1,4-Addition Reactions of Alkynyl Fischer Carbene Complexes with Azides-Synthesis of β-Amino Alkenyl Carbene Complexes

Seredipitious 1, 4-additon reactions of alkynyl tungsten Fischer carbene complex with azides with the exclusion of nitrogen to form βamino carbene complexes were found.     

Patterning Surfaces for Controlled Platelet Adhesion and Detection of Dysfunctional Platelets

Platelets play a fundamental role in thrombus formation and in the pathogenesis of arterial thrombosis. Patterning surfaces for controlled platelet adhesion paves the way for adhesion and activation mechanisms in platelets and detection of platelet functional defects. Here, a new and simple method based on controlled polymerization of 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) on the surface of styrene‐block‐(ethylene‐co‐butylene)‐block‐styrene (SEBS) is shown. The competition between polymerization and degradation enables platelet adhesion on SEBS to be switched on and off. The adhesive sites of the platelets can be down to single cell level, and the dysfunctional platelets can be quantitatively detected.

     

Synthetic Transformations of Sulfur‐Substituted 4‐Quinolizidinones

Sulfur‐substituted 4‐quinolizidinones, previously prepared by aza‐Diels‐Alder reactions and ring‐closing metathesis, are now subjected to further synthetic transformations. Formal synthesis of cermizine C and 5‐epi‐cermizine C, and some other useful reactions have been achieved.     

Triphyrin catalyzed direct C–H arylation of benzene with aryl halides

Transition-metal free direct C–H arylation of benzene with aryl halides was achieved by meso-aryl-substituted [14]triphyrins(2.1.1) catalysts in an air atmosphere. Various aryl halides underwent successful direct C–H arylation of benzene to give moderate to high yields of biaryls. A radical mechanism is proposed for this triphyrin catalyzed C–H arylation reaction.     

An Antibody with a Variable‐Region Coiled‐Coil “Knob” Domain

The X‐ray crystal structure of a bovine antibody (BLV1H12) revealed a unique structure in its ultralong heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3H) that folds into a solvent‐exposed β‐strand “stalk” fused to a disulfide crosslinked “knob” domain. We have substituted an antiparallel heterodimeric coiled‐coil motif for the β‐strand stalk in this antibody. The resulting antibody (Ab‐coil) expresses in mammalian cells and has a stability similar to that of the parent bovine antibody. MS analysis of H–D exchange supports the coiled‐coil structure of the substituted peptides. Substitution of the knob‐domain of Ab‐coil with bovine granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (bGCSF) results in a stably expressed chimeric antibody, which proliferates mouse NFS‐60 cells with a potency comparable to that of bGCSF. This work demonstrates the utility of this novel coiled‐coil CDR3 motif as a means for generating stable, potent antibody fusion proteins with useful pharmacological properties.     

Self-Assembly of Highly Stable Zirconium(IV) Coordination Cages with Aggregation Induced Emission Molecular Rotors for Live-Cell Imaging

The self-assembly of highly stable zirconium(IV)-based coordination cages with aggregation induced emission (AIE) molecular rotors for in vitro bio-imaging is reported. The two coordination cages, NUS-100 and NUS-101, are assembled from the highly stable trinuclear zirconium vertices and two flexible carboxyl-decorated tetraphenylethylene (TPE) spacers. Extensive experimental and theoretical results show that the emissive intensity of the coordination cages can be controlled by restricting the dynamics of AIE-active molecular rotors though multiple external stimuli. Because the two coordination cages have excellent chemical stability in aqueous solutions (pH stability: 2–10) and impressive AIE characteristics contributed by the molecular rotors, they can be employed as novel biological fluorescent probes for in vitro live-cell imaging.     

Protein surface recognition of the novel tetra-carboxylphenyl calix[4]arene to cytochrome c

The interaction of the novel tetra-carboxylphenyl calix[4]arene （TCPC） with the bovine heart cytochrome c （Cc） was first investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modeling methods. The formation of a stable 1：1 complex was monitored by fluorescence titration, and its binding constant is 1.916 ×10^7 L mol^-1. Molecular modeling reveals the recognition mechanism of TCPC to the Cc surface, that is, the electrostatic interaction drives TCPC to the Cc surface, and the van der Waals interaction orientates TCPC parallel to the cleft of Cc.