Biomass valorization via electrocatalytic carbon–carbon bond cleavage

Renewable electrocatalytic upgrading of biomass feedstocks into valuable chemicals is one of the promising strategies to relieve the pressure of traditional energy-based systems.Through electrocatalytic carbon–carbon bond cleavage of high selectivity,various functionalized molecules,such as organic acids,amides,esters,and nitriles,have great potential to be accessed from biomass.However,it has merely received finite concerns and interests in the biorefinery.This review first showcases the research progress on the electrocatalytic conversion of lipid/sugar-and lignin-derived molecules(e.g.,glycerol,mesoerythritol,xylose,glucose,1-phenylethanol,and cyclohexanol)into organic acids via specific carbon–carbon bond scission processes,with focus on disclosing reaction mechanisms,recognizing actual active species,and collecting feasible modification strategies.For the guidance of further extensive studies on biomass valorization,organic transformations via a variety of reactions,including decarboxylation,ring-opening,rearrangement,reductive hydrogenation,and carboxylation,are also disclosed for the construction of similar carbon skeletons/scaffolds.The remaining challenges,prospective applications,and future objectives in terms of biomass conversion are also proposed.This review is expected to provide references to develop renewed electrocatalytic carbon–carbon bond cleavage transformation paths/strategies for biomass upgrading.

Selective photocatalytic aerobic oxidative cleavage of lignin C–O bonds over sodium lignosulfonate modified Fe_(3)O_(4)/TiO_(2)

Lignocellulose shows significantly potential in sustainable conversion to high-quality fuel and valueadded chemicals with the demands for realizing the rapid cycle of carbon resources and helping to reach carbon neutrality in nature.Selective tailoring of α-O-4,β-O-4,etc.linkages in lignin has always been viewed as "death blow" for its depolymerization.Herein,novel sodium lignosulfonate(SL) modified Fe_(3)O_(4)/TiO_(2)(SL-Fe_(3)O_(4)/TiO_(2)) spherical particles have been developed and used as catalysts for selectively photocatalytic oxidative cleavage of organosolv lignin.As expected,80% selective conversion of lignin in C2-C4 esters has been achieved,while C-O bonds in lignin model compounds can be effectively cleaved.Other than normal hydroxyl radical-mediated photocatalytic depolymerization of lignin over TiO_(2)-based materials,in this contribution,mechanism studies indicate that photogenerated holes and superoxide anion radicals are main active species,which trigger the cleavage of α/β-O-4 bond,and the isotopelabeling study confirms the crucial factor of C_β-H dehydrogenation in cleavage of β-O-4 bonds.

Cooperative catalysis of Co single atoms and nanoparticles enables selective CAr-OCH_(3) cleavage for sustainable production of lignin-based cyclohexanols

In this work,a dual-size MOF-derived Co catalyst(0.2Co_(1-NPs)@NC)composed of single atoms(Co_(1))and highly dispersed nanoparticles(Co NPs)was prepared by in-situ Zn evaporation for the highperformance conversion of lignin-derived o-methoxyphenols(lignin oil)to cyclohexanols(up to 97%yield)via cascade demethoxylation and dearomatization.Theoretical calculations elaborated that the dual-size Co catalyst exhibited a cooperative effect in the selective demethoxylation process,in which the Co NPs could initially dissociate hydrogen at lower energies while Co1remarkably facilitated the cleavage of the C_(Ar)-OCH_(3)bond.Moreover,the intramolecular hydrogen bonds formed in the omethoxy-containing phenols were found to result in a decrease in the bond energy of the C_(Ar)-OCH_(3)bond,which was more prone to be activated by the dual-size Co sites.Notably,the pre-hydrogenated intermediate(e.g.,2-methoxycyclohexanol from guaiacol)is difficult to undergo demethoxylation,indicating that the selective C_(Ar)-OCH_(3)bond cleavage is a prerequisite for the synthesis of cyclohexanols.The 0.2Co_(1-NPs)@NC catalyst was highly recyclable with a neglect decline in activity during five consecutive cycles.This cooperative catalytic strategy based on the metal size effect opens new avenues for biomass upgrading via enhanced C-O bond cleavage of high selectivity.

Ni-catalyzed carbon–carbon bonds cleavage of mixed polyolefin plastics waste

The inert carbon–carbon(C–C) bonds cleavage is a main bottleneck in the chemical upcycling of recalcitrant polyolefin plastics waste. Here we develop an efficient strategy to catalyze the complete cleavage of C–C bonds in mixed polyolefin plastics over non-noble metal catalysts under mild conditions. The nickelbased catalyst involving Ni_(2)Al_(3) phase enables the direct transformation of mixed polyolefin plastics into natural gas, and the gas carbon yield reaches up to 89.6%. Reaction pathway investigation reveals that natural gas comes from the stepwise catalytic cleavage of C–C bonds in polypropylene, and the catalyst prefers catalytic cleavage of terminal C–C bond in the side-chain with the low energy barrier.Additionally, our developed approach is evaluated by the technical economic analysis for an economically competitive production process.

Copper-Catalyzed C-C(O)C Bond Cleavage of Monoalkylated β-Diketone: Synthesis of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

A new and simple route for the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated ketones via cleavage of the C-C(O)C single bond of monoalkylated β-diketone has been described. The reaction was catalyzed by copper, a cheap transition metal in a weakly basic medium (K3PO4) at room temperature. To carry out this study, we first had to synthesize the monoalkylated β-diketones 1. Afterwards, α,β-unsaturated ketones 2 were obtained with high yields around 80%. Finally, all the products were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS spectra. .

Efficient and Convenient Procedures forthe Formation and cleavage of steroid acetals catalysed by montmorillonite aite K 10

Acetalization of steroid ketones and cleavage of the acetals have ben carried out inexcellent yield under catalysis of montmorillonite K 10.

tRNA cleavage: a new insight

Over the past decades,tRNA was found to be a rich hub of RNA modifications such as 1-methyladenosine and 5-methycytosine modifications and others,holding more than half of all modifications occurring in RNA molecules.Moreover,tRNA was discovered to be a source of various small noncoding RNA species,such as the stress induced angiogenin cleaved tRNA halves(tiRNA)or the miRNA like tRNA derived fragments.tRNA cleavage under stress was fist discovered in bacteria and later was found to be conserved across different species,including mammals.Under cellular stress conditions,tRNA undergoes conformational changes and angiogenin cleaves it into 3′and 5′halves.5′tiRNA halves were shown to repress protein translations.tRNA cleavage is thought of to be a cytoprotective mechanism by which cells evade apoptosis,however some data hints to the opposite;that tiRNA are cytotoxic or at least related to apoptosis initiation.tRNA cleavage also was shown to be affected by tRNA modifications via different enzymes in the cytosol and mitochondria.In this review,we will highlight the biology of tRNA cleavage,show the evidence of it being cytoprotective or a marker of cell death and shed a light on its role in disease models and human diseases as well as possible future directions in this field of RNA research.

In vitro cleavage of hepatitis B virus C mRNA by 10-23 DNA enzyme

BACKGROUND: 10-23 DNA enzyme is one kind of de-oxyribozymes for RNA cleavage. The inhibition effects of 10-23 DNA enzyme on the expression of the HBV C gene in HepG2. 2. 15 cells were demonstrated previously. The aim of this study was to further explore the cleavage activities of 10-23 DNA enzyme targeting at HBV C gene mRNA in vitro. METHODS: 10-23 DNA enzyme named Drz-HBV-C-9 specific to HBV C gene ORF A1816UG was designed and synthesized. HBV C gene mRNA was obtained by the in vitro transcription method. Cleavage activities of Drz-HBV-C-9 were observed in vitro. Values of kinetic parameters including Km,Kcat and Kcat/Km were calculated accordingly. RESULTS: Under the certain cleavage conditions, Drz-HBV-C-9 could efficiently cleave target mRNA at specific sites in vitro. Cleavage products of 109nt plus 191nt were obtained. The kinetic parameters, Km,Kcat and Kcat/ Km for Drz-HBV-C-9, were 1.4 ×10-9 mol, 1.6 min-1 and 1.1 × 109 mol-1 · min-1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 10-23 DNA enzyme targeting at HBV C gene mRNA possesses specific cleavage activities in vitro. This would be a potent antiviral strategy with respect to HBV gene therapy.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a Dinuclear Cu(Ⅱ) Complex Based on a Carboxyl-substituted 1H-1,2,3-Triazole and Its DNA Cleavage Activity

The novel dinuclear copper complex [Cu2（H20）2（DMF）2（L）2] （1, H2L = 5-phenyl- 2H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylic acid, DMF = N,N-dimethyl-formamide） has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The compound crystallizes in triclinic system, space group P1 with a = 9.591, b = 10.508, c = 15.515A,β = 75.11°, V= 1446.2 A3, Z= 2, Mr = 683.62, Dc = 1.570 g/cm3, μ = 1.531 mm^-1, F（000） = 700, the final R = 0.0404 and wR = 0.1130 for 5327 observed reflections with I 〉 2σ（I）. In each unit of the complex, two Cu2＋ ions coordinated with two triazole ligands to form a dimeric [5,6,5] tricyclic structure. The central Cu atom is five-coordinated, and each copper atom shows a square pyramidal geometry. The crystal structure is stabilized by the inversion-related O-H…O hydrogen bond and C-H…O hydrogen bonding interactions to form a layer structure. Fluorescent spectra show an obvious quenching of fluorescence compared with free 1,2,3-triazole ligand. The results of agarose gel electrophoresis indicate that this complex can cleave the plasmid supercoiled DNA within shorter time in the 50-folds excess of ascorbate under physiological conditions, providing a new example in the research for artificial metal nucleic acid enzyme.

Synthesis, DNA-binding, and Photocleavage of 2,3-Di-2-pyridylquinoxaline-silver(Ⅰ) Complex

A new dinuclear complex, [Ag（L）（CH3CN）]2（ClO4）2·2H2O（L=2,3-di-2-pyridylquinoxaline）, was prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The interaction of the complex with calf thymus DNA（CT-DNA） was investigated by absorption, fluorescence spectroscopies, and viscosity measurement. The results suggested that the complex was bound to DNA via an intercalative mode. The intrinsic binding constant value Kb was found to be approximately 1.48×10^3 L·mol^-1. Moreover, the Ag（I） complex could cleave the plasmid pUC19 DNA from the supercoiled Form Ⅰto the nicked FormⅡ under irradiation at 365 nm.

Synthesis, structure, DNA binding and cleavage activity of a new copper(II) complex of bispyridylpyrrolide

A copper-bispyridylpyrrolide complex [Cu(PDPH)Cl](PDPH = 2,5-bis(2′-pyridyl)pyrrole) was synthesized and characterized. The complex crystallizes in the orthorhombic system with space group Pccn, a = 0.9016(3) nm, b = 1.0931(4) nm, c =2.5319(8) nm, and V = 2.4951(15) nm3. The copper center is situated in a square planar geometry. The interaction of the copper(II)complex with calf thymus DNA(CT-DNA) was investigated by electronic absorption, circular dichroism(CD) and fluorescence spectra. It is proposed that the complex binds to CT-DNA through groove binding mode. Nuclease activity of the complex was also studied by gel electrophoresis method. The complex can efficiently cleave supercoiled p BR322 DNA in the presence of ascorbate(H2A) via oxidative pathway. The preliminary mechanism of DNA cleavage by the complex with different inhibiting reagents indicates that the hydroxyl radicals were involved as the active species in the DNA cleavage process.

Critical role of cytochrome c1 and its cleavage in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus nonstructural protein 4-induced cell apoptosis via interaction with nsp4

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.（PRRSV） actively induces cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, which can contribute critically to viral pathogenesis. Previous studies have shown that the PRRSV nonstructural protein 4 （nsp4） is an important mediator of this process, but the underlying molecular details remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that the PRRSV nsp4 interacted with the mitochondrial inner membrane protein cytochrome cl （cyto.cl） and induced its proteolytic cleavage. Interestingly, the cleaved N-terminal fragment of cyto.cl was found to exert apoptotic activity, which could cause mitochondrial fragmentation, resulting in apoptotic cell death. And RNA interference （RNAi） silencing experiments further confirmed the crucial role which cyto.cl played in nsp4- and PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis. Thus, our data provide an important piece of mechanistic clues for PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis and also elucidate a novel mechanism for the 3C-like proteases in this finding.

Synthesis and Cleavage Activity of Artifical Minic Polypeptides

Two artificial minic polypeptides which are synthetic analogues of natural products with DNA affinity were synthesized, and theirs cleavage activity with DNA were examined. The structures of these compounds was confirmed by ^1H NMR, MS and IR.

Beta-amyloid precursor protein cleavage enzyme-1 expression in adult rat retinal neurons in the early period after lead exposure

Previous studies have reported that non-human primates and rodents exposed to lead during brain development may become dependent on the deposition of pre-determined β-amyloid protein （Aβ）,and exhibit upregulation of β-site amyloid precursor protein expression in old age.However,further evidence is required to elucidate the precise relationship and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of early lead exposure on excessive Aβ production in adult mammals.The present study investigated the effects of lead exposure on expression of β-amyloid precursor protein cleavage enzyme-1 （BACE-1） in the rat retina and the production of Aβ in early development,using the retina as a window for studying Alzheimer＇s disease.Adult rats were intraocularly injected with different doses of lead acetate （10μmol/L,100μmol/L,1 mmol/L,10 mmol/L and 100 mmol/L）.The results revealed that retinal lead concentration,BACE-1 and its cleavage products β-C-terminal fragment and retina Aβ1-40 were all significantly increased in almost all of the lead exposure groups 48 hours later in a dose-dependent manner.The only exception was the 10μmol/L group.The distribution of BACE-1 in the retina did not exhibit obvious changes,and no distinctive increase in the activation of retinal microglia was apparent.Similarly,retinal synaptophysin expression did not exhibit any clear changes.These data suggest that lead exposure can result in the upregulation of retinal neuron BACE-1 expression in the early period of development and further increase the overproduction of Aβ1-40 in the retina.Our results provided novel insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying environmentally-induced Alzheimer＇s disease.

Cloning and Functional Characterisation of Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase 4 from Wolfberry

Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases(CCDs) are a class of enzymes in plants involved in the biosynthesis of apocarotenoids,such as phytohormones,flavour compounds,and other compounds with yet unknown functions.To date,several CCDs have been functionally characterised in plants,but little is known about the CCD4 members.A carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 gene(LcCCD4) was isolated from the leaves of wolfberry(Lycium chinense) to gain insight into its biological function.Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses showed that the deduced amino acid sequence of LcCCD4 shares high homology with that of CCD4 proteins from other plants.Expression analysis using semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that LcCCD4 was strongly expressed in leaves and flowers and that the expression level was in accordance with β-carotene concentration.LcCCD4 transcripts in fruits tended to decrease as carotenoids accumulated.Recombinant expression of LcCCD4 cleaved β-carotene to produce P-ionone in in vivo assays.These results show that LcCCD4 is a CCD gene that may be involved in producing aromatic apocarotenoids in leaves and flowers,whereas it may be involved in controlling carotenoid accumulation in fruits.

The Effects of Murine Cytomegalovirus on the Maturation, Fertilization, Cleavage and Blastula Formation of Mouse Oocytes In Vitro

To study the effects of mouse cytomegalovirus （MCMV） on the in vitro maturation, fertilization, cleavage and blastula formation of mouse oocytes, the immature oocytes were infected in vitro by MCMVs of different dosages （100 TCID50, 10 TCID50 and 1 TCID50）. The oocytes were then observed for in vitro maturation, fertilization, cleavage and blastula formation and the ultrastructural changes after the culture with the viruses. Our results showed that no significant differences were found in IVM, IVF, cleavage and blastula formation among the groups treated with of virus of various dosages. And ultrastructural abnormality was observed in the oocytes treated by 100 TCID50 of viruses. It is concluded that MCMV did not have any conspicuous effects on IVM, IVF, cleavage and blastula formation of murine immature oocytes.

Synthesis and DNA cleavage activity of diiron(Ⅲ) complex bearing pyrene group

As DNA cleavage agent, a new diiron（Ⅲ） complex （Fe2Lb）, in which a DNA-intercalator （pyrene） is covalently linked to a diferric moiety, has been synthesized and characterized. The DNA-binding property and DNA cleavage activity of the complex have also been investigated.

Developmental Potential and Clinical Value of Embryos with Abnormal Cleavage Rate

To investigate the developmental potential and clinical value of embryos with abnormal cleavage rate,a retrospective analysis was performed on 66 635 2-prokaryotic(2PN)and 1-pronuclear(1PN)embryos.The embryos were given conventionally in vitro fertilization(IVF)treatment and continuously cultured on the day 3(D3)at the Reproductive Medicine Center,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2016 to December 2017.The embryos were separated into the day-2(D2)undivided group with 106 cases,the arrested development group with 3482 cases,the blastomere reduction group with 541 cases,and the control group with 62 506 cases,respectively.The blastocyst utilization rates of these three abnormal groups were 2.83%,10.86%and 6.84%,respectively,which were significantly different from that in control group(39.46%).Furthermore,2 cases of anabiosis and 1 case of live birth were found in D2 undivided group.In arrested development group,there were 55 cases of anabiosis,11 cases of clinical pregnancy in single-embryo transplantation(including 6 cases of live birth),and 25 cases of clinical pregnancy in combination with one normal embryo transplantation(including 23 cases of live births and 15 cases of dizygotic twins under B-ultrasound).There were 13 case of anabiosis in blastomere reduction group:there was 1 case of single embryo transplantation and clinical pregnancy was obtained;there were also 6 cases of clinical pregnancy in combination with one single normal embryo transplantation(including 5 cases of live births and 2 cases of di2ygotic twins under B-ultrasound).In conclusion,embryos with abnormal cleavage rate still have the potential to continue to develop,and have certain blastocyst utilization rate and live birth.

High-quality Cleavage Embryo versus Low-quality Blastocyst in Frozen-thawed Cycles:Comparison of Clinical Outcomes

This study compared the clinical outcomes of the frozen-thawed cycles of high-quality cleavage embryos with low-quality blastocysts to provide a reference for the choice of frozen-thawed embryo transfer schemes and to improve clinical pregnancy rates.A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from 2016 to 2017.In total,845 cases were divided into a high-quality cleavage embryo group(group A)and a low-quality blastocyst group(group B).Each group was further divided into subgroups based on the number of transplants.Group A was categorized into two subgroups comprising of 94 cases in subgroup Al(1 high-quality 8-cell group)and 201 cases in subgroup A2(2 high-quality 8-cell group).Group B was divided into four subgroups consisting of 73 cases in subgroup B I(D53BC group),65 cases in subgroup B2(D54BC group),110 cases in subgroup B3(D63BC group),and 282 cases in subgroup B4(D64BC group).The pregnancy outcomes and neonatal outcomes between the groups were compared.The clinical pregnancy rates(56.72%and 60.00%)and live birth rates(47.76%and 46.15%)in subgroups A2 and B2 showed no significant differences,but these rates were significantly higher in subgroups A2 and B2 than in the rest subgroups(P<0.05).The multiple birth rate(26.32%)in the subgroup A2 was significantly higher than that in the rest subgroups(P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the abortion rates among all groups(P>0.05).In terms of neonatal outcomes,there were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of premature births,sex ratios,and birth defects among the low-weight and gigantic infants(P>0.05).Transplanting two high-quality cleavage embryos during the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles could significantly increase clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates,but at the same time,it also increased the risks of multiple births and complications to mothers and infants.The D54BC subgroup had the most significant advantages among all groups(P<0.05).The rest low-quality blastocysts had clinical outcomes similar to the single high-quality cleavage embryo group.

Photo-induced intramolecular electron transfer and intramolecular vibrational relaxation of rhodamine 6G in DMSO revealed by multiplex transient grating spectroscopy

Photo-induced intramolecular electron transfer （PIET） and intramolecular vibrational relaxation （IVR） dynamics of the excited state of rhodamine 6G （Rh6G＋） in DMSO are investigated by multiplex transient grating. Two major compo- nents are resolved in the dynamics of Rh6G＋. The first component, with a lifetime τTPIET = 140 fs-260 fs, is attributed to PIET from the phenyl ring to the xanthene plane. The IVR process occurring in the range ZIVR = 3.3 ps-5.2 ps is much slower than the first component. The PIET and IVR processes occurring in the excited state of Rh6G＋ are quantitatively determined, and a better understanding of the relationship between these processes is obtained.