Conformational Control of a Polyether-Linked Porphyrin Dimer Induced by Complexation with a Sodium Cation

Abstract

A porphyrin dimer with a polyether linkage was newly synthesized and its conformational change triggered by complexation with an sodium cation was examined. It was confirmed by ¹H NMR titration experiments that the dimer bearing a pentaoxyehtylene linkage (1b) was effectively formed a 1:1 complex with a sodium perchlorate. A detailed investigation of the CIS values for the protons confirmed that the complex of 1b?Na⁺ adopts a slipped face-to-face conformation.     

Physical aspects of heterogeneities in multi-component lipid membranes

Ever since the raft model for biomembranes has been proposed, the traditional view of biomembranes based on the fluid-mosaic model has been altered. In the raft model, dynamical heterogeneities in multi-component lipid bilayers play an essential role. Focusing on the lateral phase separation of biomembranes and vesicles, we review some of the most relevant research conducted over the last decade. We mainly refer to those experimental works that are based on physical chemistry approach, and to theoretical explanations given in terms of soft matter physics. In the first part, we describe the phase behavior and the conformation of multi-component lipid bilayers. After formulating the hydrodynamics of fluid membranes in the presence of the surrounding solvent, we discuss the domain growth-law and decay rate of concentration fluctuations. Finally, we review several attempts to describe membrane rafts as two-dimensional microemulsion.     

High‐Throughput Development of a Hybrid‐Type Fluorescent Glutamate Sensor for Analysis of Synaptic Transmission

Fluorescent sensors are powerful tools for visualizing cellular molecular dynamics. We present a high‐throughput screening system, designated hybrid‐type fluorescence indicator development (HyFInD), to identify optimal position‐specific fluorophore labeling in hybrid‐type sensors consisting of combinations of ligand‐binding protein mutants with small molecular fluorophores. We screened sensors for glutamate among hybrid molecules obtained by the reaction of four cysteine‐reactive fluorescence probes with a set of cysteine‐scanning mutants of the 274 amino acid S1S2 domain of AMPA‐type glutamate receptor GluA2 subunit. HyFInD identified a glutamate‐responsive probe (enhanced glutamate optical sensor: eEOS) with a dynamic range >2400 %, good photostability, and high selectivity. When eEOS was specifically tethered to neuronal surfaces, it reliably visualized the spatiotemporal dynamics of glutamate release at single synapses, revealing synapse‐to‐synapse heterogeneity of short‐term plasticity.     

Preparation,Characterization, Biological Activity and 3D Molecular Modeling of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Pd(II) and Ru(III) Complexes of Some Sulfadrug Schiff Bases

Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Pd(II) and Ru(III) complexes of Schiff bases derived from the condensation of sulfaguanidine with 2,4‐dihydroxy benzaldehyde ( HL1 ), 2‐hydroxy‐1‐naphthaldehyde ( HL2 ) and salicylaldehyde ( HL3 ) have been synthesized. The structures of the prepared metal complexes were proposed based on elemental analysis, molar conductance, thermal analysis (TGA, DSC and DTG), magnetic susceptibility measurements and spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV‐Vis, and ESR). In all complexes, the ligand bonds to the metal ion through the azomethine nitrogen and α‐hydroxy oxygen atoms. The structures of Pd(II) complex 8 and Ru(III) complex 9 were found to be polynuclear. Two kinds of stereochemical geometries; distorted tetrahedral and distorted square pyramidal, have been realized for the Cu(II) complexes based on the results of UV‐Vis, magnetic susceptibility and ESR spectra whereas octahedral geometry was predicted for Co(II), Mn(II) and Ru(III) complexes. Ni(II) complexes were predicted to be square planar and tetrahedral and Pd(II) complexes were found to be square planar. The antimicrobial activity of the ligands and their metal complexes was also investigated against the gram‐positive bacteria Staphylococcus aures and Bacillus subtilis and gram‐negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Pesudomonas aeruginosa, by using the agar dilution method. Chloramphenicol was used as standard compound. The obtained data revealed that the metal complexes are more or less, active than the parent ligand and standard. The X‐ray crystal structure of HL3 has been also reported.     

Oxygen Evolution Catalyzed by a Mononuclear Ruthenium Complex Bearing Pendant SO3− Groups

Rational molecular design of catalytic systems capable of smooth O? O bond formation is critical to the development of efficient catalysts for water oxidation. A new ruthenium complex was developed, which bears pendant SO₃^? groups in the secondary coordination sphere: [Ru(terpy)(bpyms)(OH₂)] (terpy=2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine, bpyms=2,2′‐bipyridine‐5,5′‐bis(methanesulfonate)). Water oxidation driven by a Ce⁴⁺ oxidant is distinctly accelerated upon introduction of the pendant SO₃^? groups in comparisons to the parent catalyst, [Ru(terpy)(bpy)(OH₂)]²⁺ (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine). Spectroscopic, electrochemical, and crystallographic investigations concluded that the pendant SO₃^? groups promote the formation of an O? O bond via the secondary coordination sphere on the catalyst, whereas the influence of the pendant SO₃^? groups on the electronic structure of the [Ru(terpy)(bpy)(OH₂)]²⁺ core is negligible. The results of this work indicate that modification of the secondary coordination sphere is a valuable strategy for the design of water oxidation catalysts.     

Syntheses, characterization, and photochemical properties of amidate-bridged Pt(bpy) dimers tethered to Ru(bpy)3(2+) derivatives

Amidate-bridged diplatinum(II) entities [Pt(2)(bpy)(2)(μ-amidato)(2)](2+) (amidate = pivalamidate and/or benzamidate; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) were covalently linked to one or two Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)-type derivatives. An amide group was introduced at the periphery of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) derivatives to give metalloamide precursors [Ru(bpy)(2)(BnH)](2+) (abbreviated as RuBnH, n = 1 and 2), where deprotonation of amide BnH affords the corresponding amidate Bn, B1H = 4-(4-carbamoylphenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine, and B2H = ethyl 4'-[N-(4-carbamoylphenyl)carbamoyl]-2,2'-bipyridine-4-carboxylate. From a 1:1:1 reaction of [Pt(2)(bpy)(2)(μ-OH)(2)](NO(3))(2), RuBnH, and pivalamide, trinuclear complexes [Pt(2)(bpy)(2)(μ-RuBn)(μ-pivalamidato)](4+) (abbreviated as RuBn-Pt(2)) were isolated and characterized. Tetranuclear complexes [Pt(2)(bpy)(2)(μ-RuBn)(2)](6+) (abbreviated as (RuBn)(2)-Pt(2)) were separately prepared and characterized in detail. The quenching of the triplet excited state of the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) derivative (i.e., Ru*(bpy)(3)(2+)) upon tethering the Pt(2)(bpy)(2)(μ-amidato)(2)(2+) moiety is strongly enhanced in RuB1-Pt(2) and (RuB1)(2)-Pt(2), while it is only slightly enhanced in RuB2-Pt(2) and (RuB2)(2)-Pt(2). These are partly explained by the driving forces for the electron transfer from the Ru*(bpy)(3)(2+) moiety to the Pt(2)(bpy)(2)(μ-amidato)(2)(2+) moiety (ΔG°(ET)); the ΔG°(ET) values for RuB1-Pt(2), (RuB1)(2)-Pt(2), RuB2-Pt(2), and (RuB2)(2)-Pt(2) are estimated as -0.01, 0.00, +0.22, and +0.28 eV, respectively. The considerable difference in the photochemical properties of the B1- and B2-bridged systems were further examined based on the emission decay and transient absorption measurements, which gave results consistent with the above conclusions.     

Hydrogen-bonded extended structure of the 1:3 adduct of a C3 symmetric cobalt(III) complex with a tripod-ligand involving three imidazolate groups and hydroquinone or resorcinol

The assembly reaction arising from hydrogen bonding between a chiral C3 symmetric cobalt(III) complex and a tripod-ligand involving three imidazolate groups [tris[2-(((2-methylimidazolato-4-yl)methylidene)amino)ethyl]amine]cobalt(III) and either hydroquinone or resorcinol gave the 1:3 adducts, with 3D extended structures showing the template effect of the complex.     

Novel synthesis of (Z)-difluoroacrylates via a highly stereoselective addition-elimination reaction

[STRUCTURE: SEE TEXT] On treating readily prepared benzyl 2,3,3-trifluoroacrylate with various Grignard reagents, e.g., aryl-, alkyl-, or alkenylmagnesium halide, in the presence of a catalytic amount of copper(I) salt in THF at -78 degrees C for 1 h, the corresponding alpha,beta-difluoroacrylates were obtained in 54-98% yields with high Z-selectivity.     

Protein labeling with red squarylium dyes for analysis by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Two new red luminescent asymmetric squarylium dyes (designated "Red-1c and Red-3") have been shown to exhibit absorbance shifts to longer wavelengths upon the addition of protein, along with a concomitant increase in fluorescence emission. Specifically, the absorbance maxima for Red-1c and Red-3 dyes are 607 and 622 nm, respectively, in the absence of HSA, and 642 and 640 nm in the presence of HSA, making the excitation of their protein complexes feasible with inexpensive and robust diode lasers. Fluorescence emission maxima, in the presence of HSA, are 656 and 644 nm for Red-1c and Red-3, respectively. Because of the inherently low fluorescence of the dyes in their free state, Red-1c and Red-3 were used as on-column labels (that is, with the dye incorporated into the separation buffer), thus eliminating the need for sample derivatization prior to injection and separation. A comparison of precolumn and on-column labeling of proteins with these squarylium dyes revealed higher efficiencies and greater sensitivities for on-column labeling, which, when conducted with a basic, high-salt content buffer, permitted baseline resolution of a mixture of five model proteins. LOD for model proteins, such as transferrin, alpha-lactalbumin, BSA, and beta-lactoglobulin A and B, labeled with these dyes and analyzed by CE with LIF detection (CE-LIF) were found to be dependent upon dye concentration and solution pH, and are as low as 5 nM for BSA. Satisfactory linear relationships between peak height (or peak area) and protein concentration were obtained by CE-LIF for this on-column labeling method with Red-3 and Red-1c.