Robust core-shell supramolecular assemblies based on cationic vesicles and ring-shaped {Mo-154} polyoxomolybdate nanoclusters: Template-directed synthesis and characterizations

Substantial progress has been made recently in extending the supramolecular assembly of biomimetic structures to vesicle-based sophisticated nanocomposites and mesostructures. We report herein the successful preparation of unilamellar surfactant vesicles coated with a monolayer of ring-shaped {Mo-154} polyoxometalate (POM) nanoclusters, (NH4)(28)[Mo-154 (NO)(14)O(448)Hi(4)(H2O)(70)].approximate to 350H(2)O, by coulomb attractions using preformed didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) surfactant vesicles as templates. The resultant vesicle-templated supramolecular assemblies are robust (they do not disintegrate upon dehydration) both at room-temperature ambient and vacuum conditions, as characterized by conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The flexibility of the complex soft assemblies was also revealed by AFM measurements. The effect of POM-vesicle coulomb attractions on the dimensions of the templating vesicles was also investigated by using dynamic light scattering (DLS).Although origins of the structure stability of the as-prepared supramolecular assemblies are not clear yet, the nanometer scale cavities and the related properties of macroions of the POM clusters may play an important role in it.

Syntheses, structures, and characterizations of four new silver(I) sulfonate coordination polymers with neutral ligands

In this paper, four novel silver(I) sulfonate coordination polymers containing neutral ligands, namely, [Ag(2)Ll (biim)(2)]center dot 2H(2)O (1). AgL2(biim) (2), [Ag(HL3)(Pic)(2)]center dot H2O (3), and [Ag-3(L3)(HL3)(4,4'-bipy)(3)(H2O)(2)]center dot 4H(2)O (4), have been synthesized [L1 = 3-carboxy-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate, L2 = p-aminobenzenesulfonate, H(2)L3 = p-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, biim = 1,1'-(1.4-butanediyl)-bis(imidazole), Pic = beta-picoline, 4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine]. For compounds 1 and 2, Ag(I) cations are bridged by biim ligands to form a one-dimensional (1D) "zigzag" chain, and L1 and L2 sulfonate ligands are not coordinated to the silver cation. Compound 3 has a dimeric structure in which two silver cations are bridged by two HL3 ligands. For compound 4, L3 ligand coordinates to a silver cation as a monodentate ligand, and Ag(l) cations are bridged by 4,4'-bipy ligands to form a ID chain. Compound 1 contains water dimers, while compound 4 contains water trimers. Compounds 1-3 display room-temperature photoluminescence.

Physical and electrochemical characterizations of PtRu/C catalysts by spray pyrolysis for electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol

In this paper, it was reported that the carbon-supported Pt-Ru(Pt-Ru/C) catalyst used as the anodic catalyst in the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was synthesized with a two-step spray pyrolysis (SP) method using the Pt and Ru metal salt as the precursors and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with the different molecular weights (Mw= 200,600,and 1000 analytical reagent) as cosolvent. PEG as a cosolvent plays a crucial role in producing PtRu/C catalysts. It was found that the Mw of PEG could affect the electrocatalytic activity of Pt-Ru and the morphology of the Pt-Ru particles in the Pt-Ru/C catalysts prepared with this method. When the Mw of PEG is 600, the Pt-Ru particles in the Pt-Ru/C catalyst prepared with this method possess the small average size, narrow size distribution, uniform dispersion, and high electrochemically active specific surface area. The electrocatalytic activity of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst prepared with this method using the cosolvent PEG with Mw = 600 for the methanol oxidation is much higher than that of the commercial E-TEK Pt-Ru/C catalyst. Therefore, the two-step SP method is an excellent method for the preparation of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst used in DMFCs.

Synthesis, structural and electrical characterizations of Sr2Fe1-xMxNbO6 (M = Zn and Cu) with double perovskite structure

Sr2Fe1-xZnxNbO6-x/2 (0 <= x <= 0.5) and Sr2Fe1-xCuxNbO6-x/2 (0.01 <= x <= 0.05) with the double perovskite structure have been synthesized. The crystal structures at room temperature were determined from Rietveld refinements of X-ray powder diffraction data. The plots of the imaginary parts of the impedance spectrum, Z '', and the electric modulus, M '', versus log (frequency), possess maxima for both curves separated by less than a half decade in frequency with associated capacities of 2 nF. The enhancement of the overall conductivity Of Sr2Fe1-xMxNbO6-x/2 (M = Cu and Zn) is observed, as increases from 2.48 (3) x 10(-4) S/cm for Sr2FeNbO6 to 3.82 (5) x 10(-3) S/cm for Sr2Fe0.8Zn0.2NbO5.9 at 673 K. Sr2Fe0.8Zn0.2NbO5.9 is chemically stable under the oxygen partial pressure from 1 atm to 10(-22) atm at 873 K. The p and n-type electronic conductions are dominant under oxidizing and reducing conditions, respectively, suggesting a small-polaron hopping mechanism of electronic conduction.

Synthesis and extraction of lanthanofullerenes and its DEIMS, ESR characterizations

The synthesis for lanthanofullerenes was studied by activating the La2O3 containing graphite rod in situ and back-burning the carbide-rich cathode deposite, La@C-2n are efficiently extracted in high temperature toluene, among them, La@C-74 as a new species is added into the soluble lanthanofullerenes, The toluene extraction is first characterized by desorption electron impact (DEI) mass spectrometry, The ESR spectrum of the extraction at room temperature is also discussed.

Molecular characterizations of oxytetracycline resistant bacteria and their resistance genes from mariculture waters of China

Oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria were isolated from a mariculture farm in China, and accounted for 32.23% and 5.63% of the total culturable microbes of the sea cucumber and the sea urchin rearing waters respectively. Marine vibrios, especially strains related to Vibrio splendidus or V. tasmaniensis, were the most abundant resistant isolates. For oxytetracycline resistance, tet(A), tet(B) and tet(D) genes were detected in both sea cucumber and sea urchin rearing ponds. The dominant resistance type for V. tasmaniensis-like strains was the combination of both tet(A) and tet(B) genes, while the major resistance type for V. splendidus-like strains was a single tet(D) gene. Most of the sea cucumber tet-positive isolates harbored a chloramphenicol-resistance gene, either cat IV or cat II, while only a few sea urchin tet-positive isolates harbored a cat gene, actually cat IV. The coexistence of tet and cat genes in the strains isolated from the mariculture farm studied was helpful in explaining some of the multi-resistance mechanisms. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular characterizations of chloramphenicol- and oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in mariculture waters of China

In order to gain an understanding of the diversity and distribution of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes in maricultural environments, multidrug-resistant bacteria were screened for the rearing waters from a mariculture farm of China. Both abalone Haliotis discus hannai and turbot Scophthalmus maximus rearing waters were populated with abundant chloramphenicol-resistant bacteria. These bacteria were also multidrug resistant, with Vibrio splendidus and Vibrio tasmaniensis being the most predominant species. The chloramphenicol-resistance gene cat II, cat IV or floR could be detected in most of the multidrug-resistant isolates, and the oxytetracycline-resistance gene tet(B), tet(D), tet(E) or tet(M) could also be detected for most of the isolates. Coexistence of chloramphenicol- and oxytetracycline-resistance genes partially explains the molecular mechanism of multidrug resistance in the studied maricultural environments. Comparative studies with different antimicrobial agents as the starting isolation reagents may help detect a wider diversity of the antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizations and activities of the nano-sized Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/La-Al2O3 catalysts for NH3 decomposition

A series of nano-sized Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/La-Al2O3 catalysts that possess high activities for NH3 decomposition have been successfully synthesized by a coprecipitation method. The catalytic performance was investigated under the atmospheric conditions and a significant enhancement in the activity after the introduction of La was observed. Aiming to study the influence of La promoter on the physicochemical properties, we characterized the catalysts by N-2 adsorption/desorption, XRD, H-2-TPR, chemisorption and TEM techniques. Physisorption results suggested a high specific surface area and XRD spectra showed that nickel particles are in a highly dispersed state. A combination of XRD, TEM and chemisorption showed that Ni-0 particles with the average size lower, than 5.0 nm are always obtained even though the Ni loading ranged widely from 4 to 63 %. Compared with the Ni/Al2O3 catalysts, the Ni/La-Al2O3 ones with an appropriate amount of promoter enjoy a more open mesoporous structure and higher dispersion of Ni. Reduction kinetic studies of prepared catalysts were investigated by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) method and the fact that La additive partially destroyed the metastable Ni-Al mixed oxide phase was detailed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.