Preparation and properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)/silica nanocomposites derived from copolymerization of vinyl silica nanoparticles and vinyl acetate

Nanocomposites of poly(vinyl alcohol)/silica nanoparticles (PVA-SNs) were prepared by in-situ radical copolymerization of vinyl silica nanoparticles functionalized by vinyltriethoxysilane (VTEOS) and vinyl acetate with benzoyl peroxide (BPO, i.e., initiator), subsequently saponified via direct hydrolysis with NaOH solution. The resulting vinyl silica nanoparticles, PVA-SNs were characterized by means of fourier transformation spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the elemental analysis method. Effects of silica nanoparticles on viscosity and alcoholysis of PVA-SNs were studied by a ubbelohode capillary viscometer and the back titration method. The morphological structure of PVA-SN films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile test were used to determine the thermal and mechanical properties of PVA-SN films. The results indicated that the content of vinyl groups on the surface of the vinyl silica nanoparticles was up to 3.02 mmol/g and vinyl silica nanoparticles had been successfully copolymerized with vinyl acetate. Furthermore, compared to pure PVA, silica nanoparticles bonded with polymer matrix in a low concentration affected the viscosity and alcoholysis of the PVA-SNs materials. At the same time, it resulted in the improvement of the thermal and mechanical properties of the PVA-SN materials due to a strong interaction between silica nanoparticles and the polymer matrix via a covalent bond. It could be found that the optical clarity of the membrane was changed through UV-Vis absorption spectrum due to the introduction of silica nanoparticles.     

Pinkment: a synthetic platform for the development of fluorescent probes for diagnostic and theranostic applications

Reaction-based fluorescent-probes have proven successful for the visualisation of biological species in various cellular processes. Unfortunately, in order to tailor the design of a fluorescent probe to a specific application (i.e. organelle targeting, material and theranostic applications) often requires extensive synthetic efforts and the synthetic screening of a range of fluorophores to match the required synthetic needs. In this work, we have identified Pinkment-OH as a unique “plug-and-play” synthetic platform that can be used to develop a range of ONOO⁻ responsive fluorescent probes for a variety of applications. These include theranostic-based applications and potential material-based/bioconjugation applications. The as prepared probes displayed an excellent sensitivity and selectivity for ONOO⁻ over other ROS. In vitro studies using HeLa cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages demonstrated their ability to detect exogenously and endogenously produced ONOO⁻. Evaluation in an LPS-induced inflammation mouse model illustrated the ability to monitor ONOO⁻ production in acute inflammation. Lastly, theranostic-based probes enabled the simultaneous evaluation of indomethacin-based therapeutic effects combined with the visualisation of an inflammation biomarker in RAW 264.7 cells.

Pinkment, a resorufin based ONOO⁻ selective and sensitive ‘plug and play’ fluorescence-based platform for in vitro and in vivo use, enables facile functionalisation for various imaging and theranostic applications.     

Palladium(II) complexes of bowls, pinwheels, cages, and N,C,N-pincers of starburst ligands 1,3,5-Tris(di-2-pyridylamino)benzene and 2,4,6-Tris(di-2-pyridylamino)-1,3,5-triazene

The reactions of Pd(II) ions with starburst ligands 1,3,5-tris(di-2-pyridylamino)benzene (tdab) and 2,4,6-tris(di-2-pyridylamino)-1,3,5-triazene (tdat) have been investigated. Complexes with the Pd:tdab (or tdat) ratio being 1:1 and 3:1 have been isolated and characterized. The structures of five new Pd(II) complexes containing the starburst ligands have been determined by X-ray diffraction analyses, which include chelate compounds [PdCl(2)(tdab)], 1, [(PdCl(2))(3)(tdab)], 2, [(Pd(OAc)(2))(3)(tdab)], 4, and [(Pd(OAc)(2))(3)(tdat)], 5, and a cyclometalated compound [Pd(OAc)(NCN-tdab)], 3. The Pd(II) ion in the 1:1 compound 1 is chelated by two pyridyl groups. Similarly, each Pd(II) center in the 3:1 compounds 2, 4, and 5 is chelated by two pyridyl groups. However, these three compounds display distinct structural features: 2 adopts a "bowl-shaped" structure, 4 has a "pinwheel"-like structure, and 5 has a "up-and-down" structure. Compounds 4 and 5 were examined in solution by variable-temperature (1)H NMR, which revealed that both compounds retain the "pinwheel" and the "up-and-down" structure, respectively. The observed structural preference by 4 and 5 is attributed to both electronic and steric factors.     

Two New Triterpene Lactones from the Stems of Kadsura polysperma

Two new triterpene lactones, polysperlactones A ( 2 ) and B ( 3 ), were isolated from the stems of Kadsura polysperma, together with the known compounds heteroclitalactone D ( 1 ) and schisanlactone E ( 4 ). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D‐NMR and HR‐MS techniques. The configuration of 1 was confirmed by X‐ray analysis. Compounds 2 and 3 are members of a rare class of 3,4‐secolanostane metabolites with ring‐expanded or cyclized structures, respectively.     

Study of amorphous Ni-La-B/g-Al2O3 catalysts for the production of hydrogen peroxide from carbon monoxide, water and oxygen

Summary Novel amorphous Ni-La-B/-Al₂O₃ catalysts have been developed for the production of hydrogen peroxide from carbon monoxide, water and oxygen. The experimental investigation confirmed that the catalyst dried at 120ºC in air shows the best initial activity. The deactivation of amorphous Ni-La-B/-Al₂O₃ catalysts was also studied.     

借鉴梅西大学经验开展农科有机化学在线教学

Massey University is a world-leading university in remote-instruction, online and mixed teaching based on the Stream teaching platform. This paper analyzed the advantages of the Stream teaching platform, resource utilization, course format, teaching team cooperation and course evaluation in Massey University. The paper also analyzed the enlightenment of teaching experience of Massey University to undergraduate teaching. During the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic, drawing on Massey's experience, combined with the rapid development of information technology in China, the teaching team of organic chemistry adopted the multi-teaching strategy of "teacher-centered and student-centered", and the teaching mode of "teacher-led and self-taught by students". The online teaching practice of organic chemistry was carried out in agriculture university. It has been demonstrated that this model can effectively improve teaching effects.     

Studies on the substrate specificity of Escherichia coli galactokinase

In vitro glycorandomization (IVG) technology is dependent upon the ability to rapidly synthesize sugar phosphates. Compared with chemical synthesis, enzymatic (kinase) routes to sugar phosphates would be attractive for this application. This work focuses upon the development of a high-throughput colorimetric galactokinase (GalK) assay and its application toward probing the substrate specificity and kinetic parameters of Escherichia coli GalK. The demonstrated dinitrosalicylic assay should also be generally applicable to a variety of sugar-processing enzymes. [reaction: see text]     

有害杂草的微量元素分析

紫茎泽兰和水葫芦均属有害杂草，大规模防治的有效方法还未找到，本文分析研究了采自昆明郊区的紫茎泽兰和滇池水域的水葫芦中微量元素的含量，为进一步开发利用这两种杂草提供科学依据。     

An Investigation on the Production of Random Copolymer with Monothiocarbonate and Trithiocarbonate Units over Cyclic Thiocarbonate via Metal‐free Catalysis

Synthesis of poly(thiocarbonate)s from the copolymerization of epoxides and carbon disulfide (CS₂) remains a tough challenge, due to inevitable oxygen‐sulfur atom scrambling process. In this work, we utilized the oxygen‐sulfur exchange reaction (O‐S ER) to synthesize a random copolymer with monothiocarbonate and trithiocarbonate units from CS₂ and phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) via metal‐free Lewis pairs. The copolymers contained monothiocarbonate and trithiocarbonate units of which the molar fraction could be tuned by varying either the types of Lewis pairs or the reaction temperature. Keeping track on the intermediate provided an insight in the process of O‐S ER and thus gave a hint to control the product structure. Production and consumption of phenyl thioglycidyl ether was the key process to regulate the chain structure. Remarkably, the oxygen atoms of PGE could be excluded out of the chain, resulting in the nearly complete production of poly(trithiocarbonate)s. Correspondingly, the refractive index of this kind of copolymer could be regulated in a wide range of 1.73—1.79 (at 590 nm).     

Concentration and vertical distribution of plutonium and americium in Italian mosses and lichens

The plutonium and americium concentration and vertical distribution in some Italian mosses and lichens have been determined. The^239,240Pu,²³⁸Pu and²⁴¹Am concentration ranges in tree trunk lichens 0.83–1.87, 0.052–0.154 and 0.180–0.770 Bq/kg, respectively. The corresponding values in tree mosses are higher and more scattered ranging from 0.321 to 4.96, from 0.029 to 0.171 and from 0.200 to 1.93 Bq/kg. The mean²³⁸Pu/^239,240Pu and²⁴¹Am/^239,240Pu ratios are 0.088±0.037 and 0.38±0.13 in lichens and 0.091±0.072 and 0.54±0.16 in tree mosses. The Pu and Am concentrations are relatively low in terrestrial mosses. The^239,240Pu,²³⁸Pu and²⁴¹Am vertical distributions in a terrestrial moss core (Neckera Crispa) collected near Urbino (central Italy) show an exponential decrease with the height. On the contrary the²⁴¹Am vertical distribution in another terrestrial moss core (Sphagnum Compactum) collected in the Alps (northern Italy) shows an interesting peak at 16 cm which corresponds to the deposition of fallout from the nuclear weapon tests in 1960's. The²⁴¹Am movement upward and downward in the moss core is also studied. The results show once again that both mosses and lichens are very effective accumulators of Pu and Am and that they can be used as good biological indicators of the radionuclide airbome pollution from nuclear facilities and nuclear weapon tests. They can play a very impotant role in cycling naturally or artificially enhanced radionuclides in the atmosphere over long time scales.