Extended Open-Chain Polyenides as Versatile Delocalized Anion Ligands for Metal Chain Clusters

Although small cyclic- and open-chain unsaturated hydrocarbon anions such as cyclopentadienide and open-chain pentadienide are used as the strongly electron-donating auxiliary ligands for metal complexes, more extended π-conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon anions have rarely been used in coordination chemistry, despite their potential ability to serve as the multiply bridging π-ligands for metal clusters. This work reports isolation of metal chain clusters bearing the multi-dentate, open-chain extended unsaturated hydrocarbon anion ligands. The extended open-chain π-conjugated polyenyl ligands could effectively stabilize oxidized palladium chains, including an unprecedented [Pd₄]⁴⁺ chain.     

Injectable Polypeptide Hydrogel Depot System for Assessment of the Immune Response–Inducing Efficacy of Sustained Antigen Release Alone

Vaccines typically contain an antigen, delivery system (vehicle), and adjuvant, all of which contribute to inducing a potent immune response. Consequently, design of new vaccines is difficult, because the contributions and interactions of these components are difficult to distinguish. Here, it is aimed to develop an easy‐to‐use, non‐immunogenic, injectable depot system for sustained antigen release that will be suitable for assessing the efficacy of prolonged antigen exposure per se for inducing an immune response. This should mimic real‐life infections. Recombinant elastin‐like polypeptides with periodic cysteine residues (cELPs) are selected, which reportedly show little or no immunogenicity, as carriers and tetanus toxoid (Ttd) as an antigen. After subcutaneous injection of the mixture, cELP rapidly forms a disulfide cross‐linked hydrogel in situ, within which Ttd is physically incorporated, affording a biodegradable antigen depot. A series of Ttd‐containing hydrogels is examined. A single injection induces high levels of tetanus antibody with high avidity for at least 20 weeks in mice. The chain length of cELP proves critical, whereas differences in hydrophobicity has little effect, although hydrophilic cELPs are more rapidly biodegraded. This system's ability to distinguish the contribution of sustained antigen release to antibody induction should be helpful for rational design of next‐generation vaccines.     

Decacyclene Radical Anions Showing Strong Low‐energy Intramolecular Absorption and Magnetic Coupling of Spins in a Hexagonal Network

Two salts of the aromatic hydrocarbon decacyclene, {cryptand[2.2.2](Cs⁺)} (decacyclene^.?) ( 1 ) and {Bu₃MeP⁺}(decacyclene^.?) ( 2 ), were obtained. In both salts, decacyclene^.? radical anions formed channels occupied by cations. However, corrugated hexagonal decacyclene^.? layers could be outlined in the crystal structure of 1 with several side‐by‐side C???C approaches. The decacyclene^.? radical anions showed strong distortion in both salts, deviating from the C₃ symmetry owing to the repulsion of closely arranged hydrogen atoms and the Jahn‐Teller effect. Radical anions showed intense unusually low energy absorption in the IR‐range, with maxima at 4800 and 6000 cm^?1. According to the carculations, these bands can originate from the SOMO‐LUMO+1 and SOMO‐LUMO+2 transitions, respectively. Radical anions exhibited a S=1/2 spin state, with an effective magnetic moment of 1.72 μ_B at 300 K. The decacyclene^.? spin antiferromagnetically coupled with a Weiss temperature of ?11 K. Spin ordering was not observed down to 1.9 K owing to spin frustration in the hexagonal decacyclene^.? layers.     

Characterization of atmospheric tritiated water concentration in the vicinity of the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - This paper discusses the spatiotemporal variation in atmospheric tritiated water (HTO) concentration near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power...     

Cascades of Interrupted Pummerer Reaction‐Sigmatropic Rearrangement

A new class of Pummerer chemistry has emerged as a powerful tool in organic synthesis. The new technology consists of a beautiful cascade of an interrupted Pummerer reaction and the subsequent [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement. The interrupted Pummerer reactions of alkenyl or aryl sulfoxides with unsaturated nucleophiles such as allylic silanes, ketones, and phenols provide sulfonium intermediates, which are ready to undergo smooth charge‐accelerated [3,3] sigmatropic rearrangement with excellent to exclusive regioselectivity. Some of the transformations proceed with transient loss of aromaticity. The reactions afforded five‐membered heterocycles, benzofurans, and biaryls of importance, depending on the sulfoxides and nucleophiles used. The reactions are unique and game‐changing because they are efficient, robust, redox‐neutral, regioselective, and metal‐free, which perfectly fits the need of modern organic synthesis. This chemistry also underscores the synthetic potential of organosulfur chemistry.     

Glycyl-alanyl-histidine protects PC12 cells against hydrogen peroxide toxicity

Background

Peptides with cytoprotective functions, including antioxidants and anti-infectives, could be useful therapeutics. Carnosine, β-alanine-histidine, is a dipeptide with anti-oxidant properties. Tripeptides of Ala-His-Lys, Pro-His-His, or Tyr-His-Tyr are also of interest in this respect.

Results

We synthesized several histidine-containing peptides including glycine or alanine, and tested their cytoprotective effects on hydrogen peroxide toxicity for PC12 cells. Of all these peptides (Gly-His-His, Ala-His-His, Ala-His-Ala, Ala-Ala-His, Ala-Gly-His, Gly-Ala-His (GAH), Ala-His-Gly, His-Ala-Gly, His-His-His, Gly-His-Ala, and Gly-Gly-His), GAH was found to have the strongest cytoprotective activity. GAH decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, apoptosis, morphological changes, and nuclear membrane permeability changes against hydrogen peroxide toxicity in PC12 cells. The cytoprotective activity of GAH was superior to that of carnosine against hydrogen peroxide toxicity in PC12 cells. GAH also protected PC12 cells against damage caused by actinomycin D and staurosporine. Additionally, it was found that GAH also protected SH-SY5Y and Jurkat cells from damage caused by hydrogen peroxide, as assessed by LDH leakage.

Conclusion

Thus, a novel tripeptide, GAH, has been identified as having broad cytoprotective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell damage.

     

A Dicyanomethyl Radical Conjugated with a Pyridylamino Group: Combining Radical-based Dynamic Covalent Chemistry and Coordination Chemistry

In this work, we aimed to develop a dicyanomethyl radical that undergoes both reversible C−C bond formation/dissociation and metal-ligand coordination reactions to combine dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) based on organic radicals with coordination chemistry. We have previously reported a dicyanomethyl radical conjugated with a triphenylamine ( 1 ⋅) that exhibits a monomer/dimer equilibrium between the σ-bonded dimer ( 1₂ ). We designed and synthesized a novel dicyanomethyl radical with a pyridyl group as a coordination point ( 2 ⋅) by replacing the phenyl group of 1 ⋅ with a 3-pyridyl group. We showed that 2 ⋅ is also in an equilibrium with the σ-bonded dimer ( 2₂ ) in solution and has suitable thermodynamic parameters for application in DCC. 2₂ coordinates to PdCl₂ in a 2 : 2 ratio to selectively form a metallamacrocycle ( 2₂ )₂(PdCl₂)₂, and its structure was clarified by single crystal X-ray analysis. Variable-temperature NMR, ESR, and electronic absorption measurements revealed that ( 2₂ )₂(PdCl₂)₂ also undergoes the reversible C−C bond formation/dissociation reaction. Ligand-exchange experiment showed that 2₂ was liberated from ( 2₂ )₂(PdCl₂)₂ by the addition of another ligand with a higher affinity for Pd^II. This work demonstrated that DCC based on dicyanomethyl radicals works orthogonally to metal-ligand coordination reactions.     

Application of the Tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III)/(II) Redox Couple in p‐Type Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

An electrolyte based on the tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III)/(II) redox couple ([Fe(acac)₃]^0/1?) was developed for p‐type dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Introduction of a NiO blocking layer on the working electrode and the use of chenodeoxycholic acid in the electrolyte enhanced device performance by improving the photocurrent. Devices containing [Fe(acac)₃]^0/1? and a perylene–thiophene–triphenylamine sensitizer (PMI–6T–TPA) have the highest reported short‐circuit current (J_SC=7.65 mA cm^?2), and energy conversion efficiency (2.51 %) for p‐type DSSCs coupled with a fill factor of 0.51 and an open‐circuit voltage V_OC=645 mV. Measurement of the kinetics of dye regeneration by the redox mediator revealed that the process is diffusion limited as the dye‐regeneration rate constant (1.7×10⁸ M ^?1 s^?1) is very close to the maximum theoretical rate constant of 3.3×10⁸ M ^?1 s^?1. Consequently, a very high dye‐regeneration yield (>99 %) could be calculated for these devices.     

Delayed feedback control based on the act-and-wait concept

This paper proposes a delayed feedback control (DFC) based on the act-and-wait concept, which reduces the dynamics of DFC systems to that of discrete-time systems. Based on this concept, a delayed feedback controller is designed for a prototype two-dimensional oscillator using a simple systematic procedure. This control has two advantages: the feedback delay time can be large and it can obtain deadbeat behavior. A numerical example using a double-scroll circuit model demonstrates these theoretical results.