One-pot HTST synthesis of responsive fluorescent ZnO@apo-enzyme composite microgels for intracellular glucometry.

Responsive fluorescent microgels, that can selectively, reversibly, and rapidly convert the fluctuation in intracellular glucose level into fluorescence signal, have the potential use for intracellular glucometry to promote the understanding of physiology. Herein, we report one-pot synthesis of such a responsive fluorescent composite microgels, which is made of a representative apo-enzyme, apo-glucose oxidase (apo-GOx), interpenetrated in a composite gel network that is comprised of ZnO quantum dots covalently bonded onto crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate. The key of this one-pot synthesis is applying a high-temperature short-time heating (HTST) method, so that the naturally dynamic profile of apo-GOx can be maintained and harnessed on the composite microgels to allow the highly selective response to glucose over a glucose concentration range of 0-20 mM.

Observation of Unusual Thermoresponsive Volume Phase Transition Behavior of Cubic Poly(-isopropylacrylamide) Microgels.

Here, we report the observation of an unusual thermoresponsive volume phase transition behavior of cubic poly(-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels. Cubic PNIPAM microgels with a mean edge size of 125 ± 41 nm were synthesized via electrochemical-initiated radical polymerization with a photovoltaic cell as power supply. In turbidity and laser light scattering studies on dilute aqueous dispersions of these cubic microgels, both the light attenuation and hydrodynamic radius variations with temperature reveal an additional transition at about 25.

Tuning catalysis of boronic acids in microgels by reversible structural variations.

The catalysis of boronic acids immobilized in polymer microgels can be modulated by bubbling with N/CO gas, and in some cases by adding glucose, making their catalytic activity comparable or even superior to that of the corresponding free boronic acid monomers homogeneously dispersed in solutions and, more importantly, making these boronic-acid-containing polymer microgels able to catalyze alternate reactions that may extend the usefulness. This enhanced catalytic function of these boronic-acid-containing microgels as organoboron acid catalysts is plausibly achieved reversibly structural variations. Kinetic studies have been carried out on the model boronic-acid-catalyzed aza-Michael addition, aldol, amidation, and [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions in order to better understand the catalytic process.

The preparation of Ni/Mo-based ternary electrocatalysts by the self-propagating initiated nitridation reaction and their application for efficient hydrogen production.

In the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), multi-component electrocatalysts with a synergistic effect may possess enhanced catalytic activity and broadened applicability in both acidic and alkaline media. Herein, we developed a novel strategy via the self-propagating initiated nitridation reaction for the synthesis of MoC, MoNi, and NiMoN nanocrystals as active components assembled in a multiscale porous honeycomb-like carbon (Ni/MoCat@HCC). This strategy can be realized by simply calcining (NH)MoO and Ni(NO) precursor hybrids under a H/Ar atmosphere at a fairly low temperature of 600 °C.