A Near-Infrared-Controllable Artificial Metalloprotease Used for Degrading Amyloid-β Monomers and Aggregates

Proteolysis of amyloid-β (Aβ) is a promising approach against Alzheimer's disease. However, it is not feasible to employ natural hydrolases directly because of their cumbersome preparation and purification, poor stability, and hazardous immunogenicity. Therefore, artificial enzymes have been developed as potential alternatives to natural hydrolases. Since specific cleavage sites of Aβ are usually embedded inside the β-sheet structures that restrict access by artificial enzymes, this strongly hinders their efficiency for practical applications. Herein, we construct a NIR (near-IR) controllable artificial metalloprotease (MoS₂-Co) using a molybdenum disulfide nanosheet (MoS₂) and a cobalt complex of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (Codota). Evidenced by detailed experimental and theoretical studies, the NIR-enhanced MoS₂-Co can circumvent the restriction by simultaneously inhibition of β-sheet formation and destroying β-sheet structures of the preformed Aβ aggregates in living cell. Furthermore, our designed MoS₂-Co is an easy to graft Aβ-target agent that prevents misdirected or undesirable hydrolysis reactions, and has been demonstrated to cross the blood brain barrier. This method can be adapted for hydrolysis of other kinds of amyloids.     

One-pot diastereoselective synthesis of tetrahydroepimino-benzo[b]azocines through sequential [3+2]-cycloaddition and Staudinger-aza-Wittig reactions

The one-pot synthesis of tetrahydro-epiminobenzo[b]azocines through a sequential 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and intramolecular Staudinger-aza-Wittig reaction sequence is reported. This methodology provides a new and efficient approach for medium-sized and bridged nitrogen heterocyclic molecules.     

Efficient glycosylation with glycosyl ortho-allylbenzoates as donors

Glycosylation reactions are significant as they provide access to model compounds that are useful for elucidating biochemical pathways. Herein, we describe the development of glycosyl ortho-alkynylbenzoates as novel, bench-top stable, and readily available glycosyl donors. Glycosylation is promoted by inexpensive trimethylsilyl triflate (TMSOTf) in combination with N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) under mild reaction conditions; hence, the novel glycosyl donors are promising reagents for the synthesis of glycosides.     

Bifunctional Phosphine Ligand Enabled Gold‐Catalyzed Alkynamide Cycloisomerization: Access to Electron‐Rich 2‐Aminofurans and Their Diels–Alder Adducts

By using biphenyl‐2‐ylphosphines functionalized with a remote tertiary amino group as a ligand, readily available acetylenic amides are directly converted into 2‐aminofurans devoid of any electron‐withdrawing and hence deactivating/stabilizing substituents. These highly electron‐rich furans have rarely been prepared, let alone applied in synthesis, because of their high reactivities and low stabilities associated with the electron‐rich nature of the furan ring. In this work, these reactive furans smoothly undergo either in situ intermolecular Diels–Alder reactions to deliver highly functionalized/substituted aniline products or intramolecular ones to furnish carbazole‐4‐carboxylates in mostly good to excellent yields. This work offers general and expedient access to this class of little studies electron‐rich furans and should lead to exciting opportunities for their applications.     

Efficient structural modification of electron-withdrawing substituents on Pt(II) complexes for red emitters: A theoretical study

In this study, the electronic structures and optical properties of a cyclometalated Pt(II) complex (M1) and a series of derivatives (M1–F, M1–CF₃, and M1–CN) with electron-withdrawing substituents (–F, –CF₃, and –CN) at the carbazole moiety were theoretically investigated by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. The calculation results reveal that these Pt complexes display deep red phosphorescence emission above Λ = 640 nm. When the ³MLCT/π → π* to triplet metal-centered ³MC/d–d state decay mechanism is taken into consideration, the nonradiative decay rate constant (k_nr) decreased in the order M1 > M1–CF₃ > M1–F > M1–CN. The <T₁|H_SOC|S_m> and kr values of M1-F are similar with those of M1, however the Knr rate ofM1-F is larger than that of M1. M1–F is expected to have improved quantum yields. Moreover, through the analyses of the HOMO/LUMO level and triplet energy, it is found that the introduction of –F and –CN substituents in M1 results in efficient energy transfer from the host material 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl to these complexes. In view of the electroluminescent applications in organic light-emitting diodes, M1–F can serve as efficient deep-red guest materials with improved electron injection and transport ability.     

Hydrogen-Bond Cyclization Programming of Ultrasensitive Esters and Its Application in Gene Delivery

The ester bond as a universal linker has recently been applied in gene delivery systems owing to its efficient gene release by electrostatic repulsion after its cleavage. However, the ester bond is nonlabile and is difficult to cleave in cells. This work reports a method in which a secondary amine was introduced to the β-position of the ester bond to generate a hydrogen-bond cyclization (HBC) structure that can make the ester bond hydrolysis ultrafast. A series of molecules comprising ultrasensitive esters that can be activated by H₂O₂ were synthesized, and it was found that those able to form an HBC structure showed complete ester hydrolysis within 5 h in both water and phosphate-buffered saline solution, which was several times faster than other methods reported. Then, a series of amphiphilic poly(amidoamine) dendrimers were constructed, comprising the ultrasensitive ester groups for gene delivery; it was found that they could effectively release genes under quite a low concentration of H₂O₂ (<200 μm ) and transport them into the nucleus within 2 h in Hela cells with high safety. Their gene transfection efficiencies were higher than that of PEI_25k. The results demonstrated that the hydrogen-bond-induced ultrasensitive esters could be powerfully applied to construct gene delivery systems.     

A Novel Method for the Improved Skin Whitening Effect Based on Nanostructured Lipid Carrier

The effect of humidity on the holographic grating diffraction efficiency and transmittance kinetics in the E204Q BR gelatin film is investigated. We found a correlation between the accumulation of the red-light absorbing O intermediate in the later part of the E204Q BR photocycle and sharpness (decay to the steady-state) of the holographic recording kinetics. As shown, at humidity exceeding 95% the ratio between the peak and steady-state of the diffraction efficiency for the weak probe beam (670 nm) can reach 8.7 in the E204Q BR film, which is sufficient for realization of an efficient novelty filter.     

Metal complexes as potential modulators of inflammatory and autoimmune responses

Over the past few decades, the realm of inorganic medicinal chemistry has been dominated by the study of the anti-cancer properties of transition metal complexes, particularly those based on platinum or ruthenium. However, comparatively less attention has been focused on the development of metal complexes for the treatment of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Metal complexes possess a number of advantages that render them as attractive alternatives to organic small molecules for the development of therapeutic agents. In this perspective, we highlight recent examples in the development of transition metal complexes as modulators of inflammatory and autoimmune responses. The studies presented here serve to highlight the potential of transition metal complexes in modulating inflammatory or immune pathways in cells.     

功能化离子液体液化木粉及其酚醛复合材料

合成了氯代1-(2-羟乙基)-3-甲基咪唑离子液体[He MIM]Cl、溴代1-乙胺基-3-甲基咪唑离子液体[Ae MIM]Br和氯代1-羧乙基-3-甲基咪唑离子液体[Ce MIM]Cl 3种功能化咪唑离子液体,并分别进行了红外与氢核磁结构表征.然后用3种离子液体液化木粉,液化3 h后向体系直接加入苯酚、甲醛和氢氧化钠,制备酚醛复合材料,并采用FTIR、XRD、DSC和SEM对酚醛复合材料进行结构、性能与形貌测试,研究离子液体种类对木粉液化率及酚醛树脂性能的影响.结果表明,离子液体及其液化木粉产物制备的酚醛复合材料性能得到明显改善.[Ce MIM]Cl液化效果最好,90℃液化率高达24.6%,当[Ce MIM]Cl与木粉质量比为10∶1时,制备的酚醛复合材料的游离醛释放量由原来的3.64%降低到0.92%.离子液体[Ae MIM]Br能将酚醛复合材料的冲击强度由原来的0.93 k J/m2提高到6.96 k J/m2,而[Ae MIM]Br及其液化的木粉产物制备的酚醛复合材料拉伸强度从原来的3.28 MPa提高到9.70 MPa.