A Facile Chemoenzymatic Approach: One‐Step Syntheses of Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids

Facile chemoenzymatic syntheses of cytotoxic monoterpenoid indole alkaloids with novel skeletons and multiple chiral centers are described. Synthesis of these alkaloids was achieved by a simple one‐step reaction using strictosidine and 12‐aza‐strictosidine as the key intermediates. Strictosidines were prepared by coupling of secologanin with tryptamine and 7‐aza‐tryptamine, respectively, using the immobilized recombinant Rauvolfia strictosidine synthase. A detailed stereochemical analysis is presented herein. The results provide an opportunity for a chemoenzymatic approach that leads to an increased diversification of complex alkaloids with improved structures and activities.     

N,N′-Linked 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one 1,1-dioxides: synthesis, biological activity, and derived radicals

A number of N,N′-linked benzoannelated isothiazol-3(2H)-one 1,1-dioxides, not available via oxidation of isothiazolium salts, were obtained with good yields by reaction of N-amino heterocycles with 2-chlorosulfonylbenzoyl chloride and evaluated for their inhibitory activity toward human leukocyte elastase (HLE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). 2-(Phthalimid-1-yl)-1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one 1,1-dioxide and 2-(2-methyl-4-oxo-3(4H)-quinazolinyl)-1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one 1,1-dioxide were found to be inhibitors of HLE and tested as potential precursors of nitrogen-centered radicals using 266 nm laser flash photolysis.     

Li6PO5Br and Li6PO5Cl: The first Lithium‐Oxide‐Argyrodites

The title compounds Li₆PO₅Br (Fand Li₆PO₅Cl (F represent the first oxidic argyrodites in general and the first lithiumoxoargyrodites in particular. The overall crystal structure corresponds to the cubic high temperature (HT) modification of all known cubic argyrodites, however, with a seemingly small but important difference concerning the lithium positions. In all other HT argyrodites with similar lithium content the 24 lithium atoms per unit cell are disordered over a 48 fold position in close vicinity to a 24 fold one causing a high mobility of the Li⁺. In the title compounds, however, they occupy the 24 fold one in a strictly ordered manner thus establishing a planar triangular first sphere coordination environment. This detail is of great importance for the amount of the specific lithium ionic conductivity and for the possible phase transition to an LT (low temperature) modification accompanied by an ordering of the disordered lithium atoms. Apparently the latter transition is suppressed in the title compounds because the Li⁺ are already frozen out in the cubic (HT = LT) form. The initially open question how this structural peculiarity influences the ionic conductivity (strengthening or weakening in comparison to oxygen free argyrodites?) is answered by a series of impedance measurements. The specific lithium ionic conductivity of the title compounds in the range 313 K < T < 518 K is significantly lower than in oxygen free argyrodites.     

Complete disassembly of carbon disulfide by a ditantalum complex

The side-on end-on dinitrogen complex [PhP(CH(2)SiMe(2)NPh)(2)Ta](μ-H)(2)(μ-η(2):η(1)-N(2)) reacts with CS(2) with complete cleavage of both C=S double bonds and the formation of [PhP(CH(2)SiMe(2)NPh)(2)Ta](μ-S)(2)(μ-CH(2)), which has two bridging sulfides and a bridging methylene unit. Further reaction with H(2) produces CH(4) and the disulfide complex.     

Electrostatic induction of the electric field into free-flow electrophoresis devices

The electrostatic induction of an applied voltage causes electrophoretic separation under free-flow conditions and no electrolysis or electric current flowing between the metal electrodes was observed.     

Chiral close-packing of achiral star-shaped molecules on solid surfaces

From the interplay of scanning tunneling microscopy and theoretical calculations, we study the chiral self-assembly of achiral HtB-HBC molecules upon adsorption on the Cu(110) surface. We find that chirality is expressed at two different levels: a +/-5 degrees rotation of the molecular axis with respect to the close-packed direction of the Cu(110) substrate and a chiral close-packed arrangement expected for star-shaped molecules in 2D. Out of the four possible chiral expressions, only two are found to exist due the effect of van der Waals (vdW) interactions forcing the molecules to simultaneously adjust to the atomic template of the substrate geometry and self-assemble in a close-packed geometry.     

Decorated rods: a "bottom-up" self-assembly of monomolecular DNA complexes

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and gel electrophoresis measurements are performed to investigate both the number and size of complexes of linear double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) fragments with 1:1 diblock copolymers consisting of a cationic moiety, branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) of 2, 10, or 25 kDa, covalently bound to a neutral shielding moiety, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG; 20 kDa). By systematically decreasing the bPEI length, the PEG grafting density along the DNA chain can be directly controlled. For 25 and 10 kDa bPEI-PEG copolymers, severe aggregation is observed despite the presence of the shielding PEG. Upon decreasing the bPEI length to 2 kDa, controlled self-assembly of monomolecular DNA nanoparticles is observed. The resulting complexes are in quantitative agreement with a theoretical model based on a single DNA encased in a dense PEG polymer brush layer. The resulting PEGylated complexes show high stability against both salt and protein and hence are of potential use for in vivo gene delivery studies.