Predicting Product Distribution of Propene Dimerization in Nanoporous Materials

Chiral-Controlled Cyclic Chemiluminescence Reactions for the Analysis of Enantiomer Amino Acids

The similarity and complexity of chiral amino acids (AAs) in complex samples remain a significant challenge in their analysis. In this work, the chiral metal-organic framework (MOF)-controlled cyclic chemiluminescence (CCL) reaction is developed and utilized in the analysis of enantiomer AAs. The chiral MOF of d-Co_0.75Zn_0.25-MOF-74 is designed and prepared by modifying the Co_0.75Zn_0.25-MOF-74 with d-tartaric acid. The developed chiral bimetallic MOF can not only offer the chiral recognize sites but also act as the catalyst in the cyclic luminol-H₂O₂ reaction. Moreover, a distinguishable CCL signal can be obtained on enantiomer AAs via the luminol-H₂O₂ reaction with the control of d-Co_0.75Zn_0.25-MOF-74. The amplified difference of enantiomer AAs can be quantified by the decay coefficient (k-values) which are calculated from the exponential decay fitting of their obtained CCL signals. According to simulation results, the selective recognition of 19 pairs of AAs is controlled by the pore size of the MOF-74 and their hydrogen-bond interaction with d-tartaric acid on the chiral MOF. Furthermore, the k-values can also be used to estimate the change of chiral AAs in complex samples. Consequently, this chiral MOF-controlled CCL reaction is applied to differentiate enantiomer AAs involved in the quality monitoring of dairy products and auxiliary diagnosis, which provides a new approach for chiral studies and their potential applications.

Tailored recycling chemicals and fuels from poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate: A review

With the threat of ‘white pollution’, the large‐scale production and application of biodegradable plastics have become crucial. Poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the simplest and most used member of the polyhydroxyalkanoate family, with a uniform C4 structural unit (C4H6O2). To reduce the impact of PHB on waste treatment, various recycling strategies have been developed for the tailored conversion of PHB to targeted chemicals and fuels. Given the special structural unit, PHB and its plastic forms have the potential to serve as a sustainable feedstock for producing a series of value‐added chemicals and fuels, including (i) crotonic acid via pyrolysis, (ii) (R)‐β‐hydroxybutyric acid via hydrolysis, (iii) propylene via depolymerization and decarboxylation, (iv) liquid fuels via deoxygenation and oligomerization, (v) n‐biobutanol via catalytic hydrogenolysis, (vi) methyl crotonate via thermolysis and esterification, (vii) (R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate methyl ester via catalytic methanolysis, and (viii) β‐aminobutyric acid via ammonolysis. This review article provides a systematic review focusing on the reaction pathways, primary applications and market potential of the target products, and the pros and cons of current bio‐refineries in comparison with conventional petroleum refineries. The thermochemical processes developed for PHB degradation and polypropylene (a typical petroleum‐derived plastic to be replaced by PHB) are also comprehensively evaluated to reveal the future opportunities and challenges of PHB's broad‐scale production and utilization. PHB‐derived chemicals and fuels have a mature market already, and it is confirmed that the tailored valorization of PHB is a promising pathway to expand the market and gain more environmental and energy benefits. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Single-site, Ni-modified Wells–Dawson-type polyoxometalate for propylene dimerization

Propylene dimerization to linear products on isolated Ni2+ sites of modified Wells–Dawson-type polyoxometalates.

Can Metal-Organic Frameworks Be Used for Cannabis Breathalyzers?

Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive component of cannabis, and there is an urgent need to build low-cost and portable devices that can detect its presence from breath. Similarly to alcohol detectors, these tools can be used by law enforcement to determine driver intoxication and enforce safer and more regulated use of cannabis. In this work, we propose to use a class of microporous crystals, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), to selectively adsorb THC that can be later detected using optical, electrochemical, or fluorescence-based sensing methods. We computationally screened more than 5000 MOFs, highlighting the materials that have the largest affinity with THC, as well as the highest selectivity against water, showing that it is thermodynamically feasible for MOFs to adsorb THC from humid breath. We propose and compare different models for THC and different computational protocols to rank the promising materials, also presenting a novel approach to assess the permeability of a porous framework to nonspherical molecules. We identified three adsorption motifs in MOFs with high affinity to THC, which we refer to as "narrow channels", "thick walls", and "parking spots". Therefore, we expect our protocols and our findings to be generalizable for different classes of microporous materials and also for investigating the adsorption properties of other large molecules that, like THC, have a nonspherical shape.

Unveiling reactive metal sites in a Pd pincer MOF: insights into Lewis acid and pore selective catalysis

NOBF₄ enables efficient oxidative ligand exchange in a Pd pincer MOF, generating a highly active and recyclable Lewis acid catalyst.