Protein resistance of titanium oxide surfaces modified by biologically inspired mPEG-DOPA

In the present study, we have utilized X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (ELM), and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) to examine the surface adsorption and protein resistance behavior of bio-inspired polymers consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugated to peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins. Peptides containing up to three residues of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), a key component of mussel adhesive proteins, were conjugated to monomethoxy-terminated PEG polymers. These mPEG-DOPA polymers were found to be highly adhesive to TiO2 surfaces, with quantitative XPS analysis providing useful insight into the binding mechanism. Additionally, the antifouling properties of immobilized PEG were reflected in the excellent resistance of mPEG-DOPA-modified TiO2 surfaces to protein adsorption. Measurements of mPEG-DOPA and human serum adsorption were related in terms of ethylene glycol (EG) surface density and serum mass adsorbed and demonstrated a threshold of approximately 15-20 EG/nm2, above which substantially little protein adsorbs. With respect to surface density of adsorbed PEG and the associated nonfouling behavior of the adlayers, strong parallels exist between the nonfouling properties of the surface-bound mPEG-DOPA polymers and PEG polymers immobilized to surfaces using other approaches. Peptide anchors containing three DOPA residues resulted in PEG surface densities higher than those achieved using several existing PEG immobilization strategies, suggesting that peptide mimics of mussel adhesive proteins may be useful for achieving high densities of protein-resistant polymers on surfaces.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance and density-functional theory studies of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes

In this work we present the investigation of the influence of electronic and structural variations induced by varying the N,N'-bridge on the magnetic properties of Cu(II)- bis(oxamato) complexes. For this study the complexes [Cu(opba)] (2-) ( 1, opba = o-phenylene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(nabo)] (2-) ( 2, nabo = 2,3-naphthalene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(acbo)] (2-) ( 3, acbo = 2,3-anthrachinone- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(pba)] (2-) ( 4, pba = propylene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(obbo)] (2-) ( 5, obbo = o-benzyl- bis(oxamato)), and [Cu(npbo)] (2-) ( 6, npbo = 1,8-naphthalene- bis(oxamato)), and the respective structurally isomorphic Ni(II) complexes ( 8- 13) have been prepared as ( (n)Bu 4N) (+) salts. The new complex ( (n)Bu 4N) 2[Cu(R-bnbo)].2H 2O ( 7, R-bnbo = (R)-1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'- bis(oxamato)) was synthesized and is the first chiral complex in the series of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes. The molecular structure of 7 has been determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. The Cu(II) ions of the complexes 1- 7 are eta (4)(kappa (2) N, kappa (2) O) coordinated with a more or less distorted square planar geometry for 1- 6 and a distorted tetrahedral geometry for 7. Using pulsed Electron Nuclear Double Resonance on complex 6, detailed information about the relative orientation of the hyperfine ( A) and nuclear quadrupole tensors ( Q) of the coordinating nitrogens with respect to the g tensor were obtained. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance studies in the X, Q, and W-band at variable temperatures were carried out to extract g and A values of N ligands and Cu ion for 1- 7. The hyperfine values were interpreted in terms of spin population on the corresponding atoms. The obtained trends of the spin population for the monomeric building blocks were shown to correlate to the trends obtained in the dependence of the exchange interaction of the corresponding trinuclear complexes on their geometry.     

Efficient synthesis and environmentally friendly reactions of PEG-supported 1,2-diaza-1,3-butadiene

[reaction: see text] Here, we report the protocol for the preparation of new poly(ethylene glycol)-supported 1,2-diaza-1,3-butadiene. In addition, we discuss an application of this supported reagent in an efficient and environmentally friendly one-pot synthesis of 2-thiazol-4-one derivatives by reaction with thioamides.     

Retrieval of the vertical column of an atmospheric constituent from data fusion of remote sensing measurements

Techniques of data fusion are presently being considered with increasing interest for application to atmospheric observations from space because of their capability to optimally exploit the complementary information provided by different instruments operating aboard on-going and future satellite missions. The task of combining measurements of the same target, when carried out at the level of the retrieved state vectors, faces with two major problems: the need to interpolate the products represented on different retrieval grids which determines a loss of information and the presence of a priori information in the products that can determine a bias in the product of the data fusion. The measurement space solution method avoids these problems. Based on this method we present a novel approach to retrieve the vertical column of an atmospheric constituent from data fusion of remote sensing measurements. We apply the method to retrieve the ozone column from the fusion of simulated measurements of the IASI nadir-viewing spectrometer onboard the METOP-A platform and of the MIPAS limb sounder onboard the ENVISAT satellite. The performance of the method is evaluated in terms of retrieval errors and averaging kernels of the products. The results show the evidence of improved retrieval quality when comparing the outcome of data fusion with that of the inversion process applied to spectra from either of the two instruments.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the enantiomerically pure 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline moiety of the antithrombotic (21R)- and (21S)-argatroban

The synthetic antithrombotic argatroban is a dipeptide between the nonproteogenic (2R,4R)-4-methyl-2-piperidine carboxylic acid and l-arginine, in turn bonded to a 3-methyltetrahydroquinoline sulfonyl group; the drug is usually prepared and administered as a mixture of C-21-diastereoisomers. By means of a biocatalytic transformation enantiomerically pure (R)- and (S)-synthons, suitable for the synthesis of separate (21R)- and (21S)- argatroban, were obtained.     

Some applications of metric currents to complex analysis

The aim of this paper is to extend the theory of metric currents, developed by Ambrosio and Kirchheim, to complex spaces. We define the bidimension of a metric current on a complex space and we discuss the Cauchy–Riemann equation on a particular class of singular spaces. As another application, we investigate the Cauchy–Riemann equation on complex Banach spaces, by means of a homotopy formula.     

A new platinum vapor-derived highly efficient hydrosilylation catalyst: NMR structural investigation

The structural features of a highly efficient hydrosilylation catalyst generated by reaction of Pt vapor and a mixture of mesitylene and 1,3-divinyltetramethyldisiloxane (DVS) were investigated by mono- and bidimensional NMR analyses. The structure around the Pt atoms was highlighted and compared with a commercial sample (Karstedt catalyst) and previously reported Pt vapor-derived system.     

Effects of Thermal Annealing Upon the Nanomorphology of Poly(3‐hexylselenophene)‐PCBM Blends

Grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (GI‐XRD) is used to characterize the crystallographic dynamics of low molecular weight (LMW) and high molecular weight (HMW) poly(3‐hexylselenophene) (P3HS) films and blend films of P3HS with [6‐6‐]‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as a function of ‘step‐by‐step’ thermal annealing, from room temperature to 250 °C. The temperature‐dependent GIXRD data show how the melting point of P3HS crystallites is decreased by the presence of PCBM. P3HS crystallite domain sizes dramatically increase upon annealing to the P3HS melting temperature. The formation of well‐oriented HMW P3HS crystallites with the (100) plane parallel to the substrate (edge‐on orientation), when cooled from melt, are observed. We compare the behaviour of P3HS pure and blend films with that of poly(3‐hexyl)thiophene (P3HT) pure and PCBM blended films and suggest that the similar temperature dependent behaviour we observe may be a common to polythiophene and related polymers and their blends.

     

A combined experimental and theoretical approach for structural study on a new cinnamoyl derivative of 2-acetyl-1,3-indandione and its metal(II) complexes

The synthesis, structure and spectral properties of a new cinnamoyl derivative of 2-acetyl-1,3-indandione (2AID), p-fluoro-cinnamoyl-1,3-indandione, LH and its metal(II) complexes with Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II), are described. In order to verify the molecular structure of the free ligand and its metal complexes, model geometries based on the spectroscopic data were optimized using quantum chemical methods. The experimental spectroscopic data (IR and NMR) of the ligand, LH, complemented by the calculated ones, show that it exists in the exocyclic enolic form in the gas phase, solution and solid state. Good quality single crystals of Cd(II) complex were obtained from a DMSO solution and were studied by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The data show bidentate coordination of the ligand and two DMSO molecules coordinated to the metal centre, thus forming a complex with octahedral geometry. On the contrary, the spectroscopic data on the amorphous samples indicate a square planar geometry of the Cu(II) complex and distorted octahedral geometry for Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes with two water molecules coordinated to the metal centre. The used quantum chemical method for structure optimization of the transition metal complexes, B3LYP/LANL2DZ, shows very good agreement with the crystallographic data and, therefore, was also employed for structural determination for the non-crystalline complexes. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.