Probing of ferrocenylanilines on model micelle/reverse micelle membrane and their enhanced reactivity for reactive oxidants

Reactive oxygen species are formed in the human body but can be removed by suitable antioxidants. In this study we synthesized and characterized three ferrocene derivatives, 4‐ferrocenylaniline (pFA), 3‐ferrocenylaniline (mFA) and 3‐methyl‐4‐ferrocenylaniline (MeFA), having significant potential to be used as antioxidants. The synthesized compounds are insoluble in water, with the solubility of these compounds increasing in micelle solution. The micelle and reverse micelle solutions were considered as model membranes. The synthesized compounds were probed on the model membranes, made by sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate reverse micelle and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide micelle, using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The ¹H NMR results indicated that these compounds are present in the polar region of the model membrane interface. Quantitative measurements showed that mFA has the greatest ability to penetrate into the micelle membrane among these compounds, and pFA is least penetrating in this respect. Solubilization of these compounds in aqueous micelle solution facilitates crystallization (of mFA) and enhances the antioxidant potential of these compounds. X‐ray crystal structure analysis revealed that mFA captures water molecules during crystallization in micelle solution. Their ability to act as antioxidants was evaluated, in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and in micelle solution, using standard 1,1‐ diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. It was found that their antioxidant potential is good in DMSO and that potential increases on the interface of the model membrane. The highest increase (by 19.6%) in the antioxidant potential, on the model membrane interface, was observed for mFA.     

Correlating proton transfer dynamics to probe location in confined environments

The dramatic impact of differing environments on proton transfer dynamics of the photoacid HPTS prompted us to investigate these systems with two highly complementary methods: ultrafast time-resolved transient absorption and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopies. Both ultrafast time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy and time-resolved anisotropy decays demonstrate the proton transfer dynamics depend intimately on the specific reverse micellar system. For w(0) = 10 reverse micelles formed with anionic AOT surfactant, the HPTS proton transfer dynamics are similar to dynamics in bulk aqueous solution, and the corresponding (1)H 2D NOESY NMR spectra display no cross peaks between HPTS and AOT consistent with the HPTS residing well hydrated by water in the interior of the reverse micelle water pool. In contrast, ultrafast transient absorption experiments show no evidence for HPTS photoinduced proton transfer reaction in reverse micelles formed with the cationic CTAB surfactant. In CTAB reverse micelles, clear cross peaks between HPTS and CTAB in the 2D NMR spectra show that HPTS embeds in the interface. These results indicate that the environment strongly impacts the proton transfer reaction and that complementary experimental techniques develop understanding of how location critically affects molecular responses.     

Reduction of vanadium(V) by L-ascorbic acid at low and neutral pH: kinetic, mechanistic, and spectroscopic characterization

L-Ascorbic acid interacts with vanadium(V) over the pH range of 0.4-7.0 to form three different coordination complexes. Both inner- and outer-sphere electron-transfer pathways are proposed to form vanadium(IV) complexes with L-ascorbate or dehydroascorbate, respectively. Effects of the pH on the coordination of L-ascorbic acid to the vanadium(V) center were observed and are presumably related to the speciation of the vanadium(V) ion. Three vanadium(IV) complexes were observed using ambient-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Two of these complexes are proposed to be vanadium(IV) L-ascorbate complexes, and one is consistent with a vanadium(IV) dehydroascorbic acid complex proposed earlier. These reduction reactions will occur under physiological conditions and could be important to the reduction of vanadium(V)-containing coordination complexes used as insulin-enhancing agents for treatment of diabetes.     

NMR, CD and MCD studies of vanadate-nucleoside complexes

Complex formation between tetraoxovanadate(V) and each of the nucleosides adenosine, guanosine, cytidine and uridine has been studied in a constant salt medium at pH 7. 13C- and 51V NMR studies show that only complexes with the formula V2L2 (V = vanadate, L = nucleoside) are formed, and their formation constants have been determined. They have 51V NMR resonances around -523 ppm relative to VOCl3 and they exhibit no CD in the spectral region of the charge-transfer transitions. MCD spectra were also measured, and all experiments are in accord with a molecular structure composed by two edge-sharing VO6 octahedra forming an O4V(mu-O)2VO4 skeleton with each of the nucleoside ligands bridging the two vanadium centres through the ribose 2',3'-oxygens, which are the oxygens outside the V2O6 plane. Admixture of imidazole-HCl buffer at pH 7 gives rise to additional complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry. They have been characterized by 51V NMR and CD, and their formation constants are reported. Vanadate(V) and the deoxynucleosides deoxyadenosine, deoxyguanosine, deoxycytidine and thymidine form very weak complexes which cannot be detected by 51V NMR or CD under conditions for which vanadate and the nucleosides form complexes.     

Wetting of InP by indium- and indium-tin melts

Orientation dependent wetting of InP substrates by In- and In_xSn_1−x melts saturated with InP was studied using the sessile drop method. The contact angle was found to depend on the substrate orientation as follows: It is shown that a tin admixture to the indium melt improves the wetting behaviour. Additional to the dependence on substrate orientation it was found an anisotropic wetting on all investigated faces.