[Cu(C8H16N4O2)0.5{N(CN)2}]n,a novel ladder‐like coordination polymer

A new polymeric copper complex, viz.catena‐poly[[[μ‐N,N′‐bis(3‐amino­propyl)oxa­mid­ato‐κ⁶N,N′,O:N′′,N′′′,O′]­dicopper(II)]‐di‐μ‐dicyan­amido‐1:1′κ²N¹:N⁵;2:2′κ²N¹:N⁵], [Cu₂(C₈H₁₆N₄O₂)(C₂N₃)₂]_n or [Cu(oxpn)_0.5{N(CN)₂}]_n [where H₂oxpn is N,N′‐bis(3‐amino­propyl)­ox­amide], has been ­synthesized by the reaction of Cu(oxpn), [Cu(ClO₄)₂]·6H₂O and NaN₃. In the crystal structure, the Cu atom is five‐coordinate and has a square‐pyrimidal (SP) configuration. In the polymer, dicyan­amide (dca⁻) groups link Cu^II cations in a μ‐1,5‐bridging mode, generating novel ladders in which each step is composed of dimeric [Cu₂(oxpn)]²⁺ cations. Abundant hydrogen bonds connect the polymer ladders into a two‐dimensional network structure.     

Effect of carbon doping on corrosion resistance and conductivity of CrMoN-coated 316L stainless steel bipolar plates

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - CrMoCN coatings with different carbon contents are prepared on 316L stainless steel substrates by closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering. The...     

Metal Organic Framework Glasses: A New Platform for Electrocatalysis?

Metal organic framework (MOF) glasses are a coordination network of metal nodes and organic ligands as an undercooled frozen-in liquid, and have therefore broadened the potential of MOF materials in the fundamental research and application scenarios. On the road to deploying MOF glasses as electrocatalysts, it remains several basic scientific hurdles although MOF glasses not only inherit the structural merits of MOFs but also endow with active catalytic features including concentrated defects, metal centers and disorder structure etc. The research on the ionic conductivity, catalytic stability and reactivity of MOF glasses has yielded scientific insights towards its electrocatalytic applications. Here, we first comb the history, definition and basic properties of MOF glasses. Then, we identify the main synthetic methods and characterization techniques. Finally, we advance the potentials and challenges of MOF glasses as electrocatalysts in furthering the understanding of these themes.     

Synthesis of Sequence-specific Poly(ester-carbonate) Copolymers via Chemoselective Terpolymerization Controlled by the Stoichiometric Ratio of Phosphazene/Triethylborane

Chemoselective terpolymerization can produce polymer materials with diverse compositions and sequential structures, and thus have attracted considerable attention in the field of polymer synthesis. However, the intrinsic complexity of three-component system also brings great chanllenge, in regard to the reactivity and selectivity of different monomers. Herein, we report the terpolymerization of CO₂/epoxide/anhydride by a binary organocatalytic C₃N₃-Py-P₃/TEB (triethylborane) system. Both the activity and chemoselectivity were highly dependent upon the molar ratio of C₃N₃-Py-P₃ to TEB, and sequence-controlled poly(ester-carbonate) copolymers were readily synthesized through one-pot/one-step methodology by tuning the stoichiometric ratio of phosphazene/TEB. In particular, C₃N₃-Py-P₃/TEB with a molar ratio of 1/0.5 exhibited an unprecedentedly high chemoselectivity for ring-opening alternating copolymerization (ROAC) of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and phthalic anhydride (PA) first and then ROAC of CO₂/CHO. Thus, well-defined triblock polycarbonate-b-polyester-b-polycarbonate copolymers can be produced from the mixture of CO₂, CHO and PA using a bifunctional initiator. With C₃N₃-Py-P₃/TEB=1/1, tapered copolymers were obtained, while random copolymers with high content of polycarbonate (PC) were synthesized with further increasing the amount of TEB. The mechanism of the unexpected chemoselectivity was further investigated by DFT calculations.     

ATP-Responsive Nanoparticles Covered with Biomolecular Machine “Chaperonin GroEL”

Herein, we report an ATP-responsive nanoparticle (^GroELNP) whose surface is fully covered with the biomolecular machine “chaperonin protein GroEL”. ^GroELNP was synthesized by DNA hybridization between a gold NP with DNA strands on its surface and GroEL carrying complementary DNA strands at its apical domains. The unique structure of ^GroELNP was visualized by transmission electron microscopy including under cryogenic conditions. The immobilized GroEL units retain their machine-like function and enable ^GroELNP to capture denatured green fluorescent protein and release it in response to ATP. Interestingly, the ATPase activity of ^GroELNP per GroEL was 4.8 and 4.0 times greater than those of precursor ^cysGroEL and its DNA-functionalized analogue, respectively. Finally, we confirmed that ^GroELNP could be iteratively extended to double-layered NP.     

Mechanochemical Release of Fluorophores from a “Flex-activated” Mechanophore

Optical force probes that can release force-dependent and visualized signals with minimal changes in the polymer main chains under mechanical load are highly sought after but currently limited. In this study, we introduce a flex-activated mechanophore (FA) based on the Diels–Alder adduct of anthracene and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylatea that exhibits turn-on mechanofluorescence. We demonstrate that when FA is incorporated into polymer networks or in its crystalline state, it can release fluorescent anthracenes through a retro-Diels–Alder mechanochemical reaction under compression or hydrostatic high pressure, respectively. The flex-activated mechanism of FA is successfully confirmed. Furthermore, we systematically modulate the force delivered to the mechanophore by varying the crosslinking density of the networks and the applied macroscopic pressures. This modulation leads to incremental increases in mechanophore activation, successive release of anthracenes, and quantitative enhancement of fluorescence intensity. The exceptional potential of FA as a sensitive force probe in different bulk states is highlighted, benefiting from its unique flex-activated mode with highly emissive fluorophore releasing. Overall, this report enriches our understanding of the structures and functions of flex-activated mechanophores and polymeric materials.     

Vector meson-nucleon scattering length $$|\alpha _{VN}|$$ and trace anomalous energy contribution to the nucleon mass $$T_{A}$$

The European Physical Journal A - Initially, yields (or abundances) and branching ratios of β-delayed neutrons (βdn) from fission products (Pn-values) have had their main importance in...