Pyrolytic Depolymerization of Polyolefins Catalysed by Zirconium-based UiO-66 Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Polyolefins such as polyethylenes and polypropylenes are the most-produced plastic waste globally, yet are difficult to convert into useful products due to their unreactivity. Pyrolysis is a practical method for large-scale treatment of mixed, contaminated plastic, allowing for their conversion into industrially-relevant petrochemicals. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), despite their tremendous utility in heterogeneous catalysis, have been overlooked for polyolefin depolymerization due to their perceived thermal instabilities and inability of polyethylenes and polypropylenes to penetrate their pores.

Metal-Organic Framework superstructures with long-ranged orientational order via E-field assisted liquid crystal assembly.

Most MOFs are non-cubic, with functionality dependent upon crystallographic direction, and are largely prepared as microcrystalline powders. Therefore, general methods to orient and assemble free-standing MOF crystals are especially important and urgently needed. This is addressed here through the novel strategy of E-field assisted liquid crystal assembly, applied to MIL-53-NH(Al), MIL-68(In) and NU-1000 MOF crystals, with aspect ratios ranging from 10 to 1.

Imidazole-stabilized, electron-deficient boron cations.

The borenium cations [(CHNAd)B(CF)][AlCl/AlCl] 2a, and [(CHNMe)B(CF)][B(CF)] 2b were prepared and are shown to feature a high Lewis acidity, the capability to activate hydrogen and to effect the 1,1-carborations of terminal and internal alkynes under mild conditions.

Synthesis of Complexes with Abnormal "Protic" N-Heterocyclic Carbenes.

Neutral 4-iodo-N-ethylimidazole 3 oxidatively adds to [Pt(PPh3)4] to give, in the presence of different tetraalkylammonium salts, complexes trans-[4], trans-[5], and trans-[6] containing an anionic C4-bound heterocycle with an unsubstituted ring-nitrogen atom. Complex trans-[4] reacts with the proton source NH4 I under protonation of the ring-nitrogen atom to produce complex trans-[7]I which bears an NH,NR-substituted aNHC ligand. The reaction of trans-[4] with CH3I yields the complex trans-[8]I which has a classical aNHC ligand with two alkylated ring-nitrogen atoms.

Photoresponsive liquid marbles and dry water.

Stimuli-responsive liquid marbles for controlled release typically rely on organic moieties that require lengthy syntheses. We report herein a facile, one-step synthesis of hydrophobic and oleophobic TiO2 nanoparticles that display photoresponsive wettability. Water liquid marbles stabilized by these photoresponsive TiO2 particles were found to be stable when shielded from ultraviolet (UV) radiation; however, they quickly collapsed after being irradiated with 302 nm UV light.

Supergluing MOF liquid marbles.

Growth of NH(2)-MIL-53(Al) on alumina microparticles followed by post-synthetic modification with perfluorooctyl or caproic groups produces highly hydrophobic microparticles which are utilized for the formation of liquid marbles. Interfacial polymerization of ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate on the surface of the liquid marbles produces stable liquid capsules.