Self-assembly of chiral depsipeptide dendrimers

The self-assembly of chiral depsipeptide dendrons 4, which contain a cyanuric acid building block at their focal point, with the homotritopic Hamilton receptor 1 is reported. The 1:3 compositions of the resulting chiral supramolecular dendrimers, the association constants K(n), and the cooperativity of binding expressed by Scatchard plots and the Hill coefficients n(H) was determined by NMR titration experiments. The most pronounced positive cooperativity was found for the complexes 1 L(3) with L being the second-generation dendrons 4 c-e. The least stable complexes are formed with the bulky third-generation dendrons 4 f-h. Similar results are obtained by the corresponding complexation of the achiral Frechét-type first- to third-generation dendrons 3 with 1. Chiroptical investigations of 1:3 complexes of 1 and 4 reveal chirality transfer from the dendron to the Hamilton receptor as demonstrated by the appearance of new CD absorption bands at 310 nm.     

Cooperative self-assembly of dendrimers via pseudorotaxane formation from a homotritopic guest molecule and complementary monotopic host dendrons

Interaction of the homotritopic guest 1,3,5-tris[p-(benzylammoniomethyl)phenyl]benzene tris(hexafluorophosphate) (1a) with dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8) leads to the sequential self-assembly of [2]-, [3]-, and [4]-pseudorotaxanes 7a, 8a, and 9a, respectively. The self-assembly processes were studied using NMR spectroscopy. In CD(3)CN and CD(3)COCD(3) the individual association constants K(1), K(2), and K(3) for 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 complexes were determined by several methods. Via Scatchard plots, the three NH(2)(+) sites of 1a were shown to behave independently in binding DB24C8. K values (4.4 x 10(2), 1.4 x 10(2), and 41 M(-)(1), respectively, in CD(3)CN) directly determined from signals for the individual complexes (7a, 8a, and 9a) were somewhat higher than those estimated from the Scatchard plot because of concentration dependence, but the ratios of association constants followed the expected statistical order (K(1):K(2):K(3) = 3:1:(1)/(3)). These are believed to be the first evaluations of association constants leading to a [4]-pseudorotaxane. In the less polar CDCl(3), association constants could not be determined because approximately 90% of the dissolved tritopic guest, which by itself is insoluble, was present as the fully loaded [4]pseudorotaxane 9a! Self-assembly of homotritopic guest 1a with benzyl ether dendrons of the first, second, and third generations functionalized at the "focal point" with DB24C8 moieties (3-5) produces pseudorotaxane dendrimers. The self-assembly processes were studied using (1)H NMR spectroscopy. In CD(3)COCD(3) for all three generations the individual association constants K(1), K(2), and K(3) for [2]-, [3]-, and [4]-pseudorotaxane complexes 7c-e, 8c-e, and 9c-e indicated that the self-assembly was cooperative; that is, the ratios of the individual association constants exceeded the expected statistical ratios. Scatchard plots confirmed this behavior. Self-assembly processes in the less polar CDCl(3) were kinetically slow, requiring ca. 1, 2, and 3 days, respectively, for the first, second, and third generation systems to reach equilibrium with 1a; the slow rate is attributed to the insolubility of the homotritopic guest 1a in this medium and the steric demands of the resulting dendrimers. However, only dendrimers of 1:3 stoichiometry, that is, the nanoscopic [4]pseudorotaxanes 9, were formed! Moreover, it is noteworthy that the extent of dissolution of 1a (reflective of the overall association constant which is too high to measure) increases with generation number, presumably because of the more effective screening of the ionic guest by the larger dendrons and perhaps favorable pi-pi and CH-pi interactions. Such cooperative effects suggest a number of applications that can take advantage of the pH-switchable nature of these self-assembly processes.     

Multiple recognition of barbiturate guests by Hamilton-receptor-functionalized dendrimers

The well-known unsubstituted "Hamilton receptor" was monofunctionalized with an amino group and attached at the periphery of poly(propyleneamine) dendrimers through the use of an activated ester. Four generations of Hamilton-receptor-functionalized dendrimers (HR-dendrimers) were synthesized and characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The photophysical properties of the HR-dendrimers were investigated by UV/Vis as well as with steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The dendrimers were used as multivalent hosts for the barbiturate guests Barbital (7) and [Re(Br)(CO)(3)(barbi-bpy)] (8; barbi-bpy=5-[4-(4'-methyl)-2,2'-bipyridyl]methyl-2,4,6-(1 H,3 H,5 H)-pyrimidinetrione). The stable adducts formed between the dendritic architectures (the hosts) and the barbiturate guests 7 and 8 were investigated by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and photophysical methods. The binding constants of the barbiturate guests for binding to reference compound 2 (with a single receptor unit) in chloroform were found to be 1.4 x 10(3) M(-1) and 1.5 x 10(5) M(-1) for 7 and 8, respectively. Binding of 7 to the dendrimers enhances the weak emission of the Hamilton receptor. This increase in emission is also generation dependent; it was found to be most pronounced in the case of 2 and the least in the case of the fourth-generation dendrimer 6. The unexpected increase in the quantum yield of emission from the HR-dendrimers with increasing generation could be caused by the rather rigid conformation of the Hamilton receptors in later-generation compounds, which is a result of intramolecular aggregation and steric hindrance at the periphery of the dendrimer. The photoinduced energy transfer from the excited state of the HR-dendrimers to the lower-lying excited state of the guest 8 was used to probe the formation of host-guest complexes. The rate of energy transfer was calculated to be 3.6 x 10(10) s(-1). Energy transfer in 2 subset 8 only occurred in the presence of a strong base, which shows that the basic amine core in the HR-dendrimers is crucial for this photoinduced process. The binding of 8 to the dendrimers is completely reversible: 8 can be exchanged with a competitive guest such as 7 and the emission of the HR-dendrimer is restored.     

Self-assembly of supramolecular architectures and polymers by orthogonal metal complexation and hydrogen-bonding motifs

A modular construction kit with two orthogonal noncovalent binding sites for self-assembly of supramolecular architectures is presented. The heteroditopic building blocks contain a terpyridine (tpy) unit for coordination of metal ions and a Hamilton receptor for multiple H-bonding of cyanuric acid derivatives. The association constants of ligand binding of M(II) complexes (M=Ru, Zn, Fe, and Pt) with a dendritic end cap were determined to be in the range of 10(2) and 10(4) L mol(-1) in chloroform. The capabilities for binding of metal ions were investigated by (1)H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The Fe complexes are most appropriate for the generation of discrete and high-ordered architectures due to their strong tendency to form FeL(2) complexes. Superstructures are readily formed in a one-pot procedure at room temperature. No mutual interactions between the orthogonal binding motifs were observed, and this demonstrates the highly specific nature of each binding process. Decomplexation experiments were carried out to examine the reversibility of Fe-tpy coordination. Substitution of the terminal end cap with a homoditopic bis-cyanurate linkage leads to formation of an iron-containing supramolecular strand. Formation of coordination polymers was confirmed by viscosity measurements. The supramolecular polymer strands can be reversibly cleaved by addition of a terminating cyanuric acid building block, and this proves the dynamic nature of this noncovalent polymerization process.     

New dendrimers containing a single cobaltocenium unit covalently attached to the apical position of Newkome dendrons: electrochemistry and guest binding interactions with cucurbit[7]uril

Two new dendrimer series were prepared and characterized. These dendrimers contain a single bis(cyclopentadienyl)cobalt(III) (cobaltocenium, Cob+) unit covalently attached to the apical (focal) position of Newkome-type dendrons, ranging in size from first to third generation. The dendrimers in the first series (1ECob+-3ECob+) are hydrophobic and have 3, 9, and 27 tert-butyl esters on their peripheries, whereas the dendrimers in the second series (1Cob+-3Cob+) are hydrophilic with 3, 9, and 27 carboxylic acid groups on their surfaces, respectively. In voltammetric experiments, all dendrimers showed the expected one-electron reversible reduction of the cobaltocenium center, and the heterogeneous rate of electron transfer decreased with generation in both dendrimer series. The host-guest binding interactions between water-soluble dendrimers 1Cob+-3Cob+ and the cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) host were investigated using 1H NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and electrochemical techniques. The association equilibrium constants (K) for all dendrimer guests were significantly lower than that measured for the inclusion complex between underivatized Cob+ and CB7 (K = 5.7 x 10(9) M(-1)). Nonetheless, among the three dendrimers surveyed, the second-generation dendrimer, 2Cob+, afforded optimum stabilization for the CB7 inclusion complex.     

Self-assembly of dendritic tris(crown ether) hexagons and their complexation with dibenzylammonium cations

The construction of a new series of dendritic tris(crown ether) hexagons via coordination-driven self-assembly is described. Combining 120° crown ether-containing diplatinum(II) acceptors with 120° dendritic dipyridyl donors in a 1:1 ratio allows for the formation of a new family of dendritic triple crown ether derivatives with a hexagonal cavity in quantitative yields. The number and the position of these pendant groups can be precisely controlled on the hexagonal metallacycle. The structures of all dendritic multiple crown ether hexgaons are confirmed by multinuclear NMR ((1)H and (31)P), ESI-MS and ESI-TOF-MS, and elemental analysis. The complexation of these dendritic trivalent receptors with dibenzylammonium cations was investigated by (1)H NMR titration experiments. The thermodynamic binding constants between the receptors and guests were established by using the nonlinear least-squares fit method based on (1)H NMR titration experiments. It was found that the association constants of each assembly decrease correspondingly upon the increase of the generation of the dendrons from [G0] to [G3], which might be caused by the steric effect of the dendrons on host-guest complexation.     

Photophysical and structural impact of phosphorylated anions associated to lanthanide complexes in water

A new ligand, LC, bis-[(6'-carboxy-2,2'-bipyridine-6-yl)]phenylphosphine oxide, in which the tridentate 6-carboxy-2,2'-bipyridyl arms are directly linked to a phenylphosphine oxide fragment, has been synthesized. The corresponding [Ln.LC]Cl.xH2O complexes (Ln = Eu, x = 4, and Tb, x = 3) were isolated from solutions containing equimolar amounts of LC and hydrated LnCl3 salts and characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and infrared spectroscopy. The interactions of the Eu complex with various anions (AMP(2-), ADP3-, ATP,4- HPO4(2-), and NO3-) were studied by titration experiments, using UV-vis, luminescence spectroscopy, and excited-state lifetime measurements. The results are in keeping with strong interactions with the ADP3-, ATP4-, and phosphate anions in TRIS/HCl buffer (0.01 M, pH = 7.0), as revealed by the determination of the conditional stepwise association constants. These values are higher than the one determined for ligand LB, bis[(6'-carboxy-2,2'-bipyridine-6-methyl-yl)]-n-butylamine (Delta log K approximately 1-2). The interaction of complexes [Ln.LB]+ and [Ln.LC]+ with nitrate, monohydrogenophosphate, methyl phosphate (MeP2-), methyldiphosphate (MeDP3-), and methyltriphosphate (MeTP4-) anions was investigated by means of quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. The results, combined with data on the photophysical impact of the sequential competitive binding of anions to the Eu complexes in water, suggest that LB is too flexible to ensure a good coordination pocket, while the molecular structure of ligand LC stabilizes both the formation of the lanthanide complexes and its adducts with ATP.     

Multicomponent host-guest chemistry of carboxylic acid and phosphonic acid based guests with dendritic hosts: an NMR study

A new way to analyze supramolecular dendritic architectures is reported by making use of (13)C NMR and (31)P NMR. Two ethylene glycol guest molecules have been synthesized containing a (13)C labeled carboxylic acid headgroup (2) and a phosphonic acid headgroup (3). The binding of these guests to urea-adamantyl modified poly(propylene imine) dendrimers has been investigated with (13)C NMR and (31)P NMR next to 1D and 2D (1)H NMR techniques. Different amounts of guest 2 have been added to fifth generation dendrimer 1e, and the observed chemical shift values in (13)C NMR were fitted to a model that assumes 1:1 binding between guest and binding site. An association constant of 400 +/- 95 M(-)(1) is obtained for guest 2 with 41 binding sites per dendrimer. When different amounts of phosphonic acid guest 3 are added to dendrimer 1e, two different signals are observed in (31)P NMR. Deconvolution gives the fractions of free and bound guest, resulting in an association constant of (4 +/- 3) x 10(4) M(-)(1) and 61 +/- 1 binding sites. A statistical analysis shows that guest 2 forms a "polydisperse supramolecular aggregate", while guest 3 is able to form a "monodisperse supramolecular aggregate" when the amount of guest is high enough. The NMR results are compared with dynamic light scattering experiments, and a remarkable agreement is found. Phosphonic acid guest 3 is able to exchange with guest 2, which is in agreement with the obtained association constants, and shows that these techniques can be used to analyze multicomponent dendritic aggregates.     

High-yielding, regiospecific synthesis of cis(4,4')-di(carbomethoxybenzo)-30-crown-10, its conversion to a pyridyl cryptand and strong complexation of 2,2'- and 4,4'-bipyridinium derivatives

A high yielding (93%), regiospecific synthesis of cis(4,4')-di(carbomethoxybenzo)-30-crown-10 (1c) is reported. The derived crown ether diol 1d was converted to pyridyl cryptand 12 in 44% yield by reaction with pyridine-2,6-dicarbonyl chloride. Binding of two different 4,4'-bipyridinium (paraquat) species (3) and 2,2'-bipyridinium (diquat) 4 by 12 was explored via (1)H NMR spectroscopy, NOE experiments, mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallographic analyses, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Cryptand 12 exhibits the highest association constant for diquat ever reported (Ka = 1.9 x 10(6) M(-1)) and very high association constants for paraquats (Ka > 10(5) M(-1)) in acetone at 22 degrees C. The binding constant of diquat 4 by cryptand 12 is nearly 6-times higher than any other reported host.     

Binding properties of adenosine deaminase interacted with theophylline

Thermodynamic studies were carried out to evaluate the binding of theophylline on adenosine deaminase (ADA) in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer pH 7.5, at 300 K, using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). A simple method for determination of binding isotherm in the drug--ADA interaction was applied using ITC data. ADA has two binding sites for theophylline, which show positive cooperativity in its sites. The intrinsic association equilibrium constants are 6 and 52 mM(-1) in the first and second binding sites, respectively. Hence, occupation of the first site has produced an appreciable enhancement by 8.7 of the binding affinity of the second site. The molar enthalpies of binding are -12.2 and -14.9 kJ/mol in the first and second binding sites, respectively.     

Supramolecular aggregates between carboxylate anions and an octaaza macrocyclic receptor

The 28-membered octaazamacrocycle Me2[28]py2N6 was used as a receptor for the molecular recognition of aromatic and aliphatic carboxylate substrates. The receptor-substrate binding behaviour of (H6Me2[28]py2N6)6+ with an aliphatic (-O2C(CH2)nCO2-, n=0 to 4) and an aromatic (phthalate, isophthalate, terephthalate, 4,4'-dibenzoate, benzoate, 3- and 4-nitrobenzoate) series of carboxylate anions was evaluated by 1H NMR spectroscopy (carried out in DMSO-d6 at 300 K). Two association constants were found for most of the studied cases, except for 3- and 4-nitrobenzoate for which only K1 was determined. For oxalate, malonate, benzoate and dibenzoate anions only the beta2 constants could be obtained. The values of the first association constant cover a range from 2.86 to 3.69 (log units), and the second stepwise constant from 2.15 to 2.89 (also in log units). No special selectivity was found but the highest values were determined for adipate and the lowest for the monoprotic 3- and 4-nitrobenzoates. Single crystal X-ray structures of H6Me2[28]py2N6 6+ with terephthalate, 1, and 4,4'-dibenzoate (2) were determined showing supramolecular entities with general formula (H6Me2[28]py2N6).(substrate)2(PF6)2.4H2O. These anions are the building blocks of an extensive 3-D network of hydrogen bonds.     

Evaluation of alternatives to warfarin as probes for Sudlow site I of human serum albumin: characterization by high-performance affinity chromatography

Warfarin is often used as a site-specific probe for examining the binding of drugs and other solutes to Sudlow site I of human serum albumin (HSA). However, warfarin has strong binding to HSA and the two chiral forms of warfarin have slightly different binding affinities for this protein. Warfarin also undergoes a slow change in structure when present in common buffers used for binding studies. This report examined the use of four related, achiral compounds (i.e., coumarin, 7-hydroxycoumarin, 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin, and 4-hydroxycoumarin) as possible alternative probes for Sudlow site I in drug binding studies. High-performance affinity chromatography and immobilized HSA columns were used to compare and evaluate the binding properties of these probe candidates. Binding for each of the tested probe candidates to HSA was found to give a good fit to a two-site model. The first group of sites had moderate-to-high affinities for the probe candidates with association equilibrium constants that ranged from 6.4 x 10(3)M(-1) (coumarin) to 5.5 x 10(4)M(-1) (4-hydroxycoumarin) at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. The second group of weaker, and probably non-specific, binding regions, had association equilibrium constants that ranged from 3.8 x 10(1)M(-1) (7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin) to 7.3 x 10(2)M(-1) (coumarin). Competition experiments based on zonal elution indicated that all of these probe candidates competed with warfarin at their high affinity regions. Warfarin also showed competition with coumarin, 7-hydroxycoumarin and 7-hydroxy-4-methycoumarin for their weak affinity sites but appeared to not bind and/or compete for all of the weak sites of 4-hydroxycoumarin. It was found from this group that 4-hydroxycoumarin was the best alternative to warfarin for examining the interactions of drugs at Sudlow site I on HSA. These results also provided information on how the major structural components of warfarin contribute to the binding of this drug at Sudlow site I.     

Complexation of 1,4-bis(pyridinium)butanes by negatively charged carboxylatopillar[5]arene

The binding behavior of substituted 1,4-bis(pyridinium)butane derivatives (X-Py(CH(2))(4)Py-X, X = H, 2-methyl, 3-methyl, 4-methyl, 2,6-dimethyl, 4-pyridyl, and 4-COOEthyl) 1(2+)-7(2+), with negatively charged carboxylatopillar[5]arene (CP5A) has been comprehensively investigated by (1)H NMR and 2D ROESY and UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy in aqueous phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.2). The results indicated that the position of the substituents attached on pyridinium ring dramatically affects the association constants and binding modes. 3- and 4-Substituted guests (1(2+), 3(2+), 4(2+), 6(2+), 7(2+)) form [2]pseudorotaxane geometries with CP5A host, giving very large association constants (>10(5) M(-1)), while 2,6-dimethyl-substituted 5(2+) forms external complex with relatively small K(a) values [(2.4 ± 0.3) × 10(3) M(-1)] because the 2,6-dimethylpyridinium unit is too bulky to thread the host cavity. Both of the binding geometries mentioned above are observed for 2(2+), having one methyl group in the 2-position of pyridinium. Typically, the association constant of [2]pseudorotaxane 1(2+)?CP5A exceeds 10(6) M(-1) in water, which is significantly higher than those of previously reported analogues in organic solvents. The remarkably improved complexation of bis(pyridinium) guests by the anionic host was due to electrostatic attraction forces and hydrophobic interactions.     

Luminescent complexes of Re(I) and Ru(II) with appended macrocycle groups derived from 5,6-dihydroxyphenanthroline: cation and anion binding

A range of ligands in which a macrocyclic unit is fused to a 1,10-phenanthroline unit has been prepared starting from 5,6-dihydroxyphenanthroline. The ligands are L1 in which the pendant ligand is 18-crown-6; L2, in which the pendant ligand is benzo-24-crown-8; and L(3), in which the macrocycle contains two carboxamide units. Ligands L1 and L2 can bind Group 1 and 2 metal cations in their crown-ether cavities; L3 contains two H-bond (amide) donors and is suitable for anion-binding. Luminescent complexes of the form [Ru(bipy)2L]2+, [ReL(CO)3Cl] and [RuL(CN)4]2- were prepared and some were structurally characterised; their interactions with various guest species were investigated by luminescence and NMR spectroscopy. For complexes with the crown ethers (L1 and L2), binding of K+ was rather weak, but the electrostatic effect due to the charge on the host complex was clear with [RuL1(CN)4]2- binding K+ more strongly than [Ru(bipy)2L1]2+. Binding to the pendant crown ethers was much stronger with Ba2+, and both [ReL1(CO)3Cl] and [ReL2(CO)3Cl] showed substantial luminescence quenching in MeCN on addition of Ba2+ ions, with binding constants of 4.5 x 10(4) M(-1) for [ReL1(CO)3Cl]/Ba2+ and 1.3 x 10(5) M(-1) for [ReL2(CO)3Cl]/Ba2+. Complexes [Ru(bipy)2L3]2+ and [ReL3(CO)3Cl], due to their H-bond donor sites, showed binding of dihydrogenphosphate to the macrocycle. Whereas [ReL3(CO)3Cl] showed 1 : 1 binding with (H2PO4)- in dmso with a binding constant of 65 M(-1), [Ru(bipy)2L3]2+ showed 1 : 2 binding, with microscopic association constants of ca. 1 x 10(6) and 1.6 x 10(6) M(-1) in MeCN. The fact that K2 > K1 suggests a cooperative interaction whereby binding of the first anion makes binding of the second one easier to an extent which overcomes electrostatic effects, and a model for this is proposed which also accounts for the substantial increase in luminescence from [Ru(bipy)2L3]2+ (5-fold enhancement) when the second (H2PO4)- anion binds. Both [Ru(bipy)2L3]2+ and [ReL3(CO)3Cl] undergo complete luminescence quenching and a change in colour to near-black in the presence of (anhydrous) fluoride in MeCN, probably due to deprotonation of the carboxamide group. These changes are however irreversible on a long timescale and lead to slow decomposition.     

Interactions of lysozyme with 6-amino-4-aryl-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5-carbonitriles: a fluorescence quenching study.

The interactions between 6-amino-4-aryl-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5-carbonitrile and lysozyme (LYSO) were investigated by using tryptophane fluorescence quenching and 6-amino-4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5-carbonitrile (1) was studied in detail because of its high water solubility. At different temperatures, the quenching constants K(SV), the binding constants K and the binding sites n of LYSO with 1 were determined and the thermodynamic parameters were calculated. The distance r between tryptophane residues and 1 was obtained according to the Forster mechanism of non-radiation energy transfer. Furthermore, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy data indicated that the association between 1 and LYSO changed LYSO's conformation and that the hydrophobic interaction played a major role in 1-LYSO association. It was proved that the fluorescence quenching of LYSO by 1 was related to the formation of a 1-LYSO complex and to a non-radiation energy transfer.     

Rigid dendritic donor-acceptor ensembles: control over energy and electron transduction

Several generations of phenylenevinylene dendrons, covalently attached to a C(60) core, have been developed as synthetic model systems with hierarchical, fine-tuned architectures. End-capping of these dendritic spacers with dibutylaniline or dodecyloxynaphthalene, as antennas/electron donors, yielded new donor-bridge-acceptor ensembles in which one, two, or four donors are allocated at the peripheral positions of the well-defined dendrons, while the electron accepting fullerene is placed at the focal point of the dendron. On the basis of our cyclic voltammetry experiments, which disclose a single anodic oxidation and several cathodic reduction processes, we rule out significant, long-range couplings between the fullerene core and the end-standing donors in their ground-state configuration. Photophysical investigations, on the other hand, show that upon photoexcitation an efficient and rapid transfer of singlet excited-state energy (6 x 10(10) to 2.5 x 10(12) s(-1)) controls the reactivity of the initially excited antenna portion. Spectroscopic and kinetic evidence suggests that yet a second contribution, that is, an intramolecular electron-transfer, exists, affording C(60)(.-) -dendron(.+) with quantum yields (Phi) as high as 0.76 and lifetimes (tau) that are on the order of hundreds of nanoseconds (220-725 ns). Variation of the energy gap modulates the interplay of these two pathways (i.e., competition or sequence between energy and electron transfer).     

Ion pairing in tetraphenylporphyrin oxidation: a semiquantitative study

In 1,2-difluorobenzene (DFB), electrolyte conductivity measurements and cyclic voltammetric titration on the traditional benchmark tetraphenylporphyrin, H(2)tpp, permit the first estimate of ion pair association constants for singly- and doubly-oxidized free-base porphyrins. From ion titration cyclic voltammetry and digital simulation, measured association constants for H(2)tpp(+)X(-) were 65, 120, 210, 520 and 730 M(-1), for X(-)= PF(6)(-), ClO(4)(-), NTf(2)(-), BF(4)(-) and OTf(-), respectively, relative to the association constant for the H(2)tpp(+)TFPB(-) complex. By similar methods it was found that the association constants for the corresponding dication, H(2)tpp(2+), were at least 3.0 x 10(4) M(-1)(PF(6)(-)), 2.5 x 10(6) M(-1)(ClO(4)(-)), 5.2 x 10(5) M(-1)(NTf(2)(-)), 1.9 x 10(6) M(-1)(BF(4)(-)) and 2.7 x 10(6) M(-1)(OTf(-)). We demonstrate that differences in association constants allow the formal potential of the second oxidation of H(2)tpp to be shifted by more than 800 mV simply by varying the solvent and electrolyte. In addition, calculated electrostatic potential energy maps for porphyrin dications suggest that exposure of the core N-H groups is responsible for the change in ordering of anion affinities that occurs upon oxidation of H(2)tpp(+).     

Interaction of partially ionized poly(acrylic acid) with a surfactant counterion at constant pH values

Binding of a cationic surfactant ion, dodecylpyridinium ion, to poly(acrylic acids) of low charge densities was examined by potentiometry using surfactant-selective electrodes in the solutions, where the pH was kept constant by employing a pH buffering system. The binding of the surfactant counterions was thus able to be studied at a constant pH during the binding process. The binding took place in two steps, the first cooperative binding step and the second gradual binding step. The critical association concentration decreased as the pH increased, indicating the predominant role of the electric interaction in the binding. The binding isotherms obtained at different but constant pH values were analyzed by the matrix method, taking into account the nearest-neighbor interactions among three different kinds of sites on the polymer: ionized, protonated, and surfactant-bound. The theoretical analysis could describe only the first step but could not explain the second step. A relatively large cooperativity parameter, u, was found for the first step and it can be between 3 × 10³ and 1 × 10⁴. When the ionic strength was decreased tenfold, the cooperativity of the binding decreased (u∼1 × 10³). The binding constants of the isolated site were 5.5–6.0 × 10⁴ kg mol⁻¹ and slightly increased to 6.5 × 10⁴ kg mol⁻¹ as the ionic strength decreased. The deviation of the second step from the theoretical analysis was supposed to arise from a change of proton dissociation constant in the nonpolar space formed by the bound surfactants. Received: 29 November 2000/Accepted: 24 January 2001     

Switching the photoinduced processes in host-guest complexes of β-cyclodextrin-substituted silicon(IV) phthalocyanines and a tetrasulfonated porphyrin

Porphyrins and phthalocyanines are two attractive classes of functional dyes for the construction of artificial light harvesting and charge separation molecular systems. The assembly of these components by supramolecular approach is of particular interest as this provides a facile route to build multi-chromophoric arrays with various architectures and tuneable photophysical properties. We report herein a series of host-guest complexes formed between a tetrasulfonated porphyrin and several silicon(IV) phthalocyanines substituted axially with two permethylated β-cyclodextrin units via different spacers. As shown by electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, the two components bind spontaneously in a 1:1 manner in water with large binding constants in the range of 1.1 × 10(7) to 3.5 × 10(8) M(-1). The photophysical properties of the resulting supramolecular complexes have also been studied in detail using steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopic methods. It has been found that two major photoinduced processes, namely fluorescence resonance energy transfer and charge transfer are involved which are controlled by the spacer between the β-cyclodextrin units and the silicon centre of phthalocyanine. Despite the fact that charge transfer is a thermodynamically favourable process for all the complexes, only the ones with a tetraethylene glycol or oxo linker exhibit an efficient charge transfer from the excited phthalocyanine to the porphyrin entity. The lifetimes of the corresponding charge-separated states have been determined to be 200 and 70 ps by picosecond pump-probe experiments.     

Photophysical and self‐assembly behavior of poly(amidoamine) dendrons with chromophore as scaffold: The effect of dendritic architecture

Two series of amphiphiles composed of hydrophilic poly(amidoamine) dendrons (from the first to the third generation) as the shell and hydrophobic aromatic chromophores (3,6‐di(maleimidyl)‐9‐phenyl carbazole and 9‐(4′‐maleimidyl phenyl)‐3‐maleimidyl carbazole) as the central scaffold were synthesized. The effect of dendritic architecture on the photophysical properties and the self‐assembly behavior of these amphiphiles were studied by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. Both the generation of dendritic shell and the location of dendrons at the chromophoric scaffold had great effect on the photophysical properties of these amphiphiles. In addition, different spherical aggregates were formed from these amphiphiles in the aqueous solution at different concentrations. Because of the combined effects of steric hindrance and architecture of dendritic shells, the amphiphiles from G2 dendron with central chromophore self‐organized into ordered aggregates more readily than that from G1 and G3. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4584–4593, 2008