Copper‐Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Reaction of Sulfonyl Hydrazides with Alcohols: An Easy Access to Sulfinates

A Cu‐catalyzed aerobic oxidative reaction between sulfonyl hydrazides and alcohols has been developed. In this reaction, sulfonyl hydrazides act as the sulfinic acid precursors to react with alcohols, resulting in sulfinic esters with up to 72 % yield. This catalytic system tolerates a wide range of sulfonyl hydrazide substrates, and represents a new strategy for the transformation of readily available sulfonyl hydrazides.     

Selective Synthesis of 2,5‐Diformylfuran by Sustainable 4‐acetamido‐TEMPO/Halogen‐Mediated Electrooxidation of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural

A new method was developed for the selective gram‐scale synthesis of 2,5‐diformylfuran (DFF), which is an important chemical with a high application potential, via oxidation of biomass‐derived 5‐hydroxylmethylfurfural (HMF) catalyzed by 4‐acetylamino‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl (4‐AcNH‐TEMPO) in a two‐phase system consisting of a methylene chloride and aqueous solution containing sodium hydrogen carbonate and potassium iodide. The key feature of this method is the generation of the I₂ (co‐)oxidant by anodic oxidation of iodide anions during pulse electrolysis. In addition, the electrolyte can be successfully recycled five times while maintaining a 62–65 % yield of DFF. This novel method provides a sustainable pathway for waste‐free production of DFF without the use of metal catalysts and expensive oxidants. An advantage of electrooxidation is utilized in the preparation of demanding chemical.     

Ultrathin Alternating Copolymer Nanotubes with Readily Tunable Surface Functionalities

Well‐defined ultrathin nanotubes (30 nm in diameter and of micrometer‐scale length) were generated through the self‐assembly of a novel alternative copolymer synthesized using an epoxy–thiol click‐chemistry reaction. The self‐assembly mechanism was investigated both by experiments and using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations. The obtained nanotubes can be readily functionalized with carboxy groups, amino groups, peptides, or other groups by simple modular click copolymerization.     

Solventless Formation of G‐Quartet Complexes Based on Alkali and Alkaline Earth Salts on Au(111)

Template cations have been extensively employed in the formation, stabilization and regulation of structural polymorphism of G‐quadruplex structures in vitro. However, the direct addition of salts onto solid surfaces, especially under ultra‐high‐vacuum (UHV) conditions, to explore the feasibility and universality of the formation of G‐quartet complexes in a solventless environment has not been reported. By combining UHV‐STM imaging and DFT calculations, we have shown that three different G‐quartet‐M (M: Na/K/Ca) complexes can be obtained on Au(111) using alkali and alkaline earth salts as reactants. We have also identified the driving forces (intra‐quartet hydrogen bonding and electrostatic ionic bonding) for the formation of these complexes and quantified the interactions involved. Our results demonstrate a novel route to fabricate G‐quartet‐related complexes on solid surfaces, providing an alternative feasible way to bring metal elements to surfaces for constructing metal–organic systems.     

A Theoretical Perspective to Study the Optical Properties of Tetrafluoroborates

In this study, a series of tetrafluoroborates with non-π-conjugated [BF₄] tetrahedra are investigated systematically by first-principles calculations. Theoretical studies demonstrate that tetrafluoroborates with alkali and/or alkaline-earth metals are more favorable for deep-ultraviolet transmission and are comparable to the classical deep-ultraviolet (deep-UV) material, MgF₂. Furthermore, bandgap decrease with the increasing of ionic radii in alkali and/or alkaline-earth metals. Introducing highly polarizable cations with d₁₀-configuration or cations with lone pair electrons into the structure will decrease the bandgaps. The birefringence and second harmonic generation effects are not large enough in tetrafluoroborates because polarizability anisotropy and hyperpolarizability in non-π-conjugated [BF₄] tetrahedra are much smaller than those in π-conjugated groups. However, the second harmonic generation effect for [BF₄] tetrahedra has a higher contribution in comparison with that due to birefringence. To effectively synthesize the borate fluorides or fluorooxoborates in the deep-UV region, raw materials with B−F bonds are preferred.     

Synthesis of Polyanionic Cellulose Carbamates by Homogeneous Aminolysis in an Ionic Liquid/DMF Medium

Polyanionic cellulose carbamates were synthesized by rapid and efficient homogeneous aminolysis of cellulose carbonate half-esters in an ionic liquid/DMF medium. Cellulose bis-2,3-O-(3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate), as a model compound, reacted with different chloroformates to cellulose carbonates. These intermediates were subjected to aminolysis, for which both the reactivity of different chloroformates towards C6-OH and the reactivity/suitability of the respective carbonate half-ester in the aminolysis were comprehensively studied. Phenyl chloroformate and 4-chlorophenyl chloroformate readily reacted with C6-OH of the model cellulose derivative, while 4-nitrophenyl chloroformate did not. The intermediate 4-chlorophenyl carbonate derivative with the highest DS (1.05) was then used to evaluate different aminolysis pathways, applying three different amines (propargyl amine, β-alanine, and taurine) as reactants. The latter two zwitterionic compounds are only sparingly soluble in pure DMF as the typical reaction medium for aminolysis; therefore, several alternative procedures were suggested, carefully evaluated, and critically compared. Solubility problems with β-alanine and taurine were overcome by the binary solvent system DMF/[EMIM]OAc (1:1, v/v), which was shown to be a promising medium for rapid and efficient homogeneous aminolysis and for the preparation of the corresponding cellulose carbamate derivatives or other compounds that are not accessible by conventional isocyanate chemistry. The zwitterionic cellulose carbamate derivatives presented in this work could be promising chiral cation exchangers for HPLC enantiomer separations.     

Studies on triazine dye-enzyme interaction by means of affinity partitioning

Affinity partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems composed of dextran and polyethylene glycol the latter being partially replaced by dye-substituted polymer was evaluated for the study of enzyme-dye interaction. The method was found excellently suited for the recognition of any interaction between a certain enzyme and triazine dyes by determining the actual partition coefficient, K. Two enzymes, intestinal alkaline phosphatase and yeast phosphofructokinase, were studied. Alkaline phosphatase binds more or less specifically to various triazine dyes. A number of substrates but also inorganic phosphate, NAD⁺ and selected chromophores are competing agents in enzyme-dye interaction whereas hydrophobic and uncompetitive inhibitors fail to compete with the dye. Thus, information on the chemical nature of the dye-enzyme interaction was obtained. Affinity partitioning turned out also appropriate to study the structural dynamics of enzymes. This was exemplified on the specific interaction of phosphofructokinase with a number of triazine dyes. A change of the allosteric properties of the enzyme in respect to ATP-inhibition and its reversibility was indicated by a corresponding alteration of the partition coefficient. The results are discussed in terms of a conformational change of the enzyme.