Enzyme-triggered model self-assembly in surfactant-cyclodextrin systems

We present here a host-guest approach to construct enzyme-triggered assembly systems on the basis of surfactant-cyclodextrin complexes and α-amylase. We realized enzyme-responsive model self-assembly systems including monolayers, micelles, and vesicles. The host-guest approach is expected to be extended to more complicated assembly systems with widespread applications.     

Determining relative rates of cellulose dissolution in ionic liquids through in situ viscosity measurement

Using in situ viscosity measurement, the rate of cellulose dissolution in a number of ionic liquids has been determined allowing their performance as solvents to be quantitatively assessed. 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium ethanoate was shown to dissolve cellulose faster than analogous ionic liquids with chloride or dimethylphosphate anions. Analysis of the data highlights the influence of both anion basicity and relative concentration on the rate of dissolution.     

Cell-selective labeling of bacterial proteomes with an orthogonal phenylalanine amino acid reporter

Orthogonal amino acid reporters allow the selective labeling of different cell types in heterogeneous populations through the expression of engineered aminoacyl tRNA synthetases. Here, we demonstrate that para-ethynylphenylalanine (PEP) can be used as an orthogonal amino acid reporter for efficient selective labeling of an intracellular bacterial pathogen during infection.     

Elemental distribution and thermoelectric properties of layered tellurides 39R-M(0.067)Sb(0.667)Te(0.266) (M=Ge, Sn)

The isostructural phases 39R‐Ge_0.067Sb_0.667Te_0.266 (R$\bar 3The isostructural phases 39R-Ge(0.067)Sb(0.667)Te(0.266) (R3m, a=4.2649(1), c=75.061(2) ?) and 39R-Sn(0.067)Sb(0.667)Te(0.266) (R3m, a=4.2959(1), c=75.392(2) ?) were prepared by quenching stoichiometric melts of the pure elements and subsequent annealing at moderate temperatures. Their structures are comparable to "superlattices" synthesized by layer-by-layer deposition onto a substrate. These structures show no stacking disorder by electron microscopy. The structure of the metastable layered phases are similar to that of 39R-Sb(10)Te(3) (equivalent to Sb(0.769)Te(0.231)), which contains four A7 gray-arsenic-type layers of antimony alternating with Sb(2)Te(3) slabs. Joint refinements on single-crystal diffraction data using synchrotron radiation at several K edges were performed to enhance the scattering contrast. These refinements show that the elemental distributions at some atom positions are disordered whereas otherwise the structures are long-range ordered. The variation of the elemental concentration correlates with the variation in interatomic distance. Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) on 39R-Ge(0.067)Sb(0.667)Te(0.266) confirms the presence of concentration gradients. The carrier-type of the isostructural metal (A7-type lamellae)-semiconductor heterostructures (Ge/Sn-doped Sb(2)Te(3) slabs) varies from n-type (Ge(0.067)Sb(0.667)Te(0.266)) to p-type (Sn(0.067)Sb(0.667)Te(0.266)). Although the absolute values of the Seebeck coefficient reached about 50-70 μV/K and the electrical conductivity is relatively high, the two isotypic phases exhibit a maximal thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.06 at 400 °C as their thermal conductivity (κ≈8-9.5 W/mK at 400 °C) lies interestingly in between that of antimony and pure Sb(2)Te(3).     

2,2′:3′,2′′‐Terthiophene‐Based all‐Thiophene Dendrons and Dendrimers: Synthesis,Structural Characterization,and Properties

The synthesis of generational dendritic oligothiophenes (DOTs) has been successfully achieved by a divergent/convergent approach that involves halogenation, boronation, and palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki coupling reactions. The key point in the presented synthetic approach is the use of trimethylsilyl (TMS) protecting groups, which allow for the core‐lithiation and subsequent boronation of the dendrons and for the peripheral ipso‐substitution with iodine monochloride or N‐bromosuccimide. In addition, the TMS protecting groups can be completely removed by using tetrabutylammonium fluoride, thus yielding only‐thiophene‐based dendrons and dendrimers. Due to their highly branched structure, all these synthesized DOTs are soluble in organic solvents. Chemical structures were confirmed by NMR spectroscopic, mass spectrometric, and elemental analysis. Concentration‐dependent ¹H NMR spectroscopic investigations revealed that the higher generation compounds tend to aggregate in solution. Such an aggregation behavior was further confirmed by measuring with MALDI‐TOF MS. Both MALDI‐TOF MS and gel‐permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses confirmed the monodispersity of the DOTs. Furthermore, GPC results revealed that these DOT molecules adopt a condensed globular molecular shape. Their optical and electronic properties were also investigated. The results indicated that these DOTs comprise various conjugated α‐oligothiophenes with different chain lengths, which results in the higher generation compounds showing broad and featureless UV/Vis absorption spectra and ill‐defined redox waves.     

Synthesis,characterisation, luminescence and defect centres in solution combustion synthesised CaZrO3:Tb3+ phosphor

Tb³⁺ doped CaZrO₃ has been prepared by an easy solution combustion synthesis method. The combustion derived powder was investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. A room temperature photoluminescence study showed that the phosphors can be efficiently excited by 251 nm light with a weak emission in the blue and orange region and a strong emission in green light region. CaZrO₃:Tb³⁺ exhibits three thermoluminescence (TL) glow peaks at 126 °C, 200 °C and 480 °C. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) studies were carried out to study the defect centres induced in the phosphor by gamma irradiation and also to identify the centres responsible for the TL peaks. The room temperature ESR spectrum of irradiated phosphor appears to be a superposition of two distinct centres. One of the centres (centre I) with principal g-value 2.0233 is identified as an O^? ion. Centre II with an axial symmetric g-tensor with principal values g_=1.9986 and g_?=2.0023 is assigned to an F⁺ centre (singly ionised oxygen vacancy). An additional defect centre is observed during thermal annealing experiments and this centre (assigned to F⁺ centre) seems to originate from an F centre (oxygen vacancy with two electrons). The F centre and also the F⁺ centre appear to correlate with the observed high temperature TL peak in CaZrO₃:Tb³⁺ phosphor.     

Charge-transfer interactions in a multichromophoric hexaarylbenzene containing pyrene and triarylamines

Two different hexaarylbenzenes with three pyrene and three triarylamine substituents in different positions (trigonal symmetric and asymmetric arrangement) were synthesized, and their charge-transfer states were investigated by optical spectroscopy. In these multichromophoric systems triarylamine acts as the electron donor and pyrene as the electron acceptor. A reference chromophore with only one donor-acceptor pair was also investigated. All these chromophores form charge-transfer states upon photoexcitation which relax with a moderate fluorescence quantum yield to the ground state. The compounds do not differ significantly concerning most of their fluorescence properties, which shows that the fluorescent charge-transfer state is very similar in all chromophores. This observation indicates symmetry breaking for the symmetric chromophore within fluorescence lifetime of several tens of ns. This interpretation was substantiated by fluorescence excitation anisotropy measurements in a sucrose octaacetate matrix.