Introducing an In Situ Capping Strategy in Systems Biocatalysis To Access 6‐Aminohexanoic acid

The combination of two cofactor self‐sufficient biocatalytic cascade modules allowed the successful transformation of cyclohexanol into the nylon‐6 monomer 6‐aminohexanoic acid at the expense of only oxygen and ammonia. A hitherto unprecedented carboxylic acid capping strategy was introduced to minimize the formation of the dead‐end intermediate 6‐hydroxyhexanoic acid. For this purpose, the precursor ε‐caprolactone was converted in aqueous medium in the presence of methanol into the corresponding methyl ester instead of the acid. Hence, it was shown for the first time that esterases—specifically horse liver esterase—can perform the selective ring‐opening of ε‐caprolactone with a clear preference for methanol over water as the nucleophile.     

A dual parameter FRET probe for measuring PKC and PKA activity in living cells

Cell function is regulated by complex and often interdependent networks of signaling molecules. To accurately describe these networks, it is important to monitor multiple signals in parallel. To this end, we have developed a genetically encoded, FRET-based probe that independently monitors both protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) activity in vivo. Artificial as well as physiological stimulants produced a negative or positive change in FRET efficiency following PKA or PKC activation, respectively. Mutations of the phosphate-accepting amino acids of the PKC substrate yielded a probe that was sensitive to PKA activation alone.     

Reaktionen von tBu2P?PP(Br)tBu2 mit Phosphanen. Ein Weg zu unterschiedlich substituierten Phosphinophosphiniden-Phosphoranen

Reactions of ^tBu₂P? P?P(Br)^tBu₂ with Phosphanes A Route to Variously Substituted Phosphinophosphinidene-phosphoranes ^tBu₂P? P?P(Br)^tBu₂ 1 reacts with PR₃ [R₃ = Et₃, ^tBu₃, Ph₃, (NMe₂)₃, (NEt₂)₃, (NEt₂)₂Me, Me₂SiMe₃] according to ^tBu₂P? P?P(Br)^tBu₂ + PR₃ → ^tBu₂P? P?PR₃ + ^tBu₂PBr While 1 decomposes above ?30°C yielding ^tBu₂PBr and the cyclophosphanes (^tBu₂P)₃P₃ and (^tBu₂P)₄P₄, there is no condensation to give any cyclophosphanes from the intermediately formed ^tBu₂P? P in the presence of PR₃. The chlorophosphanes ^tBu₂PCl, ^tBuPPhCl, (Et₂N)₂PCl and Ph₂PCl as well as (CF₃)₂PBr react quite analogously to the above equation yielding ^tBu₂P? P?P(Cl)^tBu₂, ^tBu₂P? P?P^tBuPhCl, ^tBu₂P? P?P(NEt₂)₂Cl and ^tBu₂P? P?P(NEt₂)₂Br.     

A scanning tunneling microscope study of single platinum atoms,platinum dimers and trimers on highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite

We report a topographic study of platinum clusters on highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) using a scanning tunneling microscope operating in air. The particles were produced by evaporation of platinum onto the graphite-surface in high vacuum. The simultaneous finding of single platinum atoms, clusters and small particles on an otherwise clean and atomically flat surface shows that the platinum-HOPG surface interaction is strong enough to yield stable images of Pt atoms and yet is not strong enough to annihilate the Pt-Pt interaction. Small flat platinum clusters on HOPG can be imaged with atomic resolution of the cluster and the surrounding graphite lattice. We show the adsorption site distribution for the monomers. The Pt-dimers show a very broad bond length distribution on graphite with an average of 2.46 Å. We found two types of Pt-trimers, one which is almost linear and one of triangular form. The average nearest neighbour distance of the trimers is 2.61 Å.     

Kristallstruktur von Natrium‐Dihydrogencyamelurat‐Tetrahydrat Na[H2(C6N7)O3] · 4 H2O

Crystal Structure of Sodium Dihydrogencyamelurate Tetrahydrate Na[H₂(C₆N₇)O₃] · 4 H₂O Sodium dihydrogencyamelurate‐tetrahydrate Na[H₂(C₆N₇)O₃]·4 H₂O was obtained by neutralisation of an aqueous solution, previously prepared by hydrolysis of the polymer melon with sodium hydroxide. The crystal structure was solved by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction ( a = 6.6345(13), b = 8.7107(17), c = 11.632(2) Å, α = 68.96(3), β = 87.57(3), γ = 68.24(3)°, V = 579.5(2) ų, Z = 2, R1 = 0.0535, 2095 observed reflections, 230 parameters). Both hydrogen atoms of the dihydrogencyamelurate anion are directly bound to nitrogen atoms of the cyameluric nucleus, thus proving the preference of the keto‐tautomere in salts of cyameluric acid in the solid‐state. The compound forms a layer‐like structure with an extensive hydrogen bonding network.