Low Temperature Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence

In this short letter, we describe the effects of low temperature on the Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence (MEF) phenomenon. Fluorophores close to Silver Island Films (SiFs) show on average two- to ten-fold enhancements in their fluorescence signatures at room temperature. However, at 77 K, we have observed that MEF is even more pronounced as compared to an identical glass control sample. We also demonstrate that the further enhancements in MEF occur at low temperature over a range of visible wavelengths for different fluorophores, for both SiFs and 20 nm surface deposited gold colloids.     

Monitoring of the Proton Electrochemical Gradient in Reconstituted Vesicles: Quantitative Measurements of Both Transmembrane Potential and Intravesicular pH by Ratiometric Fluorescent Probes

Proteoliposomes carrying reconstituted yeast plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase in their lipid membrane or plasma membrane vesicles are model systems convenient for studying basic electrochemical processes involved in formation of the proton electrochemical gradient (Δμ_H ⁺) across the microbial or plant cell membrane. Δψ- and pH-sensitive fluorescent probes were used to monitor the gradients formed between inner and outer volume of the reconstituted vesicles. The Δψ-sensitive fluorescent ratiometric probe oxonol VI is suitable for quantitative measurements of inside-positive Δψ generated by the reconstituted H⁺-ATPase. Its Δψ response can be calibrated by the K⁺/valinomycin method and ratiometric mode of fluorescence measurements reduces undesirable artefacts. In situ pH-sensitive fluorescent probe pyranine was used for quantitative measurements of pH inside the proteoliposomes. Calibration of pH-sensitive fluorescence response of pyranine entrapped inside proteoliposomes was performed with several ionophores combined in order to deplete the gradients passively formed across the membrane. Presented model system offers a suitable tool for simultaneous monitoring of both components of the proton electrochemical gradient, Δψ and ΔpH. This approach should help in further understanding how their formation is interconnected on biomembranes and even how transport of other ions is combined to it.     

Inhibition of Thiol-Mediated Uptake with Irreversible Covalent Inhibitors

Thiol-mediated uptake is emerging as method of choice to penetrate cells. This study focuses on irreversible covalent inhibitors of thiol-mediated uptake. High-content high-throughput screening of the so far largest collection of hypervalent iodine reagents affords inhibitors that are more than 250 times more active than Ellman’s reagent and rival the best dynamic covalent inhibitors. Comparison with other irreversible reagents reveals that inhibition within one series follows reactivity, whereas inhibition across series deviates from reactivity. These trends support that molecular recognition, besides dynamic covalent exchange, contributes significantly to thiol-mediated uptake. The most powerful inhibitors besides the best hypervalent iodine reagents were Fukuyama’s nosyl protecting group and super-cinnamaldehydes that have been introduced as irreversible activators of the pain receptor TRPA1. Considering that several viruses use different forms of thiol-mediated uptake to enter cells, the identification of new irreversible inhibitors of thiol-mediated uptake is of general interest for the discovery of new antivirals.     

1H NMR Reassignment for Z/E-Benzomalvins B and Absolute Configuration of Benzomalvin C

Chemistry of Natural Compounds - Benzomalvins B, C, and E (1, 2, and 3) were simultaneously obtained from the marine fungus Aspergillus sp. isolated from the soft coral Sinularia sp., collected...     

微纳米纤维素功能膜在能源与环境领域的应用

探寻绿色清洁的资源与材料以维持高效的社会经济增长是未来数十年人们面临的最大挑战之一. 可持续资源与绿色材料的开发是降低传统化石能源与材料比重的最有前途的方案. 纤维素作为一种可持续发展、 可生物再生、 储量丰富且低成本的天然高分子聚合物, 在众多领域中具有广泛的应用, 并且纤维素可以加工成各种构型, 包括气凝胶、 泡沫、 海绵和薄膜等. 本文介绍了不同形态的纤维素及其衍生物组装而成的功能膜在能源与环境中的应用, 综述了微纳米纤维素及其衍生物在先进功能化储能器件方面的最新进展和制备方案, 以及在用于水处理的膜分离技术中的应用, 其中重点讨论了微纳米纤维素及其衍生物功能膜在电池、 电容器及水处理等领域中的作用, 如隔膜、 柔性电极膜和分离膜等. 此外, 还对纤维素及其衍生物功能膜的未来发展进行了总结和展望.     

Zr-MOF空心纳米球固载离子液体对CO2环加成反应的催化性能

通过后合成修饰方法(PSM)构筑了空心纳米球(Void@UiO-66-Ⅰ)和实心块(UiO-66-Ⅰ) 2种形貌的季铵盐功能化UiO-66-NH₂(Zr), 得到兼具酸碱活性位点和氢键给体的新型功能化金属-有机框架材料. 通过一系列表征证明2种催化剂的成功合成, 并将它们用于催化转化CO₂和氧化苯乙烯的环加成反应. 由于Void@UiO-66-Ⅰ催化剂的季铵盐部分含有大量的羟基和卤素阴离子, 可以通过氢键和亲核攻击与环氧化合物连接, 诱导环氧化合物开环, 促使反应顺利进行, 且催化剂的中空结构有利于物质进出催化剂, 起到加快反应速率的作用, 使得该催化剂在CO₂与氧化苯乙烯环加成反应中表现出比实心块UiO-66-Ⅰ催化剂更好的催化性能. Void@UiO-66-Ⅰ催化剂在120 ℃, CO₂压力为1.2 MPa, 反应时间为6 h, 无溶剂和助催化剂的反应条件下, 碳酸苯乙烯酯的收率和选择性分别为85.5%和95%.     

Near-infrared emission carrier,Er3+-doped ZnAl-LDH,for delivery and release of ibuprofen in vitro

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology - A drug delivery system with near-infrared emissions response to drug delivery and release is essential as marking or targeting drug delivery system. For...     

高可见光催化降解污染物和产氢活性的Z型N-掺杂K4Nb6O17/g-C3N4异质结

随着人口增长和全球工业化进程加快,人们饱受环境污染和能源短缺问题的困扰.半导体光催化技术作为一种高效、可持续、环境友好、有潜力的新技术,在环境净化和能源开发方面有着广阔的应用前景.到目前为止,人们已开发出多种半导体光催化剂,并广泛应用于污染物降解、氢气制备和二氧化碳还原等领域.其中,化合物K4Nb6O17具有典型的层状结构、合适的电子能带结构、结构易改性以及良好的电荷传输性能等特点,在光催化领域得到了广泛研究.然而,单纯K4Nb6O17仍存在光响应范围窄、光生载流子复合率高等问题,限制了K4Nb6O17的进一步应用.因此,需要对K4Nb6O17进行改性,拓宽其光吸收范围,提高其光生载流子分离效率,从而提高其光催化活性.本研究通过简单焙烧法制备Z型N-掺杂K4Nb6O17/g-C3N4(KCN)异质结光催化剂,其中石墨相氮化碳(g-C3N4)在复合材料中质量比约为50%.层状K4Nb6O17层板的电子结构通过N掺杂进行调控,拓宽其光响应范围,使其具有可见光响应;同时,形成的g-C3N4位于N-掺杂K4Nb6O17的外层以及内层空间,在这两种组分之间形成异质结,有利于提高光生载流子的分离效率.荧光光谱、时间分辨荧光光谱和光电化学测试表明,N掺杂和异质结的形成有利于增强光生电子-空穴对的传输和分离效率.通过在可见光照射下降解罗丹明B(RhB)和产氢来评估材料的光催化性能.相比g-C3N4(8.24μmol/h)和Me-K4Nb6O17(~1.30μmol/h),KCN复合材料光催化产氢效率(~16.91μmol/h)得到了极大提高,并显示出极好的光催化产氢稳定性能.对于光催化降解RhB体系,KCN复合材料也显示出较好的光催化活性和稳定性,并能很好地将RhB矿化.鉴于KCN复合材料具有较小的比表面积(9.9 m^2/g)且无孔结构,认为比表面积对光催化活性影响较小.因此,与单组分相比,KCN复合材料光催化产氢和RhB降解活性都得到了极大提高,活性的增强主要归功于N掺杂和异质结形成的协同效应,其中N掺杂可以拓宽光捕获能力,异质结形成可提高电荷载流子的分离效率.电子自旋共振(ESR)谱表明,在KCN降解RhB体系中,超氧自由基(·O2^?)、羟基自由基(·OH)和空穴(h^+)作为主要活性物质都参与了反应.结合实验结果可以推测KCN复合材料满足了Z型光催化体系,该体系具有高效的光生载流子分离效率和较高的氧化还原能力.     

添加叔丁醇钾对Mg(NH2)2-2LiH体系储氢性能的影响

叔丁醇钾(C_4H_9OK)的添加显著改善了Mg(NH_2)_2-2LiH体系的储氢性能。添加0.08 mol C_4H_9OK的Mg(NH_2)_2-2LiH-0.08C_4H_9OK样品表现出最佳储氢性能。该样品的起始放氢温度仅为70℃,较Mg(NH_2)_2-2LiH原始样品降低了60℃;130℃完全放氢后,该样品可在50℃开始吸氢,较原始样品降低了50℃。Mg(NH_2)_2-2LiH-0.08C_4H_9OK样品可在150℃的等温条件下50min内迅速放出质量分数3.82%的氢气,完全放氢后可在120℃的等温条件下50 min内快速吸收质量分数4.11%的氢气,表现出良好的吸放氢动力学性能。C_4H_9OK的添加降低了样品放氢反应的表观活化能和反应焓变,改善了放氢反应的动力学和热力学性能,从而降低了放氢反应温度。进一步的放氢反应机理研究发现,在180℃之前,C_4H_9OK对Mg(NH_2)_2-2LiH体系的放氢起催化改性作用;温度继续升高后,C_4H_9OK将会分解并参与放氢反应最终生成Li_3K(NH_2)_4。     

Azimuthal Dipolar Rotor Arrays on Surfaces

A set of dipolar molecular rotor compounds was designed, synthesized and adsorbed as self-assembled 2D arrays on Ag(111) surfaces. The title molecules are constructed from three building blocks: (a) 4,8,12-trioxatriangulene (TOTA) platforms that are known to physisorb on metal surfaces such as Au(111) and Ag(111), (b) phenyl groups attached to the central carbon atom that function as pivot joints to reduce the barrier to rotation, (c) pyridine and pyridazine units as small dipolar units on top. Theoretical calculations and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) investigations hint at the fact that the dipoles of neighboring rotors interact through space through pairs of energetically favorable head-to-tail arrangements.