Development of an amine dehydrogenase for synthesis of chiral amines

A leucine dehydrogenase has been successfully altered through several rounds of protein engineering to an enantioselective amine dehydrogenase. Instead of the wild-type α-keto acid, the new amine dehydrogenase now accepts the analogous ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), which corresponds to exchange of the carboxy group by a methyl group to produce chiral (R)-1,3-dimethylbutylamine.     

Nanosheet‐Enhanced Asymmetric Induction of Chiral α‐Amino Acids in Catalytic Aldol Reaction

An efficient ligand design strategy towards boosting asymmetric induction was proposed, which simply employed inorganic nanosheets to modify α‐amino acids and has been demonstrated to be effective in vanadium‐catalyzed epoxidation of allylic alcohols. Here, the strategy was first extended to zinc‐catalyzed asymmetric aldol reaction, a versatile bottom‐up route to make complex functional compounds. Zinc, the second‐most abundant transition metal in humans, is an environment‐friendly catalytic center. The strategy was then further proved valid for organocatalyzed metal‐free asymmetric catalysis, that is, α‐amino acid catalyzed asymmetric aldol reaction. Visible improvement of enantioselectivity was experimentally achieved irrespective of whether the nanosheet‐attached α‐amino acids were applied as chiral ligands together with catalytic Zn^II centers or as chiral catalysts alone. The layered double hydroxide nanosheet was clearly found by theoretical calculations to boost ee through both steric and H‐bonding effects; this resembles the role of a huge and rigid substituent.     

基于原子转移自由基聚合和“Click”化学方法制备手性色谱固定相

应用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)法和"Click"化学方法,以含叠氮基的烯类化合物为单体,在硅胶表面引发聚合,制备了"梳状"手性固定相.该固定相的合成采用"接出"方法接枝聚合物链,使接枝层更为均匀,并且避免了传统合成方法(如物理吸附等)稳定性差的缺点.所得到的"梳状"手性固定相实现了对一些手性药物的分离;并考察了该固定相中聚合物链的密度和长度对其手性分离能力的影响.     

Asymmetric Binary-Acid Catalysis in the Inverse-Electron-Demanding Hetero-Diels-Alder Reaction of 3,4-Dihydro-2H-Pyran

研究了双酸催化剂不对称催化烯醚和β,γ-不饱和α-酮酸酯的反电子Hetero-Diels-Alder（HDA）反应,为手性合成3,4-二氢-2H-吡喃类化合物提供了一种新的催化合成方法.InBr3与手性磷酸钙盐Ca（1c）2组合的手性双路易斯酸催化体系能够有效催化3,4-二氢-2H-吡喃和β,γ-不饱和α-酮酸酯的反电子HDA反应,反应给出优秀的产率（最高达98%）,中等到良好的非对映选择性（最高达89∶11）和良好到优秀的对映选择性（最高可达94%）.并且该双酸催化体系也能成功实现其它烯醚（如：2,3-二氢-2H-呋喃,乙烯基乙醚）的HDA反应,获得优秀的非对映选择性（〉94∶6）和良好的对映选择性.     

Evans手性助剂控制的不对称Michael加成立体选择性研究(Ⅱ)

手性助剂控制的不对称反应是不对称合成的重要方法之一.以Evans手性助剂控制的Michael受体1为底物,在FeCl3催化下,通过不同格式试剂对其进行Michael加成,一步反应得到了一系列含两个手性中心的Michael加成产物2a～2h.获得了较高的立体选择性,其中化合物2d和2e得到了de值高达98%的非对映选择性.研究结果表明,亲核试剂的空间位阻是影响产物立体选择性的主要因素.     

多壁碳纳米管固载金鸡纳生物碱季铵盐类手性相转移催化剂的制备及其催化烷基化反应性能

制备了多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)固载的金鸡纳生物碱季铵盐类手性相转移催化剂PTC-1/MWCNTs,并用于催化N-二苯亚甲基-甘氨酸叔丁酯的不对称烷基化反应中.采用紫外-可见光谱系统研究了五种有机溶剂对PTC-1在MWCNTs上吸附和脱附的影响.结果表明,在甲苯中,MWCNTs对PTC-1的吸附率最高(53%),而在三氯甲烷中PTC-1的脱附率最低(仅为0.75%).PTC-1/MWCNTs催化剂在催化N-二苯亚甲基-甘氨酸叔丁酯和不同卤代烃的不对称烷基化反应中,所得产物的收率和对映体选择性都较高,而且该催化剂可回收循环使用,说明PTC-1经MWCNTs固载后,仍能够有效地催化多种卤代烃的不对称烷基化反应.     

Highly efficient chirality inducers in nematic liquid crystals: synthesis of 7,7’-disubstituted 2,2’-methylenedioxy-1,1’-binaphthyls

ABSTRACT

We report the synthesis of 7,7?-disubstituted 2,2?-methylenedioxy-1,1?-binaphthyls and demonstrate their application as chiral dopants in the nematic mixture MLC-6260 to produce highly twisted cholesteric phases. Especially mesogenic and/or polarizable groups in the 7,7?-positions of the bridged binaphthyls generate unusually high helical twisting powers.     

Nanostructured assemblies of liquid-crystalline supermolecules: from display to medicine

ABSTRACT

Liquid crystal oligomers have a supermolecular structure in which two or more mesogenic units are interconnected through flexible spacers. They can form various molecular packing structures in their liquid-crystalline phases. We present flexible LC oligomers stabilising optically isotropic phases, i.e. blue phases (BPs) and chiral conglomerate phases. Hysteresis free switching, high contrast and wide viewing angle are obtainable in the amorphous BPIII without surface treatment. Spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking in layered phases of achiral flexible linear trimers produces periodic nanostructured surfaces. Then we demonstrate the effects of liquid-crystallinity on anticancer activities. Biological systems have links with liquid crystallinity. We found a molecular assembly of mesogenic molecules possessing an active site as a novel therapeutic approach against solid cancer cells.     

Validated high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of selenomethionine using isothiocyanate based chiral derivatizing reagents

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for enantioseparation of selenomethionine (SeMet) was developed using two isothiocyanate-based chiral derivatizing reagents [(R)-methyl benzyl isothiocyanate (MBIC) and (S)-1-(1-naphthyl) ethyl isothiocyanate (NEIC)] and UV detection. Diastereomers of selenomethionine were synthesized either via stirring (using MBIC) or by microwave irradiation (using NEIC). Derivatization conditions were optimized and the synthesized diastereomers were successfully resolved using triethyl ammonium phosphate buffer and acetonitrile on a reversed-phase column. The method was validated for accuracy, precision and limit of detection. The mechanism of separation is also discussed.