Controlled vesicle self-assembly in microfluidic channels with hydrodynamic focusing

Traditional liposome preparation methods are based on mixing of bulk phases, leading to inhomogeneous chemical and/or mechanical conditions during formation; hence liposomes are often polydisperse in size and lamellarity. Here we show the formation of liposomes that encapsulate reagents in a continuous two-phase flow microfluidic network with precision control of size from 100 to 300 nm by manipulation of liquid flow rates. We demonstrate that by creating a solvent-aqueous interfacial region in a microfluidic format that is homogeneous and controllable on the length scale of a liposome, we can facilitate the fine control of liposome size and polydispersity.     

Selective fluorescence quenching of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene by nucleotides

[reaction: see text] The fluorescence quenching of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO) by nucleotides has been studied. The quenching mechanism was analyzed on the basis of deuterium isotope effects, tendencies for exciplex formation, and the quenching efficiency in the presence of a molecular container (cucurbit[7]uril). Exciplex-induced quenching appears to prevail for adenosine, cytidine, and uridine, while hydrogen abstraction becomes competitive for thymidine and guanosine. Compared to other fluorescent probes, DBO responds very selectively to the type of nucleotide.     

Synthesis and characterization of new oligosilane derivatives of iron and molybdenum

By use of salt elimination, the transition metal substituted oligosilanes (η⁵-C₅Me₄Et)Fe(CO)₂SiMe₂SiMe₂Cl 1, (η⁵-C₅Me₄Et)Mo(CO)₃SiMe₂SiMe₂Br 2, (η⁵-C₅Me₄Et)Fe(CO)₂(SiMe₂)₆(CO)₂Fe(η⁵-C₅Me₄Et) 3 and (η⁵-C₅Me₄Et)Fe(CO)₂(SiMe₂)₆Br 4 were prepared and characterized. Compound 1 is well crystallized from pentane and its structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Ultrafast electron transfer, localization and solvation at ice–metal interfaces: Correlation of structure and dynamics

The interaction of an excess electron with a polar molecular environment is well known as electron solvation. This process is characterized by an energetic stabilization and by changes of the electronic spatial extent due to screening of the localized charge through molecular rearrangement. At metal–ice interfaces we photo-inject delocalized electrons from the metal substrate into adsorbed ice layers and analyze the ultrafast dynamics of electron transfer, localization and solvation by femtosecond time- and angle-resolved two-photon photoemission spectroscopy. To acquire further understanding of the individual steps of the complex process we vary the interfacial structure. The substrate is changed between Cu(1 1 1) and Ru(0 0 1) and the electron dynamics in ice islands are compared to closed D₂O layers. Contrasting crystalline and amorphous ice we found that electron solvation is mediated through electron localization at favorable structural sites, which occurs very efficiently in amorphous ice, but is less likely in a crystalline layer. Next, we find that in an open ice structure like ice islands the energetic stabilization due to electron solvation proceeds at a rate of 1 eV/ps which is three times faster than in a closed ice layer. We attribute this behavior to differences in the molecular coordination, which determines the molecular mobility and, thus, the transfer rate of electronic energy to solvent modes. The substrate’s electronic structure, on the other hand, is important to understand the transfer rates from electrons in ice back to the metal. First experiments on trapped electrons in crystalline ice underline the potential to study electron solvation not only during the equilibration process, but also in quasi-static conditions, where we find that the stabilization continues, although at much weaker rates.     

Heterobimetallische phosphanido-verbrückte Zweikern-Komplexe - Synthese von cis-rac-[(η-C5H4R)2Zr{μ-PH(2,4,6−iPr3C6H2)}2M(CO)4] (RMe,MCr,Mo; RH,MMo)

Heterobimetallic Phosphanido-bridged Dinuclear Complexes - Syntheses of cis-rac-[(η-C₅H₄R)₂Zr{μ-PH(2,4,6-ⁱPr₃C₆H₂)}₂M(CO)₄] (R?Me, M?Cr, Mo; R?H, M?Mo) The zirconocene bisphosphanido complexes [(η-C₅H₄R)₂Zr{PH(2,4,6-ⁱPr₃C₆H₂)}₂] (R?Me, H) react with [(NBD)M(CO)₄] (NBD?norbornadiene, M?Cr, Mo) to give only one diastereomer of the phosphanido-bridged heterobimetallic dinuclear complexes cis-rac-[(η-C₅H₄R)₂Zr{μ-PH(2,4,6-ⁱPr₃C₆H₂)}₂M(CO)₄] [R?Me, M?Cr ( 1 ), Mo ( 2 ); R?H, M?Mo ( 3 )]. However, no reaction was observed between [(η-C₅H₅)₂Zr{PH(2,4,6-^tBu₃ C₆H₂)}₂] and [Pt(PPh₃)₄]. 1—3 were characterised spectroscopically. For 1—3 , the presence of the racemic isomer was shown by NMR spectroscopy. No reaction was observed at room temperature for 3 and CS₂, (NO)BF₄, Me₃NO or PH(2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂)₂. With Et₂AlH or PhC?CH decomposition of 3 was observed.     

Synthesis and derivatization of daptomycin: a chemoenzymatic route to acidic lipopeptide antibiotics

Daptomycin is a branched cyclic nonribosomally assembled acidic lipopeptide, which is the first clinically approved antibiotic of this class. Here we show that the recombinant cyclization domain of the Streptomyces coelicolor calcium-dependent antibiotic (CDA) nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) is a versatile tool for the chemoenzymatic generation of daptomycin derivatives. Linear CDA undecapeptide thioesters with single exchanges at six daptomycin-specific residues were successfully cyclized by CDA cyclase. Simultaneous incorporation of all six of these residues into the peptide backbone and elongation of the N-terminus of CDA by two residues yielded a daptomycin derivative that lacked only the beta-methyl group of l-3-methylglutamate. Bioactivity studies with several substrate analogues revealed a significant role of nonproteinogenic constituents for antibacterial potency. In accordance with acidic lipopeptides, the bioactivity of the chemoenzymatic assembled daptomycin analogue is dependent on the concentration of calcium ions. Single deletions of the four acidic residues in the peptide backbone suggest that only two aspartic acid residues are essential for antimicrobial potency. These two residues are strictly conserved among other nonribosomal acidic lipopeptides and the EF-motif of ribosomally assembled calmodulin. Based on these findings CDA cyclase is a versatile catalyst that can be used to generate novel daptomycin derivatives that are otherwise difficult to obtain by chemical modification of the parental tridecapeptide to improve further its therapeutic activity.     

Synthesis of homochiral 2-C-perfluoroalkyl substituted d- and l-riboses

Homochiral 2-C-perfluoroalkyl substituted d- and l-riboses were synthesized via Barbier, Grignard and Ruppert type reactions. The influence of the size of the perfluoroalkyl groups, attached to C-2, on the furanose/pyranose as well as on the α-furanose/β-furanose and α-pyranose/β-pyranose ratio in solution was studied.     

Butadienyloxiran-Dihydrooxepin-Isomerisierung. Ringerweiterungsreaktionen von sterisch fixierten und benzoanellierten Epoxyhexadienen durch 1,7-Elektrocyclisierung konjugierter Carbonyl-Ylide

Butadienyloxirane-Dihydrooxepine Isomerisation. Ring Expansion Reactions of Sterically Fixed and Benzoannelated Epoxyhexadienes by 1,7-Electrocyclisation of Conjugated Carbonyl Ylides Thermal ring cleavage of specifically substituted oxiranes results in the formation of conjugated carbonyl ylide intermediates which react by 1,5- and/or 1,7-electrocyclisation to give ring-expanded products. While the spirooxiranes 5t, 6t , and 12t are transformed, as expected, only into 2,3-dihydrofurans ( 21, 22, 50 ), the geometrically fixed compounds give rise to the formation of seven-membered ring isomers either partially ( 6c ), or predominantly ( 5c ), or exclusively ( 7 – 11, 12c ). 1,7-Dipolar cyclisations also take place with participation of one or even two aromatic double bonds ( 7 → 52, 8 → 53, 9 → 54, 12c → 57 , and 10 → 55, 11 → 56 , resp.) affording mono- and dibenzo-dihydrooxepines, respectively. The rearrangements of 5c to 27 and 6c to 28 show for the first time that the 8π-ring closure of 2-oxaheptatrienyl dipoles proceeds in the theoretically predicted conrotatory manner. The exclusive, i.e. periselective formation of dihydrooxepines during the thermolysis of compounds 7 – 11, 12c is explained by assuming a helical geometry of the dipolar intermediates in which the stereoelectronic situation is specially suitable for the – entropically less advantageous – 1,7-cyclisation process.