Odd-Even Alkyl Chain Effects on the Structure and Charge Carrier Transport of Two-Dimensional Sn-Based Perovskite Semiconductors.

Oscillations in the chemical or physical properties of materials, composed of an odd or even number of connected repeating methylene units, are a well-known phenomenon in organic chemistry and materials science. So far, such behavior has not been reported for the important class of materials, perovskite semiconductors. This work reports a distinct odd-even oscillation of the molecular structure and charge carrier transport properties of phenylalkylammonium two-dimensional (2D) Sn-based perovskites in which the alkyl chains in the phenylalkylammonium cations contain varying odd and even carbon numbers. Density functional theory calculations and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering characterization reveal that perovskites with organic ligands containing an alkyl chain with an odd number of carbon atoms display a disordered crystal lattice and tilted inorganic octahedra accompanied by reduced mobilities. In contrast, perovskites with cations of an even number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain form more ordered crystal structures, resulting in improved charge carrier mobilities. Our findings disclose the importance of minor changes in the molecular conformation of organic cations have an effect on morphology, photophysical properties, and charge carrier transport of 2D layered perovskites, showcasing alkyl chain engineering of organic cations to control key properties, of layered perovskite semiconductors.

Rapid analysis of untreated food samples by gel loading tip spray ionization mass spectrometry.

Rapid, efficient, versatile, easy-to-use, and non-expensive analytical approaches are globally demanded for food analysis. Many ambient ionization approaches based on electrospray ionization (ESI) have been developed recently for the rapid molecular characterization of food products. However, those approaches mainly suffer from insufficient signal duration for comprehensive chemical characterization by tandem MS analysis. Here, a commercially available disposable gel loading tip is used as a low-cost emitter for the direct ionization of untreated food samples. The most important advantages of our approach include high stability, and durability of the signal (> 10 min), low cost (ca. 0.1 USD per run), low sample and solvent consumption, prevention of tip clogging and discharge, operational simplicity, and potential for automation. Quantitative analysis of sulfapyridine, HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), and chloramphenicol in real sample shows the limit-of-detection 0.1 µg mL-1, 0.005 µg mL-1, 0.01 µg mL-1; the linearity range 0.1-5 µg mL-1, 0.005-0.25 µg mL-1, 0.01-1 µg mL-1; and the linear fits R2 ≥ 0.980, 0.991, 0.986. Moreover, we show that tip-ESI can also afford sequential molecular ionization of untreated viscous samples, which is difficult to achieve by conventional ESI. We conclude that tip-ESI-MS is a versatile analytical approach for the rapid chemical analysis of untreated food samples.

High-resolution melting real-time polymerase chain reaction assays for subtyping of five diarrheagenic Escherichia coli by a single well in milk.

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is a kind of foodborne pathogen that poses a significant threat to both food safety and human health. To address the current challenges of high prevalence and difficult subtyping of DEC, this study developed a method that combined multiplex PCR with high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis for subtyping 5 kinds of DEC. The target genes are amplified by multiplex PCR in a single well, and HRM curve analysis was applied for distinct amplicons based on different melting temperature (Tm) values. The method enables discrimination of different DEC types based on characteristic peaks and distinct Tm values in the thermal melting curve. The assay exhibited 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a detection limit of 0.5 to 1 ng/µL. The results showed that different DNA concentrations did not influence the subtyping results, demonstrating this method owed high reliability and stability. In addition, the method was also used for the detection and subtyping of DEC in milk. This method streamlines operational procedures, shorts the detection time, and offers a novel tool for subtyping DEC.

Advanced Mass Spectrometry-Based Biomarker Identification for Metabolomics of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications.

Over the years, there has been notable progress in understanding the pathogenesis and treatment modalities of diabetes and its complications, including the application of metabolomics in the study of diabetes, capturing attention from researchers worldwide. Advanced mass spectrometry, including gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS), etc., has significantly broadened the spectrum of detectable metabolites, even at lower concentrations. Advanced mass spectrometry has emerged as a powerful tool in diabetes research, particularly in the context of metabolomics. By leveraging the precision and sensitivity of advanced mass spectrometry techniques, researchers have unlocked a wealth of information within the metabolome. This technology has enabled the identification and quantification of potential biomarkers associated with diabetes and its complications, providing new ideas and methods for clinical diagnostics and metabolic studies. Moreover, it offers a less invasive, or even non-invasive, means of tracking disease progression, evaluating treatment efficacy, and understanding the underlying metabolic alterations in diabetes. This paper summarizes advanced mass spectrometry for the application of metabolomics in diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic encephalopathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and diabetic foot ulcers and organizes some of the potential biomarkers of the different complications with the aim of providing ideas and methods for subsequent in-depth metabolic research and searching for new ways of treating the disease.

Solvent-Responsive Reversible and Controllable Conversion between a Polyimine Membrane and an Organic Molecule Cage.

Adaptive bionic self-correcting behavior offers an attractive property for chemical systems. Here, based on the dynamic feature of imine formation, we propose a solvent-responsive strategy for smart switching between an amorphous ionic polyimine membrane and a crystalline organic molecule cage without the addition of other building blocks. To adapt to solvent environmental constraints, the aldehyde and amine components undergo self-correction to form a polymer network or a molecular cage. Studies have shown that the amorphous film can be switched in acetonitrile to generate a discrete cage with bright birefringence under polarized light. Conversely, the membrane from the cage crystal conversion can be regained in ethanol. Such a membrane-cage interconversion can be cycled continuously at least 5 times by switching the two solvents. This work builds a bridge between the polymer network and crystalline molecules and offers prospects for smart dynamic materials.

Online Sequential Determination of Organic/Inorganic Lead Speciation in PM2.5 Using Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry.

The information regarding the occurrence and abundance of lead (Pb) in PM2.5 is useful for the evaluation of air pollution status and tracing the pollution source. Herein, electrochemical mass spectrometry (EC-MS) for sequential determination of Pb species in PM2.5 samples without sample pretreatment has been developed using the combination of online sequential extraction with mass spectrometry (MS) detection. Four kinds of Pb species including water-soluble Pb compounds, fat-soluble Pb compounds, water/fat-insoluble Pb compounds, and a water/fat-insoluble Pb element were sequentially extracted from PM2.5 samples, in which water-soluble Pb compounds, fat-soluble Pb compounds, and water/fat-insoluble Pb compounds were extracted sequentially by elution using H2O, CH3OH, and EDTA-2Na as the eluent respectively, while the water/fat-insoluble Pb element was extracted by electrolysis using EDTA-2Na as the electrolyte. The extracted water-soluble Pb compounds, water/fat-insoluble Pb compounds, and water/fat-insoluble Pb element were transformed into EDTA-Pb in real time for online electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis, while the extracted fat-soluble Pb compounds were directly detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The advantages of the reported method include the obviation of sample pretreatment, high speed of analysis (<60 min/sample), low detection limit (0.16 pg), low sample consumption (30 µg), and high accuracy (>90%), which indicates the potential of this method for the rapid quantitative species detection of metals in environmental particulate matter samples.

Boost of Gas Adsorption Kinetics of Covalent Organic Frameworks via Ionic Liquid Solution Process.

Adsorption, storage, and conversion of gases (e.g., carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and iodine) are the three critical topics in the field of clean energy and environmental mediation. Exploring new methods to prepare high-performance materials to improve gas adsorption is one of the most concerning topics in recent years. In this work, an ionic liquid solution process (ILSP), which can greatly improve the adsorption kinetic performance of covalent organic framework (COF) materials for gaseous iodine, is explored. Anionic COF TpPaSO3 H is modified by amino-triazolium cation through the ILSP method, which successfully makes the iodine adsorption kinetic performance (K80% rate) of ionic liquid (IL) modified COF AC4 tirmTpPaSO3 quintuple compared with the original COF. A series of experimental characterization and theoretical calculation results show that the improvement of adsorption kinetics is benefited from the increased weak interaction between the COF and iodine, due to the local charge separation of the COF skeleton caused by the substitution of protons by the bulky cations of ILs. This ILSP strategy has competitive help for COF materials in the field of gas adsorption, separation, or conversion, and is expected to expand and improve the application of COF materials in energy and environmental science.

Modification of Two-Dimensional Tin-Based Perovskites by Pentanoic Acid for Improved Performance of Field-Effect Transistors.

Understanding and controlling the nucleation and crystallization in solution-processed perovskite thin films are critical to achieving high in-plane charge carrier transport in field-effect transistors (FETs). This work demonstrates a simple and effective additive engineering strategy using pentanoic acid (PA). Here, PA is introduced to both modulate the crystallization process and improve the charge carrier transport in 2D 2-thiopheneethylammonium tin iodide ((TEA)2 SnI4 ) perovskite FETs. It is revealed that the carboxylic group of PA is strongly coordinated to the spacer cation TEAI and [SnI6 ]4- framework in the perovskite precursor solution, inducing heterogeneous nucleation and lowering undesired oxidation of Sn2+ during the film formation. These factors contribute to a reduced defect density and improved film morphology, including lower surface roughness and larger grain size, resulting in overall enhanced transistor performance. The reduced defect density and decreased ion migration lead to a higher p-channel charge carrier mobility of 0.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 , which is more than a threefold increase compared with the control device. Temperature-dependent charge transport studies demonstrate a mobility of 2.3 cm2 V-1 s-1 at 100 K due to the diminished ion mobility at low temperatures. This result illustrates that the additive strategy bears great potential to realize high-performance Sn-based perovskite FETs.

Plastic probe electrospray ionization mass spectrometry developed for rapid fingerprint profile of biological samples without pretreatment.

A triangular-shaped flat plastic substrate probe was prepared for direct electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for analysis of untreated chemical and biological samples including liquids (Met-Arg-Phe-Ala peptide, reserpine, and dodecyl aldehyde), solids (biological samples, traditional Chinese medicine), and powders (roasted coffee, rhizoma coptidis, lotus plumule, and Schisandra sphenanthera). Quantitative analysis of reserpine in water yielded a detection limit of 1 ng mL-1, dynamic response range within 1-500 ng mL-1, and linearity of signal response ˃0.9925. Compared to the conventional capillary ESI, this plastic probe ESI offers lower cost of analysis (US $0.0056 per probe), higher sensitivity, lower sample consumption, longer signal duration (>6 min), better reproducibility, signal stability, and higher speed of analysis (<10 s per sample, including sample loading). Overall, the results indicate the potential of ESI-MS based on flat plastic probes as a versatile method for simple, sensitive, and stable analysis of untreated biological sample analysis.

Anomalous Melting Point of Multicharge Ionic Liquids: Structural, Electrostatic, and Orbital Properties of [Ln(NO3)6]3- (Ln = Ce, Pr) Anions.

Salts composed of multicharged cations/anions usually exhibit a large lattice energy and strong Coulomb force, which results in high melting points. However, an increasing number of highly charged ionic liquids exceed expectations based on conventional experience; even their melting points are much lower than those found for simple ionic liquids composed of monovalent ions. To further study this phenomenon, we studied a group of stable ionic liquids containing tricharged [Ce(NO3)6]3- and [Pr(NO3)6]3- anions. The structures for [C6mim]3[Ce(NO3)6] and [C6mim]3[Pr(NO3)6] were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction with triclinic and P1̅ space groups. The electrostatic potential density per unit ion surface and volume was proposed and calculated. Additionally, theoretical analysis based on Hirshfeld surface and charge decomposition was carried out to explore the intermolecular interaction and electronic structure of the lanthanide anions. The electrostatic and orbital properties were found to be more useful for understanding the melting points of highly charged salts compared with the sole use of lattice energy. The electrostatic potential density per unit ion surface and volume showed a linear relationship with the melting point of ionic liquids composed of monovalent to trivalent ions. These structure-melting point relationships will be beneficial for expounding new low-melting-point ionic liquids with a wide liquidus range.

The Proton Dissociation of Bio-Protic Ionic Liquids: [AAE]X Amino Acid Ionic Liquids.

[AAE]X composed of amino acid ester cations is a sort of typically "bio-based" protic ionic liquids (PILs). They possess potential Brønsted acidity due to the active hydrogens on their cations. The Brønsted acidity of [AAE]X PILs in green solvents (water and ethanol) at room temperature was systematically studied. Various frameworks of amino acid ester cations and four anions were investigated in this work from the viewpoint of structure-property relationship. Four different ways were used to study the acidity. Acid dissociation constants (pKa) of [AAE]X determined by the OIM (overlapping indicator method) were from 7.10 to 7.73 in water and from 8.54 to 9.05 in ethanol. The pKa values determined by the PTM (potential titration method) were from 7.12 to 7.82 in water. Their Hammett acidity function (H0) values (0.05 mol·L-1) were about 4.6 in water. In addition, the pKa values obtained by the DFT (proton-transfer reactions) were from 7.11 to 7.83 in water and from 8.54 to 9.34 in ethanol, respectively. The data revealed that the cationic structures of [AAE]X had little effect and the anions had no effect on the acidity of [AAE]X. At the same time, the OIM, PTM, Hammett method and DFT method were reliable for determining the acidic strength of [AAE]X in this study.

High-throughput screening of toxic substances by extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and their identification via databank construction.

More than 200 toxic substances (including narcotic drugs, psychotropic drugs, organic phosphorus compounds, carbamates, pyrethroids and other pesticides, veterinary drugs, rodenticides, natural toxins, and other drugs) were identified and quantified using an ion-trap mass spectrometer. The advantages of this technique-its selectivity, accuracy, precision, utilization of only small amounts of the sample, and short analysis time for a single sample (less than 30s)-render it a rapid and accurate methodology for toxin screening. Subsequently, an extractive electrospray ionization (EESI) mass spectrometry database was established by combining the Xcalibur data processing system with NIST database software. This allowed unknown toxicants in urine and blood samples, stomach contents, and liver samples, as provided by the Jiangxi Provincial Public Security Department, to be analyzed and identified. This EESI methodology and databank has the potential for widespread application to the large-scale analysis of practical samples. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of inverted polymer solar cells through atomic layer deposited Al2O3 passivation of ZnO-nanoparticle buffer layer.

In this work, an atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 ultrathin layer was introduced to passivate the ZnO-nanoparticle (NP) buffer layer of inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on P3HT:PCBM. The surface morphology of the ZnO-NP/Al2O3 interface was systematically analyzed by using a variety of tools, in particular transmission electron microscopy (TEM), evidencing a conformal ALD-Al2O3 deposition. The thickness of the Al2O3 layers was optimized at the nanoscale to boost electron transport of the ZnO-NP layer, which can be attributed to the suppression of oxygen vacancy defects in ZnO-NPs confirmed by photoluminescence measurement. The optimal inverted PSCs passivated by ALD-Al2O3 exhibited an ∼22% higher power conversion efficiency than the control devices with a pristine ZnO-NP buffer layer. The employment of the ALD-Al2O3 passivation layer with precisely controlled thickness provides a promising approach to develop high efficiency PSCs with novel polymer materials.

Preparation of microcapsules and evaluation of their biocontrol efficacy.

In this study, a combination of Serratia nematophila L2 and Bacillus velezensis W24 was used to biocontrol Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. When the mixed ratio of L2 to W24 was 1:1, the inhibition rate on the growth of S. sclerotiorum was 88.1 %. To gain a large number of bacteria, the culture medium and conditions were optimized. When the medium formula involved molasses (8.890 g/L), soy peptone (6.826 g/L), and NaCl (6.865 g/L), and the culture conditions were 32 °C, inoculum 4%, rotation speed 200 rpm, and pH 7, the maximum amounts of bacterial cells obtained. In order to prepare microcapsules, spray drying conditions were optimized. These conditions included the soluble starch concentration of 30 g/100 mL, the inlet air temperature of 160 °C, and the feed flow rate of 450 mL/h. Under these optimized conditions to prepare microcapsules, the mixed strain (L2 and W24) exhibited a survival rate of 93.9 ± 0.9% and a viable bacterial count of 6.4 × 1012 cfu/g. In addition, microcapsules (GW24Ms) which contained strains L2 and W24 had good storage stability. In the pot experiment, GW24Ms could effectively reduce the disease of soybean plants and the control effect was 88.4%. Thus, the microbial agent represents a promising biocontrol solution for managing Sclerotinia in soybean.

Research Progress on Extraction and Detection Technologies of Flavonoid Compounds in Foods.

Flavonoid compounds have a variety of biological activities and play an essential role in preventing the occurrence of metabolic diseases. However, many structurally similar flavonoids are present in foods and are usually in low concentrations, which increases the difficulty of their isolation and identification. Therefore, developing and optimizing effective extraction and detection methods for extracting flavonoids from food is essential. In this review, we review the structure, classification, and chemical properties of flavonoids. The research progress on the extraction and detection of flavonoids in foods in recent years is comprehensively summarized, as is the application of mathematical models in optimizing experimental conditions. The results provide a theoretical basis and technical support for detecting and analyzing high-purity flavonoids in foods.

Rapid toxicity characterization of Aconitum herbal medicines using perfusion nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Image 1.

Sensitive quantitation of ultra-trace toxic aconitines in complex matrices by perfusion nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry combined with gas-liquid microextraction.

The accurate analysis of ultra-trace (e.g. <10-4 ng/mL) substances in complex matrices is a burdensome but vital problem in pharmaceutical analysis, with important implications for precise quality control of drugs, discovery of innovative medicines and elucidation of pharmacological mechanisms. Herein, an innovative constant-flow perfusion nano-electrospray ionization (PnESI) technique was developed firstly features significant quantitative advantages in high-sensitivity ambient MS analysis of complex matrix sample. More importantly, double-labeled addition enrichment quantitation strategies of gas-liquid microextraction (GLME) were proposed for the first time, allowing highly selective extraction and enrichment of specific target analytes in a green and ultra-efficient (>1000-fold) manner. Using complex processed Aconitum herbs as example, PnESI-MS directly enabled the qualitative and absolute quantitative analysis of the processed Aconitum extracts and characterized the target toxic diester alkaloids with high sensitivity, high stability, wide linearity range, and strong resistance to matrix interference. Further, GLME device was applied to obtain the highly specific enrichment of the target diester alkaloids more than 1000-fold, and accurate absolute quantitation of trace aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine in the extracts of Heishunpian, Zhichuanwu and Zhicaowu was accomplished (e.g., 0.098 pg/mL and 0.143 pg/mL), with the quantitation results well below the LODs of aconitines from any analytical instruments available. This study built a systematic strategy for accurate quantitation of ultra-trace substances in complex matrix sample and expected to provide a technological revolution in many fields of pharmaceutical research.

Bio-based ionic liquid filter with enhanced electrostatic attraction for outside filtration and inside collection of viral aerosols.

Hazardous biological pathogens in the air pose a significant public environmental health concern as infected individuals emit virus-laden aerosols (VLAs) during routine respiratory activities. Mask-wearing is a key preventive measure, but conventional filtration methods face challenges, particularly in high humidity conditions, where electrostatic charge decline increases the risk of infection. This study introduces a bio-based air filter comprising glycine ionic liquids (GILs) and malleable polymer composite (GILP) with high polarity and functional group density, which are wrapped around a melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resin skeleton, forming a conductive, porous GIL functionized ionic network air filter (GILP@MF). When subjected to low voltage, the GILP@MF composite efficiently captures VLAs including nanoscale virus particles through the enhanced electrostatic attraction, especially in facing high humidity bioaerosols exhaled by human body. The filtration/collection efficiency and quality factor can reach 98.3% and 0.264 Pa-1 at 0.1 m s-1, respectively. This innovative filter provides effective VLA protection and offers potential for non-invasive respiratory virus sampling, advancing medical diagnosis efforts.

On-site portable detection of gaseous methyl iodide using an electrochemical method.

We report an electrochemical device for portable on-site detection of gaseous CH3I based on PVIm-F for the first time. The device achieves detection of gaseous CH3I with a significant selectivity and a low detection limit (0.474 ppb) in 20 min at 50 °C and 50% relative humidity, which is of great significance for achieving real-time on-site monitoring of radioactive hazardous environments.

Unveiling the role of linear alkyl organic cations in 2D layered tin halide perovskite field-effect transistors.

Two-dimensional (2D) tin halide perovskites are promising semiconductors for field-effect transistors (FETs) owing to their fascinating electronic properties. However, the correlation between the chemical nature of organic cations and charge carrier transport is still far from understanding. In this study, the influence of chain length of linear alkyl ammonium cations on film morphology, crystallinity, and charge transport in 2D tin halide perovskites is investigated. The carbon chain lengths of the organic spacers vary from propylammonium to heptanammonium. The increase of alkyl chain length leads to enhanced local charge carrier transport in the perovskite film with mobilities of up to 8 cm2 V-1 s-1, as confirmed by optical-pump terahertz spectroscopy. A similar improved macroscopic charge transport is also observed in FETs, only to the chain length of HA, due to the synergistic enhancement of film morphology and molecular organization. While the mobility increases with the temperature rise from 100 K to 200 K due to the thermally activated transport mechanism, the device performance decreases in the temperature range of 200 K to 295 K because of ion migration. These results provide guidelines on rational design principles of organic spacer cations for 2D tin halide perovskites and contribute to other optoelectronic applications.