Asymmetric synthesis of (R)-[2,2-2H2]-1-aminocyclopropane-1-phosphonic acid (ACPP derivative) conformationally constrained ACC analogue using a chiral sulfinyl auxiliary

The asymmetric cyclopropanation of vinylphosphonate using (S)-dimethylsulfonium-(p-tolylsulfinyl)methylide was applied to obtain a dideuterated cyclopropyl sulfoxide. A three-step synthesis of enantiopure (+)-(1R)-1-amino-2,2-dideuteriocyclopropanephosphonic acid (+)-17-d₂ was developed.     

Silk-silica composites from genetically engineered chimeric proteins: materials properties correlate with silica condensation rate and colloidal stability of the proteins in aqueous solution

The aim of the study was to determine the extent and mechanism of influence on silica condensation that is presented by a range of known silicifying recombinant chimeras (R5: SSKKSGSYSGSKGSKRRIL; A1: SGSKGSKRRIL; and Si4-1: MSPHPHPRHHHT and repeats thereof) attached at the N-terminus end of a 15-mer repeat of the 32 amino acid consensus sequence of the major ampullate dragline Spindroin 1 (Masp1) Nephila clavipes spider silk sequence ([SGRGGLGGQG AGAAAAAGGA GQGGYGGLGSQG](15)X). The influence of the silk/chimera ratio was explored through the adjustment of the type and number of silicifying domains (denoted X above), and the results were compared with their non-chimeric counterparts and the silk from Bombyx mori. The effect of pH (3-9) on reactivity was also explored. Optimum conditions for rate and control of silica deposition were determined, and the solution properties of the silks were explored to determine their mode(s) of action. For the silica-silk-chimera materials formed there is a relationship between the solution properties of the chimeric proteins (ability to carry charge), the pH of reaction, and the solid state materials that are generated. The region of colloidal instability correlates with the pH range observed for morphological control and coincides with the pH range for the highest silica condensation rates. With this information it should be possible to predict how chimeric or chemically modified proteins will affect structure and morphology of materials produced under controlled conditions and extend the range of composite materials for a wide spectrum of uses in the biomedical and technology fields.     

Development of an ion-pair reversed-phase HPLC method with indirect UV detection for determination of phosphates and phosphites as impurities in sodium risedronate

A method based on RP-HPLC with indirect UV detection was developed for the determination of phosphates and phosphites as impurities in sodium risedronate. RP separation of the phosphates and phosphites was achieved by adding tetrabutylammonium hydroxide as an ion-pairing agent in the mobile phase. Potassium hydrogen phthalate was added to the mobile phase as an ionic chromophore in order to obtain high background absorption of the mobile phase. Separation was performed on a C18 column using a mixture of pH 8.2 buffer (containing 0.5 mM tetrabutylammonium hydroxide and 1 mM phthalate) and acetonitrile (95 + 5, v/v) as the mobile phase, with indirect UV detection at 248 nm. The validation of the method included determination of specificity/selectivity, linearity, LOD, LOQ, accuracy, precision, and robustness. The LOD was 0.86 microg/mL for phosphates and 0.76 microg/mL for phosphites. The LOQ was 2.60 microg/mL for phosphates and 2.29 microg/mL for phosphites. The developed method is suitable for quantitative determination of phosphates and phosphites as impurities in QC of sodium risedronate.     

Silk-based nanocomplexes with tumor-homing peptides for tumor-specific gene delivery

Nanoscale complexes of recombinant silk molecules containing THPs with DNA are designed as less cytotoxic and highly target‐specific gene carriers. Genetically engineered silk proteins containing poly(L ‐lysine) domains to interact with pDNA and the THP to bind to specific tumorigenic cells for target‐specific pDNA delivery are prepared, followed by in vitro transfection into MDA‐MB‐435 melanoma cells, highly metastatic human breast tumor MDA‐MB‐231 cells, and non‐tumorigenic MCF‐10A breast epithelial cells. The silk/poly(L ‐lysine) block copolymer containing Lyp1 (ML‐Lyp1) shows significant differences from silk/poly(L ‐lysine) block copolymer containing F3 (ML‐F3) in cytotoxicity to MCF10A cells. ML‐F3 is the most promising candidate for target delivery into tumorigenic cells.

     

E–mv coupling of vibrational overtone in organic conductors: Relationship to optical nonlinearities and ferroelectricity

A strong electron–phonon coupling effect, referred to as electron–molecular vibration (e–mv) coupling, induces characteristic vibronic signals in the vibrational spectra of organic conductors. This paper discusses a new spectroscopic signal induced by the e–mv coupling effect, and the physical implications of its emergence. This vibronic signal, attributable to an overtone of a molecular vibration, appears with an anti-resonance form in the infrared spectrum of some mixed-valency complexes when the compounds undergo a charge-ordering transition. Based on the results of cluster model calculations, the activation of the overtone signal is interpreted as an indication of the generation of anharmonicity in the electronic potential. This analysis suggests that the series of the complexes should possess potential nonlinear optical abilities, though these compounds have long been viewed as electric conductors having the opposite characteristics of dielectrics that show nonlinear optical properties.     

Hydrogen bonding as a modulator of aromaticity and electronic structure of selected ortho-hydroxybenzaldehyde derivatives

Properties of hydrogen bonds can induce changes in geometric or electronic structure parameters in the vicinity of the bridge. Here, we focused primarily on the influence of intramolecular H-bonding on the molecular properties in selected ortho-hydroxybenzaldehydes, with additional restricted insight into substituent effects. Static models were obtained in the framework of density functional theory at B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. The electronic structure parameters evolution was analyzed on the basis of Atoms In Molecules (AIM) and Natural Bond Orbitals methods. The aromaticity changes related to the variable proton position and presence of substituents were studied using Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity (HOMA), Nucleus-Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) and AIM-based parameter of Matta and Hernández-Trujillo. Finally, Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics was applied to study variability of the hydrogen bridge dynamics. The interplay between effects of the substitution and variable position of the bridged proton was discussed. It was found that the hydrogen bond energies are ca. 9-10 kcal/mol, and the bridged proton exhibits some degree of penetration into the acceptor region. The covalent character of the studied hydrogen bond was most observable when the bridged proton reached the middle position between the donor and acceptor regions. The aromaticity indexes showed that the aromaticity of the central phenyl ring is strongly dependent on the bridged proton position. Correlations between these parameters were found and discussed. In the applied time-scale, the analysis of time evolution of geometric parameters showed that the resonance strengthening does not play a crucial role in the studied compounds.     

Engineering of lipid-coated PLGA nanoparticles with a tunable payload of diagnostically active nanocrystals for medical imaging

Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) based nanoparticles are biocompatible and biodegradable and therefore have been extensively investigated as therapeutic carriers. Here, we engineered diagnostically active PLGA nanoparticles that incorporate high payloads of nanocrystals into their core for tunable bioimaging features. We accomplished this through esterification reactions of PLGA to generate polymers modified with nanocrystals. The PLGA nanoparticles formed from modified PLGA polymers that were functionalized with either gold nanocrystals or quantum dots exhibited favorable features for computed tomography and optical imaging, respectively.     

Volumetric properties of binary mixtures of alcoxyethanols with tert-butyl ethyl ether at various temperatures

Densities at 293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 308.15 and 313.15 K of the binary liquid mixtures made of tert-butyl ethyl ether with either 2-ethoxyethanol, or 2-(2-ethoxy)ethoxyethanol, or 2-[2-(2-ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxyethanol have been measured over the whole mixture compositions. These data have been used to compute the excess molar volumes (V^E). The excess molar volumes always are negative over the entire range of composition for all the binary mixtures investigated. The changes of V^E with variations of the composition and the chain-length of the alkyl groups in the alkoxyethanol molecules are discussed in terms of possible intermolecular interactions.