Magnetic nanoparticles coated with polyaniline to stabilize immobilized trypsin

It is reported the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles via the chemical co-precipitation of Fe ³⁺ ions and their preparation by coating them with polyaniline. The electronic micrograph analysis showed that the mean diameter for the nanoparticles is ～15 nm. FTIR, powder X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy were used to understand the chemical, crystallographic and ⁵⁷Fe hyperfine structures for the two samples. The nanoparticles, which exhibited magnetic behavior with relatively high spontaneous magnetization at room temperature, were identified as being mainly formed by maghemite (γFe₂O₃). The coated magnetic nanoparticles (sample labeled “mPANI”) presented a real ability to bind biological molecules such as trypsin, forming the magnetic enzyme derivative (sample “mPANIG-Trypsin”). The amount of protein and specific activity of the immobilized trypsin were found to be 13±5 μg of protein/mg of mPANI (49.3 % of immobilized protein) and 24.1±0.7 U/mg of immobilized protein, respectively. After 48 days of storage at 4 ^°C, the activity of the immobilized trypsin was found to be 89 % of its initial activity. This simple, fast and low-cost procedure was revealed to be a promising way to prepare mPANI nanoparticles if technological applications addressed to covalently link biomolecules are envisaged. This route yields chemically stable derivatives, which can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture with a magnetic field and recyclable reused.     

A Molecular mechanism for the chemoselective hydrogenation of substituted nitroaromatics with nanoparticles of gold on TiO2 catalysts: a cooperative effect between gold and the support

Nanoparticles of gold on TiO2 are highly chemoselective for the reduction of substituted nitroaromatics, such as nitrostyrene. By combining kinetics and in situ IR spectroscopy, it has been found that there is a preferential adsorption of the reactant on the catalyst through the nitro group. IR studies of nitrobenzene, styrene, and nitrostyrene adsorption, together with quantum chemical calculations, show that the nitro and the olefinic groups adsorb weakly on the Au(111) and Au(001) surfaces, and that although a stronger adsorption occurs on low-coordinated atoms in gold nanoparticles, this adsorption is not selective. On the other hand, an energetically and geometrically favored adsorption through the nitro group occurs on the TiO2 support and in the interface between the gold nanoparticle and the TiO2 support. Such preferential adsorption is not observed with nanoparticles of gold on silica which, contrary to the Au/TiO2 catalyst, is not chemoselective for the reduction of substituted nitroaromatic compounds. Therefore, the high chemoselectiviy of the Au/TiO2 catalyst can be attributed to a cooperation between the gold nanoparticle and the support that preferentially activates the nitro group.     

Synthesis, structure, and magnetic behavior of bis(2-amino-5-fluoropyridinium) tetrachlorocuprate(II)

Reaction of CuCl2 with 2-amino-5-fluoropyridine and HCl in aqueous solution yields bis(2-amino-5-fluoropyridinium) tetrachlorocuprate(II), (5FAP)2CuCl4, (1). The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with cell dimensions a = 6.926(7) A, b = 21.73(2) A, c = 10.911(10) A, beta = 100.19(2) degrees , V = 1616(3) A3, and R1 = 0.0424 based on 2640 independent reflections. The crystal packing shows that each tetrachlorocuprate ion has four nearest-neighbor Cu(II) ions through three types of Cu-Cl...Cl-Cu potential magnetic interactions: one short Cl...Cl distance (d1 = 3.657 A) and two longer Cl...Cl distances (d2 = 4.073 A) that form a layered distorted honeycomb structure. The third nearest neighbor (d3 = 4.239 A) links these layers into a three-dimensional structure. Both powder and single-crystal magnetic susceptibility measurements on 1, over the temperature range of 1.8-325 K, show significant antiferromagnetic interactions. Attempts to analyze the data using a variety of models showed a best fit to the strong-rung ladder model, with 2Jrung = -17.170(14) and 2Jrail = -5.94(5) K [-11.92(1) and -4.13(3) cm(-1), respectively] for the powder, although a comparable result is obtained using an alternate chain model. However, neither of these two models is compatible with a layered distorted honeycomb crystal packing structure. A first-principles bottom-up theoretical study using the 165 K crystallographic data reproduces the macroscopic properties and reveals that at low temperature the crystal has a 3D magnetic topology (all three magnetic pathways are significant) and a singlet ground state.     

SOLEIL shining on the solution‐state structure of biomacromolecules by synchrotron X‐ray footprinting at the Metrology beamline

Synchrotron X‐ray footprinting complements the techniques commonly used to define the structure of molecules such as crystallography, small‐angle X‐ray scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance. It is remarkably useful in probing the structure and interactions of proteins with lipids, nucleic acids or with other proteins in solution, often better reflecting the in vivo state dynamics. To date, most X‐ray footprinting studies have been carried out at the National Synchrotron Light Source, USA, and at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France. This work presents X‐ray footprinting of biomolecules performed for the first time at the X‐ray Metrology beamline at the SOLEIL synchrotron radiation source. The installation at this beamline of a stopped‐flow apparatus for sample delivery, an irradiation capillary and an automatic sample collector enabled the X‐ray footprinting study of the structure of the soluble protein factor H (FH) from the human complement system as well as of the lipid‐associated hydrophobic protein S3 oleosin from plant seed. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that the structural integrity of both proteins was not affected by the short exposition to the oxygen radicals produced during the irradiation. Irradiated molecules were subsequently analysed using high‐resolution mass spectrometry to identify and locate oxidized amino acids. Moreover, the analyses of FH in its free state and in complex with complement C3b protein have allowed us to create a map of reactive solvent‐exposed residues on the surface of FH and to observe the changes in oxidation of FH residues upon C3b binding. Studies of the solvent accessibility of the S3 oleosin show that X‐ray footprinting offers also a unique approach to studying the structure of proteins embedded within membranes or lipid bodies. All the biomolecular applications reported herein demonstrate that the Metrology beamline at SOLEIL can be successfully used for synchrotron X‐ray footprinting of biomolecules.     

Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Spectroscopic Properties of 1,2-Bis[4-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-2-oxobutyl]benzene

Abstract  

The crystal structure of the title compound C₂₂H₃₀N₄O₂·H₂O (L), has been determined using X-ray diffraction at 293 K. The crystal of 1,2-bis[4-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-2-oxobutyl]benzene is in triclinic crystal system with space group P(−1) (Z = 2), lattice parameters a = 8.225(6) ?, b = 10.967(6) ?, c = 12.903(6) ?, V = 1119.1(11) ?³. Analyses of single crystals of L, crystallized from dichloromethane/diethyl ether (1:1), revealed that the molecules are arranged in couples, which adopt a pseudo chair conformation, by means of intermolecular O–H···N hydrogen bonding interactions. Moreover, the extended structure revealed a 1D chain caused by several C–H···N intermolecular interactions.     

Automatic alignment of a Kirkpatrick-Baez active optic by use of a soft-x-ray Hartmann wavefront sensor

We present what we believe to be the first automatic alignment of a synchrotron beamline by the Hartmann technique. Experiments were performed, in the soft-x-ray range (E=3 keV, lambda=0.414 nm), by using a four-actuator Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) active optic. A system imaging the KB focal spot and a soft-x-ray Hartmann wavefront sensor were used alternatively to control the KB optic. The beam corrected with the help of the imaging system was used to calibrate the wavefront sensor. With both closed loops, we focused the beam into a 6.8 microm x 9 microm FWHM focal spot.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic oxyamination of unprotected 3-substituted oxindoles

An enantioselective α-oxyamination of unprotected 3-substituted oxindoles with nitrosobenzene catalyzed by tertiary amine-thiourea bifunctional organocatalysts has been developed and affords the corresponding 3-amino-2-oxindole derivatives in good yields and with moderate to excellent enantioselectivities (up to > 99.9?:?0.1 er when the product is isolated by direct filtration from the reaction mixture). The absolute configuration of the major enantiomers of the products has been established both by chemical correlation and by comparison between the theoretically calculated and the experimental ECD.     

Chemically and Biologically Harmless versus Harmful Ferritin/Copper–Metallothionein Couples

The simultaneous measurement of the decrease of available Fe^II ions and the increase of available Fe^III ions allowed the analysis of the ferroxidase activity of two distinct apoferritins. Although recombinant human apoferritin (HuFtH) rapidly oxidizes Fe^II to Fe^III, this iron is not properly stored in the ferritin cavity, as otherwise occurs in horse‐spleen H/L‐apoferritin (HsFt; H=heavy subunit, L=light subunit). Iron storage in these apoferritins was also studied in the presence of two copper‐loaded mammalian metallothioneins (MT2 and MT3), a scenario that occurs in different brain‐cell types. For HuFtH, unstored Fe^III ions trigger the oxidation of Cu–MT2 with concomitant Cu^I release. In contrast, there is no reaction with Cu–MT2 in the case of HsFt. Similarly, Cu–MT3 does not react during either HuFtH or HsFt iron reconstitution. Significantly, the combination of ferritin and metallothionein isoforms reported in glia and neuronal cells are precisely those combinations that avoid a harmful release of Fe^II and Cu^I ions.     

The first NH aldimine organometallic compound. Isolation and crystal structure

The first NH aldimine organometallic derivative is unexpectedly formed by the cleavage of the nitrogen-carbon bond of the amino acid fragment of the Schiff base 2,4,6-Me3C6H2CH=NCH(CH2Ph)COOEt when the imine is treated with palladium acetate.