Putting a Terbium-Monometallic Cyanide Cluster into the C₈₂ Fullerene Cage: TbCN@<i>C</i>₂(5)‑C₈₂

The first terbium (Tb)-monometallic cyanide clusterfullerene (CYCF), TbCN@C₈₂, has been successfully synthesized and isolated, whose molecular structure was determined unambiguously as TbCN@<i>C</i>₂(5)-C₈₂ by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The <i>C</i>₂(5)-C₈₂ isomeric cage represents a new cage capable of encapsulating a monometallic cyanide cluster. The C–N bond length within the encaged TbCN cluster is determined to be 0.94(5) Å, which is smaller by at least 0.17 Å than those of the reported C–N triplet bonds in traditional cyanide/nitrile compounds and cyano coordination complexes. An electronic configuration of [Tb³⁺(CN)⁻]²⁺@[C₈₂]^2– was proposed for TbCN@C₈₂

Thermosensitive ZrP-PNIPAM Pickering Emulsifier and the Controlled-Release Behavior

Asymmetric Janus and Gemini ZrP-PNIPAM monolayer nanoplates were obtained by exfoliation of two-dimensional layered ZrP disks whose surface was covalently modified with thermosensitive polymer PNIPAM. The nanoplates largely reduced interfacial tension (IFT) of the oil/water interface so that they were able to produce stable oil/water emulsions, and the PNIPAM grafting either on the surface or the edge endowed the nanoplates rapid temperature responsivity. The ZrP-PNIPAM nanoplates proved to be thermosensitive Pickering emulsifiers for controlled-release applications

Thermosensitive ZrP-PNIPAM Pickering Emulsifier and the Controlled-Release Behavior

Asymmetric Janus and Gemini ZrP-PNIPAM monolayer nanoplates were obtained by exfoliation of two-dimensional layered ZrP disks whose surface was covalently modified with thermosensitive polymer PNIPAM. The nanoplates largely reduced interfacial tension (IFT) of the oil/water interface so that they were able to produce stable oil/water emulsions, and the PNIPAM grafting either on the surface or the edge endowed the nanoplates rapid temperature responsivity. The ZrP-PNIPAM nanoplates proved to be thermosensitive Pickering emulsifiers for controlled-release applications

Aqueous Exfoliation of Graphite into Graphene Assisted by Sulfonyl Graphene Quantum Dots for Photonic Crystal Applications

We investigate the π–π stacking of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with graphene surfaces, showing that such interactions are general across a wide range of PAH sizes and species, including graphene quantum dots. We synthesized a series of graphene quantum dots with sulfonyl, amino, and carboxylic functional groups and employed them to exfoliate and disperse pristine graphene in water. We observed that sulfonyl-functionalized graphene quantum dots were able to stabilize the highest concentration of graphene in comparison to other functional groups; this is consistent with prior findings by pyrene. The graphene nanosheets prepared showed excellent colloidal stability, indicating great potential for applications in electronics, solar cells, and photonic displays which was demonstrated in this work

Intramolecular Oxonium Ylide Formation–[2,3] Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Diazocarbonyl-Substituted Cyclic Unsaturated Acetals: A Formal Synthesis of Hyperolactone C

Rh­(II)-catalyzed oxonium ylide formation–[2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of α-diazo-β-ketoesters possessing γ-cyclic unsaturated acetal substitution, followed by acid-catalyzed elimination–lactonization, provides a concise approach to 1,7-dioxaspiro­[4.4]­non-2-ene-4,6-diones. The process creates adjacent quaternary stereocenters with full control of the relative stereochemistry. An unsymmetrical monomethylated cyclic unsaturated acetal leads to hyperolactone C, where ylide formation–rearrangement proceeds with high selectivity between subtly nonequivalent acetal oxygen atoms

Intramolecular Oxonium Ylide Formation–[2,3] Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Diazocarbonyl-Substituted Cyclic Unsaturated Acetals: A Formal Synthesis of Hyperolactone C

Rh­(II)-catalyzed oxonium ylide formation–[2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of α-diazo-β-ketoesters possessing γ-cyclic unsaturated acetal substitution, followed by acid-catalyzed elimination–lactonization, provides a concise approach to 1,7-dioxaspiro­[4.4]­non-2-ene-4,6-diones. The process creates adjacent quaternary stereocenters with full control of the relative stereochemistry. An unsymmetrical monomethylated cyclic unsaturated acetal leads to hyperolactone C, where ylide formation–rearrangement proceeds with high selectivity between subtly nonequivalent acetal oxygen atoms

Highly Biocompatible, Underwater Superhydrophilic and Multifunctional Biopolymer Membrane for Efficient Oil–Water Separation and Aqueous Pollutant Removal

Conventional wastewater treatment systems generally require multiple steps and complex procedures to remove aqueous pollutants and oil contaminants from polluted water. Herein, we fabricate an underwater superoleophobic membrane by cross-linking konjac glucomannan on pristine fabrics, demonstrating that the concept of oil–water separation and the principle of aqueous pollutant removal can be integrated. Such biopolymer-modified fabric not only separates oil–water mixtures with high efficiency (up to 99.9%), but also exhibits the intriguing characteristic of removing water-soluble pollutants (including polyaromatic dyes and heavy metal ions). As a proof of concept, the synthetic wastewater purified with biopolymer membranes was used to cultivate and irrigate pinto beans, causing no observable deleterious effect on seed germination and growth. These results further confirm the biocompatibility and effectiveness of biopolymer membranes, offering an encouraging solution to challenges including wastewater treatment and cleanup of oil spills

Hierarchical, Self-Healing and Superhydrophobic Zirconium Phosphate Hybrid Membrane Based on the Interfacial Crystal Growth of Lyotropic Two-Dimensional Nanoplatelets

We demonstrate a facile route to in situ growth of lyotropic zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanoplates on textiles via an interfacial crystal growing process. The as-prepared hybrid membrane shows a hierarchical architecture of textile fibers (porous platform for fluid transport), ZrP nanoplatelets (layered scaffolds for chemical barriers), and octadecylamine (organic species for superhydrophobic functionalization). Interestingly, such a hybrid membrane is able to separate the oily wastewater with a high separation efficiency of 99.9%, even at in harsh environments. After being chemically etched, the hybrid membrane is able to restore its hydrophobicity autonomously and repeatedly, owing to the hierarchical structure that enables facile loading of healing agent. We anticipate that the concept of implanting superhydrophobic self-healing features in anisotropic structure of lyotropic nanoparticles will open up new opportunities for developing advanced multifunctional materials for wastewater treatment, fuel purification, and oil spill mitigation