Metal ion complexing properties of the highly preorganized ligand 2,9-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,10-phenanthroline: a crystallographic and thermodynamic study

Metal ion complexing properties of the ligand 2,9-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (PDALC) are reported. For PDALC, the rigid 1,10-phenanthroline backbone leads to high levels of preorganization and enhanced selectivity for larger metal ions with an ionic radius of about 1.0 A that can fit well into the cleft of the ligand. Structures of PDALC complexes with two larger metal ions, Ca(II) and Pb(II), are reported. [Ca(PDALC) 2](ClO 4) 2 ( 1) is triclinic, Pi, a = 7.646(3), b = 13.927(4), c = 14.859(5) (A), alpha = 72.976(6), beta = 89.731(6), mu = 78.895(6) degrees , V = 1482.5(8) A (3), Z = 2, R = 0.0818. [Pb(PDALC)(ClO 4) 2] ( 2) is triclinic, Pi, a = 8.84380(10), b = 9.0751(15), c = 12.178(2) (A), alpha = 74.427(3), beta = 78.403(13), mu = 80.053(11) degrees , V = 915.0(2) A (3), Z = 2, R = 0.0665. In 1, the Ca(II) is eight-coordinate, with an average Ca-N of 2.501 A and Ca-O of 2.422 A. The structure of 1 suggests that Ca(II) is coordinated in a very low-strain manner in the two PDALC ligands. In 2, Pb(II) appears to be eight-coordinate, with coordination of PDALC and four O donors from perchlorates bridging between neighboring Pb atoms. The Pb has very short Pb-N bonds averaging 2.486 A and Pb-O bonds to the alcoholic groups of PDALC of 2.617 A. It is suggested that the Pb(II) has a stereochemically active lone pair situated on the Pb(II) opposite the two N donors of the PDALC, and in line with this, the Pb-L bonds become longer as one moves around the Pb from the sites of the two N donors to the proposed position of the lone pair. There are two oxygen donors from two perchlorates, nearer the N donors, with shorter Pb-O lengths averaging 2.623 A. Two oxygens from perchlorates nearer the proposed site of the lone pair form very long Pb-O bond lengths averaging 3.01 A. The Pb(II) also appears to coordinate in the cleft of PDALC in a low-strain manner. Formation constants are reported for PDALC in 0.1 M NaClO 4 at 25.0 degrees C. These show that, relative to 1,10-phenanthroline, the hydroxymethyl groups of PDALC produce a significant stabilization for large metal ions such as Cd(II) or Pb(II) that are able to fit in the cleft of PDALC but destabilize the complexes of metal ions such as Ni(II) or Cu(II) that are too small for the cleft.     

On the Massive Antenna Suspension System in the Brazilian Gravitational Wave Detector SCHENBERG

SCHENBERG is a resonant-mass gravitational wave detector built in Brazil. Its spherical antenna, weighting 1.15 t, is connected to the outside world by a suspension system whose main function is to attenuate the external seismic noise. In this work, we report how the system was modeled using finite elements method. The model was validated on experimental data. The simulation showed that the attenuation obtained is of the order of 260 dB, which is sufficient for decreasing the seismic noise below the level of the thermal noise of the detector operating at 50 mK.     

Investigating the molecular mechanisms of in-plane mechanochemistry on cantilever arrays

Free-standing cantilevers, which directly translate specific biochemical reactions into micromechanical motion, have recently attracted much attention as label-free biosensors and micro/nano robotic devices. To exploit this mechanochemical sensing technology, it is essential to develop a fundamental understanding of the origins of surface stress. Here we report a detailed study into the molecular basis of stress generation in aqueous environments focusing on the pH titration of model mercaptohexadecanoic acid self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), using in situ reference cantilevers coated with nonionizable hexadecanethiol SAMs. Semiautomated data analysis and a statistical model were developed to quantify cyclic deprotonation/protonation reactions on multiple arrays. In-plane force titrations were found to have the sensitivity to detect ionic hydrogen bond formation between protonated and nonprotonated carboxylic acid groups in the proximity of the surface pK1/2, which generated a mean tensile differential surface stress of +1.2 +/- 0.3 mN/m at pH 6.0, corresponding to 1 pN attractive force between two adjacent MHA molecules. Conversely, the magnitude of compressive differential surface stress was found to increase progressively with pH >/= 7.0, reaching a maximum of -14.5 +/- 0.5 mN/m at pH 9.0, attributed to enhanced electrostatic repulsion between deprotonated carboxylic acid groups. However, striking differences were observed in the micromechanical responses to different ionic strength and ion species present in the aqueous environment, highlighting the critical role of counter- and co-ions on surface stress. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the molecular mechanisms of in-plane mechanochemistry, which may be exploited for biosensing and nanoactuation applications.     

The carboxylate shift in zinc enzymes: a computational study

Zinc is the second most abundant transition element in biology and the only metal known to be represented in enzymes from each one of the six classes established by the International Union of Biochemistry. The flexible coordination geometry, the fast ligand exchange, the lack of redox activity, and its role as Lewis acid are just some of the features that make zinc an invaluable element in biological catalysis. In this study, we have analyzed the importance in mononuclear Zn enzymes of an interesting mechanistic phenomenon known as carboxylate shift, which is characterized by a change in the coordination mode of a carboxylate group (mono to bidentate or vice versa) with both ligand entrance or exit from the metal coordination sphere. Using B3LYP calculations, we were able to unveil in detail patterns relating the intrinsic characteristics of a given Zn coordination sphere with the existence or not of a carboxylate-shift mechanism and the additional energy stabilization arising from it. In particular, a specific Zn coordination sphere containing a carboxylate ligand (Asp or Glu), a cysteine, and a histidine has been shown to have the most favorable combination of amino acid residues that ensures a fast ligand exchange.     

General performance of density functionals

The density functional theory (DFT) foundations date from the 1920s with the work of Thomas and Fermi, but it was after the work of Hohenberg, Kohn, and Sham in the 1960s, and particularly with the appearance of the B3LYP functional in the early 1990s, that the widespread application of DFT has become a reality. DFT is less computationally demanding than other computational methods with a similar accuracy, being able to include electron correlation in the calculations at a fraction of time of post-Hartree-Fock methodologies. In this review we provide a brief outline of the density functional theory and of the historic development of the field, focusing later on the several types of density functionals currently available, and finishing with a detailed analysis of the performance of DFT across a wide range of chemical properties and system types, reviewed from the most recent benchmarking studies, which encompass several well-established density functionals together with the most recent efforts in the field. Globally, an overall picture of the level of performance of the plethora of currently available density functionals for each chemical property is drawn, with particular attention being dedicated to the relative performance of the popular B3LYP density functional.     

Interaction of meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin with cationic CTAC micelles investigated by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) have been used to investigate the interaction of the water-soluble meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS(4)) with cationic cethyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) micelles. To evaluate if the porphyrin protonation state affects its interaction with the micelle, both SAXS and EPR measurements were performed at pH 4.0 and 9.0. The best-fit SAXS curves were obtained assuming for CTAC micelle a prolate ellipsoidal shape in the absence and upon incorporation of 2-10 mM TPPS(4). SAXS results show that the presence of porphyrin impacts on micellar hydrophobic core, leading to a micellar reassembling into smaller micelles. Lineshapes of EPR spectra of 5- and 16-doxyl stearic acids (5- and 16-DSA, respectively) bound to 100 mM CTAC micelles exhibited slight changes as a function of porphyrin concentration. Spectral simulations revealed an increase of mobility restriction for both spin probes, especially at higher porphyrin concentration, where a small reduction of environment polarity was also observed for 16-DSA. The spin labels monitored only slight differences between pH 4.0 and 9.0, in agreement with the SAXS results.     

Catechins: Therapeutic Perspectives in COVID-19-Associated Acute Kidney Injury

Data obtained from several intensive care units around the world have provided substantial evidence of the strong association between impairment of the renal function and in-hospital deaths of critically ill COVID-19 patients, especially those with comorbidities and requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common renal disorder of various etiologies characterized by a sudden and sustained decrease of renal function. Studies have shown that 5–46% of COVID-19 patients develop AKI during hospital stay, and the mortality of those patients may reach up to 100% depending on various factors, such as organ failures and RRT requirement. Catechins are natural products that have multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-coronavirus and reno-protective activities against kidney injury induced by nephrotoxic agents, obstructive nephropathies and AKI accompanying metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the anti-SARS-CoV-2 and reno-protective effects of catechins from a mechanistic perspective. We believe that catechins may serve as promising therapeutics in COVID-19-associated AKI due to their well-recognized anti-SARS-CoV-2, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that mediate their reno-protective activities.     

Monitoring of the synthesis ofcis andtrans ruthenium macrocyclic complexes by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary The synthesis of the complex [Ru(cyclam)Cl₂]Cl (cyclam=1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) has been monitored by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The analytical results obtained during the reaction have shown that it is feasible to identify and isolate the two isomerscis- andtrans- [Ru(cyclam)-Cl₂]Cl. The use of an octadecylsiloxy preparative column enabled the separation and purification of these two isomers and the compounds have been obtained in high purity. The use of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography has afforded complete analytical control of the syntheses of saturated nitrogendonor macrocyclic complexes of ruthenium, enabling identification of thecis andtrans isomers of the complex [Ru(cyclam)Cl₂]Cl.     

Klein bottles and simple currents

The standard Klein bottle coefficient in the construction of open descendants is shown to equal the Frobenius-Schur indicator of a conformal field theory. Other consistent Klein bottle projections are shown to correspond to simple currents. These observations enable us to generalize the standard open string construction from C-diagonal parent theories to include non-standard Klein bottles. Using (generalizations of) the Frobenius-Schur indicator we prove positivity and integrality of the resulting open and closed string state multiplicities for standard as well as non-standard Klein bottles.