Solamargine, （25R）-3β-（O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-（1--2）-[O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-（1--4）]-β-D-glucopyranosloxy}-22a-N- spirosol-5-ene, isolated from the berries of solanum aculeastrum, has been synthesized in 26.8% overall yield. First glycosylation before N-cyclization significantly facilitated synthesis of the desired molecule. We anticipate that this work will provide a new approach to access solamargine and its diversified analogues.
Great efforts have been devoted to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 in the visible light region. Rational design of the external structure and adjustment of intrinsic electronic status by impurity doping are two main effective ways to achieve this purpose. A facile onepot synthetic approach was developed to prepare C-doped hollow TiO2 spheres, which simultaneously realized these advantages. The synthesized TiO2 exhibits a mesoporous hollow spherical structure composed of fine nanocrystals, leading to high specific surface area（~180 m^2/g） and versatile porous texture. Carbonate-doping was achieved by a postthermal treatment at a relatively low temperature（200°C）, which makes the absorption edge red-shifted to the visible region of the solar spectrum. Concomitantly, Ti^（3＋） induced by C-doping also functions in improving the visible-light photocatalytic activity by reducing the band gap. There exists a synergistic effect from multiple stimulatives to enhance the photocatalytic effect of the prepared TiO2 catalyst. It is not out of expectation that the asprepared C-doped hollow TiO2 spheres exhibits an improved photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation in organic pollutant degradation.
Nanomaterials have been used increasingly in a wide variety of applications, and some of them have shown toxic effects on experimental animals and cells. In this study, a previously established photoelectrochemical DNA sensor was employed to rapidly detect DNA damage induced by polystyrene nanosphere （PSNS） suspensions. In the sensor, a double-stranded DNA film was assembled on a semiconductor electrode, and a DNA intercalator, Ru（bpy）2（dppz）2＋ （bpy = 2,2＇-bipyridine, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a：2＇,3＇-c]phenazine） was used as the photoelectrochemical signal indicator. After the DNA-modified electrode was exposed to 2.0 mg/mL PSNS suspension, photocurrent of DNA-bound Ru（bpy）2（dppz）2＋ decreased by about 20%. The decrease is attributed to the chemical damage of DNA and consequently less binding of Ru（bpy）2（dppz）2＋ molecules to the electrode. Gel electrophoresis of DNA samples incubated with PSNS suspension confirmed DNA damage after the chemical exposure. However, in both photoelectrochemical and gel electrophoresis experiments, extensively washed PSNS did not induce any DNA damage, and the supernatant of PSNS suspension exhibited comparable DNA damage as the unwashed PSNS suspension. Furthermore, UV-visible absorption spectrum of the supematant displayed a pattern very similar to that of styrene oxide （SO）, a compound which has been shown to induce DNA damage by forming covalent DNA adducts. It is therefore suggested that styrene oxide and other residual chemicals in the PSNS may be responsible for the observed DNA damage. The results highlight the importance of full characterization of nanomaterials before their toxicity study, and demonstrate the utility of photoelectrochemical DNA sensors in the rapid assessment of DNA damage induced by chemicals and nanomaterials.
