Kinetic resolution of aliphatic beta-amino acid amides by beta-aminopeptidases.

The growing demand for enantiomerically pure beta-amino acids to be used in the pharmaceutical industry and as fine chemicals requires the development of new strategies for their synthesis. The beta-aminopeptidases BapA from Sphingosinicella xenopeptidilytica 3-2W4, BapA from Sphingosinicella microcystinivorans Y2, and DmpA from Ochrobactrum anthropi LMG7991 are hydrolases that possess the unique ability of cleaving N-terminal beta-amino acids from peptides and amides. Hydrolysis of racemic beta(3)-amino acid amides catalyzed by these enzymes displays enantioselectivity with a strong preference for substrates with the L-configuration and gives access to various aliphatic beta(3)-amino acids of high enantiopurity. This approach presents a new access to enantiopure beta(3)-amino acids under mild reaction conditions and complements chemical asymmetric synthesis strategies.

Light-driven rotary molecular motors on gold nanoparticles.

We report the synthesis of unidirectional light-driven rotary molecular motors based on chiral overcrowded alkenes and their immobilisation on the surface of gold nanoparticles through two anchors. Using a combination of (1)H and (13)C NMR, UV/Vis and CD spectroscopy, we show that these motors preserve their photochemical and thermal behaviour after they have been attached to gold nanoparticles. Furthermore, we describe the synthesis of (2)H- and (13)C-labelled derivatives that were used to verify the unidirectionality of the rotary cycle of these motors both in solution and while grafted to gold nanoparticles. Taken together, these data support the conclusion that these motors maintain their unidirectional rotary cycle when grafted to the surface of small (ca. 2 nm) gold nanoparticles. Thus, continuous irradiation of the system under appropriate conditions leads to unidirectional rotation of the upper half of the molecules relative to the entire nanoparticle.

Synthesis, stereochemistry, and photochemical and thermal behaviour of bis-tert-butyl substituted overcrowded alkenes.

In order to study the structural limits in the design of molecular motors, a tert-butyl substituted analogue was prepared. The unexpected photochemical and thermal isomerisation processes and the stereochemistry of new overcrowded alkene are described. The bis tert-butyl substituted alkenes were synthesised in a five-step sequence with an overall yield of 7.5%. Structural assignments of the isomers based on experimental data were supported by calculations of all four isomers of the alkene. X-Ray crystal analysis showed a strongly twisted alkene (torsion angle 39 degrees ) for a less stable photochemically generated cis-isomer.

Control of rotor motion in a light-driven molecular motor: towards a molecular gearbox.

Controlled intramolecular movement and coupling of motor and rotor functions is exerted by this new molecular device. The rate of rotation of the rotor part of the molecule can be adjusted by alteration of the conformation of the motor part of the molecule. For all states of the motor part, different rates of rotation were measured for the rotor part. Conversion between the four propeller orientations was achieved by irradiation and heating.

Unidirectional molecular motor on a gold surface.

Molecules capable of mimicking the function of a wide range of mechanical devices have been fabricated, with motors that can induce mechanical movement attracting particular attention. Such molecular motors convert light or chemical energy into directional rotary or linear motion, and are usually prepared and operated in solution. But if they are to be used as nanomachines that can do useful work, it seems essential to construct systems that can function on a surface, like a recently reported linear artificial muscle. Surface-mounted rotors have been realized and limited directionality in their motion predicted. Here we demonstrate that a light-driven molecular motor capable of repetitive unidirectional rotation can be mounted on the surface of gold nanoparticles. The motor design uses a chiral helical alkene with an upper half that serves as a propeller and is connected through a carbon-carbon double bond (the rotation axis) to a lower half that serves as a stator. The stator carries two thiol-functionalized 'legs', which then bind the entire motor molecule to a gold surface. NMR spectroscopy reveals that two photo-induced cis-trans isomerizations of the central double bond, each followed by a thermal helix inversion to prevent reverse rotation, induce a full and unidirectional 360 degrees rotation of the propeller with respect to the surface-mounted lower half of the system.

Light-driven molecular motors: stepwise thermal helix inversion during unidirectional rotation of sterically overcrowded biphenanthrylidenes.

To investigate the unidirectional rotation of chiral overcrowded biphenanthrylidenes in more detail, the size of the substituent next to the double bond responsible for the unidirectionality of rotation was varied. The thermal and photochemical isomerization of three sterically overcrowded alkenes is described. The behavior of the biphenanthrylidenes with methyl and ethyl substituents is rather similar, and these compounds undergo a unidirectional 360 degrees rotation around the central double bond in a four-step sequence involving two photochemical cis-trans isomerizations and two thermal helix inversions. The only difference between these two true molecular motors was a small entropic effect, which causes the ethyl substituted molecular motor to rotate slightly faster. The behavior of the i-propyl substituted compound differs significantly from that of the other two. Although not all different isomers of the i-propyl substituted molecular motor were detected spectroscopically, experimental data led to the conclusion that this compound can also be considered as a molecular motor and is capable of performing a 360 degrees unidirectional rotation. (1)H NMR and X-ray analysis show a meso-like form as an intermediate in the unidirectional rotation, which proves that the thermal helix inversion is a stepwise process.

New procedure for the preparation of highly sterically hindered alkenes using a hypervalent iodine reagent.

New methodology is described to construct the olefinic bond in overcrowded alkenes using a hypervalent iodine reagent, and applied in the synthesis of molecular motors.

Exploring the boundaries of a light-driven molecular motor design: new sterically overcrowded alkenes with preferred direction of rotation.

Insight in the steric and electronic parameters governing isomerization processes in artificial molecular motors is essential in order to design more advanced motor systems. A subtle balance of steric parameters and the combination of helical and central chirality are key features of light-driven unidirectional rotary molecular motors constructed so far. In an approach to decrease the steric hindrance around the central olefinic bond (rotary axis) and thereby lowering the energy barrier for helix inversion resulting in an increased rotation rate, the boundaries of our molecular motor design are explored. In a new design of a light-driven molecular motor based on a sterically overcrowded alkene the methyl substituent adjacent to the stereogenic center, which is responsible for the control of the direction of rotation, is shifted one position away from the fjord region of the molecule compared to the second-generation motor systems. In contrast to previously developed light-driven molecular motors, there is a preference for the methyl substituent to adopt a pseudo-equatorial orientation. Nevertheless, this new type of motor is capable of functioning as a rotary molecular motor, albeit not with full unidirectionality. Under the combined influence of light and heat, there is a preferred clockwise rotation of one half of the molecule. Surprisingly, the effect of shifting the methyl substituent on the energy barrier for helix inversion is small and even a slight increase in the barrier is observed.

A chiroptical molecular switch with perfect stereocontrol.

A modified version of the first generation unidirectional molecular motor showed >99% stereoselectivity in photo-induced isomerizations in both directions, thus functioning as a perfect chiroptical molecular switch.

Increased speed of rotation for the smallest light-driven molecular motor.

In this paper we present the smallest artificial light-driven molecular motor consisting of only 28 carbon and 24 hydrogen atoms. The concept of controlling directionality of rotary movement at the molecular level by introduction of a stereogenic center next to the central olefinic bond of a sterically overcrowded alkene does not only hold for molecular motors with six-membered rings, but is also applicable to achieve the unidirectional movement for molecular motors having five-membered rings. Although X-ray analyses show that the five-membered rings in the cis- and trans-isomer of the new molecular motor are nearly flat, the energy differences between the (pseudo-)diaxial and (pseudo-)diequatorial conformations of the methyl substituents in both isomers are still large enough to direct the rotation of one-half of the molecule with respect to the other half in a clockwise fashion. The full rotary cycle comprises four consecutive steps: two photochemical isomerizations each followed by a thermal helix inversion. Both photochemical cis-trans isomerizations proceed with a preference for the unstable diequatorial isomers over the stable diaxial isomers. The thermal barriers for helix inversion of this motor molecule have decreased dramatically compared to its six-membered ring analogue, the half-life of the fastest step being only 18 s at room temperature.

In control of the speed of rotation in molecular motors. Unexpected retardation of rotary motion.

Surprisingly, a new motor with a tetrahydronaphthalene upper part rotates slower than the original molecular motor with a tetrahydrophenanthrene upper part despite decreased steric hindrance.