Highly Efficient Solid‐Phase Labeling of Saccharides within Boronic Acid Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Labeling is critical for the detection, quantitation, and structural identification of saccharides. However, conventional liquid‐phase labeling suffers from apparent disadvantages, such as time‐consuming, the presence of excessive labeling reagent, and high applicable saccharide concentration. A solid‐phase approach is presented for highly efficient labeling of saccharides, using boronic acid functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as a selective extraction sorbent and nanoscale reactor. The solid‐phase labeling approach exhibited several significant advantages, including: much faster reaction speed (taking only 2 min), high product purity, and much lower applicable saccharide concentration (four orders of magnitude lower than that of liquid‐phase labeling). Thus, this labeling approach opens up new avenues to the facile and efficient labeling of saccharides.     

A Halogen‐Bonded Dimeric Resorcinarene Capsule

Iodine (I₂) acts as a bifunctional halogen‐bond donor connecting two macrocyclic molecules of the bowl‐shaped halogen‐bond acceptor, N‐cyclohexyl ammonium resorcinarene chloride 1 , to form the dimeric capsule [(1,4‐dioxane)₃@ 1 ₂(I₂)₂]. The dimeric capsule is constructed solely through halogen bonds and has a single cavity (V=511 ų) large enough to encapsulate three 1,4‐dioxane guest molecules.     

Nannocystin A: an Elongation Factor 1 Inhibitor from Myxobacteria with Differential Anti‐Cancer Properties

Cultivation of myxobacteria of the Nannocystis genus led to the isolation and structure elucidation of a class of novel cyclic lactone inhibitors of elongation factor 1. Whole genome sequence analysis and annotation enabled identification of the putative biosynthetic cluster and synthesis process. In biological assays the compounds displayed anti‐fungal and cytotoxic activity. Combined genetic and proteomic approaches identified the eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1α (EF‐1α) as the primary target for this compound class. Nannocystin A ( 1 ) displayed differential activity across various cancer cell lines and EEF1A1 expression levels appear to be the main differentiating factor. Biochemical and genetic evidence support an overlapping binding site of 1 with the anti‐cancer compound didemnin B on EF‐1α. This myxobacterial chemotype thus offers an interesting starting point for further investigations of the potential of therapeutics targeting elongation factor 1.     

A High‐Voltage and Ultralong‐Life Sodium Full Cell for Stationary Energy Storage

Recently, there has been great interest in developing advanced sodium‐ion batteries for large‐scale application. Most efforts have concentrated on the search for high‐performance electrode materials only in sodium half‐cells. Research on sodium full cells for practical application has encountered many problems, such as insufficient cycles with rapid capacity decay, low safety, and low operating voltage. Herein, we present a layered P2‐Na_0.66Ni_0.17Co_0.17Ti_0.66O₂, as both an anode (ca. 0.69 V versus Na⁺/Na) and as a high‐voltage cathode (ca. 3.74 V versus Na⁺/Na). The full cell based on this bipolar electrode exhibits well‐defined voltage plateaus near 3.10 V, which is the highest average voltage in the symmetric cells. It also shows the longest cycle life (75.9 % capacity retention after 1000 cycles) in all sodium full cells, a usable capacity of 92 mAh g^?1, and superior rate capability (65 mAh g^?1 at a high rate of 2C).     

Fluorescent In Situ Targeting Probes for Rapid Imaging of Ovarian‐Cancer‐Specific γ‐Glutamyltranspeptidase

γ‐Glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) is a tumor biomarker that selectively catalyzes the cleavage of glutamate overexpressed on the plasma membrane of tumor cells. Here, we developed two novel fluorescent in situ targeting (FIST) probes that specifically target GGT in tumor cells, which comprise 1) a GGT‐specific substrate unit (GSH), and 2) a boron–dipyrromethene (BODIPY) moiety for fluorescent signalling. In the presence of GGT, sulfur‐substituted BODIPY was converted to amino‐substituted BODIPY, resulting in dramatic fluorescence variations. By exploiting this enzyme‐triggered photophysical property, we employed these FIST probes to monitor the GGT activity in living cells, which showed remarkable differentiation between ovarian cancer cells and normal cells. These probes represent two first‐generation chemodosimeters featuring enzyme‐mediated rapid, irreversible aromatic hydrocarbon transfer between the sulfur and nitrogen atoms accompanied by switching of photophysical properties.     

Theoretical investigation of substitution and end-group effects on poly(p-phenylene vinylene)s

Semi-empirical AM1 and ZINDO/S, as well as density function theory (DFT) method B3LYP/6-31G(d) quantum chemical calculations were carried out to study the electronic structures and optical properties of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) derivatives (PPVs) with 10 and 11 phenylene rings in the backbone. The calculations suggest that the assembly of alternate incorporation of CN and alkoxy substituted phenylene rings in the PPV backbone could be a good way to construct organic semiconductors with low HOMO/LUMO energy band-gaps. The effect of the end-group on the electronic structures and optical properties of the conjugated polymer was investigated by the calculated UV-Vis and UPS spectra. It was demonstrated that the aldehyde and phosphate end-groups have limited effects on the photophysical properties in the UV-visible range.     

Conductometric and fluorescence probe investigations of molecular interactions between dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and dipeptides

The effect of five dipeptides (glycylglycine, glycyl-l-valine, glycyl-l-leucine, glycyl-l-glutamine, and l-alanyl-l-glutamine) on the micellar properties of catonic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) has been investigated by electrical conductivity and fluorescence spectroscopy. From the conductivity data, the critical micellar concentration (c _cmc), counterion binding constant (β), and thermodynamic parameters of micellization (ΔG _m ^o , ΔH _m ^o and ΔS _m ^o ) have been calculated. The effect of dipeptides on the micellar properties of DTAB depends upon their nature and concentration as well as on temperature and has been used to study the interactions present in the micellar systems. Enthalpy–entropy compensation effect has also been observed. The pyrene fluorescence spectra were used as an index for the estimation of micropolarity of micellar produced by the interaction of DTAB with dipeptides and the aggregation behavior of DTAB. Comparison on the interactions between different types of surfactants and dipeptide showed that the order of the strength for these interactions is TX-100?相似文献