Enhanced Co-Adsorption of Alcohols and Amines for Visible Light Driven Oxidative Condensation Using Iron-Based MOF.

Imines are essential intermediates in organic transformations, and is generally produced by dehydrogenative condensation of alcohols and amines with the assist of specialized catalysts and additives. Heterogeneous photocatalysis provides a sustainable platform for such process without the using of toxic oxidants, yet a functionalized photocatalyst with optimized co-adsorption of reactants needs to be developed to promote the stoichiometric oxidative condensation under ambient conditions. Here, we show that benzyl alcohol and aniline adsorb non-interferingly on the Fe node and the linker sites of the MIL-53(Fe) metal organic frameworks (MOFs), respectively. The co-adsorption of both reactants barely influences the reduction of molecular oxygen to generate oxygen radicals, resulting in efficient formation of benzaldehyde under visible light. Additionally, the weak adsorption of water together with surface acidity of the MIL-53(Fe) promote a rapid condensation of benzaldehyde with aniline and the depletion of generated water, achieving an efficient C-N bond creation for a wide range of substrates.

Experimental Generation of Spin-Photon Entanglement in Silicon Carbide.

A solid-state approach for quantum networks is advantageous, as it allows the integration of nanophotonics to enhance the photon emission and the utilization of weakly coupled nuclear spins for long-lived storage. Silicon carbide, specifically point defects within it, shows great promise in this regard due to the easy of availability and well-established nanofabrication techniques. Despite of remarkable progresses made, achieving spin-photon entanglement remains a crucial aspect to be realized. In this Letter, we experimentally generate entanglement between a silicon vacancy defect in silicon carbide and a scattered single photon in the zero-phonon line. The spin state is measured by detecting photons scattered in the phonon sideband. The photonic qubit is encoded in the time-bin degree of freedom and measured using an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Photonic correlations not only reveal the quality of the entanglement but also verify the deterministic nature of the entanglement creation process. By harnessing two pairs of such spin-photon entanglement, it becomes straightforward to entangle remote quantum nodes at long distance.

Single-Shot Readout of a Nuclear Spin in Silicon Carbide.

Solid-state qubits with a photonic interface is very promising for quantum networks. Color centers in silicon carbide have shown excellent optical and spin coherence, even when integrated with membranes and nanostructures. Additionally, nuclear spins coupled with electron spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories. Pioneering work previously has realized the initialization of a single nuclear spin and demonstrated its entanglement with an electron spin. In this Letter, we report the first realization of single-shot readout for a nuclear spin in SiC. We obtain a deterministic nuclear spin initialization and readout fidelity of 94.95% with a measurement duration of 1 ms. With a dual-step readout scheme, we obtain a readout fidelity as high as 99.03% within 0.28 ms by sacrificing the success efficiency. Our Letter complements the experimental toolbox of harnessing both electron and nuclear spins in SiC for future quantum networks.

Therapeutic administration of Luteolin protects against Escherichia coli-derived Lipopolysaccharide-triggered inflammatory response and oxidative injury.

Endometritis reduces reproductive effectiveness and leads to significant financial losses in the dairy sector. Luteolin is a natural phyto-flavonoid compound with many biological activities. However, the therapeutic effect of Luteolin against lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced endometritis has not yet been explored. A total of eighty female Kunming mice were randomly assigned into four treatment groups (n = 20). Following a successful initiation of the endometritis model by LPS, Luteolin was intraperitoneally administered three times, at six-hour intervals between each injection in the Luteolin groups. The histopathological findings revealed that Luteolin significantly alleviated uterine injury induced by LPS. Moreover, Luteolin suppressed the synthesis of pro-inflammatory mediators [interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α] while promoting the synthesis of an anti-inflammatory mediator (IL-10) altered by LPS. Furthermore, Luteolin significantly mitigated the LPS-induced oxidative stress by scavenging malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), accumulation and boosting the capacity of antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1) in the uterine tissue of mice. Additionally, injection of Luteolin markedly increased the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLR) 4 both at mRNA and protein levels under LPS stimulation. Western blotting and ELISA findings demonstrated that Luteolin suppressed the activation of the NF-κB pathway in response to LPS exposure in the uterine tissue of mice. Notably, Luteolin enhanced the anti-oxidant defense system by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway under LPS exposure in the uterine tissue of mice. Conclusively, our findings demonstrated that Luteolin effectively alleviated LPS-induced endometritis via modulation of TLR4-associated Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Different reference genomes determine different results: Comparing SNP calling in RAD-seq of Engelhardia roxburghiana using different reference genomes.

Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have significantly reduced the cost and improved the efficiency of obtaining single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, particularly through restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). Meanwhile, the progression in whole genome sequencing has led to the utilization of an increasing number of reference genomes in SNP calling processes. This study utilized RAD-seq data from 242 individuals of Engelhardia roxburghiana, a tropical tree of the walnut family (Juglandaceae), with SNP calling conducted using the STACKS pipeline. We aimed to compare both reference-based approaches, namely, employing a closely related species as the reference genome versus the species itself as the reference genome, to evaluate their respective merits and limitations. Our findings indicate a substantial discrepancy in the number of obtained SNPs between using a closely related species as opposed to the species itself as reference genomes, the former yielded approximately an order of magnitude fewer SNPs compared to the latter. While the missing rate of individuals and sites of the final SNPs obtained in the two scenarios showed no significant difference. The results showed that using the reference genome of the species itself tends to be prioritized in RAD-seq studies. However, if this is unavailable, considering closely related genomes is feasible due to their wide applicability and low missing rate as alternatives. This study contributes to enrich the understanding of the impact of SNP acquisition when utilizing different reference genomes.

Effects of Square Stepping Exercise on cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults: A center-based hybrid trial.

BACKGROUND: The Square Stepping Exercise (SSE) is an exercise training program that integrates physical exercise and cognitive elements and can be conducted in a group setting. The potential of SSE in delaying cognitive decline in older adults is promising. However, the coronavirus pandemic has made it more difficult for older adults worldwide to exercise together in person. To address this issue, this study conducted a wholistic evaluation of the effects of a center-based hybrid SSE trial on cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults. METHODS: A total of 93 older adults (19 men, 74 women) participated in the study. Fifty-eight participants (9 men, 49 women) completed center-based hybrid SSE sessions over 12 weeks under coronavirus pandemic circumstances, whereas other 35 participants in the control group maintained their current level of daily activities. Cognitive functions focused on executive functions assessed by the Stroop Color-Word Test (inhibition) and the Trail Marking Test (TMT) (set-shifting). Psychological and group functioning were assessed by the Subjective Vitality Scale and the Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire. Physical function was evaluated by measuring gait speeds. A repeated ANOVA was conducted on the measured variables separately for the intervention and control groups to focus on the change of participant's performance over data collection points. RESULTS: Outcomes of the Stroop Color-Word Test and the TMT revealed that the hybrid SSE was highly effective in improving executive function. Stroop performance (correct trials) was significantly improved in the incongruent condition, as well as both TMT-A and -B over the intervention period in the intervention group. The hybrid SSE was also beneficial to improve physical (gait speed at usual pace and at the maximum pace) as well as psychological functioning (subjective vitality). Furthermore, SSE participants reported increased engagement with the SSE task, social communication, and increased bonding and closeness with their group members through the hybrid SSE. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, hybrid SSE was found to be effective in enhancing cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults. The findings of this study are crucial to provide older adults with a safer and efficient option to exercise.

Disruption in CYLC1 leads to acrosome detachment, sperm head deformity, and male in/subfertility in humans and mice.

The perinuclear theca (PT) is a dense cytoplasmic web encapsulating the sperm nucleus. The physiological roles of PT in sperm biology and the clinical relevance of variants of PT proteins to male infertility are still largely unknown. We reveal that cylicin-1, a major constituent of the PT, is vital for male fertility in both mice and humans. Loss of cylicin-1 in mice leads to a high incidence of malformed sperm heads with acrosome detachment from the nucleus. Cylicin-1 interacts with itself, several other PT proteins, the inner acrosomal membrane (IAM) protein SPACA1, and the nuclear envelope (NE) protein FAM209 to form an 'IAM-cylicins-NE' sandwich structure, anchoring the acrosome to the nucleus. WES (whole exome sequencing) of more than 500 Chinese infertile men with sperm head deformities was performed and a CYLC1 variant was identified in 19 patients. Cylc1-mutant mice carrying this variant also exhibited sperm acrosome/head deformities and reduced fertility, indicating that this CYLC1 variant most likely affects human male reproduction. Furthermore, the outcomes of assisted reproduction were reported for patients harbouring the CYLC1 variant. Our findings demonstrate a critical role of cylicin-1 in the sperm acrosome-nucleus connection and suggest CYLC1 variants as potential risk factors for human male fertility.

Synthetic Chemistry in Flow: From Photolysis & Homogeneous Photocatalysis to Heterogeneous Photocatalysis.

Photocatalytic synthesis of value-added chemicals has gained increasing attention in recent years owing to its versatility in driving many important reactions under ambient conditions. Selective hydrogenation, oxidation, coupling, and halogenation with a high conversion of the reactants have been realized using designed photocatalysts in batch reactors with small volumes at a laboratory scale; however, scaling-up remains a critical challenge due to inefficient utilization of incident light and active sites of the photocatalysts, resulting in poor catalytic performance that hinders its practical applications. Flow systems are considered one of the solutions for practical applications of light-driven reactions and have experienced great success in photolytic and homogeneous photocatalysis, yet their applications in heterogeneous photocatalysis are still under development. In this perspective, we have summarized recent progress in photolytic and photocatalytic synthetic chemistry performed in flow systems from the view of reactor design with a special focus on heterogeneous photocatalysis. The advantages and limitations of different flow systems, as well as some practical considerations of design strategies are discussed.

Up-regulation of inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptotic mediators via inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptosis-associated pathways in bovine endometritis.

Endometritis is the inflammation of the endothelial lining of the uterine lumen and is multifactorial in etiology. Escherichia (E.) coli is a Gram-negative bacteria, generally considered as a primary causative agent for bovine endometritis. Bovine endometritis is characterized by the activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) by E. coli, which in turn triggers inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the gene expression of inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptotic markers related to endometritis in the uteri of cows. Twenty uterine tissues were collected from the abattoir. Histologically, congestion, edema, hyperemia, and hemorrhagic lesions with massive infiltration of neutrophil and cell necrosis were detected markedly (P < 0.05) in infected uterine samples. Additionally, we identify E. coli using the ybbW gene (177 base pairs; E. coli-specific gene) from infected uterine samples. Moreover, qPCR and western blot results indicated that TLR2, TLR4, proinflammatory mediators, and apoptosis-mediated genes upregulated except Bcl-2, which is antiapoptotic, and there were downregulations of oxidative stress-related genes in the infected uterine tissue. The results of our study suggested that different gene expression regimes related to the immune system reflex were activated in infected uteri. This research gives a novel understanding of active immunological response in bovine endometritis.

Tektin bundle interacting protein, TEKTIP1, functions to stabilize the tektin bundle and axoneme in mouse sperm flagella.

Tektins are microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) and localize at the inside lumen of doublet microtubules (DMTs) of cilia/flagella. TEKTIP1, a newly identified protein by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), is proposed to be localized at the center of the tektin bundle and hypothesized to recruit tektins or stabilize the bundle. However, the physiological role of TEKTIP1 is unknown. In this study, we generated Tektip1-knockout (Tektip1-/-) mice and showed that they were male subfertile primarily due to reduced sperm motility. A high percentage of sperm from Tektip1-/- mice showed moderately disorganized axoneme structures and abnormal flagellar waveforms. TEKTIP1 predominately interacted with TEKT3 among tektins. Loss of TEKTIP1 partially disturbed the organization of tektin bundle by mainly affecting the native status of TEKT3 and its interaction with other tektins. Collectively, our study reveals the physiological role and potential molecular mechanism of TEKTIP1 in axonemal structure and sperm motility, highlights the importance of MIPs in stabilizing DMTs, and suggests a potential relevance of TEKTIP1 deficiency to human asthenospermia. Tektip1-/- mice will be an excellent animal model to study the DMT organization of sperm flagella using cryo-EM in future.

Aberrant activated Notch1 promotes prostate enlargement driven by androgen signaling via disrupting mitochondrial function in mouse.

The prostate is a vital accessory gonad in the mammalian male reproductive system. With the ever-increasing proportion of the population over 60 years of age worldwide, the incidence of prostate diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa), is on the rise and is gradually becoming a significant medical problem globally. The notch signaling pathway is essential in regulating prostate early development. However, the potential regulatory mechanism of Notch signaling in prostatic enlargement and hyperplasia remains unclear. In this study, we proved that overactivation of Notch1 signaling in mouse prostatic epithelial cells (OEx) led to prostatic enlargement via enhancing proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of prostatic epithelial cells. Further study showed that N1ICD/RBPJ directly up-regulated the androgen receptor (AR) and enhanced prostatic sensitivity to androgens. Hyper-proliferation was not found in orchidectomized OEx mice without androgen supply but was observed after Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) supplementation. Our data showed that the number of mitochondrion in prostatic epithelial cells of OEx mice was increased, but the mitochondrial function was impaired, and the essential activity of the mitochondrial respiratory electron transport chain was significantly weakened. Disordered mitochondrial number and metabolic function further resulted in excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, anti-oxidant N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) therapy could alleviate prostatic hyperplasia caused by the over-activation of Notch1 signaling. Furthermore, we observed the incremental Notch signaling activity in progenitor-like club cells in the scRNA-seq data set of human BPH patients. Moreover, the increased number of TROP2+ progenitors and Club cells was also confirmed in our OEx mice. In conclusion, our study revealed that over-activated Notch1 signaling induces prostatic enlargement by increasing androgen receptor sensitivity, disrupting cellular mitochondrial metabolism, increasing ROS, and a higher number of progenitor cells, all of which can be effectively rescued by NAC treatment.

Identification of CFAP52 as a novel diagnostic target of male infertility with defects of sperm head-tail connection and flagella development.

Male infertility is a worldwide population health concern. Asthenoteratozoospermia is a common cause of male infertility, but its etiology remains incompletely understood. No evidence indicates the relevance of CFAP52 mutations to human male infertility. Our whole-exome sequencing identified compound heterozygous mutations in CFAP52 recessively cosegregating with male infertility status in a non-consanguineous Chinese family. Spermatozoa of CFAP52-mutant patient mainly exhibited abnormal head-tail connection and deformed flagella. Cfap52-knockout mice resembled the human infertile phenotype, showing a mixed acephalic spermatozoa syndrome (ASS) and multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) phenotype. The ultrastructural analyses further revealed a failure of connecting piece formation and a serious disorder of '9+2' axoneme structure. CFAP52 interacts with a head-tail coupling regulator SPATA6 and is essential for its stability. Expression of microtubule inner proteins and radial spoke proteins were reduced after the CFAP52 deficiency. Moreover, CFAP52-associated male infertility in humans and mice could be overcome by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The study reveals a prominent role for CFAP52 in sperm development, suggesting that CFAP52 might be a novel diagnostic target for male infertility with defects of sperm head-tail connection and flagella development.

Electric Field Enhanced Ammoxidation of Aldehydes Using Supported Fe Clusters Under Ambient Oxygen Pressure.

Heterogeneous catalytic ammoxidation provides an eco-friendly route for the cyanide-free synthesis of nitrile compounds, which are important precursors for synthetic chemistry and pharmaceutical applications. However, in general such a process requires high pressures of molecular oxygen at elevated temperatures to accelerate the oxygen reduction and imine dehydrogenation steps, which is highly risky in practical applications. Here, we report an electric field enhanced ammoxidation system using a supported Fe clusters catalyst (Fe/NC), which enables efficient synthesis of nitriles from the corresponding aldehydes under ambient air pressure at room temperature (RT). A synergistic effect between the external electric field and the Fe/NC catalyst promotes the ammonia activation and the dehydrogenation of the generated imine intermediates and avoids the unwanted backwards reaction to aldehydes. This electric field enhanced ammoxidation system presents high efficiency and selectivity for the conversion of a series of aldehydes under mild conditions with high durability, rendering it an attractive process for the green synthesis of nitriles with fragile functional groups.

Vanillin prevents the growth of endometriotic lesions through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways in a mouse model.

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory gynecological disease defined by the presence of endometrial glands and mesenchyme outside the uterine cavity, named ectopic endometrium. Recent studies showed that endometriosis is associated with hormone imbalance, inflammation and oxidative stress. As the main component of vanilla bean extract, vanillin is widely used as a flavoring agent in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. It is known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antitumor properties, but its therapeutic efficacy in endometriosis has not been studied. In this study, we evaluated the roles of vanillin in this disease using an induced endometriotic mouse model. The results showed that vanillin significantly inhibited the growth of endometrial lesions. Compared with the control group, the weight and volume of lesions were reduced considerably in the vanillin-treated group, showing its fantastic ability to inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis. In addition, in the treatment group, mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines Tnfa, Infg, Il1b, and Il6 was reduced, the number of macrophages and neutrophils was decreased, and the NF-κB signaling pathway was inhibited, indicating that vanillin suppressed the inflammatory response in the ectopic endometrium. Besides, we found that the intensity of tissue reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly lower, and mitochondrial complex IV expression was reduced in the vanillin-treated group. Meanwhile, treatment of the immortalized human endometriotic epithelial cell line (11Z) with vanillin resulted in the downregulation of cyclin genes that drive the cell proliferation process, inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and downregulated the expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines. Most importantly, our data showed that the vanillin treatment had only minimal effects on the eutopic endometrium with respect to the pregnancy process, indicating its safety to be used in treating endometriosis in adults. In conclusion, our data suggest that vanillin has potential therapeutic properties for endometriosis as a regulatory molecule of cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

CFAP70 is a solid and valuable target for the genetic diagnosis of oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia in infertile men.

BACKGROUND: Male infertility is a worldwide population health concern, but its aetiology remains largely understood. Although CFAP70 variants have already been reported in two oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT) individuals by sequencing, animal evidence to support CFAP70 as a credible OAT-pathogenic gene is lacking. METHOD: Cfap70-KO mice were generated to explore the physiological role of CFAP70. CFAP70 variants were detected in infertile men with OAT by whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing confirmation. Cfap70-truncated mice were further generated to explore the pathogenicity of the nonsense variant of CFAP70 identified in the proband. FINDINGS: Here, we demonstrate that Cfap70-KO mice are sterile mainly due to OAT and further identify a Chinese infertile man carrying a homozygous nonsense variant (c.2962C > T/p.R988X) of CFAP70. Cfap70-truncated mice lacking 5-8 tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) mimic the patient's symptoms. CFAP70 is required for the biogenesis of spermatid flagella partially by regulating the expression of OAT-associated proteins (e.g., QRICH2), assisting the cytoplasmic preassembly of the calmodulin- and radial spoke-associated complex (CSC), and controlling the manchette localization of axoneme-related proteins. Moreover, we suggest that CFAP70-associated male infertility could be overcome by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. INTERPRETATION: Overall, we demonstrate that CFAP70 is necessary to assemble spermatid flagella and that CFAP70 gene could be used as a diagnostic target for male infertility with OAT in the clinic. FUNDING: This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Project (2019YFA0802101 to S.C), Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education (to S.C), Central Government to Guide Local Scientific and Technological Development (ZY21195023 to B.W), and Basic Research Projects of Central Scientific Research Institutes (to B.W).

Aberrant activation of Notch1 signaling in the mouse uterine epithelium promotes hyper-proliferation by increasing estrogen sensitivity.

In mammals, the endometrium undergoes dynamic changes in response to estrogen and progesterone to prepare for blastocyst implantation. Two distinct types of endometrial epithelial cells, the luminal (LE) and glandular (GE) epithelial cells play different functional roles during this physiological process. Previously, we have reported that Notch signaling plays multiple roles in embryo implantation, decidualization, and postpartum repair. Here, using the uterine epithelial-specific Ltf-iCre, we showed that Notch1 signaling over-activation in the endometrial epithelium caused dysfunction of the epithelium during the estrous cycle, resulting in hyper-proliferation. During pregnancy, it further led to dysregulation of estrogen and progesterone signaling, resulting in infertility in these animals. Using 3D organoids, we showed that over-activation of Notch1 signaling increased the proliferative potential of both LE and GE cells and reduced the difference in transcription profiles between them, suggesting disrupted differentiation of the uterine epithelium. In addition, we demonstrated that both canonical and non-canonical Notch signaling contributed to the hyper-proliferation of GE cells, but only the non-canonical pathway was involved with estrogen sensitivity in the GE cells. These findings provided insights into the effects of Notch1 signaling on the proliferation, differentiation, and function of the uterine epithelium. This study demonstrated the important roles of Notch1 signaling in regulating hormone response and differentiation of endometrial epithelial cells and provides an opportunity for future studies in estrogen-dependent diseases, such as endometriosis.

High luminescent N,S,P co-doped carbon dots for the fluorescence sensing of extreme acidity and folic acid.

Carbon dots are popular luminescent materials because of their excellent fluorescence properties, but the low quantum yield limits their application. Heteroatom doping is a more convenient and popular approach to increase the quantum yield of carbon dots. Here, novel N,S,P heteroatom co-doped carbon dots (N,S,P-CDs) were synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal method using m-phenylenediamine, L-cysteine and phosphoric acid as raw materials. The as-prepared N,S,P-CDs showed excellent photoluminescence properties with a fluorescence quantum yield of up to 41%, which greatly encourages their application in fluorescence sensing. The N,S,P-CDs exhibited good fluorescence stability under salt solution, xenon lamp irradiation and ultraviolet lamp irradiation except for a high sensitivity to extreme acidity. The fluorescence intensity of the N,S,P-CDs can be decreased by as much as 85% when the pH of the solution changes from 2.50 to 4.75, that is, a small fluctuation in pH can cause an intense response of the fluorescence of the N,S,P-CDs. Therefore, an excellent fluorescence sensing platform for accurately monitoring the pH of extreme acidity has been constructed. In addition, the N,S,P-CDs can be applied for quantitative detection of folic acid based on the strong quenching effect of folic acid on the fluorescence of the N,S,P-CDs. Good linearity was obtained in the concentration range of 4.85-82.45 µM, with a detection limit of 0.148 µM. The constructed sensing platform was used for the determination of folic acid in actual samples of orange juice, oatmeal and tablets with satisfactory results.

Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Hydrogenative Reactions Using Liquid Hydrogen Donors: Mechanisms, Catalysts Design, and Applications.

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising approach for a wide range of hydrogenative reactions owing to the mild reaction conditions and the possibility of employing liquid hydrogen donors. Currently, the major interest is focused on the development of high performance photocatalyst materials and the expansion of reaction scope. An overview from a perspective of hydrogen donor and thus the related mechanistic understanding of the light-induced hydrogenative reactions is rare. Here, we have categorized the photocatalytic hydrogenative reactions by the type of employed liquid hydrogen donors (hydrocarbons and water), discussed the basic criteria of hydrogen abstraction from these donors, and elaborated the design strategy of the photocatalyst materials.

Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Recycling of FeX2 /FeX3 for Efficient Halogenation of C-H Bonds Using NaX.

Environmental-friendly halogenation of C-H bonds using abundant, non-toxic halogen salts is in high demand in various chemical industries, yet the efficiency and selectivity of laboratory available protocols are far behind the conventional photolytic halogenation process which uses hazardous halogen sources. Here we report an FeX2 (X=Br, Cl) coupled semiconductor system for efficient, selective, and continuous photocatalytic halogenation using NaX as halogen source under mild conditions. Herein, FeX2 catalyzes the reduction of molecular oxygen and the consumption of generated oxygen radicals, thus boosting the generation of halogen radicals and elemental halogen for direct halogenation and indirect halogenation via the formation of FeX3 . Recycling of FeX2 and FeX3 during the photocatalytic process enables the halogenation of a wide range of hydrocarbons in a continuous flow, rendering it a promising method for applications.