Experimental and Theoretical Charge Density Study on Di‐2‐pyrazylamine (Hdpza) Molecule in Crystal

Electron density distribution of Di‐2‐pyrazylamine ( Hdpza ) is studied both by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction method at 100K and theoretical calculation. Structural determination reveals that Hdpza molecules crystalize in a syn‐anti conformation with an intramolecular C? H?N hydrogen bond between two pyrazine rings and then gather together via two intermolecular N? H?N and C? H?N hydrogen interaction and π? π stacking interaction between pyrazine rings. Charge density analysis is made in terms of deformation density (Δπ), Laplacian distribution and topological analysis of total electron density based on multipole model and theoretical calculation. The agreement between experiment and theory is good. The topological properties at bond critical points of C? C and C? N bonds reveal a covalent bond character, and those of intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds and π? π stacking interactions, reveal a closed‐shell interaction. The potential energy curve of Hdpza molecule shows that the syn‐anti conformation is the most stable one (global minima) than the other two of syn‐syn and anti‐anti conformations.     

Force Spectroscopy of Metal–Crown Ether Multivalency: Effect of Local Environments on Energy Landscape and Sensing Kinetics

Sandwich complexation involving alkali or alkaline‐earth metals, multivalency, and effects associated with local environments is widely encountered in biological and synthetic systems yet the mechanic properties remain unexplored. Herein, AFM (atomic force microscopy)‐based single‐molecule force spectroscopy is employed to investigate a classical model of Mⁿ⁺[15C5]₂, a metal cation hosted jointly by two 15‐crown‐5 moieties immobilized on both the substrate and the AFM tip. Factors reportedly promoting the recognition performance are examined. The rupture force required to break apart Mⁿ⁺[15C5]₂ is found to be in the order of tens of pico‐Newton, e.g., f_β=31 pN for K⁺[15C5]₂. The presence of a second functional group, carboxylate, confers K⁺[15C5]₂ with a longer lifetime (from 13 to 16 ms), faster association (from 0.4 to 1.3×10⁶ M ^?1 s^?1), and slower dissociation (from 77 to 62 s^?1). The effect of local environments is significant on association yet less critical on dissociation pathways.     

Negative power spectra in quantum field theory

We consider the spatial power spectra associated with fluctuations of quadratic operators in field theory, such as quantum stress tensor components. We show that the power spectrum can be negative, in contrast to most fluctuation phenomena where the Wiener-Khinchin theorem requires a positive power spectrum. We show why the usual argument for positivity fails in this case, and discuss the physical interpretation of negative power spectra. Possible applications to cosmology are discussed.     

Proteomic investigation of anti-tumor activities exerted by sinularin against A2058 melanoma cells

The extracts from soft corals have been increasingly investigated for biomedical and therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study is to examine and analyze the anti-tumor effects of the genus Sinularia extract sinularin on A2058 melanoma cells using MTT assay, cell migration assay, wound healing assay, flow cytometric analysis, and proteomic analysis. Sinularin dose-dependently (1-5 μg/mL) inhibited melanoma cell proliferation while the treatment at identical concentrations suppressed cell migration. Sinularin dose-dependently enhanced apoptotic melanoma cells and caused tumor cell accumulation at G2/M phase, indicating that sinularin exerts apoptosis-induced and cell cycle-delayed activities in A2058 melanoma cells. Comparative proteomic analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of sinularin at the molecular level by comparison between the protein profiling of melanoma cells treated with sinularin and without the treatment. Thirty-five differential proteins (13 upregulated and 22 downregulated) concerning the treatment were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Proteomic data and Western blot displayed the levels of several tumor inhibitory or apoptosis-associated proteins including annexin A1, voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 1 and prohibitin (upregulated), heat shock protein 60, heat shock protein beta-1, and peroxiredoxin-2 (downregulated) in A2058 melanoma cells exposed to sinularin. Increased expression of p53, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-8, cleaved-caspase-9, p21, and Bax and decreased expression of Bcl-2 in sinularin-treated melanoma cells suggest that the anti-tumor activities of sinularin against melanoma cells are particularly correlated with these pro-apoptotic factors. These data provide important information for the mechanisms of anti-tumor effects of sinularin on melanoma cells and may be helpful for drug development and progression monitoring of human melanoma.     

Assembly of Three 2D Metal‐Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Derived from Flexible Ligands, 1,4‐bis(3‐pyridyl)‐2,3‐diaza‐1,3‐butadiene (3‐bpd) and/or 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethane (dpe)

Three coordination polymers, {[Cd(3‐bpd)₂(NCS)₂]×C₂H₅OH}_n ( 1 ), {[Cd(3‐bpd)(dpe)(NO₃)₂]×(3‐bpd)}₂ ( 2 ), {[Cd(dpe)₂(NCS)₂]×3‐bpd×2H₂O}_n ( 3 ) (3‐bpd = 1,4‐bis(3‐pyridyl)‐2,3‐diaza‐1,3‐butadiene; dpe = 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethane), were prepared and structurally characterized by a single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction method. In compound 1 , each Cd(II) ion is six‐coordinate bonded to six nitrogen atoms from four 3‐bpd and two NCS^? ligands. The 3‐bpd acts as a bridging ligand connecting the Cd(II) ion to generate a 2D layered metal‐organic framework (MOF) by using a rhomboidal‐grid as the basic building units with the 4⁴ topology. In compound 2 , the Cd(II) ion is also six‐coordinate bonded to four nitrogen atoms of two 3‐bpd, two dpe and two oxygen atoms of two NO₃^? ligands. The 3‐bpd and dpe ligands both adopt bis‐monodentate coordination mode connecting the Cd(II) ions to generate a 2D layered MOF by using a rectangle‐grid as the basic building units with the 4⁴ topology. In compound 3 , two crystallographically independent Cd(II) ions are both coordinated by four nitrogen atoms of dpe ligands in the basal plane and two nitrogen atom of NCS^? in the axial sites. The dpe acts as a bridging ligand to connect the Cd(II) ions forming a 2D interpenetrating MOFs by using a square‐grid as the basic unit with the 4⁴ topology. All of their 2D layered MOFs in compounds 1 ‐ 3 are then arranged in a parallel non‐interpenetrating ABAB—packing manner in 1 and 2 , and mutually interpenetrating manner in 3 , respectively, to extend their 3D supramolecular architectures with their 1D pores intercalated with solvent (ethanol in 1 or H₂O in 3 ) or free 3‐bpd molecules in 2 and 3 , respectively. The photoluminescence measurements of 1 ‐ 3 reveal that the emission is tentatively assigned to originate from π‐π* transition for 1 and 2 and probably due to ligand‐center luminescence for compounds 3 , respectively.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structures of the Molybdenum(II) Complexes with the N,N‐dimethylthiocarbamoyl Containing Ligand: Crystal Structures of β [Mo(CO)2{η2‐S2P(OEt)2}(η2‐SCNMe2)(PPh3)] and [Mo(CO)2(η3‐Tp)(η2‐SCNMe2)(PPh3)]

Reactions of the thiocarbamoyl‐molybdenum complex [Mo(CO)₂(η²‐SCNMe₂)(PPh₃)₂Cl] 1 , and ammonium diethyldithiophosphate, NH₄S₂P(OEt)₂, and potassium tris(pyrazoyl‐1‐yl)borate, KTp, in dichloromethane at room temperature yielded the seven coordinated diethyldithiophosphate thiocarbamoyl‐molybdenum complexe [Mo(CO)₂{η²‐S₂P(OEt)₂}(η²‐SCNMe₂)(PPh₃)] β‐3 , and tris(pyrazoyl‐1‐yl)borate thiocabamoyl‐molybdenum complex [Mo(CO)₂(η³‐Tp)(η²‐SCNMe₂)(PPh₃)] 4 , respectively. The geometry around the metal atom of compounds β‐3 and 4 are capped octahedrons. The α‐ and β‐isomers are defined to the dithio‐ligand and one of the carbonyl ligands in the trans position in former and two carbonyl ligands in the trans position in later. The thiocabamoyl and diethyldithiophosphate or tris(pyrazoyl‐1‐yl)borate ligands coordinate to the molybdenum metal center through the carbon and sulfur and two sulfur atoms, or three nitrogen atoms, respectively. Complexes β‐3 and 4 are characterized by X‐ray diffraction analyses.     

Highly Carboxylic‐Acid‐Functionalized Ethane‐Bridged Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas: Synthesis,Characterization, and Adsorption Properties

Functionalization of periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) with high loadings of pendant organic groups to form bifunctional PMOs with ordered mesostructures remains a challenging objective. Herein, we report that well‐ordered ethane‐bridged PMOs functionalized with exceptionally high loadings of pendant carboxylic acid groups (up to 80 mol % based on silica) were synthesized by the co‐condensation of 1,4‐bis(trimethoxysilyl)ethane (BTME) and carboxyethylsilanetriol sodium salt (CES) with Pluronic P123 as the template and KCl as an additive under acidic conditions. The bifunctional materials were characterized by using a variety of techniques, including powder X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen‐adsorption/desorption, TEM, and solid‐state ¹³C and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. Zeta‐potential measurements showed that the surface negative charges increased with increasing the CES content. This property makes them potential candidates for applications in drug adsorption. The excellent adsorption capacity of these bifunctional PMOs towards an anticancer drug (doxorubicin) was also demonstrated.     

Cooperative Recognition of a Copper Cation and Anion by a Calix[4]arene Substituted at the Lower Rim by a β‐Amino‐α,β‐Unsaturated Ketone

Chemodosimeter : Upon titration with Cu^II, the fluorescence of 1 showed strong fluorescence enhancement because the metal ion helps to lock the conformation of the fluorophores. Cu^II was reduced to Cu^I by the free phenolic OH group of 1 , the phenol was then oxidised by Cu^II and assisted in the trapping of Cu^I. Ditopic behaviour was observed for 1? Cu^I, which showed further enhancement of its fluorescence intensity upon complexation with anions (as depicted, A^?=CH₃COO^? or F^?).

     

Low bandgap π‐conjugated copolymers based on fused thiophenes and benzothiadiazole: Synthesis and structure‐property relationship study

A series of low bandgap conjugated polymers consisting of benzothiadiazole alternating with dithienothiophene (DTT) or dithienopyrrole (DTP) unit with or without 3‐alkylthiophene bridge have been synthesized. Effect of the fused rings and 3‐alkylthiophene bridge on the thermal, optical, electrochemical, charge transport, and photovoltaic properties of these polymers have been investigated. These polymers show broad absorption extending from 300 to 1000 nm with optical bandgaps as low as 1.2 eV; the details of which can be varied either by incorporating 3‐alkylthiophene bridge or by replacing DTT with DTP. The LUMO levels (?2.9 to ?3.3 eV) are essentially unaffected by the specific choice of donor moiety, whereas the HOMO levels (?4.6 to ?5.6 eV) are more sensitive to the choice of donor. The DTT and DTP polymers with 3‐alkylthiophene bridge were found to exhibit hole mobilities of 8 × 10^?5 and 3 × 10^?2 cm² V^?1 s^?1, respectively, in top‐contact organic field‐effect transistors. Power conversion efficiencies in the range 0.17–0.43% were obtained under simulated AM 1.5, 100 mW cm^?2 irradiation for polymer solar cells using the DTT and DTP‐based polymers with 3‐alkylthiophene bridge as donor and fullerene derivatives as acceptor. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5498–5508, 2009     

Semiconducting polymer dots as near‐infrared fluorescent probes for bioimaging and sensing

In recent years, semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) have emerged as a new type of ultrabright fluorescent probes, which have been proved to be very useful for biomedical imaging. Pdots possess several exceptional advantages including high fluorescence brightness, fast radiative rate, excellent photostability, and negligible cytotoxicity. Among these new types of Pdots, the near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent Pdots appear to be the most urgent and important owing to their promising deep‐tissue imaging in the clinic. This mini‐review highlights the recent progress in the design of NIR‐emitting Pdots and their biomedical applications both in vitro and in vivo.