Preparation and characterization of dendrimer-star PNIPAAM using dithiobenzoate-terminated PPI dendrimer via RAFT polymerization

Two dendritic reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) agents with 8 and 16 terminal dithiobenzoate (DTB) groups on the surface of poly(propylene imine) (PPI) dendrimers (generation 2.0 and 3.0, respectively) were successively prepared, and they were used in the RAFT polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAM). The polymerization kinetics was confirmed to pseudo-first-order behavior. The ¹H NMR and GPC analyses show that the dendrimer-star den (NIPAAM)_x (x = 8 or 16) prepared by RAFT method has well-defined structure, controlled molecular weight and low polydispersities (PDI < 1.3). The aqueous solution prepared from dendrimer-star PNIPAAM showed reversible changes in optical properties: transparent below a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and opaque above the LCST.     

Determination of Volatile Carbonyl Compounds in Cigarette Smoke by LC-DAD

An effective and rapid method, use of a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-treated Cambridge filter and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detection (DAD), has been used for determination of low-molecular-mass carbonyl compounds in cigarette smoke. Different chromatographic mobile phases were investigated and the optimized mobile phase was a gradient prepared from water–acetonitrile–tetrahydrofuran (THF)–iso-propanol, 59:30:10:1 (v/v) (mixture A) and acetonitrile–water, 65:35 (v/v) (mixture B). Under the optimized chromatographic conditions, the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, acetone, propionaldehyde, 2-butanone, and iso-butyraldehyde were separated completely in an 18 min chromatographic run. The concentration of acid, which has large effect on carbonyl-DNPH derivatization, was investigated by adding different volumes of perchloric acid. The DNPH-treated Cambridge filter was convenient and effective compared with conventional methods used to collect and derivatize the carbonyl compounds present in cigarette smoke. Validation of the method showed it to be effective, precise, accurate, and linear over the range of concentrations of analyzed.     

Electron momentum spectroscopy of CF2Cl2: experimental and theoretical momentum profiles for outer valence orbitals

Electron momentum distributions for outer valence orbitals of CF2Cl2 have been obtained by (e,2e) electron momentum spectroscopy at an incident energy of 1200 eV + binding energy. The experimental electron momentum profiles are compared with Hartree-Fock and density functional theory (DFT) calculations using B3LYP hybrid functional with the 6-31G and 6-311+G* basis sets. Generally, the shapes of the experimental momentum profiles are well reproduced by DFT calculations using larger basis sets 6-311 + G*. An attempt has been made to clarify the ordering of the outer valence orbitals, which have been in controversy, by comparing experimental results with B3LYP/6-311 + G* calculations.     

Monte Carlo simulations of down-scattered neutron and knock-on deuteron spectra in deuterium-tritium capsule implosions

A Monte Carlo particle tracking (MCPT) code has been developed and coupled to hydrodynamic simulations to generate and track primary and scattered neutrons in addition to scattered charged particles by post-processing. This code uses one dimensional (1-D) deuterium-tritium implosion profiles, and the computed down-scattered neutron and knock-on deuteron spectra are analyzed for different areal densities. The mixing effects on the spectra of down-scattered neutron and knock-on deuteron are also investigated. The implementation of the numerical scheme is analyzed, and the particle splitting technique is adopted, which is proven to efficiently reduce computational effort.     

Designed Construction of SrTiO3/SrSO4/Pt Heterojunctions with Boosted Photocatalytic H2 Evolution Activity

Efficient separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs is a crucial factor for high-performance photocatalysts. Effective electron–hole separation and migration could be achieved by heterojunctions with suitable band structures. Herein, a porous SrTiO₃/SrSO₄ heterojunction is prepared by a sol-gel method at room temperature followed by an annealing process. XRD characterization suggests high crystallinity of the heterostructure. A well-defined interface between the two phases is confirmed by high-resolution (HR)TEM. The photocatalytic H₂ evolution productivity of the SrTiO₃/SrSO₄ heterojunction with Pt as co-catalyst reaches 396.82 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is 16 times higher than that of SrTiO₃/Pt. The boosted photocatalytic activity of SrTiO₃/SrSO₄/Pt can be ascribed to the presence of SrSO₄, which promotes the transfer and migration of photogenerated carriers by forming the heterojunction and porous structure, which provides a large amount of active sites. This novel porous heterostructure brings new ideas for the development of high-efficiency photocatalysts for H₂ release.     

Synthesis of TiO2 based on hydrothermal methods using elevated pressures and microwave conditions

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), especially in its anatase form, is an effective photocatalyst under ultraviolet (UV) light. The particle size of TiO₂ is a critical factor to determine its photoactivity based on its quantum effectiveness under light irradiations. Thus, nanocrystalline TiO₂ has been widely accepted to significantly enhance this effect. The sol–gel method is generally used to synthesize the anatase form of nanocrystalline TiO₂. In this study, we expanded the synthesis method of TiO₂ to high pressures under direct heating (hydrothermal method) and indirect heating (microwave-assisted method). It was found that pH value is one of the major factors to control nano-sizes of TiO₂ particles, and the neutral condition in all methods is preferable for controlling the sizes of the prepared TiO₂ particles. The microwave-assisted method further improves quality of synthesized nano-size TiO₂ below 10 nm. These results have been confirmed by both the direct size measurement using TEM images and indirect determination using XRD peaks. The collected samples are further analyzed using UV–Vis spectroscopy to identify the particle size-dependent photoreactivity and to confirm the effectiveness of microwave-assisting under neutral conditions. DSC is also a powerful tool to identify the crystalline transition of TiO₂.     

Polymeric ytterbium(ii) complex with pyridyl amido ligands

The reaction of potassium pyridyl amido ligand {L = [N(R)(2-C5H3N-6-Me)]–, R = CH2But} with YbI2(thf)2 afforded the linear polymeric complex [K0.5(L)3YbiiK0.5]n, which was characterized by X-ray structure analysis.     

Synthesis, Structure and H+/K+-ATPase Inhibitory Activity of Novel Triazolyl Substituted Tetrahydrobenzofuran Derivatives via One-pot Three-component Click Reaction

Eleven triazolyl substituted tetrahydrobenzofuran derivatives were synthesized in high yields as novel H⁺/K⁺‐ATPase inhibitor via one‐pot CuI‐catalyzed three‐component click reaction of azide, secondary amine and 3‐bromopropyne under mild conditions in water. Their structures were characterized by NMR, IR, ESI‐MS, elemental analysis and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. Most of the target compounds exhibited better H⁺/K⁺‐ATPase inhibitory activity than commercial omeprazole with IC₅₀ values less than 15 µmol·L^?1. The initial structure‐activity analysis suggested that the triazole substituted by cycloalkyl, aromatic ring or O‐containing side‐chain seemed to be beneficial for enhancing the activity.     

Potential Applications of Cucurbit[n]urils and Their Derivatives in the Capture of Hazardous Chemicals

Cucurbit[n]urils (Q[n]s) are a relatively young family of macrocycles, consisting of glycoluril units bridged by methylene groups, and their unique structures have attracted extensive attention from chemists in recent decades. Due to the presence of a rigid hydrophobic inner cavity and two polar outer portals lined with carbonyl groups, Q[n]s not only encapsulate guest species into the cavity, but also coordinate with metal ions/clusters. Considerable achievements have been obtained in the fields of Q[n]s-based host–guest chemistry, coordination chemistry, as well as the combination of host–guest and coordination chemistry. Furthermore, the outer surface of Q[n]s has been demonstrated to be capable of interacting with definite species to generate supramolecular architectures in recent years. With more in-depth research into Q[n]s, their application studies have also emerged as a hot topic. This Minireview focuses on recent advances in the potential applications of solid-state materials based on Q[n]s and their derivatives for the capture and adsorption of hazardous chemicals from a solution or a gas mixture.