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Metal–organic–inorganic polyacid complexes, as a class of innovative materials combining the properties of metal–organic compounds and inorganic polyacids, have shown great potential and prospects in environmental protection in recent years, especially in the field of photocatalytic degradation of dye wastewater. With their unique structures, good stability and efficient catalytic properties, these complexes have become a hot spot for researchers. In this study, we synthesized a series of metal–organic–inorganic polyacid complexes with novel structures and excellent properties. In this study, rare earth chloride, tetraisopropyl ethylene diphosphate and phosphotungstic acid were used as raw materials. A series of metal–organic–inorganic polyoxometalate complex catalysts with novel structure and excellent properties were synthesized by heating and stirring in a water and acetonitrile mixture. In order to comprehensively analyse the structures and properties of these new catalysts, we employed various characterisation tools, including single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) to accurately determine the crystal structures of the complexes and reveal their atomic level arrangements; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to confirm the presence of functional groups and the vibrational modes of the chemical bonding; thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to evaluate the catalysts' thermal stabilities; powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) to verify the phase purity and crystallinity of the catalysts; ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) to reveal the light-absorption properties of the catalysts; and terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, which provides a unique perspective to understand the electromagnetic response of the catalysts at specific frequencies. Further, we also investigated the photocatalytic degradation performance of the complexes of this system as catalysts in water-soluble dye (methylene blue). Under UV irradiation, all the 11 samples prepared showed similar and efficient photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MB, with degradation efficiencies of 98.48–99.78% within 65 min. The great potential of this system catalyst in dye wastewater treatment was fully demonstrated. Finally, in order to reveal the photocatalytic degradation mechanism, we systematically explored the role of each active species in the photocatalytic degradation process by adding different types of active substance scavengers into the reaction system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is an invasive Tephritidae pest with robust fertility. The male accessory glands (MAGs) form a vital organ that ensures insect reproductive efficiency. Most of the secreted proteins by MAGs exhibit a male bias expression. Takeout, one of these proteins, is abundantly present in the MAGs of many insects. RESULTS: In this study, we identified 32 takeout genes in Z. cucurbitae. The phylogenetic analysis and multiple sequence alignment results showed that Zctakeout1 is the most related homolog to the MAGs‐specific takeout in Tephritidae. The real‐time quantitative PCR results showed that Zctakeout1 was exclusively expressed in the male adult stage, and its expression level gradually increased with the increase in age and then remained stable at the sexually matured stage. The distribution among tissues demonstrated the specific expression of Zctakeout1 in the MAGs, and fluorescence immunohistochemical results confirmed the presence of Zctakeout1 in close proximity to binuclear cells of the mesoderm epidermal MAGs. In continuation, CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated genome editing was employed, resulting in successfully generating a homozygous strain with an +8 bp insertion. The mating experiments with the Zctakeout1−/− males resulted in significant reductions in both the mating rate and egg production of females. CONCLUSION: These findings prove that the MAGs‐specific Zctakeout1 is essential in regulating fecundity in female Z. cucurbitae fruit flies. Our data suggests its utilization in future essential insect‐specific gene‐directed sterility insect technique (SIT) by the genetic manipulation to keep these important Tephritidae populations under control. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae Coquillett, is one of the major pests attacking Cucurbitaceae crops. Identifying critical genes or proteins regulating fertility is essential for sustainable pest control and a research hotspot in insect physiology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNAs that do not directly participate in protein translation, but instead function in post‐transcriptional regulation of gene expression involved in male fertility. Results: We found that miR‐927‐5p is highly expressed in the testes and investigated its function in spermatogenesis in Z. cucurbitae. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed miR‐927‐5p in the transformation and maturation region of the testis, and overexpression of miR‐927‐5p reduced the number of sperms by 53%. In continuation, we predicted 12 target genes of miR‐927‐5p using bioinformatics combined with transcriptome sequencing data, and found that miR‐927‐5p targets the new gene Stalky in insects, which was validated by quantitative real‐time PCR, RNA pull‐down and dual luciferase reporter assays. FISH also confirmed the co‐localization of miR‐927‐5p and the transcript Stalky_1 in the testis. Moreover, silencing of Stalky_1 by RNA interference reduced the number of sperms by 32% and reduced sperm viability by 39% in physiologically mature male adults. Meanwhile, the silencing of Stalky_1 also resulted in low hatchability. Conclusion: Our work not only presents a new, so far unreported mechanism regulating spermatogenesis by miR‐927‐5p targeting a new unknown target, Stalky, which is providing new knowledge on the regulatory network of insect spermatogenesis, but also lays a foundation for the development of SIT against important tephritid fly pests. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using phosphotungstic acid, tetraethyl ethylenebisphosphonate (L) and rare earth chloride as raw materials, a series of Keggin-type POM-based rare earth complexes were synthesized by a heating and stirring method: [LnL3(H2O)]PW12O40·CH3CN (1–6) (Ln = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu). The molecular structures of the complexes were determined by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, and the influence of weak forces on the molecular packing structures were studied by calculating the presence of hydrogen bonds inside the complexes using PLATON. By analyzing the experimental results, it is concluded that tetraethyl ethylenebisphosphonate is coordinated with rare earth ions through bidentate chelation, and POMs which are not involved in coordination exist as anions. Complexes 1–6 are three-dimensional supramolecular structures constructed by hydrogen bonds. Powder X-ray diffraction proved that the structures of the synthesized complexes are consistent with the results of single-crystal analysis, and the purity is high. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the series of complexes have good thermal stability above 200 °C. Notably, the complexes 1–6 showed good photocatalytic degradation ability to methyl orange (MO) solution under UV irradiation; their degradation rate reached more than 95% within 15 min. The membrane material of complex 1 was successfully prepared by combining complex 1 with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that complex 1 was supported on the surface of the PVDF film. For photocatalytic degradation of MO solution, the MO degradation rate reached 97.4% within 50 min. Compared with the powder-type catalyst, the degradation efficiency is lower, but the membrane material catalysis solves the problem of catalyst recovery and has better recyclable performance. Using the method of adding different active species scavengers, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction was studied. Finally, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) was performed, which provided a spectroscopic basis for the rapid detection of the weak forces contained in the complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a series of ionic mononuclear Cu(I) complexes, [Cu(phen)(bdppmapy)]Cl (1a), [Cu(phen)(bdppmapy)]Br (2a), [Cu(phen)(bdppmapy)]I (3a), [Cu(phen)(bdppmapy)]SCN (4a), [Cu(Dpq)(bdppmapy)]Cl (1b), [Cu(Dpq)(bdppmapy)]Br (2b), [Cu(Dpq)(bdppmapy)]I (3b) and [Cu(Dpq)(bdppmapy)]SCN (4b) {phen = [1,10]phenanthroline; Dpq = pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]-phenanthroline; bdppmapy = N,N-bis((diphenylphosphino)methyl)-2-pyridinamine} have been synthesized and characterized by using IR, NMR, elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy methods, and UV-vis and terahertz (THz) time-domain absorption spectroscopy. Their crystal structures were elucidated by X-ray crystallography and their photophysical properties were investigated in detail. All the above complexes exhibit a 1D to 3D supramolecular structure which is linked together by intermolecular weak interaction forces and hydrogen bonds. By regulating ligands and anions, the emission wavelengths of these complexes are quite different in the range from 533 nm to 604 nm. Theoretical calculations and photophysical properties indicate that luminescence is derived from metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states. In the meantime, the results of calculations show that the stabilization of the increased conjugation of the ligand-based π* orbital is ascribed to the observed bathochromic-shift in the MLCT transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world, water pollution is a serious problem. Dye adsorption and photocatalytic degradation are effective methods to deal with water pollution. The key to dealing with water pollution is to find suitable adsorbents and catalysts. We synthesized a series of rare earth complexes containing [PMo12O40]3− and a P＝O ligand, [REL4](PMo12O40)·nCH3CN (RE = La for 1, Ce for 2, Pr for 3, Sm for 4, Eu for 5, Gd for 6, and Tb for 7; n1,2,3,5,6 = 2 and n4,7 = 0; L = tetraethyl ethylenediphosphonate), and [REL3(H2O)](PMo12O40)·CH3CN (RE = Tm for 8, Yb for 9, and Y for 10). Complexes 1–7 are all eight-coordinated mononuclear structures centered on lanthanide ions, [PMo12O40]3− anions and solvent molecules are not coordinated with metal ions, while complexes 8–10 are seven-coordinated mononuclear structures. These mononuclear structures eventually form complicated 3D supramolecular structures through hydrogen bond weak interactions. These complexes have good adsorption properties for rhodamine B (RhB) and can degrade methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. Furthermore, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is used to characterize the structures of complexes and ligands, which will provide useful information for building bridges between THz spectra and the structures of complexes in coordination chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bottleneck of strontium compounds preparing from celestite is the promotion of Sr/S isolation efficiency. Low energy consumption and zero release method for isolating Sr/S in preparing Sr(OH)2 process from celestite in mild condition was described. Sr element remained in precipitation with formation of Sr(OH)2, while S element entered into leachate with formation of Na2SO4. The effects of initial concentration of NaOH, conversion temperature, liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio and conversion time on Sr/S ratio of samples for celestite conversion were systematically investigated by experiments. The results demonstrated that the efficiency of Sr/S isolation increased with the initial concentration of NaOH, L/S ratio and conversion time, and decreased with conversion temperature. The maximum conversion ratio of Sr(OH)2 was 93.88% under the optimum condition, whose Sr/S ratio of sample could reach to 41.16. It illustrated that better isolation efficiency of celestite could be achieved in alkaline treatment. The results of SEM-EDS analyses demonstrated that the conversion reaction was a dissolution-precipitation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop proton-conducting materials under low-humidity conditions and at moderate working temperature still remains challenging for fuel-cell technology. Here, a new type of proton-conducting material, EIMS-HTFSA@MIL, which was prepared by impregnating the binary ionic liquid, EIMS-HTFSA (EIMS=1-(1-ethyl-3-imidazolium)propane-3-sulfonate; HTFSA= N, N-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide), into a mesoporous metal-organic framework, MIL-101 ([Cr3F(H2O)2O(BDC)3⋅ n H2O] ( n≈0.25, BDC=1,4-benzenedicarboxylate)) is reported. By taking advantage of the ionic-liquid properties, such as high thermal stability, non-volatility, non-flammability, and low corrosivity, EIMS-HTFSA@MIL shows potential application as a safe electrolyte in proton conduction above 100 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrothermal reaction of the same reactive system containing Ln(NO3)3·6H2O, tetrafluorophthalic acid (H2TFPht), and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) at different temperatures yielded coordination polymers, [Ln2(TFPht)3(phen)2(H2O)2]·H2O (Ln = Sm 1, Eu 2, Gd 3, Tb 4, Dy 5; at 120 °C), La(TFPht)(TFBA)(phen)(H2O) (6; at 160 °C), Ln3(TFPht)4(TFBA)(phen)3(H2O)3 (Ln = Dy 7, Tb 8, Yb 9; at 160 °C), and Ln2(TFBA)6(phen)2 (Ln = Eu 10, Tb 11; at 180 °C). 2,3,4,5-Tetrafluorobenzoic acid (TFBA) was produced from the decarboxylation of TFPht. X-ray structural analysis reveals that these compounds contain different structural motifs. Complexes 1–5 exhibit zigzag chain structures based on the center-related tetranuclear [Ln4] as SBUs (Secondary Building Units) with two crystallographically independent Ln3+ ions. Complex 6 contains a double chain structure with center-related binuclear [La2] as SBUs. Complexes 7–9 show single chain structures involving center-related hexanuclear [Ln6] as SBUs with three crystallographically independent Ln3+ ions. Complexes 10 and 11 have ribbon chain structures involving binuclear [Ln2] as SBUs with two crystallographically independent Ln3+ ions. The photoluminescence properties of complexes 1–5 were studied. The Eu3+ and Tb3+ complexes exhibit bright red and green emissions with quantum yields of 15.87% for 2 and 23.82% for 4. The two-component Dy:Eu- and three-component Gd:Dy,Eu-doped complexes provided white light emission. Moreover, 2 could be a potential luminescent probe for detecting nitrobenzene and Ni2+ ion through significant fluorescence decrease of Eu3+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]