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A simple, efficient method has been described for the construction of an array of α-ketoamides from readily available O -benzoyl hydroxylamines and diazo compounds as starting materials. There was a combined use of CuI as a catalyst and H 2 O as the oxygen source. The investigation reveals that the O -benzoyl hydroxylamines serve a dual role as both an amine source and the oxidant in this mechanism, thereby obviating the need for additional oxidants in the transformation process. This methodology could give a wider range of products in good to excellent yields for most substrates, and thus, we provide a new idea for the synthesis of α-ketoamides.

Taking advantage of a hybrid generator to simultaneously collect polynary energy from a single energy source provides a feasible solution for the energy dilemma in the new era. Herein, we integrate a triboelectric nanogenerator and a thermoelectric generator for polynary energy harvesting and self-powered sensing of heatwaves in large-scale industrial factory buildings, which contains both thermal energy and wind energy. The new design of the fan-shaped rotation triboelectric nanogenerator (FR-TENG) makes it more compact and easily integrated. After structure modeling, the energy conversion efficiency of the FR-TENG can reach a maximum of 37.2%, which can successfully power a Bluetooth hygrothermograph transmitting environmental information wirelessly every 30 s at a wind speed of 4.67 m s -1 . An all-inorganic flexible thermoelectric generator (iThEG) is developed based on copper and constantan with an output power density of 0.73 W m -3 , and maintains its original mechanical properties after 10 000 bending tests. Moreover, a self-powered hot wind sensing system based on Labview is established which can display wind-speed and wind-temperature in real time. The working concept presented here is also applicable to other single energy sources containing multiple energy forms, such as falling raindrops and sunlight, which can lift energy utilization and conversion efficiency and alleviate the energy crisis.

Energy harvesters based on the tribovoltaic effect that can convert mechanical energy into electricity offer a potential solution for the energy supply of decentralized sensors. However, a substantial disparity in output current, exceeding 10 6 times, exists between micro- and macro-contact tribovoltaic nanogenerators (TVNGs). To tackle this challenge, we develop a quantification method to determine the effective contact efficiency of conventional large-scale TVNGs, revealing a mere 0.038% for a TVNG of 1 cm 2 . Thus, we implement an optimization strategy by contact interface design resulting in a remarkable 65-fold increase in effective contact efficiency, reaching 2.45%. This enhancement leads to a current density of 23 A m -2 and a record-high charge density of 660 mC m -2 for the TVNG based on Cu and p-type silicon. Our study reveals that increasing the effective contact efficiency will not only address the existing disparities but also have the potential to significantly enhance the output current in future advancements of large-scale TVNGs.

The topoisomerase I inhibitor, 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN38), has demonstrated potent anticancer activity. However, its clinical application is hindered by its low solubility and high crystallization propensity, which further complicates its encapsulation into nanoparticles for systemic delivery. Herein, we explore the utilization of lipid-assisted poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly(D,L-lactide) (PEG- b -PLA) nanoparticles to achieve ultrahigh loading capability for SN38. Through the introduction of cationic, anionic, or neutral lipids, the SN38 loading efficiency and loading capacity is elevated to >90% and >10% respectively. These lipids efficiently attenuate the intermolecular π-π stacking of SN38, thereby disrupting its crystalline structure. Moreover, we assess the therapeutic activity of SN38-loaded formulations in various tumor models and identify an anionic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl- sn-glycero -3-phospho-(1'- rac -glycerol) sodium salt (DOPG)-assisted formulation that exhibits the highest anticancer activity and has favorable biosafety. Overall, our findings present a simple and robust strategy to achieve ultrahigh loading efficiency of SN38 using commonly employed PEG- b -PLA nanoparticles, opening up a new avenue for the systemic delivery of SN38.

A highly efficient and promiscuous 7,4'-di- O -glycosyltransferase ZjOGT3 was discovered from the medicinal plant Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa . ZjOGT3 could sequentially catalyse 4'- and 7- O -glycosylation of flavones to produce 7,4'-di- O -glycosides with obvious regio-selectivity. For 7,4'-dihydroxyl flavanones and 3- O -glycosylated 7,4'-dihydroxyl flavones, ZjOGT3 selectively catalyses 7- O -glycosylation. The crystal structure of ZjOGT3 was solved. Structural analysis, DFT calculations, MD simulations, and site-directed mutagenesis reveal that the regio-selectivity is mainly controlled by the enzyme microenvironment for 7,4'-dihydroxyl flavones and 3- O -glycosylated 7,4'-dihydroxyl flavones. For 7,4'-dihydroxyl flavanones, the selectivity is mainly controlled by intrinsic reactivity. ZjOGT3 is the first plant flavonoid 7,4'-di- O -glycosyltransferase with a crystal structure. This work could help understand the catalytic mechanisms of multi-site glycosyltransferases and provides an efficient approach to synthesise O -glycosides with medicinal potential., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Nickel-molybdenum (Ni-Mo) alloys are promising non-noble metal electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline water; however, the kinetic origins of their catalytic activities still remain under debate. In this perspective, we systematically summarize the structural characteristics of Ni-Mo-based electrocatalysts recently reported and find that highly active catalysts generally have alloy-oxide or alloy-hydroxide interface structures. Based on the two-step reaction mechanism under alkaline conditions, water dissociation to form adsorbed hydrogen and combination of adsorbed hydrogen into molecular hydrogen, we discuss in detail the relationship between the two types of interface structures obtained by different synthesis methods and their HER performance in Ni-Mo based catalysts. For the alloy-oxide interfaces, the Ni 4 Mo/MoO x composites produced by electrodeposition or hydrothermal combined with thermal reduction exhibit activities close to that of platinum. For only the alloy or oxide, their activities are significantly lower than that of composite structures, indicating the synergistic catalytic effect of binary components. For the alloy-hydroxide interfaces, the activity of the Ni x Mo y alloy with different Ni/Mo ratios is greatly improved by constructing heterostructures with hydroxides such as Ni(OH) 2 or Co(OH) 2 . In particular, pure alloys obtained by metallurgy must be activated to produce a layer of mixed Ni(OH) 2 and MoO x on the surface to achieve high activity. Therefore, the activity of Ni-Mo catalysts probably originates from the interfaces of alloy-oxide or alloy-hydroxide, in which the oxide or hydroxide promotes water dissociation and the alloy accelerates hydrogen combination. These new understandings will provide valuable guidance for the further exploration of advanced HER electrocatalysts., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The concept of metalla-aromaticity proposed by Thorn-Hoffmann ( Nouv. J. Chim . 1979, 3, 39) has been expanded to organometallic molecules of transition metals that have more than one independent electron-delocalized system. Lanthanides, with highly contracted 4f atomic orbitals, are rarely found in multiply aromatic systems. Here we report the discovery of a doubly aromatic triatomic lanthanide-boron molecule PrB 2 - based on a joint photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical investigation. Global minimum structural searches reveal that PrB 2 - has a C 2v triangular structure with a paramagnetic triplet 3 B 2 electronic ground state, which can be viewed as featuring a trivalent Pr(III,f 2 ) and B 2 4- . Chemical bonding analyses show that this cyclo-PrB 2 - species is the smallest 4f-metalla-aromatic system exhibiting σ and π double aromaticity and multiple Pr-B bonding characters. It also sheds light on the formation of the rare B 2 4- tetraanion by the high-lying 5d orbitals of the 4f-elements, completing the isoelectronic B 2 4- , C 2 2- , N 2 , and O 2 2+ series., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A highly regio- and donor-specific 2''- O -rhamnosyltransferase GuRhaGT was characterised from the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza uralensis . GuRhaGT could efficiently catalyse rhamnosylation at 2''-OH of the C-3 glycosyl moiety of triterpenoid saponins.

A novel and efficient 2''- O -glycosyltransferase ZjOGT38 was identified from Ziziphus jujuba . It could regio-selectively glycosylate 2-hydroxyflavanone C -glycosides. ZjOGT38 allowed de novo biosynthesis of isovitexin 2''- O -glucoside in E. coli .

Contact electrification (triboelectrification) has been a long-standing phenomenon for 2600 years. The scientific understanding of contact electrification (triboelectrification) remains un-unified as the term itself implies complex phenomena involving mechanical contact/sliding of two materials involving many physico-chemical processes. Recent experimental evidence suggests that electron transfer occurs in contact electrification between solids and liquids besides the traditional belief of ion adsorption. Here, we have illustrated the Density Functional Theory (DFT) formalism based on a first-principles theory coupled with temperature-dependent ab initio molecular dynamics to describe the phenomenon of interfacial charge transfer. The model captures charge transfer dynamics upon adsorption of different ions and molecules on AlN (001), GaN (001), and Si (001) surfaces, which reveals the influence of interfacial charge transfer and can predict charge transfer differences between materials. We have depicted the substantial difference in charge transfer between fluids and solids when different ions (ions that contribute to physiological pH variations in aqueous solutions, e.g. , HCl for acidic pH, and NaOH for alkaline pH) are adsorbed on the surfaces. Moreover, a clear picture has been provided based on the electron localization function as conclusive evidence of contact electrification, which may shed light on solid-liquid interfaces., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The interfacial structures of C 60 molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces are essential for a wide range of scientific and technological processes in carbon-based nanodevices. Here, we report structural transitions of the C 60 monolayer on the Bi(111) surface studied via low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). With an increase in temperature, the structure of the C 60 monolayer transforms from local-order structures to a (√93 × √93) R20° superstructure, and then to a (11 × 11) R0° superstructure. Moreover, the individual C 60 molecules in different superstructures have different orientations. C 60 molecules adopt the 6 : 6 C-C bond and 5 : 6 C-C bond facing-up, mixed orientations, and hexagon facing-up in the local-order structure, (√93 × √93) R20°, and (11 × 11) R0° superstructure, respectively. These results shed important light on the growth mechanism of C 60 molecules on solid surfaces., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are widely involved in human diseases and thus are attractive therapeutic targets. In practice, however, it is computationally prohibitive to dock large ligand libraries to thousands and tens of thousands of conformations. Here, we propose a reversible upper confidence bound (UCB) algorithm for the virtual screening of IDPs to address the influence of the conformation ensemble. The docking process is dynamically arranged so that attempts are focused near the boundary to separate top ligands from the bulk accurately. It is demonstrated in the example of transcription factor c-Myc that the average docking number per ligand can be greatly reduced while the performance is merely slightly affected. This study suggests that reinforcement learning is highly efficient in solving the bottleneck of virtual screening due to the conformation ensemble in the rational drug design of IDPs.

Through the first-principles density functional theory and the phonon Boltzmann transport equation, we investigated the phonon transport characteristics inside 1T-TiSe2. The calculation results of the lattice thermal conductivity (κl) show that the κl of TiSe2 is extremely low (1.28 W (m K)-1, 300 K) and decreases with the shrinkage of the sample size. Moreover, the results also prove the isotropic nature of thermal transport. By decomposing the contribution of the thermal conductivity according to the frequency, the κl of the single-layer TiSe2 is primarily attributed to the acoustic phonons and a small portion of optical phonons, with the frequency range of 0-4.5 THz. The calculation of the scattering rate further illustrates the competition of different scattering modes in this frequency range to verify the change in thermal conductivity of different sample sizes. The high scattering rate and low group velocity lead to the low thermal conductivity of the optical phonon mode in TiSe2. In addition, reducing the size of the system can significantly limit the thermal conductivity by eliminating the contribution of long mean free path phonons. When the characteristic length of the single-layer TiSe2 is about 14.92 nm, κl reduces to half. Our results also show that TiSe2 has an extremely high Grüneisen parameter (about 2.62). Further decomposition of the three-phonon scattering phase space and scattering rate demonstrates that in the range 0-4.5 THz, the absorption process is the main conversion form of phonons. We conclude that, due to the high Grüneisen parameter, the high anharmonicity in TiSe2 leads to the extremely low κl. This study provides κl related to the temperature, frequency, and MFP, and deeply discusses the phonon transport in TiSe2, which has great significance to further adjust the thermal conductivity to develop highly efficient thermoelectric materials and promote the application of devices based on TiSe2.

Power devices for the smart sensor networks of Internet of things (IoT) are required with minimum or even no maintenance due to their enormous quantities and widespread distribution. Self-charging power systems (SCPSs) refer to integrated energy devices with simultaneous energy harvesting, power management and effective energy storage capabilities, which may need no extra battery recharging and can sustainably drive sensors. Herein, we focus on the progress made in the field of nanogenerator-based SCPSs, which harvest mechanical energy using the Maxwell displacement current arising from the variation in the surface-polarized-charge-induced electrical field. Prototypes of different nanogenerator-based SCPSs will be overviewed. Finally, challenges and prospects in this field will be discussed., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The development of suitable red phosphors to obtain improved white color stands a good chance to serve in the new generation of white light-emitting diodes. Owing to multi-elements via doping and oxidation of reduced valence state of lanthanide or transition metal ions, most of the reported phosphors usually suffer from complex synthetic processes and unstable color of the lighting industry cycle. In this work, we present a new red emitting and stable Sr 3 Eu 2 B 4 O 12 phosphor with regard to its special structure. It crystallizes as an orthorhombic cell, with Sr and Eu atoms co-occupying three different lattice sites in the space group of Pnma (no. 62). It is proposed that the long bond distance between activators minimizes the content quenching, while the high disorder of location restricts the thermal quenching. This phosphor emits bright red light with good color purity under UV excitation, with the luminescence intensity and quantum yield tunable via the fabrication temperature. Through a preliminary optimization of the synthesis process, the Sr 3 Eu 2 B 4 O 12 phosphor prepared at 1250 °C has high quantum yields of about 94.7% and excellent thermal stability of 85.6% intensity retention at 150 °C relative to the initial value at room temperature. The calculated Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω 2 , Ω 4 ) further clarified that the Eu 3+ site in Sr 3 Eu 2 B 4 O 12 had lower symmetry without an inversion center, and more distorted local environment and structural rigidity of the host, predicting excellent thermal stability. Finally, a warm pc-WLED device has been produced by mixing as-prepared Sr 3 Eu 2 B 4 O 12 powders and commercial BaMgAl 10 O 17 :Eu 2+ and (Sr, Ba) 2 SiO 4 :Eu 2+ phosphors, which exhibits a high color rendering index (R a = 83.4) along with a color temperature at around 4102 K. The present work indicates that the Sr 3 Eu 2 B 4 O 12 phosphor is an efficient red component with excellent thermal stability for white-light production of near-UV-excited w-LEDs.

We use molecular dynamics simulations (MD) to study piezoelectric properties of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) and reveal how piezoelectric properties depend on size and shape. We first analyze how the macroscopic shape affects the full 2D structure symmetry and its piezoelectric tensor. In particular, we demonstrate that a hexagonal (rectangular)-shaped BNNS belongs to the hexagonal 6̄ m 2 (monoclinic m ) point group. Our simulation results show that the piezoelectric constants of BNNS depend strongly on the macroscopic shape, in agreement with the symmetry of the structure, but are nearly independent of the macroscopic size. The present study provides a detailed understanding of the piezoelectric properties of finite size BNNS and guidance to future experiments and optimization of 2D piezoelectric materials in general., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A zirconium 1,4-dicarboxybenzene metal-organic framework (UiO-66 MOF) was successfully used as a template to enhance the distribution and activity of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI). MOF-NZVI showed good anti-interference ability to co-existing ions (Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , Cu 2+ , H 2 PO 4 - and SO 4 2- ) and organic acids (oxalic acid and citric acid). SEM and TEM analyses indicated that the MOF as a support efficiently prevent NZVI from aggregation for quick and effective removal of As(iii). Through the non-linear least-squares (NLLS) adjustment, As(iii) removal by MOF-NZVI could be well fitted by pseudo first and second order reaction kinetics, as well as the Freundlich isotherm. FTIR, XRD and XPS results verified that NZVI and iron oxyhydroxides (Fe 3 O 4 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-FeOOH and α-FeOOH) might be responsible for the effective removal of As(iii) and its oxidized product As(v) with an adsorption capacity of 360.6 mg As per g NZVI through chemical oxidation and physical adsorption. This work indicates that MOF-NZVI with good reusability and high efficiency is promising for application in As(iii)-polluted wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: There is no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Previously we identified a series of amidoalkylindoles as potent and selective CB 2 partial agonists. In the present study, we report our continuous effort to improve the aqueous solubility by introducing N atoms to the amidoalkylindole framework. Synthesis, characterization, and pharmacology evaluations were described. Bioisosteric replacements of the indole nucleus with an indazole, azaindole and benzimidazole were explored. Benzimidazole 43 (EC 50,CB 1 = NA, EC 50,CB 2 = 0.067 μM) and azaindole 24 (EC 50,CB 1 = NA, EC 50,CB 2 = 0.048 μM) were found to be potent and selective CB 2 receptor partial agonists, both with improved aqueous solubility., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2019.)

Herein, a nonequilibrium molecular-dynamics simulation in an NVE ensemble was performed to investigate the spontaneous dissociation of methane-hydrate when it came in contact with liquid water. The nonequilibrium in the interface region is linked to the dissociation process of the hydrate near the interface according to the Onsager's hypothesis. The simulated thickness of the interface was found to be close to the acoustic phonon mean path of methane hydrate and agreed with the reference value. The normalized heat flow autocorrelation function was introduced to study fluctuation-dissipation in terms of the thickness and moving velocity of the interface and the Stefan number. This helped to clearly identify three distinct hydrate-decomposition regimes dominated by sensible heat, latent heat and an intrinsically unstable lattice framework. It was found that the fluctuation-dissipation theory could express the nonequilibrium nature in the front two stages before the threshold was reached, and the dissociation rate increased in the latter stage; this was different from the case of thermal-driven dissociation. The Stefan number decreased rapidly with dissociation in the initial stage and then fluctuated in the intermediate stage; this was analogous to the fluctuation characteristics of the heat flow autocorrelation function. The Stefan number effect shows that thermal dissipation drives the hydrate dissociation and correlates fluctuation to the nonequilibrium nature. It was also found that a small Stefan number was enough to break up the residual hydrate soon after the threshold was achieved. The transient interfacial thermal resistance of the interfacial region was obtained as a typical value in the range of 10 -7 -10 -9 m 2 K W -1 . This justifies that fluctuation-dissipation exists in the nonequilibrium process of hydrate dissociation either in terms of heat flux, as observed in this study, or the diffusion of guest molecules, as reported in other studies.

Allosteric control is essential for regulating biological functions whereby stimuli such as ligand binding at one site on a protein cause a response at a distant functional site. Correlations between different sites in proteins have been used widely in identifying allosteric sites and pathways, and in designing allosteric drugs. However, the deterministic connection between correlations and allostery remains unsolved, especially considering that there are various types of correlations. Here, we combine perturbation-theory analysis and numerical calculations to study both structure- and dynamics-driven allosteric effects in an anisotropic network model (ANM). The results reveal that the allosteries are determined by the correlation (covariance) of distance fluctuations, but are irrelevant to the usual displacement correlations or time-delayed correlations. Dynamics-driven allostery is weaker than structure-driven allostery by at least one to two orders of magnitude. The intrinsic allostery capacity decays with distance by an exponential law, with the resulting characteristic distance parameter lying in the range of 7-10 Å for structure-driven allostery and 4-5 Å for dynamics-driven allostery. The importance of the cutoff distance of the ANM is also addressed.

The sculpting of crystalline materials from amorphous films by electron beam irradiation in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) offers an effective way for fabrication of nanostructure and devices. However, the synthesis of multifunctional complex oxide and related composites for possible device application is difficult to achieve. Here, we show that the crystallization pathways of amorphous bismuth ferrite films could be tuned by controlled electron beam irradiation and in situ heating in TEM. The results show that Bi segregates from amorphous films and then aggregates into crystalline nanoparticles (the particle size can be tuned by electron dose rates) under electron beam irradiation below 100 °C, while Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 nanocrystals are observed at boundary areas between quasi-liquid Bi nanoparticles at 300 °C due to the cooperative effect of electron beam irradiation and thermal heating. Moreover, the Bi/Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 metal/semiconductor solid state heterostructure with nearly atomically sharp interfaces emerges when cooling down to room temperature. This finding expands the variety of nanostructures synthesized by electron bombardment and offers a new way to fabricate complex architectures and possible functional devices at the nanometer scale with direct in situ TEM observation and monitoring., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Metabolomics, as a promising and powerful approach, refers to comprehensive assessment and identification of small molecule endogenous metabolites in a biological system which is capable of further understanding the mechanisms of diseases for early diagnosis, effective treatment and prognosis. Acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by contrast is a serious complication in patients undergoing administration of iodinated contrast media. It is becoming a major health concern in clinic, however, the molecular mechanisms of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) have not been well characterized. In this study, we used serum metabolomics based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) combined with pattern recognition to explore and characterize potential metabolites and metabolic pathway in an experimental model for CI-AKI. Seventeen differentiating metabolites in the serum were identified involving the pivotal metabolic pathways related to tryptophan metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, pyrimidine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. Our study provides novel insight into pathophysiologic mechanisms of AKI by changing biomarkers and pathways., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

CXCR1 and CXCR2 are CXC chemokine receptors (CXCRs), corresponding to cytokines of the CXC chemokine family. CXCR2 was found to be 77% homologous to CXCR1. Antagonism of the chemokine receptor CXCR2 has been proposed as a new strategy for the treatment of metastatic cancer. In order to find a CXCR2 selective antagonist, a bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane containing N , N '-diarylsquaramide (compound 2e) was identified by introducing a bridge ring system into the N , N '-diarylsquaramide skeleton, and it exhibited good CXCR2 antagonistic activity ( CXCR2 IC 50 = 48 nM) and good selectivity ( CXCR1 IC 50 / CXCR2 IC 50 = 60.4). Furthermore, an in vitro biological assay of compound 2e also demonstrated its good anti-cancer metastatic effect against the pancreatic cancer cell line CFPAC1. In addition, compound 2e showed an extremely high stability in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) and simulated gastric fluid (SGF), as well as in rat and human plasma, but not in rat and human liver microsomes. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rats indicated that 2e has an excellent PK profile (10 mg kg -1 po, C max = 2863 ng mL -1 , t 1/2 = 2.58 h). Moreover, molecular docking was further implemented to propose the preponderant configuration of compound 2e, providing important and useful guidelines for further development., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The single-crystal to single-crystal (SC-SC) transformation from a 1D coordination chain to a 3D coordination network, which is triggered by both solvent and anion exchanges, has been revealed to suffer from a tandem mechanism as proved by isolation of the intermediate state. The resulting porous crystalline material shows a high efficiency for the capture of dichromates (207 mg g -1 ) via the SC-SC anion-exchange.

Developing probes with good biocompatibility and realizing intracellular detection in living cells are of great significance for biomedicine and life sciences, but remain a challenge presently. In this paper, we describe a rapid and highly selective biosensor for Fe 3+ detection in living cells based on the Maillard reaction fluorescent products (MRFPs) of glutathione and ascorbic acid as a probe. Experiments show that the MRFPs are non-cytotoxic and possess excellent biocompatibility. Moreover, the MRFPs show a rapid response and good selectivity towards Fe 3+ over other metal ions under physiological pH conditions in vitro. The introduction of Fe 3+ can quench the fluorescence of MRFPs, and the fluorescence intensity of system decreases linearly with the increasing concentration of Fe 3+ in the range of 0.05-50 μM with the detection limit of 4.6 nM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Moreover, the recognition mechanism has been discussed, which is attributed to the charge transfer from excited-state MRFPs molecules to metal ions. In addition, the MRFPs have been successfully demonstrated to be a good imaging probe for Fe 3+ sensing in living cells. This study shows that the biocompatible MRFPs might hold great potential for applications in bioimaging, diagnosis, and therapy of intracellular diseases.

The first K/Cd heterodimetallic complex {[Cd 1.5 (TTPE) 1.5 Cl 3 K(H 2 O) 3 ]·3H 2 O} n (1b) based on triazole has been generated from {[Cd(TTPE)(HCOO)](NO 3 )·3DMAC·H 2 O} n (1) during the ion- and solvent-exchange experiment in an irreversible SC-SC transformation. Based on its luminescence properties, we have, for the first time, demonstrated that 1b is a heterodimetallic sensor for detection of high-explosives and cyano molecules.

A facile and direct synthetic method was developed for the construction of structurally important 2-aminothiophenes in moderate to excellent yields (up to 91%), via Cu(II)-catalyzed addition/oxidative cyclization of readily available thioamides with alkynoates under an air atmosphere.

Co ions with 100 keV energy with a fluence of 1 × 10(15) cm(-2) are implanted into ZnO(0001) single crystals at 300 °C under vacuum. The resulting Co-implanted ZnO single crystals and the subsequent 750 °C and 900 °C annealed samples are analysed with respect to their structural, optical, electronic, magnetic and ac electrical properties. Photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate the signatures of the Co(2+) state and its substitution at the tetrahedrally coordinated Zn-sites. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy identify the presence of the ZnCo2O4 and Co3O4 phases in the 900 °C annealed sample. By comparing the resistance response of the identified phases towards different magnetic environments, the impedance spectroscopy results successfully identify two magnetic phases (ZnCo2O4 and Co3O4) and a paramagnetic (CoZn) phase for the 750 °C and 900 °C annealed samples, implying the extrinsic nature of room temperature ferromagnetism. The observed ferromagnetism in each sample is not of single origin, instead the mutual effects of the secondary phases embedded in the paramagnetic host matrix are in competition with each other.

Distance-dependent signal intensity in immunoassay by attenuated total reflection-surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy is demonstrated by controlling the distance of target proteins away from the enhancement substrate. Based on this optical near-field effect, sensitive detection of protein molecules with a detection limit of 0.6 nM and investigation of the kinetics and thermodynamics of protein-aptamer/antibody interactions can be achieved.

Environmentally friendly hypervalent iodine reagents are unusually effective promoters of asymmetric α-functionalization of carbonyl compounds. By using hypervalent iodine reagents, various substituents can be introduced into the α-position of carbonyl compounds. In the present review, we briefly survey the asymmetric α-functionalization of carbonyl compound reactions catalyzed by these hypervalent iodine reagents.

Ultrafine and well dispersed CoAuPd nanoparticles grown on a DNA-reduced-graphene-oxide (DNA-rGO) composite have been successfully synthesized using a DNA-directed method. The resultant CoAuPd/DNA-rGO composite exhibits high activity and 100% H2 selectivity toward the dehydrogenation of formic acid without any additive at 298 K.

The piezo-phototronic effect, a three way coupling effect of piezoelectric, semiconductor and photonic properties in non-central symmetric semiconductor materials, utilizing the piezo-potential as a "gate" voltage to tune the charge transport/generation/recombination and modulate the performance of optoelectronic devices, has formed a new field and attracted lots of interest recently. The mechanism was verified in various optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors and solar cells etc. The fast development and dramatic increasing interest in the piezo-phototronic field not only demonstrate the way the piezo-phototronic effects work, but also indicate the strong need for further research in the physical mechanism and potential applications. Furthermore, it is important to distinguish the contribution of the piezo-phototronic effect from other factors induced by external strain such as piezoresistance, band shifting or contact area change, which also affect the carrier behaviour and device performance. In this perspective, we review our recent progress on piezo-phototronics and especially focus on pointing out the features of piezo-phototronic effect in four aspects: I-V characteristics; c-axis orientation; influence of illumination; and modulation of carrier behaviour. Finally we proposed several criteria for describing the contribution made by the piezo-phototronic effect to the performance of optoelectronic devices. This systematic analysis and comparison will not only help give an in-depth understanding of the piezo-phototronic effect, but also work as guide for the design of devices in related areas.

A tetramethylene sulfone based electrolyte was used in rechargeable Li-O(2) batteries for the first time. Without a catalyst, superior battery performances were successfully obtained, and desired lithium peroxide (Li(2)O(2)) dominates the discharge product.

The stable and structurally well-defined Ar-Cu(III) intermediates, that are prepared almost quantitatively from the reaction of azacalix[1]arene[3]pyridines with Cu(ClO(4))(2)·6H(2)O under aerobic conditions, reacted smoothly with a number of alkyllithium reagents under mild conditions to form C(aryl)-C(alkyl) bonds.

A new dimer polyoxoniobate [Cu(en)(2)](11)K(4)Na(2)[KNb(24)O(72)H(9)](2)·120H(2)O (1) has been synthesized and systematically characterized. Visible light photocatalytic H(2) evolution activity was researched with 1 as the visible-light photosensitizer and catalyst, cobaloximes [Co(III)(dmgH)(2)pyCl] as the co-catalysts, and triethylamine (TEA) as the sacrificial electron donor.

A dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) based electrolyte is first proposed for rechargeable lithium-O(2) (Li-O(2)) batteries. Superior battery performances, including high discharge capacity and low charge potential, are successfully obtained.

Super-large dendrites composed of trigonal PbO(2) nanoplates were successfully synthesized by electrodeposition and tested as potential materials for electrochemical device applications.

We firstly propose a facile, mild and effective thermal-decomposition strategy to prepare high-quality graphene at a low temperature of 300 °C in only 5 min under an ambient atmosphere. Applying the advantage of this strategy that provides an oxidizing atmosphere, pure V(2)O(5)/graphene composite is successfully synthesized and exerts excellent lithium storage properties., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)

A Zn(2+) tetraazamacrocycle complex (2) bearing three naphthalene moieties has been prepared. Complex 2 recognizes, binds and causes damage to DNA, and shows considerable cytotoxicity against human cervical (HeLa), breast (MCF-7) and lung (NCI-H157) cancer cell lines with a different apoptotic pathway from that of cisplatin., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

In this work, we have successfully synthesised ZnO crystal thin film with a high quality from hydrothermal reaction on sapphire substrate. The growth mechanism is clarified based on an extensive XTEM study. In addition, electrical and optical properties of the crystal thin film, which can be controlled by impurities, are characterized. The synthesis technique provides fairly high quality and cost-effective substrates for optoelectronic and renewable energy applications.

The CF(3) radical was generated from the reaction of S-(trifluoromethyl)diphenylsulfonium triflate with Na(2)S(2)O(4) or HOCH(2)SO(2)Na under suitable conditions without further reduction. Based on this, a method for the synthesis of α-trifluoromethylated ketones has been successfully developed., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

Three-dimensional (3D) WO(3) nanostructures were grown on carbon paper by a catalyst-free high temperature reactive vapor deposition process, which exhibit a good photoelectrochemical property and visible light driven photocatalytic performance., (© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

A straightforward and efficient synthesis of sesterstatins 4 and 5 is reported, in which the reductive Heck cyclisation was employed as the key step for constructing the D ring.

Two three-fold interpenetrated frameworks, [LnCuL(4)][Ln(0.25)Cu(0.25)L] (Ln = Dy 1, Er 2; HL = 4-(pyridin-4-yl)benzoic acid), have been made. Their structures contain two kinds of four-connected uniform nets: dia and mdf nets. The mdf net is a new chiral 8(6) net with the long vertex symbol (8(1).8(3).8(4).8(4).8(4).8(4)).

Hierarchical rippled Bi(2)O(3) nanobelts were successfully synthesized by an electrodeposition route and tested as promising materials for supercapacitor applications.

Ceria-terbia solid solution nanobelts were prepared by an electrochemical route and tested as catalysts of high activity for CO oxidation.

Transparent heterogeneous ultrathin films of exfoliated layered double hydroxide (LDHs) nanosheets, fabricated alternately with polyanion, have been obtained via a layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly which yields a series of novel LDH films with potential multifunctionality.

Images of Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) have been obtained and the regulation of cell morphology changes after nitric oxide release has been recorded and discerned quantitatively for the first time using scanning electrochemical microscopy.

Two novel silver(I) cryptates are reported in this paper. [Ag(2)(L(1)O)](ClO(4))(2).H(2)O and [Ag(2)L(1)](ClO(4))(2).1.5H(2)O were synthesized by the condensation of tris (3-aminopropyl) amine with m-phthalaldehyde in the presence of silver(i) ion, under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. (The ligand L(1)O represents the oxygen insertion product of L(1).) Cryptates 1, 2 and their hydrogenated ligand H(12)(L(1)O) 3 and H(12)L(1) 4 (obtained by reduction of the cryptates) were investigated by electrospray mass spectroscopy (ES-MS). 1 and 2 were also decomposed by HCl treatment and their products were separated and identified by HPLC and ES-MS. Our experiments show that cryptate 2 is able to activate dioxygen that results in quantitative aliphatic hydroxylation of L(1) on one of its HC=N bonds. Crystal structure analysis shows an interesting difference between 1 and 2 in that 1 is an oxygenated and 2 is a non-oxygenated cryptate. Up to date, ligand hydroxylation has not been achieved in silver(I) complex-O(2) systems.