In this paper, two kinds of novel carbon nanocrystals (CNCs) with different crystal morphologies (the branch-chain young sprout form (CM1) and conifer-pine form (CM2)) were obtained in a controllable way. The mechanism of crystal morphological development was explored well. When the two kinds of the CNCs were dissolved in different polar solvents, they voluntarily become "ultrafine crystals" at the moment. After that, the ultrabright full color carbon dots (UBFCCDs) have been preliminarily prepared by fine-controlling. With the evaporation of the solvents, the CNCs crystallized again, which could repeat back and forth many times. After the conditions of preparing for CDs were optimized carefully, the asprepared CDs exhibit ultrabright effects of multiexcitation and multiemission (from blue to red) and can show unique upconversion luminescence characteristics under a lower excitation wavelength of 660 nm instead of a near-infrared wavelength of 980 or 808 nm. Significantly, the QY% of the UBFCCDs can reach 78.0%, which is higher than that of the traditional hydrothermal methods of discarding precipitation and carrying out dialysis (QY% = 69.0%). The as-prepared CDs can be used for multicolor biomedical imaging in vivo and in vitro and metal ion sensing and also show their potential value for industrial applications.

Eight new (1a/1b, 2a, 3a, 4a/4b, and 5a/5b) and seven known (2b, 3b, and 6-10) asarone-derived phenylpropanoids, a known asarone-derived lignan (12), and four known lignan analogues (11 and 13-15) were isolated from the rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott. The structures were elucidated via comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, modified Mosher's method, and quantum chemical calculations. Compounds 1-8 were present as enantiomers, and 1-5 were successfully resolved via chiral-phase HPLC. Compounds 1a/1b were the first cases of asarone-derived phenylpropanoids with an isopropyl C-3 side-chain tethered to a benzene core from nature. Hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and AChE inhibitory activities of 1-15 were assessed by the α-glucosidase inhibitory, ORAC, DPPH radical scavenging, and AChE inhibitory assays, respectively. All compounds except 3a showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compound 3b has the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory effect with an IC of 80.6 μM (positive drug acarbose IC of 442.4 μM). In the antioxidant assays, compounds 13-15 exhibited ORAC and DPPH radical scavenging activities. The results of the AChE inhibitory assay indicated that all compounds exhibited weak AChE inhibitory activities.

Four new Mn(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) coordination polymers [Mn2(L1)(μ(1,1)-N3)2(μ(1,3)-N3)2]n (1), [Ni(L2)2(μ(1,3)-N3)]n(ClO4)n (2), [Cu(L3)(μ(1,1)-N3)(N3)]n (3) and [Cu(L4)(μ(1,1)-N3)2]n (4) (L1 = N,N′-bis(2-pyridylmethylene)ethane-1,2-diamine, L2 = N-(2-pyridylmethylene)methylamine, L3 = N-(2-pyridylmethylene)-3-pyridylamine, L4 = N-(2-pyridylmethylene)-tbutylamine) have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis and magnetic measurements. Complex 1 indicates a stoichiometry-dependent structural change (based on Mn:L1:N3 = 2:1:4 molar ratio) and consists of two-dimensional (2-D) (4,4) net layers, in which Mn(II) centers are co-bridged by single end-to-end (EE), double end-on (EO) azide and chelate-bridging L1 ligands. Complex 2 shows a single EE azide-bridged one-dimensional (1-D) Ni(II) chain. Complexes 3 and 4 indicate single EO and double EO azide-bridged 1-D Cu(II) chains, respectively. Complex 1 exhibits weak ferromagnetism due to its intra-layer spin-canting with T(c) = 20 K. Complex 2 shows an unusual intra-chain ferromagnetic coupling and spin-canting behaviour. Both complexes 3 and 4 exhibit intra-chain antiferromagnetic interactions. Magneto-structural parameters for these related complexes were also discussed.

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In the title compound, C24H18N4, each Schiff base molecule is centrosymmetric and interacts with four neighbours via four C-H(Ph)...N(py) hydrogen bonds (py is pyridyl) and four C-H(py)...pi(Ph) hydrogen bonds, leading to an interesting two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded layer architecture.