Enantioselective Hydrolysis of Amino Acid Esters Promoted by Bis(β-cyclodextrin) Copper Complexes

It is challenging to create artificial catalysts that approach enzymes with regard to catalytic efficiency and selectivity. The enantioselective catalysis ranks the privileged characteristic of enzymatic transformations. Here, we report two pyridine-linked bis(β-cyclodextrin) (bisCD) copper(II) complexes that enantioselectively hydrolyse chiral esters. Hydrolytic kinetic resolution of three pairs of amino acid ester enantiomers (S₁–S₃) at neutral pH indicated that the “back-to-back” bisCD complex CuL¹ favoured higher catalytic efficiency and more pronounced enantioselectivity than the “face-to-face” complex CuL². The best enantioselectivity was observed for N-Boc-phenylalanine 4-nitrophenyl ester (S₂) enantiomers promoted by CuL¹, which exhibited an enantiomer selectivity of 15.7. We observed preferential hydrolysis of L-S₂ by CuL¹, even in racemic S₂, through chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We demonstrated that the enantioselective hydrolysis was related to the cooperative roles of the intramolecular flanking chiral CD cavities with the coordinated copper ion, according to the results of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), inhibition experiments, rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY), and theoretical calculations. Although the catalytic parameters lag behind the level of enzymatic transformation, this study confirms the cooperative effect of the first and second coordination spheres of artificial catalysts in enantioselectivity and provides hints that may guide future explorations of enzyme mimics.

Kinetic studies of phosphoester hydrolysis promoted by a dimeric tetrazirconium(iv) Wells–Dawson polyoxometalate

The kinetic and thermodynamic studies of p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis promoted by a Zr(iv)-substituted Wells–Dawson polyoxometalate, Na₁₄[Zr₄(P₂W₁₆O₅₉)₂ (μ₃-O)₂(OH)₂(H₂O)₄]·57H₂O, were fully presented.

Dual-Enzyme Characteristics of Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Capped Iridium Nanoparticles and Their Cellular Protective Effect against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Damage

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-stabilized iridium nanoparticles (PVP-IrNPs), synthesized by the facile alcoholic reduction method using abundantly available PVP as protecting agents, were first reported as enzyme mimics showing intrinsic catalase- and peroxidase-like activities. The preparation procedure was much easier and more importantly, kinetic studies found that the catalytic activity of PVP-IrNPs was comparable to previously reported platinum nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization indicated that PVP-IrNPs had the average size of approximately 1.5 nm and mainly consisted of Ir(0) chemical state. The mechanism of PVP-IrNPs' dual-enzyme activities was investigated using XPS, Electron spin resonance (ESR) and cytochrome C-based electron transfer methods. The catalase-like activity was related to the formation of oxidized species Ir(0)@IrO2 upon reaction with H2O2. The peroxidase-like activity originated from their ability acting as electron transfer mediators during the catalysis cycle, without the production of hydroxyl radicals. Interestingly, the protective effect of PVP-IrNPs against H2O2-induced cellular oxidative damage was investigated in an A549 lung cancer cell model and PVP-IrNPs displayed excellent biocompatibility and antioxidant activity. Upon pretreatment of cells with PVP-IrNPs, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in response to H2O2 was decreased and the cell viability increased. This work will facilitate studies on the mechanism and biomedical application of nanomaterials-based enzyme mimic.

Chelant extraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils using new selective EDTA derivatives

Soil washing is one of the few permanent treatment alternatives for removing metal contaminants. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and its salts can substantially increase heavy metal removal from contaminated soils and have been extensively studied for soil washing. However, EDTA has a poor utilization ratio due to its low selectivity resulting from the competition between soil major cations and trace metal ions for chelation. The present study evaluated the potential for soil washing using EDTA and three of its derivatives: CDTA (trans-1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid), BDTA (benzyldiaminetetraacetic acid), and PDTA (phenyldiaminetetraacetic acid), which contain a cylcohexane ring, a benzyl group, and a phenyl group, respectively. Titration results showed that PDTA had the highest stability constants for Cu(2+) and Ni(2+) and the highest overall selectivity for trace metals over major cations. Equilibrium batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the EDTA derivatives at extracting Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Pb(2+), Ca(2+), and Fe(3+) from a contaminated soil. At pH 7.0, PDTA extracted 1.5 times more Cu(2+) than did EDTA, but only 75% as much Ca(2+). Although CDTA was a strong chelator of heavy metal ions, its overall selectivity was lower and comparable to that of EDTA. BDTA was the least effective extractant because its stability constants with heavy metals were low. PDTA is potentially a practical washing agent for soils contaminated with trace metals.

Synthesis of glucopyranosyl Schiff base zinc(II) complexes capable of interacting with mononucleotides, and their DNA-cleavage activities

New glucopyranosyl Schiff base zinc complexes, [Zn(GlcSal)(2) ] (1; GlcSalH=N-(2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranos-2-yl-salicylaldimine) and [Zn(AcOGlcSal)(2) ] (2; AcOGlcSalH=N-(2-deoxy-β-D-1,3,4,6-tetraacetylglucopyranos-2-yl-salicylaldimine) were synthesized, and characterized by spectral and analytical methods. The interaction between the Zn complexes and mononucleotides was investigated by (1)H-NMR, (31)P-NMR and UV/VIS spectroscopies. Mononucleotides, cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP) and uridyl 5'-monophosphate (UMP), interacted with these complexes to form a 1:1 complex with 1 and a 1:2 complex with 2, depending on the presence of the OH group of glucopyranosyl substituents. The DNA-cleavage activities of 1 and 2 were studied using plasmid DNA (pBR322) in a medium of 5 mM Tris·HCl/50 mM NaCl buffer in the presence of H(2)O(2). The DNA-cleavage activity decreased in the order of 2>1>Zn(OAc)(2), indicating the significant promoting effect of the glucopyranosyl Schiff base ligand and the participation of the glucopyranosyl OH groups in the cleavage mechanism. The mechanism of the DNA cleavage by 1 and 2 was investigated by evaluation of the effect of a HO· radical scavenger and a singlet-oxygen ((1)O(2)) quencher under aerobic conditions. The former exhibited little effect, excluding the HO· radical as an active species and supporting the hydrolysis mechanism for the main process of the DNA cleavage. The latter quencher somewhat hindered the cleavage, indicating the partial participation of a (1)O(2) as a competitive active species in the present system.