Ti/Ni-Mediated Inter- and Intramolecular Conjugate Addition of Aryl and Alkenyl Halides and Triflates

In this work, we show that the unique combination of a nickel catalyst and Cp₂TiCl allows the direct conjugate addition of aryl and alkenyl iodides, bromides, and to a lesser extent, chlorides and triflates to α,β-unsaturated carbonyls at room temperature, without requiring the previous formation of an organometallic nucleophile. The reaction proceeds inter- and intramolecularly with good functional group compatibility, which is key for the development of free protecting group methodologies. Carbo- and heterocycles of five- and six-membered rings are obtained in good yields. Moreover, some insights about the mechanism involved have been obtained from cyclic voltammetry, UV–vis, and HRTEM measurements

Model System for Cell Adhesion Mediated by Weak Carbohydrate–Carbohydrate Interactions

The multivalent carbohydrate–carbohydrate interaction between membrane-anchored epitopes derived from the marine sponge <i>Microciona prolifera</i> has been explored by colloidal probe microscopy. An <i>in situ</i> coupling of sulfated and non-sulfated disaccharides to membrane-coated surfaces was employed to mimic native cell–cell contacts. The dynamic strength of the homomeric self-association was measured as a function of calcium ions and loading rate. A deterministic model was used to estimate the basic energy landscape and number of participating bonds in the contact zone

Pyrene-Containing <i>ortho</i>-Oligo(phenylene)ethynylene Foldamer as a Ratiometric Probe Based on Circularly Polarized Luminescence

In this manuscript, we report the first synthesis of an organic monomolecular emitter, which behaves as a circularly polarized luminescence (CPL)-based ratiometric probe. The enantiopure helical <i>ortho</i>-oligo­(phenylene)­ethynylene (<i>o</i>-OPE) core has been prepared by a new and efficient macrocyclization reaction. The combination of such <i>o</i>-OPE helical skeleton and a pyrene couple leads to two different CPL emission features in a single structure whose ratio linearly responds to silver­(I) concentration

Development of a New Dual Polarity and Viscosity Probe Based on the Foldamer Concept

Small molecular probes able to act as sensors are of enormous interest thanks to their multiple applications. Here, we report on the development of a novel supramolecular dual viscosity and polarity probe based on the foldamer concept, which increases the resolution limits of traditional probes at low viscosity values (0–4 mPa·s). The applicability of this new probe has been tested with a supramolecular organogel