This work focused on the synthesis and aqueous self‐assembly of a series of novel hyperbranched star copolymers with a hyperbranched poly[3‐ethyl‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)oxetane] (HBPO) core and many linear poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) arms. The copolymers can synchronously form unimolecular micelles (around 10 nm) and large multimolecular micelles (around 100 nm) in water at room temperature. TEM measurements have provided direct evidence that the large micelles are a kind of multimicelle aggregates (MMAs) with the basic building units of unimolecular micelles. It is the first demonstration of the self‐assembly mechanism for the large multimolecular micelles generated from the solution self‐assembly of hyperbranched copolymers.magnified image

A novel amphiphilic thermosensitive star copolymer with a hydrophobic hyperbranched poly (3‐ethyl‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)oxetane) (HBPO) core and many hydrophilic poly(2‐(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) arms was synthesized and used as the precursor for the aqueous solution self‐assembly. All the copolymers directly aggregated into core–shell unimolecular micelles (around 10 nm) and size‐controllable large multimolecular micelles (around 100 nm) in water at room temperature, according to pyrene probe fluorescence spectrometry and 1H NMR, TEM, and DLS measurements. The star copolymers also underwent sharp, thermosensitive phase transitions at a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), which were proved to be originated from the secondary aggregation of the large micelles driven by increasing hydrophobic interaction due to the dehydration of PDMAEMA shells on heating. A quantitative variable temperature NMR analysis method was designed by using potassium hydrogen phthalate as an external standard and displayed great potential to evaluate the LCST transition at the molecular level. The drug loading and temperature‐dependent release properties of HBPO‐star‐PDMAEMA micelles were also investigated by using indomethacin as a model drug. The indomethacin‐loaded micelles displayed a rapid drug release at a temperature around LCST. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 668–681, 2008

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Traditionally important in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and synthetic dye industries, C-N coupling has proved useful for the preparation of a number of valuable organic compounds. Here, a new method for the direct one-pot reductive C-N coupling from carbonyl and aromatic nitro compounds is described. Employing ultrathin platinum nanowires as the catalyst and hydrogen as the reducing agent, N-alkylamines were achieved in high yields. Debenzylation products were not detected after prolonged reaction times. Time-dependent analysis, ReactIR spectroscopy and DFT calculations revealed that the C-N coupling proceeded through a different mechanism than traditional "reductive amination." N-Alkylamines were directly obtained by intermolecular dehydration over platinum nanowires under a hydrogen atmosphere, instead of intramolecular water elimination and imine hydrogenation.

A novel ultrathin platinum nanowire with uniform length and a diameter of 1.5 nm was synthesized by acidic etching of FePt nanowire in methanol. This nanowire was characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) data indicated that the main plane is (111). The ability of this nanowire to catalyze the heterogeneous hydrogenation of nitroaromatics to give the corresponding amines has been investigated. The catalyst showed satisfactory activity in various solvents under mild conditions and showed excellent stability. The catalytic performance was also evaluated in the one-pot reduction of nitroaromatics and amidation with carboxylic acids under a hydrogen atmosphere at 100 °C. These methods for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and the direct amidation of nitroaromatics with carboxylic acids are simple, economical, and environmentally benign, and have practical advantages for the synthesis of amines and amides without the production of toxic byproducts.

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Ultra-thin gold nanowires (GNWs), with uniform surface crystallinity, appear much more active than gold nanoclusters in benzylic compound oxidation. Ethylbenzene oxidation was used as a model reaction and a radical chain reaction mechanism was revealed by the DFT method.

Iron oxide coated platinum nanowires (Pt@Fe(2)O(3)NWs) with a diameter of 2.8 nm have been prepared by the oxygen oxidation of FePt NWs in oleylamine. These "cable"-like NWs were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. These Pt@Fe(2)O(3) NWs were used as "non-support" heterogeneous catalysts in oxidation of olefins and alcohols. The results revealed that it is an active and highly selective catalyst. Styrene derivatives were tested with molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant, with benzaldehyde successfully obtained from styrene in an absolute yield of 31%, whereas the use of tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the sole oxidant in the oxidation of alcohols led to yields of more than 80% of the corresponding ketone or aldehyde. This unsupported catalyst was found to be more active (TOF=96.5 h(-1)) than other reported Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticle catalysts and could be recycled multiple times without any notable decrease in activity. Our findings will extend the use of such nanomaterial catalysts to new catalytic systems.