Truxene‐Based Columnar Liquid Crystals: Self‐Assembled Structures and Electro‐Active Properties

Columnar liquid‐crystalline (LC) truxene derivatives containing branched flexible alkyl chains have been designed and synthesized. The dicyanomethylene and dithiafulvene substituents have been introduced into the π‐conjugated truxene framework to tune their electronic and redox properties as well as the molecular assembled structures. The π‐conjugated cores of dicyanomethylene‐ and dithiafulvene‐appended truxenes adopt bowl‐shaped conformations, giving rise to a large intrinsic dipole moment perpendicular to the aromatic framework. These molecules form stable columnar LC structures through intermolecular dipole–dipole interactions. The redox properties of LC truxene derivatives have been examined by cyclic voltammetry. The dicyanomethylene‐appended truxene shows the reversible four‐step electrochemical reductions, whereas the dithiafulvene‐appended truxene undergoes three‐step oxidations.     

Synthesis,structure elucidation and chemotherapeutic activity of 6-substituted 1-ethyl-1,4-dihydro-7-[(1-imidazolyl)phenylmethyl]- 4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acids

The synthesis, structure elucidation and chemotherapeutic activity of novel 3-quinolinecarboxylic acid derivatives are reported. These derivatives are characterized by a group (1-imidazolyl)phenylmethyl attached to the 7-position and chloro 10a , fluoro 10b or methoxy 10c appended to the 6-position.     

Pegylation of 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam) and its Cu(II) complexation

Two novel star-like cyclam derivatives appended with four amino groups and four PEG-arms have been synthesised. The complex formation of cyclam and the two cyclam derivatives with Cu(II) has been studied by UV-vis and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (TRLFS) measurements outlining 1:1 complexes between cyclam ligands and Cu(II). By TRLFS measurements a quench effect of the Cu(II) on the fluorescence of the ligand was also found to determine the complex formation between Cu(II) and the ligands.     

Gated photochromism in triarylborane-containing dithienylethenes: a new approach to a "lock-unlock" system

Photochromic inactive dithienylethene derivatives appended with 3- or 5-dimesitylboryl-2,2'-bithiophene have been synthesized. Upon fluoride ion-binding, the photochromic reactivity is "unlocked", displaying a novel gated photochromic property.     

Synthesis of 6-Heterocyclically Appended Tri- O-methyl Protected 6-Desmethyl Emodin Derivatives

A convenient synthesis of several 6-heterocyclically appended tri-O-methyl 6-desmethyl emodin derivatives including the tetrazolyl, oxazolyl, oxazolinyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, and benzothiazolyl derivatives of potential biological and medicinal interest was achieved starting from the tri-O-methyl protected emodin aldehyde or nitrile. In addition, these derivatives could serve as synthons for heterocyclic hypericin derivatives.     

Synthesis of 6-Heterocyclically Appended Tri-<Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-methyl Protected 6-Desmethyl Emodin Derivatives

Summary. A convenient synthesis of several 6-heterocyclically appended tri-O-methyl 6-desmethyl emodin derivatives including the tetrazolyl, oxazolyl, oxazolinyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, and benzothiazolyl derivatives of potential biological and medicinal interest was achieved starting from the tri-O-methyl protected emodin aldehyde or nitrile. In addition, these derivatives could serve as synthons for heterocyclic hypericin derivatives.     

Facilitated phosphatidylserine flip-flop across vesicle and cell membranes using urea-derived synthetic translocases

Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine derivatives with appended urea and sulfonamide groups are shown to facilitate the translocation of fluorescent phospholipid probes and endogenous phosphatidylserine across vesicle and erythrocyte cell membranes. The synthetic translocases appear to operate by binding to the phospholipid head groups and forming lipophilic supramolecular complexes which diffuse through the non-polar interior of the bilayer membrane.     

Lanthanide Complexes of Azidophenacyl‐DO3A as New Synthons for Click Chemistry and the Synthesis of Heterometallic Lanthanide Arrays

Lanthanide complexes of azidophenacyl DO3A are effective substrates for click reactions with ethyne derivatives, giving rise to aryl triazole appended lanthanide complexes, in which the aryl triazole acts as an effective sensitising chromophore for lanthanide luminescence. They also undergo click chemistry with propargylDO3A derivatives, giving rise to heterometallic complexes.     

Model systems for flavoenzyme activity: site-isolated redox behavior in flavin-functionalized random polystyrene copolymers

[reaction: see text] A model system has been developed to study the redox behaviors of flavin derivatives appended onto random polystyrene copolymers through "click" chemistry strategies. The results demonstrate that flavin units attached onto polymers exhibit site-isolated redox behaviors, yielding new materials with electrochemically tunable associations (K(a)(ox) = 450 M(-)(1), K(a)(red) = 18,200 M(-)(1)) to complementary diamidopyridine (DAP) functionality.     

Identification of synthetic phosphatidylserine translocases from a combinatorial library prepared by directed split-and-pool synthesis

Simple sulfonamide and amide derivatives of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (Tren) are known to promote the translocation or flip-flop of phosphatidylcholine, but not phosphatidylserine, across bilayer membranes. This paper describes the synthesis of a 300-member, spatially encoded library of Tren derivatives with appended peptide--sulfonamide and peptide--urea arms. The library was synthesized using the Encore method with SynPhase lanterns as the solid support. A high-throughput assay was developed to screen individual members of the library for an ability to translocate a fluorescent NBD derivative of phosphatidylserine across vesicle membranes. Several lead compounds were identified, and one was synthesized independently to confirm its high phosphatidylserine translocation activity.     

Functionalized ionic liquids with highly polar polyhydroxylated appendages and their rapid synthesis via thiol-ene click chemistry

The thiol-ene ‘click’ reaction of 1-thioglycerol with ionic liquids incorporating cations bearing appended vinyl- and/or allyl groups is a versatile, single-step means for their conversion into derivatives bearing up to eight hydroxyl groups per cation.     

2'-deoxycytidines carrying amino and thiol functionality: synthesis and incorporation by Vent (exo-) polymerase

[reaction: see text] The synthesis of 2'-deoxycytidine nucleosides bearing amino and thiol groups appended to the 5-position of the nucleobase via a butynyl linker is described. The corresponding triphosphates were then synthesized from the nucleoside and incorporated into oligonucleotides by Vent (exo(-)) DNA polymerase. The ability of Vent (exo(-)) polymerase to amplify oligonucleotides containing these functionalized cytidine derivatives in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was demonstrated for the amino-functionalized derivative.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Calix[4]arene Functionalized Poly(ethylene glycol) Derivatives

Calix[4]arenes with both ligating and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) groups appended have been synthesized using several approaches, involving the formation of sulfonyl ester groups on the wide rim, Schiff base derivatives on the narrow rim, and thioether groups on both the wide and narrow rims. These new derivatives have been characterized by a combination of infrared and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 10 and 11 are insoluble in both water and aqueous poly(ethylene glycol), but the other new compounds are soluble.     

Catalytic,Enantioselective α‐Alkylation of Azlactones with Nonconjugated Alkenes by Directed Nucleopalladation

A palladium(II)‐catalyzed enantioselective α‐alkylation of azlactones with nonconjugated alkenes is described. The reaction employs a chiral BINOL‐derived phosphoric acid as the source of stereoinduction, and a cleavable bidentate directing group appended to the alkene to control the regioselectivity and stabilize the nucleopalladated alkylpalladium(II) intermediate in the catalytic cycle. A wide range of azlactones were found to be compatible under the optimal reaction conditions to afford products bearing α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino‐acid derivatives with high yields and high enantioselectivity.     

Charge‐Transfer‐Induced Fluorescence Quenching of Anthracene Derivatives and Selective Detection of Picric Acid

2,6‐Divinylpyridine‐appended anthracene derivatives flanked by two alkyl chains at the 9,10‐position of the core have been designed, synthesized, and characterized by NMR, MALDI‐TOF, FTIR, and single‐crystal XRD. These anthracene derivatives are able to recognize picric acid (2,4,6‐trinitrophenol, PA) selectively down to parts per billion (ppb) level in aqueous as well as nonaqueous medium. Fluorescence emission of these derivatives in solution is significantly quenched by adding trace amounts of PA, even in the presence of other competing analogues, such as 2,4‐dinitrophenol (2,4‐DNP), 4‐nitrophenol (NP), nitrobenzene (NB), benzoic acid (BA), and phenol (PH). The high sensitivity of these derivatives toward PA is considered as a combined effect of the proton‐induced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) as well as electron transfer from the electron‐rich anthracene to the electron‐deficient PA. Moreover, visual detection of PA has been successfully demonstrated in the solid state by using different substrates.     

Development of a water-soluble 3-formylBODIPY dye for fluorogenic sensing and cell imaging of sulfur dioxide derivatives

A new water-soluble, highly fluorogenic 3-formylBODIPY dye that enables the sensing of SO₂ derivatives in aqueous buffers and cancer cells is reported. The quaternary ammonium group appended through the meso-position of the BODIPY dye ensures water solubility. The probe exhibits high specificity for cytosolic (bi)sulfites and fluoresces brightly in human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549).     

Lithiation of meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole: a general route to C-Rim monosubstituted calix[4]pyrroles

Lithiation and subsequent addition of an electrophile to meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole provides a straightforward synthetic route to new, C-rim monosubstituted calix[4]pyrroles. A variety of electrophiles were used, resulting in calix[4]pyrroles with appended functional groups including carboxyl, ester, iodo, and formyl. This method was optimized to give maximum yields of the monosubstituted derivatives with lowest possible contamination by di- and trisubstituted congeners. Solid-state studies, performed for a number of these derivatives, showed unexpected supramolecular interactions involving both solvents and the monosubstituted calix[4]pyrrole derivatives themselves.     

Catalytic,Enantioselective α‐Alkylation of Azlactones with Nonconjugated Alkenes by Directed Nucleopalladation

A palladium(II)‐catalyzed enantioselective α‐alkylation of azlactones with nonconjugated alkenes is described. The reaction employs a chiral BINOL‐derived phosphoric acid as the source of stereoinduction, and a cleavable bidentate directing group appended to the alkene to control the regioselectivity and stabilize the nucleopalladated alkylpalladium(II) intermediate in the catalytic cycle. A wide range of azlactones were found to be compatible under the optimal reaction conditions to afford products bearing α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino‐acid derivatives with high yields and high enantioselectivity.     

Tandem radical addition reactions to substituted indoles under atom-transfer and oxidative conditions

The dimethyl methylmalonyl radical was generated upon photolysis of dimethyl bromomethylmalonate or treatment of dimethyl methylmalonate with Mn(OAc)₃·2 H₂O. This radical was added to an exocyclic olefin appended to 1-acyl or 3-acyl indoles, with subsequent cyclization to generate 1,2- or 2,3- fused indole derivatives, respectively.     

Tunable Excimer Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Isohexide Derivatives from Renewable Resources

Organic compounds showing circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) are at the forefront of novel applications and technologies. Here we show the synthesis and chiroptical properties of pyrene and perylene derivatives of inexpensive chiral scaffolds: isomannide and isosorbide. Low-intensity ECD spectra were obtained, suggesting the absence of chromophore interaction in the ground state, except in the case of isomannide bis-perylenecarboxylate, whose ECD spectrum showed a positive exciton couplet. All isomannide derivatives, with the only exception of the one containing a pyrenecarboxylate and a perylenecarboxylate, exhibited excimer CPL spectra, whereas isosorbide derivatives did not show any CPL. Isomannide derivatives bearing two pyrenecarboxylate or two pyrenylacetate groups showed positive CPL emission with dissymmetry factors up to 10⁻², which depends on the conformational freedom of the appended units. The CPL sign, Stokes shift and order of magnitude of dissymmetry factor were reproduced by excited-state calculations on a representative compound. Interestingly, the mixed derivative containing pyrenic units with different spacing from the isomannide scaffold showed an oppositely signed excimer band with respect to the homo-substituted derivatives.