Measurements of FRET in a glucose-sensitive affinity system with frequency-domain lifetime spectroscopy

We report measurements of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for glucose sensing in an established concanavalin A–dextran affinity system using frequency‐domain lifetime spectroscopy. A dextran (MW 2000000) labeled with a small fluorescent donor molecule, Alexa Fluor 568, was used to competitively bind to a sugar‐binding protein, concanavalin A, labeled with acceptor molecule, Alexa Fluor 647, in the presence of glucose. The FRET‐quenching kinetics of the donor were analyzed from frequency‐domain measurements as a function of both glucose and acceptor‐protein concentrations using a Förster‐type decay kinetics model. The results show that the frequency‐domain measurements and donor decay kinetics can quantitatively indicate changes in the competitive binding of 0.09 μM dextran to labeled concanavalin A at a solution concentration of 10.67 μM in the presence of glucose at concentrations ranging from 0 to 224 mg/dL.     

Electromagnetic interference shielding and radiation absorption in thin polypyrrole films

Results of permittivity measurements, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness, and heat generation due to microwave absorption in conducting polymer coated textiles are reported and discussed. The intrinsically conducting polymer, polypyrrole, doped with anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (AQSA) or para-toluene-2-sulfonic acid (pTSA) was applied on textile substrates and the resulting materials were investigated in the frequency range 1-18 GHz. The 0.54 mm thick conducting textile/polypyrrole composites absorbed up to 49.5% of the incident 30-35 W microwave radiation. A thermography station was used to monitor the temperature of these composites during the irradiation process, where absorption was confirmed via visible heat losses. Samples with lower conductivity showed larger temperature increases caused by microwave absorption compared to samples with higher conductivity. A sample with an average sheet resistivity of 150 Ω/sq. showed a maximum temperature increase of 5.27 °C, whilst a sample with a lower resistivity (105 Ω/sq.) rose by 3.85 °C.     

Synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of half-sandwich Ru(II) complexes containing phosphine, arsine, stibine, and bismutine ligands

The synthesis and some reactions of the Ru(II) and Ru(IV) half-sandwich complexes [RuCp(EPh₃)(CH₃CN)₂]⁺ (E=P, As, Sb, Bi) and [RuCp(EPh₃)(η³-C₃H₅)Br]⁺ have been investigated. The chemistry of this class of compounds is characterized by a competitive coordination of EPh₃ either via a RuE or a η⁶-arene bond, where the latter is favored when the former is weaker, that is in going down the series. Thus in the case of Bi, the starting material [RuCp(CH₃CN)₃]⁺ does not react with BiPh₃ to give [RuCp(BiPh₃)(CH₃CN)₂]⁺ but instead gives only the η⁶-arene species [RuCp(η⁶-PhBiPh₂)]⁺ and [(RuCp)₂(μ-η⁶,η⁶-Ph₂BiPh)]²⁺. Similarly, the EPh₃ ligand can be replaced by an aromatic solvent or an arene substrate. Thus, the catalytic performance of [RuCp(EPh₃)(CH₃CN)₂]⁺ for the isomerization of allyl-phenyl ethers to the corresponding 1-propenyl ethers is best with E=P, while the conversion drops significantly using the As and Sb derivatives. By the same token, only [RuCp(PPh₃)(CH₃CN)₂]⁺ is stable in a non-aromatic solvent, whereas both [RuCp(AsPh₃)(CH₃CN)₂]⁺ and [RuCp(SbPh₃)(CH₃CN)₂]⁺ rearrange upon warming to [RuCp(η⁶-PhEPh₂)]⁺ and related compounds. In addition, the potential of [RuCp(EPh₃)(CH₃CN)₂]⁺ as precatalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone and cyclohexanone has been investigated. Again aromatic substrates are clearly less suited than non-aromatic ones due to facile η⁶-arene coordination leading to catalyst's deactivation.     

Synthesis and characterisation of a series of alkylmagnesium amide and related oxygen-contaminated "alkoxy" compounds

Synthesised either by an unusual tert-butyl metathesis between tert-butyllithium and a n,s-butylmagnesium amide or by reaction of an alkyl Grignard reagent and a sodium amide, five tert-butylmagnesium amides, Bu(t)MgDBA (5)(DBA=dibenzylamide), Bu(t)MgDA (6)(DA=diisopropylamide), Bu(t)MgHMDS (7)(HMDS=1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazide), Bu(t)MgTMP (8)(TMP=2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide) and Bu(t)MgNCy2 (9)(cy=cyclohexyl) have been isolated as crystalline solids. All five amides have been characterised by X-ray crystallography and solution NMR spectroscopic studies. The former studies reveal a common dimeric molecular structure with amido bridges in a planar (MgN)2 ring and terminal Bu(t) ligands on the Mg atoms. Also described is the dodecameric primary amide [Bu(n)MgN(H)Dipp]12 (10a) and its monomeric solvate Bu(n)MgN(H)Dipp.TMEDA (10b)(Dipp=2,6-diisopropylphenyl; TMEDA=N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine). The crystal structures of the oxo-insertion products Bu(t)MgOBu(t).THF (11), Bu(t)Mg(mu-OBu(t))(mu-TMP)MgTMP (12) and Mg(OBu(n))HMDS.solv [solv=THF (13a) or Et2O (13b)], made fortuitously during the course of this work, are also presented.     

Effects of partial/asymmetrical filling of micelles and chiral selectors on capillary electrophoresis enantiomeric separation: generation of a gradient

The effect of several experimental parameters on enantiomeric separations in micellar capillary electrophoresis (MCE) was studied. A model separation system was tested. It was composed of an acidic phosphate buffer with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) as the chiral selector. A substituted angelicin was used as a chiral analyte. Changes in the concentration of SDS micelles/SDS monomers in the presence of HP-beta-CD and their impact on the enantioselective separation were investigated. Variation of the composition of electrolytes in the individual compartments of the separation system (inlet vial, capillary, and outlet vial) affected both the migration times and the resolution of the enantiomers. Current vs. time dependencies also were monitored during the separations. A mathematical model of electromigration in micellar systems with chiral selector present was proposed and a computer simulation was used to explain the observed phenomena and to confirm the generation of a CD/SDS-micelle concentration gradient under certain experimental conditions. This is the reported first attempt of a computer simulation of the complex, dynamic chiral environment of the CD-SDS-MCE system.