ChemPlusChem

The cover picture shows that the renowned cerium(III/IV) redox couple is the keystone that bridges the fields of separation science and electrochemistry. In their Full Paper on pp. 41 ff. Ellis and Antonio show that measurements of voltammetric behaviors in organic phases obtained by solvent extraction afford insights into third phase phenomena, including reversible electrochromism, wherein the formation of yellow- and red-colored third phases are correlated with Ce valence–Ce^III obtains in the yellow third phase prepared from Ce(NO₃)₃ and Ce^IV in the red phase prepared from Ce(NO₃)₄. These Ce valences are interconvertible by the polarization of an electrode at +0.9 and +1.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl, respectively.

Chemically modified electrodes: The fast and effective immobilization of graphene on a Au electrode has been demonstrated by exploiting Au–S interactions between Au and a thiolated single-stranded DNA as well as π–π stacking interactions between graphene and DNA bases (see figure). The resultant modified electrode exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity in dopamine detection with a detection limit of 0.8 nM in the presence of ascorbic acid.

Stranded on a nanoparticle: For the first time, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles (ZIFNPs) have been used in an effective fluorescent sensing platform for nucleic acids. The DNA detection is accomplished in two steps: 1) ZIFNPs adsorb and quench the dye-labeled single-stranded DNA probe, and 2) subsequent hybridization of the probe with its target produces double-stranded DNA, which detaches from the ZIFNP. The present system shows a high selectivity down to single-base mismatch (see figure).

The right mix! Significant synergistic effects exist between RuO_x and CuO_x for the propylene epoxidation by oxygen. While supported CuO_x and RuO_x alone both catalyzed the formation of acrolein as the main partial oxidation product, the combination of RuO_x and CuO_x in an appropriate ratio afforded an efficient and stable epoxidation catalyst. The supported nanocomposites with the direct contact interface between CuO_x and RuO_x were proposed for propylene oxide formation (see figure).

Step by step: The stepwise nucleophilic addition of amidoximes to nitrile ligands in platinum(IV) complexes leads to coordinated O-imidoylamidoximines. These newly formed species after decoordination undergo cyclization (see scheme) to furnish 1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The cyclization is promoted by strong acceptor substituents R′ and is not affected by a metal center.

Three phases are a charm: The electroactive nature of Ce and its renowned Ce^III/IV couple make it the keystone of this investigation at the intersection of separation science and electrochemistry. The Ce^III/IV couple has been probed to disclose its physical and spectroscopic behaviors in organic phases of relevance to solvent extraction, thus affording original insights into third phase phenomena and ion transfer across the aqueous–organic liquid interface in the title system (see figure).

A series of core/shell magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MMSN) materials were prepared. The loading and release of anticancer drugs, 9-aminoacridine (9AA) and camptothecin (CPT), as well as cytotoxic activity of drug loaded materials, is influenced by the presence of phenylethyl functionalization inside the MMSN mesopores (see figure). An externally applied magnetic field accelerates the drug release from the materials.

It′s all under control: High-yield production of Fe₃O₄ (10–15 nm) was realized by using a simple solution-phase method at room temperature. The Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals were continually synthesized by controlling the pH value of the reaction solution. The SEM, TEM, and XRD studies reveal the particles to be single nanocrystals. New adsorbents of FNBC are better at removing Cd²⁺ than BC and Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals.

Keep your antenna up: The incorporation of laser dyes into the channels of zeolite L gives rise to intermolecular energy-transfer processes, which form the basis of white-light-emitting devices and antenna systems. The doped materials were fully characterized by steady-state and time-resolved photophysical techniques. Fluorescence emission bands of these materials cover the entire visible region, and tuning of the emission in the blue, green, and red regions was achieved through energy transfer (see fluorescence images).

Capacity management: Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) spacers have been used to increase the capacitance of electrochemically reduced graphene (ER-GO) to values of approximately 174 F g⁻¹. By the careful and systematic optimization of nanospacers loadings, the capacitance can be dramatically enhanced because these spacers prevent the graphene sheets from stacking (see picture: yellow=AuNP, green=purple=ER-GO).

Make the switch: Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) derivatives with pendant donor–trap–acceptor structures exhibit electrical effects. The origin of the electrical bistability, which arises from the intramolecular charge transfer, trapping, and conformational relaxation of the electrostatic energy of the Al/polymer/indium tin oxide sandwich structure (see figure), was established by spectroscopic, microscopic, and molecular computational techniques.