Transition metal clusters and supported species with metal-carbon bonds from first-principles quantum chemistry

We discuss the impact of density functional electronic structure calculations for understanding the organometallic chemistry of transition metal (TM) surface complexes and clusters. Examples will cover three types of systems, mainly of interest in the context of heterogeneous catalysis: (i) supported carbonyl complexes of rhenium on MgO and of rhodium in zeolites, (ii) TM clusters with CO ligands and adsorbates, and (iii) metal clusters exhibiting chemical bonds with atomic carbon. The first group of case studies promotes the concept that surface groups of oxide supports are bonded to TM complexes in the same way as common (poly-dentate) ligands are bonded in coordination compounds. The second group of examples demonstrates various “ligand effects” of TM clusters. Finally, we illustrate how carbido centers stabilize TM clusters and modify the propensity for adsorption at the surface of such clusters.     

Native agarose gel electrophoresis and electroelution: A fast and cost‐effective method to separate the small and large hepatitis B capsids

Hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) expressed in Escherichia coli is able to self‐assemble into large and small capsids comprising 240 (triangulation number T = 4) and 180 (triangulation number T = 3) subunits, respectively. Conventionally, sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and SEC have been used to separate these capsids. However, good separation of the large and small particles with these methods is never achieved. In the present study, we employed a simple, fast, and cost‐effective method to separate the T = 3 and T = 4 HBcAg capsids by using native agarose gel electrophoresis followed by an electroelution method (NAGE‐EE). This is a direct, fast, and economic method for isolating the large and small HBcAg particles homogenously based on the hydrodynamic radius of the spherical particles. Dynamic light scattering analysis demonstrated that the T = 3 and T = 4 HBcAg capsids prepared using the NAGE‐EE method are monodisperse with polydispersity values of ～15% and ～13%, respectively. ELISA proved that the antigenicity of the capsids was not affected in the purification process. Overall, NAGE‐EE produced T = 3 and T = 4 capsids with a purity above 90%, and the recovery was 34% and 50%, respectively (total recovery of HBcAg is ～84%), and the operation time is 15 and 4 times lesser than that of the sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and SEC, respectively.     

The Effect of Temperature and Standings Can Cause Deviations in Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Assays

Abstract

Blood samples were assayed for PSA values immediately after sampled or by standing for an assigned period. Variation of the free‐ (f), total‐ (t) values, and the free to total (f/t) ratios were determined. Mathematical models were used to interpret the phenomena of deviation. Smaller values of PSA values changed randomly with time and temperature of standings, resulting in varying f/t ratios, while larger initial PSA values were relatively unaffected to any significant extent.

Model interpreted that the changes of PSA values might be caused by higher temperature and time of standings, and conformational participation was also possible.     

Synthesis and Inhibitory Activity Against Epstein-Barr Virus of Some New 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydropyrimidine-2-thiones

1,2,3,4-Tetrahydropyrimidine-2-thiones 4a–n were synthesized through the reaction of aromatic aldehydes 1a–n , ethyl acetoacetate (2) and thiourea ( 3) . The structures of all newly synthesized heterocyclic compounds elucidated by the use of IR, ¹H NMR, mass spectra, and elemental analyses. The inhibitory activity against the Epstein-Barr Virus early antigen (EBA-VA) of all newly synthesized heterocyclic compounds were evaluated.     

Electrochemical immunosensor based on nanoporpus gold loading thionine for carcinoembryonic antigen

Nanoporous gold (NPG) has recently received considerable attention in analytical electrochemistry because of its good conductivity and large specific surface area. A facile layer-by-layer assembly technique fabricated NPG was used to construct an electrochemical immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). NPG was fabricated on glassy carbon (GC) electrode by alternatively assembling gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol as a cross-linker, and then AgNPs were dissolved with HNO₃. The thionine was absorbed into the NPG and then gold nanostructure was electrodeposited on the surface through the electrochemical reduction of gold chloride tetrahydrate (HAuCl₄). The anti-CEA was directly adsorbed on gold nanostructure fixed on the GC electrode. The linear range of the immunosensor was from 10 pg mL⁻¹ to 100 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 3 pg mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The proposed immunosensor has high sensitivity, wide linear range, low detection limit, and good selectivity. The present method could be widely applied to construct other immunosensors.     

Synthesis of benzaldehyde-functionalized LewisX trisaccharide analogs for glyco-SAM formation

LewisX (Le^x) antigen based carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions are mediated by complexation of metal ions. Although theoretical studies about the influence of participating hydroxyl groups in the Le^x trisaccharide head group (Galβ(1-4)[Fucα(1-3)]GlcNAc) could gave same rudimental information about the basic mechanism behind this interaction, a little is known about orientation and configuration of the hydroxyl groups required for the specific interaction mediated by Ca²⁺ complexation. Therefore, there is a need of non-natural derivatives to provide detailed information about the requirements for hydroxyl group arrangement in Le^x head group surface plasmon resonance and gold nanoparticle techniques have shown to be powerful tools to investigate carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions. Benzaldehyde-functionalized glycans can be used for attachment to both gold nanoparticles and surface plasmon resonance sensor surfaces. Therefore, seven benzaldehyde equipped Le^x analogs including the natural trisaccharide were synthesized utilizing convergent approach. The derivatives were applied in ongoing carbohydrate–carbohydrate interaction studies by surface plasmon resonance experiments to prove theoretical postulate about the structural requirements of hydroxyl group arrangements in Le^x trisaccharides.     

Reduction of nitrobenzene derivatives using sodium borohydride and transition metal sulfides

Reported here is the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds using sodium borohydride and transition metal sulfides as catalysts. The reaction conditions were optimized using the reduction of nitrobenzene as a model reaction. The catalysts studied were iron sulfide (Fe₃S₄), copper sulfide (CuS), zinc sulfide (ZnS), cobalt sulfide (Co₃S₄), and nickel sulfide (NiS). The reduction was monitored using gas chromatography. Quantitative conversions were achieved using Co₃S₄ and NiS, representing a ten-fold increase in reactivity compared to the non-catalyzed reaction. Fe₃S₄ and ZnS had no apparent effect on the reduction of nitrobenzene while the reduction using CuS showed a marginal increase. The reduction method was applied to several aryl-nitro derivatives containing either electron-withdrawing or electron-donating groups. Halogen containing aryl-nitro compounds were reduced without dehalogenation. The reduction had no effect on other functional groups such as carboxylic acids, esters, amides, or alkenes, indicating that the reduction is highly chemoselective.     

A Novel Label-free Chronoamperometric Immunosensor Based on a Biocomposite Material for Rapid Detection of Carcinoembryonic Antigen

In this research, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-capped gold nanoparticles, nickel ferrite particles, and carbon nanotubes were combined to form a PANC metal composite. The prepared metal composite modified onto a glassy carbon electrode was electropolymerized with poly(o-phenylenediamine) and immobilized with horseradish peroxidase, anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody, and bovine serum albumin to create the label-free immunosensors for rapid detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) using chronoamperometry. This developed biocomposite material modified onto a glassy carbon electrode presented an excellent electrocatalytic response to the redox reaction of hydrogen peroxide as a sensing probe, from which the kinetic parameters including of a charge transfer rate constant, a diffusion coefficient value, an electroactive surface area, and a surface concentration were calculated to be 1.85 s⁻¹, 4.28×10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹, 0.14 cm² and 1.87×10⁻⁸ mol cm⁻², respectively. The developed immunosensors also exhibited a wide linear range of CEA concentration from 0.01 to 25 ng mL⁻¹ with high sensitivity (96.21 μA cm⁻² ng⁻¹ mL) and low detection limit (0.72 pg mL⁻¹), excellent selectivity without interfering effects from possible species (amoxicillin, ascorbic acid, aspirin, caffeine, cholesterol, dopamine, glucose, and uric acid), outstanding stability (n=100, %I>50 %), repeatability (%RSD=0.34, n=10), reproducibility (%RSD=4.06, n=10), and rapid analysis (25 s each operation time). This proposed method was successfully applied for CEA detection in whole blood samples with satisfactory results, suggesting that this developed sensing platform may be considered to be exploited for fabrication of other label-free electrochemical immunosensors for the real sample analysis.     

Reversible Re‐programing of Cell–Cell Interactions

The ability to engineer and re‐program the surfaces of cells would provide an enabling synthetic biological method for the design of cell‐ and tissue‐based therapies. A new cell surface‐engineering strategy is described that uses lipid‐chemically self‐assembled nanorings (lipid‐CSANs) that can be used for the stable and reversible modification of any cell surface with a molecular reporter or targeting ligand. In the presence of a non‐toxic FDA‐approved drug, the nanorings were quickly disassembled and the cell–cell interactions reversed. Similar to T‐cells genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARS), when activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were functionalized with the anti‐EpCAM‐lipid‐CSANs, they were shown to selectively kill antigen‐positive cancer cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that lipid‐CSANs have the potential to be a rapid, stable, and general method for the reversible engineering of cell surfaces and cell–cell interactions.