, an anthrax biomarker) by using a test stripe impregnated with europium(III)-doped carbon dots (Eu-CDs).

     

An Improved Synthesis for Novel Hexaruthenium Cluster Compound Bearing Two Quadruply-Bridging CO Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization, and X-Ray Structural Analysis of Ru6(CO)12(μ3-H)(μ-CO) (μ4-η2-CO)2[η5-C5H4(SiMe3)]

The hexaruthenium cluster compound Ru₆(₃-H)(CO)₁₅[C₅H₄(SiMe₃)] (2), possessing two ₄-²-CO ligands and with the Ru[C₅H₄(SiMe₃)] fragment located at the apex of the central tetrahedral framework, was prepared in low yield by refluxing a toluene solution of C₅H₅(SiMe₃) with excess Ru₃(CO)₁₂. This unique complex was characterized by spectroscopic methods and by X-ray structural analysis. The possible mechanism leading to its formation is discussed.     

功能多肽在肿瘤治疗中的应用及研究进展

多肽具有生物相容性好,功能多样化,生物体内响应性高及合成修饰方法简单易行等优点,已被广泛用于构建靶向药物传递系统。以具有靶向功能和刺激响应性的多肽为基础构建的药物传递系统,能够将药物定向地运送到肿瘤区域。药物传递系统到达肿瘤组织后,在肿瘤组织特殊微环境或外源刺激下,实现药物的精准释放。这种具有特异性肿瘤靶向和刺激响应型的多肽载体可以最大程度地提高药物的抗肿瘤效果,降低药物的毒副作用。本文简要介绍了常用的靶向多肽和刺激响应型多肽,并讨论了基于功能型多肽的药物载体在肿瘤治疗方面的应用。     

Halogenating and Nitrating Activity of Reagents Based on Sodium Nitrate and Alkali Metal Halides in Acetic Acid

Alkali metal halides NaF, KCl, and KBr sharply enhance the nitrating activity of sodium nitrate in acetic acid with respect to 9-methylcarbazole. In the presence of KI and KBr, both nitration and halogenation of the substrate occurs, while KCl and NaF promote only the nitration process. The results may be interpreted in terms of formation of the corresponding nitryl halides XNO2 (X = F, Cl, Br, I) whose structure and reactivity were examined in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT B3LYP/3-21G*).     

Monodisperse oligofluorenes with keto defect as models to investigate the origin of green emission from polyfluorenes: synthesis, self-assembly, and photophysical properties

Oligofluorenes (a trimer, pentamer, and heptamer) with one fluorenone unit in the center (OFnK: n=3, 5, or 7) were synthesized and used as models to understand the origin of the low-energy emission band in the photoluminescence and electroluminescence spectra of some polyfluorenes. All compounds form glasses with T(g) at 30 degrees C (OF3 K), 50 degrees C (OF5 K) and 57 degrees C (OF7 K). Oligomers OF5 K and OF7 K exhibit smectic liquid crystal phases that undergo transition to isotropic melts at 107 and 205 degrees C, respectively. Oligomer OF5 K could be obtained in form of single crystals. The X-ray structure analysis revealed the helical nature of the molecule and a helix reversal defect located at the central fluorenone unit. The packing pattern precludes formation of excimers. Electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The ionization potential (I(p)) and electron affinity (E(a)) were calculated from these data. Studies of the photophysical properties of OFnK in solution and thin film by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic measurements suggest efficient funneling of excitation energy from the photoexcited fluorene segments to the low-energy fluorenone sites by both intra- and intermolecular hopping events whereby they give rise to green emission. Intermolecular energy transfer was investigated by using a model system composed of a highly defect free polyfluorene PF2/6 doped by OFnK. F?rster-type energy transfer takes place from PF2/6 to OFnK. The energy-transfer efficiency increases predictably with increasing concentration of OFnK.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(2-amino-2-methylpropyl)acrylamide,poly(2-amino-2-methylbutyl)acrylamide,and copolymers of polyacrylamide

Polyacrylamides possessing an amino group at the terminus of the branch chain as the potential site for amino acid and/or nucleic acid base grafting have been prepared. This type of polyacrylamide would provide a substantial spacing distance between the polymer main chain and pendant groups. Poly(2-amino-2-methylpropyl)acrylamide (PDMPA) and optically active poly(2-amino-2-methylbutyl)acrylamide (PDMBA) were characterized using vapor phase osmometry (VPO), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and dilute solution viscometry. In addition, copolymers of poly(2-amino-2-methylpropyl)acrylamide with N-vinylpyrrolidinone, N-vinylimidazole, and H(5)-vinylimidazole, were prepared.     

A fully integrated high-throughput screening methodology for the discovery of new polyolefin catalysts: discovery of a new class of high temperature single-site group (IV) copolymerization catalysts

For the first time, new catalysts for olefin polymerization have been discovered through the application of fully integrated high-throughput primary and secondary screening techniques supported by rapid polymer characterization methods. Microscale 1-octene primary screening polymerization experiments combining arrays of ligands with reactive metal complexes M(CH(2)Ph)(4) (M = Zr, Hf) and multiple activation conditions represent a new high-throughput technique for discovering novel group (IV) polymerization catalysts. The primary screening methods described here have been validated using a commercially relevant polyolefin catalyst, and implemented rapidly to discover the new amide-ether based hafnium catalyst [eta(2)-(N,O)[bond](2-MeO[bond]C(6)H(4))(2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2))N]Hf(CH(2)Ph)(3) (1), which is capable of polymerizing 1-octene to high conversion. The molecular structure of 1 has been determined by X-ray diffraction. Larger scale secondary screening experiments performed on a focused 96-member amine-ether library demonstrated the versatile high temperature ethylene-1-octene copolymerization capabilities of this catalyst class, and led to significant performance improvements over the initial primary screening discovery. Conventional one gallon batch reactor copolymerizations performed using selected amide-ether hafnium compounds confirmed the performance features of this new catalyst class, serving to fully validate the experimental results from the high-throughput approaches described herein.