….and did you know….?
It takes 16 people in ChemComm‘s Cambridge office to put together an issue of Chemical Communications. To find out who is involved, view our staff web page.
Find out about the move to 100 issues >
A radical approach towards the stephacidin alkaloids
14 Dec 2011
Researchers from the University of Birmingham have developed a radical cascade process for rapid access to intermediates, which are important for the synthesis of alkaloids related to the stephacidin family.
Stephacidin A (1), along with other structurally related compounds, has been shown to possess activity against a number of tumour cell lines.
The group of Nigel Simpkins have demonstrated an elegant approach to the synthesis of the indoline core 3, present in a number of naturally occurring alkaloids.
Commencing from 4 (available in five steps from tryptophan), a one-pot prenylation and sulfenylation sequence afforded cyclisation precursor 5 in good yield. Treatment of sulfenyl diketopiperazine 5 with Bu3SnH and ACCN facilitated a double radical cyclisation to provide 6a and 6b. Pleasingly, isomers possessing the correct C6 stereochemistry represented the major products (4.6–3:1 depending on R group), and desired product 1 could be obtained following deprotection of 6a and 6b and subsequent purification.
This work represents an efficient entry into the stephacidin alkaloids and a potentially powerful method for the synthesis of other medicinally relevant analogues.
To read more on Simpkin’s indoline synthesis, download the ChemComm article.
Catalyst clears up corrosion
12 Dec 2011
UK scientists have developed a cheap way of cleaning tarnished metals in industry to prevent corrosion using a UV activated photocatalyst ink. The dirty surface can then simply be washed away with water.
Stainless steel corrosion in industry costs the UK around 4 per cent of gross national product each year. The corrosion is caused by a build up of metal oxides on the metals’ surfaces, which can become contaminated with corrosion products. Currently, aggressive chemicals such as strong acids and chelating agents are used to remove the oxides.
Andrew Mills and David Hazafy from Queen’s University, Belfast, have made anatase titania (TiO2) films to apply to the metal surfaces to clean them. The team was initially interested in titania’s ability to drive ‘useful photo-reduction reactions’, says Mills. It was while preparing TiO2 photocatalyst films on stainless steel as part of a water-splitting photo diode project that they noticed that the appearance of tarnish was diminished.
TiO2 is a well known photocatalyst used in the redox reductions of metal oxides. When it is exposed to ultraviolet light, conduction band electrons and valence band holes are produced. The electrons and holes can either recombine or move to the surface of the film where they undergo redox reactions with adsorbed chemical species. But, on introduction of an electron donor, such as ethanol, the donor reacts with the holes, leaving the electrons free to react with metal oxides.
A stainless steel sample without (A) and with (B) the ink on its surface. (C): irradiation of sample B with UV light through a brass TiO2 template. (D): washing off the ink using water. The bronze coloured oxide coating has been removed by the illuminated section of the ink
Read the full story in Chemistry World
Link to journal article
UV-activated photocatalyst films and inks for cleaning tarnished metals
Andrew Mills and David Hazafy
Chem. Commun., 2012, 48, 525-527
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC15774D
24 days until 100 issues…
09 Dec 2011
…and did you know..?
24% of the articles published in ChemComm this year were from China.
This is almost three times as much as the proportion 5 years ago – in 2007, Chinese articles only made up 9% of publications in the journal. This represents the explosion of chemistry research in China over the last decade.
Simple detection of RNA depurination by RIPs
06 Dec 2011
A class of protein toxins exists with an extremely apt acronym, RIP. This stands for Ribosome Inactivating Proteins but may as well stand for “Rest in Peace” when applied to cellular RNA. These proteins are known to attack the link between a purine base (adenine or guanosine) and its sugar causing depurination. This results in the formation of abasic sites (bases that are neither pyrimidines or purines) which in turn, causes the ribosome containing the sequence to have a lower affinity to elongation factors that are crucial for protein synthesis, ultimately leading to cell death.
Methods exist to detect RIPs such as ELISAs and antibody-based immunoassays or by monitoring the specific depurination activity through fluorescence, radiolabelling and immunoaffinity chromatography, amongst others. These techniques require sophisticated or elaborate set-ups, limiting the potential for high throughput (HTP) screening in a bid to discover potential inhibitors of these destructive toxins.
Seergazhi Srivatsan and co-workers have produced a label-free fluorescence hybridisation assay to detect the depurination activity of saporin, a RIP toxin, using a fluorescence ligand that specifically binds to the cytosine opposite an abasic site. If depurination takes place, then the ligand can bind and its fluorescence intensity will be quenched. This technique allows for a plethora of information to be obtained about the depurination activity of saporin as well as many other RIP toxins. This opens the door to using high throughput screening to find inhibitors of such toxins.
Download the article to read more…
Also of interest: Overcoming obstacles in labelling RNA
Posted on behalf of Sarah Brown, web science writer for ChemComm.
28 days until 100 issues…
04 Dec 2011
… and did you know..?
ChemComm‘s impact factor (Journal Citation Reports®) has increased by 28% over the past 5 years. Our latest 2010 impact factor is 5.787 – a clear indication of the high quality research that ChemComm publishes.
Top ten most accessed articles in October
01 Dec 2011
This month sees the following articles in ChemComm that are in the top ten most accessed:-
Assemblies of perylene diimide derivatives with melamine into luminescent hydrogels
Pradip K. Sukul, Deepak Asthana, Pritam Mukhopadhyay, Domenico Summa, Luca Muccioli, Claudio Zannoni, David Beljonne, Alan E. Rowan and Sudip Malik
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11858-11860, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC14189A
Fluorescent metal–organic framework for selective sensing of nitroaromatic explosives
Bappaditya Gole, Arun Kumar Bar and Partha Sarathi Mukherjee
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 12137-12139, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC15594F
Core-shell Ag@SiO2@mSiO2 mesoporous nanocarriers for metal-enhanced fluorescence
Jianping Yang, Fan Zhang, Yiran Chen, Sheng Qian, Pan Hu, Wei Li, Yonghui Deng, Yin Fang, Lu Han, Mohammad Luqman and Dongyuan Zhao
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11618-11620, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC15304H
Incorporation of active metal sites in MOFs via in situ generated ligand deficient metal–linker complexes
Samir Barman, Hiroyasu Furukawa, Olivier Blacque, Koushik Venkatesan, Omar M. Yaghi, Guo-Xin Jin and Heinz Berke
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11882-11884, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC14387E
A chiral tetragonal magnesium-carboxylate framework with nanotubular channels
Qipu Lin, Tao Wu, Shou-Tian Zheng, Xianhui Bu and Pingyun Feng
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11852-11854, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC14836B
Donor–acceptor molecular figures-of-eight
Megan M. Boyle, Ross S. Forgan, Douglas C. Friedman, Jeremiah J. Gassensmith, Ronald A. Smaldone, J. Fraser Stoddart and Jean-Pierre Sauvage
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11870-11872, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC15333A
Highly sensitive and selective cyanide detection via Cu2+ complex ligand exchange
Hyuk-Chan Gee, Chi-Hwa Lee, Young-Hwan Jeong and Woo-Dong Jang
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11963-11965, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC14963F
A “turn-on” fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid: convenient synthesis, good sensing performance, and a new design strategy by the removal of C-N isomerization
Xiaohong Cheng, Huizhen Jia, Teng Long, Jun Feng, Jingui Qin and Zhen Li
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11978-11980, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC15214A
Pyridine synthesis from oximes and alkynes via rhodium(iii) catalysis: Cp* and Cpt provide complementary selectivity
Todd K. Hyster and Tomislav Rovis
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11846-11848, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC15248C
Facile synthesis of Ag@Pd satellites–Fe3O4 core nanocomposites as efficient and reusable hydrogenation catalysts
Kun Jiang, Han-Xuan Zhang, Yao-Yue Yang, Robert Mothes, Heinrich Lang and Wen-Bin Cai
Chem. Commun., 2011, 47, 11924-11926, DOI: 10.1039/C1CC14675K
Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.
Fancy submitting an article to ChemComm? Then why not submit to us today or alternatively contact us with your suggestions.
Artificial enzyme outperforms nature
01 Dec 2011
Scientists from China and the US have made an artificial enzyme that may provide new hope for the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s disease (a degenerative neuromuscular disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). In tests, the apoferritin–CeO2 nanocomposite cleared harmful reactive oxygen species – which have been linked to the disease – in living cells better than the natural antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.
Reference:
Apoferritin-CeO2 nano-truffle that has excellent artificial redox enzyme activity
X Liu, W Wei, Q Yuan, X Zhang, N Li, Y Du, G Ma, C Yan and D Ma, Chem. Commun., 2011
DOI: 10.1039/c1cc15815e
Scattering layer for dye-sensitised solar cells
28 Nov 2011
We are all aware how important it is to find new improved ways to generate sustainable energy. One very promising candidate is the dye-sensitised solar cell which is particularly attractive due to its low production cost and mechanical robustness.
Scientists from East China Normal University have found a way to increase the efficiency of dye-sensitised solar cells by introducing an additional layer on top of the TiO2 photoanode. The extra layer, made up of Y3Al5O12:Ce down-converting microparticles, causes the conversion efficiency to increase from 6.97% to 7.91%.
SEM image of the Y3Al5O12:Ce layer and the J-V curves for the solar cell with and without the additional layer
Likun Pan and his team have attributed this improved performance to the increased light absorbing and scattering properties of the microparticle layer (meaning more suitable photons are available for absorption by the dye) and reduced electron transfer resistance.
Download the ChemComm article to read more about the fabrication of Pan’s solar cell device.
REMINDER: Approaching deadline for ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship
28 Nov 2011
Recognising and rewarding the very best emerging talent within the chemical sciences
***DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: 9th DECEMBER 2011***
We are delighted to invite nominations for the 2nd ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship. The lectureship, which is awarded annually, will recognise an emerging scientist in the early stages of their independent academic career.
To qualify
To be eligible for the ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship, the candidate should have completed their PhD on or after 5th September 2003.
The candidate should also have published at least one article in ChemComm during the course of their independent career.
Award details
The recipient of the award will be invited to present a lecture at three different locations over a 12 month period. It is expected that at least one of the locations will be a conference. The recipient will receive a contribution of £1500 towards travel and accommodation costs. S/he will also be presented with a certificate and be asked to contribute a ChemComm Feature Article.
Nominations
Those wishing to make a nomination should send the following details to the ChemComm Editorial Office by 9th December 2011:
- Recommendation letter, including the name, contact details and website URL of the nominee.
- A one page CV for the nominee, including their date of birth, summary of education and career, list of up to five independent publications, total numbers of publications and patents and other indicators of esteem and evidence of independence.
- A copy of the candidate’s best publication to date (as judged by the nominator).
- Two supporting letters of recommendation from two independent referees. These should not be someone from the same institution or the candidate’s post doc or PhD supervisor.
The nominator and independent referees are requested to comment on the candidate’s presenting skills.
Please note that self nomination is not permitted.
Selection procedure
The ChemComm Editorial Board will draw up a short-list of candidates based on the information provided by the referees and nominator. Short-listed candidates will be asked to provide a supporting statement justifying why they deserve the award. The recipient of the award will then be selected and endorsed by the ChemComm Editorial Board.
Previous winner
2011 Dr Scott Dalgarno (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK) – Find out about his Emerging Investigator Lecture tour in China