Mixed organic and inorganic tapwater exposures and potential effects in greater Chicago area, USA.

Safe drinking water at the point of use (tapwater, TW) is a public-health priority. TW exposures and potential human-health concerns of 540 organics and 35 inorganics were assessed in 45 Chicago-area United States (US) homes in 2017. No US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level(s) (MCL) were exceeded in any residential or water treatment plant (WTP) pre-distribution TW sample.

Carbohydrate-pi interactions: what are they worth?

Protein-carbohydrate interactions play an important role in many biologically important processes. The recognition is mediated by a number of noncovalent interactions, including an interaction between the alpha-face of the carbohydrate and the aromatic side chain of the protein. To elucidate this interaction, it has been studied in the context of a beta-hairpin in aqueous solution, in which the interaction can be investigated in the absence of other cooperative noncovalent interactions.

Folding-induced CO2-soluble peptides.

The first CO2- and water-soluble peptide is reported, in which folding facilitates its solubility in CO2.

Evaluation of a carbohydrate-pi interaction in a peptide model system.

A carbohydrate-pi interaction contributes -0.8 kcal mol(-1) to the stabilization of a beta-hairpin peptide.

A deuterated deep-cavity cavitand confirms the importance of C-H...X-R hydrogen bonds in guest binding.

A deuterated cavitand host was examined for its affinity to a series of guests; for halogenated, preorganized guests binding was significantly stronger than the corresponding protium host.

Directed ortho metallation of deep cavity cavitands: functionalizing molecular concavity.

Directed ortho metallation (DOM) processes have been used to functionalize the cavity and rim of title cavitand 1. The preorganization of the host resulted in a considerable reduction in the range of products produced. Thus, whereas sixty-nine products are possible from per-functionalization, only twelve were observed when the host was treated with three different alkyllithiums.

Guest binding and orientation within open nanoscale hosts.

The synthesis of three different nanoscale molecular hosts is reported. These cavitands each possess a highly preorganized cavity with an open portal (nearly 1 nm wide), by which guests can enter and egress the cavity. Additionally, these hosts are deep-functionalized with a crown of weakly acidic benzal C-H groups which can form a variety of noncovalent interactions with guest molecules residing within the cavity.