Simultaneously Probing Two Ultrafast Condensed‐Phase Molecular Symmetry Breaking Events by Two‐Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy

In condensed phases, a highly symmetric gas‐phase molecule lowers its symmetry under perturbation of the solvent, which is vital to a variety of structural chemistry related processes. However, the dynamical aspects of solvent‐mediated symmetry‐breaking events remain largely unknown. Herein, direct evidence for two types of solvent‐mediated symmetry‐breaking events that coexist on the picosecond timescale in a highly symmetric anion, namely, hexacyanocobaltate, is presented: 1) an equilibrium symmetry‐breaking event in which a solvent‐bound species having lowered symmetry undergoes a population exchange reaction with the symmetry‐retaining species; 2) a dynamic symmetry‐breaking event that is composed of many dynamic population‐exchange reactions under fluctuating solvent interactions. Ultrafast two‐dimensional infrared spectroscopy is used to simultaneously observe and dynamically characterize these two events. This work opens a new window into molecular symmetry and structural dynamics under equilibrium and non‐equilibrium conditions.     

Onset of Chiral Adenine Surface Growth

The structure and stability of adenine crystals and thin layers has been studied by using scanning tunneling microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and density functional theory calculations. We have found that adenine crystals can be grown in two phases that are energetically quasi‐degenerate, the structure of which can be described as a pile‐up of 2D adenine planes. In each plane, the structure can be described as an aggregation of adenine dimers. Under certain conditions, kinetic effects can favor the growth of the less stable phase. These results have been used to understand the growth of adenine thin films on gold under ultra‐high vacuum conditions. We have found that the grown phase corresponds to the α‐phase, which is composed of stacked prochiral planes. In this way, the adenine nanocrystals exhibit a surface that is enantiopure. These results could open new insight into the applications of adenine in biological, medical, and enantioselective or pharmaceutical fields.     

Halogen Bonding: An Interim Discussion

Halogen bonding is a noncovalent interaction that is receiving rapidly increasing attention because of its significance in biological systems and its importance in the design of new materials in a variety of areas, for example, electronics, nonlinear optical activity, and pharmaceuticals. The interactions can be understood in terms of electrostatics/polarization and dispersion; they involve a region of positive electrostatic potential on a covalently bonded halogen and a negative site, such as the lone pair of a Lewis base. The positive potential, labeled a σ hole, is on the extension of the covalent bond to the halogen, which accounts for the characteristic near‐linearity of halogen bonding. In many instances, the lateral sides of the halogen have negative electrostatic potentials, allowing it to also interact favorably with positive sites. In this discussion, after looking at some of the experimental observations of halogen bonding, we address the origins of σ holes, the factors that govern the magnitudes of their electrostatic potentials, and the properties of the resulting complexes with negative sites. The relationship of halogen and hydrogen bonding is examined. We also point out that σ‐hole interactions are not limited to halogens, but can also involve covalently bonded atoms of Groups IV–VI. Examples of applications in biological/medicinal chemistry and in crystal engineering are mentioned, taking note that halogen bonding can be “tuned” to fit various requirements, that is, strength of interaction, steric factors, and so forth.     

The non-covalent bindings of CF2Cl2 with NO and SO2

Ab initio calculations have been performed on the complexes of CF₂Cl₂ with NO and SO₂, and a set of stable configurations for CF₂Cl₂–NO and CF₂Cl₂–SO₂ were found with no imaginary frequencies by the MP2 method. In addition, the binding energy and the NBO analysis were used to evaluate the relative stability of the complexes. The calculated results indicate that the weak interactions in the CF₂Cl₂–NO and CF₂Cl₂–SO₂ systems involved are enhanced with the increase of the number of non-covalent bonds. Further studies predict that the CF₂Cl₂–SO₂ system may play a more important role than the CF₂Cl₂–NO system in environmental problem because the former offers a stronger interaction than the latter. Furthermore, the non-covalent binding interactions of Cl···N and Cl···O for CF₂Cl₂–NO system, Cl···O, Cl···S and F···S for CF₂Cl₂–SO₂ system, are the dominant forces, which seem to be very significant as a driving force influencing the arrangement of molecules, especially in CF₂Cl₂–SO₂ system.     

Pyrenoimidazole‐Based Deep‐Blue‐Emitting Materials: Optical,Electrochemical, and Electroluminescent Characteristics

A series of pyrenoimidazoles that contained various functional chromophores, such as anthracene, pyrene, triphenylamine, carbazole, and fluorene, were synthesized and characterized by optical, electrochemical, and theoretical studies. The absorption spectra of the dyes are dominated by electronic transitions that arise from the pyrenoimidazole core and the additional chromophore. All of the dyes exhibited blue‐light photoluminescence with moderate‐to‐high quantum efficiencies. They also displayed high thermal stability and their thermal‐decomposition temperatures fell within the range 462–512 °C; the highest decomposition temperature was recorded for a carbazole‐containing dye. The oxidation propensity of the dyes increased on the introduction of electron‐rich chromophores, such as triphenylamine or carbazole. The application of selected dyes that featured additional chromophores such as pyrene, carbazole, and triphenylamine as blue‐emissive dopants into multilayered organic light‐emitting diodes with a 4,4′‐bis(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)biphenyl (CBP) host was investigated. Devices that were based on triphenylamine‐ and carbazole‐containing dyes exhibited deep‐blue emission (CIE 0.157, 0.054 and 0.163, 0.041), whereas a device that was based on a pyrene‐containing dye showed a bright‐blue emission (CIE 0.156, 0.135).     

Alginate‐Based Microcapsules with a Molecule Recognition Linker and Photosensitizer for the Combined Cancer Treatment

A reactive template method was used to fabricate alginate‐based hydrogel microcapsules. The uniform and well‐dispersed hydrogel capsules have a high drug loading capacity. After they are coated by a folate‐linked lipid mixture on the surface, the capsules possess higher cell uptake efficiency by the molecule recognition between folate and the folate‐receptor overexpressed by the cancer cells. Moreover, in this bioconjugate, the lipid could remarkably reduce the release rate of hydrophilic doxorubicin from the hydrogel microcapsules and encapsulate the hydrophobic photosensitizer hypocrellin B. The biointerfaced capsules could be used as drug carriers for combined treatment against cancer cell proliferation in vitro; this was much more effective than chemotherapy or photodynamic therapy alone.     

Stereocontrolled Organocatalytic Strategy for the Synthesis of Optically Active 2,3‐Disubstituted cis‐2,3‐Dihydrobenzofurans

An intramolecular, organocatalyzed Michael addition has been developed to obtain biologically important 2,3‐disubstituted cis‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofurans. By using mandelic acid salts of primary aminocatalysts, derived from cinchona alkaloids, the intramolecular cyclization reaction has been developed to proceed in high yield, with moderate to good diastereoselectivity, and up to 99 % ee. Based on the absolute configuration of the formed 2,3‐disubstituted‐cis‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofurans and by considering the observed substrate scope restrictions, a mechanistic rationalization has been presented.     

Size-Exclusion Chromatography of Asphaltenes: An Experimental Comparison of Commonly Used Approaches

Asphaltenes, the heaviest and most polar fraction of crude oil, are responsible for the clogging of oil pipelines and of underground reservoir rocks. Asphaltenes are defined as a solubility class (toluene- or benzene-soluble, n-alkane insoluble), and a consensus is still lacking on the molar mass (M) averages, distribution, and range of these materials. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is among the most widely employed methods for characterizing the M averages and distributions of both natural and synthetic polymers and, as such, has seen widespread application in the study of asphaltenes. SEC analysis of asphaltenes presents a number of challenges, however, some inherent to all low-M materials and some unique to these particular analytes. Here, we have experimentally compared several of the most commonly used approaches to SEC of asphaltenes, in hope of both demonstrating the influence of experimental conditions upon the results obtained as well as to determine optimal conditions of analysis. In the end, while the former goal was met, the latter one remains an open challenge in the field.     

Novel Method for Soluble‐Polymer‐Supported Synthesis of 3,4,5‐Trisubstituted Isoxazoles

A practical and efficient liquid‐phase synthesis of 3,4,5‐trisubstituted isoxazoles using poly(ethylene glycol) as supported is described. Soluble‐polymer‐supported nitrile oxide generated in situ reacted with chalcones to afford polymer‐supported isoxazolines, which were cleaved by sodium methoxide to generate 3,4,5‐trisubstituted isoxazoles instead of 3,4,5‐trisubstituted isoxazolines. This sequential process provided a novel method to synthesize 3,4,5‐trisubstituted isoxazoles.     

A cytotoxic dimeric furanoheliangolide from Piptocoma rufescens

A new sesquiterpene lactone, rufescenolide C (1), the first furanoheliangolide dimer, was isolated from the leaves of Piptocoma rufescens, collected in the Dominican Republic. Its structure was determined by interpretation of its spectroscopic data, with the absolute configuration being established by analysis of the CD spectrum. A plausible biogenesis of this dimer is proposed. This compound showed potent cytotoxicity with an IC₅₀ value of 150 nM, when tested against HT-29 human colon cancer cells.