Latest ArticlesCatalytic C-H activation-initiated annulation reactions have emerged as a versatile strategy for the efficient construction of diverse ring structural units and complex cyclic molecules in synthetic chemistry. Herein, we describe a new Rh(Ⅲ)-catalyzed C-H activation-initiated transdiannulation reaction of N, N-dimethyl enaminones with gem-difluorocyclopropenes in the presence of H2O, enabling a facile and oxygen transfer access to ring-fluorinated tricyclic γ-lactones with a 6-5 ring-junction tetrasubstituted stereocenter. This approach features bond-forming/annulation efficiency, good functional group tolerance and complete regioselectivity, which may include a complex process consisting of Rh(Ⅲ)-catalyzed C(sp2)H activation, cyclic alkene insertion, defluorinated ring-opening of gem-difluorocyclopropane, intramolecular oxygen transfer, intramolecular cyclization and oxidative hydration.
Acidification of paper-based relics is a common problem, leading to their degradation and eventual loss. Paper deacidification is highly dependent on a limited variety of alkaline materials, and the development of new materials that are safe, efficient and easy-to-prepare is highly demanded to ensure a high level of safety and effective protection of paper-based relic. This study proposes the introduction of layered double hydroxide (LDH) and its calcined product, mixed metal oxide (layered double oxide (LDO)), as innovative protective materials for the deacidification of paper with varying levels of acidity. The results demonstrate that treatment with Mg-Al LDH/LDO can effectively modify the pH of acidic paper (e.g., pH ~ 4.0–6.4) to a neutral or weakly basic state, maintaining this desirable pH range even under long-term accelerated aging condition. Remarkably, LDH proves to be well-suited for the protection of slightly acidified paper (e.g., pH > 5.5), while LDO serves as an especially option for the deacidification of severely acidified paper (e.g., pH ≤ 5.5). During aqueous deacidification, due to the memory effect of the LDH-based materials, LDO is converted to rehydrated LDH, which creates a mild and appropriate alkaline retention in the paper, avoiding damage caused by strong alkalinity such as cellulose degradation and pigment fading during subsequent long-term natural preservation of the paper. Furthermore, Mg-Al LDH/LDO materials also exhibit flame-retardant and bacteriostatic properties. This opens up opportunities for the safe, efficient and multifunctional protection of acidified paper-based relics.
The clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system is an RNA-guided platform for highly efficient and specific genome targeting in diverse organisms, which has been exploited for various applications in gene manipulation. Compared with the constantly active CRISPR/Cas9 function, conditional control of its activity can improve the performance of the system with reduced side effects and high spatiotemporal precision. The pH-responsive triplex RNA was successful used in CRISPR-derived RNA/trans-activating crRNA (crRNA/tracrRNA) of CRISPR/Cas9, thus affecting RNA/dead Cas9 (dCas9) complex to target DNA in vitro and in vivo. This design of triplex RNA opens a new window towards the broad involvement of eukaryotic cells for conditional control of CRISPR/Cas9 function.
On-surface Ullmann-type reaction, or the dehalogenated coupling, is arguably the most pivotal reaction in on-surface synthesis for the fabrications of carbon nanostructures. Hitherto, the vast majority of works rely on activating the C-Br bond of aryl bromide which has a moderate bond dissociation energy. The C-Cl bond of aryl chloride has a higher dissociation energy and requires much higher thermal energy to break the bond. In this study, we have explored the on-surface photo-induced dechlorination and achieved the activation of three distinct aryl chlorines on the Au(111) surface with mild temperatures. This work enriches our understanding of on-surface photo-induced reactions and highlights the potential of photochemistry in realizing unconventional reactions.
Enones are widely explored in synthetic chemistry as fundamental building blocks for a wide range of reactions and exhibit intriguing biological activities that are pivotal for drug discovery. The development of synthetic strategies for highly efficient preparation of enones thereby receives intense attention, in particular through the transition metal-catalyzed coupling reactions. Here, we describe a carbene-catalyzed cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reaction that enables effective assembly of simple aldehydes and alkenes to afford a diverse set of enone derivatives. Mechanistically, the in situ generated aryl radical is pivotal to "activate" the alkene by forming an allyl radical through intermolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) pathway and thus forging the carbon-carbon bond formation with aldehyde as the acyl synthon. Notably, our method represents the first example on the enone synthesis through coupling of "non-functionalized" aldehydes and alkenes as coupling partners, and offers a distinct organocatalytic pathway to the transition metal-catalyzed coupling transformations.
Owing to the spread of COVID-19, it is difficult to ignore the existence and importance of antimicrobial polymers (AMPs) because most protective appliances are made of polymers. Generally, bacteria prefer hydrophilic compounds, while fungi prefer hydrophobic ones. In recent decades, AMPs have made significant strides due to the versatile design of the functional groups or units for hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or amphiphilic performances. This review summarizes the advances of AMPs itself from the perspective of their wettability. Moreover, this study aims to clarify how the functional groups determine the interaction between the polymer and microorganisms directly affects the antimicrobial efficacy of the designed polymers. Based on the advances, the challenges and outlooks of AMPs from the perspective of wettability are systematically discussed to build a bridge between the structural design of AMPs and the requirements of practical applications.
The O3-Na0.85Ni0.2Fe0.4Mn0.4O2 layered oxide cathode material possesses the advantages of high specific capacity, low cost, and simple synthesis. However, sluggish kinetics and complicated phase transition caused by the large size difference between Na+ and tetrahedral gaps lead to poor rate and cycling performance. Therefore, a scalable and feasible strategy was proposed to modulate local chemical environment by introducing Mg2+ and B3+ into O3-Na0.85Ni0.2Fe0.4Mn0.4O2, which can distinctly improve kinetic transport rate as well as electrochemical performance. The capacity retention of O3-(Na0.82Mg0.04)(Ni0.2Fe0.4Mn0.4)B0.02O2 (NFMB) increases from 43.3% and 12.4% to 89.5% and 89.0% at 1 C and 3 C after 200 cycles, respectively. Moreover, the electrode still delivers high rate capacity of 93.9 mAh/g when current density increases to 10 C. Mg2+ ions riveted on Na layer act as a "pillar" to stabilize crystal structure and inhibit structural change during the desodiumization process. B3+ ions entering tetrahedral interstice of the TM layer strengthen the TM-O bond, lower Na+ diffusion energy barrier and inhibits the slip of TM layer. Furthermore, the assembled full batteries with the modified cathode material deliver a high energy density of 278.2 Wh/kg with commercial hard carbon as anode. This work provides a strategy for the modification of high-performance SIB layered oxide materials to develop the next-generation cost-effective energy storage grid systems.
Thermoelectric (TE) materials enable effective and direct energy conversions between heat and electricity, displaying wide applications including waste/low-grade heat harvesting, local cooling, sensing and wearable electronics. Among the recently-developed organic and composite TE materials, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is perhaps the most successful and frequently reported type. Herein, we aim to review the recent advances of the synthesis, mechanism and applications of PEDOT-based TE composites. First, the research background and the history of TE materials are briefly introduced. Next, the synthesis and TE performance of PEDOT-based composites are summarized according to the sequence of films, hydrogels/aerogels and fibers/yarns. Then, the mechanism, structure and property are elucidated. After that, the recent development and its applications of power generation and sensing are highlighted. Finally, we provide an outlook on the prospects and the challenges of PEDOT-based TE composites.
An array of pyridine-ester enolate based organoboron complexes has been designed and synthesized via a one-pot cascade of Pd-catalyzed α-arylation and BF2 complexation. The rapid structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies indicated that unsymmetrical N,O-chelated BF2 complexes were highly fluorescent in solid state, and exhibited large Stokes shifts, excellent photostability, along with insensitivity to pH. The α-aryl group could not only modulate the electronic effect but also inhibit the intermolecular π-π stacking to promote the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect. DFT calculations and experiments identified that the intramolecular charge transfer properties of these N,O-chelates could be switched by the modification of substituents, resulting tunable fluorescence wavelengths. Furthermore, post-complexation modification was accomplished, including Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling, Buchwald-Hartwig amination, oxidative cleavage, along with a unique triple substitution reaction involving propargyl Grignard reagents. The exemplificative application of dimethylamine substituted boron complex as a reversible acidic vapor sensor was also demonstrated.
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