Organic tetralithium salts of 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (Li4C8H2O6) with the morphologies of bulk, nanoparticles, and nanosheets have been investigated as the active materials of either positive or negative electrode of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. It is demonstrated that, in the electrolyte of LiPF6 dissolved in ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), reversible two-Li-ion electrochemical reactions are taking place with redox Li4C8H2O6/Li2C8H2O6 at ~2.6 V for a positive electrode and Li4C8H2O6/Li6C8H2O6 at ~0.8 V for a negative electrode, respectively. In the observed system, the electrochemical performance of high to low order is nanosheets > nanoparticles > bulk. Remarkably, Li4C8H2O6 nanosheets show the discharge capacities of 223 and 145 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 and 5 C rates, respectively. A capacity retention of 95% is sustained after 50 cycles at 0.1 C rate charge/discharge and room temperature. Moreover, charging the symmetrical cells with Li4C8H2O6 nanosheets as the initial active materials of both positive and negative electrodes produces all-organic LIBs with an average operation voltage of 1.8 V and an energy density of about 130 Wh kg(-1), enlightening the design and application of organic Li-reservoir compounds with nanostructures for all organic LIBs.

Filled to capacity: Calix[4]quinone (C4Q) has eight available carbonyl groups for binding lithium ions (see picture). It can be exploited to prepare quasi‐solid‐state rechargeable lithium batteries with a poly(methyl acrylate)/poly(ethylene glycol) based gel polymer electrolyte and a LiClO4/DMSO loading. It shows an initial discharge capacity of 422 mA h g−1 and a capacity retention of 379 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles.

Developing organic compounds with multifunctional groups to be used as electrode materials for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries is very important. The organic tetrasodium salt of 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (Na4DHTPA; Na4C8H2O6), which was prepared through a green one-pot method, was investigated at potential windows of 1.6-2.8 V as the positive electrode or 0.1-1.8 V as the negative electrode (vs. Na(+)/Na), each delivering compatible and stable capacities of ca. 180 mAh g(-1) with excellent cycling. A combination of electrochemical, spectroscopic and computational studies revealed that reversible uptake/removal of two Na(+) ions is associated with the enolate groups at 1.6-2.8 V (Na2C8H2O6/Na4C8H2O6) and the carboxylate groups at 0.1-1.8 V (Na4C8H2O6/Na6C8H2O6). The use of Na4C8H2O6 as the initial active materials for both electrodes provided the first example of all-organic rocking-chair SIBs with an average operation voltage of 1.8 V and a practical energy density of about 65 Wh kg(-1).

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The therapeutic index for chemotherapeutic drugs is determined in part by systemic toxicity, so strategies for dose intensification to improve efficacy must also address tolerability. In addressing this issue, we have investigated a novel combinatorial strategy of reconstructing a drug molecule and using sequential drug-induced nanoassembly to fabricate supramolecular nanomedicines (SNM). Using cabazitaxel as a target agent, we established that individual synthetic prodrugs tethered with polyunsaturated fatty acids were capable of recapitulating self-assembly behavior independent of exogenous excipients. The resulting SNM could be further refined by PEGylation with amphiphilic copolymers suitable for preclinical studies. Among these cabazitaxel derivatives, docosahexaenoic acid-derived compound 1 retained high antiproliferative activity. SNM assembled with compound 1 displayed an unexpected enhancement of tolerability in animals along with effective therapeutic efficacy in a mouse xenograft model of human cancer, compared with free drug administered in its clinical formulation. Overall, our studies showed how attaching flexible lipid chains to a hydrophobic and highly toxic anticancer drug can convert it to a systemic self-deliverable nanotherapy, preserving its pharmacologic efficacy while improving its safety profile. Cancer Res; 77(24); 6963-74. Ó2017 AACR.

The molecular structure of the Escherichia coli RecA protein in the absence of DNA revealed two disordered or mobile loops that were proposed to be DNA binding sites. A short peptide spanning one of these loops was shown to carry out the key reaction mediated by the whole RecA protein: pairing (targeting) of a single-stranded DNA to its homologous site on a duplex DNA. In the course of the reaction the peptide bound to both substrate DNAs, unstacked the single-stranded DNA, and assumed a beta structure. These events probably recapitulate the underlying molecular pathway or mechanism used by homologous recombination proteins.

Developing organic compounds with multifunctional groups to be used as electrode materials for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries is very important. The organic tetrasodium salt of 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (Na 4 DHTPA; Na 4 C 8 H 2 O 6 ), which was prepared through a green one-pot method, was investigated at potential windows of 1.6-2.8 V as the positive electrode or 0.1-1.8 V as the negative electrode (vs. Na + /Na), each delivering compatible and stable capacities of ca. 180 mAh g À1 with excellent cycling. A combination of electrochemical, spectroscopic and computational studies revealed that reversible uptake/removal of two Na + ions is associated with the enolate groups at 1.6-2.8 V (Na 2 C 8 H 2 O 6 / Na 4 C 8 H 2 O 6 ) and the carboxylate groups at 0.1-1.8 V (Na 4 C 8 H 2 O 6 /Na 6 C 8 H 2 O 6 ). The use of Na 4 C 8 H 2 O 6 as the initial active materials for both electrodes provided the first example of all-organic rocking-chair SIBs with an average operation voltage of 1.8 V and a practical energy density of about 65 Wh kg À1 .Room-temperature rechargeable sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have recently become a research focus because sodium has a high natural abundance, low cost, and is more environmentally benign than lithium. [1][2][3] However, similar to Li-ion batteries (LIBs), an overwhelming majority of host materials in SIBs are based on depletable transition-metal inorganic compounds, [4][5][6][7][8][9] which are generally prepared from limited mineral resources through energy intensive processing. The development of new types of green and sustainable Na-storage materials is therefore necessary for safer and lessexpensive rechargeable SIBs.One of the innovative strategies is shifting from traditional inorganic compounds to new organic alternatives. Organic concept provides potential advantages such as structural diversity and flexibility, molecular level controllability, eco-efficient processability and resource renewability. [10][11][12][13] Indeed, a series of organic compounds have been studied as the electrode materials of energy-storage devices such as LIBs and supercapacitors. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Recently, some of them have been demonstrated to have high specific capacity, cycling stability, and high rate capability, making them promising applications in SIBs. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] However, there are only a few reports on sodium-ion full cells based on organic electrode materials. Abouimrane et al. [32] first incorporated a disodium terephthalate-based organic anode material into sodium-ion full cells, but a conventional transition-metal cathode material (Na 0.75 Mn 0.7 Ni 0.23 O 2 ) was still needed. The first and only all organic sodium-ion cell based on a polymeric cathode and anode was constructed by Yang and co-workers, [33] showing a specific capacity of ca. 55 Wh kg À1 with an average voltage of 1.8 V. In this system, a p-doped polymer was used as a cathode material, which experiences the pdoping/de-doping mechanism of large electrolyte anion...