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This document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, providing a summary of papers published in 2024. The journal covers a wide range of topics in the chemical sciences, including selenium compounds as antiviral agents, guanidinium-terminated gold nanoparticles for protein delivery, and the synthesis of macroporous nanocarbon for sodium ion batteries. The journal aims to connect the global chemistry community and reinvest profits into the field. Additionally, the document includes an expression of concern and a correction for previous articles. [Extracted from the article]

As a significant reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypochlorous acid (HClO) plays a key role in the human immune system, ensuring the normal function of the organism. However, abnormal HClO levels have been linked to immune system disorders, neurodegenerative damage, and cancer. Therefore, rapid, and sensitive monitoring of HClO is important for the diagnosis of certain diseases. Here, we designed a probe XL for the detection of HClO in living cells, which is a mixture of phenothiazine and semi-cyanine. The probe XL is highly sensitive, selective and has an ultra-fast (<10 seconds) response to HClO in solution. The detection limit of probe XL for HClO was as low as 31 nM, and we also successfully used the test paper prepared with probe XL for the colorimetric fluorescence detection of HClO in real water samples. In addition, probe XL showed good response to both endogenous and exogenous HClO in cells. Finally, we successfully used probe XL for imaging HClO in zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal sulfides have attracted much attention due to their excellent electrochemical properties. However, their preparation process often requires multiple steps to be completed, which poses difficulties for their application. In this paper, a NiCo2S4(NCS)@NiCo-LDH material was successfully prepared as the cathode material for the prepared supercapacitor by a one-step hydrothermal method using a MOF as a sacrificial template. The electrode material exhibits good electrochemical performance due to the regular microstructure with abundant active sites. The electrode material exhibits a specific capacitance as high as 4191.25 mF cm−2 in the three-electrode system at a current density of 2 mA cm−2. This is much higher than the sum of the capacitances of the NiCo2S4 and NiCo-LDH materials. To further validate its practical application, it was assembled with an activated carbon negative electrode to prepare a high-performance supercapacitor with a scalable voltage window of up to 1.6 V. The device was able to maintain 90% capacity retention after 5000 cycles and showed excellent performance. This work provides a new way to design and fabricate electrode materials with high performance and lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, three-dimensional TiO2 nanoflowers (NFs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method, and Ag3PO4 was grown in situ following alkali treatment to design and synthesize a Ag3PO4/OH/TiO2 catalyst with excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light. The test results show that the photocatalytic degradation performance of TiO2 NFs after alkali treatment and Ag3PO4 loading is significantly improved. This is because the alkali treatment and the introduction of Ag3PO4 can provide a large amount of –OH, which can be converted to ˙OH under UV irradiation, followed by an increase in the number of active radicals to enhance the photocatalytic degradation performance. Meanwhile, the introduction of Ag3PO4 can effectively improve the light absorption ability of the photocatalyst. Moreover, the in situ growth of Ag3PO4 on TiO2 NFs can construct a high-quality Ag3PO4/TiO2 heterojunction to promote the charge separation and transport. Therefore, the degradation rate of Ag3PO4/OH/TiO2 can reach 90% after 30 min for degrading 3 mg L−1 RhB under visible light. The Ag3PO4/OH/TiO2 photocatalyst designed in the present work provides a new tool for the degradation of organic dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two D–π–A structured self-assembly monolayers (SAMs: FNE29 and DT-1) are self-assembled onto the indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates as hole-transport layers (HTLs) for inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Due to the presence of a terminal –COOH group, the SAMs can be adsorbed onto the surface of the ITO substrate through the covalent self-assembly. The employed FNE29 and DT-1 SAMs differ in the π bridge (linker); the FNE29 SAM has a hexyl-substituent terthiophene while the DT-1 SAM contains dithienopyrrolobenzotriazole as the linkers, respectively. Upon the self-assembly of ITO with the SAMs, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is enhanced from 9.36% for the control device to 16.75% for the FNE29 modified device and further to 20.65% for the DT-1 modified PSCs. As the D–π–A structured SAMs with a large fused π bridge as a linker is beneficial for hole transfer, the self-assembly of DT-1 achieves a higher PCE with an improved fill factor. Moreover, due to the good hydrophobic characteristics of the SAMs, the inverted PSC devices self-assembled with these two molecules display good stability, maintaining over 80% of the original PCE after storage in air (relative humidity of 20–30%) for ∼1000 h without encapsulation. In addition, the FNE29 and DT-1 based devices also show good photostability after operating for 1000 h. These results indicate that the D–π–A structured SAMs with large conjugated fused π bridges as linkers have obvious advantages as the HTLs for inverted PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calix[8]arene has been used as a promising type of macrocyclic ligand for the construction of multinuclear metal-oxo clusters (MOCs), but not for zirconium/hafnium-oxo clusters (Zr/HfOCs). In this paper, we report the first series of ZrOCs (HfOCs) based on calix[8]arene: Zr4, Zr8, Hf4, and Hf8. Zr8/Hf8 has a rhombohedral conformation and can be regarded as a derivative of the octahedral Zr6 cluster. Remarkably, I2 adsorption experiments indicate that Zr4 (Zr8) adsorbs much faster than Hf4 (Hf8). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that metallic Zr atoms interact more strongly with I2 than metallic Hf atoms. The successful application of calix[8]arene for the synthesis of well-defined ZrOCs (HfOCs) shows a bright future for MOCs protected by macrocyclic ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the journal "Analyst" published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. It includes a range of articles and papers on various topics in the field of chemistry. Some of the topics covered include bacterial transglycosylation, nanozyme kinetics, fiber optic cadmium ion sensors, and electrochemical biosensors. The journal aims to connect the global chemistry community and reinvest its profits back into the field. [Extracted from the article]

Cadmium poisoning is a chronic accumulation process, and long-term drinking of even low cadmium content water will cause kidney damage, so an ultra-low detection limit is particularly important. However, at the present stage, the traditional detection method cannot reach a sufficiently low detection limit, the response time is too long, and the cost of detection is very high, so that real-time measurement cannot be realized. Therefore, the traditional cadmium ion detection method has a slow response and an insufficient detection limit. This paper presents a fiber optic cadmium ion sensor functionalized based on an Fe3O4@SiO2@CS magnetic ion imprinting polymer (M-IIP). The sensor is based on the coupling characteristics of the optical microfiber coupler (OMC) cone region to achieve a highly sensitive response to the change in the cadmium ion concentration. M-IIP materials were prepared by surface imprinting polymerization to achieve low cross-sensitivity and thus improve the detection limit of the sensor. The results show that the developed fiber sensor has high specificity and a rapid response to cadmium ions. The experimental limit of detection (LOD) reached 0.051 nM within 0–1 μM with a response time of less than 50 s. Moreover, the proposed fiber cadmium ion sensor exhibits excellent performance in terms of sensitivity, stability, repeatability and biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the electrochemical behavior of five β-blockers at the polarized liquid–liquid interface formed between aqueous solution (sodium chloride solution or Britton–Robinson buffers) and bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)borate (BTPPATPBCl) dissolved in 1,2-dichloroethane (the organic phase). All measurements reported in this work were conducted using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The effects of the concentration of analytes, the pH of the aqueous phase, and applied electrochemical parameters on the analytical performance of the studied system are studied and discussed. The linear dynamic ranges (LDRs) of the studied β-blockers were in the range of 5–200 μmol L−1 and the lowest limit of detection (LOD) value was determined for pindolol (LOD = 1.96 μM μmol L−1). The highest LOD value was 4.96 μmol L−1 found for nebivolol. In addition, physicochemical parameters such as the formal Galvani potential difference (Δ aqorg φ), formal Gibbs free energies of the ion transfer reaction (Δ aqorg G′) and partition coefficients (log P′aq/org) for all studied molecules were determined. The latter were compared and correlated with the available literature values of log Poctanol. Finally, a standard addition method was used to determine the concentration of nebivolol in pharmaceutical preparations using a platform based on the electrified liquid–liquid interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are extensively used in cellular imaging, single-particle tracking, disease diagnosis, studying membrane protein interaction, and drug delivery. Understanding the dynamics of AuNP uptake in live cells is crucial for optimizing their efficacy and safety. Traditional manual methods for quantifying AuNP uptake are time-consuming and subjective, limiting their scalability and accuracy. The available fluorescence-based techniques are limited to photobleaching and photoblinking. Optical microscopy techniques are limited by diffraction limits. Electron microscopy–based imaging techniques are destructive and unsuitable for live cell imaging. Furthermore, the resulting images may contain hundreds of particles with varied intensities, blurring, and substantial occlusion, making it difficult to manually quantify AuNP uptake. To overcome this issue and measure AuNP uptake by live cells, we annotated a dataset of dark-field images of 50 nanometer–radius AuNPs at different incubation durations. Then, to count the number of particles present in a cell, we created a customized multi-column convolutional neural network (MC-CNN). The customized MC-CNN outperformed typical particle counting architectures when compared to spectroscopy-based counting. This will allow researchers to gain a better understanding of AuNP behavior and interactions with cells, paving the way for advancements in nanomedicine, drug delivery, and biomedical research. The code for this paper is available at the following link: https://github.com/Namerlight/LabelFree_AuNP_Quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new generation of photoelectric materials, organic-inorganic halide perovskites have been widely used in photodetectors, solar cells and other fields, but most of the current mainstream applications are thin film materials. Compared with polycrystalline thin films, perovskite single crystals have fewer grain boundaries and relatively stable electron and hole transport, and are ideal materials for optoelectronic devices. To realize the controllable growth of CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) crystals, understand their growth mechanism, and reflect the inherent physical and chemical properties of the material, a new type of internal growth temperature control and external circulation cooling growth system was developed in this paper, which can accurately control the temperature change during crystal growth. The size of the grown MAPbBr3 single crystal reaches 62 × 58 × 23 mm³, which is the largest single crystal reported to date. The measured single crystal absorption cut-off edge, optical band gap, and carrier lifetime are superior to the traditional simple inverse temperature crystallization (ITC) method, which will help its deep applications in photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and X-ray imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical-cation salts of formula β?-(BEDT-TTF)4[(H3O)Fe(C2O4)3]·guest have produced a large number of superconductors and provided a route to introduce magnetism and chirality into the same multifunctional material. A relationship has been found in these salts between the length of the b axis and the superconducting Tc. Increasing the b axis length by introducing larger guest molecules, such as benzonitrile and nitrobenzene, gives the highest superconducting Tcs in this family of salts. Smaller guests such as pyridine show no superconducting transition, whilst asymmetrical guests which are larger than nitrobenzene have given a different bilayered structure. Other potential guest molecules have been limited by their ability to be used as the solvent in which the crystals are grown via electrocrystallisation. This paper reports a method which introduces guest molecules into the crystal which are a solid or liquid additive within the crystal-growing solvent 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene:ethanol. We present the crystal structures of five new BEDT-TTF radical-cation salts with tris(oxalato)ferrate anions using guest molecules toluene, phenol, benzaldehyde, 4-bromobenzaldehyde, and kojic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the connection between the H3BO3 flux concentration and the co-existence of Eu2+ and Eu3+ dopants within CaMgSi2O6 crystals (diopside). The samples were synthesised using a solid-state synthesis method under varying atmospheric conditions, including oxidative (air), neutral (N2), and reductive (H2/N2 mixture) environments. Additionally, some materials underwent chemical modification by partially substituting Si4+ with Al3+ ions acting as charge compensation defects stabilizing Eu3+ luminescence. Depending on the specific synthesis conditions, the materials predominantly displayed either the orangered luminescence of Eu3+ (under oxidising conditions) or the blue luminescence of Eu2+; however, the comprehensive results confirmed the co-existence of Eu3+/Eu2+ luminescence in both cases. This work shows that varying flux concentrations added during synthesis significantly affect the relative strength of Eu2+ and Eu3+ emissions in a manner dependent on the synthesis atmosphere. The emission of Eu2+ increases with a higher flux concentration in materials synthesised under oxidative and neutral atmospheres independent of the chemical modification. In contrast, for materials obtained under a reductive atmosphere, the changes in the Eu3+ emission intensity depended on the presence or absence of Al3+ ions namely the increase of flux increased the Eu3+ intensity in the case of unmodified materials and decreased in the Al-modified ones. All observed effects were qualitatively explained considering the double role of the flux in the studied system, which besides facilitating the diffusion of chemical species during synthesis acts as a charge compensating agent by creating B'Si centres stabilizing Eu3+ emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, PDIs have been shown to demonstrate extensive applications in the area of organic electronics due to their ability to act as n-type semiconductors. PDIs have been applied in a wide range of electronic devices, including energy storage devices. To fit in these applications, we have modified the valine-terminated PDI core by substituting groups, viz. phenoxy, 4-methoxy phenoxy, and 3,4-dimethoxy phenoxy groups, at bay positions to fine-tune their HOMO-LUMO levels. In this paper, a series of conjugation-extended 1,7-, 1,6- and 1,6,7-regioisomers of Val-PDIs were synthesized, and 1,6,7-PDIs were removed by utilizing the Soxhlet extraction technique used for the first time. The 1,7- and 1,6-PDIs were separated by repeated crystallization and their structural characterization was performed using FTIR, ¹H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Further, the structures of as-synthesized PDIs were optimized by DFT calculations using the B3LYP approach with a 6-31+G(d,p) basis set, and the electronic transitions were visualized by analyzing natural transition orbitals (NTO). The photophysical properties of the highly soluble bay-substituted PDIs were evaluated using UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques in organic solvents ranging from non-polar to polar. Furthermore, their relative polarities in the ground vs. excited state were determined by employing the Lippert-Mataga relations. The electrochemical investigations of PDIs were done using cyclic voltammetry to evaluate their redox behavior. In addition to their unique structural relationship, 1,7- and 1,6-regioisomers revealed intriguing optoelectronic properties. Finally, symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) were developed by exploiting the regioisomerically pure 1,7- and 1,6-disubstituted PDIs as electrode materials. The as-fabricated PDIs/GF electrodes were optimized in a two-electrode SC device given their electrochemical performance. Two of the PDIs, viz. M1 and D1, demonstrated good results of specific capacitances, i.e. 59.41 and 23.60 Fg-1 respectively, in the SSC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method using gum arabic (GA) and tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl aminomethane (tris) as precursors. The resultant NCDs show uniform size distribution and stable optical performance. Then a fluorescent signal quenching probe based on NCDs was proposed for the quantitative detection of mercury ions (Hg2+). The developed fluorescent nanoprobe based on NCDs demonstrated a good linear relationship in the range of 10 to 120 μM (R² = 0.99265) for toxic mercury(II), with a detection limit of 4.87 μM. Additionally, the present assay system could be efficiently used for the detection of Hg2+ in real water samples with a satisfactory recovery rate (96.11-104.04%). The metal-free NCDs, which exhibited little cytotoxicity, were successfully applied to in vitro fluorescence imaging of human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, achieving visualization of Hg2+ in cells. With good water solubility and biocompatibility, the nitrogen-doped carbon dots synthesized by this economical and ecologically friendly process are suitable for use in analytical testing and biological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as a new class of materials, displaying a unique capability to self-assemble into micelles, liposomes, liquid crystals, and microemulsions. Despite evident interest, advancements in the controlled formation of amphiphilic ILs remain in the early stages. Taking inspiration from nature, we introduced the concept of lipid-like (or lipid-inspired) ILs more than a decade ago, aiming to create very low-melting, highly lipophilic ILs that are potentially bio-innocuous – a combination of attributes that is frequently antithetical but highly desirable from several application-specific standpoints. Lipid-like ILs are a subclass of functional organic liquid salts that include a range of lipidic side chains such as saturated, unsaturated, linear, branched, and thioether while retaining melting points below room temperature. It was observed in several homologous series of [Cnmim] ILs that elongation of N-appended alkyl chains to greater than seven carbons leads to a substantial increase in melting point (Tm) – which is the most characteristic feature of ILs. Accordingly, it is challenging to develop ILs with low Tm values while preserving their hydrophobicity and self-organizing properties. We found that two alternative Tm depressive approaches are useful. One of these is the replacement of the double bonds with thioether moieties in the alkyl chains, as detailed in several published papers detailing the chemistry of these ILs. Employing thiol–ene and thiol–yne click reactions is a facile, robust, and orthogonal method to overcome the challenges associated with the synthesis of alkyl thioether-functionalized ILs. The second approach involves replacing the double bonds with the cisoid cyclopropyl motif, mimicking the strategy used by certain organisms to modulate cell membrane fluidity. This discovery has the potential to greatly impact the utilization of lipid-like ILs in various applications, including gene delivery, lubricants, heat transfer fluids, and haloalkane separations, among others. This feature article presents a concise, historical overview, highlighting key findings from our work while offering speculation about the future trajectory of this de novo class of soft organic-ion materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of two-dimensional nanomaterials, a revolutionary class of materials, is marked by their atomic-scale thickness, superior aspect ratios, robust mechanical attributes, and exceptional chemical stability. These materials, producible on a large scale, are emerging as the forefront candidates in the domain of membrane-based gas separation. The concept of defect engineering in 2D nanomaterials has introduced a novel approach in their application for membrane separation, offering an effective technique to augment the performance of these membranes. Nonetheless, the development of customized microstructures in gas separation membranes via defect engineering remains nascent. Hence, this review is designed to serve as a comprehensive guide for the application of defect engineering in 2D nanomaterial-based membranes. It delves into the most recent developments in this field, encompassing the synthesis methodologies of defective 2D nanomaterials and the mechanisms underlying gas transport. Special emphasis is placed on the utilization of defect-engineered 2D nanomaterial-based membranes in gas capture applications. Furthermore, the paper encapsulates the burgeoning challenges and prospective advancements in this area. In essence, defect engineering emerges as a promising avenue for enhancing the efficacy of 2D nanomaterial-based membranes in gas separation, offering significant potential for advancements in membrane-based gas separation technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coatings industry is aiming to replace petrochemical-based binders in products such as paints and lacquers with bio-based alternatives. Native polysaccharide additives are already used, especially as adhesives, and here we show the use of oxidised dextran as a bio-based binder additive. Linear dextran with a molecular weight of 6 kDa was aerobically oxidised in water at the C3-position of its glucose units, catalysed by [(neocuproine)PdOAc]2(OTf)2. The resulting keto-dextran with different oxidation degrees was studied using adipic dihydrazide as a crosslinker in combination with the commercial petrochemicalbased binder Joncryl®. Coating experiments show that part of the Joncryl® can be replaced by ketodextran while maintaining the desired performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycidyl-based chain extenders are broadly used as processing aids to enhance the physical properties of polyesters, but glycidyl-containing compounds have severe toxicity concerns. Reported herein are glycidyl-free chain extenders produced via the grafting of 9-(oxiran-2-yl)nonyl methacrylate (EAT) and 8-(3-octyloxiran-2-yl)octyl methacrylate (EAI) on biodegradable poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL). EAI and EAT were grafted onto PCL via free radical grafting using melt extrusion to produce PCL-epoxy-grafted PCL-g-EAI and PCL-g-EAT. The obtained PCL-g-EAI and PCL-g-EAT were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, intrinsic viscosity measurements, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Using reactive melt extrusion, PCL-g-EAI and PCL-g-EAT were tested as potential chain extenders for poly(lactic acid) (PLA). PCL-g-EAI showed comparable or better mechanical properties than those of the commercial chain extender Joncryl ADR. A cytotoxicity assay has been conducted on PLA samples with the new chain extender and showed the absence of cytotoxicity in all samples. The outcomes reported in this paper offer new opportunities for the development of safer chain extenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary batteries are a core technology for clean energy storage and conversion systems, to reduce environmental pollution and alleviate the energy crisis. Oxide cathodes play a vital role in revolutionizing battery technology due to their high capacity and voltage for oxide-based batteries. However, oxygen vacancies (OVs) are an essential type of defect that exist predominantly in both the bulk and surface regions of transition metal (TM) oxide batteries, and have a crucial impact on battery performance. This paper reviews previous studies from the past few decades that have investigated the intrinsic and anionic redox-mediated OVs in the field of secondary batteries. We focus on discussing the formation and evolution of these OVs from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives, as well as their impact on the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of oxide cathodes. Finally, we offer insights into the utilization of OVs to enhance the energy density and lifespan of batteries. We expect that this review will advance our understanding of the role of OVs and subsequently boost the development of highperformance electrode materials for next-generation energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past few years, sweat analysis for health monitoring has attracted increasing attention benefiting from wearable technology. In related research, the sensitive detection of uric acid (UA) in sweat with complex composition based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for the diagnosis of gout is still a significant challenge. Herein, we report a visualized and intelligent wearable sweat platform for SERS detection of UA in sweat. In this wearable platform, the spiral channel consisted of colorimetric paper with Ag nanowires (AgNWs) that could capture sweat for SERS measurement. With the help of photos from a smartphone, the pH value and volume of sweat could be quantified intelligently based on the image recognition technique. To diagnose gout, SERS spectra of human sweat with UA are collected in this wearable intelligent platform and analyzed by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The results indicate that the artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm exhibits good identification of gout with high accuracy at 97%. Our work demonstrates that SERS-AI in a wearable intelligent sweat platform could be a feasible strategy for diagnosis of gout, which expands research on sweat analysis for comfortable and noninvasive health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial to develop high-performance catalysts for the degradation of antibiotic pollutants. In this paper, we reported an inverse opal Mn-doped WO3 (IO Mn–WO3) catalyst to effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of levofloxacin (LVX) under visible light irradiation. The degradation efficiency of this novel photo-Fenton-like system could reach almost 100% for LVX. The catalyst showed good recyclability and stability within five cycles. In addition, the possible degradation pathways, the main reactive oxygen species and the degradation mechanism were systematically investigated in this work. ˙O2− and 1O2 were identified as the main reactive oxygen species in the degradation system. Mn doping can initiate PMS activation and improve charge transfer efficiency, WO3 can promote the reduction of Mn species to make the reaction in the system occur continuously, an inverse opal structure can further enhance light absorption and increase the contact area between the catalyst and the pollutant. This work integrated the Fenton-like catalytic effect and the photocatalytic effect into the designed catalyst for PMS activation and antibiotic degradation, which developed a feasible strategy to improve the degradation performance of Mn-based materials for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the New Journal of Chemistry, providing a range of research topics for library patrons interested in chemistry. It includes articles on the transformation of CO2, mechanochromic photoluminescence, nanocellulose-based electrocatalysts, bone formation rate prediction, and the synthesis of halogenated benzimidazolyl-C nucleosides. The journal also covers industrial chemistry, material innovations, and interdisciplinary features. Additionally, the document includes a retraction notice for a previous paper. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a contents list for the journal "Dalton Transactions: An International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry." It features articles and papers on various topics, including plasma technology for supercapacitor electrode materials, bioinspired oxidation reactions, and the synthesis of metal-organic framework-based composites. Published by The Royal Society of Chemistry, the journal aims to connect the world with the chemical sciences. The document includes articles discussing a method for creating a layered cladding structure on carbon nanofibers for use in dye-sensitized solar cells, the effect of coordinated anions on ferromagnetically coupled single-molecule magnets, and a correction to a previous article about copper catalysts. The document was published in 2024. [Extracted from the article]

With the rapidly growing demand for clean energy and energy interconnection, there is an urgent need for rapid and high-capacity energy storage technologies to realize large-scale energy storage, transfer energy, and establish the energy internet. Supercapacitors, which have advantages such as high specific capacitance, fast charging and discharging rates, and long cycle lifetimes, are being widely used in electric vehicles, information technology, aerospace, and other fields. The performance of supercapacitors is crucially dependent on electrode materials. These can be categorized into electric double-layer capacitors and pseudocapacitors, primarily made from carbon and transition metal oxides, respectively. However, effectively monitoring the physicochemical properties of electrode materials during preparation and processing is challenging, which limits the improvement of supercapacitors' performance. Plasma materials preparation technology can effectively affect the materials preparation processing by energetic electrons, ions, free radicals, and multiple effects in plasma, which are easily manipulated by operation parameters. Therefore, plasma material preparation technology is considered a promising method to precisely monitor the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of energy storage materials and has been widely studied. This paper provides an overview of plasma materials preparation mechanisms, and details of the plasma technology application in the preparation of transition metal hybrids, carbon, and composite electrode materials, as well as a comparison with traditional methods. In conclusion, the advantages, challenges, and research directions of plasma materials preparation technology in the field of electrode materials preparation are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that Zr substitution improves the chemical stability of Ba3Y4O9 and nominally 20 mol% Zr-substituted Ba3Y4O9 is an oxide-ion conductor at intermediate temperatures (500–700 °C). However, the influence of Zr substitution on the structural properties of Ba3Y4O9 was poorly understood. This paper aims to comprehensively understand the crystal structure of Ba3Y4O9 with Zr substitution by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements, and first-principles calculations. From the results, firstly we found that the hexagonal unit cell of Ba3Y4O9 reported in the database should be revised as doubled along the c-axis in terms of the periodicity of oxide-ion positions. The revised unit cell of Ba3Y4O9 consists of 18 layers of BaO3 and 24 layers of Y which periodically stack along the c-axis. In this work, we focused on the cationic lattice and noticed that the periodical stacking of Ba and Y layers comprises a similar sequence to that in the body-centered cubic (BCC) structure. There are two regions in the Ba3Y4O9 structure: one is a hetero-stacking region of Ba and Y layers (Ba–Y–Ba–Y–Ba) and the other is a homo-stacking region (Ba–Y–Y–Ba). It is noteworthy that the former region is similar to a cubic perovskite. In Zr-substituted Ba3Y4O9, Zr ions preferentially substitute for Y ions in the hetero-stacking region, and therefore the local environment of Zr ions in Ba3Y4O9 is quite similar to that in BaZrO3. Besides, the Zr substitution for Y in Ba3Y4O9 increases the fraction of the cubic-perovskite-like region in the stacking sequences. The structural change in the long-range order strongly affects the other material properties such as chemical stability and the ionic-conduction mechanism. Our adopted description of perovskite-related compounds based on the stacking sequence of the BCC structure should help in understanding the complex structure and developing new perovskite-related materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the journal CrystEngComm, which focuses on the design and understanding of solid-state and crystalline materials. The list includes various papers on topics such as hybrid materials, growth of single-crystalline particles, high-pressure phase transitions, coordination polymers, and optical properties of crystals. The journal is published by The Royal Society of Chemistry, a leading chemistry community. The document also mentions professional recognition and development opportunities for scientists. [Extracted from the article]

The document is a contents list for the journal "Analyst" published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. It includes a range of papers on various topics such as nanomaterial-induced hepatotoxicity, pH-dependent complex formation, ultrasensitive detection of circulating miRNA, and determining chromosomal instability in breast cancer cells. The journal covers a wide range of scientific research and aims to connect the world with the chemical sciences. [Extracted from the article]

Droplet microfluidics is a highly sensitive and high-throughput technology extensively utilized in biomedical applications, such as single-cell sequencing and cell screening. However, its performance is highly influenced by the droplet size and single-cell encapsulation rate (following random distribution), thereby creating an urgent need for quality control. Machine learning has the potential to revolutionize droplet microfluidics, but it requires tedious pixel-level annotation for network training. This paper investigates the application software of the weakly supervised cell-counting network (WSCApp) for video recognition of microdroplets. We demonstrated its real-time performance in video processing of microfluidic droplets and further identified the locations of droplets and encapsulated cells. We verified our methods on droplets encapsulating six types of cells/beads, which were collected from various microfluidic structures. Quantitative experimental results showed that our approach can not only accurately distinguish droplet encapsulations (micro-F1 score > 0.94), but also locate each cell without any supervised location information. Furthermore, fine-tuning transfer learning on the pre-trained model also significantly reduced (>80%) annotation. This software provides a user-friendly and assistive annotation platform for the quantitative assessment of cell-encapsulating microfluidic droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of preserving carbonatic stones of cultural heritage (CH) restored in the past that have undergone new decay phenomena is strongly emerging and conservation science has not yet found a reliable solution. In this paper, we propose the application of synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction computed tomography (XRDCT) to explore the effects of using inorganic-mineral products (ammonium oxalate; ammonium phosphate) in sequence as a novel, compatible and effective re-treatment approach to consolidate decayed carbonatic stones already treated with inorganic-mineral treatments. High-quality XRDCT datasets were used to qualitatively/quantitatively investigate and 3D localize the complex mixture of crystalline phases formed after the conservation re-treatments within a porous carbonatic stone substrate. The XRDCT reconstruction images and the structural refinements of XRD patterns with the Rietveld methods showed that the phase composition of reaction products, their volume distribution, and weight fraction vary as a function of the treatment sequence and penetration depth. The high potential of XRDCT allows (i) assessment of peculiar trends of each treatment/treatment sequence; (ii) exploration of the reaction steps of the sequential treatments and (iii) demonstration of the consolidating effect of inorganic re-treatments, non-destructively and at the micron scale. Above all, our study (i) provides new analytical tools to support the conservation choices, (ii) showcases new analytical possibilities for XRDCT in conservation science, including in investigations of CH materials and decay processes, and (iii) opens up new perspectives in analytical chemistry and material characterisation for the non-destructive and non-invasive analysis of reactions within heterogeneous polycrystalline systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NMR spectroscopy is one of the most potent methods in analytical chemistry. NMR titration experiments are particularly useful since they measure molecular binding affinities and other concentration-dependent effects. These experiments, however, require a long series of measurements. An alternative to these serial measurements has recently been presented, exploiting a pH (or generally – a concentration) gradient along the NMR tube. The proposed experiment, although efficient, was based on the sensitivity- and hardware-demanding chemical shift imaging (CSI) method. Thus, it is practically limited to high-resolution NMR spectrometers. This paper proposes modifying and adapting the approach to the popular and cost-efficient benchtop NMR machines. Instead of CSI, we use a device that shifts the NMR tube vertically to measure the spectra of different sample volumes, which have different pH values due to the established gradient along the tube. We demonstrate the potential of the method on the test samples of L -tyrosine and 2,6-lutidine, and two real samples from the food industry – an infant formula and an energy drink. The proposed method boosts spectral resolution and allows for the sampling of a broader range of pH values when compared to the original approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New electrochemical probes offer the opportunity to investigate new systems. A dual barrel electrode can be laser pulled to produce micron-sized platinum disk electrodes. Here, we detail several important considerations for both the fabrication process and for experimental implimentation of the probe. We provide parameters for a Sutter P-2000 laser puller, methods for optical and electrochemical characterization, tips for how to successfully bevel the microelectrodes, and how salt concentrations and electrostatic discharge affect the voltammetry. This paper serves as a guide for how to successfully implement dual barrel electrodes from fabrication to experimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal selection of 32 recent papers is presented covering various aspects of current developments in bioorganic chemistry and novel natural products such as eugeniinaline A from Leuconotis eugeniifolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. It includes the titles and authors of various articles and papers that will be featured in the journal's upcoming issue. Topics covered include the analysis of hydrogen in a 3D-printed alloy, flow techniques in biological sample analysis, and the use of clay minerals for sampling organic liquids. The journal is published by The Royal Society of Chemistry, a leading chemistry community. [Extracted from the article]

A new, field-portable method based on spark emission spectroscopy has been developed for on-site measurement of surface contamination for particulate metals. This method involves collection of a surface sample onto a piece of adhesive copper tape, followed by ablation and excitation by a spark discharge generated between a sharp electrode and the copper tape. The resulting atomic emissions are recorded using a spectrometer for elemental identification and quantification. The system was calibrated for Co, Cr, Fe and Mn using their characteristic emission lines. Detection limits were determined and found to be in the range of 3–19 ng cm−2 and measurement uncertainty was 35%. This approach was applied to the measurement of surfaces deposited with unknown loading of a welding fume sample, and results show a good agreement with those from standardized NIOSH method 9102. This method offers an alternative to the development of field-portable instruments for on-site, rapid determination of surface contamination for metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of fast washout and high frequency laser ablation systems has reduced blurring and greatly improved the throughput of analyses performed using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). However, historical laser synchronisation issues have limited the number of elements aquired in a single run when using quadrupole-based ICP-MS. Aliasing noise results from incorrect synchronisation between the MS acquisition time and laser firing rate, and is made more prevalent by fast washout cells. Oversampling at high Hz is a possible solution to aliasing, yet remains unexplored for the context of multiplexed elemental bioimaging. In this paper we determined the minimum laser firing rates required to prevent aliasing for any MS dwell time, and provide an equation for calculating aliasing noise. The effects of oversampling were explored using simulations and the ablation of gelatine standards and murine brains. Higher firing rates were found to reduce aliasing and increase signal, but increased the risks of sample damage and raised backgrounds. Aliasing was found to be insignificant at firing rates and dwell times greater than 200 Hz and 2 ms for a typical (20 ms full-width at 10% of maximum) fast washout cell. At these parameters, the noise from aliasing was overwhelmed by noise from other sources and synchronisation was a non-issue. This allowed facile selection of acquisition and dwell times to increase the number of targeted elements or favour those with low sensitivity. Nine elements were collected in a single analysis of a murine brain at 25 pixels per second with no visible aliasing. Use of these parameters will greatly increase throughput and multiplexing capabilities when using high frequency laser ablation with quadrupole-based ICP-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been broadly applied in biomedical and other fields. MOFs have high porosity, a large comparative area, and good biostability and have attracted significant attention, especially in cancer therapies. This paper presents the latest applications of MOFs in chemodynamic therapy (CDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), immunotherapy (IT), and combination therapy for breast cancer. A combination therapy is the combination of two different treatment modalities, such as CDT and PDT combination therapy, and is considered more effective than separate therapies. Herein, we have also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of combination therapy in the treatment of breast cancer. This paper aims to illustrate the potential of MOFs in new cancer therapeutic approaches, discuss their potential advantages, and provide some reflections on the latest research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimising advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) by creating oxygen vacancies (OVs) on metal oxides via doping with different ions to improve catalyst activity is currently a significant research field. OVs produced by doping have the potential to substantially reduce the reaction energy barrier, and impact the reaction products with high selectivity. However, there is currently a lack of reviews on the utilization of dopant ions to induce OVs and the application of dopant-induced OVs in AOPs. This paper provides a systematic overview of the selection of dopant ions for the construction of OVs by doping. Additionally, we present two theoretical explanations highlighting the ability of doping to obtain OVs, explaining how doping can be used to design catalysts with ample OVs. Next, we methodically illustrate the kinetic and thermodynamic interactions between OVs and dopant ions. We also discuss the direct and indirect destruction of OVs by environmental factors that influence dopant elements in AOPs. Finally, the paper concludes with a detailed account of the application of OVs induced by doping in typical advanced oxidation techniques, such as Fenton-like oxidation, activated persulfate oxidation, catalytic ozonation, photocatalysis and electrochemical oxidation. Additionally, potential avenues of future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that play an essential role in the biosphere. They have a unique ability to produce a vast array of secondary metabolites, including enzymes that have important applications in various industries. Fungal enzymes have been utilized in many fields, such as food processing, textile, paper, and pulp industries, to name a few. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of fungal enzymes in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds due to their scalability, high catalytic activity, relatively low cost, and ability to catalyze a wide range of chemical reactions under mild reaction conditions making the overall process greener and sustainable. Fungi produce a variety of enzymes such as oxidoreductases, transferases, and hydrolases which can be used in the synthesis of specific compounds with required chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity. This paper discusses the role of fungal enzymes in the synthesis of various drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), and drug intermediates and their applications in the pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of micro- and nanotechnology for biomedical applications has defined the cutting edge of medical technology for over three decades, as advancements in fabrication technology developed originally in the semiconductor industry have been applied to solving ever-more complex problems in medicine and biology. These technologies are ideally suited to interfacing with life sciences, since they are on the scale lengths as cells (microns) and biomacromolecules (nanometers). In this paper, we review the state of the art in bionanotechnology and bioMEMS (collectively BNM), including developments and challenges in the areas of BNM, such as microfluidic organ-on-chip devices, oral drug delivery, emerging technologies for managing infectious diseases, 3D printed microfluidic devices, AC electrokinetics, flexible MEMS devices, implantable microdevices, paper-based microfluidic platforms for cellular analysis, and wearable sensors for point-of-care testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficiency and accuracy are two major criteria for evaluating a test method. The thermal stability evaluation of PVC materials is now mainly based on the color change of PVC samples and Congo red test paper with manual observation as the main method, which is inefficient and imprecise. In this work, a machine vision-based evaluation system was developed to address the issues of low efficiency and poor accuracy in evaluating PVC thermal stability. During the degradation process, the color change recognition characteristics of PVC film samples and Congo red test paper were determined by analyzing the RGB SUM value and the R value, respectively. In comparison to manual observation, the machine vision-based evaluation system is more objective, efficient and accurate, and it is particularly suitable for evaluating PVC samples with similar thermal stability. Moreover, this study also resolves the issue of color mutation during the window period of the thermal stability test, and obtains the thermal degradation evolution trend through the color value change curve. This method holds great importance and application potential in guiding the processing or reprocessing of PVC materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemorrhagic fever viruses (HFVs) are virulent pathogens that can cause severe and often fatal illnesses in humans. Timely and accurate detection of HFVs is critical for effective disease management and prevention. In recent years, micro- and nano-technologies have emerged as promising approaches for the detection of HFVs. This paper provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art systems for micro- and nano-scale approaches to detect HFVs. It covers various aspects of these technologies, including the principles behind their sensing assays, as well as the different types of diagnostic strategies that have been developed. This paper also explores future possibilities of employing micro- and nano-systems for the development of HFV diagnostic tools that meet the practical demands of clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Paper spray mass spectrometry utilizing Teslin® substrate for rapid detection of lipid metabolite changes during COVID-19 infection' by Imesha W. De Silva et al., Analyst, 2020, 145, 5725–5732, DOI: 10.1039/D0AN01074J. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polar cyano fragments and their isomeric isocyano counterparts have attracted great attention as stimuli-responsive luminescent materials in a wide range of fields including organic light-emitting diode devices, chemical fluorescent sensors, photoelectric semiconductors, anti-counterfeit products, etc., mainly because of their typical electron-deficient activity, noncovalent recognition ability, and variable coordination capacity. The electron-deficient and polar nature of these blocks have significant effects on the properties of the cyano/isocyano-based luminophore materials, especially concerning their condensed state-dependent electronic structures. Among them, donor–acceptor (D–A) derived unimolecular and co-assembled luminophores have attracted more attention because their large delocalized structures and noncovalent interaction recognition sites can rebuild the electronic transfer character in the aggregative state, thus endowing them with outstanding stimuli-responsive luminescent behavior via intermolecular and intramolecular charge transfer in polytropic morphologies. In this perspective paper, we give a brief introduction on stimuli-responsive organic and coordinated luminophores and the documented typical design concepts and applications in recent years. It is expected that this perspective article will not only summarize the recent developments of polar cyano/isocyano-derived luminophores and their coordination compounds via structural tailoring and self-assembly but also throw light on the future of the design of more sophisticated stimuli-responsive architectures and their versatile properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a contents list for the journal CrystEngComm. It highlights various articles and papers published in the journal, covering topics such as the self-assembly of short peptides, the bending and photosalient effect of flexible crystals, and the synthesis of energetic salts. The journal focuses on the design and understanding of solid-state and crystalline materials. The Royal Society of Chemistry, a leading chemistry community, publishes the journal and reinvests its profits back into the chemistry community. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, CoMn-layered double hydroxide (CoMn-LDH) was synthesized by the co-precipitation method, and it was applied to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). The results showed that CoMn-LDH with regular morphology and high purity was successfully prepared. The results of BPA degradation experiments showed that the oxidation system had high ability to degrade BPA. The degradation efficiency of BPA reached 95.33% after 90 min at room temperature, pH = 7.0, a PMS concentration of 2.0 mmol L−1 and 0.3 g L−1 catalyst. And the removal rate of total organic carbon (TOC), indicating the mineralization degree of BPA, was 55.83% in 90 min. Finally, the catalytic mechanism of the reaction was preliminarily investigated using radical trapping experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Free radical trapping experiments showed that OH˙ and SO4˙− radicals were produced in the reaction process, and OH˙ was the main active radical. CoMn-LDH showed excellent stability and reusability in cycling experiments, and had good practical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, our aim was to synthesize Gd–Ni doped M-type calcium hexaferrites using a solid-state reaction method. The chemical composition of the synthesized material was Ca1−xGdxFe12−yNiyO19, (0.00 ≤ x, y ≤ 0.07). This study focused on examining the impact of low concentrations of Gd3+ and Ni2+ ions in the formula. The M-type hexagonal structure was confirmed with high certainty using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, a minor impurity phase, α-Fe2O3, was detected. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis focused on examining the surface morphology of the sample, and the obtained images revealed the presence of anticipated grain sizes ranging from 0.80 to 1.06 μm. This study employed energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to validate the elemental composition and oxidation states of the constituent elements. A vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and theoretical calculations are used to determine crucial parameters, including remanent magnetization (Mr), coercivity (Hc), saturation magnetization (Ms), squareness ratio (Mr/Ms ≤ 0.5), magneton number (μB), and magneto-crystalline anisotropy constant (Ka). Examination of these parameters contributes to a deeper understanding of the magnetic properties under investigation. This paper presents an analysis of the obtained samples, highlighting their remarkable suitability for applications in high-frequency devices and high-density recording media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the synthesis of a Mn2+ and Pr3+ co-doped Zn2GeO4 optical probe by introducing boron-doped and histidine- and serine-functionalized graphene quantum dots (BHS-GQD) to Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4. The resulting Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD have a rod-like nanostructure, with rods that have an average length of 378 ± 1.8 nm and a width of 11 ± 0.8 nm, where the rods self-assemble into nanorod bundles. The Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD can produce a strong green fluorescence emission under the excitation of 254 nm ultraviolet light. The fluorescence emission strongly depends on the pH and ambient temperature. Increases of pH in the ranges 3.0–5.8 and 6.8–8.0 bring a slow increase in the fluorescence intensity. However, a sudden leap in the fluorescence intensity appears at pH values between 5.8 and 6.8, indicating good pH-switching properties. These properties should be attributed to the acid–base substitution reaction that occurs at the interface between the Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD and the aqueous solution. At a relatively low pH value, the H+ ions in the aqueous solution can replace the GeO44− ions in the Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD to form weakly acidic species, H4GeO4, leading to the reduction in the peak fluorescence intensity. In addition, the study reveals that an increase of the temperature between 20 and 80 °C causes a linear decrease in the peak fluorescence intensity and that this fluorescence intensity change exhibits an excellent reversibility when the temperature is varied. The Mn2+/Pr3+-Zn2GeO4-BHS-GQD have been satisfactorily used as an optical probe for sensing pH and temperature and for encrypting information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study shows a functional deep eutectic solvent (DES) employing choline chloride (ChCl) and glyoxylic acid (GA) for lignocellulose fractionation. This DES exhibited a higher pretreatment efficiency (92.15%) than that composed of ChCl and lactic acid (10.36%). Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations indicated that the ChCl : GA DES showed a higher total binding energy (ΔE) with lignin than the ChCl : LA DES, resulting in a higher dissolution of lignin. GA prevented lignin condensation during pretreatment. The stabilized lignin containing 69.39% β-O-4 linkages can be used for phenolic monomer production with a bio-oil yield of 59.60% and lignin-based sunscreen preparation with a SPF of 58.46. The cellulose residues with a mild pretreatment severity exhibited a high enzymatic saccharification yield of 91.99%. Meanwhile, an esterification reaction occurred between cellulose and GA during pretreatment. The inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial growth enables the use of functional cellulose to produce antibacterial paper. Furthermore, 96.80% of the DES could be easily recycled and reused for biorefinery purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]