Molecular orbital calculations on solvents and other small molecules: Correlation between electronic and molecular properties ν, αMOL, π*, and β.

Molecular orbital calculation by the MINDO/3 method are reported for 50 compounds used as solvents in chemical reactions. Relationships between various parameters of electronic structure and molecular properties such as dipole moment, polarizability and Taft solvent parameters are presented. Comparison between experimental values of π* and calculated values is given.     

A Semisynthetic Bioluminescence Sensor for Ratiometric Imaging of Metal Ions In Vivo Using DNAzymes Conjugated to An Engineered Nano-Luciferase

DNA-based probes have gained significant attention as versatile tools for biochemical analysis, benefiting from their programmability and biocompatibility. However, most existing DNA-based probes rely on fluorescence as the signal output, which can be problematic due to issues like autofluorescence and scattering when applied in complex biological materials such as living cells or tissues. Herein, we report the development of bioluminescent nucleic acid (bioLUNA) sensors that offer laser excitation-independent and ratiometric imaging of the target in vivo. The system is based on computational modelling and mutagenesis investigations of a genetic fusion between circular permutated Nano-luciferase (NLuc) and HaloTag, enabling the conjugation of the protein with a DNAzyme. In the presence of Zn²⁺, the DNAzyme sensor releases the fluorophore-labelled strand, leading to a reduction in bioluminescent resonance energy transfer (BRET) between the luciferase and fluorophore. Consequently, this process induces ratiometric changes in the bioluminescent signal. We demonstrated that this bioLUNA sensor enabled imaging of both exogenous Zn²⁺ in vivo and endogenous Zn²⁺ efflux in normal epithelial prostate and prostate tumors. This work expands the DNAzyme sensors to using bioluminescence and thus has enriched the toolbox of nucleic acid sensors for a broad range of biomedical applications.     

Diastereoselective Self-Assembly of Low-Symmetry PdnL2n Nanocages through Coordination-Sphere Engineering**

Metal-organic cages (MOCs) are popular host architectures assembled from ligands and metal ions/nodes. Assembling structurally complex, low-symmetry MOCs with anisotropic cavities can be limited by the formation of statistical isomer libraries. We set out to investigate the use of primary coordination-sphere engineering (CSE) to bias isomer selectivity within homo- and heteroleptic Pd_nL_2n cages. Unexpected differences in selectivities between alternative donor groups led us to recognise the significant impact of the second coordination sphere on isomer stabilities. From this, molecular-level insight into the origins of selectivity between cis and trans diastereoisomers was gained, highlighting the importance of both host–guest and host-solvent interactions, in addition to ligand design. This detailed understanding allows precision engineering of low-symmetry MOC assemblies without wholesale redesign of the ligand framework, and fundamentally provides a theoretical scaffold for the development of stimuli-responsive, shape-shifting MOCs.     

Procedures for the enhancement of selectivity in liquid phase chemiluminescence detection

An overview of liquid phase chemiluminescence (CL) processes is presented and the potential for CL detection in liquid chromatography (LC) is discussed, with particular reference to the luminol and peroxyoxalate reactions. Post column ion displacement from a solid phase reagent [a cation exchange resin in the copper(II) form] followed by catalysis of the luminol reaction is used for the quantification of mixtures of weak acids after separation by ion-exclusion chromatography. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released during the combustion of biomass fuels are separated by reversed-phase chromatography and quantified by their sensitizing effect on the peroxyoxalate reaction. This procedure is also used for the determination of carboxylic acids in non-aqueous media after selective pre-column derivatization with a fluorescent label (9-anthracenemethanol).     

Transition metal ion complexes of thiosemicarbazones derived from 2-acetylpyridineN-oxide. I. The 4-methyl derivative

Summary TheN-methyl-2-[1-(2-pyridinyl-1-oxide)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide, HLO4M, has been used to prepare a series of Co^III, Ni^II and Cu^II complexes. Species with two deprotonated LO4M ligands, one LO4M and one HLO4M ligand, two HLO4M ligands and one HLO4M ligand with two small anionic ligands have been isolated. The deprotonated LO4M bonds as a tridentate ligandvia theN-oxide oxygen, the imine nitrogen (N¹ and the sulphur while the HLO4M ligand coordinates primarily as a bidentate ligandvia only the first two atoms listed above. I.r., electronic, mass and e.s.r. spectra have been used to determine the nature of these complexes. One of the more striking differences between these compounds and those prepared with other thiosemicarbazones of 2-acetylpyridine and 2-acetylpyridineN-oxide is that tetrahedral yellow [Ni(HL)X₂] rather than planar brown [NiLX] (X=Cl or Br) solids have been isolated with this ligand. Other differences in the nature of the coordination spheres of the various metal ions occur with this particular ligand when compared to previously studied thiosemicarbazone complexes.NATO Fellow, on leave from Medical Faculty, Istanbul University.     

Measurement of Tumor Vascular Damage in Mice with 99m Tc-MIBI Following Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract— The clinical perfusion agent ^99mTc-MIBI was used to monitor changes in tumor vascular perfusion (TVP) induced by Photofrin® (Pll)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT). BALB/c mice bearing an EMT-6 tumor on each hind thigh were given an intravenous injection of 1, 2 or 5 mg kg⁻¹ PII. Twenty-four hours later, one tumor was illuminated (600–650 run, 200 mW cm⁻² 400 J cm⁻²) while the other served as a control. At various time intervals after PDT (0, 2 and 24 h) mice received an intravenous injection of ^99mTc-hexakismethoxy(sobutyusonitri-le (MIBI) (0.18 MBq g⁻¹) and were sacrificed 2 min later. The light-treated and the untreated tumors were then dissected, the radioactivity was counted and the percentage of the injected dose per gram of tumor (%ID g⁻¹) was calculated as a measure of TVP. We observed that TVP is drug dose dependent, develops progressively with time post-PDT and is inversely related to PDT efficacy. Our data show that early tumor retention of ^99mMIBI is a simple method to assess TVP and vascular damage induced by PDT.     

Injection by Programmed Temperature Vaporization Injection (PTV) of Gaseous Samples for Gas Chromatography – Atomic Emission Spectrometry (GC-AED)

Programmed temperature vaporization injection (PTV) coupled to gas chromatography and atomic emission detector (AED) has been studied for large volume injection of gaseous samples. As examples of the effectiveness of the technique, the results of the analysis of a series of headspace samples of foods such as garlic and onion, and of landfill gases are presented. The volumes of gaseous samples reconcentrated varied from a few milliliters up to liters depending on analyte dilution, through focusing onto a sorbent trap, then rapid liberation into the GC-AED system by programmed thermal desorption. Despite the high carrier gas flow rates associated with direct PTV-GC, AED performance and sensitivity were unaffected. The detailed elemental information obtained from the PTV-GC-AED analyses was confirmed using a PTV coupled to a gas chromatograph with ion trap detector mass spectrometer as detector (PTV-GC-ITD/MS).     

6-O-Demethylation of the Thevinols with Lithium Aluminium Hydride: Selective Demethylation of a Tertiary Alkyl Methyl Ether in the Presence of an Aryl Methyl Ether

In the pursuit of ring-constrained analogues of buprenorphine, we wished to prepare 6-O-demethylated analogues of the thevinols and orvinols. Previously it had been disclosed that lithium aluminum hydride (LAH) in THF containing a chlorinated solvent could achieve this transformation. Here we report the results of our work with LAH in the non-coordinating solvent toluene. In refluxing toluene, the selective 6-O-demethylation of thevinols could be achieved with no 3-O-demethylation being observed. It appears that a C(20)−OH or C(20)−NH₂ group is needed on the substrate for this hydrogenolysis to proceed.