Ferric Ion Driven Assembly of Catalase-like Supramolecular Photosensitizing Nanozymes for Combating Hypoxic Tumors

A facile approach to assemble catalase-like photosensitizing nanozymes with a self-oxygen-supplying ability was developed. The process involved Fe³⁺-driven self-assembly of fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protected amino acids. By adding a zinc(II) phthalocyanine-based photosensitizer (ZnPc) and the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) inhibitor acriflavine (ACF) during the Fe³⁺-promoted self-assembly of Fmoc-protected cysteine (Fmoc-Cys), the nanovesicles Fmoc-Cys/Fe@Pc and Fmoc-Cys/Fe@Pc/ACF were prepared, which could be disassembled intracellularly. The released Fe³⁺ could catalyze the transformation of H₂O₂ enriched in cancer cells to oxygen efficiently, thereby ameliorating the hypoxic condition and promoting the photosensitizing activity of the released ZnPc. With an additional therapeutic component, Fmoc-Cys/Fe@Pc/ACF exhibited higher in vitro and in vivo photodynamic activities than Fmoc-Cys/Fe@Pc, demonstrating the synergistic effect of ZnPc and ACF.     

Iron-Catalyzed Radical Relay Enabling the Modular Synthesis of Fused Pyridines from Alkyne-Tethered Oximes and Alkenes

We have rationally designed a new class of alkyne-tethered oximes and applied them in an unprecedented iron-catalyzed radical relay protocol for the rapid assembly of a wide array of structurally new and interesting fused pyridines. This method shows broad substrate scope and good functional-group tolerance and enabled the synthesis of several biologically active molecules. Furthermore, the fused pyridines could be diversely functionalized through various simple transformations, such as cyclization, C−H alkylation, and a click reaction. DFT calculation studies indicate that the reactions involve cascade 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, 5-exo-dig radical addition, and cyclization processes. Moreover, preliminary biological investigations suggest that some of the fused pyridines exhibit good anti-inflammatory activity by restoring the imbalance of inflammatory homeostasis of macrophages in a lipopolysaccharide-induced model.     

无过渡金属体系下C(sp^2)—H键的自由基反应构建C—N键研究进展

C—N键广泛存在于药物分子、天然产物及功能材料中,开发简洁高效的C—N键构建方法具有重要意义.近年来,无过渡金属体系下C(sp^2)—H键的自由基反应构建C—N键取得了诸多进展.该方法反应条件相对温和,反应活性较高,为C—N键构建提供了一条新途径.根据氮源类型的不同,对近年来C(sp^2)—H键的自由基反应构建C—N键的研究进展进行简要论述.     

直接二氟甲硫基化与一氟甲硫基化反应研究进展

含有二氟甲硫基基团(SCF2H)与含有一氟甲硫基基团(SCFH2)的有机化合物具有独特的物理和化学性质,在医药及农药等领域具有潜在的应用价值.这两类化合物的传统制备方法是巯基底物的二氟甲基化与一氟甲基化,但含巯基底物本身种类有限,极大地限制了该类化合物的应用与开发,因此开发新的直接二氟/一氟甲硫基化方法和开拓新型直接二氟/一氟甲硫基化试剂具有重要的意义.综述了直接二氟甲硫基化反应和一氟甲硫基化反应的最新研究进展,并对反应的相关机理进行了论述.     

NIS-promoted multicomponent reaction of 2-aminopyridines with aldehydes and nitromethane for the synthesis of 3-nitroimidazo[1.2-a]pyridines

An efficient synthesis of 3-nitroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines has been developed via N-iodosuccinimide (NIS)-mediated multicomponents reaction of 2-aminopyridines, aldehydes, and nitromethane under metal-free conditions. This protocol has many advantages such as broad substituent scope, mild and eco-friendly conditions, high step economy, and good yields.     

An efficient synthesis of 6-benzyl-2-arylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones catalyzed by HCl involving a Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction

Aldehyde could undergo not only the subsequent condensation and cyclization with 2-aminothiophene-3-carboxamide to build a pyrimidine ring, but also a Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction with thiophene moiety to give unexpected 6-benzyl-2-arylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)- ones in good yields catalyzed by concentrated HCl.     

Self-Assembly of Highly Stable Zirconium(IV) Coordination Cages with Aggregation Induced Emission Molecular Rotors for Live-Cell Imaging

The self-assembly of highly stable zirconium(IV)-based coordination cages with aggregation induced emission (AIE) molecular rotors for in vitro bio-imaging is reported. The two coordination cages, NUS-100 and NUS-101, are assembled from the highly stable trinuclear zirconium vertices and two flexible carboxyl-decorated tetraphenylethylene (TPE) spacers. Extensive experimental and theoretical results show that the emissive intensity of the coordination cages can be controlled by restricting the dynamics of AIE-active molecular rotors though multiple external stimuli. Because the two coordination cages have excellent chemical stability in aqueous solutions (pH stability: 2–10) and impressive AIE characteristics contributed by the molecular rotors, they can be employed as novel biological fluorescent probes for in vitro live-cell imaging.     

Formation and Fate of Formaldehyde in Methanol-to-Hydrocarbon Reaction: In Situ Synchrotron Radiation Photoionization Mass Spectrometry Study

HCHO has been confirmed as an active intermediate in the methanol-to-hydrocarbon (MTH) reaction, and is critical for interpreting the mechanisms of coke formation. Here, HCHO was detected and quantified during the MTH process over HSAPO-34 and HZSM-5 by in situ synchrotron radiation photoionization mass spectrometry. Compared with conventional methods, excellent time-resolved profiles were obtained to study the formation and fate of HCHO, and other products during the induction, steady-state reaction, and deactivation periods. Similar formation trends of HCHO and methane, and their close correlation in yields suggest that they are derived from disproportionation of methanol at acidic sites. In the presence of Y₂O₃, the amount of HCHO changes, affecting the hydrogen-transfer processes of olefins into aromatics and aromatics into cokes. The yield of HCHO affects the aromatic-based cycle and the formation of ethylene, indicating that ethylene is mainly formed from the aromatic-based cycle.     

Efficient Screening for Ternary Molecular Ionic Cocrystals Using a Complementary Mechanosynthesis and Computational Structure Prediction Approach

The discovery of molecular ionic cocrystals (ICCs) of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) widens the opportunities for optimizing the physicochemical properties of APIs whilst facilitating the delivery of multiple therapeutic agents. However, ICCs are often observed serendipitously in crystallization screens and the factors dictating their crystallization are poorly understood. We demonstrate here that mechanochemical ball milling is a versatile technique for the reproducible synthesis of ternary molecular ICCs in less than 30 min of grinding with or without solvent. Computational crystal structure prediction (CSP) calculations have been performed on ternary molecular ICCs for the first time and the observed crystal structures of all the ICCs were correctly predicted. Periodic dispersion-corrected DFT calculations revealed that all the ICCs are thermodynamically stable (mean stabilization energy=−2 kJ mol⁻¹) relative to the crystallization of a physical mixture of the binary salt and acid. The results suggest that a combined mechanosynthesis and CSP approach could be used to target the synthesis of higher-order molecular ICCs with functional properties.     

Filling a Gap: The Coordinatively Saturated Group 4 Carbonyl Complexes TM(CO)8 (TM=Zr,Hf) and Ti(CO)7

Homoleptic Group 4 metal carbonyl cation and neutral complexes were prepared in the gas phase and/or in solid neon matrix. Infrared spectroscopy studies reveal that both zirconium and hafnium form eight-coordinate carbonyl neutral and cation complexes. In contrast, titanium forms only the six-coordinate Ti(CO)₆⁺ and seven-coordinate Ti(CO)₇. Titanium octacarbonyl Ti(CO)₈ is unstable as a result of steric repulsion between the CO ligands. The 20-electron Zr(CO)₈ and Hf(CO)₈ complexes represent the first experimentally observed homoleptic octacarbonyl neutral complexes of transition metals. The molecules still fulfill the 18-electron rule, because one doubly occupied valence orbital does not mix with any of the metal valence atomic orbitals. Zr(CO)₈ and Hf(CO)₈ are stable against the loss of one CO because the CO ligands encounter less steric repulsion than Zr(CO)₇ and Hf(CO)₇. The heptacarbonyl complexes have shorter metal−CO bonds than that of the octacarbonyl complexes due to stronger electrostatic and covalent bonding, but the significantly smaller repulsive Pauli term makes the octacarbonyl complexes stable.