ROS‐Responsive N‐Alkylaminoferrocenes for Cancer‐Cell‐Specific Targeting of Mitochondria

Mitochondrial membrane potential is more negative in cancer cells than in normal cells, allowing cancer targeting by delocalized lipophilic cations (DLCs). However, as the difference is rather small, these drugs affect also normal cells. Now a concept of pro‐DLCs is proposed based on an N‐alkylaminoferrocene structure. These prodrugs are activated by the reaction with reactive oxygen species (ROS) forming ferrocenium‐based DLCs. Since ROS are overproduced in cancer, the high‐efficiency cancer‐cell‐specific targeting of mitochondria could be achieved as demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy in combination with two fluorogenic pro‐DLCs in vitro and in vivo. We prepared a conjugate of another pro‐DLC with a clinically approved drug carboplatin and confirmed that its accumulation in mitochondria was higher than that of the free drug. This was reflected in the substantially higher anticancer effect of the conjugate.     

Tetraurea calix[4]arenes with sulfur functions: synthesis, dimerization to capsules, and self-assembly on gold

Various calix[4]arene derivatives, fixed in the cone conformation by decylether groups and functionalized at their wide rim by urea residues, were synthesized. In two compounds (,) sulfur functions were attached to the urea groups via different spacers in order to allow binding to metal surfaces. While they exist as single molecules in polar solvents, tetraurea calix[4]arenes of this type () combine to form dimeric capsules in aprotic, apolar solvents. A solvent molecule is usually included in such a capsule, if no guest with a higher affinity is present. In the presence of an equimolar amount of the tetratosylurea, the exclusive formation of heterodimers, consisting of one molecule of and, is observed. The homo- and heterodimerization of the newly prepared derivatives, were studied by 1H NMR to establish the conditions under which they exhibit the desired dimerization behaviour. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were formed using the single calix[4]arenes, and the heterodimeric capsules. Chloroform, dichloromethane and ferrocenium cations were used as guests in these immobilized heterodimeric capsules. The particular supramolecular architecture of the heterodimers should ensure that, after the immobilization on the metal surface, decomposition of the capsules and release or exchange of the guest is impossible or at least hindered. The self-assembly process and the stability of SAMs formed by capsules filled with ferrocenium cations in electrolyte solutions were tested with surface plasmon spectroscopy. The inclusion of guests, such as dichloromethane or ferrocenium, in the immobilized capsules were confirmed by classical surface plasmon spectroscopy, by gold nanoparticle absorption spectroscopy and by time-of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The film stability and quality was tested by cyclic voltammetry.     

Reactions of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with one-electron oxidants: possible formation of a carbene cation radical

One-electron oxidation of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) has been carried out using oxidising agents such as tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and ferrocenium [Cp(2)Fe](+); the formation of carbene radical cations is postulated.     

Electrochemically driven formation of a molecular capsule around the ferrocenium ion

Electrochemical experiments were used to show that the oxidation of ferrocene triggers the self-assembly of six molecules of the resocin[4]arene 2 to form a molecular capsule around the oxidized, ferrocenium (+1) form. The nature of the supporting electrolyte anion is crucial for this process of electrochemically driven self-assembly. 1H NMR spectroscopic data obtained with cobaltocenium, a diamagnetic analogue of the paramagnetic ferrocenium ion, verify its encapsulation by six molecules of 2. The encapsulation of cobaltocenium was also observed in voltammetric experiments. Encapsulation of ferrocenium (or cobaltocenium) inside the large 26 capsule led to a dramatic slowing of its usually fast, one-electron electrochemical reduction to ferrocene (or cobaltocene).     

Triplet Excited States and Singlet Oxygen Production by Analogs of Red Wine Pyranoanthocyanins

During the maturation of red wines, the anthocyanins of grapes are transformed into pyranoanthocyanins, which possess a pyranoflavylium cation as their basic chromophore. Photophysical properties of the singlet and triplet excited states of a series of synthetic pyranoflavylium cations were determined at room temperature in acetonitrile solution acidified with 0.10 mol dm^?3 trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, to inhibit competitive excited state proton transfer) and at 77 K in a rigid TFA‐acidified isopropanol glass. In solution, the triplet states of these pyranoflavylium cations are efficiently quenched by molecular oxygen, resulting in sensitized formation of singlet oxygen, as confirmed by direct detection of the triplet‐state decay by laser flash photolysis and of singlet oxygen monomol emission in the near infrared. The strong visible light absorption, the relatively small singlet‐triplet energy differences, the excited state redox potentials and the reasonably long lifetimes of pyranoflavylium triplet states in the absence of molecular oxygen suggest that they might be useful as triplet sensitizers and/or as cationic redox initiators in polar aprotic solvents like acetonitrile.     

Novel supramolecular assemblies based on coordination of samarium cation to cucurbit[5]uril

In the present study, we introduce the coordination of samarium-Q[5] systems in the absence and presence of the third species, and the corresponding supramolecular assemblies are dependent upon the addition of the third species. In the absence of the third species, a samarium cation (nitrate salt) coordinates to a Q[5] molecule and forms a molecular bowl; in the presence of an organic molecule (hydroquinone), a one-dimensional polymer of ···Sm-Q[5]-Sm-Q[5]-Sm··· is formed through direct coordination of Sm cation to the portal carbonyl oxygens. In the presence of nickel cations (chloride salt), an infinite 1D supramolecular chain is constructed of samarium/cucurbit[5]uril molecular bowl through ion-dipole interaction and hydrogen binding; in addition, the stacking of the supramolecular chains forms a novel hexagonal open framework. Remarkably, in the presence of copper cations (chloride salt), Q[5]-based hexagonal netting sheets are constructed of 6-Q[5]-ring structures.     

Heteronuclear NOE spectroscopy of ionic liquids

(19)F,(1)H HOESY experiments with three ionic liquids ([bmim]BF(4), [bmim]PF(6) and [emim]BF(4)) were run in two different solvents and neat. The results give preferred probabilities of presence and enable us to systematically study interactions between the cations and the anions in the ionic liquid phase by NMR spectroscopy. The influence of different solvents and of the presence or absence of air (i.e. oxygen) is discussed. This enabled us to substantially speed up the NMR experiments and to develop a more precise method for the investigation of liquid-phase structures in ionic liquids.     

Electron transfer – ion insertion electrochemistry at an immobilised droplet: probing the three-phase electrode-reaction zone with a Pt disk microelectrode

A four-electrode setup was used to study the following system: a nitrobenzene (NB) drop containing no added supporting electrolyte and either ferrocene or decamethylferrocene was placed on a glassy carbon disk and surrounded by an aqueous solution of supporting electrolyte. The glassy carbon electrode was polarised appropriately to generate either the ferrocenium or the decamethylferrocenium cations. A very thin conical-body Pt microdisk electrode was placed inside the NB drop to detect the product cations. The relation between the time of appearance of the reduction current at the microelectrode and the distance from the three-phase junction indicates that the electrode reaction starts at this junction where both the electron transfer and the ion transfer can take place.     

Pulse reactions of methane, ethane and ethylene over Li-, La- and Sm-promoted MgO catalysts in the presence and absence of free oxygen

Pulse reaction of methane in the presence and absence of free (or gaseous) oxygen and that of ethane and ethylene in the absence of free oxygen over Li−MgO, La−MgO and Sm−MgO (Li or La or Sm/Mg ratio=0.1) have been investigated for elucidating the role of lattice and free oxygen in oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) over these catalysts. No significant role is played by the lattice oxygen from these catalysts in the OCM process. The presence of free oxygen is essential for all these catalysts to be active and selective in OCM process. However, lattice oxygen plays some role in ethane conversion but a very significant role in ethylene conversion over these catalysts.     

Cationic Vesicles Based on Amphiphilic Pillar[5]arene Capped with Ferrocenium: A Redox‐Responsive System for Drug/siRNA Co‐Delivery

A novel ferrocenium capped amphiphilic pillar[5]arene (FCAP) was synthesized and self‐assembled to cationic vesicles in aqueous solution. The cationic vesicles, displaying low cytotoxicity and significant redox‐responsive behavior due to the redox equilibrium between ferrocenium cations and ferrocenyl groups, allow building an ideal glutathione (GSH)‐responsive drug/siRNA co‐delivery system for rapid drug release and gene transfection in cancer cells in which higher GSH concentration exists. This is the first report of redox‐responsive vesicles assembled from pillararenes for drug/siRNA co‐delivery; besides enhancing the bioavailability of drugs for cancer cells and reducing the adverse side effects for normal cells, these systems can also overcome the drug resistance of cancer cells. This work presents a good example of rational design for an effective stimuli‐responsive drug/siRNA co‐delivery system.     

Oxygen catalyzed mobilization of iron from ferritin by iron(III) chelate ligands

Tridentate chelate ligands of 2,6-bis[hydroxy(methyl)amino]-1,3,5-triazine family rapidly release iron from human recombinant ferritin in the presence of oxygen. The reaction is inhibited by superoxide dismutase, catalase, mannitol and urea. Suggested reaction mechanism involves reduction of the ferritin iron core by superoxide anion, diffusion of iron(II) cations outside the ferritin shell, and regeneration of superoxide anions through oxidation of iron(II) chelate complexes with molecular oxygen.     

A flash photolysis study of the triplet state quenching of anthracene by oxygen in the presence of polystyrene

The rate constant for the quenching of triplet anthracene by molecular oxygen in the presence or absence of polystyrene was measured. The quenching ability is not affected by the presence of polymer.     

Synthesis, structural charaterization, and electrochemical and optical properties of ferrocene-triazole-pyridine triads

The synthesis and electrochemical, optical, and cation-sensing properties of the ferrocene-triazole-pyridine triads 3 and 5 are presented. Azidoferrocene 1 and 1,1'-diazidoferrocene 4 underwent the "click" reaction with 2-ethynylpyridine to give the triads 3 and 5 in 81% and 68% yield, respectively. Electrochemical studies carried out in CH(3)CN in the presence of increasing amounts of Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), and Pb(2+) metal cations, showed that the wave corresponding to the ferrocene/ferrocenium redox couple is anodically shifted by 70-130 mV for triad 3 and 167-214 mV for triad 5. The maximum shift of the ferrocene oxidation wave was found for 5 in the presence of Zn(2+). In addition, the low-energy band of the absorption spectra of 3 and 5 are red-shifted (Δλ = 5-10 nm) upon complexation with these metal cations. The crystal structures of compounds 3 and 5 and the complex [3(2)·Zn](2+) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray methods. (1)H NMR studies as well as density functional theory calculations have been carried out to get information about the binding sites that are involved in the complexation process.     

G-quadruplexes can maintain their structure in the gas phase

Several very extended (0.5-1 micros) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of parallel and antiparallel G-quadruplex DNA strongly suggest that in the presence of suitable cations the quadruplex not only remains stable in the gas phase, but also displays a structure that closely resembles that found in extended (25-ns long) trajectories in aqueous solution. In the absence of the crucial cations, the trajectories become unstable and in general the quadruplex structure is lost. To our knowledge, this is the first physiologically relevant structure of DNA for which very large MD simulations suggest that the structure in water and in the gas phase are indistinguishable.     

Impact of metal cations on the electrocatalytic properties of Pt/C nanoparticles at multiple phase interfaces

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) use carbon-supported nanoparticles based on platinum and its alloys to accelerate the rate of the sluggish oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR). The most common metals alloyed to Pt include Co, Ni and Cu, and are thermodynamically unstable in the PEMFC environment. Their dissolution yields the formation and redistribution of metal cations (M(y+)) within the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Metal cations can also contaminate the MEA when metallic bipolar plates are used as current collectors. In each case, the electrical performance of the PEMFC severely decreases, an effect that is commonly attributed to the poisoning of the sulfonic acid groups of the perfluorosulfonated membrane (PEM) and the resulting decrease of the proton transport properties. However, the impact of metal cations on the kinetics of electrochemical reactions involving adsorption/desorption and bond-breaking processes remains poorly understood. In this paper, we use model electrodes to highlight the effect of metal cations on Pt/C nanoparticles coated or not with a perfluorosulfonated ionomer for the CO electrooxidation reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction. We show that metal cations negatively impact the ORR kinetics and the mass-transport resistance of molecular oxygen. However, the specific adsorption of sulfonate groups of the Nafion? ionomer locally modifies the double layer structure and increases the tolerance to metal cations, even in the presence of sulphate ions in the electrolyte. The survey is extended by using an ultramicroelectrode with cavity and a solid state cell (SSC) specifically developed for this study.     

Pretreatment of poplar wood for fast pyrolysis: rate of cation removal

It is well known that the presence of alkaline cations in biomass affect the mechanism of thermal decomposition during fast pyrolysis causing primarily fragmentation of the monomers making up the natural polymer chains rather than the predominant depolymerization that occurs in their absence. As a result, liquid products (bio-oil) of quite different compositions can be obtained, and these bio-oils may be used for quite different purposes. A considerable amount of research has been carried out on the changes in mechanism occurring due to the presence and absence of these cations during fast pyrolysis and the compositional changes occurring in the bio-oil product as a result. However, if removal of such cations is to be practised as an industrial process, it would be desirable to have some information on the rates of the exchange step and the degree of removal of a particular cation that can be economically achieved. The present work describes a preliminary study of the rates of removal of the indigenous alkaline cations in a poplar wood (potassium and calcium mainly) by an ion exchange process using a dilute acid. The exchange process is rapid and potassium is more easily removed than calcium. It is also shown that hot water washing alone is able to remove a major amount of the alkaline cations from wood. The deionized wood can be used as the feed for a fast pyrolysis process for the thermal conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to anhydrosugars for use in synthesis, or for conversion to fermentable sugars in good yield.     

Samarium(III)-based AGET ATRP of Acrylonitrile Using Ascorbic Acid as Reducing Agent

Atom transfer radical polymerization using activators generated by electron transfer (AGET ATRP) of acrylonitrile (AN) initiated by ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (EBiB) was approached for the first time in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of air, using a novel catalyst system based on SmBr₃·6H₂O/isophthalic acid complexes and using ascorbic acid (VC) as a reducing agent. Both the polymerization in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of air proceeded in a well-controlled manner as evidenced by kinetic studies. Compared with the polymerization in the absence of oxygen, the polymerization in the presence of air provided rather slow reaction rate and showed better control of molecular weight and its distribution under the same experimental conditions. The polymerization apparent activation energies in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of air were calculated to be 47.1 and 51.3 kJ·mol^?1, respectively. A slow polymerization rate and a broad polydispersity index were observed using anisole and toluene instead of DMF as solvent. Polyacrylonitrile obtained was successfully used as a macroinitiator to proceed the chain extension polymerization of styrene via AGET ATRP in the presence of air.     

A direct route to bis(imido)uranium(V) halides via metathesis of uranium tetrachloride

Metathesis reactions between uranium tetrachloride and lithium 2,6-diisopropylphenylamide in the presence of 4,4'-dialkyl-2,2'-bipyridyl (R(2)bpy; R = Me, (t)Bu) or triphenylphosphine oxide (tppo) appear to generate bis(imido)uranium(IV) in situ. These extremely reactive complexes abstract chloride from dichloromethane to generate U(NDipp)(2)Cl(R(2)bpy)(2) or U(NDipp)(2)Cl(tppo)(3) (Dipp = 2,6-(i)Pr(2)C(6)H(3)). The preparation of the bromide and iodide analogues U(NDipp)(2)X(R(2)bpy)(2) was achieved by addition of CH(2)X(2) (X = Br, I) to the uranium(IV) solutions. The uranium(V) halides were characterized by X-ray crystallography and found to exhibit linear N-U-N units and short U-N bonds. Electrochemical measurements were made on the chloride bipyridine species, which reacts readily with iodine or ferrocenium to generate bis(imido)uranium(VI) cations.     

Intercalation chemistry of layered vanadyl phosphate: a review

The intercalation chemistry of layered α_I modification of vanadyl phosphate and vanadyl phosphate dihydrate is reviewed. The focus is on neutral molecular guests and on metal cations used as guest species. The basic condition for the ability of the neutral molecules to be intercalated into vanadyl phosphate is a presence of an electron donor atom in them. The most commonly used guest compounds are those containing oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur as electron donor atoms. Regarding the molecules containing oxygen, various compounds were used as molecular guests starting from water to alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, lactones, and esters. An arrangement of the guest molecules in the interlayer space is discussed in connection with the data obtained by powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, IR and Raman spectroscopies, and solid-state NMR. In some cases, the local structure was suggested on the basis of quantum chemical calculations. Besides of those O-donor guests, also N-donor guests such as amines, nitriles and nitrogenous heterocycles and S-donor guests such as tetrathiafulvalene were intercalated into VOPO₄. Also intercalates of complexes like ferrocene were prepared. Intercalation of cations is accompanied by a reduction of vanadium(V) to vanadium(IV). In this kind of intercalation reactions, an iodide of the intercalated cation is often used as it serves both as a mild reduction agent and as a source of the intercalated species. Intercalates of alkali metals, hydronium and ammonium were prepared and characterized. In the case of lithium and sodium intercalates, a staging phenomenon was observed. These redox intercalated vanadyl phosphates undergo ion exchange reactions which are discussed from the point of the nature of cations involved in the exchange. Vanadyl phosphates in which a part of vanadium atom is replaced by other metals are also briefly reviewed.     

Lithium cation as radical-polymerization catalyst

Density-functional theory (DFT) and ab initio (QCISD and CBS-RAD) calculations suggest that complexation of "naked" lithium cations to olefins favors the addition of alkyl radicals to the double bond over abstraction of an allyllic hydrogen atom. Thus, "naked" lithium cations in nonpolar solvents can catalyze the radical polymerization of olefins by favoring the chain-lengthening reaction over the competing hydrogen-atom extraction, which is competitive in the absence of metal ions. One putative initiation reaction, addition of triplet dioxygen to the double bond, is thermoneutral and has a very low barrier when the oxygen molecule is complexed to a lithium cation. An alternative process, abstraction of an allyllic hydrogen atom to generate the allyl and hydroperoxy radicals, is also strongly favored by complexation of the oxygen to the lithium cation but is less favorable than addition. These results support Michl's recent interpretation of experimentally observed alkene polymerization in the presence of lithium salts of hydrophobic carborane anions.