Dynamic Characterization of Crystalline Supramolecular Rotors Assembled through Halogen Bonding

A modular molecular kit for the preparation of crystalline molecular rotors was devised from a set of stators and rotators to gain simple access to a large number of structures with different dynamic performance and physical properties. In this work, we have accomplished this with crystalline molecular rotors self-assembled by halogen bonding of diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, acting as a rotator, and a set of five fluorine-substituted iodobenzenes that take the role of the stator. Using variableerature 1H T1 spin-lattice relaxation measurements, we have shown that all structures display ultrafast Brownian rotation with activation energies of 2.4-4.9 kcal/mol and pre-exponential factors of the order of (1-9) × 1012 s-1. Line shape analysis of quadrupolar echo 2H NMR measurements in selected examples indicated rotational trajectories consistent with the 3-fold or 6-fold symmetric potential of the rotator

Framework Mobility in the Metal−Organic Framework Crystal IRMOF-3: Evidence for Aromatic Ring and Amine

a b s t r a c t The framework motions in IRMOF-3 (Zn 4 O(BDC-NH 2 ) 3 ), where BDC-NH 2 represents 2-amino-1,4-ben zenedicarboxylate, have been investigated with 1 H NMR relaxation measurements. Isotopic enrichment of the 2-amino group with 15 N was critical in elucidating the lattice dynamics and enhancing spectral resolution. These results indicate a low energy process associated with rotation of the amino group, with an activation energy of 1.8 ± 0.6 kcal/mol, and full 180°rotation of the phenylene group in the BDC-NH 2 moiety with an activation energy of 5.0 ± 0.2 kcal/mol. A relatively low pre-exponential factor for amine rotation (1.3 Â 10 7 s À1 ) is tentatively associated with the need to break a hydrogen bond as the rate-limiting step. Both amine rotation and the aromatic ring flip occur at frequencies that provide an effective relaxation mechanism for the 99.6% natural abundance quadrupola

Radical Reactions with Double Memory of Chirality ( 2 MOC) for the Enantiospecific Synthesis of Adjacent Stereogenic Quaternary Centers in Solution: Cleavage and Bonding Faster than Radical Rotation

The solution photochemistry of bis(phenylpyrrolidinonyl)ketones (R,R)-1b and (S,S)-1b exhibited a remarkably high memory of chirality. Stereospecific decarbonylation to products (R,R)-3b and (S,S)-3b, respectively, occurred with an ee of ca. 80%. The reaction is thought to occur along the single state manifold by sequential Norrish type-I α-cleavage decarbonylation, and radical–radical combination in a time scale that is comparable to that required for the radical intermediate to expose its other enantiotopic face by rotation about an axis perpendicular to that of the p orbital (ca. 3–7 ps). The absolute configuration of a key intermediate and that of ketone (R,R)-1b were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and the ee values of the photochemical products with the help of chiral shift reagent (+)-Eu(tfc)3 and chiral LC-MS/ MS. On the basis of the ee and de values at 25 °C, it could be determined that ca. 70% of the bond forming events occur with double memory of chirality, ca. 21% occur after rotation of one radical to form the meso product (R,S)-3b, and only 9% occur after double rotation to form the opposite enantiomer. This report represents the first example of a doubly enantiospecific Norrish type-I and decarbonylation reaction in solution and illustrates potentially efficient ways to obtain compounds with adjacent stereogenic quaternary centers

An A91V SNP in the perforin gene is frequently found in NK/T-cell lymphomas

NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is the most frequent EBV-related NK/T-cell disease. Its clinical manifestations overlap with those of familial haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHLH). Since PERFORIN (PRF1) mutations are present in FHLH, we analysed its role in a series of 12 nasal and 12 extranasal-NKTCLs. 12.5% of the tumours and 25% of the nasal-origin cases had the well-known g.272C>T(p.Ala91Val) pathogenic SNP, which confers a poor prognosis. Two of these cases had a double-CD4/CD8-positive immunophenotype, although no correlation was found with perforin protein expression. p53 was overexpressed in 20% of the tumoral samples, 80% of which were of extranasal origin, while none showed PRF1 SNVs. These results suggest that nasal and extranasal NKTCLs have different biological backgrounds, although this requires validation

Testing a global standard for quantifying species recovery and assessing conservation impact

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a “Green List of Species” (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species’ progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species’ viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics (conservation legacy, conservation dependence, conservation gain, and recovery potential). We tested the framework with 181 species representing diverse taxa, life histories, biomes, and IUCN Red List categories (extinction risk). Based on the observed distribution of species’ recovery scores, we propose the following species recovery categories: fully recovered, slightly depleted, moderately depleted, largely depleted, critically depleted, extinct in the wild, and indeterminate. Fifty-nine percent of tested species were considered largely or critically depleted. Although there was a negative relationship between extinction risk and species recovery score, variation was considerable. Some species in lower risk categories were assessed as farther from recovery than those at higher risk. This emphasizes that species recovery is conceptually different from extinction risk and reinforces the utility of the IUCN Green Status of Species to more fully understand species conservation status. Although extinction risk did not predict conservation legacy, conservation dependence, or conservation gain, it was positively correlated with recovery potential. Only 1.7% of tested species were categorized as zero across all 4 of these conservation impact metrics, indicating that conservation has, or will, play a role in improving or maintaining species status for the vast majority of these species. Based on our results, we devised an updated assessment framework that introduces the option of using a dynamic baseline to assess future impacts of conservation over the short term to avoid misleading results which were generated in a small number of cases, and redefines short term as 10 years to better align with conservation planning. These changes are reflected in the IUCN Green Status of Species Standard

Testing a global standard for quantifying species recovery and assessing conservation impact.

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a "Green List of Species" (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species' progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species' viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics (conservation legacy, conservation dependence, conservation gain, and recovery potential). We tested the framework with 181 species representing diverse taxa, life histories, biomes, and IUCN Red List categories (extinction risk). Based on the observed distribution of species' recovery scores, we propose the following species recovery categories: fully recovered, slightly depleted, moderately depleted, largely depleted, critically depleted, extinct in the wild, and indeterminate. Fifty-nine percent of tested species were considered largely or critically depleted. Although there was a negative relationship between extinction risk and species recovery score, variation was considerable. Some species in lower risk categories were assessed as farther from recovery than those at higher risk. This emphasizes that species recovery is conceptually different from extinction risk and reinforces the utility of the IUCN Green Status of Species to more fully understand species conservation status. Although extinction risk did not predict conservation legacy, conservation dependence, or conservation gain, it was positively correlated with recovery potential. Only 1.7% of tested species were categorized as zero across all 4 of these conservation impact metrics, indicating that conservation has, or will, play a role in improving or maintaining species status for the vast majority of these species. Based on our results, we devised an updated assessment framework that introduces the option of using a dynamic baseline to assess future impacts of conservation over the short term to avoid misleading results which were generated in a small number of cases, and redefines short term as 10 years to better align with conservation planning. These changes are reflected in the IUCN Green Status of Species Standard

Transmission Spectroscopy and Kinetics in Crystalline Solids Using Aqueous Nanocrystalline Suspensions: The Spiropyran-Merocyanine Photochromic System

A comparison of the solution and solid state thermal decay kinetics of five photochromic spiropyrans with different <i>N</i>-alkyl groups (<b>SP1</b>–<b>SP5</b>) was carried out in acetonitrile and nanocrystalline suspensions at 298 K. The change in absorbance at ca. 550 nm was measured as a function of time for the merocyanine (MC) using transmission UV–vis spectroscopy. We found that the thermal decay kinetics are slower and follow a biexponential decay in the solid state compared to a faster, monoexponential decay that was measured in solution. We observed that, while the kinetic range measured in solution varies by a factor of 13, the decay kinetics in the solid state cover a range of ca. 150, indicating that crystal packing has an influence much greater than that of the effects of <i>N</i>-alkyl substitution. A fluorescence analysis of irradiated samples of <b>SP1</b> in solution could be used to determine the formation of the MC species and its subsequent decay. By contrast, a similar analysis of nanocrystalline suspensions displayed changes as a function of time that are consistent with self-quenching

Crystalline molecular machines: Encoding supramolecular dynamics into molecular structure

Crystalline molecular machines represent an exciting new branch of crystal engineering and materials science with important implications to nanotechnology. Crystalline molecular machines are crystals built with molecules that are structurally programmed to respond collectively to mechanic, electric, magnetic, or photonic stimuli to fulfill specific functions. One of the main challenges in their construction derives from the picometric precision required for their mechanic operation within the close-packed, self-assembled environment of crystalline solids. In this article, we outline some of the general guidelines for their design and apply them for the construction of molecular crystals with units intended to emulate macroscopic gyroscopes and compasses. Recent advances in the preparation, crystallization, and dynamic characterization of these interesting systems offer a foothold to the possibilities and help highlight some avenues for future experimentation