A study on the binding interaction between the imidazole derivative and bovine serum albumin by fluorescence spectroscopy

The interaction between the imidazole derivative 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1-phenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (dfppip) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence and UV–vis absorbance spectroscopy. From the experimental results, it was found that the imidazole derivative has strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA by forming complexes. Electrostatic interactions play an important role to stabilize the complex. The binding constants and the number of binding sites have been determined in detail. The distance (r) between the donor and the acceptor was obtained according to fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Conformational changes of BSA were observed from synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. The effect of metal ions such as Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺ and Fe²⁺ on the binding constants between the imidazole derivative and BSA were also studied.     

Lower rim 1,3-di{4-antipyrine}amide conjugate of calix[4]arene: synthesis, characterization, and selective recognition of Hg2+ and its sensitivity toward pyrimidine bases

The structurally characterized lower rim 1,3-di{4-antipyrine}amide conjugate of calix[4]arene (L) exhibits high selectivity toward Hg(2+) among other biologically important metal ions, viz., Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Fe(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), Pb(2+), and Ag(+) as studied by fluorescence, absorption, and ESI MS. L acts as a sensor for Hg(2+) by switch-off fluorescence and exhibits a lowest detectable concentration of 1.87 ± 0.1 ppm. The complex formed between L and Hg(2+) is found to be 1:1 on the basis of absorption and fluorescence titrations and was confirmed by ESI MS. The coordination features of the mercury complex of L were derived on the basis of DFT computations and found that the Hg(2+) is bound through an N(2)O(2) extending from both the arms to result in a distorted octahedral geometry with two vacant sites. The nanostructural features such as shape and size obtained using AFM and TEM distinguishes L from its Hg(2+) complex and were different from those of the simple mercuric perchlorate. L is also suited to sense pyrimidine bases by fluorescence quenching with a minimum detection limit of 1.15 ± 0.1 ppm in the case of cytosine. The nature of interaction of pyrimidine bases with L has been further studied by DFT computational calculations and found to have interactions through a hydrogen bonding and NH-π interaction between the host and the guest.     

Functionalized polynorbornene dielectric polymers: Adhesion and mechanical properties

Within the microelectronics industry, there is an ongoing trend toward miniaturization coupled with higher performance. High glass-transition temperature polynorbornenes exhibit many of the key performance criteria necessary for these demanding applications. However, homopolynorbornene exhibits poor adhesion to common substrate materials, including silicon, silicon dioxide, aluminum, gold, and copper. In addition, this homopolymer is extremely brittle, yielding less than 1% elongation-to-break values. To address these issues, the homopolymer was functionalized to improve adhesive and mechanical properties. Attaching triethoxysilyl groups to the polymer backbone substantially improved the adhesion, but at the cost of increasing the dielectric constant because of the polarity of the functional group. Alkyl groups were also added to the backbone, which decreased the rigidity of the system, and resulted in significantly higher elongation-to-break values and a decrease in residual stress. The addition of an alkyl group slightly decreased the dielectric constant of the polymer as a result of an increase in molar volume. The coefficient of thermal expansion and modulus are also reported for the polynorbornene functionalized with triethoxysilyl groups using a multiple substrate approach. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 3003–3010, 1999     

Disappearance of dislodgable residues of methomyl from leaves and vegetables in Tamilnadu (India)

The dislodgable residues of methomyl from leaves and vegetables were determined by a single-step methanol extraction followed by reversed-phase HPLC. The residues on the bhendi vegetables and leaves were several times higher than on the brinjal vegetables and leaves. The pesticide, however, dissipates rapidly under the South Indian climatic conditions resulting in undetectable residues within three days of spraying.     

Adsorption of comb copolymers on weakly attractive solid surfaces

In this work continuum and lattice Monte Carlo simulation methods are used to study the adsorption of linear and comb polymers on flat surfaces. Selected polymer segments, located at the tips of the side chains in comb polymers or equally spaced along the linear polymers, are attracted to each other and to the surface via square-well potentials. The rest of the polymer segments are modeled as tangent hard spheres in the continuum model and as self-avoiding random walks in the lattice model. Results are presented in terms of segment-density profiles, distribution functions, and radii of gyration of the adsorbed polymers. At infinite dilution the presence of short side chains promotes the adsorption of polymers favoring both a decrease in the depletion-layer thickness and a spreading of the polymer molecule on the surface. The presence of long side chains favors the adsorption of polymers on the surface, but does not permit the spreading of the polymers. At finite concentration linear polymers and comb polymers with long side chains readily adsorb on the solid surface, while comb polymers with short side chains are unlikely to adsorb. The simple models of comb copolymers with short side chains used here show properties similar to those of associating polymers and of globular proteins in aqueous solutions, and can be used as a first approximation to investigate the mechanism of adsorption of proteins onto hydrophobic surfaces.     

Valence band photoelectron spectra of platinum cyanides

Valence band X-ray photoelectron spectra of K₂[Pt(CN)₄]·3H₂O (1), K₂[Pt(CN)₄]Cl_0.3·xH₂O (2), and K₂[Pt(CN)₄Cl₂]·3H₂O (3), and the ultraviolet photoelectron spectrum of (2) have been recorded. These spectra imply that the binding energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) in (1) is greater than in (2). A band-like character for the HOMO of (2) with finite electron density at the Fermi level is consistent with this observation. The photoelectron spectra are correlated with the solid state electronic absorption spectra. Shifts in the K 3 binding energies are attributed to considerable differences in lattice site potentials between (1) and (2).     

The [4.4.4.4]Fenestranes and[2.2.2.2]paddlane. Prospects for the realization of planar tetracoordinate carbon?

Semi-empirical (MINDO/3 and UNDO) MO calculations on highly strained planar tetracoordinate carbon candidates indicate the central carbons in $\text{cis}$- [4.4.4.4] fenestrane ($\text{1}$) to have pyramidal ($\text{1a}$) and in trans-[4.4.4.]fenestrane ($\text{2}$) to have distorted tetrahedral ($\text{2a}$) geometries. In [2.2.2.2]paddlane ($\text{3}$), the two central carbons are pentacoordinate. Each is nearly coplanar with four carbon neighbours; additionally, the two bridgehead carbons are connected by a single bond ($\text{3a}$).     

Realizing an Aza Paternò–Büchi Reaction

Intramolecular atropselective aza Paternò–Büchi reaction involving atropisomeric enamide and imine functionalities under sensitized irradiation leads to azetidine products in good yield and selectivity (ee >96 %). A mechanistic model based on detailed photophysical and isomerization kinetic studies is provided that shed light into the reactivity of enamides leading to aza Paternò–Büchi reaction.