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Photocatalysis CO 2 conversion to valuable hydrocarbons driven by solar energy holds great potential in alleviating the greenhouse effect and energy shortage. However, the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity is hindered by the high charge recombination rate and low CO 2 affinity of semiconductor photocatalyst. Herein, a series of fluorine lattice-doped ZnS catalysts with accompanying sulfur vacancies (V S) are prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. Fluorine doped ZnS catalysts exhibit remarkedly enhanced photocatalytic performance for selective CO 2 reduction to CO compared to the bulk counterpart, and it is the ZnS 0.95 F 0.05 achieves the highest photoactivity among the as-obtained catalysts. Without cocatalysts or sacrificial reagents, ZnS 0.95 F 0.05 enables CO 2 photoreduction to CO with an outstanding yield of 16.04 μmol g−1 h−1 and high selectivity of 84%, about 6 times higher than that of ZnS (2.68 μmol g−1 h−1), surpassing most of the previously reported photocatalysts. The improved activity for fluorine doped ZnS can be due to the promoted carrier separation and CO 2 adsorption, owing to the synergistic effect of fluorine doping and concomitant Vs, based on the experimental verification and theoretical calculation. This study offers an effective approach to design photocatalysts for high performance CO 2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineering of atomically-precise nanopores in two-dimensional materials presents exciting opportunities for both fundamental science studies as well as applications in energy, DNA sequencing, and quantum information technologies. The exceptional chemical and thermal stability of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) suggest that exposed h-BN nanopores will retain their atomic structure even when subjected to extended periods of time in gas or liquid environments. Here we employ transmission electron microscopy to examine the time evolution of h-BN nanopores in vacuum and in air and find, even at room temperature, dramatic geometry changes due to atom motion and edge contamination adsorption, for timescales ranging from one hour to one week. The discovery of nanopore evolution contrasts with general expectations and has profound implications for nanopore applications of two-dimensional materials. Nanopore engineering holds great promise for energy, DNA sequencing, and quantum information technologies, but pore evolution, particularly in presumably stable materials such as boron nitride, is largely unexplored. Here, the authors use high-resolution transmission electron microscopy to show that different nanopores formed in mono- and multi-layer hexagonal boron nitride are stable in vacuum but undergo dramatic changes in air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics-polluted wastewater, likely causing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), can be effectively remediated by photocatalytic degradation driven by endless solar energy. Herein, bimetallic Au/Ag is deposited on In 2 O 3 surface via a one-step sintering process followed by a controllable chemical reduction approach. Under natural sunlight irradiation, the optimal Au/Ag/In 2 O 3 (UGI-1.0) photocatalyst possesses a considerable norfloxacin (NOR) degradation rate constant of 0.013 min−1, which is 3.25, 1.63, and 1.86 times higher than that of In 2 O 3 , Ag/In 2 O 3 , and Au/In 2 O 3 respectively. The effect of many water characteristics (e.g., humic acid, water bodies, pH values, and coexisting anions) on the photodegradation performance of NOR over UGI-1.0 is investigated. Moreover, other persistent organic pollutants (ofloxacin, phenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and rhodamine B) can also be degraded over UGI-1.0, suggesting its universal oxidation capacity. To settle the challenge of powder photocatalyst recovery, the UGI-1.0 photocatalyst is coated on a frosted glass sheet, which exhibits outstanding activity and stability for degrading NOR. The bimetallic Au/Ag deposited on In 2 O 3 promote its photo-absorption, and enhance its photoinduced charge separation and transfer efficiency by serving as electron accepter, leading to the boosted activity of Au/Ag/In 2 O 3 catalysts. Particularly, the cultivation of staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and cabbage seeds reveals the efficient toxicity reduction of NOR by photocatalytic degradation and the nontoxic characteristic of UGI-1.0 catalyst. This work unveils the feasibility of UGI-1.0 to remediate real wastewater with the assistance of solar energy. • Ag/Au/In 2 O 3 can effectively degrade diverse pollutants under sunlight. • The effect of many water characteristics on NOR photodegradation are verified. • UGI-1.0 coated on a frosted glass plate exhibits superior activity for NOR removal. • The photocatalytic mechanism and pathway for NOR degradation are proposed. • Nontoxicity of UGI-1.0 catalyst and treated NOR suggest the application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIE/AIEE-active conjugated polymers have shown great potential in bioimaging applications. However, the absorption of many AIE/AIEE polymers poorly matches with the laser excitation used in confocal imaging, which may greatly affect the imaging quality. In this regard, we designed and synthesized a novel conjugated polymer incorporating π-extended boron ketoiminate units. The resulting polymer shows typical aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) characteristics and a dominant UV absorption of 447 nm in THF, which matches well with the laser excitation. Moreover, the polymer exhibits a Stokes shift up to 100 nm, which makes it a good candidate for cell imaging applications. The polymer was subsequently encapsulated into amphiphilic poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PSMA) to yield conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) (∼65 nm), which can emit bright yellow fluorescence in aqueous media with a quantum yield of 15%. Meanwhile, the HeLa cell imaging results demonstrate that the CPNs exhibit low cytotoxicity and high photostability, which are good contrast agents for biological fluorescence imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration of robust and inexpensive photocatalysts for direct water splitting is highly desirable for solar energy utilization but remains a great challenge. Although some inorganic semiconductors have shown very promising activities, many suffer from low quantum efficiency and insufficient sunlight absorption or present environmental hazards. In recent years, conjugated polymer nanomaterials have rapidly become one of the most appealing candidates in photocatalysis, owing to their facile molecular functionalization, tunable optoelectronic properties, and good chemical stability. This essay highlights the recent advancement of conjugated polymer nanomaterials for solar water splitting. The research opportunities related to water photolysis together with the perspective and challenges in the field are discussed to inspire further exciting research in water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic π-conjugated polymers (CPs) have been intensively explored for a variety of critical photocatalytic applications in the past few years. Nevertheless, CPs for efficient CO2 photoreduction have been rarely reported, which is mainly due to the lack of suitable polymers with sufficient solar light harvesting ability, appropriate energy level alignment and good activity and selectivity in multi-electron-transfer photoreduction of CO2 reaction. We report here the rational design and synthesis of two novel triphenylamine (TPA) based conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), which can efficiently catalyze the reduction of CO2 to CO using water vapor as an electron donor under ambient conditions without adding any co-catalyst. Nearly 100% selectivity and a high CO production rate of 37.15 μmol h−1 g−1 are obtained for OXD-TPA, which is significantly better than that for BP-TPA (0.9 μmol h−1 g−1) as a result of co-monomer change from biphenyl to 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole. This difference could be mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect of a decreased optical band gap, improved interface charge transfer and increased CO2 uptake for OXD-TPA. This contribution is expected to spur further interest in the rational design of porous conjugated polymers for CO2 photoreduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conjugated polymer of poly(fluorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (PFBT) was modified by a soft segment of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to yield a copolymer via dynamic imine bonds. The copolymer was casted as a free-standing film, which was intrinsically flexible, stretchable, and showed tunable shape memory, healable and degradable effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within a total residence time of 9 min, the sodium salt of ciprofloxacin was prepared from simple building blocks via a linear sequence of six chemical reactions in five flow reactors. Sequential offline acidifications and filtrations afforded ciprofloxacin and ciprofloxacin hydrochloride. The overall yield of the eight-step sequence was 60 %. No separation of intermediates was required throughout the synthesis when a single acylation reaction was applied to remove the main byproduct, dimethylamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within a total residence time of 9 min, the sodium salt of ciprofloxacin was prepared from simple building blocks via a linear sequence of six chemical reactions in five flow reactors. Sequential offline acidifications and filtrations afforded ciprofloxacin and ciprofloxacin hydrochloride. The overall yield of the eight-step sequence was 60 %. No separation of intermediates was required throughout the synthesis when a single acylation reaction was applied to remove the main byproduct, dimethylamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain coalescence has been applied in many areas of nanofabrication technology, including modification of thin-film properties, nanowelding, and self-assembly of nanostructures. However, very few systematic studies of self-assembly using the grain coalescence, especially for three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures, exist at present. Here, we investigate the mechanism of plasma triggered grain coalescence to achieve the precise control of nanoscale phase and morphology of the grain coalescence induced by exothermic energy. Exothermic energy is generated through etching a silicon substrate via application of plasma. By tuning the plasma power and the flow rates of reactive gases, different etching rates and profiles can be achieved, resulting in various morphologies of grain coalescence. Balancing the isotropic/anisotropic substrate etching profile and the etching rate makes it possible to simultaneously release 2D nanostructures from the substrate and induce enough surface tension force, generated by grain coalescence, to form 3D nanostructures. Diverse morphologies of 3D nanostructures have been obtained by the grain coalescence, and a strategy to achieve self-assembly, resulting in desired 3D nanostructures, has been proposed and demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a double-tube once-through steam generator (DOTSG), whose tube unit includes an outer straight tube and an inner helical tube, in an integral pressurized water reactor (IPWR). To obtain the optimum structure of the inner helical tube and the arrangement of DOTSGs in the reactor pressure vessel, a two-level optimization method is used, aiming at the lower pumping power needed, and a smaller reactor pressure vessel volume is used. The pitch of inner helical tubes and the central distance of outer tubes are considered design parameters when minimizing the pumping power with the genetic algorithm in the bottom level, while the number of tube units in a single DOTSG and the number of DOTSGs in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) are optimized to obtain the minimum volume of the IPWR, which is conducted in the top level. The optimum pitch of the helical tube varies in the sub-cooled region, boiling region and superheated region. The results show that the smaller pitch brings a shorter tube length and a higher pressure drop, and the effects are strong in the sub-cooled region and the superheated region but weak in the boiling region. In this way, the optimal structure of the inner helical tube is a small pitch in the single-phase region and a large pitch in the boiling region. According to the bottom level results, the optimum arrangement of DOTSGs in the pressure vessel is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The β-diketonate-based achiral polymer P-1 could be synthesized by the polymerization of 3,7-dibromo-2,8-dimethoxy-5,5-dioctyl-5 H-dibenzo[b,d]silole ( M1) with ( Z)−1,3-bis(4-ethynylphenyl)−3-hydroxyprop-en-1-one ( M2) via typical Sonogashira coupling reaction. The β-diketonate unit in the main chain backbone of P-1 can further coordinate with Eu(TTA) x [TTA− = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(thiophen-2-yl)butane-1,3-dionate anion, X = 1, 2, 3] to afford corresponding Eu(III)-containing polymer complexes. The resulting achiral polymer complex P-2 ( X = 2) can exhibit strong circular dichroism (CD) response toward both N-Boc- l and d-proline enantiomers. The CD signal was preliminarily attributed to coordination induction between chiral N-Boc-proline and the Eu(III) complex moiety. The linear regression analysis of CD sensing shows a good agreement between the magnitude of molar ellipticity and concentration of chiral N-Boc- l or d-proline, which indicates this kind Eu(III)-containing achiral polymer complex can be used as a chiral probe for enantioselective recognition of N-Boc- l or d-proline enantiomers based on Cotton effect of CD spectra. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 3080-3086 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present a double-tube once-through steam generator (DOTSG) with an outer straight tube and an inner helical tube in this paper. For the purpose of the compact structure and lower pressure drop, the inner helical tube is optimized. The tube length and the combined pressure drop are considered as the two objective functions, and the pitch of the inner helical tube is considered as a design parameter. The multi-objective optimization model is established and translated into a single-objective function by objective product method (OPM). The single-objective function is optimized by fmincon routine in Matlab. The optimal pitches of the helical tube vary in sub-cooled region, boiling region and superheated region. The results show that the smaller pitch brings shorter tube length and higher pressure drop, and the effects are strong in sub-cooled region and superheated region, but weak in the boiling region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this work is to develop a two-level optimization method for designing the optimum initial fuel loading pattern and burnable poison placement in pressurized water reactors. At the lower level, based on the fuel loading pattern (LP) optimized by backward diffusion calculation theory, Pontryagin’s maximum principle is employed to investigate the optimum arrangement of burnable poison (BP) that can generate the lowest radial power peaking factor (PPF). At the upper level a multi-objective problem (MOP), with LP and BP as two objective functions, is proposed by coordinate the interrelationship of LP and BP, and optimized by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). The results of optimum designs called ‘Pareto optimum solutions’ are a set of multiple optimum solutions. After sensitivity analysis is performed, the final optimum solution which is chosen based on a typical VVER-1000 reactor reveals that the method could not only save the fuel consumption but also reduce the PPF in comparison to published data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The fuel height, rod diameter, pitch, and the loading pattern are all important parameters in the reactor core design process. Based on the analysis of the core performance, optimization calculation is performed on the three objective functions of ABV-6M reactor, i.e., power density, coolant temperature difference between the inlet and outlet, and flow-induced vibration are proposed for optimization calculation. Then a multi-objective problem (MOP) model is applied and computed optimally by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) with the aim of maximizing power density and temperature difference as well as minimizing the flow-induced vibration. The results of optimal designs called ‘Pareto-optimal solutions’ are a set of multiple optimum solutions, from which the final optimization can be chosen after sensitivity analysis is performed. On the basis of lattice parameters optimization, the radial one-dimensional fuel loading pattern was optimized for achieving the optimum fuel utilization. The typical optimum design considered to be safe in a verification check showed that tight lattice effectively improved the reactor performances and saved the fuel consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of new means of activating molecules and bonds for chemical reactions is a fundamental objective for chemists. In this regard, visible-light photoredox catalysis has emerged as a powerful technique for chemoselective activation of chemical bonds under mild reaction conditions. Here, we report a visible-light-mediated photocatalytic alcohol activation, which we use to convert alcohols to the corresponding bromides and iodides in good yields, with exceptional functional group tolerance. In this fundamentally useful reaction, the design and operation of the process is simple, the reaction is highly efficient, and the formation of stoichiometric waste products is minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we reported the development of a water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) for efficient CO2 photoreduction under visible light (λ > 420 nm). Bearing a fluorene-benzothiadiazole backbone and imidazolium-functionalized side chains, PFBT-Im exhibits remarkable photocatalytic activity with nearly 100% selectivity and a CO yield of 453.16 μmol g−1 within 4 h, which is 8.6 and 2.5 times larger than those of conjugated polymers grafted with octyl and trimethylammonium side chains, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water Splitting: Conjugated Polymer Nanomaterials for Solar Water Splitting (Adv. Keywords: conjugated polymers; nanomaterials; solar water splitting EN conjugated polymers nanomaterials solar water splitting 1 1 1 11/12/20 20201110 NES 201110 In article number 2002474 Bin Liu and co-workers present recent progress in the design and fabrication of various types of conjugated polymer nanomaterials for photocatalytic H SB 2 sb /O SB 2 sb evolution and overall water splitting. This work also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the field of conjugated polymer-based nanophotocatalysts. [Extracted from the article]

A novel photocatalyst In 2 O 3 with loading Ag particles is prepared via a facile one-step annealing method in air atmosphere. The Ag/In 2 O 3 exhibits considerable photoactivity for decomposing sulfisoxazole (SOX), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), and rhodamine B (RhB) under natural sunlight irradiation, which is much higher than that of pristine In 2 O 3 and Ag species. After natural sunlight irradiation for 100 min, 70.6% of SOX, 65.6% of TC, and 81.9% of RhB are degraded over Ag/In 2 O 3 , and their corresponding chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal ratio achieve 95.4%, 38.4%, and 93.6%, respectively. A batch of experiments for degrading SOX with adjusting pollutant solution pH and adding coexisting anions over Ag/In 2 O 3 are carried out to estimate its practical application prospect. Particularly, the as-prepared Ag/In 2 O 3 possesses a superior stability, which exhibits no noticeable deactivation in decomposing SOX after eight cycles' reactions. In addition, the Ag/In 2 O 3 coated on a frosted glass plate, also possesses a superior activity and stability for SOX removal, which solve the possible second pollution of residual powdered catalyst in water. Ag particles on In 2 O 3 working as electron accepter improve charge separation and transfer efficiency, as well as the photo-absorption and organic pollutants affinity, leading to the boosted photoactivity of Ag/In 2 O 3. The photocatalytic mechanism for degrading SOX and degradation process over Ag/In 2 O 3 has been systemically investigated and proposed. This work offers an archetype for the rational design of highly efficient photocatalysts by metal loading. [Display omitted] • In 2 O 3 with loading Ag clusters is prepared by a one-step annealing approach. • Ag/In 2 O 3 exhibit excellent activity for photodegrading diverse pollutants. • 70.6% of SOX, 65.6% of TC, and 81.9% of RhB can be removed in 100 min. • The photocatalytic pathway and mechanism of decomposing SOX are proposed. • Ag particles on In 2 O 3 working as electrons accepter improve charge separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gradient cobalt-doped MgIn2S4 (MgIn2S4–Co) homojunction photocatalyst was reported, creating an oriented built-in electric field for efficient extraction of photogenerated carriers from the inside to the surface of the photocatalyst. The MgIn2S4–Co photocatalysts showed remarkably enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity compared with pristine MgIn2S4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated capture and photoreduction of diluted CO2 into energy-rich fuels represents an important challenge in renewable energy research and is attracting remarkable attention. In this study, two new benzimidazole-linked conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), namely TFPA-DAB and TFPT-DAB, have been constructed by the condensation of 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) with tris(4-formylphenyl)amine (TFPA) and 2,4,6-tris(4-formylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TFPT), respectively. The abundant basic N sites within the polymer network endow both TFPA-DAB (44.82 cm3 g−1) and TFPT-DAB (53.21 cm3 g−1) with high CO2 uptake at 273 K and 1 bar. Initial slope selectivity calculations demonstrated that TFPT-DAB possessed excellent CO2/N2 selectivity of 103 in comparison with TPFA-DAB (85) at 273 K as a result of changing the polymer core from 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine to triphenylamine. Moreover, TFPT-DAB showed a narrower band gap down to 2.35 eV and better interface charge transfer than TFPA-DAB. Accordingly, under a 1% CO2/N2 atmosphere with water vapor as the electron donor, TFPT-DAB without a cocatalyst exhibited a superior CO production rate (CPR) of up to 178.45 μmol h−1 g−1 with almost 100% reaction selectivity (>420 nm), which is 5 times that of TFPA-DAB (35.31 μmol h−1 g−1) and ranks among the highest of known photocatalysts for gas–solid-phase CO2 reduction to date. This contribution indicates the bright prospect of benzimidazole-linked CMPs for highly efficient photoreduction of low-content CO2 in industrial exhaust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal ions (M = Ag+, Cu2+, Co2+, and Cr3+) are surface or homogeneously doped into ZnS via facile cation-exchange reaction, and while Ag+ and Cu2+ doping does not induce sulphur vacancies (Vs) or zinc vacancies (VZn), Co2+ and Cr3+ doping induces Vs. The surface doped catalysts exhibit greatly higher activity than the ZnS and homogenous doped catalysts for H2 evolution and CO2 reduction. The important role of the doping state on affecting the photo-absorption, carrier separation efficiency, and photoreaction kinetics has been systemically investigated and proposed. This work sheds light on the future design and fabrication of high-performance photocatalysts by element doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach to synthesize the title compounds from various aryl and alkyl carboxylic acids is reported under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, the photocatalysis provides better yields and selectivity than thermolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Both the position detection and communication functions are taken account of. [•] The electromagnetics analysis of the loop-cable system is introduced in detail. [•] The precision of the position measurement system reaches 1cm (30km/h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ( S)-binaphthalene-based polymer ( P- 1) was synthesized by the polymerization of 5,5′-((2,5-dibutoxy-1,4-phenylene)bis(ethyne-2,1-diyl))bis(2-hydroxy-3-(piperidin-1-ylmethyl) benzaldehyde ( M- 1) with ( S)-2,2′-dimethoxy-(1,1′-binaphthalene)-3,3′-diamine ( M- 2) through the formation of a Schiff base; the corresponding chiral polymer ( P- 2) could be obtained by the reduction of polymer P- 1 with NaBH4. Chiral polymer P- 1 exhibited a remarkable 'turn-on' fluorescence-enhancement response towards ( D)-phenylalaninol and excellent enantioselective recognition behavior with enantiomeric fluorescence difference ratios ( ef) as high as 8.99. More importantly, chiral polymer P- 1 displays a bright blue fluorescence color change upon the addition of ( D)-phenylalaninol under a commercially available UV lamp, which can be clearly observed by the naked eye. On the contrary, chiral polymer P- 2 showed weaker enantioselective fluorescence ability towards the enantiomers of phenylalaninol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a simple but efficient strategy is proposed to boost the H2 production activities of polyfluorene polyelectrolyte (PFN‐Br) through doping an anionic polyelectrolyte based on Förster resonance energy transfer strategy for the first time. In this artificial photosystem, cationic PFN‐Br is used as the energy donor and a 3,4‐dithia‐7H‐cyclopenta[a]pentalene‐based polyelectrolyte (PCP‐2F‐Li) is employed as the energy acceptor. The photoexcited fluorescence of PFN‐Br is completely quenched when the energy donor/acceptor ratio of [PFN‐Br]/[PCP‐2F‐Li] = 10:1. Moreover, the addition of a low concentration of PCP‐2F‐Li enables greater charge transport rate of polyelectrolyte blends than that of PFN‐Br. As a result, compared to single PFN‐Br (549 µmol h−1 g−1) and PCP‐2F‐Li (125 µmol h−1 g−1), the polyelectrolyte blends show a significantly higher H2 evolution rate of 1346 µmol h−1 g−1, which is mainly ascribed to the reduced energy loss through fluorescence and increased photoinduced charge transport during the photocatalytic process. This work highlights the rational construction of binary polymer blends as efficient method to increase photocatalytic activity of conjugated polyelectrolytes and this also provides a new opportunity for the design of multicomponent polyelectrolyte based photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MgIn 2 S 4 , carbon-coated MgIn 2 S 4 , carbon coated and doped MgIn 2 S 4 , are synthesized. • MgIn 2 S 4 modified with carbon exhibits remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity. • The function for doped carbon and coated carbon are investigated systematically. Convert inert CO 2 into chemical fuel via photocatalytic reduction is very intriguing. However, high charge recombination rate and inadequate CO 2 absorption severely impede photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity. To address these drawbacks, we developed a strategy of MgIn 2 S 4 modification by carbon. Two types of photocatalysts with carbon modifications, carbon-coated MgIn 2 S 4 (MgIn 2 S 4 -SC); carbon coating and doping MgIn 2 S 4 (MgIn 2 S 4 -Cx), were obtained and exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic activity. The CO evolution rate of MgIn 2 S 4 -C2 and MgIn 2 S 4 -SC reached 19.5 and 7.03 times higher than that of unmodified MgIn 2 S 4 , respectively. Our experimental and theoretical results disclosed that doped carbon for MgIn 2 S 4 could prevent charge recombination in the bulk, facilitate CO 2 adsorption, and decrease photocatalytic reaction energy barrier, while coated carbon could accelerate surface carrier migration, but had smaller and greater effect on fascinating CO 2 adsorption and decreasing reaction energy barrier. The synergistic effect of surface coated and bulk doped carbon could maximize the photocatalysis efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we report a one-pot deoxygenation protocol for primary and secondary alcohols developed via the combination of the Garegg–Samuelsson reaction, visible light-photoredox catalysis, and flow chemistry. This procedure is characterized by mild reaction conditions, easy-to-handle reactants and reagents, excellent functional group tolerance, and good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As a demonstration of an alternative to the challenges faced with batch pharmaceutical manufacturing including the large production footprint and lengthy time‐scale, we previously reported a refrigerator‐sized continuous flow system for the on‐demand production of essential medicines. Building on this technology, herein we report a second‐generation, reconfigurable and 25 % smaller (by volume) continuous flow pharmaceutical manufacturing platform featuring advances in reaction and purification equipment. Consisting of two compact [0.7 (L)×0.5 (D)×1.3 m (H)] stand‐alone units for synthesis and purification/formulation processes, the capabilities of this automated system are demonstrated with the synthesis of nicardipine hydrochloride and the production of concentrated liquid doses of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, neostigmine methylsulfate and rufinamide that meet US Pharmacopeia standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Three biomimetic CMPs photocatalyst are applied to photoreduction of U(VI). • Quinone block is photocatalytic active sites for the photoreduction. • ECUT-TQ can not only broaden the absorption spectrum, but boost e-/h+ separation. • The ECUT-TQ achieves an impressively photoreaction rate constant of 0.057 min−1. • The e- and •O 2 – radicals are main active species in the photocatalytic process. Realizing an efficient photochemical uranium reduction process using metal-free conjugated polymers is highly desirable, but is extremely challenging, as it requires a broad photo-response range and efficient electron transmission channels. Herein, three novel full-spectrum (200 ≤ λ ≤ 800 nm) responsive biomimetic donor–acceptor conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) were successfully constructed to photoreduce uranium through a molecular engineering strategy. The optical band gap and built-in electric field of the CMPs were conveniently optimized via various quinone-containing acceptors. Furthermore, the quinone-containing block exhibited outstanding redox activity, which could serve as an unique electron shuttle to rapidly transfer electrons. Consequently, ECUT-TQ with 2,6-dibromobenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-4,8-dione block exhibits a narrow band gap as low as 1.70 eV, a stronger built-in electric field and more efficient charge separation, achieving 97.4% photocatalytic U(VI) reduction efficiency with a photoreaction rate constant of 0.057 min−1. The exhaustive mechanism analysis illustrates that the dominant active species in the photocatalytic process where U(VI) is reduced to UO 2 are photoelectrons and •O 2 – radicals. This work provides a novel approach for designing high-performance green biomimetic photocatalysts for removing radioactive pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO 2) within enclosed spaces, along with volatile organic compounds, under certain humidity, temperature, and ventilation conditions is associated with detrimental human health symptoms such as fatigue. Color-based chemical sensing is a promising approach to detect CO 2 levels relevant to indoor air quality through producing fast, quantifiable output visible to the naked eye. In a prior work, a colorimetric gas sensor was fabricated through synthesizing the metal-organic framework, ZIF-8, as the adsorbent, followed by post-synthetic mixing with a dye, phenol red (PSP), and primary amine, ethylenediamine (ED). While this sensor (termed PSP-ED/ZIF-8) maintained its structural integrity in atmospheric conditions and exhibited an increasing fuchsia-to-yellow color change with increasing CO 2 levels in dry environment, the colorimetric response greatly suffered in the presence of humid CO 2. In this work, a significantly improved colorimetric CO 2 sensor (referred to as ED/PSP:ZIF-8) is accomplished through directly incorporating phenol red in the ZIF-8 metal and linker precursor solutions and then blending with ethylenediamine. MATLAB-generated color distributions and in-situ ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopic studies quantitatively demonstrate an enhanced colorimetric gas response of ED/PSP:ZIF-8 compared to that of PSP-ED/ZIF-8 across an important range of CO 2 for indoor air quality monitoring (500 – 3500 ppm) and across a range of humidity. The new sensor also exhibits high selectivity to CO 2 compared to select volatile organic compounds, such as acetone and ethanol, which contribute to human health symptoms experienced indoors. The enhanced performance is attributed to the proposed incorporation of phenol red within ZIF-8, while maintaining the chemical stability of the MOF. • PXRD and FTIR confirm the chemical stability of MOF based on dye-precursor mixing. • In-situ UV-Vis spectroscopy shows improved CO 2 response in humidity and acetone. • Enhanced gas sensing is attributed to possible dye inclusion in MOF pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three D-π-A 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives with aggregation-induced emission characteristics were synthesized. The molecules comprise of a 4-(dimethylamino)styryl group as the electron donor group and different end groups, dicyanomethylene, vinylcyanoacetate, and 2-methylene-1 H -indene-1,3(2 H )-dione, as the electron acceptor, respectively. These target compounds display different stimulus-responsive fluorescent properties in the solid state. The original samples with the dicyanomethylene and vinylcyanoacetate groups do not show fluorescence color changes in response to external force stimuli, whereas the compound containing the 2-methylene-1 H -indene-1,3(2 H )-dione unit exhibits reversible piezochromism and solvent-induced emission changes due to the transformation between the crystalline and amorphous states, which can be ascribed to their different molecular stacking mode in the solid state. Furthermore, these compounds show different acid/base-induced solid-state fluorescence switching properties due to the different sites of the protonation. Additionally, all of the derivatives can be fabricated into biocompatible fluorescent nanoparticles and used for MCF-7 cell imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction is a multi-electron process, which is greatly affected by the surface electron density. In this work, we synthesize Ag clusters supported on In 2 O 3 plasmonic photocatalysts. The Ag–In 2 O 3 compounds show remarkedly enhanced photocatalytic activity for CO 2 conversion to CO compared to pristine In 2 O 3. In the absence of any co-catalyst or sacrificial agent, the CO evolution rate of optimal Ag–In 2 O 3 -10 is 1.56 μmol/g/h, achieving 5.38-folds higher than that of In 2 O 3 (0.29 μmol/g/h). Experimental verification and DFT calculation demonstrate that electrons transfer from Ag clusters to In 2 O 3 on Ag–In 2 O 3 compounds. In Ag–In 2 O 3 compounds, Ag clusters serving as electron donators owing to the SPR behaviour are not helpful to decline photo-induced charge recomnation rate, but can provide more electron for photocatalytic reaction. Overall, the Ag clusters promote visible-light absorption and accelerate photocatalytic reaction kinetic for In 2 O 3 , resulting in the photocatalytic activity enhancement of Ag–In 2 O 3 compounds. This work puts insight into the function of plasmonic metal on enhancing photocatalysis performance, and provides a feasible strategy to design and fabricate efficient plasmonic photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • Ag–In 2 O 3 plasmonic photocatalysts are synthesized via a simple redox reaction. • Electrons transfer from Ag clusters to In 2 O 3 in Ag–In 2 O 3 compounds. • The photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity of Ag–In 2 O 3 composites are remarkedly enhanced. • The activity enhancement mechanism over Ag–In 2 O 3 photocatalysts is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is mainly focused on the induced circular dichroism (ICD) based on central-to-axial chirality transfer for direct chiral recognition and ee value detection of 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (1,2-DACH) enantiomers. A novel achiral polymer sensor with potential axial chirality feature is designed and synthesized. This conjugated polymer incorporating biphenol moiety can bind chiral 1,2-DACH substrates via intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions, which could result in the detectable exciton-coupled circular dichroism (CD) spectrum due to the chirality transfer from an enantiopure building block to a dynamically racemic 1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-diol moiety in the polymer chain backbone. The linear regression analysis of ICD sensing shows an excellent agreement between CD intensity and concentration of chiral 1,2-DACH, which indicates this biphenol-based achiral polymer can be used as a chiral sensor for direct recognition and ee value detection of 1,2-DACH enantiomers by using ICD spectra of achiral polymer sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two AIE-active chiral BINOL-based O-BODIPY enantiomers (R/S-5) were synthesized and showed mirror-image red-color CPL induced via intramolecular energy transfer. The chiroptical properties of the molecules indicate that the chirality of electronic ground and excited states is stable and independent of aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing direct Z-scheme system is a promising strategy to boost the photocatalytic performance for pollution waters restoration, but it is of great challenge because of the requirement of appropriately staggered energy band alignment and intimate interfacial interaction between semiconductors. Herein, a class of core-shell structured Ag 2 S–AgIO 3 Z-scheme heterostructure photocatalysts are designed and developed. Ag 2 S is generated by the in-situ ion exchange reaction and anchored on the surface of AgIO 3 , so the intimate interface between AgIO 3 and Ag 2 S is realized. Integration of AgIO 3 and Ag 2 S extends the ultraviolet absorption of AgIO 3 to Vis-NIR region, and also promote the charge separation and migration efficiency, contributing to the enhanced photocatalysis activity for composite catalysts. The optimal Ag 2 S–AgIO 4 -4 catalyst exhibits a MO photo-degradation rate constant of 0.298 h−1, which reaches 5.77 and 11.4-folds higher than that of AgIO 3 (0.044 h−1) and Ag 2 S (0.024 h−1). The as-obtained composite catalyst exhibits universally photocatalytic activity in disintegrating diverse industrial pollutants and pharmaceuticals. Particularly, driven by natural sunlight, the Ag 2 S–AgIO 4 -4 can effectively decompose MO. A plausible Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism and reaction pathways of MO degradation over composite catalyst are systemically investigated and proposed. [Display omitted] • A direct Z-scheme Ag 2 S–AgIO 3 heterojunction was constructed and synthesized. • The intimate interfacial interaction between AgIO 3 and Ag 2 S is realized. • The photocatalytic activity of Ag 2 S–AgIO 3 composites was remarkedly enhanced. • Composites exhibit excellent photocatalytic efficiency against diverse pollutants. • The degradation mechanism of MO over Ag 2 S–AgIO 3 heterojunction was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A catalytic one-pot deoxygenation protocol for primary and secondary alcohols (I) that shows high functional group tolerance is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuing of photosensitizers (PSs) with efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) especially type I ROS generation in aggregate is always in high demand for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photoimmunotherapy but remains to be a big challenge. Herein, we report a cationization molecular engineering strategy to boost both singlet oxygen and radical generation for PDT. Cationization could convert the neutral donor-acceptor (D-A) typed molecules with the dicyanoisophorone-triphenylamine core (DTPAN , DTPAPy) to their A-D-A′ typed cationic counterparts (DTPANPF 6 and DTPAPyPF 6). Our experiment and simulation results reveal that such cationization could enhance the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature, promote the intersystem crossing (ISC) processes, and increase the charge transfer and separation ability, all of which work collaboratively to promote the efficient generation of ROS especially hydroxyl and superoxide radicals in aggregates. Moreover, these cationic AIE PSs also possess specific cancer cell mitochondrial targeting capability, which could further promote the PDT efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, we expect this delicate molecular design represents an attractive paradigm to guide the design of type I AIE PSs for the further development of PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three copper(II) complexes of aminoquinoline derivatives, l-glycine-N′-8-quinolylamide (L1), l-alanine-N′-8-quinolylamide (L2), and N-(8-quinolyl) pyridine-2-carboxamide (L3) have been shown to cleave plasmid DNA pBR322 and pUC18 with or without the presence of H2O2/ascorbate. Crystallographic data reveal that the Cu(II) coordination plane in [Cu(L1)(Ac)(H2O)] (1) and [Cu(L2)(Ac)] (2) is nearly co-planar with the quinoline ring. The cleavage activity follows the order of complex 1 >complex 2 >complex 3, which is in agreement with the reverse order of the steric hindrance of the amino-substituent of the ligands. The presence of the standard radical scavengers does not have a clear effect on the cleavage efficiency of the Cu(II) complexes, suggesting the reactive species leading to DNA damage could be DNA-bound copper-centered radicals rather than the free diffusible ones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

B Front Cover b : In the article number 2100244, Chunhui Dai and co-workers report a novel method for boosting the visible-light H SB 2 sb production activity of cationic polyfluorene polyelectrolyte via doping an anionic polyelectrolyte based on FRET strategy. Significantly Enhanced Visible-Light H2 Evolution of Polyfluorene Polyelectrolyte by Anionic Polyelectrolyte Doping By adjusting the donor/acceptor ratio, the polyelectrolyte blends demonstrate significantly improved H SB 2 sb evolution rate compared with the single component due to reduced energy loss and simultaneously improved charge transfer during photocatalysis. [Extracted from the article]

Front Cover: In the article number 2100244, Chunhui Dai and co‐workers report a novel method for boosting the visible‐light H2 production activity of cationic polyfluorene polyelectrolyte via doping an anionic polyelectrolyte based on FRET strategy. By adjusting the donor/acceptor ratio, the polyelectrolyte blends demonstrate significantly improved H2 evolution rate compared with the single component due to reduced energy loss and simultaneously improved charge transfer during photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A series of Sn2+ doped MgIn 2 S 4 photocatalysts were prepared. • MgIn 2 S 4 doped with Sn2+ ions exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity. • The doping effect of Sn dopant was systematically investigated and discussed. ga1 A series of Sn2+ doped MgIn 2 S 4 photocatalysts were prepared via a facial hydrothermal method. The Sn dopants substitute the sites of Mg atom in MgIn 2 S 4 unit cell, but not alter the crystal structure, demonstrated by the results of XRD and XPS. Compared to pristine MgIn 2 S 4 , Sn-doped MgIn 2 S 4 samples exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity. With increasing the Sn dopant content, the CO 2 conversion rate first ascends, achieving the maximum rate at Sn-MgIn 2 S 4 -2 sample, and then decreases. After illumination for 4 h, the highest yield of CO and CH 4 for Sn-MgIn 2 S 4 -2 sample reaches about 3.35 and 3.33 times higher than that of pristine MgIn 2 S 4. The theoretical results based on density functional theory calculations reveal that Sn doping in MgIn 2 S 4 tunes the band structure from the direct-transition of MgIn 2 S 4 to indirect-transition, diminishes band gap and extends the light absorption range, reduces the effective masses of holes and promotes the migration of photoinduced carriers. The experimental results also demonstrate the positive role of Sn dopant in accelerating the separation and transportation of charges, and improving CO 2 adsorption ability. This work systematically investigates and discusses the Sn2+ doping effect in MgIn 2 S 4 on crystal structure, lattice variations, electronic band structures, CO 2 adsorption ability, and photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity, which can provide a new hint for the fabrication of efficient photocatalyst by metal ion doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]