Experimental tests of the feasibility of singlet oxygen luminescence monitoring in vivo during photodynamic therapy

Singlet oxygen (1O2) is thought to be the cytotoxic agent in photodynamic therapy (PDT) with current photosensitizers. Direct monitoring of 1O2 concentration in vivo would be a valuable tool in studying biological response. Attempts were made to measure 1O2 IR luminescence during PDT of cell suspensions and two murine tumour models using the photosensitizers Photofrin II and aluminium chlorosulphonated phthalocyanine. Instrumentation was virtually identical to that devised by Parker in the one positive report of in vivo luminescence detection in the literature. Despite the fact that our treatments caused cell killing and tissue necrosis, we were unable to observe 1O2 emission under any conditions. We attribute this negative result to a reduction in 1O2 lifetime in the cellular environment. Quantitative calibration of our system allowed us to estimate that the singlet oxygen lifetime in tissue is less than 0.5 microsecond. Some technical improvements are suggested which would improve detector performance and perhaps make such measurements feasible.     

S-Shaped composition dependence of excess thermodynamic quantities for cyclohexane mixtures with globular alkanes

Expansion coefficients , isothermal compressibilities, thermal pressure coefficients and heat capacities have been measured at 25°C for the cyclohexane+trans-decalin system. An S-shaped composition dependence, positivelnegative for highllow cyclohexane compositions is found for C _p ^E dV ^E /dT and the thermal expansion contribution to C _p ^E namely VT. The thermal motion contribution to C _p ^E , namely C _v is close to zero. The positive excursion of these mixing quantities at high cyclohexane content is anomalous. Correspondingly, the mixing quantity-VT deviates strongly in this region from the predicted equality with H ^E . The literature and this work show that all these excess quantities behave similarly for cyclohexane mixed with cyclooctane, methylcyclohexane and some highly branched alkanes. The unusual composition dependence of the thermodynamic quantities is consistent with order occurring when any large alkane molecule of globular shape is added to cyclohexane. This is speculatively associated with an interference by the globular alkane with the relatively free rotation of cyclohexane molecules.     

Excess heat capacities and orientational order in systems containing hexadecane isomers of different molecular structure

Using the Picker flow microcalorimeter, excess heat capacities have been obtained at 25°C throughout the concentration range for 2,2-dimethylbutane,n-hexane, and cyclohexane each mixed with a series of hexadecane isomers of increasing degrees of orientational order, as determined by depolarized Rayleigh scattering. The isomers are 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane, 6-, 4-, and 2-methylpentadecane, andn-hexadecane. Thec _p ^E values are negative, increasing rapidly in magnitude with increase of orientational order, and are not predicted by the Prigogine—Flory theory which neglects order. Values ofc _p ^E are obtained at 10, 25, and 55°C for cyclohexane +6-, 4-, and 2-methylpentadecane which with other literature data lead to the temperature dependence of the thermodynamic excess functions for cyclohexane solutions of the five C₁₆ isomers. The excess enthalpy and entropy vary with the C₁₆ isomer and with temperature, but the corresponding variation of the excess free energy is small, indicating a high degree of enthalpy-entropy compensation. This is consistent with a rapid decrease with temperature of orientational order in the C₁₆ isomers.     

Energy transfer from a platinum—nickel excited state to platinum clusters in quasi-one-dimensional Ba(Pt,Ni)(CN)4·nH2O crystals

Laser-induced luminescence in quasi-one-dimensional Ba(Pt, Ni)(CN)₄·nH₂O crystals has been measured from 5 to 300 K. A well-defined luminescence peak is observed, corresponding to an excited electronic state of platinum and nickel. Energy transfer from this Pt—Ni excited state to Pt(CN)₄^2? clusters is found to be very much dependent on the temperature.     

Optical dephasing of molecular dimers in mixed crystals: Picosecond photon echo experiments

Picosecond photon echo experiments are used to examine optical dephasing of substitutional dimers and monomers of tetracene and pentacene in p-terphenyl host crystals. A comparison of experiments on tetracene and pentacene dimers permits the mechanism responsible for temperature-dependent optical dephasing to be determined. It is shown that excitation of librations rather than scattering between delocalized dimer states is the principal mechanism.