Enantioselective sensing of carboxylic acids with a bis(urea)oligo(phenylene)ethynylene foldamer

The development of molecular probes for optical sensing of chiral compounds has received increasing attention in recent years, in particular because of the potential to accelerate asymmetric reaction analysis. In this study, we prepared conformationally flexible oligo(phenylene)ethynylene foldamers carrying peripheral bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylurea units that undergo hydrogen bonding with chiral carboxylic acids. This interaction results in a chiral amplification process across the stereodynamic sensor scaffold which coincides with characteristic circular dichroism signals at high wavelengths. The induced chiroptical signals allow quantitative determination of the enantiomeric excess of the substrate which was demonstrated with nonracemic samples of tartaric acid. The chirality sensing assay is fast, sufficiently accurate for high-throughput screening purposes and adaptable to parallel analysis with multiwell plate readers.     

Cofluorescence of Eu in complexes of aromatic carboxylic acids

The fluorescence of Eu³⁺ in certain Eu³⁺–aromatic acid complexes were enhanced by over two orders of magnitude, by the addition of La³⁺; a process referred to as cofluorescence. Cofluorescence was observed only with certain aromatic acid ligands; trismesic acid, pyromellitic acid and mellitic acid; thereby clearly establishing a correlation between the structure of the ligand and the process of cofluorescence. While cofluorescence has been extensively studied using β-diketones as ligands, our studies demonstrate cofluorescence for the first time in ligands other than β-diketones. Furthermore, the mechanism of cofluorescence in the aromatic acid complexes studied by us appears to be different from that operating in the β-diketones. While intermolecular energy transfer is believed to occur in the β-diketones, formation of polynuclear complexes appears to be responsible for cofluorescence in the aromatic acid ligands.     

Thermal and spectroscopic investigation of new binuclear Pt(II) complexes with carboxylic acids

The thermal decomposition of the binuclear Pt(II) complexes with acetate, propionate, valerate and izovalerate ligands were studied by TG and DTA techniques. The Pt(II) complex with acetic acid (PtAA) was stable up to 343.15 K, Pt(II) complex with propionic acid (PtPrA) was stable up to 323.15 K, Pt(II) complex with valeric acid (PtVA) was stable up to T=313.15 K and Pt(II) complex with isovaleric acid (PtIvA) was stable up to 408.15 K. The PtAA complex was investigated again after a year by thermogravimetric analysis. After the thermal decomposition of the Pt(II) complexes with carboxylic acids, only in the PtVA complex and PtAA complex (investigated after a year) the final residue contains only platinum, while in the rest complexes the solid residue was a mixture of platinum and platinum carbides (PtC₂, Pt₂C₃).     

Ion transfer voltammetry of amino acids with an all-solid-state ion-selective electrode for non-destructive phenylalanine sensing

Amino acids such as phenylalanine (Phe) are key building blocks of proteins and other biomolecules. Although recent advancements in electrochemical sensors have enabled the rapid detection of Phe, these sensors are often destructive as they irreversibly oxidise Phe. In addition, most of them rely on biorecognition elements, which suffer from limited stability at ambient conditions and sensitivity towards environmental fluctuations. Herein, we report the first example of ion transfer voltammetry of Phe using an all-solid-state ion-selective electrode (ISE). The reversibility of this technique enables both the sensor and the Phe sample to be reused. The optimal voltammetric ISE (VISE) exhibits near Nernstian response (56.8 mV/decade) towards Phe and selectivity against amino acids of all classes (hydrophobic, hydrophilic and charged). Voltammetric interrogation of the ISE significantly enhances sensitivity, linear range, selectivity, and stability as compared to traditional open circuit potential measurements. Phe levels in a commercial nutritional supplement and drinking waters were determined to demonstrate the viability of our sensor in real life applications. This proof-of-concept can be applied to develop VISEs for other amino acids and biological ions for healthcare and nutrition sensing.     

Synthesis of C methylated carboxylic acids: isosteres of arginine and lysine for use as N-terminal capping residues in polypeptides

Replacement of the N-terminal α-amine with the isosteric methyl functionality in bioactive peptides can influence various pharmacokinetic parameters, including hydrophobicity and stability. C^α methylated amino acid analogues are thus of great interest to expand the repertoire of nonnatural synthons available as N-terminal ‘capping’ residues for peptide-based drug design. Several novel arginine and lysine analogues stereoselectively modified in the C^α position with a methyl group in place of the α-amine were prepared.     

Hydrocarboxylation of unactivated internal alkynes with carboxylic acids catalyzed by dinuclear palladium complexes

Dinuclear palladium complexes catalyzed addition reactions of carboxylic acid O-H bond to unactivated internal alkynes. The reaction afforded a trans-adduct selectively.     

Specific ionic effect for simple and rapid colorimetric sensing assays of amino acids using gold nanoparticles modified with task-specific ionic liquid

In this study, a novel task-specific ionic liquid functionalized gold nanoparticle (TSIL-GNP) was successfully prepared and applied in the recognition of amino acids. Particularly, the surface of GNP was modified with the ionic liquid containing carbamido and ester group via thiol, which was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The stability of this material in aqueous solution improves apparently and can remain unchanged for more than three months. The effect of pH was also discussed in this study. Attractive ionic interaction would effectively weaken intensity of the covalent coupling between the metal ion and the functional groups of amino acids. Thus, TSIL-GNP was successfully applied to recognizing serine, aspartic acid, lysine, arginine, and histidine in the presence of Cu²⁺ through distinctive color changes. Suspension would be generated once a spot of cysteine was added into the GNPs solution. Results indicated that it had a good linear relationship between extinction coefficients and concentration of amino acids in a wide range of 10⁻³–10⁻⁶ M. Moreover, the proposed strategy was successfully used to analyze the histidine in urinary samples. In brief, TSIL-GNP is a suitable substrate for discrimination of five amino acids in a rapid and simple way without sophisticated instruments.     

Regio- and stereoselective addition of carboxylic acids to phenylacetylene catalyzed by cyclopentadienyl ruthenium complexes

The direct addition of carboxylic acids to terminal alkynes such as phenylacetylene in the presence of catalytic amount of [CpRu(CO)₂Cl] (1) or [{CpRu(CO)₂}₂] (2) affords the anti-Markovnikov adducts with high selectivity. In most instances, the E-enol esters are the major products.     

Characterization of bis-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide and its complexes with amino acids using electrospray QqTOF mass spectrometry

This work deals with the application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) with QqTOF analyzer for the characterization of Ge-132 complexes with different amino acids in aqueous solution with the emphasis on the determination of elemental composition. ESI mass spectra provide complementary structural information in both polarity modes. Some reaction products were suggested based on the interpretation of high resolution mass spectra. Moreover, the experimental isotopic distributions of ions were compared with theoretical calculated isotopic clusters. The superposition of many ion overlays was observed due to the wide isotopic distributions of studied polyisotopic complexes. The high resolution QqTOF analyzer enabled the discrimination of these ion signals differing at least by 0.12 mass units. The occurrence of overlaid signals from ions with smaller mass difference was successfully recognized based on the shift of isotopic distribution, and their elemental composition was verified using mass accuracies of non-overlaid isotopes at the borders of the isotopic cluster. Mass spectra obtained with ion trap and single quadrupole analyzers support QqTOF data.     

Composition and plasticizing effect of poly(carboxylic acid) complexes with amino compounds

Poly(carboxylic acid)-dimethylalkylamine complexes were prepared and examined by various methods including infrared spectrometry and chemical titrations. FTIR measurements provided some of the most complete and detailed insights into the type and the stoichiometry of the acid-base complexes. A (1:1) stoichiometric complexation of the poly(carboxylic acid) with tertiary amines was involved in protic solvents. A threshold degree of complexation of 42% was obtained in such a macromolecular system. The equilibrium constant of the proton transfer reaction K was estimated to be independent on the alkyl chain length of the base reagent. Besides the formation of the acid-base complexes, a plasticizing effect of the amine derivatives was demonstrated by differential calorimetry. A T_g depression could be both attributed to the amine molecules linked to the polymer backbone via ionic bonds and to the free molecules dissolved within the free volume of the polymer.     

Vibrational spectra of Zn(II) complexes of the amino acids with hydrophobic residues

The infrared and Raman spectra of the bis-chelated Zn(II) complexes of the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine and phenylalanine were recorded and analyzed in relation to its structural peculiarities. Some comparisons between the recorded spectra are also presented and the characteristics of the carboxylate motions as well as those of the metal-to-ligand vibrations are discussed in detail.     

Modified carbon paste electrode for the electrochemical sensing of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol

An electrochemical sensor for the determination of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), the main metabolite of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, was herein developed. TCP has greater solubility than the source pesticide, and its occurrence in ground and surface water is more frequent and more dangerous. The sensor was fabricated using carbon paste modified with the inorganic complex chloro-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(pentafluorophenyl)-21 H,23 H-porphyrin iron(III) (FeTPPCl); this metallic complex has a chemical core structure similar to the heme cofactor of the cytochrome P450 (CYPs). Measurements were performed with square-wave voltammetry. Using the optimised voltammetric parameters and without any sample preparation, the sensor showed a limit of detection of 2.8 mg L^?1 (14 μmol L^?1), recoveries ca. 102%, suitable selectivity and long durability (over 1 month).     

A novel system for the synthesis of nitriles from carboxylic acids

A simple, mild and high yielding method for the conversion of various carboxylic acids to nitriles has been developed using diphosphorus tetraiodide in combination with ammonium carbonate at room temperature.     

Participation of host ‘spacer’ atoms in carboxylic acid binding: implications for amino acid recognition

Chiral 4,4′-diamido-2,2′-biimidazoles were synthesized and found to bind N-Boc protected amino acids in CDCl₃. The biimidazole that features (R)-tetrahydrofurfuryl units discriminates between N-Boc-l-Ser (K_assoc=120 M⁻¹) and its non-natural d-enantiomer (270 M⁻¹). X-ray diffraction and computational analyses show that members of this receptor class adopt a cleft-like conformation, presenting a donor-spacer-donor-acceptor H-bonding array. Complexes of such biimidazoles with the -COOH unit of amino acids are stabilized by direct involvement of what is nominally a ‘spacer’ atom, unlike other D-Sp-D-A hosts.     

Etched bare fused-silica capillaries for online preconcentration of amino acids in CE

An online preconcentration method based on electrostatic interaction between the analytes and inner surface of the capillary column was developed for the determination of zwitterionic analytes such as amino acids in CE coupled with a DAD. The amino acids possessed positive charges when they were dissolved in an acidic solvent. When they were injected into the column, they were attracted by the negatively charged inner surface of the fused-silica capillary column. An etched column was used to increase the area of the capillary's inner surface and, consequently increase the electrostatic interaction between the amino acids and the inner surface of the capillary column. It was found that when the sample was injected at 10 psi for 1 min and the pH value of the sample was 4, the amount of amino acids attracted to the inner surface of the capillary was maximum. Under these optimized experimental conditions, the detection sensitivity of CE-DAD was enhanced by 5200, 2800, and 3100 times for asparagine, tryptophan and phenylalanine, respectively, compared with normal CE separation. The method provided good reproducibility in terms of both migration time and peak height. It can be successfully used for the preconcentration zwitterion.     

基于新型可视化学传感阵列的氨基酸快速识别

以卟啉和其衍生物及指示剂为传感元件,构建了一种对氨基酸敏感的可视传感阵列.可视化学传感阵列以交互响应的敏感元件组成阵列,对不同物质产生特异的响应,并通过信号识别处理系统,将检测结果以图谱的方式显示,实现检测的可视化.研究中筛选了对氨基酸敏感的36种化学物质,构建了6×6的传感阵列,使用自主研发的阵列数据采集与处理系统,对10种具有代表性的常见氨基酸进行了检测,氨基酸溶液与阵列的反应时间为5 min.对实验检测结果数据采用主成分分析和判别分析进行了计算和分析.实验结果显示,通过阵列响应的可视差图可以将浓度为375 μmol/L的10种氨基酸明显区分.判别分析结果显示,本可视阵列对氨基酸识别的准确率达到97%.二维主成分散点图和判别分析散点图对10种氨基酸都有显著分辨效果.本可视传感阵列可用于氨基酸的快速识别.     

Amino acids: Building blocks for the synthesis of greener amphiphiles

Amino acid-based amphiphiles have attracted much attention as environmentally friendly surfactants because of their biodegradability, low toxicity and the use of renewable sources of raw materials for their syntheses. With respect to molecular design, the amino acid-based architecture allows the possibilities of multiple structures of amphiphiles with varying head groups and chain lengths. This review focuses on the synthetic strategies for the development of various types of surfactants derived from amino acids. Their properties in terms of surface, biological and catalytic activities are illustrated.     

Immobilization of pyrene on quartz plate surface via a flexible long spacer and its sensing properties to dicarboxylic acids

It is known that polycyclic aromatic hydrocar-bons (PAHs) form excimer easily, and show both monomer and excimer emission in polar medium[1]. This character comes from their hydrophobic nature and plane structures. The ratio of the intensity of ex-cimer emission to that of monomer emission is a func-tion of distance between neighbouring PAHs in a sys-tem. It is not difficult to understand that many factors, such as the concentration of PAHs, temperature, pres-ence and concentration of othe…     

Synthesis and study of a cyclophane displaying dual fluorescence emission: a novel ratiometric sensor for carboxylic acids in organic medium

The synthesis and fluorescent properties of a novel cyclophane containing two l-valine units and one naphthalene chromophore are described. Synthesis of the macrocycle 1 was accomplished without using high-dilution methods in moderate to high yields. The fluorescence spectrum of 1 in neutral dichloromethane shows a band at 390 nm attributable to emission from an exciplex formed between the naphthalene unit and the neighboring amine groups. Addition of trifluoroacetic acid restores the typical naphthalene emission at 330 nm. Due to the fact that both emissions have similar intensities under the working conditions, the ratio between them can be used to obtain a ratiometric response to carboxylic acids in organic medium.     

Studies on the mixed-ligand complexes of copper(II) with gallic acid and pyridine carboxylic acids and their benzologues

Summary The ternary complex formation of copper(II) with gallic acid (gal) and 2-hydroxy nicotinic acid (hyna), 2-mercapto nicotinic acid (mena), salicylic acid (sa) or thiosalicylic acid (tsa) as a second ligand in a 1:1:1 molar ratio has been investigated in 40% (v/v) ethanol using spectrophotometric andpH titration methods. The solution equilibria of the ternary systems have been determined and the stability constants of the mixed complexes has been evaluated. Considering all parameters, the Cu-gal-sa ternary system was proved as a suitable, rapid, and sensitive spectrophotometric indicator for determining traces of copper.The ternary system containingsa obeysBeer's law up to 3.4 µg·ml^–1 copper. The optimum range for the determination of copper (Ringbom) atpH 6.0 ranges from 0.63 to 1.74 µg·ml^–1 of copper. The molar absorptivity of the ternary complex is 1.3×10⁴l·mol^–1·cm^–1.

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Untersuchungen anmixed-ligand — Komplexen von Kupfer(II) mit 3,4,5-Trihydroxybenzoesäure und Pyridincarbonsäuren und ihren C-Homologen

Zusammenfassung Die Bildung ternärer Komplexe von Kupfer(II) mit 3,4,5-Trihydroxybenzoesäure (gal) und 2-Hydroxynicotinsäure (hyna), 2-Mercaptonicotinsäure (mena), Salicylsäure (sa) oder Thiosalicylsäure (tsa) in einem molaren Verhältnis von 1:1:1 wurde mittels spektrophotometrischer und potentiometrischer Methoden in 40% (v/v) Ethanol untersucht. Die Lösungsgleichgewichte der termären Systeme und die Stabilitätskonstanten der gemischten Komplexe wurden bestimmt. Unter Berücksichtigung aller Parameter erwies sich das termäre System Cu-gal-sa als geeigneter schneller und empfindlicher Indikator zur Spurenanalyse von Kupfer.Dassa enthaltende ternäre System gehorcht demBeerschen Gesetz bis zu einer Kupferkonzentration von 3.4 µg·ml^–1. Der optimale Bereich zur Bestimmung von Kupfer (Ringbom) beipH 6.0 erstreckt sich von 0.63 bis 1.74 µg Cu pro ml. Die molare Extinktion des ternären Komplexes beträgt 1.3×10⁴l·mol·cm^–1.