Solvation Rule for Solid‐Electrolyte Interphase Enabler in Lithium‐Metal Batteries

Despite the exceptionally high energy density of lithium metal anodes, the practical application of lithium‐metal batteries (LMBs) is still impeded by the instability of the interphase between the lithium metal and the electrolyte. To formulate a functional electrolyte system that can stabilize the lithium‐metal anode, the solvation behavior of the solvent molecules must be understood because the electrochemical properties of a solvent can be heavily influenced by its solvation status. We unambiguously demonstrated the solvation rule for the solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) enabler in an electrolyte system. In this study, fluoroethylene carbonate was used as the SEI enabler due to its ability to form a robust SEI on the lithium metal surface, allowing relatively stable LMB cycling. The results revealed that the solvation number of fluoroethylene carbonate must be ≥1 to ensure the formation of a stable SEI in which the sacrificial reduction of the SEI enabler subsequently leads to the stable cycling of LMBs.     

Gypensapogenin H from hydrolyzate of total Gynostemma pentaphyllum saponins induces apoptosis in human breast carcinoma cells

Abstract

Gypensapogenin H (Gyp H) is a novel dammarane-type triterpene, isolated from hydrolyzate of total saponins from Gynostemma pentaphyllum. Our previous work demonstrated that Gyp H exhibited potent growth inhibitory effects on tumor cells. It significantly inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), while having low toxicity to normal human breast epithelial cells, MCF-10a. Further mechanistic study demonstrated that Gyp H decreased survival, inhibited proliferation, migration, induced apoptosis and led to cell cycle arrest. For the MDA-MB-231 cell lines, Gyp H increased expression of P21, Bax and cytochrome c, induced PARP cleavage and activated caspases. Gyp H also reduced expression of CDK2/4, CyclinD1, E2F1 and Bcl2, which associated with the cell cycle arrest. Thus, our finding may be useful for understanding the mechanism of action of Gyp H on breast cancer cells and suggest that Gyp H would be a leading agent for the treatment of breast cancer.     

Chemical profiling and marker characterization of Huangqin decoction prepared with three types of peony root by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Clarification of the quality and biological effect equivalence of traditional Chinese medicines containing multi‐origin species is essential to improve their current quality standards, and also is the core problem to clarify the origins of single herbs with multi‐species in Chinese formulas that will guarantee their clinical application. Huangqin decoction is the typical one of multi‐origin formulas frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine and Kampo medicine. An ultra high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry was developed for chemical profiling and marker quantification of Huangqin decoction prepared with two different original types of peony root, white and red peony root. Forty‐seven main peaks in chemical profiling of Huangqin decoction prepared with white and red peony root were identified: nine were from peony root, 20 from baical skullcap root, 17 from licorice root, and one from jujubae fruit. The markers characteristics of the respective types of peony root in Huangqin decoction differ from that in single herbs, especially in terms of monoterpenoids and hydrolysable tannins. Subsequently, 17 representative markers in Huangqin decoction prepared with three types of peony root and their chemical characteristics and content distribution were carried out.     

Palladium-catalyzed ortho-C–H silylation of biaryl aldehydes using a transient directing group

A strategy for Pd-catalyzed ortho-C–H silylation of biaryl aldehydes enabled by a transient auxiliary is presented. This protocol provides a broad range of ortho-silylated biaryl aldehydes in good yields. The silyl moiety can be further functionalized under mild conditions, rendering the silylated products useful building blocks. Notably, this protocol also offers an opportunity to establish a platform for expeditious synthesis of structurally diverse axially chiral biaryl aldehydes via sequential atroposelective interannular C–H functionalization/intraanular C–H silylation.     

Unique Thia‐Baeyer–Villiger‐Type Oxidation of Dibenzothiophene Sulfoxides Derivatives

The present research has demonstrated that selective C?S bond cleavages of dibenzothiophene and its derivatives are feasible by thia‐Baeyer–Villiger type oxidation, i. e. the oxygen insertion process within a sulfoxide‐carbon linkage, in the presence of porphyrin iron (III) and by ultraviolet irradiation originating from sunlight, high pressure Hg‐lamp or residentially germicidal ultraviolet lamp under very mild conditions. This reaction with tert‐butylhydroperoxide at 30.0 °C leads to dibenzo[1,2]oxathiin‐6‐oxide ( PBS ) in 83.2 % isolated yield or its hydrated products, 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐benzenesulfinic derivatives ( HPBS ) in near 100 % yield based HPLC data. PBS and HPBS are a type of biological products detected on the C?S bond cleavage step through various oxidative biodesulfurization ( OBDS ) pathways, and are useful synthetic intermediates and fine chemicals. These observations may contribute on understanding delicately molecular aspect of OBDS in the photosynthesis system, expanding the C‐S cleavage chemistry of S‐heterocyclic compounds and approaching toward biomemic desulfurization with respect to converting sulfur contaminants to chemically beneficial blocks as needed and performing under the ambient conditions.     

台风过境下大型单桩式海上风机结构动力特性研究

风机大型化是我国海上风电技术发展的重要方向. 东南沿海是我国海上风电发展的重要基地, 这一区域频繁发生的台风对海上风机的影响不可忽略. 台风风场与常规大风风场有不同的湍流特性, 同时台风期间较高的风速会引起巨大的台风浪. 本文考虑台风经过期间独特的风场及波浪场, 开展风浪联合作用对大型单桩海上风机影响的研究. 基于DTU 10 MW大型单桩风机, 运用一体化分析软件SIMA建立风浪联合作用下大型单桩风机的耦合数值模型, 研究台风经过不同阶段大型风力机的动力响应特性. 计算结果显示, 叶片变桨能有效降低台风经过时风机叶片所受风载荷, 变桨状态下单桩风机所受风载荷主要来源于塔筒. 在台风经过的不同阶段, 大型单桩海上风机结构表现出不同的动力特性. 台风全过程塔筒运动均受波浪激发一阶频率控制, 塔基上方结构动力载荷以惯性载荷为主, FOVS至FEWS阶段及BOVS阶段至BEWS阶段塔筒运动一阶频率处响应能量增长较小, 响应能量向低频及波频转移. 塔基下方泥面线处剪力响应受波频控制, 弯矩响应受一阶频率控制.      

Families of gap solitons and their complexes in media with saturable nonlinearity and fractional diffraction

Nonlinear Dynamics - We demonstrate the existence of various types of gap localized modes, including one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) single solitons and soliton clusters, as well as the...     

Supramolecular Coordination Cages Based on N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Gold(I) Ligands and Their Precursors: Self-Assembly,Structural Transformation and Guest-Binding Properties

The incorporation of functional groups into the cavity of discrete supramolecular coordination cages (SCCs) will bring unique functions and applications. Here, three dicarboxylate ligands (H₂ L1 Cl, H₂ L2 Cl and H₂ L3 Cl) containing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors as linkers were introduced to construct SCCs by combining with two C₃-symmertic (CpZr)₃(μ₃-O)(μ₂-OH)₃ clusters as three-connect vertices, resulted in a series of rugby-like V₂E₃ (V=vertex, E=edge) type homoleptic cages ( SCC-1 , SCC-2 and SCC-3 ). However, V₄E₆-type tetrahedral cages ( SCC-4 and SCC-5 ), incorporating six Au-NHC moieties, were obtained when the corresponding NHC-gold(I) functionalized ligands (H₂ L1 ^Au, H₂ L2 ^Au) were applied. For the first time, we present a trackable CpZr-involved cage to cage conversion to generate a heteroleptic V₂E₃ cage ( SCC-6 ) from two homoleptic cages ( SCC-2 and SCC-5 ) with different geometries of V₂E₃ and V₄E₆. The heteroleptic assembly SCC-6 can also be formed upon a subcomponent displacement strategy. The structural transformation and reassembly processes were detected and monitored by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. The formation of heteroleptic assembly was further supported by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Moreover, homoleptic cage SCC-2 possesses a trigonal bipyramidal cationic cavity allowing the encapsulation of a series of sulfonate anionic guests.