Tuning the Redox Properties of a Nonheme Iron(III)–Peroxo Complex Binding Redox‐Inactive Zinc Ions by Water Molecules

Redox‐inactive metal ions play important roles in tuning chemical properties of metal–oxygen intermediates. Herein we report the effect of water molecules on the redox properties of a nonheme iron(III)–peroxo complex binding redox‐inactive metal ions. The coordination of two water molecules to a Zn²⁺ ion in (TMC)Fe^III‐(O₂)‐Zn(CF₃SO₃)₂ ( 1 ‐Zn²⁺) decreases the Lewis acidity of the Zn²⁺ ion, resulting in the decrease of the one‐electron oxidation and reduction potentials of 1 ‐Zn²⁺. This further changes the reactivities of 1 ‐Zn²⁺ in oxidation and reduction reactions; no reaction occurred upon addition of an oxidant (e.g., cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN)) to 1 ‐Zn²⁺, whereas 1 ‐Zn²⁺ coordinating two water molecules, (TMC)Fe^III‐(O₂)‐Zn(CF₃SO₃)₂‐(OH₂)₂ [ 1 ‐Zn²⁺‐(OH₂)₂], releases the O₂ unit in the oxidation reaction. In the reduction reactions, 1 ‐Zn²⁺ was converted to its corresponding iron(IV)–oxo species upon addition of a reductant (e.g., a ferrocene derivative), whereas such a reaction occurred at a much slower rate in the case of 1 ‐Zn²⁺‐(OH₂)₂. The present results provide the first biomimetic example showing that water molecules at the active sites of metalloenzymes may participate in tuning the redox properties of metal–oxygen intermediates.     

Biofunctionalization of Polyoxometalates with DNA Primers,Their Use in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Electrochemical Detection of PCR Products

The bioconjugation of polyoxometalates (POMs), which are inorganic metal oxido clusters, to DNA strands to obtain functional labeled DNA primers and their potential use in electrochemical detection have been investigated. Activated monooxoacylated polyoxotungstates [SiW₁₁O₃₉{Sn(CH₂)₂CO}]^8? and [P₂W₁₇O₆₁{Sn(CH₂)₂CO}]^6? have been used to link to a 5′‐NH₂ terminated 21‐mer DNA forward primer through amide coupling. The functionalized primer was characterized by using a battery of techniques, including electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, as well as IR and Raman spectroscopy. The functionality of the POM‐labeled primers was demonstrated through hybridization with a surface‐immobilized probe. Finally, the labeled primers were successfully used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR products were characterized by using electrophoresis.     

铕-3-(2-萘甲酰基)-2-苯基苯并二氢吡喃-4-酮-邻菲罗啉配合物的合成及荧光性能研究

为了探讨2,3-二氢黄酮类化合物在发光材料方面的应用,首先合成了2,3-二氢黄酮类衍生物[3-(2-萘甲酰基)-2-苯基苯并二氢吡喃-4-酮(L)]配体,然后利用Eu(III)与此配体和水/邻菲罗啉(Phen)反应得到两种新型的红色荧光配合物。运用元素分析、红外光谱与荧光光谱等手段对相关物质进行了系统的表征。表征结果表明:两个新配合物的组成分别为Eu(L)3·2H2O和Eu(L)3·Phen;荧光光谱研究显示,两种配合物的配体能将吸收的能量有效地传递给铕离子,从而使配合物发射出强的铕离子的特征荧光,且两个配合物Eu(L)3·2H2O和Eu(L)3·Phen均以5D0→7F2跃迁的荧光发射最强。得到了两种新的高效的红色荧光材料。     

Diferrocenophosphaborin: A Planar‐Chiral,Redox‐Active and Anion‐Responsive Ambiphilic Ligand

A new class of Janus‐like ambiphilic ligands is introduced. The rigid diferrocene backbone in heterocycles 4‐SnP and 4‐BP creates an unprecedented chiral environment as demonstrated by multinuclear NMR and single‐crystal X‐ray studies. In addition, the ligands are redox‐responsive and the Lewis acidic borane moiety in 4‐BP can be exploited to further tune the properties: a clear decrease in the CO stretching frequency of a Vaska‐type Rh^I complex 5‐BP is observed upon addition of fluoride ions. Thus, the Lewis acid and Lewis base sites influence each other and their strength can be modulated by redox chemistry and anion binding.     

Reversible Modulation of Surface Plasmons in Gold Nanoparticles Enabled by Surface Redox Chemistry

Switchable surface redox chemistry is demonstrated in gold@iron/iron oxide core–shell nanoparticles with ambient oxidation and plasmon‐mediated reduction to modulate the oxidation state of shell layers. The iron shell can be oxidized to iron oxide through ambient oxidation, leading to an enhancement and red‐shift of the gold surface plasmon resonance (SPR). This enhanced gold SPR can drive reduction of the iron oxide shell under broadband illumination to reversibly blue‐shift and significantly dampen gold SPR absorption. The observed phenomena provide a unique mechanism for controlling the plasmonic properties and surface chemistry of small metal nanoparticles.     

Radical Compatibility with Nonaqueous Electrolytes and Its Impact on an All‐Organic Redox Flow Battery

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries hold the promise of achieving higher energy density because of the broader voltage window than aqueous systems, but their current performance is limited by low redox material concentration, cell efficiency, cycling stability, and current density. We report a new nonaqueous all‐organic flow battery based on high concentrations of redox materials, which shows significant, comprehensive improvement in flow battery performance. A mechanistic electron spin resonance study reveals that the choice of supporting electrolytes greatly affects the chemical stability of the charged radical species especially the negative side radical anion, which dominates the cycling stability of these flow cells. This finding not only increases our fundamental understanding of performance degradation in flow batteries using radical‐based redox species, but also offers insights toward rational electrolyte optimization for improving the cycling stability of these flow batteries.     

Synthesis and Intracellular Redox Cycling of Natural Quinones and Their Analogues and Identification of Indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO) as Potential Target for Anticancer Activity

Natural quinones, often linked with cellular oxidation processes, exhibit pronounced biological activity. In particular, the structurally unique isothiazolonaphthoquinone aulosirazole, isolated from blue‐green alga, possesses selective antitumor cytotoxicity, although its mechanism of action is unknown. The first synthesis of aulosirazole uses a route centered upon a late‐stage regioselective Diels–Alder reaction. The structurally related natural product pronqodine A, an inhibitor of prostaglandin release, and analogues thereof, were also prepared for comparison. Biological evaluation of the compounds identified one potential target as the immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO). The isothiazoloquinones are also efficient substrates for the human quinone reductase NQO1, and undergo intracellular NQO1‐dependent redox cycling resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species, and at lower doses have the potential to alter the ratio of intracellular oxidized to reduced pyridine nucleotides.     

Reductive Insertion of Elemental Chalcogens into Boron–Boron Multiple Bonds

The syntheses of sulfur‐ and selenium‐bridged cyclic compounds containing boron stabilized by N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been achieved by the reductive insertion of elemental chalcogens into boron–boron multiple bonds. The three pairs of bonding electrons between the boron atoms in the triply bonded diboryne enabled six‐electron reduction reactions, resulting in the formation of [2.2.1]‐bicyclic systems wherein bridgehead boron atoms are spanned by three chalcogen bridges. A similar reaction using a diborene (boron–boron double bond) resulted in the reductive transfer of both pairs of bonding electrons to three sulfur atoms, yielding a NHC‐stabilized trisulfidodiborolane. The demonstration of these six‐ and four‐electron reductions lends support to the presence of three and two pairs of bonding electrons between the boron atoms of the diboryne and diborene, respectively, a fact that may be useful in future discussions on bond order.     

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography method for measuring the composition of aquatic humic substances

A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method was developed to measure the composition of humic substances from river, reservoir, and treated wastewater based on their physicochemical properties. The current method fractionates the humic substances into four well-defined groups based on parallel analyses with a neutral and a cationic HILIC column, using mobile phases of varied compositions and pH. The results indicate that: (i) the proportion of carboxylic acids in the humic substances from terrestrial origins is less than half of that from treated wastewater (Jeddah, KSA), (ii) a higher content of basic compounds was observed in the humic substances from treated wastewater and Ribou Reservoir (Cholet, France) than in the sample from Loire River (France), (iii) a higher percentage of hydrophobic macromolecules were found in the humic substances from Loire River than in the other samples, and (iv) humic substances of treated wastewater contained less ionic neutral compounds (i.e., pK_a 5–9) than the waters from terrestrial origins. The physicochemical property disparity amongst the compounds in each humic substances sample was also evaluated. The humic substances from the lightly humic Loire river displayed the highest disparity, whereas the highly humic Suwannee river (Georgia, USA) showed the most homogeneous humic substances.     

Theoretical insight of nitric oxide adsorption on neutral and charged Pdn (n = 1–5) clusters

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations within the framework of generalized gradient approximation have been used to systematically investigate the adsorption of nitric oxide (NO) molecule on neutral, cationic, and anionic Pd_n (n = 1–5) clusters. NO coordinate to one Pd atom of the cluster by the end‐on mode, where the tilted end‐on structure is more favorable due to the additional electron in the π* orbital. On the contrary, in the neutral and cationic Pd₂ system, NO coordinates to the bridge site of cluster preferably by the side‐on mode. Charge transfer between Pd clusters and NO molecule and the corresponding weakening of N? O bond is an essential factor for the adsorption. The N? O stretching frequency follow the order of cationic > neutral > anionic. Binding energy of NO on anionic clusters is found to be greater than those of neutral and cationic clusters. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.