Tetranuclear Zn(II) and Mononuclear Nickel(II) Complexes Based on Asymmetric Salamo-Type Ligands: Syntheses,Crystal Structures,and Fluorescent Properties

Two new complexes [{Zn(L¹)(μ-OAc)Zn(CH₃CHOHCH₃)}₂] and [Ni(L₂)(H₂O)(CH₃OH)] with asymmetric Salamo-type ligands (H₃L¹ and H₂L²) are synthesized and structurally characterized. In the Zn(II) and Ni(II) complexes, the terminal and central Zn(II) atoms are found to have slightly distorted square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal symmetries respectively, while the Ni(II) atom is hexa-coordinated and has a slightly distorted octahedral symmetry. Interestingly, a self-assembling continual zigzag 1D chain is formed by intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the Ni(II) complex. Furthermore, the Zn(II) and Ni(II) complexes in the ethanol solution show intense photoluminescence.     

新型BiOI/g-C3N4纳米片复合光催化剂的制备及其可见光催化活性增强

近年来, 石墨型氮化碳(g-C3N4)作为一种n型半导体光催化剂材料, 由于具有较好的热稳定性和化学稳定性, 同时具有可调的带隙结构和优异的表面性质而备受人们关注. 然而, 传统的g-C3N4块体材料存在比表面积小、光响应范围窄和光生载流子易复合等缺陷, 制约着其光催化活性的进一步提高. 因此, 人们开发了多种技术对块体状g-C3N4材料进行改性,其中构建基于g-C3N4纳米薄片的异质结复合光催化材料被认为是强化g-C3N4载流子分离效率, 进而提高其可见光催化活性的重要手段. BiOI作为一种窄带隙的p型半导体光催化剂, 具有强的可见光吸收能力和较高的光催化活性, 同时它与g-C3N4纳米薄片具有能级匹配的带隙结构. 因此, 基于以上两种半导体材料的特性, 构建新型的BiOI/g-C3N4纳米片复合光催化剂材料不仅能够有效提高g-C3N4的可见光利用率, 而且还可以在n型g-C3N4和p型BiOI界面间形成内建电场, 极大促进光生电子-空穴对的分离与迁移效率.为此, 本文通过简单的一步溶剂热法在g-C3N4纳米薄片表面原位生长BiOI纳米片材料, 成功制备了新型的BiOI/g-C3N4纳米片复合光催化剂. 利用X射线衍射仪(XRD), 场发射扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱和瞬态光电流响应谱对所合成复合光催化剂的晶体结构、微观形貌、光吸收性能和电荷分离性能进行了表征测试. XRD, SEM和TEM结果显示, 结晶完好的BiOI呈小片状均匀分散在g-C3N4纳米薄片表面; 紫外漫反射光谱表明, 纳米片复合材料的吸光性能较g-C3N4薄片有显著提升; 瞬态光电流测试证明, 复合材料较单一材料有更好的电荷分离与迁移性能.在可见光催化降解RhB的测试中, BiOI/g-C3N4纳米片复合光催化剂显示出了优异的催化活性和稳定性, 其光降解活性分别为纯BiOI和g-C3N4的34.89和1.72倍; 自由基捕获实验发现, 反应过程中的主要活性物种为超氧自由基(·O2-), 即光生电子主导整个降解反应的发生. 由此可见, 强的可见光吸收能力和g-C3N4与BiOI界面处形成的内建电场协同促进了g-C3N4纳米薄片的电荷分离, 进而显著提高了该复合材料的可见光催化降解活性. 此外, 本文初步验证了在BiOI/g-C3N4纳米片复合光催化体系内光生电荷是依据"双向转移"机制进行分离和迁移的, 而非"Z型转移"机制.     

Copper diisobutyl-t-butoxyaluminum hydride: A novel reagent for chemoselective reduction of tertiary amides over esters

We demonstrate that copper diisobutyl-t-butoxyaluminum hydride, readily prepared from lithium diisobutyl-t-butoxyaluminum hydride and CuI, effectively and chemoselectively reduces tertiary amides over esters at ambient temperature, affording the corresponding aldehydes in excellent yields.     

Photo-responsive nanoparticles for β-lapachone delivery in vitro

We reported a one-step encapsulation of indocyanine green (ICG) in ZIF-8 nanoparticles (NPs). The as-prepared ICG@ZIF-8 NPs possess an absorption band in the near infrared region and have the good photothermal conversion efficiency.     

Ultralong Phosphorescence from Organic Ionic Crystals under Ambient Conditions

A new type of materials, organic salts in the crystal state, have ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) under ambient conditions. The change of cations (NH₄⁺, Na⁺, or K⁺) in these phosphors gives access to tunable UOP colors ranging from sky blue to yellow green, along with ultralong emission lifetimes of over 504 ms. Single‐crystal analysis reveals that unique ionic bonding can promote an ordered arrangement of organic salts in crystal state, which then can facilitate molecular aggregation for UOP generation. Additionally, reversible ultralong phosphorescence can be realized through the alternative employment of fuming gases (ammonia and hydrogen chloride), demonstrating its potential as a candidate for visual ammonic or hydrogen chloride gas sensing. The results provide an environmental responsible and practicable synthetic approach to expanding the scope of ultralong organic phosphorescent materials as well as their applications.     

A Diazido Mannose Analogue as a Chemoenzymatic Synthon for Synthesizing Di‐N‐acetyllegionaminic Acid‐Containing Glycosides

A chemoenzymatic synthon was designed to expand the scope of the chemoenzymatic synthesis of carbohydrates. The synthon was enzymatically converted into carbohydrate analogues, which were readily derivatized chemically to produce the desired targets. The strategy is demonstrated for the synthesis of glycosides containing 7,9‐di‐N‐acetyllegionaminic acid (Leg5,7Ac₂), a bacterial nonulosonic acid (NulO) analogue of sialic acid. A versatile library of α2‐3/6‐linked Leg5,7Ac₂‐glycosides was built by using chemically synthesized 2,4‐diazido‐2,4,6‐trideoxymannose as a chemoenzymatic synthon for highly efficient one‐pot multienzyme (OPME) sialylation followed by downstream chemical conversion of the azido groups into acetamido groups. The syntheses required 10 steps from commercially available d ‐fucose and had an overall yield of 34–52 %, thus representing a significant improvement over previous methods. Free Leg5,7Ac₂ monosaccharide was also synthesized by a sialic acid aldolase‐catalyzed reaction.     

Dynamic Ultralong Organic Phosphorescence by Photoactivation

Smart materials with ultralong phosphorescence are rarely investigated and reported. Herein we report on a series of molecules with unique dynamic ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) features, enabled by manipulating intermolecular interactions through UV light irradiation. Our experimental data reveal that prolonged irradiation of single‐component organic phosphors of PCzT, BCzT, and FCzT under ambient conditions can activate UOP with emission lifetimes spanning from 1.8 to 1330 ms. These phosphors can also be deactivated back to their original states with short‐lived phosphorescence by UV irradiation for 3 h at room temperature or through thermal treatment. Additionally, the dynamic UOP was applied successfully for a visual anti‐counterfeiting application. These findings may provide unique insight into dynamic molecular motion for optical processing and expand the scope of smart‐response materials for broader applications.     

Transient and Persistent Room‐Temperature Mechanoluminescence from a White‐Light‐Emitting AIEgen with Tricolor Emission Switching Triggered by Light

Persistent luminescence from purely organic materials is basically triggered by light and electricity, which largely confines its practical applications. A purely organic AIEgen exhibits not only persistent photoluminescence, but also transient and persistent room‐temperature mechanoluminescence. By simply turning on and off a UV lamp, tricolor emission switching between blue, white, and yellow was achieved. The data from single‐crystal structure analysis and theoretical calculation suggest that mechanism of the observed persistent mechanoluminescence (pML) is correlated with the strong spin–orbit coupling of the bromine atom, as well as the formation of H‐aggregates and restriction of intramolecular motions in noncentrosymmetric crystal structure. These results outline a fundamental principle for the development of new pML materials, providing an important step forward in expanding the application scope of persistent luminescence.     

Catholyte‐Free Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Formate

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into value‐added chemicals is a promising strategy to reduce CO₂ emission and mitigate climate change. One of the most serious problems in electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) is the low solubility of CO₂ in an aqueous electrolyte, which significantly limits the cathodic reaction rate. This paper proposes a facile method of catholyte‐free electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to avoid the solubility limitation using commercial tin nanoparticles as a cathode catalyst. Interestingly, as the reaction temperature rises from 303 K to 363 K, the partial current density (PCD) of formate improves more than two times with 52.9 mA cm^?2, despite the decrease in CO₂ solubility. Furthermore, a significantly high formate concentration of 41.5 g L^?1 is obtained as a one‐path product at 343 K with high PCD (51.7 mA cm^?2) and high Faradaic efficiency (93.3 %) via continuous operation in a full flow cell at a low cell voltage of 2.2 V.     

Engineering the Band Gap States of the Rutile TiO2(110) Surface by Modulating the Active Heteroatom

Introducing band gap states to TiO₂ photocatalysts is an efficient strategy for expanding the range of accessible energy available in the solar spectrum. However, few approaches are able to introduce band gap states and improve photocatalytic performance simultaneously. Introducing band gap states by creating surface disorder can incapacitate reactivity where unambiguous adsorption sites are a prerequisite. An alternative method for introduction of band gap states is demonstrated in which selected heteroatoms are implanted at preferred surface sites. Theoretical prediction and experimental verification reveal that the implanted heteroatoms not only introduce band gap states without creating surface disorder, but also function as active sites for the Cr^VI reduction reaction. This promising approach may be applicable to the surfaces of other solar harvesting materials where engineered band gap states could be used to tune photophysical and ‐catalytic properties.