Novel graphene oxide/bentonite composite for uranium(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution

A novel graphene oxide/bentonite composite (GO/bentonite) was synthesized and then characterized through powder X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Adsorption achieved equilibrium within 10 min. Moreover, U(VI) adsorption on GO/bentonite was highly dependent on solution pH and independent of ionic strength. These characteristics suggested that inner-sphere surface complexes of U(VI) formed on GO/bentonite. The adsorption of U(VI) from aqueous solution on GO/bentonite was fitted to the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum sorption capacity of GO/bentonite was 234.19 mg g^?1 under neutral pH at 303 K. GO/bentonite is a potentially powerful adsorbent for the efficient removal of U(VI) from aqueous solutions.     

Agent-Based Network Modeling Study of Immune Responses in Progression of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, is a chronic inflammatory disorder that results in ulcers of the colon and rectum without known etiology.Ulcerative colitis causes a huge public health care burden particularly in developed countries.Many studies suggest that ulcerative colitis results from an abnormal immune response against components of commensal microbiota in genetically susceptible individuals.However, understanding of the disease mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels remains largely elusive.In this paper, a network model is developed based on our previous study and computer simulations are performed using an agent-based network modeling to elucidate the dynamics of immune response in ulcerative colitis progression.Our modeling study identifies several important positive feedback loops as a driving force for ulcerative colitis initiation and progression.The results demonstrate that although immune response in ulcerative colitis patients is dominated by anti-inflammatory/regulatory cells such as alternatively activated macrophages and type Ⅱ natural killer T cells, proinflammatory cells including classically activated macrophages, T helper 1 and T helper 17 cells, and their secreted cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-12, interleukin-23, interleukin-17 and interferon-γ remain at certain levels (lower than those in Crohn's disease, another inflammatory bowel disease).Long-term exposure to these proinflammatory components, causes mucosal tissue damage persistently, leading to ulcerative colitis.Our simulation results are qualitatively in agreement with clinical and laboratory measurements, offering novel insight into the disease mechanisms.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of a novel fluorescent probe to accurately detect H2S in lysosomes

A novel H₂S-responsive fluorescent probe Rh-Lyso-H₂S has been designed and synthesized. The Rh-Lyso-H₂S shows high sensitivity and selectivity toward H₂S, with a limit of detection of 3.36?×?10^?7?M. The reason is that Rh-Lyso-H₂S changed from a stable non-conjugated closed-ring lactone conformation with weak fluorescence to a conjugated open-ring conformation with strong fluorescence in the presence of H₂S. The Rh-Lyso-H₂S has a good lysosome-targeting capacity and is used to detect lysosomal H₂S in living cells, which is driven via the protonation of its basic morpholine moiety by acidic lysosomes. Rh-Lyso-H₂S is triggered by H₂S via removing the thiophenecarboxylate group, and the corresponding activated mechanism of Rh-Lyso-H₂S toward H₂S is proposed.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-responsive Polymeric Fluorescent Sensor with Ultrafast Response

Abstract Response speed is one of the most important evaluation criteria for CO₂ sensors. In this work, we report an ultrafast CO₂ fluorescent sensor based on poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate]-b-poly[N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate-r-4-(2-methylacryloyloxyethylamino)-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole] [POEGMA-b-P(DEAEMA-r-NBDMA)], in which DEAEMA units act as the CO₂-responsive segment and 4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD) is the chromophore. The micelles composed of this copolymer could disassemble in 2 s upon CO₂ bubbling, accompanying with enhanced fluorescence emission with bathochromic shift. Furthermore, the quantum yield of the NBD chromophore increases with both the CO₂ aeration time and the NBD content. Thus we attribute the fluorescent enhancement to the inhibition of the photo-induced electron transfer between unprotonated tertiary amine groups and NBD fluorophores. The sensor is durable although it is based on “soft” materials. These micellar sensors could be facilely recycled by alternative CO₂/Ar purging for at least 5 times, indicating good reversibility.     

HTLC: A Viable Approach to Fast LC of Biogenic Amines in Food with Legacy Equipment

Nowadays, there is a demand for fast liquid chromatography (LC) of biogenic amines in food with the equipment available in the average laboratory. To this end, high-temperature liquid chromatography (HTLC) is presented in this study as a viable option, working on a conventional LC platform at moderately high temperatures up to 80 °C. The LC platform was adapted by including an appropriate length of stainless-steel microbore tubing as a preheater. Biogenic amines as benzoyl derivatives showed good thermostability on a thermally rugged column (150?×?4.6 mm, 5 µm). As a model application the HTLC conditions were developed for wine separation. The separation selectivity changed considerably with temperature in the range 36–84 °C, and baseline resolution was obtained only at temperatures well above ambient. At 73 °C oven temperature, the system allowed a flow rate as high as 3 mL min^?1 with the backpressure not exceeding 195 bar (2800 psi). The separation took less than 5 min, comparably fast to documented fast LC separations, and typically at least three to five times faster than a conventional separation.     

The Narrowest Band Gap Ever Observed in Molecular Ferroelectrics: Hexane‐1,6‐diammonium Pentaiodobismuth(III)

Narrow band gaps and excellent ferroelectricity are intrinsically paradoxical in ferroelectrics as the leakage current caused by an increase in the number of thermally excited carriers will lead to a deterioration of ferroelectricity. A new molecular ferroelectric, hexane‐1,6‐diammonium pentaiodobismuth (HDA‐BiI₅), was now developed through band gap engineering of organic–inorganic hybrid materials. It features an intrinsic band gap of 1.89 eV, and thus represents the first molecular ferroelectric with a band gap of less than 2.0 eV. Simultaneously, low‐temperature solution processing was successfully applied to fabricate high‐quality ferroelectric thin films based on HDA‐BiI₅, for which high‐precision controllable domain flips were realized. Owing to its narrow band gap and excellent ferroelectricity, HDA‐BiI₅ can be considered as a milestone in the exploitation of molecular ferroelectrics, with promising applications in high‐density data storage and photovoltaic conversion.     

三元镍钴锰正极材料的制备及改性

三元镍钴锰正极材料是一类非常重要的正极材料,具有性能优于钴酸锂而成本远远低于钴酸锂、能量密度远远高于磷酸铁锂等重要优点,正在逐渐成为汽车动力电池的主流正极材料。但是,三元镍钴锰正极材料也存在循环稳定性不足、大电流密度放电性能不佳等问题。围绕解决这些问题并进一步提升三元镍钴锰正极材料的性能,近年来国内外在材料制备技术以及改性技术方面开展了大量的研究工作,取得了若干令人瞩目的研究成果。本文从材料制备方法、包覆修饰和掺杂改性三个方面,介绍了三元镍钴锰正极材料制备技术及改性技术的研究进展,在此基础上,对三元镍钴锰正极材料的未来发展方向作出展望。     

Catalytic, asymmetric synthesis of siphonarienal.

This paper describes the synthesis of the marine natural product, siphonarienal. The key step of this synthesis is an aldol reaction that constructs most of the skeleton and sets all three stereocenters of the target in one step from commercially available starting materials. Deoxygenation and chain homologation steps complete the synthesis.     

Electrothermal volatilization of aluminum as 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoylpyrazolone[5] chelate for gaseous sample introduction in ICP-AES

Based on gaseous compound introduction as 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoylpyrazolone[5](PMBP) chelate of aluminum by electrothermal vaporization in ICP-AES, a method for determination of trace aluminum was developed. Trace aluminum was vaporized at temperature of 1000 degrees C, and the vaporization behavior of aluminum chelate was detailedly investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the detection limit of aluminum was 0.6 ng ml(-1), and the relative standard deviation for 0.1 mug ml(-1) aluminum was 4.7% (n=8). The proposed method was applied to the determination of trace aluminum in rice flour reference materials, and the results well agreed with the reference values.     

Synthesis and Magnetic Studies of Copper (II)‐Manganese (II) Heterobinuclear Complexes with an Oxamido Bridge

Four new copper (II)‐manganese (II) heterobinuclear complexes bridged byN, N'‐bis[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl)]oxamido dianion (dmoxæ) and end‐capped with 1, 10‐phenanthroline (phen), 5‐methyl‐1, 10‐phenanthroline (Mephen), diaminoethane (en) or 1,3‐di‐aminopropane (pn). respectively, namely, [Cu(dmoxae)MnL₂] (CIO₄)₂ (L=phen, Mephen, en, pn), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, electronic spectral studies, and molar conductivity measurements. The electronic reflectance spectrum indicates the presence of spin exchange‐coupling interaction between bridged copper(II) and manganese (II) ions. The cryomagnetic measurements (4.2‐300 K) of [Cu(dmoxae)Mn(phen)₂](CIO₄)₂ (1) and [Cu(dmoxae)Mn(Mephen)₂](CIO₄)₂(2) complexes demonstrated an antiferromagnetic interaction between the adjacent manganese(II) and copper (II) ions through the oxamido‐bridge within each molecule. On the basis of spin Hamiltonian, H= ‐ 2JS₁. S₂. the magnetic analysis was carried out for the two complexes and the spin‐coupling constant (J) was evaluated as ?35.9 cm^?1 for 1 and ‐ 32.6 cm^?1 for 2. The influence of methyl substitutions in the amine groups of the bridging ligand on magnetic interactions between the metal ions of this kind of complexes is also discussed.