Enantioselective Recognition of Racemic Amino Alcohols in Aqueous Solution by Chiral Metal-Oxide Keplerate {Mo132} Cluster Capsules

Determining the relative configuration or enantiomeric excess of a substance may be achieved using NMR spectroscopy by employing chiral shift reagents (CSRs). Such reagents interact noncovalently with the chiral solute, resulting in each chiral form experiencing different magnetic anisotropy; this is then reflected in their NMR spectra. The Keplerate polyoxometalate (POM) is a molybdenum-based, water-soluble, discrete inorganic structure with a pore-accessible inner cavity, decorated by differentiable ligands. Through ligand exchange from the self-assembled nanostructure, a set of chiral Keplerate host molecules has been synthesised. By exploiting the interactions of analyte molecules at the surface pores, the relative configuration of chiral amino alcohol guests (phenylalaninol and 2-amino-1-phenylethanol) in aqueous solvent was establish and their enantiomeric excess was determined by ¹H NMR using shifts of ΔΔδ=0.06 ppm. The use of POMs as chiral shift reagents represents an application of a class that is yet to be well established and opens avenues into aqueous host-guest chemistry with self-assembled recognition agents.     

Light‐ and Solvent‐Controlled Self‐Assembly Behavior of Spiropyran–Polyoxometalate–Alkyl Hybrid Molecules

A molecular photochromic spiropyran–polyoxometalate–alkyl organic–inorganic hybrid has been synthesized and fully characterized. The reversible switching of the hydrophobic spiropyran fragment to the hydrophilic merocyanine one can be easily achieved under light irradiation at different wavelengths. This switch changes the amphiphilic feature of the hybrid, leading to a light‐controlled self‐assembly behavior in solution. It has been shown that the hybrid can reversibly self‐assemble into vesicles in polar solvents and irreversibly into reverse vesicles in non‐polar solvents. The sizes of the vesicles and the reverse vesicles are both tunable by the polarity of the solvent, with the hydrophobic interactions being the main driving force.     

Tris‐Functionalized Hybrid Anderson Polyoxometalates: Synthesis,Characterization, Hydrolytic Stability and Inversion of Protein Surface Charge

Single‐ and double‐sided functionalized hybrid organic–inorganic Anderson polyoxomolybdates with Ga^III and Fe^III positioned as central heteroatoms have been synthesized in a mild, two‐step synthesis in an aqueous medium. Compounds 1 – 4 were isolated as hydrated salts, [TBA]₃[GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}]×12 H₂O ( 1 ) (TBA=tetrabutylammonium), Na₃[FeMo₆O₁₈{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}₂]×11 H₂O ( 2 ), [TMA]₂[GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CNH₃}]×7 H₂O ( 3 ) (TMA=tetramethylammonium), and Na[TMA]₂[FeMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CNH₃}](OH)×6 H₂O ( 4 ). All the compounds were characterized based on single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SXRD), FTIR, UV/Vis, thermogravimetric, ESI‐MS, NMR, and elemental analyses. Compound 1 was also crystallized with two smaller organic cations, giving [TMA]₃[GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}]×n H₂O ( 5 ) and [GDM]₃[GaMo₆O₁₈(OH)₃{(OCH₂)₃CCH₂OH}]×n H₂O ( 6 ) (GDM=guanidinium) and were characterized based on UV/Vis, NMR, FTIR, and elemental analyses. The use of these compounds as additives in macromolecular crystallography was investigated by examining their hydrolytic stability by using ESI‐MS in a pH range of 4 to 9. Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) analysis showed that BSA remains intact in a solution containing up to 100 equivalents of 1 or 4 over more than four days at 20 °C. Zeta potential measurements demonstrate that 1 – 4 induce charge inversions on the positively charged surface of BSA (1 mg mL^?1) with concentrations starting as low as 1.29 mM for compounds 1 and 2 , which have the highest negative surface charge.     

Guest‐Directed Supramolecular Architectures of {W36} Polyoxometalate Crowns

The {W₃₆} isopolyoxotungstate cluster provides a stable inorganic molecular platform for the binding of inorganic and organic guest molecules. This is achieved by a binding pocket formed by six terminal oxo ligands located in the central cavity of the all‐inorganic cation binding host. Previously it was shown that the cluster can specifically bind primary amines and importantly, functionalized diamines through a combination of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions. Here we transform this assembly strategy to utilize the binding of long‐chain alkyldiammonium guest cations to physically define the supramolecular structure of the clusters with respect to each other and demonstrate the structure direction as a function of alkyl chain length. The systematic variation of the chain length gives access to five supramolecular assemblies which were all fully characterized using single crystal XRD, TGA, ¹H NMR, and elemental analysis. In compound 1 , diprotonated 1,8‐diaminooctane molecules link the {W₃₆} clusters into infinite 1D zigzag chains, whereas compounds 2 and 3 feature trimeric {W₃₆} assemblies directly connected through protonated 1,9‐diaminononane ( 2 ) or 1,10‐diaminodecane ( 3 ) linkers . Compound 4 contains dumb‐bell shaped dimeric units as a result of direct center‐to‐center linkages between the {W₃₆} clusters formed by protonated 1,12‐diaminododecane. In compound 5 , triply protonated bis(hexamethylene)triamine was employed to obtain linear 1D chains of directly connected {W₃₆} cluster units.     

Synthesis of new 1<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-pyridazine derivatives <Emphasis Type="Italic">peri</Emphasis>-annelated with acenaphthene and acenaphthylene

The reaction of 6-acetyl-5-hydroxyacenaphthene with methylhydrazine afforded 1,3-dimethyl-1H-6,7-dihydroacenaphtho[5,6-de]pyridazine. Its dehydrogenation with chloranil gave 1,3-dimethyl-1H-acenaphtho[5,6-de]pyridazine, which is a heteroaromatic compound with an essentially new topology of the ρsystem. The reaction of 3-methyl-1H-6,7-dihydroacenaphtho[5,6-de]pyridazine with 3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone yielded a dimer containing the acenaphthene and acenaphthylene moieties of peri-annelated 1H-1,2-diazines connected in positions 1′ and 9.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 777–780, March, 2005.     

Two Organic–Inorganic Hybrid 3D {P5W30}‐Based Heteropolyoxotungstates with Transition‐Metal/Ln–Carboxylate–Ln Connectors

Two unique organic–inorganic hybrid polyoxometalates constructed from Preyssler‐type [Na(H₂O)P₅W₃₀O₁₁₀]^14? ({P₅W₃₀}) subunits and TM/Ln–carboxylate–Ln connectors (TM=transition metal, Ln=lanthanide), KNa₇[{Sm₆Mn(μ‐H₂O)₂(OCH₂COO)₇(H₂O)₁₈}{Na(H₂O)P₅W₃₀O₁₁₀}] ? 22 H₂O ( 1 ) and K₄[{Sm₄Cu₂(gly)₂(ox)(H₂O)₂₄}{NaP₅W₃₀O₁₁₀}]Cl₂ ? 25 H₂O ( 2 ; gly=glycine, ox=oxalate) have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, UV/Vis‐NIR spectra, thermogravimetric analyses, power X‐ray diffraction, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compound 1 displays one interesting 3D framework built by three types of subunits, {P₅W₃₀}, [Sm₂Mn(μ‐H₂O)₂(OCH₂COO)₂(H₂O)₅]⁴⁺, and [Sm₄(OCH₂COO)₅ (H₂O)₁₃]²⁺, whereas 2 also manifests the other intriguing 3D architecture created by three types of subunits, {P₅W₃₀}, [SmCu(gly)(H₂O)₈]⁴⁺, and [Sm₂(ox)(H₂O)₈]⁴⁺. To our knowledge, 1 and 2 are the first 3D frameworks that contain {P₅W₃₀} units and TM/Ln–carboxylate–Ln connectors. The fluorescent properties of 1 and 2 have been investigated.     

Self‐Templating and In Situ Assembly of a Cubic Cluster‐of‐Clusters Architecture Based on a {Mo24Fe12} Inorganic Macrocycle

Engineering self‐templating inorganic architectures is critical for the development of bottom‐up approaches to nanoscience, but systems with a hierarchy of templates are elusive. Herein we describe that the cluster‐anion‐templated (CAT) assembly of a {CAT}?{Mo₂₄Fe₁₂} macrocycle forms a giant ca. 220 nm³ unit cell containing 16 macrocycles clustered into eight face‐shared tetrahedral cluster‐of‐clusters assemblies. We show that {CAT}?{Mo₂₄Fe₁₂} with different CATs gives the compounds 1 – 4 for CAT=Anderson {FeMo₆} ( 1 ), Keggin {PMo₁₂} ( 2 ), Dawson {P₂W₁₈} ( 3 ), and {Mo₁₂O₃₆(HPO₃)₂} ( 4 ) polyoxometalates. “Template‐free” assembly can be achieved, whereby the macrocycle components can also form a template in situ allowing template to macrocycle to superstructure formation and the ability to exchange the templates. Furthermore, the transformation of template clusters within the inorganic macrocycle {Mo₂₄Fe₁₂} allows the self‐generation of an uncapped {Mo₁₂O₃₆(HPO₃)₂} in compound 4 .     

“Bicarburet of Hydrogen”. Reappraisal of the Discovery of Benzene in 1825 with the Analytical Methods of 1968

The historical background and the admirable analytical procedure that led Michael Faraday to the discovery of benzene in 1825 are discussed. Using modern techniques of instrumental analysis, the author retraces the isolation and analysis of benzene, and shows that the starting material used by Faraday must have been a very complex mixture of hydrocarbons, which would make severe demands even on present-day preparative analytical techniques, since it contains more than 300 components at concentrations greater than 100 ppm. The magnitude of the changes in analytical techniques can be seen from the fact that it is no longer necessary to isolate individual compounds, and that a great deal of information can be obtained with a much smaller quantity of material and in a much shorter time. Nevertheless, Faraday's persistence, experimental skill, and accuracy of measurement remain an example to the analyst of today.     

Drug Design of “Undruggable” Targets

Drug innovation is not only reflected in the discovery of new chemotypes of active compounds against existing targets but also more dependent on the innovation of drug targets. Currently, a number of attractive and validated targets could not be targeted pharmacologically. Some have been described as “undruggable”. In this review, we summarized the current situation of “undruggable” targets, and the design strategies for “undruggable” targets, hoping to provide references for the development of innovative drugs.     

Spontaneous Stepwise Self‐Assembly of a Polyoxometalate–Organic Hybrid into Catalytically Active One‐Dimensional Anisotropic Structures

An inorganic–organic hybrid surfactant with a hexavanadate cluster as the polar head group was designed and observed to assemble into micelle structures, which further spontaneously coagulate into a 1D anisotropic structure in aqueous solutions. Such a hierarchical self‐assembly process is driven by the cooperation of varied noncovalent interactions, including hydrophobic, electrostatic, and hydrogen‐bonding interactions. The hydrophobic interaction drives the quick formation of the micelle structure; electrostatic interactions involving counterions leads to the further coagulation of the micelles into larger assemblies. This process is similar to the crystallization process, but the specific counterions and the directional hydrogen bonding lead to the 1D growth of the final assemblies. Since most of the hexavanadates are exposed to the surface, the 1D assembly with nanoscale thickness is a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidation of organic sulfides with appreciable recyclability.     

“Truncated” Pagodanes — Synthesis of Functionalized [1.1.1.1] and [1.1.1.0] Pagodanes

“Truncated” [1.1.1.1] pagodanes like the [1.1.0.0] and [0.0.0.0] homologues3 and 4 (E_Str = 146.1 – 171.5 kcal mol^?1, MM2) are potential precursors of unusual unsaturated homoconjugated radical cations and σ-bishomoaromatic dications. Attempts are presented toward the synthesis of 3 - starting out from [1.1.1.1] pagodane-4,9-dione 9 and diaza [2.2.1.1] pagodadiene 11 by cycloelimination (unsuccessful) and by Favorskii-type ring contraction methodologies. Control experiments with the model diketone 19 documented the limitations for α,α′-difunctionalization of 9 as the prerequisite for one-pot double Favorskii-type ring contraction. A de novo synthesis for such α,α′-disubstituted derivatives of 9(54) was not sufficiently expeditious to open a practical access to 3. Sequential double bridgehead hydroxylation of 9, successfully practized with model 19, similarly suffered from inherent cage effects and allowed only limited yields of [1.1.1.0] pagodanone 10, the intermediate on the way to 3.     

Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Saponites Obtained by Intercalation of Titano‐Silsesquioxane

The synthesis and characterization of two bifunctional composite materials based on synthetic saponite clays is here presented. These materials were prepared by intercalation of a Ti‐containing aminopropylisobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (Ti‐NH₂POSS) in synthetic saponite samples containing interlayer sodium (Na‐SAP) or protons (H‐SAP). Hybrid organic–inorganic materials, Ti‐NHM‐1 and Ti‐NHM‐2, were obtained upon ion exchange. Structural, spectroscopic, and thermal properties of both hybrid materials were investigated in detail along with their catalytic activity in cyclohexene oxidation.     

Synthesis and properties of novel aromatic polyamides based on “multi-ring” flexible dicarboxylic acids

The five benzene rings-containing (hereafter referred to as “five-ring”) dicarboxylic acids α,α′-bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]-1,4-diisopropylbenzene (p- III ) and α,α′-bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]-1,3-diisopropylbenzene (m- III ) were prepared by the fluoro-displacement of α,α′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4-diisopropylbenzene and α,α′-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-diisopropylbenzene with p-fluorobenzonitrile, and subsequent alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate dinitriles. A number of high-molecular-weight polyamides based on these two “five-ring” dicarboxylic acids (p- III and m- III ) and various aromatic diamines were directly synthesized in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) containing lithium chloride (LiCl) or calcium chloride (CaCl₂) using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. These polyamides were obtained with inherent viscosities above 0.51 and up to 0.91 dL/g. The weight-average molecular weight were in the range of 51,000–211,000. Most of these polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble in polar solvents such as NMP, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and afforded tough, flexible, and transparent films by solution-casting. The films had tensile strength of 50–83 MPa, elongation to break of 4–8%, and tensile modulus of 1.3–2.0 GPa. Most polyamides showed distinct glass transitions on the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves ranging from 147 to 177°C. In nitrogen or air, all the polymers showed no significant weight loss up to 490°C, as indicated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of boronate‐functionalized organic‐inorganic hybrid monolithic column for the separation of cis‐diol containing compounds at low pH

In this work, an organic‐inorganic hybrid boronate affinity monolithic column was prepared via “one‐pot” process using 4‐vinylphenylboronic acid as organic monomer and divinylbenzene as cross‐linker. The effects of reaction temperature, solvents and composition of organic monomers on the column properties (e.g. morphology, permeability, and mechanical stability) were investigated. A series of test compounds including small neutral molecules, aromatic amines, and cis‐diol compounds were used to evaluate the retention behaviors of the prepared hybrid monolithic column. The results demonstrated that the prepared hybrid monolith exhibited mixed‐interactions including hydrophilicity, cation exchange, and boronate affinity interaction. The run‐to‐run, day‐to‐day and batch‐to‐batch reproducibilities of the prepared hybrid monolith for thiourea's retention time were satisfactory with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 0.09, 1.45 and 4.05% (n = 3), respectively, indicating the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method.     

Azide/Alkyne‐“Click”‐Reactions of Encapsulated Reagents: Toward Self‐Healing Materials

The successful encapsulation of reactive components for the azide/alkyne‐“click”‐reaction is reported featuring for the first time the use of a liquid polymer as reactive component. A liquid, azido‐telechelic three‐arm star poly(isobutylene) ( = 3900 g · mol⁻¹) as well as trivalent alkynes were encapsulated into micron‐sized capsules and embedded into a polymer‐matrix (high‐molecular weight poly(isobutylene), = 250 000 g · mol⁻¹). Using (Cu^IBr(PPh₃)₃) as catalyst for the azide/alkyne‐“click”‐reaction, crosslinking of the two components at 40 °C is observed within 380 min and as fast as 10 min at 80 °C. Significant recovery of the tensile storage modulus was observed in a material containing 10 wt.‐% and accordingly 5 wt.‐% capsules including the reactive components within 5 d at room temperature, thus proving a new concept for materials with self‐healing properties.

     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a [Mo8O26]4– Cluster Derivative with 4‐MePyH+. First β‐Octamolybdate Derivative with π–π Stacking

Dioxobis(pyridine‐2‐thiolate‐N, S)molybdenum(VI) (MoO₂(Py‐S)₂), reacts with of 4‐methylpyridine (4‐MePy) in acetonitrile, by slow diffusion, to afford the title compound. This has been characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The X‐ray single crystal structure of the complex is described. Structural studies reveal that the molecular structure consists of a β‐Mo₈O₂₆ polyanion with eight MoO₆ distorted edge‐shared octahedra with short terminal Mo–O bonds (1.692–1.714 Å), bonds of intermediate length (1.887–1.999 Å) and long bonds (2.150–2.473 Å). Two different types of hydrogen bonds have been found: N–H···O (2.800–3.075 Å) and C–H···O (3.095–3.316 Å). The presence of π–π stacking interactions and strong hydrogen bonds are presumably responsible for the special disposition of the pyridinic rings around the polyanion cluster.     

Nanostructured Heteroarm Star Block Terpolymers via an Extension of the “In–Out” Polymerization Route

In this communication an extended “in–out” polymerization method is presented, which leads to the synthesis of novel heteroarm star block terpolymers of the type A_n(B‐b‐C)_n. A four step/one‐pot synthetic procedure is pursued using anionic polymerization under an inert atmosphere. The resulted star‐shaped terpolymer consists of a divinyl benzene nodule bearing pure polystyrene and poly(hexyl methacrylate)‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer arms. It is shown that this kind of star terpolymers can self‐assemble in the bulk forming lamellae mesophase by arm and block segregation. The mechanical properties of the terpolymer have been examined in detail. Finally, the proposed synthetic procedure can be easily employed in other controlled polymerization methods.