meso-Alkyl-substituted meso-meso linked diporphyrins and meso-alkyl-substituted meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply linked diporphyrins

[reaction: see text] AgPF6-promoted oxidation of 5,10,15-trialkyl zinc(II) porphyrins led to formation of meso-meso linked diporphyrins, which were further oxidized with Sc(OTf)3 and DDQ to give meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply linked diporphyrins that exhibited a stronger aggregation propensity than corresponding meso-aryl diporphyrins.     

STM images of individual porphyrin hexamers; meso-meso singly linked orthogonal hexamer and meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply-linked planar hexamer on Cu(100) surface

Geometrical structures of chain porphyrin arrays adsorbed on Cu(100) are observed by STM: a bridge-like bent structure for meso-meso singly linked orthogonal hexamer, whereas a rigid planar and one-dimensionally stacked structure for meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply-linked hexamer.     

Syntheses, structural characterizations, and optical and electrochemical properties of directly fused diporphyrins

Directly fused diporphyrins display the extensive pi conjugation as evinced by highly perturbed electronic absorption spectra as well as lowered and largely split first oxidation potentials. Such diporphyrins prepared include meso-beta doubly linked diporphyrins 7, meso-meso beta-beta beta-beta triply linked diporphyrins 8, and meso-meso beta-beta doubly linked diporphyrins 9. Oxidation of 5,15-diaryl-substituted and 5,10,15-triaryl-substituted Ni(II)-, Cu(II)-, and Pd(II)-porphyrins with tris(4-bromophenyl)aminium hexachloroantimonate (BAHA) in CHCl(3) afforded 7, and triply linked Cu(II)-diporphyrins 8a and 8g were respectively prepared by the oxidation of meso-meso singly linked Cu(II)-diporphyrins 5c and 5f with BAHA. Meso-meso beta-beta doubly linked Ni(II)-diporphyrin 9a was isolated along with triply linked Ni(II)-diporphyrin 8e from the similar oxidation of meso-meso singly linked Ni(II)-diporphyrin 5a. Doubly linked diporphyrins 7 and 9a both exhibit significantly perturbed electronic absorption spectra, in which the Soret-like bands are largely split at around 405-418 and 500-616 nm and the Q-bandlike absorption bands are substantially intensified and red-shifted at 748-820 nm, probably as a consequence of symmetry lowering. Triply linked diporphyrins 8 display more strongly perturbed electronic absorption spectra with split Soret-like bands at 408-419 and 567-582 nm and Q-bandlike absorption bands reaching far-infrared region. Structures of three types of fused diporphyrins 7b and 7c, 8g and 8j, and 9a have been unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallography to be nearly coplanar. Both the triply linked diporphyrins 8g and 8j exhibit very flat structures, whereas the doubly linked diporphyrins 7b and 7c exhibit ruffled structures. The doubly linked diporphyrin 9a shows a helically twisted conformation with larger ruffling toward the opposite directions and has been actually separated into two enantiomers, which display strong Cotton effects in the CD spectra. The first oxidation potentials (E(OX1)) decrease in the order of 5 > 7 > or = 9 > 8, indicating lift-up of HOMO orbital in this order, and split potential differences DeltaE = E(OX1) - E(OX2), in turn, increase in the reverse order of 5 < 7< or = 9 < 8. The (1)H NMR spectra have indicated that the aromatic porphyrin ring current becomes weakened in the order of 5 > 7 > 8. Collectively, the electronic interactions between the diporphyrins have been concluded to increase in the other of 5 < 7 < or = 9 < 8.     

Conjugate addition reactions of alpha-aminoalkylcuprates with alpha, beta-alkenyl-, alpha,beta-alkynyl-, alpha,beta-beta,gamma-allenyl-, and alpha,beta-gamma,delta-dienyl carboxylic acid derivatives, nitriles, and sulfoxides

alpha-Aminoalkylcuprates prepared from alpha-lithio carbamates and CuCN.2LiCl participate in 1,4-addition reactions with alpha, beta-unsaturated esters, thiol esters, imides, and nitriles in poor to excellent yields depending upon the electron-withdrawing substituent and the substitution pattern of the unsaturated substrate. These reagents also undergo conjugate addition reactions with alpha,beta-alkynyl esters, sulfoxides, and nitriles and with alpha,beta-beta,gamma-unsaturated allenyl esters. Excellent stereocontrol is achieved in the conjugate additions of alpha-aminoalkylcuprates to the allenyl esters, while poor stereoselectivity results in the conjugate additions to the alkynyl derivatives. Deprotection and cyclization of the alkynyl adducts affords pyrrolin-2-ones, while similar treatment of the allenyl adducts affords 4-alkylidine- pyrrolidin-2-ones and pyrrolizidinones.     

A hexagonal prismatic porphyrin array: synthesis, STM detection, and efficient energy hopping in near-infrared region

A belt-shaped hexagonal cyclic porphyrin array 2 that comprises of six meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply linked diporphyrins 3 bridged by 1,3-phenylene spacers is prepared by oxidation from cyclic dodecameric array 1 consisting of six meso-meso directly linked diporphyrins 4 with DDQ and Sc(OTf)3. The absorption spectrum of 2 is similar to that of the constituent subunit 3 but shows a slight red-shift for the Q-bands in near-infrared (NIR) region, indicating the exciton coupling between the neighboring diporphyrin chromophores. Observed total exciton coupling energies in the absorption spectra were largely matched with the calculated values based on point-dipole exciton coupling approximation. It was found that the experimental exciton coupling strength (292 cm(-1)) of the Q-band in 2 is slightly larger than the calculated one (99 cm(-1)), indicating that the electronic communications are enhanced through 1,3-phenylene linkers in hexameric macromolecule. A rate of the excitation energy hopping (EEH) that occurs in 2 at the lowest excited singlet state in the near-infrared region has been determined to be (1.8 ps)(-1) on the basis of the pump-power dependent femtosecond transient absorption (TA) and the transient absorption anisotropy (TAA) decay measurements. The 2 times faster EEH rate of 2 than that of 1 (4.0 ps)(-1) mainly comes from involving through-bond energy transfer among diporphyrin subunits via 1,3-phenylene bridges as well as F?rster-type through-space EEH processes. STM measurement of 2 in the Cu(100) surface revealed that it takes several discrete conformations with respect to the relative orientation of neighboring diporphyrins. Collectively, an effective EEH in the NIR region is realized in 2 due largely to the intensified oscillator strength in the S(1) state (Q-band) and the close proximity held by 1,3-phenylene spacers.     

Photophysical properties of porphyrin tapes

The novel fused Zn(II)porphyrin arrays (Tn, porphyrin tapes) in which the porphyrin macrocycles are triply linked at meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta positions have been investigated by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements along with theoretical MO calculations. The absorption spectra of the porphyrin tapes show a systematic downshift to the IR region as the number of porphyrin pigments increases in the arrays. The fused porphyrin arrays exhibit a rapid formation of the lowest excited states (for T2, approximately 500 fs) via fast internal conversion processes upon photoexcitation at 400 nm (Soret bands), which is much faster than the internal conversion process of approximately 1.2 ps observed for a monomeric Zn(II)porphyrin. The relaxation dynamics of the lowest excited states of the porphyrin tapes were accelerated from approximately 4.5 ps for the T2 dimer to approximately 0.3 ps for the T6 hexamer as the number of porphyrin units increases, being explained well by the energy gap law. The overall photophysical properties of the porphyrin tapes were observed to be in a sharp contrast to those of the orthogonal porphyrin arrays. The PPP-SCI calculated charge-transfer probability indicates that the lowest excited state of the porphyrin tapes (Tn) resembles a Wannier-type exciton closely, whereas the lowest excited state of the directly linked porphyrin arrays can be considered as a Frenkel-type exciton. Conclusively, these unique photophysical properties of the porphyrin tapes have aroused much interest in the fundamental photophysics of large flat organic molecules as well as in the possible applications as electric wires, IR sensors, and nonlinear optical materials.     

Directly linked porphyrin arrays

The Ag(I)-promoted oxidative meso-meso coupling reaction of 5,15-diaryl Zn(II)-porphyrin was serendipitously found in the course of our synthetic approaches towards photosynthetic reaction centers. Based on this reaction, a variety of directly linked and fused porphyrin arrays have been synthesized, including linear meso-meso-linked porphyrin arrays, windmill- and grid-shaped porphyrin arrays, meso-beta singly linked diporphyrins, beta-beta linked diporphyrins, meso-beta doubly linked (fused) diporphyrins and oligoporphyrins, meso-meso beta-beta doubly linked (fused) diporphyrins, and meso-meso beta-beta-beta-beta triply linked (fused) diporphyrins. The meso-meso coupling reaction of 5,15-diaryl Zn(II)-porphyrins is advantageous considering its high regioselectivity as well as its ease of extension to large porphyrin arrays as is demonstrated by the synthesis of a discrete meso-meso-linked 128-mer and poly(5,15-porphyrinylene). Finally, the oxidation of end-phenyl capped meso-meso-linked zinc porphyrins with DDQ-Sc(OTf)(3) gave pi-conjugated flat porphyrin tapes. To the best of our knowledge, the meso-meso linked 128-mer is the longest man-made discrete molecule, and the porphyrin tape 12-mer is the most extensively conjugated porphyrin array, as evinced by the lowest electronic band peak at 3500 cm(-1).     

Spectroscopic and theoretical studies of optically active porphyrin dimers: a system uninterpretable by exciton coupling theory.

The electronic excited states of a meso-meso beta-beta doubly linked bis-porphyrin are comprehensively investigated by measuring its circular dichroism (CD) and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra. The observed spectroscopic properties are rationalized by DFT calculations. The frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) are constructed by the linear combinations of the constituent monomers' four MOs. Comparison of a theoretical CD spectrum based on time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) with the experimental spectra resulted in the assignment of the helical conformation of the dimer. This assignment is contrary to the previous assignment based on the point-dipole approximation (exciton coupling theory).     

Conformational analysis of some C2-symmetric cyclic peptides containing tetrahydrofuran amino acids

Cyclic oligomers of tetrahydrofuran amino acids, cyclo-(Taa1-Leu-Val)2 (left), cyclo-(Taa2-Leu-Val)2 (middle), and cyclo-(Taa2-Phe-Leu)2 (right), displayed well-defined intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded structures with distorted "beta-beta corner" motifs similar to the tennis ball seam.     

The formation of beta-beta structures in lignin biosynthesis--are there two different pathways?

Based on results from 2D NMR studies, both pinoresinol and secoisolariciresinol structures were found to be present in native lignin from spruce wood as well as in spruce kraft lignin and residual kraft pulp lignin. These two structures constitute the major types of beta-beta inter-unit linkages present in spruce lignin, but their formation in the lignin polymer may follow different pathways leading to their different bonding patterns with the rest of the lignin polymer. The mechanisms involved are discussed.     

Asymmetric biomimetic oxidations of phenols: the mechanism of the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of thomasidioic acid

Enantiopure chiral amidic derivatives of sinapic acid were oxidised with hydrogen peroxide using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as the catalyst to give the aryltetraline dilignol thomasidioic acid. Trans-diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity in the formation of thomasidioic acid was observed. Computational methods show that the enantioselectivity is controlled by the beta-beta oxidative coupling step, while the diastereoselectivity is controlled by the stability of the reactive conformation of the intermediate quinomethide.     

1H and 13C NMR data of benzylsulfonic acids-model compounds for lignosulfonate

Although there has been a major progress in the analysis of native lignin using NMR in the recent years, not much attention has been paid to lignosulfonates. Lignosulfonates are more difficult to analyse because of solubility issues and a more complex structure owing to chemical modification during the pulping process. A large database of NMR data is available for the building blocks of native lignin, but no data are available for the corresponding sulfonated compounds. We have prepared 15 monomeric and seven dimeric sulfonated model compounds characterised by NMR. These include models for end groups, as well as beta-beta, beta-5, 5-5 and beta-O-5 linkages in lignosulfonates, and will be important for further structural investigation on lignosulfonate.     

Macromolecular conformations at the water-air interface: Interactions between alpha and beta conformations of polypeptides

Bidimensional miscibility between alpha and beta conformations of polypeptides was investigated at the water-air interface in the 15°–30°C temperature range. The polypeptides were poly--methyl-L-glutamate (PGMG), poly--benzyl-L-glutamate (PGBG) and poly--benzyl-L-aspartate (PBBA). The polypeptide conformations, alpha or beta, were checked by IR spectroscopy using the MIR technique.The spreading isotherms for mixed monolayers alpha-PGMG/alpha-PGBG and beta-PGMG/beta-PBBA showed bidimensional miscibility both for alpha-alpha and beta-beta mixtures.For the alpha-alpha system, attractive interactions among the polypeptide alphahelices were found (G_mix<0) and the driving factor appeared to be the entropic one (packing). Compressibility moduli and surface potential measurements showed a fluidification effect of alpha-PGBG on mixed monolayers. In the case of beta-beta mixed monolayers, ideal behaviour was observed and no fluidification effect detected.Scanning electron micrographs made on collapsed monolayers showed hexagonal structures for alpha-alpha mixtures and no well-defined or characterized features for the beta-beta system.     

A theoretical study on the third-order nonlinear optical properties of pi-conjugated linear porphyrin arrays

By using the Pariser-Parr-Pople (PPP) theory, the second hyperpolarizabilities (gamma) have been calculated for various pi-conjugated porphyrin arrays including "porphyrin tapes": the meso-beta doubly linked porphyrin array Dn and the meso-meso, beta-beta, beta-beta triply linked array Tn. The validity of the PPP theory is checked via a comparison with both the ab initio Hartree-Fock and the B3LYP theories in the case of porphyrin monomers and dimers. It is found that Dn and especially Tn exhibit much more remarkable evolution of gamma/n along with an increasing number of porphyrin units n compared with the butadiyne-bridged array, Yn. As a result, the static third-order susceptibilities chi((3)) of Dn and Tn are expected to be 1 and 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of Yn in the limit n --> infinity, and these advantages of porphyrin tapes become more prominent by taking into account geometrical relaxations of porphyrin units in the arrays. The structure-property relationship in various conjugated polymers including porphyrin arrays is interpreted on the basis of the scaling behaviors of chi((1)) and chi((3)) with the effective conjugation length (ECL) as well as the reciprocal HOMO-LUMO energy gap (1/E(g)). In particular, from the master plot of chi((3)) (and even chi((1))) versus 1/E(g), the pi-conjugation of Tn is noted to indeed be exceptional, because its large susceptibilities cannot be expected from the scaling behavior of ordinary one-dimensional conjugated systems. We also point out that the theory of scaling relationship, chi((3)) approximately 1/E(g)(x)(), is significantly improved by taking into account electron-electron interactions based on the comparison with experiments.     

Cloning of poly(aspartic acid) (PAA) hydrolase-1 gene from Pedobacter sp. KP-2 and hydrolysis of thermally synthesized PAA by its gene product

Pedobacter sp. KP-2 can degrade and metabolize thermally synthesized alpha,beta-poly(D,L-aspartic acid) (tPAA), which contains 70% of unnatural beta-amide units, with high-molecular-weight. In this study, gene cloning and molecular characterization of PAA hydrolase-1 from KP-2 was carried out. Gene analysis reveals that deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme shows a similarity to only that of PAA hydrolase-1 from Sphingomonas sp. KT-1. GPC and NMR analyses of the hydrolyzed products of tPAA by PAA hydrolase-1 of KP-2 indicate that this enzyme cleaves the beta-beta amide linkage via endo-mode to yield oligo(aspartic acid) from tPAA. Taking the composition of tPAA and the substrate specificity of PAA hydrolase-1 into consideration, the enzyme possibly plays a crucial role in tPAA biodegradation by KP-2.     

Theoretical study of one-, two-, and three-photon absorption properties for a series of Y-shaped molecules

In this paper, the equilibrium geometries, one-, two-, and three-photon absorption properties, and the transition nature of a series of Y-shaped molecules which possess an imidazole-thiazole core have been theoretically studied by using the parametrization model 3 and Zerner's intermediate neglect of differential overlap methods. Our calculated results have confirmed the experimental findings that the investigated molecules are all promising multiphoton absorption materials and both the two-photon absorption and the three-photon absorption cross sections are seriatim increscent along with the increase of the electron-donor strength. The nonlinear optical phenomenon originates from the intramolecular charge transfer within the pi-conjugated system. The calculated results indicate that the heterocyclic core increases the two- and three-photon absorption cross sections due to its pi-excessive nature. So it can provide more free electrons to enlarge the charge transfer within the molecule system. In addition, the design of Y shape and the sulfonyl-based electron-accepting group play a part in the enhancement of multiphoton absorption. It is notable that molecules with heterocyclic core will provide favorable condition for multiphoton absorption applications.     

Formation of a pseudorotaxane, capable of sensing cations via dethreading molecular motion, from a cryptand and bipyridinium salts

A new type of cryptand-based pseudorotaxane was prepared, utilizing a novel cryptand incorporating two aromatic rings as a wheel component, combined with various bipyridinium salts as the axle component. These pseudorotaxanes exhibited charge-transfer absorption at approximately 380 nm due to π-electron interactions between the cryptand and the bipyridinium salt. Upon addition of one equivalent of sodium ion to the pseudorotaxane, this absorption was observed to disappear as a result of displacement of the bipyridinium salt by the sodium.     

A simple,low cost,multielement atomic absorption spectrometer with a tungsten coil atomizer

An inexpensive, multielement atomic absorption spectrometer utilizing a tungsten coil atomizer has been developed. The novel optical arrangement employs three 60° beam combiners to blend the spectral output from four light sources such as electrodeless discharge lamps, or hollow cathode lamps, and then direct that output over an atomizer. This instrument uses an inexpensive tungsten coil atomizer that is extracted from a standard 150 W projector bulb. The temperature of the coil is computer-controlled by changing the voltage across the coil. A low voltage is first used to dry the sample then a higher voltage is used to atomize the sample. Simultaneous detection of the analyte absorption signals is accomplished using a charge-coupled device. The elements of interest in this study were Cd, Pb, and Cu. Near-line background correction was used to correct for nonspecific analyte absorption.     

PHOTOSENSITIZING PROPERTIES OF BACTERIOCHLOROPHYLLIN a and BACTERIOCHLORIN a, TWO DERIVATIVES OF BACTERIOCHLOROPHYLL a

Abstract The photosensitizing properties of two water soluble derivatives of bacteriochlorophyll a , bacteriochlorophyllin a and bacteriochlorin a (lacking the central Mg-ion) were investigated and compared to those of hematoporphyrin derivatives. At physiological pH the oxygen consumption rate of histidine, tryptophan, dithiothreitol and guanosine upon illumination was 3 to 4 times higher when bacteriochlorin a was used as photosensitizer than when hematoporphyrin derivatives were used. Especially bacteriochlorin a proved to be an effective sensitizer for the killing of L929 cells. Because bacteriochlorin a has an absorption maximum at 765 nm in phosphate buffered saline (allowing a light penetration in tissue about ten times larger than at 630 nm) and a high molar absorption coefficient (32 000 M cm⁻¹) it has promising possibilities for the application in photodynamic therapy.