Encapsulation of metal oxide nanoparticles inside metal-organic frameworks via surfactant-assisted nanoconfined space

Copper nanocatalysts applied in coupling reactions: a mechanistic insight

Copper-based nanocatalysts have seen great interest for use in synthetic applications since the early 20th century, as evidenced by the exponential number of contributions reported (since 2000, more than 48 000 works published out of about 81 300 since 1900; results from SciFinder using "copper nanocatalysts in organic synthesis" as keywords). These huge efforts are mainly based on two key aspects: (i) copper is an Earth-abundant metal with low toxicity, leading to inexpensive and eco-friendly catalytic materials; and (ii) copper can stabilize different oxidation states (0 to +3) for molecular and nanoparticle-based systems, which promotes different types of metal-reagent interactions. This chemical versatility allows different pathways, involving radical or ionic copper-based intermediates. Thus, copper-based nanoparticles have become convenient catalysts, in particular for couplings (both homo- and hetero-couplings), transformations that are involved in a remarkable number of processes affording organic compounds, which find interest in different fields (medicinal chemistry, natural products, drugs, materials, etc.). Clearly, this richness in reactivity makes understanding the mechanisms more complex. The present review focuses on the analysis of reported contributions using monometallic copper-based nanoparticles as catalytic precursors applied in coupling reactions, paying attention to those shedding light on the reaction mechanism.

Nanosized CuO encapsulated Ni/Co bimetal Prussian blue with high anti-interference and stability for electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose detection

Non-enzymatic glucose sensors based on metal oxides are receiving remarkable attention owing to their outstanding characteristics of being easy-to use, low cost, and reusability. However, the disadvantage of weak anti-interference associated with poor selectivity significantly restricts their applicability. Herein, we report a two-step in situ fabrication of nanosized CuO encapsulated Ni/Co bimetal Prussian blue (PB) with a typical core-shell structure, which can be efficiently used for non-enzymatic glucose detection, ascribing to the permeability and abundant active sites of out-shelled crystalline porous Ni/Co PB and the high catalytic activity and conductivity of embedded CuO nanoparticles, afforded by their mutual synergistic interactions. The glassy carbon electrode modified with the hybrid of the CuO-encapsulated Ni/Co PB (simplified as the Ni/Co-PB/CuO/GCE electrode) exhibited a high glucose sensitivity of 600 μA mM^-1 cm^-2 with a low detection limit of 0.69 μM (S/N = 3), a fast response time (less than 3 s), and excellent long-term stability. In addition, the CuO-encapsulated Ni/Co PB showed favorable anti-interference ability in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA), L-lysine (Lys), dopamine (DA), cysteine (Cys), dopamine (DA), and KCl interferences. The reusability and long-term stability, as well as the practicability of the Ni/Co-PB/CuO/GCE sensing electrode verified by testing real serum samples were also investigated, and the experimental results demonstrated the applicability of the core-shell NiCo-PB/CuO based flexible electrochemical sensor for non-enzymatic glucose sensing in practical applications.

Synergistic adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of persist synthetic dyes by capsule-like porphyrin-based MOFs

The synergistic effects involving surface adsorption and photocatalytic degradation commonly play significant roles in the removal of persistent synthetic organics from wastewater in the case of porous semiconductors. Inspired by the visible-light harvesting advantages of porphyrin-based MOFs, a capsule-like bimetallic porphyrin-based MOF (PCN-222(Ni/Hf)) has been successfully constructed through a facile hydrothermal method. In which, the Hf (IV) ions were exactly bonded to the carboxyl groups substituted on the porphyrin rings, meanwhile the Ni (II) ions were finely bonded to the -N inside the porphyrin rings. The adsorption/photocatalytic performances were assessed by using four persistent dyes including rhodamine B (RhB), basic violet 14 (BV14), crystal violet, and acid black 210 (AB210) as the target substances, and enhanced total removal efficiency was obtained by the bimetallic PCN-222(Ni/Hf) in comparison with that of single PCN-222(Hf). The electrochemical analyses and the sacrificial agent capture experiments were carried out to elucidate the photocatalytic mechanism, and the adsorption/photocatalytic stability of PCN-222(Ni/Hf) is also investigated. The work has broadened the applications of porphyrin-based MOFs in the removal of organics by combining their excellent surface adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activities.