Three polystyrene-supported N-heterocyclic carbene-silver complexes [PS-NHC-Ag(I)] and a polystyrene-supported N-heterocyclic carbenecopper complex [PS-NHC-Cu(I)] catalyst were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atom emission spectrometer, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron micrographs. The catalytic activity of the supported catalysts was investigated for the reaction of propargylic alcohols and carbon dioxide. PS-NHC-Cu(I) showed no catalytic activity to the reaction, while PS-NHC-Ag(I) showed a considerable high activity and selectivity for the reaction, yielding the corresponding a-alkylidene cyclic carbonates in high to excellent yields under mild conditions. Most importantly, the supported catalysts could be separated easily from the products and reused up to 15 times without loss of their high catalytic activity, showing excellent stability. The effect of various reaction parameters such as carbon dioxide pressure, temperature, time, and catalyst loading on the reaction was also investigated.

A palladium-catalyzed fluoroalkylative cyclization of olefins with readily available R-I reagents to afford the corresponding fluoroalkylated 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and indolin derivatives with moderate to excellent yields is reported. This novel procedure provides an efficient method for the construction of C-CF and C-O/N bonds in one step. A wide range of functional groups are tolerated. It is proposed that a radical/SET (single electron transfer) pathway proceeding via the fluoroalkyl radical may be involved in the catalytic cycle.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is a serum biomarker for liver diseases and HCC. However, the mechanism underlying GP73 regulates HCV infection is largely unknown. Here, we revealed that GP73 acts as a novel negative regulator of host innate immunity to facilitate HCV infection. GP73 expression is activated and correlated with interferon-beta (IFN-β) production during HCV infection in patients’ serum, primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) and human hepatoma cells through mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS), TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular regulated protein kinase (MEK/ERK) pathway. Detailed studies revealed that HCV infection activates MAVS that in turn recruits TRAF6 via TRAF-interacting-motifs (TIMs), and TRAF6 subsequently directly recruits GP73 to MAVS via coiled-coil domain. After binding with MAVS and TRAF6, GP73 promotes MAVS and TRAF6 degradation through proteasome-dependent pathway. Moreover, GP73 attenuates IFN-β promoter, IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) promoter and down-regulates IFN-β, IFN-λ1, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IFN-stimulated gene 56 (ISG56), leading to the repression of host innate immunity. Finally, knock-down of GP73 down-regulates HCV infection and replication in Huh7-MAVSR cells and primary human hepatocytes (PHHs), but such repression is rescued by GP73m4 (a mutant GP73 resists to GP73-shRNA#4) in Huh7-MAVSR cells, suggesting that GP73 facilitates HCV infection. Taken together, we demonstrated that GP73 acts as a negative regulator of innate immunity to facilitate HCV infection by interacting with MAVS/TRAF6 and promoting MAVS/TRAF6 degradation. This study provides new insights into the mechanism of HCV infection and pathogenesis, and suggests that GP73 is a new potential antiviral target in the prevention and treatment of HCV associated diseases.

The first porphyrin-salen based chiral metal-organic framework (ps-CMOF) constructed by judiciously incorporating metalloporphyrin and metallosalen struts into one MOF structure is reported, which can serve as an effective heterogeneous catalyst for the asymmetric cyanosilylation of aldehydes owing to the synergistic function between Lewis acid activation (from metalloporphyrin) and chiral induction (from metallosalen).

A three-dimensional (3D) chiral mixed metal-organic framework [Cd4Cl(Ni-L)3(Ni-HL)(H2O)6(DMF)]·4DMF (CMOF 1) based on a new enantiopure dicarboxyl-functionalized Ni(saldpen) metalloligand Ni-H2L and a novel tetranuclear cadmium cluster [Cd4Cl(CO2)7(CO2H)] has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR and UV-vis spectra, thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption, powder and single-crystal X-ray diffractions. Each tetranuclear-cadmium cluster in 1 is linked by eight Ni-L ligands, and each Ni-L ligand is linked by two tetranuclear-cadmium clusters to generate a 3D framework with 1D open channels (∼1.1 × 0.9 nm(2)) along the b-axis. Based on its good stability, permanent porosity, Lewis acid sites and moderate uptake for CO2, 1 can be used as a self-supported heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of optically active propylene carbonate by asymmetric cycloaddition of CO2 with racemic propylene oxide under relatively mild conditions.

A tritopic carboxylate ligand, tris(4'-carboxybiphenyl)amine (L-H(3)), has been synthesized and applied in the construction of microporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Two novel metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), {[Zn(2)(L)(OH)]·2DMF·H(2)O}(∞) (1) and {[Cu(L-H)(DMA)]·DMA·2H(2)O}(∞) (2), have been constructed out of L-H(3), Zn(2+), and Cu(2+), respectively. 1 has a 2-fold interpenetrating three-dimensional framework formed by L connectors and the [Zn(2)(CO(2))(3)] secondary building units (SBUs). As for 1, it is worth pointing out that one μ(2)-OH group links two Zn atoms between two neighboring SBUs to produce interesting Zn-O-Zn zigzag chains in the structure. 2 has a two-dimensional grid sheet formed by L-H connectors and the typical paddle-wheel [Cu(2)(CO(2))(4)] SBUs. Two-dimensional (2D) sheets nest with each other, which finally forms a three-dimensional (3D) nested framework. Two MOFs are characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, single-crystal and elemental analyses, and powder X-ray diffraction methods. Framework 1' exhibits high permanent porosity (Langmuir surface area = 848 m(2)/g), high thermal stability (up to 450 °C), highly active properties for Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction, as well as the potential application for the CO(2) gas storage and luminescent material. The catalytic results reveal that 2' is indeed an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for olefin epoxidation reactions.

A well-defined homogeneous molecular catalyst Ni(salphen) was introduced as a ''metalloligand'' in a MOF, providing an efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates by the cycloaddition of CO 2 to epoxides under relatively mild conditions.

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