Highly Photosensitive Metal-Organic Cage Based on 2,4,6-Tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine Ligand.

In recent years, 2,4,6-tris(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine has attracted significant attention for the development of photochromic materials owing to its capacity to facilitate intramolecular charge separation under light irradiation. However, it remains a significant challenge to enhance photosensitivity by stabilizing the intramolecular charge-separated state. Based on our research foundation, the strategy of introducing strong electron acceptors and donors to construct electron donor-acceptor systems is highly effective for enhancing photosensitivity and stabilizing charge-separated states.

A new post-synthetic route to graft amino groups in porous organic polymers for CO capture.

Herein, we report the development of a post-synthetic modification approach to introduce a high loading of formyl groups onto porous aromatic framework (PAF)-5 Friedel-Crafts alkylation followed by hydrolysis. Rigorous characterization by NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy authenticated the successful integration of aldehyde moieties into PAF-5, affording PAF-5-CHO. Subsequent functionalization of PAF-5-CHO with various amines produced three amine-functionalized PAF derivatives.

Geographic Origin and Functional Group Type Affect the Decomposability of Peatland Plant Litter Through Biochemical Properties.

Peatlands are the most important global soil carbon reservoirs due to low decomposition rates. However, the influence of peatland plant litter quality and geographic environment on decomposition remains poorly understood. This article aims to explore the interactive effects of geographical origin and plant functional groups on the initial chemical characteristics and decomposition processes of peatland litter, elucidating how climate-driven biochemical legacies regulate decomposition dynamics.

Incidental Ingestion of Plant-Dwelling Arthropods by Sheep and Cattle in the Same Habitat.

Large mammalian herbivores influence grassland ecosystems through plant consumption, return of excreta and trampling, and by altering nutrient cycles and soil properties. These herbivore-mediated changes impact other animals in the habitat, particularly plant-dwelling arthropods. While plant-mediated effects of large mammalian herbivores on arthropod populations are well documented, direct effects, such as incidental ingestion of arthropods, remain understudied.

Comparative Analysis of the Daily Liver Metabolomics of Asian Particolored Bat.

Mammals rely on an intricate network of circadian clocks to regulate daily metabolic and physiological processes throughout the body. The liver, as a key peripheral organ, plays a crucial role in coordinating circadian rhythms and metabolic regulation. Bats, the only mammals capable of true flight, present unique nocturnal behaviors, which have garnered significant research interest.

Isolation of Antagonistic Bacterial Strains and Their Antimicrobial Volatile Organic Compounds Against in Wing Membranes.

White-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus (), has led to significant mortality and species endangerment in North America. Bats in eastern China, however, carry low loads of and do not exhibit disease, suggesting natural resistance. To explore potential defenses, we isolated and screened antagonistic bacteria from the wing membranes of for their ability to inhibit growth.

Optimal photosynthesis of 2-benzothiazoles over hexaazatrinaphthylene-based porous aromatic frameworks.

Porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) are considered as promising photocatalysts for efficient organic transformations. In this study, the synthesis of donor-acceptor (D-A)-type hexaazatrinaphthylene-based porous aromatic frameworks (HATN-PAFs) is presented. By linking HATN units with other different fragments, the surface areas, bandgaps, energy levels and photoelectric properties of HATN-PAFs could be easily tuned.

A nickel-catalysed radical mechanism by three-component dimensionality reduction strategies: a theoretical study.

Three-component coupling reactions represent a potent approach for synthesizing complex products. Radical-initiated three-component coupling reactions hold significant promise in synthetic chemistry but are often challenged by the high reactivity of radical species and the complex coordination environment of transition metal catalysts. Herein, we employed density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to investigate the mechanism of three-component olefin difunctionalization.

Reversible surface reconstruction of metal-organic frameworks for durable oxygen evolution reaction.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as prospective electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Nevertheless, controllably reversible reconstruction of MOFs, yielding highly active catalytic sites for durable OER, has not been extensively studied. Herein, Ni-BPM (BPM = 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl-3,3'-dicarboxylic acid) equipped with open metal sites was selected as a potential electrocatalyst, and orientated MOF electrodes were fabricated a sacrificial lattice-matched-template method.

Microbiota as Potential Functional Traits Facilitating Springtail Activity in Winter.

Understanding the role of microbiota in supporting animal survival and activity under extreme environmental conditions provides valuable insights into adaptation and resilience mechanisms in ecosystems. While vertebrate microbiota have received considerable attention, those associated with arthropods, particularly species capable of surviving sub-zero temperatures, remain poorly understood. Springtails (Collembola), key contributors to litter decomposition and soil ecosystem functioning, require specialized adaptations to endure harsh winter conditions.

Climate Change and Topography Drive the Expansion of in the Alpine Treeline Ecotone of the Changbai Mountain.

Alpine treelines ecotones are critical ecological transition zones and are highly sensitive to global warming. However, the impact of climate on the distribution of treeline trees is not yet fully understood as this distribution may also be affected by other factors. Here, we used high-resolution satellite images with climatic and topographic variables to study changes in treeline tree distribution in the alpine treeline ecotone of the Changbai Mountain for the years 2002, 2010, 2017, and 2021.

-Trifluoromethylation of ketones: an alternative straightforward route to alkenyl trifluoromethyl ethers.

Here we report an unprecedented -trifluoromethylation of ketones using chloro(phenyl)trifluoromethyl-λ-iodane (CPTFI). Our method provides a new strategy for the facile synthesis of various synthetically valuable alkenyl trifluoromethyl ethers, particularly those CFO-substituted terminal alkenes and cyclic alkenes that have been elusive until now, from simple aromatic, aliphatic, and cyclic ketones. The success of this reaction is attributed to the full utilization of the multifunctionality of CPTFI: (1) its strong Lewis acid activation ability, which enables weak nucleophiles such as Cl anions to attack the carbonyl group; (2) its bifunctionality, which allows for the introduction of CF and Cl into the carbonyl group in one step, thus enabling the obtainment of alkenyl trifluoromethyl ethers by further removal of HCl.

Continuous porous aromatic framework membranes with acid-/base-induced reversible isomerization for switchable ion conductivity.

Stimuli-responsive ion conductor materials are highly sought after in the fields of biological systems, clean energy, and smart devices. However, it remains a huge challenge to achieve acid/base switchable ion conductors owing to their stringent requirements of structural responsive behaviors, high stability and porosity. In this study, porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) are utilized as a favorable platform to successfully design and prepare ion conductive powders and its continuous membranes based on a commercially available pH indicator.

Key Ecological Factors Influencing Foraging Site Selection During Different Breeding Stages of the Endangered Scaly-Sided Merganser in Northeast China.

Studies on foraging site selection during the breeding period of waterbirds can identify key ecological factors, providing a scientific foundation for their conservation and habitat management. The Scaly-sided Merganser () is a globally endangered species and serves as an indicator species in submontane valleys. However, research on the key ecological factors influencing foraging site selection at different breeding stages remains limited.

EasyMetagenome: A user-friendly and flexible pipeline for shotgun metagenomic analysis in microbiome research.

Shotgun metagenomics has become a pivotal technology in microbiome research, enabling in-depth analysis of microbial communities at both the high-resolution taxonomic and functional levels. This approach provides valuable insights of microbial diversity, interactions, and their roles in health and disease. However, the complexity of data processing and the need for reproducibility pose significant challenges to researchers.

Older Lineages of Oribatid Mites in Mountain Ranges Have Broader Geographic Ranges and Exhibit More Generalistic Traits.

Understanding ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that drive biodiversity patterns is important for comprehending biodiversity. Despite being critically important to the functioning of ecosystems, the mechanisms driving belowground biodiversity are little understood. We investigated the radiation and trait diversity of soil oribatid mites from two mountain ranges, that is, the Alps in Austria and Changbai Mountain in China, at similar latitude in the temperate zone differing in formation processes (orogenesis) and exposed to different climates.

Preparation and characterization of a novel interlayer expanded zeolite with a 12 × 12-ring structure.

In this work, the lamellar precursor PLS-1 was successfully modified by acid treatment, intercalation and interlayer silylation. The layered precursor PLS-1 with CDO topological structure was synthesized using H-magadiite as silicon source and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) as template agent. After acid treatment to remove interlayer organic molecules, various OSDA were introduced between the layers, and the interlayer expanded intercalated materials were obtained.

Niche Overlap Between Two Sympatric Steppe Birds in Inner Mongolia: Habitat Selection and Insights for Conservation.

The destruction and degradation of natural ecosystems is a major driver of biodiversity loss. The steppe ecosystem is under threat from human activities and habitat degradation. Fine-scale breeding habitat selection is critical for the survival of steppe birds, but understanding the factors that drive this selection remains challenging.

Induction of enhanced stem-directed neutralizing antibodies by HA2-16 ferritin nanoparticles with H3 influenza virus boost.

Current seasonal influenza vaccines offer limited protection against influenza viruses due to genetic drift. The urgent need for a universal influenza vaccine to combat highly mutated strains is evident. This study utilized the conserved HA2 subunit of hemagglutinin (HA) and a short linear epitope of HA2 (HA2-16) from the H3 influenza virus to conjugate with ferritin, resulting in the construction of recombinant immunogens termed HA2-F and HA2-16-F, respectively.

Egg Retrieval as a Cognitive Indicator in Cuckoo Hosts.

Egg retrieval behavior in hosts within avian brood parasitism systems was found to be regulated by the motivation to reject parasitic eggs. However, due to the limitations in the research systems, there is a lack of effective validation regarding the adaptation mechanisms of cuckoo hosts to the conflict between retrieving their own eggs outside the nest and rejecting parasitic eggs. This study uses Daurian redstarts (), a secondary cavity-nesting host parasitized by common cuckoos (), to verify the adaptive decision-making of the host between egg retrieval and egg rejection by simulating the occurrence of eggs outside the nest.

The Role of Host-Range Expansion and Co-Speciation in Host-Parasite Associations With the Divergence of the Great Tit Species Complex.

During the evolution of parasites, co-speciation and host-range expansion are thought to play roles in establishing associations with hosts, while sorting events can lead to dissolution of those associations. To address the roles of these processes, we focus on avian haemosporidian parasites infecting hosts of the intensively studied great tit species complex. We estimated the phylogeography of lineages detected in the species complex, and quantified their transition probabilities among hosts.

Efficient construction of high-quality sulfonated porous aromatic frameworks by optimizing the swelling state of porous structures.

Conventional post-modification methods usually face the fundamental challenge of balancing the high content of functional groups and large surface area for porous organic polymers (POPs). The reason, presumably, stems from ineffective and insufficient swelling of the porous structure of POP materials, which is detrimental to mass transfer and modification of functional groups, especially with large-sized ones. It is important to note that significant differences exist in the porous structures of POP materials in a solvent-free state after thermal activation and solvent swelling state.

Synthesis of highly soluble zirconium organic cages by iodine substitution toward a CO/N separation membrane.

Metal organic cages (MOCs) show promise as fillers in mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) for gas separation; highly soluble MOCs are desirable for fabrication of high-compatibility membranes. Herein, we report an iodine substitution strategy to substantially increase the MOC solubility. The synthesized MOC of ZrT-NH-I possesses over 10-fold higher solubility than the parent ZrT-NH in organic solvents whilst retaining the original molecular structure and permanent porosity.

Making an inverted Keggin ion lacunary.

The century-old inverted Keggin ion has been revisited in an effort to unleash its potential in the structural engineering and functional development of polyoxomolybdates (POMos). Over the past hundred years, attempts to program the metal-oxo scaffold of inverted Keggins have been conducted continually but without any success. In this work, a structurally inert, inverted Keggin-type POMo could finally be altered by means of a binary heterogroup-templated approach, resulting in the successful isolation of two lacunary species.