Janus metallic film with gold and silver luster by electroless deposition of silver using poly(dopamine acrylamide) thin film.

Films that exhibit different metallic luster on the front and back, called Janus metallic films, have broad applications ranging from design materials to optical devices. However, the fabrication of these films is often a complicated process involving multiple metal deposition steps, thermal annealing, and calcination. Herein, we report the simple preparation of a Janus metallic film by electroless deposition of silver on a poly(dopamine acrylamide) (pDOPAm) thin film.

Impact of sp carbon material species on Pt nanoparticle-based electrocatalysts produced by one-pot pyrolysis methods with ionic liquids.

Pt-nanoparticle-supported graphene nanoplatelets (Pt/GNPs) and multiwalled carbon nanotube composite (Pt/MWCNTs) electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) can be prepared using a one-pot method through the pyrolytic decomposition of the platinum precursor, platinum(ii) bis(acetylacetonate) (Pt(acac)) in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([Cmim][TfN]) or ,,-trimethyl--propylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([N][TfN]) ionic liquids (ILs) with the target sp carbon support. In this one-pot pyrolysis method, which does not require any reagents to reduce Pt metal precursors or stabilize Pt nanoparticles, Pt nanoparticles are readily immobilized onto the sp surface by a thin IL layer formed at the interface, which can work as a binder. We used three types of sp carbon materials with different geometric shapes (graphene nanoplatelets with <3 (GNPs-3) and 18-24 layers (GNPs-20) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)) to investigate Pt nanoparticle formation and anchoring.

Formation mechanisms of hollow manganese hexacyanoferrate particles and construction of a multiple-shell structure.

Formation mechanisms of hollow manganese hexacyanoferrate (Mn-HCF) particles have been investigated. Mn-HCF particles, which were precipitated by mixing an aqueous solution of K[Fe(CN)] with MnCl in the presence of sodium citrate, could be converted into a hollow structure just by washing with distilled water. The powder X-ray diffractometry suggested that the as-prepared particle has a core/shell morphology with different crystal structures: cubic-core and monoclinic-shell.

Synthesis of uniform Prussian blue nanoparticles by a polyol process using a polyethylene glycol aqueous solution.

A polyol process was applied to the synthesis of Prussian blue nanoparticles that have a narrow size distribution. Potassium hexacyanidoferrate(iii) and iron(iii) nitrate aqueous solutions were introduced into a 50% polyethylene glycol (PEG) aqueous solution under magnetic stirring at 50 °C and reacted for 48 h. The shape of the so-obtained particles was cubic with somewhat rounded edges and the mean size was 70 nm.

Preparation of chiral 3-oxocycloalkanecarbonitrile and its derivatives by crystallization-induced diastereomer transformation of ketals with chiral 1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol.

Chiral 3-oxocycloalkanecarbonitriles were prepared by fractional crystallization and crystallization-induced diastereomer transformation (CIDT) of diastereomeric ketals with (1,2)-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol. Investigation of the crystal structures by X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the difference in hydrogen bonds caused the discrepancy of the solubilities between () and () diastereomers. Furthermore, CIDT to afford the ()-diastereomer in good yield (95% yield) and with high diastereoselectivity (97% de) was accomplished, which is the first example of CIDT of neutral compounds formation of the diastereomeric ketal with (1,2)-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol.

Cucurbit[n]uril Derivatives Soluble in Water and Organic Solvents.

Reminiscent of the ringed planet Saturn, new cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]) derivatives CB*[5] and CB*[6] have rings decorating the "equator". The rings in this case are five- and six-fused cyclohexane rings, respectively (the structure of CB*[6] is shown). The remarkable solubility of the new CB[n] derivatives in water and organic solvents allows not only their unusual binding properties toward metal and organic ions in neutral water but also their applications in ion-selective electrodes to be studied.

Macrocycles within Macrocycles: Cyclen, Cyclam, and Their Transition Metal Complexes Encapsulated in Cucurbit[8]uril.

Reminiscent of Russian Matrioshka dolls, tetraazamacrocycles (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) and 1 , 4 , 8 , 11 - tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam)) and their transition metal complexes are encapsulated in the cavity of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]). The X-ray crystal structure of the [Cu(cyclen)] in CB[8] complex (see picture; copper: green, oxygen: red, nitrogen: blue, carbon: gray) reveals a five-coordinate Cu center in a square-pyramidal environment with a water molecule bound to the axial position.

Selective Inclusion of a Hetero-Guest Pair in a Molecular Host: Formation of Stable Charge-Transfer Complexes in Cucurbit[8]uril.

Two different molecules are selectively included in cucurbit[8]uril to form a stable 1:1:1 ternary complex, which has been characterized by X-ray crystallography. The inclusion of a hetero-guest pair (a pyridinium derivative (blue) and 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene (magenta)) in the molecular host is driven and stabilized by a charge-transfer interaction between the electron-rich and electron-deficient guests.