Tetrachlorocarbonyliridates: water-soluble carbon monoxide releasing molecules rate-modulated by the sixth ligand

A new family of compounds is presented as potential carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs). These compounds, based on tetrachlorocarbonyliridate(III) derivatives, were synthesized and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction, electrospray mass spectrometry, IR, NMR, and density functional theory calculations. The rate of CO release was studied via the myoglobin assay. The results showed that the rate depends on the nature of the sixth ligand, trans to CO, and that a significant modulation on the release rate can be produced by changing the ligand. The reported compounds are soluble in aqueous media, and the rates of CO release are comparable with those for known CORMs, releasing CO at a rate of 0.03-0.58 μM min(-1) in a 10 μM solution of myoglobin and 10 μM of the complexes.     

Halogen bonding in 1,2‐dibromo‐4,5‐dimethoxybenzene and 1,2‐diiodo‐4,5‐dimethoxybenzene

An interesting case of `halogen‐bonding‐promoted' crystal structure architecture is presented. The two title compounds, C₈H₈Br₂O₂ and C₈H₈I₂O₂, have almost indistinguishable molecular structures but very different spatial organization, and this is mainly due to differences in the halogen‐bonding interactions in which the different species present, i.e. Br and I, take part. The dibromo structure exhibits a π‐bonded columnar array involving all four independent molecules in the asymmetric unit, with intercolumnar interactions governed by C—Br...Br—C links and with no C—Br...O/N interactions present. In the diiodo structure, instead, the C—I...O synthon prevails, defining linear chains, in turn interlinked by C—I...I—C interactions.     

A support for the identification of non-tryptic peptides based on low resolution tandem and sequential mass spectrometry data: The INSPIRE software

A simple software, to be used as an aid in the identification of non-tryptic peptides based on low resolution (3D-ion trap) tandem (MS/MS) and sequential (MS³) mass spectrometry data, is presented.     

Template-directed synthesis of mechanically interlocked molecular bundles using dynamic covalent chemistry

Mixing the dipyrido[24]crown-8 derivatives carrying one or two formyl group(s) on the 4 position(s) of their pyridine ring(s) with a 3-fold symmetrical trisammonium ion template in a 3:1 ratio in CD3NO2 results in the formation of thermodynamically stable [4]pseudorotaxanes which, upon addition of a 1,3,5-trisaminobenzene cap, form mechanically interlocked molecular bundles with one and two caps, respectively, by virtue of dynamic imine bond formation.     

The first molybdenum dioxo compounds with eta 2-pyrazolate ligands: crystal structure and oxo transfer properties

Molybdenum dioxo compounds [MoO2Cl(eta 2-pz)] and [MoO2(eta 2-pz)2] with pz = eta (2)-3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolate have been synthesized; crystallographic data, catalytic activity, and oxo transfer properties are described.     

Microwave-assisted oxidation of silibinin: a simple and preparative method for the synthesis of improved radical scavengers

A new and preparative oxidation of silibinin has been developed to give access to two different silibinin derivatives known for their enhanced antioxidant properties. Conventional heating methods were compared with results obtained from microwave (MW) heating. The base-catalysed oxidation of silibinin under MW heating is a very efficient method for the preparation of 2,3-dehydrosilybin and a related silybin rearrangement product. This latter compound shows enhanced radical scavenging properties. Optimised conditions were used to prepare 2,3-dehydrosilybins A and B from optically pure silybins A and B. An efficient, preparative purification method was also developed to enable isolation of different products in high purity.     

Solid-state supramolecular organization, established directly from powder diffraction data, and photoluminescence efficiency of rigid-core oligothiophene-S,S-dioxides

The "rigid-core" material 3,5-dimethyl-2,3'-bis(3-methylthiophene)-dithieno[3,2-b:',3'-d]thiophene-4,4-dioxide (DTTOMe4) has the highest photoluminescence ever reported for thiophene-based molecules in the solid state. We report the structure of this material, determined directly from powder X-ray diffraction data using the Genetic Algorithm method for structure solution, followed by Rietveld refinement, and the structural properties are discussed in relation to the structures of the corresponding subsystems DTTO and DTTOMe. While the crystal structures of the latter compounds contain cofacial dimers, the crystal structure of DTTOMe4 comprises layers of molecules aligned in an antiparallel fashion. Intermediate neglect of differential overlap with single configuration interaction (INDO/SCI) calculations on the intermolecular interactions in the three crystal structures show that the different solid-state photoluminescence efficiencies of DTTOMe4, DTTOMe, and DTTO cannot be correlated with the different types of dipole-dipole alignment in the solid state. Instead, photoluminescence efficiencies correlate well with the rate of formation of nonradiatively decaying charge-transfer pairs upon photoexcitation. Because of larger intermolecular distances in DTTOMe4, the photoluminescence is less effectively quenched by charge-transfer processes than in DTTOMe and DTTO.     

Imaging intracellular viscosity by a new molecular rotor suitable for phasor analysis of fluorescence lifetime

The arsenal of fluorescent probes tailored to functional imaging of cells is rapidly growing and benefits from recent developments in imaging strategies. Here, we present a new molecular rotor, which displays strong absorption in the green region of the spectrum, very little solvatochromism, and strong emission sensitivity to local viscosity. The emission increase is paralleled by an increase in emission lifetime. Owing to its concentration-independent nature, fluorescence lifetime is particularly suitable to image environmental properties, such as viscosity, at the intracellular level. Accordingly, we demonstrate that intracellular viscosity measurements can be efficiently carried out by lifetime imaging with our probe and phasor analysis, an efficient method for measuring lifetime-related properties (e.g., bionalyte concentration or local physicochemical features) in living cells. Notably, we show that it is possible to monitor the partition of our probe into different intracellular regions/organelles and to follow mitochondrial de-energization upon oxidative stress.