Ethyl Side Chain Research Articles

Catalytic depolymerization of Camellia oleifera shell lignin to phenolic monomers: Insights into the effects of solvent, catalyst and atmosphere

Camellia oleifera shell (COS) is a renewable biomass resource abundant in lignin with significant potential for producing phenolic monomers. However, the dearth of research has led to considerable resource wastage and environmental pollution. Herein, reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) of COS was performed using noble metal catalysts in different solvents. An 11.1 wt% yield of phenolic monomers was achieved with 91% selectivity toward propylene-substituted monomers in H2O/EtOH (3:7, v/v) cosolvent under N2 atmosphere. Notably, the highest phenolic monomer yield of 17.0 wt% was obtained with impressive selectivity (86.9%) toward propanol-substituted monomers in the presence of H2. The GPC analysis and 2D HSQC NMR spectra indicated the effective depolymerization of lignin oligomers with catalysts. Phenolic monomers with ethyl, propyl, or propanol side chain could be produced from lignin-derived oligomers through hydrogenolysis, hydrogenation, and decarboxylation reactions. Overall, this study has paved the way for the valorization of COS lignin through the RCF strategy.

Crystals of Aliphatic Derivatives of [Cu(acac)2 ] have Distinct Atomic-Scale Mechanisms of Bending.

Molecular crystals displaying elastic flexibility have important applications in the fields of optoelectronics and nanophotonic technologies. Understanding the mechanisms by which these materials bend is critical to the design of future materials incorporating these properties. Based on the known elastic properties of bis(acetylacetonato)copper(II), a series of 14 aliphatic derivatives are synthesized and crystallized. All those which grew in a needle morphology display noticeable elasticity, with 1D chains of π-stacked molecules parallel to the long metric length of the crystal a consistent crystallographic feature. Crystallographic mapping is used to measure the mechanism of elasticity at an atomic-scale. Symmetric derivatives with ethyl and propyl side chains are found to have different mechanisms of elasticity, which are further distinguished from the previously reported mechanism of bis(acetylacetonato)copper(II). While crystals of bis(acetylacetonato)copper(II) are known to bend elastically via a molecular rotation mechanism, the elasticity of the compounds presented is facilitated by expansion of their π-stacking interactions.

Construction of macromolecular model and analysis of oxygen absorption characteristics of Hongyang No. 2 coal mine

Understanding the molecular structure characteristics of coal from the molecular level is of great significance for realizing rational utilization and efficient transformation of coal. The molecular structure of coal samples from 1304 working face in No.13 coal seam of Hongyang No.2 Mine (HY) was studied by industrial analysis, elemental analysis, Nuclear magnetic resonance carbon spectroscopy (13C NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the aromatic compounds in coal samples of HY are mainly naphthalene ring structures. The aliphatic structure mainly consists of methyl, ethyl side chains and cycloalkanes. The ratio of aromatic bridge carbon to weekly carbon in molecular structure is 0.17. Oxygen atoms exist in the form of carbonyl, hydroxyl, and ether bonds, nitrogen atoms exist in the form of pyridine and pyrrole respectively, and sulfur atoms exist in the form of thiophene. Based on this, the planar structure model of coal macromolecule in HY is constructed, and its molecular formula is C129H88O29N2S, and its molecular weight is 2160. The structure optimization and annealing kinetics simulation of a single macromolecule model were carried out, and a stable three-dimensional coal model of HY was obtained. In addition, the oxygen absorption characteristics of coal samples in HY were studied by molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry. The results show that the adsorption capacity of the Wiser model is less than that of HY coal model. This is because, compared with the Wiser model, the content of oxygenated aliphatic hydrocarbons in the molecular structure of HY coal is higher, and the condensation degree of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is lower. Due to the stronger physical adsorption capacity of hydroxyl, ether bond, and carbonyl on O2, HY Mine has stronger physical adsorption capacity on O2.

New Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) reference materials by chemical synthetic pathway

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a widely used alcohol biomarker comprising a group of homologous phospholipids with a common polar phosphoethanol head onto which two fatty acid moieties are attached at position sn-1 and sn-2is. PEth are formed in the presence of ethanol by conversion of phosphatidylcholine (PC) to PEth via the catalytic action of the enzyme phospholipase D (PLD). Compared to traditional, indirect biomarkers, PEth is a direct biomarker, is more specific, has wider detection windows in toxicological samples and is not influenced by age, gender, other ingested substances or other pathological conditions. The accurate identification and quantification of PEth homologs in toxicology casework is analytically demanding, made more challenging by the limited number of reference standards available and their cost. Aims: to develop a novel chemical synthesis method to increase production volumes of PEth reference materials; to produce stable isotopically labelled internal standards; to improve the quality/purity of reference materials; and to address the possible impact of regio-isomers and other impurities in PEth reference materials on routine toxicological analysis. Chemical synthetic methods were developed for the synthesis of individual PEth homologs and stable isotope labelled PEth Internal standards. Synthetic methods with levulinyl protection in one of the crucial steps were chosen especially for PEth having one or more double bonds in the fatty acid at sn-2 position, and for PEth internal standards having deuterium or 13C-isotopic labelling in the glycerol moiety. Regio-chemical control has been addressed in the chemical synthesis to avoid or minimize the acyl migration of the two fatty acid moieties. Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C-NMR) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was used for product characterization and purity assessment. 13C-NMR was also used for identification of PEth regioisomers and the data have been externally validated using LC-MS/MS. PEth (16:0/18:1), penta-deuterium labelled PEth(16:0/18:1)-d5 (ethyl-d5) and PEth (16:0/18:1)-d5 (glycerol-d5) and 13C-labelled PEth (16:0/18:1)-13C3 (glycerol-13C3) as the free acid or as ammonium salt have been synthesized by new chemical synthetic pathways. The PEth reference materials were obtained in high chemical purity and regio-isomeric purity. Reversed position isomer PEth (18:1/16:0) was also synthesized for comparation and identification of regio-isomers and regio-isomeric purity. Analytical differentiation of the regio-isomers by 600 MHz and 800 MHz NMR was performed and different 13C-NMR signals of the carbonyl groups were observed and identified. Compared to the enzymatic route, chemical synthesis of PEth may provide higher quality, and more reproducible reference standards. The regio-isomers of PEth have an identical molecular weight and similar chromatographic and spectral properties making them difficult to differentiate. They can be detected only using NMR and ion ratio evaluation in LC-MS/MS analysis. Chemically and isomerically pure reference standards have been produced using our new synthesis methods. Additionally, PEth-d5 (glycerol-d5) and 13C-labelled PEth-13C3 (glycerol-13C3) both have the isotopic labelling inside the glycerol moiety, different from existing PEth-d5 (ethyl-d5) reference standards. The isotopic labelling in the glycidyl backbone of the molecule is more stable than in the ethyl side chain, whilst by-products were observed by loss of the entire phosphate head group (including the ethyl-d5) from PEth-d5. 13C-labelled internal standards are superior than the deuterium labelled ones due to better ion-suspension effect in MS analysis. Chemical synthetic pathways have been developed for the synthesis of PEth homologues. With the synthetic methods developed it is possible to prepare highly pure PEth homologues without unwanted regio-isomers and without other chemical impurities being present. Similarly, PEth with deuterium and 13C-labelled glycerol moieties have also been prepared. These labelled PEth standards can be used as the new isotopically internal standards for quantitative analysis of PEth.

Structural Model Construction and Optimal Characterization of High-Volatile Bituminous Coal Molecules

The structural characteristics of coal at the molecular level are important for its efficient use. Bituminous coal from the Baozigou Coal Mine is investigated, using elemental analysis, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared. The molecular structure was determined. The aromatic compounds of bituminous coal molecules are primarily two- and three-ring structures, and the aliphatic structures are primarily in the form of methyl, ethyl side chains, and naphthenic hydrocarbons. The ratio of aromatic bridge carbon to peripheral carbon in the molecular structure is 0.279. Oxygen atoms in the form of carbonyl, phenolic hydroxyl and C–O, and nitrogen atoms in pyrroles. Thus, the average structure model of bituminous coal macromolecules was constructed; the molecular formula was C169H128O10N2S, and the molecular weight was 2378. The aromatic structural units in the macromolecular structure of coal include four naphthalenes, three anthracenes, two tetracenes, and heteroatoms in the form of three carbonyl groups, one phenolic hydroxyl group, one pyrrole, and one pyridine. The structure optimization and annealing kinetic simulation of a single macromolecular structure model were performed. Chemical bonds such as bridge bonds and aliphatic bonds were found to be twisted, and π–π interactions between the aromatic sheets in the molecule produced adjacent aromatic sheets. This arrangement tends to be approximately parallel, and the total energy decreases from 6713.401 to 2667.595 kJ/mol, among which the bond stretching energy and van der Waals energy dominate. We used 20 bituminous coal macromolecular models to construct aggregated structural models. After optimization by molecular dynamics simulation, the macromolecules were constrained by the surrounding molecules, and the sheet-like aromatic carbon structures that were originally approximately parallel were distorted. The macromolecular structure model of bituminous coal constructed in this study provides a theoretical model basis for the optimal surfactant.

Impact of mono- and di-β-galactose moieties in in vitro / in vivo anticancer efficacy of pyropheophorbide-carbohydrate conjugates by photodynamic therapy

To investigate the impact of mono- and di-β-galactose moieties in tumor uptake and photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy, HPPH [3-(1′-hexyloxy)ethyl-3-devinylpyropheophorobide-a], the meso pyropheophorbide-a [3-ethyl-3-devinyl-pyropheophorbide-a], and the corresponding 20-benzoic acid analogs were used as starting materials. Reaction of the intermediates containing one or two carboxylic acid functionalities with 1-aminogalactose afforded the desired 172- or 20(4′)- mono- and 172, 20(4′)-di galactose conjugated photosensitizers (PSs) with and without a carboxylic acid group. The overall lipophilicity caused by the presence of galactose in combination with either an ethyl or (1′-hexyloxy)ethyl side chain at position-3 of the macrocycle made a significant difference in in vitro uptake by tumor cells and photoreaction upon light exposure. Interestingly, among the PSs investigated, compared to HPPH 1 the carbohydrate conjugates 2 and 11 in which β-galactose moieties are conjugated at positions 172 and 20(4′) of meso-pyro pheophorbide-a showed similar in vitro efficacy in FaDu cell lines, but in SCID mice bearing FaDu tumors (head & neck) Ps 11 gave significantly improved long-term tumor cure.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Gas Generation Tracking of Pyrolysis of Bituminous Coal.

To study the generation rules of organic molecules or fragments and the generation paths of some hydrocarbon gases (C2H2/C2H4) and inorganic gases (CO2/H2O/H2/H2S) in the pyrolysis process of bituminous coal at 1000–5000 K, the ReaxFF molecular dynamics module in AMS software was used to simulate the pyrolysis behavior of the Hongqingliang model, Gaojialiang model, and Wiser model. With the increase of temperature, the system potential energy decreases, the endothermic efficiency increases first and then decreases, the fragments of C1–C4 fragments increase, and the gas molecules generated increase. In the pyrolysis process, the oxygen-containing functional groups and hydrogen groups formed H2O and H2 with the increase of temperature. H2S as an intermediate product is always maintained in dynamic equilibrium. CO2 comes from the decarboxylation of the carboxyl groups. When the temperature is lower than 3000 K, C2H4 and C2H2 are mainly formed by the adjacent carbon structure in coal molecules, and C2H4 is formed from the ethyl side chain, the naphthenic structure, and the unstable aromatic rings. C2H2 is formed from naphthene structures and aromatic rings with multiple side chains. When the temperature is higher than 3000 K, C2H4 and C2H2 are mainly formed by the random combination of free radicals generated by the crushing of coal molecules. The research results are of great significance to coal pyrolysis and clean utilization of coal.

The side chain of ubiquinone plays a critical role in Na+ translocation by the NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR) from Vibrio cholerae

The Na+-pumping NADH-ubiquinone (UQ) oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR) is an essential bacterial respiratory enzyme that generates a Na+ gradient across the cell membrane. However, the mechanism that couples the redox reactions to Na+ translocation remains unknown. To address this, we examined the relation between reduction of UQ and Na+ translocation using a series of synthetic UQs with Vibrio cholerae Na+-NQR reconstituted into liposomes. UQ0 that has no side chain and UQCH3 and UQC2H5, which have methyl and ethyl side chains, respectively, were catalytically reduced by Na+-NQR, but their reduction generated no membrane potential, indicating that the overall electron transfer and Na+ translocation are not coupled. While these UQs were partly reduced by electron leak from the cofactor(s) located upstream of riboflavin, this complete loss of Na+ translocation cannot be explained by the electron leak. Lengthening the UQ side chain to n-propyl (C3H7) or longer significantly restored Na+ translocation. It has been considered that Na+ translocation is completed when riboflavin, a terminal redox cofactor residing within the membrane, is reduced. In this view, the role of UQ is simply to accept electrons from the reduced riboflavin to regenerate the stable neutral riboflavin radical and reset the catalytic cycle. However, the present study revealed that the final UQ reduction via reduced riboflavin makes an important contribution to Na+ translocation through a critical role of its side chain. Based on the results, we discuss the critical role of the UQ side chain in Na+ translocation.

Microwave assisted synthesis of rhodium(Ⅰ) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes and their cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines

Organometallic rhodium(Ⅰ) complexes of the general type [(COD)(NHC)RhCl] (where COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) were prepared according to a two-step transmetalation method via a silver carbene intermediate. The procedure was supported by microwave irradiation allowing reduced reaction periods. The complexes were evaluated for cytotoxic effects in selected cancer cell lines, namely HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma, MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma and MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma, and generally triggered strong cytotoxic effects with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Evaluation of structure-activity relationships clearly indicated a preference for branched isopropyl side chains at the nitrogen atoms of the NHC ligands versus non-branched ethyl side chains. Further studies on selected examples in HT-29 cells indicated that this could be the result of a higher cellular uptake.

Multifunctional P450 Monooxygenase CftA Diversifies the Clifednamide Pool through Tandem C-H Bond Activations.

Polycyclic tetramate macrolactams (PTMs) are a class of structurally complex hybrid polyketide-nonribosomal peptide (PK-NRP) natural products produced by diverse bacteria. Several PTMs display pharmaceutically interesting bioactivities, and the early stages of PTM biosynthesis involving polyketide synthase (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) enzymology are well studied. However, the timing and mechanisms of post PKS-NRPS oxidations by P450 monooxygenases encoded in PTM biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) remain poorly characterized. Here we demonstrate that CftA, encoded in clifednamide-type PTM BGCs, is a multifunctional P450 monooxygenase capable of converting the C29-C30 ethyl side chain of ikarugamycin to either a C29-C30 methyl ketone or a C29-C30 hydroxymethyl ketone through C-H bond activation, resulting in the formation of clifednamide A or clifednamide C, respectively. We also report the complete structure of clifednamide C solved via multidimensional NMR (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, and TOCSY) using material purified from an engineered Streptomyces strain optimized for production. Finally, the in vitro reconstitution of recombinant CftA catalytic activity revealed the oxidation cascade for sequential conversion of ikarugamycin to clifednamide A and clifednamide C. Our findings confirm prior genetics-based predictions on the origins of clifednamide complexity via P450s encoded in PTM BGCs and place CftA into a growing group of multifunctional P450s that tailor PTM natural products through late-stage regioselective C-H bond activation.

Unveiling the conformational landscape of achiral all-cis tert-butyl β-peptoids.

The synthesis and conformational study of N-substituted β-alanines with tert-butyl side chains is described. The oligomers prepared by submonomer synthesis and block coupling methods are up to 15 residues long and are characterised by amide bonds in the cis-conformation. A conformational study comprising experimental solution NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling shows that despite their intrinsic higher conformational flexibility compared to their α-peptoid counterparts, this family of achiral oligomers adopt preferred secondary structures including a helical conformation close to that described with (1-naphthyl)ethyl side chains but also a novel ribbon-like conformation.

Taberdines L and M, two new alkaloids from Tabernaemontana divaricata

Two new alkaloids, taberdines L (1) and M (2), together with six known alkaloids, were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Tabernaemontana divaricata. Taberdine L (1) represents the first optically active natural member of the allo iboga class of alkaloids with the ethyl side chain in a bridgehead position. Their structures including absolute configuration were elucidated by a combination of MS, NMR, and ECD calculation. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of 1 and 2 against five human cancer cell lines were also evaluated.

Starburst Carbazole Derivatives as Efficient Hole Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells

Five new star‐shaped carbazole‐based molecules are successfully synthesized from low‐cost, commercially available reagents via a simple one‐step synthesis route. All carbazole derivatives comprise a 3,6‐diaminocarbazole core with carbazole peripheral groups substituted at the 2‐ or 3‐positions and various aliphatic side chains. These molecules are evaluated as hole transporting materials to replace 2,2′,7,7′‐tetrakis‐(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxyphenylamine)‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene (spiro‐OMeTAD) in perovskite solar cells. Power conversion efficiencies of the devices with these carbazole hole transporting layers reach 19.0%, comparable with 19.7% obtained with the spiro‐OMeTAD‐based device. The thermal and operational stability of the candidate molecules are found to depend on the side chain substituents. Two candidate molecules with ethyl side chains show superior thermal stability compared with that of the reference solar cells prepared with spiro‐OMeTAD.

2-Amino-4-(4-chloro-1-ethyl-2,2-dioxo-1H-benzo[c][1,2]thia-zin-3-yl)-7,7-dimethyl-5-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetra-hydro-4H-chromene-3-carbo-nitrile: single-crystal X-ray diffraction study and Hirshfeld surface analysis.

In the title compound, C22H22ClN3O4S, which has potential non-steroidal anti-inflammatory activity, the benzo-thia-zine and cyclo-hexenone rings both adopt a distorted sofa conformation while the 4H-pyrane ring adopts a very flattened sofa conformation. The two bicyclic fragments are skewed to each other, with the dihedral angle between their least-squares planes being 72.8 (1)°. In the crystal, the mol-ecules form a hydrogen-bonded chain parallel to the a axis due to N-H⋯O and N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. Neighbouring chains are linked by C-H⋯N, C-H⋯O and π-π stacking inter-actions. Hirshfeld surface analysis was used to investigate the importance of the different types of inter-molecular inter-actions whose contributions are: H⋯H = 44.7%, O⋯H/H⋯O = 21.8%, N⋯H/H⋯N = 11.9%, C⋯H/H⋯C = 9.5%, Cl⋯H/H⋯Cl = 7.2%. Parts of the mol-ecule, viz. the phenyl ring and the ethyl side chain, are equally disordered over two sets of sites.

Beyond Amphiphilic Balance: Changing Subunit Stereochemistry Alters the Pore-Forming Activity of Nylon-3 Polymers.

Amphiphilic nylon-3 polymers have been reported to mimic the biological activities of natural antimicrobial peptides, with high potency against bacteria and minimal toxicity toward eukaryotic cells. Amphiphilic balance, determined by the proportions of hydrophilic and lipophilic subunits, is considered one of the most important features for achieving this activity profile for nylon-3 polymers and many other antimicrobial polymers. Insufficient hydrophobicity often correlates with weak activities against bacteria, whereas excessive hydrophobicity correlates with high toxicity toward eukaryotic cells. To ask whether factors beyond amphiphilic balance influence polymer activities, we synthesized and evaluated new nylon-3 polymers with two stereoisomeric subunits, each bearing an ethyl side chain and an aminomethyl side chain. Subunits that differ only in stereochemistry are predicted to contribute equally to amphiphilic balance, but we observed that the stereochemical difference correlates with significant changes in biological activity profile. Antibacterial activities were not strongly affected by subunit stereochemistry, but the ability to disrupt eukaryotic cell membranes varied considerably. Experiments with planar lipid bilayers and synthetic liposomes suggested that eukaryotic membrane disruption results from polymer-mediated formation of large pores. Collectively, our results suggest that factors other than amphiphilic balance influence the membrane activity profile of synthetic polymers. Subunits that differ in stereochemistry are likely to have distinct conformational propensities, which could potentially lead to differences in the average shapes of polymer chains, even when the subunits are heterochiral. These findings highlight a dimension of polymer design that should be considered more broadly in efforts to improve specificity and efficacy of antimicrobial polymers.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of ethyl 2-[9-(2-hy-droxy-phen-yl)-3,3,6,6-tetra-methyl-1,8-dioxo-2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8a,9,9a,10,10a-dodeca-hydro-acridin-10-yl]acetate.

In the title compound, C27H33NO5, a 3,3,6,6-tetra-methyl-tetra-hydro-acridine-1,8-dione ring system carries an ethyl acetate substituent on the acridine N atom and an o-hy-droxy-phenyl ring on the central methine C atom of the di-hydro-pyridine ring. The benzene ring is inclined to the acridine ring system at an angle of 80.45 (7)° and this conformation is stabilized by an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond between the hy-droxy substituent on the benzene ring and one of the carbonyl groups of the acridinedione unit. The ester C=O oxygen atom is disordered over major and minor orientations in a 0.777 (9):0.223 (9) ratio and the terminal -CH3 unit of the ethyl side chain is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.725 (5): 0.275 (5) ratio. In the crystal, C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds combine to link the mol-ecules into a three-dimensional network. van der Waals H⋯H contacts contribute the most to the Hirshfeld surface (66.9%) followed by O⋯H/H⋯O (22.1%) contacts associated with weak hydrogen bonds.

Immunochemical monitoring of psilocybin and psilocin to identify hallucinogenic mushrooms

Development of rapid and reliable immunochemical methods for monitoring psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine; Pyb) and psilocin (dephosphorylated metabolite; Psi), the psychoactive compounds contained within hallucinogenic mushrooms (magic mushrooms), is desirable in order to identify these mushrooms and regulate their illicit use. Because no antibody was publicly available for this purpose, we generated two independent monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Pyb or Psi, and then developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) by using them. To generate the specific antibodies, novel immunogenic conjugates were prepared by linking Pyb or Psi molecules to carrier proteins by modifying their 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl side chains. Spleen cells from mice immunized with these conjugates were fused with P3/NS1/1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells, and hybridoma clones secreting anti-Pyb and anti-Psi mAbs were established. These mAbs were characterized for their biochemical features and then applied to competitive ELISAs, which used microplates coated with Pyb or Psi linked with albumin. These ELISAs enabled the determination of Pyb or Psi with measurable ranges of ca. 0.20−20 or 0.040−2.0 μg/assay (limit of detection was 0.14 or 0.029 μg/assay), respectively. The related tryptamines were satisfactorily discriminated as exemplified by the cross-reactivity of the ELISA to determine Pyb (or Psi) with Psi (or Pyb) that were found to be 2.8 % (or <0.5 %), respectively. The Pyb and Psi contents in a dried powder of the hallucinogenic mushroom, Psilocybe cubensis, were determined to be 0.39 and 0.32 (w/w)%, respectively. The ELISAs developed using the current mAbs are promising tools for identifying illegal hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Antibacterial and hemolytic properties of acrylate-based random ternary copolymers comprised of same center cationic, ethyl and poly(oligoethylene glycol) side chains

Synthetic polymers mimicking antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in combating “superbugs” have received considerable attention in the genre of antimicrobial polymeric materials. Herein, we report the antibacterial and hemolytic activities of two series of random acrylate-based ternary copolymers with pendant hexamethylene ammonium, poly(oligoethylene glycol), and ethyl or N-methylethyl ammonium side chains. We have demonstrated that highly selective activity towards Escherichia coli (E. coli >68 times) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis 400 times) compared to red blood cells can be achieved by controlling the structural composition of these copolymers via optimization of feed composition involving lipophilic units, cationic side-chain units, and neutral hydrophilic units. Furthermore, we have demonstrated a loss of viability for E. coli and B. subtilis following exposure to the copolymers using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM), reinforcing the antibacterial efficacy of the synthesized ternary copolymers.

Experimental and kinetic modeling investigation on ethylcyclohexane low-temperature oxidation in a jet-stirred reactor

In this work, the oxidation of ethylcyclohexane was studied in a jet-stirred reactor at 780 Torr, 480–780 K and equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0. Synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS) was used for the detection of oxidation products, including a series of reactive intermediates such as cycloalkylhydroperoxides, keto-hydroperoxides, alkenal-hydroperoxides and highly oxygenated molecules. Quantum chemistry calculations were performed to obtain ionization energies for the identification of some important intermediates and energy barriers of several important pathways. On the other hand, this work presents the first efforts on developing a low-temperature oxidation model of ethylcyclohexane. The present model can reasonably capture the low-temperature oxidation reactivities and negative temperature coefficient behaviors observed in both present and previous experimental work of ethylcyclohexane oxidation. Modeling analyses were performed to provide insight into the low-temperature oxidation chemistry of ethylcyclohexane. The two-stage O2 addition mechanism is concluded to dominate the chain-branching process in the low-temperature region. The concerted elimination reactions of cycloalkylperoxy radical and “formally direct” chemically activated reactions of cycloalkyl+O2 result in cycloalkenes and HO2 formation at the negative temperature coefficient region and serve as main chain-termination pathways. Compared with smaller cycloalkanes like cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, the ethyl sidechain structure in ethylcyclohexane reduces the energy barriers of cycloalkylperoxy radical isomerization and facilitates the formation of keto-hydroperoxides which leads to more pronounced low-temperature oxidation reactivity of ethylcyclohexane.

Cooperative Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding Strongly Enforces cis-Peptoid Folding.

Sequence-defined peptoids, or N-substituted glycines, are an attractive class of bioispired polymer due to their biostability and efficient synthesis. However,the de novo design of folded peptoids with precise three-dimensional structures has been hindered by limited means to deterministically control backbone conformation. Peptoid folds are generally destabilized by the cis/trans backbone-amide isomerization, and few side-chains are capable of enforcing a specific amide conformation. Here, we show that a novel class of cationic alkyl ammonium ethyl side-chains demonstrates significant enforcement of the cis-amide backbone (Kcis/trans up to 70) using an unexpected ensemble of weak intramolecular CH-O and/or NH-O hydrogen bonds between the side-chain and the backbone carbonyl moieties. These interactions are evidenced by X-ray crystallography, variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. Moreover, these side-chains are inexpensive, structurally diverse,hydrophilic, and can be integrated into longer peptoid sequences via solid-phase synthesis. Notably, we extended these concepts to synthesize a water-soluble peptoid 10-mer that adopts one predominant fold in solution, as determined by multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. This decamer, to the best of our knowledge, is the longest linear peptoid sequence atomically characterized to retain a well-folded structure. These findings fill a critical gap in peptoid folding and should propel the development of peptoid applications in a broad range of contexts, from pharmaceutical to material sciences.