Cui-Hong Wang

A versatile fluorescent dye based on naphthalimide: highly selective detection of Hg2+ in aqueous solution and living cells and its aggregation-induced emission behaviour

A simple and versatile fluorescent dye NPS based on 1,8-naphthalimide was successfully designed and prepared. It was found that NPS exhibited excellent selectivity for Hg2+ over many other metal ions including Zn2+, Mn2+, Ba2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Pb2+, Mg2+, Cd2+, Fe2+, Al3+, Ag+, Na+, and Li+. In particular, NPS displayed a significant fluorescence “turn-on” to Hg2+ in aqueous solution and living cells, which could be potentially used for quantification of Hg2+. Moreover, two model compounds were rationally designed and synthesized, from which further insight into the sensing mechanism and binding mode of NPS with Hg2+ was obtained. Surprisingly, NPS exhibited interesting twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behaviours in aqueous solution.

Design and Synthesis of 60° Dendritic Donor Ligands and Their Coordination-Driven Self-Assembly into Supramolecular Rhomboidal Metallodendrimers

The design and self-assembly of novel rhomboidal metallodendrimers via coordination-driven self-assembly is described. By employing newly designed 60° ditopic donor linkers substituted with Fréchet-type dendrons and appropriate 120° rigid di-Pt(II) acceptor subunits, a variety of [G-1]-[G-3] rhomboidal metallodendrimers with well-defined shape and size were prepared under mild conditions in high yields. The supramolecular metallodendrimers were characterized with multinuclear NMR ((1)H and (31)P), mass spectrometry (CSI-TOF-MS), and elemental analysis. Isotopically resolved mass spectrometry data support the existence of the metallodendrimers with rhomboidal cavities, and NMR data were consistent with the formation of all ensembles. The shape and size of all rhomboidal metallodendrimers were investigated with the PM6 semiempirical molecular orbital method.

Unexpected self-assembly of chiral triangles from 90° chiral di-Pt(II) acceptors.

Two unexpected chiral organometallic triangles rather than squares from newly designed 90° chiral di-Pt(II) acceptors were obtained through coordination-driven self-assembly. Their structures were well characterized by multinuclear NMR ((1)H and (31)P) and variable-temperature NMR experiments, ESI-TOF-MS, and elemental analysis. The PM6 semiempirical molecular simulation was employed for the interpretation of the formation and stability of such chiral triangles.

Synthesis and characterization of multipyrene-modified platinum acetylide oligomers

A series of new multipyrene-modified platinum acetylide oligomers were successfully synthesized utilizing the coupling reaction of trans-Pt complexes with C–H bonds in alkynes as the key step. These new conjugated oligomers were characterized by multinuclear NMR (1H, 13C, and 31P) and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF–MS). Preliminary spectroscopic studies of these oligomers were also carried out.Graphical abstract

Branched platinum–acetylide complexes: synthesis, properties, and their aggregation behavior

A new branched platinum–acetylide complex PP6 containing pyrene as the main skeleton, pentiptycene units as bridges, and long alkyl chains as branches was successfully synthesized. The structure of PP6 was well characterized by 1H NMR, 31P {1H} NMR, MALDI-TOF-MS spectrometry, and the semiempirical PM6 method. The investigation of the absorption and emission spectra of PP6 and the model complexes revealed that the introduction of iptycene was beneficial to improve the emission efficiency. More importantly, PP6 was aggregated into ordered microspheres driven by the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions. The morphologies of the microspheres were investigated by SEM, TEM, LSCM, and EDX. Furthermore, the morphologies and the sizes of the microscale aggregates could be changed by altering the iptycene moiety or the hydrophobic units in PP6.

Green carbon disulfide surrogate via a combination of potassium sulfide and chloroform for benzothiazine-thione and benzothiazole-thione construction

An efficient and green carbon disulfide surrogate via facile combination of potassium sulfide and chloroform has been developed. A variety of benzothiazine-thiones and benzothiazole-thiones were straightforwardly established along with the formation of five new chemical bonds in one pot from readily available starting materials, in which the widely used 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) was synthesized through this method in gram scale. Dichlorocarbene was demonstrated to be a carbon source intermediate from chloroform on the basis of control experimental studies. Meanwhile, potassium sulfide, as a trisulfur radical anion (S3˙−) source, was confirmed through UV-visible spectroscopy and an EPR study.