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As a broad-spectrum antibiotic, tetracycline (TC) has been continually detected in soil and seawater environments, which poses a great threat to the ecological environment and human health. Herein, a black graphitic carbon nitride (CN-B) photocatalyst was synthesized by the one-step calcination method of urea and phloxine B for the degradation of tetracycline TC in seawater under visible light irradiation. The experimental results showed that the photocatalytic degradation rate of optimal CN-B-0.1 for TC degradation was 92% at room temperature within 2 h, which was 1.3 times that of pure CN (69%). This excellent photocatalytic degradation performance stems from the following factors: (i) ultrathin nanosheet thickness reduces the charge transfer distance; (ii) the cyanogen defect promotes photogenerated carriers’ separation; (iii) and the photothermal effect of CN-B increases the reaction temperature and enhances the photocatalytic activity. This study provides new insight into the design of photocatalysts for the photothermal-assisted photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic pollutants.

Potassium ions (K + ) doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) was prepared by a thermal etching method using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as an ion source. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that the generation of the cyano group was detected while introducing K + . Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the sample with a K + doping amount of 10% showed the highest hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) generation rate of 2,140.2 µmol h −1 g −1 . The apparent quantum yield (AQY) at 400 nm and the solar-to-chemical conversion (SCC) are 4.35% and 1.23%, respectively. K + acted as a bridge between g-C 3 N 4 layers, which enhanced charge transfer efficiency. Meanwhile, the cyano group enhanced the adsorption capacity of protons (H + ) and promoted the yield of H 2 O 2 . The catalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic stability based on four-cycle experiments. In addition, a mechanism study showed that superoxide radicals (·O 2 − ) were the most important active species in the reaction system. Photocatalytic production of H 2 O 2 was achieved through consecutive single-electron steps. This study deepens the understanding of the oxygen reduction reaction process and opens up a new venue for improving H 2 O 2 generation.

Herein, a nickel-catalyzed arylcyanation of unactivated alkenes via cyano group translocation with aryl boronic acids has been developed. These transformations provided a robust approach to constructing structurally diverse 1, n -dinitriles or 4-amino nitriles from easily prepared and commercially available starting materials. The cyano group translocation was achieved, involving the addition into the intramolecular C–N triple bond followed by the retro-Thorpe reaction. Mechanistic studies revealed that high temperature and CsHCO 3 as the base were crucial for the cyano group translocation.

Benzoxazine resins are widely employed in a variety of applications due to their exceptional heat resistance and treatment properties. However, traditional benzoxazine resins still confront hurdles in today’s engineering applications, such as their inability to provide long-term service in high-temperature settings and their inadequate toughness. In this study, four alkyne-functionalized benzoxazines with phthalide side groups and cyano groups of varying molecular weights were produced. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) were used to characterize the resin structure, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the thermal curing kinetics at different warming rates. The apparent activation energy was 116.9 kJ/mol. In-situ FT-IR was used to investigate the cure mechanism. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to evaluate the gelation time of BOZ series resins at various temperatures, and the curing process was designed by combining the results with DSC. The Tg of the composites made using BOZ-1N21 as the matrix was 336 °C, which was much higher than the Tg of the BP-a resin made with aniline, phenolphthalein, and formaldehyde (Tg = 251 °C). As a result, the resin system is expected to be employed in applications requiring high-temperature resistance and toughness.

Silicon-containing arylacetylene (PSA) resins have broad application prospects because of their excellent heat resistance. However, improving their mechanical properties and interfacial bonding with reinforcement fibers while maintaining heat resistance is a challenge in engineering applications. Here, poly(diethynylbenzene-methylsilyl-3-benzonitrile) (DEB-CN) and poly(diethynylbenzene-methylsilyl-3,6-diethynylcarbazole-3-benzonitrile) (DEC-CN) were synthesized via an isopropylmagnesium chloride lithium-chloride complex ( i -PrMgCl·LiCl), overcoming the compatibility problem between cyano groups and Grignard reagents. The cyano and alkyne groups in the resin underwent cyclization to form pyridine, catalyzed by the -NH- moiety in DEC-CN, resulting in extremely high thermal stability (5% weight loss temperature: 669.3 °C, glass transition temperature >650 °C). The combination of cyano dipole-dipole pairing and hydrogen bonding greatly enhanced the resin-fiber interface properties, while the generated pyridine promoted stress relief in the crosslinked network, substantially improving the mechanical properties of the cyano-silicon-containing arylacetylene resin composites. The flexural strength of quartz fiber cloth/DEC-CN composites was 298.2 MPa at room temperature and 145.9 MPa at 500 °C, corresponding to 84.0% and 127.6% enhancements, respectively, over the cyano-free counterpart. These cyano-silicon-containing arylacetylene resins exhibited a dual reinforcement mechanism involving physical interfacial interactions and chemical crosslinking, achieving a good balance between thermal stability and mechanical properties.

Fluorescent molecules with excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) character allow the efficient solid-state luminescence with large Stokes shift that is important for various applications, such as organic electronics, photonics, and bio-imaging fields. However, the lower fluorescence quantum yields (ΦFL) in the solution or viscous media, due to their structural relaxations in the excited state to reach the S0/S1 conical intersection, shackle further applications of ESIPT-active luminophores. Here we report that the introduction of a cyano group (-CN) into the phenyl group of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT), a representative ESIPT compound, remarkably increase its fluorescence quantum yield (ΦFL) from 0.01 (without -CN) to 0.49 (with -CN) in CH2Cl2, without disturbing its high ΦFL (=0.52) in the solid state. The large increase of the solution-state ΦFL of the cyano-substituted HBT (CN-HBT) is remarkable, comparing with our previously reported ΦFL values of 0.05 (with 4-pentylphenyl), 0.07 (with 1-hexynyl), and 0.15 (with 4-pentylphenylethynyl). Of interest, the newly-synthesized compound, CN-HBT, is miscible in a conventional room-temperature nematic liquid crystal (LC), 4-pentyl-4′-cyano biphenyl (5CB), up to 1 wt% (~1 mol%), and exhibits a large ΦFL of 0.57 in the viscous LC medium. A similar ΦFL value of ΦFL = 0.53 was also recorded in another room-temperature LC, trans-4-(4-pentylcyclohexyl)benzonitrile (PCH5), with a doping ratio of 0.5 wt% (~0.5 mol%). These 5CB/CN-HBT and PCH5/CN-HBT mixtures serve as light-emitting room-temperature LCs, and show anisotropic fluorescence with the dichroic ratio of 3.1 upon polarized excitation, as well as electric field response of luminescence intensity changes.

An interaction of 6-aryl-1,2,4-triazine-5-carbonitriles with 2‑amino-4-aryl-substituted thiazoles and oxazoles has been studied. The difference in the reactivity of these aminoheterocycles depending on the presence of an oxygen or a sulfur atom in their composition has been demonstrated. Previously, the 4-aryl-3-hydroxy-2,2′-bipyridines were obtained as products of aza-Diels−Alder reaction between 6-aryl-3-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazine-5-carbonitriles and 2-amino-4-aryloxazoles. It was shown that the reaction of 6-aryl-1,2,4-triazine-5-carbonitriles with 2-aminothiazoles led to the products of ipso -substitution of cyano group. The aza-Diels−Alder reaction of these compounds with 2,5-norbornadiene gave (2,2′-bi)pyridines with the 2-aminothiazolyl at alpha-position.

The recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries is an effective approach to alleviating environmental concerns and promoting resource conservation. LiFePO 4 batteries have been widely used in electric vehicles and energy storage stations. Currently, lithium loss, resulting in formation of Fe(III) phase, is mainly responsible for the capacity fade of LiFePO 4 cathode. Another factor is poor electrical conductivity that limits its rate capability. Here, we report the use of a multifunctional organic lithium salt (3,4-dihydroxybenzonitrile dilithium) to restore spent LiFePO 4 cathode by direct regeneration. The degraded LiFePO 4 particles are well coupled with the functional groups of the organic lithium salt, so that lithium fills vacancies and cyano groups create a reductive atmosphere to inhibit Fe(III) phase. At the same time, pyrolysis of the salt produces an amorphous conductive carbon layer that coats the LiFePO 4 particles, which improves Li-ion and electron transfer kinetics. The restored LiFePO 4 cathode shows good cycling stability and rate performance (a high capacity retention of 88% after 400 cycles at 5 C). This lithium salt can also be used to recover degraded transition metal oxide-based cathodes. A techno-economic analysis suggests that this strategy has higher environmental and economic benefits, compared with the traditional recycling methods. Sustainable recycle of spent Li ion batteries is an effective strategy to alleviate environmental concerns and support resource conservation. Here, authors report the direct regeneration of LiFePO 4 cathode using multifunctional organic lithium salts, leading to high environmental and economic benefits.

Herein, we present a phosphorescent cationized cellulose derivative by simply introducing ionic structures, including cyanomethylimidazolium cations and chloride anions, into cellulose chains. The imidazolium cations with the cyano group and nitrogen element promote intersystem crossing. The cyano-containing cations, chloride anions and hydroxyl groups of cellulose form multiple hydrogen bonding interactions and electrostatic attraction interactions, effectively inhibiting the non-radiative transitions. The resultant cellulose-based RTP material is easily processed into phosphorescent films, fibers, coatings and patterns by using eco-friendly aqueous solution processing strategies. Furthermore, after we construct a cross-linking structure by adding a small amount of glutaraldehyde as the cross-linking agent, the as-fabricated phosphorescent patterns exhibit excellent antibacterial properties and water resistance. Therefore, considering the outstanding biodegradability and sustainability of cellulose materials, cellulose-based easy-to-process RTP materials can act as antibacterial, water-resistant, and eco-friendly phosphorescent patterns, coatings and bulk materials, which have enormous potential in advanced anti-counterfeiting, information encryption, disposable smart labels, etc. Organic room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials often suffer from poor processability because of their crystalline or cross-linked nature. Here, the authors demonstrate phosphorescence in a processable cellulose derivative by introducing cationic groups such as imidazolium cations which are able to promote intersystem crossing and to form hydrogen bonds, inhibiting non-radiative transitions.

Chemical transformations that introduce, remove or manipulate functional groups are ubiquitous in synthetic chemistry 1 . Unlike conventional functional-group interconversion reactions that swap one functionality for another, transformations that alter solely the location of functional groups are far less explored. Here, by photocatalytic, reversible C–H sampling, we report a functional-group translocation reaction of cyano (CN) groups in common nitriles, allowing for the direct positional exchange between a CN group and an unactivated C−H bond. The reaction shows high fidelity for 1,4-CN translocation, frequently contrary to inherent site selectivity in conventional C−H functionalizations. We also report the direct transannular CN translocation of cyclic systems, providing access to valuable structures that are non-trivial to obtain by other methods. Making use of the synthetic versatility of CN and a key CN translocation step, we showcase concise syntheses of building blocks of bioactive molecules. Furthermore, the combination of C–H cyanation and CN translocation allows access to unconventional C–H derivatives. Overall, the reported reaction represents a way to achieve site-selective C–H transformation reactions without requiring a site-selective C–H cleavage step. Using light-based, reversible C−H sampling catalysis, a cyano functional group can be swapped with a C−H bond in a molecule, providing access to valuable structures that are difficult to obtain by other methods.