A density functional theory computational study of the role of ligand on the stability of CuI and CuII species associated with ATRP and SET‐LRP

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and single electron‐transfer living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP) both utilize copper complexes of various oxidation states with N‐ligands to perform their respective activation and deactivation steps. Herein, we utilize DFT (B3YLP) methods to determine the preferred ligand‐binding geometries for Cu/N‐ligand complexes related to ATRP and SET‐LRP. We find that those ligands capable of achieving tetrahedral complexes with Cu^I and trigonal bipyramidal with axial halide complexes with [Cu^IIX]⁺ have higher energies of stabilization. We were able to correlate calculated preferential stabilization of [Cu^IIX]⁺ with those ligands that perform best in SET‐LRP. A crude calculation of energy of disproportionation revealed that the same preferential binding of [Cu^IIX]⁺ results in increased propensity for disproportionation. Finally, by examining the relative energies of the basic steps of ATRP and SET‐LRP, we were able to rationalize the transition from the ATRP mechanism to the SET‐LRP mechanism as we transition from typical nonpolar ATRP solvents to polar SET‐LRP solvents. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4950–4964, 2007     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers from Dysidea herbacea,Dysidea chlorea and Phyllospongia foliascens

The marine sponges Dysidea herbacea, D. chlorea and Phyllospongia foliascens were differentiated with difficulty in the field. D. herbacea contained 2-(2',4'-dibromophenoxy)-3,4,5-tribromophenol (1), 2-(2',4'-dibromophenoxy)-4,5,6-tribromophenol (2) and 2-(2',4'-dibromophenoxy)-3,5-dibromophenol (6). D. chlorea contained only 2-(2',4'-dibromophenoxy)-4,6-dibromophenol(3), a compound previously reported as a metabolite of D. herbacea. Phyllospongia foliascens contained 2-(3',5'-dibromo-2'-methoxy-phenoxy)-3,5-dibromoanisole (7) and a 1:2 mixture of 2-(3',5'-dibromo-2'-hydroxyphenoxy)-3,5,6-tribromophenol (8) and 2-(3',5'-dibromo-2'-hydroxyphenoxy)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophenol (9).     

In situ tissue pathology from spatially encoded mass spectrometry classifiers visualized in real time through augmented reality

Integration between a hand-held mass spectrometry desorption probe based on picosecond infrared laser technology (PIRL-MS) and an optical surgical tracking system demonstrates in situ tissue pathology from point-sampled mass spectrometry data. Spatially encoded pathology classifications are displayed at the site of laser sampling as color-coded pixels in an augmented reality video feed of the surgical field of view. This is enabled by two-way communication between surgical navigation and mass spectrometry data analysis platforms through a custom-built interface. Performance of the system was evaluated using murine models of human cancers sampled in situ in the presence of body fluids with a technical pixel error of 1.0 ± 0.2 mm, suggesting a 84% or 92% (excluding one outlier) cancer type classification rate across different molecular models that distinguish cell-lines of each class of breast, brain, head and neck murine models. Further, through end-point immunohistochemical staining for DNA damage, cell death and neuronal viability, spatially encoded PIRL-MS sampling is shown to produce classifiable mass spectral data from living murine brain tissue, with levels of neuronal damage that are comparable to those induced by a surgical scalpel. This highlights the potential of spatially encoded PIRL-MS analysis for in vivo use during neurosurgical applications of cancer type determination or point-sampling in vivo tissue during tumor bed examination to assess cancer removal. The interface developed herein for the analysis and the display of spatially encoded PIRL-MS data can be adapted to other hand-held mass spectrometry analysis probes currently available.

Integration between a hand-held mass spectrometry desorption probe based on picosecond infrared laser technology (PIRL-MS) and an optical surgical tracking system demonstrates in situ tissue pathology from point-sampled mass spectrometry data.     

Separation of sodiated isobaric disaccharides and trisaccharides using electrospray ionization-atmospheric pressure ion mobility-time of flight mass spectrometry

A series of isobaric disaccharide-alditols, four derived from O-linked glycoproteins, and select trisaccharides were rapidly resolved using tandem high resolution atmospheric pressure ion-mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Electrospray ionization was used to create the gas-phase sodium adducts of each carbohydrate. Using this technique it was possible to separate up to three isobaric disaccharide alditols and three trisaccharides in the gas phase. Reduced mobility values and experimentally determined ion-neutral cross sections are reported for each sodium-carbohydrate complex. These studies demonstrated that ion mobility separations at atmospheric pressure can provide a high-resolution dimension for analysis of carbohydrate ions that is complementary to traditional mass spectral (m/z) ion analysis. Combining these independent principles for separation of ions provides a powerful new bioanalytical tool for the identification of isomeric carbohydrates.     

Asymmetric synthesis of beta-amino carbonyl compounds with N-sulfinyl beta-amino Weinreb amides

[reaction: see text] Diverse organometallic reagents readily add to enantiopure N-sulfinyl beta-amino Weinreb amides providing the corresponding, stable, N-sulfinyl beta-amino carbonyl compounds in good to excellent yields. This new methodology represents a general solution to the problem of beta-amino carbonyl syntheses, which are important chiral building blocks and constituents of natural products. N-Sulfinyl beta-amino Weinreb amides are prepared by reaction of the potassium enolate of N-methoxy N-methylacetamide with sulfinimines (N-sulfinyl imines) or lithium N,O-dimethylhydroxylamine with N-sulfinyl beta-amino esters.     

Synthesis of the C11-C29 fragment of amphidinolide F

[reaction: see text] An efficient synthesis of the C(11)-C(29) fragment 31 of amphidinolide F has been accomplished via a diastereoselective [3 + 2]-annulation reaction of allylsilane 5 and ethyl glyoxylate to prepare the key tetrahydrofuran 15 and a highly stereoselective methyl ketone aldol reaction to generate the C(11)-C(16) segment.     

2-Mercaptomethyl-thiazolidines use conserved aromatic–S interactions to achieve broad-range inhibition of metallo-β-lactamases

Infections caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria are a major public health threat. Carbapenems are among the most potent antimicrobial agents that are commercially available to treat MDR bacteria. Bacterial production of carbapenem-hydrolysing metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) challenges their safety and efficacy, with subclass B1 MBLs hydrolysing almost all β-lactam antibiotics. MBL inhibitors would fulfil an urgent clinical need by prolonging the lifetime of these life-saving drugs. Here we report the synthesis and activity of a series of 2-mercaptomethyl-thiazolidines (MMTZs), designed to replicate MBL interactions with reaction intermediates or hydrolysis products. MMTZs are potent competitive inhibitors of B1 MBLs in vitro (e.g., K_i = 0.44 μM vs. NDM-1). Crystal structures of MMTZ complexes reveal similar binding patterns to the most clinically important B1 MBLs (NDM-1, VIM-2 and IMP-1), contrasting with previously studied thiol-based MBL inhibitors, such as bisthiazolidines (BTZs) or captopril stereoisomers, which exhibit lower, more variable potencies and multiple binding modes. MMTZ binding involves thiol coordination to the Zn(ii) site and extensive hydrophobic interactions, burying the inhibitor more deeply within the active site than d/l-captopril. Unexpectedly, MMTZ binding features a thioether–π interaction with a conserved active-site aromatic residue, consistent with their equipotent inhibition and similar binding to multiple MBLs. MMTZs penetrate multiple Enterobacterales, inhibit NDM-1 in situ, and restore carbapenem potency against clinical isolates expressing B1 MBLs. Based on their inhibitory profile and lack of eukaryotic cell toxicity, MMTZs represent a promising scaffold for MBL inhibitor development. These results also suggest sulphur–π interactions can be exploited for general ligand design in medicinal chemistry.

Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are major culprits of resistance to carbapenems in bacteria. A series of thiazolidines are potent MBL inhibitors, restoring the activity of carbapenems. Metal binding and sulphur–π interactions are key to inhibition.     

Latent low-coordinate titanium imides supported by a sterically encumbering beta-diketiminate ligand

Addition of an equal molar quantity of R- (R = Me, SiMe3) to complex (Nacnac)Ti=NAr(OTf) (Nacnac- =[ArNC(tBu)]2CH, Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3) forms the imido alkyl (Nacnac)Ti=NAr(R), which can be readily protonated to afford [(Nacnac)Ti=NAr(L)]+ (L = THF, Et2O, eta1-C6H5NMe2), or treated with B(C6F5)3 to afford the zwitterion (Nacnac)Ti=NAr(micro-CH3)B(C6F5)3.     

The importance of protonation and tautomerization in relative binding affinity prediction: a comparison of AMBER TI and Schrödinger FEP

In drug discovery, protonation states and tautomerization are easily overlooked. Through a Merck–Rutgers collaboration, this paper re-examined the initial settings and preparations for the Thermodynamic Integration (TI) calculation in AMBER Free-Energy Workflows, demonstrating the value of careful consideration of ligand protonation and tautomer state. Finally, promising results comparing AMBER TI and Schrödinger FEP+ are shown that should encourage others to explore the value of TI in routine Structure-based Drug Design.