DNA as a Target for Anticancer Phen-Imidazole Pd(II) Complexes

Imidazole ring is a known structure in many natural or synthetic drug molecules and its metal complexes can interact with DNA and do the cleavage. Hence, to study the influence of the structure and size of the ligand on biological behavior of metal complexes, two water-soluble Pd(II) complexes of phen and FIP ligands (where phen is 1,10-phenanthroline and FIP is 2-(Furan-2-yl)-1H–Imidazo[4,5-f][1, 10]phenanthroline) with the formula of [Pd(phen)(FIP)](NO₃)₂ and [Pd(FIP)₂]Cl₂, that were activated against chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line, K562, were selected. Also, the interaction of these anticancer Pd(II) complexes with highly polymerized calf thymus DNA was extensively studied by means of electronic absorption, fluorescence, and circular dichroism in Tris-buffer. The results showed that the binding was positive cooperation and [Pd(phen)(FIP)](NO₃)₂ (K _f = 127 M^-1 G = 1.2) exhibited higher binding constant and number of binding sites than [Pd(FIP)₂]Cl₂ (K _f = 13 M^-1 G = 1.03) upon binding to DNA. The fluorescence data indicates that quenching effect for [Pd(phen)(FIP)](NO₃)₂ (K _SV = 58 mM^?1) was higher than [Pd(FIP)₂]Cl₂ (K _SV = 12 mM^?1). Also, [Pd(FIP)₂]Cl₂ interacts with ethidium bromide-DNA, as non-competitive inhibition, and can bind to DNA via groove binding and [Pd(phen)(FIP)](NO₃)₂ can intercalate in DNA. These results were confirmed by circular dichroism spectra. Docking data revealed that longer complexes have higher interaction energy and bind to DNA via groove binding.

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Graphical Abstract Two anticancer Pd(II) complexes of imidazole derivative have been synthesized and interacted with calf thymus DNA. Modes of binding have been studied by electronic absorption, fluorescence, and CD measurements. [Pd(FIP)₂]Cl₂ can bind to DNA via groove binding while intercalation mode of binding is observed for [Pd(phen)(FIP)](NO₃)₂.

     

Remarkable regioselectivities in the course of the synthesis of two new Luotonin A derivatives

Ethyl 4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-carboxylate reacts selectively with trimethylaluminium-activated 2-amino- or 4-aminobenzoic acid ethyl esters to give the corresponding anilides without self-condensation of the aminobenzoate building blocks. After propargylation, the quinazolinones were treated with Hendrickson's reagent, but only the para-substituted ester was found to undergo the expected [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, affording a new Luotonin A derivative. A different regioselectivity was observed with the ortho-substituted ester which affords a benzoxazinone under identical conditions. When the ester group in the ortho-substituted intermediate is replaced with a nitrile function, the outcome of the reaction with Hendrickson's reagent depends on the absence or presence of a base (DBU), yielding either a triphenylphosphonium-substituted iminobenzoxazine or a 4-cyano-substituted Luotonin A derivative.     

Determination of hydroxylamine using a carbon paste electrode modified with graphene oxide nano sheets

A carbon paste electrode that was chemically modified with 3-(4'-amino-3'-hydroxy-biphenyl-4-yl)-acrylic acid (3,4-AA) was used as a selective electrochemical sensor for the detection of hydroxylamine. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), choronoamperometry (CHA) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were used to investigate oxidation of hydroxylamine in aqueous solution. Under optimized concentration the electrocatalytic oxidation current peak for hydroxylamine increased linearly with concentration in the range of 0.025–10.0 μM. The detection limits for hydroxylamine was 0.012 μM. Finally, the modified electrode was applied to detection hydroxylamine in water samples.     

Copolymerization of ethylene α-olefin using MgCl2-ethanol adduct catalysts

The effects of the type and concentration of comonomers 1-hexene and 1-octene in the copolymerization of ethylene were investigated using pre polymerized Ziegler-Natta (catalyst a) and without pre polymerized (catalyst b) catalysts in the presence of hydrogen as a chain transfer agent. The properties of produced polymers were characterized by a set of techniques: (SEM), (EDX), (DSC), (GPC). TIBA and DEAC were used as co catalysts. The results of microscopic and SEM images showed the morphology and structure of catalysts (a) and (b) and the obtained spherical polymers. In the presence of 1-hexene, activity of catalyst (a) was at its maximum. The comonomer 1-octene at 32 mmol presented its activity (1.7 × 10³ g polymer/(g cat.h)) and after that, the activities decreased. Copolymerization of ethylene and 1-hexene by catalyst (b) showed higher activity (1.6 × 10³ g polymer/ polymer/(g cat.h)) at 40 mmol concentration of 1-hexene in comparison to catalyst (a).     

Electrochemical Properties of Ag@iron Oxide Nanocomposite for Application as Nitrate Sensor

Ag@iron oxide nanocomposite powders were synthesized via a two‐step chemical method. Characterization by UV‐Vis, XRD, SEM‐EDX and TEM revealed they are composed of nanosized crystalline silver particles in strict contact with amorphous iron oxide(s). The electrochemical behavior of the synthesized Ag@iron oxide composite was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Compared with the single phase‐modified electrodes, the Ag@iron oxide/SPCE electrode exhibits an enhanced cathodic current in response to the target analyte, due to a synergistic effect between Ag crystallites and amorphous iron oxide nanoparticles. An amperometric sensor for detection of nitrate based on Ag@iron oxide modified screen‐printed electrode (Ag@iron oxide/SPCE) has been fabricated, showing a good sensitivity (663 µA mM^?1 cm^?2) and a detection limit of 30 µM.     

Unravelling the effect of temperature on viscosity-sensitive fluorescent molecular rotors

Viscosity and temperature variations in the microscopic world are of paramount importance for diffusion and reactions. Consequently, a plethora of fluorescent probes have evolved over the years to enable fluorescent imaging of both parameters in biological cells. However, the simultaneous effect of both temperature and viscosity on the photophysical behavior of fluorophores is rarely considered, yet unavoidable variations in temperature can lead to significant errors in the readout of viscosity and vice versa. Here we examine the effect of temperature on the photophysical behavior of three classes of viscosity-sensitive fluorophores termed ‘molecular rotors’. For each of the fluorophores we decouple the effect of temperature from the effect of viscosity. In the case of the conjugated porphyrin dimer, we demonstrate that, uniquely, simultaneous dual-mode lifetime and intensity measurements of this fluorophore can be used for measuring both viscosity and temperature concurrently.     

Connectivity of Pore Space as a Control on Two-Phase Flow Properties of Tight-Gas Sandstones

We predict capillary-pressure (drainage) curves in tight-gas sandstones which have little matrix or microporosity using a quantitative grain-scale model. The model accounts for the geometric results of some depositional and diagenetic processes important for porosity and permeability reduction in tight-gas sandstones, such as deformation of ductile grains during burial and quartz cementation. The model represents the original sediment as a dense, disordered packing of spheres. We simulated the evolution of this model sediment into a low-porosity sandstone by applying different amounts of ductile grains and quartz precipitation. A substantial fraction of original pore throats in the sediment is closed by the simulated diagenetic alteration. Because the percolation threshold corresponds to closure of half of the pore throats, the pore space in this type of tight-gas sandstone is poorly connected and is often close to being completely disconnected. The drainage curve for different model rocks was computed using invasion percolation in a network taken directly from the grain-scale geometry and topology of the model. Some general trends follow classical expectations and were confirmed by experimental measurements: increasing the amount of cement shifts the drainage curve to larger pressures. This is related to reduction of the connectivity of pore space resulting from closure of throats. Existence of ductile grains in the ductile grain model also reduces the connectivity of pore space but it treats the throats distribution differently causing the drainage curves to be shifted to larger irreducible water saturation when cement is added to the model. The range of porosities in which these connectivity effects are important corresponds to the range of porosities common for tight gas sandstones. Consequently these rocks can exhibit small effective permeability to gas even at large gas saturations. This problem occurs at larger porosities in rocks with significant content of ductile grains because ductile deformation blocks a significant fraction of pore throats even before cementation begins. Predicted drainage curves agree with measurements on two samples with little microporosity, one dominated by rigid grains, the other containing a significant fraction of ductile grains. We conclude that connectivity of the matrix pore space is an important factor for an understanding of flow properties of tight-gas sandstones.     

Dominant Majorana bound energy and critical current enhancement in ferromagnetic-superconducting topological insulator

Among the potential applications of topological insulators, we theoretically study the coexistence of proximity-induced ferromagnetic and superconducting orders in the surface states of a 3-dimensional topological insulator. The superconducting electron-hole excitations can be significantly affected by the magnetic order induced by a ferromagnet. In one hand, the surface state of the topological insulator, protected by the time-reversal symmetry, creates a spin-triplet and, on the other hand, magnetic order causes to renormalize the effective superconducting gap. We find Majorana mode energy along the ferromagnet/superconductor interface to sensitively depend on the magnitude of magnetization m _zfs from superconductor region, and its slope around perpendicular incidence is steep with very low dependency on m _zfs . The superconducting effective gap is renormalized by a factor η(m _zfs ), and Andreev bound state in ferromagnet-superconductor/ferromagnet/ferromagnet-superconductor (FS/F/FS) Josephson junction is more sensitive to the magnitude of magnetizations of FS and F regions. In particular, we show that the presence of m _zfs has a noticeable impact on the gap opening in Andreev bound state, which occurs in finite angle of incidence. This directly results in zero-energy Andreev state being dominant. By introducing the proper form of corresponding Dirac spinors for FS electron-hole states, we find that via the inclusion of m _zfs , the Josephson supercurrent is enhanced and exhibits almost abrupt crossover curve, featuring the dominant zero-energy Majorana bound states.