{"title":"Glutathione-Triggered Nitrite Release From Organic Nitrites Enhances Nitric Oxide Bioavailability in Mammalian Cells.","authors":"Shubham Sahu, Sagar Kumar, Govindasamy Mugesh","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502890","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502890","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The conversion of nitrite (NO<sub>2</sub> <sup>-</sup>) to nitric oxide (NO) represents a key pathway for NO generation under ischemic conditions. Therefore, organic nitro compounds capable of releasing nitrite under physiological environments have attracted considerable attention. Here, we demonstrate that simple 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalimide derivatives efficiently and almost quantitatively liberate nitrite upon reaction with biological thiols, particularly glutathione (GSH). These compounds function as NO prodrugs, enhancing NO bioavailability in mammalian cells through intracellular nitrite-to-NO conversion. Notably, their selectivity toward GSH and the intrinsic fluorescence of the resulting glutathione adducts enable their use as probes for monitoring intracellular GSH levels. Furthermore, cotreatment of endothelial cells with these naphthalimide derivatives and the NO probe DAF-FM diacetate provides a valuable strategy to distinguish between endogenously produced NO and NO generated via synthetic nitro compound-derived nitrite release. Together, these findings highlight 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalimides as a promising platform for both NO delivery and real-time cellular redox sensing.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02890"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jintao Liu, Ju Yang, Zhuoqi Wang, Changwen Jin, Yunfei Hu
{"title":"An Improved Cysteine-Based Labeling Strategy for GPCR Structural Dynamics Studies.","authors":"Jintao Liu, Ju Yang, Zhuoqi Wang, Changwen Jin, Yunfei Hu","doi":"10.1002/chem.202501656","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202501656","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spectroscopic investigations of the dynamic signaling process of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) often require cysteine-based labeling. However, the presence of a highly conserved but labile disulfide bond in the receptor extracellular domain could result in strong background signals, hindering the application of spectroscopic methods in studying GPCR dynamics. Herein we report an improved strategy for site-specific labeling of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors by using phenylarsine oxide (PAO) to reversibly protect the conserved disulfide bond. This method can efficiently reduce background signals while maintaining receptor functionality, enabling both fluorophore and <sup>19</sup>F labeling for structural dynamics studies of the M2 muscarinic receptor (M2R) by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) and <sup>19</sup>F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This improved strategy is anticipated to broaden the applicability of cysteine-based spectroscopic methods for structural dynamics studies of a wider range of GPCRs facing similar challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e01656"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unraveling an Organic Soluble Precursor-Based Low-Temperature Synthetic Strategy to Impurity-Free Pristine and Transition Metal Doped Lead Apatites.","authors":"Meera P Reghunath, Ramaswamy Murugavel","doi":"10.1002/chem.202501888","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202501888","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Doping of hydroxyapatites has garnered considerable interest, as it enables the tuning of the material's intrinsic properties. However, synthesizing hydroxyapatites and their doped variants is highly challenging, as the synthesis demands high temperature and complex, multi-step reaction conditions. Hence, we propose a soft, one-step synthetic approach to develop single-phase lead hydroxyapatite (Pb-HA), Pb<sub>10</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>6</sub>(OH)<sub>2,</sub> and transition metal-doped lead hydroxyapatites (TM-doped Pb-HA), Pb<sub>10-x</sub>M<sub>x</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>6</sub>(OH)<sub>2</sub> (x ≃ 0.5 to 1.0) (M = Cu, Co, or Mn) through a low-temperature hydrothermal decomposition route under neutral conditions. A newly synthesized 1D lead phosphate polymer [Pb(μ-dtbp)<sub>2</sub>]<sub>n</sub> (1) (dtbp = di-tert-butylphosphate) has been used as the metal-organic precursor for different lead phosphate phases by employing both solvothermal and solid-state thermal decomposition pathways. Hydrothermal decomposition of 1 in the presence of required stoichiometric amounts of an additional lead precursor, PbO, and transition phosphates/metal oxides (MO) at 140 °C gave phase-pure Pb-HA and TM-doped Pb-HA. The associated magnetic and electronic property analysis revealed that all the synthesized materials display paramagnetic behavior, and they are wide-gap n-type semiconductors. More pertinently, this mild, versatile route offers improved control over the metal-to-ligand ratio compared to existing methods and can be adapted to introduce other divalent transition metals into hydroxyapatite frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e01888"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Huifang Li, Wanying Li, Yiru Tang, Xinsen He, Ying Xiong, Yimou Gong, Ji Lu, Xianchao Pan, Jun Wang, Na Hao, Lin Yang
{"title":"Water-Soluble Squaraine-Based NIR Chromofluorogenic Probe for HClO/ClO<sup>-</sup> Detection in Environmental Waters and Live-Cell Bioimaging.","authors":"Huifang Li, Wanying Li, Yiru Tang, Xinsen He, Ying Xiong, Yimou Gong, Ji Lu, Xianchao Pan, Jun Wang, Na Hao, Lin Yang","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502401","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502401","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypochlorous acid/hypochlorite (HClO/ClO<sup>-</sup>), as critical biological reactive oxygen species (ROS), plays essential roles in numerous physiological and pathological processes. To enable sensitive detection of HClO/ClO<sup>-</sup> in environmental water samples and living cells, a near-infrared (NIR) water-soluble squaraine-based chromofluorogenic probe SO<sub>3</sub>SQ was developed. SO<sub>3</sub>SQ exhibits good water solubility, NIR detection wavelength (696 nm/725 nm), high selectivity, rapid response time (within seconds), visible colorimetric response, and minimal cytotoxicity. Furthermore, SO<sub>3</sub>SQ achieved quantitative HClO/ClO<sup>-</sup> detection in environmental water samples and realized real-time fluorescence imaging of exogenous/endogenous HClO/ClO<sup>-</sup> in HepG2 cells. This work provides new ideas for the future design of NIR water-soluble HClO/ClO<sup>-</sup> probes, while expanding the application of squaraine dyes as HClO/ClO<sup>-</sup> probes.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02401"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145197530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Will E Orukotan, Ben J Knapper, Daniela Dimitrova, William P Unsworth
{"title":"Modular Assembly of Macrocyclic Sulfonamides via Consecutive Cascade Ring Expansion Reactions.","authors":"Will E Orukotan, Ben J Knapper, Daniela Dimitrova, William P Unsworth","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502887","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sulfur(IV) groups and macrocycles are both important motifs in bioactive molecules of significant current interest in medicinal chemistry, but methods for the efficient synthesis of macrocyclic sulfur(IV) compounds are rare. In this manuscript, a modular, versatile strategy for the synthesis of macrocyclic sulfonamides is described, using consecutive ring expansion reactions. First, linear starting materials are assembled from simple building blocks. This is followed by two distinct cascade ring expansion reaction steps performed in sequence. The utility of this modular approach is showcased via the synthesis of a library of 42 diversely functionalized 13- and 14-membered macrocyclic sulfonamides. The use of consecutive ring expansions is key to the success of the protocol, ensuring the products are formed in overall good yields without requiring high-dilution conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02887"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145197532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shedding Light on Synthetic Autocatalysis: From Conventional Closed-Shell Chemistries to Overlooked Open-Shell Occurrences.","authors":"Jaspreet Kaur, Joshua P Barham","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autocatalysis is a kinetic phenomenon where a reaction product catalyzes its own formation, often leading to sigmoidal reaction profiles and exponential rate acceleration. This process plays a fundamental role in biological systems, for example, in chemistry of the origins of life. Although synthetic reactions are not as widely reported as the biological studies, autocatalysis offers a unique mechanism and high efficiency to organic synthesis. This review highlights diverse synthetic examples in various autocatalytic mechanistic paradigms, including well-studied examples such as the Soai reaction. We also explore emerging examples in radical- and photochemistry-based systems, emphasizing recent advances in auto-photocatalysis. By exploring examples from different fields, this review aims to highlight the variety and potential of autocatalytic reactions for synthesis. We aim to encourage further research into autocatalysis as a powerful strategy for improving reaction efficiency, revealing new reaction pathways, and inspiring innovative catalytic methodologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02075"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145197504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ion-Pairing-Modulated Diradical Properties in Partially Conjugated Negatively Charged π-Electronic Systems.","authors":"Hiroto Kobayashi, Takashi Kubo, Shinya Sugiura, Yohei Haketa, Hiromitsu Maeda","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502698","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502698","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A quinonoidal dipyrrolyldiketone catecholate-boron complex, with two pyrrole-quinonemethide moieties bridged by a six-membered cross-conjugated unit, was synthesized to modulate the diradical character of the dianion formed upon deprotonation. The dianionic species exhibited near-infrared absorption and electron spin resonance (ESR) signals, confirming the diradical properties. Variable-temperature (VT) ESR spectra suggest the thermal excitation from the ground-state singlet diradical to the triplet diradical, providing singlet-triplet energy gaps modulated by coexisting cations and bridging boron moieties.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02698"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Selena J Lockyer, Lubomir Loci, George F S Whitehead, Inigo J Vitorica-Yrezabal, Grigore A Timco, Alice M Bowen, Eric J L McInnes, Richard E P Winpenny
{"title":"A [3]Rotaxane Containing {Ti<sub>7</sub>Ga} Rings Linking Cu<sup>II</sup>: Synthesis, Structure, and Spectroscopic Studies.","authors":"Selena J Lockyer, Lubomir Loci, George F S Whitehead, Inigo J Vitorica-Yrezabal, Grigore A Timco, Alice M Bowen, Eric J L McInnes, Richard E P Winpenny","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502530","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502530","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We report the synthesis of extended hybrid organic-inorganic rotaxanes based on (pyCH<sub>2</sub>NH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>py)[Ti<sup>IV</sup> <sub>7</sub>Ga<sup>III</sup>O<sub>8</sub>(O<sub>2</sub>C<sup>t</sup>Bu)<sub>16</sub>] (1) and (pyCH<sub>2</sub>NH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>py)[Ti<sup>IV</sup> <sub>7</sub>Ga<sup>III</sup>O<sub>8</sub>(O<sub>2</sub>C<sup>t</sup>Bu)<sub>16</sub>] (3) building blocks, containing an anionic macrocycle and doubly pyridyl-terminated secondary ammonium threads. Reaction of 1 and 3 with [Cu(hfac)<sub>2</sub>] (hfac = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonate) gives {[Cu(hfac)<sub>2</sub>]<sub>3</sub>[1]<sub>2</sub>} (2) and {[Cu(hfac)<sub>2</sub>]<sub>2</sub>[3]} (4), respectively, which are characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The products are controlled by the differing steric demands imposed by the two arms of the thread. The structure of 2 is an extended [3]rotaxane, with two molecules of 1 binding to a central [Cu(hfac)<sub>2</sub>] molecule via the longer arm of the thread, and two [Cu(hfac)<sub>2</sub>] units terminating the structure at the shorter arm. The structure of 4, where both arms of the thread are short, is an extended [2]rotaxane terminated by two molecules of [Cu(hfac)<sub>2</sub>]. The Cu…Cu…Cu fragment in 2 is linear, with the central Cu lying on an inversion center and with a separation between the terminal copper ions of 31.3 Å. Double Electron-Electron Resonance (DEER; also known as PELDOR) spectroscopy proves that the [3]rotaxane structure remains intact in solution, detecting both terminal…center and terminal…terminal Cu…Cu interactions, with orientation-selective measurements demonstrating that there is a rearrangement of the structure at the terminal positions on dissolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02530"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unraveling the Ruthenium(VIII)-Mediated Oxidation of N-Hydroxy Pyrrolidines to Cyclic Nitrones.","authors":"Manuel Pedrón, Tomás Tejero, Pedro Merino","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502858","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502858","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The oxidation of N-hydroxypyrrolidines to cyclic nitrones represents a valuable transformation in organic synthesis due to the synthetic utility of such nitrones. In this work, we present a detailed computational study of the oxidation of five-membered N-hydroxylamines using ruthenium tetroxide. Through density functional theory (DFT) calculations complemented by topological analyses of the electron localization function (ELF), we reveal a concerted yet highly asynchronous two-electron transfer mechanism. No intermediates as energy minima are identified, but the reaction trajectory lies near the borderline between stepwise and concerted pathways. Our findings indicate that regioselectivity in the oxidation process does not correlate with the electronic nature of the substituent at position 3, but is instead governed by steric hindrance effects that modulate the approach of the ruthenium tetroxide moiety. This steric control provides a rational explanation for the modest regioselectivity observed experimentally. Notably, the computational predictions align closely with experimental product distributions, lending strong support to the proposed mechanistic model.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02858"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arnaldo X Torres-Hernandez, Prathibha Desman, Ryan J Rafferty
{"title":"Balgacyclamide A: Structural Revision of the First Reported Total Synthesis and Evaluation of Oxazoline Synthesis via β-Hydroxy Amides Dehydrative Cyclization Conditions.","authors":"Arnaldo X Torres-Hernandez, Prathibha Desman, Ryan J Rafferty","doi":"10.1002/chem.202502036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A total synthesis of balgacyclamide A was reported for the first time in 2020, however, after multiple epimerization studies of β-hydroxy amides dehydrative cyclization to access oxazolines, we proposed a configurational reassignment from the previous synthetic pathway. Balgacyclamide A is a macrocyclic hexapeptide with antiparasitic activity against Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Chemically, its core contains six amino acids that undergo heterocyclization to form one thiazole and two oxazoline rings. Two of the six amino acids are L-threonines that play an important role in their synthetic pathway to achieve oxazolines with the right configuration upon epimerization at the β-carbon. Thus, we investigated the effect of L-threonine and L-allothreonine β-carbon epimerization via the Burgess reagent, diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST), and (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>6</sub>Mo<sub>7</sub>O<sub>24</sub>•4H<sub>2</sub>O catalyst to support previous oxazoline synthetic studies. Furthermore, the first total synthesis of balgacyclamide A and an epimer is reported via multiple synthetic key steps that involve a tandem sulfur incorporation, cyclization, and aromatization of the thiazole, and a late-stage β-hydroxy amide Walden inversion to access both oxazolines.</p>","PeriodicalId":144,"journal":{"name":"Chemistry - A European Journal","volume":" ","pages":"e02036"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}