Polymerization of Physisorbed Molecular Monolayers via Overhanging Alkynyl Chains: Characterization of Polymerization Kinetics and Monolayer Durability.

Monolayers self-assembled by triphenyleneethynylene (TPE) compounds bearing two terminal alkynyl chains were polymerized by Glaser-Hay (G-H) alkyne coupling at the acetonitrile-HOPG interface. The alkynyl chains extend into the solution due to the monolayer's dense-packed morphology. Reacting substructures that have no morphology-determining roles is a potential strategy for preserving monolayer morphology throughout polymerization.

Identification of Aloe-derived natural products as prospective lead scaffolds for SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M) inhibitors.

In the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 5 million deaths and 250 million infections worldwide. Despite successful vaccination efforts and emergency approval of small molecule therapies, a diverse range of antivirals is still needed to combat the inevitable resistance that will arise from new SARS-CoV-2 variants. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (M) is an attractive drug target due to the clinical success of protease inhibitors against other viruses, such as HIV and HCV.