Mesoporous zinc germanium oxynitride for CO2 photoreduction under visible light

Mesoporous zinc germanium oxynitride was synthesized by a template-free method at high temperature. Through optimizing redox potentials as well as improving crystallinity, this material showed enhanced activity in CO(2) photoreduction.     

New caged coumarin fluorophores with extraordinary uncaging cross sections suitable for biological imaging applications

Photocaged fluorescent molecules are important research tools for tracking molecular dynamics with high spatiotemporal resolution in biological systems. We have designed and synthesized a new class of caged coumarin fluorophores. These coumarin cages displayed more than 200-fold fluorescence enhancement after UV photolysis. Remarkably, the uncaging cross section of a 1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl (NPE)-caged coumarin is 6600 at wavelength of 365 nm, about 2 orders of magnitude higher than previously described caged fluorophores. Product analysis of the photolytic reaction showed clean conversion of NPE-caged coumarin to 2-nitrosoacetophenone and the parent coumarin, suggesting that the mechanism of the photolysis follows the known photochemical reaction pathway of the 2-nitrobenzyl group. We have also measured the two-photon uncaging cross sections of NPE-caged coumarins 2a and 5 at 740 nm to be near 1 Goeppert-Mayer (GM). The mechanistic study, together with the two-photon uncaging data, suggested that the coumarin moiety serves as an antenna to enhance the light harvesting efficiency of the coumarin cage and that the photonic energy absorbed by coumarin was utilized efficiently to photolyze the NPE group. Future explorations of this type of "substrate-assisted photolysis" may yield other cages of high uncaging cross sections. For cellular imaging applications, we prepared a cell permeable and caged coumarin fluorophore, NPE-HCCC2/AM (10), which can be loaded into fully intact cells to high concentrations. Initial tests of this probe in a number of cultured mammalian cells showed desired properties for the in vivo imaging applications. The combined advantages of robust fluorescence contrast enhancement, remarkably high uncaging cross sections, noninvasive cellular delivery, and flexible chemistry for bioconjugations should generate broad applications of these caged coumarins in biochemical and biological research.     

Site-specific prodrug release using visible light

Using a photosensitization-singlet oxygenation-dioxetane cleavage strategy, a photodynamic prodrug system has been developed, whereby drugs bearing carbonyl groups can first be attached to a photosensitizer to give a photosensitizer-drug complex and then released from the complex upon visible light irradiation. Visible light, which has good penetration through tissue, generates singlet oxygen via the photosensitizer, which then releases the prodrug when and where required. With this system, drug mimics and methyl esters of NSAIDs have been successfully incorporated with photosensitizers related to verteporfin and then released by visible light illumination in high to quantitative yields within minutes.     

Hemicyanine-linked pyrimidine mimics as solvatochromic fluorophores with visible excitation wavelengths

The design of solvatochromic fluorescent nucleosides with visible excitation wavelengths is a goal towards the generation of modified oligonucleotides for fluorimetry-based molecular imaging. Herein, two hemicyanine-linked C5-2′-deoxyuridine nucleosides (PyI-dU and APPy-dU) have been synthesized by first generating hemicyanine-alkyne precursors that were attached via the alkyne moiety to 5-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine (5-I-dU) by Sonogashira coupling. The photophysical properties of the hemicyanine-linked dU probes have been characterized and compared to the corresponding properties of the hemicyanine-alkyne precursors. The nucleoside probe PyI-dU exhibits optical features that mimic the properties of the free hemicyanine-alkyne precursor, while the APPy-dU probe displays more favorable optical properties (longer excitation wavelength, brighter emission in water) than its precursor that is ascribed to π-stacking interactions between the hemicyanine dye with the dU nucleobase. Overall, probe APPy-dU is a superior solvatochromic fluorophore than PyI-dU suggesting its greater utility for fluorescent imaging applications.     

The cycloaddition reaction using visible light photoredox catalysis

In recent years, visible light photoredox catalysis has emerged as an important research area in synthesis. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the visible light induced cycloaddition reactions, including [2+2], [3+2], [4+2] and [2+2+2] cycloadditions, for the construction of four-, five- or six-membered cycles and polycycles. Furthermore, the mechanisms for these transformations are also discussed, in which the formation of the radicals is initiated by a visible light photoredox catalysis process.     

Two-photon uncaging of neurochemicals using inorganic metal complexes

Neuroactive compounds can be photoreleased by means of two-photon excitation using a new kind of transition metal-based caged compound.     

Hyperpigmentation induced by topical 5-aminolaevulinic acid plus visible light

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) is an alternative tool for the treatment of superficial non-melanoma skin cancers. Recently ALA-PDT has been employed with encouraging results also for warts, condylomata and psoriasis. In this study the effects of topical ALA plus irradiation with visible light on intact human skin have been evaluated. Five skin areas (A, B, C, D, and E) on the inner upper part of the arms of five healthy volunteers (skin types III and IV) were treated with (A) ALA 20% in base cream without irradiation, (B) only the vehicle (base cream) without ALA, (C, D and E) ALA cream at the concentrations of 5, 10 and 20%, respectively; all treatments were applied with an occlusive dressing. Four hours after ALA or vehicle application areas B, C, D and E were irradiated with a fixed dose of 40 J/cm(2). ALA penetration through the intact skin was evaluated by in vivo fluorescence determination. The effects on healthy skin were evaluated by clinical and chromometric examinations, light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. RESULTS: (1) in vivo fluorescence demonstrated that ALA is able to penetrate through the intact skin, when applied with occlusive dressing and induces a classical fluorescence peak due to Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) formation, which is the active photosensitiser. (2) Skin areas receiving ALA plus irradiation showed erythema and swelling just after the irradiative session and hyperpigmentation 48-72 h later. (3) Colourimetric data confirmed significant skin colour changes: values a* (representing the erythematous changes) increased only on the skin areas where ALA+irradiation were applied and during the 48 h after irradiation, thereafter a* began to decrease; values L* (pigmentation) increased during the 2 weeks following treatment. (4) Histopathological, immunohistochemical (S100, HMB-45) and electron microscopic findings showed an absolute increment of the number of melanocytes, which appeared clearly activated. In conclusion the application of ALA cream followed by irradiation is able to induce a pigmentation response in healthy human skin, at least in skin types III and IV. This melanocytic activation could have a potential for the treatment of skin disorders characterised by hypopigmentation.     

Synthetic routes to 3-alkylsulfanyl-6-aryl-diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrroles--a class of efficient, visible light excitable fluorophores

Sulfide derivatives of diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole (SDPPs) were prepared in a one-pot procedure from arylpyrrolinones, isothiocyanates and alkylating agents, and their properties as fluorophores were evaluated.     

Enhanced dSTORM imaging using fluorophores interacting with cucurbituril

Advanced fluorescence microscopy including single-molecule localization-based super-resolution imaging techniques requires bright and photostable dyes or proteins as fluorophores. The photophysical properties of fluorophores have been proven to be crucial for super-resolution microscopy’s localization precision and imaging resolution. Fluorophores TAMRA and Atto Rho6G, which can interact with macrocyclic host cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) to form host-guest compounds, were found to improve the fluorescence intensity and lifetimes of these dyes. We enhanced the localization precision of direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) by introducing CB7 into the imaging buffer, and showed that the number of photons as well as localizations of both TAMRA and Atto Rho6G increase over 2 times.     

Redox-triggered hydroarylation of o-(hydroxyalkyl)arylalkynes with arylsulfonyl chlorides using visible light catalysis

A new radical-mediated method for the synthesis of 1-(2-(1,2-diarylvinyl)phenyl)ethan-1-ones by the redox hydroarylation of o-(hydroxyalkyl)arylalkynes with arylsulfonyl chlorides is described. This visible light catalysis method proceeds via a sequence of the radical addition of aryl group across the C-C triple bond, protonation and redox reaction, and represents a new redox transformation reaction directed by a neighboring hydroxyl group.     

Photoreactions of ferrocene with visible light in micellar solution

Photooxidation of ferrocene by CCl₄ and other organic oxidants is brought about by visible light in micellar solutions.     

Enantioselective uptake of amino acid with overoxidized polypyrrole colloid templated with L-lactate

An overoxidized polypyrrole colloid, which can recognise enantiomers of amino acids has been prepared by a newly developed molecular imprinting technique. A polypyrrole colloid, which had been polymerised from a mixture of pyrrole (monomer), polyvinylpyrrolidone (steric stabiliser), peroxodisulfate (oxidant) and L-lactate (dopant), was overoxidized to create a dopant-complementary cavity. The enantioselectivity of the overoxidized colloid was evaluated by comparing the uptake of L-alanine and L-cysteine with that of the respective D-enantiomers. The L/D uptake ratios for these amino acids were about 2, while phenylalanine showed suppressed uptake for both the enantiomers. The absence of phenylalanine uptake can be explained in terms of the molecular size, which is too large to be accommodated by the cavity created by L-lactate. In contrast, a colloid templated with L-phenyllactate took up L-phenylalanine with a higher enantioselectivity of about 7. A colloid templated with L-lactate was applied to surface chirality analysis through enantioselective adsorption on cysteine-modified gold surfaces. Quartz microbalance experiments and scanning electron microscope observation of the gold surface revealed that the colloidal particle has higher affinity to a surface modified with L-cysteine than to one modified with D-cysteine.     

Target-selective photodegradation of oligosaccharides by a fullerene-boronic acid hybrid upon visible light irradiation

A fullerene derivative was found to be capable of photodegrading oligosaccharides under irradiation with not only UV but also visible light. Furthermore, target-selective photodegradation of oligosaccharides (β-D-galactofuranosides) was achieved by a designed and synthesized fullerene-boronic acid hybrid upon irradiation with visible light in the absence of any additives under neutral conditions.     

Photochemical cyclization with release of carboxylic acids and phenol from pyrrolidino-substituted 1,4-benzoquinones using visible light

Visible light irradiation of 5-acyloxymethyl- and 5-phenoxymethyl-2-pyrrolidino-1,4-benzoquinones effects photoisomerization to labile oxazolidines, which undergo elimination of carboxylate or phenolate leaving groups in high yields to generate trappable o-quinone methide intermediates. [reaction: see text]     

Nitrogen extrusion from pyrazoline-substituted porphyrins and chlorins using long wavelength visible light

Protoporphyrin reacts with diazomethane to give pyrazolines which at long wavelength (approximately 630 nm) extrude nitrogen to give the corresponding cyclopropyl derivatives.     

Plasmonic photocatalytic system using silver chloride/silver nanostructures under visible light

Plasmonic photocatalytic nanostructured system was investigated on silver chloride/silver nanoparticles under visible light. Silver chloride/silver nanoparticles were readily prepared using dispersing agent and light irradiation. The d-spacing analysis, high resolution-transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy demonstrated that silver nanoparticles were introduced on the surface of silver chloride nanoparticles and then silver chloride/silver nanostructured photocatalytic materials were successfully synthesized. The as-synthesized plasmonic photocatalysts exhibited the enhanced photocatalytic performance over nitrogen-doped titania nanomaterials. The improved catalytic activity was originated from the enhanced adsorption for visible light, electron–hole separation, and the formation of chloride atoms in silver chloride/silver nanostructured materials.     

Multichromophoric polyphenylene dendrimers: toward brilliant light emitters with an increased number of fluorophores

Two routes for the introduction of highly fluorescent peryleneimide chromophores into the scaffolding of polyphenylene dendrimers via iterative Diels-Alder cycloadditions are presented. The key intermediates for the divergent dendrimer buildup were two cyclopentadienone branching units carrying two peryleneimides and two masked terminal alkynes. The difference between the two reagents is the mode of incorporation of the chromophores. In the first case, the chromophores were attached to the alpha-position of the tetraphenylcyclopentadienones. In the second case, peryleneimides are used as a "spacer" in the beta-position of the cyclopentadienones giving rise to dendrimers with extended molecular diameters (up to 12 nm) and 24 chromophores within their scaffold. Absorption and emission characteristics of the new multichromophoric nanoparticles were investigated and compared to those of the parent dyes. Additionally, an asymmetrically substituted first-generation dendrimer with six perylene diimide chromophores and one ester functionality is reported. The ester serves as a potential anchor group, and this nanoemitter paves the way to a multichromophoric fluorescence label. All dendrimers have good solubility in common organic solvents, high fluorescence quantum yields, and defined distances between the chromophores, making them attractive candidates for single-molecule spectroscopy.