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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 23010

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Dr. Mei Wang

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Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
Interests: electrocatalysis; transition metal complex; nanomaterial; graphdiyne
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Prof. Dr. Ioana Demetrescu

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Department of General Chemistry, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: biomaterials; physical chemistry; biomaterials science; electrochemistry; corrosion
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Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce this Special Issue, entitled “Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry”. This Special Issue will be a collection of high-quality papers from Editorial Board Members and invited scholars in the field of applied chemistry. The aim is to provide an attractive open-access publishing platform for applied chemistry research data, and a venue for networking and communication between applied chemistry and scholars in this field.

Both original research articles and comprehensive review papers are welcome, addressing current critical issues in the field, grounded in sound science and providing authoritative commentary as well as novel concepts. All papers will be published in full open access after successful peer review.

Dr. Mei Wang
Prof. Dr. Ioana Demetrescu
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2229 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inkjet Printing of High-Color-Purity Blue Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with Host-Free Inks

by Hui Fang, Jiale Li, Shaolong Gong, Jinliang Lin and Guohua Xie

Molecules 2024, 29(9), 2147; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29092147 - 5 May 2024

Viewed by 1305

Abstract

Inkjet printing technology offers a unique approach to producing direct-patterned pixels without fine metal masks for active matrix displays. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) consisting of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters facilitate efficient light emission without heavy metals, such as platinum and iridium. Multi-resonance TADF molecules, characterized by their small full width at half maxima (FWHM), are highly suitable for the requirements of wide color-gamut displays. Herein, host-free TADF inks with a low concentration of 1 mg/mL were developed and inkjet-printed onto a seeding layer, concurrently serving as the hole-transporting layer. Attributed to the proof-of-concept of host-free inks printed on a mixed seeding layer, a maximum external quantum efficiency of 13.1% (improved by a factor of 21.8) was achieved in the inkjet-printed OLED, with a remarkably narrow FWHM of only 32 nm. Highly efficient energy transfer was facilitated by the effective dispersion of the sensitizer around the terminal emitters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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9 pages, 1306 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Iridium-Catalysed Transfer Hydrogenation of 1,8-Naphthyridine with Indoline: Access to Functionalized N-Heteroarenes

by Changjian Zhou, Jiahao Zhang, Yuqing Fu, Chunlian Chen and He Zhao

Molecules 2023, 28(23), 7886; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28237886 - 1 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1075

Abstract

An iridium-catalysed hydrogen transfer strategy, enabling straightforward access to tetrahydro pyridine derivatives from aryl-1,8-naphthyridines and indolines, was developed. This method proceeds with unprecedented synthetic effectiveness including high step-economic fashion together with the advantages of having no by-product and no need for external high-pressure [...] Read more.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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15 pages, 6995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Three-Dimensional Porous PVDF Foam Imprinted Membranes with High Flux and Selectivity toward Artemisinin/Artemether

by Weibai Bian, Ruixuan Zhang, Xiaohui Chen, Chuanxun Zhang and Minjia Meng

Molecules 2023, 28(21), 7452; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217452 - 6 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1268

Abstract

In this study, a new 3D porous PVDF-foam-imprinted membrane (PPIM) for the selective separation of artemisinin (ART) was first prepared via the dopamine adhesion of pre-synthesized MIPs into the interior of the PPIM. In the PPIM, the pre-synthesized molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with artesunate (ARU) as a dummy template were uniformly loaded on the interior of the membrane, avoiding the defects of recognition site encapsulation found in the conventional membrane. This membrane also exhibited excellent flux, which is beneficial in practical separation applications. The PPIM was systematically characterized via FT-IR, SEM, pore-size distribution analysis, water contact angle test, membrane flux, and mechanical performance analysis, respectively. In the static adsorption experiment, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model better fitted the rebinding data of ART. Under dynamic conditions, the ART adsorption capacity of the PPIM could be further remarkably improved by tailoring the flow rate to 3 mL min⁻¹. In the selective separation experiment, with artemether (ARE) as the competition substrate, the selective separation ability (α) of the PPIM towards ART/artemether (ARE) reached its peak value (3.16) within only 10 min at this flow rate, which is higher than that of porous PVDF foam non-imprinted membranes (PPNM) (ca. 1.5), showing great separation efficiency in a short time. Moreover, the PPIM can be reused five times without a significant decrease in its adsorption capacities, showing good regeneration performance. This work highlights a simple strategy for constructing new MIMs with high flux and great mechanical strength to achieve the efficient selective separation of ART and ARE in practical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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22 pages, 5359 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ni(II)-Salophen—Comprehensive Analysis on Electrochemical and Spectral Characterization and Biological Studies

by Francis Aurelien Ngounoue Kamga, Madalina-Marina Hrubaru, Oana Enache, Elena Diacu, Constantin Draghici, Victorita Tecuceanu, Eleonora-Mihaela Ungureanu, Stephanie Nkemone and Peter T. Ndifon

Molecules 2023, 28(14), 5464; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145464 - 17 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2564

Abstract

New aspects of the Ni(II)-salophen complex and salophen ligand precursor were found during deep electrochemical and optical characterization, as well as biological studies for new pharmacological applications. Physicochemical and spectroscopic methods (¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, FT-IR and UV-Vis, electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and molar conductance measurements) were also used to prove that the salophen ligand acts as a tetradentate and coordinates to the central metal through nitrogen and oxygen atoms. The electrochemical behavior of the free Schiff salophen ligand (H₂L) and its Ni(II) complex (Ni(II)L) was deeply studied in tetrabutylammonium perchlorate solutions in acetonitrile via CV, DPV, and RDE. Blue films on the surfaces of the electrodes as a result of the electropolymerization processes were put in evidence and characterized via CV and DPV. (H₂L) and Ni(II)L complexes were tested for their antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant activity, showing good antimicrobial and antifungal activity against several bacteria and fungi. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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11 pages, 2987 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solution-Processed Large-Area Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Antireflective Films for Perovskite Solar Cell

by Mingfang Huo, Yun Hu, Qin Xue, Jingsong Huang and Guohua Xie

Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2145; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052145 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2202

Abstract

In recent years, organic/inorganic hybrid materials have attracted much attention in the field of multilayer antireflection films because of their excellent optical properties. In this paper, the organic/inorganic nanocomposite was prepared from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and titanium (IV) isopropoxide (TTIP). The hybrid material has a wide, tunable window of refractive index, i.e., 1.65–1.95, at a wavelength of 550 nm. The atomic force microscope (AFM) results of the hybrid films show the lowest root-mean-square surface roughness of 2.7 Å and a low haze of 0.23%, indicating that the films have good potential for optical applications. The double-sided antireflection films (10 × 10 cm²) with one side of hybrid nanocomposite/cellulose acetate and the other side of hybrid nanocomposite /polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) achieved high transmittances of 98% and 99.3%, respectively. After 240 days of aging testing, the hybrid solution and the antireflective film remained stable with almost no attenuation. Furthermore, the application of the antireflection films in perovskite solar cell modules increased the power conversion efficiency from 16.57% to 17.25%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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10 pages, 1832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dichloro(2,2′-bipyridine)copper/MAO: An Active and Stereospecific Catalyst for 1,3-Diene Polymerization

by Giovanni Ricci, Giuseppe Leone, Giorgia Zanchin, Francesco Masi, Massimo Guelfi and Guido Pampaloni

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010374 - 2 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2104

Abstract

Dichloro(2,2′-bipyridine)copper was synthesized by reacting copper dichloride with bypyridine, and its behavior, in combination with methylaluminoxane (MAO), in the polymerization of butadiene, isoprene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3 butadiene, and 3-methyl-1,3-pentadiene was examined. The purpose of this study is to find catalytic systems that are more sustainable than those currently used for the polymerization of butadiene and isoprene (e.g., Co and Ni), but that are comparable in terms of catalytic activity and selectivity. Predominantly, syndiotactic 1,2 polybutadiene, crystalline syndiotactic 3,4 polyisoprene, crystalline syndiotactic 1,2 poly(3-methyl-1,3-pentadiene), and crystalline cis-1,4 poly(2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene) were obtained in a manner similar to that observed with the analogous iron complex. As far as we know, the investigated catalytic system represents the first example of a copper-based catalyst in the field of stereospecific polymerization. Given the great availability of copper, its extremely low toxicity (and therefore high sustainability), and the similarity of its behavior to that of iron, the result obtained seems to us of considerable interest and worthy of further investigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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26 pages, 4631 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Monitoring tert-Butylhydroquinone Content and Its Effect on a Biolubricant during Oxidation

by Sergio Nogales-Delgado, Agustina Guiberteau Cabanillas, Ángela García Romero and José María Encinar Martín

Molecules 2022, 27(24), 8931; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248931 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1776

Abstract

The use of biolubricants as a replacement for petroleum-based products is becoming more and more important, due to the current global energy and crude oil scenario. Thus, the production of biolubricants (which could take place in biorefineries) should be as efficient as possible, obtaining high-quality products with suitable viscosity or oxidation stability values to compete with oil refineries. One of the ways to produce biolubricants is through double transesterification from vegetable oils, where the role of catalysts (usually homogeneous) is vital, as they can improve the yield of the process. However, they should be removed after the chemical reaction, which is difficult once the biolubricant is obtained. Otherwise, they could act as catalysts during oxidation, contributing to a further decrease in oxidation stability and provoking significant changes. To avoid this, antioxidant addition could be an interesting choice. The aim of this work was to assess TBHQ addition in frying oil biolubricants, monitoring properties such as viscosity, acid number, absorbance or TBHQ content (through voltammetry) during oxidation. TBHQ addition (2114 mg·L⁻¹) kept the main quality parameters during oxidation compared to control samples. In contrast, TBHQ content decreased during oxidation (to 160 mg·L⁻¹), which proved its antioxidant effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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15 pages, 2503 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenethyl Ester of Gallic Acid Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

by Goran Stegnjaić, Antonios D. Tsiailanis, Milica Lazarević, Vasileios K. Gkalpinos, Neda Djedovic, Thomas Antoniou, Suzana Stanisavljević, Mirjana Dimitrijević, Miljana Momčilović, Đorđe Miljković, Andreas G. Tzakos and Bojan Jevtić

Molecules 2022, 27(24), 8770; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248770 - 10 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1946

Abstract

Gallic acid is a phenolic acid present in various plants, nuts, and fruits. It is well known for its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. The phenethyl ester of gallic acid (PEGA) was synthesized with the aim of increasing the bioavailability of gallic acid, and thus its pharmacological potential. Here, the effects of PEGA on encephalitogenic cells were examined, and PEGA was found to modulate the inflammatory activities of T cells and macrophages/microglia. Specifically, PEGA reduced the release of interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ from T cells, as well as NO, and IL-6 from macrophages/microglia. Importantly, PEGA ameliorated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS)—multiple sclerosis. Thus, PEGA is a potent anti-inflammatory compound with a perspective to be further explored in the context of CNS autoimmunity and other chronic inflammatory disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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20 pages, 9529 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Applications of Electrochemical Immunosensors in the Detection of Disease Biomarkers: A Review

by Huinan Chen, Jialu Zhang, Rong Huang, Dejia Wang, Dongmei Deng, Qixian Zhang and Liqiang Luo

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3605; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083605 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4564

Abstract

Disease-related biomarkers may serve as indicators of human disease. The clinical diagnosis of diseases may largely benefit from timely and accurate detection of biomarkers, which has been the subject of extensive investigations. Due to the specificity of antibody and antigen recognition, electrochemical immunosensors can accurately detect multiple disease biomarkers, including proteins, antigens, and enzymes. This review deals with the fundamentals and types of electrochemical immunosensors. The electrochemical immunosensors are developed using three different catalysts: redox couples, typical biological enzymes, and nanomimetic enzymes. This review also focuses on the applications of those immunosensors in the detection of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, novel coronavirus pneumonia and other diseases. Finally, the future trends in electrochemical immunosensors are addressed in terms of achieving lower detection limits, improving electrode modification capabilities and developing composite functional materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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25 pages, 1337 KiB

Open AccessReview

Aspects of Applied Chemistry Related to Future Goals of Safety and Efficiency in Materials Development for Nuclear Energy

by Florentina Golgovici, Aurelia Elena Tudose, Diana Diniasi, Radu Nartita, Manuela Fulger and Ioana Demetrescu

Molecules 2023, 28(2), 874; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020874 - 15 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3362

Abstract

The present paper is a narrative review focused on a few important aspects and moments of trends surrounding materials and methods in sustainable nuclear energy, as an expression of applied chemistry support for more efficiency and safety. In such context, the paper is focused firstly on increasing alloy performance by modifying compositions, and elaborating and testing novel coatings on Zr alloys and stainless steel. For future generation reactor systems, the paper proposes high entropy alloys presenting their composition selection and irradiation damage. Nowadays, when great uncertainties and complex social, environmental, and political factors influence energy type selection, any challenge in this field is based on the concept of increased security and materials performance leading to more investigations into applied science. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Papers Collection of Editorial Board Members and Invited Scholars in Applied Chemistry)

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