Three trinuclear Mn2Mo molecules based on the orbitally degenerate [Mo(CN)7](4-) anion were prepared, one of which is the first single-molecule magnet (SMM) based on heptacyanomolybdate. The blocking temperature and the energy barrier (U = 40.5 cm(-1)) are records for a cyanide-based SMM. Wide hysteresis loops and sharp quantum tunneling steps were observed from single-crystal measurements.

PMMA (poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate)) block copolymer and sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS). A key advance relates to the use of PMMA majority block copolymer films and the optimization of thermal annealing temperature and substrate chemistry to achieve through-film vertical PS cylinders. The resulting morphology allows for direct fabrication of nanoporous AlOx by selective growth of Al2O3 in the PMMA matrix during the SIS process, followed by polymer removal using oxygen plasma. Control over the pore diameter is achieved by varying the number of Al2O3 growth cycles, leading to pore size reduction from 21 nm to 16 nm. Three-dimensional characterization, using TEM tomography, reveals that the AlOx channels are continuous through the film and have a gradual increase in pore size with depth. Finally, we demonstrate the ultrafiltration performance of the fabricated AlOx membrane for protein separation as a function of protein size and charge.

Field-induced slow magnetic relaxation was observed for air-stable mononuclear cobalt(II) compounds with pentagonal bipyramid geometry. These are the first examples of such behavior observed in the seven-coordinated mononuclear 3d metal compounds.

For potential application of zeolite in environmental protection, the instantaneous adsorption of volatile nitrosamines in gas stream by zeolites was studied by a gas chromatography technique. Three volatile nitrosamines, N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, and N-nitrosohexamethyleneimine, were chosen as adsorbates. The influence of adsorption temperature, flow rate of gas stream, and the mixed nitrosamines on the adsorption of zeolites was examined. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms of nitrosamines were fitted with the Freundlich equation for the first time. Zeolite NaY showed the highest capacity to capture the nitrosamines in the gas stream containing sidestream smoke from cigarettes at ambient temperature, providing an efficient candidate for protection of environment and public health.

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