Metallomacrocycles as ligands: synthesis and characterisation of aluminium-bridged bisglyoximato complexes of palladium and iron

Dialuminiummacrocycles based on bisglyoximato moieties were prepared and their coordination chemistry with Fe(II) and Pd(II) was investigated. The bridging aluminium centers were supported by several types of tetradentate diphenoxide diamine ligands. The nature of the ancillary ligands bound to aluminium was found to affect the overall geometry and symmetry of the metallomacrocycles. Enantiopure, chiral diphenoxide ligands based on the (R,R)-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane backbone afforded cleanly one metallomacrocycle isomer. The size and electronic properties of remote substituents on aluminium-bound ligands affected the binding mode and electronic properties of the central iron. A structurally characterized iron complex shows trigonal prismatic coordination mode, with phenoxide bridges between iron and aluminium. Increasing the size of the phenoxide substituents led to square bipyramidal coordination at iron. Employing p-NO(2)- instead of p-tBu-substituted phenoxide as supporting ligands for aluminium caused a 0.27 V positive shift of the Fe(III)/Fe(II) reduction potential. These results indicate that the present synthetic approach can be applied to a variety of metallomacrocycles based on bisglyoximato motifs to affect the chemistry at the central metal.     

RNA and DNA association to zwitterionic and charged monolayers at the air-liquid interface

The objective of this work is to establish under which conditions short RNA molecules (similar to miRNA) associate with zwitterionic phospholipids and how this differs from the association with cationic surfactants. We study how the base pairing (i.e., single stranded versus double stranded nucleic acids) and the length of the nucleic acid and the charge of the lipid/surfactant monolayer affect the association behavior. For this purpose, we study the adsorption of nucleic acids to monolayers composed of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) or dioctadecyl-dimethyl-ammoniumbromide (DODAB) using the surface film balance, neutron reflectometry, and fluorescence microscopy. The monolayer studies with the surface film balance suggested that short single-stranded ssRNA associates with liquid expanded zwitterionic phospholipid monolayers, whereas less or no association is detected for double-stranded dsRNA and dsDNA. In order to quantify the interaction and to determine the location of the nucleic acid in the lipid/surfactant monolayer we performed neutron reflectometry measurements. It was shown that ssRNA adsorbs to and penetrates the liquid expanded monolayers, whereas there is no penetration of nucleic acids into the liquid condensed monolayer. No adsorption was detected for dsDNA to zwitterionic monolayers. On the basis of these results, we propose that the association is driven by the hydrophobic interactions between the exposed hydrophobic bases of the ssRNA and the hydrocarbon chains of the phospholipids. The addition of ssRNA also influences domain formation in the DPPC monolayer, leading to fractal-like interconnected domains. The experimental results are discussed in terms of the implication for biological processes and new leads for applications in medicine and biotechnology.     

Encapsulation of atmospheric CO(2) by a self-assembled decanuclear cadmium complex via unfamiliar perchlorato and carbonato bridges

A decanuclear Cd complex has been found as a carbonate-containing capsule. The structure strongly resembles a ten-blade waterwheel with a central carbonate ligand surrounded by two superimposed Cd(5)O(5) crowns with a pentagonal antiprism-like disposition. The capsule is doubly capped by two pentadentate perchlorate anions.     

The light-activated proton pump Bop I of the archaeon Haloquadratum walsbyi

We have isolated and characterized the light-driven proton pump Bop I from the ultrathin square archaeon Haloquadratum walsbyi, the most abundant component of the dense microbial community inhabiting hypersaline environments. The disruption of cells by hypo-osmotic shock yielded Bop I retinal protein highly enriched membranes, which contain one main 27 kDa protein band together with a high content of the carotenoid bacterioruberin. Light-induced pH changes were observed in suspensions of Bop I retinal protein-enriched membranes under sustained illumination. Solubilization of H. walsbyi cells with Triton X-100, followed by phenyl-Sepharose chromatography, resulted in isolation of two purified Bop I retinal protein bands; mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the Bop I was present as only protein in both the bands. The study of light/dark adaptations, M-decay kinetics, responses to titration with alkali in the dark and endogenous lipid compositions of the two Bop I retinal protein bands showed functional differences that could be attributed to different protein aggregation states. Proton-pumping activity of Bop I during the photocycle was observed in liposomes constituted of archaeal lipids. Similarities and differences of Bop I with other archaeal proton-pumping retinal proteins will be discussed.     

Higher Mahler measure for cyclotomic polynomials and Lehmer’s question

The k-higher Mahler measure of a non-zero polynomial P is the integral of log  ^k |P| on the unit circle. In this note, we consider Lehmer’s question (which is a long-standing open problem for k=1) for k>1 and find some interesting formulas for 2- and 3-higher Mahler measure of cyclotomic polynomials.     

Ferromagnetic exchange in a dinuclear copper(II) complex mediated by a methanolate bridging ligand

The copper(II) complex Cu(2)L(OMe)(H(2)O)(3), [middle dot]3H(2)O [H(3)L = 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-bis[4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-azabut-3-enyl]-1,3-imidazolidine] was obtained and recrystallised in methanol to yield crystals of [[Cu(2)L(OMe)]](2).2.5MeOH.4H(2)O, 1.2.5MeOH.4H(2)O. Its single X-ray study shows that it contains two crystallographically different but chemically equivalent dinuclear [Cu(2)L(OMe)] 1 molecules in the asymmetric unit cell. The copper atoms of each dinuclear moiety are in distorted square-pyramidal environments, with both pyramids sharing an apical phenolate and a basal methanolate oxygen atom. Magnetic characterisation of 1.3H(2)O shows a quite strong intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling between both metal atoms. Extended Huckel calculations reveal that the intradinuclear magnetic interaction seems to be mediated by the exogenous methanolate bridging ligand.     

Pyridazines. Part 31: synthesis and antiplatelet activity of 4,5-disubstituted-6-phenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinones

This paper describes the synthesis and the antiplatelet activity of a series of 4,5-disubstituted-6-phenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinones. Some of these compounds show a dose-dependent activity and were found to be more active than their 5-substituted analogues.     

Solution properties of poly(N-vinyl carbazole)—II. Thermodynamic properties in various solvents

Thermodynamic properties of dilute solutions of Poly-N-vinyl carbazole obtained by cationic polimerization have been studied by viscometry in various solvents. The validities of some excluded volume theories have been tested and the unperturbed dimensions have been calculated. The dependence of molecular dimensions, 〈s²〉, on molecular weight and viscometric equations have also been determined.     

Molecular recognition of guanosine and 2-acetylaminofluorene-modified guanosine. A comparative study

Abstract

The ability of an abiotic receptor, 7-acetylamino-2-methyl–1,8-naphthyridine, to bind to guanosine was analysed by a combination of NMR determinations and molecular modeling studies. The results indicate that this receptor simulates the base-pairing properties of cytidine in its Watson-Crick interaction with guanosine. Binding of the same receptor to N-(guanosin-8-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene, the guanosine adduct containing the carcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene, was found to occur in a similar manner. The calculated binding energies show that the molecular recognition of the adduct is lower than that of the unmodified guanosine. The theoretical studies suggest that the predominance of an abnormal low energy syn conformation for the adduct is the main structural feature accounting for the observed decrease of the host-guest interaction.