Assignment of Vibrational Circular Dichroism Cross-Referenced Electronic Circular Dichroism Spectra of Flexible Foldamer Building Blocks: Towards Assigning Pure Chiroptical Properties of Foldamers

Assignment of the most established electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of polypeptides and foldamers is either “evidence based” or relies on the 3D structures of longer oligomers of limited internal dynamics, which are derived from NMR spectroscopy (or X-ray) data. Critics warn that the use of NMR spectroscopy and ECD side by side has severe limitations for flexible molecules because explicit knowledge of conformational ensembles is a challenge. Herein, an old–new method of comparing ab initio computed and measured vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) data is presented to validate both the structures (conf(i)) and their relative weights (c(i)) that make up the conformational ensemble. Based on the array of {conf(i), c(i)}, the pure ECD spectra, g(i)^conf(i), can be ab initio calculated. The reconstructed spectrum Σc(i)g(i)^conf(i) can thus help to assign any experimental ECD counterparts. Herein, such a protocol is successfully applied to flexible foldamer building blocks of sugar β-amino acid diamides. The epimeric pair of the model system was selected because these molecules were conformationally tunable by simple chemical modification, and thus, the robustness of the current approach could be probed. The initial hydrogen bond (NH⋅⋅⋅O) eliminated by N-methylation reorients the amide plain, which influences the chiroptical properties of the foldamer building block; this structural change is successfully monitored by changes to the VCD and ECD transitions, which are now assigned to pure conformers. The current method seems to be general and effective without requiring extensive CPU and spectroscopic resources.     

尾式卟啉铁的磁圆二色（MCD）谱研究

在无氧条件下测定了一种新型尾式卟啉铁[5-邻-(4-二甲氮基丁酰胺)苯基-10,15,20-三苯基卟啉铁(Ⅱ)及其含N配体、CO、NO轴向加合物的磁圆二色(MCD)光谱,考察了轴向混合配位时MCD光谱的变化.     

固体CD光谱研究及其应用于手性席夫碱M(II)配合物

结合课题组近期的相关研究,对固体CD光谱在手性配合物研究中的应用,特别是手性样品固体CD光谱的测试方法进行了概述,通过对四对手性席夫碱M(II)(M=Ni、Cu)配合物的固体和溶液CD光谱进行比较研究,发现配合物的手性构型在固液相中保持一致,但其固液CD光谱之间存在不同程度的差异,可能是由于相应配合物在固体和溶液相中的四面体扭曲或构象的微妙不同所致.     

固体CD光谱研究及其应用于手性席夫碱M(II)配合物

结合课题组近期的相关研究, 对固体CD光谱在手性配合物研究中的应用, 特别是手性样品固体CD光谱的测试方法进行了概述, 通过对四对手性席夫碱M(II) (M = Ni、Cu)配合物的固体和溶液CD光谱进行比较研究, 发现配合物的手性构型在固液相中保持一致, 但其固液CD光谱之间存在不同程度的差异, 可能是由于相应配合物在固体和溶液相中的四面体扭曲或构象的微妙不同所致.     

Simulation of Electronic Circular Dichroism of Nucleic Acids: From the Structure to the Spectrum

We present a quantum mechanical (QM) simulation of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) of nucleic acids (NAs). The simulation combines classical molecular dynamics, to obtain the structure and its temperature‐dependent fluctuations, with a QM excitonic model to determine the ECD. The excitonic model takes into account environmental effects through a polarizable embedding and uses a refined approach to calculate the electronic couplings in terms of full transition densities. Three NAs with either similar conformations but different base sequences or similar base sequences but different conformations have been investigated and the results were compared with experimental observations; a good agreement was seen in all cases. A detailed analysis of the nature of the ECD bands in terms of their excitonic composition was also carried out. Finally, a comparison between the QM and the DeVoe models clearly revealed the importance of including fluctuations of the excitonic parameters and of accurately determining the electronic couplings. This study demonstrates the feasibility of the ab initio simulation of the ECD spectra of NAs, that is, without the need of experimental structural or electronic data.     

Predicting the Helical Sense of Poly(phenylacetylene)s from their Electron Circular Dichroism Spectra

The calculated ECD spectrum (time‐dependent density functional theory TD‐DFT) for small oligomers of polyphenylacetylenes (PPAs) show a very good match with the experimental spectra of the PPA polymers, particularly with the first Cotton band associated to the helical sense of the internal polyenic backbone. This has been proven with a series of PPAs representative of cis‐cisoidal, cis‐transoidal, compressed and stretched polyene backbones, with identical or opposite internal/external rotational senses and allows the prediction of the helical sense of the internal helix of a PPA directly from its CD spectra.     

Laser Mass Spectrometry with Circularly Polarized Light: Circular Dichroism of Cold Molecules in a Supersonic Gas Beam

An experiment on chiral molecules that combines circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, mass‐selective detection by laser mass spectrometry (MS), and cooling of molecules by using a supersonic beam is presented. The combination of the former two techniques (CD–laser‐MS) is a new method to investigate chiral molecules and is now used by several research groups. Cooling in a supersonic beam supplies a substantial increase in spectroscopic resolution, a feature that has not yet been used in CD spectroscopy. In the experiments reported herein, a large variation in the electronic CD of carbonyl 3‐methylcyclopentanone was observed depending on the excited vibrational modes in the n→π* transition. This finding should be of interest for the detection of chiral molecules and for the theoretical understanding of the CD of vibronic bands. It is expected that this effect will show up in other chiral carbonyls because the n→π* transition is typical for the carbonyl group.     

振动圆二色谱: 一种确定手性分子绝对构型的新方法

手性分子绝对构型的确定是一个极其重要且长期存在的问题. 振动圆二色谱是在红外波长区域测定分子圆二色性的一种新方法, 极大地扩展了圆二色谱的应用范围. 振动圆二色谱法通过构象搜索、量子化学计算等手段准确预测手性分子的振动圆二色谱图, 进而与实测谱图进行比较确定其绝对构型. 该方法已经得到了越来越广泛的应用, 必将成为一种有效测定手性分子绝对构型的常规方法.     

Circular Dichroism Study of the Inclusion-Dissociation Behavior of Complexes between a Molecular Nanotube and Azobenzene Substituted Linear Polymers

We have investigated the inclusion properties of molecular nanotubes composed ofcrosslinked -cyclodextrin. Induced circular dichroism was used to probe theformation and dissociation of complexes between the nanotubes and azobenzenemodified linear polymers. The polymer was poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), either withor without a hydrophobic alkyl chain.It was found that the inclusion complex betweenthe nanotubes and polymers formed at room temperature, and that the polymers dissociated from the nanotubes with increasing temperature. Further, the polymer with hydrophobic alkyl chain was bound inside the nanotube more strongly and dissociated more abruptly with increasing temperature than its hydrophilic counterpart as expected theoretically.     

Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Perylene Quinone‐Derived Mycotoxins by Measurement and Calculation of Electronic Circular Dichroism Spectra and Specific Rotations

Altertoxins I–III, alterlosins I and II, alteichin (alterperylenol), stemphyltoxins I–IV, stemphyperylenol, stemphytriol, 7‐epi‐8‐hydroxyaltertoxin I, and 6‐epi‐stemphytriol are mycotoxins derived from perylene quinone, for which the absolute configuration was not known. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra were calculated for these compounds and compared with measured spectra of altertoxins I–III, alteichin, and stemphyltoxin III and with reported Cotton effects. Specific rotations were calculated and compared with reported specific rotations. The absolute configuration of all the toxins, except for stemphyltoxin IV, could thus be determined. The validity of the assignment was high whenever reported ECD data were available for comparison, and the validity was lower when the assignment was based only on the comparison of calculated and reported specific rotations. ECD spectra are intrinsically different for toxins with a biphenyl substructure and for toxins derived from dihydroanthracene.     

Shedding Light on the Origin of Solid-State Luminescence Enhancement in Butterfly Molecules

Different molecular strategies have been carefully evaluated to produce solid-state luminescence enhancement (SLE) in compounds that show dark states in solution. A set of α-phenylstyrylarene derivatives with a butterfly shape have been designed and synthesised, for the first time, with the aim of improving the solid-state fluorescence emission of their parent styrylarene compounds. Although these butterfly molecules are not fluorescent in solution, one of them (1,2,4,5-tetra(α-phenylstyryl)benzene) exhibits a fluorescence quantum yield as high as 68 % in a drop-cast sample and 31 % in its crystalline form. In contrast, 1,3,5-tris(α-phenylstyryl)benzene and 4,6-bis(α-phenylstyryl)pyrimidine do not show SLE. A range of fluorescence spectroscopy experiments and DFT calculations were carried out to unravel the origin of different photophysical behaviour of these compounds in the solid state. The results indicate that a rational strategy to control the SLE effect in luminogens depends on a delicate balance between molecular properties and inter-/intramolecular interactions in the solid state.     

Electronic Circular Dichroism-Circularly Polarized Raman (eCP-Raman): A New Form of Chiral Raman Spectroscopy

This Concept article summarizes recent work on the development of a new form of chiral Raman spectroscopy, e CP-Raman, which combines two spectroscopies: electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and circularly polarized Raman (CP-Raman). First, some puzzling observations while carrying out Raman optical activity (ROA) measurements of several transition metal complexes under resonance are described, as well as the search for the mechanisms responsible. Then an equation for quantifying the e CP-Raman contribution is presented, followed by several examples of how e CP-Raman influences the I_R−I_L spectra of achiral and chiral solvent molecules and of a number of chiral solutes under resonance. The conditions to extract resonance ROA, when the e CP-Raman contribution is minimized, are also discussed. Finally, we comment on the potential applications of e CP-Raman.     

Quantitative Analysis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) Using a Potentiometric Electronic Tongue in a SIA Flow System

An advanced potentiometric electronic tongue and Sequential Injection Analysis (SIA) measurement system was applied for the quantitative analysis of mixtures containing three active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs): acetaminophen, ascorbic acid and acetylsalicylic acid, in the presence of various amounts of caffeine as interferent. The flow‐through sensor array was composed of miniaturized classical ion‐selective electrodes based on plasticized PVC membranes containing only ion exchangers. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis of the steady‐state sensor array responses, measured in API mixtures prepared by the SIA system permitted a correct quantitative analysis of acetylsalicylic acid and ascorbic acid. Further optimization using multiway PLS fed by dynamic responses without additional feature extraction did not improve significantly the resolution of acetaminophen. Lastly, the chemometric treatment, involving the extraction of dynamic components of the transient response employing the Wavelet transform, the removal of less‐significant coefficients by means of Causal Index pruning and training of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with the selected coefficients, allowed the simultaneous determination of all the three studied APIs, while counterbalancing any interference due to caffeine.     

Optically Active Oxo(phthalocyaninato)vanadium(IV) with Geometric Asymmetry: Synthesis and Correlation between the Circular Dichroism Sign and Conformation

Oxovanadium(IV) phthalocyanines (VOPcs) with a single‐handed rotation have been prepared, and their right‐ and left‐handed enantiomers resolved on a chiral HPLC column. These enantiomers gave circular dichroism (CD) spectra of opposite signs; the correlation between the CD sign and conformation was obtained by time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations: an enantiomer showing a negative sign in the Q band was suggested to be the right‐handed conformer viewing from the axial oxygen side, whereas that giving a positive CD sign was assigned to the left‐handed conformer. Although silicon phthalocyanines (SiPcs) with two different alkoxy axial ligands have been resolved similarly, the absence of a meaningful CD difference probably reflects the flat character of the SiPc plane compared to the VOPc plane. Changes in the Q‐band CD, depending on the relative orientation of the peripheral substituents, have been worked out theoretically and the origin of the chiroptical properties is discussed.     

Methacrylic Polymers Bearing in the Side-Chain an Optically Active Moiety Linked to the trans-4-Azobenzene Chromophore: Chiroptical Properties of Poly[(S)-(+)-N-methyl-(2-methacryloyloxypropanoyl)-4-aminoazobenzene]

The synthesis by radical homopolymerization of a novel optically active methacrylic polymer containing a side-chain chiral moiety linked to a photochromic chromophore has been carried out starting from the related monomer trans-(S)-(+)-N-methyl-(2-methacryloyloxypropanoyl)-4-aminoazobenzene. The chiroptical properties in solution of the polymer have been investigated by circular dichroism and compared with those of the corresponding low molecular weight model compound, trans-(S)-(+)-N-methyl-(2-pivaloyloxypropanoyl)-4-aminoazobenzene. The optical activity displayed by the polymer is discussed in terms of extent of chiral conformations assumed by the macromolecules as a consequence of dipole-dipole interactions between the azoaromatic chromophores.     

Multimetallic Architectures from the Self‐assembly of Amino Acids and Tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine Zinc(II) Complexes: Circular Dichroism Enhancement by Chromophores Organization

Stereodynamic optical probes are becoming very popular for their capability to act as molecular sensors for the determination of the enantiomeric excess (ee) of chiral compounds. Herein, we describe a new molecular architecture formed by the self‐assembly of three zinc metal ions, two modified tris(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine ligands, and two amino acids. This system is the structural and functional serendipitous evolution of our previous probe for the determination of amino acids ee. In the new system, one of the metals templates in close proximity two chromophores enhancing their exciton coupling.