Investigating the solid state hosting abilities of homo- and hetero-valent [Co7] metallocalix[6]arenes

A family of homo-valent [Co(II)(7)(OH)(6)(L(1))(6)](NO(3))(2) (1), [(MeOH)(2) is a subset of Co(II)(7)(OH)(6)(L(1))(6)](NO(3))(2) (2) (where L(1)H = 2-iminomethyl-6-methoxyphenol) and hetero-valent [(NO(3))(2) is a subset of Co(III)Co(II)(6)(OH)(6)(L(2))(6)](NO(3))·3MeCN (4) (where L(2)H = 2-iminophenyl-6-methoxyphenol) complexes possess metallic skeletons describing planar hexagonal discs. Their organic exteriors form double-bowl shaped topologies, and coupled with their 3-D connectivity, this results in the formation of molecular cavities in the solid state. These confined spaces are shown to behave as host units in the solid state for guests including solvent molecules and charge balancing counter anions. Magnetic susceptibility measurements on 2 and 4 reveal weak ferro- and ferrimagnetism, respectively. The utilisation of other Co(II) salt precursors gives rise to entirely different species including the mononuclear and trinuclear complexes [Co(II)(L(2))(2)] (5) and [Co(III)(2)Na(I)(1)(L(3))(6)](BF(4)) (6) (where L(3)H = 2-iminomethyl-4-bromo-6-methoxyphenol).     

Generation of candidate ligands for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors via in situ click chemistry with a soluble acetylcholine binding protein template

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are responsible for mediating key physiological functions, are ubiquitous in the central and peripheral nervous systems. As members of the Cys loop ligand-gated ion channel family, neuronal nAChRs are pentameric, composed of various permutations of α (α2 to α10) and β (β2 to β4) subunits forming functional heteromeric or homomeric receptors. Diversity in nAChR subunit composition complicates the development of selective ligands for specific subtypes, since the five binding sites reside at the subunit interfaces. The acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP), a soluble extracellular domain homologue secreted by mollusks, serves as a general structural surrogate for the nAChRs. In this work, homomeric AChBPs from Lymnaea and Aplysia snails were used as in situ templates for the generation of novel and potent ligands that selectively bind to these proteins. The cycloaddition reaction between building-block azides and alkynes to form stable 1,2,3-triazoles was used to generate the leads. The extent of triazole formation on the AChBP template correlated with the affinity of the triazole product for the nicotinic ligand binding site. Instead of the in situ protein-templated azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction occurring at a localized, sequestered enzyme active center as previously shown, we demonstrate that the in situ reaction can take place at the subunit interfaces of an oligomeric protein and can thus be used as a tool for identifying novel candidate nAChR ligands. The crystal structure of one of the in situ-formed triazole-AChBP complexes shows binding poses and molecular determinants of interactions predicted from structures of known agonists and antagonists. Hence, the click chemistry approach with an in situ template of a receptor provides a novel synthetic avenue for generating candidate agonists and antagonists for ligand-gated ion channels.     

Genetically encoded tetrazine amino acid directs rapid site-specific in vivo bioorthogonal ligation with trans-cyclooctenes

Bioorthogonal ligation methods with improved reaction rates and less obtrusive components are needed for site-specifically labeling proteins without catalysts. Currently no general method exists for in vivo site-specific labeling of proteins that combines fast reaction rate with stable, nontoxic, and chemoselective reagents. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a tetrazine-containing amino acid, 1, that is stable inside living cells. We have site-specifically genetically encoded this unique amino acid in response to an amber codon allowing a single 1 to be placed at any location in a protein. We have demonstrated that protein containing 1 can be ligated to a conformationally strained trans-cyclooctene in vitro and in vivo with reaction rates significantly faster than most commonly used labeling methods.     

Diels-Alder cycloaddition for fluorophore targeting to specific proteins inside living cells

The inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder cycloaddition between trans-cyclooctenes and tetrazines is biocompatible and exceptionally fast. We utilized this chemistry for site-specific fluorescence labeling of proteins on the cell surface and inside living mammalian cells by a two-step protocol. Escherichia coli lipoic acid ligase site-specifically ligates a trans-cyclooctene derivative onto a protein of interest in the first step, followed by chemoselective derivatization with a tetrazine-fluorophore conjugate in the second step. On the cell surface, this labeling was fluorogenic and highly sensitive. Inside the cell, we achieved specific labeling of cytoskeletal proteins with green and red fluorophores. By incorporating the Diels-Alder cycloaddition, we have broadened the panel of fluorophores that can be targeted by lipoic acid ligase.     

Enhancing Water Stability of Metal-Organic Frameworks via Phosphonate Monoester Linkers

A new porous metal-organic framework (MOF), barium tetraethyl-1,3,6,8-pyrenetetraphosphonate (CALF-25), which contains a new phosphonate monoester ligand, was synthesized through a hydrothermal method. The MOF is a three-dimensional structure containing 4.6 ? × 3.9 ? rectangular one-dimensional pores lined with the ethyl ester groups from the ligand. The presence of the ethyl ester groups makes the pores hydrophobic in nature, as determined by the low heats of adsorption of CH(4), CO(2), and H(2)O (14.5, 23.9, and 45 kJ mol(-1), respectively) despite the polar and acidic barium phosphonate ester backbone. The ethyl ester groups within the pores also protect CALF-25 from decomposition by water vapor, with crystallinity and porosity being retained after exposure to harsh humid conditions (90% relative humidity at 353 K). The use of phosphonate esters as linkers for the construction of MOFs provides a method to protect hydrolytically susceptible coordination backbones through kinetic blocking.     

Boundary concentrated finite elements for optimal boundary control problems of elliptic PDEs

We investigate the discretization of optimal boundary control problems for elliptic equations on two-dimensional polygonal domains by the boundary concentrated finite element method. We prove that the discretization error ||u^*-u_h^*||_L²(G)\|u^{*}-u_{h}^{*}\|_{L^{2}(\Gamma)} decreases like N ⁻¹, where N is the total number of unknowns. This makes the proposed method favorable in comparison to the h-version of the finite element method, where the discretization error behaves like N ^−3/4 for uniform meshes. Moreover, we present an algorithm that solves the discretized problem in almost optimal complexity. The paper is complemented with numerical results.