Losing the grip : The synthesis of multivalent low‐molecular‐weight dendrons with lysine branching units coupled to disulfide‐linked spermine surface groups is described. It is furthermore demonstrated that the dendrons bind DNA with good affinity (see image), but are also able to release the DNA in a reductive environment.
Voilà, optical activity : Both enantiomers of 1‐chloroindene have been synthesized in high selectivity from solely achiral starting materials, and without using optically active catalysts (see scheme). These symmetry‐breaking syntheses provide a proof‐of‐concept for a new approach to asymmetric synthesis. NCS=N‐chlorosuccinimide.
Functionalized nanodiamonds : Various functional groups have been incorporated into the structures of the naturally occurring diamondoids [1(2)3]tetramantane and [12312]hexamantane (cyclohexamantane), which represent hydrogen‐terminated prism‐shaped nanodiamonds (see picture). The attachment points define the use of these diamond‐like molecules as geometric building blocks for a variety of applications.
A limited number of poly(ethylene oxide)‐substituted perylene bisimides, some of which are equipped with terpyridine ligands for transition‐metal coordination (see structure), combine different types of noncovalent interactions to yield optoelectronically active organic materials with different types of supramolecular morphologies.
Keeping their cool : Fabrication of a 2D weblike nanonetwork of gold was successfully demonstrated through a two‐step procedure including complexation of gold precursors to a weblike supramolecular assembly of surfactant followed by in situ reduction of the precursors to gold. Molecular assemblies stabilized by hydrogen bonding provided a sound template, leading to the highly integrated structure of gold through room‐temperature (cold) nanostructure fusion.
A facile, self‐seeded , solution–liquid–solid growth of soluble InP and GaP nanowires with a very low amount of native point defects with respect to the carrier concentrations have been synthesized (see scheme) and characterized. They are potentially promising building blocks in optoelectronic applications.
Protein roll call : Peptide‐based building blocks, in which both an α‐helix‐forming segment and a β‐sheet segment are located within a single macrocyclic structure, self‐assemble into α‐helix‐decorated artificial proteins. This approach provides a starting point for developing artificial proteins that can modulate α‐helix‐mediated interactions occurring in a multivalent fashion.
Selective and specific dihydrogenation of benzene and other arenes has been observed in a low‐temperature helium plasma. A surface Birch reduction mechanism has been proposed in which benzene molecules adsorbed on the discharge surface capture low‐energy surface‐adsorbed electrons and subsequently undergo protonation (see picture). Gas‐phase oxidation processes accompany the reduction reaction.
Nonvertical triplet energy transfer in solid conjugated polymer films is demonstrated for the first time using 1,3,5,7‐cyclooctatetraene, a compound that can efficiently quench the phosphorescence of polyfluorene without affecting its fluorescence (see spectra). The results suggest that nonvertical triplet scavengers might be promising candidates for controlling the triplet concentration in fluorescent high‐brightness organic devices.
