Regulation of Multicolor Fluorescence Changes Found in Donor-acceptor-type Mechanochromic Fluorescent Dyes

The regulation of multicolor fluorescence changes in mechanochromic fluorescence (MCF) remains a challenging task. Herein, we report the regulation of MCF using a donor-acceptor structure. Two crystal polymorphs, BTD-pCHO(O) and BTD-pCHO(R) produced by the introduction of formyl groups to an MCF dye, respond to a mechanical stimulus, allowing a three-color fluorescence change. Specifically, the orange-colored fluorescence of the metastable BTD-pCHO(O) polymorph changed to a deep-red color in the amorphous-like state to finally give a red color in the stable BTD-pCHO(R) polymorph. This change occurred by mechanical grinding followed by vapor fuming. The two different crystal packing patterns were selectively regulated by the electronic effect of the introduced functional groups. The two types of selectively formed crystals in BTD(F)-pCHO bearing fluorine atoms, and BTD(OMe)-pCHO bearing methoxy groups, respond to mechanical grinding, allowing for the regulation of multicolor MCL from a three-color change to two different types of two-color changes.     

Facile Access to cis‐2,6‐Disubstituted Tetrahydropyrans by Palladium‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative Allylation: Total Syntheses of (±)‐Centrolobine and (+)‐Decytospolides A and B

cis‐2,6‐Tetrahydropyran is an important structural skeleton of bioactive natural products. A facile synthesis of cis‐2,6‐disubstituted‐3,6‐dihydropyrans as cis‐2,6‐tetrahydropyran precursors has been achieved in high regio‐ and stereoselectivity with high yields. This reaction involves a palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative allylation of various 3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐pyran substrates. Extending this reaction to 1,2‐unsaturated carbohydrates allowed the achievement of challenging β‐C‐glycosylation. Based on this methodology, the total syntheses of (±)‐centrolobine and (+)‐decytospolides A and B were achieved in concise steps and overall high yields.     

Quantitative Design of Bright Fluorophores and AIEgens by the Accurate Prediction of Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer (TICT)

Inhibition of TICT can significantly increase the brightness of fluorescent materials. Accurate prediction of TICT is thus critical for the quantitative design of high‐performance fluorophores and AIEgens. TICT of 14 types of popular organic fluorophores were modeled with time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT). A reliable and generalizable computational approach for modeling TICT formations was established. To demonstrate the prediction power of our approach, we quantitatively designed a boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)‐based AIEgen which exhibits (almost) barrierless TICT rotations in monomers. Subsequent experiments validated our molecular design and showed that the aggregation of this compound turns on bright emissions with ca. 27‐fold fluorescence enhancement, as TICT formation is inhibited in molecular aggregates.     

The taming of CN7(-): the azidotetrazolate 2-oxide anion

The highly sensitive 5-azidotetrazolate anion was oxidized to its corresponding N-oxide by aqueous oxidation in a buffered oxone solution to the azidotetrazolate 2-oxide anion. After acidic extraction and neutralization with ammonia, the ammonium salt was isolated. Several energetic salts of this novel anion were prepared from the ammonium salt, and in all cases were found to be of lower sensitivity than the corresponding 5-azidotetrazolate salt while still being highly sensitive towards mechanical stimuli. Explosive performances (detonation velocity, detonation pressure) of applicable salts were also found to be higher than the non-N-oxide variants. Preparation of the free acid 2-hydroxy-5-azidotetrazole was achieved by protonation of the anion and identified by NMR spectroscopy, whereas the majority of the azidotetrazolate 2-oxide salts have unequivocal crystallographic proof.     

Crystal structures and catalytic mechanism of the Arabidopsis cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenases AtCAD5 and AtCAD4

The cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) multigene family in planta encodes proteins catalyzing the reductions of various phenylpropenyl aldehyde derivatives in a substrate versatile manner, and whose metabolic products are the precursors of structural lignins, health-related lignans, and various other metabolites. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the two isoforms, AtCAD5 and AtCAD4, are the catalytically most active being viewed as mainly involved in the formation of guaiacyl/syringyl lignins. In this study, we determined the crystal structures of AtCAD5 in the apo-form and as a binary complex with NADP+, respectively, and modeled that of AtCAD4. Both AtCAD5 and AtCAD4 are dimers with two zinc ions per subunit and belong to the Zn-dependent medium chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR) superfamily, on the basis of their overall 2-domain structures and distribution of secondary structural elements. The catalytic Zn2+ ions in both enzymes are tetrahedrally coordinated, but differ from those in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase since the carboxyl side-chain of Glu70 is ligated to Zn2+ instead of water. Using AtCAD5, site-directed mutagenesis of Glu70 to alanine resulted in loss of catalytic activity, thereby indicating that perturbation of the Zn2+ coordination was sufficient to abolish catalytic activity. The substrate-binding pockets of both AtCAD5 and AtCAD4 were also examined, and found to be significantly different and smaller compared to that of a putative aspen sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD) and a putative yeast CAD. While the physiological roles of the aspen SAD and the yeast CAD are uncertain, they nevertheless have a high similarity in the overall 3D structures to AtCAD5 and 4. With the bona fide CAD's from various species, nine out of the twelve residues which constitute the proposed substrate-binding pocket were, however, conserved. This is provisionally considered as indicative of a characteristic fingerprint for the CAD family.     

Secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase: mode of catalysis and stereospecificity of hydride transfer in Podophyllum peltatum

Secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase (SDH) catalyzes the NAD+ dependent enantiospecific conversion of secoisolariciresinol into matairesinol. In Podophyllum species, (-)-matairesinol is metabolized into the antiviral compound, podophyllotoxin, which can be semi-synthetically converted into the anticancer agents, etoposide, teniposide and Etopophos. Matairesinol is also a precursor of the cancer-preventative "mammalian" lignan, enterolactone, formed in the gut following ingestion of, for example, various high fiber dietary foods, as well as being an intermediate to numerous defense compounds in vascular plants. This study investigated the mode of enantiospecific Podophyllum SDH catalysis, the order of binding, and the stereospecificity of hydride abstraction/transfer from secoisolariciresinol to NAD+. SDH contains a highly conserved catalytic triad (Ser153, Tyr167 and Lys171), whose activity was abolished with site-directed mutagenesis of Tyr167Ala and Lys171Ala, whereas mutagenesis of Ser153Ala only resulted in a much reduced catalytic activity. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements indicated that NAD+ binds first followed by the substrate, (-)-secoisolariciresinol. Additionally, for hydride transfer, the incoming hydride abstracted from the substrate takes up the pro-S position in the NADH formed. Taken together, a catalytic mechanism for the overall enantiospecific conversion of (-)-secoisolariciresinol into (-)-matairesinol is proposed.     

Room temperature precipitation in quenched Al–Cu–Mg alloys: a model for the reaction kinetics and yield strength development

The microstructural evolution during low temperature ageing of two commercial purity alloys (Al–1.2Cu–1.2Mg–0.2Mn and Al–1.9Cu–1.6Mg–0.2Mn?at.%) was investigated. The initial stage of hardening in these alloys is very rapid, with the alloys nearly doubling in hardness during 20?h ageing at room temperature. The microstructural evolution during this stage of hardening was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), isothermal calorimetry and three–dimensional atom probe analysis (3DAP). It is found that, during the hardening, a substantial exothermic heat evolution occurs and that the only microstructural change involves the formation of Cu–Mg co–clusters. The kinetics of cluster formation is analysed and the magnitude of the hardening is discussed on the basis of a model incorporating solid solution hardening and modulus hardening originating from the difference in modulus between Al and clusters.