A porous liquid containing empty cavities has been successfully fabricated by surface engineering of hollow structures with suitable corona and canopy species. By taking advantage of the liquid-like polymeric matrices as a separation medium and the empty cavities as gas transport pathway, this unique porous liquid can function as a promising candidate for gas separation. Moreover, such a facile synthetic strategy can be further extended to the fabrication of other types of nanostructure-based porous liquid, opening up new opportunities for preparation of porous liquids with attractive properties for specific tasks.

A template-free synthesis of a hierarchical microporous-mesoporous metal-organic framework (MOF) of zinc(II) 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (Zn-MOF-74) is reported. The surface morphology and porosity of the bimodal materials can be modified by etching the pore walls with various synthesis solvents for different reaction times. This template-free strategy enables the preparation of stable frameworks with mesopores exceeding 15 nm, which was previously unattained in the synthesis of MOFs by the ligand-extension method.

We investigated whether cilengitide could amplify the antitumor effects of radiotherapy in an orthotopic rat glioma xenograft model. Cilengitide is a specific inhibitor of av series integrins, and acts as an antiangiogenic. U251 human glioma cells express avb3 and avb5 integrins. We used in vitro assays of adhesion and growth of tumor and endothelial cells to evaluate cytotoxicity and the potential for cilengitide to enhance radiation toxicity. Treatment was then evaluated in an orthotopic model to evaluate synergy with therapeutic radiation in vivo. In vitro, cilengitide blocked cell adhesion, but did not influence the effects of radiation on U251 cells; cilengitide strongly amplified radiation effects on endothelial cell survival. In vivo, radiotherapy prolonged the survival of U251 tumor-bearing rats from 50 to over 110 days. Cotreatment with cilengitide and radiation dramatically amplified the effects of radiation, producing survival over 200 days and triggering an enhanced apoptotic response and suppression of tumor growth by histology at necropsy. Signaling pathways activated in the tumor included NFjb, a documented mediator of cellular response to radiation. Because cilengitide has a short plasma halflife (t ½ 20 min), antiangiogenic scheduling typically uses daily injections. We found that a single dose of cilengitide (4 mg/kg) given between 4 and 12 hr prior to radiation was sufficient to produce the same effect. Our results demonstrate that blockade of av integrins mediates an unanticipated rapid potentiation of radiation, and suggests possible clinical translation for glioma therapy. ' 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: glioma; cilengitide; integrin; radiation; animal model Integrins control cell attachment to extracellular matrices (ECMs) and participate in cellular defense against genotoxic assaults. 1 These defense mechanisms are a major factor in the resistance of solid malignancies to radiotherapy. In this in vivo study, we examine the effects of an inhibitor of av-integrins, cilengitide, on the growth of gliomas in response to external beam radiotherapy. Malignant gliomas, including anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are the most common primary brain tumors, afflicting some 6/100,000 individuals annually within the United States. 2 Current treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy. But the efficacy of treatment is limited by the infiltrative nature of GBMs, by sustained tumor angiogenesis, and by a marked resistance to chemo and radiotherapies. Indeed, clinical prognosis is poor and the median survival from diagnosis of 12 months in GBM has not changed appreciably over a quarter century. 3 Gliomas, and especially anaplastic gliomas, infiltrate and spread great distances in the brain from a peripheral zone of infiltrating cells in the highly vascularized cellular rim of tumor that surrounds a central necrotic core. 4 The infiltrating tumor cells cause an almost inevitable local recurrence and clinical progression. 5 Recurrence following surger...

High-performance polymeric membranes for gas separation are attractive for molecular-level separations in industrial-scale chemical, energyand environmental processes. Molecular sieving materials are widely regarded as the next-generation membranes to simultaneously achieve high permeability and selectivity. However, most polymeric molecular sieve membranes are based on a few solution-processable polymers such as polymers of intrinsic microporosity. Here we report an in situ cross-linking strategy for the preparation of polymeric molecular sieve membranes with hierarchical and tailorable porosity. These membranes demonstrate exceptional performance as molecular sieves with high gas permeabilities and selectivities for smaller gas molecules, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, over larger molecules such as nitrogen. Hence, these membranes have potential for large-scale gas separations of commercial and environmental relevance. Moreover, this strategy could provide a possible alternative to 'classical' methods for the preparation of porous membranes and, in some cases, the only viable synthetic route towards certain membranes.

A 3D Tröger’s-base-derived microporous organic polymer with a high surface area and good thermal stability was facilely synthesized from a one-pot metal-free polymerization reaction between dimethoxymethane and triaminotriptycene. The obtained material displays excellent CO2 uptake abilities as well as good adsorption selectivity for CO2 over N2. The CO2 storage can reach up to 4.05 mmol g–1 (17.8 wt %) and 2.57 mmol g–1 (11.3 wt %) at 273 K and 298 K, respectively. Moreover, the high selectivity of the polymer toward CO2 over N2 (50.6, 298 K) makes it a promising material for potential application in CO2 separation from flue gas.