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Magnesium coated by different transition metals (TM: Ti, Nb, V, Co, Mo, or Ni) with a grain size in the nano-scale formed a core (Mg)–shell (TM) like structure which can catalyse dehydrogenation.

Phosphorus- and sulfur-codoped graphitic carbon nitride has been successfully synthesized by in situ thermal copolymerization of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and thiourea. The phosphorus doping, together with the sulfur doping, would enhance light trapping, surface area, and charge separation, making it serve as a more efficient photocatalyst than its pure g-C3N4 and single-doped g-C3N4 counterpart for the removal of tetracycline (TC) and methyl orange (MO). The optimum photocatalytic activities of a P-, S-codoped g-C3N4 sample for the degradation of TC and MO were about 5.9 times and 7.1 times higher than that of individual g-C3N4, respectively. Furthermore, the optimum TOC removal reached 70.33% and 55.37% for TC and MO within 120 min, respectively. The introduction of a P atom and S atom could significantly change the electronic property of g-C3N4 and suppress the recombination of photogenerated charges. Moreover, the defects in the framework of samples caused by the doping of P and S could serve as centers to trap the photoinduced electrons, thus inhibiting the charge recombination and improving its photocatalytic performance.

Biocompatible synthetic scaffolds with enhanced osteogenic and angiogenic capacity are of great interest for the repair of large (critical size) bone defects. In this study, we investigated an approach based on the controlled delivery of copper (Cu) ions from borate bioactive glass scaffolds for stimulating angiogenesis and osteogenesis in a rodent calvarial defect model. Borate glass scaffolds (pore size ¼ 200-400 mm) doped with varying amounts of Cu (0-3.0 wt% CuO) were created using a polymer foam replication technique. When immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) in vitro, the scaffolds released Cu ions into the medium at a rate that was dependent on the amount of Cu in the glass and simultaneously converted to hydroxyapatite (HA). At the concentrations used, the Cu in the glass was not cytotoxic to human bone marrow derived stem cells (hBMSCs) cultured on the scaffolds and the alkaline phosphatase activity of the hBMSCs increased with increasing Cu in the glass. When implanted in rat calvarial defects for 8 weeks, the scaffolds doped with 3 wt% CuO showed a significantly better capacity to stimulate angiogenesis and regenerate bone when compared to the undoped glass scaffolds. Together, these results indicate that the controlled delivery of Cu ions from borate bioactive glass implants is a promising approach in healing bone defects.

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Seven novel cocrystals of pyrene with halo-perfluorobenzenes (F, Cl, Br, I) were successfully prepared and well characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The stoichiometries of pyrene to halo-perfluorobenzene were all 1:1. The similar sandwich structures comprise pyrene and halo-perfluorobenzene alternatively stacked via π-interactions by which pyrene molecules are isolated from each other as expected instead of the dimer in the pure pyrene crystal. The phosphorescence or delayed fluorescence was, therefore, lightened under heavy atom perturbation from halo-perfluorobenzene. Moreover, based on the consideration of surface electrostatic potential (SEP) of interacting molecules, the π-interaction between halo-perfluorobenzenes with positive SEP and pyrene with negative SEP is more appropriately named the π-hole···π bond, which should be significant as a new strategy in assembling organic phosphors.