Latest ArticlesCascading reactions in fluorophores accompanied by the replacement of different fluorescence wavelengths can be used to develop luminescent materials and reactive fluorescent probes. Based on multiple signal channels, the selectivity of probes can be improved and the range of response to guest molecule recognition can be expanded. By regulating the position, number, and activity of active sites in fluorophores, fluorescent probes that successively react with thiol and amino groups in cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) have been developed, which can only react with the thiol group of GSH. In this paper, we report the first probe capable of cascading nucleophilic substitution reaction with the thiol group and amino group of GSH at a single reaction site, and showed the dual-color recognition of GSH, which improved the selectivity of GSH also was an extension of GSH probes. The probe Rho-DEA was based on a TICS fluorophore, and the intramolecular cascade nucleophilic substitution reaction occurs with Cys/Hcy. The thiol substitution of the first step reaction with Cys/Hcy was quenched due to intersystem crossing to triplet state, so GSH can be selectively recognized from the fluorescence signal. Rho-DEA has the ability of mitochondrial localization, and finally realized in situ dual-color fluorescence recognition of GSH in mitochondria.
Deuteriodifluoromethyl (CF2D) is a challenging and important functional group due to difficult deuterium incorporation and lack of effective precursor reagents. Herein, we report a bench-stable reagent, deuteriodifluoromethyl phosphine (DDFP) from cheap deuterium source for selectivity deuteriodifluoromethylation of azines with a high deuterium incorporation yield. The late-stage modification of complex molecules further confirmed the potential of this reagent for practical applications. We expect that our reagent to find applications in synthesis of isotope-labelled molecules of interests for drug-discovery and related ilucidation of mechanism of action.
Conducting polymer is an important electrode material for supercapacitors because of its high initial specific capacitance. Herein, a novel nanocomposite composed of polypyrrole (PPy) film homogeneously immobilized on the pillar[5]arene functionalized reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (RGO-HP5A-PPy) was successfully prepared. RGO-HP5A induced pyrrole to polymerize on the graphene surface and the specific capacitance loss caused by PPy agglomeration was avoided. Noticeably, the specific capacitance of RGO-HP5A-PPy was up to 495 F/g at 1 A/g. Compared with pure PPy (319 F/g), the specific capacitance was increased by 55%. The specific capacitance retention of the assembled symmetric supercapacitor reached 76% after 10,000 cycles at 5 A/g. This study gave full play to the advantages of pillar[5]arene, graphene and PPy, and was expected to promote the development of supramolecular functionalized composites in energy storage.
Ferritins can generally be divided into four subfamilies based on their structural characteristics, namely, the classic ferritins (Ftns), bacterioferritins (Bfrs), DNA-binding proteins from starved cells (Dps'), and encapsulated ferritins (EncFtns). However, the ferritin from Mycoplasma penetrans (Mpef) possesses a particular ferroxidase center with an extreme low activity and exhibits unusual characteristics, indicating that it could be a member of a quite different subfamily of ferritins. Hereby, the crystal structure of the ferritin from Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uurf) is presented, Mpef and Uurf have very similar properties, though they display very low sequence similarity. Thus, ferritins from Mycoplasma with these unique properties do not belong to any known subfamily, but they should rather be placed in a novel ferritin subfamily, which we term Mycoplasma Ferritin (Mfr).
A bistable [2]rotaxane with a conformation-adaptive macrocycle bearing a 9, 14-diphenyl-9, 14-dihydrodibenzo[a, c]phenazine (DPAC) unit was synthesized, which could be utilized to optical probe the molecular shuttling motion of the functionalized rotaxane system. The UV–vis, 1H NMR and PL spectroscopic data clearly demonstrated that the DPAC ring was interlocked onto the thread and the fluorescence intensity of the DPAC unit in the macrocycle was effectively regulated by the location change of the macrocycle along the thread under acid/base stimulation, which was attributed to the modulation of the intramolecular photo-induced electron transfer between the DPAC unit and the methyltriazole (MTA) unit. This bistable rotaxane system containing a conformation-adaptive fluorophore unit in the macrocycle moiety opens an alternative way to design functional bistable mechanically interlocked molecules.
As the connecting part of diet and host physiology, intestinal microbes can convert the ingested diet into a huge number of physiologically active small molecules. Indole metabolites of tryptophan are precursors or signal molecules for many biologically active substances, which are involved in serotonin and microbial catabolism pathways. To understand the influence of tryptophan metabolism in the intestinal environment on the neurological and immune systems at the molecular level, it is important to establish a high-coverage analytical method to comprehensively analyze the metabolites involved in tryptophan metabolism. However, due to a small molecular weight and poor response during mass spectrometry analysis, as well as weak retention on the reversed-phase chromatography, determination of indole metabolites of tryptophan is challenging. Here, we proposed a method for the simultaneous determination of 20 indole metabolites of tryptophan in a single run on reversed-phase chromatography by chemical labeling coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. 4-(Dimethylamino)benzaldehyde (DMAB) was used for the labeling of indole metabolites of tryptophan, which could significantly improve the detection sensitivities and retention of these metabolites on reversed-phase chromatography. With the developed method, we realized the sensitive detection and comprehensive analysis of 15 endogenous indole metabolites of tryptophan in rat feces samples with functional dyspepsia intervention by acupuncture. The developed method offers a useful tool for studying tryptophan metabolism-related diseases.
CO oxidation is a vital catalytic reaction for environmental purification, facing challenges due to the catalysts applied to oxidize CO are mainly rare and expensive noble catalysts. Since the high atomic availability, catalytic efficiency, and selectivity of single-atom catalysis, it has been widely studied and proven to be brilliant in CO oxidation. Au single-atom catalysts are regarded as excellent single-atom catalysts in oxidizing CO, whose progress is limited by the indistinct understanding of the reaction mechanism and role of the active atom. Hence, DFT calculation was used to investigate CO oxidation processes, active mechanisms, and the role of Au single-atom. Graphene involving prominent physical and chemical properties was selected as a model supporter. The single-atom support graphene materials exhibit better CO oxidation activities than pristine graphene, among which CO oxidation property on Au/GP is the highest with a 0.38 eV rate-determining barrier following ER mechanism. The outstanding performances including excellent electronic structures, adsorption properties, and strong activation of intermediate products contribute to the high CO oxidation activity of Au/GP, and the Au single-atom is the active center. Our work provides a novel guide for single-atom catalytic CO oxidation, accelerating the development of single-atom catalysis.
MIL-101(Fe)-NH2@Al2O3 (MA) catalysts were successfully synthesized by reactive seeding (RS) method on α-Al2O3 substrate, which demonstrated excellent photo-Fenton degradation performance toward fluoroquinolone antibiotics (i.e., norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin). The structure and morphology of the obtained MA were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), atomic force microscope (AFM). The as-prepared MA could accomplish > 90% of norfloxacin degradation efficiency for 10 cycles' photo-Fenton processes, owing to its excellent chemical and water stability. In addition, the effects of operational factors including H2O2 concentration, foreign ions, and pH on the photo-Fenton degradation of norfloxacin over MA were clarified. The ESR spectra further document that •O2−, 1O2 and •OH radicals are prominent in the decomposition process of antibiotic molecules. Finally, the plausible photo-Fenton norfloxacin degradation mechanisms were proposed and verified.
In this work, the removal of 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP) by ferric ion-activated sulfite [Fe(III)/S(IV)] process was systematically investigated with determining the intermediate products and evaluating the influences of some operational conditions and water matrices. Our results show that batching addition of S(IV) benefits the S(IV) utilization efficiency and TBP removal, with SO4•‒ being the primary reactive radical accounting for TBA degradation. The maximum TBP removal in the Fe(III)/S(IV) process was observed at pH 4.0 and oxygen is essential in this process. With increasing Fe(III) and S(IV) dosages from 0.05 and 0.1 mmol/L to 0.2 and 2.0 mmol/L, respectively, TBP removal followed trends of first increase then decrease. As the acute toxicity of the TBP solution was significantly reduced, the Fe(III)/S(IV) process was believed to be a good choice in the treatment of TBP.
Formaldehyde (HCHO) causes increasing concerns due to its ubiquitously found in indoor air and being irritative and carcinogenic to humans. Photothermal-catalysis developed in recent years has been considered as a significant strategy for enhancing catalytic activity. Manganese oxides, compared with its strong thermocatalytic activity, generally suffer from much lower photocatalytic activity make its photochemical properties less concerned. Herein, α-MnO2 nanowires were composited with the graphene oxide (GO) via mechanical grinding and co-precipitating method, respectively. α-MnO2/GO nanohybrids prepared by co-precipitating method exhibits excellent activity, achieving 100% decomposition of HCHO with the solar-light irradiation at ambient temperature. It is found that, besides the photo-driven thermocatalysis, the photocatalysis mechanism made a major contribution to the decomposition of HCHO. The incorporation of GO, on the one hand, is beneficial to improve the optical absorption capacity and photothermal conversion efficiency; on the other hand, is conductive to electron transfer and effective separation of electrons and holes. These synergistic effects significantly improve the catalytic activity of α-MnO2/GO nanohybrids. This work proposes a new approach for the utilization of solar energy by combining manganese oxides, and also develops an efficient photothermal-catalyst to control HCHO pollution in indoor air.
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