Diversity‐Oriented Approach for Chemical Biology

Synthetic molecules that modulate and probe biological events are critical tools in chemical biology. Utilizing combinatorial and diversity‐oriented synthetic strategies, access to large numbers of small molecules is becoming more and more feasible, and research groups in this field can take advantage of the power of chemical diversity. Since the majority of early studies were focused on the discovery of compounds that perturb protein functions, diversity‐based approaches are often considered as therapeutic lead discovery tactics. However, the diversity‐oriented approach can also be applied to advance distinct aims, such as target protein identification, or the development of imaging probes and sensors. This review provides a personal perspective of the chemical‐diversity‐based approach and how this principle can be adapted to various chemical biology studies.     

HepG2 Cell Resistance against Camptothecin from a Lysosomal Drug Delivery

A galactose‐appended drug delivery system released camptothecin (CPT) to lysosomes of HepG2 hepatoma cells, resulting in the cell resistance to the anticancer drug. We found that the resistance to CPT is caused by alteration of the drug release from the prodrug in lysosomes, emphasizing that the final delivery locations may critically influence drug efficacy.     

Mesoporous inorganic salts with crystal defects: unusual catalysts and catalyst supports

We proposed a strategy to synthesize mesoporous inorganic salt particles using the special properties of ionic liquid (IL) mixtures, and hollow mesoporous LaF₃, NdF₃, and YF₃ particles were synthesized and characterized using different techniques. The size of the mesopores in the salt particles was about 4 nm, and the materials were full of crystal defects. The LaF₃, NdF₃ and YF₃ particles were used as the catalysts for the cyanosilylation reaction of benzaldehyde using trimethylsilyl cyanide, and Ru/LaF₃ and Ru/NdF₃, in which Ru nanocatalysts were supported on the LaF₃ and NdF₃ particles with mesopores, were used to catalyze hydrogenations of benzene to cyclohexane and levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL). It was discovered that the activities of these catalysts were unprecedentedly high for these reactions. Detailed study showed that both the crystal defects and the mesopores in the salt particles played crucial roles for the extremely high catalytic activity.     

Photoluminescence properties of a cationic trinuclear zinc(II) complex with the tetradentate Schiff base ligand 6‐methyl‐2‐({[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]imino}methyl)phenolate

Metal complexes with Schiff base ligands have been suggested as potential phosphors in electroluminescent devices. In the title complex, tetrakis[6‐methyl‐2‐({[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]imino}methyl)phenolato‐1:2κ⁸N,N′,O:O;3:2κ⁸N,N′,O:O]trizinc(II) hexafluoridophosphate methanol monosolvate, [Zn₃(C₁₄H₁₃N₂O)₄](PF₆)₂·CH₃OH, the Zn^II cations adopt both six‐ and four‐coordinate geometries involving the N and O atoms of tetradentate 6‐methyl‐2‐({[(pyridin‐2‐yl)methyl]imino}methyl)phenolate ligands. Two terminal Zn^II cations adopt distorted octahedral geometries and the central Zn^II cation adopts a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The O atoms of the phenolate ligands bridge three Zn^II cations, forming a dicationic trinuclear metal cluster. The title complex exhibits a strong emission at 469 nm with a quantum yield of 15.5%.     

Four Metal Complexes Based on Bulky Imidazole Ligands: Solvothermal Syntheses,Crystal Structures,and Fluorescence Properties

In order to explore the influences of (de‐)protonation of the imidazole ring on the structural diversity of the resulting complexes, the imidazole‐based ligands 4, 5‐diphenylimidazole (Hdpi) and 1H‐phenanthro[9, 10‐d]imidazole (Hpi) were utilized as bulky building blocks to construct four complexes by solvothermal reactions, i.e. [Ag(Hdpi)₂](NO₃) · (H₂O) ( 1 ), [Cu(dpi)]_∞ ( 2 ), [Cu(Hpi)(NO₃)]_∞ ( 3 ), and [(H₂pi)(NO₃)] · H₂O ( 4 ). In complex 1 , two Hdpi ligands adopt a monodentate pattern and coordinate with one Ag^I ion to form a mononuclear unit, which is further connected by hydrogen bonds into a 1D supramolecular helix. The deprotonated dpi ligand of 2 acts in bidentate mode, and bridges Cu^I ions to afford a 1D chain. In 3 , the NO₃^– ion, acts as a monodentate bridging ligand and joins Cu^I ions to generate a 1D chain. The Hpi ligand employs a monodentate mode to bond with Cu^I ions of the 1D chain. 4 is protonated and two H₂pi nitrogen atoms are free of coordination. Interestingly, hydrogen bonds among the NO₃^– ion, the H₂pi ligand, and the water molecule yield a macro ring R⁴₄(14). The resulting structural diversity reveals that the (de‐)protonation of imidazole ring directly steers the coordination number of ligand, and thus causes a significant effect on the structure, especially the dimensionality. Furthermore, the solid‐state fluorescence properties of the free ligands and compounds 1 – 4 were studied at room temperature.     

Comprehensive characterization of natural organic matter by MALDI- and ESI-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Natural organic matter (NOM) is a complex and non-uniform mixture of organic compounds which plays an important role in environmental processes. Due to the complexity, it is challenging to obtain fully detailed structural information about NOM. Although Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for providing molecular information about NOM, multiple ionization methods are needed for comprehensive characterization of NOM at the molecular level considering the ionizing selectivity of different ionization methods. This paper reports the first use of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) method coupled with FT-ICR-MS for molecular characterization of NOM within a mass range of 200–800 Da. The mass spectral data obtained by MALDI were systematically compared with data generated by electrospray ionization (ESI). It showed that complementary molecular information about NOM which could not be detected by ESI, were provided by MALDI. More unsaturated and aromatic constituents of NOM with lower O/C ratio (O/C ratio < 0.5) were preferentially ionized in MALDI negative mode, whereas more polar constituents of NOM with higher O/C ratio were preferentially ionized in ESI negative mode. Molecular anions of NOM appearing at even m/z in MALDI negative ion mode were detected. The results show that NOM molecules with aromatic structures, moderate O/C ratio (0.7 > O/C ratio > 0.25) and lower H/C ratio were liable to form molecular anions at even m/z, whereas those with higher H/C ratio are more likely to form deprotonated ions at odd m/z. It is speculated that almost half of the NOM molecules identified by MALDI may be aromatic or condensed aromatic compounds with special groups which are liable to absorb electron from other molecules to generate free radical anions during MALDI ionization.