The Royal Society of Chemistry最新文献

Conventional ionic liquids (ILs) used for cellulose modification, while effective in dissolving cellulose, often induce a transition from the robust cellulose I crystalline structure to the weaker cellulose II crystalline phase, compromising material strength. To overcome this limitation, we developed six types of tetrabutylammonium (TBA)-based organic salts, including TBA acetate, aimed at modifying the cellulose surface while preserving its native crystalline structure. Regenerated cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) treated with these TBA-based salts were analyzed via X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, revealing that TBA maleate minimally affected crystallinity and retained the cellulose I crystalline structure. Subsequently, TBA maleate was employed as the solvent medium for the surface modification (acetylation) of CNFs, achieving a degree of substitution of 0.5. The modified CNF acetate (CNF-ac) was blended with commercial cellulose acetate (CA) at ratios of 1, 3, and 5 wt% to evaluate its reinforcing potential. The cellulose I-rich CNF derivative exhibited superior dispersion within the CA matrix, leading to a 46% enhancement in mechanical properties. Overall, this study highlights the potential of crystalline structure-preserving organic salts for the development of high-performance cellulose-based composite materials.

A decarboxylative oxidation and ring-opening protocol of carboxylic acids via tungsten-catalyzed photoinduced ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) is described. This reaction enables the preparation of carbonyl and 1, n-dicarbonyl compounds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of tungsten catalyzed decarboxylative functionalization reactions.

The efficient and low-energy treatment of dye wastewater remains a significant challenge. Herein, a novel co-sensitized TiO₂ photocatalyst (CS-TiO₂) was constructed by combining ruthenium-based dye N719 with a laboratory-synthesized organic dye RA, aiming to extend the visible-light absorption range. The CS-TiO₂ was subsequently embedded into poly(methyl methacrylate) micro-nano fibers via centrifugal spinning, yielding easily recyclable photocatalytic membranes. After deducting the 30% self-degradation contribution of methylene blue arising from its intrinsic photosensitizing effect, the as-prepared PMMA/CS-TiO₂ membrane achieved a net MB degradation efficiency of 58.12%-significantly superior to that of single-dye sensitized counterparts. This enhanced performance is ascribed to efficient charge separation and boosted production of dominant ·OH radicals enabled by the synergistic co-sensitization effect. Notably, the membrane retained ∼80% of its initial net degradation efficiency after five consecutive cycles, demonstrating excellent reusability and structural stability. This work offers a promising approach for constructing efficient, sustainable, and recyclable photocatalytic systems for dye wastewater remediation.

In this work, a novel Ti-based MOF (NH₂-MIL-125) bonded open-tubular (OT) column was firstly prepared via a one-step bonded growth method for capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The stationary phase was characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements and zeta potential measurements. The results showed that the stationary phase exhibited a large specific surface area (1247.57 m² g^-1) with microporous and mesoporous structure and no obvious changes in the morphology/size inside and outside the column. Baseline separation of three β-adrenergic receptor blockers (Prop, Sot, and Lab), three β-adrenergic receptor agonists, and four sulfonamide antibiotics was obtained under the optimized CEC conditions with the shortest analysis time of 2.52 min and a maximum resolution of 11.52. The separation mechanisms were mainly attributed to the polarity and electrophoretic mobility of the analytes, as well as π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding interaction between the stationary phase and the analytes. A quantitative detection method for the three β-adrenergic receptor blockers in pork samples was established using the NH₂-MIL-125 bonded OT column. Good linearity (R² > 0.999) was obtained over the concentration range of 0.01-1.00 mg mL^-1 with limits of detection of 0.0044-0.0084 mg mL^-1 and recoveries of 90.24-106.74%. Thus, the developed method was simple, rapid and highly efficient, and could be applied for the simultaneous separation and detection of the three β-adrenergic receptor blockers in real samples.

The green synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been of growing interest, in part because it is environmentally friendly, less toxic, and uses plant-derived phytochemicals as natural reducing and stabilizing agents, providing a more sustainable approach to traditional chemical synthesis. This study reports the green synthesis of silver NPs (Ag NPs) from aqueous leaf extracts of Echinops ritro and Echinops spinosus and assesses the comparative antibacterial and photocatalytic properties. The optical band gap energies of Ag NPs grown using both plants were determined to be 2.76 eV and 2.78 eV, respectively. FTIR, SEM, and XRD analyses have identified the functional groups in the formation of polydisperse NPs and validated their size and crystalline structure. The synthesized Ag NPs-ES demonstrated the best antibacterial activity with a maximum inhibition zone (24.66 mm) against S. aureus. In comparison, the zone of inhibition (ZOI) against other strains was 24 ± 1, 21.66 ± 0.88, and 21 ± 0.57 mm for B. licheniformis, B. Subtilis, and E. coli, respectively, while Ag NPs-ES showed the same trend in the maximum ZOI against S. aureus (22.33 ± 0.33 mm), followed by B. subtilis (20.66 ± 0.66 mm), B. licheniformis (15.33 ± 0.88 mm), and E. coli (15 ± 0.57 mm). The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes under sunlight was more prominent with Ag NPs from E. spinosus (80% & 88%) than from E. ritro (71.2% & 74.8%), following pseudo-first-order kinetics with higher rate constants. The results supported that E. ritro and E. spinosus-capped Ag NPs are potent, environmentally friendly materials with potential applications in antibacterial formulations and wastewater treatment.

Redox-mediated flow batteries (RMFBs) are a promising, emerging energy storage technology and have the potential to drastically increase the capacity of conventional redox flow batteries (RFBs) while maintaining their architectural flexibility. In these systems, a solution-phase active material is pumped between the RFB cell stack and storage tanks and is responsible for direct charge/discharge of the battery system. This material acts as a redox mediator (RM) between the electrochemical apparatus and a solid active material (SAM), which remains in the storage tanks and comprises the capacity of the system. Characteristics of the indirect electrochemical reaction between RM and SAM, which occur in the storage tank, external to the RFB stack, have so far been inferred from conventional RFB performance metrics. Herein, we report a study of this heterogeneous process that is based on spectroscopic measurements, carried out on the active materials, rather than interpretation of distal electrode processes. This provides independent information on the SAM's state-of-charge, a critical property of RMFB performance that is typically not measured directly. Further, we demonstrate that the redox reaction between the RM and the SAM, which is required for efficient operation, may be tuned by hundreds of mV, or even completely inhibited, by altering the type and concentration of supporting ions in the electrolyte. Finally, we report a periodic-DFT investigation of the vibrational spectroscopy of the SAM, which lays the groundwork for a thermodynamic framework that will be used to characterize and optimize the indirect electrochemical reaction.

In this study, a novel type of coal-based carbon dots (CDs) was synthesized using Inner Mongolia lignite as the carbon source and H₂O₂ as the oxidizing agent, and it was successfully applied for the detection of Fe³⁺ ions. The morphology and structure of CDs were characterized using TEM, XPS and FT-IR techniques. The results revealed that the CDs exhibited a relatively regular triangular star-like morphology with an average diameter of approximately 9.21 nm. The surface was abundant in oxygen-containing functional groups, including hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. Under ultraviolet illumination, the samples exhibited bright blue fluorescence, with a fluorescence quantum yield of up to 23.49%. When the concentration of Fe³⁺ is within the range of 6-670 µmol L^-1, a well-defined linear relationship is observed, with a detection limit of 0.123 µM. Furthermore, SiO₃^2- acts as a fluorescence restorer in the CDs-Fe³⁺ system, enabling the construction of a fluorescence quenching-recovery system based on CDs, which has been successfully applied to the detection of Fe³⁺ in soil and vegetables samples. These novel coal-based CDs exhibit promising application potential in the environmental analysis of Fe³⁺ ions.

Joo and East have recently published a Comment on our article (F. Parisi et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2024, 26, 28037, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CP06047K). The Comment is based on the wrong assumption that we misassigned the infrared spectrum of liquid diethylmethylammonium triflate [DEMA][TfO]. The authors incorrectly claim that our hypothesis was that the two bands are due to the NH stretch mode in two different ion-pair structural types. We clarify here that our original analysis did not invoke two separate, static ion-pair structures, but rather a continuum of dynamically evolving hydrogen-bonding environments that naturally produce a broadened, bimodal band shape. The results presented in our paper are aligned with the ones presented in the Comment. The Comment brings up the concept of Fermi resonance, which indeed gives a plausible explanation of the features seen in the experimental absorption spectra.

Correction for 'A guanosine-containing nucleopeptide self-assembles at the Hoogsteen face to act as a peroxidase mimetic' by Sarah O'Neill et al., Chem. Commun., 2025, 61, 18633-18636, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5CC05835J.