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Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021 Mar 22;23(12):7295-7301. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, No. 55 Daxuecheng South Rd, Shapingba, Chongqing 401331, China.

The ability and preference of 3-oxetanone to form hydrogen or tetrel bonds have been investigated in its complexes with water and formaldehyde by using Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy complemented with quantum chemical calculations. Different types of interactions and internal dynamics have been observed in the targeted complexes. With water, the ether oxygen of 3-oxetanone is the favoured interaction site forming a classical O-HO hydrogen bond. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2021 Apr 16;217:112172. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, P.O. Box 100, 2027 Kjeller, Norway; University of Oslo, 0351 Oslo, Norway.

National long-term monitoring programs on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in background air have traditionally relied on active air sampling techniques. Due to limited spatial coverage of active air samplers, questions remain (i) whether active air sampler monitoring sites are representative for atmospheric burdens within the larger geographical area targeted by the monitoring programs, and thus (ii) if the main sources affecting POPs in background air across a nation are understood. The main objective of this study was to explore the utility of spatial and temporal trends in concert with multiple modelling approaches to understand the main sources affecting polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in background air across a nation. Read More

J Colloid Interface Sci 2021 Mar 31;597:289-296. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science of Polymer Materials of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China. Electronic address:

Low energy density is the major obstacle for the practical all-solid-state supercapacitors, which may be raised by the combination of the pseudocapacitance with the electrochemical double-layer capacitance. Although graphene and polyaniline have been demonstrated two effective materials, the synthetic route of graphene and their hybrid mode largely dictated the capacitive performances and cyclability of graphene/polyaniline nanocomposites. Herein, we employed commercial graphite fluoride as the precursor to obtain graphene with a well-preserved carbon lattice. Read More

Chemistry 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Technische Universität Dresden: Technische Universitat Dresden, Inorganic Chemistry, GERMANY.

The switching mechanism of the flexible framework Zn 4 O(benztb) 1.5 (benztb - N,N,N',N'-benzidine tetrabenzoate), also known as DUT-13, was studied by advanced powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and gas physisorption techniques. In situ synchrotron PXRD experiments upon physisorption of nitrogen (77 K) and n-butane (273 K) shed light on the hitherto unnoticed guest-induced breathing in the mesoporous MOF. Read More

J Mater Chem B 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are constructed from metal ions/cluster nodes and functional organic ligands through coordination bonds. Owing to the advantages of diverse synthetic methods, easy modification after synthesis, large adsorption capacity for heavy metals, and short equilibrium time, considerable attention has recently been paid to MOFs for tumor phototherapy. Through rational tuning of metal ions and ligands, MOFs present abundant properties for various applications. Read More

Nat Commun 2021 Apr 16;12(1):2297. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.

Room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) has drawn extensive attention in recent years. Efficient stimulus-responsive phosphorescent organic materials are attractive, but are extremely rare because of unclear design principles and intrinsically spin-forbidden intersystem crossing. Herein, we present a feasible and facile strategy to achieve ultraviolet irradiation-responsive ultralong RTP (IRRTP) of some simple organic phosphors by doping into amorphous poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. Read More

Sci Adv 2021 Apr 16;7(16). Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy.

The direct detection of 5-MeV protons by flexible organic detectors based on thin films is here demonstrated. The organic devices act as a solid-state detector, in which the energy released by the protons within the active layer of the sensor is converted into an electrical current. These sensors can quantitatively and reliably measure the dose of protons impinging on the sensor both in real time and in integration mode. Read More

Adv Mater 2021 Apr 16:e2006545. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics (FSCFE), Xi'an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) & Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering (IBME), Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China.

Metal halide perovskites have aroused burgeoning interest in the field of photovoltaics owing to their versatile optoelectronic properties. The outstanding power conversion efficiency, high specific power (i.e. Read More

ACS Nano 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.

Although TiCT MXene sheets are highly conductive, it is still a challenge to design highly stretchable MXene electrodes for flexible electronic devices. Inspired by the high stretchability of kirigami patterns, we demonstrate a bottom-up methodology to design highly stretchable and conductive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/TiCT MXene films for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and pressure sensing applications by constructing wrinkled MXene patterns on a flexible PDMS substrate to create a hierarchical surface with primary and secondary surface wrinkles. The self-controlled microcracks created in the valley domains of the hierarchical film a nonuniform deformation during prestretching/releasing cycles endow the hierarchical PDMS/MXene film with a high stretchability (100%), strain-invariant conductivity in a strain range of 0%-100%, and stable conductivities over an 1000-cycle fatigue measurement. Read More

Biomater Sci 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), Nanjing 211800, China. and School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China.

Drug-resistant pathogens are less sensitive to traditional antibiotics in many stubborn infections. It is imminently desirable to have an effective alternative therapeutic agent for combating drug-resistant pathogen infections. Herein, a photo-triggered multifunctional nanoplatform (TMOB/FLU@PCM NPs) with efflux pump and heat shock protein expression reversal activity is developed for the highly effective eradication of drug-resistant fungi. Read More

Carbohydr Polym 2021 Jul 24;263:117977. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710021, China.

We prepared a self-dispersed cellulose-based microgel via chemically bonding hydrophilic gelatin peptide chain onto cellulose glucose chain. Following, a variety of highly transparent, foldable, and writable photoluminescent polymer films was obtained through loading organic dyes and inorganic pigments onto cellulose-based microgel matrix, respectively. Benefiting from the coupling sites and network effect of microgel as well as the abundant hydroxyl, amino, and imino groups in its structure, the microgel containing organic dyes and inorganic pigments exhibit good dispersion and stability, and the resultant photoluminescent films emit bright yellow, orange, yellow-green, and blue-green fluorescence under UV light, respectively, especially the cellulose-based microgel stabilized inorganic alkaline earth aluminate hybrids exhibit continuous luminescence for a long time in the dark. Read More

J Chem Phys 2021 Apr;154(14):144503

Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.

Molecular dynamics simulations of water adsorbed in Material Institute Lavoisier MIL-101(Cr) metal-organic frameworks are performed to analyze the kinetic properties of water molecules confined in the framework at 298.15 K and under different vapor pressures and clarify the water adsorption mechanism in MIL-101(Cr). The terahertz frequency-domain spectra (THz-FDS) of water are calculated by applying fast Fourier transform to the configurational data of water molecules. Read More

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Massachusetts General Hospital, Radiology, 149 13th Street, 02129, Boston, UNITED STATES.

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has advanced medical imaging and image-guided interventions during the past three decades. However, despite major advances in imaging instrumentation, only a few dyes are currently available in the clinic. Previously, we reported two zwitterionic NIR fluorophores, ZW800-1A and ZW800-1C, which significantly improved the poor performance of the FDA-approved indocyanine green. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4, Canada.

Electro-optic (EO) modulation is of interest to impart information onto an optical carrier. Inorganic crystals-most notably LiNbO and BaTiO-exhibit EO modulation and good stability, but are difficult to integrate with silicon photonic technology. Solution-processed organic EO materials are readily integrated but suffer from thermal degradation at the temperatures required in operating conditions for accelerated reliability studies. Read More

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021 Apr 15. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CHINA.

Although considerable progress achieved, further development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) films is still facing the formidable challenge of upscaling, which hampers their practical applications in diverse areas such as molecular separation, sensing, microelectrics and catalysis. Here we show that continuous MOF films with highly controlled thickness (from 44 to 5100 nm) can be deposited over length scales greater than 80 centimeters by a facile, fast, and cost-effective spray-coating method. Such success relies on our discovery of unprecedented perfectly-dispersed colloidal solutions consisting of amorphous MOF nanoparticles, which we adopted as precursors that readily converted to the crystalline films upon low-temperature in situ heating. Read More

Data Brief 2021 Apr 15;35:106946. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Department of Flexible Electronics, Mines Saint-Etienne, Center of Microelectronics in Provence, Gardanne, France.

Here is presented raw and analysed data collected during study of the evolution, with uniaxial stretching, of the electrical and microcrystalline characteristics of polystyrene sulfonate doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS) organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). X-ray diffraction data from GIWAXS measurements of the PEDOT:PSS material, performed at the SOLEIL light source are presented in raw and partially analysed forms. Current-voltage data, collected concurrently with the GIWAXS data, are also presented, and the evolution of the transconductance of the OECT devices with stretching is shown. Read More

Sci Technol Adv Mater 2021 Mar 31;22(1):26-36. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Organic Materials and Fibers Engineering, Soongsil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Nowadays, much of user interface is based on touch and the touch sensors have been common for displays, Internet of things (IoT) projects, or robotics. They can be found in lamps, touch screens of smartphones, or other wide arrays of applications as well. However, the conventional touch sensors, fabricated from rigid materials, are bulky, inflexible, hard, and hard-to-wear devices. Read More

J Am Chem Soc 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.

Changing nonmagnetic materials to spontaneous magnets is an alchemy-inspiring concept in materials science; however, it is not impossible. Here, we demonstrate chemical modification from a nonmagnet to a bulk magnet of either a ferrimagnet or antiferromagnet, depending on the adsorbed guest molecule, in an electronic-state-flexible layered metal-organic framework, [{Ru(2,4-FPhCO)}TCNQ(EtO)] (; 2,4-FPhCO = 2,4-difluorobenzoate; TCNQ(EtO) = 2,5-diethoxy-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane). The guest-free paramagnet undergoes a thermally driven intralattice electron transfer involving a structural transition at 380 K. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Jiangsu Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, People's Republic of China.

Flexible electronic devices have penetrated into a variety of industry sectors (i.e., consumer electronics, automotive, and medical) in human life, and this calls for better properties of stretchable conductive composites as the crucial elements. Read More

Anal Chem 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.

Compared with short-lived emission probes featuring fluorescence imaging , the use of phosphorescent probes imparts the advantage of long-lived signal persistence that distinguishes against background fluorescence interference. However, the realization of ultralong organic phosphorescent (UOP) probes with an ultralong emission lifetime in an aqueous medium is still a challenge. Here, we present a rational strategy for obtaining UOP nanoparticles (NPs) in an air-saturated aqueous medium prepared using an organic phosphor (PDBCz) and a surfactant polymer (PVP), named PDBCz@PVP, showing an ultralong emission lifetime of 284. Read More

Adv Mater 2021 Apr 14:e2006863. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada.

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are simple electroluminescent devices comprising an emissive material containing mobile ions sandwiched between two electrodes. The operating mechanism of the LEC involves both ionic and electronic transport, distinguishing it from its more well-known cousin, the organic light-emitting diode (OLED). While OLEDs have become a leading player in commercial displays, LECs have flourished in academic research due to the simple device architecture and unique features of its operating mechanism, inviting exploration of new materials and fabrication strategies. Read More

Chemistry 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Organic Chemistry, SPAIN.

Unprecedented 3D hexa-adducts of [60]fullerene peripherally decorated with twelve tryptophan (Trp) or tyrosine (Tyr) residues have been synthesized. Studies on the antiviral activity of these novel compounds against HIV and EV71 reveal that they are much more potent against HIV and equally active against EV71 than the previously described dendrimer prototypes AL-385 and AL-463 , which possess the same number of Trp/Tyr residues on the periphery but attached to a smaller and more flexible pentaerythritol core. These results demonstrate the relevance of the globular 3D presentation of the peripheral groups (Trp/Tyr) as well as the length of the spacer connecting them to the central core to interact with the viral envelopes, particularly in the case of HIV, and support the hypothesis that [60]fullerene can be an alternative and attractive biocompatible carbon-based scaffold for this type of highly symmetrical dendrimers. Read More

J Mol Graph Model 2021 Mar 30;106:107911. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.

The C/C hydrocarbon gas separation characteristics of nanoporous carbon molecular sieves (CMS) are studied using DFT calculations and MD simulations. To efficiently separate the equimolar CH/CH and CH/CH gas mixtures, CNT gas transport channels are embed between the polyphenylene membranes which created structural deformation for both CNT and membrane. The adsorption and permeation of gas molecules via CMS and the effect of nanochannel density and electric field on gas selectivity are analyzed. Read More

Chemistry 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute of Applied Physics, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 16, 35392, Giessen, GERMANY.

The additive-free tetrazine/enol ether click reaction was performed in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) with an enol ether group covalently linked to a silicon surface: Dimethyl 1,2,4,5-tetrazine-3,6-dicarboxylate molecules were coupled to the enol ether group of a functionalized cyclooctyne which was adsorbed on the silicon (001) surface via the strained triple bond of cyclooctyne. The reaction was observed at a substrate temperature of 380 K by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A moderate energy barrier was deduced for this click reaction in vacuum by means of density functional theory based calculations, in good agreement with the experimental results. Read More

Langmuir 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Centre for Cooperative Research on Alternative Energies (CIC energiGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Alava Technology Park, Albert Einstein 48, 01510 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

On-demand access to renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources is critical to address current and future energy needs. To achieve this, the development of new mechanisms of efficient thermal energy storage (TES) is important to improve the overall energy storage capacity. Demonstrated here is the ideal concept that the thermal effect of developing a solid-liquid interface between a non-wetting liquid and hydrophobic nanoporous material can store heat to supplement current TES technologies. Read More

Nano Lett 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Nanoengineered Systems Laboratory, UCL Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.

Highly amphiphobic (repelling both water and low surface tension liquids) and optically transparent surface treatments have widespread demand. By combining a rational growth of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with functionalization by environmentally safe, flexible alkyl groups, here we present surfaces with nanohierarchical morphology, comprising two widely differing nanoscale features. These nanohierarchical MOF films show excellent amphiphobicity. Read More

Front Microbiol 2021 24;12:651744. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Members of the genus , a clade of metabolically flexible thermoacidophilic methanotrophs from the phylum Verrucomicrobia, can utilize a variety of substrates including methane, methanol, and hydrogen for growth. However, despite sequentially oxidizing methane to carbon dioxide methanol and formate intermediates, growth on formate as the only source of reducing equivalents (i.e. Read More

Light Sci Appl 2021 Apr 12;10(1):76. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) & Institute of Flexible Electronics (Future Technology), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications (NUPT), 9 Wenyuan Road, 210023, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Circularly polarized light exhibits promising applications in future displays and photonic technologies. Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) from chiral luminophores is an ideal approach to directly generating circularly polarized light, in which the energy loss induced by the circularly polarized filters can be reduced. Among various chiral luminophores, organic micro-/nano-structures have attracted increasing attention owing to the high quantum efficiency and luminescence dissymmetry factor. Read More

Carbohydr Polym 2021 Jun 13;262:117934. Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Centre for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B3, Canada; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S3G8, Canada.

Photoresponsive functionalized nanofilms were prepared via radical polymerization of carbazole units on a nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) backbone via one-pot procedure. Herein, NFC was functionalized with active carbazole units as pendant organic moieties. The nanofilms were characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, C NMR and proton NMR spectra, contact angle analysis, mechanical testing, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Read More

Nat Commun 2021 Apr 9;12(1):2146. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Chemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.

Owing to its simple preparation and high oxygen content, nitroformate [C(NO), NF] is an extremely attractive oxidant component for propellants and explosives. However, the poor thermostability of NF-based derivatives has been an unconquerable barrier for more than 150 years, thus hindering its application. In this study, the first example of a nitrogen-rich hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF-NF) is designed and constructed through self-assembly in energetic materials, in which NF anions are trapped in pores of the resulting framework via the dual force of ionic and hydrogen bonds from the strengthened framework. Read More