Ethynylphosphonamidates for the Rapid and Cysteine‐Selective Generation of Efficacious Antibody–Drug Conjugates

Requirements for novel bioconjugation reactions for the synthesis of antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are exceptionally high, since conjugation selectivity as well as the stability and hydrophobicity of linkers and payloads drastically influence the performance and safety profile of the final product. We report Cys‐selective ethynylphosphonamidates as new reagents for the rapid generation of efficacious ADCs from native non‐engineered monoclonal antibodies through a simple one‐pot reduction and alkylation. Ethynylphosphonamidates can be easily substituted with hydrophilic residues, giving rise to electrophilic labeling reagents with tunable solubility properties. We demonstrate that ethynylphosphonamidate‐linked ADCs have excellent properties for next‐generation antibody therapeutics in terms of serum stability and in vivo antitumor activity.     

Structure and photoconductive behaviour of a sanidic liquid crystal

A series of [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene-2,7-dicarboxylate derivatives consisting of a flat, conjugated aromatic moiety containing sulphur hetero-atoms and substituted by terminal chains - ethyl, decyl, Z-4-decenyl or 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethyl - has been synthesized. These materials exhibit a smectic liquid crystalline phase, the stability of which was found to be strongly dependent on the length and the nature of the terminal chains. In the mesophase, the molecular arrangement within the smectic layer is characterized by a local stacking of the rigid parts similar to that found in discotic columnar systems. Finally, clear photoconductive behaviour was found in mechanically aligned samples of these liquid crystals.     

Extrem aufgeweitete Tetrathiafulvalene mit Polyen-Spacern. Carotinoide Tetrathiafulvalene. Polymethin-tetracyanotetrathiafulvalen-Radikalkationen,eine neue Klasse von Violenen

Extremely Expanded Tetrathiafulvalenes with Polyene Spacers. Carotinoid Tetrathiafulvalenes. Polymethin-Tetracyanotetrathiafulvalene Radical Cations, a New Class of Violenes The synthesis of extended tetrathiafulvalenes 11 with di-, tetra-, hexa-, octa-, deca- and dodecamethine spacers is described by a PPh₃-induced Wittig-reaction-like condensation of the corresponding polyenedials 10 with 2-thio-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarbonitrile ( 9 ). By the same procedure, the dimethyloctamethine- and the tetramethyl-hexadecamethine-tetrathiafulvalenes 14 and 15 , respectively, were obtained. The extended tetrathiafulvalenes represent multistep vinylogous redox systems of the ‘violene type’. They can be oxidized to give the cyanine-like radical cations, e.g. 11 _sem, 14 _sem, and 15 _sem, and the dications, e.g. 11 _ox, 14 _ox, and 15 _ox; their UV/VIS/NIR spectra are reported. The crystal and molecular structure of (all-E)-2,2′-(octa-2,4,6-trien-1,8-diylidene)bis[1,3-dithiole-4,5-dicarbonitrile] ( 11e ) was determined: it is a rod-like, planar molecule; in the crystal, it forms staples along the longest molecule axis. The CV measurements confirm that the redox potentials of 11, 14 , and 15 decrease asymptotically with the increasing length of the spacer. Because of the close relationship of the extended tetrathiafulvalenes (ETTF's) to the carotinoids, they are named ‘caroviologenes’; they formally belong to the class of molecular wires.