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A highly efficient base-controlled synthesis of N -β-trifluoromethyl-substituted 2 H -benzo[ d ]imidazole-2-thiones and 2-fluoro-4 H -benzo[4,5]imidazo[2,1- b ][1,3]thiazines via hydroamination or defluorinative cyclizations of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes with 2-mercaptobenzimidazole was developed.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains a cornerstone of diagnostic imaging, offering unparalleled insights into anatomical structures and pathological conditions. Gadolinium-based contrast agents have long been the standard in MRI enhancement, yet concerns over nephrogenic systemic fibrosis have spurred interest in metal-free alternatives. Nitroxide radical-based MRI contrast agents (NO-CAs) have emerged as promising candidates, leveraging their biocompatibility and imaging capabilities. This review summaries the latest advancements in NO-CAs, focusing on synthesis methodologies, influencing effects of structures of NO-CAs on relaxation efficiency and their applications across various clinical contexts. Comprehensive discussions encompass small molecular, polymeric, and nano-sized NO-CAs, detailing their unique properties and potential clinical utilities. Despite challenges, NO-CAs represent a dynamic area of research poised to revolutionize MRI diagnostics. This review serves as a critical resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of MRI contrast agents.

Metal-semiconductor heterojunctions are the basis for developing new electronic devices. Here, T(H)-TaS 2 /C 3 B metal-semiconductor heterostructures are constructed by different phase T- and H-TaS 2 monolayers combined with the C 3 B monolayer. The calculated corrected binding energies, phonon band structures, elastic constants, and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that both heterojunctions are highly stable, meaning that T(H)-TaS 2 /C 3 B heterojunctions possibly exist in experiments. The electronic property calculations showed that the intrinsic T(H)-TaS 2 /C 3 B heterojunction is an n(p)-type Schottky contact with a low Schottky barrier height (SBH), which is very important for the design of high-performance field-effect transistors. The electronic properties of the T(H)-TaS 2 /C 3 B heterojunctions can be controlled by varying the vertical strain and external electric field; however, the strain only resulted in a small change in the heterojunction SBH. Nevertheless, under external electrical field control, the T-TaS 2 /C 3 B heterojunction could manage a transition from an n-type Schottky contact to an n-type Ohmic contact and the H-TaS 2 /C 3 B heterojunction could be altered from a p-type Schottky contact to a p-type Ohmic contact. These findings provide theoretical insights into the electronic and electrical contact properties of the T(H)-TaS 2 /C 3 B heterojunction, which could be beneficial for developing n-type MOS and p-type MOS transistors.

The design of multifunctional nanocarriers with enhanced photothermal efficiency is of great significance for the photothermal therapy of cancer. In this study, hollow CuS@gold nanorods/polydopamine (HCuS@AuNRs/PDA) nanohybrids with synergistically enhanced photothermal efficiency were prepared by electrostatic self-assembly method. The high photothermal conversion efficiency of HCuS@AuNRs (55.88%) is attributed to the interfacial electron transfer between CuS and AuNRs, as well as the increase in free charge carrier concentration. The excellent adhesion performance and strong negative charge of PDA ensure a high doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) loading efficiency of 96.08% for HCuS@AuNRs/PDA. In addition, HCuS@AuNRs/PDA reveals outstanding NIR/pH dual-responsive drug release properties owing to the weakened interaction between PDA and DOX in acidic media and the distinct NIR responsiveness of HCuS@AuNRs. In vitro cell viability results confirm that HCuS@AuNRs/PDA could efficiently kill tumor cells under the dual effect of acidic media and NIR laser. This study presents a novel nanocarrier with synergistically enhanced NIR photothermal responsiveness and high drug loading capacity, which provides a versatile platform in intelligent drug release and photothermal therapy.

Magnetic refrigeration based on the magnetocaloric effect is gaining interest in orthogonal or hexagonal rare-earth manganite. However, a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanism is still required. We grew a high-quality single crystal of Dy 0.5 Ho 0.5 MnO 3 using the optical floating zone method, since the parent crystals DyMnO 3 and HoMnO 3 have orthogonal and hexagonal structures, respectively. The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties and refrigeration mechanisms are thoroughly investigated. Doping modifies the magnetism according to the results obtained from the investigation of magnetic and dielectric properties and heat capacity. The spin reorientation transition shifts towards low temperature in comparison to HoMnO 3 . Near the Néel temperature of rare-earth sublattices (5 K), the highest changes in negative magnetic entropy under 0-70 kOe are 18 J kg -1 K -1 and 13 J kg -1 K -1 along the a - and c -axes, respectively. The low-temperature metamagnetic phase transition caused by the alterations in the magnetic symmetry of Ho 3+ contributes to an increased magnetocaloric effect in comparison to the parent crystals, rendering it a promising choice for magnetic refrigeration applications. Dy 0.5 Ho 0.5 MnO 3 exhibits a clear magnetocrystalline anisotropy with enhanced refrigeration capacity and negative magnetic entropy change along the a -axis. The adiabatic temperature change of Dy 0.5 Ho 0.5 MnO 3 is 8.5 K, larger than that of HoMnO 3 , rendering it a promising choice for low-temperature magnetic refrigeration applications.

Mg-Fe layered hydroxide (LDH) was synthesized by the double titration method and added to trimesoyl chloride (TMC) to prepare an Mg-Fe LDH-modified polyamide nanofiltration (NF) membrane by interfacial polymerization (IP). Compared to the pure polyamide NF membrane, the Mg-Fe LDH-modified membrane presented a wrinkled structure and a comparatively smooth surface. Additionally, the permeation flux and rejection rate of the modified NF membrane for 1000 mg L -1 Na 2 SO 4 solution were 61.7 L m -2 h -1 and 95.9%, respectively. When the Mg-Fe LDH modified NF membrane was used to separate dye/NaCl mixed solutions, the rejection of NaCl was less than 17% and the rejection rate of Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) molecules was close to 100%. At the same time, the concentration of CBB increased from 500 mg L -1 to 1151 mg L -1 which means that the LDH modified NF membrane could separate CBB/NaCl effectively and could concentrate CBB at the same time., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest and competing interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Wearable electronics are some of the most promising technologies with the potential to transform many aspects of human life such as smart healthcare and intelligent communication. The design of self-powered fabrics with the ability to efficiently harvest energy from the ambient environment would not only be beneficial for their integration with textiles, but would also reduce the environmental impact of wearable technologies by eliminating their need for disposable batteries. Herein, inspired by classical Archimedean spirals, we report a metastructured fiber fabricated by scrolling followed by cold drawing of a bilayer thin film of an MXene and a solid polymer electrolyte. The obtained composite fibers with a typical spiral metastructure (SMFs) exhibit high efficiency for dispersing external stress, resulting in simultaneously high specific mechanical strength and toughness. Furthermore, the alternating layers of the MXene and polymer electrolyte form a unique, tandem ionic-electronic coupling device, enabling SMFs to generate electricity from diverse environmental parameters, such as mechanical vibrations, moisture gradients, and temperature differences. This work presents a design rule for assembling planar architectures into robust fibrous metastructures, and introduces the concept of ionic-electronic coupling fibers for efficient multimodal energy harvesting, which have great potential in the field of self-powered wearable electronics.

Dietary fiber (DF) cannot be digested and absorbed by the digestive tract, nor can it provide the energy needed to be burned for metabolic activities. Therefore, from the 1950s to the 1980s, DF received little attention in nutrition studies. With in-depth research and developments in global nutrition, people have gradually paid attention to the fact that DF occupies an essential position in the structure of nutrition, and it can ensure the healthy development of human beings. As early as 390 B.C., the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates proposed, "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food". This concept has been more systematically validated in modern scientific research, with numerous epidemiological studies showing that the dietary intake of DF-rich foods such as whole grains, root vegetables, legumes, and fruits has the potential to regulate the balance of the gut microbiota and thereby prevent diseases. However, the crosstalk between different types of DF and the gut microbiota is quite complex, and the effects on the organism vary. In this paper, we discuss research on DF and the gut microbiota and related diseases, aiming to understand the relationship between all three better and provide a reference basis for the risk reduction of related diseases.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a pivotal tool in contemporary medical diagnostics, offering non-invasive and high-resolution visualization of internal structures. Contrast agents are essential for enhancing MRI resolution, accurate lesion detection, and early pathology identification. While gadolinium-based contrast agents are widely used in clinics, safety concerns have prompted exploration of metal-free alternatives, including fluorine and nitroxide radical-based MRI contrast agents. Fluorine-containing compounds exhibit excellent MRI capabilities, with 19 F MRI providing enhanced resolution and quantitative assessment. Nitroxide radicals, such as PROXYL and TEMPO, offer paramagnetic properties for MRI contrast. Despite their versatility, nitroxide radicals suffer from lower relaxivity values ( r 1 ) compared to gadolinium. Dual-modal imaging, combining 1 H and 19 F MRI, has gained prominence for its comprehensive insights into biological processes and disease states. However, existing dual-modal agents predominantly utilize gadolinium-organic ligands without incorporating nitroxide radicals. Here, we introduce a novel dual-modal MRI contrast agent (J-CA) featuring a Janus asymmetric nanostructure synthesized via seeded emulsion polymerization and post-modification. J-CA demonstrates excellent in vitro and in vivo performance in both 19 F and 1 H MRI, with a T 2 s r 1 value of 0.31 mM -1 s -1 , ensuring dual-modal imaging capability. Moreover, J-CA exhibits superior biocompatibility and organ targeting, making it a promising candidate for precise lesion imaging and disease diagnosis. This work introduces a new avenue for metal-free dual-modal MRI, addressing safety concerns associated with traditional contrast agents.

Urinalysis is a heavily used diagnostic test in clinical laboratories; however, it is chronically held back by urine sediment microscopic examination. Current instruments are bulky and expensive to be widely adopted, making microscopic examination a procedure that still relies on manual operations and requires large time and labor costs. To improve the efficacy and automation of urinalysis, this study develops an acoustofluidic-based microscopic examination system. The system utilizes the combination of acoustofluidic manipulation and a passive hydrodynamic mechanism, and thus achieves a high throughput (1000 μL min -1 ) and a high concentration factor (95.2 ± 2.1 fold) simultaneously, fulfilling the demands for urine examination. The concentrated urine sample is automatically dispensed into a hemocytometer chamber and the images are then analyzed using a machine learning algorithm. The whole process is completed within 3 minutes with detection accuracies of erythrocytes and leukocytes of 94.6 ± 3.5% and 95.1 ± 1.8%, respectively. The examination outcome of urine samples from 50 volunteers by this device shows a correlation coefficient of 0.96 compared to manual microscopic examination. Our system offers a promising tool for automated urine microscopic examination, thus it has potential to save a large amount of time and labor in clinical laboratories, as well as to promote point-of-care urine testing applications in and beyond hospitals.

Given the escalating demand for wearable electronics, there is an urgent need to explore cost-effective and environmentally friendly flexible energy storage devices with exceptional electrochemical properties. However, the existing types of flexible energy storage devices encounter challenges in effectively integrating mechanical and electrochemical performances. This review is intended to provide strategies for the design of components in flexible energy storage devices (electrode materials, gel electrolytes, and separators) with the aim of developing energy storage systems with excellent performance and deformability. Firstly, a concise overview is provided on the structural characteristics and properties of carbon-based materials and conductive polymer materials utilized in flexible energy storage devices. Secondly, the fabrication process and strategies for optimizing their structures are summarized. Subsequently, a comprehensive review is presented regarding the applications of carbon-based materials and conductive polymer materials in various fields of flexible energy storage, such as supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, and zinc-ion batteries. Finally, the challenges and future directions for next-generation flexible energy storage systems are proposed., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A novel two-step synthesis of β-trifluoromethyl primary amines from readily available α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes and phthalimide is developed. The first step involves a hydroamination between α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes and phthalimide (PhthNH) with the assistance of a base. Next, the hydrazinolysis of the resulting N -(β-trifluoromethyl-β-arylethyl)phthalimides with hydrazine hydrate affords the desired N -(β-trifluoromethyl-β-arylethyl)amines.

We developed a triazatruxene-based hole transport material (HTM), 3Ka-DBT-3Ka, aiming to enhance band alignment and augment charge generation and collection in devices, as an alternative for 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT). The PbS CQD solar cells employing 3Ka-DBT-3Ka as the HTM achieve a peak efficiency of 11.4%, surpassing devices employing the conventional PbS-EDT HTM (8.9%).

The dearomative expansion of aromatic rings has long been pursued by chemists due to its potential to provide tractable approaches for synthesizing valuable non-aromatic molecules. To circumvent the conventional use of hazardous and unstable diazo compounds, photochemical synthesis has recently emerged as a promising platform. However, protocols that can effectively handle both arenes and azaarenes remain scarce. Herein, we introduce a generic strategy that efficiently converts β-(aza)aryl-β-substituted enones into biologically significant cycloheptatriene derivatives, including their aza-variants. This method allows for the easy modulation of diverse functional groups on the product and demonstrates a wide substrate scope, evidenced by its excellent tolerance to various drug motifs and good compatibility with five-membered azaarenes undergoing ring expansion. Moreover, DFT calculations of plausible mechanisms have motivated the implementation of an important cascade diradical recombination strategy for 1,3-dienones, thus facilitating the synthesis of valuable 2-oxabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-ene derivatives., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

We report the spin reorientation transition (SRT) and the low field controllable continuous spin switching (SSW) of the Tm 0.75 Yb 0.25 FeO 3 (TYFO) single crystal in this study. The SRT, characterized by the transition from Γ 2 ( F x , C y , G z )- Γ 4 ( G x , A y , F z ), occurs within the temperature range of 20-27 K. Under an external magnetic field of 50 Oe, the SSW occurs along the c -axis at approximately 98 K due to the reversal of Tm 3+ magnetic moment induced by the magnetic coupling change between Tm 3+ and Fe 3+ , transitioning from a parallel to an antiparallel alignment. Notably, a continuous SSW is observed along the a -axis at low temperatures, which has not been previously reported in rare earth orthoferrites. This unique behavior can be easily manipulated by low magnetic fields within the temperature range of 2-20 K. Both the spin reorientation transition and spin switching phenomena in the TYFO single crystal arise from interactions between rare earth ions and iron ions and can be effectively regulated by applied low magnetic fields, making it a promising material for low-field spin devices.

The extraction of lead-212 ( 212 Pb) from radioactive thorium (Th) waste is immensely important, as it serves to mitigate environmental risks associated with radioactive waste and provides a vital source for medical isotopes. To economically extract 212 Pb from thorium, we synthesized a novel extractant known as 2,13-disulfonyldiethylamine dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DSADB18C6). We assessed its performance in isolating Pb(II) by employing stable lead and optimizing the parameters of the extraction system. The results showcased an exceptional ability to extract Pb(II) efficiently. Within 10 minutes, using 20 mmol of DSADB18C6 and under conditions of 10 mg L -1 lead concentration (HNO 3 = 0.5 mol L -1 ), the extraction efficiency reached up to 96.1%. Even after four rounds of stripping with 0.4 mol L -1 ammonium citrate, the efficiency remained at 90.2%. Moreover, the extraction stoichiometry and thermodynamics revealed that DSADB18C6 exhibited superior extraction performance compared to the commercial extractant 4',4'',(5'')-di-( tert -butyldicyclohexano)-18-crown-6 (DtBuDC18C6), in line with the density functional theory (DFT) calculation result. Furthermore, we successfully separated 212 Pb from the thorium nitrate solution, maintaining radioactive equilibrium with its progeny. Gamma-spectroscopy confirmed a recovery yield of extraction exceeding 85.7%. This study presents a viable approach, underscoring the potential of DSADB18C6 as a promising extractant for the effective separation of 212 Pb from radioactive thorium sources.

Recently, a magnetic semiconducting NiI 2 monolayer was successfully fabricated. To obtain richer magneto-electronic properties and find new physics for NiI 2 , we studied the zigzag-type NiI 2 nanoribbon (ZNiI 2 NR) with edges modified by different concentrations of H and/or O atoms. Results show that these ribbons hold a higher energy stability, thermal stability, and magnetic stability, and the Curie temperature can be increased to 143 from 15 K for the bare-edged ribbons. They feature a half-semiconductor, bipolar magnetic semiconductor, or half-metal, depending on the edge-terminated atomic species and concentrations, and are closely related to the ribbon edge states, impurity bands or hybridized bands. By applying strain or an electric field, ribbons can achieve a reversible multi-magnetic phase transition among a bipolar magnetic semiconductor, half-semiconductor, half-metal, and magnetic metal. This is because strain changes the Ni-I bond length, resulting in a variation of bond configurations (weight of ionic and covalent bonds) and the number of unpaired electrons. The compressive strain can increase the Curie temperature because it makes the edged Ni-I-Ni bond angle closer to 90°, leading to the FM d-p-d superexchange interaction being increased. The electric field varies the magnetic phase because it alters the electrostatic potential of the ribbon edges, and the Curie temperature is enhanced under the electric field because the ribbon is changed to a metallic state (half-metal or magnetic metal), in which the magnetic Ni atoms satisfy the Stoner criterion and hold a large magnetic exchange coefficient and electron state density at the Fermi surface.

Recently, single-layer PtSe 2 , possessing high carrier mobility and optical response, has been successfully fabricated. To further expand its application scope and find new physics, in this work, we functionalized it via the adsorption of non-metallic atoms X (X = H, B, C, N, O, and F) to form hybrid systems X-PtSe 2 , and their geometrical, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties as well as strain tuning effects were studied deeply. Calculations show that the energy stability of X-PtSe 2 systems is significantly enhanced, and they also hold higher thermal and mechanical stability. Particularly, X-PtSe 2 systems present excellent in-plane tenacity and out-of plane stiffness against deformations, which make them more applicable for designing nanodevices. Intrinsic PtSe 2 is a semiconductor, while the X-PtSe 2 system can be a band-gap narrowed semiconductor or metal, thus expanding the application scope for PtSe 2 , and the odd-even effect of electronic phase variation related to the atomic number is found. Besides, the wavelength range of optical adsorption is increased in X-PtSe 2 systems, implying that its optical response region is wide, providing more options for developing optoelectronic devices. Moreover, it is shown that strain can flexibly tune the electronic property of X-PtSe 2 systems, especially enhancing the optical absorption ability substantially, beneficial for their applications in solar devices.

Recently, carbon dots (CDs) have been shown to exhibit exceptional water solubility, low toxicity, favorable biocompatibility, stable fluorescence properties with a wide and continuous excitation spectrum, and an adjustable emission spectrum. Their remarkable characteristics make them highly promising for applications in the field of bioimaging. Zebrafish is currently extensively studied because of its high genetic homology with humans and the applicability of disease research findings from zebrafish to humans. Therefore, spirulina, a commonly used feed additive in aquaculture, was chosen as the raw material for synthesizing fluorescent CDs using a hydrothermal method. On the one hand, CDs can modulate dopamine receptors in the brain of zebrafish, leading to an increase in dopamine production and subsequently promoting their locomotor activity. On the other hand, CDs have been shown to enhance the intestinal anti-inflammatory capacity of zebrafish. This study aimed to explore the chronic toxicity and genotoxicity of CDs in zebrafish while providing valuable insights for their future application in biological and medical fields., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Carbon-based single atom catalysts (SACs) are attracting extensive attention in the CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) due to their maximal atomic utilization, easily regulated active center and high catalytic activity, in which the coordination environment plays a crucial role in the intrinsic catalytic activity. Taking NiN 4 as an example, this study reveals that the introduction of different numbers of S atoms into N coordination (Ni-N x S 4- x ( x = 1-4)) results in outstanding structural stability and catalytic activity. Owing to the additional orbitals around -1.60 eV and abundant Ni d xz , d yz , d x 2 , and d z 2 orbital occupation after S substitution, N,S coordination can effectively facilitate the protonation of adsorbed intermediates and thus accelerate the overall CO 2 RR. The CO 2 RR mechanisms for CO and HCOOH generation via two-electron pathways are systematically elucidated on NiN 4 , NiN 3 S 1 and NiN 2 S 2 . NiN 2 S 2 yields HCOOH as the most favorable product with a limiting potential of -0.24 V, surpassing NiN 4 (-1.14 V) and NiN 3 S 1 (-0.50 V), which indicates that the different S-atom substitution of NiN 4 has considerable influence on the CO 2 RR performance. This work highlights NiN 2 S 2 as a high-performance CO 2 RR catalyst to produce HCOOH, and demonstrates that N,S coordination is an effective strategy to regulate the performance of atomically dispersed electrocatalysts.

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) exhibit significant viscoelasticity. Although the rate-dependent stress-strain relation of LCEs has already been widely observed, the effect of the intricate interplay of director rotation and network extension on the viscoelastic behavior of main-chain LCEs remains inadequately understood. In this study, we report real-time measurements of the stress, director rotation, and all strain components in main-chain nematic LCEs subjected to uniaxial tension both parallel and tilted to the initial directors at different loading rates and relaxation tests. We find that both network extension and director rotation play roles in viscoelasticity, and the characteristic relaxation time of the network extension is much larger than that of the director rotation. Interestingly, the gradual change of the director in a long-time relaxation indicates the director reorientation delay is not solely due to the viscous rotation of liquid crystals but also arises from its coupling with the highly viscous network. Additionally, significant rate-dependent shear strain occurs in LCEs under uniaxial tension, showing non-monotonic changes when the angle between the stretching and the initial director is large enough. Finally, a viscoelastic constitutive model, only considering the viscosity of the network by introducing multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient, is utilized to manifest the relation between rate-dependent macroscopic deformation and microscopic director rotation in LCEs.

Broadband emissions from low-dimensional hybrid perovskites have aroused intense interest. However, the achievement of broadband red emission in lead halide perovskites remains challenging. Herein, we report a one-dimensional (1D) hybrid lead bromide perovskitoid, (HM)Pb 2 Br 6 (HM = hexamethonium), featuring a corrugated "3 × 3" [Pb 2 Br 6 ] 2- chain. The unique structure results in intriguingly red emission peaking at 692 nm, with a PLQY of around 6.24%. Our spectroscopic and computational studies reveal that the red emission derives from self-localized Pb 2 3+ , Pb 3+ and Br 2 - species confined within the inorganic lead bromide lattice that function as radiative centres. This finding will benefit the design of perovskite systems for efficient red emission.

A novel tetranuclear Cu(ii) complex (TNC) was successfully synthesized and characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction. The interaction of the complex with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been studied by UV-vis absorption titration, fluorescence technology and molecular docking. The results indicated that TNC could bind to the DNA through an intercalative mode. The agarose gel electrophoresis experiment showed that TNC could cleave supercoiled plasmid DNA into linear DNA. The anticancer activity of TNC was tested on four cancer cell lines: MCF7, A549, 4T1 and HepG2. The results indicated that TNC shown significant activity against all of above cell lines., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A generic strategy to construct virus protein-based hybrid nanomaterials is reported by using a macromolecular glue inspired by mussel adhesion. Commercially available poly(isobutylene- alt -maleic anhydride) (PiBMA) modified with dopamine (PiBMAD) is designed as this macromolecular glue, which serves as a universal adhesive material for the construction of multicomponent hybrid nanomaterials. As a proof of concept, gold nanorods (AuNRs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are initially coated with PiBMAD. Subsequently, viral capsid proteins from the Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus (CCMV) assemble around the nano-objects templated by the negative charges of the glue. With virtually unchanged properties of the rods and tubes, the hybrid materials might show improved biocompatibility and can be used in future studies toward cell uptake and delivery.

To alleviate the depletion of lithium resources and improve battery capacity and rate capacity, the development of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) is crucial. The open channels monoclinic structure Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 is conducive to the transfer and diffusion of guest ions, making it a promising cathode material for AZIBs. Therefore, in this study, nanoneedles and particles Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 cathode materials for AZIBs were prepared by a hydrothermal assisted sol-gel method, and the effect of synthesized pH values was studied. XRD results show that all samples had the monoclinic structure, and the Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 sample prepared at pH = 7 exhibits (LVP-pH7) the highest peak tips and narrowest peak widths. SEM images demonstrate that all samples have the morphology character of randomly oriented needles and irregular particles, with the LVP-pH7 sample having more needle-like particles that contribute to ion diffusion. EDS results show uniform distribution of P, V, and O elements in the LVP-pH7 sample, and no obvious aggregation phenomenon is observed. Electrochemical tests have shown that the LVP-pH7 sample exhibits excellent cycling performance (97.37% after 50 cycles at 200 mA g -1 ) and rate ability compared to other samples. The CV test results showed that compared with other samples, the LVP-pH7 sample had the most excellent ionic diffusion coefficient (2.44 × 10 -12 cm 2 s -1 ). Additionally, the R ct of LVP-pH7 is the lowest (319.83 Ω) according to the findings of EIS and Nyquist plot fitting, showing a decreased charge transfer resistance and raising the kinetics of the reaction., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) to high-value-added products is one of the most promising strategies for mitigating the greenhouse effect and energy shortage. Two-dimensional (2D) MXene materials are regarded as promising catalysts for electrocatalysis, and the boron-analogs of MXenes, 2D transition metal borides (MBenes), may exhibit superior CO 2 RR performance owing to their unique electronic properties. Herein, a novel 2D transition metal boride, MoB, is theoretically evaluated as a potential catalyst for the CO 2 RR by comparing it with traditional Mo 2 C. MoB shows metallic nature and exhibits excellent electrical conductivity. MoB can effectively activate CO 2 with a larger interaction energy of -3.64 eV than that of Mo 2 C. Both density of states and charge difference density reveal a significant charge transfer from MoB to CO 2 . MoB shows higher catalytic selectivity due to its inhibited hydrogen evolution reaction and low reaction energy for the CO 2 RR. At potentials more negative than -0.62 V, the CO 2 RR on MoB becomes a high-throughput reaction process towards CH 4 . This work discovered that MoB exhibited comparable CO 2 RR performance to Mo 2 C and forecasted MBenes as promising catalysts for electrocatalysis.

Using fully ab initio molecular dynamics simulations based on the SCAN functional, we study the inherent structure of water and its temperature dependence. Our results show three types of translational ordering of the second oxygen coordination shell. With this as a criterion, the local structures in water are classified into three types, here named structures I, II, and III. In structure I, the second shell loses its translational ordering, while in structures II and III it presents a translational ordering similar to that in ice II (or ice V) and ice III, respectively. However, the tetrahedral orientational ordering distribution and bond-angle distribution in structures II and III are different from those in ice II (or ice V) and ice III. This indicates that the local atomic structures of liquid water and crystalline ice are not identical, although they have similar translational ordering. The temperature dependence of the inherent structure suggests that the density maximum of water originates from the competition not only between structures I and III, but also between structures II and III. These results provide fully ab initio evidence for the mixture model of water.

Flexible supercapacitors with high power density and long cyclic stability represent a promising candidate to be used as power supplies for portable electronics, but often suffer from the disadvantages of a limited working voltage and rapid self-discharge (spontaneous drop of open-circuit voltage). Here, we design a bilayer heterogeneous poly(ionic liquid) electrolyte (BHPE) consisting of a polycation complex and a polyanion complex with different zeta potentials to suppress the self-discharge of flexible symmetric supercapacitors. The resultant BHPE-based supercapacitors using active carbon/carbon nanotube composite electrodes exhibit a high working potential of 3.0 V and an energy density of 33 W h kg -1 , which are comparable with those of devices obtained by using a homogeneous poly(ionic liquid) electrolyte (HPE). More significantly, the developed BHPE-based supercapacitor charged under forward bias exhibits a self-discharge time of 23.2 h, which is at least twice that of the device charged under reverse bias and is also much superior to those of HPE-based supercapacitors. The BHPE-based supercapacitors also possess excellent mechanical flexibility and stability, due to the stabilized interface contact between two layers of poly(ionic liquid)s.

In this study, four metal ions Mg 2+ , Al 3+ , Fe 3+ , and Zn 2+ were loaded on the surface of activated carbon by an impregnation method coupled with high-temperature calcination to prepare modified activated carbon. Scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area and pore size analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier infrared spectroscopy were used to evaluate the structure and morphology of the modified activated carbon. The findings show that the modified activated carbon had a large microporous structure and high specific surface area, both of which significantly improved absorbability. This study also investigated the adsorption and desorption kinetics of the prepared activated carbon for three flavonoids with representative structures. The adsorption amounts of quercetin, luteolin, and naringenin in the blank activated carbon reached 920.24 mg g -1 , 837.07 mg g -1 , and 677.37 mg g -1 , while for activated carbon impregnated with Mg, the adsorption amounts reached 976.34 mg g -1 , 963.39 mg g -1 , and 817.98 mg g -1 , respectively; however, the desorption efficiencies of the three flavonoids varied a lot. The differences in desorption rates of naringenin as compared with quercetin and luteolin in the blank activated carbon were 40.13% and 46.22%, respectively, and the difference in desorption rates increased to 78.46% and 86.93% in the activated carbon impregnated with Al. The differences provide a basis for the application of this type of activated carbon in the selective enrichment and separation of flavonoids., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Polymersomes are vesicular nanostructures enclosed by a bilayer-membrane self-assembled from amphiphilic block copolymers, which exhibit higher stability compared with their biological analogues ( e.g. liposomes). Due to their versatility, polymersomes have found various applications in different research fields such as drug delivery, nanomedicine, biological nanoreactors, and artificial cells. However, polymersomes prepared with high molecular weight components typically display low permeability to molecules and ions. It hence remains a major challenge to balance the opposing features of robustness and permeability of polymersomes. In this review, we focus on the design and strategies for fabricating permeable polymersomes, including polymersomes with intrinsic permeability, the formation of nanopores in the membrane bilayers by protein insertion, and the construction of stimuli-responsive polymersomes. Then, we highlight the applications of permeable polymersomes in the fields of biomimetic nanoreactors, artificial cells and organelles, and nanomedicine, to underline the challenges in the development of polymersomes as soft matter with biomedical utilities., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A practical and efficient solvent-free synthesis of β-trifluoromethyl-substituted phosphonates and phosphine oxides via hydrophosphonylation and hydrophosphinylation of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes with H -phosphonates and H -phosphine oxides, respectively, was developed. The reaction proceeded smoothly within 2 h at room temperature without the cleavage of the rather fragile C-F bond in α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes and afforded a wide variety of structurally diverse and valuable β-trifluoromethyl-containing phosphonates and phosphine oxides in moderate to good yields. This protocol features mild conditions, wide substrate scope, simple manipulation, and excellent functional group compatibility.

Wound infection causes irregular tissue closure, often with prolonged healing. Traditional therapies based on antibiotic delivery have resulted in reduced therapeutic efficiency and drug resistance. Such features make it highly desirable to develop an antibiotic-free material for wound infection in clinical applications. Herein, a self-healing antibacterial hydrogel was designed to realize the treatment of S. aureus -infected wounds. The design of the dynamic imine bond endows hydrogels with self-healing and adaptive properties, which could cover the irregular wound and improve the safety of administration. In addition, benefiting from quaternized chitosan, the designed hydrogels also present fascinating antimicrobial properties and favorable biocompatibility. The evaluation in a rat skin wound infection model indicates that the fascinating antimicrobial effect accelerates wound healing by the designed hydrogels. This facile design of an antibiotic-free material allows effective wound infection management, which may be promising in coping with other complex wound healings.

A DNA hydrogel, owing to its dual properties of liquid and solid, is considered to be an ideal material for constructing biosensors that can integrate the advantages of both wet chemistry and dry chemistry. Nevertheless, it has struggled to cope with the demands of high-throughput analysis. A partitioned and chip-based DNA hydrogel is a potential avenue to achieve this, but currently remains a formidable challenge. Here, we developed a portable and partitioned DNA hydrogel chip that can be used for multitarget detection. The partitioned and surface-immobilized DNA hydrogel chip was formed by inter-crosslinking amplification by incorporating target-recognizing fluorescent aptamer hairpins into multiple rolling circle amplification products, which can achieve portable and simultaneous detection of multiple targets. This approach expands the application of semi-dry chemistry strategies, which can realize high throughput and point of care testing (POCT) of different targets, improving the development of hydrogel-based bioanalysis and providing new potential solutions for biomedical detection.

Recently, novel 2D InGeTe 3 has been successfully synthesized and attracted attention due to its excellent properties. In this study, we investigated the mechanical properties and transport behavior of InGeX 3 (X = S, Se and Te) monolayers using density functional theory (DFT) and machine learning (ML). The key physical parameters related to mechanical properties, including Poisson's ratio, elastic modulus, tensile strength and critical strain, were revealed. Using a ML method to train DFT data, we developed a neuroevolution-potential (NEP) to successfully predict the mechanical properties and lattice thermal conductivity. The fracture behavior predicted using NEP-based MD simulations in a large supercell containing 20 000 atoms could be verified using DFT. Due to the effects of size, these predicted physical parameters have a slight difference between DFT and ML methods. At 300 K, these monolayers exhibited a low thermal conductivity with the values of 13.27 ± 0.24 W m -1 K -1 for InGeS 3 , 7.68 ± 0.30 W m -1 K -1 for InGeSe 3 , and 3.88 ± 0.09 W m -1 K -1 for InGeTe 3 , respectively. The Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) including all electron-phonon interactions was used to accurately predict the electron mobility. Compared with InGeS 3 and InGeSe 3 , the InGeTe 3 monolayer showed flexible mechanical behavior, low thermal conductivity and high mobility.

OER (oxygen evolution reaction) is a critical reaction in several storage and conversion systems for renewable and clean electrochemical energies, including solar fuel devices, metal-air batteries, as well as regenerative fuel and water splitting cells. Regarding the shortcomings of OER, apart from the sluggish kinetics and high reaction overpotential, the reaction rate and overpotential are difficult to be optimized simultaneously. Herein, a novel hierarchical particle-sheet-structured Fe-doped Ni x P electrocatalyst is developed, which presents abundant interfaces between crystalline particle and amorphous sheet. The OER overpotential is reduced to 204 mV at 20 mA cm -2 current density, while it is reduced to 225 and 231 mV at 100 and 300 mA cm -2 , respectively. The Fe-doped Ni x P electrocatalyst also shows fast reaction kinetics, whose Tafel slope is a remarkable 25 mV dec -1 . For an electrolytic cell whose cathode and anode are Pt/C/NF and Fe-Ni x P/NF, respectively, a mere 1.446 V voltage is necessary to drive a 10 mA cm -2 current density for achieving overall water-splitting property. Notably, it also works stably at considerably high current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm -2 , representing high potential for commercial applications.

In this study, the interaction mechanism of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with tannic acid (TA) was investigated by spectroscopic and computational approaches and further validated using circular dichroism (CD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and molecular docking techniques. The fluorescence spectra showed that TA bound to BSA and underwent static quenching at a single binding site, which was consistent with the molecular docking results. And the fluorescence quenching of BSA by TA was dose-dependent. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that hydrophobic forces dominated the interaction of BSA with TA. The results of circular dichroism showed that the secondary structure of BSA was slightly changed after coupling with TA. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the interaction between BSA and TA improved the stability of the BSA-TA complex, and the melting temperature increased to 86.67 °C and the enthalpy increased to 264.1 J g -1 when the ratio of TA to BSA was 1.2 : 1. Molecular docking techniques revealed specific amino acid binding sites for the BSA-TA complex with a docking energy of -12.9 kcal mol -1 , which means the TA is non-covalently bound to the BSA active site., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. Each of the coauthors have seen and agrees with each of the changes made to this manuscript in the revision., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

High-performance flexible barium titanate (BaTiO 3 )-based piezoelectric devices have gained much attention. However, it is still a challenge to prepare flexible polymer/BaTiO 3 -based composite materials with uniform distribution and high performance due to the high viscosity of polymers. In this study, novel hybrid BaTiO 3 particles were synthesized with assistance of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) via a low-temperature hydrothermal method and explored for their application in piezoelectric composites. Specifically, Ba 2+ was adsorbed on uniformly dispersed CNFs with a large amount of negative charge on their surface, which nucleated, resulting in the synthesis of evenly dispersed CNF-BaTiO 3 . The obtained CNF-BaTiO 3 possessed a uniform particle size, few impurities, high crystallinity and dispersity, high compatibility with the polymer substrate and surface activity due to the existence of CNFs. Subsequently, both polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and TEMPO-oxidized CNFs were employed as piezoelectric substrates for the fabrication of a CNF/PVDF/CNF-BaTiO 3 composite membrane with a compact structure, displaying the tensile strength of 18.61 ± 3.75 MPa and elongation at break of 3.06 ± 1.33%. Finally, a thin piezoelectric generator (PEG) was assembled, which output a considerable open-circuit voltage (4.4 V) and short-circuit current (200 nA), and could also power a light-emitting diode and charge a 1 μF capacitor to 3.66 V in 500 s. Its longitudinal piezoelectric constant ( d 33 ) was 5.25 ± 1.04 pC N -1 even with a small thickness. It also exhibited high sensitivity to human movement, outputting a voltage of about 9 V and current of 739 nA for only a footstep. Thus, it exhibited good sensing property and energy harvesting property, presenting practical application prospects. This work provides a new idea for the preparation of hybrid BaTiO 3 and cellulose-based piezoelectric composite materials., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The application of nanodevices based on DNA self-assembly in the field of cell biology has made significant progress in the past decade. In this study, the development of DNA nanotechnology is briefly reviewed. The subcellular localization of DNA nanodevices, and their new progress and applications in the fields of biological detection, subcellular and organ pathology, biological imaging, and other fields are reviewed. The future of subcellular localization and biological applications of DNA nanodevices is also discussed.

The interaction between rare earth and iron spins in rare earth orthoferrites leads to remarkable phenomena, such as the spin-flip process. This is despite the rare earth spins not being magnetically ordered. Instead, they are polarized by the ordered iron spins. The interaction between the two spin families is not well understood. This study reports the temperature dependence of the net magnetic moment for rare earth spins, by measuring the overall magnetization for ErFeO 3 and NdFeO 3 single crystals. The obtained temperature dependence can be described well using a model based on the mean field theory, giving tanh(const./ T ) temperature dependence. This functional dependence is not disrupted by the spin-flip transition as the crystals are cooled.

Ultrafast Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) between tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) residues in the protein monellin has been investigated using picosecond and femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Decay associated spectra (DAS) and time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) taken with the different excitation wavelengths of 275, 290 and 295 nm were constructed via global analysis. At two of those three excitation loci (275 and 290 nm), earmarks of energy transfer from Tyr to Trp in monellin are seen, and particularly when the excitation is 275 nm, the energy transfer between Tyr and Trp clearly changes the signature emission DAS shape to that indicating excited state reaction (especially on the red side of fluorescence emission, near 380 nm). Those FRET signatures may overlap with the conventional signatory DAS in heterogeneous systems. When overlap and addition occur between FRET type DAS and "full positive" QSSQ (quasi-static self-quenching), mixed DAS shapes will emerge that still show "positive blue side and negative red sides", just with zero crossing shifted. In addition, excitation decay associated spectra (EDAS) taken with the different emission wavelengths of 330, 350 and 370 nm were constructed. In the study of protein dynamics, ultrafast FRET between Tyr and Trp could provide a basis for an intrinsic (non-perturbing) "spectroscopic ruler", potentially a powerful tool to detect even slight changes in protein structures.

Dual-band electrochromic smart windows (DESWs) can selectively control the transmittance of near-infrared (NIR) and visible (VIS) light, which can significantly reduce building energy consumption. However, almost all the reported DESW colors switch between clear colorless and dark blue. The single color combined with the dazzling visual experience of blue will undoubtedly limit the application scene of DESWs. Herein, for the first time, we report a robust and stable DESW with multicolor conversion capabilities based on the single-component organic polymer polyaniline (PANI). The results show that the progressive electrochemical reaction enabled PANI film to deliver not only efficient and independent control of NIR and VIS light transmittance but also impressive electrochromic performance-rich color conversion (yellow-green-black), good optical modulation (65% at 633 nm and 59% at 1600 nm), high coloration efficiency (367.1 cm 2 C -1 at 633 nm and 299.6 cm 2 C -1 at 1600 nm), and excellent cycling stability (optical modulation losses of 6% at 633 nm, and 4% at 1600 nm after 10 000 cycles). Thereby, we demonstrated a prototype PANI-based DESW device (10 × 5 cm 2 ), which delivered a multicolor electrochromism together with independent control and modulation of the VIS (sunlight) and NIR (solar heat) transmittance.

Early tumor diagnosis could reliably predict the behavior of tumors and significantly reduce their mortality. Due to the response to early cancerous changes at the molecular or cellular level, tumor biomarkers, including small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, exosomes, and circulating tumor cells, have been employed as powerful tools for early cancer diagnosis. Therefore, exploring new approaches to detect tumor biomarkers has attracted a great deal of research interest. Lanthanide upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) provide numerous opportunities for bioanalytical applications. When excited by low-energy near-infrared light, UCNPs exhibit several unique properties, such as large anti-Stoke shifts, sharp emission lines, long luminescence lifetimes, resistance to photobleaching, and the absence of autofluorescence. Based on these excellent properties, UCNPs have demonstrated great sensitivity and selectivity in detecting tumor biomarkers. In this review, an overview of recent advances in tumor biomarker detection using UCNPs has been presented. The key aspects of this review include detection mechanisms, applications in vitro and in vivo , challenges, and perspectives of UCNP-based tumor biomarker detection.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a type of circulatory system disease related to the lesions of the cardiovascular system, has become one of the main diseases that endanger human health. Currently, the clinical diagnosis of most CVDs relies on a combination of imaging technology and blood biochemical test. However, the existing technologies for diagnosis of CVDs still have limitations in terms of specificity, detection range, and cost. In order to break through the current bottleneck, microfluidic with the advantages of low cost, simple instruments and easy integration, has been developed to play an important role in the early prevention, diagnosis and treatment of CVDs. Here, we have reviewed the recent various applications of microfluidic in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CVDs, including microfluidic devices for detecting CVD markers, the cardiovascular models based on microfluidic, and the microfluidic used for CVDs drug screening and delivery. In addition, we have briefly looked forward to the prospects and challenges of microfluidics in diagnosis and treatment of CVDs.

Gynura segetum (Lour.) Merr. (GS), has been widely used in Chinese folk medicine and can promote circulation, relieve pain and remove stasis. In recent years, the hepatotoxicity caused by GS has been reported, however its mechanism is not fully elucidated. Metabolomic techniques are powerful means to explore the toxicological mechanism and therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to establish a serum metabolomics method based on Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to explore the hepatotoxicity mechanism of different exposure times and doses of GS in rats. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were administered daily with distilled water, 7.5 g kg -1 GS, or 15 g kg -1 GS by intragastrical gavage for either 10 or 21 days. The methods adopted included enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining and GC-MS-based serum metabolomics. Serum biochemistry analysis showed that the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglycerides (TG), total bilirubin (TBIL) and total bile acid (TBA) significantly ( P < 0.05) increased while the levels of albumin (ALB) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased in GS-treated groups, compared with the control group. Interestingly, the ALT, AST, TG and ALB levels changed in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The results of H&E staining showed the degree of liver damage after administration of GS gradually deepened with the extension of administration time and the increase of the dose. According to the results of metabolomics analysis, 26 differential metabolites were identified, which were involved in 8 metabolic pathways including phenylalanine metabolism, glyoxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid metabolism and so on. Meanwhile, the number of differential metabolites in different GS-treated groups was associated with GS exposure time and dose. Therefore, we concluded that GS might induce hepatotoxicity depending on the exposure time and dose., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests regarding this paper., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

NMR spectroscopy serves as an immensely powerful tool for component assignments and molecular structure elucidations. However, proton NMR spectra are generally trapped with spectral congestion caused by limited frequency differences and complex multiplets. 2D NMR can effectively relieve spectral congestion, but its resolution and acquisition efficiency are restricted by the broad spectral bandwidth. Herein, we introduce an NMR method based on chemical-shift-difference selection by chirp excitation to record high-resolution 2D NMR spectra for extracting coupling correlation networks and multiplet structures, suitable for measurements on complex samples. The performance of the proposed method is illustrated in determining diastereotopic methylene protons, small frequency-difference coupled proton pairs of furanose, pyranose and benzene rings. This study is expected to benefit molecular structure elucidation and composition analysis of complex samples in chemistry, biochemistry and metabonomics.

Dielectrics of the polymer-matrix composite are considered to present combined advantages from both the polymer matrix and inorganic fillers. However, the breakdown strength, as well as energy density, is not effectively enhanced due to the poor compatibility between the organic and inorganic components. Herein, polymer composites derived from polystyrene (PS) and barium titanate (BTO) are proposed and beneficial interface modification by poly(styrene- co -maleic anhydride) (PS- co -mah) is conducted to improve compatibility between the inorganic filler and polymer matrix. The results show that the BTO@PS- co -mah/PS composites, in which the interfacial layer of PS- co -mah would undergo chemical reactions with the aminated BTO and blend PS matrix with excellent physical compatibility, exhibit enhanced breakdown strength and declined dielectric loss compared with both pure PS and BTO/PS without interfacial modulation. Particularly, the BTO@PS- co -mah/PS composite with 5 wt% filler content indicates optimized performance with an E b of 507 MV m -1 and tan  δ of 0.085%. It is deduced that the deep energy traps introduced by the PS- co -mah layer would weaken the local electric field and suppress the space charge transporting so as to optimize the performance of composites. Consequently, the interfacial-modified BTO@PS- co -mah/PS would present great potential for applications, such as film capacitors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

We devise a class of amphiphilic drug complexes by programming hydrophobic drug patterns (HDPs) on DNA frameworks. We investigate the effect of HDPs on cellular uptake efficiency and drug potency. We achieve enhanced cytotoxicity against tumor cells by using an asymmetric HDP.

A mild and practical Fe-catalyzed hydroxytrifluoromethylation of α-(trifluoromethyl)styrenes with CF 3 SO 2 Na in the presence of K 2 S 2 O 8 and air was developed. The reaction proceeded efficiently at room temperature without β-fluoride elimination and afforded the corresponding α,β-bistrifluoromethyl tertiary alcohols in good to excellent yields.

We have developed a photoredox/Cu dual catalyzed enantioselective remote cyanation via 1,4-heteroaryl migration. Experimental and computational studies have been carried out to reveal the reaction mechanism and explain the origins of the regio- and enantioselectivities of the remote cyanation process. This methodology exhibits mild conditions, a broad substrate scope and good regio- and enantioselectivities, which provides a unique approach for catalyst-controlled asymmetric backbone recombination of molecules via functional group migration.