Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of the AgI/UiO-66(Zr) Composite for Rhodamine B Degradation under Visible-Light Irradiation.

Visible-light photocatalysts that degrade organic pollutants in an efficient and recyclable way are highly desirable for water treatment. In this study, UiO-66, a zirconium-based metal-organic framework, was conjugated with AgI to obtain a composite for use as photocatalyst. The AgI/UiO-66 composites with different composition ratios were synthesized by a simple solution method and exhibited remarkable activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation.

Ag2CO3/UiO-66(Zr) composite with enhanced visible-light promoted photocatalytic activity for dye degradation.

Because of their excellent properties, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as ideal materials for the development of visible-light photocatalyst. Particularly, although increasing research interests have been put on MOF based photocatalysts, the MOF supported Ag2CO3 as photocatalyst has not been reported in the field of water treatment. In this study, a zirconium based MOF, UiO-66, was incorporated with Ag2CO3 through a convenient solution method and used for visible-light prompted dye degradation.

Bisacenaphthopyrazinoquinoxaline derivatives: synthesis, physical properties and applications as semiconductors for n-channel field effect transistors.

Several bisacenaphthopyrazinoquinoxaline (BAPQ) based derivatives 1-3 were synthesized by condensation between the acenaphthenequinones and 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene tetrahydrochloride. Their optical, electrochemical and self-assembling properties are tuned by different substituents. Among them, compound 3 possesses a homogeneously distributed low-lying LUMO due to the peripheral substitution with four cyano groups.

Design and synthesis of amphiphilic xanthone-based, membrane-targeting antimicrobials with improved membrane selectivity.

This work describes how to tune the amphiphilic conformation of α-mangostin, a natural compound that contains a hydrophobic xanthone scaffold, to improve its antimicrobial activity and selectivity for Gram-positive bacteria. A series of xanthone derivatives was obtained by cationic modification of the free C3 and C6 hydroxyl groups of α-mangostin with amine groups of different pKa values. Modified structures using moieties with high pKa values, such as AM-0016 (3b), exhibited potent antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive bacteria.

Morphology evolution of polyaniline microstructures via reverse micelles and their hydrophobicity.

Polyaniline morphology evolution in toluene has been observed for the first time. Various structures, including one-dimensional open-ended microtubes, three-dimensional solid microspheres and two-dimensional novel solid microplates were controllably synthesized in the same reaction system. The structures obtained were sensitive to oxidant concentration and molar ratio of monomer to oxidant.

Large-size linear and star-shaped dihydropyrazine fused pyrazinacenes.

Linear and star-shaped pyrazinacenes 1a-b and 2 were synthesized via condensation between a new building block 11 and pyrene tetraones or cyclohexaone. Compound 2 represents the largest star-shaped dihydropyrazine fused pyrazinacene reported so far. These largely expanded pyrazinacenes show good solubility and have a strong tendency to aggregate in both solution and thin films, indicating their potential applications for organic electronic devices.

H-shaped oligothiophenes with low band gaps and amphoteric redox properties.

H-shaped bridged oligothiophenes HT-1 and HT-2 were synthesized by two different approaches. Different from normal oligothiophenes, HT-1 and HT-2 showed low band gaps and amphoteric redox behaviors due to intramolecular charge transfer, which is further supported by time-dependent DFT calculations.

Synthesis, self-assembly, and charge transporting property of contorted tetrabenzocoronenes.

A facile route has been developed for the preparation of a new family of contorted 1.2,3.4,7.

Oriented gold nanoparticle-polyaniline nanorods with nanofibers of controlled density on their surface.

We report here the preparation of fibrous gold nanoparticles-polyaniline (PANI) nanorod composite as an extension of our previous work in nanostructured conducting polymers. We have been able to control the amount of gold particles and the density of nanofibers covering the surface of the nanorods, which are characterized by selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The morphology of PANI products is confirmed by both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and TEM.

Self-assembly of perfunctionalized beta-cyclodextrins on a quartz crystal microbalance for real-time chiral recognition.

This study reports the development of novel chiral sensors based on the self-assembly of perfunctionalized beta-cyclodextrins (beta-CD) on a quartz crystal microbalance transducer for real time chiral recognition. Ten chiral sensors immobilized with mercaptyl perfunctionalized beta-cyclodextrins were found to exhibit promising enantioselectivity in the gas phase. Well-defined sizes of molecular cavities of the modified beta-CDs associated with cooperative weak interactions with the host molecules afforded enhanced chiral discrimination.

Supramolecule-regulated photophysics of oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)-based rod-coil block copolymers: effect of molecular architecture.

Three new topology-varied rod-coil block copolymers, comprising the same oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene) (OPE) rod components and the same coil components, were synthesized by atom-transfer radical polymerization. Their photophysical properties were systematically studied and compared in consideration of their solid-state structures and self-assembly abilities. These copolymers have similar intrinsic photophysical properties to the OPE rods, as reflected in dilute solution.

Controlled synthesis of Y-junction polyaniline nanorods and nanotubes using in situ self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles.

Novel Y-junction polyaniline (PANI) nanorods and nanotubes (40-100 nm in diameter and a few micrometers in length) were selectively prepared, for the first time, using in situ self-assembly of water-soluble Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol(5) nonylphenyl ether (NP5) and cyclodextrin (CD) as templates and pH control in an aqueous medium. The morphology of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the PANI nanostructures (rods and tubes) was determined by TEM and the effects of reaction conditions on the morphology of PANI nanostructures were also studied. Characterization experiments including FTIR and X-ray diffraction were carried out to study the chemical and electronic structures of the PANI nanostructures.

Formation of ordered arrays of oriented polyaniline nanoparticle nanorods.

We report the preparation of ordered polyaniline (PANI) nanorod arrays in an aqueous medium. The oriented PANI nanorods (80-400 nm in diameter and 8-15 mum in length) were synthesized in the presence of hydrophilic Allura Red AC (ARAC) as the structure-directing agent and ammonium persulfate as an oxidant in HCl solution. The morphologies of the oriented PANI nanoparticle nanorods were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy images, and the effect of reaction conditions on the morphology of PANI nanostructures was also studied.

Fabrication of polymeric hollow nanospheres, hollow nanocubes and hollow plates.

A facile strategy for fabricating polypyrrole-chitosan (PPy-CS) hollow nanostructures with different shapes (sphere, cube and plate) and a wide range of sizes (from 35 to 600 nm) is described. These hollow structures have been fabricated using silver bromide as a single template material for polymer nucleation and growth. PPy-CS hollow nanostructures are formed by reaction with an etching agent to remove the core.

Synthesis and application of mono-6-ammonium-6-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin chloride as chiral selector for capillary electrophoresis.

A facile synthetic approach for mono-6-amino-6-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD-NH2) was proposed. Its hydroxy chloride salt, mono-6-ammonium-6-deoxy-beta-cyclodextrin chloride (beta-CD-NH3Cl) was further prepared and used for the enantioseparation of various anionic and ampholytic analytes by capillary electrophoresis (CE). The effect of background electrolyte (BGE) pH and selector concentration on the enantioseparation was studied.

Synthesis and application of single-isomer 6-mono(alkylimidazolium)-beta-cyclodextrins as chiral selectors in chiral capillary electrophoresis.

Novel single isomers of positively charged beta-CDs were prepared via nucleophilic substitution of 6-monotosyl-beta-CD with alkylimidazoles to afford 6-mono(alkylimidazolium)-beta-CD tosylates and then 6-mono(alkylimidazolium)-beta-CD chlorides by anion exchange. The chiral resolution abilities of these cationic CDs were studied by CE using dansyl (Dns)-amino acids as model analytes. From the experimental results, it was found that both resolution and selectivity of these cationic CDs were dependent on the following parameters: concentration of chiral selectors, pH of the running buffer, counteranions of the CDs, side chain length of the n-alkyl-imidazolium cation, temperature of the capillary column, and organic modifier used.

Facile fabrication of AgCl@polypyrrole-chitosan core-shell nanoparticles and polymeric hollow nanospheres.

A one-step sequential method for preparing AgCl@polypyrrole-chitosan core-shell nanoparticles and subsequently the formation of polypyrrole-chitosan hollow nanospheres is reported. The formation of the core and the shell is performed in one reaction medium almost simultaneously. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show the presence of core-shell nanoparticles and hollow nanospheres.