Search

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries are promising energy storage devices due to their low cost, good ionic conductivity, and high safety. Conductive polyaniline is a promising cathode because of its redox activity, but because the neutral electrolyte protonates only weakly, it displays limited electrochemical activity. A polyaniline cathode is developed with proton self‐doping from manganese metal–organic frameworks (Mn–MOFs) that alleviates the deprotonation and electrochemical activity concerns arising during the charge/discharge process. The MOFs carboxyl group provides protons to prevent deprotonation and allows the polyaniline to reach a high zinc storage redox activity. The proton self‐doped polyaniline cathode has a superior specific capacity (273 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1), a high rate property (154 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1), and excellent cyclability retention (87% over 4000 cycles at 15 A g−1). This research provides fresh insight into the development of innovative polymers as cathode materials for high‐performance AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt‐based catalysts are widely used as efficient activator for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). A new carbon enclosed magnetic metal cobalt (Co@C) catalyst was successfully synthesized by high‐temperature pyrolysis of cobalt‐based metal‐organic framework. The prepared Co@C catalyst demonstrated remarkable catalytic activity for the degradation of contaminants (99.9 % for tetracycline (TC) degradation within 10 min). The TC degradation efficiency could still sustain more than 99 % after three cycles. Moreover, the Co@C/PMS system exhibited great universality for the rapid removal of other dyes such as methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB). The zero‐valent cobalt was engaged in the activation of the PMS and reacted with O2 to form Co2+, to make sure that there was enough Co2+ to activate PMS to generate Co3+. Simultaneously, the produced Co3+ ions extracted electrons out of HSO5- ${{{\rm { HSO}}}_{{\rm { 5}}}^{{\rm { -}}}}$ , driving a Co0/Co2+/Co3+ circulation to keep the high efficiency for rapid degradation of TC. In summary, this work offers a novel strategy to develop an effective magnetic heterogeneous catalyst to activate PMS for the elimination of difficult to degrade contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the strong capability of transition metal ions for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and highly affinity of MoS2 towards PMS, thus decorating MoS2 with transition metal ions would efficiently activate PMS for degradation of organic pollutants. In this work, Co/Fe co-doped MoS2 catalyst were synthesized by simple chemical method. The prepared Co/Fe co-doped MoS2 catalyst displayed excellent catalytic activity for organic pollutant degradation. The removal efficiency of RhB and MB is 99% in 6 min and 98% in 15 min under PMS system, respectively. Both the capture experiment and EPR results verified that 1O2 played an important role in the organic pollutant degradation process in PMS system. The catalytic mechanism revealed that the synergistic effect between Mo ion and Co/Fe ions is beneficial for boosting the catalytic properties of Co/Fe co-doped MoS2 catalyst. The cycle experiments confirmed that Co/Fe co-doped MoS2 possesses excellent chemical stability and re-usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo-assisted activation of permonosulfate (PMS) is an effective technology for degradation of organic contaminants. Herein, the cobalt-doped (Co-doped) g-C3N4 photocatalyst was synthesized by the methods of impregnation and calcination. The catalytic activity of Co-doped g-C3N4 catalyst for degradation of RhB in the photo-assisted PMS activation system was obviously higher than that in solo light irradiation or solo PMS-based advanced oxidation processes system. The Co-CN-2 catalyst presents the highest catalytic activity for degradation of RhB in the photo-assisted PMS activation system. 93.5% of RhB was degraded in 10 min by Co-CN-2 catalyst and the kinetic constant of Co-CN-2 catalyst in photo-assisted PMS activation system is 0.267 min−1, which is 3.71 and 7.36 times to that of Co-CN-2 in solo PMS activation and solo light irradiation system, respectively. The enhanced catalytic activity of Co-CN-2 was mainly attributed to the controllable band structure of g-C3N4 by doping cobalt ions as well as excellent activity of cobalt for PMS activation, and the synergistic interaction between the photo-catalytic and PMS activation plays an important role for degradation of organic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel ternary ZnO/CdS/GO heterostructure with boosting photocatalytic performance and stability was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition and optical properties of the composite were thoroughly investigated. Results show that the obtained ZnO/2CdS/10GO composite exhibits the optimal activity towards RhB removal under sunlight irradiation, which is higher than that of pristine ZnO and CdS. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of the composite is attributed to the close heterostructure and excellent conductivity of GO. Besides, the radical trapping experiments revealed that superoxide radical (•O2−) and holes (h+) were the vital active species in the photocatalytic process. Meanwhile, the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism was also investigated. In all, this work supplies a facile route to design highly efficient and stable photocatalysts for water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protonated g-C3N4/MoS2 heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity was prepared by treating g-C3N4/MoS2 with formic acid and using a hydrothermal method. The microstructure and morphology of the heterojunctions were analysed by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and XPS technology, respectively. The photodegradation experiment results verified that the formic acid treatment has a positive effect on the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4/MoS2 heterojunctions. The as-prepared protonated g-C3N4/MoS2 composite with 5 wt% of MoS2 exhibited the highest photodegradation rate and photodegradation kinetic constant (k) for degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye. The activated species trapping experiment revealed that the superoxide radical (·O2−) plays an important role for degradation of MO dye. Furthermore, the investigation on the photocatalytic mechanism inferred that the enhanced photocatalytic property of protonated g-C3N4/MoS2 composite could be attributed to the Z-scheme electron migration mechanism in composite and the improved photo-induced electron-hole separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is an aggressive B-cell malignancy without effective treatment, and caused by the infection of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), predominantly in its latent form. Previously we showed that the SUMO2-interacting motif within the viral latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANASIM) is essential for establishment and maintenance of KSHV latency. Here, we developed a luciferase based live-cell reporter system to screen inhibitors selectively targeting the interaction between LANASIM and SUMO2. Cambogin, a bioactive natural product isolated from the Garcinia genus (a traditional herbal medicine used for cancer treatment), was obtained from the reporter system screening to efficiently inhibit the association of SUMO2 with LANASIM, in turn reducing the viral episome DNA copy number for establishment and maintenance of KSHV latent infection at a low concentration (nM). Importantly, Cambogin treatments not only specifically inhibited proliferation of KSHV-latently infected cells in vitro, but also induced regression of PEL tumors in a xenograft mouse model. This study has identified Cambogin as a novel therapeutic agent for treating PEL as well as eliminating persistent infection of oncogenic herpesvirus. Author summary: Primary effusion lymphoma is a common AIDS-associated malignancy caused by infection with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), and is currently absence of efficient and specific treatment. Natural product from herbal medicines is a major source of drug discovery for the treatment of a variety of diseases. In this study, the authors demonstrated that Cambogin, a polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) isolated from the branches of Garcinia esculenta (a tropical evergreen tree and traditional cancer treatment across Southern Asia), is a potent and effective inhibitor of KSHV-latently infected cells at a low concentration (nM) in vitro and in vivo, through targeting viral LANASIM-SUMO2 interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an effective method to explore the full spectrum responsive photocatalysts for enhancing their photocatalytic activity. Herein, we have combined the upconversion phosphor with semiconductor to design the full‐spectrum light responsive photocatalyst. A facile approach has been developed for synthesis of NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2 core‐shell structured composite. The morphologies, crystal phases, chemical compositions, optical performance, and photoelectric properties were characterized. Based on SEM and TEM observation, the formation mechanism of NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2 composite was discussed in detail. The results of photodegradation experiment showed that 22% of Rhodamine B dye in the solution was photodegradated by NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2 composite under NIR light irradiation within 150 min, suggesting that the NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2 core‐shell structured composite displayed photocatalytic activity under NIR light irradiation. Furthermore, the photocatalytic ability of NaYF4:Yb,Tm@TiO2 is obvious superior to that of TiO2 under the full‐spectrum light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active co-catalysts have been extensively used for improving photocatalytic activity in semiconductor-based photocatalytic systems. Herein, 2D alkalized Ti3C2 (Ti3C2-OH) nano-sheets were coupled with CdS via a facile electrostatic self-assembly strategy and combined with hydrothermal method to prepare Ti3C2-OH/CdS photocatalyst. The morphologies, crystal phases, optical and photoelectrical properties of the prepared photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, PL, and EIS analysis, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation results verified that the photo-degradation performance of Ti3C2-OH/CdS photocatalyst (degradation of 97% RhB in 100 min) was obviously superior to that of pure CdS (degradation of 70% RhB in 100 min) and Ti3C2/CdS (degradation of 82% RhB in 100 min). The active species trapping experiments for Ti3C2-OH/CdS photocatalyst revealed that the superoxide radical (·O2−) and holes (h+) were the predominant species for degradation of RhB. Furthermore, the Ti3C2-OH co-catalyst in the Ti3C2-OH/CdS composite not only played the role of promoting the effective separation of photo-generated electron–hole pairs, but also constructing strong connections with CdS semiconductor to establish heterostructure, ultimately enhancing the photocatalytic performance of the Ti3C2-OH/CdS photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principles calculations are performed to investigate the crystal and electronic structures of BiOF crystal and its oxygen vacancy BiOF. By analyzing the energy band structures, the total density of states and the partial densities of states, it is found that the band gaps for the perfect BiOF and BiOF are 3.12 and 2.65 eV, respectively, which are smaller than the experiment value of 3.64 eV. There is a new electronic state within the forbidden band in the BiOF, which could serve as a capture center for excited electrons, consequently improves the effective separation of electron-hole pairs, and makes the optical absorption band edge red shift. The calculated results demonstrate that the BiOF crystal and its oxygen vacancy BiOF could be the potential application as photocatalytic semiconductor materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomaterials used as loading-bearing orthopedic implants usually require various excellent properties such as mechanical, bioactive and bio-tribological performances. Moreover, all of the orthopedic applications feature stress concentrations (notch sensitivity) in their design. In the present work, hydroxyapatite-reinforced polyetheretherketone functional gradient biocomposites (HA/PEEK FGBm) were successfully prepared by the layer stacking method combined with hot pressing molding technology. The effects of notch geometry on the stress-strain behavior of HA/PEEK FGBm were evaluated. The fracture morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study of the stress-strain behavior indicated that the tensile and flexural stresses of HA/PEEK FGBm linearly increased with increasing strain under all the notch sensitivities. The fracture strain of the biocomposites decreased with increasing stress concentration factor and total HA content in the functional biocomposites. Moreover, the tensile and flexural strengths of HA/PEEK FGBm were lower than those of homogeneous HA/PEEK biocomposites. The SEM observation of the fracture micro-morphology showed that the fracture mechanism of HA/PEEK FGBm was gradually controlled by the brittle fracture process. Furthermore, both the tensile and the flexural strengths of HA/PEEK FGBm decreased with the increase in stress concentration factor and total HA content in the biocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A neutral complex PN3P-Rh(i)Cl (2) was prepared from a reaction of the PN3P pincer ligand (1) with [Rh(COD)Cl]2 (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene). Upon treatment with a suitable base, H–H and Csp2–H activation reactions can be achieved through the deprotonation/reprotonation of one of the N–H arms and dearomatization/rearomatization of the central pyridine ring with the oxidation state of Rh remaining i. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber (CF) reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is one of the most promising orthopedic implant biomaterials. In this paper, CF reinforced PEEK biocomposites were fabricated by hot press molding technology. The influence of the CF surface modification on the flexural mechanical properties of CF/PEEK biocomposites was investigated. Studies on the flexural mechanical properties of CF/PEEK biocomposites revealed that the flexural stress-strain behavior of the biocomposites possessed linear elastic characteristics. The fracture mechanism of the biocomposites was predominated by brittle rupture. Both flexural strength and modulus of the biocomposites obviously increased with the rise of CF content. The influence degree of different CF modification on the flexural properties of CF/PEEK biocomposites increased with the rise of CF content. Moreover, the CF modified by concentrated HNO3 is beneficial for the flexural strength of the CF/PEEK biocomposites improvement. Conversely, CF modified by KH-560 coupling agent played an adverse influence on the flexural strength of the biocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylenediisophthalic acid (H4MDIP), as semi-rigid ‘V’-shaped carboxylate ligands, react with CoO, NiO and Cu(NO3)2·3H2O to give three novel coordination polymers [H3O]2[Co3(MDIP)2]·2DMF (1), [Ni2(HMDIP)(μ2-OH)(H2O)3(DMF)]·4H2O·DMF (2) and [Cu3(MDIP)(μ2-OH)2(H2O)4]·6.5H2O (3) (DMF = N,N′-dimethylformamide). All compounds have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, IR spectroscopy, elemental and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Complex 1is an unusual open anionic framework that is defined as the metal–organic replica of fluorite. Both 2and 3features a 3D open framework with one-dimensional elliptical channels and R- and L-helical chains, and their resulting frameworks can be rationalized as crband ptstopology respectively. An interesting feature of complex 3is the presence of the linear Cu3units that is formed by carboxylate and μ2-hydroxyl groups linking three Cu(ii) metal centers. Magnetic investigations indicate that ferromagnetic couplings are dominant in the three compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A three-dimensional mesoporous microsphere structural β-MnO 2 /PPy composite was obtained using a facile hydrothermal method. • The electric PPy nanowires linked each β-MnO 2 nanorods to significantly enhance the energy storage behavior of β-MnO 2. • The total capacity was dominated by the synergistic effect between the diffusion-controlled and capacitive behavior. [Display omitted] Mn-based materials as a cathode have drawn much attention in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) for its advantages of low cost and environmental friendliness. However, the sluggish reaction kinetics and low structural stability still limit the electrochemical application of Mn-based materials. Herein, a β-MnO 2 / polypyrrole (PPy) composite was synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. It delivered a remarkable specific discharge capacity of 361.8 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.2 A g−1 and great rate performance compared to pure MnO 2 powder. And morphological and electrochemical characterizations revealed that the enhanced electrochemical performance of β-MnO 2 /PPy composite was mainly attributed to the high conductivity of PPy nanowires and the 3D mesoporous microsphere structure, which was assembled by β-MnO 2 nanorods and PPy nanowires. This article provided a new sight of synthesizing Mn-based materials/conducting polymer composites for high-performance cathode in zinc-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this communication, a novel Er3+ complex Er(PT)3TPPO [PT=1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-tert-butylbenzoyl-5-pyrazolone, TPPO=triphenyl phosphine oxide] is successfully synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Its optical properties and the energy transfer process from the ligand PT to the Er3+ ion are investigated, the typical near-infrared (NIR) luminescence (centered at around 1530nm) is attributed to the 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transition of Er3+ ion which results from the efficient energy transfer from PT to Er3+ ion (an antenna effect). The wider full width at half maximum (78nm) peaked at 1530nm in the emission spectrum and the Judd–Ofelt theory calculation on the radiative properties suggest that Er(PT)3TPPO should be a promising candidate for tunable lasers and planar optical amplifiers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Zn x Cd 1-x S was firstly applied to photo-Fenton system as catalyst and co-catalyst. • The ZCS-3 photo-Fenton system exhibited satisfactory catalytic performance. • The photocatalysis of that system was synergized with co-catalysis. The exploration of new catalysts or co-catalysts to promoting the circulation efficiency between Fe3+ and Fe2+ in photo-Fenton system is of great significance for sewage treatment. Herein, metallic sulfides (Zn x Cd 1-x S) with different molar ratio of Zn/Cd were constructed by a facile solvothermal technology and applied to photo-Fenton system as both catalyst and co-catalyst for the first time. The catalytic activity of photo-Fenton systems could be enhanced by adding any as-prepared samples. Moreover, photo-Fenton system containing ZCS-3 (molar ratio of Zn:Cd = 3:7) presented the highest degradation rate for Rhodamine B (RhB, 93.5%), which showed significant improvement compared with that of photo-system without ZCS-3(43.7%). The excellent performance of this photo-Fenton system was mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect between photocatalytic and co-catalytic of ZCS-3. EPR and XPS results confirmed that the Zn2+ in the ZCS-3 would be reduced to Zn+ by the •O2–, which generated under visible light irradiation in photo-Fenton system. Thereby, more Zn+/Zn2+ exposed on the ZCS-3 surface during this photo-Fenton reaction, ensuring the acceleration of conversion between Fe2+ and Fe3+. The catalytic mechanism revealed that the formation of stable double recycles of Zn2+/Zn+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ in catalytic process displayed prominent enhancement for the catalytic properties of the photo-Fenton system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel plasmonic photocatalysts have been extensively investigated because of their advantages in efficient light absorption and surface plasmon resonance effect (SPR). Herein, plasmon-induced BiPO 4 /Ag/Ag 3 VO 4 heterostructures were constructed by in-situ partially reduction along with hydrothermal approach. Photo-degradation results revealed that BiPO 4 /Ag/Ag 3 VO 4 -1.2 (abbreviation as Bi/Ag-1.2) product presented a significant enhancement of photoactivity for Methyl orange-MO, Congo red-CR and tetracycline-TC degradation under visible light irradiation, which was higher than that of pristine BiPO 4 and Ag/Ag 3 VO 4 , respectively. Moreover, this excellent performance of Bi/Ag-1.2 was mainly ascribed to the synergistic effect consisting of intimate heterostructure between BiPO 4 and Ag/Ag 3 VO 4 and SPR effect of Ag, thus ensuring an accelerated separation and transfer of photo-generated carriers and promoting the absorbance of visible light. The trapping test and electron spin resonance further demonstrated that h+ and ·O 2− species are the vital active species in the photocatalytic reaction. Meanwhile, a plausible photocatalytic mechanism induced by plasmon-based heterojunctions was systematically proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The novel Yb3+/Tm3+ co-doped Ti 3 C 2 /Ag@Ag 3 VO 4 composite was fabricated by in-situ partially reduction-hydrothermal strategy. • The resultant Yb3+/Tm3+ co-doped Ti 3 C 2 /Ag@Ag 3 VO 4 composite exhibited enhanced photo-degradation performance under visible light irradiation. • The synthetic process and the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism was proposed and investigated detailedly. A novel Yb3+/Tm3+ co-doped Ti 3 C 2 /Ag/Ag 3 VO 4 composite with stable and robust photodegradation performance was synthesized by in-situ partially reduction along with hydrothermal strategy. In the composite, block-like Ag 3 VO 4 particles are self-assembled on the surface of 2D Ti 3 C 2 MXene accompanied by partial reduction of Ag+ to Ag0. Photodegradation results showed that the resulting Yb3+/Tm3+ co-doped Ti 3 C 2 /Ag/Ag 3 VO 4 composite with optimal Yb/Tm proportion (Y/T:0.3/0.005) presented a boosting photocatalytic performance for degradation of tetracycline (TC) and organic dyes under visible light irradiation. The removal efficiency was 97% for TC in 20 min, 96% for rhodamine B in 25 min, and 99% for methylene blue in 20 min, which was higher than that of Ag/Ag 3 VO 4 composite. As manifested by photoelectrochemical measurements, the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the Y/T:0.3/0.005 composite was attributed to the improved light absorption and excellent charge separation induced by the formation of intermediate energy states after co-doping Yb3+/Tm3+ ions. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic mechanism of the photocatalyst was also investigated through electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra and trapping experiments, which verified that the active species of h+ and ·O 2 − play the important role for photodegradation of tetracyline and organic dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of samples including leaf-like and rod-like rutile TiO 2 nanoparticles with various facets exposed on the surface, parallelepiped-shaped anatase nanoparticles with [111] vertical facet exposed on the surface, irregular anatase nanoparticles, microsized six-point star-like anatase aggregates, and almond-like brookite aggregates had been hydrothermally synthesized from lepidocrocite-type layered titanate nanosheets. A systematical investigation was established to uncover the phase transition and morphological evolution from nanosheets to TiO 2 polymorphs, and a phase diagram was determined by adjusting the synthesis parameters of the pH value and temperature. Two kinds of mechanisms composed of the dissolution-deposition process following Ostwald's ripening mechanism and the in situ topochemical conversion process following Ostwald's step rule had been proposed based on the time-dependent hydrothermal experiments. Briefly, the formation of the single-crystalline rutile phase appeared only at high temperatures with very low pH values, and similarly, the brookite phase strictly formed at high temperatures with a very high pH value. Nevertheless, the anatase phase could moderately appear in a wide range of temperatures and pH values. In addition, the single-crystalline rutile adopted a leaf-like morphology at low temperatures with high pH values and a rod-like morphology at high temperatures with low pH values, while the morphological evolution of anatase particles proceeded from irregular to parallelepiped-shaped and finally to six-point star-like morphology, and the crystal size was reduced from 1000 to 5 nm with decreasing pH values. Meanwhile, with the prolongation of the hydrothermal time, the layered titanate nanosheets first dissolved into the amorphous state and further converted into small anatase nanoparticles and finally to rutile or anatase nanoparticles based on the dissolution-deposition process, or the {010}-faceted layered titanate structure first converted into the [111]-vertical faceted anatase nanosheets by the topochemical transformation reaction and then split into the [111]-vertical faceted anatase nanoparticles. More importantly, the mesoporous [111]-vertical faceted anatase nanoparticles exhibited enhanced photocatalytic performance compared to that of Degussa P25, which was ascribed to its superior electronic band structure and effective charge separation. The systematical investigation in this work would be significant for consummating the preparation of the TiO 2 polymorphs from layered titanate nanosheets and provided some reference values and guide schemes for the preparation of TiO 2 nanoparticles with outstanding photocatalytic performance.

A neutral complex PN(3)P-Rh(I)Cl (2) was prepared from a reaction of the PN(3)P pincer ligand (1) with [Rh(COD)Cl]2 (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene). Upon treatment with a suitable base, H-H and C(sp(2))-H activation reactions can be achieved through the deprotonation/reprotonation of one of the N-H arms and dearomatization/rearomatization of the central pyridine ring with the oxidation state of Rh remaining I.

Methylenediisophthalic acid (H(4)MDIP), as semi-rigid 'V'-shaped carboxylate ligands, react with CoO, NiO and Cu(NO(3))(2)·3H(2)O to give three novel coordination polymers [H(3)O](2)[Co(3)(MDIP)(2)]·2DMF (1), [Ni(2)(HMDIP)(μ(2)-OH)(H(2)O)(3)(DMF)]·4H(2)O·DMF (2) and [Cu(3)(MDIP)(μ(2)-OH)(2)(H(2)O)(4)]·6.5H(2)O (3) (DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide). All compounds have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, IR spectroscopy, elemental and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Complex 1 is an unusual open anionic framework that is defined as the metal-organic replica of fluorite. Both 2 and 3 features a 3D open framework with one-dimensional elliptical channels and R- and L-helical chains, and their resulting frameworks can be rationalized as crb and pts topology respectively. An interesting feature of complex 3 is the presence of the linear Cu(3) units that is formed by carboxylate and μ(2)-hydroxyl groups linking three Cu(II) metal centers. Magnetic investigations indicate that ferromagnetic couplings are dominant in the three compounds.

Four Mn(II)-based MIL-53 single crystals were prepared using four neutral pyridine N-oxides as bridging mu(2)-ligands. In the case of 4,4'-bipridine-N,N'-dioxide (BPNO), the infinite manganese oxide chains were further interconnected by BPNO besides BDC, which allows 1D channels to be accessible for guest molecules. The liquid-phase adsorption and separation of C6-C8 aromatics using the evacuated compound as an absorbent were investigated via crystal-to-crystal transformations. Both structural evolution of the compounds and selectivity of C6-C7 aromatics of one evacuated compound could be attributed to noncovalent interactions, especially pi-pi interaction.