Strong and Superhydrophobic Wood with Aligned Cellulose Nanofibers as a Waterproof Structural Material†

Lightweight structural materials are important for the energy efficiency of applications, particularly those in the building sector. Here, inspired by nature, we developed a strong, superhydrophobic, yet lightweight material by simple in situ growth of nano‐SiO₂ and subsequent densification of the wood substrate. In situ generation of SiO₂ nanoparticles both inside the wood channels and on the wood surfaces gives the material superhydrophobicity, with static and dynamic contact angles of 159.4^o and 3^o, respectively. Densification of the wood to remove most of the spaces among the lumen and cell walls results in a laminated, dense structure, with aligned cellulose nanofibers, which in turn contributes to a high mechanical strength up to 384.2 MPa (7‐times higher than natural wood). Such treatment enables the strong and superhydrophobic wood (SH‐Wood) to be stable and have excellent water, acid, and alkaline resistance. The high mechanical strength of SH‐Wood combined with its excellent structural stability in harsh environments, as well its low density, positions the strong and superhydrophobic wood as a promising candidate for strong, lightweight, and durable structural materials that could potentially replace steel.     

Oxidative Dehydrogenative Silylation‐Alkenation Reaction of Alkyl Aromatics with Silanes

A Cu(OAc)₂/DDQ/DTBP/Py system catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative silylation‐alkenation tandem reaction of readily available alkyl aromatic compounds with silanes was established. A variety of functionalized alkenyl organosilicon compounds were provided in good to high yields with a total β‐(E) selectivity. The control experiments revealed that the transformation might proceed through a radical pathway.     

Synthesis of two A-B-C type conjugated amphiphilic triblock fullerene derivatives and their application in organic solar cells

Two A-B-C type conjugated amphiphilic triblock fullerene derivatives C60-2 HMTPB and C60-2 EHTPB were obtained in multi steps synthesis with three different blocks,and the amphiphilic diblock molecular C60-4 TPB was also preferred as a reference.When as modifying layer on zinc oxide(ZnO),the three fullerene derivatives can all reduce the work function of ZnO via modulation of the interfacial dipoles and lead a better electrical coupling.As introducing treatment of toluene,the obvious self-assembly of fullerene derivatives were observed,which were supported by X-ray diffraction and contact angle of water measurement.Base on PTB7-Th:PC71 BM system,the inverted organic solar cells devices with structure of ITO/ZnO/fullerene derivatives/PTB7-Th:PC71BM/Mo03/Al got power conversion efficiencies of 8.62%,8.83%and 9.00%for C60-4 TPB,C60-2 HMTPB and C60-2 EHTPB,respectively,compared 8.13%of devices with bare ZnO.The result of conjugated amphiphilic triblock fullerene derivatives provides a straightforward approaching by simultaneously modulating the morphology and interfacial work function of ZnO,which can also lead high performance in optoelectronic devices.     

Integrating bimetallic AuPd nanocatalysts with a 2D aza-fused π-conjugated microporous polymer for light-driven benzyl alcohol oxidation

Efficient catalytic system with low energy consumption exhibits increasing importance due to the upcoming energy crisis.Given this situation,it should be an admirable strategy for reducing energy input by effectively utilizing incident solar energy as a heat source during catalytic reactions.Herein,aza-fused7 r-conjugated microporous polymer(aza-CMP)with broad light absorption and high photothermal conversion efficiency was synthesized and utilized as a support for bimetallic AuPd nanocatalysts in light-driven benzyl alcohol oxidation.The AuPd nanoparticles anchored on aza-CMP(aza-CM P/Au_xPdy)exhibited excellent catalytic performance for benzyl alcohol oxidation under 50 mW/cm^2 light irradiation.The improved catalytic performance by the aza-CMP/Au_xPdy is attributed to the unique photothermal effect induced by aza-CMP,which can promote the catalytic benzyl alcohol oxidation occurring at Au Pd.This work presents a novel approach to effectively utilize solar energy for conventional catalytic reactions through photothermal effect.     

Enhanced TE properties of Cu@Ag/Bi2Te3 nanocomposites by decoupling electrical and thermal properties

Cu@Ag/Bi2Te3 nanocomposites were prepared for the first time by ultrasonic dispersion-rapid freezedrying method combined with spark plasma sintering(SPS).By changing the content of Cu@Ag nanoparticle,we could modulate the temperature dependent thermoelectric properties.The highest ZT value can be obtained at 450 K for 1 vol%Cu@Ag/Bi2Te3,which is benefited from the decoupling of electrical and thermal properties.With the increase of electrical conductivity,the absolute value of Seebeck coefficient lifts while the thermal conductivity declines.Meanwhile,the average ZT value between 300 K and 475 K was 0.61 for 1 vol%Cu@Ag/Bi2Te3,which is much higher than that of pristine Bi2 Te3.Therefore,the decoupling effect of Cu@Ag nanoparticles incorporation could be a promising method to broaden the application of Bi2Te3 based thermoelectric materials.     

Application of Lectin Microarrays for Biomarker Discovery

Many proteins in living organisms are glycosylated. As their glycan patterns exhibit protein-, cell-, and tissue-specific heterogeneity, changes in the glycosylation levels could serve as useful indicators of various pathological and physiological states. Thus, the identification of glycoprotein biomarkers from specific changes in the glycan profiles of glycoproteins is a trending field. Lectin microarrays provide a new glycan analysis platform, which enables rapid and sensitive analysis of complex glycans without requiring the release of glycans from the protein. Recent developments in lectin microarray technology enable high-throughput analysis of glycans in complex biological samples. In this review, we will discuss the basic concepts and recent progress in lectin microarray technology, the application of lectin microarrays in biomarker discovery, and the challenges and future development of this technology. Given the tremendous technical advancements that have been made, lectin microarrays will become an indispensable tool for the discovery of glycoprotein biomarkers.     

Responsive Exosome Nano‐bioconjugates for Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Exosomes hold great potential in therapeutic development. However, native exosomes usually induce insufficient effects in vivo and simply act as drug delivery vehicles. Herein, we synthesize responsive exosome nano‐bioconjugates for cancer therapy. Azide‐modified exosomes derived from M1 macrophages are conjugated with dibenzocyclooctyne‐modified antibodies of CD47 and SIRPα (aCD47 and aSIRPα) through pH‐sensitive linkers. After systemic administration, the nano‐bioconjugates can actively target tumors through the specific recognition between aCD47 and CD47 on the tumor cell surface. In the acidic tumor microenvironment, the benzoic‐imine bonds of the nano‐bioconjugates are cleaved to release aSIRPα and aCD47 that can, respectively, block SIRPα on macrophages and CD47, leading to abolished “don't eat me” signaling and improved phagocytosis of macrophages. Meanwhile, the native M1 exosomes effectively reprogram the macrophages from pro‐tumoral M2 to anti‐tumoral M1.     

Quantitative Design of Bright Fluorophores and AIEgens by the Accurate Prediction of Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer (TICT)

Inhibition of TICT can significantly increase the brightness of fluorescent materials. Accurate prediction of TICT is thus critical for the quantitative design of high‐performance fluorophores and AIEgens. TICT of 14 types of popular organic fluorophores were modeled with time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT). A reliable and generalizable computational approach for modeling TICT formations was established. To demonstrate the prediction power of our approach, we quantitatively designed a boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)‐based AIEgen which exhibits (almost) barrierless TICT rotations in monomers. Subsequent experiments validated our molecular design and showed that the aggregation of this compound turns on bright emissions with ca. 27‐fold fluorescence enhancement, as TICT formation is inhibited in molecular aggregates.     

Controllable Si−C Bond Activation Enables Stereocontrol in the Palladium‐Catalyzed [4+2] Annulation of Cyclopropenes with Benzosilacyclobutanes

A novel and unusual palladium‐catalyzed [4+2] annulation of cyclopropenes with benzosilacyclobutanes is reported. This reaction occurred through chemoselective Si?C(sp²) bond activation in synergy with ring expansion/insertion of cyclopropenes to form new C(sp²)?C(sp³) and Si?C(sp³) bonds. An array of previously elusive bicyclic skeleton with high strain, silabicyclo[4.1.0]heptanes, were formed in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivity under mild conditions. An asymmetric version of the reaction with a chiral phosphoramidite ligand furnished a variety of chiral bicyclic silaheterocycle derivatives with good enantioselectivity (up to 95.5:4.5 er). Owing to the mild reaction conditions, the good stereoselectivity profile, and the ready availability of the functionalized precursors, this process constitutes a useful and straightforward strategy for the synthesis of densely functionalized silacycles.     

Thermal hazard assessment and ranking for organic peroxides using quantitative structure–property relationship approaches

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Chemical reactivity hazards of organic peroxides are major concerns of the chemical industry due to many serious incidents every year. Thermal hazard...