Luminescence ranging from red to blue: a series of copper(I)-halide complexes having rhombic {Cu2(mu-X)2} (X = Br and I) units with N-heteroaromatic ligands

A series of Cu(I) complexes formulated as [Cu(2)(mu-X)(2)(PPh(3))(L)(n)] were prepared with various mono- and bidentate N-heteroaromatic ligands (X = Br, I; L = 4,4'-bipyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, 1,5-naphthyridine, 1,6-naphthyridine, quinazoline, N,N-dimethyl-4-aminopyridine, 3-benzoylpyridine, 4-benzoylpyridine; n = 1, 2). Single-crystal structure analyses revealed that all the complexes have planar {Cu(2)X(2)} units. Whereas those with monodentate N-heteroaromatic ligands afforded discrete dinuclear complexes, bidentate ligands formed infinite chain complexes with the ligands bridging the dimeric units. The long Cu...Cu distances (2.872-3.303 A) observed in these complexes indicated no substantial interaction between the two Cu(I) ions. The complexes showed strong emission at room temperature as well as at 80 K in the solid state. The emission spectra and lifetimes in the microsecond range were measured at room temperature and at 80 K. The emissions of the complexes varied from red to blue by the systematic selection of the N-heteroaromatic ligands (lambda(em)(max): 450 nm (L = N,N-dimethyl-4-aminopyridine) to 707 nm (L = pyrazine)), and were assigned to metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited states with some mixing of the halide-to-ligand (XL) CT characters. The emission energies were successfully correlated with the reduction potentials of the coordinated N-heteroaromatic ligands, which were estimated by applying a simple modification based on the calculated stabilization energies of the ligands by protonation.     

New base pairing motifs. The synthesis and thermal stability of oligodeoxynucleotides containing imidazopyridopyrimidine nucleosides with the ability to form four hydrogen bonds

The synthesis and thermal stability of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing imidazo[5',4':4,5]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine nucleosides 1-4 (N(N), O(O), N(O), and O(N), respectively) with the aim of developing two sets of new base pairing motifs consisting of four hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) is described. The proposed four tricyclic nucleosides 1-4 were synthesized through the Stille coupling reaction of a 5-iodoimidazole nucleoside with an appropriate 5-stannylpyrimidine derivative, followed by an intramolecular cyclization. These nucleosides were incorporated into ODNs to investigate the H-bonding ability. When one molecule of the tricyclic nucleosides was incorporated into the center of each ODN (ODN I and II, each 17mer), no apparent specificity of base pairing was observed, and all duplexes were less stable than the duplexes containing natural G:C and A:T pairs. On the other hand, when three molecules of the tricyclic nucleosides were consecutively incorporated into the center of each ODN (ODN III and IV, each 17mer), thermal and thermodynamic stabilization of the duplexes due to the specific base pairings was observed. The melting temperature (T(m)) of the duplex containing the N(O):O(N) pairs showed the highest T(m) of 84.0 degrees C, which was 18.2 and 23.5 degrees C higher than that of the duplexes containing G:C and A:T pairs, respectively. This result implies that N(O)and O(N) form base pairs with four H-bonds when they are incorporated into ODNs. The duplex containing N(O):O(N) pairs was markedly stabilized by the assistance of the stacking ability of the imidazopyridopyrimidine bases. Thus, we developed a thermally stable new base pairing motif, which should be useful for the stabilization and regulation of a variety of DNA structures.     

Simultaneous detection of monohydroxybenzo[a]pyrene positional isomers by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method has been developed for the separation of 11 monohydroxybenzo[a]pyrenes (OH BaPs) positional isomers, and for their detection using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). All OH BaPs isomers were separated on an octadecylsilyl (C(18))-bonded amorphous organosilica column utilizing gradient elution with acetonitrile-water and triethylamine (TEA) at pH 11.0 and determined by MS, except 2- and 8-OH BaPs which were coeluted. The lower detection limits were in the range from 1.6 micro g/L for 12-OH BaP to 12 micro g/L for 5-OH BaP without any sample enrichment. The relative standard deviations of area response were in the range from 1.8% (9-OH BaP) to 4.9% (12-OH BaP) except for 9.4% (7-OH BaP). The developed method was successfully applied to incubation mixtures of BaP and CYP1A1/epoxide hydrolase. This method identified 1-, 3- and 9-OH BaPs as the major metabolites, and 2- (and/or 8-) and 12-OH BaPs as the minor metabolites in the incubation mixture.     

Analysis of myoglobin adsorption to Cu(II)-IDA and Ni(II)-IDA functionalized Langmuir monolayers by grazing incidence neutron and X-ray techniques

The adsorption of myoglobin to Langmuir monolayers of a metal-chelating lipid in crystalline phase was studied using neutron and X-ray reflectivity (NR and XR) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD). In this system, adsorption is due to the interaction between chelated divalent copper or nickel ions and the histidine moieties at the outer surface of the protein. The binding interaction of histidine with the Ni-IDA complex is known to be much weaker than that with Cu-IDA. Adsorption was examined under conditions of constant surface area with an initial pressure of 40 mN/m. After approximately 12 h little further change in reflectivity was detected, although the surface pressure continued to slowly increase. For chelated Cu2+ ions, the adsorbed layer structure in the final state was examined for bulk myoglobin concentrations of 0.10 and 10 microM. For the case of 10 microM, the final layer thickness was approximately 43 A. This corresponds well to the two thicker dimensions of myoglobin in the native state (44 A x 44 A x 25 A) and so is consistent with an end-on orientation for this disk-shaped protein at high packing density. However, the final average volume fraction of amino acid segments in the layer was 0.55, which is substantially greater than the value of 0.44 calculated for a completed monolayer from the crystal structure. This suggests an alternative interpretation based on denaturation. GIXD was used to follow the effect of protein binding on the crystalline packing of the lipids and to check for crystallinity within the layer of adsorbed myoglobin. Despite the strong adsorption of myoglobin, very little change was observed in the structure of the DSIDA film. There was no direct evidence in the XR or GIXD for peptide insertion into the lipid tail region. Also, no evidence for in-plane crystallinity within the adsorbed layer of myoglobin was observed. For 0.1 microM bulk myoglobin concentration, the average segment volume fraction was only 0.13 and the layer thickness was < or = 25 A. Adsorption of myoglobin to DSIDA-loaded with Ni2+ was examined at bulk concentrations of 10 and 50 microM. At 10 microM myoglobin, the adsorbed amount was comparable to that obtained for adsorption to Cu2+-loaded DSIDA monolayers at 0.1 M. But interestingly, the adsorbed layer thickness was 38 A, substantially greater than that obtained at low coverage with Cu-IDA. This indicates that either there are different preferred orientations for isolated myoglobin molecules adsorbed to Cu-IDA and Ni-IDA monolayer films or else myoglobin denatures to a different extent in the two cases. Either interpretation can be explained by the very different binding energies for individual interactions in the two cases. At 50 microM myoglobin, the thickness and segement volume fraction in the adsorbed layer for Ni-IDA were comparable to the values obtained with Cu-IDA at 10 microM myoglobin.     

Intramolecular radical cyclization-ring-closing metathesis approach to fused polycyclic ethers. Convergent synthesis and conformational analysis of the (E)FGH ring system of ciguatoxin

A convergent synthetic route to the (E)FGH ring system 4 of ciguatoxins, the causative toxins for ciguatera fish poisoning, has been developed. The synthesis features convergent coupling to form dioxane acetal, regioselective acetal cleavage by diethylaluminum phenylthiolate or diisobutylaluminum phenylselenolate followed by intramolecular radical cyclization to construct the oxepane ring G, and a ring-closing metathesis reaction to form the hexahydrooxonine ring F. The hexahydrooxonine ring F of tetracyclic model system 4 existed as a 5:1 equilibrium mixture of two conformers (UP and DOWN conformers), with the UP one predominating. This is the first illustration that reproduces the preference for the UP conformer over the DOWN one, which preference was observed for natural ciguatoxins.     

Chemoselective reduction of ketones: trifluoromethylketones versus methylketones

Treatment of an equimolar mixture of trifluoromethylketones (TFMKs) and methylketones (MKs) with Et₂Zn resulted in selective reduction of the TFMKs in good yield. In contrast, treatment of an equimolar mixture of TFMKs and MKs with NaBH₄ in the presence of CeCl₃ in EtOH/H₂O (10:1) at −10 °C reduced only the MKs.     

Properties of semiconductor electrodes coated with living films of cyanobacteria

IntactPhormidium sp. cells, immobilized on a SnO₂ semiconductor electrode, are capable of transferring electrons to SnO₂ in a light-dependent reaction. Drying a “wet” algal electrode at 50°C for 60 min increases photocurrent output capacity by 100-fold. We have studied the effect of various parameters on photocurrent generation. The magnitude of the photocurrent increased with increasing light intensity and depended on the nature of the electrolyte solution. The output, about 8 μA 10 μg Chl^?1 cm⁺², was obtained using 50 mM H₃BO₃?Na₂CO₃?KCl buffer as an electrolyte, an irradiance (>460 nm) of 250 J/m², and potentiostatic conditions (the algal working electrode was poised at +0.6 V vs a saturated calomel electrode). The yield was more than doubled upon addition of an electron carrier, such as methyl viologen, benzyl viologen, or Vitamin K₃, to the electrolyte solution. Maximum photocurrent was obtained at around pH 8 and 45°C, which are optimal conditions for growth of the cyanobacterium. Furthermore, DCMU, an inhibitor of photosynthetic electron flow, drastically decreased the yield, as did heat treatment of the electrode at 110°C for 15 min. The photocurrent action spectrum peak coincided well with the absorption peak of the light-harvesting pigment, phycocyanin. These results support the idea that electron transfer can occur across algal cell walls from the source of the light-induced reactions located within the lamellar membranes to the semiconductor electrode.     

Development and evaluation of on-line nanoliter flow analysis of protein digests by pneumatic-splitter electrospray liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

We have developed a novel approach to characterize protein digests by pneumatic-splitter electrospray ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (PSESI-LCMS). This technique involves an interfacing of a pneumatic splitter that can dynamically generate and control a steady split flow rate of nanoliters per minute. An average PSESI-LCMS analysis, depending on the desired split ratio, consumes less than 200 femtomoles of sample. A tryptic digest map of a glycoprotein, fetuin, and a Lys-C digest map of a recombinant neurotrophin protein, neurotrophin-3, are reported here for this investigation.     

Preparation of a new hydrophilic copolymer from poly(α-hydroxyacrylic acid)

A new hydrophilic copolymer containing α-hydroxy allyl alcohol segments was prepared by reducing poly(α-hydroxyacrylic acid) (PHA) with NaBH₄ in water and mixed solvents of methanol and polar solvents. Conversion to the desired allyl alcohol group in the resultant polymers was confirmed with ICP, FT-IR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. The degree of conversion was as low as 5% for PHA reduced in aqueous solution, while for those reduced in the mixed solvents it was significant (ca. 60–70%).