Roles of Ferric Peroxide Anion Intermediates (Fe3+O2-, Compound 0) in Cytochrome P450 19A1 Steroid Aromatization and a Cytochrome P450 2B4 Secosteroid Oxidation Model.

Cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) 19A1 is the steroid aromatase, the enzyme responsible for the 3-step conversion of androgens (androstenedione or testosterone) to estrogens. The final step is C-C bond scission (removing the 19-oxo group as formic acid) that proceeds via a historically controversial reaction mechanism. The two competing mechanistic possibilities involve a ferric peroxide anion (Fe3+O2-, Compound 0) and a perferryl oxy species (FeO3+, Compound I). One approach to discern the role of each species in the reaction is with the use of oxygen-18 labeling, i.e., from 18O2 and H218O of the reaction product formic acid. We applied this approach, using several technical improvements, to study the deformylation of 19-oxo-androstenedione by human P450 19A1 and of a model secosteroid, 3-oxodecaline-4-ene-10-carboxaldehyde (ODEC), by rabbit P450 2B4. Both aldehyde substrates were sensitive to non-enzymatic acid-catalyzed deformylation, yielding 19-norsteroids, and conditions were established to avoid issues with artifactual generation of formic acid. The Compound 0 reaction pathway predominated (i.e., Fe3+O2-) in both P450 19A1 oxidation of 19-oxo-androstenedione and P450 2B4 oxidation of ODEC. The P450 19A1 results contrast with our prior conclusions (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 15016-16025), attributed to several technical modifications.

Oxygen-18 Labeling Defines a Ferric Peroxide (Compound 0) Mechanism in the Oxidative Deformylation of Aldehydes by Cytochrome P450 2B4.

Most cytochrome P450 (P450) oxidations are considered to occur with the active oxidant being a perferryl oxygen (FeO3+, Compound I). However, a ferric peroxide (FeO2®, Compound 0) mechanism has been proposed, as well, particularly for aldehyde substrates. We investigated three of these systems, the oxidative deformylation of the model substrates citronellal, 2-phenylpropionaldehyde, and 2-methyl-2-phenylpropionaldehyde by rabbit P450 2B4, using 18O labeling. The formic acid product contained one 18O derived from 18O2, which is indicative of a dominant Compound 0 mechanism. The formic acid also contained only one 18O derived from H218O, which ruled out a Compound I mechanism. The possibility of a Baeyer-Villiger reaction was examined by using synthesized possible intermediates, but our data do not support its presence. Overall, these findings unambiguously demonstrate the role of the Compound 0 pathway in these aldehyde oxidative deformylation reactions.

Oxygen-18 Labeling Reveals a Mixed Fe-O Mechanism in the Last Step of Cytochrome P450 51 Sterol 14α-Demethylation.

The 14α-demethylation step is critical in eukaryotic sterol biosynthesis, catalyzed by cytochrome P450 (P450) Family 51 enzymes, for example, with lanosterol in mammals. This conserved three-step reaction terminates in a C-C cleavage step that generates formic acid, the nature of which has been controversial. Proposed mechanisms involve roles of P450 Compound 0 (ferric peroxide anion, FeO2 - ) or Compound I (perferryl oxygen, FeO3+ ) reacting with either the aldehyde or its hydrate, respectively. Analysis of 18 O incorporation into formic acid from 18 O2 provides a means of distinguishing the two mechanisms. Human P450 51A1 incorporated 88 % 18 O (one atom) into formic acid, consistent with a major but not exclusive FeO2 - mechanism. Two P450 51 orthologs from amoeba and yeast showed similar results, while two orthologs from pathogenic trypanosomes showed roughly equal contributions of both mechanisms. An X-ray crystal structure of the human enzyme showed the aldehyde oxygen atom 3.5 Šaway from the heme iron atom. Experiments with human P450 51A1 and H2 18 O yielded primarily one 18 O atom but 14 % of the formic acid product with two 18 O atoms, indicative of a minor contribution of a Compound I mechanism. LC-MS evidence for a Compound 0-derived Baeyer-Villiger reaction product (a 14α-formyl ester) was also found.

The multistep oxidation of cholesterol to pregnenolone by human cytochrome P450 11A1 is highly processive.

Cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) 11A1 is the classical cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) that removes six carbons of the side chain, the first and rate-limiting step in the synthesis of all mammalian steroids. The reaction is a 3-step, 6-electron oxidation that proceeds via formation of 22R-hydroxy (OH) and 20R,22R-(OH)2 cholesterol, yielding pregnenolone. We expressed human P450 11A1 in bacteria, purified the enzyme in the absence of nonionic detergents, and assayed pregnenolone formation by HPLC-mass spectrometry of the dansyl hydrazone. The reaction was inhibited by the nonionic detergent Tween 20, and several lipids did not enhance enzymatic activity. The 22R-OH and 20R,22R-(OH)2 cholesterol intermediates were bound to P450 11A1 relatively tightly, as judged by steady-state optical titrations and koff rates. The electron donor adrenodoxin had little effect on binding; the substrate cholesterol showed a ∼5-fold stimulatory effect on the binding of adrenodoxin to P450 11A1. Presteady-state single-turnover kinetic analysis was consistent with a highly processive reaction with rates of intermediate oxidation steps far exceeding dissociation rates for products and substrates. The presteady-state kinetic analysis revealed a second di-OH cholesterol product, separable by HPLC, in addition to 20R,22R-(OH)2 cholesterol, which we characterized as a rotamer that was also converted to pregnenolone at a similar rate. The first oxidation step (at C-22) is the slowest, limiting the overall rate of cleavage. d3-Cholesterol showed no kinetic deuterium isotope effect on C-22, indicating that C-H bond cleavage is not rate-limiting in the first hydroxylation step.

Steroid 17α-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase (cytochrome P450 17A1).

Cytochrome P450 (P450) 17A1 plays a key role in steroidogenesis, in that this enzyme catalyzes the 17α-hydroxylation of both pregnenolone and progesterone, followed by a lyase reaction to cleave the C-20 land C-21 carbons from each steroid. The reactions are important in the production of both glucocorticoids and androgens. The enzyme is critical in humans but is also a drug target in treatment of prostate cancer. Detailed methods are described for the heterologous expression of human P450 17A1 in bacteria, purification of the recombinant enzyme, reconstitution of the enzyme system in the presence of cytochrome b5, and chromatographic procedures for sensitive analyses of reaction products. Historic assay approaches are reviewed. Some information is also provided about outstanding questions in the research field, including catalytic mechanisms and searches for selective inhibitors.

Processive kinetics in the three-step lanosterol 14α-demethylation reaction catalyzed by human cytochrome P450 51A1.

Cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) family 51 enzymes catalyze the 14α-demethylation of sterols, leading to critical products used for membranes and the production of steroids, as well as signaling molecules. In mammals, P450 51 catalyzes the 3-step, 6-electron oxidation of lanosterol to form (4ß,5α)-4,4-dimethyl-cholestra-8,14,24-trien-3-ol (FF-MAS). P450 51A1 can also use 24,25-dihydrolanosterol (a natural substrate in the Kandutsch-Russell cholesterol pathway). 24,25-Dihydrolanosterol and the corresponding P450 51A1 reaction intermediates, the 14α-alcohol and -aldehyde derivatives of dihydrolanosterol, were synthesized to study the kinetic processivity of the overall 14α-demethylation reaction of human P450 51A1. A combination of steady-state kinetic parameters, steady-state binding constants, dissociation rates of P450-sterol complexes, and kinetic modeling of the time course of oxidation of a P450-dihydrolanosterol complex showed that the overall reaction is highly processive, with koff rates of P450 51A1-dihydrolanosterol and the 14α-alcohol and 14α-aldehyde complexes being 1 to 2 orders of magnitude less than the forward rates of competing oxidations. epi-Dihydrolanosterol (the 3α-hydroxy analog) was as efficient as the common 3ß-hydroxy isomer in the binding and formation of dihydro FF-MAS. The common lanosterol contaminant dihydroagnosterol was found to be a substrate of human P450 51A1, with roughly one-half the activity of dihydrolanosterol. Steady-state experiments with 14α-methyl deuterated dihydrolanosterol showed no kinetic isotope effect, indicating that C-14α C-H bond breaking is not rate-limiting in any of the individual steps. The high processivity of this reaction generates higher efficiency and also renders the reaction less sensitive to inhibitors.

Basis for the discrimination of supercoil handedness during DNA cleavage by human and bacterial type II topoisomerases.

To perform double-stranded DNA passage, type II topoisomerases generate a covalent enzyme-cleaved DNA complex (i.e. cleavage complex). Although this complex is a requisite enzyme intermediate, it is also intrinsically dangerous to genomic stability. Consequently, cleavage complexes are the targets for several clinically relevant anticancer and antibacterial drugs. Human topoisomerase IIα and IIß and bacterial gyrase maintain higher levels of cleavage complexes with negatively supercoiled over positively supercoiled DNA substrates. Conversely, bacterial topoisomerase IV is less able to distinguish DNA supercoil handedness. Despite the importance of supercoil geometry to the activities of type II topoisomerases, the basis for supercoil handedness recognition during DNA cleavage has not been characterized. Based on the results of benchtop and rapid-quench flow kinetics experiments, the forward rate of cleavage is the determining factor of how topoisomerase IIα/IIß, gyrase and topoisomerase IV distinguish supercoil handedness in the absence or presence of anticancer/antibacterial drugs. In the presence of drugs, this ability can be enhanced by the formation of more stable cleavage complexes with negatively supercoiled DNA. Finally, rates of enzyme-mediated DNA ligation do not contribute to the recognition of DNA supercoil geometry during cleavage. Our results provide greater insight into how type II topoisomerases recognize their DNA substrates.

Ecological risk assessment of tire and road wear particles: A preliminary screening for freshwater sources in Canada.

Abrasion of tires on road surfaces leads to the formation of tire and road wear particles (TRWPs). Approximately 5.9 million tonnes/year of TRWPs are emitted globally, and 12-20% of emissions generated on roads are transmitted into surface waters, where they can release (i.e., leach) chemical compounds that adversely affect aquatic species. To better understand the ecological risk of TRWPs, an acute, probabilistic ecological risk assessment model was developed and applied. This was a screening-level, conceptual ecological risk assessment (ERA) based on secondary data from published scientific studies. The model was demonstrated using British Columbia (BC) Highway 97 (TRWP source) and Kalamalka Lake (receiving water) in Canada, considering two spatial scenarios with varied highway (HWY) lengths and lake volumes. TRWP-derived chemical leachates considered for ERA were aniline, anthracene (ANT), benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), fluoranthene (Fl), mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), and zinc (Zn). An assumed 'total TRWP-derived leachate set' was also assessed, representing all compounds present in tire-derived leachate test solutions. The results indicated the risk to aquatic species in two spatial scenarios. In scenario 1, ecotoxicity risk was high from exposure to TRWP-derived zinc and the total TRWP-derived leachate set. Scenario 2 results indicated acute risk was high from all TRWP-derived chemicals examined, except MBT. This preliminary ecological risk screening provides an early signal that freshwater lakes adjacent to busy highways may be at risk from TRWP contamination, indicating a need for further research. This research is the first ERA of TRWPs in Canada, and the results and methodology provide a foundation for future research and solutions development.

An estimation of tire and road wear particles emissions in surface water based on a conceptual framework.

Freshwater sources have been contaminated with toxic and unwanted substances worldwide. Among these toxic substances, microplastics (MPs) are becoming prominent. There is already a debate on the impact of MPs on the aquatic environment. Tire and road wear particles (TRWPs) are a dominant group among MPs, and it is vital to estimate their occurrence in the environment. This study proposed a conceptual framework to estimate the occurrence and emissions of TRWPs in the environment. The proposed framework developed a vehicle emission model combined with a previously developed freshwater transport model and was demonstrated using a region in Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, as a case study. A sensitivity analysis was performed to address the uncertainty in TRWP emissions. Furthermore, scenarios were developed considering various environmental, management, and treatment factors to forecast the TRWP emissions under different situations. The total TRWPs emission estimated on the road ranged between 25 and 167 t/year, the estimated TRWPs emission to surface water ranged between 4 and 32 t/year, and the estimated TRWPs emission entering lakebed ranged between 4 and 23 t/year. Furthermore, the scenarios analysis showed that selected management and treatment strategies under given environmental conditions can reduce the total emission on-road (from >130 t/year to <60 t/year); reduce emission to surface water (from >35 t/year to ≈ 12 t/year); and reduce lakebed emissions (from 25 t/year to <8 t/year). Therefore, these management and treatment strategies could reduce the annual per-capita TRWP emissions from >4 kg/c/year to <2 kg/c/year. The proposed framework is flexible and can be adapted to forecast TRWP emissions in different regions. The developed model and framework can be improved by collecting more data and considering other contributing factors.

Stepwise binding of inhibitors to human cytochrome P450 17A1 and rapid kinetics of inhibition of androgen biosynthesis.

Cytochrome P450 (P450) 17A1 catalyzes the 17α-hydroxylation of progesterone and pregnenolone as well as the subsequent lyase cleavage of both products to generate androgens. However, the selective inhibition of the lyase reactions, particularly with 17α-hydroxy pregnenolone, remains a challenge for the treatment of prostate cancer. Here, we considered the mechanisms of inhibition of drugs that have been developed to inhibit P450 17A1, including ketoconazole, seviteronel, orteronel, and abiraterone, the only approved inhibitor used for prostate cancer therapy, as well as clotrimazole, known to inhibit P450 17A1. All five compounds bound to P450 17A1 in a multistep process, as observed spectrally, over a period of 10 to 30 s. However, no lags were observed for the onset of inhibition in rapid-quench experiments with any of these five compounds. Furthermore, the addition of substrate to inhibitor-P450 17A1 complexes led to an immediate formation of product, without a lag that could be attributed to conformational changes. Although abiraterone has been previously described as showing slow-onset inhibition (t1/2 = 30 min), we observed rapid and strong inhibition. These results are in contrast to inhibitors of P450 3A4, an enzyme with a larger active site in which complete inhibition is not observed with ketoconazole and clotrimazole until the changes are completed. Overall, our results indicate that both P450 17A1 reactions-17α-hydroxylation and lyase activity-are inhibited by the initial binding of any of these inhibitors, even though subsequent conformational changes occur.

Effects of Resmetirom on Noninvasive Endpoints in a 36-Week Phase 2 Active Treatment Extension Study in Patients With NASH.

Resmetirom (MGL-3196), a selective thyroid hormone receptor-ß agonist, was evaluated in a 36-week paired liver biopsy study (NCT02912260) in adults with biopsy-confirmed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The primary endpoint was relative liver fat reduction as assessed by MRI-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF), and secondary endpoints included histopathology. Subsequently, a 36-week active treatment open-label extension (OLE) study was conducted in 31 consenting patients (including 14 former placebo patients) with persistently mild to markedly elevated liver enzymes at the end of the main study. In patients treated with resmetirom (80 or 100 mg orally per day), MRI-PDFF reduction at OLE week 36 was -11.1% (1.5%) mean reduction (standard error [SE]; P < 0.0001) and -52.3% (4.4%) mean relative reduction, P < 0.0001. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (-26.1% [4.5%], P < 0.0001), apolipoprotein B (-23.8% [3.0%], P < 0.0001), and triglycerides (-19.6% [5.4%], P = 0.0012; -46.1 [14.5] mg/dL, P = 0.0031) were reduced from baseline. Markers of fibrosis were reduced, including liver stiffness assessed by transient elastography (-2.1 [0.8] mean kilopascals [SE], P = 0.015) and N-terminal type III collagen pro-peptide (PRO-C3) (-9.8 [2.3] ng/mL, P = 0.0004 (baseline ≥ 10 ng/mL). In the main and OLE studies, PRO-C3/C3M (matrix metalloproteinase-degraded C3), a marker of net fibrosis formation, was reduced in resmetirom-treated patients (-0.76 [-1.27, -0.24], P = 0.0044 and -0.68, P < 0.0001, respectively). Resmetirom was well tolerated, with few, nonserious adverse events. Conclusion: The results of this 36-week OLE study support the efficacy and safety of resmetirom at daily doses of 80 mg and 100 mg, used in the ongoing phase 3 NASH study, MAESTRO-NASH (NCT03900429). The OLE study demonstrates a potential for noninvasive assessments to monitor the response to resmetirom from an individual patient with NASH.

Tight binding of cytochrome b5 to cytochrome P450 17A1 is a critical feature of stimulation of C21 steroid lyase activity and androgen synthesis.

It has been recognized for >50 years that cytochrome b5 (b5) stimulates some cytochrome P450 (P450)-catalyzed oxidations, but the basis of this function is still not understood well. The strongest stimulation of catalytic activity by b5 is in the P450 17A1 lyase reaction, an essential step in androgen synthesis from 21-carbon (C21) steroids, making this an excellent model system to interrogate b5 function. One of the issues in studying b5-P450 interactions has been the limited solution assay methods. We constructed a fluorescently labeled variant of human b5 that can be used in titrations. The labeled b5 bound to WT P450 17A1 with a Kd of 2.5 nM and rapid kinetics, on the order of 1 s-1. Only weak binding was observed with the clinical P450 17A1 variants E305G, R347H, and R358Q; these mutants are deficient in lyase activity, which has been hypothesized to be due to attenuated b5 binding. Kd values were not affected by the presence of P450 17A1 substrates. A peptide containing the P450 17A1 Arg-347/Arg-358 region attenuated Alexa 488-T70C-b5 fluorescence at higher concentrations. The addition of NADPH-P450 reductase (POR) to an Alexa 488-T70C-b5:P450 17A1 complex resulted in a concentration-dependent partial restoration of b5 fluorescence, indicative of a ternary P450:b5:POR complex, which was also supported by gel filtration experiments. Overall, these results are interpreted in the context of a dynamic and tight P450 17A1:b5 complex that also binds POR to form a catalytically competent ternary complex, and variants that disrupt this interaction have low catalytic activity.

Kinetics of cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by heterocyclic drugs defines a general sequential multistep binding process.

Cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A4 is the enzyme most involved in the metabolism of drugs and can also oxidize numerous steroids. This enzyme is also involved in one-half of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions, but details of the exact mechanisms of P450 3A4 inhibition are still unclear in many cases. Ketoconazole, clotrimazole, ritonavir, indinavir, and itraconazole are strong inhibitors; analysis of the kinetics of reversal of inhibition with the model substrate 7-benzoyl quinoline showed lag phases in several cases, consistent with multiple structures of P450 3A4 inhibitor complexes. Lags in the onset of inhibition were observed when inhibitors were added to P450 3A4 in 7-benzoyl quinoline O-debenzylation reactions, and similar patterns were observed for inhibition of testosterone 6ß-hydroxylation by ritonavir and indinavir. Upon mixing with inhibitors, P450 3A4 showed rapid binding as judged by a spectral shift with at least partial high-spin iron character, followed by a slower conversion to a low-spin iron-nitrogen complex. The changes were best described by two intermediate complexes, one being a partial high-spin form and the second another intermediate, with half-lives of seconds. The kinetics could be modeled in a system involving initial loose binding of inhibitor, followed by a slow step leading to a tighter complex on a multisecond time scale. Although some more complex possibilities cannot be dismissed, these results describe a system in which conformationally distinct forms of P450 3A4 bind inhibitors rapidly and two distinct P450-inhibitor complexes exist en route to the final enzyme-inhibitor complex with full inhibitory activity.

Tryptophan-75 Is a Low-Energy Channel-Gating Residue that Facilitates Substrate Egress/Access in Cytochrome P450 2D6.

CYP2D6 is a major drug metabolizing enzyme with a buried active site. Channels leading to the active site from various enzyme surfaces are believed to facilitate ligand egress and access to the active site. The present study used molecular dynamics (MD) and in vitro studies with CYP2D6*1 and a Trp75-to-Ala mutant to examine channel gating in CYP2D6 by Trp75. MD simulations measured energy landscapes of Trp75 conformations and simulated substrate passage within channel 2b using bufuralol as a model substrate. Trp75 alternated between multiple stable states that supported substrate transport along channel 2b with low-energy barriers between states (∼ -1 kcal/mol). Trp75 conformations were stabilized primarily by hydrogen bonding between Trp75 and Glu222, Asn226, Ala225, or Gln72. Energy barriers were low between Trp75 conformations, allowing Trp75 to easily move between various conformations over time and to function in both binding to and moving substrates in the 2b channel of CYP2D6. Michaelis-Menten kinetic studies completed with purified enzyme in a reconstituted system showed overall reduced enzyme efficiency for metabolism of bufuralol and dextromethorphan by the Trp75Ala mutant compared with CYP2D6*1. In stopped-flow measurements, k off for dextromethorphan was decreased in the absence of Trp75. Our results support a role for Trp75 in substrate shuttling to the active site of CYP2D6. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Using combined molecular dynamics and in vitro assays, this study shows for the first time a role for Trp75 as a channel entrance gating residue in the mechanism of substrate binding/unbinding in CYP2D6. Energy landscapes derived from molecular dynamics were used to quantitate the strength of gating, and kinetics assays showed the impact on enzyme efficiency and k off of a Trp75Ala mutation.

Oxygen-activated growth and bandgap tunability of large single-crystal bilayer graphene.

Bernal (AB)-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) is a semiconductor whose bandgap can be tuned by a transverse electric field, making it a unique material for a number of electronic and photonic devices. A scalable approach to synthesize high-quality BLG is therefore critical, which requires minimal crystalline defects in both graphene layers and maximal area of Bernal stacking, which is necessary for bandgap tunability. Here we demonstrate that in an oxygen-activated chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process, half-millimetre size, Bernal-stacked BLG single crystals can be synthesized on Cu. Besides the traditional 'surface-limited' growth mechanism for SLG (1st layer), we discovered new microscopic steps governing the growth of the 2nd graphene layer below the 1st layer as the diffusion of carbon atoms through the Cu bulk after complete dehydrogenation of hydrocarbon molecules on the Cu surface, which does not occur in the absence of oxygen. Moreover, we found that the efficient diffusion of the carbon atoms present at the interface between Cu and the 1st graphene layer further facilitates growth of large domains of the 2nd layer. The CVD BLG has superior electrical quality, with a device on/off ratio greater than 10(4), and a tunable bandgap up to ∼100 meV at a displacement field of 0.9 V nm(-1).

Real-time observation of epitaxial graphene domain reorientation.

Graphene films grown by vapour deposition tend to be polycrystalline due to the nucleation and growth of islands with different in-plane orientations. Here, using low-energy electron microscopy, we find that micron-sized graphene islands on Ir(111) rotate to a preferred orientation during thermal annealing. We observe three alignment mechanisms: the simultaneous growth of aligned domains and dissolution of rotated domains, that is, 'ripening'; domain boundary motion within islands; and continuous lattice rotation of entire domains. By measuring the relative growth velocity of domains during ripening, we estimate that the driving force for alignment is on the order of 0.1 meV per C atom and increases with rotation angle. A simple model of the orientation-dependent energy associated with the moiré corrugation of the graphene sheet due to local variations in the graphene-substrate interaction reproduces the results. This work suggests new strategies for improving the van der Waals epitaxy of 2D materials.

Unusual role of epilayer-substrate interactions in determining orientational relations in van der Waals epitaxy.

Using selected-area low-energy electron diffraction analysis, we showed strict orientational alignment of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) crystallites with Cu(100) surface lattices of Cu foil substrates during atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition. In sharp contrast, the graphene-Cu(100) system is well-known to assume a wide range of rotations despite graphene's crystallographic similarity to h-BN. Our density functional theory calculations uncovered the origin of this surprising difference: The crystallite orientation is determined during nucleation by interactions between the cluster's edges and the substrate. Unlike the weaker B- and N-Cu interactions, strong C-Cu interactions rearrange surface Cu atoms, resulting in the aligned geometry not being a distinct minimum in total energy. The discovery made in this specific case runs counter to the conventional wisdom that strong epilayer-substrate interactions enhance orientational alignment in epitaxy and sheds light on the factors that determine orientational relation in van der Waals epitaxy of 2D materials.

Four-fold Raman enhancement of 2D band in twisted bilayer graphene: evidence for a doubly degenerate Dirac band and quantum interference.

We report the observation of a strong 2D band Raman in twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) with large rotation angles under 638 nm and 532 nm visible laser excitations. The 2D band Raman intensity increased four-fold as opposed to the two-fold increase observed in single-layer graphene. The same tBLG samples also exhibited rotation-dependent G-line resonances and folded phonons under 364 nm UV laser excitation. We attribute this 2D band Raman enhancement to the constructive interference between two double-resonance Raman pathways, which were enabled by a nearly degenerate Dirac band in the tBLG Moiré superlattices.

Heteroepitaxial growth of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride templated by graphene edges.

By adapting the concept of epitaxy to two-dimensional space, we show the growth of a single-atomic-layer, in-plane heterostructure of a prototypical material system--graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Monolayer crystalline h-BN grew from fresh edges of monolayer graphene with atomic lattice coherence, forming an abrupt one-dimensional interface, or boundary. More important, the h-BN lattice orientation is solely determined by the graphene, forgoing configurations favored by the supporting copper substrate.