Ultrafast Click Chemistry with Fluorosydnones

We report the synthesis and reactivity of 4‐fluorosydnones, a unique class of mesoionic dipoles displaying exquisite reactivity towards both copper‐catalyzed and strain‐promoted cycloaddition reactions with alkynes. Synthetic access to these new mesoionic compounds was granted by electrophilic fluorination of σ‐sydnone Pd^II precursors in the presence of Selectfluor. Their reactions with terminal and cyclic alkynes were found to proceed very rapidly and selectively, affording 5‐fluoro‐1,4‐pyrazoles with bimolecular rate constants up to 10⁴ m ^?1 s^?1, surpassing those documented in the literature with cycloalkynes. Kinetic studies were carried out to unravel the mechanism of the reaction, and the value of 4‐fluorosydnones was further highlighted by successful radiolabeling with [¹⁸F]Selectfluor.     

Modulation of photo-oxidative DNA damage by cationic surfactant complexation

The natural packaging of DNA in the cell by histones provides a particular environment affecting its sensitivity to oxidative damage. In this work, we used the complexation of DNA by cationic surfactants to modulate the conformation, the dynamics, and the environment of the double helix. Photo-oxidative damage initiated by benzophenone as the photosensitizer on a plasmid DNA complexed by dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), tetradecyltrimethylammonium chloride (TTAC), cetyltrimethyammonium chloride (CTAC) and bromide (CTAB) was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. By fluorescent titration in the presence of ethidium bromide (EB) and agarose gel electrophoresis, we experimentally confirmed the complexation diagrams with a critical aggregation concentration on DNA matrix (CAC DNA) delimiting two regions of complexation, according to the DNA-phosphate concentration. The study of the photo-oxidative damage shows, for the first time, a direct correlation between the DNA complexation by these surfactants and the efficiency of DNA cleavage, with a maximum corresponding to the CAC DNA for DTAC and CTAC, and to DNA neutralization for CTAC and CTAB. The localization of a photosensitizer having low water solubility, such as benzophenone, inside the hydrophobic domains formed by the surfactant aggregated on DNA, locally increases the photoinduced cleavage by the free radical oxygen species generated. The inefficiency of a water-soluble quencher of hydroxyl radicals, such as mannitol, confirmed this phenomenon. The detection of photo-oxidative damage constitutes a new tool for investigating DNA complexation by cationic surfactants. Moreover, highlighting the drastically increased sensitivity of a complexed DNA to photo-oxidative damage is of crucial importance for the biological use of surfactants as nonviral gene delivery systems.     

Chiral 1,3,2‐Diazaphospholenes as Catalytic Molecular Hydrides for Enantioselective Conjugate Reductions

Secondary 1,3,2‐diazaphospholenes have a polarized P?H bond and are emerging as molecular hydrides. Herein, a class of chiral, conformationally restricted methoxy‐1,3,2‐diazaphospholene catalysts is reported. We demonstrate their catalytic potential in asymmetric 1,4‐reductions of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl derivatives, including enones, acyl pyrroles, and amides, which proceeded in enantioselectivities of up to 95.5:4.5 e.r.     

Design,Synthesis, and Application of an Optimized Monofluorinated Aliphatic Label for Peptide Studies by Solid‐State 19F NMR Spectroscopy

A conformationally restricted monofluorinated α‐amino acid, (3‐fluorobicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl)glycine (F‐Bpg), was designed as a label for the structural analysis of membrane‐bound peptides by solid‐state ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The compound was synthesized and validated as a ¹⁹F label for replacing natural aliphatic α‐amino acids. Calculations suggested that F‐Bpg is similar to Leu/Ile in terms of size and lipophilicity. The ¹⁹F NMR label was incorporated into the membrane‐active antimicrobial peptide PGLa and provided information on the structure of the peptide in a lipid bilayer.     

Influence of temperature on hydration-shell microstructure of chlorine and bromine anions in aqueous solution

It has been found that the Cl⁻ and Br⁻ anions change the microstructure of their hydration shells in the temperature range 30–35 °C. The effect was observed for simple salt solutions and ternary systems with different organic compounds. Probably this effect can be responsible for the thermoregulation of warm-blooded animals.     

Upgrading the nuclotron injection facility

The Nuclotron Injection Facility is intended to be used to inject beams of light and heavy ions with the charge-to-mass ratio q/A ?? 1/3 and energy 5 MeV/u and protons with the energy 20 MeV into the Nuclotron. The main directions in the upgrading of the laser source of light-element ions and the KRION heavyion source, the development of the new high-intensity source of polarized ions, and the preinjector updating plan are described.     

Dependence of the Longitudinal-Transverse Exciton Splitting in a Quantum Well on an External Homogeneous Electric Field

Physics of the Solid State - A decrease in the longitudinal-transverse exciton splitting in a wide GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well (QW) in a homogeneous electric field has been theoretically considered....