Israel Journal of Chemistry最新文献

This work reviews the conceptual and technological evolution of composite materials, emphasizing the transition from early fiber-reinforced systems to contemporary nanocomposites and molecular composites. The discussion begins with classical composites, showing the progression from manually fabricated glass fiber-polyester laminates (fiberglass) with isotropic properties to advanced composites that follow the introduction of high-performance fibers (carbon, aramid, and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene) of anisotropic crystallinity. The emergence of optimized laminate theories and automated manufacturing technologies enables structures with exceptional specific stiffness and strength of enhanced fracture toughness. Next, polymer nanocomposites are addressed, wherein nanoparticles, nanoplatelets, and nanofibers dramatically modify matrix behavior through mechanisms such as nanoparticle–matrix interfacial interactions, matrix nucleation, and confinement. Distinctions are drawn between nanocomposite solid solutions (weak or absent interfacial bonding) and molecular composites (strong covalent or physical bonding at the nanoparticle–matrix interface). Finally, the focus shifts toward functional applications driven by unique physical properties of nanofillers, including energy storage, electromagnetic shielding, biomedical platforms, and thermal management. Three case studies of avant-gard applications of nanocomposites illustrate this paradigm shift. Overall, the article frames the “new science” of composites as the rational design of heterogeneous, anisotropic, and nanoscale material systems optimized for structural and multifunctional performance.

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear polysaccharide in the family of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) consisting of diversely sulfated repeating glucosamine-uronic acid disaccharide units, which play important roles in many important biological processes. The sulfate moieties in HS can significantly impact HS functions. Sulfatases are a class of enzymes that can cleave the sulfates from HS, thus modulating their activities. Sulfatases have been shown to play important roles in various pathophysiological conditions, including proliferation and migration of cancer cells, lysosomal diseases, congenital anomalies, and bacterial pathogenesis. In this review, following a general introduction on sulfatase, their enzymatic mechanism is discussed. Subsequently, their substrate scope is presented. The understanding of these molecular determinants has aided the rational design of inhibitors that mimic natural sulfated substrates. Efforts in developing a wide range of sulfatase inhibitors are summarized. Such inhibitors, including sulfamate analogs, can provide valuable insights into the sulfatase functions and provide leads as potential therapeutics targeting sulfatase-related diseases such as cancer.

Tin monosulfide (SnS) has attracted growing attention due to its environmentally benign constituents and natural abundance. Of particular interest is the metastable cubic phase π-SnS, first identified in 2015, which exhibits promising optoelectronic properties, including high hole mobility, a strong absorption coefficient exceeding 10⁴ cm⁻¹, and a tunable bandgap in the range of 1.5–1.8 eV. Various solution-based and gas-phase synthesis techniques have been employed to fabricate π-SnS thin films and nanocrystals. These synthesis methods and their parameters critically influence the resulting microstructure and electronic characteristics of π-SnS. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the synthesis strategies for π-SnS, pointing out to their impact on phase stability, material properties, and highlighting potential applications.

Capsular polysaccharides from a range of bacteria, notably campylobacters, possess 6-deoxy-heptose residues. Synthetic fragments of these polysaccharides have myriad applications in both fundamental and applied research, but few efficient routes for accessing these monosaccharides in a form suitable for glycosylation reactions are available. The synthesis of thioglycosides of 6-deoxy-d-manno-, 6-deoxy-d-talo-, and 6-deoxy-d-altro-heptoses from a single commercially available and inexpensive monosaccharide, methyl α-d-mannopyranoside, is reported here. The route involves C-6 homologation and, in some cases, configurational inversion at C-3 or C-4. These routes provide access to glycosyl donors of three of the four naturally occurring 6-deoxy-d-heptopyranoses, complementing previous work that has provided glycosyl donors of fourth such monosaccharide, 6-deoxy-d-ido-heptopyranose.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can alleviate the problems encountered in the application of lithium metal anodes, owing to their tunable structure, abundant pore channels, and controllable surface chemistry ingredient. In this review, large language model (LLM)-assisted text-mining system is utilized to analyze recent literature on MOFs for protecting lithium anodes. LLMs can help us efficiently extract and integrate literature data as assistants, and categorize the functions of MOFs in anode protection into the following four types: 1) ion-flux regulators that homogenize lithium ion (Li⁺) flow by restricting the pore channels, 2) catalytic mediators that induce the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase layer, 3) interfacial shielding layers that physically block side reactions, and 4) volume expansion mitigators that buffer stress through a porous framework. Finally, the findings in MOFs-modified lithium metal anodes to other metal anodes such as sodium and zinc, aiming to derive universal principles that can provide insights for the design and development of metal anode protection materials. This article also demonstrates the huge potential of the LLM-driven research paradigm in the field of chemical materials, providing a data-driven, human-artificial intelligence collaborative approach for the development of materials in the future.

This work aims to investigate liquid acetonitrile clusters considering the modified rigid-rotor harmonic oscillator and frequency corrections in the quantum cluster equilibrium (QCE) theory. To carry out this study, acetonitrile isomers with size n ranging from 1 to 12 are considered. Those isomers are generated using the flexible and rapid ABCluster generator distributions while avoiding poor symmetry. After that, geometry optimization and frequency calculations are performed on the selected structures to serve as inputs for applying the quantum cluster equilibrium theory. The temperature range covering the liquid acetonitrile, going from T = 200 to 400 K, is considered with the rigid rotor harmonic oscillator cutoff values of 50 and 100 cm⁻¹. The results show that the population of liquid acetonitrile is dominated by dodecamers, trimers, dimers, and tetramers, as identified in previously studied structures, across the range of liquid acetonitrile temperatures. The thermodynamic properties, such as the entropy and enthalpy of vaporization obtained by the QCE theory, have been compared to the experiment, yielding a relatively good agreement depending on the cluster set considered. Furthermore, based on the predicted population of the liquid acetonitrile, the infrared spectrum has been calculated at 298 K.

Crystallographic anisotropy, be it inherent or externally induced, profoundly impacts the materials’ physical properties, contributing to their ground-state morphology and magnetic arrangement and fostering distinctive optical behavior. Two-dimensional (2D) materials provide a relatively non-complex platform to study these anisotropy-driven properties. This review explores the intricate relationship between structural anisotropy and the resulting physical phenomena in 2D materials, primarily focusing on 2D hybrid perovskites (2D HPs) and transition metal phosphorous trichalcogenides. Case studies of 2D PEA₂PbI₄ HPs and FePS₃ are provided, explaining how intrinsic structural anisotropy originates and manifests as ground state polymorphism in 2D HPs and zigzag antiferromagnetic arrangement in FePS₃. The case of alloyed MnPS₃ is examined, where extrinsically induced anisotropy induces magnetic disorder, impacting its magnetic phase stability and overall optical behavior. This account, thus, underscores the origin and significance of intrinsic and extrinsic anisotropy in manipulating materials’ properties.