Electrochemiluminescence Bioassays with a Water‐Soluble Luminol Derivative Can Outperform Fluorescence Assays

The most efficient and commonly used electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters are luminol, [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺, and derivatives thereof. Luminol stands out due to its low excitation potential, but applications are limited by its insolubility under physiological conditions. The water‐soluble m‐carboxy luminol was synthesized in 15 % yield and exhibited high solubility under physiological conditions and afforded a four‐fold ECL signal increase (vs. luminol). Entrapment in DNA‐tagged liposomes enabled a DNA assay with a detection limit of 3.2 pmol L^?1, which is 150 times lower than the corresponding fluorescence approach. This remarkable sensitivity gain and the low excitation potential establish m‐carboxy luminol as a superior ECL probe with direct relevance to chemiluminescence and enzymatic bioanalytical approaches.     

Cylindrical polymer brushes

In recent years, research on cylindrical polymer brushes (or molecular bottlebrushes) has received significant attention. In this article, we discuss various strategies for their synthesis and the unique properties arising from their regular multibranched structure. Some recent advances in the application of cylindrical polymer brushes are highlighted. Amphiphilic core– shell cylindrical polymer brushes, for example, have been successfully used as single molecular templates for inorganic nanoparticle formation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3461–3481, 2005     

Crystal structure of a squalene cyclase in complex with the potential anticholesteremic drug Ro48-8071

Squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) catalyzes the conversion of squalene into pentacyclic compounds. It is the prokaryotic counterpart of the eukaryotic oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) that catalyzes the steroid scaffold formation. Because of clear sequence homology, SHC can serve as a model for OSC, which is an attractive target for anticholesteremic drugs. We have established the crystal structure of SHC complexed with Ro48-8071, a potent inhibitor of OSC and therefore of cholesterol biosynthesis. Ro48-8071 is bound in the active-center cavity of SHC and extends into the channel that connects the cavity with the membrane. The binding site of Ro48-8071 is largely identical with the expected site of squalene; it differs from a previous model based on photoaffinity labeling. The knowledge of the inhibitor binding mode in SHC is likely to help develop more potent inhibitors for OSC.     

Sustainable photochemistry: solvent-free singlet oxygen-photooxygenation of organic substrates embedded in porphyrin-loaded polystyrene beads

A solvent-free photooxygenation process that uses organic substrates embedded in porphyrin-loaded polystyrene beads as solid support is described and applied for ene- and [4 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions involving singlet oxygen (1 delta g).     

Highly enantioselective syntheses of heterocycles via intramolecular Ir-catalyzed allylic amination and etherification

[reaction: see text] Enantioselective Ir-catalyzed intramolecular allylic aminations and etherifications are described. Up to 97% ee was achieved using catalysts prepared by in situ activation of mixtures of phosphorus amidites and [Ir(COD)Cl]2. Sequential aminations of bis-allylic carbonates, involving an inter- followed by an intramolecular reaction, gave trans-N-benzyl-2,5-divinylpyrrolidine and trans-N-benzyl-2,6-divinylpiperidine with > or = 99% ee. New phosphorus amidites as well as improved conditions for intermolecular aminations are reported.     

Exponential decay lifetimes of excitons in individual single-walled carbon nanotubes

The dynamics of excitons in individual semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes was studied using time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL decay from tubes of the same (n,m) type was found to be monoexponential, however, with lifetimes varying between less than 20 and 200 ps from tube to tube. Competition of nonradiative decay of excitons is facilitated by a thermally activated process, most likely a transition to a low-lying optically inactive trap state that is promoted by a low-frequency phonon mode.     

Folding and unfolding of an elastinlike oligopeptide: "inverse temperature transition," reentrance, and hydrogen-bond dynamics

The temperature-dependent behavior of a solvated oligopeptide, GVG(VPGVG), is investigated. Spectroscopic measurements, thermodynamic measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations find that this elastinlike octapeptide behaves as a two-state system that undergoes an "inverse temperature" folding transition and reentrant unfolding close to the boiling point of water. A molecular picture of these processes is presented, emphasizing changes in the dynamics of hydrogen bonding at the protein/water interface and peptide backbone librational entropy.