Thermal studies on oligosilylbiguanides: A mechanistic approach

Thermal decomposition of oligo-1,4-bis(silyl)-5-propyl/phenylbiguanides, 1–4 under controlled conditions (130–140 °C/N₂) proceeds predominantly via the formation of organic amines, cyclic silazanes and cyclic silylcarbodiimides. Detection of these low molecular weight products accounts for the low residual yields in thermogravimetric analysis of 1–4. A plausible mechanism for thermal degradation is suggested.     

Total Synthesis of Resorcylic Acid Lactone (−)-Neocosmosin A Using Palladium-Catalyzed α-Arylation of Enones as the Key Step

The total synthesis of the 14-membered resorcylic acid lactone neocosmosin A is described. The key step in the synthesis is the palladium-catalyzed α-arylation of TES-enol ethers of enones. The employment of the α-arylation approach to this class of resorcylic acid lactones is a new approach, which has the scope of being generalized into a unified approach for the synthesis of this class of natural products.     

A Doubly Interpenetrated Cu(II)-based Metal-Organic Framework as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for the ipso-Hydroxylation of Arylboronic Acids

A doubly interpenetrated Cu(II)-organic framework with formula [{Cu₂( L )₂(4,4′-bpdc)₂(H₂O)₂} ⋅ 8H₂O ⋅ CH₃OH]_α ( 1 ) (where, L =N², N⁶-di(pyridin-4-yl)naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxamide and 4,4′-bpdc=[1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-dicarboxylate ion) has been synthesized and characterized with the help of several spectroscopic and analytical techniques including single crystal X-ray analysis. A single crystal X-ray analysis reveals that 1 exhibit interpenetrated two-dimensional sheet-like structure containing elongated channels of cross-section 11.09×31.22 Ų along the a-axis. Finally, 1 has been exploited as a heterogeneous catalyst for the ipso-hydroxylation of arylboronic acids yielding up to 99 % of the respective phenolic product. Importantly, the catalyst can be reused for five successive cycles without having a significant loss in its catalytic efficiency.     

From Valleys to Ridges: Exploring the Dynamic Energy Landscape of Single Membrane Proteins

Membrane proteins are involved in essential biological processes such as energy conversion, signal transduction, solute transport and secretion. All biological processes, also those involving membrane proteins, are steered by molecular interactions. Molecular interactions guide the folding and stability of membrane proteins, determine their assembly, switch their functional states or mediate signal transduction. The sequential steps of molecular interactions driving these processes can be described by dynamic energy landscapes. The conceptual energy landscape allows to follow the complex reaction pathways of membrane proteins while its modifications describe why and how pathways are changed. Single‐molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) detects, quantifies and locates interactions within and between membrane proteins. SMFS helps to determine how these interactions change with temperature, point mutations, oligomerization and the functional states of membrane proteins. Applied in different modes, SMFS explores the co‐existence and population of reaction pathways in the energy landscape of the protein and thus reveals detailed insights into local mechanisms, determining its structural and functional relationships. Here we review how SMFS extracts the defining parameters of an energy landscape such as the barrier position, reaction kinetics and roughness with high precision.     

Mechanical properties of bovine rhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsin: possible roles in folding and function

Molecular interactions and mechanical properties that contribute to the stability and function of proteins are complex and of fundamental importance. In this study, we used single-molecule dynamic force spectroscopy (DFS) to explore the interactions and the unfolding energy landscape of bovine rhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsin. An analysis of the experimental data enabled the extraction of parameters that provided insights into the kinetic stability and mechanical properties of these membrane proteins. Individual structural segments of rhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsin have different properties. A core of rigid structural segments was observed in rhodopsin but not in bacteriorhodopsin. This core may reflect differences in mechanisms of protein folding between the two membrane proteins. The different structural rigidity of the two proteins may also reflect their adaptation to differing functions.     

Quantum information entropy of Eckart potential

In this work, the position and momentum space information densities of the Eckart potential are graphically demonstrated and their properties are studied. The position space information densities have quite an asymmetric shape depending on the values of quantum numbers. The information entropy is obtained and Bialynicki‐Birula and Mycielski inequality is numerically saturated for some parameters of the potential. It is shown that the inequality is saturated with increasing potential depth.     

Fabrication,chemical modification,and topographical patterning of reactive gels assembled from azlactone‐functionalized polymers and a diamine

The work reported here demonstrates an approach to the fabrication of chemically reactive and topographically patterned hydrogels using the azlactone‐functionalized polymer poly(2‐vinyl‐4,4'‐dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA) and the hydrophilic diamine Jeffamine®. Gels were initially assembled in DMSO but can be subsequently transferred into aqueous media to form hydrogels. Spectroscopic characterization of assembled gels demonstrated that variation in the stoichiometric ratio of azlactones to amines during gel synthesis permits control over the extent of crosslinking in the gels. Residual azlactones not consumed during crosslinking can be exploited to further functionalize these gels with hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and macromolecular amines that influence the physicochemical properties of these materials in aqueous solvents. The surface and bulk of these gels can be differentially functionalized (i.e., different functional groups on the gel surface relative to the bulk) by taking advantage of different rates of diffusion of macromolecular amines versus small molecule amines into assembled gels. Finally, these azlactone‐functionalized gels can be topographically patterned with microwell arrays using a replica molding technique and chemically modified postfabrication with amine nucleophiles. This reactive approach to the fabrication of topographically patterned and chemically functionalized hydrogels offers a straightforward method for the rapid synthesis of micropatterned scaffolds of interest in a broad range of applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3185–3194