Structural and magnetic properties of hexagonal perovskites La1.2Sr2.7MO7.33 (M = Ru, Ir) containing peroxide ions

The structures of the new compound La(1.2)Sr(2.7)IrO(7.33) and the recently discovered La(1.2)Sr(2.7)RuO(7.33) have been solved using a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction. Both compounds crystallize in the trigonal space group Rm and consist of isolated MO6 (M = Ru, Ir) octahedra, which are arranged in well-defined hexagonal perovskite slabs. These slabs are separated by (Sr2O(1+delta)) layers containing both O2- and (O2)2- ions. The composition can therefore be written as La(1.2)Sr(2.7)MO(7-delta)(O2)delta with delta = 0.33. Results of the magnetic susceptibility and XANES measurements show that the transition metal cations are in a pentavalent state. While in La(1.2)Sr(2.7)RuO(7.33) an antiferromagnetic interaction between the Ru5+ ions is found, La(1.2)Sr(2.7)IrO(7.33) shows a very small temperature-independent paramagnetism down to 1.8 K due to the strong spin-orbit coupling characteristic for the 5d element iridium.     

Improving the catalytic activity of Candida antarctica lipase B by circular permutation

Lipases (EC 3.1.1.3) play an important role in asymmetric biocatalysis. Tailoring these enzymes to novel, unnatural substrates is one of the primary challenges of protein engineering. We have used circular permutation, the intramolecular relocation of a protein's N- and C-termini, to explore the effects of altered active site accessibility and protein backbone flexibility on the catalytic performance of lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB). Our combinatorial approach identified 63 unique functional protein permutants of CALB, and kinetic analysis of selected candidates indicated that a majority of enzyme variants either retained or surpassed wild-type CALB activity on a series of standard substrates. Beyond the potential benefits of these tailor-made lipases as new catalysts for unnatural substrates, our study validates circular permutation as a promising general method for lipase engineering.     

Trifluoromethoxycarbonyl peroxynitrate, CF3OCOOONO2

The trioxide, CF(3)OC(O)OOOC(O)OCF(3), reacts with NO(2) at 0 degrees C to yield the new peroxynitrate, CF(3)OC(O)OONO(2), which is stable for hours at room temperature. It is spectroscopically characterized and some thermal properties are reported. From the vapor pressure, ln(p/p(0)) = 14.06 - 4565/T, of the liquid above the melting point of -89 degrees C, the extrapolated boiling point is 52 degrees C. CF(3)OC(O)OONO(2) dissociates at higher temperatures and low pressures into the radicals CF(3)OC(O)OO and NO(2) as demonstrated by matrix isolation experiments. The matrix-isolated peroxy radicals consist in a rotameric mixture of trans,trans,trans-CF(3)OC(O)OO and trans,trans,cis-CF(3)OC(O)OO, where trans and cis denote dihedral angles of ca. 180 degrees and 0 degree, respectively, around beta F-C-O-C, beta C-O-C-O, and beta O-C-O-O, with an equilibrium composition dependent on the thermolysis temperature. The radical trans,trans,cis-CF(3)OC(O)OO is found to be ca. 3 kJ mol(-1) higher in enthalpy than trans,trans,trans-CF(3)OC(O)OO. DFT calculations are performed to support the vibrational assignments and to provide structural information about CF(3)OC(O)OONO(2).     

Triarylborane ammonia complexes as ideal precursors for arylzinc reagents in asymmetric catalysis

[reaction: see text] The value of arylboranes as precursors for arylzinc reagents in asymmetric catalysis is demonstrated. Kinetic studies on the transmetalation reaction with zinc reagents rationalize the observed differences of three classes of arylboranes in catalytic applications. By using the stable and easily accessible triarylborane ammonia complexes, an array of chiral diarylmethanols in high yield and enantioselectivity was synthesized.     

Enzymatic fabrication of DNA nanostructures: extension of a self-assembled oligonucleotide monolayer on gold arrays

Nucleic acid nanostructures are useful as templates for bionanofabrication of composite molecular nanostructures in materials science, molecular electronics, and biosensing. Here, we demonstrate that terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, which repetitively adds mononucleotides to the 3' end of a short DNA initiator, can be used to rapidly fabricate DNA nanostructures up to 121 nm high with lateral dimensions from 0.1 to 4 mum in 2 h. These programmable scaffolds can potentially be employed to build more complex nanostructures consisting of natural or unnatural nucleotides with selective docking sites along the single-stranded DNA.     

Chemical studies on antioxidant mechanisms and free radical scavenging properties of lignans

The antioxidant activity, in terms of radical scavenging capacity, of altogether 15 different lignans was measured by monitoring the scavenging of the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The effect of differences in skeletal arrangement or the degree of oxidation of the lignans was investigated in a structure-activity relationship study. A large variety in the radical scavenging capacities of the different lignans was observed and related to some structural features. Lignans with catechol (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) moieties exhibited the highest radical scavenging capacity, while the corresponding guaiacyl (3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl) lignans showed a slightly weaker scavenging capacity. In addition, the butanediol structure was found to enhance the activity, whereas a higher degree of oxidation at the benzylic positions decreased the activity. Additionally, the readily available lignans (-)-secoisolariciresinol, a mixture of hydroxymatairesinol epimers and (-)-matairesinol were studied in more detail, including kinetic measurements and identification of oxidation products in the reactions with DPPH and ABAP (2,2-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride. The identification of reaction products, by GC-MS, HPLC-MS and NMR spectroscopy, showed that dimerisation of the two aromatic moieties was the major radical termination reaction. Also, the formation of adducts was a predominant reaction in the experiments with ABAP. The kinetic data obtained from the reactions between the lignans and DPPH indicated a complex reaction mechanism.