Drastic Effects of Fluorination on Backbone Conformation of Head-to-Head Bithiophene-Based Polymer Semiconductors.

This study shows that the backbone conformation of head-to-head type 3,3'-dialkyl-2,2'-bithiophene can be tuned via fluorination of the neighboring benzothiadiazole (BTz). Without fluorination, the polymer backbone is highly twisted, whereas difluorination of BTz produced a coplanar backbone. Monofluorination of BTz yielded a tunable polymer backbone conformation depending on the film annealing temperature.

Nickel Hydr(oxy)oxide Nanoparticles on Metallic MoS Nanosheets: A Synergistic Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS)-based materials have been recently identified as promising electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, little work has been done to improve the catalytic performance of MoS toward HER in alkaline electrolytes, which is more suitable for water splitting in large-scale applications. Here, it is reported that the hybridization of 0D nickel hydr(oxy)oxide nanoparticles with 2D metallic MoS nanosheets can significantly enhance the HER activities in alkaline and neutral electrolytes.

Thiazole Imide-Based All-Acceptor Homopolymer: Achieving High-Performance Unipolar Electron Transport in Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

High-performance unipolar n-type polymer semiconductors are critical for advancing the field of organic electronics, which relies on the design and synthesis of new electron-deficient building blocks with good solubilizing capability, favorable geometry, and optimized electrical properties. Herein, two novel imide-functionalized thiazoles, 5,5'-bithiazole-4,4'-dicarboxyimide (BTzI) and 2,2'-bithiazolothienyl-4,4',10,10'-tetracarboxydiimide (DTzTI), are successfully synthesized. Single crystal analysis and physicochemical study reveal that DTzTI is an excellent building block for constructing all-acceptor homopolymers, and the resulting polymer poly(2,2'-bithiazolothienyl-4,4',10,10'-tetracarboxydiimide) (PDTzTI) exhibits unipolar n-type transport with a remarkable electron mobility (μ ) of 1.

(NHC)NiH-Catalyzed Intermolecular Regio- and Diastereoselective Cross-Hydroalkenylation of Endocyclic Dienes with α-Olefins.

Highly selective cross-hydroalkenylations of endocyclic 1,3-dienes at the least substituted site with α-olefins were achieved with a set of neutral (NHC)Ni H(OTf) catalysts and cationic Ni catalysts with a novel NHC ligand. Under heteroatom assistance, skipped dienes were obtained in good yields, often from equal amounts of the two substrates and at a catalyst loading of 2-5 mol %. Rare 4,3-product selectivity (i.

1800MHz Microwave Induces p53 and p53-Mediated Caspase-3 Activation Leading to Cell Apoptosis In Vitro.

Recent studies have reported that exposure of mammalian cells to microwave radiation may have adverse effects such as induction of cell apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying microwave induced mammalian cell apoptosis are not fully understood. Here, we report a novel mechanism: exposure to 1800MHz microwave radiation induces p53-dependent cell apoptosis through cytochrome c-mediated caspase-3 activation pathway.

Photooxygenation and gas-phase reactivity of multiply threaded pseudorotaxanes.

The solution-phase photooxygenation of multiply threaded crown/ammonium pseudorotaxanes containing anthracene spacers is monitored by electrospray ionization Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron-resonance (ESI-FTICR) mass spectrometry. The oxygenated pseudorotaxanes are mass-selected and fragmented by infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) and/or collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments and and their behavior compared to that of the non-oxygenated precursors. [4+2]Cycloreversion reactions lead to the loss of O2, when no other reaction channel with competitive energy demand is available.

Catalytic asymmetric hydroalkenylation of vinylarenes: electronic effects of substrates and chiral N-heterocyclic carbene ligands.

An asymmetric tail-to-tail cross-hydroalkenylation of vinylarenes with terminal olefins was achieved by catalysis with NiH complexes bearing chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). The reaction provides branched gem-disubstituted olefins with high enantioselectivity (up to 94 % ee) and chemoselectivity (cross/homo product ratio: up to 99:1). Electronic effects of the substituents on the vinylarenes and on the N-aryl groups of the NHC ligands, but not a π,π-stacking mechanism, assist the steric effect and influence the outcome of the cross-hydroalkenylation.

Medium-sized heterocycle synthesis by the use of synergistic effects of Ni-NHC and γ-coordination in cycloisomerization.

This paper describes a new approach in transition-metal-catalyzed unsymmetric cycloisomerization for medium-sized heterocycles. The steric and electronic effects of an NHC-NiH catalyst and γ-heteroatom chelation were used together as a basis for 1,n-diene termini differentiation and for n(γ)-exo-trig (head-to-tail) product selectivity. Heterocycles bearing an exocyclic methylene such as oxepines, thiepines, siloxepines, and oxocanes were synthesized from the corresponding 1,n-dienes by a fine-tuning of the NHC properties.