Terahertz radiation from pentacene organic diode at room temperature

We investigate terahertz radiation(T-rays) from a pentacene organic diode at room temperature. The quantum chemistry calculation for frequency-related Huang–Rhys factor of pentacene is also carried out. The results demonstrate that the T-rays can come from a bending vibration of pentacene skeleton after the energy of pentacene exciton transferring to the vibrational excited state via electron–phonon coupling. Frequency and natural bond orbital analytics of pentacene and its derivatives are performed in order to explain the result and develop new materials to get higher emission. This work provides a new way to produce T-rays with a simple device at room temperature.     

Recyclable and reusable Pd(OAc)2/PPh3/PEG‐2000 system for homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acids under air without base

A stable and efficient Pd(OAc)₂/PPh₃/PEG‐2000 catalytic system for homocoupling of arylboronic acids has been developed. In the presence of Pd(OAc)₂ and PPh₃, the homocoupling reaction of arylboronic acids was carried out smoothly in PEG‐2000 at 70 °C under air without base to afford a variety of symmetric biaryls in good to excellent yields. The isolation of the products was readily performed by extraction with diethyl ether, and the Pd(OAc)₂/PPh₃/PEG‐2000 system could be easily recycled and reused six times without significant loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polypyrrole Shell@3D‐Ni Metal Core Structured Electrodes for High‐Performance Supercapacitors

Three‐dimensional (3D) nanometal films serving as current collectors have attracted much interest recently owing to their promising application in high‐performance supercapacitors. In the process of the electrochemical reaction, the 3D structure can provide a short diffusion path for fast ion transport, and the highly conductive nanometal may serve as a backbone for facile electron transfer. In this work, a novel polypyrrole (PPy) shell@3D‐Ni‐core composite is developed to enhance the electrochemical performance of conventional PPy. With the introduction of a Ni metal core, the as‐prepared material exhibits a high specific capacitance (726 F g^?1 at a charge/discharge rate of 1 A g^?1), good rate capability (a decay of 33 % in C_sp with charge/discharge rates increasing from 1 to 20 A g^?1), and high cycle stability (only a small decrease of 4.2 % in C_sp after 1000 cycles at a scan rate of 100 mV s^?1). Furthermore, an aqueous symmetric supercapacitor device is fabricated by using the as‐prepared composite as electrodes; the device demonstrates a high energy density (≈21.2 Wh kg^?1) and superior long‐term cycle ability (only 4.4 % and 18.6 % loss in C_sp after 2000 and 5000 cycles, respectively).     

Identification of metabolites of rupestonic acid in rat urine by liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry

Rupestonic acid, a potential anti‐influenza agent, is an important and characteristic compound in Artemisia rupestris L., a well‐known traditional Uighur medicine for the treatment of colds. In the present study, high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect and identify the metabolites in rat urine after oral administration of rupestonic acid. A total of 10 metabolites were identified or partially characterized. The structure elucidations of the metabolites were performed by comparing the changes in accurate molecular masses and fragment ions with those of the parent compound. The results showed that the main metabolites of rupestonic acid in rat urine were formed by oxidation, hydrogenation and glucuronidation. A metabolism pathway was proposed for the first time based on the characterized structures. This metabolism study can provide essential information for drug discovery, design and clinical application of rupestonic acid. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hierarchical structure observation and nanoindentation size effect characterization for a limnetic shell

In the present research, hierarchical structure observation and mechanical property characterization for a type of biomaterial are carried out. The investigated biomaterial is Hyriopsis cumingii, a typical limnetic shell, which consists of two different structural layers, a prismatic "pillar"structure and a nacreous "brick and mortar" structure. The prismatic layer looks like a "pillar forest" with variationsection pillars sized on the order of several tens of microns.The nacreous material looks like a "brick wall" with bricks sized on the order of several microns. Both pillars and bricks are composed of nanoparticles. The mechanical properties of the hierarchical biomaterial are measured by using the nanoindentation test. Hardness and modulus are measured for both the nacre layer and the prismatic layer, respectively.The nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are investigated experimentally. The results show that the prismatic nanostructured material has a higher stiffness and hardness than the nacre nanostructured material.In addition, the nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are described theoretically, by using the trans-scale mechanics theory considering both strain gradient effect and the surface/interface effect. The modeling results are consistent with experimental ones.     

12β-Acetyloxyperforatin,a New Limonoid from Harrisonia Perforata

A new A, D-seco limonoid, named 12-acetyloxyperforatin (1), along with three known ones, were isolated from the leaves of Harrisonia perforata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including extensive NMR techniques and computational modelling. These compounds showed no inhibitory activity against the 11β-HSD1 enzyme.