Formation of water-soluble sulfonated azacalix[4]arenes from cyanuric chloride

Addition of cyanuric chloride 2 (2,4,6-trichlorotriazine) to 4,6-diaminobenzene-1,3-disulfonic acid 1 gives a bis-triazine 3 which may be cyclised with diaminoarenes to yield water-soluble azacalix[4]arenes 5a-d. Alternatively, double substitution of chloride from the bis-triazine 3 yields new bis-triazine derivatives which may likewise be cyclised to functionalised azacalixarenes bearing functionalised side chains.     

Controlled self-assembly of chiral gelator molecules into aligned fibers induced by nematic to smectic B phase transitions

Chiral bisoxalamide 1 shows remarkable gelling capacity of the nematic and smectic B liquid-crystalline phases of heptylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid (HCCA). Chiral nematic-containing left-handed helical fiber bundles are formed if the gelator is present in amounts higher than 0.55 wt %. With lower amounts of 1, no nematic gel forms, however, a nematic to smectic B phase transition triggers instantaneous self-assembly of gelator molecules into aligned fibers. The latter liquid crystalline gel system represents an example of controlled self-assembly induced by a liquid crystalline phase transition.     

Synthesis of [carbonyl-C]acetophenone via the Stille cross-coupling reaction of [1-C]acetyl chloride with tributylphenylstannane mediated by Pd2(dba)3/P(MeNCH2CH2)3N·HCl

The Stille cross-coupling reaction of [1-¹¹C]acetyl chloride with tributylphenylstannane leading to [carbonyl-¹¹C]acetophenone was studied with the goal of developing a new ¹¹C-labeling method for positron emission tomography tracer synthesis. The coupled product [carbonyl-¹¹C]acetophenone was synthesized using the Pd₂(dba)₃/P(MeNCH₂CH₂)₃N·HCl system with a 60-61% radiochemical conversion from [1-¹¹C]acetyl chloride (decay-corrected, n = 3).     

CuCl-catalyzed reaction of zirconacyclopentenes with oxalyl chloride: a new pathway for the preparation of cyclopentenones

Zirconacyclopentenes, which are easily prepared from alkynes and EtMgBr (or ethylene) and Cp₂ZrCl₂, reacted with oxalyl chloride in the presence of catalytic amount of CuCl to give cyclopentenones in high yields. The reaction was performed conveniently in one pot from alkynes, EtMgBr, oxalyl chloride, and Cp₂ZrCl₂.     

An Efficient Synthesis of 4H-Benzo[g]chromene-5,10-dione Derivatives through Triethylbenzylammonium Chloride Catalyzed Multicomponent Reaction under Solvent-free Conditions

A series of 4‐aryl‐5,10‐dihydro‐4H‐benzo[g]chromene‐5,10‐dione derivatives were synthesized by a three‐component reaction with aromatic aldehyde, 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐dihydronaphthalene‐1,4‐dione, and malononitrile catalyzed by triethylbenzylammonium chloride under solvent‐free conditions. The novel efficient method has the advantages of environmental friendliness, high yield, simple work‐up and ease of operation.     

Amidation of deltacyclene and hexacyclic norbornadiene dimers with acetonitrile and water catalyzed by FeCl3·6H2O

Abstract

FeCl₃·6H₂O-catalyzed Ritter amidation of deltacyclene and hexacyclic norbornadiene dimers containing both a double bond and a three-carbon ring in the molecule with acetonitrile and water was performed. Depending on the hydrocarbon structure, the reaction proceeds via C-C bond cleavage in the three-carbon ring or at the double bond to form the corresponding N-acetamides.     

Bioinspired and Mechanically Strong Fibers Based on Engineered Non‐Spider Chimeric Proteins

Silk‐protein‐based fibers have attracted considerable interest due to their low weight and extraordinary mechanical properties. Most studies on fibrous proteins focus on the recombinant spidroins, but these fibers exhibit moderate mechanical performance. Thus, the development of alternative structural proteins for the construction of robust fibers is an attractive goal. Herein, we report a class of biological fibers produced using a designed chimeric protein, which consists of the sequences of a cationic elastin‐like polypeptide and a squid ring teeth protein. Remarkably, the chimeric protein fibers exhibit a breaking strength up to about 630 MPa and a corresponding toughness as high as about 130 MJ m^?3, making them superior to many recombinant spider silks and even comparable to some native counterparts. Therefore, this strategy is a novel concept for exploring bioinspired ultrastrong protein materials through the development of new types of structural chimeric proteins.     

Study on structure and performance of surface‐metallized carbon fibers reinforced rigid polyurethane composites

The simultaneous promotion in mechanical and electrical properties of rigid polyurethane (RPU) is an important task for expanding potential application. In this work, carbon fibers (CFs) reinforced RPU composites were prepared with the goal of improving mechanical and electrical properties. Metallized CFs meet our performance requirements and can be easily achieved via electrodeposition. However, the weak bonding strength in fiber‐metal‐RPU interface restricts their application. Inspired by the reducibility and wonderful adhesion of dopamine (DA), we proposed a new and efficient electrochemical method to fabricate metallized CFs, where DA polymerization was simultaneously integrated coupled with the reduction of metal ions (Ni²⁺). The characterization results helped us to gain insight about the reaction mechanism, which was never reported as far as we know. Compared with pure RPU, the tensile, interlaminar shear and impact strength of polydopamine (PDA)‐nickel (Ni) modified CFs/RPU composites were improved by 11.2%, 21.0%, and 78.0%, respectively, which attributed to the strong interfacial adhesion, including mechanical interlocking and chemical crosslinking between treated CFs and RPU. In addition, the PDA‐Ni surface treatment method also affected the dispersion of short CFs in the RPU, which increased the possibility of conductor contact and reduced insulator between fibers networks, resulting in higher electrical conductivity.     

A High Cell‐Bearing Capacity Multibore Hollow Fiber Device for Macroencapsulation of Islets of Langerhans

Macroencapsulation of islets of Langerhans is a promising strategy for transplantation of insulin‐producing cells in the absence of immunosuppression to treat type 1 diabetes. Hollow fiber membranes are of interest there because they offer a large surface‐to‐volume ratio and can potentially be retrieved or refilled. However, current available fibers have limitations in exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and delivery of insulin potentially impacting graft survival. Here, multibore hollow fibers for islets encapsulation are designed and tested. They consist of seven bores and are prepared using nondegradable polymers with high mechanical stability and low cell adhesion properties. Human islets encapsulated there have a glucose induced insulin response (GIIS) similar to nonencapsulated islets. During 7 d of cell culture in vitro, the GIIS increases with graded doses of islets demonstrating the suitability of the microenvironment for islet survival. Moreover, first implantation studies in mice demonstrate device material biocompatibility with minimal tissue responses. Besides, formation of new blood vessels close to the implanted device is observed, an important requirement for maintaining islet viability and fast exchange of glucose and insulin. The results indicate that the developed fibers have high islet bearing capacity and can potentially be applied for a clinically applicable bioartificial pancreas.     

新型2-吡啶苄基胺类罗丹明基活性小分子探针的合成

以罗丹明B和乙二胺为原料,通过缩合反应制得罗丹明酰乙二胺(1, Rhb);然后以无水THF作溶剂,化合物1与三聚氯嗪发生亲核取代反应,得到罗丹明酰乙二胺-三聚氯嗪化合物(2, Rhbc);最后在氮气氛围下,化合物2与N,N-二甲基吡啶胺反应合成了目标产物双(2 吡啶苄基) 胺罗丹明基小分子探针(3, Rhbd),其结构经¹H NMR、 IR、 HR-MS和元素分析表征。该探针可以识别Fe³⁺,检出限为30 nM。