Synthesis,Structure, and Optical Properties of Terminally Sulfur‐Functionalized Core‐Substituted Naphthalene‐Bisimide Dyes

The synthesis, characterization, and optical properties of a series of new 2,6‐disubstituted naphthalene‐bisimide dyes as molecular rods comprising terminal AcS groups is reported. The first series of dyes ( 1 – 3 ), comprising phenylhetero (Ph‐X) core substituents, cover a broad range of the VIS spectrum, ranging from yellow ( 2 ) over red ( 3 ) to blue ( 1 ). The second series of dyes contains benzylhetero (Bn‐X) core substituents ( 4 – 7 ). For the same heteroatom connecting the substituent to the naphthalene core, both series were found to display comparable colors. For the second series, the colors were blue ( 4 ), red ( 5 ), and violet ( 6, 7 ). The Ph‐X‐substituted dyes 1 – 3 are nonfluorescent, in contrast to the Bn‐X‐substituted compounds 4 – 7 . This rich variety of optical features that can be adjusted by rather small alterations of the core substituents makes these structurally very comparable molecular rods ideal candidates for optically triggered molecular‐transport investigations. Also, thanks to the terminal AcS groups, these compounds can be placed between nobel‐metal electrodes for optically triggered transport experiments.     

Hydrazones and new Oximes of 4-Aminobicyclo[2.2.2]octanones and their Antiprotozoal Activities

4-Aminobicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-ones and -ols showed activity against the causative organisms of East African sleeping sickness and Malaria tropica. Several imino derivatives of the ketones were more active. Now hydrazono analogues and 3-hydroximino derivatives of the ketones and alcohols were synthesized. The structures of the obtained isomers were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy. A single phenylhydrazone exhibited quite good antitrypanosomal activity in the range of already known imino analogues.     

Iridium derivatives of fluorinated aromatics by C-H activation: isolation of classical and non-classical hydrides

A reaction of trans-[Ir(H)(5)(PiPr(3))(2)] (1) with 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoropyridine, pentafluorobenzene or 1,3-difluorobenzene in the presence of neohexene affords the square-pyramidal C-H activation products cis-trans-[Ir(4-C(5)NF(4))(H)(2)(PiPr(3))(2)] (2), cis-trans-[Ir(C(6)F(5))(H)(2)(PiPr(3))(2)] (4) and cis-trans-[Ir(2-C(6)H(3)F(2))(H)(2)(PiPr(3))(2)] (6). Irradiation of complex 1 with 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoropyridine or pentafluorobenzene gave the hydrides cis-trans-[Ir(4-C(5)NF(4))(H)(2)(H(2))(PiPr(3))(2)] (3) or cis-trans-[Ir(C(6)F(5))(H)(2)(H(2))(PiPr(3))(2)] (5). The presence of non-classical bound H(2) moieties has been demonstrated by the measurement of T(1) times at different temperatures. For 3 the H-H distance in the H(2) ligand can be estimated to be 0.82 A. The dihydride compounds 2, 4 and 6 react with CO to yield the complexes cis-trans-[Ir(Ar)(H)(2)(CO)(PiPr(3))(2)] (7: Ar = 4-C(5)NF(4), 8: Ar = C(6)F(5), 9: Ar = 2-C(6)H(3)F(2)). A reaction of 2 or 3 with an excess of ethylene leads to the formation of ethane and the Ir(i) ethylene complex trans-[Ir(4-C(5)NF(4))(eta(2)-C(2)H(4))(PiPr(3))(2)] (10). Treatment of 10 with CO furnishes the Ir(i) complex trans-[Ir(4-C(5)NF(4))(CO)(PiPr(3))(2)] (11).     

Inverse temperature transition of a biomimetic elastin model: reactive flux analysis of folding/unfolding and its coupling to solvent dielectric relaxation

The inverse temperature transition (ITT) of a biomimetic model for elastin, capped GVG(VPGVG) in liquid water, is investigated by a comprehensive classical molecular dynamics study. The temperature dependence of the solvation structure and dynamics of the octapeptide are compared using three common force fields, CHARMM, GROMOS, and OPLS. While these force fields differ in quantitative detail, they all predict this octapeptide to undergo a "folding transition" to closed conformations upon heating and a subsequent "unfolding transition" to open conformations at still higher temperatures, thus reproducing the ITT scenario. The peptide kinetics is analyzed within the reactive flux formalism applied to the largest-amplitude mode extracted from principal component analysis, and the solvent's dielectric fluctuations are obtained from the total water dipole autocorrelations. Most importantly, preliminary evidence for an intimate coupling of peptide folding/unfolding dynamics, and thus the ITT, and dielectric relaxation of bulk water is given, possibly being consistent with a "slave mode" picture.     

Interaction of giant extracellular Glossoscolex paulistus hemoglobin (HbGp) with zwitterionic surfactant N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS): effects of oligomeric dissociation

The present work focuses on the interaction between the zwitterionic surfactant N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS) and the giant extracellular hemoglobin of Glossoscolex paulistus (HbGp). Electronic optical absorption, fluorescence emission and circular dichroism spectroscopy techniques, together with Gel-filtration chromatography, were used in order to evaluate the oligomeric dissociation as well as the autoxidation of HbGp as a function of the interaction with HPS. A peculiar behavior was observed for the HPS–HbGp interaction: a complex ferric species formation equilibrium was promoted, as a consequence of the autoxidation and oligomeric dissociation processes. At pH 7.0, HPS is more effective up to 1 mM while at pH 9.0 the surfactant effect is more intense above 1 mM. Furthermore, the interaction of HPS with HbGp was clearly less intense than the interaction of this hemoglobin with cationic (CTAC) and anionic (SDS) surfactants. Probably, this lower interaction with HPS is due to two factors: (i) the lower electrostatic attraction between the HPS surfactant and the protein surface ionic sites when compared to the electrostatic interaction between HbGp and cationic and anionic surfactants, and (ii) the low cmc of HPS, which probably reduces the interaction of the surfactant in the monomeric form with the protein. The present work emphasizes the importance of the electrostatic contribution in the interaction between ionic surfactants and HbGp. Furthermore, in the whole HPS concentration range used in this study, no folding and autoxidation decrease induced by this surfactant were observed. This is quite different from the literature data on the interaction between surfactants and tetrameric hemoglobins, that supports the occurrence of this behavior for the intracellular hemoglobins at low surfactant concentration range. Spectroscopic data are discussed and compared with the literature in order to improve the understanding of hemoglobin–surfactant interaction as well as the acid isoelectric point (pI) influence of the giant extracellular hemoglobins on their structure–activity relationship.     

The unambiguous synthesis and NMR assignment of 4-alkoxy and 3-alkylquinazolines

Contrary to a number of reports, alkylations of the privileged 3,4-dihydroquinazoline scaffold provide N3-alkylated products, and not 4-alkoxyquinazolines. To correctly assign the structure, ¹³C NMR shifts of the –Z–CH_n– (Z=O, N) fragment are necessary; resonances in the 45–55 ppm range are indicative of N3-alkylation. Treatment of 3,4-dihydroquinazoline-4-one with p-TsCl afforded the N3-tosylated compound, whose reaction with an amine yielded the corresponding N3-alkyl derivative. A mechanism corroborated by ¹⁵N-labeling involving pyrimidine ring opening and recyclisation is proposed. Finally, the unambiguous preparation of 4-alkoxyquinazolines is described via treatment of 3,4-dihydroquinazoline-4-ones with PCl₅ followed by an alkoxide.     

On the keto-enol tautomerization of malonaldehyde: an effective fragment potential study

Recent studies have mapped the keto-enol tautomerization of malonaldehyde through a general transition structure that leads exclusively to the Z isomer of the enol. However, it will be shown that a competing general transition structure exists that leads to both the E and Z isomers of the enol at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and MP2/6-31G(d,p) levels of theory. Both the RHF- and DFT-based effective fragment potential methods have been used to model solvation effects, and the results are compared with full ab initio calculations. It is found that two bridging water molecules with two discrete DFT-based effective fragment potential solvent waters at the MP2/6-31G(d,p) level of ab initio theory provides the most computationally effective model for solvent effects in this system. It is shown that the relative energies for this QM/MM model differ from the full MP2/6-31G(d,p) energies by an average absolute relative difference of 2.2 kcal mol-1 across the reaction path when the zero-point vibrational energy correction is included.     

Structure Elucidation and Activity of Kolossin A,the D‐/L‐Pentadecapeptide Product of a Giant Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase

The largest continuous bacterial nonribosomal peptide synthetase discovered so far is described. It consists of 15 consecutive modules arising from an uninterrupted, fully functional gene in the entomopathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. The identification of its cryptic biosynthesis product was achieved by using a combination of genome analysis, promoter exchange, isotopic labeling experiments, and total synthesis of a focused collection of peptide candidates. Although it belongs to the growing class of D ‐/ L ‐peptide natural products, the encoded metabolite kolossin A was found to be largely devoid of antibiotic activity and is likely involved in interspecies communication. A stereoisomer of this peculiar natural product displayed high activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, a recalcitrant parasite that causes the deadly disease African sleeping sickness.     

Magnetic Coupling in Enantiomerically Pure Trinuclear Helicate‐Type Complexes Formed by Hierarchical Self‐Assembly

Based on chiral, enantiomerically pure 7‐[(S)‐phenylethylurea]‐8‐hydroxyquinoline ( 1 ‐H), trinuclear helicate‐type complexes 2 – 5 are formed with divalent transition‐metal cations. X‐ray structural analyses reveal the connection of two monomeric complex units [M( 1 )₃]^? (M=Zn, Mn, Co, Ni) by a central metal ion to form a “dimer”. Due to the enantiopurity of the ligand, the complexes are obtained as pure enantiomers, resulting in pronounced circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Single‐ion effects and intra‐ and intermolecular coupling are observed with dominating ferromagnetic coupling in the case of the cobalt(II) and nickel(II) and dominating antiferromagnetic coupling in the case of the manganese(II) complex.     

Seven-membered ring boronates at trans-diol moieties of carbohydrates

MS and ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹B NMR results are presented revealing the formation of cyclic seven-membered boronate structures at trans-1,2-diol moieties of carbohydrates providing new opportunities for the activation, protection and analysis of glucopyranose-based oligomers and polymers such as cellulose or starch. ‘Coordination-induced shifts’ in ¹³C NMR spectra were identified for the esterification by boronic acids of carbohydrates, which can be applied for further studies.