Rhombicuboctahedral Ag100: Four‐Layered Octahedral Silver Nanocluster Adopting the Russian Nesting Doll Model

Precise atomic structure of metal nanoclusters (NCs) is fundamental for elucidating the structure–property relationships and the inherent size‐evolution principles. Reported here is the largest known FCC‐based (FCC=face centered cubic) silver nanocluster, [Ag₁₀₀(SC₆H₃^3,4F₂)₄₈(PPh₃)₈]^?: the first all‐octahedral symmetric nesting Ag nanocluster with a four‐layered Ag₆@Ag₃₈@Ag₄₈S₂₄@Ag₈S₂₄P₈ structure, consistent symmetry elements, and a unique rhombicuboctahedral morphology distinct from theoretical predictions and previously reported FCC‐based Ag clusters. DFT studies revealed extensive interlayer interactions and degenerate frontier orbitals. The FCC‐based Russian nesting doll model constitutes a new platform for the study of the size‐evolution principles of Ag NCs.     

Electrochemical codeposited polypyrrole–tungsten oxide composite materials with wide potential windows

The three-dimensional morphology has sufficient interface contact and can be in favor of the electronic transport process. In this work, the demand for high-performance electrodes such as energy storage devices has been designed. Polypyrrole and tungsten oxide composite materials (PPy-WO₃) have been synthesized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) technology at −0.6 to 0.9 V versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE) for 20 cycles. The PPy-WO₃^{20 mV/s}, PPy-WO₃^{60 mV/s}, and PPy-WO₃^{120 mV/s} electrodes have been prepared by CV technology at sweep rates of 20, 60, and 120 mV/s. The influences of scan rate on morphologies and charge storage properties of the composites are discussed. Among them, a three-dimensional flake structure for PPy-WO₃^{20 mV/s} with a size of up to several micrometers was synthesized. PPy-WO₃^{20 mV/s} composites as electrode materials exhibit a wide charge storage potential window of 1.4 V (between −0.9 and 0.5 V vs. SCE) and a specific capacitance of 145.13 F/g at 1 mA/cm². Moreover, the long-term stability of PPy-WO₃^{20 mV/s} and PPy has been investigated in 5 M LiCl aqueous electrolyte. The stability of the materials can be improved by inorganic and organic composites.     

Impact of sugar stereochemistry on natural killer T cell stimulation by bacterial glycolipids

Natural killer T (NKT) cells recognize glycolipids produced by Sphingomonas bacteria, and these glycolipids contain C6-oxidized sugars, either glucuronic acid or galacturonic acid, linked to ceramides. Glycolipids with gluco stereochemistry are the most prevalent. Multiple studies have demonstrated that galactosylceramides are more potent stimulators of NKT cells than their glucose isomers. To determine if this stereoselectivity is retained in the context of the C6-oxidized sugars found in bacterial glycolipids, we prepared two sets of gluco and galacto-glycolipids oxidized at their C6 positions and compared their NKT stimulatory properties. In the context of carboxylic acid groups at C6, gluco stereochemistry gave the more potent responses. We also prepared bacterial glycolipids containing more complex ceramide groups to determine if these chains impact NKT cell responses.     

Fluoroalkyl and alkyl chains have similar hydrophobicities in binding to the "hydrophobic wall" of carbonic anhydrase

The hydrophobic effect, the free-energetically favorable association of nonpolar solutes in water, makes a dominant contribution to binding of many systems of ligands and proteins. The objective of this study was to examine the hydrophobic effect in biomolecular recognition using two chemically different but structurally similar hydrophobic groups, aliphatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic fluorocarbons, and to determine whether the hydrophobicity of the two groups could be distinguished by thermodynamic and biostructural analysis. This paper uses isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to examine the thermodynamics of binding of benzenesulfonamides substituted in the para position with alkyl and fluoroalkyl chains (H(2)NSO(2)C(6)H(4)-CONHCH(2)(CX(2))(n)CX(3), n = 0-4, X = H, F) to human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II). Both alkyl and fluoroalkyl substituents contribute favorably to the enthalpy and the entropy of binding; these contributions increase as the length of chain of the hydrophobic substituent increases. Crystallography of the protein-ligand complexes indicates that the benzenesulfonamide groups of all ligands examined bind with similar geometry, that the tail groups associate with the hydrophobic wall of HCA II (which is made up of the side chains of residues Phe131, Val135, Pro202, and Leu204), and that the structure of the protein is indistinguishable for all but one of the complexes (the longest member of the fluoroalkyl series). Analysis of the thermodynamics of binding as a function of structure is compatible with the hypothesis that hydrophobic binding of both alkyl and fluoroalkyl chains to hydrophobic surface of carbonic anhydrase is due primarily to the release of nonoptimally hydrogen-bonded water molecules that hydrate the binding cavity (including the hydrophobic wall) of HCA II and to the release of water molecules that surround the hydrophobic chain of the ligands. This study defines the balance of enthalpic and entropic contributions to the hydrophobic effect in this representative system of protein and ligand: hydrophobic interactions, here, seem to comprise approximately equal contributions from enthalpy (plausibly from strengthening networks of hydrogen bonds among molecules of water) and entropy (from release of water from configurationally restricted positions).     

Crowding effect induced phase transition of amphiphilic diblock copolymer in solution

The crowding agent induced phase transition of amphiphilic block copolymers in solution was explicitly considered. The influence of the size and the volume fraction of the crowding agent on the phase separation of amphiphilic diblock copolymers is investigated by using self-consistent field theory (SCFT) method. The concentration of the disorder to order transition of the block copolymer decreases when the size of the crowding agent is larger than that of the solvent. The higher volume fraction of the crowding agent will induce the transition of the block copolymer from disorder to order state at a lower concentration. The relation between the size and the volume fraction of the crowding agent is elucidated. When the size of the crowding agent is larger, its volume fraction of the disorder to order transition of the block copolymer will be lower. The conformation of the crowding agent considered as a polymer chain is also studied and compared.     

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/melamine phosphate composites prepared through thermal processing: thermal stability and flame retardancy

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/melamine phosphate composites (PVA/MP) as a novel halogen‐free, flame‐retardant foam matrix were prepared through thermal processing, and then their thermal stability and flame retardancy were investigated by thermo‐gravimetric analysis, micro‐scale combustion calorimeter, cone calorimeter, vertical burning test, and limiting oxygen index (LOI) test. It was found that the thermal stability and combustion properties of the PVA/MP composites could be influenced by the addition of MP. Compared with the control PVA sample (B‐PVA), in the PVA/MP (75/25) composites, the temperature at 5% mass loss (T_5%) decreased about 10°C, the residual chars at 600°C increased by nearly 27%, the temperature at the maximum peak heat release rate (T_P) shifted from 292°C to 452°C, and the total heat released and the heat release capacity (HRC) decreased by 28% and 14%, respectively. Moreover, the PVA/MP composites could reach LOI value up to 35% and UL94 classification V‐0, showing good flame retardancy. At the same time, both Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra of the residual chars from the PVA/MP composites demonstrated that the catalytic effect of MP on the dehydration and decarboxylation reactions of PVA, and the chemical reactivity of MP during the chars‐forming reactions could be used to account for the changed thermal stability and flame retardancy of the PVA/MP composites. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

用于直接甲醇燃料电池的侧链型磺化聚芳醚酮/聚乙烯醇交联膜的制备与性能研究

以高磺化度的侧链型磺化聚芳醚酮(S-SPAEK)和聚乙烯醇(PVA)为原料,通过溶液共混的方法在120℃下制备了PVA含量不同的S-SPAEK/PVA交联膜.红外光谱图表明S-SPAEK聚合物中的磺酸基团与PVA中的羟基反应生成酯键而形成共价交联.通过对交联膜的性能测试发现PVA的引入明显降低了膜的甲醇渗透系数,改善了膜的溶胀性,提高了膜的保水能力.S-SPAEK/PVA(85/15)交联膜水的脱附系数从S-SPAEK的3.1×10-8 cm2/s降低到2.9×10-9 cm2/s.在25℃和60℃时S-SPAEK/PVA(85/15)交联膜的甲醇渗透系数分别为2.6×10-7cm2/s和3.9×10-7cm2/s,明显低于相同温度下的纯S-SPAEK膜的8.1×10-7cm2/s与14.5×10-7cm2/s,而其质子传导率虽然有所下降,但是在25℃和80℃时分别达到了0.055 S/cm和0.083 S/cm,能够满足直接甲醇燃料电池(DMFCs)对质子交换膜的要求,有望在DMFCs中得到应用.     

妊娠中期孕妇头发微量元素观察

为了解妇女妊娠中期营养状况，对１９９６年产科门诊采集的杂结果进行回顾性分析，结果表明，孕中期妇女有５９．６４％存在宏量和微量元素缺乏，其中钙缺乏占首位，铁缺乏占第二位，锌缺乏占第三位，镁变化不大。缺钙严重程度与季节有关。提示孕中期应对孕妇给予膳食结构的调整，适时补充营养和钙，以满足母胎之需要，减少母儿并发症。     

样品价态对激光气化产生Cu/Cl团簇的组成和稳定性的影响

研究团控的形成条件、形成机理是目前团簇科学中的一个热点领域［‘］．产生气相团簇的方法主要有Knudsen高温炉扩散法、粒子溅射法、激光气化／分子束法、直接激光气化法·因为不需要另加缓冲气体，直接激光气化法【刀具有对体系真空要求较低，装置简单，容易和飞行时间质谱结     

Synthesis, structure, DNA-binding properties and antioxidant activity of silver(I) complexes containing V-shaped bis-benzimidazole ligands

A V-shaped ligand bis(2-benzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)benzylamine L(1) with its two derivatives bis(N-methylbenzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)benzylamine L(2) and bis(N-benzylbenzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)benzylamine L(3) have been prepared. Reaction of these shape-specific designed ligands with Ag(pic) (pic = picrate) afforded three novel complexes, namely, [Ag(2)L(1)(2)](pic)(2)1, [Ag(2)L(2)(2)](pic)(2)·2DMF 2 and [AgL(3)(pic)] 3. The ligands and complexes were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, UV-Vis, IR, NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Complex 1 is a dinuclear metallacycle with a 2-fold rotational symmetry in which two syn-conformational L(1) ligands are connected by two linearly coordinated Ag(I) atoms. Due to the strong interaction between two adjacent Ag(I) atoms, the coordination mode of the central Ag(I) atom can be described as T-shaped. Complex 2 consists of a centrosymmetric dinuclear pore canal structure assembled from two nearly linearly coordinated Ag(I) atoms and two L(2) ligands. The structure of complex 3 adopts a four-coordinate environment for AgN(2)O(2), with the counterion participating in an eight-shaped geometry. In order to explore the relationship between the structure and biological properties, the DNA-binding properties have been investigated by viscosity measurements, electronic absorption, and fluorescence. The results suggest that the ligands and complexes bind to DNA in an intercalation mode, and their binding affinities for DNA are also different. Moreover, the three Ag(I) complexes also exhibited potential antioxidant properties in vitro studies.