The Combined Use of Gold Nanoparticles and Infrared Radiation Enables Cytosolic Protein Delivery

Cytosolic protein delivery remains elusive. The inability of most proteins to cross the cellular membrane is a huge hurdle. Here we explore the unique photothermal properties of gold nanorods (AuNRs) to trigger cytosolic delivery of proteins. Both partners, protein and AuNRs, are modified with a protease-resistant cell-penetrating peptide with nuclear targeting properties to induce internalization. Once internalized, spatiotemporal control of protein release is achieved by near-infrared laser irradiation in the safe second biological window. Importantly, catalytic amounts of AuNRs are sufficient to trigger cytosolic protein delivery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that AuNRs with their maximum of absorption in the second biological window are used to deliver proteins into the intracellular space. This strategy represents a powerful tool for the cytosolic delivery of virtually any class of protein.     

Key factors in electromembrane microextraction systems for metals analysis in natural waters

ABSTRACT

Application of an electric potential to hollow fibre liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) systems previously optimised for metals preconcentration from natural waters could improve their analytical performance increasing enrichment factors and reducing operation times. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the direct application of an electric potential to these systems may be limited due to the effects produced by other operational parameters.

In this work, the effect of a variable electric potential on the enrichment factors of four HF-LPME systems used for the analysis of trace metals in natural waters (Cd, Ni, Ag and Cu) has been studied. In addition, the effect of organic phase composition, distance between electrodes and electrodes diameter has been also studied. From the results obtained, composition of organic phase can be considered as the key factor in electromembrane (EME) systems, since its polarity determine the operational range of the applied electric potential and consequently the enrichment factor that could be achieved.

EMEs have demonstrated to be a real alternative to preconcentrate Cd, Ag and Cu from natural water samples in very short times (30 min). In fact, enrichment factors increased up to one order of magnitude if compared with HF-LPME methodology without application of an electrical potential.     

Fluorescent Pyrene‐Based Bis‐azole Compounds: Synthesis and Photophysical Analysis

A rational synthetic procedure for the preparation of a series of pyrene‐based neutral and dicationic bis‐azole compounds is reported. The method allows the tailored design of pyrene‐based azoles with different substituents at the nitrogen atoms of the heterocycles, for which the relative conformation of the resulting bis‐azoles can be easily controlled. The bis‐azoliums were used for the preparation of the related diplatinum complexes by reaction with [{Pt(ppy)(μ‐Cl)₂}₂] (ppy=2‐phenylpyridinate). The X‐ray molecular structure of one of the resulting compounds, a diplatinum(II) bis(N‐heterocyclic carbene) complex, is described. Studies on the photophysical properties of all new species are described. The emission of the bis‐azole‐based compounds seems to be independent of their substitution patterns, which basically indicates that physical properties such as solubility, melting point, and viscosity can be fine‐tuned while maintaining the luminescence properties. Finally, the energies associated with the HOMO and LUMO levels suggest that this family provides versatility to match the energy levels of a wide range of host materials, which is important for the preparation of organic light‐emitting devices.     

Role of donor-acceptor functional groups in N3P3 cyclic-triphosphazene backbone. Unraveling bonding characteristics from natural orbitals within an extended transition state-natural orbital for the chemical valence scheme

The formation of cyclophosphazenes containing several ligands or substituent groups gives rise to an attractive derivative set, for development of novel applications, with variable properties. Here, it is possible to unravel the role of different functional groups attached to the N₃P₃ backbone, to reach a better understanding of the bonding character in the cyclic [─P─N─] skeleton. We employed the extended transition state-natural orbital for the chemical valence scheme to unravel the σ and π orbital kernels that are involved in the assembling of such structures, by varying the acceptor-donor characteristics of the ─CF₃, ─NO₂, ─COOH, ─CN, ─NH₂, ─OH, and ─OCH₃ groups, where ─NO₂ behaves as a stronger electron-withdrawing substituent rather than ─CF₃, ─COOH, and ─CN, denoting that the nature of the ligand-phosphazene interaction contributes to some degree to the bond strength of the cyclic [─P─N─] backbone. Our results reveal that the electron-withdrawing ─NO₂ group leads to higher σ and π [─P─N─] orbital-energy contributions, which is reflected in a shortening of the [─P─N─] distance, contrasting with the case of electron-donating groups such as ─NH₂, ─OH, and ─OCH₃ within the phosphazene set. These insights allow further variation and modulation of the bonding in the [─P─N─] ring.     

Hyperbolic heat conduction in two semi-infinite bodies in contact

We find, under the viewpoint of the hyperbolic model of heat conduction, the exact analytical solution for the temperature distribution in all points of two semi-infinite homogeneous isotropic bodies that initially are at uniform temperatures T ₀ ¹ and T ₀ ² , respectively, suddenly placed together at time t = 0 and assuming that the contact between the bodies is perfect. We make graphics of the obtained temperature profiles of two bodies at different times and points. And finally, we compare the temperature solution obtained from hyperbolic model to the parabolic or classical solution, for the same problem of heat conduction.This work was partially supported by MEC and FEDER, project MTM-2004-02262 and AVCIT group 03/050.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

A planar chelating bitriazole N-heterocyclic carbene ligand and its rhodium(III) and dirhodium(II) complexes

The new ligand bitriazole-2-ylidene (bitz) reliably chelates to Rh under very mild conditions, providing an NHC analogue of 2,2'-dipyridyl ligand.     

Shaping and enforcing coordination spheres: the implications of C3 and C1 chirality in the coordination chemistry of 1,1,1-tris(oxazolinyl)ethane ("trisox")

A key feature of tris(oxazolinyl)ethane ("trisox") ligands, which have shown broad scope in asymmetric catalysis, is the orientation and steric demand of their oxazoline substituents. This, along with the modularity of their synthesis determines their coordination chemistry. The possibility to combine oxazolines, in which the stereogenic centers adjacent to the N-donor atoms have different absolute configuration, whilst retaining their ability to coordinate as tripodal ligands, has been demonstrated by the synthesis of the enantiomerically pure C3-symmetric iPr-trisox(S,S,S) and C1-symmetric iPr-trisox(S,S,R) and their reaction with [Mo(CO)3(NCMe)3] yielding [Mo{iPr-trisox(S,S,S)}(CO)3] (1 a) and [Mo{iPr-trisox(S,S,R)}(CO)3] (1 b), respectively. The non-autocomplementarity of two homochiral trisox ligands at one metal center has been demonstrated by reaction of rac-C3 iPr-trisox with one equivalent of [Co(ClO4)2].6 H2O, giving the centrosymmetric heterochiral complex [Co(iPr-trisox)2](ClO4)2 (3), whereas an analogous reaction with the enantiopure ligand yielded a mixture of Co(II) complexes, which is characterized by the total absence of a [(trisox)2Co](+/2+) ion. The scope of the trisox ligand in terms of facial coordination to both early and late transition metals was demonstrated by the synthesis and structural characterization of the mononuclear complexes [ScCl3(iPr-trisox)] (4), [Fe(tBu-trisox)(NCMe)3](BF4)2 (5), and [Ru(eta6-p-cymene)(iPr-trisox)](PF6)2 (6). The facial coordination of their three ligating atoms to a metal center may be impeded if the transition-metal center stereoelectronically strongly favors a non-deltahedral coordination sphere, which is generally the case for the heavier d8-transition-metal atoms/ions. Reaction of iPr-trisox with [Rh(cod)2]BF4 led to the formation of the 16-electron d8-configured complex [Rh(iPr-trisox)(cod)](BF4) (7), which is oxidized by CsBr3 to give the Rh(III) complex [RhBr3(iPr-trisox)] (8) possessing a C3-symmetric structure with a kappa3-N-trisox ligand. The crystalline salts [M2(mu-Cl3)(iPr-trisox)2](PF6) (M=Fe(II): 9, Co(II): 10, Ni(II): 11), were prepared by addition of one molar equivalent of iPr-trisox and an excess of KPF6 to solutions of the anhydrous (FeCl2) or hydrated metal halides (CoCl2.6 H2O, NiCl2.6 H2O). All dinuclear complexes display weak magnetic coupling. For the mononuclear species [CuCl2(iPr-trisox)] (12) the removal of a chloride anion and thus the generation of a dinuclear chloro-bridged structure failed due to Jahn-Teller destabilization of a potential octahedral coordination sphere.     

Hyperbolic heat conduction in a circular plate from green’s function

We show the existence and uniqueness of Green’s function of the Neumann problem for the axisymmetric hyperbolic heat conduction equation in a circular plate and present its explicit and rigorous computation. As an application, we use this function in order to compute the temperature profile in a circular plate irradiated by a continuous Gaussian laser source.