Impact of sodium pyruvate on the electrochemical reduction of NAD+ biomimetics.

Biomimetics of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (mNADH) are promising cost-effective alternatives to their natural counterpart for biosynthetic applications; however, attempts to recycle mNADH often rely on coenzymes or precious metal catalysts. Direct electrolysis is an attractive approach for recycling mNADH, but electrochemical reduction of the oxidized mimetic (mNAD+) primarily results in the formation of an enzymatically inactive dimer. Herein, we find that aqueous electrochemical reduction of an NAD+ mimetic, 1-n-butyl-3-carbamoylpyridinium bromide (1+), to its enzymatically active form, 1,4-dihydro-1-n-butyl nicotinamide (1H), is favored in the presence of sodium pyruvate as a supporting electrolyte. Maximum formation of 1H is achieved in the presence of a large excess of pyruvate in combination with a large excess of a co-supporting electrolyte. Formation of 1H is found to be favored at pH 7, with an optimized product ratio of ∼50/50 dimer/1H observed by cyclic voltammetry. Furthermore, sodium pyruvate is shown to promote electroreductive generation of the 1,4-dihydro form of several additional mNADH as well as NADH itself. This method provides a general strategy for regenerating 1,4-dihydro-nicotinamide mimetics of NADH from their oxidized forms.

Investigating the Role of Ligand Electronics on Stabilizing Electrocatalytically Relevant Low-Valent Co(I) Intermediates.

Cobalt complexes have shown great promise as electrocatalysts in applications ranging from hydrogen evolution to C-H functionalization. However, the use of such complexes often requires polydentate, bulky ligands to stabilize the catalytically active Co(I) oxidation state from deleterious disproportionation reactions to enable the desired reactivity. Herein, we describe the use of bidentate electronically asymmetric ligands as an alternative approach to stabilizing transient Co(I) species. Using disproportionation rates of electrochemically generated Co(I) complexes as a model for stability, we measured the relative stability of complexes prepared with a series of N, N-bidentate ligands. While the stability of Co(I)Cl complexes demonstrates a correlation with experimentally measured thermodynamic properties, consistent with an outer-sphere electron transfer process, the set of ligated Co(I)Br complexes evaluated was found to be preferentially stabilized by electronically asymmetric ligands, demonstrating an alternative disproportionation mechanism. These results allow a greater understanding of the fundamental processes involved in the disproportionation of organometallic complexes and have allowed the identification of cobalt complexes that show promise for the development of novel electrocatalytic reactions.

Establishing a Thermodynamic Landscape for the Active Site of Mo-Dependent Nitrogenase.

Nitrogenase enzymes are the only biological catalysts able to convert N2 to NH3. Molybdenum-dependent nitrogenase consists of two proteins and three metallocofactors that sequentially shuttle eight electrons between three distinct metallocofactors during the turnover of one molecule of N2. While the kinetics of isolated nitrogenase has been extensively studied, little is known about the thermodynamics of its cofactors under catalytically relevant conditions. Here, we employ a recently described pyrene-modified linear poly(ethylenimine) hydrogel to immobilize the catalytic protein of nitrogenase onto an electrode surface. The resulting electroenzymatic interface enabled direct measurement of reduction potentials associated with each metallocofactor of the nitrogenase complex, illuminating the role of nitrogenase reductase in altering the potential landscape in the active site of nitrogenase and revealing the endergonic nature of electron-transfer steps associated with the conversion of N2 to NH3 under physiological conditions.

Electrochemically Driven, Ni-Catalyzed Aryl Amination: Scope, Mechanism, and Applications.

C-N cross-coupling is one of the most valuable and widespread transformations in organic synthesis. Largely dominated by Pd- and Cu-based catalytic systems, it has proven to be a staple transformation for those in both academia and industry. The current study presents the development and mechanistic understanding of an electrochemically driven, Ni-catalyzed method for achieving this reaction of high strategic importance. Through a series of electrochemical, computational, kinetic, and empirical experiments, the key mechanistic features of this reaction have been unraveled, leading to a second generation set of conditions that is applicable to a broad range of aryl halides and amine nucleophiles including complex examples on oligopeptides, medicinally relevant heterocycles, natural products, and sugars. Full disclosure of the current limitations and procedures for both batch and flow scale-ups (100 g) are also described.

Creating a Low-Potential Redox Polymer for Efficient Electroenzymatic CO2 Reduction.

Increasing greenhouse gas emissions have resulted in greater motivation to find novel carbon dioxide (CO2 ) reduction technologies, where the reduction of CO2 to valuable chemical commodities is desirable. Molybdenum-dependent formate dehydrogenase (Mo-FDH) from Escherichia coli is a metalloenzyme that is able to interconvert formate and CO2 . We describe a low-potential redox polymer, synthesized by a facile method, that contains cobaltocene (grafted to poly(allylamine), Cc-PAA) to simultaneously mediate electrons to Mo-FDH and immobilize Mo-FDH at the surface of a carbon electrode. The resulting bioelectrode reduces CO2 to formate with a high Faradaic efficiency of 99±5 % at a mild applied potential of -0.66 V vs. SHE.

Physical Organic Approach to Persistent, Cyclable, Low-Potential Electrolytes for Flow Battery Applications.

The deployment of nonaqueous redox flow batteries for grid-scale energy storage has been impeded by a lack of electrolytes that undergo redox events at as low (anolyte) or high (catholyte) potentials as possible while exhibiting the stability and cycling lifetimes necessary for a battery device. Herein, we report a new approach to electrolyte design that uses physical organic tools for the predictive targeting of electrolytes that possess this combination of properties. We apply this approach to the identification of a new pyridinium-based anolyte that undergoes 1e- electrochemical charge-discharge cycling at low potential (-1.21 V vs Fc/Fc+) to a 95% state-of-charge without detectable capacity loss after 200 cycles.

A Role for Pd(IV) in Catalytic Enantioselective C-H Functionalization with Monoprotected Amino Acid Ligands under Mild Conditions.

Kinetic and mechanistic studies of the desymmetrization of benzhydrylamine using Pd/monoprotected amino acid ligands (Pd/MPAA) via C-H functionalization with molecular iodine provide mechanistic insight into the rate-determining step and the oxidation state of Pd in the C-H functionalization step. Enantiomeric excess is strikingly insensitive to temperature from ambient temperature up to over 70 °C, and reaction rate is insensitive to the electronic characteristics of the ligand's benzoyl protecting group. The reaction is highly robust with no evidence of catalyst deactivation. Intriguingly, C-H bond breaking does not occur prior to the addition of I2 to the reaction mixture. Electrochemical experiments demonstrate the viability of oxidative addition of I2 to Pd(II). Together with 19F NMR studies, these observations suggest that iodine oxidizes Pd prior to addition of the amine substrate. This work may lead to a better general understanding of the subtle variations in the reaction mechanisms for C-H functionalization reactions that may be extant for this ligand class depending on substrate, amino acid ligand and protecting group, and reaction conditions.

Laccase Inhibition by Arsenite/Arsenate: Determination of Inhibition Mechanism and Preliminary Application to a Self-Powered Biosensor.

The reversible inhibition of laccase by arsenite (As(3+)) and arsenate (As(5+)) is reported for the first time. Oxygen-reducing laccase bioelectrodes were found to be inhibited by both arsenic species for direct electron-transfer bioelectrodes (using anthracene functionalities for enzymatic orientation) and for mediated electron-transfer bioelectrodes [using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) as an electron mediator]. Both arsenic species were determined to behave via a mixed inhibition model (behaving closely to that of uncompetitive inhibitors) when evaluated spectrophotometrically using ABTS as the electron donor. Finally, laccase bioelectrodes were employed within an enzymatic fuel cell, yielding a self-powered biosensor for arsenite and arsenate. This conceptual self-powered arsenic biosensor demonstrated limits of detection (LODs) of 13 µM for arsenite and 132 µM for arsenate. Further, this device possessed sensitivities of 0.91 ± 0.07 mV/mM for arsenite and 0.98 ± 0.02 mV/mM for arsenate.

Predicting Electrocatalytic Properties: Modeling Structure-Activity Relationships of Nitroxyl Radicals.

Stable nitroxyl radical-containing compounds, such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO) and its derivatives, are capable of electrocatalytically oxidizing a wide range of alcohols under mild and environmentally friendly conditions. Herein, we examine the structure-function relationships that determine the catalytic activity of a diverse range of water-soluble nitroxyl radical compounds. A strong correlation is described between the difference in the electrochemical oxidation potentials of a compound and its electrocatalytic activity. Additionally, we construct a simple computational model that is able to accurately predict the electrochemical potential and catalytic activity of a wide range of nitroxyl radical derivatives.

Hybrid enzymatic and organic electrocatalytic cascade for the complete oxidation of glycerol.

We demonstrate the complete electrochemical oxidation of the biofuel glycerol to CO2 using a hybrid enzymatic and small-molecule catalytic system. Combining an enzyme, oxalate oxidase, and an organic oxidation catalyst, 4-amino-TEMPO, we are able to electrochemically oxidize glycerol at a carbon electrode, while collecting up to as many as 16 electrons per molecule of fuel. Additionally, we investigate the anomalous electrocatalytic properties that allow 4-amino-TEMPO to be active under the acidic conditions that are required for oxalate oxidase to function.

Outcome of deceased donor renal transplantation in patients with an ileal conduit.

Renal transplantation in recipients with an ileal conduit is uncommon and occasionally controversial as it has been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. We report on 17 patients with an ileal conduit who received a deceased donor renal transplant at our institution between January 1986 and December 2012. We retrospectively reviewed their allograft and surgical outcome. There were four mortalities at five, five, 39, and 66 months post-transplant. Sixteen of 17 grafts functioned immediately; one patient had primary non-function secondary to vascular thrombosis. Thirteen of 17 (76.5%) grafts were functioning at a mean follow-up period of 105 months. The mean serum creatinine at follow-up was 111 µM (±38.62). Five patients had seven episodes of urosepsis requiring hospital admission, and five patients received treatment for renal stone disease. We conclude that given improvements in immunosuppression, surgical technique, infection treatment, and selection criteria, we believe that renal transplantation in the patient with an ileal conduit yields excellent graft survival, although there is a high morbidity rate in this cohort of patients in the long term.

Ex vivo reconstruction of the donor renal artery in renal transplantation: a case-control study.

Transplantation of renal allografts with anatomic variability or injured vasculature poses a challenge to the transplanting surgeon but can be salvaged for transplantation with ex vivo bench reconstruction of the vasculature. We investigated whether renal allograft function is impaired in these reconstructed allografts; compared to the donor-matched, un-reconstructed allograft. Reconstructed allografts were transplanted into 60 patients at our institution between 1986 and 2012. A control group was selected from the matched pair of the recipient in deceased donor transplantation. We found no significant difference in the overall graft and patient survival rates (P = 1.0, P = 0.178). Serum creatinine levels were not significantly higher in the study group at 1, 3 and 12 months postoperatively. There were two cases of vascular thrombosis in the study group that were not related to the ex vivo reconstruction. A significantly greater proportion of reconstructed patients were investigated with a colour duplex ultrasound postoperatively (0.007). Although we have demonstrated a higher index of suspicion of transplant failure in patients with a reconstructed allograft, this practice has proven to be a safe and useful technique with equivocal outcome when compared to normal grafts; increasing the organ pool available for transplantation.

Recent Developments and Applications of Microbial Electrochemical Biosensors.

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of microbial electrochemical biosensors, which are a unique class of biosensors that utilize the metabolic activity of microorganisms to convert chemical signals into electrical signals. The principles and mechanisms of these biosensors are discussed, including the different types of microorganisms that can be used. The various applications of microbial electrochemical biosensors in fields such as environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and food safety are also explored. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future research directions and potential advancements in the field of microbial electrochemical biosensors.

Creation of a point-of-care therapeutics sensor using protein engineering, electrochemical sensing and electronic integration.

Point-of-care sensors, which are low-cost and user-friendly, play a crucial role in precision medicine by providing quick results for individuals. Here, we transform the conventional glucometer into a 4-hydroxytamoxifen therapeutic biosensor in which 4-hydroxytamoxifen modulates the electrical signal generated by glucose oxidation. To encode the 4-hydroxytamoxifen signal within glucose oxidation, we introduce the ligand-binding domain of estrogen receptor-alpha into pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase by constructing and screening a comprehensive protein insertion library. In addition to obtaining 4-hydroxytamoxifen regulatable engineered proteins, these results unveil the significance of both secondary and quaternary protein structures in propagation of conformational signals. By constructing an effective bioelectrochemical interface, we detect 4-hydroxytamoxifen in human blood samples as changes in the electrical signal and use this to develop an electrochemical algorithm to decode the 4-hydroxytamoxifen signal from glucose. To meet the miniaturization and signal amplification requirements for point-of-care use, we harness power from glucose oxidation to create a self-powered sensor. We also amplify the 4-hydroxytamoxifen signal using an organic electrochemical transistor, resulting in milliampere-level signals. Our work demonstrates a broad interdisciplinary approach to create a biosensor that capitalizes on recent innovations in protein engineering, electrochemical sensing, and electrical engineering.

Electrochemical cofactor recycling of bacterial microcompartments.

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are prokaryotic organelles that consist of a protein shell which sequesters metabolic reactions in its interior. While most of the substrates and products are relatively small and can permeate the shell, many of the encapsulated enzymes require cofactors that must be regenerated inside. We have analyzed the occurrence of an enzyme previously assigned as a cobalamin (vitamin B12) reductase and, curiously, found it in many unrelated BMC types that do not employ B12 cofactors. We propose NAD+ regeneration as a new function of this enzyme and name it MNdh, for Metabolosome NADH dehydrogenase. Its partner shell protein BMC-TSE assists in passing the generated electrons to the outside. We support this hypothesis with bioinformatic analysis, functional assays, EPR spectroscopy, protein voltammetry and structural modeling verified with X-ray footprinting. This discovery represents a new paradigm for the BMC field, identifying a new, widely occurring route for cofactor recycling and a new function for the shell as separating redox environments.

Layer-by-layer assembly of ferrocene-modified linear polyethylenimine redox polymer films.

Herein, both electrostatic and covalent layer-by-layer assembly were used for the construction of multicomposite thin films using a ferrocene-modified linear poly(ethylenimine) redox polymer (Fc-C6-LPEI) as the cationic polyelectrolye, and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(glutamic acid) (PGA), or glucose oxidase (GOX) as the negative polyelectrolyte. The assembly of the multilayer films was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV/Vis spectroscopy, and ellipsometry with the enzymatic response of the films containing GOX being characterized via constant potential amperometry. CV measurements suggested that the successful buildup of multilayer films was dependent upon the nature of the anionic polyelectrolyte used. Electrostatic assembly of films composed of Fc-C6-LPEI and either PAA or PGA produced large oxidation peak current densities of 630 and 670 µA cm(-2), respectively, during cyclic voltammetry. Increased measured absorbance by UV/Vis spectroscopy and increased measured film thicknesses (400-600 nm) by ellipsometry provided additional evidence of successful film formation. In contrast, the films incorporating GOX that were electrostatically assembled surprisingly produced significantly lower electrochemical responses (12 µA cm(-2)), low absorbance values, and reduced film thicknesses (~15 nm), and glucose electro-oxidation current densities less than 1 µA cm(-2), which all suggested unstable or minimal film formation. Subsequently, we developed a covalent layer-by-layer approach to fabricate films of Fc-C6-LPEI/GOX by covalently linking the amine groups of Fc-C6-LPEI to the aldehyde groups of periodate-oxidized glucose oxidase. Covalent assembly of the Fc-C6-LPEI/GOX films produced oxidation peak current densities during cyclic voltammetry of 40 µA cm(-2) and glucose electro-oxidation current densities of 220 µA cm(-2). These films also showed an increase in their thicknesses (~140 nm) relative to the electrostatic GOX films. For the films containing either PAA or PGA, the pH of the polymer solutions used for construction was found to have a significant effect on the response of the multilayer films, and the electrochemical response of the Fc-C6-LPEI/PAA, Fc-C6-LPEI/PGA, or covalently assembled Fc-C6-LPEI/GOX films could be tuned by varying the number of bilayers (n=1-16) in the film. These results are important because this is the first report of the use of the novel Fc-C6-LPEI redox polymer in the successful development of multicomposite layer-by-layer films. The electrochemical response achieved with the covalently assembled Fc-C6-LPEI/GOX films demonstrates that this redox polymer and layer-by-layer assembly technique can be used for possible biosensor and biofuel applications, and the success of multiple anionic polyelectrolytes could lead to additional applications with other enzyme systems.