De novo design of a redox-active minimal rubredoxin mimic

Metal-binding sites in metalloproteins frequently occur at the interfaces of elements of secondary structure, which has enabled the retrostructural analysis of natural proteins and the de novo design of helical bundles that bind metal ion cofactors. However, the design of metalloproteins containing beta-structure is less well developed, despite the frequent occurrence of beta-conformations in natural metalloproteins. Here, we describe the design and construction of a beta-protein, RM1, that forms a stable, redox-active 4-Cys thiolate Fe(II/III) site analogous to the active site of rubredoxin. The protein folds into a beta-structure in the presence and absence of metal ions and binds Fe(II/III) to form a redox-active site that is stable to repeated cycles of oxidation and reduction, even in an aerobic environment.     

Expanding the substrate scope of ugi five-center,four-component reaction U-5C-4CR): ketones as coupling partners for secondary amino acids

Various symmetrical and unsymmetrical ketones were successfully coupled with secondary amino acids in the course of Ugi five-center, four-component reaction (U-5C-4CR), thus expanding the molecular diversity possible to be achieved by the reaction. The chemical yields depended on the degree of hindrance of the components employed and were satisfactory in view of possible steric interactions in the U-5C-4CR zwitterionic intermediate. The sense of diastereoinduction for reactions employing unsymmetrical ketones was examined by converting the resulting Ugi adducts into the corresponding rigid 2,6-diketopiperazine derivatives.     

Experimental quantum cloning with prior partial information

When prior partial information about a state to be cloned is available, it can be cloned with a fidelity higher than that of universal quantum cloning. We experimentally verify this intriguing relationship between the cloning fidelity and the prior information by reporting the first experimental optimal quantum state-dependent cloner, using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Our experiments may further cast important implications into many quantum information processing protocols.     

Entanglement interferometry for precision measurement of atomic scattering properties

We report on a matter wave interferometer realized with entangled pairs of trapped 87Rb atoms. Each pair of atoms is confined at a single site of an optical lattice potential. The interferometer is realized by first creating a coherent spin superposition of the two atoms and then tuning the interstate scattering length via a Feshbach resonance. The selective change of the interstate scattering length leads to an entanglement dynamics of the two-particle state that can be detected in a Ramsey interference experiment. This entanglement dynamics is employed for a precision measurement of atomic interaction parameters. Furthermore, the interferometer allows us to separate lattice sites with one or two atoms in a nondestructive way.     

Mirror inversion of quantum states in linear registers

Transfer of data in linear quantum registers can be significantly simplified with preengineered but not dynamically controlled interqubit couplings. We show how to implement a mirror inversion of the state of the register in each excitation subspace with respect to the center of the register. Our construction is especially appealing as it requires no dynamical control over individual interqubit interactions. If, however, individual control of the interactions is available then the mirror inversion operation can be performed on any substring of qubits in the register. In this case, a sequence of mirror inversions can generate any permutation of a quantum state of the involved qubits.     

Multiple boron-boron bonds in neutral molecules: an insight from the extended transition state method and the natural orbitals for chemical valence scheme

We have analyzed the character of B═B and B≡B bonds in the neutral molecules of general form: LHB═BHL (2-L) and LB≡BL (3-L), for various ancillary ligands L attached to the boron center, based on a recently developed method that combines the extended transition state scheme with the theory of natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV). In the case of molecules with the B═B bond, 2-L, we have included L = PMe(3), PF(3), PCl(3), PH(3), C(3)H(4)N(2)═C(NHCH)(2), whereas for molecules containing the B≡B connection, 3-L, the following ligands were considered L = CO, PMe(3), PCl(3), (Me(2)NCH(2)CH(2)O)(2)Ge. The results led us to conclude that use of phosphorus ligands leads to strengthening of the B═B bond by 6.4 kcal/mol (for 2-PMe(3)), by 4.4 (for 2-PF(3)) and by 9.2 (for 2-PH(3)), when compared to a molecule developed on the experimental basis, 2-C(3)H(4)N(2) (ΔE(total) = -118.3 kcal/mol). The ETS scheme has shown that all contributions, that is, (i) orbital interaction ΔE(orb), (ii) Pauli repulsion ΔE(Pauli), and (iii) electrostatic stabilization ΔE(elstat), are important in determining the trend in the B═B bond energies, ΔE(total). ETS-NOCV results revealed that both σ(B═B) and π(B═B) contributions are responsible for the changes in ΔE(orb) values. All considered molecules of the type LB≡BL, 3-L, exhibit a stronger B≡B bond when compared to a double B═B connection in 2-L (|ΔE(total)| is lower by 11.8-42.5 kcal/mol, depending on the molecule). The main reason is a lower Pauli repulsion contribution noted for 3-CO, 3-PMe(3), and 3-PCl(3) molecules. In addition, in the case of 3-PMe(3) and 3-PCl(3), the orbital interaction term is more stabilizing; however, the effect is less pronounced compared to the drop in the Pauli repulsion term. In all of the systems with double and triple boron-boron bonds, the electronic factor (ΔE(orb)) dominates over the electrostatic contribution (ΔE(elstat)). Finally, the strongest B≡B connection was found for 3-Ge [L = (Me(2)NCH(2)CH(2)O)(2)Ge], predominantly as a result of the strongest σ- and π-contributions, despite the highest destabilization originating from the sizable bulkiness of the germanium-containing ligand. The data on energetic stability of multiple boron-boron bonds (relatively high values of bond dissociation energies |ΔE(total)|), suggest that it should be possible to isolate experimentally the novel proposed systems with double B═B bonds, 2-PMe(3), 2-PF(3), 2-PCl(3), and 2-PH(3), and those with triple B≡B connections, 3-PMe(3), 3-Ge, and 3-PCl(3).     

Distorted fused porphyrin-phthalocyanine conjugates: synthesis and photophysics of supramolecular assembled systems with a pyridylfullerene

In the current work, we report on the synthesis and photophysical features of supramolecular hybrid systems that are based on newly fused porphyrin-phthalocyanine (P-Pc) conjugates and a pyridylfullerene. The ZnP-ZnPc conjugate was synthesized in three steps starting with a Diels-Alder reaction between β-vinylporphyrin and fumaronitrile. The resulting mixture of isomeric adducts was then dehydrogenated to yield the corresponding benzo[b]porphyrin-2(1),2(2)-dicarbonitrile. In the final step, cyclotetramerization with 4-tert-butylphthalonitrile, in the presence of zinc acetate, afforded the bis-metalated conjugate. Selective demetallation of ZnP led to the H(2)P-ZnPc conjugate. For both conjugates steric hindrance is the inception to a bent configuration, which does, however, not preclude enlargement of the π-conjugated system, that is, the porphyrins and the phthalocyanines. The two conjugates coordinate N-(4-pyridyl)fullero[c]pyrrolidine giving rise to the corresponding supramolecular porphyrin-phthalocyanine-fullerene systems. Photophysical measurements corroborate a sequential deactivation in the excited state, namely an initial intramolecular energy transfer from ZnP or H(2)P to ZnPc followed by an intramolecular charge transfer to yield ZnP-(ZnPc)˙(+)-(C(60))˙(-) and H(2)P-(ZnPc)˙(+)-(C(60))˙(-), respectively.     

Inclusion complexes of rosmarinic acid and cyclodextrins: stoichiometry,association constants,and antioxidant potential

The interaction between β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and the polyphenol rosmarinic acid (RA) is here reported by ¹H NMR titration experiments. The formation of an aqueous soluble inclusion complex is confirmed and valuable information regarding mode of penetration of guest into β-CD, stoichiometry, and stability of the complex is obtained. The analysis by the continuous variation method shows the undoubted formation of 1:1 β-CD/RA complex. Additionally, the estimated apparent association constants reveal the importance of the asymmetry of the RA in the complexation; the incorporation of the catechol moiety closer to the carboxylic group is more favorable (K?=?2,028 M^?1) than from the other end of the RA molecule (K?=?1,184 M^?1). Finally, we have also investigated the antioxidant activity and storage stability of the β-CD/RA complexed system; the presence of β-CD was found to produce a remarkable enhancement on the antioxidant activity.     

Conductive Cotton Prepared by Polyaniline In Situ Polymerization Using Laccase

The high-redox-potential catalyst laccase, isolated from Aspergillus, was first used as a biocatalyst in the oxidative polymerization of water-soluble conductive polyaniline, and then conductive cotton was prepared by in situ polymerization under the same conditions. The polymerization of aniline was performed in a water dispersion of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) micellar solution with atmospheric oxygen serving as the oxidizing agent. This method is ecologically clean and permits a greater degree of control over the kinetics of the reaction. The conditions for polyaniline synthesis were optimized. Characterizations of the conducting polyaniline and cotton were carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, the fabric induction electrostatic tester, and the far-field EMC shielding effectiveness test fixture.