Lead Mixed Oxyhalides Satisfying All Fundamental Requirements for High‐Performance Mid‐Infrared Nonlinear Optical Materials

To design high‐performance mid‐infrared (mid‐IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, we have focused on the combination of a heavy metal lone pair cation, Pb²⁺ and mixed oxyhalides. A systematic investigation in PbO‐PbCl₂‐PbBr₂ system led us to discover the first examples of NLO lead mixed oxyhalides, namely, Pb₁₃O₆Cl₄Br₁₀, Pb₁₃O₆Cl₇Br₇, and Pb₁₃O₆Cl₉Br₅. All the reported materials have remarkably comprehensive properties including broad IR transparency (up to 14.0 μm), qualified second harmonic generation (SHG) responses (0.6–0.9×AgGaS₂), wide band gaps (3.05–3.21 eV), and ease of crystal growth. Interestingly, a centimeter‐sized single crystal (2.9×1.3×0.5 cm³) of Pb₁₃O₆Cl₉Br₅ revealing a wide transparent range (0.384–14.0 μm) and high laser damage threshold (LDT) (14.6×AgGaS₂) has been successfully grown in an open system. The study suggests that all the reported mixed oxyhalides are outstanding candidates for mid‐IR NLO materials.     

Discovery of Chemicals to Either Clear or Indicate Amyloid Aggregates by Targeting Memory‐Impairing Anti‐Parallel Aβ Dimers

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) oligomers are implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD). However, their unstable nature and heterogeneous state disrupts elucidation of their explicit role in AD progression, impeding the development of tools targeting soluble Aβ oligomers. Herein parallel and anti‐parallel variants of Aβ(1–40) dimers were designed and synthesized, and their pathogenic properties in AD models characterized. Anti‐parallel dimers induced cognitive impairments with increased amyloidogenesis and cytotoxicity, and this dimer was then used in a screening platform. Through screening, two FDA‐approved drugs, Oxytetracycline and Sunitinib, were identified to dissociate Aβ oligomers and plaques to monomers in 5XFAD transgenic mice. In addition, fluorescent Astrophloxine was shown to detect aggregated Aβ in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid samples of AD mice. This screening platform provides a stable and homogeneous environment for observing Aβ interactions with dimer‐specific molecules.     

Multicomponent Peptide Stapling as a Diversity‐Driven Tool for the Development of Inhibitors of Protein–Protein Interactions

Stapled peptides are chemical entities in‐between biologics and small molecules, which have proven to be the solution to high affinity protein–protein interaction antagonism, while keeping control over pharmacological performance such as stability and membrane penetration. We demonstrate that the multicomponent reaction‐based stapling is an effective strategy for the development of α‐helical peptides with highly potent dual antagonistic action of MDM2 and MDMX binding p53. Such a potent inhibitory activity of p53‐MDM2/X interactions was assessed by fluorescence polarization, microscale thermophoresis, and 2D NMR, while several cocrystal structures with MDM2 were obtained. This MCR stapling protocol proved efficient and versatile in terms of diversity generation at the staple, as evidenced by the incorporation of both exo‐ and endo‐cyclic hydrophobic moieties at the side chain cross‐linkers. The interaction of the Ugi‐staple fragments with the target protein was demonstrated by crystallography.     

油茶皂苷缓释片的制备及其释放度

以羟丙基甲基纤维素和乙基纤维素为骨架材料,乳糖为致孔剂,采用50%乙醇湿法制备了油茶皂苷缓释片.经智能溶出仪与UV测定,油茶皂苷缓释片B的缓释效果良好.     

Control of aqueous droplets using magnetic and electrostatic forces

Basic control operations were successfully performed on an aqueous droplet using both magnetic and electrostatic forces. In our droplet-based microfluidics, magnetic beads were incorporated in an aqueous droplet as a force mediator. This report describes droplet anchoring and separation of the beads from the droplet using a combination of magnetic and electrostatic forces. When an aqueous droplet is placed in an oil-filled reservoir, the droplet sinks to the bottom, under which an electrode had been placed. The droplet was adsorbed (or anchored) to the bottom surface on the electrode when a DC voltage was applied to the electrode. The magnetic beads were removed with magnetic force after the droplet had been anchored. Surfactant addition into droplet solution was very effective for the elimination of electric charge, which resulted in the stable adsorption of a droplet to hydrophobic substrate under an applied voltage of DC 0.5-3 kV. In a sequential process, small volume of aqueous liquid was successfully transferred using both magnetic and electrostatic forces.     

Highly selective imine-linked fluorescent chemosensor for adenine employing multiple hydrogen bonding

We investigated an imine-linked fluorescent receptor bearing both the hydrogen bond donor and the hydrogen bond acceptor motifs as recognition sites in the design of the receptor. The recognition behavior of the receptor toward various nucleobases was evaluated in CH₃CN/H₂O (95:5, v/v) solution. The receptor showed significant changes in fluorescent intensity with adenine, but it showed no such changes on the addition of other nucleobases.     

Highly Fe selective ratiometric fluorescent probe based on imine-linked benzimidazole

We synthesized a novel benzimidazole-based fluorescent receptor bearing imine linkages with two sets of sp² nitrogens, and investigated its binding properties toward various metal ions. The receptor exhibited a shift in emission band upon binding with Fe³⁺ ions, and no such significant response was noticed in other metal ions. The receptor shows a property of selective ratiometric fluorescent probe of Fe³⁺ ions without interferences of the background metal ions.     

Analytical procedure to simultaneously measure trace amounts of trenbolone acetate and beta-trenbolone residues in porcine muscle using HPLC-UVD and MS

The current study was undertaken to validate the performance for the determination of both TBA and beta-trenbolone (beta-TB) residues in porcine muscle at concentrations required to monitor compliance with the maximum residue limit (MRL). The method involves a one phase liquid-liquid extraction, cleanup with low-temperature fat precipitation, separation of the respective compounds by HPLC on a Capcell pak C(18) column, use of a methanol-water isocratic system as an eluent, and measurement by UV absorbance detection at 340 nm. Both compounds were confirmed using LC-MS/MS with electrospray interface (ESI) and a triple quadrupole (QqQ) analyzer. The method was found to be precise and accurate, with a linearity range of 1-10 microg/kg (r(2) >0.973). The intra- and interday precision showed good reproducibility with RSDs < or =13.25%. The LODs were 0.12 and 0.22 microg/kg, and the LOQs were 0.37 and 0.66 microg/kg, for TBA and beta-TB, respectively. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by analyzing real samples collected from major cities in the Republic of Korea. No residues of the selected compounds were detected in any of the samples. The advantages of our method are that it is: selective, sensitive, requires a short time for analysis (13 min), and performs simple sample extraction and clean-up procedure with low-temperature fat precipitation as compared to the previously published methods.     

Self-assembly via intermolecular hydrogen-bonding between o-/m-/p-NH2 and BF2 groups on dipyrromethenes

Boron difluoride dipyrromethenes bearing configurationally different amine groups on a meso-phenyl ring were prepared and crystallized. The ortho- and para-amino groups allow the phenyl group to inductively release greater electron density into the dipyrromethenes resulting in relatively strong intermolecular hydrogen-bonding with the terminal BF₂ groups, whereas the meta-analog formed weaker hydrogen-bonds. The intensities of the ¹H NMR peaks in concentrated solutions all increased with F-decoupling.     

A study of the phase transitions and proton dynamics of the superprotonic conductor Cs5H3(SO4)4·0.5H2O single crystal with H and Cs nuclear magnetic resonance

The phase transitions and proton dynamics of Cs₅H₃(SO₄)₄·0.5H₂O single crystals were studied by measuring the NMR line shape, the spin-lattice relaxation time, T₁, and the spin-spin relaxation time, T₂, of the ¹H and ¹³³Cs nuclei. The “acid” protons and the “water” protons in Cs₅H₃(SO₄)₄·0.5H₂O were distinguished. The loss of water protons was observed above T_C1, whereas the content of water protons was found to recover above T_C2. Therefore, the water protons play a special role in the stability of the superprotonic phase at high temperatures. The mechanism of fast proton conduction was found to consist of hydrogen-bond proton transfer involving the breakage of the weak part of the hydrogen bond and the formation of a new hydrogen bond. Thus, these structural phase transitions probably involve significant reorientation of the SO₄ tetrahedra and dynamical disorder of the hydrogen bonds between them.