Publications by authors named "Ruqiang Lu"

We designed porous polymers with a tungsten-calix[4]arene imido complex as the nitrosamine receptor for the efficient extraction of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) from water. The interaction between the metallocalix[4]arene and the TSNA, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone, NNK) was investigated. We found that the incorporation of the nitrosamine receptor into porous polymers increased their selectivity toward NNK over nicotine.

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-Nitrosamines are found in food, drugs, air, water, and soil. They pose a significant risk to human health because of their carcinogenicity; consequently, materials that can be used to selectively and sensitively detect nitrosamines are needed. In this work, we designed and synthesized two polymers bearing calix[4]arene or 4--butylcalix[4]arene tungsten-imido complexes (PCalixH and PCalixtBu) as -nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) receptors.

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We describe a novel class of tetraphenylbenzene-based discotic molecules with exceptional self-assembling properties. Absorption and fluorescence studies confirmed the formation of -type aggregates in solution. The discotic mesogens also show an enhancement of the emission upon aggregation.

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A series of photoswitchable cyclopentadienone derivative dimers bearing bromo, thienyl, 4-(dimethylamino)phenyl, 3-pyridinyl, 4-nitrophenyl and cyano groups was designed and facilely synthesized. Photoswitching properties such as the photoconversions in the photostationary state (PSS), the thermal kinetics and thermal half-lives of photoisomers were systematically investigated. These photoswitches show high fatigue resistance and large photoconversions in the PSS.

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The capping reagent plays an essential role in the functional properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Multiple stimuli-responsive materials are generated diverse surface modification. The ability of the organic ligand shell on a gold surface to create a porous shell capable of binding small molecules is demonstrated as an approach to detect molecules, such as methane, that would be otherwise difficult to sense.

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Azulene, a nonbenzenoid bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with unique electronic structure, is a promising building block for constructing nonbenzenoid π-conjugated systems. However, azulene-fused (hetero)aromatics remain rare as a result of limited synthetic methods. We report herein the unexpected synthesis of azulene- and pyridine-fused heteroaromatics , a seven fused ring system with 30π electrons, by reductive cyclization of a 1-nitroazulene.

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Covalently linked π-stacked dimers represent the most significant platform for elucidating the relationship between molecular alignments and their properties. Here, we present the one-pot synthesis of two intramolecularly π-stacked dimers and disclose how intramolecular stacking modes dictate photoswitching properties. The dimer, which features cofacially stacked chromophores and geometrically favours intramolecular photochemical [2 + 2] cycloadditions, displays a nearly irreversible photoswitching behaviour.

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Cycloaddition reactions of carbynes in metallacycles with π-bond substrates have been rarely reported. We report the first [2+2] cycloaddition of metallapentalynes with nitrosoarenes to obtain the first metallapentalenoxazetes, and their photophysical and electrochemical properties were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry with the help of theoretical calculations.

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Article Synopsis
  • The synthesis of open-shell polycyclic hydrocarbons is challenging due to their high reactivity, but researchers successfully created two diindeno-fused corannulene regioisomers, DIC-1 and DIC-2.
  • Both compounds exhibit high diradical characters (0.98 for DIC-1 and 0.89 for DIC-2) attributed to the re-aromatization of the corannulene π system.
  • Despite their diradical nature, DIC-1 and DIC-2 demonstrate good stability in ambient conditions, with half-lives of 37 days and 6.6 days, respectively.
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Triindolo-truxene, a C -symmetric molecule with a large π-conjugated plane, has six methylene carbon atoms and three aromatic carbon atoms that can be facilely functionalized. Herein, butyl, carbonyl, cyano, and/or malononitrile groups were introduced at six methylene carbon atoms (6-, 14-, 22- or 8-, 16-, 24-positions) and/or three aromatic carbon atoms (2-, 10-, and 18-positions) of triindolo-truxene to produce eight derivatives. Their photophysical properties, electrochemical properties, and molecular assembly can be effectively modulated by substituents and substitution patterns.

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A pair of interconvertible stereoisomers of imide-fused corannulene derivatives was mixed with C , which resulted in cocrystallization into a 1:1 segregated packing motif through concave-convex π-π interactions. Only one conformation was observed in the cocrystal owing to guest-induced conformational switching. The 1D assemblies of the complex showed promising applications in organic electronics.

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We constructed a series of novel chiral molecular face-rotating polyhedra (FRP) from two 10,15-dihydro-5H-diindolo[3,2-a:3',2'-c]carbazole (triazatruxene) derivatives and trans-1,2-cyclohexane diamine, and investigated how facial interactions and the positions of substituents determine the diastereoselectivity and geometry of the final assemblies.

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Electron-deficient corannulene derivatives incorporating cyano and imide groups into the corannulene core were synthesized, which showed low LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) levels and dense convex-concave packing structures in single crystals. These two features help to realize the first n-channel organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) in air based on corannulene derivatives.

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For the first time, electron-rich thiophene units were fused into the skeleton of corannulene to extend π-surfaces and tune arrangement in single crystals. Two isomeric butterfly-like thiophene-fused dibenzo[a,g]corannulenes (3 and 5) were synthesized. Isomer 3 showed p-type transport properties, with a hole mobility of 0.

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