Movement and amplification of exciton condensed phase pulses and interaction between pulses in semiconductor quantum wells

Formation and movement of an exciton pulse in an inhomogeneous potential are studied. It is shown that the pulse does not blur and the maximum of the exciton density in the pulse remains constant during the exciton lifetime if the pulse is formed from the condensed phase. The path, traversed by the excitons, can be increased by imposing an additional laser pulse on the system. Thereby, such a system can be used for information transmission over the exciton condensed phase.     

General and efficient insertion of carbons carrying benzotriazole

Anions formed from the lithiation of 1-(1-benzotriazolylalkyl)benzotriazoles (1, 6) and 1-(1-methylthioalkyl)benzotriazoles (10 and 10a) with n-BuLi underwent additions to cyclic and acyclic ketones giving intermediates 3a-f, 7b-f, and 11b-d, respectively, in excellent yields. Thermal rearrangements of intermediates 3a,b,d-f and 7b-d,f in the presence of zinc bromide provided one-carbon chain-extended or ring-expanded alpha-benzotriazolyl ketones 4a,b,d-f and 8b-d,f in moderate yields with excellent regioselectivity. By contrast, intermediates 11b-d on treatment with zinc bromide loose a molecule of benzotriazole followed by intramolecular cyclization of the resulting intermediates 12b-d to provide the 2,3- and 1,2,3-substituted indenes 13b-d in good yields.     

A Novel Synthetic Approach to Phosphorylated Peptidomimetics

It has been shown that the derivatives of diethyl 5‐amino‐2‐phthalimidoalkyl‐1,3‐oxazol‐4‐ylphosphonates can be employed in the synthesis of phosphorylated peptidomimetics containing the phosphonoglycine residue. The reaction of diethyl 5‐alkylamino‐2‐aminoalkyl‐1,3‐oxazol‐4‐ylphosphonates with unsaturated azlactones was utilized to obtain phosphorylated peptidomimetics with dehydroamino acid moieties. The double bond in the latter was reduced with zinc in acetic acid to provide the corresponding saturated peptidomimetics containing a diethoxyphosphoryl group in the side chain.     

1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate: a novel ionic liquid containing a rigid, planar energetic anion

The novel ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate has been synthesized and exhibits an unexpectedly low melting point (35 degrees C) considering the size and shape of the rigid, planar anion; analogous tetraalkylammonium salts (methyl, ethyl and n-butyl) have also been prepared and the tetraethylammonium example was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction.     

Time-resolved imaging of the reaction coordinate

Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of negative ions is employed to study the dynamics along the reaction coordinate in the photodissociation of IBr(-). The results are discussed in a side-by-side comparison with the dissociation of I(2) (-), examined under similar experimental conditions. The I(2) (-) anion, extensively studied in the past, is used as a reference system for interpreting the IBr(-) results. The data provide rigorous dynamical tests of the anion electronic potentials. The evolution of the energetics revealed in the time-resolved (780 nm pump, 390 nm probe) I(2) (-) and IBr(-) photoelectron images is compared to the predictions of classical trajectory calculations, with the time-resolved photoelectron spectra modeled assuming a variety of neutral states accessed in the photodetachment. In light of good overall agreement of the experimental data with the theoretical predictions, the results are used to construct an experimental image of the IBr(-) dissociation potential as a function of the reaction coordinate.     

On the discretization of Laine equations

We consider the discretization of Darboux integrable equations. For each of the integrals of a Laine equation we constructed either a semi-discrete equation which has that integral as an n-integral, or we proved that such an equation does not exist. It is also shown that all constructed semi-discrete equations are Darboux integrable.     

Ionic Liquids Based on Azolate Anions

Compartmentalized molecular level design of new energetic materials based on energetic azolate anions allows for the examination of the effects of both cation and anion on the physiochemical properties of ionic liquids. Thirty one novel salts were synthesized by pairing diverse cations (tetraphenylphosphonium, ethyltriphenylphosphonium, N‐phenyl pyridinium, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium, tetramethyl‐, tetraethyl‐, and tetrabutylammonium) with azolate anions (5‐nitrobenzimidazolate, 5‐nitrobenzotriazolate, 3,5‐dinitro‐1,2,4‐triazolate, 2,4‐dinitroimidazolate, 4‐nitro‐1,2,3‐triazolate, 4,5‐dinitroimidazolate, 4,5‐dicyanoimidazolate, 4‐nitroimidazolate, and tetrazolate). These salts have been characterized by DSC, TGA, and single crystal X‐ray crystallography. The azolates in general are surprisingly stable in the systems explored. Ionic liquids were obtained with all combinations of the 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium cation and the heterocyclic azolate anions studied, and with several combinations of tetraethyl‐ or tetrabutylammonium cations and the azolate anions. Favorable structure–property relationships were most often achieved when changing from 4‐ and 4,5‐disubstituted anions to 3,5‐ and 2,4‐disubstituted anions. The most promising anion for use in energetic ionic liquids of those studied here, was 3,5‐dinitro‐1,2,4‐triazolate, based on its contributions to the entire set of target properties.     

Homology Modeling and Molecular Dynamics-Driven Search for Natural Inhibitors That Universally Target Receptor-Binding Domain of Spike Glycoprotein in SARS-CoV-2 Variants

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 required immediate actions to control the transmission of the virus and minimize its impact on humanity. An extensive mutation rate of this viral genome contributes to the virus’ ability to quickly adapt to environmental changes, impacts transmissibility and antigenicity, and may facilitate immune escape. Therefore, it is of great interest for researchers working in vaccine development and drug design to consider the impact of mutations on virus-drug interactions. Here, we propose a multitarget drug discovery pipeline for identifying potential drug candidates which can efficiently inhibit the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of spike glycoproteins from different variants of SARS-CoV-2. Eight homology models of RBDs for selected variants were created and validated using reference crystal structures. We then investigated interactions between host receptor ACE2 and RBDs from nine variants of SARS-CoV-2. It led us to conclude that efficient multi-variant targeting drugs should be capable of blocking residues Q(R)493 and N487 in RBDs. Using methods of molecular docking, molecular mechanics, and molecular dynamics, we identified three lead compounds (hesperidin, narirutin, and neohesperidin) suitable for multitarget SARS-CoV-2 inhibition. These compounds are flavanone glycosides found in citrus fruits – an active ingredient of Traditional Chinese Medicines. The developed pipeline can be further used to (1) model mutants for which crystal structures are not yet available and (2) scan a more extensive library of compounds against other mutated viral proteins.