Black Phosphorus, an Emerging Versatile Nanoplatform for Cancer Immunotherapy

Black phosphorus (BP) is one of the emerging versatile nanomaterials with outstanding biocompatibility and biodegradability, exhibiting great potential as a promising inorganic nanomaterial in the biomedical field. BP nanomaterials possess excellent ability for valid bio-conjugation and molecular loading in anticancer therapy. Generally, BP nanomaterials can be classified into BP nanosheets (BPNSs) and BP quantum dots (BPQDs), both of which can be synthesized through various preparation routes. In addition, BP nanomaterials can be applied as photothermal agents (PTA) for the photothermal therapy (PTT) due to their high photothermal conversion efficiency and larger extinction coefficients. The generated local hyperpyrexia leads to thermal elimination of tumor. Besides, BP nanomaterials are capable of producing singlet oxygen, which enable its application as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Moreover, BP nanomaterials can be oxidized and degraded to nontoxic phosphonates and phosphate under physiological conditions, improving their safety as a nano drug carrier in cancer therapy. Recently, it has been reported that BP-based PTT is capable of activating immune responses and alleviating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by detection of T lymphocytes and various immunocytokines, indicating that BP-based nanocomposites not only serve as effective PTAs to ablate large solid tumors but also function as an immunomodulation agent to eliminate discrete tumorlets. Therefore, BP-mediated immunotherapy would provide more possibilities for synergistic cancer treatment.

Synthesis of β-sulfinyl cyclobutane carboxylic amides via a formal α to β sulphoxide migration process

An original tandem reaction consisting of a thermal elimination–addition process was developed.

Synthesis of gold allyloxysulfonium complexes and elimination to form an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde

Reaction of a cationic gold vinyl carbene/allylic cation complex with sulfoxides forms gold allyloxysulfonium complexes that undergo thermal elimination to form aldehyde.

A theoretical study towards thermolysis process of thionesters and thiolesters

This paper focuses on the thermal elimination of alkenes from methyl alkyl thionacetates and thiolacetates. Three alkyl groups are calculated: ethyl, isopropyl and tert-butyl. Possible elimination mechanisms are considered, including six- and four-membered ring transition states for alkene elimination, four-membered ring isomerization and a possible five-membered ring decomposition. Theoretical calculations are performed with the MP2 method and the 6-31G* basis set. Wiberg bond indices are also summarized to monitor the reaction progress.

Realization of fluorescence color tuning for poly(p-phenylenevinylene) coated microspheres via a heterogeneous catalytic thermal elimination process

Fluorescent microspheres with clear core–shell structures and various emission colors were successfully prepared via a catalytic elimination process.

Theoretical studies on the pyrolysis of (Thion)carbonates

MP2/6-31G(d) was employed to investigate the theoretical calculations on the pyrolysis of alkyl methyl (thion)carbonates, where alkyl groups referred to ethyl, isopropyl and t-butyl groups. Nine possible pathways were considered for the pyrolysis of alkyl methyl thioncarbonates, while only seven possible pathways were found to pyrolyze alkyl methyl carbonates. Both of them had three pathways to generate the desired alkene products. Not only thermal elimination pathways were calculated, other possible mechanisms, such as rearrangements and nucleophilic substitutions, were also considered. The progress of the reactions was also investigated by the calculation of Wiberg bond indices at MP2/6-31G(d) level.