Chemical Science Blog

A fluorinated analogue of the naturally occurring aminoglycoside neomycin – well known as an over-the-counter ointment for minor skin abrasions – could lead to a range of much-needed antibiotics in the arms race against aminoglycoside resistant bacteria.

Aminoglycosides have proven indispensable in the treatment of hospital acquired bacterial infections that are particularly difficult to fight in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis and immunodeficiency related illnesses. By binding tightly to a bacterium’s ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in a position known as the A-site, the aminoglycosides disrupt the biosynthesis of proteins necessary for growth, resulting in the bacterium’s death.

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in ChemComm – it’s free to access until 16th September:
Synthesis, broad spectrum antibacterial activity, and X-ray co-crystal structure of the decoding bacterial ribosomal A-site with 4′-deoxy-4′-fluoro neomycin analogs
S. Hanessian, O. M. Saavedra, M. A. Vilchis-Reyes, J. P. Maianti, H. Kanazawa, P. Dozzo, R. D. Matias, A. Serio and J. Kondo
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01626B, Edge Article

All of the referee-recommended articles below are free to access until 19th September 2014

Enhancing-effect of gold nanoparticles on DNA strand displacement amplifications and their application to an isothermal telomerase assay
Leilei Tian, Timothy M. Cronin and Yossi Weizmann  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01393J, Edge Article

Asymmetric synthesis of N,O-heterocycles via enantioselective iridium-catalysed intramolecular allylic amidation
Depeng Zhao, Martín Fañanás-Mastral, Mu-Chieh Chang, Edwin Otten and Ben L. Feringa 
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01940G, Edge Article

pH-dependent binding of guests in the cavity of a polyhedral coordination cage: reversible uptake and release of drug molecules
William Cullen, Simon Turega, Christopher A. Hunter and Michael D. Ward  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC02090A, Edge Article

Mass preparation of high-quality graphene from glucose and ferric chloride
Binbin Zhang, Jinliang Song, Guanying Yang and Prof. Buxing Han  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01950D, Edge Article

Researchers in the US have developed a new photocatalysed coupling reaction that could provide a pathway to a huge number of biologically active compounds.

The coupling mechanism uses chloroheteroarenes in the direct α-arylation of amines

Heterocycles and heteroaromatic compounds are of great interest to medicinal chemists, due to their widespread use in pharmaceuticals. They are able to increase the aqueous solubility and decrease the lipophilicity of drugs, as well as improving their potency and biocompatibility.

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in Chemical Science – it’s free to access until 24th September:
Amine α-Heteroarylation via Photoredox Catalysis: A Homolytic Aromatic Substitution Pathway
David W. C. MacMillan and Christopher K Prier  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C4SC02155J, Edge Article

European scientists have synthesised uranium complexes that take them a step closer to producing commodity chemicals from carbon dioxide.

Widespread fossil fuel depletion and concerns over levels of climatic carbon dioxide are motivating research to convert this small molecule into value-added chemicals. Organometallic uranium complexes have successfully activated various small molecules before. However, there were no reports of an actinide metal complex that could reductively couple with carbon dioxide to give a segment made from two carbon dioxide molecules – an oxalate dianion.

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in Chemical Science – it’s free to access until 3rd September:
Controlling selectivity in the reductive activation of CO2 by mixed sandwich uranium(III) complexes
Nikolaos Tsoureas, Ludovic Castro, Alexander F. R. Kilpatrick, F. Geoffey N. Cloke and Laurent Maron  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01401D, Edge Article

Scientists in China, the UK and the Netherlands have engineered a polydiacetylene polymer that reversibly changes colour within 1 second of being heated or cooled. 

Thermochromic polymers have a wide range of potential uses, from biological sensors to smart windows. However, the irregular structure and weak molecular interactions in established thermochromic polymers results in long response times, slow reversibility and a narrow working temperature range. 

The peptide linkers are stable, while the conjugated bonds within the alkyl chain undergo a reversible conformational transition

Read the full article in Chemistry World» 

Read the original journal article in Chemical Science – it’s free to access until 28th August:
Ultrafast and Reversible Thermochromism of Conjugated Polymer Material Based on Assembling of Peptide Amphiphiles
Zhengzhong Shao, Hui Guo, Jinming Zhang, David Porter, Huisheng Peng, Dennis Lowik, Yu Wang, Zhidong Zhang and Xin Chen  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01696C, Edge Article

All of the referee-recommended articles below are free to access until 20th August 2014

Aqueous photoinduced living/controlled polymerization: tailoring for bioconjugation
Jiangtao Xu, Kenward Jung, Nathaniel Alan Corrigan and Cyrille Boyer  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01309C, Edge Article

Electric field control of the optical properties in magnetic mixed-valence molecules
Andrew Palii, Juan M. Clemente-Juan, Boris Tsukerblat and Eugenio Coronado  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01056F, Edge Article

Multi-step and multi-component organometallic synthesis in one pot using orthogonal mechanochemical reactions
José G. Hernández, Ian S. Butler and Tomislav Friščić  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01252F, Edge Article

Non-equilibrium transition state rate theory
Haidong Feng, Kun Zhang and Jin Wang  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC00831F, Edge Article

All of the referee-recommended articles below are free to access until 21st July:

A full-adder based on reconfigurable DNA-hairpin inputs and DNAzyme computing modules
Ron Orbach, Fuan Wang, Oleg Lioubashevski, R. D. Levine, Francoise Remacle and Itamar Willner  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC00914B, Edge Article

Millisecond lifetime imaging with europium complex using a commercial confocal microscope under one or two-photon excitations
Olivier Maury, Alexandre Haefele, Simon Pascal, Chantal Andraud, Alexei Grichine, Alain DUPERRAY and Richard MICHEL  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC00473F, Edge Article

Supramolecular chemistry with ureido-benzoic acids
E W Meijer, Anja R. A. Palmans, Wilco Appel, Bas FM de Waal, Marko Nieuwenhuizen and Martin Lutz  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC00871E, Edge Article

Synthesis and Chemoselective Ligations of MIDA Acylboronates with O-Me Hydroxylamines
Hidetoshi Noda and Jeffrey W Bode  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC00971A, Edge Article

Photosensitiser–water oxidation catalysts in heterogeneous (top), membrane-bound (middle) and homogeneous (bottom) systems

For the first time, a water oxidation catalyst and photosensitiser have been co-embedded into a membrane to make an artificial water photooxidation system. The arrangement can generate oxygen from water at far lower catalyst concentrations than ever before.

Chemical systems to turn solar energy into fuel are of paramount importance in the quest for sustainable green energy. Mimicking natural photosynthesis, the aim is to achieve sunlight-driven conversion of water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen. One branch of the process involves photocatalytic water splitting, comprising oxidative and reductive half reactions. The more complex photoxidation step involves a four-electron transfer reaction and very reactive oxygen intermediates. In nature, this extremely endothermic reaction is performed by Photosystem II (PSII), using membrane bound chromophores and catalytic units.

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in Chemical Science – it’s free to download until 30th June:
Photocatalytic water oxidation at soft interfaces
Malte Hansen, Fei Li, Licheng Sun and Burkhard König
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01018C, Edge Article

Chinese scientists are developing a new approach to create “universal” blood: red blood cells (RBCs) that can be transfused into any patient, regardless of the patient or recipient blood group.

Blood groups are characterised by the presence (or absence) of various proteins known as antigens on the surface of RBCs, the most well-known of which form the ABO system and the Rhesus D (RhD) system. One consequence of the existence of these groups is that blood mismatching can occur when an incompatible blood group is used for transfusion. The recipient’s antibodies recognise the antigens on the donor RBCs as being foreign and attack the cells – with potentially fatal results.

Antigenic epitopes on RBCs are sheltered by polydopamine

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in Chemical Science – it’s free to access until 1st July:
Antigenic-sheltering universal red blood cells by polydopamine-based cell superficial-engineering
Ben Wang, Guangchuan Wang, Binjie Zhao, Jiajun Chen, Xueyun Zhang and Ruikang Tang  
Chem. Sci., 2014, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C4SC01120A, Edge Article