Laser- and cryogenic probe-assisted NMR enables hypersensitive analysis of biomolecules at submicromolar concentration.

Solution-state NMR typically requires 100 µM to 1 mM samples. This limitation prevents applications to mass-limited and aggregation-prone target molecules. Photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization was adapted to data collection on low-concentration samples by radiofrequency gating, enabling rapid 1D NMR spectral acquisition on aromatic amino acids and proteins bearing aromatic residues at nanomolar concentration, i.e., a full order of magnitude below other hyperpolarization techniques in liquids. Both backbone H1-C13 and side-chain resonances were enhanced, enabling secondary and tertiary structure analysis of proteins with remarkable spectral editing, via the 13C PREPRINT pulse sequence. Laser-enhanced 2D NMR spectra of 5 µM proteins at 600 MHz display 30-fold better S/N than conventional 2D data collected at 900 MHz. Sensitivity enhancements achieved with this technology, denoted as low-concentration photo-CIDNP (LC-photo-CIDNP), depend only weakly on laser intensity, highlighting the opportunity of safer and more cost-effective hypersensitive NMR applications employing low-power laser sources.

Palladium Acetate Revisited: Unusual Ring-Current Effects, One-Electron Reduction, and Metal-Metal Bonding.

Palladium(II) acetate (1) and two new complexes of the ligand α,α,α',α'-tetramethyl-1,3-benzenedipropionate (esp2-), C s-Pd3(esp)3 ( Cs-2) and C3 h-Pd3(esp)3 ( C3 h-2), are studied in the solid state and in solution. Variable-temperature NMR and DFT studies of C s-2 reveal an unusual shielding region above the Pd atoms. The compounds show a surprising quasi-reversible reduction between -880 and -1200 mV versus Fc/Fc+, and the Pd3(esp)3 complexes may be cleanly reduced electrochemically. EPR spectra of reduced samples show pseudo-axial signals with 105Pd hyperfine coupling, consistent with unprecedented, isostructural Pd35+ species with a valence-trapped PdII-PdII-PdI electronic structure.

Dynamics and Morphology of Nanoparticle-Linked Polymers Elucidated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

Nanoparticles are frequently modified with polymer layers to control their physical and chemical properties, but little is understood about the morphology and dynamics of these polymer layers. We report here an NMR-based investigation of a model polymer-modified nanoparticle, using multiple NMR techniques including 1H NMR, diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY), total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY), and T2 relaxometry to characterize the dynamics of the nanoparticle-polymer interface. Using 5 nm detonation nanodiamond covalently linked to poly(allylamine) hydrochloride as a model system, we demonstrate the use of NMR to distinguish between free and bound polymer and to characterize the degree to which the segments of the nanoparticle-wrapping polymer are mobile (loops and tails) versus immobile (trains). Our results show that the polymer-wrapped nanoparticle contains a large fraction of highly mobile polymer segments, implying that the polymer extends well into solution away from the nanoparticle surface. Flexible, distal polymer segments are likely to be more accessible to extended objects such as cell membranes, compared with polymer segments that are in close proximity to the nanoparticle surface. Thus, these flexible segments may be particularly important in controlling subsequent interactions of the nanoparticles. While reported here for a model system, the methodology used demonstrates how NMR methods can provide important insights into the structure and dynamics at nanoparticle-polymer interfaces, leading to new perspectives on the behavior and interactions of polymer-functionalized nanoparticles in aqueous systems.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Variable-Temperature NMR Studies of Silver(I) Complexes for Selective Nitrene Transfer.

An array of silver complexes supported by nitrogen-donor ligands catalyze the transformation of C═C and C-H bonds to valuable C-N bonds via nitrene transfer. The ability to achieve high chemoselectivity and site selectivity in an amination event requires an understanding of both the solid- and solution-state behavior of these catalysts. X-ray structural characterizations were helpful in determining ligand features that promote the formation of monomeric versus dimeric complexes. Variable-temperature 1H and DOSY NMR experiments were especially useful for understanding how the ligand identity influences the nuclearity, coordination number, and fluxional behavior of silver(I) complexes in solution. These insights are valuable for developing improved ligand designs.

Structurally Diverse Diazafluorene-Ligated Palladium(II) Complexes and Their Implications for Aerobic Oxidation Reactions.

4,5-Diazafluoren-9-one (DAF) has been identified as a highly effective ligand in a number of Pd-catalyzed oxidation reactions, but the mechanistic basis for its utility has not been elucidated. Here, we present the complex coordination chemistry of DAF and palladium(II) carboxylate salts. Multiple complexes among an equilibrating mixture of species have been characterized by (1)H and (15)N NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. These complexes include monomeric and dimeric Pd(II) species, with monodentate (κ(1)), bidentate (κ(2)), and bridging (µ:κ(1):κ(1)) DAF coordination modes. Titration studies of DAF and Pd(OAc)2 reveal the formation of two dimeric DAF/Pd(OAc)2 complexes at low [DAF] and four monomeric species at higher [DAF]. The dimeric complexes feature two bridging acetate ligands together with either a bridging or nonbridging (κ(1)) DAF ligand coordinated to each Pd(II) center. The monomeric structures consist of three isomeric Pd(κ(1)-DAF)2(OAc)2 complexes, together with Pd(κ(2)-DAF)(OAc)2 in which the DAF exhibits a traditional bidentate coordination mode. Replacing DAF with the structurally related, but more-electron-rich derivative 9,9-dimethyl-4,5-diazafluorene (Me2DAF) simplifies the equilibrium mixture to two complexes: a dimeric species in which the Me2DAF bridges the two Pd centers and a monomeric species with a traditional κ(2)-Me2DAF coordination mode. The use of DAF in combination with other carboxylate ligands (CF3CO2(-) or tBuCO2(-)) also results in a simplified collection of equilibrating Pd(II)-DAF complexes. Collectively, the results highlight the ability of DAF to equilibrate rapidly among multiple coordination modes, and provide valuable insights into the utility of DAF as a ligand in Pd-catalyzed oxidation reactions.

Kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of C-N bond rotation by N-methylacetohydroxamic acid in aqueous media.

Hydroxamic acids (HAs) perform tasks in medicine and industry that require bidentate metal binding. The two favored conformations of HAs are related by rotation around the C(=O)-N bond. The conformations are unequal in stability. Recently, we reported that the most stable conformation of a small secondary HA in water places the oxygen atoms anti to one another. The barrier to C-N bond rotation may therefore modulate metal binding by secondary HAs in aqueous media. We have now determined the activation barrier to C-N rotation from major to minor conformation of a small secondary HA in D2O to be 67.3 kJ/mol. The HA rotational barrier scales with solvent polarity, as is observed in amides, although the HA barrier is less than that of a comparable tertiary amide in aqueous solution. Successful design of new secondary HAs to perform specific tasks requires solid understanding of rules governing HA structural behavior. Results from this work provide a more complete foundation for HA design efforts.

Solwaric acids A and B, antibacterial aromatic acids from a marine Solwaraspora sp.

Two novel trialkyl-substituted aromatic acids, solwaric acids A and B, were isolated from a marine Solwaraspora sp. cultivated from the ascidian Trididemnum orbiculatum. Solwaric acids A and B were isotopically labeled with U-¹³C glucose, and analysis of a ¹³C-¹³C COSY allowed for unambiguous determination of the location of the phenyl methyl group. The two novel compounds demonstrated antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).

Chemically reversible four-electron oxidation and reduction utilizing two inorganic functional groups.

Four-electron oxidation of the quadruply bonded W(2)(II,II) compound W(2)(2,2'-dipyridylamide)(4), 1, results in the formation of a novel, diamagnetic ditungsten terminal oxo compound [W(2)O(2,2'-dipyridylamide)(4)](2+), 2. In contrast to the chemical inertness of mononuclear tungsten oxo species, 2 undergoes a four-electron reduction including oxygen-atom transfer in reactions with excess tri-tert-butylphosphine in acetonitrile to recover 1. This unusual chemically reversible multielectron reactivity is ascribed to the cooperation of W-O and W-W multiple bonding.

Radical cation Diels-Alder cycloadditions by visible light photocatalysis.

Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes promote the efficient radical cation Diels-Alder cycloaddition of electron-rich dienophiles upon irradiation with visible light. These reactions enable facile [4 + 2] cycloadditions that would be electronically mismatched under thermal conditions. Key to the success of this methodology is the availability of ligand-modified ruthenium complexes that enable rational tuning of the electrochemical properties of the catalyst without significantly perturbing the overall photophysical properties of the system.

Glyoxal in aqueous ammonium sulfate solutions: products, kinetics and hydration effects.

Reactions and interactions between glyoxal and salts in aqueous solution were studied. Glyoxal was found to react with ammonium to form imidazole, imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde, formic acid, N-glyoxal substituted imidazole, and minor products at very low concentrations. Overall reaction orders and rates for each major product were measured. Sulfate ions have a strong and specific interaction with glyoxal in aqueous solution, which shifts the hydration equilibria of glyoxal from the unhydrated carbonyl form to the hydrated form. This ion-specific effect contributes to the observed enhancement of the effective Henry's law coefficient for glyoxal in sulfate-containing solutions. The results of UV-vis absorption and NMR spectroscopy studies of solutions of glyoxal with ammonium, methylamine, and dimethylamine salts reveal that light absorbing compounds require the formation of nitrogen containing molecules. These findings have implications on the role of glyoxal in the atmosphere, both in models of the contribution of glyoxal to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA), the role of nitrogen containing species for aerosol optical properties and in predictions of the behavior of other carbonyls or dicarbonyls in the atmosphere.

A metastable RuIII azido complex with metallo-Staudinger reactivity.

The metastable purple [(Py5Me2)RuIII(N3)]2+ ion reacts with PPh3 at room temperature to form the phosphinimine complex [(Py5Me2)RuII(N(H)PPh3)]2+ and free [H2NPPh3]+ in a combined 23% conversion. Mechanistic studies suggest that this is the first metallo-Staudinger reaction of a late transition metal that bypasses the nitrido mechanism and instead utilizes a Ru-N[double bond, length as m-dash]N[double bond, length as m-dash]N-PPh3 phosphazide intermediate.

Influence of strand number on antiparallel beta-sheet stability in designed three- and four-stranded beta-sheets.

We describe experiments that probe whether antiparallel beta-sheet secondary structure becomes more stable as the number of strands increases. Several groups, including ours, have explored this issue with peptides designed to adopt three-stranded beta-sheet conformations, but the conclusions have not been consistent. In this study, we examine the effect on conformational stability of beta-sheet lengthening perpendicular to the strand direction via analysis of designed peptides that adopt three-stranded or four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet conformations in aqueous solution. The findings reported here, along with the context provided by earlier studies, suggest that antiparallel beta-sheet does, in general, become more stable when the number of strands is increased from two to three. We show that this conclusion is not influenced by the rigidity of the loop segment used to link adjacent beta-strands (D-Pro-Gly versus Asn-Gly). We show that further extension, from three strands to four, leads to a further increase in antiparallel beta-sheet stability.

An n→π* interaction reduces the electrophilicity of the acceptor carbonyl group.

Carbonyl-carbonyl (C=O···C'=O') interactions are ubiquitous in both small and large molecular systems. This interaction involves delocalization of a lone pair (n) of a donor oxygen into the antibonding orbital (π*) of an acceptor carbonyl group. Analyses of high-resolution protein structures suggest that these carbonyl-carbonyl interactions prefer to occur in pairs, that is, one donor per acceptor. Here, the reluctance of the acceptor carbonyl group (C'=O') to engage in more than one n→π* electron delocalization is probed using imidazolidine-based model systems with one acceptor carbonyl group and two equivalent donor carbonyl groups. The data indicate that the electrophilicity of the acceptor carbonyl group is reduced when it engages in n→π* electron delocalization. This diminished electrophilicity discourages a second n→π* interaction with the acceptor carbonyl group.

Modulation of an n→π* interaction with α-fluoro groups.

Noncovalent interactions play an essential role in biological and chemical processes. In the main chain of common protein secondary structures, the lone pair (n) of a carbonyl oxygen is delocalized into the antibonding orbital (π*) of the subsequent carbonyl group. Herein, experimental and computational data reveal that this n→π* interaction can be attenuated by the inductive electron withdrawal of one or two α-fluoro groups in the donor. The steric effect of three α-fluoro groups, however, overcomes the inductive withdrawal. These data evoke a means to modulate the n→π* interaction in peptides, proteins, and other systems.

Organic glass-forming materials: 1,3,5-tris(naphthyl)benzene derivatives.

The organic glass-forming materials 1,3-bis(1-naphthyl)-5-(2-naphthyl)benzene (2) and its partially deuterated analogue, 1,3-bis(1-naphthyl-d(7))-5-(2-naphthyl)benzene (2-d(14)), have been synthesized on a gram scale using Suzuki coupling reactions. Detailed spectroscopic studies afford complete NMR assignments (1H, 2H, 13C) for both compounds. Modest energy barriers for the interconversion of atropisomers (ca. 15 kcal/mol) result in a propensity for these materials to form supercooled liquids and glasses, rather than undergoing crystallization. The preparation of these materials enables detailed studies of physical properties of organic glasses and molecular diffusion in condensed phases.

Phosphine-ligated induced formation of thallium(I) full Pt3TlPt3 sandwich versus "open-face" TlPt3 sandwich with triangular Pt3(mu2-CO)3(PR3)3 units: synthesis and structural/spectroscopic analysis of triphenylphosphine [(mu3-Tl)Pt3(mu2-CO)3(PPh3)3]+ and its (mu3-AuPPh3)Pt3 analogue.

This research constitutes an operational test to assess the influence of platinum-attached phosphine ligands in the formation process of "open-face" TlPt3 or "full" Pt3TlPt3 sandwich clusters. Accordingly, the reaction of TlPF6 with triphenylphosphine Pt4(mu2-CO)5(PPh3)4, under essentially identical boundary conditions originally used to prepare (90% yield) the triethylphosphine "full" Pt3TlPt3 sandwich, [(mu6-Tl)Pt6(mu2-CO)6(PEt3)6]+ (3) ([PF6]- salt), from Pt4(mu2-CO)5(PEt3)4 was carried out to see whether it would likewise afford the unknown triphenylphosphine Pt3TlPt3 sandwich analogue of or whether the change of phosphine ligands from sterically smaller, more basic PEt3 to PPh3 would cause the product to be the corresponding unknown triphenylphosphine "open-face" TlPt3 sandwich that would geometrically resemble the known bulky tricyclohexylphosphine [(mu3-Tl)Pt3(mu2-CO)3(PCy3)3]+ sandwich (2a). Both the structure and composition of the resulting "open-face" sandwich product, [(mu3-Tl)Pt3(mu2-CO)3(PPh3)3]+ (1a) ([PF6]- salt), were unequivocally established from a low-temperature CCD X-ray crystallographic determination. The calculated Pt/Tl atom ratio (3/1) of 75%/25% is in excellent agreement with that of 72(3)%/28(5)% obtained from energy-resolved measurements on a single crystal with a scanning electron microscope. Crystals (80% yield) of the orange-red were characterized by solid-state/solution IR and variable temperature 205Tl and 31P{1H} NMR spectra; the 31P{1H} spectra provide convincing evidence that is exhibiting dynamic behavior at room temperature in CDCl3 solution. The corresponding new "open-face" (mu3-AuPPh3)Pt3 sandwich, [(mu3-AuPPh3)Pt3(mu2-CO)3(PPh3)3]+ (1b) ([PF6]- salt), was quantitatively obtained from by reaction with AuPPh3Cl and spectroscopically characterized by IR and 31P{1H} NMR spectra. A comparative geometrical evaluation of the observed steric dispositions of the platinum-attached PR3 ligands in the "open-face" (mu3-Tl)Pt3 sandwiches of (with PPh3) and the known (with PCy3) and in the known "full" Pt3TlPt3 sandwich of (with PEt3) along with the considerably different observed steric dispositions of the PR(3) ligands in the known "open-face" (mu3-AuPCy3)Pt3 sandwich of (with PCy3) and in the known "full" Pt3AuPt3 sandwich of (with PPh(3)) has been performed. The results clearly indicate that, in contradistinction to the known triphenylphosphine Pt3AuPt3 sandwich of , PPh3 and bulkier PCy3 ligands of Pt3(mu2-CO)3(PR3)3 units are sterically too large to form "full" Pt3TlPt3 sandwiches. In other words, the nature of the thallium(I) sandwich-product in these reactions is sterically controlled by size effects of the phosphine ligands. Comparative examination of bridging carbonyl IR frequencies of and with those of closely related "open-face" and "full" sandwiches provides better insight concerning the relative electrophilic capacities of Tl+, Au+, and [AuPR3]+ components in forming sandwich adducts with Pt3(mu2-CO)3(PR3)3 nucleophiles.

NMR spectroscopic filtration of polypeptides and proteins in complex mixtures.

Due to the inherent complexity of the natural biological environment, most studies on polypeptides, proteins and nucleic acids have so far been performed in vitro, away from physiologically relevant conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance is an ideal technique to extend the in vitro analysis of simple model systems to the more complex biological context. This work shows how diffusion-based spectroscopic selection can be combined with isotopic labeling to tackle and optimize the NMR analysis of specific macromolecules in multicomponent mixtures. Typical media include cell-free systems containing overexpressed proteins, lysates and proteolytic mixtures. We present a few variants of diffusion-edited HSQC pulse sequences for the selective spectroscopic detection of protein and polypeptide resonances within complex mixtures containing undesired species of smaller molecular weight. Due to diffusion-based filtering, peak intensities of fast diffusing small molecules are attenuated more than peaks due to large molecules. The basic sequence, denoted as PFGSTE-HSQC, combines translational diffusion-ordering with two dimensional heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectroscopy. The GCSTE-HSQC and BPPSTE-HSQC sequences include bipolar gradients and are therefore suitable for both diffusion-based filtering and determination of diffusion coefficients of individual mixture components. Practical applications range from protein stability/folding investigations in physiologically relevant contexts to prescreening of tertiary fold and resonance assignments in structural genomics studies. A few applications of diffusion-edited HSQC to an E. coli cell lysate containing the (15)N-labeled B domain of streptococcal protein G (GB1), and to a (15)N-labeled N-acetylglycine/apomyoglobin mixture are presented. In addition, we provide specific guidelines for experimental setup and parameter optimization.