Shape-tunable polymer nodules grown from liposomes via ring-opening metathesis polymerization

A new inisurf (acting as surfactant and initiator) molecule for ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) was synthesized and used in aqueous solution in order to control the size and shape of polymer nodules grown from liposomes. Nodules were observed to grow in size with conversion of monomer, and depending on the monomer used, they adopted either a spherical or comet-like shape. Here, we investigate polymer production from a liposome surface. We use a hydrophobic derivative of the Grubbs catalyst positioned at the liposome surface to allow for ROMP of monomers dissolved in the aqueous outer phase. We obtain nodules of polymer that can grow up to tens of micrometers, unveiling new efficient possibilities of polymerization from a membrane in an aqueous solution.     

Noncovalent functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by pyrene containing polymers

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) have been solubilized in water and in various organic solvents by noncovalent side-wall functionalization by pyrene containing polymers.     

Highly enantiomerically enriched chlorophosphine boranes: synthesis and applications as P-chirogenic electrophilic blocks

The stereoselective synthesis of P-chirogenic chlorophosphine boranes 4 was investigated by HCl acidolysis of the corresponding aminophosphine boranes 10. The reaction afforded the P-N bond cleavage with inversion of the configuration at the phosphorus center, leading to the chlorophosphine boranes 4 with high to excellent enantiomeric purities (80-99% ee), except in the case of the chloro-1-naphthylphenylphosphine borane 4d. Reaction conditions and workup significantly influence the enantiomeric purity of the product, with the exception of the o-anisyl- and o-tolylchlorophenylphosphine boranes, 4b and 4c, which were found to be particularly stable even after purification by chromatography on silica gel. Reaction of the chlorophosphine boranes 4 with various nucleophiles, such as carbanions, phenolates, thiophenolates, or amides, afforded the corresponding organophosphorus borane complexes via P-C, P-O, P-S, and P-N bond formation, respectively, in 34-93% yield and with up to 99% ee. This work demonstrates the importance of chlorophosphine boranes 4 as new and powerful electrophilic building blocks for the highly stereoselective synthesis of P-chirogenic organophosphorus compounds.     

Fundamental role of the fostriecin unsaturated lactone and implications for selective protein phosphatase inhibition

Key derivatives and analogues of fostriecin were prepared and examined that revealed a fundamental role for the unsaturated lactone and confirmed the essential nature of the phosphate monoester. Thus, an identical 200-fold reduction in protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibition is observed with either the saturated lactone (7) or with an analogue that lacks the entire lactone (15). This 200-fold increase in PP2A inhibition attributable to the unsaturated lactone potentially may be due to reversible C269 alkylation within the PP beta12-beta13 active site loop accounting for PP2A/4 potency and selectivity.     

Evidence of a phase transition of RbHCO3 from high-resolution solid-state 13C and 87Rb NMR by comparison with KHCO3

A variable-temperature high-resolution 13C and 87Rb solid-state NMR study of powder rubidium hydrogencarbonate, RbHCO3, is presented for the first time. At ambient temperature, RbHCO3 is formed by centrosymmetric dimers linked by hydrogen bonds, but almost no information is available on this compound concerning proton disorder and the low-temperature phase. However, potassium hydrogencarbonate, KHCO3, which has an isomorphic structure for the high temperature phase, was well studied: it undergoes a non-ferroic, non-ferroelectric phase transition at Tc = 318 K between two monoclinic structures. The protons are disordered in an asymmetric double-well potential in the low-temperature phase, and the double-well potential becomes symmetric in the high-temperature phase. By comparison with recent solid-state NMR experimental results on KHCO3, we show that RbHCO3 undergoes a phase transition at Tc approximately 245 K, and give evidence that the proton dynamic disorder in both compounds is very similar.     

Exploring the free-energy landscape of a short peptide using an average force

The reversible folding of deca-alanine is chosen as a test case for characterizing a method that uses an adaptive biasing force (ABF) to escape from the minima and overcome the barriers of the free-energy landscape. This approach relies on the continuous estimation of a biasing force that yields a Hamiltonian in which no average force is exerted along the ordering parameter xi. Optimizing the parameters that control how the ABF is applied, the method is shown to be extremely effective when a nonequivocal ordering parameter can be defined to explore the folding pathway of the peptide. Starting from a beta-turn motif and restraining xi to a region of the conformational space that extends from the alpha-helical state to an ensemble of extended structures, the ABF scheme is successful in folding the peptide chain into a compact alpha helix. Sampling of this conformation is, however, marginal when the range of xi values embraces arrangements of greater compactness, hence demonstrating the inherent limitations of free-energy methods when ambiguous ordering parameters are utilized.     

Structural, textural, and electronic properties of a nanosized mesoporous ZnxTi1-xO2-) solid solution prepared by a supercritical drying route

Mesoporous nanosized TiO2 and Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution having a Zn content below 10 mol % with a particles size between 13 and 17 nm are prepared by a template-free sol-gel method followed by high-temperature supercritical drying in 2-propanol. The structural, textural, and electronic properties of the obtained nanomaterials are methodically investigated by using XRD, SEM, TEM, ED, HREM, EDX, ICP-OES, N(2) adsorption-desorption, Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. It is shown that the proposed synthesis technique leads to the formation of a Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution based on the anatase crystal structure rather than a two-phase sample. High-resolution electron microscopy and electron diffraction indicate that the distribution of zinc atoms over the anatase structure does not lead to a considerable deformation of the crystal structure.     

Reactivity differences between molecular and surface silanols in the preparation of homogeneous and heterogeneous olefin metathesis catalysts

The reaction of Mo(N)(CH₂tBu)₃ (1) and SiO_2-(700) generates (SiO)Mo(NH)(CHtBu)(CH₂tBu) (2) when performed in C₆H₆ (material [1/SiO_2-(700)]_C6H6). The grafting occurs presumably by protonation of the nitrido ligand to form an intermediate (SiO)Mo(NH)(CH₂tBu)₃ (3), a pentacoordinated complex, which decomposes into 2 and 2,2-dimethylpropane. While [1/SiO_2-(700)]_C6H6 is highly active in olefin metathesis, [1/SiO_2-(700)]_CH2Cl2 and [1/SiO_2-(700)]_THF are poorly active or inactive catalysts respectively. In contrast, when Mo(N)(CH₂tBu)₃ reacts with a molecular silanol derivative, a soluble model of the surface of SiO_2-(700), it yields a very stable complex, (c-C₅H₉)₇Si₇O₁₂SiO-Mo(NH)(CH₂tBu)₃ (3m), which does not spontaneously generate 2,2-dimethylpropane and an alkylidene complex in contrast to the surface complex. Moreover, 3m does not catalyse olefin metathesis at room temperature as it does not already contain the initiating carbene ligand, and it is necessary to heat up the reaction mixture to 110 °C to obtain low catalytic activity. Nevertheless, the complex 3m generates well-defined metallocarbenes when heated in the presence of PMe₃: (c-C₅H₉)₇Si₇O₁₂SiO-Mo(N)(CHtBu)(P(CH₃)₃)₂ (4m) as a 10:1 mixture of its syn and anti rotamers with the loss of 2 equiv. of 2,2-dimethylpropane.     

Synthesis of C-3' methyl taxotere (docetaxel)

Protected (3R,4S)-N-Boc-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-4-phenylazetidin-2-one has been synthesized stereoselectively and used to esterify protected 10-desacetylbaccatin III to give, following removal of the protecting groups, novel C-3' methyl taxotere (docetaxel).     

Volumetric properties of the boldine + alcohol mixtures at atmospheric pressure from 283.15 to 333.15 K: A new method for the determination of the density of pure boldine

Densities of boldine + alcohol binary mixtures were measured over the whole accessible range of boldine compositions at temperatures from 283.15 to 333.15 K using an Anton-Paar digital vibrating glass tube densimeter. The binary systems studied include, as a solvent, seven normal alcohols from n-C₁ to n-C₆, n-C₈, and isopropanol. The density of these systems has been found an increasing function of the boldine composition. A new methodology based on density data of solutions of solid solutes with normal alcohols is described in order to determine solid molar volume of pure solutes. This methodology was validated with pure solid naphthalene molar volumes data at 298.15 K, with an average uncertainty of 6%.