This
critical review
covers advances in anion complexation in the year 2010. The review covers both organic and inorganic systems and also highlights the applications to which anion receptors can be ...applied such as sensing, anion transport, control of molecular motion and gelation (179 references).
This review covers advances in the supramolecular chemistry of anionic species in the year 2010.
Supramolecular chemistry is a comparatively young field that to date has mainly been focused on building a foundation of fundamental understanding. With much progress in this area, researchers are ...seeking to apply this knowledge to the development of commercially viable products. In this review we seek to outline historical and recent developments within the field of supramolecular chemistry that have made the transition from laboratory to market, and to bring to light those technologies that we believe have commercial potential. In doing so we hope we may illuminate pathways to market for research currently being conducted.
Supramolecular chemistry has successfully built a foundation of fundamental understanding. However, with this now achieved, we show how this area of chemistry is moving out of the laboratory towards successful commercialisation.
Amyloid seeds are nanometer-sized protein particles that accelerate amyloid assembly as well as propagate and transmit the amyloid protein conformation associated with a wide range of protein ...misfolding diseases. However, seeded amyloid growth through templated elongation at fibril ends cannot explain the full range of molecular behaviors observed during cross-seeded formation of amyloid by heterologous seeds. Here, we demonstrate that amyloid seeds can accelerate amyloid formation via a surface catalysis mechanism without propagating the specific amyloid conformation associated with the seeds. This type of seeding mechanism is demonstrated through quantitative characterization of the cross-seeded assembly reactions involving two nonhomologous and unrelated proteins: the human Aβ42 peptide and the yeast prion-forming protein Sup35NM. Our results demonstrate experimental approaches to differentiate seeding by templated elongation from nontemplated amyloid seeding and rationalize the molecular mechanism of the cross-seeding phenomenon as a manifestation of the aberrant surface activities presented by amyloid seeds as nanoparticles.
1,3‐Diindolylureas and thioureas have been synthesised and their anion complexation properties in solution studied. Whilst diindolylthioureas showed only moderate affinities and selectivities, ...diindolylureas show remarkably high affinity for dihydrogen phosphate in solution for an acyclic, neutral receptor in water/D6DMSO mixtures. These easy‐to‐make compounds adopt relatively planar conformations in the solid‐state and are able to donate four hydrogen bonds and yet not fill the coordination sphere of carbonate or phosphate, allowing two or three receptors to bind to each anion in the solid‐state.
Room at the anion? Three diindolylureas assemble around PO43− in the solid‐state, saturating its coordination sphere with twelve hydrogen bonds (see figure).
Perturbations in cellular chloride concentrations can affect cellular pH and autophagy and lead to the onset of apoptosis. With this in mind, synthetic ion transporters have been used to disturb ...cellular ion homeostasis and thereby induce cell death; however, it is not clear whether synthetic ion transporters can also be used to disrupt autophagy. Here, we show that squaramide-based ion transporters enhance the transport of chloride anions in liposomal models and promote sodium chloride influx into the cytosol. Liposomal and cellular transport activity of the squaramides is shown to correlate with cell death activity, which is attributed to caspase-dependent apoptosis. One ion transporter was also shown to cause additional changes in lysosomal pH, which leads to impairment of lysosomal enzyme activity and disruption of autophagic processes. This disruption is independent of the initiation of apoptosis by the ion transporter. This study provides the first experimental evidence that synthetic ion transporters can disrupt both autophagy and induce apoptosis.
Herein, we introduce a new methodology for designing transient organogels that offers tunability of the mechanical properties simply by matching the protective groups of the precursor to that of the ...solvent. We developed solvent-induced transient materials in which the solvent chemically participates in a set of reactions and actively supports the assembly event. The activation of a single precursor by an acid (accelerator) yields the formation of two distinct gelators and induces gelation. The interconversion cycle is supplied by the secondary solvent (originating from hydrolysis of the primary solvent by the accelerator), which then progressively solubilizes the gel network. We show that this gelation method offers a direct correlation between the mechanical and transient properties by modifying the chemical structure of the precursors and the presence of an accelerator in the system. Such a method paves the way for the design of self-abolishing and mechanically tunable materials for targeted purposes. The biocompatibility and versatility of amino acid-based gelators can offer a wide range of biomaterials for applications requiring a controllable and definite lifetime such as drug delivery platforms exhibiting a burst release or self-abolishing cell culture substrates.
A series of supramolecular diamide organogels containing a reactive compound for the remediation of organophosphorus (OP) species, in particular OP chemical warfare agents (CWAs), has been prepared ...in DMSO. The organogels have been found to absorb, encapsulate and decontaminate various OP CWA simulants
. At high simulant concentrations the gels also undergo a gel-sol transition releasing high local concentrations of remediation agent.
Quantifying phospholipid bilayer-small molecule interactions is vital to the development of new drug candidates and/or medicinal therapies. However, obtaining these data remains problematic. Herein, ...we detail a phospholipid nanodisc assay which enables the elucidation of these interactions using conventional solution state NMR spectroscopy techniques.
Quantifying phospholipid bilayer-small molecule interactions is vital to the development of new drug candidates and/or medicinal therapies.
Antimicrobial resistance is directly responsible for more deaths per year than either HIV/AIDS or malaria and is predicted to incur a cumulative societal financial burden of at least $100 trillion ...between 2014 and 2050. Already heralded as one of the greatest threats to human health, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections due to factors including increased global antibiotic/antimicrobial use. Thus an urgent need for novel therapeutics to combat what some have termed the 'silent pandemic' is evident. This review acts as a repository of research and an overview of the novel therapeutic strategies being developed to overcome antimicrobial resistance, with a focus on self-assembling systems and nanoscale materials. The fundamental mechanisms of action, as well as the key advantages and disadvantages of each system are discussed, and attention is drawn to key examples within each field. As a result, this review provides a guide to the further design and development of antimicrobial systems, and outlines the interdisciplinary techniques required to translate this fundamental research towards the clinic.
Antimicrobial resistance is directly responsible for more deaths per year than either HIV/AIDS or malaria and is predicted to incur a cumulative societal financial burden of at least $100 trillion between 2014 and 2050.
Extreme energy-dissipating materials are essential for a range of applications. The military and police force require ballistic armour to ensure the safety of their personnel, while the aerospace ...industry requires materials that enable the capture, preservation and study of hypervelocity projectiles. However, current industry standards display at least one inherent limitation, such as weight, breathability, stiffness, durability and failure to preserve captured projectiles. To resolve these limitations, we have turned to nature, using proteins that have evolved over millennia to enable effective energy dissipation. Specifically, a recombinant form of the mechanosensitive protein talin was incorporated into a monomeric unit and crosslinked, resulting in a talin shock-absorbing material (TSAM). When subjected to 1.5 km s
supersonic shots, TSAMs were shown to absorb the impact and capture and preserve the projectile.
PDF
