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The synthesis of group 4 metal 1‐metallacyclobuta‐2,3‐dienes as organometallic analogues of elusive 1,2‐cyclobutadiene has so far been limited to SiMe3 substituted examples. We present the synthesis of two Ph substituted dilithiated ligand precursors for the preparation of four new 1‐metallacyclobuta‐2,3‐dienes [rac‐(ebthi)M] (M=Ti, Zr; ebthi=1,2‐ethylene‐1,10‐bis(η5‐tetrahydroindenyl)). The organolithium compounds [Li2(RC3Ph)] (1 b: R=Ph, 1 c: R=SiMe3) as well as the metallacycles of the general formula [rac‐(ebthi)M(R1C3R2)] (2 b: M=Ti, R1=R2=Ph, 2 c: M=Ti, R1=Ph, R2=SiMe3; 3 b: M=Zr, R1=R2=Ph; 3 c: M=Zr, R1=Ph, R2=SiMe3) were fully characterised. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction and quantum chemical bond analysis of the Ti and Zr complexes reveal ligand influence on the biradicaloid character of the titanocene complexes. X‐band EPR spectroscopy of structurally similar Ti complexes [rac‐(ebthi)Ti(Me3SiC3SiMe3)] (2 a), 2 b, and 2 c was carried out to evaluate the accessibility of an EPR active triplet state. Cyclic voltammetry shows that introduction of Ph groups renders the complexes easier to reduce. 13C CPMAS NMR analysis provides insights into the cause of the low field shift of the resonances of metal‐bonded carbon atoms and provides evidence of the absence of the β−C−Ti interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dipnictenes of the type RPn=PnR (Pn=P, As, Sb, Bi) can be viewed as dimers of the corresponding pnictinidenes R−Pn. Phosphanylidene‐ and arsanylidenephosphoranes (R−Pn(PMe3); Pn=P, As) have been shown to be versatile synthetic surrogates for the delivery of pnictinidene fragments. We now report that thermal treatment of 1 : 1 mixtures of R−P(PMe3) and R’−As(PMe3) gives access to arsaphosphenes of the type RP=AsR’. Three examples are presented and the properties and reactivity of Mes*P=AsDipTer (1) (Mes*=2,4,6‐tBu3‐C6H2; DipTer=2,6‐(2,6‐iPr2C6H3)2‐C6H3) were studied in detail. Solid state 31P NMR spectroscopy revealed a large 31P NMR chemical shift anisotropy with a span of ca. 920 ppm for 1 while computational methods were employed to investigate this pronounced magnetic deshielding of the P atom in 1. In the presence of the carbene IMe4 (IMe4=:C(MeNCMe)2) 1 is shown to be split into the corresponding NHC adducts Mes*P(IMe4) and DipTerAs(IMe4), which is additionally shown for diarsenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX) is the key player of pro-inflammatory leukotriene biosynthesis. Its regulatory or so-called PLAT (polycystin-1, lipoxygenase, α-toxin) domain binds allosteric modulators like calcium, membranes, coactosin-like protein and Dicer, thereby influencing 5-LOX activity at the nuclear membrane by mediating translocation. The PLAT domain may also regulate cytosolic 5-LOX activity and possibly influence microRNA metabolism. Hence, it has also evolved as a promising target for anti-inflammatory therapy. Research focusing on this substructure of 5-LOX requires an assay system based on the isolated domain. However, we found that the isolated PLAT domain was highly prone to aggregation and therefore unsuitable for interaction studies. Substitution of the single, membrane-binding tryptophan 75 with glycine reduced aggregation and substantially increased its thermal stability. Calcium interaction of the single mutant was confirmed by differential scanning fluorimetry. Moreover, crosslinking experiments demonstrated the ability of the isolated PLAT domain to bind Dicer C-terminus whereas the interaction with coactosin-like protein required the interplay of the catalytic and the PLAT domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Open-source software package for processing and analysis of cw-EPR data. • Focus on full reproducibility and simple usage. • Powerful user interface requiring no programming skills of the user. • Real-world examples of routine tasks as well as more specialised workflows. • Available open-source and free of charge, welcoming contributions from the community. Reproducibility is at the heart of science. Nevertheless, with the advent of computer-based data processing and analysis, most spectroscopists have a hard time fully reproducing a figure from last year's publication starting from the raw data. Unfortunately, this renders their work eventually unscientific. To change this, we need to develop analysis tools that relieve their users from having to trace each processing and analysis step. Furthermore, these tools need to be modular, extendible, and easy to use in order to get used. To this end, we present here the open-source Python package cwepr based on the ASpecD framework for reproducible analysis of spectroscopic data. This package follows best practices of both, science and software development. Key features include an automatically generated gap-less record of each individual processing and analysis step from the raw data to the final published figure. Additionally, it provides a powerful user interface requiring no programming skills of the user. Due to its code quality, modularity, and extensive documentation, it can be easily extended and is actively developed by spectroscopists working in the field. We expect this approach to have a high impact in the field and to help fighting the looming reproducibility crisis in spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconducting polymers promise to revolutionise the way electronic devices can be built and deployed for a vast array of applications ranging from light-energy conversion to sensors to thermoelectric generators. Conjugated push-pull copolymers consisting of alternating donor and acceptor moieties are at the heart of these applications, due to the large tunability of their electronic structure. Hence, knowing the electronic structure of these materials is essential for a detailed understanding of the structure–function relationship of conjugated polymers used in organic electronics applications. Often, a single repeat unit closely resembles the electronic structure of the polymer, but different repeat units exist with markedly different characteristics. Therefore, spectroscopic tools providing the necessary molecular resolution that allows to discriminate between different repeat units and to decide which one actually resembles the electronic structure of the polymer are of utmost importance. Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy is perfectly suited for this task and outperforms optical spectroscopy in this case, particularly when supported by quantum-chemical calculations. This is due to its molecular resolution and unique capability of using light-induced triplet states to probe the electronic structure as well as the impact of the local environment. Here, we demonstrate the power of this approach for the polymer PNDIT2 (poly[ N , N' -bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]- alt -5,5'-(2,2'-bithiophene)) revealing NDI-T2 unambiguously as the repeat unit representing the polymer. The alternative building block T-NDI-T has a markedly different electronic structure. These results are of high importance for the rational design of conjugated polymers for organic electronics applications. [Display omitted] • Often one repeat unit can serve as model of the electronic structure of a polymer. • Identifying this repeat unit is crucial for rational polymer design. • Key to success are spectroscopic tools with the relevant molecular resolution. • Light-induced triplet states are a very sensitive probe of the electronic structure. • Time-resolved EPR spectroscopy is superior to optical spectroscopy in this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) is the key enzyme in the formation of leukotrienes (LTs), important mediators of inflammation. Cellular 5-LO activity is regulated in a complex manner, e.g. by calcium influx, the cellular redox status or 5-LO phosphorylation. Being a mobile enzyme, 5-LO migrates from the cytosol to the nuclear envelope where it is believed to interact with 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) and receives the substrate arachidonic acid (AA). 5-LO contains four cysteine residues located close to the AA entry site. In the present study, we show that in vitro glutathionylation of recombinant purified 5-LO wildtype (WT) as well as 5-LO 4C, a mutant where the four surface cysteines are replaced by serines (Cys159/300/416/418Ser), does not alter the product synthesis. However, in 5-LO/FLAP-transfected HeLa cells, treatment with the thiol-oxidizing agent diamide which promotes glutathionylation at surface Cys residues led to a decreased LT synthesis by 5-LO WT. In contrast to the WT enzyme, LT formation of the 4C mutant was stimulated by addition of diamide. Immunofluorescence studies in human monocytes and HEK293 cells, expressing 5-LO and FLAP, revealed that diamide prevented the translocation of 5-LO WT whereas it enhanced the translocation of the fourfold cysteine mutant. Therefore, we could demonstrate that the interface, involving the four cysteines 159, 300, 416 and 418, is important for the translocation to the nuclear membrane and the colocalization with FLAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]