High Correlation between Oxidation Loci on Graphene Oxide

Recent experiments have shown the coexistence of both large unoxidized and oxidized regions on graphene oxide (GO), but the underlying mechanism for the formation of the GO atomic structure remains unknown. Now, using density functional calculations, 52 oxidation pathways for local pyrene structures on GO were identified, and a kinetic profile for graphene oxidation with a high correlation between oxidation loci was proposed, which is different from the conventional view, which entails a random distribution of oxidation loci. The high correlation is an essential nature of graphene oxidation processes and can be attributed to three crucial effects: 1) breaking of delocalized π bonds, 2) steric hindrance, and 3) hydrogen‐bond formation. This high correlation leads to the coexistence of both large unoxidized and oxidized regions on GO. Interestingly, even in oxidized regions on GO, some small areas of sp²‐hybridized domains, similar to “islands”, can persist because of steric effects.     

Self‐Healable Electrically Conducting Wires for Wearable Microelectronics

Electrically conducting wires play a critical role in the advancement of modern electronics and in particular are an important key to the development of next‐generation wearable microelectronics. However, the thin conducting wires can easily break during use, and the whole device fails to function as a result. Herein, a new family of high‐performance conducting wires that can self‐heal after breaking has been developed by wrapping sheets of aligned carbon nanotubes around polymer fibers. The aligned carbon nanotubes offer an effective strategy for the self‐healing of the electric conductivity, whereas the polymer fiber recovers its mechanical strength. A self‐healable wire‐shaped supercapacitor fabricated from a wire electrode of this type maintained a high capacitance after breaking and self‐healing.     

Concerted Asynchronous Hula‐Twist Photoisomerization in the S65T/H148D Mutant of Green Fluorescent Protein

Fluorescence emission of wild‐type green fluorescent protein (GFP) is lost in the S65T mutant, but partly recovered in the S65T/H148D double mutant. These experimental findings are rationalized by a combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) study at the QM(CASPT2//CASSCF)/AMBER level. A barrierless excited‐state proton transfer, which is exclusively driven by the Asp148 residue introduced in the double mutant, is responsible for the ultrafast formation of the anionic fluorescent state, which can be deactivated through a concerted asynchronous hula‐twist photoisomerization. This causes the lower fluorescence quantum yield in S65T/H148D compared to wild‐type GFP. Hydrogen out‐of‐plane motion plays an important role in the deactivation of the S65T/H148D fluorescent state.     

Gold‐Catalyzed 1,2‐Acyloxy Migration/Intramolecular [3+2] 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddtion Cascade Reaction: An Efficient Strategy for Syntheses of Medium‐Sized‐Ring Ethers and Amines

A highly efficient strategy for the formation of medium‐sized‐ring ethers and amines based on a gold‐catalyzed cascade reaction, involving enynyl ester isomerization and intramolecular [3+2] cyclization, has been developed. Various multisubstituted medium‐sized‐ring unsaturated ethers and amines were obtained through this transformation. This method represents one of the relatively few transition metal catalyzed intramolecular cycloaddition reactions for medium‐sized ring synthesis.     

Restraint of the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by a Nonfouling Zwitterionic Hydrogel

The success of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) therapies is largely dependent on the ability to maintain the multipotency of cells and control their differentiation. External biochemical and biophysical cues can readily trigger hMSCs to spontaneously differentiate, thus resulting in a rapid decrease in the multipotent cell population and compromising their regenerative capacity. Herein, we demonstrate that nonfouling hydrogels composed of pure poly(carboxybetaine) (PCB) enable hMSCs to retain their stem‐cell phenotype and multipotency, independent of differentiation‐promoting media, cytoskeletal‐manipulation agents, and the stiffness of the hydrogel matrix. Moreover, encapsulated hMSCs can be specifically induced to differentiate down osteogenic or adipogenic pathways by controlling the content of fouling moieties in the PCB hydrogel. This study examines the critical role of nonspecific interactions in stem‐cell differentiation and highlights the importance of materials chemistry in maintaining stem‐cell multipotency and controlling differentiation.     

A Small‐Molecule FRET Reporter for the Real‐Time Visualization of Cell‐Surface Proteolytic Enzyme Functions

Real‐time imaging of cell‐surface‐associated proteolytic enzymes is critical to better understand their performances in both physiological and pathological processes. However, most current approaches are limited by their complexity and poor membrane‐anchoring properties. Herein, we have designed and synthesized a unique small‐molecule fluorescent probe, which combines the principles of passive exogenous membrane insertion and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to image cell‐surface‐localized furin‐like convertase activities. The membrane‐associated furin‐like enzymatic cleavage of the peptide probe leads to an increased fluorescence intensity which was mainly localized on the plasma membrane of the furin‐expressed cells. This small‐molecule fluorescent probe may serve as a unique and reliable reporter for real‐time visualization of endogenous cell‐surfaceassociated proteolytic furin‐like enzyme functions in live cells and tissues using one‐photon and two‐photon microscopy.     

Geometry‐Assisted Three‐Dimensional Superlocalization Imaging of Single‐Molecule Catalysis on Modular Multilayer Nanocatalysts

To establish the structure–catalytic property relationships of heterogeneous catalysts, a detailed characterization of the three‐dimensional (3D) distribution of active sites on a single catalyst is essential. Single‐particle catalysis of a modular multilayer catalytic platform that consists of a solid silica core, a mesoporous silica shell, and uniformly distributed Pt nanoparticles sandwiched in between these layers is presented. The first 3D high‐resolution super‐localization imaging of single fluorescent molecules produced at active sites on the core‐shell model nanocatalysts is demonstrated. The 3D mapping is aided by the well‐defined geometry and a correlation study in scanning electron microscopy and total internal reflection fluorescence and scattering microscopy. This approach can be generalized to study other nano‐ and mesoscale structures.     

Determination of phthalate esters in liquor samples by vortex‐assisted surfactant‐enhanced‐emulsification liquid–liquid microextraction followed by GC–MS

A novel method using vortex‐assisted surfactant‐enhanced‐emulsification liquid–liquid microextraction has been developed for the extraction of phthalate esters (PAEs) in Chinese liquor samples prior to analysis by GC–MS. In the proposed method, a high‐density extraction solvent (carbon tetrachloride) was dispersed into samples with the aid of a surfactant (Triton X‐100) and vortex agitation, resulting in a short extraction equilibrium (30 s). After centrifugation, a single microdrop of solvent was easily collected for GC–MS analysis. Key factors that affected the extraction efficiency were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, linearity was found in the range from 0.05 to 50 μg/L. Coefficients of determination varied from 0.9938 to 0.9971. LODs, based on an S/N of 3, ranged from 4.9 to 13 ng/L. Enrichment factors varied from 140 to 184. Reproducibility and recoveries were assessed by testing a series of three liquor samples that were spiked with different concentration levels. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of PAEs in 16 Chinese liquor samples. In this work, high‐density‐solvent vortex‐assisted surfactant‐enhanced‐emulsification liquid–liquid microextraction was applied for the first time for the extraction of PAEs in Chinese liquor samples and was proved to be simple, rapid, and sensitive.     

含联苯三羧酸及二咪唑基吡啶配体的两个锌配位聚合物的合成、结构及荧光性质

以3,3′,5-联苯三羧酸(biphenyl-3,3′,5-tricarboxylic acid,H3bpta)、2,6-二(1-咪唑基)吡啶(2,6-bis(imidazole-1-yl)pyridine,bip)、Zn(NO3)2·6H2O和ZnCl2为原料,在水热条件下合成了配位聚合物{[Zn3(H2O)7(bpta)2]·5H2O}n(1)和{[Zn2Cl(bpta)(bip)2]·2H2O}n(2)。并利用红外、元素分析和X-射线单晶衍射等对其结构进行表征。X-射线单晶衍射分析表明:化合物1属于单斜晶系,C2/c空间群,a=3.317 1(11)nm,b=1.495 7(5)nm,c=0.695 1(2)nm,β=91.50°,Z=4;化合物2属于单斜晶系,P2/c空间群,a=1.960 4(4)nm,b=1.035 7(2)nm,c=1.998 7(4)nm,β=101.97(3)°,Z=4。化合物1通过bpta桥联Zn髤形成1D链,通过配位水与羧基氧之间的氢键作用构筑成3D结构。化合物2中bip桥联Zn髤构成1D螺旋链状结构,进一步通过bpta桥连形成2D网状结构。此外,对化合物1和2进行了热稳定性分析和荧光性质研究。     

金属标记结合高效液相色谱-选择离子监测质谱的蛋白质绝对定量新方法

建立了金属标记结合高效液相色谱-选择性离子监测质谱(SIM)的蛋白质绝对定量新方法。实验考察了金属标记效率、金属标记的稳定性、标记后肽段的色谱保留和质谱行为、新定量方法的线性范围和准确度。实验结果表明金属标记具有标记效率高,稳定性好,色谱保留行为一致等优点。另外,金属标记-选择离子监测质谱绝对定量方法灵敏度高,其定量限低至1 fmol,线性范围为1~500 fmol,线性范围内R2值大于0.99,具有良好的线性关系;经过测量,标准肽段的回收率为117.01%,说明该方法具有较高的准确度。将该方法应用于腾冲嗜热菌中烯醇酶蛋白的定量分析,相对标准偏差为5.47%,表明该方法的精密度高。以上结果表明该方法可以用于生物样本中的蛋白质的绝对定量分析,为比较简单的生物样本中蛋白质的绝对定量方法提供了一种新的选择。