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Tanning sludge, chrome tanned buffing dust and chrome shavings were selected as experimental materials. The non-isothermal distributed activation energy model (DAEM) was used to study the pyrolysis kinetic parameters. The effects of particle size and temperature on the distribution of co-pyrolysis products of various tanning wastes were investigated in a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor, which provided a new approach for comprehensive thermal treatment of various tannery wastes. The results showed that the total activation energy required for the co-pyrolysis decreased and then increased in the range of conversion rate of 0.1 to 0.8. The tar yield decreased with raising particle size, while the yields of gas and char increased. With the increase of pyrolysis temperature, the tar yield increased rapidly to a peak value of 17% at 600 ℃, and then decreased, correspondingly the char yield decreased while the gas yield increased. When the pyrolysis temperature was 600 ℃ and the particle size of the material was 1.6–2.5 mm, the specific surface area of char was larger, and the light fractions in tar was higher. Thus the co-pyrolysis was conducive to the clean treatment of tannery wastes.

A new tyramine derivative, glycosamide A (1), together with two known amide alkaloids, N-benzoyltyramine methyl ether (2) and aurantiamide acetate (3), was isolated from the branches and leaves of Glycosmis craibii Tanaka. Their structures were elucidated through extensive 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic analyses. All known compounds were isolated from the genus Glycosmis for the first time. Furthermore, the antiproliferative activities of all isolated alkaloids in vitro were evaluated. Compound 2 displayed weak antiproliferative activities against five human cancer cell lines, HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480.

Two new aldoximes A–B (1−2), and two known analogues (3−4), were identified from ethanolic extracts of Glycosmis craibii. The structures of new compounds 1−2 were unambiguously elucidated based on spectroscopic methods. All isolated aldoximes were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. Compounds 1−4 displayed remarkable inhibitory effects against nitric oxide (NO) production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells with the IC50 values ranging from 2.38 ± 0.08–8.43 ± 0.21 μM.

Carrier recombination and charge loss at the interfaces of perovskite layers have a significant influence on high-performance planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We employed two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), which is a heat-resistant n-type semiconductor, to modify the electron-transport layer/perovskite and perovskite/hole-transport layer interfaces, respectively. g-C3N4 could passivate the surface trap states of the methylammonium lead iodide light absorber through the formation of a Lewis adduct between N and the under-coordinated Pb, and it could also remarkably reduce the grain boundaries between perovskite crystal particles. A maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.67% (Voc = 1.14 V, Jsc = 21.45 mA cm−2, FF = 0.807) could be obtained from planar PSCs with long-term stability using dual-positioned g-C3N4. Therefore, we consider that ultrathin semiconductor films with a Lewis base nature are suitable as dual-functional transport materials for devices. This work provides new guidance for dual-interfacial modification to improve the PCE and stability of devices.

18F-Labeled blood pool agents (BPAs) have attracted great attention for identifying bleeding sites. However, many BPAs are not sufficiently evaluated partially due to the limitations of labeling methods. In our previous work, we noticed that 18F-PEG1-vinyl sulfone (18F-VS) could efficiently label red blood cells (RBCs) ex vivo and in situ. However, its application as BPA is not fully evaluated. In this study, we systematically explored the feasibility of using 18F-VS-labeled RBCs as a positron emission tomography (PET) BPA for intra-abdominal bleeding diagnosis. In brief, we first optimized the labeling conditions, which lead to an 80% labeling yield of RBCs after incubating with 18F-VS in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37°C for 20 min. 18F-VS-labeled RBCs were found to be stable in vitro, which could simplify its transportation/storage for in vivo applications. In normal rat PET study, the cardiovascular system could be clearly imaged up to 5 h post injection (p.i.). An intra-abdominal hemorrhage rat model demonstrated that the 18F-VS-labeled RBCs clearly showed the dynamic changes of extravascular radioactivity due to intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Validation in the model of gastrointestinal bleeding clearly demonstrated the great potential of using 18F-VS-labeled RBCs as a BPA, which could be further evaluated in future studies.

Hydrogen energy, as an ideal renewable resource and green energy replacement, has attracted growing attention. However, constructing highly active and stable catalysts for hydrogen evolution from Formic acid (FA) is still a challenging issue for development of renewable hydrogen energy. Herein, we develop a facile defect engineering strategy to construct N-deficient ordered mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride coupled with AgPd nanoparticles (denoted as AgPd/N-ompg-C3N4). Impressively, the as-prepared Ag0.1Pd0.9/N-ompg-C3N4 catalyst exhibits remarkable activity with the Turnover frequency (TOF) value of 1588.2 h−1 and robust stability with only a slight decrease in activity after ten cycles. Such markedly enhanced catalytic performance of Ag0.1Pd0.9/N-ompg-C3N4 is mainly attributed to the unique structure of N-ompg-C3N4 with higher surface area and abundant surface defects, the strong metal − support interaction between AgPd and N-ompg-C3N4, and charge transfer from Pd to Ag. This study provides a novel and efficient strategy for designing efficient catalysts to drive the hydrogen evolution from FA.

Hydrous hydrazine (N2H4∙H2O) is a candidate for a hydrogen carrier for storage and transportation due to low material cost, high hydrogen content of 8.0%, and liquid stability at room temperature. Pt and Pt nanoalloy catalysts have been welcomed by researchers for the dehydrogenation of hydrous hydrazine recently. Therefore, in this review, we give a summary of Pt nanoalloy catalysts for the dehydrogenation of hydrous hydrazine and briefly introduce the decomposition mechanism of hydrous hydrazine to prove the design principle of the catalyst. The chemical characteristics of hydrous hydrazine and the mechanism of dehydrogenation reaction are briefly introduced. The catalytic activity of hydrous hydrazine on different supports and the factors affecting the selectivity of hydrogen catalyzed by Ni-Pt are analyzed. It is expected to provide a new way for the development of high-activity catalysts for the dehydrogenation of hydrous hydrazine to produce hydrogen.

Hydrogen energy is considered to be a desired energy storage carrier because of its high-energy density, extensive sources, and is environmentally friendly. The development of hydrogen storage material, especially liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), has drawn intensive attention to address the problem of hydrogen utilization. Hydrogen carrier is a material that can reversibly absorb and release hydrogen using catalysts at elevated temperature, in which LOHC mainly relies on the covalent bonding of hydrogen during storage to facilitate long-distance transportation and treatment. In this review, the chemical properties and state-of-the-art of LOHCs were investigated and discussed. It reviews the latest research progress with regard to liquid organic hydrogen storage materials, namely N-ethylcarbazole, and the recent progress in the preparation of efficient catalysts for N-ethylcarbazole dehydrogenation by using metal multiphase catalysts supported by carbon–nitrogen materials is expounded. Several approaches have been considered to obtain efficient catalysts such as increasing the surface area of the support, optimizing particle size, and enhancing the porous structure of the support. This review provides a new direction for the research of hydrogen storage materials and considerations for follow-up research.

Bi-bearing Al-Ga-In-Sn quinary alloys were prepared by a high-temperature melting technique. The alloys primarily consist of Al(Ga) matrix and Ga, In, Sn, Bi (GISB) grain boundary phase, mainly in the form of Ga-InSn4-InBi. The microstructure of GISB particles was obviously equiaxed with the increasing Bi dosage. Al-water reaction was tested at 40 °C. Owing to the Bi-doping, the hydrogen generation yields of alloys with InSn4 intermetallic compound are obviously improved and hydrogen release rates gradually tend to be stable, which show great potential in applications. At the dosage of 2.53 wt% Bi, the hydrogen generation performance of alloys was more prominent in Al-water reaction, including a theoretical hydrogen generation yield and hydrogen released extremum rate to ∼0.076 L/min·g Al alloy. Furthermore, the Al-water reaction mechanism of Bi-bearing Al-rich low-In quinary alloys has been put forward.

Cu-containing Al-Ga-InSn4 quinary alloys were prepared by a simple smelting method under a high-purity nitrogen atmosphere, and the alloys were cast at room temperature. The microstructures were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy analysis. In addition to the InSn4 intermetallic compounds, elemental Cu was found in the alloys. As the Cu content increased, more holes and cracks were formed, and the Al(Ga) solid solution was pulverized. The melting points of Al compounds with the other elements were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The alloy and water reactions were investigated at a water temperature of 40 °C. The Cu addition not only increased the hydrogen yield of the Al-Ga-InSn4 alloys but also stabilized the hydrogen generation from the Al-water reaction, which indicated that the Al-Ga-InSn4-Cu alloys are more suitable as fuel hydrogen sources for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Based on the DSC and SEM with EDX studies, we propose the reasons for the changes in the Al-water reaction with the Cu addition.

Cyprotuoside C (1) and cyprotuoside D (2), two new cycloartane glycosides were isolated from the ethanol extract of the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus. Their structures were identified as 24R-9,10-seco-cycloartan-1(10),9(11)-dien-3β,7β,24,25-tetraol 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl-25-O-β-D-glucuronide (1) and 9,10-seco-cycloartan-1(10),9(11),23(24)-trien-3β,7β,25-triol 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-{α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]}-β-D-glucopyranosyl-25-O-β-D-glucuronide (2) by spectroscopic methods.

The removal of cationic dyes, methylene blue(MB) and rhodamine B(RB), and anionic dyes, methyl orange(MO) and eosin Y(EY), from aqueous solutions by adsorption using Cu2Se nanoparticles(Cu2SeNPs) was stu-died. The effects of the initial pH values, adsorbent doses, contact time, initial dye concentrations, salt concentrations, and operation temperatures on the adsorption capacities were investigated. The adsorption process was better fitted the Langmuir equation and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and was spontaneous and endothermic as well. The adsorption mechanism was probably based on the electrostatic interactions and π-π interactions between Cu2SeNPs and dyes. For an adsorbent of 0.4 g/L of Cu2SeNPs, the adsorption capacities of 23.1(MB), 22.9(RB) and 23.9(EY) mg/g were achieved, respectively, with an initial dye concentration of 10 mg/g(pH=8 for MB and pH=4 for RB and EY) and a contact time of 120 min. The removal rate of MB was still 70.4% for Cu2SeNPs being reused in the 5th cycle. Furthermore, the recycled Cu2SeNPs produced from selenium nanoparticles adsorbing copper were also an ef-fective adsorbent for the removal of dyes. Cu2SeNPs showed great potential as a new adsorbent for dyes removal due to its good stability, functionalization and reusability.

Short DNA represents an important class of biomacromolecules that are widely applied in gene therapy, editing, and modulation. However, the development of simple and reliable methods for their intracellular delivery remains a challenge. Herein, we describe that seven water-soluble, homogeneous supramolecular organic frameworks (SOFs) with a well-defined pore size and high stability in water that can accomplish in situ inclusion of single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) DNA (21, 23, and 58 nt) and effective intracellular delivery (including two noncancerous and six cancerous cell lines). Fluorescence quenching experiments for single and double end-labeled ss- and ds-DNA support that the DNA sequences can be completely enveloped by the SOFs. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry reveal that five of the SOFs exhibit excellent delivery efficiencies that, in most of the studied cases, outperform the commercial standard Lipo2000, even at low SOF–nucleic acid ratios. In addition to high delivery efficiencies, the water-soluble, self-assembled SOF carriers have a variety of advantages, including convenient preparation, high stability, and in situ DNA inclusion, which are all critical for practical applications in nucleic acid delivery.

SnO2 has attracted extensive attention in planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) owing to its outstanding photoelectric properties and low temperature preparation. However, pinholes are easy to appear in the annealing process of SnO2 films, which limits its application in planar PSCs. Here lists a simple and low-cost method: Urea-complexed tin oxide in deionized water can effectively control the concentration of SnO2. This process is conducive to forming a compact surface morphology. Meanwhile, the work explored the effect of the properties of PSCs with different thicknesses of SnO2 layers. The system analysis showed that PSCs based on 60 nm SnO2 layer and the methamphetamine lead iodide (MAPbI3) light absorber yielded the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 18%, a fill factor (FF) of 0.793, and good stability. Therefore, we believe our study provides an effective way for preparing electron transport layers.

The battery industry is constantly seeking to improve battery capacity, lifetime, and safety. Electrolytes are a key development focus in achieving these goals, as traditional carbonate-based electrolytes cause capacity fade and gassing through degradation processes, as well as representing a safety risk due to flammability. The release of gasses through electrolyte decomposition is a problem of prominent concern in the battery industry, due to the negative impact of gassing on cell safety and performance. Studies on battery gassing have been reported for a wide range of battery systems,1-3 but the mechanisms and conditions of gas release are complex and not fully understood. Gaining a greater understanding of gassing mechanisms, and the specific electrolyte components that cause them, will allow for precise design of battery electrolyte formulations that optimize performance and minimize gassing. In addition to understanding traditional electrolyte blends, the investigation of new electrolytes and additives is essential in developing low-gassing batteries. Organosilicon (OS) materials have been developed by Silatronix® as critical high stability additions to conventional carbonate electrolytes to enable next-generation Li-ion batteries. This novel organosilicon chemistry involves the merging of a silane with a Li+ coordinating functionality. For example, the OS3® solvent family contains a nitrile functionality. The adoption of new Li-ion battery electrolyte materials is driven by the desire to deploy higher energy density batteries capable of performing under broader operating conditions of temperature and voltage, and the design of OS solvents results in low molecular-weight molecules that have demonstrated superior thermal and electrochemical stability,4,5 as well as good safety properties with a high flash point and low vapor pressure. Silatronix® has conducted commercially relevant performance testing and fundamental mechanistic studies to investigate gassing phenomena in advanced Li-ion chemistries under both cycling and storage test conditions. In these studies, commercially relevant electrolytes were evaluated as well as electrolytes designed to specifically isolate the effect of selected electrolyte components, including OS3® and other industry-relevant solvents. The dependence of gassing on storage and voltage conditions was investigated, and connections between gas analysis and the electrode surface chemistry are also reported. Gas component analysis was performed with a calibrated dual-column GC-TCD, a similar analytical system to that utilized in previous studies,6 which provides excellent resolution and quantification of every gaseous product. Key experimental results show that all OS3® concentrations reduce gas generation after 60°C storage and higher OS3® content provides greater benefit. Overall, we show that organosilicon additives substantially reduce gassing from carbonate-based electrolytes while maintaining good cell performance. Zhang, S.S., Insight into the Gassing Problem of Li-ion Battery. Frontiers in Energy Research 2014, 2, 59. Self, J.; Aiken, C.P.; Petibon, R.; Dahn, J.R., Survey of Gas Expansion in Li-Ion NMC Pouch Cells. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2015, 162, A796-A802. Jung, R.; Metzger, M.; Maglia, F.; Stinner, C., Chemical vs Electrochemical Electrolyte Oxidation on NMC111, NMC622, LNMO, and Conductive Carbon. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2017, 8, 4820-4825. Guillot, S.L.; Peña-Hueso, A.; Usrey, M.; Hamers, R.J., Thermal and Hydrolytic Decomposition Mechanisms of Organosilicon Electrolytes with Enhanced Thermal Stability for Lithium-Ion batteries. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2018, 164, A1907-A1917. Chen, X.; Usrey, M.; Peña-Hueso, A.; West, R.; Hamers, R.J., Thermal and Electrochemical Stability of Organosilicon Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries. Journal of Power Sources 2013, 241, 311-319. Xiong, D.J.; Ellis, L.D.; Petibon, R.; Hynes, T.; Liu, Q.Q.; Dahn, J.R., Studies of Gas Generation, Gas Consumption and Impedance Growth in Li-Ion Cells with Carbonate or Fluorinated Electrolytes Using the Pouch Bag Method. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2017, 164, A340-A347.

The extraction and solvent partition of the leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora, and repeated column chromatography for n-BuOH fraction yielded a new flavonoid glycoside, citrioside C (1), along with three known flavonoid glycosides (2–4). The latter were identified with kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl (12)-α-l-rhamnoside (2), kaempferol-3-O-α-l-rhamnoside (3), and quercetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnoside (4). Their chemical structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic data analyses including NMR, MS, UV, and IR. All constitutents were isolated for the first time from the leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora. The potential antivirus activity of all the isolated compounds was evaluated. Compound 4 showed potent antiviral activity against respiratory syncytial virus with 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) value of 1.9 μg/mL and selective index value of 9.8.

Intermolecular Stetter reaction of aromatic aldehydes with (E)-(2-nitrovinyl)cyclohexane catalyzed by thiazolium A has been developed. The reaction rate and efficiency are profoundly impacted by the presence of thiourea B. The reaction affords moderate to good yields of the Stetter product. Some factors influencing yield were discussed.

A novel series of lithium alkyl trimethyl borates and lithium aryl trimethyl borates have been prepared and investigated as cathode film forming additives. The borates are prepared via the reaction of lithium alkoxides or lithium phenoxides with trimethyl borate. Incorporation of 0.5–2.0% (wt) of the lithium borates to a baseline electrolyte (1.0 M LiPF6 in 3 : 7 (EC/EMC)) results in improved capacity retention and efficiency of high voltage graphite/LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cells especially upon cycling at elevated temperature (55 °C). The improved performance results from the sacrificial oxidation of the lithium borate on the cathode surface to generate a cathode passivation film. The lithium borates can be readily structurally modified to act as a functional group delivery agent to modify the cathode surface. Ex situ surface analysis of the electrodes after cycling confirms that the lithium borates modify the cathode surface and generate a borate rich surface film which inhibits electrolyte oxidation and Mn dissolution.

Adsorption energies, structural properties and electronic structures of atomic bromine adsorbed in on-surface sites on Mg(0 0 0 1) surface were investigated by using the density functional theory. Bromine coverages varying from 0.25 to 1.00 monolayer were considered. The most stable on-surface adsorption site is the fcc-hollow site in the whole coverage range. When the coverage increases, the adsorption energy decreases and the work function increases. On-surface bromine induces a contraction of the distance between the topmost and second Mg layers. The relative stability of surfaces with different Br coverages depends on the bromine chemical potential was analyzed, and the result suggests that bromine atom easily adsorbs on Mg(0 0 0 1) surface and the bulk MgBr 2 is energetically competitive. A comparison of the adsorbed F, Cl and Br on the Mg(0 0 0 1) surface was further investigated.

Six polyphenolic acids (1-6), including the three new compounds citriodolic acids A, B, and C (1-3), were isolated from the leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including one dimensional (1D)- and 2D-NMR, high-resolution electrospray ionization (HR-ESI)-MS, and circular dichroism (CD). The potential antivirus activity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) of all the isolated compounds was evaluated.

Based on bioactive screening results, two new iridoid glycosides, named rotunduside G (1) and rotunduside H (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus, together with four known ones, negundoside (3), nishindaside (4), isooleuropein (5) and neonuezhenide (6). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and from literature values. In mice models of despair, 1 and 2 showed significant antidepressant activity.

Two dimensional graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (2D CNNs), as novel types of emerging materials, have aroused considerable research enthusiasm in recent years. Herein, we describe for the first time a new application of 2D CNNs as an ideal scaffold for synthesizing AgPd/2D CNNs through a facile one-step reduction method and further utilized it as catalysts toward photocatalytic hydrogen generation from FA under visible light (λ > 400 nm). Benefiting from plasmonic and Mott-Schottky, alloying effects, as well as the unique 2D nanosheets structure with a high surface area, the resultant Ag0.1Pd0.9/2D CNNs affords superior performance under visible light, including 100% H2 selectivity, 100% conversion, cycle performance, hydrogen evolution rate of 231.6 mmol h−1and the corresponding TOF value of 2936.8 h−1, which is 1.87 times and 3.5-fold higher than that of Ag0.1Pd0.9/2D CNNs under no light (1573.5 h−1) and that of Ag0.1Pd0.9/CN (837.2 h−1) under visible light, respectively, even better than most of the noble metal heterogeneous catalysts. This study not only throws light on modulating the structure of g-C3N4 to enhance the photocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction but also offers a versatile method for developing high-performance photocatalyst for hydrogen economy and other applications.

Depression is the most common psychiatric comorbidity in patients. Searching for antidepressant drugs from natural products is very important for the treatment of this disease. The ethanol extract and its fractions of Cyperus rotundus were evaluated for antidepressant activities in mice by our group. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential active components of C. rotundus. The extraction and solvent partition of the rhizomes of C. rotundus, and repeated column chromatography for n-BuOH fraction yielded three new phenolic glycosides, rotunduside D (1), rotunduside E (2), and rotunduside F (3). Their chemical structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic data analyses including NMR, MS, UV, and IR. The potential antidepressant activity of all the isolated compounds was evaluated. In the despair mice models, rotunduside F (3) showed significant antidepressant activity at the dosage of 50 mg/kg, which was close to the positive control fluoxetine (20 mg/kg).

Lithium tetramethyl borate (LTMB, LiB(OCH3)4) has been prepared and investigated as a novel cathode film forming additive to improve the performance of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathodes cycled to high potential (4.25-4.8 V). Addition of LTMB to 1.2 M LiPF6 in EC/EMC (3/7, v/v) improves the capacity retention of graphite/LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cells cycled at 55◦C. The added LTMB is sacrificially oxidized on the surface of the cathode during the first charging cycle. Ex-situ surface analysis of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals the presence of a borate based passivating layer which appears to inhibit electrolyte oxidation on the cathode surface. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-ND, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is not changed in any way and is properly cited. For permission for commercial reuse, please email: oa@electrochem.org. [DOI: 10.1149/2.0021508eel] All rights reserved.

A novel iron-catalyzed radical cyclization of olefinic dicarbonyl compounds with benzyl hydrocarbons has been developed. This protocol provides ready access to a variety of dihydrofurans containing a quaternary carbon center in moderate to good yields. Furthermore, this reaction could also be further expanded to other types of substrates containing unactivated Csp(3)-H bonds, such as ethers and alkanes.

A mild silver-catalyzed decarboxylative acylation of coumarins has been developed by using α-oxocarboxylic acids as acyl sources. This protocol provides an efficient and straightforward access to aroyl substituted coumarins in moderate to excellent yields with good selectivities. Furthermore, the reaction conditions were also applicable to quinolinones and naphthoquinones, affording the corresponding acylated heterocyclic compounds.

The ionic conductivity of LiBOB-doped electrolytes containing two silyl solvents, bis[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy] dimethylsilane, 1, and [2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy] trimethylsilane,2, was measured from −10 °C to 50 °C using AC impedance spectroscopy to assess their potential use in commercial Li-ion cells. The effects of salt concentration, solvent composition, and temperature on the conductivity of the electrolytes are reported. In addition, conductivity data were fit using the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher (VTF) equation to obtain the parameters σ0, T0, and Ea, which correspond closely to conductivity and viscosity. All the electrolytes produced conductivities above the 1.0 mS cm−1 threshold required for commercial application. The 1:1 (vl) solvent composition possesses the highest conductivity, with the optimal 0.8 M salt-loading yielding the highest σ25 at 1.99 ± 0.02 mS cm−1.

Citrioside A, a new flavonoid glycoside, has been isolated from the n-butanol soluble fraction of Eucalyptus citriodora, along with five flavonoid glycosides, reported for the first time from Eucalyptus citriodora. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and from literature values.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different oils on growth performance of juvenile Anguilla marmorata. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets were formulated to contain fish oil (FO), sunflower oil (SFO), peanut oil (PO), corn oil (CO) and soybean oil (SBO), respectively, as lipid sources each at an inclusion level of 50 g/kg. The diets were fed to apparent satiation for 10 weeks, twice a day to triplicate tanks of 30 fish each with an initial body weight 6.00±0.06 g. Weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed the FO and SBO diets were markedly higher than those fed the CO diet, while no other difference in WG and SGR were observed among other treatments. Fish fed FO and SBO diets had better feed utilization than the other diet fish groups. Muscle of fish fed the FO diet had significantly higher levels of C20:5n-3 and n-3/n-6 ratio compared with fish fed vegetable oil (VO) diets, while muscle n-6 PUFA and C18:2n-6 content showed an opposite trend. The present results suggest that soybean oil is a suitable replacement for fish oil for Anguilla marmorata. The IJA appears exclusively as a peer-reviewed on-line open-access journal at http://www.siamb.org.il. To read papers free of charge, please register online at registration form. Sale of IJA papers is strictly forbidden.

A new copper-catalyzed regioselective cross-dehydrogenative coupling of coumarins with benzylic Csp3–H bonds has been developed. This reaction provides direct access to a wide range of 3-benzylcoumarins in moderate to good yields. The protocol was also extended successfully to other heterocyclic compounds, such as quinolinones.

Visible-light-initiated homogeneous oxidative synthesis of nitriles from amines was accomplished through a combined use of photoredox and copper catalysis. This transformation was performed at room temperature with O2 as the oxidant.

Intermolecular Stetter reaction of aromatic aldehydes with (E)-(2-nitrovinyl)cyclohexane catalyzed by thiazolium A has been developed. The reaction rate and efficiency are profoundly impacted by the presence of thiourea B. The reaction affords moderate to good yields of the Stetter product. Some factors influencing yield were discussed.

A new flavone C-glycoside, 5,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxy-8-C-[2″-(2″′-methylbutyryl)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl flavone (1), was isolated from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus. Its chemical structure was elucidated on the basis of UV, IR, MS, and NMR spectroscopic analyses. Compound 1 showed moderate inhibitory activity against MRB in the test, with an IC50 value of approximately 56.03 μM.

Novel tricyclic fluoroquinolones, [1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-h][1,8]naphthyridine-8-one-7-carboxylic acid derivatives 4a – 4h bearing carrying a functional Mannich-base moiety at the C-8 position, were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. The results showed that some compounds with a piperazine side chain exhibited comparable or better antibacterial activity than comparator cirprofloxacin. Furthermore, the targeted compounds also displayed a broad spectrum of activity against resistant strains including both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In particular, compound 4h showed an MIC of 0.25 μg/mL in antibacterial assay against multiple drug-resistant Escherichia coli , which represents an about 30-fold increase of potency compared to ciprofloxacin. Thus, their excellent antibacterial activity against resistant strains suggests that triazole-fused fluoroquinolones warrant further optimization as novel anti-infective chemotherapies.

A new iridoid glycoside, rotunduside (1), along with four known iridoid glycosides, 10-O-p-hydroxybenzoyltheviridoside (2), 10-O-vanilloyltheviridoside (3), 6″-O-(trans-p-coumaroyl)-procumbide (4) and loganic acid (5), was isolated from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus L. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of UV, IR, MS and NMR spectroscopic analyses. In addition, the macrophages respiratory burst (MRB) inhibitory activity of the isolated compounds was reported. Compound 2 exhibited considerable MRB inhibitory activity in the test with IC50 value of ~37 μM.

Radically changing benzyls: An efficient method for the benzylarylation of activated alkenes has been developed through a copper-catalyzed tandem radical addition/cyclization strategy (see scheme). This oxidative coupling between acrylamides and benzylic hydrocarbons provides access to diverse alkyl-substituted oxindoles in good to excellent yields. A variety of functional groups were tolerated in this transformation (TBPB = tert-butylperoxy benzoate).

A series of cis-2,3-disubstituted cyclopropane 1,1-diesters were examined in the AlCl3-promoted [3 + 2]-annulations with aldehydes. In this reaction, these cis-cyclopropanes displayed reactivities starkly different from their trans counterparts in terms of the high chemical yields (up to 98%) and provided the desired annulation products with excellent diastereomeric purity. This protocol provides a facile and highly stereoselective way to construct synthetically useful pentasubstituted tetrahydrofurans not easily accessible using other methods.

Methyl butyrate (MB) has been investigated as a co-solvent for lithium-ion battery electrolytes to improve the performance at low temperature (−10 to −30 °C). The cycling performance of graphite/LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cells with 1.2 M lithium tetrafluorooxalatophosphate (LiFOP) in 2:2:6 EC/EMC/MB was compared to 1.2 M LiPF6 in both 3:7 EC/EMC and 2:2:6 EC/EMC/MB. The LiFOP/MB electrolyte has a good operational temperature window and comparable cycling performance to the LiPF6 electrolyte at both room temperature and low temperature (−10 °C). However, after accelerated aging the LiFOP/MB electrolyte has worse performance at very low temperature (−30 °C) compared to LiPF6 electrolytes. Ex-situ surface analysis was conducted by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy to provide insight into the performance differences.

Based on bioactive screening results, two new iridoid glycosides, named rotunduside G (1) and rotunduside H (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus, together with four known ones, negundoside (3), nishindaside (4), isooleuropein (5) and neonuezhenide (6). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and from literature values. In mice models of despair, 1 and 2 showed significant antidepressant activity.

Two new cycloartane glycosides, cyprotusides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of IR, MS, NMR spectroscopic analyses coupled with chemical degradation. The potential antidepressant activity of the two compounds was evaluated. In the despair mice models, compounds 1 and 2 showed significant antidepressant activity.

A new triterpene saponin, ilexoside P (1), along with three known triterpene saponins, ilexoside O (2), ilexsaponin B3 (3) and ilexpublesnin A (4) was isolated from the roots of Ilex pubescens. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of UV, IR, MS, and NMR spectroscopic analyses coupled with chemical degradation. In addition, the xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitory activity of the isolated saponins was reported. Compound 1 exhibited weak XOD inhibitory activity in the test.

The cycling performance of LiPF 4 (C 2 O 4 ) (LiFOP) electrolyte with propylene carbonate (PC) as a cosolvent is compared with LiPF 6 electrolyte with ethylene carbonate (EC) as a cosolvent in the presence of different cathode materials, such as LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 and LiFePO 4 . The cycling performance of cells with LiFOP and PC is similar to cells with LiPF 6 with EC at room temperature and superior at low temperature (−10 °C). After thermal abuse the room temperature performance of cells with LiFOP electrolyte and PC is worse than cells with LiPF 6 and EC. A detailed analysis of the surface films on both the anode and the cathode via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in the attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode was conducted to provide a better understanding of performance differences.

The cycling performance of LiPF4(C2O4) electrolyte is compared with LiPF6 electrolyte in the presence of several different electrode materials. The cycling of MCMB/LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 and natural graphite/LiFePO4 cells provides very similar performance for both electrolytes. However, MCMB/LiMn2O4 cells have a lower initial reversible capacity with LiPF4(C2O4) electrolytes. A detailed analysis of the surface films on both the cathode and the anode via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was conducted. The performance differences are attributed to the anode as opposed to the cathode.

The reduction mechanism of ethylene sulfite (ES) in propylene carbonate (PC) based electrolyte is investigated using density functional theory in gas phase. Based on the electron affinity energy and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy, it can be known that free ES is reduced most easily compared with ES-Li + and ES-Li + -PC, generating SO 2 and propanal. However, the binding energy of ES-Li + and ES-Li + -PC is quite negative, indicating that both of them are more possible in electrolyte solution than the free ES. The reductive decomposition products of ES-Li + and ES-Li + -PC are OSO 2 Li, OSO 2 Li-R and ethylene. OSO 2 Li and OSO 2 Li-R are the main compositions of the solid electrolyte interphase film on the anode of lithium ion battery, which inhibits the reductive decomposition of PC. These calculations provide a detailed explanation on the experimental phenomena.

A hierarchical porous carbon with low oxygen content has been prepared by using polystyrene (PS) spheres as template and its structure, composition and performances as anode of lithium ion battery are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, element analysis (EA), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charge/discharge test. The results obtained from SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, and EA indicate that the prepared sample has a well-interconnected pore structure with a pore size of 170 nm and has an oxygen content of 3.3 ± 0.2 wt.%. The low oxygen content of the prepared sample can be ascribed to the low decomposition temperature of the template that was determined by thermal analysis. EIS shows that the prepared sample has lower electrochemical impedance for the lithium insertion/de-insertion than commercial natural graphite and charge/discharge tests show that the battery using the prepared sample as anode exhibits better rate performance than that using the graphite.