Dalian University of Technology

About: Dalian University of Technology is a education organization based out in Dalian, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Finite element method. The organization has 60890 authors who have published 71921 publications receiving 1188356 citations. The organization is also known as: Dàlián Lǐgōng Dàxué.

Zn2+-triggered amide tautomerization produces a highly Zn2+-selective, cell-permeable, and ratiometric fluorescent sensor.

Abstract: It is still a significant challenge to develop a Zn2+-selective fluorescent sensor with the ability to exclude the interference of some heavy and transition metal (HTM) ions such as Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+. Herein, we report a novel amide-containing receptor for Zn2+, combined with a naphthalimide fluorophore, termed ZTRS. The fluorescence, absorption detection, NMR, and IR studies indicated that ZTRS bound Zn2+ in an imidic acid tautomeric form of the amide/di-2-picolylamine receptor in aqueous solution, while most other HTM ions were bound to the sensor in an amide tautomeric form. Due to this differential binding mode, ZTRS showed excellent selectivity for Zn2+ over most competitive HTM ions with an enhanced fluorescence (22-fold) as well as a red-shift in emission from 483 to 514 nm. Interestingly, the ZTRS/Cd2+ complex showed an enhanced (21-fold) blue-shift in emission from 483 to 446 nm. Therefore, ZTRS discriminated in vitro and in vivo Zn2+ and Cd2+ with green and blue fluorescence...

Metal-Organic-Framework-Derived Hybrid Carbon Nanocages as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction and Evolution.

Abstract: The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are cornerstone reactions for many renewable energy technologies. Developing cheap yet durable substitutes of precious-metal catalysts, especially the bifunctional electrocatalysts with high activity for both ORR and OER reactions and their streamlined coupling process, are highly desirable to reduce the processing cost and complexity of renewable energy systems. Here, a facile strategy is reported for synthesizing double-shelled hybrid nanocages with outer shells of Co-N-doped graphitic carbon (Co-NGC) and inner shells of N-doped microporous carbon (NC) by templating against core-shell metal-organic frameworks. The double-shelled NC@Co-NGC nanocages well integrate the high activity of Co-NGC shells into the robust NC hollow framework with enhanced diffusion kinetics, exhibiting superior electrocatalytic properties to Pt and RuO2 as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for ORR and OER, and hold a promise as efficient air electrode catalysts in Zn-air batteries. First-principles calculations reveal that the high catalytic activities of Co-NGC shells are due to the synergistic electron transfer and redistribution between the Co nanoparticles, the graphitic carbon, and the doped N species. Strong yet favorable adsorption of an OOH* intermediate on the high density of uncoordinated hollow-site C atoms with respect to the Co lattice in the Co-NGC structure is a vital rate-determining step to achieve excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic activity.