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An unprecedented 19-membered allenic macrolide archangiumide (1) was discovered from the myxobacterium Archangium violaceum SDU8 by integrating NMR-based metabolic profiling and genome mining. Its biosynthesis pathway was proposed based on the architectural analysis of the encoding trans-AT PKS genes and validated by isotope labeling. The methodology of combing 2D NMR-based metabolic profiling and bioinformatics-aided structure prediction, as exemplified by this study, is anticipated to improve discovery efficiency of a broader range of microbial "dark matter".

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have shown enormous promise in desalination and molecular/ionic sieving. However, the instability of GO membranes in aqueous solutions seriously hinders their practical applications. Herein, we report a novel and simple strategy to fabricate stable GO membranes in water-based environments through the insertion of various metal cations from metal foils (e.g., copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) foils) and natural deposition. Based on the cation-π, coordination, and electrostatic interaction between metal cations and GO nanosheets, the aqueous stability and mechanical strength of the membranes are significantly improved. The permeation rates for acetone, toluene, and p-xylene molecules across the GO membrane cross-linked by copper ions with a deposition time of 24 h are 0.966, 0.074, and 0.100 mol m-2 h-1, respectively. Moreover, this membrane displays excellent separation performance, and the separation factor of K+/Mg2+ is up to 68.8 in mono-/multivalent metal cation sieving, which indicate the effective molecular/ionic sieving performance. Meanwhile, the ionic sieving of the GO membrane cross-linked by copper ions has excellent repeatability and long-term stability. The versatility of this natural deposition strategy to fabricate GO membranes cross-linked by metal cations is investigated by using Fe foil, Zn foil, and Ni foil as well as other porous substrates such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethersulfone (PES), and nylon membranes and filter paper. This fabrication strategy also enables low-cost preparation of large-area GO membranes. Therefore, GO membranes cross-linked by metal cations and prepared by this simple metal cation incorporation strategy have large potential application for molecular/ionic sieving in various solution systems.

A novel type of hybrid graphene oxide/laponite (GO/L) layered membrane is developed with stable two-dimensional (2D) nanochannels for efficient separations in aqueous environments. The electrostati...

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes become emerging efficient filters for molecular or ionic separation due to their well-defined two-dimensional nanochannels formed by closely spaced GO sheets and tunable physicochemical properties. The stability of GO membranes in aqueous solutions is a prerequisite for their applications. Here we show a novel and easy strategy for fabricating GO membranes with strong stability in aqueous solutions and controllable lamellar spacing by simply doping with partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) sheets. With our prGO-doping strategy, the interlayer stabilizing force in GO membranes is enhanced due to the weakened repulsive hydration and enhanced π-π attraction between GO sheets; as a result, the fabricated GO membranes are featured with controllable lamellar spacing and extraordinary stability in water or even strong acid and base solutions as well as strong mechanical properties, which will expand the application scope of GO membranes and provide ever better performances in their applications with aqueous solution environments.

While a rechargeable battery based on Na/CFx has been proposed, its reversible mechanism has remained unclear. Here, a new fluorinated carbon fiber material with the formula CF0.75 is used as a cathode material for rechargeable sodium batteries, delivering an initial discharge capacity of 705 mA·h g–1 with a high discharge plateau of 2.75 V and a reversible high discharge capacity of 350 mA·h g–1 at 20 mA g–1. The first discharge plateau of 2.75 V is the highest value reported in this family of materials so far, even slightly higher than that of commercial fluorinated graphite tested in a lithium battery (2.7 V). The origins of the observed high voltage of the material are explored by a combination of theoretical calculations and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique data and determined to be related to the disordered structure of the carbon fiber. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and 19F magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance characterization results disclose a full view of the conver...

In-depth investigations of the specific ion-responsive characteristics based on 2:1 "sandwich" structures and effects of crown ether cavity sizes on the metal-ion/crown-ether complexation are systematically performed with a series of PNIPAM-based responsive copolymers containing similar contents of crown ether units with different cavity dimensions (12-crown-4 (12C4), 15-crown-5 (15C5), 18-crown-6 (18C6)). The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) values of copolymers in deionized water shift to lower temperatures gradually when the crown ether contents increase or the ring sizes decrease from 18C6 to 12C4. With increasing the concentrations of alkali metal ions (Na(+), K(+), Cs(+)) or the contents of pendent crown ether groups, the copolymers with different crown ether cavity sizes exhibit higher selectivity and sensitivity to corresponding cations. Importantly, the ion sensitivities of the copolymers in response to corresponding alkali metal ions increase dramatically with an increase in the crown ether cavity size. Interestingly, a linear relationship between the crown ether cavity size and the diameter of corresponding cation for the formation of stable 2:1 "sandwich" complexes is found for the first time, from which the size of metal ions or other guests that able to form 2:1 "sandwich" complexes with crown ethers can be deduced. The results in this work are valuable and useful for further developments and practical applications of various crown-ether-based smart materials.