Graphene oxide (GO)-wrapped gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) hybrid materials are constructed via one-pot sonochemical synthesis and self-assembly, using ethylene glycol as the reducing agent. The synthesis process above took only 1 h, and the obtained hybrid materials exist as spheres wrapped with gauze-like GO sheets via ionic interaction-based self-assembly. The GO sheets are helpful for the well dispersion of the Au NPs. Furthermore, these materials possess enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation, owing to the synergistic effect of the two components in the hybrid materials. Our work may provide a convenient approach to control the size and morphology of the Au NPs for the synthesis of GO-wrapped hybrid materials, which opens up a feasible way to synthesize metal NPs/GO composites. Moreover, this method might lead to developing of a broad class of new functionalized materials wrapped with GO sheets.

A series of benzimidazole-linked porous polymers are obtained by the condensation reaction between the o-aminobenzol end groups of building blocks (2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaaminotriphenylene, 3,3′-diaminobenzidine or 1,2,4,5-benzenetetraamine) and the aldehyde groups of building blocks [terephthalicaldehyde, 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxaldehyde, 1,3,5-tris(4-acetylphenyl)benzene or 1,3,5-tris(4-formylbiphenyl)amine] in one-pot synthesis without employing any catalyst or template. The existence of the imidazole ring in the obtained polymers could be identified by Fourier transform infrared and solid-state ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. The sphere-shaped morphology of the obtained polymers is observed through scanning electron microscopy. The polymers possess Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area values over 600 m²·g⁻¹, showing hydrogen storage (up to 1.6 wt%, at 77 K and 1×10⁵ Pa) and carbon dioxide capture (up to 12.6 wt%, at 273 K and 1×10⁵ Pa) properties. Such polymers would possess good performance in the applications of gas storage and separation.

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) is of great interest because of its potential applications in photodynamic therapy, photooxidation of toxic molecules, and photochemical synthesis. Herein, we report novel metallophthalocyanine (MPc) based conjugated microporous polymers (MPc-CMPs) as photosensitizers for the generation of ¹O₂. The rigid microporous structure efficiently improves the exposure of the majority of the MPc units to oxygen. The MPc-CMPs also exhibit an enhanced light-harvesting capability in the far-red region through their extended π-conjugation systems. Their microporous structure and excellent absorption capability for long-wavelength photons result in the MPc-CMPs showing high efficiency for ¹O₂ generation upon irradiation with 700 nm light, as evident by using 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran as an ¹O₂ trap. These results indicate that MPc-CMPs can be considered as promising photosensitizers for the generation of ¹O₂.

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) is of great interest because of its potential applications in photodynamic therapy, photooxidation of toxic molecules, and photochemical synthesis. Herein, we report novel metallophthalocyanine (MPc) based conjugated microporous polymers (MPc-CMPs) as photosensitizers for the generation of ¹O₂. The rigid microporous structure efficiently improves the exposure of the majority of the MPc units to oxygen. The MPc-CMPs also exhibit an enhanced light-harvesting capability in the far-red region through their extended π-conjugation systems. Their microporous structure and excellent absorption capability for long-wavelength photons result in the MPc-CMPs showing high efficiency for ¹O₂ generation upon irradiation with 700 nm light, as evident by using 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran as an ¹O₂ trap. These results indicate that MPc-CMPs can be considered as promising photosensitizers for the generation of ¹O₂.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are regarded as one kind of the most important and promising macrocyclic oligosaccharides, which contain hydrophobic internal cavities capable of hosting various guest molecules. CDs are water-soluble, non-toxic, commercially available as well as low-cost. Because of these favorable characteristics, cyclodextrin chemistry has created a great number of interesting works covering different fields, in particular CD-based porous nanocapsules (CDPNCs). Chemical cross-linking is an important way developed to prepare CDPNCs. CDPNCs can be obtained using different cross-linkers and preparation methods, such as homogeneous method, miniemulsion polymerization, and emulsion-solvent evaporation method. Because of cross-linking, a three-dimensional network is built which forms the porous structure in CDPNCs with the cavities of CDs. Attributed to the porous structure, CDPNCs exhibit excellent performances in encapsulation of targeted molecules and realization of controllable release, indicating a promising prospect in applications such as drug delivery systems and environment protection.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) show functionality, biocompatibility, and host-guest inclusion capacity with a variety of molecules. These unique properties offer great potential for the exploitation of CDs as drug delivery systems. An easy, green, and effective synthetic approach was described to develop CD-based porous nanospheres (CDPNSs) with a size distribution from 100 to 400 nm. A new cross-linker tris(2-aminoethyl)amine was used to cross-link modified β-CD at room temperature. The resulting CD-based polymers (CDPs) were reshaped from a random morphology into a spherical shape during a dialysis process, and CDPNSs were obtained. The morphologies of CDPs and CDPNSs were observed with scanning electron microscopy. The average diameter and the size distribution of CDPNSs were determined by dynamic light scattering. The structures of the resulting products were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, solid-state ¹³C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, a study was conducted on drug loading and in vitro release behavior of CDPNSs, which was monitored by ultraviolet spectroscopy. The prepared CDPNSs show the potential as drug delivery systems.

Suzuki coupling polymerization between boronic acids and halo-benzimidazole provides a new alternative approach to prepare polybenzimidazoles. PPBIs (PPBI-1 and PPBI-2) with porous structures are prepared through a template-free synthetic route. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface areas for PPBI-1 and PPBI-2 are 385 and 158 m² g⁻¹, respectively. Based on the hydrogen physisorption isotherms measured at 77 K and a pressure up to 1.13 bar, PPBI-1 exhibits a hydrogen uptake of 0.83 wt% at 1.13 bar and 77 K. An increase in the carbon dioxide loading capacity with increasing specific surface area is observed, in which PPBI-1 shows higher carbon dioxide uptake (8.0 wt%) than PPBI-2 (6.1 wt%) at 1.0 bar and 273 K. Additionally, the prepared PPBIs can act as a heterogeneous catalyst for Knoevenagel reaction.

A kind of graphene-based nanoporous material is prepared through assembling graphene sheets mediated through polyoxometalate nanoparticles. Owing to the strong interaction between graphene and polyoxometalate, 2D graphene sheets with honeycomb-latticed carbon atoms could assemble into a porous structure, in which 3D polyoxometalate nanoparticles serve as the crosslinkers. Nitrogen and hydrogen sorption analysis reveal that the as-prepared graphene-based hybrid material possesses a specific surface area of 680 m² g⁻¹ and a hydrogen uptake volume of 0.8−1.3 wt%. Infrared spectrometry is used to probe the electron density changes of polyoxometalate particle in the redox-cycle and to verify the interaction between graphene and polyoxometalate. The as-prepared graphene-based materials are further characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.

Two well-defined triphenylamine-based fluorescent conjugated copolymers with pendant terpyridyl ligands were synthesized through Suzuki coupling polymerization and were further characterized by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, gel permeation chromatography, Infrared, and UV-vis spectra. Polymer P-1, terpyridine-bearing poly(triphenylamine-alt-fluorene) with a high fluorescence quantum yield (62%) shows much higher sensitivities toward Fe³⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cu²⁺ as compared with the other metal ions investigated. Especially, Fe³⁺ can lead to an almost complete fluorescence quenching of polymer P-1. Whereas, the analogous polymer P-2, in which N-ethylcarbazole repeat units replace the fluorene units in P-1, shows a very poor selectivity. It demonstrates that polymers with a same receptor may show different sensitivity to analytes owing to their different type of backbones. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1310–1316, 2010

A supramolecular hybrid is prepared by the supramolecular surface modification of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) with cationic β-cyclodextrin-tethered ruthenium complexes through a spacer molecule that contains both an adamantane and a pyrene moiety. By employing the supramolecular hybrid, spatially controllable DNA condensation along the SWCNT skeleton is achieved by anchoring cationic ruthenium complexes on the surface. Furthermore, because of the unique physiological properties of SWCNTs, the cationic supramolecular hybrid can be used as a nonviral gene delivery system with the ruthenium complexes as a fluorescent probe to monitor uptake of DNA by cells.

Facile prepolymerization and postpolymerization functionalization approaches to prepare well-defined fluorescent conjugated glycopolymers through Cu(I)-catalyzed azide/alkyne “Click” ligation were explored. Two well-defined carbazole-based fluorescent conjugated glycopolymers were readily synthesized based on these strategies and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR spectra, and UV-vis spectra. The “Click” ligation offers a very effective conjugation method to covalently attach carbohydrate residues to fluorescent conjugated polymers. In addition, the studies of carbohydrate–lectin interactions were performed by titration of concanavalin A (Con A) to D-glucose-bearing poly(anthracene-alt-carbazole) copolymer P-2 resulting in significant fluorescence quenching of the polymer due to carbohydrate–lectin interactions. When peanut agglutinin (PNA) was added, no distinct change in the fluorescent properties of P-2 was observed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2948–2957, 2009

A novel approach to solubilize single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in the aqueous phase is described by employing supramolecular surface modification. We use cyclodextrin complexes of synthetic molecules that contain a planar pyrene moiety or a bent, shape-fitted triptycene moiety as a binding group connected through a spacer to an adamantane moiety that is accommodated in the cyclodextrin cavity. The binding groups attach to the sidewalls of SWCNTs through a π–π stacking interaction to yield a supramolecular system that allows the SWCNTs to dissolve in the aqueous phase through the formed hydrophilic cyclodextrin shell. The black aqueous SWCNT solutions obtained are stable over a period of months. They are characterized through absorbance, static, and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy as well as Raman spectroscopy, TEM, and fluorescence-decay measurements. Furthermore, the shape-fitted triptycene-based system shows a pronounced selectivity for SWCNTs with a diameter of 1.0 nm.