Scalable Green Synthesis of Robust Ultra-Microporous Hofmann Clathrate Material with Record C3H6 Storage Density for Efficient C3H6/C3H8 Separation

Developing porous materials for C₃H₆/C₃H₈ separation faces the challenge of merging excellent separation performance with high stability and easy scalability of synthesis. Herein, we report a robust Hofmann clathrate material (ZJU-75a), featuring high-density strong binding sites to achieve all the above requirements. ZJU-75a adsorbs large amount of C₃H₆ with a record high storage density of 0.818 g mL⁻¹, and concurrently shows high C₃H₆/C₃H₈ selectivity (54.2) at 296 K and 1 bar. Single-crystal structure analysis unveil that the high-density binding sites in ZJU-75a not only provide much stronger interactions with C₃H₆ but also enable the dense packing of C₃H₆. Breakthrough experiments on gas mixtures afford both high separation factor of 14.7 and large C₃H₆ uptake (2.79 mmol g⁻¹). This material is highly stable and can be easily produced at kilogram-scale using a green synthesis method, making it as a benchmark material to address major challenges for industrial C₃H₆/C₃H₈ separation.     

Crystallographic and theoretical studies of 4,4′-dimethyl-7,7′-bi([1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-b]pyridylidene)–chloranilic acid (1/1) with intermolecular O–H···N hydrogen bonds and S···O heteroatom interactions

Abstract  The molecular and crystal structure of a 1:1 co-crystal of 4,4′-dimethyl-7,7′-bi([1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-b]pyridylidene)–chloranilic acid, (1), has been determined by X-ray diffraction at the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with cell parameters of a = 8.422(6), b = 7.343(4), c = 16.112(7) ?, β = 104.988(8)°, V = 962.5(10) ?³ and Z = 2. In the crystal structure, two components connect via the intermolecular O–H···N hydrogen bonds [2.804(4) ?] and S···O heteroatom interaction [2.945(3) ?] with R ₂ ²(7) couplings to form a unique and infinite one-dimensional supramolecular tape structure. The calculations of (1) at the HF/6-31G(d), MP2/6-31G(d), and B3LYP/6-31G(d) levels can almost reproduce X-ray geometry. In addition, the distances of the intermolecular O–H···N and S···O interactions by MP2/6-31G(d) and B3LYP/6-31G(d) levels agree well with those in the crystal. The calculated binding energies corrected BSSE and ZPE are −4.487 (HF), −7.473 (MP2), and −5.640 (B3LYP) kcal/mol. The results suggest that the complex (1) is very stable and the dispersion interaction is significantly important for the attractive intermolecular interaction in (1). The NBO analysis has revealed that the n(N) → σ*(O–H) interaction gives the strongest stabilization to the system and the major interaction for the intermolecular S···O contact is n(O) → σ*(S–N). Index Abstract  In the crystal structure of the title compound, the molecules are linked by intermolecular O–H···N hydrogen bonds and short S···O heteroatom interactions with R ₂ ²(7) couplings to construct a unique and infinite one-dimensional supramolecular tape structure.      

Evaluation of molecularly imprinted membranes based on different acrylic copolymers

Polyacrylonitrile and its copolymers with different functional monomers (itaconic acid, acrylic acid and acrylamide) were synthesized via water-phase precipitation polymerization in order to prepare molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) membranes with recognition properties for the flavonoid naringin (NR). Membranes were prepared by phase inversion technique using dimethylformamide (DMF) as the solvent and adding naringin as template molecule to the casting solution. For comparison, membranes without template (blank) were prepared and tested. All MIP membranes showed high specific binding capacity; among them, the membrane prepared with the copolymer containing acrylamide as functional group, showed the highest binding capacity. Blank membranes only showed non-specific binding. The bound template was totally recovered and regenerated membranes maintained their initial binding capacity after reuse.     

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on DNA‐Binding and Spectral Properties of ‘Light Switch’ Complexes [Ru(L)2(ppn)]2+ (L=2,2′‐Bipyridine and 1,10‐Phenanthroline; ppn=Pteridino[6,7‐f] [1,10]phenanthroline‐11,13‐diamine)

The ligand pteridino[6,7‐f] [1,10]phenanthroline‐11,13‐diamine (ppn) and its Ru^II complexes [Ru(bpy)₂(ppn)]²⁺ ( 1 ; bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) and [Ru(phen)₂(ppn)]²⁺ ( 2 ; phen=1,10‐phenanthroline) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, electrospray MS, ¹H‐NMR, and cyclic voltammetry. The DNA‐binding behaviors of 1 and 2 were studied by spectroscopic and viscosity measurements. The results indicate that both complexes strongly bind to calf‐thymus DNA in an intercalative mode, with DNA‐binding constants K_b of (1.7±0.4)?10⁶ M ^?1 and (2.6±0.2)?10⁶ M ^?1, respectively. The complexes 1 and 2 exhibit excellent DNA‐‘light switch’ performances, i.e., they do not (or extremely weakly) show luminescence in aqueous solution at room temperature but are strongly luminescent in the presence of DNA. In particular, the experimental results suggest that the ancillary ligands bpy and phen not only have a significant effect on the DNA‐binding affinities of 1 and 2 but also have a certain effect on their spectral properties. [Ru(phen)₂(ppn)]²⁺( 2 ) might be developed into a very prospective DNA‐‘light switch’ complex. To explain the DNA‐binding and spectral properties of 1 and 2 , theoretical calculations were also carried out applying the DFT/TDDFT method.     

原位合成CoPc/SnO2的键合特性及可见光光催化活性

报道了酞菁钴(CoPc)分子原位自组装于纳米SnO2颗粒表面, CoPc大环分子与SnO2表面形成Co—O轴向相互作用, 测定了原位合成方法(标记为i)制备的CoPc/SnO2(i)与浸渍法(标记为d)制备CoPc/SnO2(d)间的结合特性, 并进行了可见光光催化表征及CoPc敏化机理探讨. 结果表明, 在结合位点数相当的情况下, CoPc/SnO2(i)结合常数比CoPc/SnO2(d)的高两个数量级, 前者的光催化效率亦比后者高32.5%(光照150 min), 且CoPc/SnO2(i)光催化稳定性较高(重复十次循环使用). 其CoPc敏化SnO2的机理为, 由于敏化剂与半导体之间存在的强相互作用, 不仅增强了光生电荷在CoPc的LUMO与SnO2半导体导带间的导入效率及光生电荷对的分离效率, 而且提高了敏化剂的负载稳定性与循环光催化效率的持续性.     

Roles of the respective loops at complementarity determining region on the antigen-antibody recognition

For the rational design of antibody, it is important to clarify the characteristics of the interaction between antigen and antibody. In this study, we evaluated a contribution of the respective complementarity determining region (CDR) loops on the antibody recognition of antigen by performing molecular dynamics simulations for 20 kinds of antigen-antibody complexes. Ser and Tyr showed high appearance rates at CDR loops and the sum of averaged appearance rates of Ser and Tyr was about 20⿿30% at all the loops. For example, Ser and Tyr occupied 23.9% at the light chain first loop (L1) and 23.6% at the heavy chain third loop (H3). The direct hydrogen bonds between antigen and antibody were not equally distributed over heavy and light chains. That is, about 70% of the hydrogen bonds were observed at CDRs of the heavy chain and also the direct hydrogen bond with the shortest distance mainly existed at the loops of the heavy chain for all the complexes. It was revealed from the comparison in contribution to the binding free energy among CDR loops that the heavy chain (especially at H2 and H3) had significant influence on the binding between antigen and antibody because three CDR loops of the heavy chain showed the lowest binding free energy (οG_bind) in 19 complexes out of 20. Tyr in heavy chain (especially in H2 and H3) largely contributed to οG_bind whereas Ser hardly contributed to οG_bind even if the number of the direct hydrogen bond with Ser was the fourth largest and also the appearance rate at CDR was the highest among 20 kinds of amino acid residues. The contributions ofTrp and Phe, which bear aromatic ring in the side chain, were often observed in the heavy chain although the energetic contribution of these residues was not so high as Tyr. The present computational analysis suggests that Tyr plays an outstanding role for the antigen-antibody interaction and the CDR loops of the heavy chain is critically important for antibody recognition of antigen.     

Study on the interactions of sulfonylurea antidiabetic drugs with normal and glycated human serum albumin by capillary electrophoresis‐frontal analysis

Diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases characterized by a deficiency in the production of insulin or its ineffectiveness. As a result, the increased concentrations of glucose in the blood lead not only to damage to many of the body's systems but also cause the nonenzymatic glycation of plasma proteins affecting their drug binding. Since the binding ability influences its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, this is a very important issue in the development of new drugs and personalized medicine. In this study, capillary electrophoresis‐frontal analysis was used to evaluate the affinities between human serum albumin or its glycated form and the first generation of sulfonylurea antidiabetics, since their inadequate concentration may induce hypoglycaemia or on the contrary hyperglycaemia. The binding constants decrease in the sequence acetohexamide > tolbutamide > chlorpropamide > carbutamide both for normal and glycated human serum albumins, with glycated giving lower values. These results provide a more quantitative picture of how these drugs bind with normal and modified human serum albumin and indicate capillary electrophoresis‐frontal analysis to be another tool for examining the changes arising from modifications of albumin, or any other protein, with all its benefits like short analysis time, small sample requirement, and automation.     

Inclusion properties of 3-fluoromesotetraphenylporphyrin with C60 and C70

To improve the selectivity ratio of C70 over C60, a new designer molecule, viz., 3-fluoromesotetraphenylporphyrin (1) has been reported in the present investigations. Fluorescence studies reveal that the Q-absorption band of 1 gets sufficient quenching effect upon addition of both C60 and C70. Binding constants (K) of the C60/1 and C70/1 complexes are estimated to be 580 and 10,800 dm3 mol(-1), respectively. Thus, K(C70)/K(C60) is approximately 19 which is very large and even comparable with other macrocyclic host molecules like calix[5]arene, azacalix[m]arene[n]pyridine, cyclotriveratrylenophane and calixarene bisporphyrin. 1H NMR chemical shift measurements show that the -NH- proton of 1 suffers more shifts in presence of C70 compared to C60. This finding also offers a good support in favor of high K value for C70/1 complex as well as large selectivity ratio of C70 over C60.     

Estimation of binding constants of receptors and ligands by affinity capillary electrophoresis

An estimation method for determination of binding constants of receptors to ligands by affinity capillary electrophoresis was evaluated. On the basis of the theories of pseudostationary phase or so-called dynamic stationary phase, the retention factor (k) was used to represent the interaction between the receptor and ligand. k could be easily deduced from the migration times of the ligand and the receptor. Then, with the linear relationship of k versus the concentration of ligand in the running buffer, the binding constant K _b was calculated from the slope and intercept. In order to test its feasibility, the calculation method was demonstrated using three model systems: the interactions between vancomycin and N-acetyl-d-Ala-d-Ala, ristocetin and N-acetyl-d-Ala-d-Ala, and carbonic anhydrase B and an arylsulfonamide. Estimated binding constants were compared with those determined by other techniques. The results showed that this estimation method was reliable. This calculation method offers a simple and easy approach to estimating binding constants of ligands to receptors.