Bridging Ligand Length Controls AT Selectivity and Enantioselectivity of Binuclear Ruthenium Threading Intercalators

The slow dissociation of DNA threading intercalators makes them interesting as model compounds in the search for new DNA targeting drugs, as there appears to be a correlation between slow dissociation and biological activity. Thus, it would be of great value to understand the mechanisms controlling threading intercalation, and for this purpose we have investigated how the length of the bridging ligand of binuclear ruthenium threading intercalators affects their DNA binding properties. We have synthesised a new binuclear ruthenium threading intercalator with slower dissociation kinetics from ct‐DNA than has ever been observed for any ruthenium complex with any type of DNA, a property that we attribute to the increased distance between the ruthenium centres of the new complex. By comparison with previously studied ruthenium complexes, we further conclude that elongation of the bridging ligand reduces the sensitivity of the threading interaction to DNA flexibility, resulting in a decreased AT selectivity for the new complex. We also find that the length of the bridging ligand affects the enantioselectivity with increasing preference for the ΔΔ enantiomer as the bridging ligand becomes longer.     

乙烯-α-烯烃共聚物的结晶性能及其临界序列结晶长度的研究

本文用DSC、WAXD及偏光显微镜(PLM)方法,研究了化学反应法催化剂合成的乙烯-α-烯烃共聚物的结晶性能及其临界序列结晶长度。结果表明,随共聚物中α-烯烃含量增大,共聚物的微晶尺寸、结晶度及熔点均逐渐减小,而晶胞参数增大。变化的辐度戊烯>辛烯。共聚物的临界结晶序列长度(n)和k值均戊烯<辛烯。上述结果表明影响支链进入晶格的主要因素是α-烯烃支链长度和结构。     

Damage resistance of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy laminates subjected to low velocity impact: Effects of laminate thickness and ply-stacking sequence

A major concern affecting the efficient use of composite laminates is the effect of low velocity impact damage on the structural integrity [1–3]. The aim of this study is to characterize and assess the effect of laminate thickness, ply-stacking sequence and scaling technique on the damage resistance of CFRP laminates subjected to low velocity impact. Drop-weight impact tests are carried out to determine impact response. Ultrasonic C-scanning and cross-sectional micrographs are examined to assess failure mechanisms of the different configurations.It is observed that damage resistance decreases as impact energy increases. In addition, thicker laminates show lower absorbed energy but, conversely, a more extensive delamination due to higher bending stiffness. Thinner laminates show higher failure depth. Furthermore, quasi-isotropic laminates show better performance in terms of damage resistance. Finally, the results obtained demonstrate that introducing ply clustering had a negative effect on the damage resistance and on the delamination area.     

Reactivity Ratios and Sequence Distribution Characterization by Quantitative 13C NMR for RAFT Synthesis of Styrene‐Acrylonitrile Copolymers

The kinetics and reactivity ratios of styrene‐acrylonitrile (SA) copolymerization have been studied extensively in bulk and in a variety of solution media using conventional free radical polymerizations (FRPs). Due to the significant difference in the two reactivity ratios for this monomer pair, at certain feed ratios the copolymers display composition drift with conversion due to monomer depletion. In this study, the kinetics of SA copolymerization using Reversible Addition‐Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) has been studied in bulk at 80 °C. The reactivity ratios for the terminal model were calculated from the comonomer sequence distributions for the RAFT process at low conversion for nine different compositions and found to be in the same range as those reported for conventional FRP of SA. The changes in the composition and sequence distribution with conversion were studied for three feed compositions. The copolymers show compositional drift with conversion, except at the azeotropic composition, and match the predictions from the reactivity ratios obtained at low conversion. From quantitative ¹³C NMR the triad distributions of these copolymers were estimated and found to match the predicted triad distributions as conversion increased. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 919–927     

茂锆载体催化剂下的乙烯／辛烯共聚及聚合物的^13C NMR研究

茂锆载体催化剂下的乙烯／辛烯共聚及聚合物的~（１３）ＣＮＭＲ研究刘胜生，于广谦，黄葆同（中国科学院长春应用化学研究所长春１３００２２）关键词茂锆载体催化剂，共聚，序列分布，~（１３）ＣＮＭＲ由于茂锆催化剂具有高活性，单一活性中心等特点［１，２］，并且能...     

A study of the copolymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate

The free radical copolymerizations of hydroxyethyl methacrylate and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate have been investigated at 50°C. The compositions of polymers prepared at low conversions have been determined using ¹³C-NMR, and the glass transition temperatures determined by DSC. The copolymerizations were found to be best described by a terminal model with reactivity ratios of r_H = 1.79 and r_T = 0.76. The triad fraction sequence distributions have been calculated based on the terminal model and the calculated reactivity ratios. The glass transitions have been fitted to the Gordon–Taylor equation. The best value of the Gordon–Taylor constant was found to be k_H = 1.42 ± 0.2, indicating nonideal mixing of the two monomer components in the copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3730–3737, 1999     

Size‐guided multi‐seed heuristic method for geometry optimization of clusters: Application to benzene clusters

Since searching for the global minimum on the potential energy surface of a cluster is very difficult, many geometry optimization methods have been proposed, in which initial geometries are randomly generated and subsequently improved with different algorithms. In this study, a size‐guided multi‐seed heuristic method is developed and applied to benzene clusters. It produces initial configurations of the cluster with n molecules from the lowest‐energy configurations of the cluster with n − 1 molecules (seeds). The initial geometries are further optimized with the geometrical perturbations previously used for molecular clusters. These steps are repeated until the size n satisfies a predefined one. The method locates putative global minima of benzene clusters with up to 65 molecules. The performance of the method is discussed using the computational cost, rates to locate the global minima, and energies of initial geometries. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cloning and expression of L-asparaginase gene in Escherichia coli

The L-asparaginase (ASN) from Escherichia coli AS1.357 was cloned as a DNA fragment generated using polymerase chain reaction technology and primers derived from conserved regions of published ASN gene sequences. Recombinant plasmid pASN containing ASN gene and expression vector pBV220 was transformed in different E. coli host strains. The activity and expression level of ASN in the engineering strains could reach 228 IU/mL of culture fluid and about 50% of the total soluble cell protein respectively, more than 40-fold the enzyme activity of the wild strain. The recombinant plasmid in E. coli AS1.357 remained stable after 72h of cultivation and 5h of heat induction without selective pressure. The ASN gene of E. coli AS1.357 was sequenced and had high homology compared to the reported data.     

Synthesis and characterization of fully aromatic thermotropic liquid‐crystalline copolyesters containing m‐hydroxybenzoic acid units

A series of fully aromatic copolyesters based on p‐acetoxybenzoic acid (p‐ABA), hydroquinone diacetate (HQDA), terephthalic acid (TPA), and m‐acetoxybenzoic acid (m‐ABA) were prepared by a modified melt‐polycondensation reaction. The copolyesters were characterized by DSC, thermogravimetric analysis, ¹H NMR, polarized optical microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and intrinsic viscosity measurements. The copolyesters exhibited nematic liquid‐crystalline phases in a broad temperature range of about 150 °C, when the content of linear (p‐ABA, HQDA, and TPA) units was over 67 mol %. DSC analysis of the anisotropic copolyesters revealed broad endotherms associated with the nematic phases, and the melting or flow temperatures were found to be in the processable region. The flow temperatures and crystal‐to‐nematic and nematic‐to‐isotropic transitions depend on the type of linear monomer units, and these transitions increased as the content of the p‐ABA units increased, as compared to the HQDA/TPA units. When the content of the p‐ABA units increased, as compared to other linear units (HQDA and TPA), the intrinsic viscosity and degree of crystallinity of the copolyesters also increased, implying a higher reactivity for p‐ABA in the p‐ABA/HQDA/TPA/m‐ABA polymer system. The aromatic region in the ¹H NMR spectra of the copolyesters containing equal molar compositions of p‐ABA, HQDA, and TPA units were sensitive to the sequence distribution of aromatic rings. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3263–3277, 2001     

Thermodynamic molecular switch in sequence‐specific hydrophobic interactions

This communication will demonstrate the existence of a thermodynamic molecular switch in the pairwise, sequence‐specific hydrophobic interaction of Ile–Ile, Leu–Ile, Val–Leu, or Ala–Leu over the temperature range of 273–333 K reported by Nemethy and Scheraga in 1962. Based on Chun's development of the Planck–Benzinger methodology, the change in inherent chemical bond energy at 0 K, ΔH°(T₀), is 3.0 kcal mol^?1 for Ile–Ile, 2.4 for Leu–Ile, 1.8 for Val–Leu, and 1.2 kcal mol^?1 for Ala–Leu. The value of ΔH°(T₀) decreases as the length of the hydrophobic side chain decreases. It is clear that the strength and stability of the hydrophobic interaction is determined by the packing density of the side chains, with Ala–Leu being the most stable. At 〈T_m〉, the thermal agitation energy, $\int^{T}_{0}\Delta Cp^{\circ}(T)\,dT$, is about five times greater than ΔH°(T₀) in each case. Additionally, the thermal agitation energy for the same series, evaluated at 〈T_m〉, decreases in the same order, that is, as the length of the side chain decreases. This pairwise, sequence‐specific hydrophobic interaction is highly similar in its thermodynamic behavior to that of other biological systems, except that the negative Gibbs free energy change minimum at 〈T_s〉 occurs at a considerably higher temperature, 355 K compared to about 300 K. The melting temperature, 〈T_m〉, is also high, 470 K compared to 343 K in a biological system. The implication is that the negative Gibbs free energy minimum at a well‐defined 〈T_s〉 has it origin in the hydrophobic interactions, which are highly dependent on details of molecular structure. In addition to the four specific dipeptide interactions described, we have shown in our unpublished work the existence of a thermodynamic molecular switch in the interactions of 32 dipeptides wherein a change of sign in ΔCp°(T)_reaction leads to a true negative minimum in the Gibbs free energy of reaction, and hence, a maximum in the related K_eq. Indeed, all interacting biological systems that we have thus far examined using the Planck–Benzinger approach point to the universality of thermodynamic molecular switches. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001