Solid-state NMR identification and quantification of newly formed aluminosilicate phases in weathered kaolinite systems

The weathering of a specimen kaolinite clay was studied over the course of 369 d via solid-state 29Si magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-field 27Al MAS NMR. The chosen baseline solution conditions (0.05 mol kg-1 of Al, 2 mol kg-1 of Na+, 1 mol kg-1 of NO3-, 1 mol kg-1 of OH-, and pH approximately 13.8) approximate those of solutions leaking from waste tanks at the Hanford Site in Richland, WA. Nonradioactive Cs and Sr cations were added to this synthetic tank waste leachate (STWL) solution at concentrations of 10(-3), 10(-4), and 10(-5) molal (m) to represent their radionuclide counterparts. The transformations of silicon- and aluminum-containing solid phase species were monitored quantitatively by using NMR spectroscopy, with the resulting spectra directly reporting the influence of the initial Cs and Sr on formation and transformation of the neo-formed solids. At the lowest concentration of Cs and Sr employed (10(-5) m in each cation) peaks consistent with the formation of zeolite-like minerals were detected via 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR as early as 33 d. At concentrations of 10(-3) m in each cation, new silicon species are not detected until 93 d, although neophases containing four-coordinate aluminum were detectable at earlier reaction times via 27Al MAS NMR. At the highest magnetic field strengths employed in this NMR study, deconvolutions of resonances detected in the tetrahedral region of the 27Al MAS spectra yielded multiple components, indicating the existence of at least four new aluminum-containing phases. Two of these phases are identified as sodalite and cancrinite through comparison with diffuse-reflectance infrared (DRIFT) spectra and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, while a third phase may correlate with a previously detected aluminum-rich chabazite phase. All measurable solid reaction products have been quantified via their 27Al MAS resonances acquired at high magnetic field strengths (17.6 T), and the quantitative nature of the 27Al NMR data shows that cancrinite growth increases while sodalite reaches a steady state with respect to total aluminum in the solid phases. The data also relate the coupling of Cs sorption to the ripening of feldspathoid phases in this heterogeneous system as a function of time, and illustrate the important influence of co-contaminants on the environmental reaction kinetics studied here.     

Photoinduced processes of newly synthesized bisferrocene- and bisfullerene-substituted tetrads with a triphenylamine central block

Photoinduced electron transfer processes of two newly synthesized tetrads with a triphenylamine (TPA) as central building block, to which bisfullerenes (C₆₀) and bisferrocenes (Fc) are covalently connected, have been studied. One of them has a TPA linked with one C₆₀ moiety and two ferrocene moieties C₆₀-TPA-(Fc)₂ and another tetrad has a TPA linked with two C₆₀ moieties and one ferrocene unit (C₆₀)₂-TPA-Fc. The photophysical properties of (C₆₀)_m-TPA-(Fc)_n have been investigated by applying the picosecond time-resolved fluorescence and nanosecond transient absorption techniques in both polar and nonpolar solvents. The charge separation process via the excited singlet state of the C₆₀ moiety of the C₆₀-TPA-(Fc)₂ is more efficient than that of the (C₆₀)₂-TPA-Fc. It is found that the ratio of Fc-donor to C₆₀-acceptor affects charge separation efficiency via the excited singlet state of the C₆₀ moiety.     

Infrared spectroscopy and optical constants of porous amorphous solid water

Reflection-absorption infrared spectra (RAIRS) of amorphous solid water (ASW) films grown at 20 K on a Pt(111) substrate at various angles (theta(Beam) = 0-85 degrees ) using a molecular beam are reported. They display complex features arising from the interplay between refraction, absorption within the sample, and interference effects between the multiple reflections at the film-substrate and film-vacuum interfaces. Using a simple classical optics model based on Fresnel equations, we obtain optical constants [i.e., n(omega) and k(omega)] for porous ASW in the 1000-4000 cm(-1) (10-2.5 microm) range. The behavior of the optical properties of ASW in the intramolecular OH stretching region with increasing theta(Beam) is shown to be strongly correlated with its decreasing density and increasing surface area. A direct comparison between the RAIRS and calculated vibrational spectra shows a large difference ( approximately 200 cm(-1)) in the position of the coupled H-bonded intramolecular OH stretching vibrations spectral feature. Moreover, this band shifts in opposite directions with increasing theta(Beam) in RAIRS and vibrational spectra demonstrating RAIRS spectra cannot be interpreted straightforwardly as vibrational spectra due to severe optical distortions from refraction and interference effects.     

Equilibrium Formation of Stable All‐Silicon Versions of 1,3‐Cyclobutanediyl

Main group analogues of cyclobutane‐1,3‐diyls are fascinating due to their unique reactivity and electronic properties. So far only heteronuclear examples have been isolated. Here we report the isolation and characterization of all‐silicon 1,3‐cyclobutanediyls as stable closed‐shell singlet species from the reversible reactions of cyclotrisilene c‐Si₃Tip₄ (Tip=2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl) with the N‐heterocyclic silylenes c‐[(CR₂CH₂)(NtBu)₂]Si: (R=H or methyl) with saturated backbones. At elevated temperatures, tetrasilacyclobutenes are obtained from these equilibrium mixtures. The corresponding reaction with the unsaturated N‐heterocyclic silylene c‐(CH)₂(NtBu)₂Si: proceeds directly to the corresponding tetrasilacyclobutene without detection of the assumed 1,3‐cyclobutanediyl intermediate.     

Chemical Proteomics and Phenotypic Profiling Identifies the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor as a Molecular Target of the Utrophin Modulator Ezutromid

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal muscle‐wasting disease arising from mutations in the dystrophin gene. Upregulation of utrophin to compensate for the missing dystrophin offers a potential therapy independent of patient genotype. The first‐in‐class utrophin modulator ezutromid/SMT C1100 was developed from a phenotypic screen through to a Phase 2 clinical trial. Promising efficacy and evidence of target engagement was observed in DMD patients after 24 weeks of treatment, however trial endpoints were not met after 48 weeks. The objective of this study was to understand the mechanism of action of ezutromid which could explain the lack of sustained efficacy and help development of new generations of utrophin modulators. Using chemical proteomics and phenotypic profiling we show that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a target of ezutromid. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that ezutromid binds AhR with an apparent K_D of 50 nm  and behaves as an AhR antagonist. Furthermore, other reported AhR antagonists also upregulate utrophin, showing that this pathway, which is currently being explored in other clinical applications including oncology and rheumatoid arthritis, could also be exploited in future DMD therapies.     

Diverging Rh(I)-catalyzed carbocylization strategy to prepare a library of unique cyclic ethers

A library of 90 carboxamide-containing oxepines and pyrans was synthesized. A dual-branching strategy was used where a common intermediate, an allenyl-hydroxy ester, was either allylated or propargylated then subjected to rhodium(I)-catalyzed carbocyclization reaction conditions to afford an oxepine- or triene-containing pyran, respectively. The oxepines were selectively reduced to afford two functionally unique scaffolds using complementary hydrogenation conditions. Diversification of the oxepines and pyrans involved conversion of the methyl carboxylate group to a carboxamide via either a microwave-assisted amidation using polymer-bound carbodiimide (DCC) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) or a NaCN-catalyzed aminolysis. The scope of a rarely used carbonyl-yne reaction was expanded to the preparation of 10 new allenyl-hydroxy esters using microwave irradiation. Finally, a cell-based diversity analysis using BCUT (Burden (B) CAS (C) Pearlman at the University of Texas (UT)) metrics calculations and two-dimensional fingerprint similarity approaches shows that when compared to the 100,000 Pittsburgh Molecular Library Screening Center (PMLSC) compound database and PubChem the new compound library occupies a unique chemical space.     

Structure-based design of Aurora A & B inhibitors

The Aurora family of serine/threonine kinases are mitotic regulators involved in centrosome duplication, formation of the bipolar mitotic spindle and the alignment of the chromosomes along the spindle. These proteins are frequently overexpressed in tumor cells as compared to normal cells and are therefore potential therapeutic oncology targets. An Aurora A high throughput screen revealed a promising sub-micromolar indazole-benzimidazole lead. Modification of the benzimidazole portion of the lead to a C2 linker with a phenyl ring was proposed to achieve novelty. Docking revealed that a conjugated linker was optimal and the resulting compounds were equipotent with the lead. Further structure-guided optimization of substituents on the 5 & 6 position of the indazole led to single digit nanomolar potency. The homology between the Aurora A & Aurora B kinase domains is 71% but their binding sites only differ at residues 212 & 217 (Aurora A numbering). However interactions with only the latter residue may be used for obtaining selectivity. An analysis of published Aurora A and Aurora B X-ray structures reveals subtle differences in the shape of the binding sites. This was exploited by introduction of appropriately sized substituents in the 4 & 6 position of the indazole leading to Aurora B selective inhibitors. Finally we calculate the conformational energy penalty of the putative bioactive conformation of our inhibitors and show that this property correlates well with the Aurora A binding affinity.     

结晶聚合物品相相容性的研究

通过ＤＳＣ、Ｘ－射线衍射、红外光谱及拉伸试验研究了ＨＤＰＥ与ＬＬＤＰＥ、ＨＤＰＥ与ＬＤＰＥ之间的晶相相容性．结果表明，链结构相近的ＨＤＰＥ和ＬＬＤＰＥ的晶相相容性好，能形成共晶；而链结构差异较大的ＨＤＰＥ和ＬＤＰＥ的晶相相容性较差，倾向于分别结晶，但有部分链段被对方的晶区夹持．不论是支化度大的ＬＤＰＥ链段插入以ＨＤＰＥ为主的晶区，还是支化度小的ＨＤＰＥ链段插入以ＬＤＰＥ为主的晶区，都可破坏晶区的规整性．共晶的形成使共混物的熔点、结晶度、晶粒体积等低于两组份的线性加和，而力学性能，尤其是断裂伸长率，则显著提高，呈协同效应．     

通过硼氢化-原位再结晶提高二异松莰烷基硼烷光学纯度的简便方法

本文叙述了由国产低光学纯(43.6%e e)(-)-α-蒎烯通过硼氢化-原位再结晶, 制备高光学纯(97.2%ee)(+)-二异松茨烷基硼烷(diisopinocampheylborane, Ipc2BH)的简便新方法。