Efficient Imine Formation by Oxidative Coupling at Low Temperature Catalyzed by High-Surface-Area Mesoporous CeO2 with Exceptional Redox Property

High-surface-area mesoporous CeO₂ (hsmCeO₂) was prepared by a facile organic-template-induced homogeneous precipitation process and showed excellent catalytic activity in imine synthesis in the absence of base from primary alcohols and amines in air atmosphere at low temperature. For comparison, ordinary CeO₂ and hsmCeO₂ after different thermal treatments were also investigated. XRD, N₂ physisorption, UV-Raman, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction, O₂ temperature-programmed desorption, EPR spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to unravel the structural and redox properties. The hsmCeO₂ calcined at 400 °C shows the highest specific surface area (158 m² g⁻¹), the highest fraction of surface coordinatively unsaturated Ce³⁺ ions (18.2 %), and the highest concentration of reactive oxygen vacancies (2.4×10¹⁵ spins g⁻¹). In the model reaction of oxidative coupling of benzyl alcohol and aniline, such an exceptional redox property of the hsmCeO₂ catalyst can boost benzylideneaniline formation (2.75 and 5.55 mmol h⁻¹ based on >99 % yield at 60 and 80 °C, respectively) in air with no base additives. It can also work effectively at a temperature of 30 °C and in gram-scale synthesis. These are among the best results for all benchmark ceria catalysts in the literature. Moreover, the hsmCeO₂ catalyst shows a wide scope towards primary alcohols and amines with good to excellent yield of imines. The influence of reaction parameters, the reusability of the catalyst, and the reaction mechanism were investigated.     

Membrane Filtration with Liquids: A Global Approach with Prior Successes,New Developments and Unresolved Challenges

After 70 years, modern pressure‐driven polymer membrane processes with liquids are mature and accepted in many industries due to their good performance, ease of scale‐up, low energy consumption, modular compact construction, and low operating costs compared with thermal systems. Successful isothermal operation of synthetic membranes with liquids requires consideration of three critical aspects or “legs” in order of relevance: selectivity, capacity (i.e. permeation flow rate per unit area) and transport of mass and momentum comprising concentration polarization (CP) and fouling (F). Major challenges remain with respect to increasing selectivity and controlling mass transport in, to and away from membranes. Thus, prediction and control of membrane morphology and a deep understanding of the mechanism of dissolved and suspended solute transport near and in the membrane (i.e. diffusional and convective mass transport) is essential. Here, we focus on materials development to address the relatively poor selectivity of liquid membrane filtration with polymers and discuss the critical aspects of transport limitations. Machine learning could help optimize membrane structure design and transport conditions for improved membrane filtration performance.     

Engineering Metal–Organic Frameworks for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2: A Minireview

The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ holds great promise for lowering the concentration of CO₂ in the Earth′s atmosphere. However, several challenges have hindered the commercialization of this technology, including energy efficiency, the solubility of CO₂ in the aqueous phase, and electrode stability. In this Minireview, we highlight and summarize the main advantages and limitations that metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) may offer in this field of research, either when used directly as electrocatalysts or when used as catalyst precursors.     

Trapped Bose−Einstein condensates in synthetic magnetic field

The rotational properties of Bose−Einstein condensates in a synthetic magnetic field are studied by numerically solving the Gross−Pitaevskii equation and comparing the results to those of condensates confined in a rotating trap. It appears to be more difficult to add a large angular momentum to condensates spun up by the synthetic magnetic field than by the rotating trap. However, strengthening the repulsive interaction between atoms is an effective and realizable route to overcoming this problem and can at least generate vortex-lattice-like structures. In addition, the validity of the Feynman rule for condensates in the synthetic magnetic field is verified.     

人造金刚石单晶生长机理的金属包膜研究进展

在高温高压条件下,利用触媒合金合成金刚石单晶过程中,包覆着金刚石单晶的金属薄膜起着极其重要的作用,揭示其本质对解释金刚石合成机理有着重要的意义.本文从金属包膜的形貌、成份、组织结构以及余氏理论和程氏理论在金属包膜研究中的应用等方面阐述了人造金刚石生长机理的研究现状.在此基础上提出了今后的研究方向.     

Oxime radical promoted dioxygenation, oxyamination, and diamination of alkenes: synthesis of isoxazolines and cyclic nitrones

Up the tempo: The intramolecular addition of oxime radicals to C?C bonds was achieved by using DEAD and TEMPO to give 4,5-dihydroisoxazoles as a result of a C?O bond-forming, 5-exo-trig cyclization. γ,δ-Unsaturated ketoximes also reacted to afford cyclic nitrones through C?N bond formation. The reactions offer a metal-free approach for the vicinal difunctionalization of unactivated alkenes.