Conjugated Microporous Networks on the Basis of 2,3,5,6‐Tetraarylated Diketopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole

π‐Conjugated microporous networks have been prepared from the tetraarylated diketopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole unit as a tetrafunctional building block. The reactions are carried out using microwave‐assisted Yamamoto or Sonogashira cross‐coupling. Red insoluble powders are obtained, showing intense fluorescence. The polymer networks exhibit a high gas storage capability, with BET surface areas up to about 500 m² · g⁻¹.

     

A Novel Purification Procedure for Active Recombinant Human DPP4 and the Inability of DPP4 to Bind SARS-CoV-2

Proteases catalyse irreversible posttranslational modifications that often alter a biological function of the substrate. The protease dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) is a pharmacological target in type 2 diabetes therapy primarily because it inactivates glucagon-like protein-1. DPP4 also has roles in steatosis, insulin resistance, cancers and inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. In addition, DPP4 binds to the spike protein of the MERS virus, causing it to be the human cell surface receptor for that virus. DPP4 has been identified as a potential binding target of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, so this question requires experimental investigation. Understanding protein structure and function requires reliable protocols for production and purification. We developed such strategies for baculovirus generated soluble recombinant human DPP4 (residues 29–766) produced in insect cells. Purification used differential ammonium sulphate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, dye affinity chromatography in series with immobilised metal affinity chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography. The binding affinities of DPP4 to the SARS-CoV-2 full-length spike protein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) were measured using surface plasmon resonance and ELISA. This optimised DPP4 purification procedure yielded 1 to 1.8 mg of pure fully active soluble DPP4 protein per litre of insect cell culture with specific activity >30 U/mg, indicative of high purity. No specific binding between DPP4 and CoV-2 spike protein was detected by surface plasmon resonance or ELISA. In summary, a procedure for high purity high yield soluble human DPP4 was achieved and used to show that, unlike MERS, SARS-CoV-2 does not bind human DPP4.     

A new stability indicating reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of enantiomeric purity of a DPP‐4 inhibitor drug linagliptin

A simple, sensitive, and stability indicating isocratic reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography method has been developed, optimized and validated for the separation and quantification of S‐enantiomer in linagliptin (R‐enantiomer) drug substance. Enantiomeric separation was achieved on a Cellulose tris(4‐chloro‐3‐methylphenylcarbamate) stationary phase. Mobile phase consists of aqueous diammonium hydrogen phosphate buffer and acetonitrile in the ratio of 35:65 v/v. Isocratic elution was performed at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, the column oven temperature was set at 40°C and detection was at 226 nm. The resolution between R and S enantiomers is found to be more than 4.0. The impact of mobile phase composition, pH of buffer and temperature on the resolution has been studied. The detector response is found to be linear over the concentration range of 0.17–1.7 μg/mL. LOD and LOQ levels of S‐enantiomer are found to be 0.057 and 0.172 μg/mL respectively. The recovery of S‐enantiomer is 99.8% w/w. The proposed method is validated for specificity, precision, linearity, accuracy and robustness.     

Electrochemical Polymerisation of N‐Arylated and N‐Alkylated EDOT‐Substituted Pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4‐dione (DPP) Derivatives: Influence of Substitution Pattern on Optical and Electronic Properties

New pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4‐dione (DPP) derivatives carrying 3,4‐ethylenedioxy‐thiophenylphenyl (EDOT‐phenyl) substituent groups in the 3‐ and 6‐position, or in the 2‐ and 5‐position of the DPP chromophore were synthesised and electrochemically polymerised. The properties of the polymers were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. It was found that the optical and electronic properties differ greatly between the two polymers. Materials with EDOT‐phenyl groups in the 3‐ and 6‐positions represent conjugated polymers with a low oxidation potential and reversible electrochromic properties, whereas the polymer with EDOT‐phenyl groups in the 2‐ and 5‐positions is non‐conjugated and possesses a high oxidation potential and irreversible redox behaviour.

     

苝聚集体随机激光的近场散射增强

本文通过物理模拟发现苝聚集体纳米粒子有很强的近场散射. 苝聚集体由异丁基取代聚倍半硅氧烷(POSS)苝(DPP)构成,其理论模拟得到的近场散射增强被实验证实. 同时,由聚集体的二硫化碳溶液激发出相干随机激光. 近场增强源自于通过化学键连接的POSS基团,相干随机激光源自于苝发射团. 本文通过分子设计发展出一种新的随机激光体系,为后续一系列交叉研究打开了大门,相关交叉研究主要涵盖无序光子学的分子设计等领域.     

Survey of Dipeptidyl Peptidase III Inhibitors: From Small Molecules of Microbial or Synthetic Origin to Aprotinin

Dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III) was originally thought to be a housekeeping enzyme that contributes to intracellular peptide catabolism. More specific roles for this cytosolic metallopeptidase, in the renin-angiotensin system and oxidative stress regulation, were confirmed, or recognized, only recently. To prove indicated (patho)physiological functions of DPP III in cancer progression, cataract formation and endogenous pain modulation, or to reveal new ones, selective and potent inhibitors are needed. This review encompasses natural and synthetic compounds with experimentally proven inhibitory activity toward mammalian DPP III. Except for the polypeptide aprotinin, all others are small molecules and include flavonoids, coumarin and benzimidazole derivatives. Presented are current strategies for the discovery or development of DPP III inhibitors, and mechanisms of inhibitory actions. The most potent inhibitors yet reported (propioxatin A and B, Tyr-Phe- and Phe-Phe-NHOH, and JMV-390) are active in low nanomolar range and contain hydroxamic acid moiety. High inhibitory potential possesses oligopeptides from the hemorphin group, valorphin and tynorphin, which are poor substrates of DPP III. The crystal structure of human DPP III-tynorphin complex enabled the design of the transition-state peptidomimetics inhibitors, effective in low micromolar concentrations. A new direction in the field is the development of fluorescent inhibitor for monitoring DPP III activity.     

Near-Field Scattering Enhancement of Perylene Based Aggregates for Random Lasing

Strong near-field scattering enhancement (NFSE) of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) nanoparticles (NPs) aggregates is found through physical simulation. An aggregation of \begin{document}$N$\end{document}, \begin{document}$N'$\end{document}-di-[3-(isobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes) propyl] perylene diimide (DPP) which possesses POSS as scatteres experimentally performs strong NFSE, which confirms the physical simulation results. Moreover, coherent random laser is triggered from the DPP aggregates in carbon disulfide. It is the NFSE of POSS NPs connected to both ends of DPP through covalent bonds and the NFSE of their aggregation thanks to DPP's aggregation that is responsible for the coherent random laser. So, this work develops a method to improve weak scattering of system through construction of molecules, and opens a road to a variety of novel interdisciplinary investigations, involving molecular designing for disordered photonics.     

Development and validation of a quantitative method for the selective determination of tin species in tin octoate by differential pulse polarography

Tin octoate is used as a catalyst in the synthesis of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber. This rubber is largely used in the medical field due to its great biocompatibility. In this framework, a high-speed and costless analytical method for the determination of stannic ions, Sn(IV), in the presence of stannous ions, Sn(II), has been developed.The separation of these two ions was carried out using differential pulse polarography (DPP). For this purpose, the tin species contents in the catalyst is quantitatively extracted under inert condition to avoid any changes in the ratio Sn(IV)/Sn(II). Polarography showed well-shaped oxidation and reduction peaks respectively at −650 and −860 mV for stannous ions. The peak of the stannic ion was well separated and appeared at −1210 mV. Many parameters such as extraction process, extraction time, pH, chelating agents and polarographic conditions were optimized. We have also demonstrated that no oxidation of the stannous ions occurred during the sample preparation.The dosing range considered in this study extends between 10 and 40 μg/mL, corresponding to 6.8% and 27.2% of the degradation product (Sn(IV)) in the catalyst, regarding to the sampling. Finally this method was successfully validated using the total error concept.     

Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐based polymer fibrils formation by changing molecular conformation during film formation

The microstructure of conjugated polymers film is strongly dependent on factors such as the conformation and the film formation processing. In this article, we show how to induce more planarization conformation of conjugated polymer backbone during film formation processing and finally leading to the fibrils formation of the cast film. The conjugated polymer we used is poly[[2,5‐bis(2‐octyldodecyl)‐2,3,5,6‐tetrahydro‐3,6‐dioxopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4‐diyl]‐alt–[[2,2′‐(2,5‐thiophene)bis‐thieno[3,2‐b]thiophen]‐5,5′‐diyl]] (PDPPTT‐T). The main solvent is chloroform (CF), the aliphatic 1,8‐diiodooctane (DIO) is used as the additives, which has similar solubility parameter to the conjugated polymer side chain, is a bad solvent to the conjugated backbone and has a lower volatility than CF. Thus, during the film formation, chloroform was evaporated faster than the additive. After the chloroform evaporated completely, the side chain was still dissolved in the additive, which decreases the steric hindrance and improves planarization conformation of the conjugated backbone of PDPPTT‐T. Films processed using the aliphatic additives have fibrillar morphology while films cast from the CF solvent were featureless. TEM images reveal that the fibrils were about 30 nm in width and several hundred nanometers in length. The backbones of PDPPTT‐T were parallel to the long axis of fibrils. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 1079–1086     

Concise and Efficient Synthesis of Highly Potent and Selective Dipeptidyl Peptidase II Inhibitors

Highly potent and selective DPP II inhibitors N′‐(4‐Chlorobenzyl)‐N′‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐4‐(1‐piperidinyl)‐1,3‐(S)‐butane‐diamine dihydrochloride 1 and N′‐(4‐chlorobenzyl)‐4‐oxo‐4‐(1‐piperidinyl)‐1,3‐(S)‐butanediamine dihydrochloride 2 have been efficiently synthesized starting from L‐glutamine. A short and high yielding route with simple isolation techniques has been disclosed.