BODIPY: A Highly Versatile Platform for the Design of Bimodal Imaging Probes

In molecular imaging, multimodal imaging agents can provide complementary information, for improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis or enhancing patient management. In particular, optical/nuclear imaging may find important preclinical and clinical applications. To simplify the preparation of dual‐labeled imaging agents, we prepared versatile monomolecular multimodal imaging probe (MOMIP) platforms containing both a fluorescent dye (BODIPY) and a metal chelator (polyazamacrocycle). One of the MOMIP was conjugated to a cyclopeptide (i.e., octreotide) and radiolabeled with ¹¹¹In. In vitro and in vivo studies of the resulting bioconjugate were conducted, highlighting the potential of these BODIPY‐based bimodal probes. This work also confirmed that the biovector and/or the bimodal probes must be chosen carefully, due to the impact of the MOMIP on the overall properties of the resulting imaging agent.     

Multiblock Copolymers Based on Highly Crystalline Polyethylene and Soft Poly(ethylene-co-butadiene) Segments: Towards Polyolefin Thermoplastic Elastomers

Block copolymers based on polyethylene (PE) and ethylene butadiene rubber (EBR) were obtained by successive controlled coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) of a mixture of ethylene and butadiene (80/20) and pure ethylene. EBR-b-PE diblock copolymers were synthesized using the {Me₂Si(C₁₃H₈)₂Nd(BH₄)₂Li(THF)}₂ complex in combination with n-butyl,n-octyl magnesium (BOMAG) used as both the alkylating and chain transfer agent (CTA). Triblock and multiblock copolymers featuring highly semi-crystalline PE hard segments and soft EBR segments were further obtained by the development of a bimetallic CTA, the pentanediyl-1,5-di(magnesium bromide) (PDMB). These new block copolymers undergo crystallization-driven organization into lamellar structures and exhibit a variety of mechanical properties, including excellent extensibility and elastic recovery in the case of triblock and multiblock copolymers.     

Forces at the nuclei of a molecule in the presence of non-uniform electric field

The interaction Hamiltonian within the Bloch gauge for the potentials of the electric field has been used to define electric multipole moment operators. Perturbation theory has been applied to evaluate the induced electronic moments and electric field at the nuclei in the presence of spatially non-uniform electric fields of high intensity. Multipole nuclear electric shielding tensors have been defined to describe the contributions arising from a non-homogeneous electric field. These quantities are useful to rationalize linear and non-linear responses of a molecule in the presence of intense external electric perturbations.     

On the ultrafast infrared spectroscopy of anion hydration shell hydrogen bond dynamics

Molecular Dynamics simulations are used to examine the title issue for the I-/HOD/D2O solution system in connection with recent ultrafast infrared spectroscopic experiments. It is argued that the long "modulation time" associated with the spectral diffusion of the OH frequency, extracted in these experiments, should be interpreted as reflecting the escape time of an HOD from the first hydration shell of the I- ion, i.e., the residence time of an HOD in this solvation shell. Shorter time features related to the oscillation of the OH ...I- hydrogen bond and the breaking and making of this bond are also discussed.     

Void‐Assisted Ion‐Paired Proton Transfer at Water–Ionic Liquid Interfaces

At the water–trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([P_14,6,6,6][FAP]) ionic liquid interface, the unusual electrochemical transfer behavior of protons (H⁺) and deuterium ions (D⁺) was identified. Alkali metal cations (such as Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) did not undergo this transfer. H⁺/D⁺ transfers were assisted by the hydrophobic counter anion of the ionic liquid, [FAP]^?, resulting in the formation of a mixed capacitive layer from the filling of the latent voids within the anisotropic ionic liquid structure. This phenomenon could impact areas such as proton‐coupled electron transfers, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage where ionic liquids are used as aprotic solvents.     

O-Doped Nanographenes: A Pyrano/Pyrylium Route Towards Semiconducting Cationic Mixed-Valence Complexes

Herein we report an efficient synthesis to prepare O-doped nanographenes derived from the π-extension of pyrene. The derivatives are highly fluorescent and feature low oxidation potentials. Using electrooxidation, crystals of cationic mixed-valence (MV) complexes were grown in which the organic salts organize into face-to-face π-stacks, a favorable solid-state arrangement for organic electronics. Variable-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements and relaxation studies suggest a strong electron delocalization along the longitudinal axis of the columnar π-stacking architectures. Electric measurements of single crystals of the MV salts show a semiconducting behavior with a remarkably high conductivity at room temperature. These findings support the notion that π-extension of heteroatom-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is an attractive approach to fabricate nanographenes with a broad spectrum of semiconducting properties and high charge mobilities.     

Cyclodimerization versus Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Induced by N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

The activation behavior of two N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), namely, 1,3‐bis(isopropyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene(NHCiPr) and 1,3‐bis(tert‐butyl) imidazol‐2‐ylidene (NHCtBu), as organic nucleophiles in the reaction with methyl methacrylate (MMA) is described. NHCtBu allows the polymerization of MMA in DMF at room temperature and in toluene at 50 °C, whereas NHCiPr reacts with two molecules of MMA, forming an unprecedented imidazolium–enolate cyclodimer (NHCiPr/MMA=1:2). It is proposed that the reaction mechanism occurs by initial 1,4‐nucleophilic addition of NHCiPr to MMA, generating a zwitterionic enolate 2 , followed by addition of 2 to a second MMA molecule, forming a linear imidazolium–enolate 3 (NHCiPr/MMA=1:2). Proton transfer, generating intermediate 5 , followed by cyclization and release of methanol yielded the aforementioned zwitterionic cyclodimer 1:2 adduct 7 , the molecular structure of which has been established by NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and mass spectrometry. This unexpected difference between NHCtBu and NHCiPr in the reaction with MMA (polymerization and cyclodimerization, respectively) can be rationalized by using DFT calculations. In particular, the nature of the NHC strongly influences the cyclodimerization pathway, the cyclization of 5 and the release of methanol are the discriminating step and limiting step, respectively. In the case of NHCtBu, both steps are strongly disfavoured compared with that of NHCiPr (energetic difference of around 14 and 9 kcal mol^?1, respectively), preventing the cyclization mechanism from a kinetic viewpoint. Moreover, addition of a third molecule of MMA in the polymerization pathway results in a lower activation barrier than that of the limiting step in the cyclodimerization pathway (difference of around 14 kcal mol^?1), in agreement with the formation of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) by using NHCtBu as nucleophile.     

From the N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Catalyzed Conjugate Addition of Alcohols to the Controlled Polymerization of (Meth)acrylates

Among various N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) tested, only 1,3‐bis(tert‐butyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene (NHC^tBu) proved to selectively promote the catalytic conjugate addition of alcohols onto (meth)acrylate substrates. This rather rare example of NHC‐catalyzed 1,4‐addition of alcohols was investigated as a simple means to trigger the polymerization of both methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate (MMA and MA, respectively). Well‐defined α‐alkoxy poly(methyl (meth)acrylate) (PM(M)A) chains, the molar masses of which could be controlled by the initial [(meth)acrylate]₀/[ROH]₀ molar ratio, were ultimately obtained in N,N‐dimethylformamide at 25 °C. A hydroxyl‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO‐OH) macro‐initiator was also employed to directly access PEO‐b‐PMMA amphiphilic block copolymers. Investigations into the reaction mechanism by DFT calculations revealed the occurrence of two competitive concerted pathways, involving either the activation of the alcohol or that of the monomer by NHC^tBu.