Thermodynamic properties of solutions of water-soluble mixed cellulose esters

The thermodynamics of the mixing of water-soluble mixed cellulose esters with water has been studied. A dependence of the affinity of a water-soluble cellulose acetate for water on the nature of a new radical introduced into the macromolecule and the competing interaction of molecules of the same and different types has been shown. Thermodynamic analysis has demonstrated the dominating role of solvation among the various factors determining the interaction of cellulose acetomaleate and acetophthalate with a solvent. A fall in affinity in the cellulose aminoacetate-water system is due to the contribution of entropy effects, leading to an increase in the Flory-Huggins parameter.Tashkent Institute of Chemical Technology. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 97–101, January–February, 1997.     

On-surface isostructural transformation from a hydrogen-bonded network to a coordination network for tuning the pore size and guest recognition

Rational manipulation of supramolecular structures on surfaces is of great importance and challenging. We show that imidazole-based hydrogen-bonded networks on a metal surface can transform into an isostructural coordination network for facile tuning of the pore size and guest recognition behaviours. Deposition of triangular-shaped benzotrisimidazole (H₃btim) molecules on Au(111)/Ag(111) surfaces gives honeycomb networks linked by double N–H⋯N hydrogen bonds. While the H₃btim hydrogen-bonded networks on Au(111) evaporate above 453 K, those on Ag(111) transform into isostructural [Ag₃(btim)] coordination networks based on double N–Ag–N bonds at 423 K, by virtue of the unconventional metal–acid replacement reaction (Ag reduces H⁺). The transformation expands the pore diameter of the honeycomb networks from 3.8 Å to 6.9 Å, giving remarkably different host–guest recognition behaviours for fullerene and ferrocene molecules based on the size compatibility mechanism.

A hydrogen-bonded network on a Ag(111) surface can transform into an isostructural Ag(i) coordination network, giving drastically different host–guest recognition behaviours.     

Coordination-based self-assembled capsules (SACs) for protein,CRISPR–Cas9, DNA and RNA delivery

Biologics, such as functional proteins and nucleic acids, have recently dominated the drug market and comprise seven out of the top 10 best-selling drugs. Biologics are usually polar, heat sensitive, membrane impermeable and subject to enzymatic degradation and thus require systemic routes of administration and delivery. Coordination-based delivery vehicles, which include nanosized extended metal–organic frameworks (nMOFs) and discrete coordination cages, have gained a lot of attention because of their remarkable biocompatibility, in vivo stability, on-demand biodegradability, high encapsulation efficiency, easy surface modification and moderate synthetic conditions. Consequently, these systems have been extensively utilized as carriers of biomacromolecules for biomedical applications. This review summarizes the recent applications of nMOFs and coordination cages for protein, CRISPR–Cas9, DNA and RNA delivery. We also highlight the progress and challenges of coordination-based platforms as a promising approach towards clinical biomacromolecule delivery and discuss integral future research directions and applications.

SACs can be efficiently used to load biologics such as proteins, CRISPR–Cas9, DNA and RNA and release them on-demand.     

Stereoselective synthesis of unnatural α-amino acid derivatives through photoredox catalysis

A protocol for stereoselective C-radical addition to a chiral glyoxylate-derived N-sulfinyl imine was developed through visible light-promoted photoredox catalysis, providing a convenient method for the synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids. The developed protocol allows the use of ubiquitous carboxylic acids as radical precursors without prior derivatization. The protocol utilizes near-stoichiometric amounts of the imine and the acid radical precursor in combination with a catalytic amount of an organic acridinium-based photocatalyst. Alternative mechanisms for the developed transformation are discussed and corroborated by experimental and computational studies.

A protocol for stereoselective C-radical addition to a chiral glyoxylate-derived N-sulfinyl imine was developed through visible light-promoted photoredox catalysis, providing a convenient method for the synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids.     

Molecular caps for full quantum mechanical computation of peptide-water interaction energy

We present a systematic study of numerical accuracy of various forms of molecular caps that are employed in a recently developed molecular fractionation scheme for full quantum mechanical computation of protein-molecule interaction energy. A previously studied pentapeptide (Gly-Ser-Ala-Asp-Val) or P5 interacting with a water molecule is used as a benchmark system for numerical testing. One-dimensional potential energy curves are generated for a number of peptide-water interaction pathways. Our study shows that various forms of caps all give consistently accurate energies compared to the corresponding full system calculation with only small deviations. We also tested the accuracy of cutting peptide backbone at different positions and comparisons of results are presented.     

On Mercury(I) Oxo Compounds — Quasi‐Relativistic Computational and Experimental Studies

About 60 molecular species composed of up to 10 mercury atoms and of oxygen atoms and/or of some other elements or groups (such as halogen, OH₂, OH, H, alkali, NO₃) have been investigated quantum chemically. Different density functional approaches and the ab initio SCF‐MP2 method were applied, comparing different basis sets and different atomic core sizes. It is important not to treat the Hg 5s, p, d as inactive core shells, and to use sufficiently many polarization functions. The shape of the 〉O‐Hg‐Hg‐O〈 units is not favorable concerning the formation of lattices composed of Hg^I, O and OH only. Despite its bulkiness, the OHgHgO units can easily come into contact with each other and then disproportionate. This is prevented in the so‐called ternary M‐Hg^I oxides by the embedded oxometallate (oxoacidic) anions. Furthermore, the Hg^I and Hg^II oxide bond energies are less favorable towards the stability of Hg^I oxo compounds, as compared to Hg halidic or oxoacidic compounds. Both points are not promising concerning the search for Hg^I oxides/hydroxides, although the preparation of such compounds, including spacer groups, by topochemical reactions can still not be excluded. So far, experimental efforts towards the synthesis of such a new class of compounds have only demonstrated that Hg^II is strictly preferred over Hg^I in the formation of solids of binary Hg‐O or ternary A‐Hg‐O composition (A = electropositive metal such as alkali, in contrast to M = transition or semi‐metal). This is so even if compounds containing ‘electron rich Hg^δ— atoms’ (i.e. A‐Hg amalgams) are oxidized under mild conditions.     

Solubility, Acid–Base and Complexation Properties of Calix[4]resorcinarene in Aqueous Solutions of Nonionic Surfactants

Solubility and acid–base properties of calix[4]resorcinarene (H₈L) in aqueous solutions of nonionic surfactants Triton X-100, Triton X-405, and Brij-35, as well as isopropanol were studied by pH-potentiometry. The dependence of the amount of a nonionic surfactant necessary to dissolve H₈L on the length of ethylene oxide chain was found. The dissociation constants of macrocycle for the first four steps are low sensitive to the medium nature (micellar or water–alcohol solutions). Complexation ability of the [H_{8 – n} L] ^n– anions with respect to tetramethyl- and tetraethylammonium, N-methylpyridinium, and [Co(En)₂(C₂O₄)]⁺ cations was studied by pH-potentiometry. A noticeable increase in the selectivity of guest–host binding was found on going from aqueous or water–alcohol to micellar solutions.     

Synthesis, Characterisation and UV-Vis Properties of Azocalix[4]crowns

This article describes the synthesis, structure andUV properties of azocalixcrowns in which the photoresponsivetrans-cis azo benzene unit has been introduced in the glycolicchains of the calix[4]crowns. The synthesis proceeded via the selective-1,3O-dialkylation of calix[4]arene with glycolic chains terminated bynitrophenyl residues. After reduction of thenitro groups into amino functions,intramolecular oxidative coupling produced thecapping of the calixarene. Thesynthetic approaches and the cis-transstructure of these new ligandsare discussed and full details on synthesesand structural data are given. Apreliminary example of cesium complexation byone of the ligands is proposed.     

新型纤维素衍生物手性固定相的制备及其对几种对映异构体的高效液相色谱分离

合成了一种经环十二烷修饰的纤维素酯，将其涂敷于小粒径的氨丙基化硅胶（APS）上，制备出高效液相色谱手性固定相，以正己烷、异丙醇为流动相拆分了2-对氯苯基丙腈、1-对氟苯基乙醇、1-对叔丁基苯氧基-2-丙醇、2-对氯苯基辛腈及三唑醇等5种外消旋对映体，并考察了流动相中异丙醇含量对分离效果的影响。