Characterization of different substrates for Raman spectroscopic imaging of eukaryotic cells

For Raman spectroscopic analyses of the cells and other biological samples, the choice of the right substrate material is very important to avoid loss of information in characteristic spectral features because of competing background signals. In the current study, Raman spectroscopy is used to characterize several potential Raman substrates. Raman vibrational bands of the substrate material are discussed. The surface topography is analyzed by atomic force microscopy, and the root mean square surface roughness values are reported. Biocompatibility of the substrates is tested with Hep G2 cells evaluating cellular morphology as well as live/dead staining. Calcium fluoride, silicon, fused silica, borofloat glass, and silicon nitride membranes support cell growth and adherence. Silicon, borofloat glass, and fused silica give rise to Raman signals in the region of interest. Calcium fluoride substrate (UV grade) is suitable for Raman spectroscopic investigation of living cells. Nickel foil is suitable substrate for Raman spectroscopic investigation but cellular adherence and viability depend on the quality of the foil. Silicon nitride membranes coated with nickel chrome is a suitable Raman substrate in closed microfluidic systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Stereodynamics of Monoaza[5]helicenes: Solvent‐Induced Increase of the Enantiomerization Barrier in 1‐Aza‐[5]helicene

Helicenes and heterohelicenes are attractive compounds with great potential in materials sciences to be used in optoelectronics as ligand backbones in enantioselective catalysis and as chiral sensors. The properties of these materials are related to the stereodynamics of these helical chiral compounds. However, little is known about features controlling stereodynamics in helicenes; in particular, for heterohelicenes the position of the heteroatom could be relevant in this respect. Herein the complete stereodynamic characterization of monoaza[5]helicenes is shown by enantioselective dynamic HPLC and DFT calculations. At variance with previous theoretical calculations, 1‐aza[5]helicene shows a surprisingly high enantiomerization barrier, which is triggered by specific solvent interactions.     

Diffusion induced void nucleation in SnPb solder joints

Towards a simple and robust model for void-based fatigue prediction, we investigate the interaction of voids with its surrounding by using a multi-field method. We couple the concentration fields of tin c₁ and lead c₂ with an additional field c₃, where the latter is assigned with a void field. The interaction potential manifests three stable states. Two are obtained by experimental results of tin-lead (SnPb) and the void stable state is postulated by construction. The logarithmic form of the thermodynamically consistent configurational entropy is approximated within this study by a fourth order polynom. It has been shown that the interfacial energy coefficient is independent of void's size, but rather depends numerically on the mesh size, which is used in the model presented here. Both governing equations follows a Cahn-Hilliard-type equation to mimic the microstructural changes. (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes of N-substituted di(2-picolyl)amine derivatives: Synthetic and structural studies

The interaction of di(2-picolyl)amine (1) and its secondary N-substituted derivatives, N-(4-pyridylmethyl)-di(2-picolyl)amine (2), N-(4-carboxymethyl-benzyl)-di(2-picolyl)amine (3), N-(4-carboxybenzyl)-di(2-picolyl)amine (4), N-(1-naphthylmethyl)-di(2-picolyl)amine (5), N-(9-anthracenylmethyl)-di(2-picolyl)amine (6), 1,4-bis[di(2-picolyl)aminomethyl]benzene (7), 1,3-bis[di(2-picolyl)aminomethyl]benzene (8) and 2,4,6-tris[di(2-picolyl)amino]triazine (9) with Ni(II) and/or Zn(II) nitrate has resulted in the isolation of [Ni(1)(NO₃)₂], [Ni(2)(NO₃)₂], [Ni(3)(NO₃)₂], [Ni(4)(NO₃)₂]·CH₃CN, [Ni(5)(NO₃)₂], [Ni(6)(NO₃)₂], [Ni₂(7)(NO₃)₄], [Ni₂(8)(NO₃)₄], [Ni₃(9)(NO₃)₆]·3H₂O, [Zn(3)(NO₃)₂]·0.5CH₃OH, [Zn(5)(NO₃)₂], [Zn(6)(NO₃)₂], [Zn(8)(NO₃)₂] and [Zn₂(9)(NO₃)₄]·0.5H₂O. X-ray structures of [Ni(4)(NO₃)₂]·CH₃CN, [Ni(6)(NO₃)₂] and [Zn(5)(NO₃)₂] have been obtained. Both nickel complexes exhibit related distorted octahedral coordination geometries in which 4 and 6 are tridentate and bound meridionally via their respective N₃-donor sets, with the remaining coordination positions in each complex occupied by a monodentate and a bidentate nitrato ligand. For [Ni(4)(NO₃)₂]·CH₃CN, intramolecular hydrogen bond interactions are present between the carboxylic OH group on one complex and the oxygen of a monodentate nitrate on an adjacent complex such that the complexes are linked in chains which are in turn crosslinked by intermolecular offset π-π stacking between pyridyl rings in adjacent chains. In the case of [Ni(6)(NO₃)₂], two weak CH?O hydrogen bonds are present between the axial methylene hydrogen atoms on one complex and the oxygen of a monodentate nitrate ligand on a second unit such that four hydrogen bonds link pairs of complexes; in addition, an extensive series of π-π stacking interactions link individual complex units throughout the crystal lattice. The X-ray structure of [Zn(5)(NO₃)₂] shows that the metal centre once again has a distorted six-coordinated geometry, with the N₃-donor set of N-(1-naphthylmethyl)-di(2-picolyl)amine (5) coordinating in a meridional fashion and the remaining coordination positions occupied by a monodentate and a bidentate nitrato ligand. The crystal lattice is stabilized by weak intermolecular interactions between oxygens on the bound nitrato ligands and aromatic CH hydrogens on adjacent complexes; intermolecular π-π stacking between aromatic rings is also present.     

Simple one-step process for immobilization of biomolecules on polymer substrates based on surface-attached polymer networks

For the miniaturization of biological assays, especially for the fabrication of microarrays, immobilization of biomolecules at the surfaces of the chips is the decisive factor. Accordingly, a variety of binding techniques have been developed over the years to immobilize DNA or proteins onto such substrates. Most of them require rather complex fabrication processes and sophisticated surface chemistry. Here, a comparatively simple immobilization technique is presented, which is based on the local generation of small spots of surface attached polymer networks. Immobilization is achieved in a one-step procedure: probe molecules are mixed with a photoactive copolymer in aqueous buffer, spotted onto a solid support, and cross-linked as well as bound to the substrate during brief flood exposure to UV light. The described procedure permits spatially confined surface functionalization and allows reliable binding of biological species to conventional substrates such as glass microscope slides as well as various types of plastic substrates with comparable performance. The latter also permits immobilization on structured, thermoformed substrates resulting in an all-plastic biochip platform, which is simple and cheap and seems to be promising for a variety of microdiagnostic applications.     

Aldehyde cruciforms: dosimeters for primary and secondary amines

We demonstrate that aldehyde-substituted donor-acceptor cruciforms [1,4-bis(arylethynyl)-2,5-distyrylbenzenes] are useful dosimeters for primary amines, primary diamines, and secondary amines. The 1,n-diamines are particularly reactive towards this dosimeter and can be detected in less than 100 ppm concentration. Using a single aldehyde-functionalized cruciform in seven different solvents allowed us to discern fourteen different amines by digital photography and statistical evaluation of the response patterns extracted as red, green, blue (RGB) values.     

Zinc-rich compounds of iron and cobalt: formation of [Fe2Zn(n)] (n = 2-4) and [Co2Zn3] cores

The reactions of heteroleptic GaCp*/CO containing transition metal complexes of iron and cobalt, namely [(CO)(3)M(μ(2)-GaCp*)(m)M(CO)(3)] (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; M = Fe, m = 3; M = Co, m = 2) and [Fe(CO)(4)(GaCp*)], with ZnMe(2) in toluene and the presence of a coordinating co-solvent were investigated. The reaction of the iron complex [Fe(CO)(4)(GaCp*)] with ZnMe(2) in presence of tetrahydrofurane (thf) leads to the dimeric compound [(CO)(4)Fe{μ(2)-Zn(thf)(2)}(2)Fe(CO)(4)] (1). Reaction of [(CO)(3)Fe(μ(2)-GaCp*(3))Fe(CO)(3)] with ZnMe(2) and stoichiometric amounts of thf leads to the formation of [(CO)(3)Fe{μ(2)-Zn(thf)(2)}(2)(μ(2)-ZnMe)(2)Fe(CO)(3)] (2) containing {Zn(thf)(2)} as well as ZnMe ligands. Using pyridine (py) instead of thf leads to [(CO)(3)Fe{μ(2)-Zn(py)(2)}(3)Fe(CO)(3)] (3) via replacement of all GaCp* ligands by three{Zn(py)(2)} groups. In contrast, reaction of [(CO)(3)Co(μ(2)-GaCp*)(2)Co(CO)(3)] with ZnMe(2) in the presence of py or thf leads in both cases to the formation of [(CO)(3)Co{μ(2)-ZnL(2)}(μ(2)-ZnCp*)(2)Co(CO)(3)] (L = py (4), thf (5)) via replacement of GaCp* with {Zn(L)(2)} units as well as Cp* transfer from the gallium to the zinc centre. All compounds were characterised by NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis.     

Synthesis of trans‐Fused Oxabicyclo[5.2.0]nonan‐2‐ones via [2+2] Photocycloaddition of Oxepinones to Conjugated Alkenes

On irradiation (350 nm) in the presence of 2,3‐dimethylbuta‐1,3‐diene, benzoxepinone 2 and dioxepinone 3 were converted regio‐ and diastereoselectively to trans‐fused oxabicyclo[5.2.0]nonanones 5 and 9 , respectively.