Leveraging Material Properties in Fluorescence Anion Sensor Arrays: A General Approach

As the demand for probes suitable for sensor development increases, investigation of approaches that utilize known successful receptors gains in general importance. This study describes a two‐prong approach that can be used as a guide to developing sensors from known receptors. First, the conversion of a simple receptor, calix[4]pyrrole, into a fluorescent probe to establish a ratiometric signal is described. Secondly, the sensors that employ an output from a single ratiometric calix[4]pyrrole probe are fabricated by using poly(ether‐urethane) hydrogel copolymers. These hydrogels are designed to absorb, internalize and transport aqueous electrolytes. A sensor array of ten different poly(ether‐urethane) matrices with varying comonomer proportions were doped with a single probe and were exposed to eight different anions: acetate, benzoate, fluoride, chloride, phosphate, pyrophosphate, hydrogen sulfide, and cyanide, eight urine samples and anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The poly(ether‐urethane) matrices comprise different proportions of anion‐binding urethane moieties and different hydrophilicity given by the ratio between ethylene glycol ether and butylene glycol ether. This diversity in the hydration behavior provides different environment polarity, in which the recognition and self‐assembly processes display enough diverse behavior to allow for unique response of the probe to the analytes. Furthermore, a single probe is shown to recognize eight different aqueous anions and eight urine samples when embedded in ten different polyurethanes in an array that displays 100 % classification accuracy. To demonstrate the potential of the concept for quantitative studies, an estimation of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs ibuprofen and diclofenac in water and in saliva was performed. A limit of detection of 0.1 ppm and a dynamic range of 0.1–0.6 and 0.05–60 ppm was observed, respectively. Given the general difficulty of chemosensors to recognize aqueous anions, the fact that one probe recognizes eight different analytes attests to an enormous effect of the polymer environment on the recognition process. This method could be used to generate a variety of sensor arrays for various analyses including species that are difficult to recognize, such as small‐molecule‐ and inorganic anions.     

Chiral Photoresponsive Tetrathiazoles That Provide Snapshots of Folding States

Herein, we designed chiral photoresponsive tetra(2‐phenylthiazole)s, which induce a diastereoselective 6π‐electrocyclization reaction in a helically folded structure to freeze the conformational interconversions. The folding conformation with one helical turn of tetra(2‐phenylthiazole)s was supported by multiple intramolecular noncovalent interactions including vicinal S???N interheteroatom interactions and CH–π and π–π stacking interactions between nonadjacent units, as found in X‐ray crystal structures as well as quantum chemical calculations. The introduction of a chiral group at both ends of tetra(2‐phenylthiazole) dictates the preferential folding into a one‐handed helix conformation by the simultaneous operation of S???O and multiple CH–π interactions that involve the chiral end groups. Since the tetra(2‐phenylthiazole)s possess two equivalent photoreactive 6π‐electron systems and the folded conformation is suitable for photoinduced electrocyclization reaction, they undergo a photocyclization reaction in a stereoselective manner to memorize the chirality of the helix in a resulting diastereomeric closed form.     

2-Chloroanthraquinone-catalyzed aerobic photo-oxidative synthesis of diacylamines from benzylamides

In this Letter, we report the aerobic photo-oxidative synthesis of diacylamines from benzylamides in the presence of molecular oxygen and catalytic amounts of 2-chloroanthraquinones under visible light irradiation from a fluorescent lamp.     

Direct Synthesis of 1,4‐Diols from Alkenes by Iron‐Catalyzed Aerobic Hydration and C?H Hydroxylation

Various 1,4‐diols are easily accessible from alkenes through iron‐catalyzed aerobic hydration. The reaction system consists of a user‐friendly iron phthalocyanine complex, sodium borohydride, and molecular oxygen. Furthermore, the effect of additional ligands on the iron complex was examined for a model reaction. The second hydroxy group is installed by direct C(sp³) H oxygenation, which is based on a [1,5] hydrogen shift process of a transient alkoxy radical that is formed by formal hydration of the olefin.     

Oxidative Bond Cleavage of the Silicon–Silicon Bond of a Pentacoordinated Disilicate

The Si Si bond of a pentacoordinated disilicate was readily cleaved by treatment with 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐p‐benzoquinone in the presence of sodium carbonate under mild conditions. The bond cleavage did not proceed under the same conditions after conversion of the disilicate into the corresponding monoanionic silylsilicate and neutral disilane by protonation. The difference in the charges of the Si Si bond compounds affects the reactivity toward an oxidant, resulting in the Si Si bond cleavage, considering that all of these compounds have a bond between pentacoordinated silicon atoms.     

Labile Base-Stabilized Silyliumylidene Ions. Non-Metallic Species Capable of Activating Multiple Small Molecules

Several base-stabilized silyliumylidene ions ( 2 and 3 ) with different ligands were synthesized. Their behaviour appeared strongly dependent on the nature of ligand. Indeed, in contrast to the poorly reactive silyliumylidene ions 3 c,d stabilized by strongly donating ligands (DMAP, NHC), the silylene- and sulfide-supported one ( 2-H and 3 a ) exhibits higher reactivity toward various small molecules. Furthermore, their capability to successively activate multiple small molecules was clearly demonstrated by processes involving successive reactions with silane/formamide, CO₂ and H₂. Moreover, HBPin adduct of 3 a ( 8-C ) catalyzes the hydroboration of pyridine. Of particular interest, silylene-supported silyliumylidene complex 2-H is one of the rare species able to activate two H₂ molecules.     

Third-order aberration analysis of an off-axial optical system

The aberration theory applied to co-axial optical systems is extended to off-axial systems, for which third-order aberration coefficients are considered. The derived aberrations are analyzed using three-dimensional ray bundles, spot diagrams, and image charts, and classified in relation to the system symmetry. This theory is very useful for optical designers, allowing them to clarify the relationship between the structures of off-axial optical systems and the corresponding off-axial aberrations.     

One-dimensional migration of interstitial clusters in SUS316L and its model alloys at elevated temperatures

For self-interstitial atom (SIA) clusters in various concentrated alloys, one-dimensional (1D) migration is induced by electron irradiation around 300 K. But at elevated temperatures, the 1D migration frequency decreases to less than one-tenth of that around 300 K in iron-based bcc alloys. In this study, we examined mechanisms of 1D migration at elevated temperatures using in situ observation of SUS316L and its model alloys with high-voltage electron microscopy. First, for elevated temperatures, we examined the effects of annealing and short-term electron irradiation of SIA clusters on their subsequent 1D migration. In annealed SUS316L, 1D migration was suppressed and then recovered by prolonged irradiation at 300 K. In high-purity model alloy Fe-18Cr-13Ni, annealing or irradiation had no effect. Addition of carbon or oxygen to the model alloy suppressed 1D migration after annealing. Manganese and silicon did not suppress 1D migration after annealing but after short-term electron irradiation. The suppression was attributable to the pinning of SIA clusters by segregated solute elements, and the recovery was to the dissolution of the segregation by interatomic mixing under electron irradiation. Next, we examined 1D migration of SIA clusters in SUS316L under continuous electron irradiation at elevated temperatures. The 1D migration frequency at 673 K was proportional to the irradiation intensity. It was as high as half of that at 300 K. We proposed that 1D migration is controlled by the competition of two effects: induction of 1D migration by interatomic mixing and suppression by solute segregation.     

Identification of Site-Specific Degradation in Bacterially Expressed Human Fibroblast Growth Factor 4 and Generation of an Aminoterminally Truncated,Stable Form

Fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) is considered as a crucial gene for tumorigenesis in humans and the development of mammalian embryos. The secreted, mature form of human FGF4 is thought to be comprised of 175 amino acid residues (proline³² to leucine²⁰⁶, Pro³²-Leu²⁰⁶). Here, we found that bacterially expressed, 6× histidine (His)-tagged human FGF4 (Pro³²-Leu²⁰⁶) protein, referred to as HishFGF4, was unstable such as in phosphate-buffered saline. In these conditions, site-specific cleavage, including between Ser⁵⁴ and Leu⁵⁵, in HishFGF4 was identified. In order to generate stable human FGF4 derivatives, a 6× His-tagged human FGF4 (Leu⁵⁵-Leu²⁰⁶), termed HishFGF4L, was expressed in Escherichia coli. HishFGF4L could be purified from the supernatant of cell lysates by heparin column chromatography. In phosphate-buffered saline, HishFGF4L was considered as sufficiently stable. HishFGF4L exerted significant mitogenic activities in mouse embryonic fibroblast Balb/c 3T3 cells. In the presence of PD173074, an FGF receptor inhibitor, the growth-stimulating activity of HishFGF4L disappeared. Taken together, we suggest that HishFGF4L is capable of promoting cell growth via an authentic FGF signaling pathway. Our study provides a simple method for the production of a bioactive human FGF4 derivative in E. coli.