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Naithani, Sudhanshu; Dubey, Ritesh; Goswami, Tapas; Thetiot, Franck; Kumar, Sushil
doi: 10.1039/d4dt02376epmid: 39345035
Nickel is an important element utilized in various industrial/metallurgical processes, such as surgical and dental prostheses, Ni–Cd batteries, paint pigments, electroplating, ceramics, computer magnetic tapes, catalysis, and alloy manufacturing. However, its extensive use and associated waste production have led to increased nickel pollution in soils and water bodies, which adversely affects human health, animals and plants. This issue has prompted researchers to develop various optical probes, hereafter luminescent/colorimetric sensors, for the facile, sensitive and selective detection of nickel, particularly in biological and environmental contexts. In recent years, numerous functionalized chemosensors have been reported for imaging Ni2+, both in vivo and in vitro. In this context, metal-based receptors offer clear advantages over conventional organic sensors (viz., organic ligands, polymers, and membranes) in terms of cost, durability, stability, water solubility, recyclability, chemical flexibility and scope. This review highlights recent advancements in the design and fabrication of hybrid receptors (i.e., metal complexes and MOFs) for the specific detection of Ni2+ ions in complex environmental and biological mixtures.
doi: 10.1039/d4dt01797hpmid: 39264230
Although the first metalloid tin cluster was discovered by Wiberg in 1999, the number of isolated and characterized compounds is still low. However, numerous theoretical calculations indicate that a large variety of compounds are yet to be discovered, thereby suggesting that larger clusters might form a cluster-of-clusters arrangement rather than compact structures. This trend seems to be supported by the largest metalloid tin clusters exhibiting up to 20 tin atoms. In this review, recent results and future possibilities of this fascinating class of metalloid tin cluster compounds are discussed.
Cheng, Bingjie; Li, Xiaoqiang; Han, Ruqu; Xiang, Jun; Zhang, Yamei
doi: 10.1039/d4dt02585gpmid: 39431370
Herein, a Bi2Fe4O9@Bi25FeO40 heterostructure with a high specific surface area of 30.07 m2 g−1 and abundant heterogeneous interfaces was successfully fabricated and applied to supercapacitors for the first time. The Bi2Fe4O9@Bi25FeO40 electrode exhibits a high specific capacity (550.8 F g−1 at 1.0 A g−1) and good cycling stability (75% capacitance retention and 92.3% coulombic efficiency after 3000 cycles at 5.0 A g−1), significantly outperforming the pure Bi2Fe4O9 or Bi25FeO40 electrode. This work proposes an effective interfacial engineering strategy to enhance supercapacitor performance.
Naik, Pratyush K.; Gu, Zipeng; Comito, Robert J.
doi: 10.1039/d4dt02837fpmid: 39431563
We report an aniline ligand (1) with two bis(pyrazolyl)alkane arms, and its cationic, dizinc complexes. XRD, NMR, and modelling of the dizinc complexes resulted in an unprecedented, dynamic μ-anilide core. Compared with published μ-phenolate analogues, our μ-anilide complexes show higher activity and divergent counterion trends in ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide.
Paik, Somnath; Ray, Manabendra
doi: 10.1039/d4dt02515fpmid: 39436400
The single H-bond capable N–H in triethylammonium triggers massive structural rearrangement in an inert Co(iii) complex that tetraethylammonium cannot. The rearrangement provides a new way to distinguish two similar cations spectroscopically. The process is identical and instantaneous with labile iron(iii) without any spectroscopic change.
Benedet, Mattia; Fasan, Angelica; Barreca, Davide; Maccato, Chiara; Sada, Cinzia; Deambrosis, Silvia Maria; Zin, Valentina; Montagner, Francesco; Lebedev, Oleg I.; Modin, Evgeny; Rizzi, Gian Andrea; Gasparotto, Alberto
doi: 10.1039/d4dt02186jpmid: 39310966
Significant efforts have been continuously devoted to the mastering of green catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), whose sluggish kinetics prevents a broad market penetration of water splitting as a sustainable route for large-scale hydrogen production. In this extensive scenario, carbon nitride (CN)-based systems are in focus thanks to their favorable characteristics, and, whereas graphitic CN has been largely investigated, the potential of amorphous carbon nitride (a-CNx) systems remains almost entirely unexplored. In this regard, our study presents a novel two-step plasma-assisted route to a-CNx systems comprising ultra-dispersed, i.e. “quasi-atomic” CuxO (x = 1, 2). The target materials were fabricated using an original strategy consisting in the magnetron sputtering of a-CNx on conducting glasses at room temperature, followed by functionalization with low CuxO amounts by radio frequency (RF)-sputtering, and final annealing under an inert atmosphere. The tailoring of the CuxO co-catalyst content and spatial dispersion, as well as the overall composite features as a function of preparative conditions, enabled a direct modulation of the resulting OER performances, rationalized based on the formation of p-n CuxO/a-CNx heterojunctions. The amenable and scalable synthesis approach underscores the practicality of this method to develop (photo)electrocatalysts synergistically integrating the advantages of both constituents, yielding low-cost, green, and stable functional platforms that could contribute to the broader adoption of sustainable energy solutions.
Negi, Kanchan; Kumar, Ashok; Chakraborty, Gourav; Sahoo, Sudhansubala; Patra, Sushmita; Patra, Niladri; Bhutia, Sujit Kumar; Sahu, Sumanta Kumar
doi: 10.1039/d4dt02454kpmid: 39404598
Despite notable advancements in cancer therapy, it remains a formidable global health challenge. The emergence of combinational treatments, particularly the integration of chemotherapy with photodynamic therapy (chemo-PDT), offers a glimmer of hope. This study introduces the development of zinc-coordinated quercetin-based self-assembled nanoparticles (ZnQ NPs) for advanced dual-mode cancer therapy. These cutting-edge ZnQ nanoparticles were synthesized in a rapid 15-minute single-step process, in stark contrast to the conventional hours or days required. Using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, the optimal binding configurations of ZnQ NPs were precisely determined and further supported by band gap calculations between frontier molecular orbitals. Quercetin, a potent anticancer flavonoid, was used for the first time both as an active drug and as an organic ligand, resulting in pH-responsive nanoparticles with exceptional water dispersibility, stability, and biocompatibility. Additionally, these novel nanoparticles (NPs) were able to load chlorin e6 (Ce6), a photosensitizer known for its high singlet oxygen production, due to hydrophobic interactions within the pores. The ZnQ@Ce6 nanocomposite demonstrated remarkable Ce6 loading (19.03%) and significantly enhanced therapeutic effects, achieving a 77% cell inhibition rate under specific light conditions. This dual-functional platform, enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of Ce6 while harnessing the anticancer properties of quercetin, underscores the potential of ZnQ NPs in clinical nanomedicine, promising improved cancer treatment outcomes.
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