RSC Advances最新文献

The fabrication of earth-abundant electrocatalysts capable of facilitating hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) is essential for creating sustainable hydrogen fuel by water splitting. Here, we present a one-pot hydrothermal approach for producing aluminum and phosphorus co-doped NiS/Ni₃S₂/WS₂ heterostructure hybrid frameworks on nickel foam. The optimal Al and Al, P/NiWS-b@NF catalyst exhibits high HER activity with overpotentials of 139 and 227 mV at current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm⁻², respectively, thanks to the synergistic effect of the various constituents of the catalyst. What is more, it also exhibits a promising Tafel slope of 124 mV dec⁻¹ and is electrocatalytically durable for 10 hours in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution. The high HER activity of Al, P/NiWS-b@NF could be explained by the large number of active sites of the hierarchical heterostructure and electron effects produced by the combination of interfacial and aluminum and phosphorus doping.

This study explores a novel and eco-friendly synthesis of 22 derivatives of 2-aryl/heteroaryl substituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones, compounds with significant medicinal potential, using concentrated solar radiation (CSR) and lemon juice as a natural catalyst. Traditional methods for synthesizing these compounds often involve complex, energy-intensive processes and toxic reagents. In contrast, the method presented here utilizes solar energy and a biodegradable, non-toxic catalyst, aligning with the principles of green chemistry. The reaction, involving 2-aminobenzamide and various aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes, was optimized by varying temperature, catalyst concentration, and solvent. Through optimization, a combination of 0.3 mL of lemon juice and CSR achieved a 97% product yield in 10 minutes. A wide range of aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes were tested, all of which produced excellent yields, confirming the method's broad applicability. The substrate scope was explored with different aldehydes, containing groups/structures like chloro, bromo, nitro, methyl, methoxy, fluoro, hydroxy, imidazole, thiazole, chromone, pyrrole, and 1,4-dioxane, yielding up to 97%. Comparative studies with other catalysts and solvents confirmed the superior efficiency of lemon juice. This study not only demonstrates a sustainable approach to synthesizing 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones but also highlights the potential of solar energy in organic synthesis, offering a viable alternative to conventional methods. This environmentally benign method offers an efficient and sustainable route for synthesizing 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives.

Particle atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an emerging method for engineering 3D materials, such as powders, for energy applications. In our study, we employ a commercially available and scalable particle ALD system to synthesize Pt/C electrocatalysts for fuel cells. Our method yields Pt/C catalysts characterized by highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distribution of 2.2 ± 0.5 nm for 30 wt% Pt and 2.6 ± 0.6 nm for 40 wt% Pt, as verified through transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The performance of the ALD-synthesized catalysts is benchmarked against a state-of-the-art catalyst (TEC10V50E), with both catalysts exhibiting similar beginning-of-test performance (1.6 A cm⁻² at 0.65 V) under application-relevant operation conditions (80 °C, 50% relative humidity). After 30 000 voltage cycles, conducted in accordance with the U.S. Department of Energy's accelerated catalyst degradation test, the ALD catalysts demonstrate up to 64% greater electrochemical active surface areas and superior retention of cell performance, with a 34% higher current density at 0.65 V, compared to the reference. Given the scalability of the commercial particle ALD system, these promising results encourage the use of particle ALD as a novel synthesis approach for fuel cell catalyst materials in the industry.

Electrical stimulation (ES) has emerged as a powerful therapeutic modality for enhancing biological wound healing. This non-invasive technique utilizes low-level electrical currents to promote tissue regeneration and expedite the wound healing process. ES has been shown to accelerate wound closure, reduce inflammation, enhance angiogenesis, and modulate cell migration and proliferation through various mechanisms. The principle goal of wound management is the rapid recovery of the anatomical continuity of the skin, to prevent infections from the external environment and maintain homeostasis conditions inside. ES at the wound site is a compelling strategy for skin wound repair. Several ES applications are described in medical literature like AC, DC, and PC to improve cutaneous perfusion and accelerate wound healing. This review aimed to evaluate the primary factors and provides an overview of the potential benefits and mechanisms of ES in wound healing, and its ability to stimulate cellular responses, promote tissue regeneration, and improve overall healing outcomes. We also shed light on the application of ES which holds excellent promise as an adjunct therapy for various types of wounds, including chronic wounds, diabetic ulcers, and surgical incisions.

A novel, clean and efficient protocol for the preparation of disulfides has been developed through the photochemical radical homo- and cross-coupling reaction of sulfenyl chlorides under LED irradiation and without the use of any catalyst and additive. The representative photochemical homo-coupling of trichloromethyl sulfenyl chloride has been successfully conducted on kilogram-scale in a continuous flow mode. The solvent and the main byproduct can be recovered in high yields, which makes the approach be highly atom economical.

Differences/similarities of supramolecular motifs are discussed in two new thiophosphoramide structures and their Ni molecular complexes: (C₂H₅O)₂P(S)(NHC(S)NHCH₂C₆H₄X) and [{(C₂H₅O)₂P(S)(NC(S)NHCH₂C₆H₄X)}₂Ni] (X = Cl/CH₃ I/II and III/IV). The structures have equal numbers of donor/acceptor sites contributing to classical hydrogen bonds (PS/CS and 2 × NH in ligands and 2 × PS and 2 × NH in the complexes). However, these donor and acceptor sites contribute to inter/intramolecular hydrogen bonding in ligands and intramolecular hydrogen bonding in complexes. In the supramolecular assemblies of the ligands, the classic hydrogen bonds (N–H⋯SC) are restricted in dimer synthons, and the weaker interactions (formed by Cl/CH₃ substituents) compete against each other. In the complexes, despite the lack of classic intermolecular hydrogen bond, numerous weak interactions, e.g., C–H⋯Y (Y = S, O, Ni, N, and π), contribute to the molecular assemblies, which do not include the participation of Cl/CH₃. Thus, different packing features of ligands, but similar in complexes are observed. Each ligand and the associated complex show nearly equal supramolecular motifs in the slice of the substituted benzyl groups, related to the formation of C–H⋯Cl/π⋯π for the 4-Cl-C₆H₄CH₂ groups in I/III and C–H⋯π for the 4-CH₃-C₆H₄CH₂ groups in II/IV. The repeatabilities of the motifs made by 4-Cl-C₆H₄CH₂/4-CH₃-C₆H₄CH₂ were checked by surveying 142/844 structures with 178/1482 segments in the CSD, which show that 17% and 12% of the structures exhibited similarities with the title structures. The methods X-ray crystallography, 2D fingerprint plots, electrostatic potential surfaces, QTAIM, and energy framework calculations were applied to present the discussion.

The stability and hydrolytic behavior of squaramate esters in aqueous solutions have been investigated. The structure of squaramates and the nature of adjacent groups significantly influence their aqueous stability and reactivity towards nucleophiles. Squaramate esters, lacking or containing weakly basic neighboring group participation (NGP) substitutions, remain stable up to pH 9. Their hydrolysis rate (k_OH ≈ 10⁻¹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹) is 1000 times faster than that of squaramides, following a second-order rate law. Squaramate esters functionalized with basic NGP groups, such as amines, display a pH-dependent hydrolysis rate due to anchimeric assistance of the terminal amino group, reducing stability to pH 5. However, when the squaramate ester has a terminal nucleophilic group in the γ position of the alkyl chain, it undergoes rapid intramolecular cyclization, forming cyclic squaramides.

Aryldihydronaphthalenes (ADHNs) and their derivatives are widely found in many types of natural products, bioactive compounds, and functional materials, and are also important synthetic intermediates in organic chemistry, attracting widespread attention from both organic and pharmaceutical chemists. In the past two decades, the chemical synthesis and biological activity of ADHNs and their derivatives have become two hot spots. This review summarizes the synthetic protocols of ADHN derivatives, introduces some representative examples of the reaction mechanism, and focuses on the research progress of ADHNs in natural product chemistry and chemical biology since 2000.

In recent years, biodegradable medical polymer materials (BMPMs) have stood out among many biomedical materials due to their unique advantages, such as high mechanical strength, good biocompatibility, strong corrosion resistance and excellent processability. In this review, we first provide a brief introduction of biodegradable medical materials from both natural and synthetic perspectives, and then systematically categorize BMPMs based on their applications in clinical medicine and highlight the great progress they have made in recent years. Additionally, we also point out several overlooked areas in the research of BMPMs, offering guidance for comprehensive future exploration of these materials. Finally, in view of the complex challenges faced by BMPMs today, their future directions are scientifically proposed. This work contributes to the ongoing efforts of BMPMs in the biomedical field and provides a steppingstone for developing more effective BMPM-based products for clinical applications.

A new copper and electrocatalytic synergy strategy for efficiently constructing fused quinazolinones has been developed. In the presence of cupric acetate and oxygen, aryl ketones and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline can smoothly participate in this transformation, thus providing a variety of substituted quinazolones in an undivided cell. The reaction shows good functional group tolerance and provides universal quinazolinones at a good yield under mild conditions.