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1. A Conformational Study of the 10-23 DNAzyme via Programmed DNA Self-Assembly

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CC01144A  

   Mao, Dake; Li, Qian; Li, Qian; Wang, Pengfei; Mao, Chengde (January 2022, Chemical Communications)

   This communication measures the inter-helical angle of the 10-23 DNAzyme-substrate complex by atomic force microscopy (AFM). specificity. Herein, we have devised a strategy to assemble the DNAzyme-substrate complex into a periodic DNA 2D array, which allows reliable study of the conformation of the 10-23 DNAzyme by AFM imaging and fast Fourier transform (FFT). Specifically, the angle between the two flanking helical domains of the catalytic core has been determined via the repeating distance of 2D array. We expect that the same strategy can generally be applicable for studying other nucleic acid structures. 

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2. Calcium-Dependent Chemiluminescence Catalyzed by a Truncated c-MYC Promoter G-Triplex DNA

   https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184457  

   Das, Malay Kumar; Williams, Elizabeth P; Myhre, Mitchell W; David, Wendi M; Kerwin, Sean M (September 2024, Molecules)

   The dynamic landscape of non-canonical DNA G-quadruplex (G4) folding into G-triplex intermediates has led to the study of G-triplex structures and their ability to serve as peroxidase-mimetic DNAzymes. Here we report the formation, stability, and catalytic activity of a 5′-truncated c-MYC promoter region G-triplex, c-MYC-G3. Through circular dichroism, we demonstrated that c-MYC-G3 adopts a stable, parallel-stranded G-triplex conformation. The chemiluminescent oxidation of luminol by the peroxidase mimicking DNAzyme activity of c-MYC-G3 was increased in the presence of Ca2+ ions. We utilized surface plasmon resonance to characterize both c-MYC-G3 G-triplex formation and its interaction with hemin. The detailed study of c-MYC-G3 and its ability to form a G-triplex structure and its DNAzyme activity identifies issues that can be addressed in future G-triplex DNAzyme designs. 

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3. DNAzyme-powered nucleic acid release from solid supports

   https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cc07790a  

   Cao, Ting; Wang, Yongcheng; Tao, Ye; Zhang, Lexiang; Zhou, Ying-Lin; Zhang, Xin-Xiang; Heyman, John A.; Weitz, David A. (January 2020, Chemical Communications)

   null (Ed.)

   Here, we demonstrate use of a Mg 2+ -dependent, site-specific DNA enzyme (DNAzyme) to cleave oligos from polyacrylamide gel beads, which is suitable for use in drop-based assays. We show that cleavage efficiency is improved by use of a tandem-repeat cleavage site. We further demonstrate that DNAzyme-released oligos function as primers in reverse transcription of cell-released mRNA. 

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4. Copper-alloy catalysts: structural characterization and catalytic synergies

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D1CY00179E  

   Zeng, Shanghong; Shan, Shiyao; Lu, Aolin; Wang, Shan; Caracciolo, Dominic T.; Robinson, Richard J.; Shang, Guojun; Xue, Lei; Zhao, Yuansong; Zhang, Aiai; et al (August 2021, Catalysis Science & Technology)

   Catalysis plays a significant role in most processes of the chemical industry, especially in the emerging areas of sustainable energy and clean environment. A major challenge is the design of catalysts with the desired synergies in terms of activity, selectivity, stability, and cost. New insights into many fundamental questions related to the challenge have sparked a surge of interest in recent years in the area of exploring copper-based alloy catalysts. In this review, the most recent progress in the explorations of copper-alloy catalysts will be highlighted, with a focus on the structural and mechanistic characterizations of the catalysts in different catalytic reactions. The fundamental understanding of the detailed catalytic synergies of the catalysts for the targeted heterogeneous catalytic reactions depends strongly on the utilization of various analytical techniques for the characterization. Significant progress has been made in utilizing advanced techniques, both ex situ and in situ / operando characterizations, demonstrating the abilities to gain atomic/molecular level insights into the morphological, structural, electronic and catalytic properties of copper alloy catalysts, especially the dynamic surface active sites under the reaction conditions or during the catalytic processes. The focus on structural characterization in this review serves as a forum for discussions on structural and mechanistic details, which should provide useful information for identifying challenges and opportunities in future research and development of copper-alloy catalysts. 

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5. Guiding Principles for Designing Highly Efficient Metal‐Free Carbon Catalysts

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201805252  

   Zhang, Lipeng; Lin, Chun‐Yu; Zhang, Detao; Gong, Lele; Zhu, Yonghao; Zhao, Zhenghang; Xu, Quan; Li, Hejun; Xia, Zhenhai (December 2018, Advanced Materials)

   Abstract Carbon nanomaterials are promising metal‐free catalysts for energy conversion and storage, but the catalysts are usually developed via traditional trial‐and‐error methods. To rationally design and accelerate the search for the highly efficient catalysts, it is necessary to establish design principles for the carbon‐based catalysts. Here, theoretical analysis and material design of metal‐free carbon nanomaterials as efficient photo‐/electrocatalysts to facilitate the critical chemical reactions in clean and sustainable energy technologies are reviewed. These reactions include the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells, the oxygen evolution reaction in metal–air batteries, the iodine reduction reaction in dye‐sensitized solar cells, the hydrogen evolution reaction in water splitting, and the carbon dioxide reduction in artificial photosynthesis. Basic catalytic principles, computationally guided design approaches and intrinsic descriptors, catalytic material design strategies, and future directions are discussed for the rational design and synthesis of highly efficient carbon‐based catalysts for clean energy technologies. 

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