Upper rim appended hybrid calixarenes via click chemistry

We report the application of "click" chemistry for the synthesis of hybrid calixarenes appended on the upper rim with carbohydrate and N,C-protected alpha-amino acids. The chemoselective N- or C-deprotection of the alpha-amino acids and their subsequent transformation into dipeptides is described. The first example of a chemo-enzymatic synthesis on upper rim derived calix[4]arenes using trans-sialidase affords sialylated lactose calix[4]arenes. Our innovative chemo-enzymatic process paves the way for further applications.     

Plutonium(iv) complexation by diglycolamide ligands-coordination chemistry insight into TODGA-based actinide separations

Complexation of Pu(iv) with TMDGA, TEDGA, and TODGA diglycolamide ligands was followed by vis-NIR spectroscopy. A crystal structure determination reveals that TMDGA forms a 1?:?3 homoleptic Pu(iv) complex with the nitrate anions forced into the outer coordination sphere.     

Characterization and deposition of various light-harvesting antenna complexes by electrospray atomization

Photosynthetic organisms have light-harvesting complexes that absorb and transfer energy efficiently to reaction centers. Light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) have received increased attention in order to understand the natural photosynthetic process and also to utilize their unique properties in fabricating efficient artificial and bio-hybrid devices to capture solar energy. In this work, LHCs with different architectures, sizes, and absorption spectra, such as chlorosomes, Fenna–Matthews–Olson (FMO) protein, LH2 complex, and phycobilisome have been characterized by an electrospray-scanning mobility particle-sizer system (ES-SMPS). The size measured by ES-SMPS for FMO, chlorosomes, LH2, and phycobilisome were 6.4, 23.3, 9.5, and 33.4?nm, respectively. These size measurements were compared with values measured by dynamic light scattering and those reported in the literature. These complexes were deposited onto a transparent substrate by electrospray deposition. Absorption and fluorescence spectra of the deposited LHCs were measured. It was observed that the LHCs have light absorption and fluorescence spectra similar to that in solution, demonstrating the viability of the process.     

A Multi‐Stimuli‐Responsive Oxazine Molecular Switch: A Strategy for the Design of Electrochromic Materials

A multi‐state and multi‐stimuli‐responsive oxazine molecular switch that combines an electro‐base property and sensitive base/acid‐responsive properties was designed and synthesized. The multi‐state structures of the molecular switch, with different colors, were predicted by comparing the optical properties with reference molecules and confirmed by using NMR spectroscopy. The color‐switching mechanism under stimulation with acids and bases was investigated by using DFT calculations. Three single states can be obtained and the switching is unidirectional under acid and base stimulation. The electrochromic phenomenon of the molecular switch, which combines its electro‐base and base‐sensitive properties, was demonstrated. An electrochromic device that exhibited good electrochromic properties with excellent reversibility (2000 cycles) and high coloration efficiency (804 cm² C^?1) was successfully constructed.     

High‐Frequency Fe–H Vibrations in a Bridging Hydride Complex Characterized by NRVS and DFT

High‐spin iron species with bridging hydrides have been detected in species trapped during nitrogenase catalysis, but there are few general methods of evaluating Fe?H bonds in high‐spin multinuclear iron systems. An ⁵⁷Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) study on an Fe(μ‐H)₂Fe model complex reveals Fe?H stretching vibrations for bridging hydrides at frequencies greater than 1200 cm^?1. These isotope‐sensitive vibrational bands are not evident in infrared (IR) spectra, showing the power of NRVS for identifying hydrides in this high‐spin iron system. Complementary density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate the normal modes of the rhomboidal iron hydride core.     

Extracting Charge and Mass Information from Highly Congested Mass Spectra Using Fourier-Domain Harmonics

Native mass spectra of large, polydisperse biomolecules with repeated subunits, such as lipoprotein Nanodiscs, can often be challenging to analyze by conventional methods. The presence of tens of closely spaced, overlapping peaks in these mass spectra can make charge state, total mass, or subunit mass determinations difficult to measure by traditional methods. Recently, we introduced a Fourier Transform-based algorithm that can be used to deconvolve highly congested mass spectra for polydisperse ion populations with repeated subunits and facilitate identification of the charge states, subunit mass, charge-state-specific, and total mass distributions present in the ion population. Here, we extend this method by investigating the advantages of using overtone peaks in the Fourier spectrum, particularly for mass spectra with low signal-to-noise and poor resolution. This method is illustrated for lipoprotein Nanodisc mass spectra acquired on three common platforms, including the first reported native mass spectrum of empty “large” Nanodiscs assembled with MSP1E3D1 and over 300 noncovalently associated lipids. It is shown that overtone peaks contain nearly identical stoichiometry and charge state information to fundamental peaks but can be significantly better resolved, resulting in more reliable reconstruction of charge-state-specific mass spectra and peak width characterization. We further demonstrate how these parameters can be used to improve results from Bayesian spectral fitting algorithms, such as UniDec.

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Fabrication of Defined Polydopamine Nanostructures by DNA Origami‐Templated Polymerization

A versatile, bottom‐up approach allows the controlled fabrication of polydopamine (PD) nanostructures on DNA origami. PD is a biosynthetic polymer that has been investigated as an adhesive and promising surface coating material. However, the control of dopamine polymerization is challenged by the multistage‐mediated reaction mechanism and diverse chemical structures in PD. DNA origami decorated with multiple horseradish peroxidase‐mimicking DNAzyme motifs was used to control the shape and size of PD formation with nanometer resolution. These fabricated PD nanostructures can serve as “supramolecular glue” for controlling DNA origami conformations. Facile liberation of the PD nanostructures from the DNA origami templates has been achieved in acidic medium. This presented DNA origami‐controlled polymerization of a highly crosslinked polymer provides a unique access towards anisotropic PD architectures with distinct shapes that were retained even in the absence of the DNA origami template.