AgOTf catalyzed hydration of terminal alkynes

The silver catalysis towards the hydration of terminal alkynes is explored using Silver(I) triflate (AgOTf). The reaction leads to the formation of only Markovnikov addition product with excellent yield. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors Influencing the Synthesis of Polyorganogermanes by Electroreductive Coupling of Di-n-hexyldichlorogermane

The effects of the nature of the electrodes (sacrificial anode and cathode) and of the solvent on the electroreduction of di-n-hexyldichlorogermane have been investigated. Several sacrificial anodes (magnesium, zinc and aluminium) and cathodes, including stainless steel, magnesium and aluminium, have been used in THF containing LiClO₄. Monomodal and polymodal poly(di-n-hexylgermanes) were obtained with Al/Al and Mg/Mg electrode pairs, but the polymer yield was about twice as high with Al/Al (64%) as with Mg/Mg (30%). Various solvents (tetrahydrofuran, hexamethylphosphorotriamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, acetonitrile and dimethylformamide) with LiClO₄ have been used as electrolytic media. Monomodal PDHG with a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution ([M¯]_w/[M¯]_n=1.6) was obtained only in THF/HMPA with Al/stainless steel electrodes. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A traceless linker for aliphatic amines that rapidly and quantitatively fragments after reduction

Reduction sensitive linkers (RSLs) have the potential to transform the field of drug delivery due to their ease of use and selective cleavage in intracellular environments. However, despite their compelling attributes, developing reduction sensitive self-immolative linkers for aliphatic amines has been challenging due to their poor leaving group ability and high pK_a values. Here a traceless self-immolative linker composed of a dithiol-ethyl carbonate connected to a benzyl carbamate (DEC) is presented, which can modify aliphatic amines and release them rapidly and quantitatively after disulfide reduction. DEC was able to reversibly modify the lysine residues on CRISPR–Cas9 with either PEG, the cell penetrating peptide Arg₁₀, or donor DNA, and generated Cas9 conjugates with significantly improved biological properties. In particular, Cas9–DEC–PEG was able to diffuse through brain tissue significantly better than unmodified Cas9, making it a more suitable candidate for genome editing in animals. Furthermore, conjugation of Arg₁₀ to Cas9 with DEC was able to generate a self-delivering Cas9 RNP that could edit cells without transfection reagents. Finally, conjugation of donor DNA to Cas9 with DEC increased the homology directed DNA repair (HDR) rate of the Cas9 RNP by 50% in HEK 293T cell line. We anticipate that DEC will have numerous applications in biotechnology, given the ubiquitous presence of aliphatic amines on small molecule and protein therapeutics.

Reduction sensitive linkers (RSLs) have the potential to transform the field of drug delivery due to their ease of use and selective cleavage in intracellular environments.     

(Schiff base) divalent group 14 element species: manganese and iron complexes (Salen)M=Mn(Co)2(eta 5-C5H5) (M14 = Ge, Sn, Pb) and (Salen)Sn=Fe(CO)4

Syntheses of the (divalent group 14 species)dicarbonyl(cyclopentadienyl)manganese (Salen)M=Mn(CO)2(eta 5-C5H5) [M = Ge (1), Sn (2), Pb (3)] and [(Salen)tin(II)]tetracarbonyliron (Salen)Sn=Fe(CO)4 (4) are reported. The structures of 2 and 4 were determined by X-ray crystallography. The observed Sn-Mn bond length, 2.4428(7) A, is the shortest distance observed for this type of bond and corresponds to considerable multiple bonding between these atoms. In complex 4, the iron atom has a slightly distorted trigonal-bipyramidal coordination sphere; the (Salen)tin(II) ligand occupies an axial site, indicating that it functions in this complex as a strong sigma-donor and weak pi-acceptor ligand. Crystal data for 2: orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 6.972(1) A, b = 15.678(2) A, c = 19.032(2) A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees, V = 2080.3(5) A3, T = 173(2) K, Z = 4. Crystal data for 4: triclinic, P1, a = 8.465(2) A, b = 9.795(3) A, c = 13.213(4) A, alpha = 105.55(3) degrees, beta = 105.15(3) degrees, gamma = 100.84(3) degrees, V = 978.7(5) A3, T = 173(2) K, Z = 2.     

Room temperature phosphorescence analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using an imaging sensing system combined with a bifurcated optical fiber and a cooled charge coupled device detector

This paper presents a development of a solid support RT phosphorescence procedure for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, based on the use of a Xenon flash lamp as the excitation source, a fiber optic sensor as a guide of light, an imaging spectrograph and a cooled two dimensional charge coupled device as the detector. Non fluorescent Whatman N degrees 1 filter paper was used as the solid substrate and, thallium nitrate and sodium iodide were used to enhance room temperature phosphorescence of pyrene, benzo (a) anthracene, naphtalene, phenanthrene, dibenzothiophene, fluorene, coronene and fluoranthene. Analytical curves of eight phosphors give linear dynamic ranges from one and a half to two decades and limits of detection of femtomolar to picomolar/spot were reported. Quantitative analyses in mixtures were also carried out using the internal standard method. Results led to a 10% better accuracy for determinations of pyrene and benzo (a) anthracene.     

Oxidation of zinc-thiolate complexes of biological interest by hydrogen peroxide: a theoretical study

Zinc-thiolate complexes play a major structural and functional role in the living cell. Their stability is directly related to the thiolate reactivity toward reactive oxygen species naturally present in the cell. Oxidation of some zinc-thiolate complexes has a functional role, as is the case of zinc finger redox switches. Herein, we report a theoretical investigation on the oxidation of thiolate by hydrogen peroxide in zinc finger cores of CCCC, CCHC, and CCHH kinds containing either cysteine or histidine residues. In the case of the CCCC core, the calculated energy barrier for the oxidation to sulfenate of the complexed thiolate was found to be 16.0 kcal mol(-1), which is 2 kcal mol(-1) higher than that for the free thiolate. The energy barrier increases to 19.3 and 22.2 kcal mol(-1) for the monoprotonated and diprotonated CCCC cores, respectively. Substitution of cysteine by histidine also induces an increase in the magnitude of the reaction energy barrier: It becomes 20.0 and 20.9 kcal mol(-1) for the CCCH and CCHH cores, respectively. It is concluded that the energy barrier for the oxidation of zinc fingers is strictly dependent on the type of ligands coordinated to zinc and on the protonation state of the complex. These changes in the thiolate reactivity can be explained by the lowering of the nucleophilicity of complexed sulfur and by the internal reorganization of the complex (changes in the metal-ligand distances) upon oxidation. The next reaction steps subsequent to sulfenate formation are also considered. The oxidized thiolate (sulfenate) is predicted to dissociate very fast: For all complexes, the calculated dissociation energy barrier is lower than 3 kcal mol(-1). It is also shown that the dissociated sulfenic acid can interact with a free thiolate to form a sulfur-sulfur (SS) bridge in a reaction that is predicted to be quasi-diffusion limited. The interesting biological consequences of the modulation of thiolate reactivity by the chemical composition of the zinc finger cores are discussed.     

Cytosine: para-sulphonato-calix[4]arene assemblies: in solution, in the solid-state and on the surface of hybrid silver nanoparticles

The molecular recognition by para-sulphonato-calix[4]arene of cytosine, occurs in solution, in the solid-state and by assembly on the surface of para-sulphonato-calix[4]arene capped silver nanoparticles. Each of these states shows different modes of assembly; in solution a 1:1 complex is formed; in the solid state a 4:1 assembly exists, however some of the cytosine molecules are present as space fillers and do not participate in the host (guest complexes, finally on the surface of the hybrid silver/para-sulphonato-calix[4]arene nanoparticles a 2:1 cytosine/para-sulphonato-calix[4]arene assembly is observed. The assembly processes have been studied by DOSY NMR, fluorescence spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Single Crystal Solid State Diffraction, Visible Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy. The results demonstrate how cytosine initiates the aggregation of the hybrid silver/para-sulphonato-calix[4]arene hybrid nanoparticles.     

Cu(II)-catalyzed oxidation of sulfides

A variety of sulfides and disulfides were converted into the corresponding sulfoxide derivatives with 70% t-BuOOH (water) as the oxidant in the presence of catalytic quantity of CuBr₂. The method described does not involve cumbersome work-up, has wide range of applicabilities, exhibits chemoselectivity, and proceeds under mild reaction conditions, and the resulting products are obtained in good yields within reasonable time.