Energy-Efficient Iodine Uptake by a Molecular Host⋠Guest Crystal.

Recently, porous organic crystals (POC) based on macrocycles have shown exceptional sorption and separation properties. Yet, the impact of guest presence inside a macrocycle prior to adsorption has not been studied. Here we show that the inclusion of trimethoxybenzyl-azaphosphatrane in the macrocycle cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) affords molecular porous host⋅guest crystals (PHGC-1) with radically new properties. Unactivated hydrated PHGC-1 adsorbed iodine spontaneously and selectively at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The absence of (i) heat for material synthesis, (ii) moisture sensitivity, and (iii) energy-intensive steps for pore activation are attractive attributes for decreasing the energy costs. 1 H NMR and DOSY were instrumental for monitoring the H2 O/I2 exchange. PHGC-1 crystals are non-centrosymmetric and I2 -doped crystals showed markedly different second harmonic generation (SHG), which suggests that iodine doping could be used to modulate the non-linear optical properties of porous organic crystals.

2D and 3D maximum-quantum NMR and diffusion spectroscopy for the characterization of enzymatic reaction mixtures.

1D 1H NMR spectroscopy has been widely used to monitor enzymatic activity by recording the evolution of the spectra of substrates and/or products, thanks to the linear response of NMR. For complex systems involving the coexistence of multiple compounds (substrate, final product and various intermediates), the identification and quantification can be a more arduous task. Here, we present a simple analytical method for the rapid characterization of reaction mixtures involving enzymatic complexes using Maximum Quantum (MaxQ) NMR, accelerated with the Non-Uniform Sampling (NUS) acquisition procedure. Specifically, this approach enables, in the first analytical step, the counting of the molecules present in the samples. We also show, using two different enzymatic systems, that the implementation of these pulse sequences implies precautions related to the short relaxation times due to the presence of metallo-enzymes or paramagnetic catalysts. Finally, the combination of MaxQ and diffusion experiments, which leads to a 3D chart, greatly improves the resolution and offers an extreme simplification of the spectra while giving valuable indications on the affinity of the enzymes to the different compounds present in the reaction mixture.

Tunable Production of (R)- or (S)-Citronellal from Geraniol via a Bienzymatic Cascade Using a Copper Radical Alcohol Oxidase and Old Yellow Enzyme.

Biocatalytic pathways for the synthesis of (-)-menthol, the most sold flavor worldwide, are highly sought-after. To access the key intermediate (R)-citronellal used in current major industrial production routes, we established a one-pot bienzymatic cascade from inexpensive geraniol, overcoming the problematic biocatalytic reduction of the mixture of (E/Z)-isomers in citral by harnessing a copper radical oxidase (CgrAlcOx) and an old yellow enzyme (OYE). The cascade using OYE2 delivered 95.1% conversion to (R)-citronellal with 95.9% ee, a 62 mg scale-up affording high yield and similar optical purity. An alternative OYE, GluER, gave (S)-citronellal from geraniol with 95.3% conversion and 99.2% ee.

Evaluation of the Rotating-Frame Relaxation (T1ρ) Filter and Its Application in Metabolomics as an Alternative to the Transverse Relaxation (T2) Filter.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic studies commonly involve the use of T2 filter pulse sequences to eliminate or attenuate the broad signals from large molecules and improve spectral resolution. In this paper, we demonstrate that the T1ρ filter-based pulse sequence represents an interesting alternative because it allows the stability and the reproducibility needed for statistical analysis. The integrity of the samples and the stability of the instruments were assessed for different filter durations and amplitudes. We showed that the T1ρ filter pulse sequence did not induce sample overheating for a filter duration of up to 500 ms. The reproducibility was evaluated and compared with the T2 filter in serum and liver samples. The implementation is relatively simple and provides the same statistical and analytical results as those obtained with the standard filters. Regarding tissues analysis, because the duration of the filter is the same as that of the spin-lock, the synchronization of the echo delays with the magic angle spinning (MAS) rate is no longer necessary as for T2 filter-based sequences. The results presented in this article aim at establishing a new protocol to improve metabolomic studies and pave the way for future developments on T1ρ alternative filters, in liquid and HR-MAS NMR experiments.

Strategic Stereoselective Halogen (F, Cl) Insertion: A Tool to Enhance Supramolecular Properties in Polyols.

To improve the supramolecular properties of organic compounds, chemists continuously need to identify new tools. Herein, the influence of the stereoselective insertion of halogen atoms (F or Cl) on different supramolecular properties is analyzed. Inserting anti-halohydrins in polyols considerably strengthens the H-bonding networks and other supramolecular interactions. This behavior resulted in improved anion binding, H-bonding catalysis, or organogel properties of the designed polyols with strong perspectives for applications in other classes of substrates.

Challenges in the decomposition of 2D NMR spectra of mixtures of small molecules.

Analytical methods for mixtures of small molecules require specificity (is a certain molecule present in the mix?) and speciation capabilities. NMR spectroscopy has been a tool of choice for both of these issues since its early days, due to its quantitative (linear) response, sufficiently high resolving power and capabilities of inferring molecular structures from spectral features (even in the absence of a reference database). However, the analytical performances of NMR spectroscopy are being stretched by the increased complexity of the samples, the dynamic range of the components, and the need for a reasonable turnover time. One approach that has been actively pursued for disentangling the composition complexity is the use of 2D NMR spectroscopy. While any of the many experiments from this family will increase the spectral resolution, some are more apt for mixtures, as they are capable of unveiling signals belonging to whole molecules or fragments of it. Among the most popular ones, one can enumerate HSQC-TOCSY, DOSY and Maximum-Quantum (MaxQ) NMR spectroscopy. For multicomponent samples, the development of robust mathematical methods of signal decomposition would provide a clear edge towards identification. We have been pursuing, along these lines, Blind Source Separation (BSS). Here, the un-mixing of the spectra is achieved relying on correlations detected on a series of datasets. The series could be associated with samples of different relative composition or in a classically acquired 2D experiment by the mathematical laws underlying the construction of the indirect dimension, the one not recorded by the spectrometer. Many algorithms have been proposed for BSS in NMR spectroscopy since the seminal work of Nuzillard. In this paper, we use rather standard algorithms in BSS in order to disentangle NMR spectra. We show on simulated data (both 1D and 2D HSQC) that these approaches enable us to accurately disentangle multiple components, and provide good estimates for the concentrations of compounds. Furthermore, we show that after proper realignment of the signals, the same algorithms are able to disentangle real 1D NMR spectra. We obtain similar results on 2D HSQC spectra, where the BSS algorithms are able to successfully disentangle components, and provide even better estimates for concentrations.

Rapid characterization of cocaine in illicit drug samples by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy.

Seized samples of illegally produced cocaine have a very large variability in composition; a fact that may result in a challenge to their analysis. We demonstrate here a simple and fast method to detect the presence of cocaine in both hydrochloride and free-base forms in illicit drug samples by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This is achieved by combining the commonly used 1D spectra and diffusion-ordered spectroscopy and introducing the 2D maximum-quantum NMR approach to forensic analysis. The protocol allows the facile determination of the cocaine forms even in the presence of multiple adulterants. By relying on non-uniform sampling acceleration of 2D spectroscopy, the identification can be obtained in less than 3 min for 10 mg of product. Moreover, we show that intermolecular interactions of the sample constituents, while affecting the analysis result, do not interfere with the quality of the detection of the proposed protocol.

Hepatic metabolic effects of Curcuma longa extract supplement in high-fructose and saturated fat fed rats.

The metabolic effects of an oral supplementation with a Curcuma longa extract, at a dose nutritionally relevant with common human use, on hepatic metabolism in rats fed a high fructose and saturated fatty acid (HFS) diet was evaluated. High-resolution magic-angle spinning NMR and GC/MS in combination with multivariate analysis have been employed to characterize the NMR metabolite profiles and fatty acid composition of liver tissue respectively. The results showed a clear discrimination between HFS groups and controls involving metabolites such as glucose, glycogen, amino acids, acetate, choline, lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and ß-hydroxybutyrate as well as an increase of MUFAs and a decrease of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs. Although the administration of CL did not counteract deleterious effects of the HFS diet, some metabolites, namely some n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA, and betaine were found to increase significantly in liver samples from rats having received extract of curcuma compared to those fed the HFS diet alone. This result suggests that curcuminoids may affect the transmethylation pathway and/or osmotic regulation. CL extract supplementation in rats appears to increase some of the natural defences preventing the development of fatty liver by acting on the choline metabolism to increase fat export from the liver.

Combined maximum-quantum and DOSY 3D experiments provide enhanced resolution for small molecules in mixtures.

We illustrate here as the combination of high-order maximum-quantum (MaxQ) and Diffusion-Ordered SpectroscopY (DOSY) NMR experiments in a 3D layout allows superior resolution for crowded NMR spectra. Non-uniform sampling (NUS) allows compressing the experimental time effectively to reasonable durations. Because diffusion effects were encoded within multiple-quantum coherences, increased sensitivity to magnetic field gradients is observed, requiring compensation for convection effects. The experiment was demonstrated on the spectra of a mix of small polyaromatic molecules. Specifically, in the case analyzed, the experiment provided an extreme simplification through the MaxQDOSY-MaxQ projection plane that presents one peak per molecule. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of a Dinuclear Copper(II) Complex and Its Fleeting Mixed-Valent Copper(II)/Copper(III) Counterpart.

The synthesis of a dinuclear copper(II) complex, supported by a 1,3-diamino-2-propanol-based tetraamide ligand, is reported. Structural properties in the solid state and in solution, by means of XRD analysis and NMR spectroscopy, respectively, provide evidence of a highly flexible complex that can display several conformations, leading to the image of the wings of a butterfly. The complex was fully characterized and the redox properties were investigated. Room-temperature spectro-electrochemistry was used to monitor the formation of a metastable mono-oxidized product that displayed an absorption band centered at λ=463 nm. EPR investigation of the low-temperature, chemically generated, mono-oxidized product reveals the presence of an intermediate described as a mixed-valent CuII CuIII species, which is a model of the possible highly oxidizing intermediate in particulate methane monooxygenase.

Physicochemical of microcrystalline cellulose from oil palm fronds as potential methylene blue adsorbents.

The present study sheds light on the physical and chemical characteristics of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) isolated from oil palm fronds (OPF) pulps. It was found that the OPF MCC was identified as cellulose II polymorph, with higher crystallinity index than OPF α-cellulose (CrIOPFMCC: 71%>CrIOPFα-cellulose: 47%). This indicates that the acid hydrolysis allows the production of cellulose that is highly crystalline. BET surface area of OPF MCC was found to be higher than OPF α-cellulose (SBETOPFMCC: 5.64m2g-1>SBETOPFα-cellulose:Qa0 2.04m2g-1), which corroborates their potential as an adsorbent. In batch adsorption studies, it was observed that the experimental data fit well with Langmuir adsorption isotherm in comparison to Freundlich isotherm. The monolayer adsorption capacity (Qa0) of OPF MCC was found to be around 51.811mgg-1 and the experimental data fitted well to pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

The antitumor effects of an arsthinol-cyclodextrin complex in a heterotopic mouse model of glioma.

In this paper, we examined arsthinol-cyclodextrin complexes, which display an anticancer activity. The association constants were 17,502±522 M(-1) for hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin and 12,038±10,168 M(-1) for randomized methylated ß-cyclodextrin. (1)H NMR experiments in solution also confirmed the formation of these complexes and demonstrated an insertion of the arsthinol (STB) with its dithiarsolane extremity into the wide rim of the hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin cavity. Complexed arsthinol was more effective than arsenic trioxide (As2O3) and melarsoprol on the U87 MG cell line. Importantly, in the in vivo study, we observed significant antitumor activity against heterotopic xenografts after i.p. administration and did not see any signs of toxicity. This remains to be verified using an orthotopic model.

New application of proton nuclear spin relaxation unraveling the intermolecular structural features of low-molecular-weight organogel fibers.

Proton nuclear spin relaxation has been for the first time extensively used for a structural and dynamical study of low-molecular-weight organogels. The gelator in the present study is a modified phenylalanine amino acid bearing a naphthalimide moiety. From T(1) (spin-lattice relaxation time in the laboratory frame) and T(1ρ) (spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame) measurements, it is shown that the visible gelator NMR spectrum below the liquid-gel transition temperature corresponds to a so-called isotropic compartment, where gelator molecules behave as in a liquid phase but exchange rapidly with the molecules constituting the gel structure. This feature allows one to derive, from accessible parameters, information about the gel itself. Nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments have been exploited in view of determining not only cross-relaxation rates but also specific longitudinal rates. The whole set of relaxation parameters (at 25 °C) leads to a correlation time of 5 ns for gelator molecules within the gel structure and 150 ps for gelator molecules in the isotropic phase. This confirms, on one hand, the flexibility of the organogel fibers and, on the other hand, the likely presence of clusters in the isotropic phase. Concerning cross-relaxation rates, a thorough theoretical investigation in multispin systems of direct and relayed correlations in a NOESY spectrum allows one to make conclusions about contacts (around 2-3 Å) not only between naphtalimide moieties of different gelator molecules but also between the phenyl ring and the naphtalimide moiety again of different gelator molecules. As a result, not only is the head-to-tail structure of amino acid columns confirmed but also the entangling of nearby columns by the naphthalimide moieties is demonstrated.

Solvent dynamical behavior in an organogel phase as studied by NMR relaxation and diffusion experiments.

An organogelation process depends on the gelator-solvent pair. This study deals with the solvent dynamics once the gelation process is completed. The first approach used is relaxometry, i.e., the measurement of toluene proton longitudinal relaxation time T(1) as a function of the proton NMR resonance frequency (here in the 5 kHz to 400 MHz range). Pure toluene exhibits an unexpected T(1) variation, which has been identified as paramagnetic relaxation resulting from an interaction of toluene with dissolved oxygen. In the gel phase, this contribution is retrieved with, in addition, a strong decay at low frequencies assigned to toluene molecules within the gel fibers. Comparison of dispersion curves of pure toluene and toluene in the gel phase leads to an estimate of the proportion of toluene embedded within the organogel (found around 40%). The second approach is based on carbon-13 T(1) and nuclear Overhauser effect measurements, the combination of these two parameters providing direct information about the reorientation of C-H bonds. It appears clearly that reorientation of toluene is the same in pure liquid and in the gel phase. The only noticeable changes in carbon-13 longitudinal relaxation times are due to the so-called chemical shift anisotropy (csa) mechanism and reflect slight modifications of the toluene electronic distribution in the gel phase. NMR diffusion measurements by the pulse gradient spin-echo (PGSE) method allow us to determine the diffusion coefficient of toluene inside the organogel. It is roughly two-thirds of the one in pure toluene, thus indicating that self-diffusion is the only dynamical parameter to be slightly affected when the solvent is inside the gel structure. The whole set of experimental observations leads to the conclusion that, once the gel is formed, the solvent becomes essentially passive, although an important fraction is located within the gel structure.

Self-diffusion coefficients obtained from proton-decoupled carbon-13 spectra for analyzing a mixture of terpenes.

In the limit of sufficient sensitivity, natural abundance 13C offers a much better spectral resolution than proton NMR. This is due to an important chemical shift range and to proton-decoupling conditions that yield one peak per carbon with practically no overlap. However, pulsed gradient spin echo experiments, which lead to the diffusion coefficient associated with each peak, have scarcely been employed. In this article, we present and compare different ways to access this quantity and we have effectively verified that, without any precaution, diffusion coefficients cannot be properly determined from standard procedures. The cause of such a failure is decoupling during the gradient pulses. We have used a very simple remedy that proved to be very successful on a model mixture of three monoterpenes and that appears as being of general applicability.

Selective HOESY experiments for stereochemical determinations.

Heteronuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (HOESY) is a powerful method for tracking geometrical proximities between two heteronuclei (for instance, (1)H and (13)C, as this will be the case here). The method is based on cross-relaxation arising from dipolar interactions. Sensitivity permitting, it is applied in the 2D mode yielding all spatial correlations in a single experiment. Whenever sensitivity is not sufficient, it can be applied in the one-dimensional mode by selectively inverting one particular proton. In that case, it yields, from the carbon-13 spectrum, remote spatial correlations. The method has been employed here for the discrimination between two possible E or Z isomers in a medium-size molecule.