A new caging phototrigger based on a 2-acetonaphthyl chromophore

Irradiation (λ ∼ 350 nm in an aqueous environment) of carboxylic acid esters derived from the reaction between carboxylic acids and 2-bromo-1-(naphthalene-2-yl)ethanone affords the parent carboxylic acid in good yield, making the 2-acetonaphthyl chromophore a good phototrigger for caging applications, including biomolecular caging.     

Brominated hydroxyquinoline as a photolabile protecting group with sensitivity to multiphoton excitation

The synthesis and photochemistry of a new photolabile protecting group for carboxylic acids based on 8-bromo-7-hydroxyquinoline (BHQ) is described. BHQ possesses a greater single photon quantum efficiency than 4,5-dimethoxy-4-nitrobenzyl ester (DMNB) and 6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin-4-ylmethyl (Bhc), and it has sufficient sensitivity to multiphoton-induced photolysis for use in vivo. Its increased solubility and low fluorescence make it quite useful as a caging group for biological messengers. [structure: see text]     

Synthesis, Characterization, and Photophysical Properties of Materials Obtained by Co-intercalation of Chromophores into Layered Double Hydroxides

A pair of chromophores with donor‐acceptor properties, coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acid (3‐CCA) and 9‐anthracene carboxylic acid (9‐ACA), have been successfully intercalated into the layered double hydroxide (LDH), [Zn_0.66Al_0.34(OH)₂](CO₃)_0.17·0.33H₂O by an ion‐exchange method. The obtained co‐intercalation compounds were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, FTIR spectral, thermogravimetry techniques and chemical composition. The guest molecular sizes and structures were investigated utilizing an ab initio (HF/6‐31G) method by G98w. These anions were steadily arranged between the metal hydroxide layers by their carboxylate functional groups interacting with the layer plane. The photophysical properties of the obtained compounds were studied by UV‐Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. These results indicate that the confinement of the pair of chromophores, 3‐CCA and 9‐ACA, within the interlayer region of the host is in favor of guest‐host interaction and guest‐guest interaction, and that the pair of chromophores, 3‐CCA and 9‐ACA can give rise to energy transfer processes because of the characteristics of their excited states.     

A photolabile protection strategy for terminal alkynes

We present a strategy for photolabile protection of terminal alkynes. Several photo-caged alcohols were synthesized via mild copper(II)-catalyzed substitution between tertiary propargylic alcohols and 2-nitrobenzyl alcohol to build up robust, base stable o-nitrobenzyl (NB) photo-cleavable compounds. We compare the new photolabile protecting group with the commonly used alkyne protecting group, 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol and the results show that NB ethers are stable under the cleaving conditions for the cleavage of methylbutynol protected alkynes. Additionally, we present the synthesis of photo-cleavable NB derivatives containing thiol groups that can serve as agents for photoinduced surface functionalization reactions.     

Wavelength-selective cleavage of o-nitrobenzyl and polyheteroaromatic benzyl protecting groups

Evaluation of the wavelength-selective cleavage of five photolabile protecting groups from two different families has been performed. Alanine, as a model bifunctional target molecule was masked at the amino terminal with o-nitrobenzyl group and at the carboxylic terminal with benzyl-type nitrogen and oxygen polyheteroaromatics, namely acridine, (thioxo)benzocoumarin and a coumarin built on the julolidine nucleus. The photosensitivity of the corresponding alanine conjugates was studied at selected wavelengths with HPLC/UV and ¹H NMR monitoring. The release of the fully deprotected molecule could be achieved by sequential irradiation in variable irradiation times, which were dependent on the heteroaromatic group used.     

‘Effective hot reaction zone’, caging energy and normalized appearance energy in ruthenium complexes

In contrast to the single molecule cage of Ru/acac/₃ a cage involving wall molecules of RuCp₂ is formed in recoil reaction of radioruthenium atoms. Enhancement of the parent yield in RuCp₂ is ascribed to the larger size of the cage /effective hot reaction zone/ compared to the case of Ru/acac/₃. A normalized appearance energy technique has been applied to estimate energy /AE _adj ^x / necessary for caging the recoil atom in RuCp₂. AE _adj ^x is about twice as large as caging energy CE. The relation of AE _adj ^x to CE in RuCp₂ is nearly the same as that of AE^x to bonding energy BE in Ru/acac/₃.     

Solvent-modulated chemoselective deprotections of trialkylsilyl esters and chemoselective esterifications

A series of trialkylsilyl esters were deprotected or transesterificated into their corresponding carboxylic acids or methyl esters under a catalytic amount of CBr₄ in alcohol reaction system. This method enables to desilylate secondary sp³-carbon, sp²-carbon, sp-carbon and aryl tethered trialkylsilyl esters to carboxylic acids, whereas primary sp³-carbon tethered trialkylsilyl esters were further converted into their methyl esters under CBr₄/MeOH reaction conditions. The highly chemoselective deprotections can be modulated and achieved by the introduced protecting trialkylsilyl groups and the used alcohols such as MeOH and EtOH under this photochemically-induced reaction conditions.     

Entrapping of Push-Pull Zwitterionic Chromophores in Hybrid Matrices for Photonic Applications

A new class of heterocycle-based push-pull chromophores showing enhanced nonlinear properties characterized by an aromatic and highly zwitterionic ground state and a quinoid/neutral excited state have been synthesized to be incorporated in sol-gel hybrid systems. This class of compounds shows very large first molecular hyperpolarizabilities ( as high as 27000 × 10^–48 esu) and is a promising candidate for photonic applications where large second order non-linearities are required. In spite of their very large hyperpolarizability and chemical and thermal stability, these chromophores are decomposed in presence of light and oxygen (photobleaching) and are sensitive to acidic environments due to the carbanionic nature of the donor moiety. A hybrid matrix, based on N-[(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, has been specifically designed to allow the incorporation of such zwitterionic compounds assuring at the same time a good temporal stability of the optical properties. Amine functionalisation has been found very effective in reducing the photobleaching by acting on these chromophores via the singlet oxygen. Second harmonic generation has been observed on poled films, and an order parameter, , of 0.17 has been estimated. The nonlinear coefficient d_eff of the samples has been thus estimated at a value two times larger than for d₁₁ of quartz that, from literature data, is about 0.335 pm/V.     

Platinum(II) complexes of hydrazides of aspartic and glutamic acids

Mononuclear platinum(II) complexes of the hydrazides of aspartic and glutamic acids have been synthesized and studied. The 1:1 complexes are of the type [Pt(HL)Cl₂]·3H₂O, while the 1:2 complexes are [Pt(HL)₂]Cl₂·3H₂O. In DMF solutions the water molecules are substituted completely by DMF, while in 1:1 (v/v) water-DMF solutions complexes with one DMF and two water molecules are formed. The complexes are characterized using spectroscopic methods (IR, electronic spectra, ESCA), DTA, elemental analysis and titration curves, on the basis of which the ligands are thought to coordinate through the amino- and the hydrazide groups, the carboxylic one remaining deprotonated and non-coordinated.     

Photochemical reaction mechanisms of 2-nitrobenzyl compounds: methyl ethers and caged ATP

The mechanism of methanol photorelease from 2-nitrobenzyl methyl ether (1) and 1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl methyl ether (2), and of ATP release from adenosine-5'-triphosphate-[P(3)-(1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl)] ester ('caged ATP', 3) was studied in various solvents by laser flash photolysis with UV-vis and IR detection. In addition to the well-known primary aci-nitro transients (A, lambda(max) approximately 400 nm), two further intermediates preceding the release of methanol, namely the corresponding 1,3-dihydrobenz[c]isoxazol-1-ol derivatives (B) and 2-nitrosobenzyl hemiacetals (C), were identified. The dependencies of the reaction rates of A-C on pH and buffer concentrations in aqueous solution were studied in detail. Substantial revision of previously proposed reaction mechanisms for substrate release from 2-nitrobenzyl protecting groups is required: (a) A novel reaction pathway of the aci-tautomers A prevailing in buffered aqueous solutions, e.g., phosphate buffer with pH 7, was found. (b) The cyclic intermediates B were identified for the first time as the products formed by the decay of the aci-tautomers A in solution. A recently proposed reaction pathway bypassing intermediates B (Corrie et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2003, 125, 8546-8554) is shown not to be operative. (c) Hemiacetals C limit the release rate of both 1 (pH < 8) and 2 (pH < 10). This observation is in contrast to a recent claim for related 2-nitrobenzyl methyl ethers (Corrie et al.). Our findings are important for potential applications of the 2-nitrobenzyl protecting group in the determination of physiological response times to bioagents ('caged compounds').     

O-nitrobenzyl photochemistry: Solution vs. solid-state behavior

The efficiency of various 2-nitrobenzyl groups in the photogeneration of carboxylic acid from nitrobenzyl esters has been determined, and the solution vs. solid polymer matrix photochemistry is compared. Generally, the quantum yield for photoreaction is lower in the solid state, probably due to decreased conformational mobility. The substitution that affords the largest increase in quantum yield (?) is at the α-carbon atom. The value of ? for α-methyl-2-nitrobenzyl trimethylacetate in solution is 0.65 vs. 0.13 for the parent 2-nitrobenzyl ester.     

Dinuclear peroxo complexes of molybdenum(VI) containing Mannich base ligands

Dinuclear molybdenum(VI) peroxo complexes containing Mannich base ligands having formulae [Mo₂O₄(O₂)₂L-L(H₂O)₂] · H₂O [where L-L = N-[1-morpholinobenzyl] acetamide (MBA), N-[1-piperidinobenzyl] acetamide (PBA), N-[1-morpholino(-4-nitrobenzyl)] benzamide (MPNBB), N-[1-piperidino(-3-nitrobenzyl)] benzamide (PMNBB), N-[1-morpholino(-2-nitrobenzyl)] acetamide (MONBA), and N-[1-morpholino(-3-nitrobenzyl)] acetamide (MMNBA)] have been synthesized by stirring ammonium heptamolybdate with excess 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide followed by treatment with ethanolic solution of corresponding ligands. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, magnetic measurements, infrared (IR), electronic, TGA/DTA, mass spectral, and ¹H NMR studies. The complexes are non-electrolytes and diamagnetic. The IR spectral studies suggest that the ligands are bidentate to metal through carbonyl oxygen and ring nitrogen. Thermal analyses provide conclusive evidence for the presence of coordinated, as well as lattice water in the complexes. Dinuclear complexes preserve the individuality of the molybdenum oxo peroxo core. The complexes exhibit higher antibacterial activity against bacterium Ralastonia solanacearum (Pseudomonas solanacearum) than the free ligands.     

Engineering Soluble Diketopyrrolopyrrole Chromophore Stacks from a Series of Pd(II)-Based Ravels**

A strategy to engineer the stacking of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) dyes based on non-statistical metallosupramolecular self-assembly is introduced. For this, the DPP backbone is equipped with nitrogen-based donors that allow for different discrete assemblies to be formed upon the addition of Pd(II), distinguished by the number of π-stacked chromophores. A Pd₃L₆ three-ring, a heteroleptic Pd₂L₂L′₂ ravel composed of two crossing DPPs (flanked by two carbazoles), and two unprecedented self-penetrated motifs (a Pd₂L₃ triple and a Pd₂L₄ quadruple stack), were obtained and systematically investigated. With increasing counts of stacked chromophores, UV/Vis absorptions red-shift and emission intensities decrease, except for compound Pd₂L₂L′₂, which stands out with an exceptional photoluminescence quantum yield of 51 %. This is extraordinary for open-shell metal containing assemblies and explainable by an intra-assembly FRET process. The modular design and synthesis of soluble multi-chromophore building blocks offers the potential for the preparation of nanodevices and materials with applications in sensing, photo-redox catalysis and optics.     

Photoprocesses of molecules with 2-nitrobenzyl protecting groups and caged organic acids

The 308 nm photoinduced formation of the nitroso product and the intermediacy of the aci-nitro form(s) were studied for a series of 2-nitrobenzyl alkyl and aryl esters (1a-4e) and bis-(nitrophenyl)methyl acetates (5a-6b) by time-resolved UV-vis spectroscopy. A triplet state appears as major transient, when 2-nitrobenzyl derivatives 1 are substituted by 4,5-dimethoxy (2) and 4,5-methylenedioxy (3/4) groups. This triplet of charge transfer character is, however, not part of the route via the aci-nitro into the 2-nitroso form. The activation energy and preexponential factor of the longest lifetime component (tau(aci)), i.e. the major part of the aci-nitro decay, were determined. The carboxylic acids as leaving groups have rather small effects on tau(aci). An additional nitrated phenyl ring in alpha-position (5) leads generally to shorter tau(aci) value. Otherwise, the photogeneration of nitroso products is similar. The quantum yield (Phi(d)) varies only moderately with structure, the yield of the aci-nitro form and Phi(d) are correlated and little affected by solvent properties.     

Synthesis of 2-(3-cyano-5-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-vinylene-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-ylidene)malononitriles – novel functionalized analogs of tricyanofuran-containing (TCF) push–pull chromophores

2-(3-Cyano-5-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-ylidene)malononitrile was synthesized by the interaction between malononitrile dimer and diacetyl. It reacts with aldehydes in ethanol in the presence of ammonium acetate at room temperature and results 2-(3-cyano-5-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-vinylene-1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-ylidene)malononitriles in 66–86% yield. The developed method is of interest as a promising approach to a novel group of push–pull chromophores, which are functionalized analogs of widely used chromophores of the tricyanofuran (TCF) series.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT     

Water‐Soluble Triarylborane Chromophores for One‐ and Two‐Photon Excited Fluorescence Imaging of Mitochondria in Cells

Three water‐soluble tetracationic quadrupolar chromophores comprising two three‐coordinate boron π‐acceptor groups bridged by thiophene‐containing moieties were synthesised for biological imaging applications. Compound 3 containing the bulkier 5‐(3,5‐Me₂C₆H₂)‐2,2′‐(C₄H₂S)₂‐5′‐(3,5‐Me₂C₆H₂) bridge is stable over a long period of time, exhibits a high fluorescence quantum yield and strong one‐ and two‐photon absorption (TPA), and has a TPA cross section of 268 GM at 800 nm in water. Confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy studies in live cells indicated localisation of the chromophore at the mitochondria; moreover, cytotoxicity measurements proved biocompatibility. Thus, chromophore 3 has excellent potential for one‐ and two‐photon‐excited fluorescence imaging of mitochondrial function in cells.     

Indirect Photo-Induced Phosphorylation Via a C-Ester Caged Troika Acid

Abstract

Use of a photoremovable “caging” group allows the generation of reactive molecules under mild conditions. Photo-induced phosphorylations typically have involved attachment of the photosensitive group at phosphorus.[1] We now have investigated indirect photolytic activation of an unmodified phosphonic acid group using broad band UV (Hg lamp), 308 nm XeCl excimer laser or 355 nm YAC laser irradiation of the o-nitrobenzyl C-ester of “troika acid” [(E)-1²]. In alcohols or neutral buffer, irradiation of (E)-2 gave phosphorylation of the solvent plus phosphorocyanidate, the expected 2-isomer product.²All thrce UV sources gave -1:2 E:Z product distribution in MeOH. In the (E)-1 methyl C-ester, the oxime functionality absorbed strongly near 205 nm (E_max 5200), weakly at 308 nm and negligibly above 355 nm, and no photoisomerization was seen using the 355 nm source. Thus, oxime isomerization in (E)-2 at least using 355 nm irradiation. requires the o-nitrobenzyl group, and possibly involves an energy- or charge-wansfer effect. Phosphorylation of EtOH/t-BuOH mixtures by photolysis of (E)-2 showed little alkyl selectivity. consistent with photoinduced formation of an intermediate. plausibly (E)-1, which undergoes spontaneous dissociative fragmentation via a monomeric metaphosphate-like species.     

The cleavage of tinallyl bonds in R2(CH2CHCH2)2Sn substrates as a route to organostannoxanes

Tetrabutyl-1,3-diacyloxydistannoxanes, (RCOO)Bu₂SnOSnBu₂(OOCR) (A) and/or tetrabutyl-1-acyloxy-3-hydroxydistannoxanes, (RCOO)Bu₂SnOSnBu₂(OH) (B), can be prepared from equimolecular amounts of dibutyldiallyltin and carboxylic acid, RCOOH (R = H, CH₃, CH₂Cl, CHCl₂, CCl₃, CF₃) in moist methanol or acetone/water (50/50, v/v). Isolation of compounds (A) or (B) depends upon the hydrolyzing power of the medium and the nature of R.     

High-Yield Synthesis of the Novel E,E-2,5-Dimethoxy-1,4-bis[2-(4-ethylcarboxylatestyril)]benzene by the Heck Reaction

The novel E,E-2,5-dimethoxy-1,4-bis[2-(4-ethylcarboxylatestyril)]benzene, 4, was obtained in good yield (92%), by the Heck cross-coupling reaction using Pd(dba)₂ and P(OPh)₃ like catalytic system. The high trans specificity of the product produced by the Heck reaction was confirmed by Fourier Transform–infrared and NMR. The methodology reported can be used as synthetic route for precursors to phenylenevinylene target systems with highly desired functional groups in their molecular structure, such as carboxylic, to build metal–organic frameworks and other applications within the supramolecular chemistry.

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