Construction of a hyperbranched supramolecular polymer as a bifunctional antioxidative enzyme model

A HBSP has been designed as a novel bifunctional enzyme model with SOD and GPx activity by host/guest‐directed self‐assembly of MnTPyP‐M‐Ad and 6‐Te‐diCD. The structure of the host/guest complex was elucidated by ¹H NMR spectra, and the HBSP was characterized by SEM, DLS and measurement of catalytic properties. In the bifunctional enzyme model, the Mn(III) porphyrins act as efficient SOD active sites and the tellurol moieties endow GPx activity. The SOD‐like activity (IC₅₀) of this new supramolecular catalyst was found to be 1.05 × 10^?7 M, which corresponds to 2.82% of the activity of the native SOD enzyme. Besides this, the hyperbranched supramolecular polymer also shows a higher GPx activity (ν₀ = 21.7 × 10^?6 M · min^?1) than other supramolecular enzyme models.

     

Theoretical insight into the electronic, optical and photocatalytic properties of InMO4 (M = V, Nb, Ta) photocatalysts

The electronic and optical properties of InMO(4) (M = V, Nb, Ta) photocatalysts are studied using first-principles calculations. For all InMO(4), the calculated band gaps are larger than the measured optical gaps, indicating the existence of sub-bandgap transitions. Impurity states and excitons are considered to interpret the characteristic absorption onsets in the measured UV-visible diffuse reflection spectra. The novel visible-light-active water-splitting photocatalytic properties of InMO(4) are related to the sub-bandgap transitions. Correlation between the impurity states and the photocatalytic activities is discussed for InMO(4)via the conventional mechanism of photocatalytic water-splitting on semiconductors. An excitonic mechanism analogous to Photosystem II in plant photosynthesis is also proposed for the photocatalytic water-splitting process on InMO(4).     

The role of the solvation shell decomposition of alkali metal ions in their selective complexation by resorcinarene and its cavitand

2-Methylresorcinarene and its methylene-bridged cavitand derivative as host compounds were investigated in selective complexation of alkali metal ions as guests in methanol media by photoluminescence measurements. These host molecules possess either flexible (2-methylresorcinarene) or rigid (cavitand) molecular skeleton. The Benesi–Hildebrand method and the van't Hoff theory have been applied to determine the stability constants and the thermodynamic parameters, respectively. Considerable interactions between 2-methylresorcinarene and Li⁺ or Na⁺ ions have been observed while the rigid cavitand derivative can interact only with K⁺ or Cs⁺ ions. Neither the complexes of 2-methylresorcinarene with K⁺ or Cs⁺ nor those of the cavitand derivative with Li⁺ or Na⁺ ions are stable at room temperature in methanol media. Quantum-chemical investigations justified that only solvated Li⁺ and Na⁺ ions can form stable complexes with 2-methylresorcinarene while unsolvated K⁺ and Cs⁺ ions form stable complexes with the methylene-bridged cavitand. These results highlight that the stability of the guest solvation shell and its size could play a key role in the selectivity behaviour of host molecules.     

Pseudoceramines A-D, new antibacterial bromotyrosine alkaloids from the marine sponge Pseudoceratina sp

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the CH(2)Cl(2)/MeOH extract of the Australian marine sponge Pseudoceratina sp. resulted in the purification of four new bromotyrosine alkaloids, pseudoceramines A-D (1-4), along with a known natural product, spermatinamine (5). The structures of 1-5 were determined by spectroscopic methods. Pseudoceramines A (1) and B (2) feature a rare bromotyrosyl-spermine-bromotyrosyl sequence, and pseudoceramine C (3) is the first example of bromotyrosine coupled with an N-methyl derivative of spermidine. Compounds 1-5 were screened for inhibition of toxin secretion by the type III secretion (T3S) pathway in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Compounds 2 and 5 inhibited secretion of the Yersinia outer protein YopE (IC(50) = 19 and 6 μM, respectively) and the enzyme activity of YopH (IC(50) = 33 and 6 μM, respectively).     

High throughput identification of components from traditional Chinese medicine herbs by utilizing graphene or graphene oxide as MALDI-TOF-MS matrix

In this work, graphene or graphene oxide was utilized, for the first time, to identify small molecular components from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs, by acting as matrix of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Due to the large surface area of graphene or graphene oxide, the analytes were trapped tightly to the matrix, which avoids the contamination of the ion source and vacuum system. Besides, their excellent electronic, thermal and mechanical properties make them desired matrices for MALDI-TOF-MS. Stable analysis was achieved with no background inference even at the concentration of 100 nM. Moreover, the limit of detection (LOD) could be greatly lowered by utilizing graphene or graphene oxide as a pre-enrichment adsorbent. In summary, the promoted MALDI-TOF-MS methodology was demonstrated to be simple, sensitive, fast, cost effective and, most importantly, high throughput.     

Double asymmetric induction as a mechanistic probe: the doubly diastereoselective conjugate addition of enantiopure lithium amides to enantiopure α,β-unsaturated esters and enantiopure α,β-unsaturated hydroxamates

The doubly diastereoselective conjugate addition of the antipodes of lithium N-benzyl-N-(α-methylbenzyl)amide to a range of enantiopure α,β-unsaturated esters [derived from Corey’s 8-phenylmenthol chiral auxiliary] and enantiopure α,β-unsaturated hydroxamates [derived from our ‘chiral Weinreb amide’ auxiliary (S)-N-1-(1′-naphthyl)ethyl-O-tert-butylhydroxylamine] has been used as a mechanistic probe to determine the reactive conformations of these acceptors.     

Improving the electrode performance of Ge through Ge@C core-shell nanoparticles and graphene networks

Germanium is a promising high-capacity anode material for lithium ion batteries, but it usually exhibits poor cycling stability because of its huge volume variation during the lithium uptake and release process. A double protection strategy to improve the electrode performance of Ge through the use of Ge@C core-shell nanostructures and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) networks has been developed. The as-synthesized Ge@C/RGO nanocomposite showed excellent cycling performance and rate capability in comparison with Ge@C nanoparticles when used as an anode material for Li ion batteries, which can be attributed to the electronically conductive and elastic RGO networks in addition to the carbon shells and small particle sizes of Ge. The strategy is simple yet very effective, and because of its versatility, it may be extended to other high-capacity electrode materials with large volume variations and low electrical conductivities.     

Preparative purification of five bioactive components from Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb by high-speed counter-current chromatography

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) coupled with ultraviolet (UV) detection or evaporative light-scattering detection was successfully applied for preparative separation of five bioactive compounds from Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. In preliminary process, D101 macroporous resin was used to separate the crude extract of the plant and four fractions (20, 40, 50, and 60% aqueous ethanol elutions) were produced. Then, these fractions were directly subjected to HSCCC purification. Five chemicals including taxifolin-3-glucoside (6.4 mg), quercetin-3-rhamnoside (13.0 mg), tiliroside (14.7 mg), agrimonolide (21.4 mg), and tormentic acid (29.8 mg) with the purities of 94.24, 95.37, 97.42, 95.29, and 96.34% were separated from each 200 mg prepared fraction. The purities were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the chemical structures of the products were identified by UV detection, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and the standards. This paper used a simple method to separate five bioactive compounds from A. pilosa Ledeb, and it could provide a new idea for the purification of bioactive compounds from other medicinal plants.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(4-(quinazolin-2-yl)phenyl)benzamide derivatives with potent anti-angiogenesis activities: synthesis and evaluation

Expanding our studies on the anti-angiogenesis activities of 2,4-disubstituted quinazoline derivatives [8], a series of novel N-(2-(quinazolin-2-yl)phenyl)benzamide (SZ) derivatives were designed and synthesized. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that most of these compounds displayed similar cytotoxicity against tumor cells in comparison with our previously reported, but showed a higher cytotoxicity against HUVECs. The SZ derivatives showed a remarkable inhibitive effect against the migration and adhesion of HUVECs, in addition to demonstrating significant in vivo anti-angiogenesis activities in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The results proved that the introduction of an aryl group with a basic amide side chain on the 4′ position linked to the amide of the C-2 substituted quinazoline scaffold is an effective approach to improve the anti-angiogenic activity of quinazoline derivatives.