Zr-Based MOF-Stabilized CO2-Responsive Pickering Emulsions for Efficient Reduction of Nitroarenes.

A Pickering emulsion is a natural microreactor for interfacial catalysis in which an emulsifier is critical. Recently, a metal-organic framework (MOF) has attracted attention to emulsify water-organic mixtures for constructing a Pickering emulsion. However, a few stimuli-responsive Pickering emulsions based on MOFs have been reported, and the MOF emulsifiers cannot be regenerated at room temperature. Herein, the Zr-MOF with a rodlike morphology is synthesized using ionic liquid as a modulator and then modified with n-(trimethoxysilylpropyl)imidazole (C3im) to prepare a series of functionalized Zr-MOFs (MOF-C3im). It is found that MOF-C3im is an excellent emulsifier to construct stable and CO2-responsive Pickering emulsions even at low content (>0.20 wt %). Notably, the emulsification and demulsification of the emulsions can be easily and reversibly switched by bubbling of CO2 and N2 alternatively at room temperature because CO2 and imidazole molecules anchored on the Zr-MOF underwent a reversible acid-base reaction, resulting in an obvious change in the wettability of the emulsifier. As a proof of concept, the reduction reactions of nitrobenzene have been successfully carried out in these Pickering emulsions, demonstrating the efficient integration as a microreactor for chemical reaction, product separation, and emulsifier recycling under ambient conditions. This strategy provides an innovative option to develop stimulus-responsive Pickering emulsions for sustainable chemical processes.

Recycling Organic Dyes within the Metal-Organic Framework for Photothermal Conversion.

The pursuit of a straightforward method to recycle organic dyes from effluents and repurpose them into valuable materials represents a highly sought-after yet huge challenge within the realms of chemistry, environment, and materials science. In this context, we employ a host-guest strategy that leverages the recycling of the rhodamine B molecule within the porous structure of a metal-organic framework to facilitate photothermal conversion. This achievement is realized through the electrostatic interaction, which then gives rise to remarkable selectivity and unparalleled uptake capacity for the cationic rhodamine B molecule. Capitalizing on this approach, the application of a columnar device and membrane technology for efficiently trapping rhodamine B molecules becomes feasible. On account of the aggregation effect resulting from the confined pore structure of the host matrix, the fluorescence emission of the encapsulated RhB molecules is significantly reduced, which consequently enhances the photothermal performance of the hybrid material through nonradiative transition. Moreover, the photothermal conversion achieved showcases a myriad of high-performance applications, including bacterial inhibition against Escherichia coli and seawater desalination.

Isomerization of DASA Molecules in the Nanopores of Metal-Organic Frameworks: What Determines Its Reversibility?

In recent years, light-responsive molecules have been incorporated in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to fabricate light-responsive intelligent devices, where reversible isomerization of the guest molecules in the nanopores is crucial. However, how to design a porous environment of MOFs to achieve a reversible isomerization remains unknown until now. In this work, donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs), a new kind of visible light responsive compound, were confined in the nanopores of different MOFs to study their isomerization upon visible-light irradiation/mild heating. We found that the polarity of the pore environment is the key to control the reversibility of isomerization of such guest molecules. Under the guidance of this principle, MIL-53(Al) was screened to investigate the proton conductivity and switching performance of the DASA-confined MOF. The proton conductance was up to 0.013 S cm-1 at 80 °C and 98 % RH, and at least 30 switching cycles were achieved thanks to the Grotthuss-type mechanism and the low polarity of MIL-53(Al) pore environment.

Li-Mn Bimetallic Metal-Organic Framework and Its Derivative as a Cathode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The bimetallic organic-inorganic hybrid complex [Li2Mn3(ipa)4(DMF)4]n (ipa = deprotonated 1,3-isophthalic acid, DMF = N,N'-dimethyl formamide) was synthesized via a solvothermal method and then further calcined at high temperature to prepare a spinel-type lithium manganate (LiMn2O4) cathode under different atmospheres with various calcination conditions. The structure of the complex [Li2Mn3(ipa)4(DMF)4]n was represented by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder XRD, and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The morphology and elements of LiMn2O4 were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical properties of LiMn2O4 indicated that the direct calcination in an air atmosphere at 850 °C for 12 h was the optimal synthetic condition. The initial discharge specific capacity can reach 95.9 mA h g-1 with an open-circuit voltage of ca. 3.0 V and an upper cutoff voltage of ca. 4.3 V at 0.1 C. The initial discharge-specific capacity of 89.8 mA h g-1 at 1 C had a Coulombic efficiency of 95.3%. This was 73 mA h g-1 at a high rate of 5 C increasing to 91.6 mA h g-1 after returning to 0.1 C. After 500 cycles at 1 C, the system remained at 80.7 mA h g-1 with 89.9% of the initial discharge specific capacity. These features exhibit better stability than that of the reported LiCoO2 and LiNiO2 in battery material for LiMn2O4 enforcement.

Controllable Synthesis of Centrosymmetric/Noncentrosymmetric Phases for the Family of Halogen-Based Photonic Coordination Polymers to Enhance the Phase-Matching Second-Harmonic-Generation Response.

The nonlinear-optical (NLO) materials with second-harmonic-generation (SHG) response need to crystallize in the noncentrosymmetric space group. It is very difficult to control the synthetic conditions to solely form a noncentrosymmetric phase for the materials with noncentrosymmetric and centrosymmetric conformations. Herein, we found that the temperature and halogen anion play an important role during the formation procedure of the pure noncentrosymmetric or centrosymmetric phase for the halogen-based family of coordination polymers to yield hybrid materials with a phase-matching SHG response as well as inherit the primary excellent photonic property of organic linkers. Our results provide a good choice for the design and construction of novel materials with a particular photonic property.

Ultrasensitive Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Site-Specific Ratio Fluorescent Rotor for Real-Time Highly Selective Evaluation of mtDNA Oxidative Damage in Living Cells.

The unrepaired apurinic/apyrimidinic site (AP site) in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) promotes misincorporation of nucleotides and further causes serious damage for the living organism. Thus, accurate quantitative detection of AP sites in mtDNA in a rapid, highly sensitive, and highly selective fashion is important for the real-time evaluation of mtDNA oxidative damage. In this study, a targeting mtDNA ultrasensitive AP site-specific fluorescent rotor (BTBM-CN2) was designed by the strategy of molecular conformation torsion adjustment ratio fluorescent signal. The specific recognition reaction is activated when it encountered AP sites in mtDNA within 20 s, and BTBM-CN2 presented a "turn-on" red fluorescence signal at 598 nm. Then, about 100 s later, BTBM-CN2 emitted a new green fluorescence signal at 480 nm, which is mainly due to the activation of the rate-limiting reaction. With increasing numbers of AP sites (1-40 in 1 × 105 bp of mtDNA), the fluorescence emission at 598 nm decreased gradually, and the new emission at 480 nm increased. Intracellular experiments indicated that BTBM-CN2 could detect AP sites in mtDNA in a rapid and quantitative fashion with high selectivity and ultrasensitivity. On the basis of the emergence of the fluorescence signal at 480 nm and its signal strength, the cell whose mtDNA was damaged could be screened by flow cytometry and its degree of damage could be evaluated in real time by comet assay. Hence, the rotor may have potential applications varying from accurate and ultrasensitive detection of AP sites to the real-time evaluation of the oxidative damage in living cells.

Nucleoside-Based Ultrasensitive Fluorescent Probe for the Dual-Mode Imaging of Microviscosity in Living Cells.

Microviscosity changes of living cells have a far-reaching influence on diffusion and movement capacity of RNA and, more seriously, could modify RNA functions in living cells. Fluorescent rotor, whose fluorescence responds to different environmental viscosities, holds great potential for the imaging of viscosity in biosystem. Although many fluorescent rotors have been reported for viscosity, the fluorogenic rotor with ultrasensitivity for the determination of microviscosity (<10 cP) was rarely reported. Herein, we report a nucleoside-based two-photon fluorescent rotor (dABp-3) that can selectively and ultrasensitively image microviscosity in RNA region of living cells for the first time. 2'-Deoxyadenosine is selected as an electron donor to permit energy transfer via the acetylenic bond to acceptor, a typical boron dipyrromethene moiety. Another highlight, dABp-3 is based on 2'-deoxyadenosine, which result in its recognition capacity for RNA. dABp-3 with ultrasensitivity provides a varied linear response to the microrange viscosity (1.8-6.0 cP) in RNA region of living cells on dual-mode-two-photon ratio mode and fluorescence lifetime mode. After screening and optimization, advantageously, dABp-3 can be used to screen reticulocytes from mature blood cells of thrombosis models in vitro and in vivo because of targeting RNA, while simultaneously image microviscosity changes in these cells. So, dABp-3 as an analytical tool holds considerable promise for bioimaging and monitoring of microviscosity changes in complex biological systems.

Toward understanding ammonia capture in two amino-functionalized metal-organic frameworks using in-situ infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculation.

Two isostructural, three-dimensional, interpenetrated amino-functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks (Co-2AIN-MOF and Cd-2AIN-MOF) based on 2-aminoisonicotinic acid (2AIN) were synthesized, structurally characterized and determined. Based on the PXRD analysis, the solvent exchange hardly changed their framework structure, and the samples fully activated by methanol can be achieved and examined by infrared spectroscopy. Due to the presence of the carbonyl group and free amino groups in the pore of the framework, the NH3 uptakes of Co-2AIN-MOF and Cd-2AIN-MOF are 11.70 and 13.81 mmol/g and at 1 bar, respectively. In-situ Infrared spectroscopy and DFT calculations revealed the different adsorption sites and processes between Co-2AIN-MOF and Cd-2AIN-MOF.

1-Carboxymethyl-3-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium chloride 2-(3-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium-1-yl)acetate monohydrate: a crystal stabilized by imidazolium zwitterions.

The title compound, C6H9N2O2(+)·Cl(-)·C6H8N2O2·H2O, contains one 2-(3-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium-1-yl)acetate inner salt molecule, one 1-carboxymethyl-3-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium cation, one chloride ion and one water molecule. In the extended structure, chloride anions and water molecules are linked via O-H···Cl hydrogen bonds, forming an infinite one-dimensional chain. The chloride anions are also linked by two weak C-H···Cl interactions to neighbouring methylene groups and imidazole rings. Two imidazolium moieties form a homoconjugated cation through a strong and asymmetric O-H···O hydrogen bond of 2.472 (2) Å. The IR spectrum shows a continuous D-type absorption in the region below 1300 cm(-1) and is different to that of 1-carboxymethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Xuan, Wang & Xue (2012). Spectrochim. Acta Part A, 96, 436-443].

Two-dimensional coordination polymers with high proton conductivity and ultrafast highly efficient molecular sieving constructed by the structural inductive effect.

A family of unique 2D-layered Cu-based coordination polymers (abbreviated as HNNU-1α, 1ß and 1γ) with different halide anions were successfully constructed using a zwitterion pyridiniumolate as the structural inductive agent (SIA). More importantly, we found that the laminates of HNNU-1α exhibit ultrafast highly-efficient molecular sieving in a water system, and HNNU-1α to 1γ display a good proton conductivity of ca. 2.2 × 10-2, 4.9 × 10-5, and 3.0 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 90 °C and 98% relative humidity (RH), respectively.

The enhanced dissolution of beta-cyclodextrin in some hydrophilic ionic liquids.

Beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) is difficult to dissolve in water and in many common solvents and searching for the proper solvents is the key step to expand its application. In this work, six kinds of hydrophilic ionic liquids 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3- methylimidazolium dicyanamide and 1-allyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dicyanamide have been prepared. The solubilities of beta-cyclodextrin in these ionic liquids have been determined in the temperature range from 333.2 to 363.2 K with 5 K intervals. The solution thermodynamic parameters of beta-cyclodextrin have been calculated from the solubility data. It was shown that solubility of beta-cyclodextrin was remarkable in ionic liquids, it was as high as 125.0 g in 100 g of [Amim][N(CN)(2)] at 348.2 K. The dissolution process was unfavorable thermodynamically and controlled by the enthalpic term. (1)H NMR and IR spectroscopic measurements were used to study the enhanced dissolution of beta-cyclodextrin in the ionic liquids. The results indicated that 1:1 inclusion complexes were formed between beta-cyclodextrin and imidazolium cations of the ionic liquids. The differences in the solubility of beta-cyclodextrin have been discussed from the interionic interaction between cation and anion of the ionic liquids and the inclusion interaction of the cations of the ionic liquids into the cavities of beta-cyclodextrin. The strength of the interionic interactions was found to be predominant for the dissolution of beta-cyclodextrin. It is expected that such information may find application in the molecular design of the stationary phases in gas chromatography.

[Ab initio calculations of vibrational frequencies and structures of ion pairs of perchlorate].

Ion association of solutions of lithium perchlorate in N,N-dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methyl acetate and other organic solvents have been investigated by infrared and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The spectroscopically free ion, contact ion pair and dimer are fingerprint by the curve fitting of upsilon1 band of. The most stable geometries of contact ion pairs and dimmer, and the vibrational frequencies were optimized and calculated using the ab initio methods. The comparison between calculated and experimental data of band position was made. Effect of solvation mode and solvent molecule on the vibrational frequencies of ion pairs was also indicated.

A molecular-logic gate for COX-2 and NAT based on conformational and structural changes: visualizing the progression of liver disease.

Lighting up the relevant lesion boundaries during operations is vital for guiding the effective resection of hepatopathic tissue. We envisioned that molecular-logic gates, which are known for their excellent digital correlation between input and output signals, could be used to facilitate differential visualization of lesion boundaries. Herein, a series of flexible molecules, naphthalene imide-indole derivatives (IAN) were prepared and evaluated as molecular-logic gates. The input and output signals of the IAN derivatives were successfully used to highlight different hepatopathic regions in order to facilitate boundary differentiation. The IAN derivatives produce different signals due to collaborative changes in the conformation and structure. The hepatopathy-related enzymes (COX-2 and NAT) were used to induce conformational and structural changes in IAN derivatives. Based on these enzyme induced synergistic effects, IAN can sensitively emit different coloured signals such as green, cyan and blue (output signals) as a function of the different input signals, i.e. the different activity of COX-2 and NAT in solution and living cells. Significantly, the IAN derivatives were successfully used to distinguish the boundaries of hepatopathic lesions in tissues after spraying with IAN derivatives (mild cirrhosis, severe cirrhosis, in addition to early and late hepatocellular carcinoma) under a hand held lamp at 365 nm by naked eye.

Di-µ-benzoato-κO,O':O;κO:O,O'-bis-[(acetato-κO)(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')lead(II)] dihydrate.

The title compound, [Pb(2)(CH(3)COO)(2)(C(7)H(5)O(2))(2)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)]·2H(2)O, consists of dimeric units built up around a crystallographic centre of symmetry and two non-coordinating water mol-ecules. Each Pb(II) unit is six-coordinated by a bidentate 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ligand, a monodentate acetate anion and a bidentate benzoate anion, which also acts as a bridge linking the two Pb(II) atoms. The crystal packing is stabilized by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and by π-π inter-actions between the phen rings of neighboring mol-ecules, with a centroid-centroid distance of 3.577 (3) Å.

Structural Transformation Pathways of Alkaline Earth Family Coordination Polymers Containing 3,3',5,5'-Biphenyl Tetracarboxylic Acid.

The understanding of crystal stepwise transformation is very important to enclose the "black box" in the preparation of crystal materials. In this work, different structural intermediates were isolated prior to the formation of the final alkali earth coordination polymers (CPs) during the preparation of three pairs of alkali earth CPs through solvothermal method and convenient oil-bath reactions. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated the structural transformation from a 0 D to 1 D inorganic connectivity for the Ca-CPs and Sr-CPs, but a 1 D to 0 D inorganic connectivity for Ba-CPs, involving the breakage/formation of chemical bonds in the reaction solutions. Further analyses indicated that these two different structural transformation pathways are determined by the deprotonation of organic acid, competitive balance between the inorganic and organic connectivity, and the twist of the linker. FT-IR spectra, thermogravimetric and luminescence behaviors agree with their structural characteristics.

Light-activated "cycle-reversible intramolecular charge transfer" fluorescent probe: monitoring of pHi trace change induced by UV light in programmed cell death.

Under the synergistic effects of protonation and deprotonation, a light-activated fluorescent probe (UV-SP) exhibited "cycle-reversible intramolecular charge transfer (ICT)" for different pH after activation by UV light, resulting in emission of multiple ratio fluorescent signals (FI563/FI595 and FI664/FI595). Based on these kinds of response signals, UV-SP can specifically monitor the cycle-reversible trace change of intracellular pH caused by UV radiation. More importantly, according to the stable and invariant multiple ratio fluorescent signals, UV-SP can sort cells entering programmed death.

A sulfur coordination polymer with wide bandgap semiconductivity formed from zinc(II) and 5-methylsulfanyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thione.

The sulfur coordination polymer catena-poly[zinc(II)-µ2-bis[5-(methylsulfanyl)-2-sulfanylidene-2,3-dihydro-1,3,4-thiadiazol-3-ido-κ2N3:S]], [Zn(C3H3N2S3)2]n or [Zn2MTT4]n, constructed from Zn2+ ions and 5-methylsulfanyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thione (HMTT), was synthesized successfully and structurally characterized. [Zn2MTT4]n crystallizes in the tetragonal space group I-4 (No. 82). Each MTT- ligand (systematic name: 5-methylsulfanyl-2-sulfanylidene-2,3-dihydro-1,3,4-thiadiazol-3-ide) coordinates to two different ZnII ions, one via the thione group and the other via a ring N atom, with one ZnII atom being in a tetrahedral ZnS4 and the other in a tetrahedral ZnN4 coordination environment. These tetrahedral ZnS4 and ZnN4 units are alternately linked by the organic ligands, forming a one-dimensional chain structure along the c axis. The one-dimensional chains are further linked via C-H...N and C-H...S hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional network adopting an ABAB-style arrangement that lies along both the a and b axes. The three-dimensional Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint plots confirm the major interactions as C-H...S hydrogen bonds with a total of 35.1%, while 7.4% are C-H...N hydrogen-bond interactions. [Zn2MTT4]n possesses high thermal and chemical stability and a linear temperature dependence of the bandgap from room temperature to 270 °C. Further investigation revealed that the bandgap changes sharply in ammonia, but only fluctuates slightly in other solvents, indicating its promising application as a selective sensor.

Structural effects of anions and cations on the aggregation behavior of ionic liquids in aqueous solutions.

The formation of ionic liquids aggregates in aqueous solution is of great importance to the future applications of ionic liquids. In this work, aggregation behavior of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium salts [C8mim]X (X = Cl, Br, [NO3], [CH3COO], [CF3COO], [CF3SO3], and [ClO4]), 1-octyl-4-methylpyridinium bromide (4m-[C8pyr]Br), and 1-methyl-1-octylpyrrolidinium ([C8mpyrr]Br) has been investigated in aqueous solutions by conductivity, volume, fluorescence, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC), ionization degree of the aggregates alpha, the standard Gibbs energy of aggregation deltaG(m)degrees, the average aggregation number N, the apparent molar volumes at critical aggregation concentration V(phi,CAC), the apparent molar volumes in aggregation phase V(phi)mic, and the change of the apparent molar volumes upon aggregation deltaV(phi,m), have been derived from the experimental data for these ionic liquids. It is found that both nature of the anions and ring type of the cations significantly affect the aggregation in aqueous solution. The anionic effect basically follows the Hofmeister series, and the ability of anionic hydration is predominant for the aggregation behavior of the ionic liquids. Hydrophobicity and steric hindrance of the cations as well as binding strength of the cations with the anions are suggested to play important roles in the aggregation of [C8mim]Br, 4m-[C8pyr]Br, and [C8mpyrr]Br. The investigated ILs were found to form spherical aggregates. Structures of anions and cations have very weak effects on the morphology, but they do affect the aggregate sizes.

Bis(benzoato-κO,O')(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')cobalt(II).

In the title compound, [Co(C(7)H(5)O(2))(2)(C(14)H(12)N(2))], the Co(II) ion is located on a twofold rotation axis and is chelated by a 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dmphen) ligand and two benzoate anions in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The crystal packing is stabilized by π-π inter-actions between parallel dmphen ligands of neighbouring mol-ecules, with a face-to-face distance of 3.411 (2) Å.

(2,9-Dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')bis-(2-hydroxy-benzoato)-κO;κO,O'-cobalt(II).

In the title compound, [Co(C(7)H(5)O(3))(2)(C(14)H(12)N(2))], the Co(II) ion is five-coordinated by two N atoms from one 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dmphen) ligand and three O atoms from two 2-hydroxy-benzoate anions in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The carboxyl-ate group of one of the two 2-hydroxy-benzoate anions is monodentate with a normal Co-O distance [1.9804 (18) Å], while the other is bidentate with two longer Co-O bonds [2.1981 (18) and 2.1359 (19) Å]. The crystal structure is stabilized by aromatic π-π stacking inter-actions [centroid-centroid distances of 4.0380 (3) and 3.8216 (3) Šbetween dmphen/dmphen and benzene/dmphen rings, respectively] and C-H⋯π(benzene) inter-actions.