Ligand Modulation in Metal-Organic Frameworks Derived Regenerable Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as promising pre-catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water electrolysis. However, the coordination chemistry of MOF ligands in reconstructed species remains poorly understood, particularly regarding how ligand modulation influences the electronic configurations of catalytic sites. In this study, we present the synthesis of an α-FeOOH coated Ni-catecholate MOF composite (FeOOH@Ni-CAT), which transforms into a ligand-coordinated γ-NiFeOOH active species during OER.

Mobility Control of Mechanical Bonds to Modulate Energy Dissipation in Mechanically Interlocked Networks.

Mechanically interlocked networks (MINs) with dense mechanical bonds can amplify the dynamic behaviors of the mechanical bonds to exhibit decent mechanical properties. Energy dissipation resulting from mechanical bond motion is essential for improving toughness, yet effective strategies to optimize this process remain underexplored. Here, by designing mechanical bond models with controllable mobility, we establish a fortification strategy for the two key factors governing energy dissipation, host-guest recognition and sliding friction, thereby enabling mechanical property enhancement of mechanically interlocked materials.

Formation and characterization of acid-soluble soybean protein with chitosan addition: effects of hydrothermal treatment and homogenization.

Background: The development of acid-soluble soybean protein (ASSP) is a dynamic field with ongoing research aimed at exploring its emulsifying, foaming, and gelling properties. These properties can affect the texture, stability, and sensory attributes of food. Innovations in processing technologies, such as freeze-drying, hydrothermal treatment, and homogenization processing, are being made to enhance the quality of ASSP, which are crucial for its application in food products.

A novel crosslinked chitosan material modified by quaternary ammonium group for efficient adsorption of bromide ions from wastewater.

Recovering bromide ions from wastewater can not only alleviate the shortage of bromine resources but also solve the problem of bromine pollution. However, there is no efficient method for selective extraction of bromide ions from bromine-containing wastewater up to now. In this paper, chitosan was acidified into a gel to extend its molecular chain, modified by quaternary ammonium salt functional groups, and then crosslinked to obtain a new adsorption material.

Discovery of tri(indolyl)methanes as potent and selective inhibitors against human carboxylesterase 2.

Human carboxylesterase 2A (CES2A) plays a crucial role in the hydrolysis and metabolic activation of esters and amides. There is increasing evidence that development of CES2A inhibitors to modulate the hydrolysis of ester drugs will increase the potency of these drugs or reduce their side effects. In this study, three sets of indole analogues (4a-j, 5a-k, 6a-e) were designed and synthesized.

Inhibiting demetalation of ZnNC via bimetallic CoZn alloy for an efficient and durable oxygen reduction reaction.

Inhibition of demetalation due to electrochemical dissolution of metal active centers is a major challenge for the real-world commercialization of transition metals and nitrogen co-doped carbon (MNC) material catalysts. This research utilized a microchannel reactor to synthesize zeolitic imidazolate framework-8@zeolitic imidazolate framework-67, resulting in a CoZn/ZnNC material produced through a core-shell pyrolysis strategy. Direct synergistic interaction of CoZn alloy nanoparticles and ZnNC improves the activity and durability of the oxygen reduction reaction.

Developed BL-EF to acquire plant growth-promoting functions under salt stress by introducing the ACC deaminase gene.

The application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a novel and effective strategy to ameliorate soil salinity and increase agricultural productivity. ACC deaminase (ACCD) in PGPR plays a key role in alleviating salt stress and promoting plant growth. This study aimed to investigate the potential of ACCD-producing strain BL-EF to mitigate salt stress in tomato plants.

Fire cupping inspired negative-pressure microneedle syringes loaded with herb berberine-based nano composite for psoriasis therapy.

Psoriasis, an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin disorder, poses challenges for topical treatment due to the thickening of the stratum corneum, hindering drug penetration. Furthermore, long-term use of chemical drugs may lead to immunosuppression and abnormal hepatic or renal dysfunction. Inspired by traditional Chinese fire cupping (Ba Huo Guan), a negative-pressure microneedle syringe therapy has been proposed here for psoriasis treatment.

P(═O)R-Directed Asymmetric Catalytic C-H Olefination Leading to C-N Axially Chiral Targets.

A novel P(═O)R-directed asymmetric catalytic olefination has been developed, enabling efficient access to carbon-nitrogen axially chiral products with excellent yields (up to 92%) and enantioselectivity (up to 99% enantiomeric excess). The synergistic coordination of phosphine oxide functionality and l-pGlu-OH with the Pd metal center, serving as an efficient directing group and chiral ligand, was key to the success of this C-H functionalization system. The reaction demonstrated a broad substrate scope, yielding 33 distinct C-N axial products.

Revisiting the Origins of Reactivity and Selectivity in the PdL-Cage-Catalyzed Diels-Alder Reactions: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study.

Supramolecular metal-organic cages (MOCs) have gained attention as versatile catalytic platforms due to their self-assembled architectures and well-defined cavities, which mimic enzyme active sites and enable spatial confinement. This confinement modulates the reaction pathways and enhances the catalytic performance. Recent studies highlight their catalytic potential in various organic transformations, but the factors governing the MOC-catalyzed reactions remain incompletely understood.

1,2-Acylphosphinylation of Styrenes to Access β-Aryl-γ-ketophosphine Oxides by Irradiation-Induced Radical Relay.

An acylphosphinylation reaction has been devised for the synthesis of β-aryl-γ-ketophosphine oxides, employing styrenes and acyl azolium salts through an irradiation-induced radical relay mechanism. This method effectively constructs C-C and C-P bonds while demonstrating excellent functional group tolerance. Mechanistic studies revealed that a radical-addition-coupling-elimination cascade process was involved in this reaction.

Acceleration of Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions at Aqueous Interfaces through Enhanced Reaction Kinetics of Microdroplets.

Enzyme-catalyzed reactions have the advantages of excellent selectivity, low cost, and mild reaction conditions, but the slow reaction kinetics limit their practical applications. Herein, a microdroplet generator that can continuously and rapidly generate water microdroplets with tunable size was designed and used for the study of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in microdroplets. Using glucose oxidase as a model and resazurin as a fluorescence probe, the fluorescence intensity of the collected microdroplets sprayed into the gas phase was 35 times higher than that in the bulk system, demonstrating obvious reaction acceleration in the microdroplets.

A one-pot multicomponent tandem reaction for the rapid synthesis of 2-amino-3-benzylindoles.

The simultaneous introduction of two functional groups into molecules a one-pot process is of great importance for the synthesis of complex molecules. However, this remains a challenging task due to the need for precise control of regio- and chemo-selectivity. In this paper, we present a novel oxidative cross-dehydrogenation coupling (CDC) reaction that selectively introduces two nucleophiles at the C2,3-positions of indoles, thereby constructing the C-N and C-C bonds simultaneously in one pot.

Direct Access to CF-Containing 4-1,3-Oxazines and 2-Aminopyrimidines Via a [4 + 2] Annulation Using In Situ Generated Carbodiimide Anions.

The carbodiimide anions which were generated in situ from -cyano--aryl--toluenesulfonamides (NCTS) in the presence of the base participated in annulations that remain less reported to date. Herein, we have developed for the first time an efficient and environmentally friendly [4 + 2] annulation reaction of CF-substituted hetero-1,3-dienes with NCTS for the efficient synthesis of CF-substituted 4-1,3-oxazines and 2-aminopyrimidines under transition-metal-free conditions. The methodology demonstrates the advantages of readily available substrates, simple operation, good functional group tolerance, and broad substrate scope, providing a promising route to the synthesis of structurally diverse CF-substituted scaffolds.

Rational design of terpolymer acceptors for high-efficiency all-polymer solar cells.

Three terpolymers, J1, J2 and J3, were developed a ternary polymerization strategy. J2 with 5% ITIC possesses suitable complementary absorption, matching energy levels, especially the appropriate aggregation behaviour and improved compatibility between J2 and PM6 to offer an excellent power conversion efficiency of up to 16.48%.

Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Radicals in Asymmetric Photoredox Minisci Reactions with Azaarenes for Precise Construction of Two Non-adjacent Stereocenters.

Despite the significant potential of photocatalysis as a robust synthetic tool, the high reactivity of radicals often presents challenges in achieving optimal chemoselectivity. In this study, we demonstrate that this inherent limitation can be strategically harnessed for asymmetric photoredox catalysis. By utilizing a chiral catalyst to facilitate kinetic resolution between the two enantiomers of racemic radical intermediates, one enantiomer selectively undergoes the desired transformation, while noncatalytic side reactions deplete the other enantiomer.

Thermally Conductive Naphthalene Epoxy Resin by Tailoring Flexible Chain Length and Liquid Crystal Structure.

Epoxy resin with high thermal conductivity (λ) are widely used in electronic packaging, bonding, and coating. However, those with high intrinsic λ, typically synthesized using biphenyl or aromatic rings extended by ester linkages as the mesogenic unit, often exhibit high liquid crystal transition temperatures and poor processability. In this study, a series of naphthalene-based liquid crystal epoxy monomers (LCE) were synthesized, using naphthalene as the mesogenic unit and modifying the flexible chain length on both sides.

Nanofibrous Chitin Clusters Constructed via Controllable Crystalline Structure Transition for 3D Functional Materials.

Intensively studied polymeric particle production technologies often rely on the combination of polymer self-assembly and particle processing techniques. Herein, an elegant crystallization transition-mediated strategy is proposed to confine molecular self-assembly within a limited range, avoiding the need for extra particle processing steps. This approach enables the production of the regenerated nanofibrous chitin clusters woven with the helical nanofibers.

Synergistic Catalysts with Fe Single Atoms and Fe3C Clusters for Accelerated Oxygen Adsorption Kinetics in Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The design of cost-effective and efficient catalysts based on transition metal-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial yet challenging for energy-conversion devices like metal-air batteries. In this work, we present a cost-effective strategy for preparing catalysts consisting of single-atomic Fe sites and Fe3C clusters encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon layers (FeSA-Fe3C/NC). The FeSA-Fe3C/NC electrocatalyst demonstrates outstanding ORR performance in alkaline electrolytes, achieving a high half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa promoted microbial fuel cells for cytidine acid production wastewater treatment.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) can convert the chemical energy of organic matter in wastewater into electrical energy with high degradation efficiency. In this study, a type of specialized microorganism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was screened and added to an MFC to promote the degradation of wastewater generated during the production of cytidine acid while improving the performance of the MFC. The MFC achieved a maximum voltage of 57.

Size-effect induced controllable Cu-Cu sites for ampere-level nitrate electroreduction coupled with biomass upgrading.

The synergistic Cu-Cu sites is regarded as the active species towards NH synthesis from the nitrate electrochemical reduction reaction (NORR) process. However, the mechanistic understanding and the roles of Cu and Cu remain exclusive. The big obstacle is that it is challenging to effectively regulate the interfacial motifs of Cu-Cu sites.

Gold-Catalyzed 1,2-Rearrangement on Benzene Triggered by a Transient Dearomative Claisen Rearrangement.

1,2-Migration on arenes represents a powerful transformation, because of its chemical skeleton and exit vector editing ability. However, the corresponding dearomative mediated 1,2-migration on arene was ignored for decades, despite tremendous effort being devoted to develop the dearomative reaction, which mainly capitalized on breaking the planarity for three-dimensional diversification. Here, we report on the gold-catalyzed 1,2-rearrangement on benzene by the transient dearomatization of high-resonance energy benzene.

A New Fluorescent Probe based on Carbazole-Benzopyranyl for the Recognition of ONOO and its Application.

In this study, we successfully synthesized a colorimetric and photoluminescent fluorescent probe CBB by introducing benzopyran malononitrile at the 3-position of N-butylcarbazole and pinacol borate structure at the 6-position of N-butylcarbazole. The probe CBB characterized by a substantial Stokes shift (146 nm) demonstrates high selectivity and sensitivity to ONOO. The probe CBB can specifically identify ONOO by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques.

AIE and ICT Synergistic Lysosome-Targeted Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensor for the Detection and Imaging of Th in the Liver of Zebrafish and Mice.

The sensitive detection of the radioactive thorium (Th) ion with an oxidation state of +4 (Th) is of great significance for environmental protection and life safety. In this study, five fluorescence sensors with regulated donor-acceptor (D-A) interactions were constructed for Th detection based on intramolecular charge transfer and aggregation-induced emission mechanisms. Among the developed sensors, bearing electron-deficient π-bridge and weak D-A interactions presented ratiometric fluorescence detection behavior toward Th in aqueous solution due to its aggregation-induced emission characteristics and unique D-A-D structures.

An Olefin Radical Based Thiele's Hydrocarbon Derivative and Macrocyclic Tetraradical.

A persistent Thiele's hydrocarbon derivative, containing two five-membered dioxoborocyclic monoradical units bridged by a p-phenylene, was generated. It exhibits an open-shell singlet ground state with a large singlet-triplet energy gap. A macrocyclic molecule, composed of two units of the Thiele's hydrocarbon derivative, was also prepared.