Three new luminescent metal–organic frameworks (LMOFs) based on d10 metals (Zn2+, Cd2+) and the highly emissive aggregation-induced emission ligand 1,1,2,2-tetrakis­(4-(4-carboxyphenyl)­phenyl)­ethene­(H4tcbpe) are reported, with the formulas [Cd3(tcbpe)1.5­(DMF)­(H2O)2]­·(DMF)6­·(C2H5OH)3 (1), [Zn­(tcbpe)­(DMF)]­·(MeCN) (2), and [Cd­(tcbpe)]­·(MeCN) (3). Compounds 1 and 2 both emit strong green light with internal quantum yields (IQYs) as high as 66.8% and 65.7%, respectively, while compound 3 emits bluish green light with 37.2% IQY. A solution-phase sensing study shows that 1 has the highest sensitivity to nitroaromatic compounds and demonstrates that it is potentially useful as a luminescence-based chemical sensor. Density functional theory calculations are used to explain the sensing mechanism and relative sensitivity of compound 1 to various nitroaromatic compounds.

Borophenes, which are two-dimensional boron counterparts made of the three synthetic polymorphs T, β and χ, have been considered as potential anode materials in Li-ion batteries with extremely high capacities. However, Li hopping on β and χ borophenes is quite slow with high energy barriers (around 0.6 eV), thus preventing the application of these borophenes in the fast charging realm. Here, we have used halogen functionalization in an attempt to boost the sluggish Li-ion diffusion dynamics in the prototype χ borophene system. Halogens bind strongly to χ borophene with substantial electron transfer from the latter to the former, thereby leading to local electron deficiency in the χ borophene. The synergy of electron extraction from χ borophene and the electrostatic attraction between halogens and Li results in an enhanced affinity between χ borophene and Li as well as a reduction in the Li-ion hopping barrier. Iodine is the preferred dopant, for which most diffusion paths exhibit energy barriers typically smaller than 0.2 eV. Our results suggest that halogen incorporation could facilitate intercalation and de-intercalation of Li-ions in borophene-based anode materials.

Several studies reported the relative antidepressant effects of Fructus Aurantii (FRA) with repeated treatment, the rapid antidepressant effects of FRA and the underlying mechanisms remained unclear. We, therefore, examined the rapid antidepressant actions of FRA in behavioral tests in mice and tested the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found FRA, like ketamine, reversed the behavioral deficits both in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)‐induced and learned helplessness (LH) models at 1 day after a single administration. FRA was also capable of increasing the expressions of protein kinase A/cAMP‐response element‐binding protein/brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (PKA/CREB/BDNF) signaling in hippocampus. Consistent with ketamine, FRA up‐regulated the expressions of GABAergic receptor (GAD67) and glutamatergic receptor 1 (GluR1) in mouse hippocampus both exposed to LPS and LH. Moreover, synaptic proteins such as postsynaptic density‐95 (PSD95) and synapsin1 were also up‐regulated by a single dose of FRA both in LH and LPS models, like ketamine. Finally, metadoxine (an antagonist of CREB) inhibited the antidepressant effects of FRA in tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST) in LPS‐induced mice, which also blocked the phosphorylation of CREB and the expressions of neurotransmitters and synaptic molecules. Therefore, FRA had rapid antidepressant effects, which depended on PKA/CREB/BDNF pathway, subsequently regulated the downstream synaptic transmission.

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