Residual Dipolar-Coupling-Based Conformational Comparison of Noncovalent Ubiquitin Homodimer with Covalently Linked Diubiquitin

Although the conformation of the polymer chain of Ubiquitin (Ub) mainly depends on the type of isopeptide linkage connecting two Ub molecules, the non-covalent (noncovalent) interaction between two Ub molecules within the chain could also tune their conformational preference. Here, we studied the conformation of noncovalently formed Ub dimers in solution using residual dipolar couplings (RDCs). Comparing the RDC derived alignment tensor of the noncovalently formed dimer with the two most abundant (K11 and K48) covalent linked Ub dimers revealed that the conformation of K11 linked and noncovalent Ub dimers were similar. Between the various NMR and crystal structures of K11 linked Ub dimers, RDC tensor analysis showed that the structure of K11 linked dimer crystalized at neutral pH is similar to noncovalent dimer. Analogous to the experimental study, the comparison of predicted order matrix of various covalent Ub dimers with that of the experimentally determined order matrix of noncovalent Ub dimer also suggests that the conformation of K11 linked dimers crystalized at neutral pH is similar to the noncovalent dimer.     

离子液体体系中1－丁烯二聚反应的研究

 研究了在强酸性AlCl3／Et2AlCl／［BMIM］Cl型离子液体体系中过渡金属化合物对1－丁烯二聚反应的催化作用．结果表明，［BMIM］Cl对强酸性AlCl3／Et2AlCl催化剂催化1－丁烯高聚反应有明显的阻聚作用，并显著提高了1－丁烯二聚的选择性．在过渡金属化合物中，含镍化合物对1－丁烯二聚反应有最好的催化效果．在最佳反应条件下，1－丁烯的转化率可达95．1％，二聚产物C8烯的选择性为85．8％．同时，对1－丁烯二聚反应的机理进行了初步探讨．     

二茂铁亚胺环钯化合物－－一种新型芳基氯化汞偶联催化剂

发现在催化量二茂铁亚胺环钯化合物催化下，芳基氯化汞可在湿和条件下偶联 ，以中等或高的收率生成联芳烃。对于铑盐不能催化偶联的邻位取代苯基氯化汞和 α－基氯化汞，在此体系中亦可发生偶联。以HMPA为溶剂，在x = 0.025（摩尔分 数）化合物1或2催化下与2.0当量氯化锂存在时，得到最好的催化效果。     

Dimerisation Process of Silybin‐Type Flavonolignans: Insights from Theory

Natural polyphenols are known to be oxidized by free radicals, which partially explains the antioxidant properties of a number of these compounds. This oxidation may also be used to synthesise new compounds of biological interest, for example, dimers. The present theoretical study describes the existing experimental evidence showing that silybin and dehydrosilybin [natural polyphenols isolated from milk thistle (Silybum marianum)] form dimers regioselectively. Based on DFT calculations, thermodynamic and kinetic values were computed in order to better understand the physicochemical behaviour of these dimerisation processes. Calculations showed that after H‐atom transfer (from polyphenol to radical), dimerisation could proceed in two steps: 1) bond formation and, when possible, 2) tautomerisation reorganisation. The former step is the limiting step, while the latter is crucial for the process to be thermodynamically favourable (ΔG<0). If this rearrangement is impossible then dimerisation is not feasible, or at least becomes a minor process (e.g., dehydrosilybin dimerisation after H‐atom abstraction from the 3‐OH group). This explains the regioselectivity of polyphenol dimerisation.     

Surface‐Mediated Synthesis of Dimeric Rhodium Catalysts on MgO: Tracking Changes in the Nuclearity and Ligand Environment of the Catalytically Active Sites by X‐ray Absorption and Infrared Spectroscopies

The preparation of dinuclear rhodium clusters and their use as catalysts is challenging because these clusters are unstable, evolving readily into species with higher nuclearities. We now present a novel synthetic route to generate rhodium dimers on the surface of MgO by a stoichiometrically simple surface‐mediated reaction involving [Rh(C₂H₄)₂] species and H₂. X‐ray absorption and IR spectra were used to characterize the changes in the nuclearity of the essentially molecular surface species as they formed, including the ligands on the rhodium and the metal‐support interactions. The support plays a key role in stabilizing the dinuclear rhodium species, allowing the incorporation of small ligands (ethyl, hydride, and/or CO) and enabling a characterization of the catalytic performance of the supported species for the hydrogenation of ethylene as a function of the metal nuclearity and ligand environment. A change in the nuclearity from one to two Rh atoms leads to a 58‐fold increase in the catalytic activity for ethylene hydrogenation, a reaction involving unsaturated, but stable, dimeric rhodium species.     

双功能催化剂体系作用下乙烯二聚和共聚合的研究

用乙烯为原料在双功能催化剂体系的作用下通过二聚和共聚合反应，直接合成线性低密度聚乙烯（ＬＬＤＰＥ）．所用二聚反应催化剂为钛酸正丁酯（Ｔｉ（ＯＢｕ）_４），共聚催化剂为ＴｉＣｌ_４／ＭｇＣｌ_２（ＺＭ－１催化剂）．研究了二聚反应动力学行为及影响双功能催化剂体系动力学过程的一些因素．结果表明利用这两种催化剂组成双功能催化剂体系能够很方便地制得密度范围在０．９０－０．９３，Ｅｔ／１０００Ｃ在１０－４０的ＬＬＤＰＥ．     

p-(N,N-二甲氨基)肉桂酸乙酯在分子聚集体中的光化学行为

本文报道了p(N,N-二甲氨基)肉桂酸乙酯(DMAC)在十二酸(LA)聚集体中的光谱和光化学性质。这种肉桂酸衍生物的吸收和发射光谱表现出典型的分子内电荷转移的特征,在十二酸存在下,观察到DMAC激基缔合物荧光,荧光强度随DMAC浓度增加而增加,与普通溶液中的反应相比,十二酸聚集体中的DMAC具有较大的光二聚反应速度。用荧光光谱跟踪反应的结果表明,DMAC激基缔合物具有较DMAC单体更高的光化学活性。     

Reinventing Hsp90 Inhibitors: Blocking C‐Terminal Binding Events to Hsp90 by Using Dimerized Inhibitors

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a molecular chaperone (90 kDa) that functions as a dimer. This protein facilitates the folding, assembly, and stabilization of more than 400 proteins that are responsible for cancer development and progression. Inhibiting Hsp90’s function will shut down multiple cancer‐driven pathways simultaneously because oncogenic clients rely heavily on Hsp90, which makes this chaperone a promising anticancer target. Classical inhibitors that block the binding of adenine triphosphate (ATP) to the N‐terminus of Hsp90 are highly toxic to cells and trigger a resistance mechanism within cells. This resistance mechanism comprises a large increase in prosurvival proteins, namely, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27), and heat shock factor 1 (HSF‐1). Molecules that modulate the C‐terminus of Hsp90 are effective at inducing cancer‐cell death without activating the resistance mechanism. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and biological binding affinity for a series of dimerized C‐terminal Hsp90 modulators. We show that dimers of these C‐terminal modulators synergistically inhibit Hsp90 relative to monomers.     

Geometry of an Isolated Dimer of Imidazole Characterised by Rotational Spectroscopy and Ab Initio Calculations

An isolated, gas‐phase dimer of imidazole is generated through laser vaporisation of a solid rod containing a 1:1 mixture of imidazole and copper in the presence of an argon buffer gas undergoing supersonic expansion. The complex is characterised through broadband rotational spectroscopy and is shown to have a twisted, hydrogen‐bonded geometry. Calculations at the CCSD(T)(F12*)/cc‐pVDZ‐F12 level of theory confirm this to be the lowest‐energy conformer of the imidazole dimer. The distance between the respective centres of mass of the imidazole monomer subunits is determined to be 5.2751(1) Å, and the twist angle γ describing rotation of one monomer with respect to the other about a line connecting the centres of mass of the monomers is determined to be 87.9(4)°. Four out of six intermolecular parameters in the model geometry are precisely determined from the experimental rotational constants and are consistent with results calculated ab initio.