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Abstract High concentrations of active carriers on the surface of a semiconductor through energy/electron transfer are the core process in the photocatalytic hydrogen production from water. However, it remains a challenge to significantly improve photocatalytic performance by modifying simple molecular modulation. Herein, a new strategy is proposed to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance using boron and nitrogen elements to construct B←N coordination bonds. Experimental results show that polynaphthopyridine borane (PNBN) possessing B←N coordination bonds shows a hydrogen evolution rate of 217.4 µmol h−1, which is significantly higher than that of the comparison materials 0 µmol h−1 for polyphenylnaphthalene (PNCC) and 0.66 µmol h−1 for polypyridylnaphthalene (PNNC), mainly attributed to the formation of a strong built‐in electric field that promotes the separation of photo‐generated electrons/holes. This work opens up new prospects for the design of highly efficient polymeric photocatalysts at the molecular level.

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the cognitive function characteristics of Parkinson’s disease (PD) with sleep disorders. Methods. Consecutive patients with PD (n=96), patients with primary sleep disorders (n=76), and healthy control subjects (n=66) were assessed. The patients with PD were classified into sleep disorder (PD-SD) and non-sleep disorder (PD-NSD) groups. Results. Among 96 patients with PD, 69 were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. There were 38 sleep disorder cases, 31 RBD cases, and 27 NSD cases. On the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and MoCA subtests, patients in the PD-SD, primary sleep disorder, and PD-NSD groups exhibited lower scores than those in the control group. Moreover, the PD-SD patients exhibited more significant cognitive impairment than was observed in the primary sleep disorder patients. In the PD-SD subgroup, the attention scores on the MoCA and on MoCA subtests were lower in the PD with RBD group than in the PD with insomnia group. Conclusion. PD with sleep disorders may exacerbate cognitive dysfunction in patients. PD associated with different types of sleep disorders differentially affects cognitive functions, and patients with PD with RBD exhibited poorer cognitive function than was seen in patients with PD with insomnia.

TiO2 nanoparticles modified with phthalocyanines (Pc) have been proven to be a potential photosensitizer in the application of photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by TiO2 nanoparticles modified with Pc has not been demonstrated clearly. In this study, nitrogen-doped TiO2 conjugated with Pc (N-TiO2-Pc) were studied by means of monitoring the generation of ROS. The absorbance and photokilling effect on HeLa cells upon visible light of different regions were also studied and compared with non-doped TiO2-Pc and Pc. Both N-TiO2-Pc and TiO2-Pc can be activated by visible light and exhibited much higher photokilling effect on HeLa cells than Pc. In addition, nitrogen-doping can greatly enhance the formation of 1O2 and •O2−, while it suppresses the generation of OH•. This resulted in significant photodynamic activity. Therefore, N-TiO2-Pc can be an excellent candidate for a photosensitizer in PDT with wide-spectrum visible irradiation.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has attracted wide attention as a potential photosensitizer (PS) in photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, bare TiO2 can only be excited by ultraviolet illumination, and it lacks specific targeting ligands, which largely impede its application. In our study, we produced nitrogen-doped TiO2 and linked it with an effective cancer cell targeting agent, folic acid (FA), to obtain N-TiO2-FA nanoconjugates. Characterization of N-TiO2-FA included Zeta potential, absorption spectra and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that N-TiO2-FA was successfully produced and it possessed better dispersibility in aqueous solution than unmodified TiO2. The N-TiO2-FA was incubated with human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KB) and human pulmonary adenocarcinoma (A549) cells. The KB cells that overexpress folate receptors (FR) on cell membranes were used as FR-positive cancer cells, while A549 cells were used as FR-negative cells. Laser scanning confocal microscopy results showed that KB cells had a higher uptake efficiency of N-TiO2-FA, which was about twice that of A549 cells. Finally, N-TiO2-FA is of no cytotoxicity, and has a better photokilling effect on KB cells under visible light irradiation. In conclusion, N-TiO2-FA can be as high-value as a PS in cancer targeting PDT.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C28H40N2O3S, there are two molecules per asymmetric unit; in each of these molecules, the cyclohexyl rings adopt chair conformations. The dihedral angles between the benzene rings are 16.89 (9) and 34.11 (9)°. Each molecule contains an intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bond, and intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds are also present. In both molecules, the methyl groups of one tert-butyl group are disordered over two positions; the site-occupancy factors in both cases are ca 0.6 and 0.4.

The title compound, C37H52O4S, was obtained by the reaction of 6,6′-(ethane-1,1-diyl)bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenol) and 4-methylbenzene-1-sulfonyl chloride. The molecular conformation is stabilized by an intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bond. Two of the tert-butyl groups are disordered over two sets of sites with occupancies 0.530 (15)/0.470 (15) and 0.615 (11)/0.385 (11).