Through the amide formation between amine-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and oxygen-containing groups (e.g., epoxy and carboxyl groups) in graphene oxide (GO), we have synthesized POSS-functionalized graphene nanosheets (POSS-graphene), which are highly soluble in various organic solvents attractive for multifunctional applications. Thin films from solution casting o...

Hybridbio/-synthetic sensory conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) are developed for selective label-free detection of target ssDNA in serum. Carboxylic acid-functionalized anionic polyfluorene nanoparticles are rationally designed as signal amplifying unit to bioconjugate with amine functionalized single stranded oligonucleotides as a receptor. The covalent DNA coating can significantly impro...

Carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes allow the mimicking of natural ion channels for applications in drug delivery and chemical separation. Double-walled carbon nanotube membranes were simply functionalized with dye in a single step instead of the previous two-step functionalization. Non-faradic electrochemical impedance spectra indicated that the functionalized gatekeeper by single-step modificatio...

Highly ordered mesoporous graphitic carbon was synthesized from a simple surfactant-assisted nanocasting route, in which ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 maintaining its triblock copolymer surfactant was used as a hard template and natural soybean oil (SBO) as a carbon precursor. The hydrophobic domain of the surfactant assisted SBO in infiltration into the template's mesoporous channels. After...

A one-pot, asymmetric multicatalytic formal [3+2] reaction between 1,3-dicarbonyls and alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes is described. The multicatalytic process involves a secondary amine catalyzed Michael addition followed by a N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed intramolecular crossed benzoin reaction to afford densely functionalized cyclopentanones with high enantioselectivities. The reaction p...

The toughness and coefficient of thermal expansion of a series of functionalized graphene sheet epoxy nanocomposites are investigated. Functionalized graphene sheets are produced by splitting graphite oxide into single graphene sheets through a rapid thermal expansion process. These graphene sheets contain ~ 10% oxygen due to the presence of hydroxide, epoxide, and carboxyl functional groups wh...

We have developed a direct amine/acid-catalyzed stereoselective hydrogenation of a variety of Wieland-Miescher (W-M) ketones, Hajos-Parrish (H-P) ketones and their analogs with organic hydrides (Hantzsch esters) as the hydrogen source. This astonishingly simple and biomimetic approach was used to construct highly functionalized chiral bicyclo[4.4.0]decane-1,6-diones in a diastereoselective fash...

A convenient and simple strategy for preparing water soluble, photoluminescent functionalized silica nanoparticles (M-dots) in the absence of fluorophores or metal doping is demonstrated. These M-dots can be used for bioimaging using one and two-photon microscopy. Because of their high photostability, low toxicity and high biocompatibility compared with Lumidot™ CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, functiona...

Dichloroboryldisilylamines [SiClm(CH3)3−m]N[Si(CH3)3](BCl2) (m = 1 – 3) as well as chloromethylboryl-bis-(chlorodimethylsilyl)amine [SiCl(CH3)2]2N[BCl(CH3)] form 1 : 1 adducts with pyridine (1 – 4). Those with m = 2 and 3 have been converted into functionalized diazadiboretidine derivatives which are still coordinated by pyridine: [(SiClm(CH3)3−m)NBCl · Py]2 (5: m = 2, 6: m = 3). Single-crystal...

Thiol- and thiophene-functionalized SWNTs prepared via the reaction of a substituted amine with fluoronanotubes show similar levels of sidewall functionalization, however, the use of Au nanoparticles as chemical markers for AFM gives misleading results for substituent distribution since STM shows the thiol substituents grouped in bands while the thiophene substituents uniformly distributed alon...