Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Min Tay, Toby G. Johnson, Andrew Docker, Matthew J. Langton, Paul D. Beer
Summary: The first examples of [2]catenanes capable of selective anion transport across a lipid bilayer have been reported. These catenanes were assembled using neutral halogen bonding (XB) interactions and showed strong selectivity towards halide anions. The catenanes exhibited enhanced affinity for chloride and bromide compared to their constituent macrocycles, and also displayed preference for bromide over iodide. Transmembrane anion transport studies showed that the catenanes were more effective than the macrocycles, with high chloride over hydroxide selectivity.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jamelah S. S. Al-Otaibi, Y. Sheena Mary, Y. Shyma Mary, Renjith Thomas
Summary: The theoretical investigation reveals that the molecular interactions between indole and dichloromethane in different solvents have a significant impact on the spectral characteristics. The peak locations of indole undergo substantial shifts upon complexation, with the 3561.26 cm(-1) band showing a red shift of approximately 15.58 cm(-1). Quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) were used to determine the geometry in various solvents. Molecular dynamic simulations indicate that indole is more stable in water and methanol.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MODELING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Romain Plais, Guy Gouarin, Amelie Bournier, Olfa Zayene, Vanessa Mussard, Flavien Bourdreux, Jerome Marrot, Arnaud Brosseau, Anne Gaucher, Gilles Clavier, Jean-Yves Salpin, Damien Prim
Summary: Synthetic receptors that modulate and fine-tune the strength of weak interactions to bind anions were studied. The receptors were designed with a urea and tetrazine motif. The impact of H-bond strength and linker length on chloride complexation was investigated, and the binding properties of chloride anions in both ground and excited states were examined using various analytical methods. A ranking of the receptors based on their complexation strength provided insights into the structure-properties relationship.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiwei Gao, Jie Zhao, Zehuan Huang, Tanya K. Ronson, Fen Zhao, Yue Wang, Boyang Li, Chenlu Feng, You Yu, Yongliang Cheng, Dong Yang, Xiao-Juan Yang, Biao Wu
Summary: This study demonstrates the fabrication of functional gels through the self-assembly of anion-coordinated assemblies. The obtained gels exhibit excellent flexibility and selective wettability, making them suitable for conductive adhesion between different surfaces.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fen Ma, Xinrui Qiao, Wei Zuo, Yu Tao, Anyang Li, Zhipeng Luo, Yuqi Liu, Xueru Liu, Xiaoqing Wang, Wei Sun, Chuandong Jia
Summary: This study introduces a simpler strategy for the design of anionocages using monourea as the hydrogen bonding donor. Two fluorescent quadruple helicate anionocages were successfully constructed, capable of encapsulating different sized cation guests.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hong-Ying Duan, Shi-Tao Han, Tian-Guang Zhan, Li-Juan Liu, Kang-Da Zhang
Summary: In this study, a visible-light-switchable telluro-triazole/triazolium-based chalcogen bonding system was demonstrated for the first time. The binding strength between the receptors and halide anions could be reversibly regulated by different wavelengths of visible light. The cis-bidentate receptor exhibited enhanced binding ability compared to the trans-monodentate receptor. The telluro-triazolium-based receptor showed both high and significantly photoswitchable binding affinities for halide anions, making it an efficient photocontrolled organocatalyst.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mengdie Yan, Chenlu Xu, Yang Sun, Huilin Pan, Hong Li
Summary: The addition of PEO in aqueous electrolytes has been found to improve the cycling stability and Coulombic efficiency of Zn anodes, but the overpotential and long-term stability are significantly influenced by different anions. The choice of salt anions in aqueous electrolytes with PEO additives plays a crucial role in tuning the reaction kinetics and stability of Zn anodes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alica C. Keuper, Kevin Fengler, Florian Ostler, Tobias Danelzik, Dariusz G. Piekarski, Olga Garcia Mancheno
Summary: A new approach to achieve highly enantioselective halogen-bonding catalysis has been developed by designing fine-tuned halogen-halogen interactions. This strategy utilizes both the electron cloud and sigma-hole site of the substrate's halogen substituent to form a tight chiral complex, enabling controlled induction of high levels of chirality transfer. Remarkable enantioselectivities of up to 95:5 e.r. (90% ee) have been achieved in a model dearomatization reaction using tetrakis-iodotriazole multidentate anion-binding catalysts.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lingheng Kong, Xi Han, Haohua Chen, Huaming Sun, Yu Lan, Xingwei Li
Summary: The regioselective coupling of NH indoles with diazo compounds using dimeric Rh(II) complexes as catalysts demonstrates selectivity towards C(6) or C(7) positions depending on the structure of the indoles. Mechanistic studies reveal that hydrogen-bonding directing effect plays a crucial role in determining the regioselectivity, with C-C bond formation proceeding through Friedel-Crafts-type attack. This work highlights the challenges and opportunities in controlling regioselectivity in reactions involving arene C-H bonds.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Elnaz Zeynaloo, Elsayed M. Zahran, Elisabeth M. Fatila, Amar H. Flood, Leonidas G. Bachas
Summary: The study utilized a clamshell-shaped ionophore (ClS) composed of two preorganized cyanostar (CNstar) macrocycles for anion complexation via CH-hydrogen bonding. The optimized electrode displayed an anti-Hofmeister selectivity pattern towards iodide with a nanomolar detection limit. This selectivity could be altered by using an ionophore where the two CNstar macrocycles are linked together with a flexible 12-carbon chain to control the molecularity of the binding event.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Zaiwen Yang, Hong Chen, Minmin Qiao, Xiangrong Liu, Shunsheng Zhao, Jinmei He, Zheng Yang, Xiaodan Jia
Summary: In this study, a sulfate co-crystal was synthesized and characterized. The sulfate anion was encapsulated by multiple hydrogen bonds in organic clefts containing biphenyl-bridged oligourea ligands. The study also investigated the phase purity, thermal stability, and sulfate binding properties of the co-crystal.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ying Huang, Dongbin Zheng, Jing Bai, Wei Wang, Zhiqiang Yang, Yin Tian, Yuyu Fang
Summary: In this study, a novel chrysin-linked difluoroboron receptor was designed and synthesized for anion recognition. The receptor showed high sensitivity and selectivity towards F-, H2PO4-, and AcO- ions, as well as low detection limit and fast response time. The anion-sensing mechanism was attributed to the strong hydrogen bonding between the receptor and the three anions. Additionally, the receptor exhibited enhanced antitumor activity against two cancer cell lines.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2023)
Article
Crystallography
Rene T. Boere
Summary: New structure determinations of CuCl2·2H2O and NiCl2·6H2O were conducted using 100 K X-Ray diffraction experiments with Mo Kα and Cu Kα radiation. The Hirshfeld atom refinements (HAR) were performed using combined density functional theory (ORCA) and non-spherical atomic scattering factor (NoSpherA2) computations with custom atom scattering factors based on accurately polarized atom electron densities. The refinements of water hydrogen atoms revealed longer O-H bond lengths compared to previous X-ray diffraction experiments, but were consistent with legacy neutron diffraction studies. Anisotropic displacement factors were utilized for the first time in these compounds. The outcomes of using different X-ray sources with the new HAR method were compared, and the precision of H-atom refinements was evaluated where possible.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ethan N. W. Howe, Vai-Vai Tiffany Chane, Xin Wu, Mohamed Fares, William Lewis, Lauren K. Macreadie, Philip A. Gale
Summary: Phenylthiosemicarbazones (PTSCs) are proton-coupled anion transporters that exhibit pH-switchable behavior. This study demonstrates that protonated PTSCs are highly selective for halides over oxyanions in membrane transport, and the pH-dependent chloride/nitrate exchange is due to the rate-limiting nitrate transport process at neutral pH.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lia Zaharani, Zohreh Shahnavaz, Mohd Rafie Johan, Nader Ghaffari Khaligh
Summary: Two new organic acid salts were synthesized and their chemical structures were elucidated through various spectroscopy analyses. These salts exhibited different acidity, stability, and thermal behavior, indicating the presence of different chemical structures. The differences in thermal behavior suggest various electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions, supporting their proposed chemical structures.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Wu, Patrick Wang, William Lewis, Yun-Bao Jiang, Philip A. Gale
Summary: This study investigates the quantification of anion binding within lipid bilayers using a fluorescent macrocycle with strong sulfate affinity. The authors discover that the determinants of anion binding in lipid bilayers differ from those in solution. These findings provide insights into the principles of anion binding within lipid bilayers and have implications for the design of functional molecular systems at biomembrane interfaces.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Emma Alcock, Pamela Mackey, Aneta Turlik, Khushi Bhatt, Mark E. Light, Kendall N. Houk, Gerard P. McGlacken
Summary: In this study, a highly diastereoselective method was developed to synthesize acyclic 3-amino-1,5-diol derivatives using a tandem double-aldol-Tishchenko reaction. The reaction achieved high diastereoselectivity (dr up to >99 : 1) using a butanone derived sulfinylimine. The reaction also showed regioselectivity and could be applied to challenging cyclobutanone and 3-pentanone derivatives, although with modest diastereomeric ratios.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Hugo MacDermott-Opeskin, Callum Clarke, Xin Wu, Ariane Roseblade, Edward York, Ethan Pacchini, Ritik Roy, Charles Cranfield, Philip A. Gale, Megan L. O'Mara, Michael Murray, Tristan Rawling
Summary: Aryl-carbamate substituted fatty acids can act as protonophores and mitochondrial uncouplers by replacing the urea group, inhibiting ATP production by collapsing the mitochondrial proton gradient.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Claudio Mendicute-Fierro, Paul D. Smith, Mark E. Light
Summary: In this study, a dicompartmental macrocyclic complex, [Ni2(L1)](DMF)2(BPh4)2, was prepared by reacting [Ni(tn)3]Cl2 with 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenyl disulfide in methanol and in the presence of NaBPh4. The reaction involved a solvent assisted reduction of the disulfide bond and formation of two thiolate ligands. The crystal structure of the complex revealed a binuclear Ni2S2 core bridged by two thiolates within a macrocyclic framework.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander M. Gilchrist, Xin Wu, Bryson A. Hawkins, David E. Hibbs, Philip A. Gale
Summary: Synthetic anion transporters have potential in treating life-threatening diseases and fluorination has been shown to tune their properties. In this study, a series of fluorinated tetrapodal anion transporters were designed and their effects on lipophilicity, solubility, deliverability, and anion transport selectivity were investigated. The most fluorinated tetrathiourea displayed the highest transport activity and an interesting inversion of Cl- vs NO3- transport selectivity was observed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lei Gan, Makenzie T. Nord, Jacob M. Lessard, Noah Q. Tufts, Arunraj Chidambaram, Mark E. Light, Hongliang Huang, Eduardo Solano, Julio Fraile, Fabian Suarez-Garcia, Clara Vinas, Francesc Teixidor, Kyriakos C. Stylianou, Jose G. Planas
Summary: The removal of organophosphorus (OP) herbicides from water has been studied using various methods such as adsorptive removal, chemical oxidation, electrooxidation, enzymatic degradation, and photodegradation. In this study, a Zr-based metal-organic framework (mCB-MOF-2) was used for the adsorption and photodegradation of the OP herbicide glyphosate (GP). The mCB-MOF-2 demonstrated a high adsorption capacity for GP and selectively converted it to non-toxic sarcosine and orthophosphate under UV-vis light irradiation. These findings suggest that mCB-MOF-2 is a promising material for removing OP herbicides from water.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Esther Matamoros, Mark E. Light, Pedro Cintas, Juan C. Palacios
Summary: This paper investigates the formation of Schiff bases and 1,3-oxazolidines derived from salicylaldehydes and a conformationally restricted amino alcohol. The study provides experimental evidence, including crystallographic analyses and DFT-based calculations, on imine/enamine tautomerism. The mechanistic studies reveal the prevalence of imines under thermodynamic control and the formation of 2,4-trans-oxazolidines under acylating conditions.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Nikolaos Aspiotis, Katrina Morgan, Benjamin Maerz, Knut Mueller-Caspary, Martin Ebert, Ed Weatherby, Mark E. Light, Chung-Che Huang, Daniel W. Hewak, Sayani Majumdar, Ioannis Zeimpekis
Summary: This work demonstrates a scalable process for producing large area atomically thin 2D semiconductors with uniform performance. The new atomic layer deposition (ALD) and conversion technique allows for independent control of layer thickness, stoichiometry, and crystallinity. Field effect transistors (FETs) fabricated using this process exhibit high field effect mobility, low subthreshold slope, and high on/off ratios. Additionally, non-volatile memory transistors using ferroelectric FETs (FeFETs) with multiple state switching and a wide memory window are demonstrated, showing the applicability of the process to flexible neuromorphic applications.
NPJ 2D MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhen Li, Xiao-Bao Li, Mark E. Light, Anna E. Carrillo, Ana Arauzo, Manuel Valvidares, Claudio Roscini, Francesc Teixidor, Clara Vinas, Felipe Gandara, Elena Bartolome, Jose Giner Planas
Summary: This work demonstrates the successful synthesis of a multi-metallic MTV RE MOF incorporating two, four, six, or eight different RE ions without any compositional segregation. The incorporation of all RE cations is characterized via compositional and structural characterization. The more complex MTV MOF, including all eight RE ions, is characterized using optical, thermal, and magnetic techniques.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Juan Garcia de la Concepcion, Mirian Flores-Jimenez, Louis A. Cuccia, Mark E. Light, Cristobal Viedma, Pedro Cintas
Summary: This paper documents and reinvestigates the solid-state and crystal structures of 4,4'-azobis-4-cyanopentanoic acid (ACPA), a water-soluble azobis-nitrile of immense utility as a radical initiator in living polymerizations and a labile mechanophore that can be embedded within long polymer chains to undergo selective scission under mechanical activation. The X-ray crystal structures of all stereoisomers of ACPA have been reported for the first time, along with further details on enantiodiscrimination and the aggregation behavior of ACPA enantiomers.
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Mark Power, Katrina Mackey, Mark E. Light, David J. Jones, Gerard P. Mcglacken
Summary: Dibenzofuran and its derivatives are important medicinal and natural products, but their synthesis is challenging. This study reports a new C-H functionalization method that works with electron-rich arenes, using tetrabutylammonium acetate as the catalyst, achieving efficient synthesis.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edward York, Daniel A. Mcnaughton, Meryem-Nur Duman, Philip A. Gale, Tristan Rawling
Summary: It has been discovered that bisaryl urea compounds can mediate mitochondrial uncoupling, leading to inhibition of breast cancer cell growth. Furthermore, substituting the urea group in bisaryl ureas can alter the activity of the compounds, with different substituents yielding different effects.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Mohamed Fares, Xin Wu, Daniel A. McNaughton, Alexander M. Gilchrist, William Lewis, Paul A. Keller, Alain Arias-Betancur, Pere Fontova, Ricardo Perez-Tomas, Philip A. Gale
Summary: A series of fluorescent coumarin bis-ureas 1-4 were synthesized and found to act as highly potent HCl co-transport agents in lipid bilayer membranes. Compound 4, the most lipophilic transporter, exhibited a cytotoxic effect against three cancer cell lines and was able to cross the plasma membrane and localize in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, compound 4 showed co-localization with LysoTracker Red in the lysosome, despite lacking lysosome targeting groups.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Roberta A. Kehoe, Mark E. Light, David J. Jones, Gerard P. McGlacken
Summary: One-pot processes offer an environmentally friendly and time-saving approach to building complex molecules. This study presents a phosphine-free, inorganic base free, multi-step, one-pot reaction sequence for the rapid synthesis of complex medicinally relevant heterocycles. The approach combines three distinct reactions using a single pre-catalyst and achieves excellent yields. The study also reports favorable mass productivity, environmental impact factor, solvent intensity, and process mass intensity values.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Daniel J. M. Irving, Mark E. Light, Matilda P. Rhodes, Terence Threlfall, Thomas F. Headen
Summary: Through X-ray and neutron total scattering, as well as Empirical Potential Structure Refinement (EPSR), the prenucleation structures of saturated aqueous magnesium sulfate are explored. The provided atomistic model reveals isolated octahedral aquo magnesium species, magnesium sulfate pairs, and extended clusters built from corner-sharing MgO6 and SO4 polyhedra. The average first solvation shell of the sulfate anion exhibits a complex and flexible environment, with water molecules brought into proximity by a coordinated hydrated magnesium. Ions' tendency to aggregate into clusters allows for differences in structure between bulk water and pure water.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
