The satellite-shaped Co-15 Polyoxotungstate, [Co6(H2O)30{Co9Cl2(OH)3(H2O)9(beta-SiW8O31)3}]5-

The 15-cobalt-substituted polyoxotungstate [Co(6)(H(2)O)(30){Co(9)Cl(2)(OH)(3)(H(2)O)(9)(beta-SiW(8)O(31))(3)}](5-) (1) has been characterized by single-crystal XRD, elemental analysis, IR, electrochemistry, magnetic measurements, and EPR. Single-crystal X-ray analysis was carried out on Na(5)[Co(6)(H(2)O)(30){Co(9)Cl(2)(OH)(3)(H(2)O)(9)(beta-SiW(8)O(31))(3)}].37H(2)O, which crystallizes in the hexagonal system, space group P6(3)/m, with a = 19.8754(17) A, b = 19.8754(17) A, c = 22.344(4) A, alpha= 90 degrees, beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees, and Z = 2. The trimeric polyanion 1 has a core of nine Co(II) ions encapsulated by three unprecedented (beta-SiW(8)O(31)) fragments and two Cl(-) ligands. This central assembly {Co(9)Cl(2)(OH)(3)(H(2)O)(9)(beta-SiW(8)O(31))(3)}(17-) is surrounded by six antenna-like Co(II)(H(2)O)(5) groups resulting in the satellite-like structure 1. Synthesis of 1 is accomplished in a simple one-pot procedure by interaction of Co(II) ions with [gamma-SiW(10)O(36)](8-) in aqueous, acidic NaCl medium (pH 5.4). Polyanion 1 was studied by cyclic voltammetry as a function of pH. The current intensity of its Co(II) centers was compared with that of free Co(II) in solution. Our results suggest that 1 keeps its integrity in solution. Magnetic susceptibility results show the presence of both antiferro- and ferromagnetic coupling within the (Co(II))(9) core. A fully anisotropic Ising model has been employed to describe the exchange-coupling and yields g = 2.42 +/- 0.01, J(1) = 17.0 +/- 1.5 cm(-1), and J(2) = -13 +/- 1 cm(-(1). Variable frequency EPR studies reveal an anisotropic Kramer's doublet.     

End-evaporation dynamics revisited

We present analytical results on the so-called end-evaporation kinetics in equilibrium polymeric systems following a temperature jump (T jump). A T jump prepares the system with a nonequilibrium length distribution, after which it relaxes back to its equilibrium state. Starting from a master equation, we develop a mean-field analytical theory based on a generating function approach, which allows explicit approximate expressions for the monomer and dimer concentrations to be derived in a discrete setting; the concentrations of the other chains as well as the average chain length were shown to be entirely expressible in terms of the monomer and dimer concentrations. We find that the calculated monomer and dimer concentrations as well as the average chain length are in good agreement with numerical simulation results and do not suffer from some of the defects of earlier continuum theories. Furthermore, the relaxation was shown to take place in three different stages. The first stage comprises the very fast relaxation of the monomers to almost their equilibrium concentration; the other polymer chains have hardly relaxed. During the second stage, which is highly nonlinear, a redistribution of material at practically constant monomer density takes place. Only in the final stage of the relaxation process the chain concentrations approach their true equilibrium values. In this stage there are only very small shifts in the concentrations of chains, which are governed by extremely slow "indirect" monomer-mediated processes.     

Quantitative accuracy in the gas chromatographic analysis of solvent mixtures

Quantitative accuracy is of great importance in the analysis of bulk mixtures of solvents, particularly when the analysis is related to quality control of very large product volumes like in solvent recovery plants. Serious errors can be made if the effects of density differences between the pure solvents and volume contractions are not properly addressed. In earlier work, the use of an iterative process for correcting such errors has been suggested. However, in the case of volume contractions and mixtures of several solvents, this procedure is difficult to apply. In the present paper, we describe a simple procedure where calibration curves based on mass concentration are utilized. The densities of calibration mixtures of known compositions are determined with a density meter, in order to provide for correction factors caused by volume contractions. Model experiments with mixtures of water, ethanol, acetone and methanol showed a significant improvement in quantitative accuracy. when the suggested calibration strategy was applied.     

Single molecule spectroscopy as a probe for dye-polymer interactions

Experimental (Single Molecule Spectroscopy) and theoretical (quantum-chemical calculations and Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations) techniques are combined to investigate the behavior and dynamics of a polymer-dye molecule system. It is shown that the dye molecule of interest (1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindo-dicarbocyanine) adopts two classes of conformations, namely planar and nonplanar ones, when embedded in a poly(styrene) matrix. From an in-depth analysis of the fluorescence lifetime trajectories, the planar conformers can be further classified according to the way their alkyl side chains interact with the surrounding poly(styrene) chains.     

The unimolecular chemistry of [1,2-propanediol]+˙: a rationale in terms of hydrogen-bridged radical cations

By combining results from a variety of mass spectrometric techniques (metastatle ion, collisional activation, collision-induced dissociative ionization, neutralization–reionization spectrometry and appearance energy measurements) and the classical method of isotopic labelling, a unified mechanism is proposed for the complex unimolecular chemistry of ionized 1,2-propanediol. The key intermediates involved are the stable hydrogen-bridged radical cations [CH₂?C(H)? H…?O…?O(H)CH₃]⁺˙, which were generated independently from [4-methoxy, 1-butanol]⁺˙ (loss of C₂H₄) and [1-methoxyglycerol]⁺˙ (loss of CH₂O), [CH₃? C?O…?H…?O(H)CH₃]⁺˙ and the related ion-dipole complex [CH₂?C(OH)CH₃/H₂O]⁺˙. The latter species serves as the precursor for the loss of CH³˙ and in this reaction the same non-ergodic behaviour is observed as in the loss of CH³˙ from the ionized enol of acetone.     

Appearance of pure fluorocarbon micelles surveyed by fluorescence quenching of amphiphilic quinoline derivatives in fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon surfactant mixtures

A halide-sensitive fluorescence probe was utilized to evaluate the miscibility of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon surfactants in aqueous micellar systems. The fluorescence of 6-methoxy-N-1,1,2,2-tetrahydroheptadecafluorodecylquinolinium chloride, FC10MQ, was quenched by halide ions dissociated from the surfactant. The fluorescence in micellar solutions showed an initially rapid decay. This suggests that halide ions effectively quench FC10MQ fluorescence at the micellar surface. The subsequent slow decay corresponds to the quenching of FC10MQ fluorescence in the aqueous bulk phase by the free counterions. The Stern-Volmer plots for fluorescence quenching gave a distinct break at the critical micelle concentration of the cationic surfactants. The abrupt increase in fluorescence quenching is attributed to the solubilization of the probe in the micelles. The fluorescence quenching behavior provides direct information about the immiscibility of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon species in micelles, and the results indicate that almost pure fluorocarbon micelles appear in surfactants mixtures.     

Structure-Photodynamic Activity Relationships of a Series of 4-Substituted Zinc Phthalocyanines

Abstract— Radioiodinated zinc phthalocyanine including [¹²⁵I]ZnPcI₄ and differently sulfonated [⁶⁵Zn]ZnPcS (ZnPcS₄, ZnPcS₃, ZnPcS₂ and ZnPcS_1.75, a mixture of adjacent di and 25% mono) were prepared in order to study cell uptake and release kinetics in EMT-6 cells. The same compounds were evaluated for their in vitro phototoxicity and the biological parameters were compared to partition coefficients to arrive at quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR). At 1 μM in 1% serum, at 37°C, all dyes showed rapid cell uptake during the first hour followed by a slow accumulation phase. After 24 h, the highest cellular concentration was observed with the lipophilic ZnPcI₄, followed by the amphiphilic ZnPcS₂ and ZnPcS_1.75. The hydrophilic ZnPcS₄ and ZnPcS₃ showed lower uptake. Dye release from dyeloaded cells during incubation in dye-free medium could reach up to 60% and was shown to depend mainly on the amount of drug incorporated rather than the type of compound. These results suggest that care should be taken in interpreting dye toxicity data, which involve in vitro cell manipulations in dye-free medium, particularly during in vitro/in vivo protocols. The EMT-6 cell survival after 1 h or 24 h incubation with 1 μM dye in 1% serum followed by exposure to red light was assessed by means of the colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Photocytotoxicities correlated inversely with the tendencies of the dyes to aggregate. Increased dye uptake by the cells also correlated with their activities, except for the lipophilic ZnPcI₄, which showed the highest cell uptake but little phototoxicity. The QSAR between phototoxicity and the log of the partition coefficients (phosphate-buffered saline and n-octanol) gave a parabola with optimal partition values corresponding to the adjacent sulfonated ZnPcS₂.     

Effects of Ultraviolet-B Exposure on the Resistance to Listeria monocytogenes in the Rat

A rat infection model using the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes was employed to analyze the im-munosuppressive activity of UVB radiation. Rats were exposed to suberythemal doses of UVB radiation for 5 or 7 consecutive days, using Kromayer or FS40 lamps respectively. Subsequently, the rats were infected subcuta-neously or intravenously with Listeria . Exposure to UVB resulted in an increased number of bacteria in the spleen 4 days after infection. Listeria -specific lymphocyte proliferation assays as well as delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions demonstrated that T cell-mediated immunity to Listeria was impaired by UVB as measured 4 and 8 days after infection. In addition, UVB exposure decreased phagocytotic activity of peripheral blood macrophages. This study demonstrated that suberythemal doses of UVB radiation caused a delay in the clearance of Listeria bacteria from the spleen of the rats and that this was probably caused by impaired nonspecific phagocytosis of Listeria by macrophages in addition to an impaired activity of Listeria -specific T cells.     

Photodynamic properties of amphiphilic derivatives of aluminum tetrasulfophthalocyanine

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment modality that has recently been accepted in clinics as a curative or palliative therapy for cancer and other nonmalignant conditions. Phthalocyanines (Pc) are attractive photosensitizers for PDT because of their enhanced photophysical and photochemical properties. The overall charge and solubility of Pc play a major role in their potential usefulness for PDT. A series of amphiphilic derivatives of tetrasulfonated aluminum Pc (AlPcS4) was prepared by substituting one of the four sulfonate groups with aliphatic side chains of 4, 8, 12 and 16 carbon atoms. The photodynamic properties of the derivatives were compared with those of AlPcS4 and the adjacent disulfonated aluminum Pc. Parameters studied included reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) retention times, capacity to generate singlet oxygen (1O2), in vitro cell uptake and phototoxicity, as well as PDT response of transplantable EMT-6 tumors in mice. The monomerized AlPcS4 derivatives showed similar or higher capacities to generate 1O2 as compared with the parent AlPcS4 as measured from relative L-tryptophan photooxidation yields. A549 cell uptake of the AlPcS4 derivatives decreased in the following order: AlPcS4(C16) > AlPcS4(C12) > AlPcS4(C8) > AlPcS4(C4). Human low-density lipoprotein at high concentrations (40 micrograms/mL) completely prevented uptake, whereas at 4 micrograms/mL uptake was decreased for the more lipophilic compounds and yet remained unaffected for the more hydrophilic dyes. Using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, A549 cell survival was assessed; it showed that photocytotoxic activity varied directly with the HPLC retention times, i.e. more hydrophilic compounds were less phototoxic. As 1O2 yields were similar for the four substituted AlPcS4 derivatives, it was postulated that the increased cytotoxic activity was caused by enhanced subcellular localization as a result of the long aliphatic side chains. These amphiphilic compounds proved to be photodynamically potent against the EMT-6 mouse mammary tumor model implanted in Balb/c mice. At dye doses of 0.2 mumol/kg and a fluence of 400 J/cm2 complete tumor regression was observed with no morbidity. The substitution of AlPcS4 with long aliphatic chains on the macrocycle greatly enhances its photodynamic efficacy both in vitro and in vivo.