Freeze-thaw behaviour of aqueous glucose solutions--the crystallisation of cubic ice

We report on the polymorphic transitions of ice in aqueous solutions of glucose during freezing and thawing over a temperature range of 298-153 K. Emphasis is placed on the sub-glass temperature range where the systems consist of cubic ice (ice-1c) crystals embedded in a freeze concentrated, vitrified glucose solution. The systems were studied by a combination of thermal, cryomicroscopic and X-ray diffraction techniques. At the glass transition (230 K) the solution phase contained 80 mol% of unfrozen water which, on further cooling, was shown to crystallise as cubic ice (ice-1c), nucleated in the vitrified matrix. The thermal stability of the ice-1c formed was studied by annealing and isothermal changes in the diffraction patterns with time. The polymorphic transition 1c --> 1h could be fitted to first order kinetics. Contrary to currently held belief, this study has provided evidence that ice-1c can be formed directly in the bulk water phase of a vitrified solution.     

Fine Pore-Structure Engineering by Ligand Conformational Control of Naphthalene Diimide-Based Semiconducting Porous Coordination Polymers for Efficient Chemiresistive Gas Sensing

Exploring new porous coordination polymers (PCPs) that have tunable structure and conductivity is attractive but remains challenging. Herein, fine pore structure engineering by ligand conformation control of naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based semiconducting PCPs with π stacking-dependent conductivity tunability is achieved. The π stacking distances and ligand conformation in these isoreticular PCPs were modulated by employing metal centers with different coordination geometries. As a result, three conjugated PCPs (Co−pyNDI, Ni−pyNDI, and Zn−pyNDI) with varying pore structure and conductivity were obtained. Their crystal structures were determined by three-dimensional electron diffraction. The through-space charge transfer and tunable pore structure in these PCPs result in modulated selectivity and sensitivity in gas sensing. Zn−pyNDI can serve as a room-temperature operable chemiresistive sensor selective to acetone.     

The pH effect on the naphthoquinone-photosensitized oxidation of 5-methylcytosine

The pH effect on the one-electron photooxidation of 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine (d(m)C) by sensitization with 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ) was investigated. Photoirradiation of an aqueous solution containing d(m)C and NQ under slightly acidic conditions of pH 5.0 efficiently produced 5-formyl-2'-deoxycytidine, whereas similar NQ-photosensitized oxidation of d(m)C proceeded to a lesser extent under more acidic or basic conditions. Fluorescence-quenching experiments revealed that the less-efficient photooxidation at pH values below 4.5 is attributed to the decreased rate of one-electron oxidation of d(m)C owing to protonation at the N(3)-position. The NQ-photosensitized oxidation of an N(4)-dimethyl-substituted d(m)C derivative under various pH conditions also suggests that the pH change in the range of 5.0 to 8.0 may be responsible for a reversible deprotonation-protonation equilibrium at the N(4)-exocyclic amino group of the d(m)C radical cation. In accord with the photochemical reactivity of monomeric d(m)C, the 5-methylcytosine residue in oligodeoxynucleotides was oxidized efficiently by photoexcited NQ-tethered oligodeoxynucleotides under slightly acidic conditions to form an alkali-labile 5-formylcytosine residue.     

Evaluations of molecular docking programs for virtual screening

Structure-based virtual screening is carried out using molecular docking programs. A number of such docking programs are currently available, and the selection of docking program is difficult without knowing the characteristics or performance of each program. In this study, the screening performances of three molecular docking programs, DOCK, AutoDock, and GOLD, were evaluated with 116 target proteins. The screening performances were validated using two novel standards, along with a traditional enrichment rate measurement. For the evaluations, each docking run was repeated 1000 times with three initial conformations of a ligand. While each docking program has some merit over the other docking programs in some aspects, DOCK showed an unexpectedly better screening performance in the enrichment rates. Finally, we made several recommendations based on the evaluation results to enhance the screening performances of the docking programs.     

Nonlinear magneto-optical effects and photomagnetism of electrochemically synthesized molecule-based magnets

This article describes novel optical functionalities such as photomagnetic effects and magnetization-induced second harmonic generation (MSHG) in several cyano-bridged metal assemblies. Single crystal- and film-types of a cyano-bridged Cu–Mo bimetallic assembly, , were electrochemically prepared. When this compound was irradiated with light, spontaneous magnetization with a Curie temperature (T _C) of 23 K was observed. Electrochemically prepared Fe^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]_2/3·5H₂O thin film, which was a ferromagnet with T _C=21 K, showed photoreduced magnetization. This photomagnetism is due to the change of ferromagnetic coupling between Fe^II and Cr^III. MSHG was observed in Cs^ICo^II[Cr^III(CN)₆]·0.5H₂O. This -type Prussian blue analog-based magnet is proven to be a piezoelectric ferromagnet, i.e., condensed matter with both piezoelectric and ferromagnetism. This MSHG is due to the coupling between a piezoelectric structure of and ferromagnetism with a T _C of 46 K.

One-electron photooxidation and site-selective strand cleavage at 5-methylcytosine in DNA by sensitization with 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone-tethered oligonucleotides

Photosensitized one-electron oxidation was applied to discriminate a specific base site of 5-methylcytosine (mC) generated in DNA possessing a partial sequence of naturally occurring p53 gene, using a sensitizing 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ) chromophore tethered to an interior of oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) strands. Photoirradiation and subsequent hot piperidine treatment of the duplex consisting of mC-containing DNA and NQ-tethered complementary ODN led to oxidative strand cleavage selectively at the mC site, when the NQ chromophore was arranged so as to be in close contact with the target mC. The target mC is most likely to be one-electron oxidized into the radical cation intermediate by the sensitization of NQ. The resulting mC radical cation may undergo rapid deprotonation and subsequent addition of molecular oxygen, thereby leading to its degradation followed by strand cleavage at the target mC site. In contrast to mC-containing ODN, ODN analogs with replacement of normal cytosine, thymine, adenine, or guanine at the mC site underwent less amount of such an oxidative strand cleavage at the target base site, presumably due to occurrence of charge transfer and charge recombination processes between the base radical cation and the NQ radical anion. Furthermore, well designed incorporation of the NQ chromophore into an interior of ODN could suppress a competitive strand cleavage at consecutive guanines, which occurred as a result of positive charge transfer. Thus, photosensitization by an NQ-tethered ODN led to one-electron oxidative strand cleavage exclusively at the target mC site, providing a convenient method of discriminating mC in naturally occurring DNA such as human p53 gene as a positive band on a sequencing gel.     

Hybrid molecular material exhibiting single-molecule magnet behavior and molecular conductivity

Two unique materials based on Mn4 single-molecule magnet (SMM) clusters (ST=9) and integer or non-integer average valent platinum maleonitriledithiolate (mnt2-) complexes, [{MnII2MnIII2(hmp)6(MeCN)2}{Pt(mnt)2}2][Pt(mnt)2]2.2MeCN (1) and [{MnII2MnIII2(hmp)6(MeCN)2}{Pt(mnt)2}4][Pt(mnt)2]2 (2), were synthesized by the material diffusion method and electrochemical oxidation, respectively (hmp-=2-hydroxymethylpyridinate). 1 and 2 are comprised of four and six [Pt(mnt)2]n- units, respectively, in addition to a common MnII2MnIII2 double-cuboidal unit, [MnII2MnIII2(hmp)6(MeCN)2]4+ (hereinafter [Mn4]4+). Among the [Pt(mnt)2]n- units, two units in 1 and four units in 2 are coordinated with the [Mn4]4+ unit, forming a 1D chain of {-[Mn4]-[Pt(mnt)2]2-} for 1 and a discrete subunit of {[Pt(mnt)2]2-[Mn4]-[Pt(mnt)2]2} for 2. The other two [Pt(mnt)2]n- units, occupying void space of the packing, form a stacking column with the coordinating [Pt(mnt)2]n- units, finally constructing hybrid frames of aggregates consisting of [Mn4]4+ units and [Pt(mnt)2]n- units. Electronic conductivity measurements revealed that 1 is an insulator and 2 is a semiconductor with sigma=0.22 S.cm(-1) at room temperature and an activation energy of 136 meV. Detailed magnetic measurements proved that the [Mn4]4+ units in 1 and 2 behave as SMMs with an ST=9 ground state at low temperatures. There is no significant interaction between [Mn4]4+ units and [Pt(mnt)2]n- units, but interactions between localized spins of [Pt(mnt)2]n- were detected even in 2 at low temperatures where the conductivity is electronically insulated. 2 is the first example of a hybridized material exhibiting SMM behavior and electronic conductivity.     

Immobilized triazine-type dehydrocondensing reagents for carboxamide formation: ROMP-Trz-Cl and ROMP(OH)-Trz-Cl

New triazine-type dehydrocondensing reagents, such as ROMP-Trz-Cl and ROMP(OH)-Trz-Cl, were synthesized by a ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) method, and these showed higher loading than conventional polymer-supported condensing reagents. These polymers effect the formation of amides in good yields by addition of a mixture of carboxylic acid, amine and NMM. ROMP(OH)-Trz-Cl, which contains hydroxyl groups in the polymer chain, gave amides in good yields even in MeOH.     

A ferroelectric barium titanate,BaTi2O5

The crystal structure of monobarium dititanium pentaoxide, BaTi₂O₅, synthesized by a floating‐zone method, was studied by X‐ray diffraction. Previous reports describe the structure as being in the monoclinic centrosymmetric space group C2/m. We have recently found that this material exhibits ferroelectricity, and therefore BaTi₂O₅ should have lower symmetry. The crystal structure of BaTi₂O₅ was refined in space group C2, revealing a displacement of the Ti atoms along the b axis. This result is consistent with the fact that the ferroelectricity of BaTi₂O₅ was only observed along the b axis.