Latest ArticlesHerein, a series of carbazolyl cyanobenzene (CCB)-based organic photocatalysts with a broad range of photoredox capabilities were designed and synthesized, allowing precise control of the photocatalytic reactivity for the controllable reduction of aryl halides via a metal-free process. The screened-out CCB (5CzBN), a metal-free, low-cost, scalable and sustainable photocatalyst with both strong oxidative and reductive ability, exhibits superior performance for both dehalogenation and C-C bond-forming arylation reactions.
Both clenbuterol (CLB) and ractopamine (RAC) are β-adrenergic agonists. After long-term excessive intake, there will be adverse reactions such as headache, chest tightness, limb numbness, and serious lifethreatening. Simultaneous detection of CLB and RAC in related samples is of great importance for human health. In this work, we outline a microfluidics-based indirect competitive immunoassay (MICI) system that can sensitively detect residual CLB and RAC in pork, swine blood and swine urine. The rapid detection of multiple samples can be achieved in one chip, which greatly improves the detection efficiency. This method has good stability and reproducibility and the microfluidic chips are easy to manufacture. The linear ranges for CLB and RAC detection by MICI are 0.1-2.5 ng/mL and 0.1-5 ng/mL, and the limits of detection (LODs) are 0.094 ng/mL and 0.091 ng/mL, respectively. This straightforward and portable immunoassay system provides a good platform for rapid detection of harmful substances in food samples.
Tumor cell resistance is one of the big hurdles limiting the therapeutic efficacy of tumor necrosis factorrelated apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-based cancer treatment. Therefore, the development of a safe and effective sensitizer agent is greatly desired for optimizing TRAIL therapy. Herein, we successfully developed a Se/Fe complex with low toxicity to highly effectively inhibit tumor cells proliferation and migration capabilities through down-regulating ER stress related selenoproteins. Furthermore, it could more efficiently damage tumor spheroids with good penetration capability. More importantly, it could synergize with TRAIL treatment to induce the robust generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), downregulating ER stress related selenoproteins for triggering tumor cells apoptosis in extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways. Taken together, this study provides a potential chemo-drug and sensitizer agent to improve the therapeutic efficacy of TRAIL-based cancer treatment.
Fluorescence anisotropy (FA) assay in homogenous solution is simple, sensitive and reproducible. Here, we reported an aptamer structure switch FA assay for detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), one of the most toxic mycotoxins, by using tetramethylrhodamine (TMR)-labeled aptamer probe and its complementary DNA (cDNA) with tandem G bases extension, to meet the demand in sensitive and selective detection of AFB1. The hybridization of aptamer and cDNA drew TMR close to the repeated guanine (G) bases, and a high FA value was induced due to TMR-G interaction and restricted local rotation of TMR. In the presence of AFB1, aptamer bound to AFB1 instead of the cDNA due to competition. Thus, the TMR-G interaction was eliminated, and FA value of TMR decreased. This assay enabled the detection of AFB1 with detection limit of 125 pmol/L and dynamic range from 125 pmol/L to 31.2 nmol/L
A metal-free photocatalytic oxidative decarboxylation reaction at room temperature was developed for the synthesis of aromatic aldehydes and ketones from the corresponding arylacetic acids. The reaction was realized under blue-light irradiation by adding 1 mol% of 4CzIPN as photocatalyst and air as oxidant. This reaction represents a novel decarboxylation of a sp3-hybridized carboxylic acids without traditional heating, additional oxidants, and metal reagents under mild conditions.
4H-silicon carbides deposited by diamond films have wide applications in many fields such as semiconductor heterojunction, heat sink and mechanical sealing. Nucleation plays a critical role in the deposition of the diamond film on 4H-silicon carbides. Nevertheless, as a typical polar material, the fundamental mechanism of diamond nucleation on different faces of 4H-silicon carbides has not been fully understood yet. In this contribution, nucleation of diamond was performed on the carbon- and silicon-faces of 4H-silicon carbides in a direct current chemical vapor deposition device. The nucleation density on the carbon-face is higher by 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to the silicon-face. Transmission electron microscopy verifies that there are high density diamond nuclei on the interface between the carbon-face and the diamond film, which is different from columnar diamond growth structure on the silicon-face. Transition state theory calculation reveals that the unprecedented distinction of the nucleation density between the carbon-face and the silicon-face is attributed to different desorption rates of the absorbed hydrocarbon radicals. In addition, kinetic model simulations demonstrate that it is more difficult to form CH2(s)-CH2(s) dimers on silicon-faces than carbon-faces, resulting in much lower nucleation densities on silicon-faces.
The chemical composition obviously affects the surface wettability of a three-dimensional (3D) graphene material apart from its surface energy and microstructure. In the hydrothermal preparation, the heteroatom doping changes the chemical composition and wettability of the 3D graphene material. To realize the controllable surface wettability of graphene materials, aminobenzene sulfonic acid (ABSA) was selected as a typical doping agent for the preparation of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped 3D graphene foam (SNGF) using a hydrothermal method. Different from using o-ABSA or p-ABSA as the dopant, SNGF with tunable surface wettability is obtained only when m-ABSA is used. This result indicates that the substituent position of -SO3H group in the benzene ring of ABSA is rather important for the tunable wettability. This work provides some theoretical foundations for dopant selection and some new insights in manipulating the properties of 3D graphene foams by adjusting the configuration of dopants.
Herein, we prepared novel three-dimensional (3D) gear-shaped Co3O4@C (Co3O4 modified by amorphous carbon) and sheet-like SnO2/CC (SnO2 grow on the carbon cloth) as anode and cathode to achieve efficient removal of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and simultaneous electrocatalytic reduction of CO2, respectively. In this process, 4-NP was mineralized into CO2 by the Co3O4@C, and the generated CO2 was reduced into HCOOH by the sheet-like SnO2/CC cathode. Compared with the pure Co0.5 (Co3O4 was prepared using 0.5 g urea) with PMS (30 mg, 0.5 g/L), the degradation efficiency of 4-NP (60 mL, 10 mg/L) increased from 74.5%-85.1% in 60 min using the Co0.5 modified by amorphous carbon (Co0.5@C). Furthermore, when the voltage of 1.0 V was added in the anodic system of Co0.5@C with PMS (30 mg, 0.5 g/L), the degradation efficiency of 4-NP increased from 85.1%-99.1% when Pt was used as cathode. In the experiments of 4-NP degradation coupled with simultaneous electrocatalytic CO2 reduction, the degradation efficiency of 4-NP was 99.0% in the anodic system of Co0.5@C with addition of PMS (30 mg, 0.5 g/L), while the Faraday efficiency (FE) of HCOOH was 24.1% at voltage of -1.3 V using the SnO2/CC as cathode. The results showed that the anode of Co3O4 modified by amorphous carbon can markedly improve the degradation efficiency of 4-NP, while the cathode of SnO2/CC can greatly improve the FE and selectivity of CO2 reduction to HCOOH and the stability of cathode. Finally, the promotion mechanism was proposed to explain the degradation of organic pollutants and reduction of CO2 into HCOOH in the process of electrocatalysis coupled with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and simultaneous CO2 reduction.
An efficient protocol for the synthesis of asymmetric 1, 3-diketones was reported through diacylation of 1, 1-diborylalkanes using two different acyl sources. In this transformation, an enolate boron species was initially formed by introducing an acyl group, then it was trapped by another acyl group to form 1, 3-diketone. This method not only provided the gateway to obtain a series of 1, 3-diketones, but also afforded an operationally simple and efficient access to pyrazoles and isoxazoles.
A TFA promoted multi-component reaction of aryldiazonium with sodium metabisulphite and thiols to construct thiosulfonates under transition-metal free conditions is reported. The thiosulfonates were isolated in good yields with broad tolerance of functional group. Readily available inorganic Na2S2O5 was applied as the sulfur dioxide surrogate. This strategy features easily available substrates, mild reaction conditions and free transition-metal catalyst.