Supramolecular Catalysis of the oxa-Pictet–Spengler Reaction with an Endohedrally Functionalized Self-Assembled Cage Complex

An endohedrally functionalized self-assembled Fe₄L₆ cage complex can catalyze oxa-Pictet—Spengler cyclizations of tryptophols and various aldehyde derivatives, showing strong rate accelerations and size-selectivity. Selective molecular recognition of substrates controls the reactivity, and the cage is capable of binding and activating multiple different species along the multistep reaction pathway. The combination of a functionalized active site, size-selective reactivity, and multistep activation, all from a single host molecule, illustrates the biomimetic nature of the catalysis.     

Probing Relaxation Dynamics in Five-Coordinate Dysprosium Single-Molecule Magnets

A new family of five-coordinate lanthanide single-molecule magnets (Ln SMMs) [Dy(Mes*O)₂(THF)₂X] (Mes*=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl; X=Cl, 1 ; Br, 2 ; I, 3 ) is reported with energy barriers to magnetic reversal >1200 K. The five-coordinate Dy^III ions have distorted square pyramidal geometries, with halide anions on the apex, and two Mes*O ligands mutually trans- to each other, and the two THF molecules forming the second trans- pair. These geometrical features lead to a large magnetic anisotropy in these complexes along the trans-Mes*O direction. QTM and Raman relaxation times are enhanced by varying the apex halide from Cl to Br to I, or by dilution in a diamagnetic yttrium analogue.     

Current knowledge on the extraction,purification, identification,and validation of bioactive peptides from seaweed

Seaweed (macroalgae) is considered as a sustainable bioresource rich in high-quality nutrients such as protein. Seaweed protein can be used as an alternative to other protein sources. Furthermore, these proteins are natural reservoirs of bioactive peptides (BAPs) associated with various health benefits such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic activities. However, seaweed-derived BAPs remain underexploited due to challenges that arise during protein extraction from algal biomass. Coupled with this, limited proteomic information exists regarding certain seaweed species. This review highlights the current state of the art of seaweed protein extraction techniques, e.g., liquid, ultrasound, microwave, pulsed electric field, and high hydrostatic pressure assisted extraction. The review also focuses on the enzymatic hydrolysis of seaweed proteins and characterization of the resultant hydrolysates/peptides using electrophoretic and chromatographic techniques. This includes reference to methods employed for separation, fractionation, and purification of seaweed BAPs, as well as the methodologies used for identification, e.g., analysis by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, a bioinformatics or in silico approach to aid discovery of seaweed BAPs is discussed herein. Based on the information available to date, it is suggested that further research is required in this area for the development of seaweed BAPs for nutraceutical applications.     

Hg(II) immobilized MWCNT graphite electrode for the anodic stripping voltammetric determination of lead and cadmium

The preparation of Hg(II)-modified multi walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by reaction of oxidized MWCNT with aqueous HgCl₂ was carried out. The Hg(II)-modified multi walled carbon nanotube (Hg(II)/MWCNT) dispersed in Nafion solution was used to coat the polished graphite electrode surface. The Hg(II)/MWCNT modified graphite electrode was held at a cathodic potential (−1.0 V) to reduce the coordinated Hg(II) to Hg forming nanodroplets of Hg. The modified electrode was characterized by FESEM/EDAX which provided useful insights on the morphology of the electrode. The SEM images showed droplets of Hg in the size of around 260 nm uniformly distributed on the MWCNT. Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to study the Hg(II) binding with MWCNT. Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry of ppb levels of cadmium and lead using the modified electrode yielded well-defined peaks with low background current under a short deposition time. Detection limit of 0.94 and 1.8 ng L⁻¹ were obtained following a 3 min deposition for Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively. Various experimental parameters were characterized and optimized. High reproducibility was observed from the RSD values for 20 repetitive measurements of Pb(II) and Cd(II) (1.7 and 1.9%, respectively). The determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) in tap water and Pb(II) in human hair samples was carried out. The above method of fabrication of Hg(II)/MWCNT modified graphite electrode clearly suggests a safe route for preparing Hg immobilized electrode for stripping analysis.     

Efficient bifunctional gallium-68 chelators for positron emission tomography: tris(hydroxypyridinone) ligands

A new tripodal tris(hydroxypyridinone) bifunctional chelator for gallium allows easy production of (68)Ga-labelled proteins rapidly under mild conditions in high yields at exceptionally high specific activity and low concentration.     

Structural periodicity in plutonium(IV) sulfates

The chemistry of tetravalent Pu with sulfate is explored in a series of single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of the alkali metal plutonium sulfate compounds. Five new structures of Pu(IV) sulfates are presented including the structure for the α-phase of Pu(SO(4))(2)(H(2)O)(4), Na(10)Pu(2)(SO(4))(9)(H(2)O)(4), K(8)Pu(2)(SO(4))(8)(H(2)O)(5), Rb(8)Pu(2)(SO(4))(8)(H(2)O)(4), and Cs(4)Pu(SO(4))(4)(H(2)O)(2). Changes in structure and stoichiometry are seen down the alkali-metal series despite identical reaction conditions for each of the complexes. Comparison to the other known An(IV) sulfates, Group IV sulfates, and Ce(IV) reveals limited similarity in stoichiometry and structure across the actinide series and their homologues. Marked color changes are observed down the series indicating strong interactions between the plutonium ions and the ligands in these complexes.     

Continuous flow enzyme-catalyzed polymerization in a microreactor

Enzymes immobilized on solid supports are increasingly used for greener, more sustainable chemical transformation processes. Here, we used microreactors to study enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone to polycaprolactone. A novel microreactor design enabled us to perform these heterogeneous reactions in continuous mode, in organic media, and at elevated temperatures. Using microreactors, we achieved faster polymerization and higher molecular mass compared to using batch reactors. While this study focused on polymerization reactions, it is evident that similar microreactor based platforms can readily be extended to other enzyme-based systems, for example, high-throughput screening of new enzymes and to precision measurements of new processes where continuous flow mode is preferred. This is the first reported demonstration of a solid supported enzyme-catalyzed polymerization reaction in continuous mode.     

Single-molecule conductance through multiple π-π-stacked benzene rings determined with direct electrode-to-benzene ring connections

Understanding electron transport across π-π-stacked systems will help to answer fundamental questions about biochemical redox processes and benefit the design of new materials and molecular devices. Herein we employed the STM break-junction technique to measure the single-molecule conductance of multiple π-π-stacked aromatic rings. We studied electron transport through up to four stacked benzene rings held together in an eclipsed fashion via a paracyclophane scaffold. We found that the strained hydrocarbons studied herein couple directly to gold electrodes during the measurements; hence, we did not require any heteroatom binding groups as electrical contacts. Density functional theory-based calculations suggest that the gold atoms of the electrodes bind to two neighboring carbon atoms of the outermost cyclophane benzene rings in η(2) fashion. Our measurements show an exponential decay of the conductance with an increasing number of stacked benzene rings, indicating a nonresonant tunneling mechanism. Furthermore, STM tip-substrate displacement data provide additional evidence that the electrodes bind to the outermost benzene rings of the π-π-stacked molecular wires.     

Cupric superoxo-mediated intermolecular C-H activation chemistry

The new cupric superoxo complex [LCu(II)(O(2)(?-))](+), which possesses particularly strong O-O and Cu-O bonding, is capable of intermolecular C-H activation of the NADH analogue 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH). Kinetic studies indicated a first-order dependence on both the Cu complex and BNAH with a deuterium kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of 12.1, similar to that observed for certain copper monooxygenases.     

Phosphorylated mesoporous carbon as a solid acid catalyst

Mesoporous carbon catalyst supports are attractive due to their wide chemical stability while potentially increasing mass-transport through and providing a path for larger molecules to access catalytic sites. Herein we report the synthesis of a phosphorylated mesoporous carbon solid-acid catalyst characterized by NH(3)-TPD and isopropanol dehydration.