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A series of three-coordinate dinuclear copper halide complexes containing acarbazolyl monodentate phosphine ligand, [CuX(dppc)]2 (dppc =3,6-di-tert-butyl-9-[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]carbazole, X = I (1), Br (2), and Cl (3)), were synthesized, and their molecular structures and photophysical properties were investigated. The structural analysis reveals that two copper(I) centers are bridged by two halogen ligands to form a dinuclear structure with a four-membered Cu2X2 ring. Crystal structures of 1-3 contain 1-D supramolecular arrays constructed by intermolecular C–H···π interactions. These complexes exhibit blue to green emission in the solid state at room temperature and have peak emission wavelengths at 492–495 nm with microsecond lifetimes and low emission quantum yields (< 0.01%). The emission of 1-3 mainly originates from MLCT, XLCT, and IL (intraligand) transitions. The three complexes displayed good thermal stability.

In this paper, an extended Stöber method has been developed to fabricate a Ni

New nanoscale zerovalent iron/carbon (nZVI/C) composites were successfully prepared via heating natural hematite and pine sawdust at 800 °C under nitrogen conditions. Characterization by SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS analyses indicated that the as-prepared nZVI/C composites contained a large number of reactive sites. The lack of influence of the ionic strength revealed inner-sphere complexation dominated U(VI) uptake by the nZVI/C composites. Simultaneous adsorption and reduction were involved in the uptake process of U(VI) according to the results of XPS and XANES analyses. The presence of U-C/U-U shells demonstrated that innersphere complexation and surface coprecipitation dominated the U(VI) uptake at low and high pH conditions, respectively. The uptake behaviors of U(VI) by the nZVI/C composites were fitted well by surface complexation modeling with two weak and two strong sites. The maximum uptake capacity of U(VI) by the nZVI/C composites was 186.92 mg/g at pH 4.0 and 328 K. Additionally, the nZVI/C composites presented good recyclability and recoverability for U(VI) uptake in regeneration experiments. These observations indicated that the nZVI/C composites can be considered as potential adsorbents to remove radionuclides for environmental remediation.

Herein, we report an efficient and universal strategy for synthesizing a unique triple-shell structured Fe

A tin oxide/diatomaceous earth (DE) composite was synthesized via the hydrothermal method without using a template or surfactant, and its humidity-sensing and controlling properties were investigated. The SnO2/DE composites have a special embedded structure, in which SnO2 nanoparticles are embedded in the DE porous frame. The optimal composites exhibit short response and recovery times (T = 3 and 8 s, respectively), and their response (S = 35.64) is 11.88 times higher than that of DE (S = 3). Furthermore, the optimal composite C-1:3 was tested to determine its humidity-controlling properties, which revealed that it possessed absorption (27 h, 12.04%) and desorption (5 h, 8.56%) characteristics. Regarding the selectivity, the C-1:3 sensor showed better sensing behavior to humidity than to NO2, NH3 and other gases. These beneficial properties of the composites are due to a honeycomb structure that endows the composite with a large specific surface area for adsorption of H2O molecules and allows charge transfer between the embedded SnO2 nanoparticles. The humidity-sensing mechanism is explained in detail by the Grotthuss proton transfer theory and density functional theory (DFT), which were used together with a Nyquist diagram to analyze the conditions of H2O adsorption. This study demonstrates a novel strategy for designing a material that can rapidly sense and control humidity and provides insights into the application of the composite in sensing and controlling environmental humidity at room temperature.

The worldwide increase of AIDS, an epidemic infection in constant development has an essential and still requires potent antiretroviral chemotherapeutic agents for reducing the integer of deaths caused by HIV. Thus, there is an urgent need for new anti-HIV drug candidates with increased strength, new targets, superior pharmacokinetic properties, and compact side effects. From this viewpoint, we first review present strategies of anti-HIV drug innovation and the synthesis of heterocyclic or natural compound as anti-HIV agents for facilitating the development of more influential and successful anti-HIV agents.

New nanoscale zerovalent iron/carbon (nZVI/C) composites were successfully prepared via heating natural hematite and pine sawdust at 800 °C under nitrogen conditions. Characterization by SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS analyses indicated that the as-prepared nZVI/C composites contained a large number of reactive sites. The lack of influence of the ionic strength revealed inner-sphere complexation dominated U(VI) uptake by the nZVI/C composites. Simultaneous adsorption and reduction were involved in the uptake process of U(VI) according to the results of XPS and XANES analyses. The presence of U–C/U-U shells demonstrated that innersphere complexation and surface coprecipitation dominated the U(VI) uptake at low and high pH conditions, respectively. The uptake behaviors of U(VI) by the nZVI/C composites were fitted well by surface complexation modeling with two weak and two strong sites. The maximum uptake capacity of U(VI) by the nZVI/C composites was 186.92 mg/g at pH 4.0 and 328 K. Additionally, the nZVI/C compo...

The smaller particle sizes, better dispersion, and more heterojunction interfaces can enhance the photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts. Herein, ultradispersed amorphous silver silicates/ultrathin g-C

Coronaviruses in the Middle East Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe acute respiratory illness and kills about a third of people infected. The virus is common in dromedary camels, which can be a source of human infections. In a survey for MERSCoV in over 1300 Saudi Arabian camels, Sabir et al. found that dromedaries share three coronavirus species with humans. Diverse MERS lineages in camels have caused human infections, which suggests that transfer among host species occurs quite easily. Haagmans et al. made a MERS-CoV vaccine for use in camels, using poxvirus as a vehicle. The vaccine significantly reduced virus excretion, which should help reduce the potential for transmission to humans, and conferred cross-immunity to camelpox infections. Science , this issue p. 81 , p. 77

Plagiogrammaceae, a poorly described family of diatoms, are common inhabitants of the shallow marine littoral zone, occurring either in the sediments or as epiphytes. Previous molecular phylogenies of the Plagiogrammaceae were inferred but included only up to six genera: Plagiogramma, Dimeregramma, Neofragilaria, Talaroneis, Psammogramma and Psammoneis. In this paper, we describe a new plagiogrammoid genus, Orizaformis, obtained from Bohai Sea (China) and present molecular phylogenies of the family based on three and four genes (nuclear-encoded large and small subunit ribosomal RNAs and chloroplast-encoded rbcL and psbC). Also included in the new phylogenies is Glyphodesmis. The phylogenies suggest that the Plagiogrammaceae is composed of two major clades: one consisting of Talaroneis, Orizaformis and Psammoneis, and the second of Glyphodesmis, Psammogramma, Neofragilaria, Dimeregramma and Plagiogramma. In addition, we describe three new species within established genera: Psammoneis obaidii, which was collected from the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia; and Neofragilaria stilus and Talaroneis biacutifrons from the Mozambique Channel, Indian Ocean, and illustrate two new combination taxa: Neofragilaria anomala and Neofragilaria lineata. Our observations suggest that the biodiversity of the family is strongly needed to be researched, and the phylogenetic analyses provide a useful framework for future studies of Plagiogrammaceae.

Herein, we report an efficient and universal strategy for synthesizing a unique triple-shell structured Fe3O4@SiO2@C-Ni hybrid composite. Firstly, the Fe3O4 cores were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction, and sequentially coated with SiO2 and a thin layer of nickel-ion-doped resin-formaldehyde (RF-Ni2+) using an extended Stober method. This was followed by carbonization to produce the Fe3O4@SiO2@C-Ni nanocomposites with metallic nickel nanoparticles embedded in an RF-derived thin graphic carbon layer. Interestingly, the thin SiO2 spacer layer between RF-Ni2+ and Fe3O4 plays a critical role on adjusting the size and density of the nickel nanoparticles on the surface of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanospheres. The detailed tailoring mechanism is explicitly discussed, and it is shown that the iron oxide core can react with the nickel nanoparticles without the SiO2 spacer layer, and the size and density of the nickel nanoparticles can be effectively controlled when the SiO2 layer exits. The multifunctional composites exhibit a significantly enhanced catalytic performance in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP).