Fast and Efficient Postsynthetic DNA Labeling in Cells by Means of Strain-Promoted Sydnone-Alkyne Cycloadditions

Sydnones are highly stable mesoionic 1,3-dipoles that react with cyclooctynes through strain-promoted sydnone-alkyne cycloaddition (SPSAC). Although sydnones have been shown to be valuable bioorthogonal chemical reporters for the labeling of proteins and complex glycans, nucleic acids have not yet been tagged by SPSAC. Evaluation of SPSAC kinetics with model substrates showed fast reactions with cyclooctyne probes (up to k=0.59 M⁻¹ s⁻¹), and two different sydnones were effectively incorporated into both 2’-deoxyuridines at position 5, and 7-deaza-2’-deoxyadenosines at position 7. These modified nucleosides were synthetically incorporated into single-stranded DNAs, which were successfully postsynthetically labeled with cyclooctyne probes both in vitro and in cells. These results show that sydnones are versatile bioorthogonal tags and have the premise to become essential tools for tracking DNA and potentially RNA in living cells.     

De Novo Designed α-Helical Coiled-Coil Peptides as Scaffolds for Chemical Reactions

Coiled coils (CCs) are well-understood protein-folding motifs. They appear in a variety of oligomer states and as homo- and heteromeric assemblies. This versatility and the general accessibility by de novo design makes them ideal building blocks for synthetic biology. This Minireview highlights the efforts being made in designing small peptide catalysts or reaction templates based on the CC scaffold. The first reports described autocatalysis or mediation of peptide ligation based on CC recognition. Over the years, the designs became more advanced, catalyzing ester hydrolysis, acyl transfer and redox reactions with partial enzyme-like reactivity. Due to the ability to control CC assembly, and, in heterodimeric systems, the association and dissociation, the CC motif has become a common peptide tag in chemical biology.     

Synthesis and electronic properties of expanded 5-(hetero)aryl-thien-2-yl substituted 3-ethynyl quinoxalines with AIE characteristics

Expanded 5-(hetero)aryl-thien-2-yl substituted 3-ethynyl quinoxaline dyes with variable substitution pattern on the peripheral thiophene ring were synthesized in moderate to very good yields by Suzuki and Buchwald-Hartwig coupling of the corresponding brominated 3-ethynyl quinoxalines. Dumbbell-shaped bis(thienyl 3-ethynyl quinoxalines) are also accessible by the Suzuki protocol. The photophysical properties were investigated by UV and fluorescence spectroscopy. Most of the obtained compounds display fluorescence in solution and some of them also in the solid state. Additionally, tuning of the emission color of the quinoxaline based chromophores can be conveniently accomplished by the remote substituent group. The determined absorption and emission maximum as well as the Stokes shifts strongly correlate with Hammett σp+parameters. Besides,photophysical properties of selected derivatives in the solid state, biphasic solutions, and PMMA films, along with their relationships, are comparatively investigated. Moreover, two 5-(hetero)aryl-thien-2-yl substituted 3-ethynyl quinoxaline dyes are aggregation induced emission(AIE) chromophores indicated by restriction of molecular motions. A covalently restricted 3-ethynyl quinoxaline supports that the inhibition of molecular rotation is responsible for the significant enhancement of fluorescence in acetonitrile/water mixtures.     

Modular and Selective Arylation of Aryl Germanes (C−GeEt3) over C−Bpin,C−SiR3 and Halogens Enabled by Light‐Activated Gold Catalysis

Selective C –C couplings are powerful strategies for the rapid and programmable construction of bi‐ or multiaryls. To this end, the next frontier of synthetic modularity will likely arise from harnessing the coupling space that is orthogonal to the powerful Pd‐catalyzed coupling regime. This report details the realization of this concept and presents the fully selective arylation of aryl germanes (which are inert under Pd⁰/Pd^II catalysis) in the presence of the valuable functionalities C?BPin, C?SiMe₃, C?I, C?Br, C?Cl, which in turn offer versatile opportunities for diversification. The protocol makes use of visible light activation combined with gold catalysis, which facilitates the selective coupling of C?Ge with aryl diazonium salts. Contrary to previous light‐/gold‐catalyzed couplings of Ar–N₂⁺, which were specialized in Ar–N₂⁺ scope, we present conditions to efficiently couple electron‐rich, electron‐poor, heterocyclic and sterically hindered aryl diazonium salts. Our computational data suggest that while electron‐poor Ar–N₂⁺ salts are readily activated by gold under blue‐light irradiation, there is a competing dissociative deactivation pathway for excited electron‐rich Ar–N₂⁺, which requires an alternative photo‐redox approach to enable productive couplings.     

Optimal control methods applied on the ionization processes of alkali dimers

We present two novel optimization methods by employing shaped fs-laser pulses in a closed feedback loop. The first describes control pulse cleaning where extraneous features were removed by applying genetic pressure on certain pulse components. The second reports parametric optimization with intuitive parameters such as subpulse distances, chirps, phase differences, and spectral peak patterns. These methods were conducted on the ionization process of alkali dimers produced in a molecular beam and improved the performances of the optimized pulses compared with short pulses at the same pulse energy. Moreover, we attempt to analyze the obtained pulse shapes regarding the underlying optimized processes. Further investigations concerning isotope selective fragmentation and optimal control of excitation processes of ultracold rubidium dimers in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are also shown.     

A Modular Class of Fluorescent Difluoroboranes: Synthesis,Structure, Optical Properties,Theoretical Calculations and Applications for Biological Imaging

Ten borylated bipyridines (BOBIPYs) have been synthesized and selected structural modifications have been made that allow useful structure–optical property relationships to be gathered. These systems have been further investigated using DFT calculations and spectroscopic measurements, showing blue to green fluorescence with quantum yields up to 41 %. They allow full mapping of the structure to determine where selected functionalities can be implemented, to tune the optical properties or to incorporate linking groups. The best derivative was thus functionalised with an alkyne linker, which would enable further applications through click chemistry and in this optic, the stability of the fluorophores has been evaluated.     

A Boron‐Fluorinated Tris(pyrazolyl)borate Ligand (FTp*) and Its Mono‐ and Dinuclear Copper Complexes [Cu(FTp*)2] and [Cu2(FTp*)2]: Synthesis,Structures, and DFT Calculations

Reaction of [Si(3,5‐Me₂pz)₄] ( 1 ) with [Cu(MeCN)₄][BF₄] ( 2 ) gave the mono‐ and dinuclear copper complexes [Cu₂(^FTp*)₂] ( 3 ) and [Cu(^FTp*)₂] ( 4 ). Both complexes contain the so‐far unprecedented boron‐fluorinated ^FTp* ligand ([FB(3,5‐Me₂pz)₃]^? with pz=pyrazolyl) originating from 1 , acting as a pyrazolyl transfer reagent, and the [BF₄]^? counter anion of 2 , serving as the source of the {BF} entity. The solid‐state structures as well as the NMR and EPR spectroscopic characteristics of the complexes were elaborated. Pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) experiments revealed that 3 retains (almost entirely) its dimeric structure in benzene, whereas dimer cleavage and formation of acetonitrile adducts, presumably [Cu(^FTp*)(MeCN)], is observed in acetonitrile. The short Cu???Cu distance of 269.16 pm in the solid‐state is predicted by DFT calculations to be dictated by dispersion interactions between all atoms in the complex (the Cu?Cu dispersion contribution itself is only very small). As revealed by cyclic voltammetry studies, 3 shows an irreversible (almost quasi‐reversible at higher scan rates) oxidation process centred at E^pa=?0.23 V (E⁰_1/2=?0.27 V) (vs. Fc/Fc⁺). Oxidation reactions on a preparative scale with one equivalent of the ferrocenium salt [Fc][BF₄] (very slow reaction) or air (fast reaction) furnished blue crystals of the mononuclear copper(II) complex [Cu(^FTp*)₂] ( 4 ). As expected for a Jahn–Teller‐active system, the coordination sphere around copper(II) is strongly distorted towards a stretched octahedron, in accordance with EPR spectroscopic findings.