Sulfonated carbon catalyzed oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids by hydrogen peroxide

Sulfonated carbon as a strong and stable solid acid catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance in various acid-catalyzed reactions. Here, sulfonated carbon, as catalyst for oxidation reaction, was prepared via the carbonization of starch followed by sulfonation with concentrated sulfuric acid. N₂ physisorption, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence and acid-base titration were used to characterize the obtained materials. The catalytic activity of sulfonated carbon was studied in the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids using 30 wt% H₂O₂ as oxidant. This oxidation protocol works well for various aldehydes including aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. The sulfonated carbon can be recycled for three times without obvious loss of activity.     

Automation of dimethylation after guanidination labeling chemistry and its compatibility with common buffers and surfactants for mass spectrometry-based shotgun quantitative proteome analysis

Isotope labeling liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) is a major analytical platform for quantitative proteome analysis. Incorporation of isotopes used to distinguish samples plays a critical role in the success of this strategy. In this work, we optimized and automated a chemical derivatization protocol (dimethylation after guanidination, 2MEGA) to increase the labeling reproducibility and reduce human intervention. We also evaluated the reagent compatibility of this protocol to handle biological samples in different types of buffers and surfactants. A commercially available liquid handler was used for reagent dispensation to minimize analyst intervention and at least twenty protein digest samples could be prepared in a single run. Different front-end sample preparation methods for protein solubilization (SDS, urea, Rapigest™, and ProteaseMAX™) and two commercially available cell lysis buffers were evaluated for compatibility with the automated protocol. It was found that better than 94% desired labeling could be obtained in all conditions studied except urea, where the rate was reduced to about 92% due to carbamylation on the peptide amines. This work illustrates the automated 2MEGA labeling process can be used to handle a wide range of protein samples containing various reagents that are often encountered in protein sample preparation for quantitative proteome analysis.     

Novel electrochemical biosensor based on functional composite nanofibers for sensitive detection of p53 tumor suppressor gene

A novel electrochemical biosensor based on functional composite nanofibers for sensitive hybridization detection of p53 tumor suppressor using methylene blue (MB) as an electrochemical indicator is developed. The carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) doped nylon 6 (PA6) composite nanofibers (MWNTs–PA6) was prepared using electrospinning, which served as the nanosized backbone for pyrrole (Py) electropolymerization. The functional composite nanofibers (MWNTs–PA6–PPy) used as supporting scaffolds for ssDNA immobilization can dramatically increase the amount of DNA attachment and the hybridization sensitivity. The biosensor displayed good sensitivity and specificity. The target wild type p53 sequence (wtp53) can be detected as low as 50 fM and the discrimination is up to 57.5% between the wtp53 and the mutant type p53 sequence (mtp53). It holds promise for the early diagnosis of cancer development and monitoring of patient therapy.     

Chemisorption assembly of Au nanorods on mercaptosilanized glass substrate for label-free nanoplasmon biochip

The fabrication of a localized surface plasmon resonance nanosensor in a chip based format that utilizes Au nanorods (GNRs) as the optical transducer were systematically studied. (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) modified glass substrate offers GNR deposition with maximal sensitivity to local refractive index changes, which subsequently results in better optical recognition of receptor–analyte binding. Kinetics governing the mass transport and chemisorption of nanorods from bulk to solid surface can be dynamically controlled in a predictable fashion. We demonstrate that slight aggregation induced by a low ionic strength (5 mM NaCl) can facilitate the nanorod assembly to result in a dense, well-distributed surface monolayer. In high ionic media (e.g. 40–80 mM), anions present electrostatically bind with the positively charged cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surrounding nanorod surfaces, thereby leading to instability with heavy aggregation in solution. However, once chemically bound on silanized substrates, the nanorods exhibit excellent stability in physiological buffer where high amount of ionic species are present. The fundamental study is followed by demonstration of a practical application of the fabricated biochip in label-free detection based on GNR wavelength shift of the longitudinal palsmon maxima as the optical signature of human IgG model detection.     

Total Synthesis of α-Elvucitabine

Total synthesis of α-elvucitabine was achieved in 26% overall yield by a concise nine-step procedure starting from L-lyxose, with trimethylsilyl trifluoromethaneoulfonate (TMSOTf)–mediated stereocontrolled α-N-glycosidation and olefination through Barton–McCombie deoxygenation being the key steps, and the stereochemistry of the product was determined by nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy.     

An Alternative Stereoselective Synthesis of Protected Trans-5-Alkyl-4-Hydroxy-2-Pyrrolidinones

A flexible approach to protected trans-5-alkyl-4-hydroxy-2-pyrrolidinones was described. The key step involved the α-amidoalkylation of benzene-sulfone derived from (S)-malic acid, with organozinc reagents generated in situ from Grignard reagents and anhydrous ZnCl₂-OEt₂.     

Novel Synthesis of Aza-phthalimidine Hydroxylactams

A novel and convenient synthetic route for preparing aza-phthalimidine hydroxylactams (5a–j) by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) was developed. This method involved the substitution reactions of substrates (3a–j) with NBS via unstable intermediate bromides (4a–j) rapidly hydrolyzed into hydroxyl products in the course of the workup process.     

Copper-Catalyzed Cyanopropylation of Activated Alkenes

A practical copper-catalyzed alkylarylation of activated alkenes with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and beyond has been developed, in which incorporation of 3^o nitrile moiety into an oxindole scaffold proceeded smoothly through cascade radical addition/C(sp²)-H cyclization. The use of readily available AIBN as radical source and inexpensive CuI as catalyst, as well as broad substrate scope and the simplicity of operation and handling, make this protocol a highly attractive approach to oxindoles bearing 3^o nitrile moiety.     

The role of benzoic acid in proline‐catalyzed asymmetric michael addition: A density functional theory study

In asymmetric Michael addition between ketones and nitroolefins catalyzed by L ‐proline, we observed that it was benzoic acid or its derivatives rather than other proton acid that could accelerate the reaction greatly, and different benzoic acid derivatives brought different yields. To explain the experimental phenomena, a density functional theory study was performed to elucidate the mechanism of proline‐catalyzed asymmetric Michael addition with benzoic acid. The results of the theoretical calculation at the level of B3LYP/6‐311+G(2df,p)//B3LYP/6‐31G(d) demonstrated that benzoic acid played two major roles in the formation of nitroalkane: assisting proton transfer and activating the nitro group. In the stage of enamine formation from imine, the energy profiles of benzoic acid derivatives were also calculated to investigate the reasons why different benzoic acid derivatives caused different yields. The results demonstrated that the pK_a value was the major factor for p‐substituted benzoic acid derivatives to improve the yields, whereas for m/o‐substituted benzoic acid derivatives, both pK_a value and electronic and steric effects could significantly increase the yields. The calculated results would be very helpful for understanding the reaction mechanism of Michael addition and provide some insights into the selection of efficient additives for similar experiments. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

H2S splitting on Cu(110): Insight from combined periodic density functional theory calculations and microkinetic simulation

Practical copper (Cu)‐based catalysts for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction was long believed to expose a large proportion of Cu(110) planes. In this work, as an important first step toward addressing sulfur poisoning of these catalysts, the detailed mechanism for the splitting of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on the open Cu(110) facet has been investigated in the framework of periodic, self‐consistent density functional theory (DFT‐GGA). The microkinetic model based on the first‐principles calculations has also been developed to quantitatively evaluate the two considered decomposition routes for yielding surface atomic sulfur (S*): (1) H₂S → H₂S* → SH* → S* and (2) 2H₂S → 2H₂S* → 2SH* → S* + H₂S* → S* + H₂S. The first pathway proceeding through unimolecular SH* dissociation was identified to be feasible, whereas the second pathway involving bimolecular SH* disproportionation made no contribution to S* formation. The molecular adsorption of H₂S is the slowest elementary step of its full decomposition, being related with the large entropy term of the gas‐phase reactant under realistic reaction conditions. A comparison of thermodynamic and kinetic reactivity between the substrate and the close‐packed Cu(111) surface further shows that a loosely packed facet can promote the S* formation from H₂S on Cu, thus revealing that the reaction process is structure sensitive. The present DFT and microkinetic modeling results provide a reasonably complete picture for the chemistry of H₂S on the Cu(110) surface, which is a necessary basis for the design of new sulfur‐tolerant WGS catalysts. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.