A zwitterion of 1,5‐bis­(2‐hydroxy­benzamido)‐3‐aza­pentane: a two‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonding network involving dimers

The title compound, 2‐{N‐[2‐(2‐hydroxy­benzamido)ethyl­ammonio­ethyl]amino­carbon­yl}phenolate, C₁₈H₂₁N₃O₄, crystallizes in a zwitterionic form as a result of inter­molecular proton transfer and possesses a negatively charged phenolate group and a protonated amino group. The 2‐hydroxy­benzamide and 2‐(amino­carbonyl)­phenolate moieties attached to the two ends of the C—C—N—C—C backbone adopt a cis conformation in relation to this backbone. All N‐ and O‐bound H atoms are involved in hydrogen‐bond formation; the zwitterions are first linked into head‐to‐tail dimers, which are further organized into a two‐dimensional network parallel to the crystallographic bc plane.     

Surmounting tumor resistance to metallodrugs by co-loading a metal complex and siRNA in nanoparticles

Copper complexes are promising anticancer agents widely studied to overcome tumor resistance to metal-based anticancer drugs. Nevertheless, copper complexes per se encounter drug resistance from time to time. Adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP)-responsive nanoparticles containing a copper complex CTND and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) small interfering RNA (siRNA) were constructed to cope with the resistance of cancer cells to the complex. CTND and siRNA can be released from the nanoparticles in cancer cells upon reacting with intracellular ATP. The resistance of B16F10 melanoma cells to CTND was terminated by silencing the cellular Bcl-2 gene via RNA interference, and the therapeutic efficacy was significantly enhanced. The nanoparticles triggered a cellular autophagy that amplified the apoptotic signals, thus revealing a novel mechanism for antagonizing the resistance of copper complexes. In view of the extensive association of Bcl-2 protein with cancer resistance to chemotherapeutics, this strategy may be universally applicable for overcoming the ubiquitous drug resistance to metallodrugs.

Bcl-2-related tumor resistance to anticancer drugs can be overcome by silencing the cellular Bcl-2 gene via RNA interference. The realization of the goal is exemplified by delivering Bcl-2 siRNA and a tumor-resistant Cu complex to cancer cells with an ATP-responsive nanocarrier.     

Fe-catalyzed three-component dicarbofunctionalization of unactivated alkenes with alkyl halides and Grignard reagents

A highly chemoselective iron-catalyzed three-component dicarbofunctionalization of unactivated olefins with alkyl halides (iodides and bromides) and sp²-hybridized Grignard reagents is reported. The reaction operates under fast turnover frequency and tolerates a diverse range of sp²-hybridized nucleophiles (electron-rich and electron-deficient (hetero)aryl and alkenyl Grignard reagents), alkyl halides (tertiary alkyl iodides/bromides and perfluorinated bromides), and unactivated olefins bearing diverse functional groups including tethered alkenes, ethers, protected alcohols, aldehydes, and amines to yield the desired 1,2-alkylarylated products with high regiocontrol. Further, we demonstrate that this protocol is amenable for the synthesis of new (hetero)carbocycles including tetrahydrofurans and pyrrolidines via a three-component radical cascade cyclization/arylation that forges three new C–C bonds.

A highly selective iron-catalyzed three-component dicarbofunctionalization of unactivated alkenes with alkyl halides and sp²-hybridized Grignard reagents is reported.     

Separation of basic, acidic and neutral compounds by capillary electrochromatography using uncharged monolithic capillary columns modified with anionic and cationic surfactants

A mode of capillary electrochromatography (CEC), based on the dynamical adsorption of surfactants on the uncharged monolithic stationary phases has been developed. The monolithic stationary phase, obtained by the in situ polymerization of butyl methacrylate with ethylene dimethacrylate, was dynamically modified with an ionic surfactant such as the long-chain quaternary ammonium salt of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and long-chain sodium sulfate of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The ionic surfactant was adsorbed on the surface of polymeric monolith by hydrophobic interaction, and the ionic groups used to generate the electroosmotic flow (EOF). The electroosmotic mobility through these capillary columns increased with increasing the content of ionic surfactants in the mobile phase. In this way, the synthesis of the monolithic stationary phase with binary monomers can be controlled more easily than that with ternary monomers, one of which should be an ionic monomer to generate EOF. Furthermore, it is more convenient to change the direction and magnitude of EOF by changing the concentration of cationic or anionic surfactants in this system. An efficiency of monolithic capillary columns with more than 140000 plates per meter for neutral compounds has been obtained, and the relative standard deviations observed for to and retention factors of neutral solutes were about 0.22% and less than 0.56% for ten consecutive runs, respectively. Effects of mobile phase composition on the EOF of the column and the retention values of the neutral solutes were investigated. Simultaneous separation of basic, neutral and acidic compounds has been achieved.     

Synthesis, structure, spectroscopic properties, and electrochemistry of (1,8,15,22-tetrasubstituted phthalocyaninato)lead complexes

Three (1,8,15,22-tetrasubstituted phthalocyaninato)lead complexes Pb[Pc(alpha-OR)(4)] [H(2)Pc(alpha-OC(5)H(11))(4) = 1,8,15,22-tetrakis(3-pentyloxy)phthalocyanine; H(2)Pc(alpha-OC(7)H(15))(4) = 1,8,15,22-tetrakis(2,4-dimethyl-3-pentyloxy)phthalocyanine; H(2)Pc(alpha-OC(10)H(7))(4) = 1,8,15,22-tetrakis(2-naphthyloxy)phthalocyanine] (1-3) have been prepared as racemic mixtures by treating the corresponding metal-free phthalocyanines H(2)Pc(alpha-OR)(4) (4-6) with Pb(OAc)(2).3H(2)O in refluxing n-pentanol. The molecular structure of Pb[Pc(alpha-OC(5)H(11))(4)] (1) in the solid state has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. This compound, having a nonplanar structure, crystallizes in the monoclinic system with a P2(1)/c space group. Each unit cell contains two pairs of enantiomeric molecules, which are linked by weak coordination of the Pb atom of one molecule with an aza nitrogen atom and its neighboring oxygen atom from the alkoxy substituent of another molecule, forming a pseudo-double-decker supramolecular structure in the crystals with a short ring-to-ring separation, 2.726 A, and thus a strong ring-ring pi-pi interaction. The decreased molecular symmetry for these complexes has also been revealed by the NMR spectra of 1 and 2. The methyl protons of the 3-pentyloxy and 2,4-dimethyl-3-pentyloxy side chains of 1 and 2, respectively, are chemically inequivalent. In addition to the elemental analysis and various spectroscopic characterizations, these compounds have also been electrochemically studied. Two one-electron oxidations and up to five one-electron reductions have been revealed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods.     

Determination of hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection

The present study is concerned with the application of nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) with electrochemical detection (ED) to the separation and quantitative determination of hydrazine (Hy) and its methyl derivatives. The best performance of NACE-ED was found when using 4 mM sodium acetate/10 mM acetic acid/methanol: acetonitrile = 1:2 as the running buffer, with a bare platinum working electrode set at +1.0 V in an end-column amperometric detection cell. The choice and ratio of suitable solvents for the separation and injection media played an essential role for the performance characteristics of the method. The limits of detection for Hy, methylhydrazine, symmetrical dimethylhydrazine, and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine were 5, 2, 12, and 1 ng/mL, respectively. This is between one and two orders of magnitude lower than that achieved by previously reported CE-ED methods in aqueous buffer systems in conjunction with various types of chemically modified electrodes. The practical utility of the new NACE-ED methodology is demonstrated in terms of the determination of traces of Hys in spiked environmental samples containing a wide range of explosives and related compounds.     

Ruthenium-based Conjugated Polymer and Metal-organic Framework Nanocomposites for Glucose Sensing

Many studies have focused on effective ways to exploit enzyme immobilization on an electrode surface to help improve the performance of enzymatic electrochemical biosensors. Herein, a novel glucose sensor was fabricated by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) onruthenium-based conjugated polymer (CP) and metal-organic framework (MOF) nanocomposites. This has not only reduced the applied potential to 0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), but also improved the effective surface area for enzyme immobilization.PPG@Ru@UiO-66-NH₂ was tailored by controlled chemical synthesis from a pre-synthesized water-soluble conjugated polymer (poly(N-phenylglycine)) and metal-organic framework (UiO-66-NH₂). The resulting nanocomposites were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The PPG@Ru@UiO-66-NH₂/GOx coated electrodedisplayed a linear measurementrange for glucose from 1 mM to 10 mM, with a sensitivity of 45.92 μA ⋅ mM⁻¹cm⁻¹ and limit of detection of5 μM( ). Furthermore, the practical application of the fabricatedglucosesensor was tested in simulative blood samples with satisfactoryaccuracy. This approach alsoopens a new door for applications regarding both enzymatic electrochemical biosensors and enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs).     

Rational design of an “all-in-one” phototheranostic

We report here porphodilactol derivatives and their corresponding metal complexes. These systems show promise as “all-in-one” phototheranostics and are predicated on a design strategy that involves controlling the relationship between intersystem crossing (ISC) and photothermal conversion efficiency following photoexcitation. The requisite balance was achieved by tuning the aromaticity of these porphyrinoid derivatives and forming complexes with one of two lanthanide cations, namely Gd³⁺ and Lu³⁺. The net result led to a metalloporphodilactol system, Gd-trans-2, with seemingly optimal ISC efficiency, photothermal conversion efficiency and fluorescence properties, as well as good chemical stability. Encapsulation of Gd-trans-2 within mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) allowed its evaluation for tumour diagnosis and therapy. It was found to be effective as an “all-in-one” phototheranostic that allowed for NIR fluorescence/photoacoustic dual-modal imaging while providing an excellent combined PTT/PDT therapeutic efficacy in vitro and in vivo in 4T1-tumour-bearing mice.

We report here porphodilactol derivatives and their corresponding metal complexes as “all-in-one” phototheranostics by controlling the relationship between intersystem crossing (ISC) and photothermal conversion efficiency following photoexcitation.     

Modulation of the lifespan of C. elegans by the controlled release of nitric oxide

The frontier of nitric oxide biology has gradually shifted from mechanism elucidation to biomanipulation, e.g. cell-proliferation promotion, cell-apoptosis induction, and lifespan modulation. This warrants biocompatible nitric oxide (NO) donating materials, whose NO release is not only controlled by a bioorthogonal trigger, but also self-calibrated allowing real-time monitoring and hence an onset/offset of the NO release. Additionally, the dose of NO release should be facilely adjusted in a large dynamic range; flux and the dose are critical to the biological outcome of NO treatment. Via self-assembly of a PEGylated small-molecule NO donor, we developed novel NO-donating nanoparticles (PEG-NORM), which meet all the aforementioned criteria. We showcased that a low flux of NO induced cell proliferation, while a high flux induced cell oxidative stress and, ultimately, death. Notably, PEG-NORM was capable of efficiently modulating the lifespan of C. elegans. The average lifespan of C. elegans could be fine-tuned to be as short as 15.87 ± 0.29 days with a high dose of NO, or as long as 21.13 ± 0.41 days with a low dose of NO, compared to an average life-span of 18.87 ± 0.46 days. Thus, PEG-NORM has broad potential in cell manipulation and life-span modulation and could drive the advancement of NO biology and medicine.

Schematic illustration of modulating the longevity of the C. elegans by PEG-NORM nanoparticles.