Metabolomics Provides A Novel Interpretation of the Changes in Main Compounds during Black Tea Processing through Different Drying Methods

This study aimed to compare the effect of hot roller (HR) drying and hot air (HA) drying on the sensory evaluation, chemical quality, antioxidant activity, and metabolic profile of Yihong Congou black tea processed from E’cha NO1. The Yihong Congou black tea dried with HA obtained higher sensory scores and better chemical qualities such as the hue of tea brew color (a and b), content of theaflavins, thearubigins, water extract, free amino acids, tea polyphenol, and the ratio of polyphenol to amino acids as well as higher antioxidant capacities compared to that dried with HR. The HA drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds that had positive correlation with sweet and flowery flavor, while the HR drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds related to fruity flavor. Moreover, non-targeted metabolomics data indicated that the levels of most free amino acids significantly increased, while the levels of most soluble sugars reduced in the HA drying method compared to the HR drying method. The metabolic analysis was also consistent with the above results and revealed that D-ribose and gallic acid were the main characteristic metabolites of HA drying. Our results could provide a technical reference and theoretical guide to processing a high quality of Yihong Congou black tea.     

Characterization and tentative identification of new flunitrazepam metabolites in authentic human urine specimens using liquid chromatography‐Q exactive‐HF hybrid quadrupole‐Orbitrap‐mass spectrometry (LC‐QE‐HF‐MS)

Flunitrazepam (FNZ) is a potent hypnotic, sedative, and amnestic drug used to treat severe insomnia. In our recent study, FNZ metabolic profiles were investigated carefully. Six authentic human urine samples were purified using solid phase extraction (SPE) without enzymatic hydrolysis, and urine extracts were then analyzed by liquid chromatography‐Q exactive‐HF hybrid quadrupole‐Orbitrap‐mass spectrometry (LC‐QE‐HF‐MS), using the full scan positive ion mode and targeted MS/MS (ddms2) technique to make accurate mass measurements. There were 25 metabolites, including 13 phase I and 12 phase II metabolites, which were detected and tentatively identified by LC‐QE‐HF‐MS. In addition, nine previously unreported phase II glucuronide conjugates and four phase I metabolites are reported here for the first time. Eight metabolic pathways, including N‐reduction and O‐reduction, N‐glucuronidation, O‐glucuronidation, mono‐hydroxylation and di‐hydroxylation, demethylation, acetylation, and combinations, were implicated in this work, and 2‐O‐reduction together with dihydroxylation were two novel metabolic pathways for FNZ that were identified tentatively. Although 7‐amino FNZ is widely considered to be the primary metabolite, a previously unreported metabolites (M12) can also serve as a potential biomarker for FNZ misuse.     

Suppressed Mobility of Negative Charges in Polymer Electrolytes with an Ether‐Functionalized Anion

Suppressing the mobility of anionic species in polymer electrolytes (PEs) is essential for mitigating the concentration gradient and internal cell polarization, and thereby improving the stability and cycle life of rechargeable alkali metal batteries. Now, an ether‐functionalized anion (EFA) is used as a counter‐charge in a lithium salt. As the salt component in PEs, it achieves low anionic diffusivity but sufficient Li‐ion conductivity. The ethylene oxide unit in EFA endows nanosized self‐agglomeration of anions and trapping interactions between the anions and its structurally homologous matrix, poly(ethylene oxide), thus suppressing the mobility of negative charges. In contrast to previous strategies of using anion traps or tethering anions to a polymer/inorganic backbone, this work offers a facile and elegant methodology on accessing selective and efficient Li‐ion transport in PEs and related electrolyte materials (for example, composites and hybrid electrolytes).     

Strong π-π stacking interactions led to the mis-assignment of dimer emissions to the monomers of 1-acetylpyrene

Both experimental and computational studies showed owing to strong π-π stacking interactions, 1-acetylpyrene mainly exists in dimers and molecular aggregates even at low concentrations, which led to the mis-assignment of its monomer emission peaks.     

A self-assembly/disassembly two-photo ratiometric fluorogenic probe for bacteria imaging

A fluorogenic probe for bacteria imaging was reported. The binding with anionic bacterial surfaces disassembled the self-assembly probe to turn-on the fluorescence and shift pyrene monomer/excimer ratiometric signals.     

Synthesis of （2R,4R）—2—N—tert—Butyloxycarbonyl Amino—4,5—epoxido—valeric Acid Methyl Ester

The stereoselective synthesis of (2R,4R)-2-N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl amino-4,5-epoxido-valeric acid methyl ester 8,which is the key intermediate for the synthesis of (2′S,2R)-3-trans-nitrocyclopropyl-alanine,was first accomplished.     

Bis­(tetra­phenyl­phospho­nium) (μ‐tetra­thio­tungstenio‐κ4S,S′:S′′:S′′′)­bis­[(cyano‐κC)­cuprate](2–) aceto­nitrile solvate monohydrate

The reaction of CuCN and KCN with (NH₄)₂[WS₄] followed by cation exchange with PPh₄Br produced the title compound, (C₂₄H₂₀P)₂[Cu₂WS₄(CN)₂]·CH₃CN·H₂O or (PPh₄)₂[(NC)Cu(μ‐S)₂W(μ‐S)₂Cu(CN)]·MeCN·H₂O. In the structure of the dianion, [(NC)Cu(μ‐S)₂W(μ‐S)₂Cu(CN)]²⁻, the WS₄ moiety acts as a bidentate ligand that binds two CuCN groups, thus forming a slightly bent WCu₂ core with approximate D_2d symmetry. The W—Cu distances are in the range 2.6463 (6)–2.6545 (6) Å.     

Sr0.955Al2-xBxSi2O8:0.025Eu2+荧光粉的制备、晶体结构及发光性能

通过高温固相反应在弱还原气氛下制备了Sr_0.955Al_2-xB_xSi₂O₈：0.025Eu²⁺（x=0~0.9）一系列荧光粉,研究了B（Ⅲ）取代基质晶格中的Al（Ⅲ）对荧光粉晶体结构和Eu²⁺发光性能的影响。B（Ⅲ）以类质同相取代基质晶格中Al（Ⅲ）,形成了连续固溶体。随着B（Ⅲ）取代量的增加,荧光粉的晶胞参数（a、b、c）和晶胞体积（V）呈线性递减,而晶胞参数（β）呈线性递增。荧光粉的激发光谱为位于225~400 nm的宽峰,表观峰值位于350 nm,激发峰的半高宽（FWHM）随着B（Ⅲ）取代量的增加,从90 nm减小到102 nm。发射光谱位于370~600 nm的宽峰,可拟合为409和447 nm两个峰,表观峰值位于409 nm。随着B（Ⅲ）取代量的增加,2个拟合峰位均出现蓝移且2个峰强度比呈线性递减。根据试样荧光光谱,通过Van Uitert经验公式计算得出SrAl₂Si₂O₈：Eu²⁺中Sr²⁺的配位数为9。随着B（Ⅲ）取代Al（Ⅲ）进入基质晶格,造成发光中心Eu与配体O距离增加,使得Eu²⁺所处的晶体场强度减小,发光中心Eu²⁺的5d能级分裂减小,造成Eu²⁺最低发射能级重心上移,2个拟合谱峰峰位均呈线性蓝移。     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of one-dimensional zinc nickel oxide solid solution

A novel facile method has been demonstrated for large-scale synthesis of zinc-oxide-based one-dimensional solid solution with a series percentage of nickel dopant. The obtained Zn1-xNixO nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and energy dispersed X-ray spectroscopy. The result shows that the obtained Zn1-xNixO nanorods are single crystalline with the Ni2+ dopants occupying tetrahedral Zn2+ cation sites of wurtzite ZnO. Moreover, the Zn1-xNixO nanorods exhibit robust high-Curie-temperature (TC) ferromagnetism at 300 K.     

A fungal nonribosomal peptide synthetase module that can synthesize thiopyrazines

A nonribosomal peptide synthetase-like enzyme (NRPS325) from Aspergillus terreus was reconstituted in vitro and was shown to synthesize thiopyrazines using an unprecedented mechanism. Substrate promiscuity of NRPS325 toward different amino acids and free thiols was explored to produce >60 different thiopyrazine compounds.