Electropolymerization as a versatile route for immobilizing biological species onto surfaces

Biosensors based on electronic conducting polymers appear particularly well suited to the requirements of modern biological analysis—multiparametric assays, high information density, and miniaturization. We describe a new methodology for the preparation of addressed DNA matrices. The process includes an electrochemically directed copolymerization of pyrrole and oligonucleotides bearing on their 5′ end a pyrrole moiety. The resulting polymer film deposited on the addressed electrode consists of pyrrole chains bearing covalently linked oligonucleotides (ODN). An oligonucleotide array was constructed on a silicon device bearing a matrix of 48 addressable 50 × 50 μm gold microelectrodes. This technology was successfully applied to the genotyping of hepatitis C virus in blood samples. Fluorescence detection results show good sensitivity and a high degree of spatial resolution. In addition, gravimetric studies carried out by the quartz crystal microbalance technique provide quantitative data on the amount of surface-immobilized species. In the case of ODN, it allows discrimination between hybridization and nonspecific adsorption. The need for versatile processes for the immobilization of biological species on surfaces led us to extend our methodology. A biotinylated surface was obtained by coelectropolymerization of pyrrole and biotin-pyrrole monomers. The efficiency for recognition (and consequently immobilization) of R-phycoerythrin-avidin was demonstrated by fluorescence detection. Copolymerization of decreasing ratios of pyrrole-biotin over pyrrole allowed us to obtain a decreasing scale of fluorescence.     

Peripheral aryl-substituted pyrrole fluorophores for glassy blue-light-emitting diodes

In this work, a series of aryl-substituted pyrrole analogues were synthesized. These pyrrole analogues emit violet to blue light. Fluorescence and amorphous glassy properties of these pyrrole analogues were induced by manipulating the peripheral aryl groups. These crowded peripheral aryl groups would effectively prevent the fluorophores from aggregation, resulting in higher quantum efficiency and a stable emission spectrum in the solid state. One of the aryl-substituted pyrrole analogues, namely NPANPy can be used as hole-transporting material or hole-transporting/emitting material. The devices would emit blue light when the fluorophore NPANPy acts as the hole-transporting/emitting material. Their CIE coordinate is around (0.16, 0.14), whereas the maximum brightness can reach 4300-5000 cd m⁻². Apart from that, when the fluorophore was used only as the hole-transporting material, better device performances, especially in low current density, were found, as compared with the standard device.     

Electropolymerisable pyrrole-oligonucleotide: synthesis and analysis of ODN hybridisation by fluorescence and QCM

Conducting polymer films, such as polypyrrole, appear particularly attractive for the immobilisation of biological molecules by entrapment or covalent grafting. We describe here a new pyrrole phosphorarnidite building block allowing the synthesis of oligonucleotide (ODN) bearing a pyrrole moiety. The electropolymerisable pyrrole moiety was then introduced on the 5' end of the oligonucleotide. The electrosynthesis of a copolymer, from solutions containing pyrrole and pyrrole-ODN, gives in one step strongly adhesive films containing ODN probes at electrode surfaces. In this contribution, we have used such a methodology to verify its feasibility for the modification of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) electrodes. The obtained biosensors enable the detection of DNA hybridisation in real time by micro-gravimetric transduction. Finally, as DNA targets were previously modified by biotin, we have used the affinity between biotin and avidin to validate the effectiveness of QCM transduction by fluorescence microscopy and to amplify the recorded micro-gravimetric signal.     

The nonadiabatic deactivation paths of pyrrole

Multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations have been performed for pyrrole with the aim of providing an explanation for the experimentally observed photochemical deactivation processes. Potential energy curves and minima on the crossing seam were determined using the analytic MRCI gradient and nonadiabatic coupling features of the COLUMBUS program system. A new deactivation mechanism based on an out-of-plane ring deformation is presented. This mechanism directly couples the charge transfer 1pipi* and ground states. It may be responsible for more than 50% of the observed photofragments of pipi*-excited pyrrole. The ring deformation mechanism should act complementary to the previously proposed NH-stretching mechanism, thus offering a more complete interpretation of the pyrrole photodynamics.     

Gold(I)/Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydroamination–Hydroarylation of Alkynes: The Effect of a Remote Hydroxyl Group on the Reactivity and Enantioselectivity

The catalytic enantioselective hydroamination–hydroarylation of alkynes under the catalysis of (R₃P)AuMe/(S)‐3,3′‐bis(2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl‐2,2′‐diyl hydrogenphosphate ((S)‐TRIP) is reported. The alkyne was reacted with a range of pyrrole‐based aromatic amines to give pyrrole‐embedded aza‐heterocyclic scaffolds bearing a quaternary carbon center. The presence of a hydroxyl group in the alkyne tether turned out to be very crucial for obtaining products in high yields and enantioselectivities. The mechanism of enantioinduction was established by carefully performing experimental and computational studies.     

Significance of the molecular shape of iron corrphycene in a protein pocket

The iron complex of a new type of corrphycene bearing two ethoxycarbonyl (-CO2C2H5) groups on the bipyrrole moiety was introduced into apomyoglobin. The reconstituted ferric myoglobin has a coordinating water molecule that deprotonates to hydroxide with a pK(a) value of 7.3 and exhibits 3-10-fold higher affinities for anionic ligands when compared with a counterpart myoglobin with the same substituents on the dipyrroethene moiety. In the ferrous state, the oxygen affinity of the new myoglobin was decreased to 1/410 of the native protein. The anomalies in the ligand binding, notably dependent on the side-chain location, were interpreted in terms of a characteristic core shape of corrphycene that produces the longer and shorter Fe-N(pyrrole) bonds. The spin-state equilibrium analysis of the ferric azide myoglobin containing the new iron corrphycene supported the nonequivalence of the Fe-N(pyrrole) bonds. These results demonstrate that the trapezoidal molecular shape of corrphycene exerts functional significance when the iron complex is placed in a protein pocket.     

A highly selective fluorescent probe for pyrophosphate in aqueous solution

A new 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide-based fluorescent chemosensor bearing a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole moiety has been synthesized. The sensor displays a selective fluorescent enhancement with pyrophosphate over ATP, ADP, AMP and other inorganic anions in aqueous solution.     

Green-red flashers to accelerate biology

Photoactivatable fluorescent proteins are now widely used for cell and protein tracking and super-resolution optical imaging. In this issue, Adam et?al. (2011) report a general approach to introduce photochromism into green-to-red photoconvertible proteins and describe new photoactivatable protein with a complex four-state flasher-like behavior and advanced characteristics.     

Metallation of N-vinylpyrroles and -indoles with Hg(OAc)2: N-vinyl vs. pyrrole nucleophilic sites

N-Vinylpyrroles and -indoles bearing electron-withdrawing substituents at the pyrrole ring are mercurated, with 1 equivalent of Hg(OAc)(2) in dry MeCN (20-80 °C), regioselectively at the vinyl group (yields are almost quantitative), while their congeners without electron-withdrawing functions are mercurated both at the N-vinyl group and the pyrrole ring.     

Microemulsion polymerization of cationic pyrroles bearing an imidazolum‐ionic liquid moiety

A cationic pyrrole derivative, N‐(4‐butyl‐(1‐methylimidazole)) pyrrole bromide (Py‐Br) bearing an imidazolium‐type ionic liquid moiety was synthesized. Microemulsion polymerization of Py‐Br in water/oil microemulsions produced poly(N‐(4‐butyl‐(1‐methylimidazole)) pyrrole bromide) (PPy‐Br) nanoparticles. The bromide anion of the resultant PPy‐Br nanoparticles was exchanged in water with different anions, including BF and PF to produce new nanoparticles bearing different counteranions. The results of thermal analysis indicate that the thermal stability of cationic PPy nanoparticles strongly depends on the nature of counteranion. As an application, water‐soluble PPy‐Br with fine fluorescence property was used as a new sensor for DNA detection. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 746–753, 2009     

Nitrovinyl substituted calix[4]pyrrole as a unique,reaction-based chemosensor for cyanide anion

A new calix[4]pyrrole bearing a nitrovinyl group at β-pyrrolic position was synthesized and studied as a cyanide selective chemodosimetric sensor. Selective Michael-type nucleophilic addition of cyanide to the α-position of the nitrovinyl group followed by β-elimination resulted in the unique product 3.     

Formation of insoluble perylenetetracarboxylic diimide films by electro- or photo-crosslinking of pyrrole units

Perylenetetracarboxylic diimide derivatives bearing 2- or 4-peripheral pyrrole pendants could be efficiently crosslinked to form an insoluble film either by electropolymerization or visible light induced oxidative photopolymerization of the pyrrole units.     

Core-modified, meso-alkylidenyl porphyrins and their expanded analogues: a new family of nonplanar porphyrinoids

New core-modified, meso-alkylidenyl porphyrinoids bearing multiple exocyclic double bonds were synthesized and characterized. The synthesis was accomplished using a typical "3 + 1"-type condensation approach. Stable exocyclic tautomers bearing double bonds at the meso positions, as well the corresponding endocyclic tautomers, were isolated in the case of both thiabenziporphyrin and thiapyriporphyrin products prepared in the course of this study. On the other hand, only the exocyclic tautomer was isolated in the case of the congeneric oxapyriporphyrin and oxabenziporphyrin. Expanded analogues of the exocyclic forms of oxabenziporphyrin and thiabenziporphyrin were also isolated as minor products. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the expanded thiabenziporphyrin (20) revealed that all four pyrrole rings displayed an inverted geometry, presumably reflecting the strong hydrogen-bonding extant between the pyrrole N-H proton and the carbonyl group of the malonate moiety in the solid state. On the other hand, the expanded oxabenziporphyrin (14) was found to possess a severely distorted geometry with only one pyrrole ring being inverted. Careful analysis of the structure revealed that the solid-state geometry of the expanded macrocycles correlates well with the internal angle defined by the 2- and 5 substituents and the centers of the furan (14) or thiophene (20) subunits.     

Functionalized pyrroles from vinylaziridines and alkynes via rhodium-catalyzed domino ring-opening cyclization followed by CC bond migration

Rhodium(I)-catalyzed intermolecular cycloadditions of alkynes with vinyl aziridines bearing a conjugated carbonyl group in the olefin moiety followed by the double migration resulted in the formation of pyrrole derivatives in a one pot fashion.     

Rational design of photoconvertible and biphotochromic fluorescent proteins for advanced microscopy applications

Advanced fluorescence imaging, including subdiffraction microscopy, relies on fluorophores with controllable emission properties. Chief among these fluorophores are the photoactivatable fluorescent proteins capable of reversible on/off photoswitching or irreversible green-to-red photoconversion. IrisFP was recently reported as the first fluorescent protein combining these two types of phototransformations. The introduction of this protein resulted in new applications such as super-resolution pulse-chase imaging. However, the spectroscopic properties of IrisFP are far from being optimal and its tetrameric organization complicates its use as a fusion tag. Here, we demonstrate how four-state optical highlighting can be rationally introduced into photoconvertible fluorescent proteins and develop and characterize a new set of such enhanced optical highlighters derived from mEosFP and Dendra2. We present in particular NijiFP, a promising new fluorescent protein with photoconvertible and biphotochromic properties that make it ideal for advanced fluorescence-based imaging applications.     

《超级电容器》专辑序言

超级电容器因具有高功率密度、长循环寿命和使用温度范围宽等显著优势,已成为化学电源产业内新的亮点。作为一种大功率储能器件,超级电容器在轨道交通、现代通讯、航空航天、国防等战略新兴领域具有广泛的应用前景,全球需求量迅速增长。目前,限制超级电容器规模应用的关键问题是其能量密度偏低以及成本过高。如何在保证其高功率密度和长循环寿命优势的前提下,提高超级电容器能量密度并降低其成本是当今研究的热点。近年来,全球的超级电容器研究者针对这一关键问题,从电极材料设计、新型电解液开发及器件构筑等方面开展了一系列的工作,从理论研究到工程应用都取得了重要的突破。本刊邀请了超级电容器领域内具有丰富研究经验的8个团队撰写了8篇关于超级电容器的综述或者研究论文,介绍了当前超级电容器领域的研究现状、发展趋势和所面临的挑战,希望籍此能使广大读者更加深入了解超级电容器这一领域,并共同推动我国超级电容器相关研究的进一步发展。在此,对本专辑的所有作者、审稿人及编辑部工作人员的卓有成效的工作和付出表示衷心的感谢！     

Pyridylpyrrolides as alternatives to cyclometalated phenylpyridine ligands: synthesis and characterization of luminescent zinc and boron pyridylpyrrolide complexes

The synthesis, structure, and properties of six luminescent pyridylpyrrolide complexes and the first structural characterization of pyridylpyrrolide metal complexes are reported. A series of new zinc complexes, bis(pyridylpyrrolyl)zinc, (R2PyrPy)2Zn (R = Me, Et, iPr, tBu, and Ph), that vary in their substituents on the pyrrole ring (Me, Et, iPr, tBu, and Ph), were prepared. Pyrrole substitution produced small structural changes in the complexes and affected the fluorescence properties very little. The zinc complexes were found to be luminescent, emitting at 495 nm (Phi = 0.32, 0.32 0.31, 0.19 and 0.57, respectively). A boron analog, (Me2PyrPy)BF2, was prepared and was found to share the luminescent properties with the zinc complexes, emitting at 505 nm (Phi = 0.22), but not their water-sensitivity. A total of four crystal structures are reported, tBu2PyrPyH, (Me2PyrPy)2Zn, (tBu2PyrPy)2Zn, and (Me2PyrPy)BF2. tBu2PyrPyH crystallizes as a doubly hydrogen bonded dimer with non-coplanar pyridine and pyrrole rings. The solid-state structures of (Me2PyrPy)2Zn and (tBu2PyrPy)2Zn revealed that despite the large change in steric bulk, the two compounds have very similar structures. The structure of (Me2PyrPy)BF2 showed changes that are expected with the interaction between a smaller atom (B as compared to Zn). Molecular orbital calculations were performed on Me2PyrPyH, (Me2PyrPy)BF2, and (Me2PyrPy)2Zn using Gaussian 98 methods. It was found that the main transition (HOMO-LUMO) for all three molecules is a pi-->pi* transition and that in the inorganic complexes, the metal atom (zinc or boron) present has very little effect on transition, evidence that the optical properties are largely ligand based and that the B or Zn atom's main effect is lowering of the LUMO relative energy.     

Confusion,inversion, and creation--a new spring from porphyrin chemistry

This article mainly deals with the recent serendipity of novel porphyrin analogs such as N-confused porphyrin. The unique property of this ligand allows the formation of a variety of metal complexes. The important aspect of dynamic flipping (inversion), induced either by confusion or expansion of the macrocyclic core, that leads to the generation of new porphyrinoids, is emphasized. This review concludes with the recent progress on expanded porphyrins bearing confused, inverted, and fused pyrrole rings.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Properties of Expanded Pyriporphyrins: A New Family of Alkylidenyl Porphyrin Homologues Bearing meso‐Exocyclic Double Bonds

We present the synthesis and characterization of a new family of expanded meso‐alkylidenyl (2,6‐pyri)porphyrinoids bearing multiple exocyclic double bonds at the meso‐positions. The synthesis was accomplished by using mixed pyrrole condensation. Similar to meso‐alkylidenyl porphyrinoids, this study revealed that pyriporphyrinoids do not possess a porphyrin‐like, global‐aromatic character. The synthesized 2,6‐pyripentaphyrin 1 displays selective ratiometric sensing of pyrophosphate anion in organic solvent.     

Electrochemical biosensing of DNA hybridization by ferrocenyl groups functionalized polypyrrole

We have developed a new material based on polypyrrole functionalized with both ferrocenyl group and DNA probe. We have developed a precursor polymer based on a pyrrole 3-acetic acid and a pyrrole bearing ferrocenyl groups substituted by easy leaving group in which amino-labeled oligonocleotides probe were directly linked. The electrochemical response of the modified electrode was examined both in aqueous and organic media and shows high electroactivity in both media. A large modification of redox activity of ferrocenyl groups was obtained upon addition of ODN target to the electrolytic media, which is determined by amperometric methods. The detection limit of this electrochemical biosensor is about 10⁻¹⁴ mol without any signal processing.