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Three heterometallic cluster complexes {Ln(12)Mo(4)} featuring an Ln(12) core of a distorted truncated tetrahedron were synthesized with the assistance of four MoO(4)(2-) anions as ancillary ligands. Magnetic studies of the {Gd(12)Mo(4)} cluster revealed a large magnetocaloric effect due to the presence of the large number of weakly coupled Gd(III) ions.

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are prion protein misfolding diseases that involve the accumulation of an abnormal β-sheet-rich prion protein aggregated form (PrP(sc)) of the normal α- helix-rich prion protein (PrP(c)) within the central nervous system (CNS) and other organs. On account of its large size and insolubility properties, characterization of PrP(c) is quite difficult. A soluble intermediate, called PrP(β) or β(o), exhibiting many of the same features as PrP(sc), can be generated using a combination of low pH and/or mild denaturing conditions. Here, we review the current knowledge on the following five issues relevant to the conversion mechanisms of PrP(c) to PrP(sc) : (1) How is the Stability of the Helical Structures in the Native PrP(c) Related to the Primary Structure of the PrP(c) (2) Why the Low pH Solution System is a Ideal Trigger of PrP(c) to PrP(sc) Conversion (3) How are the Structural and Dynamical Characteristics of the α-helixrich Intermediates Determined using NMR Data (4) How are the Premolten (PrP(α4) and PrP(αβ)) and β-Oligomer (PrP(β)) Intermediates Detected and Assayed, and (5) Can the Disordered N-terminal Domain be folded into the Structural Segment? Particularly, Chou's wenxiang diagram (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenxiang_diagram) was introduced for providing an intuitive picture. This review may help to further understand the prion protein misfolding mechanism.

In drug design and enzyme engineering, the information of interactions between receptors and ligands is crucially important. In many cases, the protein structures and drug-target complex structures are determined by a delicate balance of several weak molecular interaction types. Among these interaction forces several unconventional interactions play important roles, however, less familiar for researchers. The cation-π interaction is a unique noncovalent interaction only acting between aromatic amino acids and organic cations (protonated amino acids) and inorganic cations (proton and metallic). This article reports new study results in the interaction strength, the behaviors and the structural characters of cation-π interactions between aromatic amino acids (Phe, Tyr, and Trp) and organic and inorganic cations (Lys(+), Arg(+), H(+), H3O(+), Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), and Zn(2+)) in gas phase and in solutions (water, acetonitrile, and cyclohexane). Systematical research revealed that the cation-π interactions are point-to-plane (aromatic group) interactions, distance and orientationdependent, and the interaction energies change in a broad range. In gas phase the cation-π interaction energies between aromatic amino acids (Phe, Tyr, and Trp) and metallic cations (Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), and Zn(2+)) are in the range -12 to -160 kcal/mol, and the interaction energies of protonated amino acids (Arg(+) and Lys(+)) are in the range from -9 to -18 kcal/mol. In solutions the cation-π energies decrease with the dielectric constant ε of solvents. However, in aqueous solution the cation-π energies of H3O(+) and protonated amino acids are less affected by solvation effects. The applications of unconventional interaction forces in drug design and in protein engineering are introduced.

Have a radical ball! Reaction of C(60)Cl(6) with aryl acetylenes through a copper(I)-mediated annulation route to form fullerocyclobutene derivatives is reported. The fullerocyclobutenes are obtained in 36-53% yields and a possible radical mechanism is proposed for this novel reaction., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Two homochiral coordination polymers, namely, [Yb(III)(3)Mn(III)(6)(L)(6)(μ(2)-OMe)(6)(isonicotinate)(2)(HOMe)(2)][Yb(III)(3)Mn(III)(6)(L)(6)(μ(2)-OMe)(6)(isonicotinate)(2)(HOMe)(4)](NO(3))(2)·6MeOH·12H(2)O (5) (H(3)L = (S,E)-4-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-2-hydroxybutanoic acid) and [Yb(III)(3)Mn(III)(6)Na(L)(6)(μ(2)-OMe)(6)(OOCH)(3)]I·17H(2)O (6), have been constructed by utilizing a stable enantiopure [Yb(III)(3)Mn(III)(6)(L)(6)(μ(2)-OMe)(6)](3+) (Yb(3)Mn(6)) cluster as a precursor.

An undeca-nuclear nickel substituted POM, namely [Ni(H(2)O)(6)][Ni(11)(PW(9)O(34))(2)(IDA)(3)(en)(2)(Hen)(2)(OH)(6)]·(H(2)O)(7)·(H(2)en)(2) (1) (en = 1,2-ethylenediamine, H(2)IDA = iminodiacetic acid), was synthesized through hydrothermal reaction of Na(6)PW(9)O(34), en, H(2)IDA and NiCl(2)·6H(2)O. Single-crystal structure reveals that 1 can be viewed as Ni(6)PW(9) and Ni(5)PW(9) units linked by a μ(3)-O bridge and two IDA(2-) ligands. Magnetic investigation indicates the presence of dominantly ferrimagnetic interactions within the Ni(11) core. Electrochemistry study shows that 1 displays a stable and reproducible voltammetric graph.

Two metal-organic frameworks constructed from nanosized Cu(20) and Cu(30) wheels have been obtained under hydrothermal conditions based on 1,2,3-triazole and 1-H-1,2,3-benzotriazole, respectively. Crystal structure analysis shows that their differences in the size and nuclearity of Cu(20) and Cu(30) wheels are attributed to the steric effect of ligands.

Two 3D coordination polymers, [Co(24)(OH)(12)(SO(4))(12)(ip)(6)(DMSO)(18)(H(2)O)(6)]·(DMSO)(6)(EtOH)(6)(H(2)O)(36) (1·guests, ip = isophthalate) and [Ni(24)(OH)(12)(SO(4))(12)(ip)(6)(DMSO)(12)(H(2)O)(12)]·(DMSO)(6)(EtOH)(6)(H(2)O)(20) (2·guests), constructed with nanosized tetraicosanuclear Co(II) and Ni(II) wheels are solvothermally synthesized. Both complexes show intra- and interwheel dominant antiferromagnetic interactions.

Statistical effective energy function (SEEF) is derived from the statistical analysis of the database of known protein structures. Dehouck-Gilis-Rooman (DGR) group has recently created a new generation of SEEF in which the additivity of the energy terms was manifested by decomposing the total folding free energy into a sum of lower order terms. We have tried to optimize the potential function based on their work. By using decoy datasets as screening filter, and through modification of algorithms in calculation of accessible surface area and residue-residue interaction cutoff, four new combinations of the energy terms were found to be comparable to DGR potential in performance test. Most importantly, the term number was reduced from the original 30 terms to only 5 in our results, thereby substantially decreasing the computation time while the performance was not sacrificed. Our results further proved the additivity and manipulability of the DGR original energy function, and our new combination of the energy could be used in prediction of protein structures.

Proton transport along different axes in an organic-inorganic compound [(C(6)H(10)N(2))(2)(SO(4))(2)·3H(2)O](n) (1) was investigated, revealing that proton transport is not only influenced by the structure of the proton transport pathway, but also by the order-disorder extent of proton carriers., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)

For quite a long period of time in history, many intense efforts have been made to determine the 3D (three-dimensional) structure of the M2 proton channel. The reason why the M2 proton channel has attracted so many attentions is because (1) it is the key for really understanding the life cycle of influenza viruses, and (2) it is indispensable for conducting rational drug design against the flu viruses. Recently, the long-sough 3D structures of the M2 proton channels for both influenza A and B viruses were consecutively successfully determined by the high-resolution NMR spectroscopy (Schnell J.R. and Chou, J.J., Nature, 2008, 451: 591-595; Wang, J., Pielak, R.M., McClintock, M.A., and Chou, J.J., Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2009,16: 1267-1271). Such a milestone work has provided a solid structural basis for in-depth understanding the action mechanism of the M2 channel and rationally designing effective drugs against influenza viruses. This review is devoted to, with the focus on the M2 proton channel of influenza A, addressing a series of relevant problems, such as how to correctly understand the novel allosteric inhibition mechanism inferred from the NMR structure that is completely different from the traditional view, what the possible impacts are to the previous functional studies in this area, and what kind of new strategy can be stimulated for drug development against influenza.

The inhibitions of enzymes (proteins) are determined by the binding interactions between ligands and targeting proteins. However, traditional QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationship) is a one-side technique, only considering the structures and physicochemical properties of inhibitors. In this study, the structure-based and multiple potential three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (SB-MP-3D-QSAR) is presented, in which the structural information of host protein is involved in the QSAR calculations. The SB-MP-3D-QSAR actually is a combinational method of docking approach and QSAR technique. Multiple docking calculations are performed first between the host protein and ligand molecules in a training set. In the targeting protein, the functional residues are selected, which make the major contribution to the binding free energy. The binding free energy between ligand and targeting protein is the summation of multiple potential energies, including van der Waals energy, electrostatic energy, hydrophobic energy, and hydrogen-bond energy, and may include nonthermodynamic factors. In the foundational QSAR equation, two sets of weighting coefficients {aj} and {bp} are assigned to the potential energy terms and to the functional residues, respectively. The two coefficient sets are solved by using iterative double least-squares (IDLS) technique in the training set. Then, the two sets of weighting coefficients are used to predict the bioactivities of inquired ligands. In an application example, the new developed method obtained much better results than that of docking calculations.

The cation-π interactions occur frequently within or between proteins due to six (Phe, Tyr, Trp, Arg, Lys, and His) of the twenty natural amino acids potentially interacting with metallic cations via these interactions. In this study, quantum chemical calculations and molecular orbital (MO) theory are used to study the energies and properties of cation-π interactions in biological structures. The cation-π interactions of H⁺ and Li⁺ are similar to hydrogen bonds and lithium bonds, respectively, in which the small, naked cations H⁺ and Li⁺ are buried deep within the π-electron density of aromatic molecules, forming stable cation-π bonds that are much stronger than the cation-π interactions of other alkali metal cations. The cation-π interactions of metallic cations with atomic masses greater than that of Li⁺ arise mainly from the coordinate bond comprising empty valence atomic orbitals (AOs) of metallic cations and π-MOs of aromatic molecules, though electrostatic interactions may also contribute to the cation-π interaction. The binding strength of cation-π interactions is determined by the charge and types of AOs in the metallic cations. Cation-π interaction energies are distance- and orientation-dependent; energies decrease with the distance (r) and the orientation angle (θ). In solution, the cation-π energies decrease with the increase of the dielectric constant (ɛ) of the solvent; however, solvation has less influence on the H⁺-π and H₃O⁺-π interactions than on interactions with other cations. The conclusions from this study provide useful theoretical insights into the nature of cation-π interactions and may contribute to the development of better force field parameters for describing the molecular dynamics of cation-π interactions within and between proteins., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

As a novel targeting drug delivery system, acid-sensitive micelles have many advantages, such as increasing solubility of lipophilic drugs, acid-sensitive release, high drug loading, etc. They can load drugs though non-covalent encapsulation and covalent conjugation methods. In tumor tissues, drugs are released quickly from the depolymerized micelles with lipophilic copolymer protonation or lypohydrophilic copolymer hydrolysis and covalent conjugated drugs are released when the acid-sensitive covalent linkage breaks. This review mainly advances acid-sensitive micelles for the tumor targeting drug delivery systems from drug-loaded methods and release mechanisms.

The hydrofullerene C(50)H(10) is synthesized by low-pressure benzene-oxygen diffusion combustion. The structure of C(50)H(10) is identified through NMR, mass spectrometry, and IR and Raman spectroscopy as a D(5h) symmetric closed-cage molecule with five pairs of fused pentagons stabilized by ten hydrogen atoms. UV/Vis and fluorescence spectrometric analyses disclose its optical properties as comparable with those of its chloride cousin (C(50)Cl(10)). Cyclic and square-wave voltammograms reveal that the first reduction potential of C(50)H(10) is more negative than that of C(50)Cl(10) as well as C(60), with implications for the utilization of C(50)H(10) as a promising electron acceptor for photovoltaic applications., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A new liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and validated for the quantification of nitidine chloride (NC), an anti-cancer bioactive substance of Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. plants, in rat plasma using carbamazepine as an internal standard (I.S.). The NC and I.S. were extracted from rat plasma by acetonitrile protein procedure. Chromatographic separation was carried out with a C(18) column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 3 μm) with a security guard C₁₈ column (4 mm × 20 mm, 3 μm). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-10 mM ammonium acetate buffer solution-formic acid (35:65:0.2, v/v/v) and delivered at the flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. LC-ESI-MS/MS was performed on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry equipped with electrospray ionization (ESI) and positive multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Target ions were monitored at [M](+)m/z 348.2 for NC and [M]⁺ m/z 237.2 for I.S. The method was linear over the concentration range of 5.0-1500.0 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations of the assay were less than 5.0%. The lower limit of quantification was 5.0 ng/mL. The developed method was successfully applied to the estimation of the pharmacokinetic parameters of NC by intravenous administration to rats., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Diallylmelamine combines with Ag(2)O and auxiliary polycarboxylates to give three stable crystalline network structures, namely, [Ag(2)(dama)(2)(nipt)·H(2)O·C(2)H(5)OH](n) (1), [Ag(2)(dama)(glu)](n) (2), and [Ag(4)(dama)(2)(pma)·2H(2)O](n) (3), (dama = diallylmelamine, H(2)nipt = 5-nitroisophthalic acid, H(2)glu = glutaric acid, H(4)pma = pyromellitic acid), which have been successfully synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR Spectra, powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 is a 1D double-chain extended by μ(2)-N,N'-(η(2)-vinyl)-dama and μ(3)-nipt along the b axis. Notably, dama ligands in 1 display two coordination modes (bidentate μ(2)-N,N'-(η(2)-vinyl) and monodentate μ(1)-N) and two different conformations (cis(anti-gauche) and trans(anti-anti)). In 2, a pair of centrosymmetric glu ligands clamp two Ag(I) ions to form a half paddle-wheel [Ag(2)(COO)(2)] secondary building unit (SBU) which is further extended by μ(2)-N,N'-(η(2)-vinyl)-dama to form a 1D tape. Complex 3 is a 2D sheet built from μ(3)-N,N',N''-(η(2)-vinyl)-dama and μ(8)-pma. Interestingly, apparent silver-vinyl interactions with a η(2) mode were commonly observed in the solid-state structures of 1-3 (Ag-C = 2.311(4)-2.467(5) Å). The structural dissimilarity between 1 and 2 is caused by the different auxiliary polycarboxylates and different coordination modes of dama. In addition, the thermal stabilities and emissive behaviors of them were also investigated.

Four 52-metal-ion 3d-4f cluster complexes featuring a common core of Ln(42)M(10) (Ln = Gd(3+), Dy(3+); M = Co(2+/3+), Ni(2+)) were obtained through self-assembly of the metal ions templated by mixed anions (ClO(4)(-) and CO(3)(2-)). Magnetic studies revealed that the Gd(42)Co(10) and Gd(42)Ni(10) clusters exhibit the largest magnetocaloric effect (MCE) among any known 3d-4f complexes. Replacement of Gd(3+) ions with anisotropic Dy(3+) ions caused significant changes in the magnetic behavior of the clusters; both Dy(42)Co(10) and Dy(42)Ni(10) displayed slow relaxation of the magnetization.

A pentanuclear dysprosium cluster, [Dy(5)(μ(3)-OH)(6)(Acc)(6)(H(2)O)(10)]·Cl(9)·24H(2)O (1), has been synthesized through the reaction of 1-amino-cyclohexanel-carboxylic acid (Acc) and DyCl(3)·5H(2)O. Crystal structural analysis reveals that the metal core of cluster 1 shows an unprecedented trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) geometry. Magnetic studies indicate that the Dy(5) cluster exhibits slow magnetic relaxation.

The occurrence of spin-crossover (SCO) highly depends on external influences, i.e. temperature, pressure, light irradiation or magnetic field, this electronic switching phenomenon is accompanied by drastic changes in magnetic and optical properties, dielectric constants, colour and structures. Thus, SCO materials are particularly attractive for potential applications in molecular sensing, switching, data storage, display, and other electronic devices at nanometric scale. Polymorphism is widely encountered in the studies of crystallization, phase transition, materials synthesis, biomineralization, and in the manufacture of drugs. Because different crystal forms of the same substance can possess very different properties and behave as different materials, so they are particularly meaningful for investigating SCO phenomena. Studying polymorphism of SCO compounds is therefore important for better understanding the structural factors contributing to spin transition and the structure-function relationship. This critical review is aimed to provide general readers with a comprehensive view of polymorphism in SCO systems. The article is generally structured according to specific metal ions and the dimensionality of compounds in the field. This paper is addressed to readers who are interested in multifunctional materials and tuning magnetic properties through supramolecular chemistry principles (129 references).

Cation-π interaction is comparable and as important as other main molecular interaction types, such as hydrogen bond, electrostatic interaction, van der Waals interaction, and hydrophobic interaction. Cation-π interactions frequently occur in protein structures, because six (Phe, Tyr, Trp, Arg, Lys, and His) of 20 natural amino acids and all metallic cations could be involved in cation-π interaction. Cation-π interactions arise from complex physicochemical nature and possess unique interaction behaviors, which cannot be modeled and evaluated by existing empirical equations and force field parameters that are widely used in the molecular dynamics. In this study, the authors present an empirical approach for cation-π interaction energy calculations in protein interactions. The accurate cation-π interaction energies of aromatic amino acids (Phe, Tyr, and Try) with protonated amino acids (Arg and Lys) and metallic cations (Li(+), Na(+), K(+), and Ca(2+)) are calculated using B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) method as the benchmark for the empirical formulization and parameterization. Then, the empirical equations are built and the parameters are optimized based on the benchmark calculations. The cation-π interactions are distance and orientation dependent. Correspondingly, the empirical equations of cation-π interactions are functions of two variables, the distance r and the orientation angle θ. Two types of empirical equations of cation-π interactions are proposed. One is a modified distance and orientation dependent Lennard-Jones equation. The second is a polynomial function of two variables r and θ. The amino acid-based empirical equations and parameters provide simple and useful tools for evaluations of cation-π interaction energies in protein interactions., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Endothelial cells (ECs) are continuously exposed to hemodynamic forces imparted by blood flow. While it is known that endothelial behavior can be influenced by cytokine activation or fluid shear, the combined effects of these two independent agonists have yet to be fully elucidated., Methodology: We investigated EC response to long-term inflammatory cues under physiologically relevant shear conditions via E-selectin expression where monolayers of human umbilical vein ECs were simultaneously exposed to laminar fluid shear and interleukin-1ß (shear-cytokine activation) in a parallel plate flow chamber., Results and Conclusion: Naïve ECs exposed to shear-cytokine activation display significantly higher E-selectin expression for up to 24 hr relative to ECs activated in static (static-cytokine). Peak E-selectin expression occurred after 8-12 hr of continuous shear-cytokine activation contrary to the commonly observed 4-6 hr peak expression in ECs exposed to static-cytokine activation. Cells with some history of high shear conditioning exhibited either high or muted E-selectin expression depending on the durations of the shear pre-conditioning and the ensuing shear-cytokine activation. Overall, the presented data suggest that a high laminar shear enhances acute EC response to interleukin-1ß in naïve or shear-conditioned ECs as may be found in the pathological setting of ischemia/reperfusion injury while conferring rapid E-selectin downregulation to protect against chronic inflammation.

Khz is a compound derived from the fusion of Ganoderma lucidum and Polyporus umbellatus mycelia that inhibits the growth of cancer cells. The results of the present study show that Khz induced apoptosis preferentially in transformed cells and had only minimal effects on non-transformed cells. Furthermore, Khz induced apoptosis by increasing the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and activating JNK to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) via NADPH oxidase and the mitochondria. Khz-induced apoptosis was caspase-dependent and occurred via a mitochondrial pathway. ROS generation by NADPH oxidase was critical for Khz-induced apoptosis, and although mitochondrial ROS production was also required, it appeared to occur secondary to ROS generation by NADPH oxidase. Activation of NADPH oxidase was demonstrated by the translocation of regulatory subunits p47(phox) and p67(phox) to the cell membrane and was necessary for ROS generation by Khz. Khz triggered a rapid and sustained increase in [Ca(2+)](i), which activated JNK. JNK plays a key role in the activation of NADPH oxidase because inhibition of its expression or activity abrogated membrane translocation of the p47(phox) and p67(phox) subunits and ROS generation. In summary, these data indicate that Khz preferentially induces apoptosis in cancer cells, and the signaling mechanisms involve an increase in [Ca(2+)](i), JNK activation, and ROS generation via NADPH oxidase and mitochondria.

A novel anionic heptadecanuclear silver(I) cluster, (NH(4))(17)[(μ(6)-S)@Ag(17)(mba)(16)]·22H(2)O (1; H(2)mba = 2-mercaptobenzoic acid), was obtained by the reaction of equivalent molar silver oxide and 2,2'-dithiodibenzoic acid (H(2)dtba) under ultrasonic conditions at 50 °C. Complex 1 is a discrete cluster comprised of unexpected mba ligands on the shell and a μ(6)-S(2-) ion in the core, suggesting the occurrence of in situ S-S and S-C(sp(2)) bond cleavages of the H(2)dtba ligand. This novel cluster displays moderate orange-red emission in the solid state at room temperature., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

A 3D metal-organic framework, featuring three kinds of cation channels, was obtained through an ionothermal reaction. Investigation on its temperature-dependent conductivity indicates the contribution of order and disorder of the Emim(+) (Emim(+) = 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium bromide) in the channel to its conductivity., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

Three metal-organic frameworks, [M(3)(ip)(4)][EMIm](2) (M = Co 1, Ni 2, Mn 3, H(2)ip = isophthalic acid, EMIm = 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium) were prepared from an ionic liquid medium. All the compounds feature the same (4(24))(6(4)) topology based on linear trinuclear clusters as eight-connected nodes. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural, while compound 3 exhibits a different structure due to the slight difference in the arrangement of M(3)(OOCR)(8) SBUs. Magnetic property measurements reveal that all the compounds display anti-ferromagnetic coupling, where compounds 2 and 3 show isotropic exchange interactions of -0.10 cm(-1) for 2 and -1.6 cm(-1) for 3. Investigation of the thermal diffusivity shows that the thermal diffusivity of 1 is higher than that of 3, while that of 3 is higher than that of 2., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

A 2D tri-layer compound {[Co(8)(tbip)(6)(H(2)O)(9)(OH)(4)]·12(H(2)O)}(n) (1) (H(2)tbip = 5-tert-butyl isophthalic acid) consisting of novel heptacobaltate clusters and single cobalt centers bridged by tbip(2-) ligands has been hydrothermally synthesized. The complex represents a rare example of a homometallic coordination polymer built up from both heptanuclear metal clusters and single metal centers simultaneously. The magnetic investigation reveals that the complex exhibits the overall predominance of antiferromagnetic coupling between magnetic centers.

Four lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks, [Emim][Ln(1.5)(2,5-tdc)(2)]Cl(1.5-x)Br(x) (Ln = Nd 1, Eu 2) and [Emim][Ln(2,5-tdc)(2)] (Ln = Nd 3, Eu 4) (2,5-tdc = thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate, Emim = 1-methyl-3-ethylimidazolium), were synthesized under ionothermal conditions. Compounds 1 and 2 crystallize in the polar space group P2(1)2(1)2, while 3 and 4 crystallize in the central symmetry space group P2(1)/c. Luminescence studies revealed a significantly higher quantum yield of 4 than that of 2, with similar lifetimes. It is clear that the coordination of the halide ions has profound effects on the structures and properties of these lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks.

This paper discusses the synthesis of two carbon-based pyridine ligands of fullerene pyrrolidine pyridine (C(60)-py) and multi-walled carbon nanotube pyrrolidine pyridine (MWCNT-py) via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The two complexes, C(60)-Ru and MWCNT-Ru, were synthesized by ligand substitution in the presence of NH(4)PF(6), and Ru(II)(bpy)(2)Cl(2) was used as a reaction precursor. Both complexes were characterized by mass spectroscopy (MS), elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (IR), ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS) spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results showed that the substitution way of C(60)-py is different from that of MWCNT-py. The C(60)-py and a NH(3) replaced a Cl(-) and a bipyridine in Ru(II)(bpy)(2)Cl(2) to produce a five-coordinate complex of [Ru(bpy)(NH(3))(C(60)-py)Cl]PF(6), whereas MWCNT-py replaced a Cl(-) to generate a six-coordinate complex of [Ru(bpy)(2)(MWCNT-py)Cl]PF(6). The cyclic voltammetry study showed that the electron-withdrawing ability was different for C(60) and MWCNT. The C(60) showed a relatively stronger electron-withdrawing effect with respect to MWCNT., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

Spin-crossover (SCO) complex [Fe(tpa)(NCS)(2)] (tpa = tri(2-pyridylmethyl)amine) crystallized in two solvate forms, yellow [Fe(tpa)(NCS)(2)]·X [Fe:X = 1:1; X = n-PrOH (complex is named as n-PrOH), i-PrOH (i-PrOH), CH(2)Cl(2) (CH(2)Cl(2)), CHCl(3) (CHCl(3)), MeCN (MeCN)] and red [Fe(tpa)(NCS)(2)](2)·Y [Fe:Y = 2:1; Y = MeOH (MeOH), EtOH (EtOH)], respectively. Between the two forms, interesting solvent-vapor induced in situ reversible and irreversible guest molecule exchanges, [Fe(tpa)(NCS)(2)]·X ⇌ [Fe(tpa)(NCS)(2)](2)·Y, occurred in the solid state followed by dramatic color changes as well as distinct structural and SCO behavior transformations. Comprehensive studies on structures and SCO behaviors associating guest exchanges have been conducted by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, PXRD, IR, elemental analysis, and magnetic measurements, respectively. This discrete molecular system shows unique solvent-dependent SCO behavior related to the nature of solvent molecules; the distinct color changes during guest exchange originate from the alternations of electronic states of the guest-sensitive Fe(II) centers, providing an effective route to fine-tune and optimize materials' properties by systematic structural perturbation, or serving for detection of toxic gases, such as CH(2)Cl(2) and CHCl(3).

Reaction of a mixture of AgOAc, Lawesson's reagent [2,4-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-dithiadiphosphetane-2,4-disulfide] and 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane (dppp) under ultrasonic treatment gave the title compound, {[Ag(C(9)H(12)O(2)PS(2))(C(27)H(26)P(2))]·CHCl(3)}(n), a novel one-dimensional chain based on the in situ-generated bipodal ligand [ArP(OEt)S(2)](-) (Ar = 4-methoxyphenyl). The compound consists of bidentate bridging 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane (dppp) and in situ-generated bidentate chelating [ArP(OEt)S(2)](-) ligands. The dppp ligand links the [Ag{ArP(OEt)S(2)}] subunit to form an achiral one-dimensional infinite chain. These achiral chains are packed into chiral crystals by virtue of van der Waals interactions. No π-π interactions are observed in the crystal structure.

A carbon heptagon ring is a key unit responsible for structural defects in sp(2)-hybrized carbon allotropes including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphenes, with consequential influences on their mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties. Previous evidence concerning the existence of heptagons in fullerenes has been obtained only in off-line halogenation experiments through top-down detachment of a C(2) unit from a stable fullerene. Here we report a heptagon-incorporating fullerene C(68), tentatively named as heptafullerene[68], which is captured as C(68)Cl(6) from a carbon arc plasma in situ. The occurrence of heptagons in fullerenes is rationalized by heptagon-related strain relief and temperature-dependent stability. (13)C-labelled experiments and mass/energy conservation equation simulations show that heptafullerene[68] grows together with other fullerenes in a bottom-up fashion in the arc zone. This work extends fullerene research into numerous topologically possible, heptagon-incorporating isomers and provides clues to an understanding of the heptagon-involved growth mechanism and heptagon-dependent properties of fullerenes.

A new fungus, Pestalotiopsis sp. XE-1, which produced ethanol from xylose with yield of 0.47 g ethanol/g of consumed xylose was isolated. It also produced ethanol from arabinose, glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, cellobiose, maltose, and sucrose with yields of 0.38, 0.47, 0.45, 0.46, 0.31, 0.25, 0.31, and 0.34 g ethanol/g of sugar consumed, respectively. It produced maximum ethanol from xylose at pH 6.5, 30°C under a semi-aerobic condition. Acetic acid produced in xylose fermenting process inhibited ethanol production of XE-1. The ethanol yield in the pH-uncontrolled batch fermentation was about 27% lower than that in the pH-controlled one. The ethanol tolerance of XE-1 was higher than most xylose-fermenting, ethanol-producing microbes, but lower than Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hansenula polymorpha. XE-1 showed tolerance to high concentration of xylose, and was able to grow and produce ethanol even when it was cultivated in 97.71 g/l xylose.

An ultrasonic reaction of Ag(2)O, 4,4'-bipyridine (bipy) and (2S, 3R)-3-amino-2-hydroxybutanoic acid (L-Thr) gives an unexpected Ag(I) supramolecular framework, {[Ag(3)(bipy)(3)(cahba)]·HCO(3)·10H(2)O}(n) (1), in which the (2S, 3R)-3-(carboxyamino)-2-hydroxybutanoic acid (H(2)cahba) is a carbamate derivative of L-Thr, obtained via in situ transformation of amino group of L-Thr into carbamate by means of CO(2) uptake.

Introduction: The 2009-H1N1 influenza pandemic has prompted new global efforts to develop new drugs and drug design techniques to combat influenza viruses. While there have been a number of attempts to provide drugs to treat influenza, drug resistance has been a major problem with only four drugs currently approved by the FDA for its treatment., Areas Covered: In this review, the drug-resistant problem of influenza A viruses is discussed and summarized. The article also introduces the experimental and computational structures of drug targeting proteins, neuraminidases, and of the M2 proton channel. Furthermore, the article illustrates the latest drug candidates and techniques of computer-aided drug design with examples of their application, including virtual in silico screening and scoring, AutoDock and evolutionary technique AutoGrow., Expert Opinion: Structure-based drug design is the inventive process for finding new drugs based on the structural knowledge of the biological target. Computer-aided drug design strategies and techniques will make drug discovery more effective and economical. It is anticipated that the recent advances in structure-based drug design techniques will greatly help scientists to develop more powerful and specific drugs to fight the next generation of influenza viruses.

Two three-dimensional 2p-3d-4f heterometallic frameworks featuring a nanosized Ln(6)Cu(24)Na(12) (Ln = Gd, Dy) cluster as a node have been obtained under microwave irradiation conditions through the reaction of H(2)ANMA (H(2)ANMA = L-alanine-N-monoacetic acid), Cu(NO(3))(2), and Ln(NO(3))(3) (Ln = Gd for 1, Dy for 2) with NaOH in deionized water. Investigations on the magnetic properties show that 1 exhibits ferrimagnetic behavior. The electrical conductivity measurements reveal that 1 behaves as a proton conductor., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

Three enantiopure isostructural sandwich-type clusters, Ln(III)(3)Mn(III)(6) (Ln = Dy (1), Tb (2) and Gd (3)) have been synthesized through reactions of a chiral Schiff-base ligand ((S,E)-4-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-2-hydroxybutanoic acid, H(3)L) with manganese and lanthanide ions, showing intramolecular antiferromagnetic interaction.

The microwave-assisted reaction of Fe(ClO(4))(2) with NaN(3), NaO(2)CPh, and 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)-1,3-propanedione gave a ferrimagnetic dodecanuclear iron(III) complex that shows magnetization relaxation behavior.

Ferroelectric materials are characterized by spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed by inverting an external electric field. Owing to their unique properties, ferroelectric materials have found broad applications in microelectronics, computers, and transducers. Water molecules are dipolar and thus ferroelectric alignment of water molecules is conceivable when water freezes into special forms of ice. Although the ferroelectric ice XI has been proposed to exist on Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto, evidence of a fully proton-ordered ferroelectric ice is still elusive. To date, existence of ferroelectric ice with partial ferroelectric alignment has been demonstrated only in thin films of ice grown on platinum surfaces or within microdomains of alkali-hydroxide doped ice I. Here we report a unique structure of quasi-one-dimensional (H(2)O)(12n) wire confined to a 3D supramolecular architecture of H(4)CDTA, trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid; 4,4'-bpy, 4,4'-bipyridine). In stark contrast to the bulk, this 1D water wire not only exhibits enormous dielectric anomalies at approximately 175 and 277 K, respectively, but also undergoes a spontaneous transition between "1D liquid" and "1D ferroelectric ice" at approximately 277 K. Hitherto unrevealed properties of the 1D water wire will be valuable to the understanding of anomalous properties of water and synthesis of novel ferroelectric materials.

The complex [Fe(tpa)(NCS)(2)] showed successive polymorphic transformations (polymorphs II-IV) that produced crystals with distinct changes in color, crystal structure, and spin-crossover behavior.

The reaction of N(1),N(2)-bis(pyridin-4-ylmethylene)ethane-1,2-diamine (L) with Fe(NCS)(2) under various temperatures gave rise to three iron(II) coordination polymers, namely, one-dimensional [Fe(L')(NCS)(2)] (1), two-dimensional [Fe(L)(2)(NCS)(2)]·H(2)O (2), and one-dimensional [Fe(L)(2)(NCS)(2)]·2CH(2)Cl(2)·4MeOH (3). The formation of 1 involved an in situ C═C coupling reaction, L to L' [L' = 5,6-di(pyridin-4-yl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazine], which was catalyzed by cyanide ions decomposed from thiocyanates; the manganese(II) (1a) and zinc(II) (1b) analogues of 1 were also synthesized for comparison. Magnetic studies showed that complex 1 underwent a pressure-dependent one-step incomplete spin transition whereas complexes 2 and 3 were paramagnetic in the whole temperature range.

A novel mixed-valent Ag(I)/Ag(0) T(h)-Ag(34) cage was obtained by a one-pot ultrasonic reaction. In the shell of the cage, CO(3)(2-) anion is derived from atmospheric CO(2) and adopts a rare μ(6) bridging mode to link the Ag(I) ions. In the core of the cage, an unprecedented neutral metal cluster with six zero-valent silver atoms is encapsulated.

Herein reported is the first two-dimensional coordination polymer capable of undergoing thermally induced and photoinduced valence tautomeric transitions.

Two novel 3d-4d heterometallic coordination polymers {[Cu(3)(bipy)(3)(H(2)O)(5)][Ag(6)(mna)(6)]·11.5H(2)O}(n) (1) and {[Zn(3)(eda)(3)(H(2)O)(4)][Ag(6)(mna)(6)]·8H(2)O}(n) (2) were synthesized based on a hexanuclear silver(I) metalloligand by a three-step synthetic method (bipy = 2, 2'-bipyridine, eda = ethylenediamine and H(2)mna = 2-mercaptonicotinic acid). The photoluminescence behaviors of 1 and 2 were also discussed.