SPECTROSCOPY AND PHOTOSENSITIZATION OF SAPPHYRINS IN SOLUTIONS AND BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANES

Abstract A spectroscopic and photophysical study of three new sapphyrin molecules is presented. The sapphyrin backbone that was derivatized to make them water soluble possesses an absorption band around 700 nm, a desired property for biological photosensitization. We studied the absorption and fluorescence spectra, from which evidence for aggregation in solvents of different polarities was obtained. The extent of aggregation is correlated with the nature of the attached moiety. The absolute quantum yields of singlet oxygen production were measured, with 1,3-diphenyl isobenzofuran as a model target, and were 0.13–0.18 in ethanol. The binding constants to liposomes and to cells were determined spectroscopically and were found to correspond to the hydrophobicities of the compounds, with an additional effect, ascribed to the sugar moiety, which was found in the case of one of the sapphyrins. The efficiency of photodamage to Staphylococcus aureus by sapphyrins and hematoporphyrin was equivalent, on the basis of cells killed per microgram of sensitizer in the incubation mixture.     

Dioxabenzosapphyrin: a new benzodifuran-derived sapphyrin analogue

The synthesis and characterization of a new sapphyrin analogue, dioxabenzosapphyrin, are reported. The benzodifuran moiety upon which this system is based leads to the incorporation of two oxygen atoms within the central macrocyclic core, thus replacing two protonated nitrogen centers found in normal pentaaza sapphyrin derivatives, including those derived from benzodipyrroles. As expected, the loss of these two NH hydrogen bond donor sites greatly reduces the anion affinity for the diprotonated form, even though the overall charge is the same as in the corresponding sapphyrins. Interestingly, dioxabenzosapphyrin, but not the corresponding all-aza systems, is found to bind neutral guests, such as phenol and 4-nitrophenol, albeit weakly. This latter finding highlights a potentially new application for core-modified expanded porphyrin derivatives, namely, as receptors for hydrogen bond donating neutral substrates.     

Monoprotonated Sapphyrin–Pertechnetate Anion Interactions in Aqueous Media

The addition of aqueous pH 7 solutions of 7.2×10^-3?M pertechnetate to dilute aqueous 2.5% MeOH solutions containing a water-solubilized sapphyrin, 3,12,13,22-tetraethyl-8,17-bis[bis(hydroxyethyl)-amino)carbonylethyl]-2,7,18,23-tetramethylsapphyrin (1), gives rise to spectroscopic changes in the UV–Vis spectrum of 1 that are consistent with anion-binding and sapphyrin deaggregation. The spectroscopic changes induced by pertechnetate were found to differ dramatically from those induced by the addition of either pure water or dilute nitric acid; however, they were found to parallel those seen when sodium phosphate was added to solutions of 1 under analogous experimental conditions. Fits of the spectroscopic titration data to a 1:1 binding profile revealed that the effective K describing the interaction of pertechnetate anion with 1 was ca. 3900±300?M^-1; this value compares to the effective K of 23000±3000?M^-1 that describes the corresponding interaction of sodium phosphate with 1.     

Naphthobipyrrole‐Derived Sapphyrins: Rational Synthesis,Characterization, Nonlinear Optical Properties,and Excited‐State Dynamics

Two new free‐base β‐octa and hexaalkyl naphthobipyrrole‐derived sapphyrins are reported along with various salts thereof. One of them has substituents at all of its β positions, whereas the pyrrole unit opposite to the bipyrrolic moiety is unsubstituted in the other. The effect of bipyrrole fusion on the structure of sapphyrins was explored. Interestingly, an unprecedented sandwiched supramolecular aqua‐bridged free‐base sapphyrin dimer was also characterized in the solid state. Further, the effect of anions on the third‐order nonlinear optical properties of these sapphyrins were explored in the salt form, along with their detailed excited‐state dynamics by both degenerate and nondegenerate pump–probe studies.     

Polyhydroxylated sapphyrins: multisite non-metallic catalysts for activated phosphodiester hydrolysis

Enhanced hydrolysis rates for the cleavage of bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP), a model phosphodiester, may be achieved by using appropriately designed ditopic receptors containing the known phosphate-binding nucleus, sapphyrin, attached covalently to suitably oriented polyhydroxyl subunits. Evidence for the interaction between sapphyrin and BNPP comes from solid-state X-ray diffraction analysis of a diprotonated dihydroxylated sapphyrin-BNPP complex and from solution-phase (31)P NMR spectroscopic binding studies. The sapphyrins described in this paper may have a role to play as oligonucleotide cleavage agents.     

Billion-fold acceleration of the methanolysis of paraoxon promoted by La(OTf)3 in methanol

The methanolysis of the insecticide paraoxon (2) was investigated in methanol solution containing varying [La(OTf)(3)] (OTf = (-)OS(O)(2)CF(3)) as a function of at 25 degrees C. Plots of the pseudo-first-order rate constants (k(obs)) for methanolysis as a function of [La(OTf)(3)](total) were obtained under buffered conditions from 5.15 to 10.97, and the slopes of the linear parts of these were used to determine the second-order rate constants (k(2)(obs)) for the La(3+)-catalyzed methanolysis of 2. Detailed analysis of the potentiometric titration data of La(OTf)(3) in methanol through fits to a multicomponent equilibrium mixture of dimers of general stoichiometry La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)n, where n assumes values of 1-5, gives the equilibrium distribution of each as a function of. These data, when fit to a second expression describing k(2)(obs) in terms of a linear combination of individual rate constants k(2)(2:1), k(2)(2:2).k(2)(2:)n for the dimers, allow one to describe the overall catalytic profile in terms of the individual contributions. The most catalytically important species are the three dimers La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)1, La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)2, and La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)3. The catalysis of the methanolysis of 2 is spectacular: a 2 x 10(-3) M solution of [La(3+)](total), at neutral, affords a 10(9)-fold acceleration relative to the base reaction (t(1/2) approximately 20 s at 8.2) with excellent turnover. A mechanism of the catalyzed reaction involving the La(3+)(2)((-)OCH3)2 species is proposed.     

Protonated free-base corroles: acidity, electrochemistry, and spectroelectrochemistry of [(Cor)H4]+, [(Cor)H5]2+, and [(Cor)H6]3+

Protonated meso-substituted free-base macrocycles of the form [(Cor)H4]+, [(Cor)H5]2+, and [(Cor)H6]3+ where Cor is the trianion of a given corrole, were chemically generated from neutral (Cor)H3 in benzonitrile by addition of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and characterized as to their relative acidity, electrochemistry, and spectroelectrochemistry. Three types of protonated free-base corroles with different electron-donating or electron-withdrawing substituents at the meso positions of the macrocycle were investigated. One is protonated exclusively at the central nitrogens of the corrole forming [(Cor)H4]+ from (Cor)H3, while the second and third types of corroles undergo protonation at one or two meso pyridyl substituents prior to protonation of the central nitrogens and give as the final products [(Cor)H5]2+ and [(Cor)H6]3+, respectively. Altogether the relative deprotonation constants (pKa) for 10 different corroles were determined in benzonitrile and analyzed with respect to the molecular structure and/or type of substituents on the three meso positions of the macrocycle. Mechanisms for oxidation and reduction of the protonated corroles are proposed in light of the electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical data.     

Water-soluble calixarenes—self-aggregation and complexation of noncharged aromatic guests in buffered aqueous solution

Water-soluble calix[4]arenes are useful receptors for hydrophobic substrates in aqueous buffered solution. The inclusion of 22 aromatic guests as well as the self-aggregation behavior of amphiphilic hosts was studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The association constants obtained range from 10 to 1000 L mol⁻¹. In all cases, the aromatic moiety is included into the hydrophobic pocket of the calixarenes maximizing hydrophobic contacts. Additionally, substituents such as methyl or chlorine exhibit a preference for inclusion in the pocket of the macrocycles owing to CH/π or Cl/π interactions. In case self-aggregation is observed, millimolar CMC values are to be found.     

Conformational effects on photophysical characteristics of C5-C5'-linked dihydrothymine dimers in solution

Photophysical characteristics of N-substituted C5-C5'-linked dihydrothymine dimers (1a,b[meso], meso compounds of [5R,5'S]-bi-5,6-dihydrothymines; 1a,b[rac], racemic compounds of [5R,5'R]-bi-5,6-dihydrothymines and [5S,5'S]-bi-5,6-dihydrothymines) in aqueous solution with varying contents of less-polar aprotic solvent such as tetrahydrofuran or dioxane have been investigated by UV-absorption, and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopies. Among the C5-C5'-linked dimers, (5R,5'S)-bi-5,6-dihydro-1-methylthymine (1a[meso]) showed a red-shifted weak UV-absorption band at 270-350 nm and excimer fluorescence emission at lambda max = 370 nm with a quantum yield (phi F) of approximately 0.1 in phosphate buffer (pH < 10) at 293 K. Racemic compound of 5,6-dihydro-1-methylthymine dimer (1a[rac]), meso and racemic compounds of 5,6-dihydro-1,3-dimethylthymine dimers (1b[meso] and 1b[rac]) in phosphate buffer were nonfluorescent under similar conditions. The UV-absorption and fluorescence spectral characteristics of 1a[meso] in aqueous solution were interpreted in terms of intramolecular stacking interactions between the dihydropyrimidine chromophores leading to a preferential "closed-shell" conformation both in the ground state and the excited singlet state. In basic solutions at pH > pKa = 11.7, the fluorescence quantum yield of 1a[meso] decreased due to a dominant "open-shell" conformation resulting from the electrostatic repulsion between the deprotonated dihydrothymine chromophores of 1a[meso] in a dianion form.     

The acidity constants of some pyrimidine bases in various water-organic solvent media

The acid ionization constants of some pyrimidine bases of nucleic acids were determined pH-metrically at 25 degrees C and at the constant ionic strength I = 0.10 mol l(-1) (KNO3) in pure water as well as in aqueous media containing variable mole percentages (5-30%) of organic solvents. The organic solvents used were methanol, ethanol, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), acetonitrile, acetone and dioxane. The results obtained indicated that the acidity constants are generally decreased as the content of an organic solvent in the medium is increased. It was deduced that the hydrogen bonding interactions and the solvent basicity in addition to the electrostatic effect are the major effects influencing significantly the acid ionization process of pyrimidine bases in the different water-organic solvent media. Some thermodynamic parameters (deltaH, deltaG degrees, deltaS degrees) of the ionization process over the temperature range 5-45 degrees C in pure water were also determined and discussed.     

Oxidative nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in the sapphyrin dioxouranium(VI) complex: a relativistic DFT study

A potentially trianionic expanded porphyrin ligand, sapphyrin does not form a 1:1 complex with the uranyl cation. However, in the presence of methanol, a complex of uranyl and meso-methoxy-substituted iso-sapphyrin is formed [Burrel et al. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1991, 24, 1710]. Here we performed a relativistic DFT study on the thermodynamics and the possible mechanism of the reaction. Our results have shown that (1) the reason for the failure of sapphyrin to stabilize its 1:1 uranyl complex is the highly basic character of the trianionic form of ligand that is hard to achieve in solution, (2) a driving force for the reaction lies in the better affinity of the methanol-substituted (and isomerized) ligand dianion to the uranyl cation, compared with the unsubstituted sapphyrin dianion, and (3) for the single-stage synchronous methanol addition pathways explored in this work, there is a path corresponding to noninnocent uranium behavior, via a neutral, triplet U(IV) intermediate complex. However, if the solvation effects were taken into account, this pathway would be unfavorable compared with singlet U(VI) pathways involving anionic intermediate complexes. The later pathway can be described as classical oxidative nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in an aromatic system.     

Glycosylated Porphyrins: Characterization of Association in Aqueous Solutions by Absorption and Fluorescence Spectroscopies and Determination of Singlet Oxygen Yield in Organic Media

The behavior of a series of porphyrins substituted at meso positions by para -phenyl-β- d -glucose groups is examined in aqueous solutions by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopies. This series includes tetra-, tri- and diglycosylated compounds, the last being substituted at adjacent or opposite meso positions. The other subsituents are alkyl chains and, in one case, a fluorophenyl group. Although all these compounds dimerize in aqueous solutions, the dimerization constants span over four orders of magnitiude (K _d = 1.3 × 10⁵–1.9 × 10⁹ M⁻¹). The dimer stability is strongly dependent on the nature and the arrangement of the substituents. The diglycosylated derivative substituted at adjacent meso positions yields the most stable dimer that is likely to present an offset stacked geometry. The dimer structures expected from the symmetry of the various compounds correlated well with the optical spectra that display exciton splitting in the Soret band. The fluorescence of the dimers is quenched in all derivatives with the noticeable exception of the adjacent diglycosylated derivative. All the compounds studied photosensitize the formation of singlet oxygen with yields ranging between 0.54 and 0.81. A fairly linear correlation between the yield and the number of aryl groups at meso positions is observed.     

Synthesis and properties of BCOD-fused trithiasapphyrin and trithiabenzosapphyrins

Bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene(BCOD)-fused trithiasapphyrin was prepared by 3+2 condensation of BCOD-fused thiatripyrrane with BCOD-fused bithiophene. The BCOD-fused trithiasapphyrin was successfully converted to pentabenzo[b,g,l,q,v]sapphyrin by the thermal retro-Diels-Alder reaction. In this case, trithiapentabenzo[b,g,l,q,v]- and trithiadibenzo[g,q]sapphyrins were selectively prepared by control of the temperature in the thermal retro-Diels-Alder reaction.     

Dimeric states of rhodamine B

Aggregation of the coloured neutral and cationic forms of rhodamine β in aqueous solution has been studied. The formation constants and absorption of the dimers were determined. The geometric disposition of monomers in both aggregates and the nature of the association forces are discussed. Trimers are not formed.     

Spectrophotometric study of acidity constants of Alizarine Red S in various water-organic solvent

The acidity constants of Alizarine Red S were determined spectrophotometrically at 25 degrees C and at constant ionic strength 0.1 M (KNO3) in pure water as well as in aqueous media containing variable mole percentages (5-70%) of organic solvents. The organic solvents used were methanol, ethanol, N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), acetonitrile and dioxan. The acidity constants of all related equilibria are estimated using the whole spectral fitting of the collected data to an established factor analysis model. DATAN program was applied for determining of acidity constants and pure spectra of different form of Alizarine Red S. The obtained results indicated that acidity constants decrease as the content of an organic solvent in the medium increases. There are linear relationship between acidity constants and the mole fraction of various organic solvents in the solvent mixtures. Effect of various solvents on acidity constants and pure spectrum of each component are also discussed.     

System Maps for Retention of Small Neutral Compounds on a Superficially Porous Ethyl-Bridged,Octadecylsiloxane-Bonded Silica Stationary Phase in Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography

The system constants of the solvation parameter model are used to prepare system maps for the retention of small neutral compounds on an ethyl-bridged, ocatadecylsiloxane-bonded superficially porous silica stationary phase (Kinetex EVO C18) for aqueous mobile phases containing 10–70% (v/v) methanol or acetonitrile. Electrostatic interactions (cation-exchange) are important for the retention of weak bases with acetonitrile–water but not methanol–water mobile phase compositions. Compared with a superficially porous octadecylsiloxane-bonded silica stationary phase (Kinetex C18) with a similar morphology but different topology statistically significant differences in selectivity at the 95% confidence level are observed for neutral compounds that vary by size and hydrogen-bond basicity with other intermolecular interactions roughly similar. These selectivity differences are dampened with acetonitrile–water mobile phases, but are significant for methanol–water mobile phase compositions containing <30% (v/v) methanol. A comparison of a totally porous ethyl-bridged, octadecylsiloxane-bonded silica stationary phase (XBridge C18) with Kinetex EVO C18 indicated that they are effectively selectivity equivalent.     

Solubilty and dissolution studies of antifungal drug:hydroxybutenyl-β-cyclodextrin complexes

The solubilities of voriconazole, ketoconazole, and clotrimazole with and without hydroxybutenyl-β-cyclodextrin (HBenBCD) in aqueous media were examined. The solubility of these antifungal drugs was significantly improved by complexation with HBenBCD. Both the pH and the type of buffer used to adjust the medium pH had a very significant effect on drug solubilities and the apparent binding constants of the drug:cyclodextrin complexes. Additionally, the stereochemistry of tartrate buffers was found to influence both the electrostatic interaction between drug and tartrate as well as complexation of the drug-tartrate aggregate by HBenBCD. We also compared the solubilization of these antifungal drugs by HBenBCD to other cyclodextrin derivatives with different substituents under identical experimental conditions and found that the amount of drug solubilized was in some cases influenced strongly by the nature of the cyclodextrin. Solid antifungal drug:HBenBCD complexes were prepared and their dissolution profiles were obtained which showed that HBenBCD improved both the rate of dissolution and the amount of drug dissolved.     

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of a biomimetic artificial photolyase model

Two new artificial photolyase models that recognize pyrimidine dimers in protic and aprotic organic solvents as well as in water through a combination of charge and hydrogen-bonding interactions and use a mimic of the flavine to achieve repair through reductive photoinduced electron transfer are presented. Fluorescence and NMR titration studies show that it forms a 1:1 complex with pyrimidine dimers with binding constants of approximately 10(3) M(-1) in acetonitrile or methanol, while binding constants in water at pH 7.2 are slightly lower. Excitation of the complex with visible light leads to clean and rapid cycloreversion of the pyrimidine dimer through photoinduced electron transfer catalysis. The reaction in water is significantly faster than in organic solvents. The reaction slows down at higher conversions due to product inhibition.     

Noncovalent binding between fullerenes and protonated porphyrins in the gas phase

Noncovalent interactions between protonated porphyrin and fullerenes (C?? and C??) were studied with five different meso-substituted porphyrins in the gas phase. The protonated porphyrin-fullerene complexes were generated by electrospray ionization of the porphyrin-fullerene mixture in 3:1 dichloromethane/methanol containing formic acid. All singly protonated porphyrins formed the 1:1 complexes, whereas porphyrins doubly protonated on the porphine center yielded no complexes. The complex ion was mass-selected and then characterized by collision-induced dissociation with Xe. Collisional activation exclusively led to a loss of neutral fullerene, indicating noncovalent binding of fullerene to protonated porphyrin. In addition, the dissociation yield was measured as a function of collision energy, and the energy inducing 50% dissociation was determined as a measure of binding energy. Experimental results show that C?? binds to the protonated porphyrins more strongly than C??, and electron-donating substituents at the meso positions increase the fullerene binding energy, whereas electron-withdrawing substituents decrease it. To gain insight into π-π interactions between protonated porphyrin and fullerene, we calculated the proton affinity and HOMO and LUMO energies of porphyrin using Hartree-Fock and configuration interaction singles theory and obtained the binding energy of the protonated porphyrin-fullerene complex using density functional theory. Theory suggests that the protonated porphyrin-fullerene complex is stabilized by π-π interactions where the protonated porphyrin accepts π-electrons from fullerene, and porphyrins carrying bulky substituents prefer the end-on binding of C?? due to the steric hindrance, whereas those carrying less-bulky substituents favor the side-on binding of C??.