A new quinoline-based probe was designed that shows one-photon ratiometric and two-photon off–on changes upon detecting Cd²⁺. It exhibits fluorescence emission at 407 nm originating from quinoline groups in Tris-HCl (25 mM, pH 7.40), H₂O/EtOH (8:2, v/v). Coordination with Cd²⁺ causes quenching of the emission at 407 nm and simultaneously yields a remarkable redshift of the emission maximum to 500 nm with an isoemissive point at 439 nm owing to an intramolecular charge-transfer mechanism. Thus, dual-emission ratiometric measurement with a large redshift (Δλ=93 nm) and significant changes in the ratio (F₅₀₀/F₄₃₉) of the emission intensity (R/R₀ up to 27) is established. Moreover, the sensor H₂L displays excellent selectivity response, high sensitive fluorescence enhancement, and strong binding ability to Cd²⁺. Coordination properties of H₂L towards Cd²⁺ were fully investigated by absorption/fluorescence spectroscopy, which indicated the formation of a 2:1 H₂L/Cd²⁺ complex. All complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallography, and TD-DFT calculations were performed to understand the origin of optical selectivity shown by H₂L. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy experiments have demonstrated that H₂L could be used in live cells for the detection of Cd²⁺.

A uranyl-urea-bearing dipropionate hybrid compound, in which the two acid groups are coordinated in different modes and the urea group serves as both a coordination functionality and a supramolecular synthon, is prepared. The effect of hydrogen-bonding interactions on the luminescence properties of the compound was explored by lifetime measurements. Thermogravimetric analyses were performed under a nitrogen atmosphere and in air. The “uranophilicity” of this urea-bearing ligand was examined by competition experiments in alkaline spring water.

Framework-isomeric three-dimensional (3D) Cd–Ln heterometallic metal–organic frameworks (HMOFs), {[Ln₂(ODA)₆Cd₃(H₂O)₆]⋅6 H₂O}_n (Ln=Gd (1 a) and Tb (1 b), ODA=oxydiacetic acid) and {[Cd(H₂O)₆]⋅[Ln₂(ODA)₆Cd₂]⋅H₂O}_n (Ln=Gd (2 a), Tb (2 b)), with neutral and anionic pores, respectively, were designed based on a lanthanide metalloligand strategy and synthesized by using a stepwise assembly and a hydrothermal method. Luminescence studies revealed that 1 b and 2 b can act as luminescent metal–organic frameworks and their light-emitting properties can be modulated by small guest molecules and the manganese counterion, respectively.

A new zinc-magnesium-aluminum-layered double hydroxide (ZnMgAl-LDH) was prepared by one-step coprecipitation using agents extracted from waste residue and intercalated with stearate anions. The X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectra show that the stearate anions have successfully intercalated into the interlayer of ZnMgAl-LDH. The scanning electron microscopy shows the typical sand-rose morphology of LDH. The enhanced thermal stability was confirmed by Congo red test. The poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/ZnMgAl-LDH-stearate nanocomposites have much more thermal stability time than PVC and PVC/ZnMgAl-LDH composites. Thermal stability time of PVC containing 8 wt% ZnMgAl-LDH-stearate loading is 12 times of that of pure PVC. The tensile strength of the nanocomposites increases with the increase of ZnMgAl-stearate content and exhibits excellent mechanical properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers

Chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE)/organomontmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared by a melt intercalation method. The microstructure of the nanocomposites was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The effects of the OMMT content on the mechanical properties and swelling behavior of the nanocomposites were investigated. The improvement in the thermal stability of the nanocomposites was determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that CSPE was intercalated into OMMT. When the OMMT content was lower than 12 wt %, the nanocomposites showed excellent tensile properties, which was attributed to nanometer-scale dispersion. The introduction of a small amount of OMMT also improved the thermal stability and swelling behavior, which was attributed to the gas barrier action of the OMMT layers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010

A series of new C₂-symmetric amino alcohols with multicoordination groups have been synthesized and successfully applied as catalysts in the borane asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones in refluxing toluene, providing the corresponding secondary alcohols with up to 90% ee. An unusual temperature-dependent reversal of stereochemistry was also observed. Chirality, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A new potentially bridging ligand containing two salicylamide pendant arms separated by a 2,3-dimethoxynaphthalene spacer has been prepared and its coordination chemistry with Ln^III ions has been investigated. An analysis of the presented crystal structures indicates that the diversity of these supramolecular structures is mainly dictated by the nature of the metal ions. These compounds represent good examples of tuning crystal structures arising from the flexibility of the ligands and the Ln contraction effect. Luminescence studies showed that the introduction of the methoxyl substituents on the naphthalene backbone lowers the triplet energy and considerably changes the luminescent behaviors of the Eu^III and Tb^III complexes, which is very different from the literature data on similar compounds. In the emission spectra of the Tb complex the ligand fluorescence remains relatively important because of the back-energy transfer from the Tb^III ion to the ligand, which to the best of our knowledge, may be the first example of salicylamide lanthanide complexes. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

A new C₂-symmetric chiral catalyst 3,5-bis[(2S)-(hydroxy-diphenylmethyl)- pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole was successfully synthesized by the reaction of 2,5-dichloromethyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole with (S)-α,α-diphenyl-2-pyrrolidinemethanol, and applied to the catalytic asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones with borane. When the catalyst loading was 1 mol %, enantiomeric excesses of up to 86.8% and 94.5% were observed in reduction of aromatic and α-halo ketones, respectively. Chirality, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.