An efficient “on water”-promoted direct catalytic vinylogous Henry reaction is described, giving products in excellent yields and diastereoselectivities.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) plays important roles in the regulation of many physiological and pathological processes, and an increase in its levels is related to numerous diseases. Thus, accurate detection of ONOO⁻ in physiological conditions is imperative for elucidating its functions. However, studies on high signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) fluorescence imaging of ONOO⁻in vivo for its detection are currently lacking. Thus, a novel NIR xanthene fluorescence probe (NOF2) for the endogenous detection of ONOO⁻ is designed and synthesized. The fluorescence of the NOF2 probe is pre-quenched by the hydroxyl protection group of diphenyl phosphinate. Additionally, the NOF2 probe exhibits good selectivity and sensitivity for ONOO⁻ with a low detection limit of 0.40 μM. Importantly, the NOF2 probe displays good performances for the detection of endogenous ONOO⁻ not only in living cells but also in a mouse inflammation model. This demonstrates its great potential for applications involving the detection of ONOO⁻ both in vitro and in vivo to explore the roles of ONOO⁻ in different physiological systems.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻), one of the reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) found in vivo, plays crucial roles in many physiological and pathological processes. The ability to selectively and sensitively determine ONOO⁻in vivo is important for the understanding of its biological roles. Thus, by utilizing the excellent chemical stability and photostability, high luminescence efficiency, and long luminescence lifetime of iridium complexes, we developed a novel near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescent iridium(III) complex (FNO2) probe to detect ONOO⁻ within seconds. The probe FNO2 showed better selectivity towards ONOO⁻ over other interfering biomolecules, including O₂ ⁻ and ClO⁻. Moreover, it possessed a long luminescence lifetime, which enabled successful elimination of the interference from background fluorescence in vitro (simulated by Rhodamine B) in time-resolved emission spectra. Finally, in addition to its low cytotoxicity, the probe FNO2 showed emission wavelength in the NIR region and was able to specifically sense ONOO⁻ induced in living cells and inflamed mouse models.

The K⁺-induced switching of valinomycin has been studied using a molecular template formed by an aromatic oligoamide macrocycle at the liquid/solid interface by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Individual valinomycin and its K⁺ complex can be identified and resolved in the molecular template, and the high-resolution STM images of valinomycin and its K⁺ complex show triangle-like and cyclic structural characteristics, respectively.

In this study, unique luminescent gels have been obtained from two components between amino acid functionalized perylene derivatives and 4,4′-bipyridyl units via hierarchical self-assembly. The luminescent gels have been investigated by means of ultraviolet spectra (UV), fluorescence spectra, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM), which illustrate the strong fluorescence intensity of the gels. In order to further reveal the self-assembly driving forces, the two-dimensional (2D) self-assembly behaviours have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate at the solid–liquid interface, which indicates that the driving forces are attributed to the intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking interactions. According to the interaction mode, these organogelators are found to rapidly transform from gels to solutions by adding triethylamine.