The Photophysics and Photochemistry of Melanin- Like Nanomaterials Depend on Morphology and Structure

Melanin-like nanomaterials have found application in a large variety of high economic and social impact fields as medicine, energy conversion and storage, photothermal catalysis and environmental remediation. These materials have been used mostly for their optical and electronic properties, but also for their high biocompatibility and simplicity and versatility of preparation. Beside this, their chemistry is complex and it yields structures with different molecular weight and composition ranging from oligomers, to polymers as well as nanoparticles (NP). The comprehension of the correlation of the different compositions and morphologies to the optical properties of melanin is still incomplete and challenging, even if it is fundamental also from a technological point of view. In this minireview we focus on scientific papers, mostly recent ones, that indeed examine the link between composition and structural feature and photophysical and photochemical properties proposing this approach as a general one for future research.     

Achieving Enhanced Photochromic Properties of Diarylethene through Host-Guest Interaction in Aqueous Solution

Diarylethene (DTE) has been widely used in fluorescence probes, molecular logic gates, optical data-storage devices owing to the excellent photochromic property, while constructing high-performance photochromic DTE in aqueous media remains a big challenge. Herein we present several host-guest systems formed between cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n], n=7, 8, 10) and two water-soluble DTE derivatives 1 and 2 . It was found that host-guest interactions not only affect the photophysical properties of photochromic guests, but also make great differences on the photoreaction process. Different host-guest binding behaviors also lead to different effects on the photochromic properties of guests. In the presence of CB[n], both 1 and 2 showed enhanced emission and higher fluorescence quenching ratio at photostationary state. Besides, CB[10] ⋅1 exhibited faster response rate in cyclization reaction and better photofatigue resistance than free 1 in aqueous solution, while the supramolecular assembly of (CB[8])_n ⋅ ( 2 )_n showed slower response rate in both directions of the reversible photoreaction. Besides, the photofatigue resistance of 2 can be greatly improved through binding with CB[7]. Our results suggest that host-guest interactions could be an efficient way to improve photochromic properties of DTE in aqueous solution.     

Ultrafast Excited State Relaxation Dynamics of New Fuchsine- a Triphenylmethane Derivative Dye

An all-inclusive investigation of the ultrafast excited state relaxation dynamics of a triphenylmethane derivative molecule, New Fuchsine (NF), using a combined approach of density functional theory (DFT), femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS), and photoluminescence spectroscopy is presented in this work. The DFT calculations confirmed the formation of twisted molecular structure in the excited state of NF in ethanol solution with bond rotation of ≈86°. TAS measurements of NF solution exhibited ultrafast ground state-recovery pathway via a conical intersection confirming an ultrafast structural reorientation. On the contrary, TAS measurements of NF thin-film exhibited a longer excited-state lifetime suggesting a hindered molecular twisted state formed as an intermediate step. Photophysical kinetic models are proposed to globally fit the fs-TAS data establishing the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state mediated ground state recovery for NF in solution and thin film, respectively. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence study of NF film provided a clear insight into the effect of rotational motion of phenyl rings in NF molecules over the TICT mediated emission.     

Development of Magnesium Anode-Based Transient Primary Batteries

Biodegradable primary batteries, also known as transient batteries, are essential to realize autonomous biodegradable electronic devices with high performance and advanced functionality. In this work, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc – metals that exist as trace elements in the human body – were tested as materials for biomedical transient electronic devices. Different full cell combinations of Mg and X (where X = Cu, Fe, and Zn and the anodized form of the metals) with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as electrolyte were studied. To form the cathodes, metal foils were anodized galvanostatically at a current density of 2.0 mA cm⁻² for 30 mins. Electrochemical measurements were then conducted for each electrode combination to evaluate full cell battery performance. Results showed that the Mg−Cu_anodized chemistry has the highest power density at 0.99 mW/cm². Nominal operating voltages of 1.26 V for the first 0.50 h and 0.63 V for the next 3.7 h were observed for Mg−Cu_anodized which was discharged at a current density of 0.70 mA cm⁻². Among the materials tested, Mg−Cu_anodized exhibited the best discharge performance with an average specific capacity of 2.94 mAh cm⁻², which is comparable to previous reports on transient batteries.     

Optimization of Vacuum-Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Natural Polyphenols and Flavonoids from Raw Solid Waste of the Orange Juice Producing Industry at Industrial Scale

Orange pomace (OP) is a solid waste produced in bulk as a byproduct of the orange juice industry and accounts for approximately 50% of the quantity of the fruits processed into juice. In numerous literature references there is information about diverse uses of orange pomace for the production of high-added-value products including production of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial extracts rich in polyphenols and flavonoids which can substitute the hazardous chemical antioxidants/antimicrobials used in agro-food and cosmetics sectors. In this work and for the first time, according to our knowledge, the eco-friendly aqueous vacuum microwave assisted extraction of orange pomace was investigated and optimized at real industrial scale in order to produce aqueous antioxidant/antimicrobial extracts. A Response Surface Optimization methodology with a multipoint historical data experimental design was employed to obtain the optimal values of the process parameters in order to achieve the maximum rates of extraction of OP total polyphenols and/or total flavonoids for economically optimum production at industrial scale. The three factors used for the optimization were: (a) microwave power (b) water to raw pomace ratio and (c) extraction time. Moreover, the effectiveness and statistical soundness of the derived cubic polynomial predictive models were verified by ANOVA.     

The Impacts of Crystalline Structure and Different Surface Functional Groups on Drug Release and the Osseointegration Process of Nanostructured TiO2

In implantable materials, surface topography and chemistry are the most important in the effective osseointegration and interaction with drug molecules. Therefore, structural and surface modifications of nanostructured titanium dioxide (TiO₂) layers are reported in the present work. In particular, the modification of annealed TiO₂ samples with —OH groups and silane derivatives, confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, is shown. Moreover, the ibuprofen release process was studied regarding the desorption-desorption-diffusion (DDD) kinetic model. The results proved that the most significant impact on the release profile is annealing, and further surface modifications did not change its kinetics. Additionally, the cell adhesion and proliferation were examined based on the MTS test and immunofluorescent staining. The obtained data showed that the proposed changes in the surface chemistry enhance the samples’ hydrophilicity. Moreover, improvements in the adhesion and proliferation of the MG-63 cells were observed.     

2D/3D ZnIn2S4/TiO2复合物的原位构筑及其提高的光催化性能

通过高温煅烧和油浴的方法构筑二维/三维(2D/3D) ZnIn₂S₄/TiO₂异质结, 应用于光催化降解罗丹明B (RhB)和四环素(TC), 来研究异质结的构筑对TiO₂可见光响应范围和光生载流子对分离效率的影响. 结果表明, TiO₂维持了MOFs的形貌, 显示窄的可见光响应范围和高的光生电荷复合率, 与ZnIn₂S₄纳米片复合后, TiO₂的比表面积增大, 光催化活性位点增多. 带隙宽度也由TiO₂的3.23 eV减小到ZnIn₂S₄/TiO₂-II的2.52 eV, 从而获得了更宽的可见光响应范围. 能带结构表明ZnIn₂S₄/TiO₂是type II型异质结, 提高了光生载流子对的分离与转移效率. 在可见光照射下, ZnIn₂S₄/TiO₂-II显示了最高的RhB光催化降解效率(93%), 分别是TiO₂和ZnIn₂S₄的18和2倍. 同时, ZnIn₂S₄/TiO₂-II也显示出比TiO₂和ZnIn₂S₄更高的TC降解效率(90%). 循环实验表明ZnIn₂S₄/TiO₂-II能保持良好的稳定性, 经5次循环实验后仍能降解83%的RhB. 研究表明基于MOFs衍生的TiO₂构筑2D/3D ZnIn₂S₄/TiO₂异质结是提高TiO₂光催化性能的一条有效途径.     

壳聚糖·聚丙烯酸配合物半互穿聚合物网络膜及其对pH和离子的刺激响应

壳聚糖·聚丙烯酸配合物半互穿聚合物网络膜及其对ｐＨ和离子的刺激响应李文俊王汉夫卢玉华汪志亮钟伟（复旦大学高分子科学系聚合物分子工程开放实验室上海２００４３３）关键词高分子间配合物，互穿聚合物网络（ＩＰＮ），水凝胶，壳聚糖，刺激响应敏感性水凝胶是一种...     

甲烷分子在碱性催化剂上的吸附与酸碱活化机理

以碳酸锶为甲烷吸附活化的模型催化剂，用切换变应答、ＣＨ４（ＣＯ２）－ＴＰＤ等技术，对甲烷的吸附、碱性对催化剂性能的影响进行了研究，结果表明，甲烷在碳酸锶上的活化显示出明显的酸碱活化机理特征，瞬变应答及ＴＰＤ结果均证明，甲烷在碳酸锶表面有较强的吸附，其脱附温度约３１０℃，关联结果表明，甲烷转化率及Ｃ２烃收率与催化剂表面ＳｒＯ碱性中心浓度有非常一致的顺变关系，因此催化剂表面的酸碱中心可能是甲烷的选择活     

Studies on a New System of Lithium Fast Ion Conductors Based on Kaolinite and LiZr_2(PO_4)_3

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