A designed beta-hairpin peptide for molecular recognition of ATP in water

A designed 12-residue beta-hairpin peptide with a diagonal tryptophan (Trp) pair was shown to bind ATP in water through a combination of aromatic and electrostatic interactions. The affinity for ATP was 5800 M-1 (DeltaG approximately -5.0 kcal/mol), a remarkable affinity for a short, structured peptide in water, consisting of entirely natural amino acid residues. Proton NMR measurements indicate that the adenine ring of the nucleotide is intercalated between the diagonal tryptophans in the bound state. Delineation of the contributions to ATP binding to the hairpin suggest that aromatic interactions contribute approximately -1.8 kcal/mol, while individual electrostatic interactions involving the ATP phosphates and positively charged side chains of the hairpin contribute approximately -1 kcal/mol each. The designed beta-hairpin receptor presents a novel minimalist system to investigate the energetic contributions to protein-nucleic acid recognition through the surface of a beta-sheet.     

On Mercury(I) Oxo Compounds — Quasi‐Relativistic Computational and Experimental Studies

About 60 molecular species composed of up to 10 mercury atoms and of oxygen atoms and/or of some other elements or groups (such as halogen, OH₂, OH, H, alkali, NO₃) have been investigated quantum chemically. Different density functional approaches and the ab initio SCF‐MP2 method were applied, comparing different basis sets and different atomic core sizes. It is important not to treat the Hg 5s, p, d as inactive core shells, and to use sufficiently many polarization functions. The shape of the 〉O‐Hg‐Hg‐O〈 units is not favorable concerning the formation of lattices composed of Hg^I, O and OH only. Despite its bulkiness, the OHgHgO units can easily come into contact with each other and then disproportionate. This is prevented in the so‐called ternary M‐Hg^I oxides by the embedded oxometallate (oxoacidic) anions. Furthermore, the Hg^I and Hg^II oxide bond energies are less favorable towards the stability of Hg^I oxo compounds, as compared to Hg halidic or oxoacidic compounds. Both points are not promising concerning the search for Hg^I oxides/hydroxides, although the preparation of such compounds, including spacer groups, by topochemical reactions can still not be excluded. So far, experimental efforts towards the synthesis of such a new class of compounds have only demonstrated that Hg^II is strictly preferred over Hg^I in the formation of solids of binary Hg‐O or ternary A‐Hg‐O composition (A = electropositive metal such as alkali, in contrast to M = transition or semi‐metal). This is so even if compounds containing ‘electron rich Hg^δ— atoms’ (i.e. A‐Hg amalgams) are oxidized under mild conditions.     

Indene and pseudoazulene discotic liquid crystals: a synthetic and structural study

Several new liquid-crystalline indene and pseudoazulene systems are reported. These molecules give rise to either columnar hexagonal mesophases and/or columnar plastic phases. The unique nature of these compounds stems from their non-classical discotic structure. Although the molecules have rigid aromatic cores, they lack terminal tails and instead the polarizable atoms (S, halogens) or polar groups (CN, CO) act as unusual soft parts. On the basis of many structurally related materials, we conclude that for this type of compound molecular stacking in the solid state is a prerequisite for the appearance of a columnar mesophase, although other intermolecular interactions within the layers are also important in establishing liquid-crystalline order. The behavior reported for these mesomorphic molecules opens up new possibilities in the search for related molecular interactions that might be useful for the construction of supramolecular architectures with particular properties.     

Quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase modified carbon paste electrode for the detection of phenolic compounds

The development of an amperometric biosensor for the determination of phenolic compounds is described, using quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase. The enzyme is integrated into carbon paste and its ability to donate electrons to oxidized phenolic compounds during glucose oxidation is exploited. The sensor response is based on electrochemical oxidation of the phenolic compound followed by its enzymatic regeneration when the bulk solution contains glucose and the electrode is potentiostated at +500 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl/0.1 mol/L KCl). As the result of the catalytic analyte regeneration the electrodes offer very sensitive measurements of redox species like p-aminophenol and hydroquinone and catecholamines such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The sensor performance is characterized for the different substrates. Highest sensitivity is achieved for p-aminophenol which could be determined at sub-nanomolar level.     

1.2-Bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)tetrachlorodisilane and its reduction to decamethylsilicocene

Reaction of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl(pentachloro)disilane (2), prepared from hexachlorodisilane and potassium pentamethylcyclopentadienide (Cp^*K), with a further equivalent of Cp^*K leads selectively to the title compound Cp^* ₂ Si ₂ Cl ₄ (3) which was characterized by NMR and X-ray structural data. Dehalogenation of 3 with four equivalents of sodium naphthalenide offers an alternative route for the synthesis of decamethylsilicocene (1). Dedicated to Professor Mitsuo Kira on the occasion of being honoured with the Wacker Silicon Award 2005.     

Zur nomenklatur der phane—II

The new term “Phanes” has been clearly defined and a nomenclature system tentatively developed. This system is comprehensible and of general application and at the same time relatively simple. The notations “nucleus”, “bridge”, “number of bridge members” and “number of ring members” are defined. In order to get a definite characterisation of the phanes which contain a carbocyclic nucleus, a carbocyclic and heterocyclic bridge the following terms: “carbophanes”, “carba-phanes” and “hetera-phanes” have been newly introduced. The prefix “hetera-” has been proposed as a general expression and as a representative term for the syllables “aza-”, “oxa-”, “thia-” and so on. The so called “a-nomenclature” is clearly called “hetera-nomenclature”. The new expressions “heteralogous” and “substitulogous” are explained. As the various examples will show, the “Phane-Nomenclature” can also be applied to the naming of complicated metallocenophanes.     

Highly efficient recycling of a "sandwich" type polyoxometalate oxidation catalyst using solvent resistant nanofiltration

A "sandwich" type polyoxometalate catalyst ([MeN(n-C8H17)3]12[WZn3(ZnW9O34)2]) was very efficiently recycled by nanofiltration with almost quantitative retention, using an alpha-alumina supported mesoporous gamma-alumina membrane.     

Electron and oxygen transfer in polyoxometalate, H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40), catalyzed oxidation of aromatic and alkyl aromatic compounds: evidence for aerobic Mars-van Krevelen-type reactions in the liquid homogeneous phase

The mechanism of aerobic oxidation of aromatic and alkyl aromatic compounds using anthracene and xanthene, respectively, as a model compound was investigated using a phosphovanadomolybdate polyoxometalate, H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40), as catalyst under mild, liquid-phase conditions. The polyoxometalate is a soluble analogue of insoluble mixed-metal oxides often used for high-temperature gas-phase heterogeneous oxidation which proceed by a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. The general purpose of the present investigation was to prove that a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism is possible also in liquid-phase, homogeneous oxidation reactions. First, the oxygen transfer from H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40) to the hydrocarbons was studied using various techniques to show that commonly observed liquid-phase oxidation mechanisms, autoxidation, and oxidative nucleophilic substitution were not occurring in this case. Techniques used included (a) use of (18)O-labeled molecular oxygen, polyoxometalate, and water; (b) carrying out reactions under anaerobic conditions; (c) performing the reaction with an alternative nucleophile (acetate) or under anhydrous conditions; and (d) determination of the reaction stoichiometry. All of the experiments pointed against autoxidation and oxidative nucleophilic substitution and toward a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. Second, the mode of activation of the hydrocarbon was determined to be by electron transfer, as opposed to hydrogen atom transfer from the hydrocarbon to the polyoxometalate. Kinetic studies showed that an outer-sphere electron transfer was probable with formation of a donor-acceptor complex. Further studies enabled the isolation and observation of intermediates by ESR and NMR spectroscopy. For anthracene, the immediate result of electron transfer, that is formation of an anthracene radical cation and reduced polyoxometalate, was observed by ESR spectroscopy. The ESR spectrum, together with kinetics experiments, including kinetic isotope experiments and (1)H NMR, support a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism in which the rate-determining step is the oxygen-transfer reaction between the polyoxometalate and the intermediate radical cation. Anthraquinone is the only observable reaction product. For xanthene, the radical cation could not be observed. Instead, the initial radical cation undergoes fast additional proton and electron transfer (or hydrogen atom transfer) to yield a stable benzylic cation observable by (1)H NMR. Again, kinetics experiments support the notion of an oxygen-transfer rate-determining step between the xanthenyl cation and the polyoxometalate, with formation of xanthen-9-one as the only product. Schemes summarizing the proposed reaction mechanisms are presented.     

Effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces

The in vitro adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces is affected by both the composition of the surfactant preparations and the conditions under which the assessment is conducted. Relevant experimental conditions are surfactant concentration, temperature, subphase pH, electrolyte concentration, humidity, and gas composition of the atmosphere exposed to the interface. The effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of a therapeutic lung surfactant preparation, bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES), was studied by measuring the dynamic surface tension (DST). Axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) was used in conjunction with three different experimental methodologies, i.e., captive bubble (CB), pendant drop (PD), and constrained sessile drop (CSD), to measure the DST. The experimental results obtained from these three methodologies show that for 100% relative humidity (RH) at 37 degrees C the rate of adsorption of BLES at an air-water interface is substantially slower than for low humidity. It is also found that there is a difference in the rate of surface tension decrease measured from the PD and CB/CSD methods. These experimental results agree well with an adsorption model that considers the combined effects of entropic force, electrostatic interaction, and gravity. These findings have implications for the development and evaluation of new formulations for surfactant replacement therapy.