Photocatalysis with Quantum Dots and Visible Light: Selective and Efficient Oxidation of Alcohols to Carbonyl Compounds through a Radical Relay Process in Water

Selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones has been achieved with the help of 3‐mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)‐capped CdSe quantum dot (MPA‐CdSe QD) and visible light. Visible‐light‐prompted electron‐transfer reaction initiates the oxidation. The thiyl radical generated from the thiolate anion adsorbed on a CdSe QD plays a key role by abstracting the hydrogen atom from the C−H bond of the alcohol (R¹CH(OH)R²). The reaction shows high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, and high site‐selectivity in polyhydroxy compounds. The generality and selectivity reported here offer a new opportunity for further applications of QDs in organic transformations.     

Combined Analysis of NMR and MS Spectra (CANMS)

Cellular metabolism in mammalian cells represents a challenge for analytical chemistry in the context of current biomedical research. Mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy together with computational tools have been used to study metabolism in cells. Compartmentalization of metabolism complicates the interpretation of stable isotope patterns in mammalian cells owing to the superimposition of different pathways contributing to the same pool of analytes. This indicates a need for a model‐free approach to interpret such data. Mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy provide complementary analytical information on metabolites. Herein an approach that simulates ¹³C multiplets in NMR spectra and utilizes mass increments to obtain long‐range information is presented. The combined information is then utilized to derive isotopomer distributions. This is a first rigorous analytical and computational approach for a model‐free analysis of metabolic data applicable to mammalian cells.     

Regimes of Biomolecular Ultrasmall Nanoparticle Interactions

Ultrasmall nanoparticles (USNPs), usually defined as NPs with core in the size range 1–3 nm, are a class of nanomaterials which show unique physicochemical properties, often different from larger NPs of the same material. Moreover, there are also indications that USNPs might have distinct properties in their biological interactions. For example, recent in vivo experiments suggest that some USNPs escape the liver, spleen, and kidney, in contrast to larger NPs that are strongly accumulated in the liver. Here, we present a simple approach to study the biomolecular interactions at the USNPs bio‐nanointerface, opening up the possibility to systematically link these observations to microscopic molecular principles.