Internally diketopyrrolopyrrole-bridged bis-anthracene macrocycle: a multifunctional fluorescent platform.

A covalently bridged macrocycle (5) comprising two anthracene strands connected at the lactam positions of a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) chromophore has been constructed. The crystal structure reveals that the central DPP chromophore is wrapped with the externally twisted bis-anthracene macrocycle. The internally bridged macrocycle architecture endows 5 with multifunctional properties.

Selective FRET nano probe based on carbon dots and naphthalimide-isatin for the ratiometric detection of peroxynitrite in drug-induced liver injury.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the most common cause for acute liver failure in the USA and Europe. However, most of DILI cases can recover or be prevented if treatment by the offending drug is discontinued. Recent research indicates that peroxynitrite (ONOO) can be a potential indicator to diagnose DILI at an early stage.

An enzyme-powered microRNA discriminator for the subtype-specific diagnosis of breast cancer.

Breast cancer, a disease with highly heterogeneous features, is the most common malignancy diagnosed in people worldwide. Early diagnosis of breast cancer is crucial for improving its cure rate, and accurate classification of the subtype-specific features is essential to precisely treat the disease. An enzyme-powered microRNA (miRNA, RNA = ribonucleic acid) discriminator was developed to selectively distinguish breast cancer cells from normal cells and further identify subtype-specific features.

Electron transport properties of PtSe nanoribbons with distinct edge reconstructions.

Edge reconstructions of two-dimensional (2D) materials play a central role in determining the electronic transport properties of nanodevices. However, it is not feasible to study the relationship between edge reconstruction and electronic properties using experimental methods because of the complexity of the experimental environment and the diversity of edge reconstruction. Herein, we have combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method to investigate the inner physical mechanism of platinum diselenide (PtSe) nanoribbons, revealing distinctive negative differential resistance (NDR) behaviors in different nanoribbons with various edge reconstructions.

Benzophenones and synthetic progestin in wastewater and sediment from farms, WWTPs and receiving surface water: distribution, sources, and ecological risks.

Farms and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important sources of endocrine disruptors, which may have potential adverse effects on the nearby receiving river and potential human health risks. Benzophenone (BPs) and synthetic progestin were determined in water and sediment samples of the discharge source and receiving river. BPs and synthetic progestin ranged from not detected (N.

Magnetic FeO@CoFe-LDH nanocomposite heterogeneously activated peroxymonosulfate for degradation of azo-dye AO7.

In this study, a novel core@shell magnetic nanocomposite FeO/CoFe-layered double hydroxide (FeO@CoFe-LDH) was successfully synthesized by the co-precipitation method, and then employed as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in removal of azo-dye acid orange 7 (AO7). The as-obtained nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results from these characterizations showed FeO@CoFe-LDH to possess good ferromagnetism and a perfect crystalline structure with a typical core@shell morphology.

Novel micron-thick brick cladding of polyfluorosilicone acrylates, a case study of conservation of historic brick wall in Hongcun village.

A micron-thick (3-5 μm) and transparent cladding technique based on the environment friendly dimethyl carbonate solution of newly developed polyfluorosilicone acrylates was successfully applied to restore the surface of brick walls of a historic house which has been severely eroded by damp and mildew for more than 300 years in Hongcun village, one of the World Heritage sites in China. The restoration followed the rule of repairing old as old before. The cladding made from the copolymerized polyfluorosilicone acrylate resin, which mainly contained the chain fragments of dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, permeated through the surface of old brick with an average depth of 14.

Typical antibiotics in the receiving rivers of direct-discharge sources of sewage across Shanghai: occurrence and source analysis.

In Shanghai, the antibiotics in the receiving rivers of direct-discharge sources of sewage (aquaculture farms, cattle farms and wastewater treatment plants) were investigated. Water and sediment samples from the receiving rivers of these sources were collected, and were screened for 19 typical antibiotics. The concentration of the antibiotics in the water and sediment ranged from not detected (ND) to 530.

Construction of a Au@MoS composite nanosheet biosensor for the ultrasensitive detection of a neurotransmitter and understanding of its mechanism based on DFT calculations.

MoS nanosheets can be applied as electrochemical biosensors to selectively and sensitively respond to the surrounding environment and detect various biomolecules due to their large specific surface area and unique physicochemical properties. In this paper, single-layer or few-layer MoS nanosheets were prepared by an improved liquid phase stripping method, and then combining the unique material characteristics of MoS and the metallic property of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), Au@MoS composite nanosheets were synthesized based on MoS nanosheets. Then, the structure and properties of MoS nanosheets and Au@MoS composite nanosheets were comprehensively characterized.

Acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes as additives for negative active materials to improve high-rate-partial-state-of-charge cycle-life of lead-acid batteries.

In this work, a trace amount of acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (a-MWCNTs) is introduced into the negative active materials (NAMs) of a lead acid battery (LAB) by simply dispersing a-MWCNTs in the water, which is then added into the dry mixture of lead oxide powder, expanders and carbon black for lead paste preparation. The abundant oxygen-containing groups on the a-MWCNTs show significant influence on the chemical reactions happening during the curing process, leading to the improved properties of NAMs. Specifically, after formation, the NAMs containing 100 ppm a-MWCNTs display a spongy-like structure comprised of interconnected domino-like Pb slices, giving favorable porosity and electroactive surface area of the NAMs.

Synergistic enhancement of the emergency treatment effect of organophosphate poisoning by a supramolecular strategy.

Poisoning by organophosphorus agents (OPs) is a serious public health issue across the world. These compounds irreversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), resulting in the accumulation of acetylcholine (ACh) and overstimulation of ACh receptors. A supramolecular detoxification system (SDS) has been designed with a view to deliver pyridine-2-aldoxime methochloride (PAM) with a synergistic inhibition effect on the ACh-induced hyperstimulation through host-guest encapsulation.

Chemoreactive Nanotherapeutics by Metal Peroxide Based Nanomedicine.

The advances of nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine enable the triggering of in situ chemical reactions in disease microenvironment for achieving disease-specific nanotherapeutics with both intriguing therapeutic efficacy and mitigated side effects. Metal peroxide based nanoparticles, as one of the important but generally ignored categories of metal-involved nanosystems, can function as the solid precursors to produce oxygen (O) and hydrogen peroxide (HO) through simple chemical reactions, both of which are the important chemical species for enhancing the therapeutic outcome of versatile modalities, accompanied with the unique bioactivity of metal ion based components. This progress report summarizes and discusses the most representative paradigms of metal peroxides in chemoreactive nanomedicine, including copper peroxide (CuO), calcium peroxide (CaO), magnesium peroxide (MgO), zinc peroxide (ZnO), barium peroxide (BaO), and titanium peroxide (TiO) nanosystems.

Selective complexation and efficient separation of /-1,2-dichloroethene isomers by a pillar[5]arene.

The complexation and separation of industrially important - and -1,2-dichloroethene (- and -DCE) isomers using perethylated pillar[5]arene (EtP5) are described. EtP5 exhibits considerable binding capability for the -DCE isomer over the -DCE in organic solution. Furthermore, nonporous adaptive crystals (NACs) of EtP5 can efficiently separate -DCE from a 50 : 50 (v/v) /-isomer mixture.

The Coppery Age: Copper (Cu)-Involved Nanotheranostics.

As an essential trace element in the human body, transitional metal copper (Cu) ions are the bioactive components within the body featuring dedicated biological effects such as promoting angiogenesis and influencing lipid/glucose metabolism. The recent substantial advances of nanotechnology and nanomedicine promote the emerging of distinctive Cu-involved biomaterial nanoplatforms with intriguing theranostic performances in biomedicine, which are originated from the biological effects of Cu species and the physiochemical attributes of Cu-composed nanoparticles. Based on the very-recent significant progresses of Cu-involved nanotheranostics, this work highlights and discusses the principles, progresses, and prospects on the elaborate design and rational construction of Cu-composed functional nanoplatforms for a diverse array of biomedical applications, including photonic nanomedicine, catalytic nanotherapeutics, antibacteria, accelerated tissue regeneration, and bioimaging.

Advanced pillared designs for two-dimensional materials in electrochemical energy storage.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted increased attention as advanced electrodes in electrochemical energy storage owing to their thin nature and large specific surface area. However, limited interlayer spacing confines the mass and ion transport within the layers, resulting in poor rate performance. Considerable efforts have been made to deal with this intrinsic problem of pristine 2D materials.

Facile synthesis of multi-functional elastic polyaniline/polyvinyl alcohol composite gels by a solution assembly method.

Polyaniline gels with a three-dimensional network structure are attractive for their broad application prospects in flexible and stretchable electric devices. In this paper, we develop a facile solution assembly method to prepare an elastic polyaniline/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite organogel and a hydrogel. The polyaniline and poly(vinyl alcohol) chains gelate from the homogeneous mixed solution in -methyl-2-pyrrolidone crystallization of poly(vinyl alcohol), producing a uniform organogel with hydrogen bonds between two polymers, and the organogel can be further converted into a hydrogel by solvent exchange.

Ultrahigh permeance of a chemical cross-linked graphene oxide nanofiltration membrane enhanced by cation-π interaction.

Cross-linking with large flexible molecules is a common method to improve the stability and control the interlayer spacing of graphene oxide (GO) membranes, but it still suffers from the limitation of low water flux. Herein, a novel high flux GO membrane was fabricated using a pressure-assisted filtration method, which involved a synergistic chemical cross-linking of divalent magnesium ions and 1,6-hexanediamine (HDA) on a polyethersulfone (PES) support. The membrane cross-linked with magnesium ions and HDA (GO ) exhibited a high water flux up to 144 L m h bar, about 7 times more than that of cross-linked GO membranes without adding magnesium ions (GO), while keeping excellent rejection performance.

Construction of a graphene/polypyrrole composite electrode as an electrochemically controlled release system.

A new class of stimuli responsive drug delivery systems is emerging to establish new paradigms for enhancing therapeutic efficacy. To date, most electro-responsive systems rely on noble metal electrodes that likely cause the limitations for implantation applications. Herein, a graphene/polypyrrole composite electrode (GN-PPy-FL) was fabricated based on two-dimensional (2D) graphene (GN) film and conductive and biocompatible polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles loaded with a negative drug model of fluorescein sodium (FL) chemical oxidation polymerization.

Silicon-coordinated nitrogen-doped graphene as a promising metal-free catalyst for NO reduction by CO: a theoretical study.

Metal-free catalysts for the transformation of NO and CO into green products under mild conditions have long been expected. The present work proposes using silicon-coordinated nitrogen-doped graphene (SiNG) as a catalyst for NO reduction and CO oxidation based on periodic DFT calculations. The reaction proceeds two steps, which are NO reduction at the Si reaction center, producing Si-O*, which subsequently oxidizes CO to CO.

Effect of thiophene S on the enhanced ORR electrocatalytic performance of sulfur-doped graphene quantum dot/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites.

In this study, a novel and simple hydrothermal method was developed to synthesize sulfur-doped graphene quantum dots (S-GQDs) with a diameter of 1-6 nm and S-GQD/reduced graphene oxide hybrids. The results indicated that an increase in the sulfur content led to superior ORR electrocatalytic activity. Moreover, it is found that thiophene S plays a significant role in the electrocatalytic activity.

Electrochemical oxidizing digestion using PbO electrode for total phosphorus determination in a water sample.

Total phosphorus is one of the key water quality parameters in environmental monitoring. To precisely determine the total phosphorus, water samples have to be pretreated to convert the various forms of phosphorus to orthophosphate. Conventionally, pretreatment is accomplished by heating, acidification, and oxidation in a digestion equipment, which is dangerous, time-consuming, and complicated.

Boron Substituted NaV(P B O) Cathode Materials with Enhanced Performance for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

The development of excellent performance of Na-ion batteries remains great challenge owing to the poor stability and sluggish kinetics of cathode materials. Herein, B substituted NaVP B O (0 ≤ ≤ 1) as stable cathode materials for Na-ion battery is presented. A combined experimental and theoretical investigations on NaVP B O (0 ≤ ≤ 1) are undertaken to reveal the evolution of crystal and electronic structures and Na storage properties associated with various concentration of B.

Photolithography-Compatible Templated Patterning of Functional Organic Materials in Emulsion.

is reported. The concept is to absorb microdrops onto predefined locations by hydrophilicity difference. Owing to a universal solvent used, the method can be applied to pattern variety materials on substrates of interest over large size.