Improvement of antibacterial activity of copper nanoclusters for selective inhibition on the growth of gram-positive bacteria

In general, copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) possess very low or even virtually no bactericidal effect. Herein,we report a novel CuNCs possessing significantly high antibacterial activity, that is tannic acid (TA)capped CuNCs (TA-CuNCs). TA-CuNCs exhibit strong absorption and excitation-dependent fluorescence within pH 2-12, resulting from the functional groups of TA-CuNCs due to two prototropic equilibria,phenolphenolate and carboxyliccarboxylate. There exists synergistic effect of TA and copper nanoclusters which endows TA-CuNCs remarkable antibacterial capability as a microbicide, as characterized by the effective inhibition on the growth of gram-positive bacteria by damaging the cell membrane. By incubating 1 x 10~7 CFU/mL of gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with 30 μg/mL of TA-CuNCs for 10 min, the bacteria are completely inhibited, while under same conditions the viabilities of gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa remain 85.0%, 72.0%, respectively. In addition, TA-CuNCs exhibit low cytotoxicity and favorable biocompatibility demonstrated by standard methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay with HepG2 and 293 Tcells, giving rise to cell viability of 94.2% for HepG2 and 96.7% for 293 T by incubating 10~6 cell/mL with 200 μg/mL of TA-CuNCs for 24 h. These results make TA-CuNCs a potential alternative as bactericide for infection treatment caused by gram-positive bacteria.     

Silicon and phosphorus alkoxide mixture: Sol-gel study by spectroscopic technics

Sol-gel synthesis of mixtures of tetraethoxysilane and a phosphorus alkoxide [P(OEt)₃ or (OEt)₂P-O-P(OEt)₂ or PO(OEt)₃] have been studied by ¹H, ¹³C²⁹Si and ³¹P liquid and solid state NMR, infrared and raman spectroscopies. This study shows different behaviors towards hydrolysis for these three different phosphates and phosphites. P(OEt)₃ almost instantly reacts with water to form an intermediate species HPO(OEt)₂, which slowly evolves first to HPO(OH)(OEt), then to HPO(OH)₂ a few days later. For (OEt)₂P-O-P(OEt)₂, the P-O-P bond is broken when water is added, then the same intermediates are formed faster. PO(OEt)₃ is hydrolyzed much slower than the other alkyl phosphates. After ten months, triethoxyphosphate is quantitatively present in the sol with little PO(OH)(OEt)₂ species. All these hydrolyzed species are well characterized. Only the system which contains the tetraethoxysilane and the triethoxyphosphite P(OEt)₃ forms a few P-O-P and P-O-Si bonds in the gel. Hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane is much faster than that of phosphorus alkoxides and the conventional Q₂, Q₃ and Q₄ condensed silicon species form the gel three dimensional network.     

Recognition of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria with a functionalized conducting polymer film

In this work, we successfully developed bacterial templates on the surface of an overoxidized polypyrrole film using both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in which bacterial surface chemical structures are precisely transferred at a molecular level. The sensor film identified target bacteria within minutes through a unique combination with dielectrophoresis. The bacterial cavities had high selectivity for distinguishing specific target bacteria in bacterial mixtures containing gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. This rapid and specific recognition system will enable not only bacterial sensing but also analysis of various biological species.     

Molecular interaction study of the diisopropyl ether-propionic acid mixture by spectroscopic and dielectric studies

FTIR and 13C NMR spectral studies have been carried out on diisopropyl ether-propionic acid binary mixture to probe the molecular interactions and stoichiometry of complexation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of vibrational frequencies of pure acid and ether-acid binary mixtures have also been performed. In addition, Kirkwood-correlation factors, excess permittivity and excess free energy of mixing have been obtained at various concentrations and at four different temperatures from the dielectric measurements. Excess permittivity is found to have positive deviation and excess free energy deviates negatively from ideal behaviour.     

A vibrational spectroscopic study on 1,1,2-tribromethane

On the basis of new data on the Raman spectra of solid and gaseous 1,1,2-tribromoethane a revised vibrational assignment is suggested.     

Influence of structural factors on the enhanced activity of moxifloxacin: a fluorescence and EPR spectroscopic study

Partition coefficients of moxifloxacin in liposomes of dimyristoyl-L-α-phosphatidylcholine or dimyristoyl-L-α-phosphatidylglycerol and water were determined by spectrophotometry and fluorimetry. The K _p values obtained were larger than those reported for most of the other fluoroquinolones, a consequence of the structural changes observed in the molecule of moxifloxacin, which in turn change its acid/base properties. Introduction of a methoxy group at position 8 and a diazabicyclonyl ring at position 7 in the basic fluoroquinolone structure alters the charge distribution at the physiological pH of 7.4, and these changes seem to be responsible for its improved antibacterial potency and broader spectrum of activity. Location studies have also been performed using fluorescence and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The results show that moxifloxacin must be located near the phospholipid headgroups, similar to other fluoroquinolones, but contributions from a hydrophobic component were also detected. These results suggest that the enhanced activity of this drug may be related to a more facilitated entrance into the bacterial cell, perhaps including a mediator step involving electrostatic interaction with a hydrophobic component; this step then controls the extent or orientation of insertion and improves the electrostatic interaction.     

A chemical and spectroscopic study of albonoursin

Summary 1. A direct comparison of albonoursin with component 2 isolated from the producing agent of phalamysin (a mutant ofActinomyces noursei) has established their identity.2. Phenylpyruvic acid and acetone have been identified as products of the acid decomposition of albonoursin.3. The presence of the following groupings in the albonoursin molecule has been shown: C₆H₅-CH=C-C, (CH₃)₂ CH-C= or (CH₃)₂C=C, two amide groups, and two hydrogen atoms readily capable of being replaced by halogen atoms (under the action of Br₂ or SOCl₂).4. There is no malonamide group in albonoursin.Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 1, No. 6, pp. 395–400, 1965     

Vibrational structure of titanium silicate catalysts. A spectroscopic and theoretical study.

A thorough analysis of the vibrational features of the titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) catalyst is presented, based on quantitative IR measurements, Raman and resonant Raman experiments, quantitative XANES, and quantum chemical calculations on cluster and periodic models. The linear correlation of the intensity of the IR and Raman bands located at 960 and 1125 cm(-1) and the XANES peak at 4967 eV with the amount of tetrahedral Ti are quantitatively demonstrated. Raman and resonant Raman spectra of silicalite and TS-1 with variable Ti content are presented, showing main features at 960 and 1125 cm(-1) associated with titanium insertion into the zeolite framework. The enhancement of the intensity of the 1125 cm(-1) feature and the invariance of the 960 cm(-1) feature in UV-Raman experiments, are discussed in terms of resonant Raman selection rules. Quantum chemical calculations on cluster models Si[OSi(OH)(3)](4) and Ti[OSi(OH)(3)](4) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory provide the basis for the assignment of the main vibrational contributions and for the understanding of Raman enhancement. The resonance-enhanced 1125 cm(-1) mode is unambiguously associated with a totally symmetric vibration of the TiO(4) tetrahedron, achieved through in-phase antisymmetric stretching of the four connected Ti-O-Si bridges. This vibration can also be described as a totally symmetric stretching of the four Si-O bonds pointing toward Ti. The resonance enhancement of this feature is explained in terms of the electronic structure of the Ti-containing moiety. Asymmetric stretching modes of TO(4) units show distinct behavior when (i) T is occupied by Si as in perfect silicalite, (ii) T is occupied by Ti as in TS-1, or (iii) the oxygen atom belongs to an OH group, such as in terminal tetrahedra of cluster models and in real defective zeolites. Asymmetric SiO(4) and TiO(4) stretching modes appear above and below 1000 cm(-1), respectively, when they are achieved through antisymmetric stretching of the T-O-Si bridges, and around 800 cm(-1) (in both SiO(4) and TiO(4)) when they involve symmetric stretching of the T-O-Si units. In purely siliceous models, the transparency gap between the main peaks at 800 and 1100 cm(-1) contains only vibrational features associated with terminal Si-OH groups, while in Ti-containing models it contains also the above-mentioned asymmetric TiO(4) modes, which in turn are strongly coupled with Si-OH stretching modes. Calculations on periodic models of silicalite and TS-1 free of OH groups using the QMPOT embedding method correctly reproduce the transparency gap of silicalite and the appearance of asymmetric TiO(4) vibrations at 960 cm(-1) in TS-1. Finally, we demonstrate, for the first time, that the distortion of the tetrahedral symmetry around Ti caused by water adsorption quenches the UV-Raman enhancement of the 1125 cm(-1) band.     

FTIR spectroscopic study on the interaction between a fluoroionophore and metal ions.

A fluoroionophore sensor, N-[4-(1-pyrene)butyroyl]-L-tryptophan (PLT), has been reported. It can distinguish lead ion from other 12 metal ions via forming a pyrene dimer and it exhibits a very high sensitivity (0.15 microM) in aqueous solution (Chem. Commun., 2006, 2702). When the indole moiety in PLT was changed to benzene, in forming a new fluoroionophore of N-[4-(1-pyrene)butyroyl]-L-phenylalanine (PLP), it could not form a pyrene dimer in response to Pb(2+) in water. The present study describes the spectroscopic clarification of the intrinsic differences of the binding model between PLP and PLT in binding with Pb(2+). The model shows identical chelating bidentate coordination between COO(-) and Pb(2+) both in PLP-Pb and PLT-Pb; however, there is no indication of the interaction between the phenyl ring and the metal ion or the hydrogen bonding between amide groups in PLP-Pb. These differences in the binding model between PLP-Pb and PLT-Pb illustrate that the indole ring in PLT appears to play a crucial role in the high selectivity and sensitivity of PLT to lead(II) ion.     

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopic studies on a silane adhesion-promoting mixture at a polymer interface

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was used to probe the interface between poly(ethylene terephthalate) with deuterated ethylene glycol subunits (d4-PET) and a silane adhesion-promoting mixture (SAPM) comprised of (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (gamma-GPS) and a methylvinylsiloxanol (MVS). Such a mixture has been found to improve the adhesion of an addition-curing silicone elastomer to a range of plastic and metal substrates. Our results demonstrated that at the interface between d4-PET and a SAPM with a gamma-GPS/MVS ratio of 1:1 (w/w), the silane molecules not only segregated to the interface but also the methoxy headgroups likely adopted a greater net orientational order along the surface normal than at the d4-PET/gamma-GPS interface. The effects of varying the silane/siloxane ratio and using different siloxane oligomers on interfacial structures were also examined. This study provides unique molecular-level insights into the prerequisite conditions for adhesion of curable silicone adhesives.     

The ripple phase in a DMPC-water mixture. A dielectric investigation

Abstract

The dielectric behaviour of a DMPC-water mixture has been investigated in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 10 MHz and in the temperature interval from 0 to 40°C over the crystalline-liquid crystalline phase transition temperatures. A model to explain the dielectric characteristics of the DMPC-water mixture as a function of frequency, and in general for each DPL-water mixture which displays a ripple phase, is proposed. The model is based on the assumption that a particular contribution to the total polarizability comes from the ripple deformation of the bilayer. This contribution is evaluated supposing strong interactions between the lipid head groups with the formation of in-phase domains of correlated electric dipoles. A further assumption relates the extension of the domains to a set of spatial modes, called ripplons, thermally activated in the ripple phase. By the ripplon dispersion relation, the dipole domain extensions (hence the polarizability), were made frequency dependent. The final result shows that the anomalous peak which appears in the permittivity at the ripple phase temperature interval is qualitatively well fitted by our model.     

The ripple phase in a DMPC-water mixture. A dielectric investigation

The dielectric behaviour of a DMPC-water mixture has been investigated in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 10 MHz and in the temperature interval from 0 to 40°C over the crystalline-liquid crystalline phase transition temperatures. A model to explain the dielectric characteristics of the DMPC-water mixture as a function of frequency, and in general for each DPL-water mixture which displays a ripple phase, is proposed. The model is based on the assumption that a particular contribution to the total polarizability comes from the ripple deformation of the bilayer. This contribution is evaluated supposing strong interactions between the lipid head groups with the formation of in-phase domains of correlated electric dipoles. A further assumption relates the extension of the domains to a set of spatial modes, called ripplons, thermally activated in the ripple phase. By the ripplon dispersion relation, the dipole domain extensions (hence the polarizability), were made frequency dependent. The final result shows that the anomalous peak which appears in the permittivity at the ripple phase temperature interval is qualitatively well fitted by our model.     

A spectroscopic study of model urethanes

The synthesis, far infrared spectra, temperature-dependent mid-infrared spectra in the carbonyl and NH stretching regions and the Fourier transform Raman spectra are reported for polycrystalline samples of three small diurethanes, 1,3-phenyl di(carbamic acid methyl ester),2,6-toluene di(carbamic acid methyl ester) and 2,4-toluene di(carbamic acid methyl ester). An ab initio geometry optimization is reported for methyl N-phenyl carbamate using STO-3G and 3-21G basis sets, and for the three small diurethanes by molecular mechanics methods using the Dreiding I force field. The results suggest that, in isotropic surroundings, only a very small number of the 256 possible conformers of the urethane groups in the three small diurethanes contribute appreciably to the structure.     

Phase transition in the phenanthrene crystal. A spectroscopic study

The Raman spectrum of the phenanthrene crystal was investigated between ?190 and +90°C. The results indicate that intermolecular forces play an important role in the solid—solid phase transition at 70°C. The assumption of a molecular conformational change was not confirmed.     

Fungicidal and bactericidal activity of metal diethyldithiocarbamate fungicides

Copper diethyldithiocarbamate, cadmium diethyldithiocarbamate, lead diethyldithiocarbamate, nickel diethyldithiocarbamate and zinc diethyldithiocarbamate have been synthesized. They have been characterized using TG, DTA, IR spectroscopy, X-ray and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The thermal conversion of the compounds is 54.36–88% at 1000°C. Their solubility in sodium hydroxide, mineral acids, organic solvents, distilled water and salts solution has been measured. Fungicidal activity of the dithiocarbamates has been tested by well or cup diffusion method using five fungi species. Their activity has also been tested by broth dilution method using six bacterial species. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (bactericidal) is 6.25–25.00 μg mL⁻¹.