Radical S‐Adenosyl Methionine Epimerases: Regioselective Introduction of Diverse D‐Amino Acid Patterns into Peptide Natural Products

PoyD is a radical S‐adenosyl methionine epimerase that introduces multiple D ‐configured amino acids at alternating positions into the highly complex marine peptides polytheonamide A and B. This novel post‐translational modification contributes to the ability of the polytheonamides to form unimolecular minimalistic ion channels and its cytotoxic activity at picomolar levels. Using a genome mining approach we have identified additional PoyD homologues in various bacteria. Three enzymes were expressed in E. coli with their cognate as well as engineered peptide precursors and shown to introduce diverse D ‐amino acid patterns into all‐L peptides. The data reveal a family of architecturally and functionally distinct enzymes that exhibit high regioselectivity, substrate promiscuity, and irreversible action and thus provide attractive opportunities for peptide engineering.     

Racemic and Quasi‐Racemic X‐ray Structures of Cyclic Disulfide‐Rich Peptide Drug Scaffolds

Cyclic disulfide‐rich peptides have exceptional stability and are promising frameworks for drug design. We were interested in obtaining X‐ray structures of these peptides to assist in drug design applications, but disulfide‐rich peptides can be notoriously difficult to crystallize. To overcome this limitation, we chemically synthesized the L ‐ and D ‐forms of three prototypic cyclic disulfide‐rich peptides: SFTI‐1 (14‐mer with one disulfide bond), cVc1.1 (22‐mer with two disulfide bonds), and kB1 (29‐mer with three disulfide bonds) for racemic crystallization studies. Facile crystal formation occurred from a racemic mixture of each peptide, giving structures solved at resolutions from 1.25 Å to 1.9 Å. Additionally, we obtained the quasi‐racemic structures of two mutants of kB1, [G6A]kB1, and [V25A]kB1, which were solved at a resolution of 1.25 Å and 2.3 Å, respectively. The racemic crystallography approach appears to have broad utility in the structural biology of cyclic peptides.     

PW_(11)O_(39)Co(Ⅱ)(H_2O)~(5-)的均相及异相体系可见光催化性能研究

以模型污染物罗丹明B(RhB)的光降解为探针,评估了Keggin型钴取代杂多阴离子PW11O39Co髤(H2O)5-(PW11Co)及其异相体系PW11Co/D301R的可见光催化活性,提出了光催化反应的机理,同时考察了催化剂用量、溶液酸度以及溶液中PW11Co和RhB的相互作用对RhB可见光催化降解速率的影响。实验结果表明,PW11Co均相体系及其异相体系PW11Co/D301R对RhB的可见光降解均有较高的光催化活性,但PW11Co/D301R的光催化活性更高。导致RhB降解的主要是羟基自由基。与PW11Co均相体系相比,在PW11Co/D301R异相体系中由于PW11Co与RhB的配位作用大为减弱,同时D301R对RhB具有富集作用,因而大大提高了RhB的光催化降解速率。     

Synthesis,structure and dielectric properties of a novel Gd coordination polymer based on 2-（ pyridin-4-yl ）- 1H-i midazole-4,B -dicarboxylate

A new Gd coordination polymer based on 2-（pyridin-4-yl）-I H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylate （H3PIDC） has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions, formulated as {[Gd3（HPIDC）3（PIDC）（H2O）4].3H2O}n （1）. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c with a=20.951（7）, b = 9.515（3）, c = 27.483（10） A,β= 106.176（6）°, Z = 4, V= 5262（3） A3, C40 H45 Gd3 N12 O30, Dc = 2.071 g/cm3, Mr=1645.63, λ （MoKa）=0.71073A, μ=3.846mm-1, F（000）=3204, the final R=0.0390 and wR= 0.1332. Complex 1 is a two-dimensional MOF built up from T-shaped 3-connected HPIDC2 , PIDC3 and 4-connected metal nodes. Dielectric constant of complex 1 was measured at different frequencies with temperature variation.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Novel 3-D Open Framework Zinc Phosphate Microporous Compound(C_5N_2H_(14))·[Zn_3(OH_2)(PO_4)_2(HPO_4)]

One novel organically templated zincophophate(C5N2H14)·[Zn3(OH2)(PO4)2(HPO4)] has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction together with elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction. The title compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n, with a = 9.7904(11), b = 14.0287(14), c = 11.8651(13) , β = 104.690(3), V = 1576.4(3) 3, Z = 4, T = 296(2) K, Mr = 601.31 and Dc = 2.533 g/cm3. The compound consists of a macroanionic [Zn3(OH2)(PO4)2(HPO4)]2- framework and(C5N2H14)2+ cations, and its structure is built up from ZnO3(OH2), ZnO4, HPO4 and PO4 tetrahedral units that result in 4, 8 and 10-ring channels.     

Rheo-optical near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy study of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in conjunction with projection two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis

A rheo-optical characterization technique based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is developed specifically to probe the submolecular-level deformation caused during a mechanical test. An illustrative example of the mechanical deformation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is provided to show how it can be utilized. A set of NIR spectra of the polymer sample were collected by using an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) NIR spectrometer coupled with a tensile testing machine as an excitation device. While the substantial level of variation of spectral intensity was readily captured during the mechanical deformation of the LDPE, main feature of the NIR spectra was overwhelmed by the contribution from the baseline change. Projection 2D correlation analysis was then applied to selectively extract the signal contribution from the baseline fluctuation. The 2D correlation spectra revealed the predominant extension of amorphous tie chains followed by the rotation of crystalline lamellae, which induce elastic and plastic deformation of the LDPE, respectively.     

3D FT-IR imaging spectroscopy of phase-separation in a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(l-lactic acid) blend

In the present study, 3D FT-IR spectroscopic imaging measurements were applied to study the phase separation of a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/poly(l-lactic acid) (PLA) (50:50 wt.%) polymer blend film. While in 2D projection imaging the z-dependent information is overlapped, thereby complicating the analysis, FT-IR spectro-micro-tomography, obtained from computed tomographic back projection calculations, results in distinct 3D chemical images that provide detailed information of phase separation of the two polymer components that are well separated.     

Pressure-Suppressed Carrier Trapping Leads to Enhanced Emission in Two-Dimensional Perovskite (HA)2(GA)Pb2I7

A remarkable PL enhancement by 12 fold is achieved using pressure to modulate the structure of a recently developed 2D perovskite (HA)₂(GA)Pb₂I₇ (HA=n-hexylammonium, GA=guanidinium). This structure features a previously unattainable, extremely large cage. In situ structural, spectroscopic, and theoretical analyses reveal that lattice compression under a mild pressure within 1.6 GPa considerably suppresses the carrier trapping, leading to significantly enhanced emission. Further pressurization induces a non-luminescent amorphous yellow phase, which is retained and exhibits a continuously increasing band gap during decompression. When the pressure is released to 1.5 GPa, emission can be triggered by above-band gap laser irradiation, accompanied by a color change from yellow to orange. The obtained orange phase could be retained at ambient conditions and exhibits two-fold higher PL emission compared with the pristine (HA)₂(GA)Pb₂I₇.     

Doped Zero-Dimensional Cesium Zinc Halides for High-Efficiency Blue Light Emission

All-inorganic zero-dimensional (0D) metal halides have recently received increasing attention due to their excellent photoluminescence (PL) performance and high stability. Herein, we present the successful doping of copper(I) into 0D Cs₂ZnBr₄. The incorporating of Cu⁺ cations enables the originally weakly luminescent Cs₂ZnBr₄ to exhibit an efficient blue emission centered at around 465 nm, with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 65.3 %. Detailed spectral characterizations, including ultrafast transient absorption (TA) techniques, were carried out to investigate the effect of Cu⁺ dopants and the origin of blue emission in Cs₂ZnBr₄:Cu. To further study the role of the A-site cation and halogen, A₂ZnCl₄:Cu (A=Cs, Rb) were also synthesized and found to generate intense sky-blue emission (PLQY≈73.1 %). This work represents an effective strategy for the development of environmentally friendly, low-cost and high-efficiency blue-emitting 0D all-inorganic metal halides.