Rotaxanes capable of recognising chloride in aqueous media

A new, versatile chloride-anion-templating synthetic pathway is exploited for the preparation of a series of eight new [2]rotaxane host molecules, including the first sulfonamide interlocked system. (1)H NMR spectroscopic titration investigations demonstrate the rotaxanes' capability to selectively recognise the chloride anion in competitive aqueous solvent media. The interlocked host's halide binding affinity can be further enhanced and tuned through the attachment of electron-withdrawing substituents and by increasing its positive charge. A dicationic rotaxane selectively binds chloride in 35% water, wherein no evidence of oxoanion binding is observed. NMR spectroscopy, X-ray structural analysis and computational molecular dynamics simulations are used to account for rotaxane formation yields, anion binding strengths and selectivity trends.     

A Piezoelectric Crystal Detector for Acetoin

Abstract

A piezoelectric quartz crystal coated with tetrabutyphosphoniun chloride was found to be a good detector for acetoin. The coating is sensitive in the ppb range and completely reversible. The response curve is linear over a concentration range of 8-120 ppb. The detector can be tuned to give a satisfactory response in 30 seconds.     

Gelation is crucially dependent on functional group orientation and may be tuned by anion binding

The gelation ability of a series of chiral bis(urea) gels alternates between even and odd chain length and for the even numbered spacers the rheological characteristics can be tuned by the addition of anions according to the anion binding constant.     

Tuning azolium azolate ionic liquids to promote surface interactions with titanium nanoparticles leading to increased passivation and colloidal stability

The passivation and stability of suspensions of titanium nanoparticles in azolium azolate ionic liquids can be tuned by introducing metal specific binding sites in the azolate anion.     

Ligand-assisted enhancement of CO2 capture in metal-organic frameworks

Using density functional theory with a van der Waals-corrected functional, we elucidate how CO(2) binds to a novel "BTT-type" metal-organic framework (MOF) featuring open metal centers. We show that CO(2) binds most favorably to open metal cation sites, but with an adsorption energy that can be three times more sensitive to the choice of the bridging ligand than to metal cation choice. A strong, three-site interaction between CO(2) and the open-metal site is predicted, with the binding energy enhanced by up to a factor of 2, depending on the ligand. The CO(2)-MOF binding can be attributed to a combination of electrostatics and vdW dispersive interactions, both of which are critically sensitive to the local environment, and both of which contribute nearly equally to the overall binding strength. We show that a judicious choice of the organic linker and the metal center allows the binding energy to be tuned from 34.8 kJ/mol (for CaBTTri) to a maximum of 64.5 kJ/mol (MgBTT).     

Cyclitol based metal complexing agents. Preference for the extraction of lithium by myo-inositol based crown-4-ethers depends on the relative orientation of crown ether oxygen atoms

myo-Inositol derived crown-4-ethers in which two of the oxygen atoms in the crown ether moiety have different relative orientations were prepared. Metal picrate binding studies revealed that the crown ether having 1,3-diaxial orientation shows the highest selectivity for binding to lithium although the crown ether having 1,2-diequatorial orientation exhibited the highest binding constant for lithium picrate. These results suggest that relative binding affinity of metal ions to crown ethers can be tuned by varying the relative orientation of crown ether oxygen atoms. The relevance of these results to the previously observed regioselectivity during the O-substitution of myo-inositol orthoesters is discussed.     

Patterned arrays of au rings for localized surface plasmon resonance

In this paper, we examined the characteristic behavior of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) of Au dot and ring arrays in response to the selective binding of biomolecules. To do this, patterned arrays of Au rings and dots with various feature scales were fabricated over large areas by an imprint lithography technique. Our results showed that the LSPR spectra of the Au nanorings exhibited a blue shift with increase in the ring widths and asymptotically converged to those for Au nanodots. This clearly implies that the LSPR spectra can be tuned over an extended wavelength range by varying the ring width. For an illustrative purpose, the patterned Au structures were used to detect the binding of streptavidin to biotin. In doing this, the Au patterns were chemically modified with G4 dendrimers of amine terminated poly(amidoamine), which facilitated the tethering of biotin onto the Au pattern. Exposure of the biotinylated Au nanorings to aqueous streptavidin solution induced both red-shifts of the LSPR spectra and changes in the peak intensities. The sensitivity of the LSPR spectra to the binding of the biomolecules was enhanced as the ring width of Au rings was decreased.     

随机扰动和周期信号对基因调控系统的影响

采用数值模拟方法,研究了生物信息学中人类遗传因子——基因的转录调控系统.研究表明:噪音对该系统的影响作用,体系可以出现内随机共振现象和噪音诱导的"开-关"过程;当周期信号加到系统上时,信号振幅和频率的改变能够使细胞信号产生更为丰富的动力学行为,如周期共振现象.     

DNA-binding small-ligand-immobilized surface plasmon resonance biosensor for detecting thymine-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor that carries DNA-binding small ligands has been developed for the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). 3,5-Diaminopyrazine derivatives, with a hydrogen-bonding profile fully complementary to the thymine base, were utilized as recognition elements on the sensor surface, and a target single-stranded DNA sequence was hybridized with a DNA probe containing an abasic site to place this site opposite a nucleobase to be detected. In a continuous flow of sample solutions buffered to pH 6.4 (0.25 M NaCl), the 3,5-diaminopyrazine-based SPR sensor can detect an orphan nucleobase in the duplex with a clear selectivity for thymine over cytosine, guanine, and adenine (5'-GTT GGA GCT GXG GGC GTA GGC-3'/3'-CAA CCT CGA CNC CCG CAT CCG-5'; X=abasic site, N=target nucleobase G, C, A, or T). The SPR response was linear in the concentration range 10-100 nM. Allele discrimination is possible based on the combination of different binding surfaces in a flow cell of the SPR system, which is demonstrated for the analysis of the thymine/cytosine mutation present in 63-meric polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification products (Ha-ras gene, codon 12, antisense strand). Comparison with a bulk assay based on 3,5-diaminopyrazine/DNA binding shows that the immobilization of 3,5-diaminopyrazine derivatives on the SPR sensor allows more sensitive detection of the target DNA sequence, and binding selectivity can be tuned by controlling the salt concentration of sample solutions. These features of the DNA-binding small-molecule-immobilized SPR sensor are discussed as a basis for the design of SPR biosensors for SNP genotyping.     

CO2 Hydrogenation over Oxide‐Supported PtCo Catalysts: The Role of the Oxide Support in Determining the Product Selectivity

By simply changing the oxide support, the selectivity of a metal–oxide catalysts can be tuned. For the CO₂ hydrogenation over PtCo bimetallic catalysts supported on different reducible oxides (CeO₂, ZrO₂, and TiO₂), replacing a TiO₂ support by CeO₂ or ZrO₂ selectively strengthens the binding of C,O‐bound and O‐bound species at the PtCo–oxide interface, leading to a different product selectivity. These results reveal mechanistic insights into how the catalytic performance of metal–oxide catalysts can be fine‐tuned.     

Hetero-Coencapsulation within a Supramolecular Cage: Moving away from the Statistical Distribution of Different Guests

Beside sensing and delivery, another peculiar property arising from confinement in discrete molecular hosts comes from the possibility to have in close proximity, and in defined position, two different molecules (hetero-coencapsulation). This phenomenon can be tuned considering steric and electronic properties of the guests. In this work, a study on the parameters affecting homo- and hetero-coencapsulation processes within a supramolecular cage is reported. In particular, different benzoate guests were bound within a supramolecular cage containing two metal-binding sites and the experimental binding thermodynamics measured. Unexpectedly, from competition experiments it was observed that the maximum concentration of hetero-coencapsulation is achieved if a weakly binding guest is used to partially displace a strongly binding guest.     

Multi‐Stimuli‐Responsive Polymeric Materials

Stimuli‐responsive materials are of immense importance because of their ability to undergo alteration of their properties in response to their environment. The properties of such materials can be tuned by subtle adjustments in temperature, pH, light, and so forth. Among such smart materials, multi‐stimuli‐responsive polymeric materials are of pronounced significance as they offer a wide range of applications and their properties can be tuned through several mechanisms. Here, we aim to highlight some recent studies showcasing the multi‐stimuli‐responsive character of these polymers, which are still relatively little known compared to their single‐stimuli‐responsive counterpart.     

Probing the Potential of Hitherto Unexplored Base-Stabilized Borylenes in Dinitrogen Binding

Computational investigations were carried out to probe the potential of several dicoordinate, singly base-stabilized borylenes of the form [L→BR] (L=neutral Lewis base) in dinitrogen binding. The calculated reaction free energies and activation barriers associated with the formation of mono- and diborylene-N₂ adducts suggest the presence of thermally surmountable kinetic barriers towards their possible isolation. Our results show that the exergonicity of dinitrogen activation and fixation is linearly dependent on the natural charge at the boron center, which can be tuned to design novel boron-based compounds with potential applications to small-molecule activation. EDA-NOCV analysis reveals strong binding of dinitrogen to these base-stabilized borylenes.     

Fine tuning of the catalytic effect of a metal-free porphyrin on the homogeneous oxygen reduction

The catalytic effect of tetraphenylporphyrin on the oxygen reduction with ferrocene in 1,2-dichloroethane can be finely tuned by varying the molar ratio of the acid to the catalyst present in the solution. The mechanism involves binding of molecular oxygen to the protonated free porphyrin base, in competition with ion pairing between the protonated base and the acid anion present.     

Microfluidic synthesis of tunable poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide) microparticles via PEG adjustment

We present a microfluidic droplet method to synthesize a series of tunable poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microparticles by the addition of polyethylene glycols (PEGs). The PEGs are used as porogens and could be removed simply by washing step. By varying molecular weights and concentrations of the PEGs, morphologies and temperature-sensitive properties of the formed PNIPAM microparticles are flexibly tuned. It is found that PEG of lower molecular weight induces smaller micropore sizes, and results in faster response rate. The volume changes prior to and after shrinkage can also be regulated by the addition of PEGs due to tuned homogeneities of micropores. The microparticles tuned by PEG1000 with ratio of added PEGs to NIPAM of 2:1 respond the fastest (120 s), whereas with ratio of added PEGs to NIPAM of 1:1 display largest volume change (1/γ=12.12). This simplicity and controllability of tunable microparticles synthesis are appealing for various applications ranging from chemical delivery, drug release control, to optical applications.     

二维共价有机框架材料中引入含氮配体用于络合金属催化

共价有机骨架材料(COF)也被称为“有机分子筛”,具有孔道结构开放有序、易于进行化学修饰改性、化学/热稳定性好等优点,是一种新型的有机聚合物多孔材料.近年来,以COF材料为催化剂载体负载金属化合物用于制备多相反应催化剂已经成为材料领域研究的热点,表现出高活性和高选择性.但是到目前为止,仍未找到简单有效地控制骨架中金属负载量和分散性的方法,这已成为该领域一个具有挑战性的课题.
　　本文以2,2’-联吡啶-5,5’-二甲醛作为其中一个结构基元,成功把联吡啶配体引入到二维材料中.除此之外,由于COF是以亚胺键联接构筑形成的,因此框架中同时存在联吡啶和亚胺键两种含氮配体.我们通过红外光谱、结构模拟、元素分析、热失重分析、透射电镜(TEM)、X-射线光电子能谱、电感耦合等离子体色谱等手段详细表征了所制备的二维共价有机框架材料对醋酸钯(Pd(OAc)2)分子的络合负载行为.
　　研究发现,联吡啶和亚胺键均可参与配位Pd(OAc)2,与亚胺键配位的Pd(OAc)2分布于框架的层与层之间,而与联吡啶配位的则部分占据了框架的孔道,导致孔径减小.另外,由于框架中的联吡啶配体含量可通过加入2,2’-联吡啶-5,5’-二甲醛含量的变化实现线性调控,因此也可调节与其配位的Pd(OAc)2含量,其负载量可控制在14.3–18.7 wt%,是目前已报道的二维COF中的最高值;另外, COF材料中调控金属负载量尚未见报道. TEM结果显示,负载在框架中的催化剂分子没有发生团聚,框架的孔道仍处于开放状态,因而反应底物可以自由地出入一维孔道并与络合的催化剂充分接触.另外,由于催化剂在框架内部可以达到分子级别的分散,而且其负载量和负载位置都易于控制,因而对有机反应表现出了优异的催化性能.
　　我们尝试了以不同Pd负载量的COF为多相催化剂催化Heck反应.结果发现, Pd(II)@75%BPy COF(Pd负载量为最高值18.7 wt%)的催化活性最高,对不同底物均表现出优异的催化性能,产率达73–96%,反应速率遵循一级动力学曲线.且催化剂经多次循环利用仍能保持高活性,框架的有序结构也未被破坏,因此该材料有望用于各种类型优异的多相反应催化剂.     

Transistor-Based Work-Function Measurement of Metal–Organic Frameworks for Ultra-Low-Power,Rationally Designed Chemical Sensors

A classic challenge in chemical sensing is selectivity. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are an exciting class of materials because they can be tuned for selective chemical adsorption. Adsorption events trigger work-function shifts, which can be detected with a chemical-sensitive field-effect transistor (power ≈microwatts). In this work, several case studies were used towards generalizing the sensing mechanism, ultimately towards our metal-centric hypothesis. HKUST-1 was used as a proof-of-principle humidity sensor. The response is thickness independent, meaning the response is surface localized. ZIF-8 is demonstrated to be an NO₂-sensing material, and the response is dominated by adsorption at metal sites. Finally, MFM-300(In) shows how standard hard–soft acid–base theory can be used to qualitatively predict sensor responses. This paper sets the groundwork for using the tunability of metal–organic frameworks for chemical sensing with distributed, scalable devices.     

On-Chip Neo-Glycopeptide Synthesis for Multivalent Glycan Presentation

Single glycan–protein interactions are often weak, such that glycan binding partners commonly utilize multiple, spatially defined binding sites to enhance binding avidity and specificity. Current array technologies usually neglect defined multivalent display. Laser-based array synthesis technology allows for flexible and rapid on-surface synthesis of different peptides. By combining this technique with click chemistry, neo-glycopeptides were produced directly on a functionalized glass slide in the microarray format. Density and spatial distribution of carbohydrates can be tuned, resulting in well-defined glycan structures for multivalent display. The two lectins concanavalin A and langerin were probed with different glycans on multivalent scaffolds, revealing strong spacing-, density-, and ligand-dependent binding. In addition, we could also measure the surface dissociation constant. This approach allows for a rapid generation, screening, and optimization of a multitude of multivalent scaffolds for glycan binding.     

A non-intrusive very high-frequency conductivity detector for continuous flow monitoring

A non-intrusive inductively-coupled conductance detector operating at 115 MHz is described. The flowing sample passes through a straight glass tube confined within the inductance coil of a parallel tuned high-Q circuit. Changes in Q caused by the resistive component of the sample are measured. Potassium chloride in water can be monitored down to 2 ppm with a linear response over three orders of magnitude of concentration.     

Two‐Dimensional Crowding Uncovers a Hidden Conformation of α‐Synuclein

The intrinsically disordered protein (IDP), α‐synuclein (αS), is well‐known for phospholipid membrane binding‐coupled folding into tunable helical conformers. Here, using single‐molecule experiments in conjunction with ensemble assays and a theoretical model, we present a unique case demonstrating that the interaction–folding landscape of αS can be tuned by two‐dimensional (2D) crowding through simultaneous binding of a second protein on the bilayer surface. Unexpectedly, the experimental data show a clear deviation from a simple competitive inhibition model, but are consistent with a bimodal inhibition mechanism wherein membrane binding of a second protein (a membrane interacting chaperone, Hsp27, in this case) differentially inhibits two distinct modules of αS–membrane interaction. As a consequence, αS molecules are forced to access a hidden conformational state on the phospholipid bilayer in which only the higher‐affinity module remains membrane‐bound. Our results demonstrate that macromolecular crowding in two dimensions can play a significant role in shaping the conformational landscape of membrane‐binding IDPs with multiple binding modes.