Intrinsic glassy-metallic transport in an amorphous coordination polymer.

Conducting organic materials, such as doped organic polymers1, molecular conductors2,3 and emerging coordination polymers4, underpin technologies ranging from displays to flexible electronics5. Realizing high electrical conductivity in traditionally insulating organic materials necessitates tuning their electronic structure through chemical doping6. Furthermore, even organic materials that are intrinsically conductive, such as single-component molecular conductors7,8, require crystallinity for metallic behaviour. However, conducting polymers are often amorphous to aid durability and processability9. Using molecular design to produce high conductivity in undoped amorphous materials would enable tunable and robust conductivity in many applications10, but there are no intrinsically conducting organic materials that maintain high conductivity when disordered. Here we report an amorphous coordination polymer, Ni tetrathiafulvalene tetrathiolate, which displays markedly high electronic conductivity (up to 1,200 S cm-1) and intrinsic glassy-metallic behaviour. Theory shows that these properties are enabled by molecular overlap that is robust to structural perturbations. This unusual set of features results in high conductivity that is stable to humid air for weeks, pH 0-14 and temperatures up to 140 °C. These findings demonstrate that molecular design can enable metallic conductivity even in heavily disordered materials, raising fundamental questions about how metallic transport can exist without periodic structure and indicating exciting new applications for these materials.

Isolation and Crystallographic Characterization of an Octavalent Co2O2 Diamond Core.

High-valent cobalt oxides play a pivotal role in alternative energy technology as catalysts for water splitting and as cathodes in lithium-ion batteries. Despite this importance, the properties governing the stability of high-valent cobalt oxides and specifically possible oxygen evolution pathways are not clear. One root of this limited understanding is the scarcity of high-valent Co(IV)-containing model complexes; there are no reports of stable, well-defined complexes with multiple Co(IV) centers. Here, an oxidatively robust fluorinated ligand scaffold enables the isolation and crystallographic characterization of a Co(IV)2-bis-µ-oxo complex. This complex is remarkably stable, in stark contrast with previously reported Co(IV)2 species that are highly reactive, which demonstrates that oxy-Co(IV)2 species are not necessarily unstable with respect to oxygen evolution. This example underscores a new design strategy for highly oxidizing transition-metal fragments and provides detailed data on a previously inaccessible chemical unit of relevance to O-O bond formation and oxygen evolution.

Variable Peripheral Ligand Donation Tunes Electronic Structure and NIR II Emission in Tetrathiafulvalene Tetrathiolate Diradicaloids.

Near-infrared (NIR) lumiphores are promising candidates for numerous imaging, communication, and sensing applications, but they typically require large, conjugated scaffolds to achieve emission in this low-energy region. Due to the extended conjugation and synthetic complexity required, it is extremely difficult to tune the photophysical properties of these systems for desired applications. Here, we report facile tuning of deep NIR-emitting diradicaloid complexes through simple modification of peripheral ligands. These new lumiphores are rare examples of air-, acid-, and water-stable emissive diradicaloids. We apply a simple Hammett parameter-based strategy to tune the electron donation of the capping ligand across a series of commercially available triarylphosphines. This minor peripheral modification significantly alters the electronic structure, and consequently, the electrochemical, photophysical, and magnetic properties of the tetrathiafulvalene tetrathiolate (TTFtt)-based lumiphores. The resultant ∼100 nm absorption and emission range spans common laser lines and the desirable telecom region (ca. 1260-1550 nm). Furthermore, these lumiphores are sensitive to local dielectrics, distinguishing them as promising candidates for ratiometric imaging and/or barcoding in the deep NIR region.

Catalytic, Spectroscopic, and Theoretical Studies of Fe4S4-Based Coordination Polymers as Heterogenous Coupled Proton-Electron Transfer Mediators for Electrocatalysis.

Iron-sulfur clusters play essential roles in biological systems, and thus synthetic [Fe4S4] clusters have been an area of active research. Recent studies have demonstrated that soluble [Fe4S4] clusters can serve as net H atom transfer mediators, improving the activity and selectivity of a homogeneous Mn CO2 reduction catalyst. Here, we demonstrate that incorporating these [Fe4S4] clusters into a coordination polymer enables heterogeneous H atom transfer from an electrode surface to a Mn complex dissolved in solution. A previously reported solution-processable Fe4S4-based coordination polymer was successfully deposited on the surfaces of different electrodes. The coated electrodes serve as H atom transfer mediators to a soluble Mn CO2 reduction catalyst displaying good product selectivity for formic acid. Furthermore, these electrodes are recyclable with a minimal decrease in activity after multiple catalytic cycles. The heterogenization of the mediator also enables the characterization of solution-phase and electrode surface species separately. Surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) reveals spectroscopic signatures for an in situ generated active Mn-H species, providing a more complete mechanistic picture for this system. The active species, reaction mechanism, and the protonation sites on the [Fe4S4] clusters were further confirmed by density functional theory calculations. The observed H atom transfer reactivity of these coordination polymer-coated electrodes motivates additional applications of this composite material in reductive H atom transfer electrocatalysis.

Lymphocyte Phosphatase-Associated Phosphoprotein (LPAP) as a CD45 Protein Stability Regulator.

Lymphocyte phosphatase-associated phosphoprotein (LPAP) is a binding partner of the phosphatase CD45, but its function remains poorly understood. Its close interaction with CD45 suggests that LPAP may potentially regulate CD45, but direct biochemical evidence for this has not yet been obtained. We found that in the Jurkat lymphoid cells the levels of LPAP and CD45 proteins are interrelated and well correlated with each other. Knockout of LPAP leads to the decrease in the surface expression of CD45, while its overexpression, on the contrary, caused its increase. No such correlation was found in the non-lymphoid K562 cells. We hypothesize that LPAP regulates expression level of CD45 and thus can affect lymphocyte activation.

Antigenic Cartography of SARS-CoV-2.

Antigenic cartography is a tool for interpreting and visualizing antigenic differences between virus variants based on virus neutralization data. This approach has been successfully used in the selection of influenza vaccine seed strains. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants escaping vaccine-induced antibody response, adjusting COVID-19 vaccines has become essential. This review provides information on the antigenic differences between SARS-CoV-2 variants revealed by antigenic cartography and explores a potential of antigenic cartography-based methods (e.g., building antibody landscapes and neutralization breadth gain plots) for the quantitative assessment of the breadth of the antibody response. Understanding the antigenic differences of SARS-CoV-2 and the possibilities of the formed humoral immunity aids in the prompt modification of preventative vaccines against COVID-19.

Broad Electronic Modulation of Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Frameworks over Four Distinct Redox States.

Two-dimensional (2D) inorganic materials have emerged as exciting platforms for (opto)electronic, thermoelectric, magnetic, and energy storage applications. However, electronic redox tuning of these materials can be difficult. Instead, 2D metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer the possibility of electronic tuning through stoichiometric redox changes, with several examples featuring one to two redox events per formula unit. Here, we demonstrate that this principle can be extended over a far greater span with the isolation of four discrete redox states in the 2D MOFs LixFe3(THT)2 (x = 0-3, THT = triphenylenehexathiol). This redox modulation results in 10,000-fold greater conductivity, p- to n-type carrier switching, and modulation of antiferromagnetic coupling. Physical characterization suggests that changes in carrier density drive these trends with relatively constant charge transport activation energies and mobilities. This series illustrates that 2D MOFs are uniquely redox flexible, making them an ideal materials platform for tunable and switchable applications.

Structure and Magnetic Properties of Pseudo-1D Chromium Thiolate Coordination Polymers.

The synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of two novel, pseudo-one-dimensional (1D) chromium thiolate coordination polymers (CPs), CrBTT and Cr2BDT3, are reported. The structures of these materials were determined using X-ray powder diffraction revealing highly symmetric 1D chains embedded within a CP framework. The magnetic coupling of this chain system was measured by SQUID magnetometry, revealing a switch from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic behavior dictated by the angular geometrical constraints within the CP scaffold consistent with the Goodenough-Kanamori-Anderson rules. Intrachain magnetic coupling constants JNN of -32.0 and +5.7 K were found for CrBTT and Cr2BDT3, respectively, using the 1D Bonner-Fisher model of magnetism. The band structure of these materials has also been examined by optical spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations revealing semiconducting behavior. Our findings here demonstrate how CP scaffolds can support idealized low-dimensional structural motifs and dictate magnetic interactions through tuning of geometry and inter-spin couplings.

Multi-functional Single-Source Molecular Precursors for Carbon-Coated Mixed-Metal Phosphates.

We introduce a new synthetic concept that can be broadly adopted for the low-temperature preparation of mixed-metal energy storage materials, such as phosphates, silicates, fluorides, fluorophosphates, and fluorosulfates that exhibit intrinsic low electronic conductivity and thus require a carbon modulation. The development of novel low-temperature approaches for assembling energy-related materials with a complex core-shell microstructure is of great importance for expanding their application scope. The traditional definition of single-source precursors refers to their ability to yield a phase-pure material upon thermal decomposition. We have developed a new way for the utilization of heterometallic molecular precursors in synthesis that goes beyond its common delineation as a single-phase maker. The utility of this approach has been demonstrated upon the low-temperature synthesis of lithium-iron phosphate@C, which represents a celebrated cathode material for Li-ion batteries. The first atomically precise carbonaceous molecular precursors featuring a desired Li:Fe:P ratio of 1:1:1, divalent iron, and sufficient oxygen content for the target LiFeIIPO4 phosphate were shown to enable a spontaneous formation of both the olivine core and conductive carbon shell, yielding a carbon-coated mixed-metal phosphate.

Combining Donor Strength and Oxidative Stability in Scorpionates: A Strongly Donating Fluorinated Mesoionic Tris(imidazol-5-ylidene)borate Ligand.

Strongly donating scorpionate ligands support the study of high-valent transition metal chemistry; however, their use is frequently limited by oxidative degradation. To address this concern, we report the synthesis of a tris(imidazol-5-ylidene)borate ligand featuring trifluoromethyl groups surrounding its coordination pocket. This ligand represents the first example of a chelating poly(imidazol-5-ylidene) mesoionic carbene ligand, a scaffold that is expected to be extremely donating. The {NiNO}10 complex of this ligand, as well as that of a previously reported strongly donating tris(imidazol-2-ylidene)borate, has been synthesized and characterized. This new ligand's strong donor properties, as measured by the υNO of its {NiNO}10 complex and natural bonding orbital second-order perturbative energy analysis, are at par with those of the well-studied alkyl-substituted tris(imidazol-2-ylidene)borates, which are known to effectively stabilize high-valent intermediates. The good donor properties of this ligand, despite the electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl substituents, arise from the strongly donating imidazol-5-ylidene mesoionic carbene arms. These donor properties, when combined with the robustness of trifluoromethyl groups toward oxidative decomposition, suggest this ligand scaffold will be a useful platform in the study of oxidizing high-valent transition-metal species.

Dissection of Antibody Responses of Gam-COVID-Vac-Vaccinated Subjects Suggests Involvement of Epitopes Outside RBD in SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization.

Millions of people have been vaccinated with Gam-COVID-Vac but fine specificities of induced antibodies have not been fully studied. Plasma from 12 naïve and 10 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent subjects was obtained before and after two immunizations with Gam-COVID-Vac. Antibody reactivity in the plasma samples (n = 44) was studied on a panel of micro-arrayed recombinant folded and unfolded severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteins and 46 peptides spanning the spike protein (S) and by immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ability of Gam-COVID-Vac-induced antibodies to inhibit binding of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) to its receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was investigated in a molecular interaction assay (MIA). The virus-neutralizing capacity of antibodies was studied by the pseudo-typed virus neutralization test (pVNT) for Wuhan-Hu-1 and Omicron. We found that Gam-COVID-Vac vaccination induced significant increases of IgG1 but not of other IgG subclasses against folded S, spike protein subunit 1 (S1), spike protein subunit 2 (S2), and RBD in a comparable manner in naïve and convalescent subjects. Virus neutralization was highly correlated with vaccination-induced antibodies specific for folded RBD and a novel peptide (i.e., peptide 12). Peptide 12 was located close to RBD in the N-terminal part of S1 and may potentially be involved in the transition of the pre- to post-fusion conformation of the spike protein. In summary, Gam-COVID-Vac vaccination induced S-specific IgG1 antibodies in naive and convalescent subjects in a comparable manner. Besides the antibodies specific for RBD, the antibodies induced against a peptide close to the N-terminus of RBD were also associated with virus-neutralization.

Antigenic Cartography Indicates That the Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 Variants Remain Antigenically Distant to Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 after Sputnik V Vaccination Followed by Homologous (Sputnik V) or Heterologous (Comirnaty) Revaccination.

The rapid emergence of evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants is an ongoing challenge for COVID-19 vaccinology. Traditional virus neutralization tests provide detailed datasets of neutralization titers against the viral variants. Such datasets are difficult to interpret and do not immediately inform of the sufficiency of the breadth of the antibody response. Some of these issues could be tackled using the antigenic cartography approach. In this study, we created antigenic maps using neutralization titers of sera from donors who received the Sputnik V booster vaccine after primary Sputnik V vaccination and compared them with the antigenic maps based on serum neutralization titers of Comirnaty-boosted donors. A traditional analysis of neutralization titers against the WT (wild-type), Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1, and BA.4/BA.5 variants showed a significant booster humoral response after both homologous (Sputnik V) and heterologous (Comirnaty) revaccinations against all of the studied viral variants. However, despite this, a more in-depth analysis using antigenic cartography revealed that Omicron variants remain antigenically distant from the WT, which is indicative of the formation of insufficient levels of cross-neutralizing antibodies. The implications of these findings may be significant when developing a new vaccine regimen.

Presynthetic Redox Gated Metal-to-Insulator Transition and Photothermoelectric Properties in Nickel Tetrathiafulvalene-Tetrathiolate Coordination Polymers.

Photothermoelectric (PTE) materials are promising candidates for solar energy harvesting and photodetection applications, especially for near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Although the processability and tunability of organic materials are highly advantageous, examples of organic PTE materials are comparatively rare and their PTE performance is typically limited by poor photothermal (PT) conversion. Here, we report the use of redox-active Sn complexes of tetrathiafulvalene-tetrathiolate (TTFtt) as transmetalating agents for the synthesis of presynthetically redox tuned NiTTFtt materials. Unlike the neutral material NiTTFtt, which exhibits n-type glassy-metallic conductivity, the reduced materials Li1.2Ni0.4[NiTTFtt] and [Li(THF)1.5]1.2Ni0.4[NiTTFtt] (THF = tetrahydrofuran) display physical characteristics more consistent with p-type semiconductors. The broad spectral absorption and electrically conducting nature of these TTFtt-based materials enable highly efficient NIR-thermal conversion and good PTE performance. Furthermore, in contrast to conventional PTE composites, these NiTTFtt coordination polymers are notable as single-component PTE materials. The presynthetically tuned metal-to-insulator transition in these NiTTFtt systems directly modulates their PT and PTE properties.

Generation and Aerobic Oxidative Catalysis of a Cu(II) Superoxo Complex Supported by a Redox-Active Ligand.

Cu systems feature prominently in aerobic oxidative catalysis in both biology and synthetic chemistry. Metal ligand cooperativity is a common theme in both areas as exemplified by galactose oxidase and by aminoxyl radicals in alcohol oxidations. This has motivated investigations into the aerobic chemistry of Cu and specifically the isolation and study of Cu-superoxo species that are invoked as key catalytic intermediates. While several examples of complexes that model biologically relevant Cu(II) superoxo intermediates have been reported, they are not typically competent aerobic catalysts. Here, we report a new Cu complex of the redox-active ligand tBu,TolDHP (2,5-bis((2-t-butylhydrazono)(p-tolyl)methyl)-pyrrole) that activates O2 to generate a catalytically active Cu(II)-superoxo complex via ligand-based electron transfer. Characterization using ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, Raman isotope labeling studies, and Cu extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis confirms the assignment of an end-on κ1 superoxo complex. This Cu-O2 complex engages in a range of aerobic catalytic oxidations with substrates including alcohols and aldehydes. These results demonstrate that bioinspired Cu systems can not only model important bioinorganic intermediates but can also mediate and provide mechanistic insight into aerobic oxidative transformations.

11H-Benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]indol-11-one as a New Precursor of Azomethine Ylides: 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions with Cyclopropenes and Maleimides.

The possibility of generating azomethine ylides from 11H-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]indol-11-one and amino acids is shown for the first time. Based on the cycloaddition reactions of these azomethine ylides with cyclopropenes and maleimides, cyclopropa[a]pyrrolizines, 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes, and pyrrolo[3,4-a]pyrrolizines spiro-fused with a benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]indole fragment were synthesized. Spirocyclic compounds were obtained in moderate to good yields, albeit with poor diastereoselectivity. Density functional theory calculations were performed to obtain an insight into the mechanism of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 11H-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]indol-11-one-derived azomethine ylides to cyclopropenes. The cytotoxic activity of some of the obtained cycloadducts against the human erythroleukemia (K562) cell line was evaluated in vitro by MTS-assay.

The Nature and Clinical Significance of Atypical Mononuclear Cells in Infectious Mononucleosis Caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus in Children.

Atypical mononuclear cells (AM) appear in significant numbers in peripheral blood of patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated infectious mononucleosis (IM). We investigated the number and lineage-specific clusters of differentiation (CD) expression of atypical mononuclear cells in 110 children with IM using the anti-CD antibody microarray for panning leukocytes by their surface markers prior to morphology examination. The AM population consisted primarily of CD8+ T cells with a small fraction (0%-2% of all lymphocytes) of CD19+ B lymphocytes. AM amount in children with mononucleosis caused by primary EBV infection was significantly higher than for IM caused by EBV reactivation or other viruses and constituted 1%-53% of all peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared to 0%-11% and 0%-8%, respectively. Children failing to recover from classic IM associated with primary EBV infection within 6 months had significantly lower percentage of CD8+ AM compared to patients with normal recovery rate.

A Synthetic Cycle for Heteroarene Synthesis by Nitride Insertion.

Recent interest in skeletal editing necessitates the continued development of reagent classes with the ability to transfer single atoms. Terminal transition metal nitrides hold immense promise for single-atom transfer, though their use in organic synthesis has so far been limited. Here we demonstrate a synthetic cycle with associated detailed mechanistic studies that primes the development of terminal transition metal nitrides as valuable single-atom transfer reagents. Specifically, we show [cis-terpyOsNCl2 ]PF6 inserts nitrogen into indenes to afford isoquinolines. Mechanistic studies for each step (insertion, aromatization, product release, and nitride regeneration) are reported, including crystallographic characterization of diverted intermediates, kinetics, and computational studies. The mechanistic foundation set by this synthetic cycle opens the door to the further development of nitrogen insertion heteroarene syntheses promoted by late transition metal nitrides.

Linker Redox Mediated Control of Morphology and Properties in Semiconducting Iron-Semiquinoid Coordination Polymers.

The emergence of conductive 2D and less commonly 3D coordination polymers (CPs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) promises novel applications in many fields. However, the synthetic parameters for these electronically complex materials are not thoroughly understood. Here we report a new 3D semiconducting CP Fe5 (C6 O6 )3 , which is a fusion of 2D Fe-semiquinoid materials and 3D cubic Fex (C6 O6 )y materials, by using a different initial redox-state of the C6 O6 linker. The material displays high electrical conductivity (0.02 S cm-1 ), broad electronic transitions, promising thermoelectric behavior (S2 σ=7.0×10-9  W m-1 K-2 ), and strong antiferromagnetic interactions at room temperature. This material illustrates how controlling the oxidation states of redox-active components in conducting CPs/MOFs can be a "pre-synthetic" strategy to carefully tune material topologies and properties in contrast to more commonly encountered post-synthetic modifications.

Synthesis of bis-spirocyclic derivatives of 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane via cyclopropene cycloadditions to the stable azomethine ylide derived from Ruhemann's purple.

A reliable method for the synthesis of bis-spirocyclic derivatives of 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes through the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC) reactions of cyclopropenes to the stable azomethine ylide - protonated form of Ruhemann's purple (PRP) has been developed. Both 3-substituted and 3,3-disubstituted cyclopropenes reacted with PRP, affording the corresponding bis-spirocyclic 3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane cycloadducts in moderate to good yields with high diastereofacial selectivity. Moreover, several unstable 1,2-disubstituted cyclopropenes were successfully trapped by the stable 1,3-dipole under mild conditions. The mechanism of the cycloaddition reactions of cyclopropenes with PRP has been thoroughly studied using density functional theory (DFT) methods at the M11/cc-pVDZ level of theory. The cycloaddition reactions have been found to be HOMOcyclopropene-LUMOylide controlled while the transition-state energies for the reaction of 3-methyl-3-phenylcyclopropene with PRP are fully consistent with the experimentally observed stereoselectivity.

Enzyme-Like Hydroxylation of Aliphatic C-H Bonds From an Isolable Co-Oxo Complex.

The selective hydroxylation of aliphatic C-H bonds remains a challenging but broadly useful transformation. Nature has evolved systems that excel at this reaction, exemplified by cytochrome P450 enzymes, which use an iron-oxo intermediate to activate aliphatic C-H bonds with k1 > 1400 s-1 at 4 °C. Many synthetic catalysts have been inspired by these enzymes and are similarly proposed to use transition metal-oxo intermediates. However, most examples of well-characterized transition metal-oxo species are not capable of reacting with strong, aliphatic C-H bonds, resulting in a lack of understanding of what factors facilitate this reactivity. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a new terminal CoIII-oxo complex, PhB(AdIm)3CoIIIO. Upon oxidation, a transient CoIV-oxo intermediate is generated that is capable of hydroxylating aliphatic C-H bonds with an extrapolated k1 for C-H activation >130 s-1 at 4 °C, comparable to values observed in cytochrome P450 enzymes. Experimental thermodynamic values and DFT analysis demonstrate that, although the initial C-H activation step in this reaction is endergonic, the overall reaction is driven by an extremely exergonic radical rebound step, similar to what has been proposed in cytochrome P450 enzymes. The rapid C-H hydroxylation reactivity displayed in this well-defined system provides insight into how hydroxylation is accomplished by biological systems and similarly potent synthetic oxidants.