Reduced estrogenic risks of a sunscreen additive: Theoretical design and evaluation of functionally improved salicylates

Salicylic esters (SEs), the widely used ultraviolet (UV) absorbers in sunscreen products, have been found to have health risks such as skin sensitization and estrogenic effects. This study aims to design SE substitutes that maintain high UV absorbance while reducing estrogenicity. Using molecular docking and Gaussian09 software for initial assessments and further application of a combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (2D-QSAR and 3D-QSAR, respectively) models, we designed 73 substitutes. The best-performing molecules, ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS)-5 and EHS-15, significantly reduced estrogenicity (44.54 % and 17.60 %, respectively) and enhanced UV absorbance (249.56 % and 46.94 %, respectively). Through screening for human health risks, we found that EHS-5 and EHS-15 were free from skin sensitivity and eye irritation and exhibited reduced skin permeability compared with EHS. Furthermore, the photolysis and synthetic pathways of EHS-5 and EHS-15 were deduced, demonstrating their good photodegradability and potential synthesizability. In addition, we analyzed the mechanisms underlying the changes in estrogenic effects and UV absorption properties. We identified covalent hydrogen bond basicity and acidity Propgen value for atomic molecular properties and the highest occupied molecular orbital eigenvalue as the main factors affecting the estrogenic effect and UV absorbance of SEs, respectively. This study focuses on the design and screening of SEs, exhibiting enhanced functionality, reduced health risks, and synthetic feasibility.

2,2'-Bipyridine derived doubly B ← N fused bisphosphine-chalcogenides, [C5H3N(BF2){NCH2P(E)Ph2}]2 (E = O, S, Se): tuning of structural features and photophysical studies

2,2'-Bipyridine based bisphosphine [C₅H₃N{N(H)CH₂PPh₂}]₂ (1) and its bischalcogenide derivatives [C₅H₃N{N(H)CH₂P(E)Ph₂}]₂ (2, E = O; 3, E = S; 4, E = Se) were synthesized, and further reacted with BF₃·Et₂O/Et₃N to form doubly B ← N fused compounds [C₅H₃N(BF₂){NCH₂P(E)Ph₂}]₂ (5, E = O; 6, E = S; 7, E = Se) in excellent yields. The influence of the PE bonds on the electronic properties of the doubly B ← N fused systems and their structural features were investigated in detail, supported by extensive experimental and computational studies. Compound 6 exhibited a very high quantum yield of ϕ = 0.56 in CH₂Cl₂, whereas compound 7 showed a least quantum yield of ϕ = 0.003 in acetonitrile. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that the LUMO/HOMO of compounds 5-7 mostly delocalized over the entire π-conjugated frameworks. The involvement of PE bonds in the HOMO energy level of these compounds follows the order: PO < PS < PSe. Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) experiments of compounds 5-7 revealed the singlet lifetime of 4.26 ns for 6, followed by 4.03 ns for 5 and a lowest value of 2.18 ns (τ₁) and 0.47 ns (τ₂) with a double decay profile for 7. Our findings provide important strategies for the design of highly effective B ← N bridged compounds and tuning their photophysical properties by oxidizing phosphorus with different chalcogens. Compounds 5 and 6 have been employed as green emitters (λ_em = 515 nm) in fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). For compound 5, doped into the poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) matrix with 5 wt% doping concentration, nearly 90 Cd m^-2 luminance with 0.022% external quantum efficiency (EQE) was achieved. The best performance was observed for compound 6 doped into PVK by 1 wt% having a maximum luminance of 350 Cd m^-2 and a similar EQE value.

One-pot heteroannulation toward phosphaperylene diimides with high luminescence and out-of-plane anisotropy

This work presents a P-heteroannulation strategy on perylene diimides in one pot. The resulting phosphaperylene diimides demonstrate an out-of-plane dipole moment of 8.10 D and high fluorescence quantum yields of up to 94%.

Periphery Modification of Tetrathiafulvalenes: Recent Development and Applications

Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and its analogs are fascinating molecules in materials science based on their excellent electron-donating abilities. This personal account describes recent advances in the synthesis of TTF analogs for functional materials via the palladium-catalyzed modification of peripheries of TTF analogs. We first consider three types of molecules: fluorophore-TTF hybrid molecules, multi-redox systems, and an organic ligand for metal-organic frameworks. These molecules were successfully synthesized via Stille coupling or palladium-catalyzed direct C-H arylation and their structural, electrochemical, and optical properties were clarified. Subsequently, phosphorus-substituted TTF analogs were successfully synthesized for future applications of redox-active phosphine ligands for metal catalysts. The development of these molecules can significantly affect the advancement of chemical science.

Phosphorus-Containing Dibenzonaphthanthrenes: Electronic Fine Tuning of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Organophosphorus Chemistry

A concise synthetic route towards a new family of phosphorus-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons starting from the versatile acridophosphine has been established. The structural and optoelectronic properties of these compounds were efficiently modulated through derivatization of the phosphorus center. X-ray crystallographic analysis, UV/Vis spectroscopic, and electrochemical studies supported by DFT calculations identified the considerable potential of these scaffolds for the development of organophosphorus functional materials with tailored properties upon further functionalization.

Thermo-Electrical Conduction of the 2,7-Di([1,1'-Biphenyl]-4-yl)-9H-Fluorene Molecular System: Coupling between Benzene Rings and Stereoelectronic Effects

Theoretical and analytical thermal and electrical properties are studied through the 2,7-Di([1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)-9H-fluorene aromatic system as a prototype of a molecular switch. Variations of the dihedral angles between the two Benzene rings at each end of the molecule have been considered, thus determining the dependence on the structural variation of the molecule when the aromatic system is connected between metal contacts. The molecule is modeled through a Tight-Binding Hamiltonian where—from the analytical process of decimation and using Green’s functions—the probability of transmission (T) is calculated by using the Fisher–Lee relationship. Consequently, the thermal and electrical transport properties such as I−V curves, quantum noise (S), Fano factor (F), electrical conductance (G), thermal conductance (κ), Seebeck coefficient (Q), and merit number (ZT) are calculated. The available results offer the possibility of designing molecular devices, where the change in conductance or current induced by a stereoelectronic effect on the molecular junctions (within the aromatic system) can produce changes on the insulating–conductive states.

Orthophosphate and Sulfate Utilization for C-E (E = P, S) Bond Formation via Trichlorosilyl Phosphide and Sulfide Anions

Reduction of phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) or tetra- n-butylammonium bisulfate ([TBA][HSO₄]) with trichlorosilane leads to the formation of the bis(trichlorosilyl)phosphide ([P(SiCl₃)₂]^-, 1) and trichlorosilylsulfide ([Cl₃SiS]^-, 2) anions, respectively. Balanced equations for the formation of the TBA salts of anions 1 and 2 were formulated based on the identification of hexachlorodisiloxane and hydrogen gas as byproducts arising from these reductive processes: i) [H₂PO₄]^- + 10HSiCl₃ → 1 + 4O(SiCl₃)₂ + 6H₂ for P and ii) [HSO₄]^- + 9HSiCl₃ → 2 + 4O(SiCl₃)₂ + 5H₂ for S. Hydrogen gas was identified by its subsequent use to hydrogenate an alkene ((-)-terpinen-4-ol) using Crabtree's catalyst ([(COD)Ir(py)(PCy₃)][PF₆], COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, py = pyridine, Cy = cyclohexyl). Phosphide 1 was generated in situ by the reaction of phosphoric acid and trichlorosilane and used to convert an alkyl chloride (1-chlorooctane) to the corresponding primary phosphine, which was isolated in 41% yield. Anion 1 was also prepared from [TBA][H₂PO₄] and isolated in 62% yield on a gram scale. Treatment of [TBA]1 with an excess of benzyl chloride leads to the formation of tetrabenzylphosphonium chloride, which was isolated in 61% yield. Sulfide 2 was used as a thionation reagent, converting benzophenone to thiobenzophenone in 62% yield. It also converted benzyl bromide to benzyl mercaptan in 55% yield. The TBA salt of trimetaphosphate ([TBA]₃[P₃O₉]·2H₂O), also a precursor to anion 1, was found to react with either trichlorosilane or silicon(IV) chloride to provide bis(trimetaphosphate)silicate, [TBA]₂[Si(P₃O₉)₂], characterized by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and elemental analysis. Trichlorosilane reduction of [TBA]₂[Si(P₃O₉)₂] also provided anion 1. The electronic structures of 1 and 2 were investigated using a suite of theoretical methods; the computational studies suggest that the trichlorosilyl ligand is a good π-acceptor and forms σ-bonds with a high degree of s character.

Photochemical Synthesis of cis,trans,cis-1,2,3,4-Tetrakis(diphenylphosphanyl)buta-1,3-diene and Its Metal Coordination

The new bis(bidentate) tetraphosphane cis,trans,cis‐1,2,3,4‐tetrakis(diphenylphosphanyl)buta‐1,3‐diene (dppbd) (7) was obtained by applying a photochemical synthetic protocol. The key step of the photochemical reaction consisted of an intramolecular [2+2] cycloaddition involving a C–C double and triple bond of the Pt‐dimer species of the formula [Pt₂Cl₄(dppa)(trans‐dppen)] (2) {dppa = 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)acetylene and dppen = 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethene} leading to [Pt₂Cl₄(dppbd)] (5). The asymmetrically bridged precursor complex 2 was obtained by combinatorial chemistry. Single crystal X‐ray structure analyses of 2 and 5 proved that the intramolecular photochemical reaction occurred. Cyanolysis of 5 gave 7, which was oxidized to dppbdO4 (8). Compounds 7, 8, and the Pd^II dimer complex [Pd₂Cl₄(dppbd)] (9) were characterized in the solid state by a single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis. Interesting photophysial properties emerged from the UV/Vis spectra acquired for 7 and the dimer Os complexes meso‐Δ,Λ/Λ,Δ‐[Os₂(bpy)₄(dppbd)](PF₆)₄ (10) and rac‐Δ,Δ/Λ,Λ‐[Os₂(bpy)₄(dppbd)](PF₆)₄ (11).

Nitrogen doped nanographene structures; study on the adsorption of nucleobases, nucleotides, and their triphosphate derivatives using mixed docking, MD, and QM/MM approaches

The interactions of the nucleobases, nucleotides, and their triphosphate derivatives in both neutral and anionic forms with the nitrogen doped graphenes (NG) were studied using docking and molecular dynamic simulation methods. In docking studies, based on binding energy results, the anionic species and nucleobases were showing the most and the least tendency toward the surface of the NG, respectively. The molecular mechanic/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area results revealed similar results, except for the anionic species; in these studies, the anionic species showed a lesser affinity toward the NG. The time-dependent density functional theory studies were carried out to investigate the effects of the NG on the electronic nature of the investigated ligands; a red-shift in all of the cases was observed. The results of binding energy decomposition and atoms in molecules studies showed that the interactions are van der Waals in nature. The graphitic, pyridinic, and pyrrolic nitrogen atoms which were considered in this study behaved similar to each other.

Organic Electron Acceptors Comprising a Dicyanomethylene-Bridged Acridophosphine Scaffold: The Impact of the Heteroatom

Stable two-electron acceptors comprising a dicyanomethylene-bridged acridophosphine scaffold were synthesized and their reversible reduction potentials were efficiently tuned through derivatization of the phosphorus center. X-ray crystallographic analysis combined with NMR, UV/Vis, IR spectroscopic, and electrochemical studies, supported by theoretical calculations, revealed the crucial role of the phosphorus atom for the unique redox, structural, and photophysical properties of these compounds. The results identify the potential of these electron deficient scaffolds for the development of functional n-type materials and redox active chromophores upon further functionalization.

Stereoelectronic Effect-Induced Conductance Switching in Aromatic Chain Single-Molecule Junctions

Biphenyl, as the elementary unit of organic functional materials, has been widely used in electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, over decades little has been fundamentally understood regarding how the intramolecular conformation of biphenyl dynamically affects its transport properties at the single-molecule level. Here, we establish the stereoelectronic effect of biphenyl on its electrical conductance based on the platform of graphene-molecule single-molecule junctions, where a specifically designed hexaphenyl aromatic chain molecule is covalently sandwiched between nanogapped graphene point contacts to create stable single-molecule junctions. Both theoretical and temperature-dependent experimental results consistently demonstrate that phenyl twisting in the aromatic chain molecule produces different microstates with different degrees of conjugation, thus leading to stochastic switching between high- and low-conductance states. These investigations offer new molecular design insights into building functional single-molecule electrical devices.

Enhancing optical anisotropy of crystals by optimizing bonding electron distribution in anionic groups

Contrivable deep-UV coherent light from an originally non-phase-matchable crystal was achieved by optimizing bonding electron distribution in anionic groups.