Bismelamines end-functionalized with oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) self-aggregate in nonpolar solvent to form short nanorods by helical π-π stacking. This inherent self-aggregation can be guided to a supramolecular polymerization pathway by complexing with a cyanurate, leading to gel-forming elongated nanotapes lacking the helical sense of the π-conjugated moieties.

Oligophosphonic and -phosphinic acids roused significant interest as complexing agents and gained importance in many fields of practical chemistry. Particular attention was drawn towards molecules having two or more phosphonic or phosphinic acid substituents in vicinal and/or preferably geminal positions attached to the ethane fragment. Novel synthetic procedures [1 -4 ] led to structures relat...

An iron-complexing antibiotic with a narrow spectrum of biological activity was produced by several strains of Aspergillus nidulans when grown in a low-iron, chemically defined medium. Its chemical and biological properties closely resembled those of desferritriacetylfusigen, a metabolite of several other Aspergilli and Penicillia.

Metal isotope coded profiling (MICP) introduces a universal discovery platform for metal chelating natural products that act as metallophores, ion buffers or sequestering agents. The detection of cation and oxoanion complexing ligands is facilitated by the identification of unique isotopic signatures created by the application of isotopically pure metals.

Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and blood flow regulate vascular remodeling and homeostasis. In this issue, Baeyens et al. (2016. J. Cell Biol http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201603106) show that blood flow sensitizes endothelial cells to BMP9 signaling by triggering Alk1/ENG complexing to suppress cell proliferation and to recruit mural cells, thereby establishing endothelial quiescence.

R ECENTLY a new reagent was proposed for the determination of cholesterol (1, 2). This reagent was purported to be saturated ferrous sulfate in glacial acetic acid. Since it has been reported that ferrous sulfate is qualitatively insoluble in anhydrous acetic acid (3, 4) and that ferrous iron is “subject to pronounced air oxidation in glacial acetic acid” (5), it was felt that several factors s...

Eutectic AuSn20 solder is an important material for electronic packaging technology due to its superior mechanical and thermal conductive properties. In this work, AuSn20 alloy films are prepared via the electrodeposition method for the first time. The electrodeposition is cost-effective with improved control over the alloy content when compared to traditional powdered metallurgy methods. Pyrop...

Dystonia is a movement disorder of uncertain pathogenesis that is characterized by involuntary and inappropriate muscle contractions which cause sustained abnormal postures and movements of multiple or single (focal) body regions. The most common focal dystonias are cervical dystonia (CD) and blepharospasm (BSP). The first-line recommended treatment for CD and BSP is injection with botulinum to...