Examination of the mixed-valence state of the doubly boron-bridged diferrocene cation [(FeCp)2{mu-C10H6(BPh)2}]+

A series of mixed-valent (MV) complexes [(FeCp)2(mu-C10H6(BPh)2)]+X ([1+]X; X=I 5, PF6, SbF6, B(C6F5)4) were prepared by oxidation of diboradiferrocene [(FeCp)2(mu-C10H6(BPh)2)] (1) with I 2, AgPF6, and AgSbF6, respectively, and through anion exchange of the I 5(-) salt with [Li(Et2O)x][B(C6F5)4] in the case of X=B(C6F5)4. The MV state of the cation was investigated in solution by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, CV, and UV/Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, and in the solid state by IR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and M?ssbauer spectroscopy. The cyclic voltammogram of 1 shows two distinct redox waves with a large redox splitting of Delta E=510 mV in CH2Cl2 and the NIR spectrum for the mono-oxidized species displays an intervalence charge-transfer band at around 1500 to 1700 nm depending on the specific counterion present. The X-ray crystal structures of [1+]X show inversion-symmetric cations with X=I 5 and B(C6F5)4 and unsymmetric valence-trapped structures composed of one ferrocene and one ferrocenium moiety with X=PF6 and SbF6. M?ssbauer data for X=PF6 are consistent with valence trapping at all temperatures between 90 and 343 K. In comparison, fast electron transfer is evident on the M?ssbauer timescale for X=I 5 and temperature-dependent behavior is observed for X=B(C6F5)4. The anion dependence of the X-ray structural and M?ssbauer data is discussed in the context of crystal symmetry and the possibility of static and dynamic disorder effects is considered.     

Binary stacks of [CuC6F5]4 with arenes

Formation of the first binary stacks of an intact organocopper aggregate with the arenes naphthalene and 2,2'-bithiophene is reported; crystallographic data suggest that the supramolecular assembly process is supported by Cu-pi, Cu-S, and perfluoroarene-arene pi-interactions.     

The RNA2-PNA2 hybrid i-motif-a novel RNA-based building block

We report the formation of a hybrid RNA2-PNA2 i-motif comprised of two RNA and two PNA strands based on the sequence specific self assembly of RNA, with potential as a building block for structural RNA nanotechnology.     

Water-soluble cyclodiphosphazanes: synthesis, gold(I) metal complexes and their in vitro antitumor studies

The newly synthesized water-soluble cyclodiphosphazane ligands and their gold(I) complexes inhibit HeLa cell proliferation by activating p53 protein and inducing apoptosis.     

Role of chirality of the sugar ring in the ribosomal peptide synthesis

We present a theoretical analysis of the role of the natural chirality of the sugar ring ( D-enantiomeric form) in the peptide synthesis reaction in ribosome. The study is based on a model from the crystal structure of the ribosomal subunit of Haloarcula marismortui using hybrid quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical method. The result indicates that the natural heterochiral sugar-amino acid combination ( D: L) is most favorable for the formation of the peptide bond within the structure of peptidyl transferase center (PTC). Other possible combinations of unnatural chiral form of the sugar-amino acid pair are unfavorable to perform the reaction within the PTC. The presence of the sugar ring has favorable influence on the rotatory path. The chirality of the 2' carbon of the sugar ring is vital for the peptide synthesis. Alteration of the stereochemistry or removal of chirality at the 2' center makes the rate as several orders slower in magnitude. This is in agreement with the recent experimental result that the replacement of the 2' OH by H or F reduces the rate by several orders of magnitude. Two different mechanisms for the catalytic effect of the stereochemistry of 2' OH are investigated. In one mechanism, the 2' OH is involved in proton shuttle, and in the second mechanism, the OH group acts as an anchoring group. The transition state barriers of both mechanisms are found to be comparable. The natural chirality of the 2' center helps lowering the transition state barrier height of the reaction substantially compared with the cases where the 2' center is made achiral or with altered chirality. Thus, the stereochemistry of the 2' center has a major role in synthesis. Few surrounding residues like U2620, A2486, G2618, and C2487 have favorable influence on rotatory path, while the residues like U2541, C2104, C2105, A2485, C2542, C2608, U2619, and A2637 have little influence. The present study shows that the natural chirality of the sugar ring and amino acid makes a perfect heteropair within the PTC to carry out peptide synthesis with high efficiency.     

Revealing anharmonic couplings and energy relaxation in DNA oligomers by ultrafast infrared spectroscopy

The identification and characterization of NH 2 hydrogen-bonded stretching vibrations [nu(NH 2)] in DNA oligomers is usually hampered by the all-dominating absorption of the water stretching band in the spectral range of 3050-3600 cm(-1). Here, we use the two-color IR pump-probe technique to overcome the limitations of linear absorption spectroscopy by exciting adenine-thymine (A-T) oligomer vibrations in the fingerprint region and analyzing induced transient spectral changes in the nu(NH2) spectral region. These transient changes are related to anharmonic couplings to the modes excited in the fingerprint region and to modes populated by intra- and intermolecular energy redistribution and relaxation. The combination of calculated anharmonic coupling parameters and experimental transient IR data allows the assignment of a transition at 3215 cm(-1) to the nu(NH2) vibration of adenine in dA(20)-dT(20) DNA oligomers.     

Supramolecular hydrogen‐bonded networks in cytosinium succinate and cytosinium 4‐nitrobenzoate cytosine monohydrate

In cytosinium succinate (systematic name: 4‐amino‐2‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium 3‐carboxypropanoate), C₄H₆N₃O⁺·C₄H₅O₄⁻, (I), the cytosinium cation forms one‐dimensional self‐assembling patterns by intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonding, while in cytosinium 4‐nitrobenzoate cytosine monohydrate [systematic name: 4‐amino‐2‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium 4‐nitrobenzoate 4‐aminopyrimidin‐2(1H)‐one solvate monohydrate], C₄H₆N₃O⁺·C₇H₄NO₄⁻·C₄H₅N₃O·H₂O, (II), the cytosinium–cytosine base pair, held together by triple hydrogen bonds, leads to one‐dimensional polymeric ribbons via double N—H...O hydrogen bonds. This study illustrates clearly the different alignment of cytosine molecules in the crystal packing and their ability to form supramolecular hydrogen‐bonded networks with the anions.     

Covalent inhibitors of human monoacylglycerol lipase: ligand-assisted characterization of the catalytic site by mass spectrometry and mutational analysis

The active site of recombinant hexa-histidine-tagged human monoacylglycerol lipase (hMGL) is characterized by mass spectrometry using the inhibitors 5-((biphenyl-4-yl)methyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2H-tetrazole-2-carboxamide (AM6701), and N-arachidonylmaleimide (NAM) as probes. Carbamylation of Ser(129) by AM6701 in the putative hMGL catalytic triad demonstrates this residue's essential role in catalysis. Partial NAM alkylation of hMGL cysteine residues 215 and/or 249 was sufficient to achieve approximately 80% enzyme inhibition. Although Cys(215) and/or Cys(249) mutations to alanine(s) did not affect hMGL hydrolytic activity as compared with nonmutated hMGL, the C215A displayed heightened NAM sensitivity, whereas the C249A evidenced reduced NAM sensitivity. These data conclusively demonstrate a sulfhydryl-based mechanism for NAM inhibition of hMGL in which Cys(249) is of paramount importance. Identification of amino acids critical to the catalytic activity and pharmacological modulation of hMGL informs the design of selective MGL inhibitors as potential drugs.     

New insights into the chemical and electronic properties of C69M [M = In-, Tl-, Sb+, Bi+] species

The replacements of five unique carbons by metal ions within [5,6] fullerene C(70) D(5h) has been investigated by using B3LYP/6-31G(d) within 20 isomers of C(69)M [M = In(-), Tl(-), Sb(+), Bi(+)] systems. The equilibrium geometrical structures, relative energies, frontier orbitals, and energy gaps for the four considered series are presented. The obtained results indicate a decrease in effective nuclear charge by addition of an electron, and relativistic effects in C(69)Tl(-) systems causes substantially elongated Tl-C bonds. Variations in the redox characteristics within the four series and among all isomers are expected and also confirmed by Mulliken charges redistributed to neighboring carbon atoms. The vibrational spectra of C(69)In(-) and C(69)Sb(+) have been calculated, which could serve as a framework to interpret future experimental results. Our findings show that substitutional doping of C(70) with indium, thallium, antimony, and bismuth ions results in interesting properties which can be utilized in the design, synthesis, and growth of nanomaterials in the future.