Syntheses and photocatalytic performances of four coordination complexes constructed from 1,10-phenanthroline and polycarboxylic acids

Four coordination complexes of copper(II) and iron(II), namely [CuCl(phen)₂](5-NO₂-Hipa)·2H₂O (BUC-10), [Cu(phen)(3,4-H₂dczpb)(H₂O)]·H₂O (BUC-11), [Fe(phen)(L)(H₂O)]₂ (BUC-12), and [Fe(phen)₃](3,4-H₃dczpb)₂·0.6H₂O (BUC-13) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; 5-NO₂-H₂ipa = 5-nitroisophthalic acid; 3,4-H₄dczpb = 3,4-dicarboxyl-(3′,4′-dicarboxylazophenyl) benzene; L = 6,12-dihydroxy-1,2,6,12-tetrahydroindazolo[2,1-a]indazole-1,7-dicarboxylic acid), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. All four complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, FTIR, elemental analysis and UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. The photocatalytic performances of the complexes for decomposition of methylene blue under UV irradiation were also investigated.     

Biosynthetic approach to modeling and understanding metalloproteins using unnatural amino acids

Metalloproteins have inspired chemists for many years to synthesize artificial catalysts that mimic native enzymes.As a complementary approach to studying native enzymes or making synthetic models,biosynthetic approach using small and stable proteins to model native enzymes has offered advantages of incorporating non-covalent secondary sphere interactions under physiological conditions.However,most biosynthetic models are restricted to natural amino acids.To overcome this limitation,incorporating unnatural amino acids into the biosynthetic models has shown promises.In this review,we summarize first synthetic,semisynthetic and biological methods of incorporates unnatural amino acids(UAAs)into proteins,followed by progress made in incorporating UAAs into both native metalloproteins and their biosynthetic models to fine-tune functional properties beyond native enzymes or their variants containing natural amino acids,such as reduction potentials of azurin,O_2 reduction rates and percentages of product formation of HCO models in Mb,the rate of radical transport in ribonucleotide reductase(RNR)and the proton and electron transfer pathways in photosystemⅡ(PSⅡ).We also discuss how this endeavour has allowed systematic investigations of precise roles of conserved residues in metalloproteins,such as Metl21 in azurin,Tyr244 that is cross-linked to one of the three His ligands to CuB in HCO,Tyr122,356,730 and 731 in RNR and TyrZ in PSⅡ.These examples have demonstrated that incorporating UAAs has provided a new dimension in our efforts to mimic native enzymes and in providing deeper insights into structural features responsible high enzymatic activity and reaction mechanisms,making it possible to design highly efficient artificial catalysts with similar or even higher activity than native enzymes.     

Fabrication of Nb2O5/C nanocomposites as a high performance anode for lithium ion battery

Nb₂O₅/C nanosheets are successfully prepared through a mixing process and followed by heating treatment.Such Nb₂O₅/C based electrode exhibits high rate performance and remarkable cycling ability, showing a high and stable specific capacity of ~380 mAh g^-1 at the current density of 50 mA g^-1(much higher than the theoretical capacity of Nb₂O₅).Further more,at a current density of 500 mA g^-1,the nanocomposites electrode still exhibits a specific capacity of above 150 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles.These results suggest the Nb₂O₅/C nanocomposite is a high performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries.     

Six-step synthesis of Leonurine and toxicity study on zebrafish

Leonurine (1), an important ingredient in leonurus sibiricus L., can be used for some gynecological disease. We have developed a concise and efficient synthetic route of Leonurine, which can be optimized for mass production. Commercially available compound 6 and 2,3-dihydrofuran (7) were used as starting materials. And the toxicity study on zebrafish shows that Leonurine would promote the hatching of zebrafish embryos at low concentration and result in acute death or chronic lethal toxicity at high concentration.     

The synthesis of a [2.2]paracyclophane-derived secondary phosphine oxide and a study of its reactivity

A planar chiral secondary phosphine oxide based on [2.2]paracyclophane was synthesized and its chemistry investigated; it was shown to be a competent pre-ligand in palladium(0)-mediated reactions, and displayed promising activity in gold(I)-catalysed cyclisations. The secondary phosphine oxide could be transformed into a collection of P-stereogenic tertiary phosphine oxides. These are rare examples of the planar chirality of [2.2]paracyclophane being combined with a P-stereogenic centre. Unfortunately, epimerisation of the phosphorus stereocentre during reduction limits the use of this chemistry.     

Pestalustaines A and B,unprecedented sesquiterpene and coumarin derivatives from endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis adusta

Pestalustaines A (1) and B (2), one unique sesquiterpene possessing an unusual 5/6/7-fused tricyclic ring system and one unprecedented coumarin derivative bearing 6/6/5/5-fused tetracyclic ring system, were isolated from the plant-derived Pestalotiopsis adusta. Their structures with absolute configurations were established by extensive NMR analysis, X-ray crystallography, and CD spectra associated with TD-DFT calculation. Hypothetical biosynthetic pathways for compounds 1 and 2 are proposed. Compounds 1 and 2 showed weak to moderate cytotoxic activities against three human tumor cell lines HeLa, HCT116, and A549, whose IC₅₀ values were ranged from 21.01 to 55.43?μM.     

Palladium-catalyzed 2-pyridylmethyl-directed β-C(sp~3)—H activation and cyclization of aliphatic amides with gem-dibromoolefins:A rapid access to γ-lactams

The direct Pd-catalyzed β-C(sp³) H activation and cyclization of aliphatic amides bearing a removable 2-pyridylmethyl directing group with gem-dibromoolefins is described for the first time to construct a variety of γ-lactams.     

Plasmonic biosensing based on non-noble-metal materials

This review focuses on the research progress of non-noble-metal materials with nanostructures for plasmonic biosensing. Firstly, the physical and sensing principles of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors are briefly introduced; then non-noble-metal materials, such as copper, aluminum, semiconductor, graphene and other materials, for plasmonic sensing are categorized and presented. Finally, a rational discussion about the future prospective of novel materials for plasmonic sensing is given.     

Fe–Co/sulfonated polystyrene as an efficient and selective catalyst in heterogeneous Baeyer–Villiger oxidation reaction of cyclic ketones

A highly efficient catalyst Fe–Co/sulfonated polystyrene (Fe–Co/SPS) was introduced and synthesized, which catalyzed BV oxidation of ketones with aqueous hydrogen peroxide to give the corresponding lactones in high yield and selectivity. Solid acid catalyst of Fe–Co/SPS has been prepared by using the 98-wt% sulfuric acid as the sulfonating agent and CoCl₂ combined FeCl₃ as sources of metal ions. Various physical–chemical characterizations including FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TGA, revealed that bimetallic ions Fe³⁺–Co²⁺ species in the sulfonated polystyrene framework were responsible for the catalytic activities. The BV reaction catalyzed by Fe–Co/SPS highlighted the special effects between metal ions and protonic acids as well as solvent-free heterogeneous catalytic oxidation with excellent conversion.     

An “<Emphasis Type="Italic">In Vivo</Emphasis> Self-assembly” Strategy for Constructing Superstructures for Biomedical Applications

The interfacing study of biopolymer and supramolecular chemistry enables a better understanding of fundamental biochemical processes and the creating of new high-performance biomaterials. In this review, we introduced an “in vivo self-assembly” strategy which means in situ construction of functional self-assembled superstructures in specific physiological or pathological conditions in cell, tissue or animal levels that exhibit diverse biomedical effects. By using this strategy, unexpected phenomena and insights, e.g, assembly/aggregation induced retention (AIR) effect have been demonstrated where the self-assembled nanostructures showed extraordinary enhanced accumulation and retention of therapeutics in targeted sites.