PEGylated Luminescent Gold Nanoclusters: Synthesis,Characterization, Bioconjugation,and Application to One‐ and Two‐Photon Cellular Imaging

Biocompatible, near‐infrared luminescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are synthesized directly in water using poly(ethylene glycol)‐dithiolane ligands terminating in either a carboxyl, amine, azide, or methoxy group. The ≈1.5 nm diameter AuNCs fluoresce at ≈820 nm with quantum yields that range from 4–8%, depending on the terminal functional group present, and display average luminescence lifetimes approaching 1.5 μs. The two‐photon absorption (TPA) cross‐section and two‐photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) properties are also measured. Long‐term testing shows the poly(ethylene glycol) stabilized AuNCs maintain colloidal stability in a variety of media ranging from saline to tissue culture growth medium along with tolerating storage of up to 2 years. DNA and dye‐conjugation reactions confirm that the carboxyl, amine, and azide groups can be utilized on the AuNCs for carbodiimide, succinimidyl ester, and Cu^I‐assisted cycloaddition chemistry, respectively. High signal‐to‐noise one‐ and two‐photon cellular imaging is demonstrated. The AuNCs exhibit outstanding photophysical stability during continuous‐extended imaging. Concomitant cellular viability testing shows that the AuNCs also elicit minimal cytotoxicity. Further biological applications for these luminescent nanoclustered materials are discussed.     

Stereocontrolled reduction of chiral pyrrolidine and piperidine β-enamino esters: formal enantioselective synthesis of (+)-calvine

The results of a study dealing with the chemio- and diastereoselective reduction of chiral pyrrolidine and piperidine β-enamino esters 1, 2 and 3, 4 into β-amino esters are reported. This approach was successfully applied to a formal synthesis of (+)-calvine.     

Different adsorption behaviors of methane and carbon dioxide in the isotypic nanoporous metal terephthalates MIL-53 and MIL-47

A distinct step in the isotherm occurs during the adsorption of CO2 on MIL-53 at 304 K. Such behavior is neither observed during the adsorption of CH4 on MIL-53 nor during the adsorption on the isostructural MIL-47. This phenomenon seems to be due to a different mechanism than that of previous adsorption steps on MOF samples. It is suggested that a breathing behavior is induced in MIL-53 during CO2 adsorption.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of organic-inorganic materials: identification and gas-phase reactivity of functionalized octahedral rhenium(III) clusters

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used for the analysis of functionalized rhenium clusters such as [Re6Se8(o-Me2TTFPPh2)6]2+ (1), {Re6Se8[(o-Me2TTF)2PPh]6}2+ (2) and [Re6Se8(MePPh2)6]2+ (3). The high-resolution mass spectra of the intact clusters, performed in dichloromethane, confirm the identification of the compounds by comparison with the theoretical isotopic distributions. Low-resolution full-scan mass spectra recorded at increasing desolvation cone voltage values allow the study of the intrinsic reactivity of ionic species. The survival yield curves illustrating the bimolecular reactivity of 1 and 2 suggest that a bisdimethyltetrathiafulvalene(phenyl)phosphine ligand increases the stability of the functionalized ML6(2+) cluster 2. In the case of the 3, instead of loss of a neutral ligand, ligand exchange is observed either with traces of water present in dichloromethane or with acetonitrile used as solvent.     

X-ray crystallographic structure of the 9,10-dihydro-11,12bis[(1,3,3-trimethylureido)methyl]-9,10ethanoanthracene dihydrate

As a part of studies on MDR reversal agents, structure of the 9,10-dihydro-11,12-bis[(1,3,3-trimethylureido)methyl]-9,10-ethanoanthracene dihydrate is reported. Crystal data: C₂₆H₃₄N₄O₂ × 2 H₂O; mol. mass 470.60; monoclinic; space group: C2/c, a = 15.7492(6) Å; b = 7.2245(3) Å; c = 24.3442(10) Å; β = 106.795(2)^∘; V = 2651.73(22) ų; z = 4; dx = 1.179 mg/m³; μ = 0.64 mm⁻¹; F(000) = 1016; final R = 0.061 for 2501 reflections [I > 4 σ (I)]. Only half of the molecule is unique. The two nonplanar rings from the independent part of 9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene adopt a boat conformation. Crystallographic data demonstrate the “syn-syn” conformation of urea substituents in the molecule. In the crystal, water molecules are linked to the main species by H-bonds: O3′⋅sH12w—O1—H11w⋅sO3′(1.5 − x, 0.5 − y, 1 − z).     

Universality of local eigenvalue statistics for some sample covariance matrices

We consider random, complex sample covariance matrices X*X, where X is a p × N random matrix with i.i.d. entries of distribution μ. It has been conjectured that both the distribution of the distance between nearest neighbor eigenvalues in the bulk and that of the smallest eigenvalues become, in the limit N → ∞, → 1, the same as that identified for a complex Gaussian distribution μ. We prove these conjectures for a certain class of probability distributions μ. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Water dynamics in ionomer membranes by field-cycling NMR relaxometry

The dynamic behavior of water within two types of ionomer membranes, Nafion and sulfonated polyimide, has been investigated by field-cycling nuclear magnetic relaxation. This technique, applied to materials prepared at different hydration levels, allows the proton motion on a time scale of microseconds to be probed. The NMR longitudinal relaxation rate R(1) measured over three decades of Larmor angular frequencies omega is particularly sensitive to the host-water interactions and thus well-suited to study fluid dynamics in restricted geometries. In the polyimide membranes, we have observed a strong dispersion of R(1)(omega) following closely a 1/square root omega law in a low-frequency range (correlation times from 0.1 to 10 micros). This is indicative of a strong interaction of water with "interfacial" hydrophilic groups of the polymeric matrix (wetting situation). Variations of the relaxation rates with water uptake reveal a two-step hydration process: solvation and formation of disconnected aqueous clusters near polar groups, followed by the formation of a continuous hydrogen bond network. On the contrary, in the Nafion we observed weak variations of R(1)(omega) at low frequencies. This is typical of a nonwetting behavior. At early hydration stages, R(1)(omega) evolves logarithmically, suggesting a confined bidimensional diffusion of protons in the microsecond time range. Such an evolution is lost at higher swelling where a plateau related to three-dimensional diffusion is observed.