Synthetic versatility in C-H oxidation: a rapid approach to differentiated diols and pyrans from simple olefins

Conventionally, C-H oxidation reactions are used to install functional groups. The use of C-H oxidation to transform simple starting materials into highly versatile intermediates, which enable rapid access to a range of complex target structures, is a new area with tremendous potential in synthesis. Herein we report a Pd(II)/sulfoxide-catalyzed allylic C-H oxidation to form anti-1,4-dioxan-2-ones from homoallylic oxygenates. These versatile building blocks are rapidly elaborated to differentiated syn-1,2-diols, stereodefined amino-polyols, and syn-pyrans, structures ubiquitous in medicinally important complex molecules found in Nature. We also demonstrate that a C-H oxidation approach to the synthesis of these motifs is orthogonal and complementary to other state-of-the-art methods.     

Energetic preference of 8-oxoG eversion pathways in a DNA glycosylase

Base eversion is a fundamental process in the biochemistry of nucleic acids, allowing proteins engaged in DNA repair and epigenetic modifications to access target bases in DNA. Crystal structures reveal end points of these processes, but not the pathways involved in the dynamic process of base recognition. To elucidate the pathway taken by 8-oxoguanine during base excision repair by Fpg, we calculated free energy surfaces during eversion of the damaged base through the major and minor grooves. The minor groove pathway and free energy barrier (6-7 kcal/mol) are consistent with previously reported results (Qi, Y.; Spong, M. C.; Nam, K.; Banerjee, A.; Jiralerspong, S.; Karplus, M.; Verdine, G. L. Nature 2009, 462, 762.) However, eversion of 8-oxoG through the major groove encounters a significantly lower barrier (3-4 kcal/mol) more consistent with experimentally determined rates of enzymatic sliding during lesion search (Blainey, P. C.; van Oijent, A. M.; Banerjee, A.; Verdine, G. L.; Xie, X. S. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2006, 103, 5752.). Major groove eversion has been suggested for other glycosylases, suggesting that in addition to function, dynamics of base eversion may also be conserved.     

Phase Relations in the Ni–Mn–Ga Ternary System and Aging Effect on Shape Memory Properties of Ferromagnetic Ni<Subscript>2</Subscript>MnGa Sputtered Films

Summary. Isothermal sections of the Ni–Mn–Ga ternary phase diagram at 1073 and 1273 K were investigated over a wide range of alloy compositions. The range of the β-Ni₂MnGa phase, its equilibria with the γ-(Mn, Ni), α′-Ni₃Ga, and γ-Ni₃Ga₂ phases, and the liquidus and solidus lines were determined experimentally. The aging effect on the shape memory effect (SME) of Ni₂MnGa sputtered films was also investigated. The two-way SME of the constraint-aged films was confirmed by the temperature change.     

Diversification of a β-Lactam Pharmacophore via Allylic C-H Amination: Accelerating Effect of Lewis Acid Co-Catalyst

This report describes the use of Pd(II)/bis-sulfoxide 1 catalyzed intra- and intermolecular allylic C-H amination reactions to rapidly diversify structures containing a sensitive β-lactam core similar to that found in the monobactam antibiotic Aztreonam. Pharmacologically interesting oxazolidinone, oxazinanone, and linear amine motifs are rapidly installed with predictable and high selectivities under conditions that use limiting amounts of substrate. Additionally, we demonstrate for the first time that intramolecular C-H amination processes may be accelerated using catalytic amounts of a Lewis acid co-catalyst [Cr(III)(salen)Cl 2].     

A study of the removal of selenite and selenate from aqueous solutions using a magnetic iron/manganese oxide nanomaterial and ICP-MS

Selenium (Se) is naturally occurring in the environment and is an essential nutrient in mammals. However, environmental Se can be increased to toxic levels through different industrial practices. The potential adsorption of the Se oxoanions, selenite and selenate, from aqueous solutions onto nanosynthesized MnFe₂O₄ was investigated using batch techniques and DRC-ICP-MS spectroscopy. The nanomaterial (NM) was laboratory synthesized through slow titration of a mixture of Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions. X-ray diffraction and Scherrer's equation were used to determine the phase of the material and crystallite size, respectively. The effects of pH, reaction time, competitive anions, and the adsorption capacity of the synthesized NM to bind selenite and selenate were investigated. The Langmuir isotherm was used to determine the binding capacity of the NM. Results showed that the phase of the nanomaterial was similar to Jacobsite with a size of 27.5 nm. Results also showed that the sorption of either 100 ppb of selenite or selenate was pH independent in the pH range 2 to 6 and occurred within 5 min of contact time. The introduction of Cl⁻ and NO₃⁻ anions individually added to solution had no significant effect on the sorption of either selenite or selenate. However, it was found that the addition of SO₄²⁻ had a competitive effect only on the sorption of selenate, first seen at 10 ppm and more pronounced at 100 ppm of SO₄²⁻. In the presence of 100 ppm of PO₄³⁻, the adsorption of selenate decreased to 87% while selenite sorption decreased to 20%. From the Langmuir isotherm equation it was determined that the nano-Jacobsite had a selenite and selenate binding capacity of 6573.76 and 769.23 mg Se/kg of NM, respectively.     

Enzyme Design from the Bottom Up: An Active Nickel Electrocatalyst with a Structured Peptide Outer Coordination Sphere

Catalytic, peptide‐containing metal complexes with a well‐defined peptide structure have the potential to enhance molecular catalysts through an enzyme‐like outer coordination sphere. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of an active, peptide‐based metal complex built upon the well‐characterized hydrogen production catalyst [Ni(P^Ph₂N^Ph)₂]²⁺ (P^Ph₂N^Ph=1,3,6‐triphenyl‐1‐aza‐3,6‐diphosphacycloheptane). The incorporated peptide maintains its β‐hairpin structure when appended to the metal core, and the electrocatalytic activity of the peptide‐based metal complex (≈100,000 s^?1) is enhanced compared to the parent complex ([Ni(P^Ph₂N^APPA)₂]²⁺; ≈50,500 s^‐1). The combination of an active molecular catalyst with a structured peptide provides a scaffold that permits the incorporation of features of an enzyme‐like outer‐coordination sphere necessary to create molecular electrocatalysts with enhanced functionality.     

Sustainable Peptide Synthesis Enabled by a Transient Protecting Group

The growing interest in synthetic peptides has prompted the development of viable methods for their sustainable production. Currently, large amounts of toxic solvents are required for peptide assembly from protected building blocks, and switching to water as a reaction medium remains a major hurdle in peptide chemistry. We report an aqueous solid‐phase peptide synthesis strategy that is based on a water‐compatible 2,7‐disulfo‐9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Smoc) protecting group. This approach enables peptide assembly under aqueous conditions, real‐time monitoring of building block coupling, and efficient postsynthetic purification. The procedure for the synthesis of all natural and several non‐natural Smoc‐protected amino acids is described, as well as the assembly of 22 peptide sequences and the fundamental issues of SPPS, including the protecting group strategy, coupling and cleavage efficiency, stability under aqueous conditions, and crucial side reactions.     

Nanoparticle‐Mediated Immunogenic Cell Death Enables and Potentiates Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapies that train or stimulate the inherent immunological systems to recognize, attack, and eradicate tumor cells with minimal damage to healthy cells have demonstrated promising clinical responses in recent years. However, most of these immunotherapeutic strategies only benefit a small subset of patients and cause systemic autoimmune side effects in some patients. Immunogenic cell death (ICD)‐inducing modalities not only directly kill cancer cells but also induce antitumor immune responses against a broad spectrum of solid tumors. Such strategies for generating vaccine‐like functions could be used to stimulate a “cold” tumor microenvironment to become an immunogenic, “hot” tumor microenvironment, working in synergy with immunotherapies to increase patient response rates and lead to successful treatment outcomes. This Minireview will focus on nanoparticle‐based treatment modalities that can induce and enhance ICD to potentiate cancer immunotherapy.     

Acid-Catalyzed RNA-Oligomerization from 3’,5’-cGMP

The assembly of ancient informational polymers from nucleotide precursors is the central challenge of life's origin on our planet. Among the possible solutions, dry polymerization of 3’,5’-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (3’,5’-cGMP) has been proposed as a candidate to create oligonucleotides of 15–20 units in length. However, the reported sensitivity of the reaction to the presence of cations raised questions of whether this chemistry could be relevant in a geological context. The experiments in this study show that the presence of cations is not restrictive as long as the reaction is conducted in an acidic environment, in contrast to previous reports that suggested optimal conditions at pH 9.