This report demonstrates the fi rst pH-dependent synthesis of pepsinmediated gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with blue-, green-, and red-fl uorescent emission from Au 5 (Au 8 ), Au 13 , and Au 25 , respectively. Pepsin is a gastric aspartic proteinase (molecular weight, 34 550 g/mol) that plays an integral role in the digestive process of vertebrates. It was found that the pH of the reaction solution was critical in determining the size of Au NCs (i.e., the number of gold atoms of AuNCs). Interestingly, enzyme function of pepsin contributes to the formation of these AuNCs. The photo-stability of the Au 25 (or Au 13 ) NCs is much higher than that of Au 5 NCs (i.e., Au 25 ∼ Au 13 > > Au 5 ). The pepsin-mediated Au 25 NCs were also found to be useful as fl uorescent sensors for the detection of Pb 2 + ions by enhanced fl uorescence and the detection of Hg 2 + ions by fl uorescence quenching. Although the detailed formation mechanisms of these AuNCs require further analysis, the synthetic route using proteinase demonstrated here is promising for preparing new types of fl uorescent metal nanoclusters for application in catalysis, optics, biological labeling, and sensing.

Decomposition of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and related chemicals in subcritical water was investigated. Although PFOS demonstrated little reactivity in pure subcritical water, addition of zerovalent metals to the reaction system enhanced the PFOS decomposition to form F-ions, with an increasing order of activity of no metal approximately equal Al < Cu < Zn << Fe. Use of iron led to the most efficient PFOS decomposition: When iron powder was added to an aqueous solution of PFOS (93-372 microM) and the mixture was heated at 350 degrees C for 6 h, PFOS concentration in the reaction solution fell below 2.2 microM (detection limit of HPLC with conductometric detection), with formation of F-ions with yields [i.e., (moles of F- formed)/(moles of fluorine content in initial PFOS) x 100] of 46.2-51.4% and without any formation of perfluorocarboxylic acids. A small amount of CHF3 was detected in the gas phase with a yield [i.e., (moles of CHF3)/(moles of carbon content in initial PFOS) x 100] of 0.7%, after the reaction of PFOS (372 microM) with iron at 350 degree C for 6 h. Spectroscopic measurements indicated that PFOS in water markedly adsorbed on the iron surface even at room temperature, and the adsorbed fluorinated species on the iron surface decomposed with rising temperature, with prominent release of F- ions to the solution phase above 250 degrees C. This method was also effective in decomposing other perfluoroalkylsulfonates bearing shorter chain (C2-C6) perfluoroalkyl groups and was successfully applied to the decomposition of PFOS contained in an antireflective coating agent used in semiconductor manufacturing.

For the first time, achiral cucurbiturils (CBs) were endowed with significant enantiomeric and distereomeric discrimination by incorporating a strong chiral binder. Calorimetric, nuclear magnetic, light-scattering, and mass spectral studies revealed that (S)-2-methylbutylamine (as a strong binder) can be discriminated by two enantiomeric supramolecular hosts, composed of CB[6] and (R)- or (S)-2-methylpiperazine, with an unprecedented 95% enantioselectivity in aqueous NaCl solution. This is the highest enantioselectivity ever reported for a supramolecular system derived from an achiral host. Similarly, CB[7], with a larger cavity, exhibited diastereoselectivities up to 8 times higher for diastereomeric dipeptides, as demonstrated for L-Phe-L-Leu-NH3+ versus L-Phe-D-Leu-NH3+.