•Phosphonate functionalized Au-NPs (P-Au-NPs) are synthesized through a facile strategy.•P-Au-NPs show particular coordination binding ability for RuIII ion.•The immobilized RuIII ion show excellent electrocatalytic activity for the iodate reduction.The surface chemical functionalization generally endows gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) with expanding applications in sensors, medicine and catalysis because of the synergistic effect. In this work, we report a novel strategy for the synthesis of phosphonate functionalized Au-NPs (P-Au-NPs) by using vinylphosphonic acid as the reducing agent and stabilizing agent. The morphology, composition, and structure of P-Au-NPs are fully characterized by various spectroscopy techniques. The resultant P-Au-NPs show a remarkable colloidal stability, which likely arises from strong electrostatic effect of negatively charged phosphonate groups and the extremely hydrophilic property of phosphonate groups. In addition, the as-prepared P-Au-NPs effectively bind RuIII ions via coordination interaction, which can be used to construct an iodate amperometric sensor with the wide linear range and low detection limit.

Bimetallic Pd1Cu3 multipod nanocrystals (Pd1Cu3-MNCs) are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The catalytic reduction of CuII by Pd crystal nuclei is critical for the formation of Pd1Cu3-MNCs. Pd1Cu3-MNCs show remarkably enhanced catalytic activity for the hydrogenation reduction of nitro functional groups compared to the commercial Pd black.

In this work, the soluble cobalt phthalocyanine functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are synthesized by π–π stacking interaction between tetrakis (3-trifluoromethylphenoxy) phthalocyaninato cobalt(II) (CoPcF) complex and MWCNTs. The physical properties of CoPcF-MWCNTs hybrids are evaluated using spectroscopy (UV–vis, XPS, and Raman) and electron microscopy (TEM and SEM). Subsequently, an amperometric nitrite electrochemical sensor is designed by immobilizing CoPcF-MWCNTs hybrids on the glassy carbon electrode. The immobilized CoPcF complex shows the fast electron transfer rate and excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of nitrite. Under optimum experimental conditions, the proposed nitrite electrochemical sensor shows the fast response (less than 2 s), wide linear range (9.6 × 10–8 to 3.4 × 10–4 M) and low detection limit (6.2 × 10–8 M) because of the good mass transport, fast electron transfer rate, and excellent electrocatalytic activity.Keywords: carbon nanotubes; cobalt phthalocyanine; electrocatalysis; nitrite; sensor;

A highly enantioselective (S)-diphenylpyrrolinol triethylsilyl ether promoted tandem oxa-Michael–aldol reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with salicylaldehydes has been developed; the method affords one-pot access to chiral and synthetically useful chromenes in high yields and high enantioselectivities from readily available compounds.

A highly enantioselective (S)-diphenylpyrrolinol triethylsilyl ether promoted tandem oxa-Michael–aldol reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with salicylaldehydes has been developed; the method affords one-pot access to chiral and synthetically useful chromenes in high yields and high enantioselectivities from readily available compounds.