We combine two amazing abilities found in nature: the superhydrophobic property of lotus leaf and the adhesive ability of mussel adhesive protein. The molecular structure mimic of the single units of adhesive proteins, dopamine, was polymerized in an alkaline aqueous solution to encapsulate microparticles. The as-formed thin polydopamine walls worked as reactive templates to generate silver nanoparticles on the capsuled particles. As a result, core/shell/satellite composite particles were generated with a hierarchical structure similar to the micromorphology of lotus leaf. The composite particles exhibited extremely water repellence after fluorination. Because dopamine can deposit and adhere to all kinds of materials, this method can be applied to diverse microparticles, from organic to inorganic. In addition, particles of different sizes and matters can be modified to superhydrophobic particles in one pot. Magnetic particles have also been prepared which could be used as oil-absorbent and magnetic controlled carriers. "Oil marbles" formed underwater were achieved for the first time.

In this article, we report a bioinspired approach to preparing stable, functional multilayer films by the integration of mussel-inspired catechol oxidative chemistry into a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. A polyanion of poly(acrylic acid-g-dopamine) (PAA-dopamine) bearing catechol groups, a mussel adhesive protein-mimetic polymer, was synthesized as the building block for LbL assembly with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). The oxidization of the incorporated catechol group under mild oxidative condition yields o-quinone, which exhibits high reactivity with amine and catechol, thus endowing the chemical covalence and retaining the assembled morphology of multilayer films. The cross-linked films showed excellent stability even in extremely acidic, basic, and highly concentrated aqueous salt solutions. The efficient chemical cross-linking allows for the production of intact free-standing films without using a sacrificial layer. Moreover, thiol-modified multilayer films with good stability were exploited by a combination of thiols-catechol addition and then oxidative cross-linking. The outstanding stability under harsh conditions and the facile functionalization of the PAA-dopamine/PAH multilayer films make them attractive for barriers, separation, and biomedical devices.

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Here we demonstrate a new route to achieve the sintering of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) at room temperature. The as-prepared Ag NPs coalesced when they were immersed in electrolyte solutions, such as NaCl and MgSO 4 . The square resistances of Ag NPs thin films decreased from tens of kiloohms to lower than 1 ohm after treatment with electrolyte solutions for 10 s. Conductive Ag NPs thin films can be created on various substrates coated by polydopamine, a mussel-inspired polymer, via silver-plating followed by treatment with electrolyte solutions at room temperature. Experimental Fabrication of the polydopamine coating on substratesCommercially available glass, SiO 2 ceramics, polypropylene (PP), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), silicon wafer, poly

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Asperterpenoid A (1), a novel sesterterpenoid with a new carbon skeleton, has been isolated from a mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. 16-5c. Its structure was characterized by extensive spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configuration was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Asperterpenoid A (1) exhibited strong inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase B (mPTPB) with an IC(50) value of 2.2 μM.

Asperterpenol A (1) and asperterpenol B (2), two novel sesterterpenoids with an unusual 5/8/6/6 tetracyclic ring skeleton, were isolated from a mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. 085242. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and the absolute configurations determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibit acetylcholinesterase with IC50 values of 2.3 and 3.0 μM, respectively.

Diaporindenes A-D (1-4), four unusual 2,3-dihydro-1 H-indene isomers, a novel isoprenylisobenzofuran A (5), two new isoprenylisoindole alkaloids diaporisoindoles D and E (6 and 7), and a new benzophenone derivative tenellone D (11), together with four known biogenetic agents (8-10 and 12), were all separated from the endophytic fungus Diaporthe sp. SYSU-HQ3 guided by ultraperformance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. The absolute configurations of 1-7 and 11 were defined by X-ray diffraction, quantum chemical calculations, and spectroscopic analysis. Diaporindenes A-D (1-4) possessed an unprecedented chemical skeleton featuring a 2,3-dihydro-1 H-indene ring and a 1,4-benzodioxan moiety. All of the isolates (1-12) were tested for their inhibitory effects on the production of nitric oxide in lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial cells (RAW 264.7 cells). Compounds 1-5, 8, and 9 were found to exhibit significant inhibitory effects against nitric oxide production with IC values from 4.2 to 9.0 μM and SI values from 3.5 to 6.9. In addition, the structure-activity relationships of all compounds were summarized.