Synthesis,structure evolution,and optical properties of gold nanobones

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Anisotropic nanoparticles, such as rods or bones, exhibit new properties due to their specific geometries. The development of unique properties on the surface...     

Testing Lorentz invariance and CPT conservation with NuMI neutrinos in the MINOS near detector

A search for a sidereal modulation in the MINOS near detector neutrino data was performed. If present, this signature could be a consequence of Lorentz and CPT violation as predicted by the effective field theory called the standard-model extension. No evidence for a sidereal signal in the data set was found, implying that there is no significant change in neutrino propagation that depends on the direction of the neutrino beam in a sun-centered inertial frame. Upper limits on the magnitudes of the Lorentz and CPT violating terms in the standard-model extension lie between 10(-4) and 10(-2) of the maximum expected, assuming a suppression of these signatures by a factor of 10(-17).     

Powder diffraction from a continuous microjet of submicrometer protein crystals

Atomic‐resolution structures from small proteins have recently been determined from high‐quality powder diffraction patterns using a combination of stereochemical restraints and Rietveld refinement [Von Dreele (2007), J. Appl. Cryst. 40 , 133–143; Margiolaki et al. (2007), J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129 , 11865–11871]. While powder diffraction data have been obtained from batch samples of small crystal‐suspensions, which are exposed to X‐rays for long periods of time and undergo significant radiation damage, the proof‐of‐concept that protein powder diffraction data from nanocrystals of a membrane protein can be obtained using a continuous microjet is shown. This flow‐focusing aerojet has been developed to deliver a solution of hydrated protein nanocrystals to an X‐ray beam for diffraction analysis. This method requires neither the crushing of larger polycrystalline samples nor any techniques to avoid radiation damage such as cryocooling. Apparatus to record protein powder diffraction in this manner has been commissioned, and in this paper the first powder diffraction patterns from a membrane protein, photosystem I, with crystallite sizes of less than 500 nm are presented. These preliminary patterns show the lowest‐order reflections, which agree quantitatively with theoretical calculations of the powder profile. The results also serve to test our aerojet injector system, with future application to femtosecond diffraction in free‐electron X‐ray laser schemes, and for serial crystallography using a single‐file beam of aligned hydrated molecules.     

Catalytic Adventures in Space and Time Using High Energy X-rays

Very high energy X-rays (ca. >40 keV) have long offered great promise in providing great insight into the inner workings of catalysts; insights that may complement the battery of techniques available to researchers in catalysis either in the laboratory or at more conventional X-ray wavelengths. This contribution aims to critically assess the diverse possibilities now available in the high energy domain as a result of the maturation of third generation synchrotron facilities and to look forward to the potential that forthcoming developments in synchrotron source technology may offer the world of catalysis in the near future.     

Highly Productive Oxidative Biocatalysis in Continuous Flow by Enhancing the Aqueous Equilibrium Solubility of Oxygen

We report a simple, mild, and synthetically clean approach to accelerate the rate of enzymatic oxidation reactions by a factor of up to 100 when compared to conventional batch gas/liquid systems. Biocatalytic decomposition of H₂O₂ is used to produce a soluble source of O₂ directly in reaction media, thereby enabling the concentration of aqueous O₂ to be increased beyond equilibrium solubility under safe and practical conditions. To best exploit this method, a novel flow reactor was developed to maximize productivity (g product L^?1 h^?1). This scalable benchtop method provides a distinct advantage over conventional bio‐oxidation in that no pressurized gas or specialist equipment is employed. The method is general across different oxidase enzymes and compatible with a variety of functional groups. These results culminate in record space‐time yields for bio‐oxidation.     

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Synthesis and structural characterization of five new coordination polymer chain structures using a new,Z-shaped ligand, 2,2′-bis-(4-pyridylethynyl)tolane

Using the new ligand, 2,2-bis-(4-pyridylethynyl)tolane we have synthesized five new coordination polymers: HgBr₂[2,2-bis-(4-pyridylethynyl)tolane] (1), HgI₂[2,2-bis-(4-pyridylethynyl)tolane] (2), Ni(acetylacetonate)₂[2,2-bis-(4-pyridylethynyl)tolane] (3), Zn(acetylacetonate)₂[2,2-bis-(4-pyridylethynyl)tolane] (4), and Cu(hexafluoro acetylacetonate)₂[2,2-bis-(4-pyridylethynyl)tolane]CHCl₃ (5). 2,2-Bis-(4-pyridyl ethynyl)tolane is a rigid ligand with a Z-shape that promotes the formation of zig-zag chains. Compounds 1– 5 were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction; and compounds 1– 3 were additionally characterized by IR, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a = 29.761(3) Å, b = 5.0531(5) Å, c = 16.7823(15) Å, = 104.090(2), V = 2447.9(4) ų, Z = 4. Each mercury is bound to two tolane ligands and two bromine anions, resulting in a tetrahedral coordination environment. Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2/c, with a = 20.3061(17) Å, b = 5.6303(5) Å, c = 24.5459(19) Å, = 110.338(2), V = 2631.4(4) ų, Z = 4. Here also, each mercury is bound to two tolane ligands and two iodine anions in a tetrahedral coordination environment. The ligand orientation differs in compounds 1 and 2 being trans oriented in 1 and cis oriented in 2. Compound 3 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 14.5947(14) Å, b = 6.3082(6) Å, c = 18.3939(18) Å, = 112.112(2), V = 1568.9(3) ų, Z = 2. Each nickel is bound to two tolane ligands and two bidentate AcAc anions, resulting in an octahedral coordination environment. Compound 4, which is isostructural with 3, also crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 14.6990(9) Å, b = 6.2724(4) Å, c = 18.6433(11) Å, = 112.8610(10), V = 1583.86(17) ų, Z = 2. Compound 5 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1 with a = 6.5487(4) Å, b = 11.6471(7) Å, c = 14.3225(9) Å, = 70.1360(10), = 89.3990(10), = 88.7680(10), V = 1027.18(11) ų, Z = 1. Each copper in 5 is bound to two tolane ligands and two bidentate hfAcAc anions, resulting in an octahedral coordination environment identical to that found in 3 and 4.     

Peptide modification through site-selective residue interconversion: application of the rhodium-catalysed 1,4-addition of aryl siloxanes and boronates

The site-selective interconversion of serine and cysteine residues of di- and tripeptides into phenylalanine derivatives, bearing a range of functionalities, has been achieved in high yield and selectivity through the common dehydroalanine intermediate. Through the application and development of the rhodium-catalysed 1,4-addition to α,β-dehydroamino acid moieties with organometallic nucleophiles, a variety of peptides have been successfully modified to contain unnatural amino acid residues in pre-designated residue positions.     

Pyrroles as antioxidants: solvent effects and the nature of the attacking radical on antioxidant activities and mechanisms of pyrroles, dipyrrinones, and bile pigments

The absolute rate constants, k(inh), and stoichiometric factors, n, of pyrroles, 2-methyl-3-ethylcarboxy-4,5-di-p-methoxyphenylpyrrole, 6, 2,3,4,5-tetraphenylpyrrole, 7, and 2,3,4,5-tetra-p-methoxyphenylpyrrole, 8, compared to the phenolic antioxidant, di-tert-butylhydroxyanisole, DBHA, during inhibited oxidation of cumene initiated by AIBN at 30 degrees C gave the relative antioxidant activities (k(inh)) DBHA > 8 > 7 > 6 and n = 2, whereas in styrene, 8 > DBHA. These results are explained by hydrogen atom transfer, HAT, from the N-H of pyrroles to ROO(*) radicals. The k(inh) values in styrene of dimethyl esters of the bile pigments of bilirubin ester (BRDE), of biliverdin ester (BVDE), and of a model compound (dipyrrinone, 1) gave k(inh) in the order pentamethylhydroxychroman (PMHC) > BRDE > 1 > BVDE. These antioxidant activities for BVDE and the model compound, 1, and PMHC dropped dramatically in the presence of methanol due to hydrogen bonding at the pyrrolic N-H group. In contrast the k(inh) of BRDE increased in methanol. We now show that pyrrolic compounds may react by HAT, proton-coupled electron transfer, PCET, or single electron transfer, SET, depending on their structure, the nature of the solvent, and the attacking radical. Compounds BVDE and 1 react by the HAT or PCET pathway (HAT/PCET) in styrene/chlorobenzene with ROO(*) and with the DPPH(*) radical in chlorobenzene according to N-H/N-D kH/kD of 1.6, whereas the DKIE with BRDE was only 1.2 with ROO(*). The antioxidant properties of polypyrroles of the BVDE class and model compounds (e.g., 1) are controlled by intramolecular H bonding which stabilizes an intermediate pyrrolic radical in HAT/PCET. According to kinetic polar solvent effects on the monopyrrole, 8, and BRDE, which gave increased rates in methanol, some pyrrolic structures are also susceptible to SET reactions. This conclusion is supported by some calculated ionization potentials. The antioxidant mechanism for BRDE with peroxyl radicals is described by the PCET reaction. Experiments using the 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(4'-methoxyphenyl)phenoxyl radical (DBMP(*)) showed this to be a better radical to monitor HAT activities in stopped-flow kinetics compared to the use of the more popular DPPH(*) radical.