Transient Helicity: Fuel‐Driven Temporal Control over Conformational Switching in a Supramolecular Polymer

Synthetic manifestations of supramolecular chirality have extensively drawn inspiration from naturally occurring systems. Even though in biological systems conformational changes are dissipative, synthetic systems that change conformation under non‐equilibrium conditions have still not been established. Herein, we attempt to alleviate this scenario by reporting a synthetic supramolecular system that undergoes temporal changes in its helical conformation as an active system at the expense of a biologically relevant chemical fuel, ATP. Use of enzymes working in tandem provides transient and switchable helices with modular lifetime and stereomutation rates.     

Reaction of N-acylthioureas with electrophilic reagents : Synthesis of 1,3,5-oxadiazinium salts, 1,3,5-thiadiazinium salts, 1,2,4-dithiazolium salts and benzothiazoles

N-Acylthioureas 1 can be easily transformed into 2,4-diamino-6-aryl-1,3,5-oxadiazinium salts 12, 2,4-diamino-6-aryl-1,3,5-thiadiazinium salts 13,3-amino-5-aryl-1,2,4-dithiazolium salts 19 and 2-acylimino-benzothiazolines 22, respectively by reaction with different electrophiles. The structure of the compounds prepared is confirmed by analytical data as well as by chemical transformations.     

Chemical Consequences of the Mechanical Bond: A Tandem Active Template‐Rearrangement Reaction

We report the unexpected discovery of a tandem active template CuAAC‐rearrangement process, in which N₂ is extruded on the way to the 1,2,3‐triazole product to give instead acrylamide rotaxanes. Mechanistic investigations suggest this process is dictated by the mechanical bond, which stabilizes the Cu^I‐triazolide intermediate of the CuAAC reaction and diverts it down the rearrangement pathway; when no mechanical bond is formed, the CuAAC product is isolated.     

Polymeric Encapsulation of Novel Homoleptic Bis(dipyrrinato) Zinc(II) Complexes with Long Lifetimes for Applications as Photodynamic Therapy Photosensitisers

The use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) to treat cancer has received increasing attention over the last years. However, the clinically used photosensitisers (PSs) have some limitations that include poor aqueous solubility, hepatotoxicity, photobleaching, aggregation, and slow clearance from the body, so the design of new classes of PSs is of great interest. We present the use of bis(dipyrrinato)zinc(II) complexes with exceptionally long lifetimes as efficient PDT PSs. Based on the heavy‐atom effect, intersystem crossing of these complexes changes the excited state from singlet to a triplet state, thereby enabling singlet oxygen generation. To overcome the limitation of quenching effects in water and improve water solubility, the lead compound 3 was encapsulated in a polymer matrix. It showed impressive phototoxicity upon irradiation at 500 nm in various monolayer cancer cells as well as 3D multicellular tumour spheroids, without observed dark toxicity.     

5T2-1A1 Spin transition and residual paramagnetism in bis(2,4-bis(2-pyridyl)thiazole)iron(II) complexes: mössbauer effect and magnetism

The ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer effect in [Fe(pythiaz)₂] (BF₄)₂ (I) and [Fe(pythiaz)₂] (C&O₄)₂ (II) has been studied between 298 and 4.2°K (pythiaz = 2,4-bis(2-pyridyl)thiazole). At 298°K compound I shows a doublet with ΔE_Q(⁵T₂) = 1.29 mm sec^?1 and δ^1S(⁵T₂) = +0.93 mm sec^?1 characteristic of a ⁵T₂ ground state. At 236°K, a second doublet, typical for a ¹A₁ ground state appears. The transition ⁵T₂ å ¹A₁ progresses as the temperature is lowered but levels off below ≈ 120°K. At 4.2°K, 59% of the intensity is due to the ¹A₁ state, and ΔE_Q(¹A₁) = 1.59 mm sec^?1 and δ^1S(¹A₁) = +0.26 mm sec^?1. In an applied magnetic field, V_zz(¹A₁) < 0 has been determined Similar results have been obtained with compound II.Debye-Waller factors f5_T2 and f1_A1. were determined from the Mössbauer spectra under the assumption of Curie-Weiss dependence of the magnetism for the ⁵T₂ and constant μ_eff for the ¹A₁ ground state. The resulting temperature dependence of f1_A1 is highly unusual thus suggesting complicated magnetic behaviour of both ground states in the transition region. Two mechanisms for the nature of the transition are discussed, a “spin-flip” mechanism being the physically more reasonable one. The assumption of a simple Boltzmann distribution (“spin equilibrium”) may be ruled out for the solid but could be encountered in solutions.