Caught in Action: Visualizing Dynamic Nanostructures Within Supramolecular Systems Chemistry

Supramolecular systems chemistry has been an area of active research to develop nanomaterials with life-like functions. Progress in systems chemistry relies on our ability to probe the nanostructure formation in solution. Often visualizing the dynamics of nanostructures which transform over time is a formidable challenge. This necessitates a paradigm shift from dry sample imaging towards solution-based techniques. We review the application of state-of-the-art techniques for real-time, in situ visualization of dynamic self-assembly processes. We present how solution-based techniques namely optical super-resolution microscopy, solution-state atomic force microscopy, liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations and other emerging techniques are revolutionizing our understanding of active and adaptive nanomaterials with life-like functions. This Review provides the visualization toolbox and futuristic vision to tap the potential of dynamic nanomaterials.     

Complex solitary waves and soliton trains in KdV and mKdV equations

We demonstrate the existence of complex solitary wave and periodic solutions of theKorteweg-de Vries (KdV) and modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equations. The solutions ofthe KdV (mKdV) equation appear in complex-conjugate pairs and are even (odd) under thesimultaneous actions of parity (??) and time-reversal (??) operations. The corresponding localized solitons arehydrodynamic analogs of Bloch soliton in magnetic system, with asymptotically vanishingintensity. The ????-odd complex soliton solution is shown to beiso-spectrally connected to the fundamental sech² solution through supersymmetry. Physically, thesecomplex solutions are analogous to the experimentally observed grey solitons of non-liner Schödinger equation, governing the dynamics of shallow waterwaves and hence may also find physical verification.     

Metal-based netropsin mimics showing AT-selective DNA binding and DNA cleavage activity at red light

Copper(II) bis-arginate [Cu(l-arg)2](NO3)2 (1) and [Cu(l-arg)(phen)Cl]Cl (2) as mimics of the minor-groove-binding natural antibiotic netropsin show preferential binding to the AT-rich region of double-stranded DNA. The complexes with a d-d band near 600 nm display oxidative DNA cleavage activity on photoirradiation at UV-A light of 365 nm and at red light of 647.1 nm (Ar-Kr laser) in a metal-assisted photoexcitation process forming singlet oxygen (1O2) species in a type-2 pathway.     

Planar triazinium cations from VO(2+)-assisted ring cyclizations: a remarkably efficient thiazole species for nuclear staining, PDT and anaerobic photocleavage of DNA

Planar triazinium cationic species, from VO(2+)-assisted cyclization of 1-(2-thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol, shows efficient DNA intercalative binding, visible light-induced anaerobic plasmid DNA photocleavage activity and photocytotoxicity in HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cells by an apoptotic pathway with selective localization of the compound in the nucleus as evidenced from the nuclear staining and confocal imaging.     

Remarkable photocytotoxicity of curcumin in HeLa cells in visible light and arresting its degradation on oxovanadium(IV) complex formation

Curcumin (Hcur) as a cellular imaging and PDT agent shows remarkable photocytotoxicity in HeLa cells in visible light of 400-700 nm giving IC(50) = 8.2 ± 0.2 μM and its degradation is arrested on formation of photocytotoxic dipyridophenazine (dppz) complex [VO(cur)(dppz)Cl] (IC(50) = 3.3 ± 0.4 μM), while both are less toxic in the dark.     

Facile synthesis of 1,2,3-tricarbonyls from 1,3-dicarbonyls mediated by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate

A mild and efficient protocol for the synthesis of vicinal tricarbonyl compounds from β-dicarbonyls in a single step using cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate as a catalytic oxidant is described. Ease of execution, wide substrate scope and the suitability for the synthesis of commercially important compounds like ninhydrin, alloxan and oxoline make this reaction particularly noteworthy.     

Structure of a diruthenium(II,III) complex with benzamidato bridging ligands

The compound Ru₂Cl(C₆H₅CONH)₄ has now been obtained in crystalline form and the crystal and molecular structure determined by X-ray met     

Metal-assisted red light-induced DNA cleavage by ternary L-methionine copper(II) complexes of planar heterocyclic bases

Ternary copper(II) complexes [Cu(l-met)B(Solv)](ClO4) (1-4), where B is a N,N-donor heterocyclic base like 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy, 1), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, 2), dipyrido[3,2-d:2',3'-f]quinoxaline (dpq, 3) and dipyrido[3,2-a:2'],3'-c]phenazene (dppz, 4), are prepared and their DNA binding and photo-induced DNA cleavage activity studied (L-Hmet =L-methionine). Complex 2, structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, shows a square pyramidal (4 + 1) coordination geometry in which the N,O-donor L-methionine and N,N-donor heterocyclic base bind at the basal plane and a solvent molecule is coordinated at the axial site. The complexes display a d-d band at approximately 600 nm in DMF and exhibit a cyclic voltammetric response due to the Cu(II)/Cu(I) couple near -0.1 V in DMF-Tris-HCl buffer. The complexes display significant binding propensity to the calf thymus DNA in the order: 4(dppz) > 3(dpq) > 2(phen> 1(bpy). Control cleavage experiments using pUC19 supercoiled DNA and distamycin suggest major groove binding for the dppz and minor groove binding for the other complexes. Complexes 2-4 show efficient DNA cleavage activity on UV (365 nm) or red light (632.8 nm) irradiation via a mechanistic pathway involving formation of singlet oxygen as the reactive species. The DNA cleavage activity of the dpq complex is found to be significantly more than its dppz and phen analogues.     

Steric protection of a photosensitizer in a N,N-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-2-phenylethylamine-copper(II) bowl that enhances red light-induced DNA cleavage activity

Ternary copper(II) complexes [Cu(py2phe)B](ClO4)2 (1-3), where py2phe is a tripodal ligand N,N-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-2-phenylethylamine and B is a heterocyclic base (viz., 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, 1), dipyrido[3,2-d:2',3'-f]quinoxaline (dpq, 2), or dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz, 3)), are prepared and their DNA-binding and photoinduced DNA-cleavage activities are studied. Complex 1 has been structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The molecular structure shows an axially elongated square-pyramidal (4 + 1) coordination geometry in which the phen ligand binds at the basal plane. The tripodal ligand py2phe displays an axial-equatorial binding mode with the amine nitrogen bonded at the axial site. A chemically significant CH-pi interaction involving the CH moiety of the phenyl group of the tripodal ligand and the aromatic ring of phen is observed. The complexes display good binding propensity to calf thymus DNA giving a relative order of 3 (dppz) > 2 (dpq) > 1 (phen). The DNA binding constants (K(b)) for 1-3, determined from absorption spectral studies, are 6.2 x 10(3), 1.0 x 10(4), and 5.7 x 10(4) M(-1), respectively. The complexes show chemical nuclease activity in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid as a reducing agent forming hydroxyl radicals as the cleavage active species. The photoinduced DNA-cleavage activity of the complexes has been studied using UV radiation of 365 nm and red light of 632.8 and 694 nm. The phen complex in absence of any photosensitizing moiety does not show any DNA cleavage upon photoirradiation. The dpq and dppz ligands with their photoactive quinoxaline and phenazine moieties display significant photoinduced DNA-cleavage activity. The dppz complex is more active than its dpq analogue because of the better steric protection of the DNA-bound photosensitizing dppz ligand from the solvent molecules. Control experiments reveal the formation of singlet oxygen in the light-induced DNA-cleavage reactions. The observed efficient photoinduced DNA-cleavage activity of 2 and 3 is akin to the "light switch" effect known for the tris-chelates of ruthenium(II).