Latest ArticlesPhotocatalysis technology has been proved to be a potential strategy for removal of organic dyes, however high-power light sources are generally necessary to initiate photocatalytic reaction. In this work, we employed an excellent photocatalyst of Bi2WO6 with visible light harvest and meanwhile an intrinsic ferroelectricity, which realized the efficient degradation of organic dye via the synergetic photopiezocatalysis. Through coupling the illumination by a low-power (9 W) LED and the ultrasonic vibration (120 W) by an ultrasonic cleaner, the nanoflower-like Bi2WO6 composed of ultrathin nanosheets showed a much more enhanced photopiezocatalysis performance for purification of organic dye than the individual photocatalysis and piezocatalysis. Furthermore, the high mineralization efficiency and the good durability of the Bi2WO6 catalyst were demonstrated. The possible mechanism of photopiezocatalysis was finally proposed, where the ultrasound-induced piezoelectric field in Bi2WO6 drove photo-generated electrons and holes to diffuse along opposite directions, consequently promoting the separation efficiency of charge carriers. This work indicates that the synergetic photopiezocatalysis by coupling irradiation and ultrasonic vibration is a promising strategy to purify organic pollutants in wastewater.
Nucleic acids with G4 elements play a role in the formation of aggregates involved in intracellular phase transitions. Our previous studies suggest that different forms of DNA could act as an accelerating template in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) aggregation. Here, we examined the regulation of formation and cytotoxicity of the SOD1 aggregates by single-stranded 12-mer deoxynucleotide oligomers (dN)12 (N = A, T, G, C; ssDNAs) under acidic conditions. The ssDNAs can be divided into two groups based on their roles in SOD1 binding, exposure of hydrophobic clusters in SOD1, accelerated formation, morphology and cytotoxicity of SOD1 aggregates. G-quadruplexes convert SOD1 into fibrillar aggregates as a template, a fact which was observed for the first time in the nucleic acid regulation of protein aggregation. Moreover, the fibrillar or fibril-like SOD1 species with a G-quadruplex provided by (dG)12 were less toxic than the amorphous species with (dN)12 (N = A, T). This study not only indicates that both morphology and cytotoxicity of protein aggregates can be regulated by the protein-bound DNAs, but also help us understand roles of nucleic aid G-quadruplexes in the formation of aggregates and membraneless organelles involved in intracellular phase transitions.
Exorbitant aldosterone is closely associated with various severe diseases, including congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease. As aldosterone synthase is the pivotal enzyme in aldosterone biosynthesis, its inhibition constitutes a promising treatment for these diseases. Via a structure-based approach, a series of pyridyl substituted 3,4-dihydrobenzo[f][1,4]oxazepin-5(2H)-ones were designed as inhibitors of aldosterone synthase. Six compounds (5j, 5l, 5m 5w, 5x and 5y) distinguished themselves with potent inhibition (IC50 < 100 nmol/L) and high selectivity over homogenous 11β-hydroxylase. As the most promising compound, 5x exhibited an IC50 of 12 nmol/L and an excellent selectivity factor (SF) of 157, which are both superior to those of the reference fadrazole (IC50=21 nmol/L, SF=7). Importantly, 5x showed no inhibition against steroidogenic CYP17, CYP19 and a panel of hepatic CYP enzymes indicating an outstanding safety profile. As it manifested satisfactory pharmacokinetic properties in rats, compound 5x was considered as a drug candidate for further development.
In this paper, the ammonia leaching process and high-energy ball milling method were adapted to recover spent LiCoO2 material. The ammonia reduction leaching mechanism of LiCoO2 material in the ammonia-sodium sulfite-ammonium chloride system was elucidated. Compared with untreated LiCoO2 material, the leaching equilibrium time of LiCoO2 after ball-milled for 5 h was reduced from 48 h to 4 h, and the leaching efficiency of lithium and cobalt was improved from 69.86% and 70.80% to 89.86% and 98.22%, respectively. Importantly, the apparent activation energy and leaching kinetic equation of the reaction was calculated by the shrinking core reaction model, indicating that the reaction was controlled by the chemical reaction.
Hyperterpenoid A (1) and B (2), two pairs of enantiomers, with an unprecedented 6/6/4/6/6 polycyclic skeleton, along with one known compoud hypermonone A (3) were isolated from Hypericum beanii. The racemate (±)-1 and (±)-2 were successfully separated into the two optically pure enantiomers (ee ≥ 99%) using a preparative HPLC system. Their absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The related plausible biogenetic pathways were presented. Compound 1-3 showed significant neuroprotective activity and potential anti-inflammatory activity. The result that (+)-2 and (-)-2 presented different anti-inflammatory properties, may lead us to new discovery of structure activity relationship between racemates, enantiomers, and diastereomers, as well as further research regarding the binding of drugs to target proteins.
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has excellent trapping ability for lead ions whereas its micro-/nanoscale size has greatly impeded its practical applications in the flow-through systems. Herein, a millimeter-sized nanocomposite MoS2−001 was synthesized for Pb2+ removal by loading MoS2 nanosheets into a polystyrene cation exchanger D-001 by a facile hydrothermal method. The proposed structure and adsorption mechanism of MoS2−001 was confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The nanocomposite showed outstanding adsorption capacity and rapid adsorption kinetic for Pb2+ removal, and the adsorption behavior followed the Langmuir adsorption model and pseudo-first-model kinetic model. Pb2+ uptake by MoS2−001 still maintains a high level even in the presence of extremely highly competitive ions (Ca(Ⅱ) and Mg(Ⅱ)), suggesting its high selectivity for Pb2+ adsorption. Besides, the fixed-bed column experiments further certified that MoS2−001 is of great potential for Pb2+ removal from the wastewater in practical engineering applications. Even more gratifying is that the exhausted MoS2−001 can be regenerated by NaCl-EDTANa2 solution without any significant adsorption capacity loss. Consequently, all the results indicated that MoS2−001 is a promising candidate adsorbent for lead-containing wastewater treatment.
Amino group protective strategy has consequently emerged in multistep organic synthesis. Easy and selective deprotection procedures are crucial to facilitate the chemical transformation. Recently, Zhang's group from Henan Normal University collaborating with Chen's group of Nankai University developed a novel strategy for the regiospecific cleavage of inert aryl C—N bonds in N-aryl amides by hypervalent iodine(V) reagents. These procedures allow removal of sort of aryl groups under mild conditions to give primary amides in high efficiency. It bestows these aryl groups with the characteristics of amino protecting groups that might be the supplement of amino protecting group chemistry.
Upconversion (UC) technology makes it possible to harvest infrared (IR) light from the sun and has increasingly been employed in recent years to improve the efficiency of solar cells. The progress in the area concerns both research on fundamental principles and processes of UC and technologies of device fabrication. Significant increase of important solar cell parameters, like short-circuit photocurrent density and open-circuit photovoltage as well as the total photon-to-current efficiency, has been accomplished. We here review the research published during the last few years in the area, in particular we consider the two most cherished techniques, namely the incorporation of upconverting nanophosphors directly into the photoanodes of the solar cells and the introduction of plasmonic metal nanoparticles co-existing with the UC particles. Other ways to achieve strong field enhancement, and the use of the non-linear nature of UC, is to apply microlenses, with or without assisting plasmonic excitation. Further enhanced UC action has been demonstrated by broad band and effective harvesting by organic IR antennas, with subsequent mediation by an intermediate nanoshell of the energy into the upconverting core. Codoping, nanohybrid and layer-by-layer technologies involving upconverting particles as well as the use of upconverting nanoparticles in hole-transport and electrolyte layers, tested in recent works, are also reviewed. While most of these technologies employ upconverting rare earth metals for sequential photon absorption, the main alternative technique, namely triplet-triplet annihilation UC using organic materials, is also reviewed. It is our belief that all these approaches will be further much researched in the near future, with potentially great impact on solar cell technology.
Hydrogen-atom-transfer (HAT) is an efficient way for direct C—H functionalization of inert C—H bonds, therefore it has attracted great interests in recent years. So far, various HAT catalysts have been developed. Among them, quinuclidine and its derivatives show different characters toward other HAT catalysts as they tend to abstract electron-rich and hydridic hydrogens in the presence of weak and neutral C—H bonds. These features enable direct C—H functionalization of compounds with various groups which are unable or difficult by other methods. This review summarizes recent advance of photoinduced reactions with quinuclidine and its derivatives as HAT catalysts and exhibits powerful synthetic potential by using quinuclidine and its derivatives as HAT catalysts.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative condition and the most prevalent cause of dementia. This disease is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. The prevalence of AD is currently affecting more than 35 million people and is rising worldwide. No efficient therapy is currently available due to low drug potency and a number of various obstacles to delivery. Recent nanotechnological advancements have the potential to offer promising therapeutic options. Progress on nanomaterials as well as their applications in biomedicine is receiving increasing attention, especially the advantages of nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems. The aim of this review is to comprehensively summarize the latest developments in nanomaterial-based strategies for AD treatment, including nanoparticles, liposomes and other options for the delivery of therapeutic compounds and scaffolds for cell delivery strategies. Future research directions are also proposed. We hope this review can provide important information to guide the future development of nanomaterials in AD treatment.
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