Rational assembly of soluble copper(II) phosphonates: synthesis, structure and magnetism of molecular tetranuclear copper(II) phosphonates

The reactions of the dinuclear copper complexes [Cu(2)(L)(OAc)] [H(3)L = N,N'-(2-hydroxypropane-1,3-diyl)bis(salicylaldimine) or [Cu(2)(L')(OAc)] (H(3)L' = N,N'-(2-hydroxypropane-1,3-diyl)bis(4,5-dimethylsalicylaldimine)] with various phosphonic acids, RPO(3)H(2) (R = t-Bu, Ph, c-C(5)H(9), c-C(6)H(11) or 2,4,6-i-Pr(3)-C(6)H(2)), leads to the replacement of the acetate bridge affording tetranuclear copper(II) phosphonates, [Cu(4)(L)(2)(t-BuPO(3))](CH(3)OH)(2)(C(6)H(6)) (1), [Cu(4)(L)(2)(PhPO(3))(H(2)O)(2)(NMe(2)CHO)](H(2)O)(2) (2), [Cu(4)(L')(2)(C(5)H(9)PO(3))](CH(3)OH)(2) (3), [Cu(4)(L')(2)(C(6)H(11)PO(3)](MeOH)(4)(H(2)O)(2) (4) and [Cu(4)(L')(2)(C(30)H(46)P(2)O(5))](PhCH(3)) (5). The molecular structures of 1-4 reveal that a [RPO(3)](2-) ligand is involved in holding the four copper atoms together by a 4.211 coordination mode. In 5, an in situ formed [(RPO(2))(2)O](4-) ligand bridges two pairs of the dinuclear subunits. Magnetic studies on these complexes reveal that the phosphonate ligand is an effective conduit for magnetic interaction among the four copper centers present; a predominantly antiferromagnetic interaction is observed at low temperatures.     

Highly selective SERS probe for Hg(II) detection using tryptophan-protected popcorn shaped gold nanoparticles

Contamination of the environment with toxic Hg(II) is becoming a huge concern throughout the world now. Driven by the need, this communication reports for the first time a tryptophan protected popcorn shaped gold nanomaterials based SERS probe for rapid, easy and highly selective recognition of Hg(II) ions in the 5 ppb level from aqueous solution, with high sensitivity and selectivity over competing analytes. We demonstrate that our SERS assay is capable of measuring the amount of Hg(II) in alkaline battery.     

Nanomaterials for targeted detection and photothermal killing of bacteria

Despite the modern treatment processes, contamination of food, water and medical equipment by pathogenic bacteria is very common in this world. Since the last two decades, one of the most important and complex problems our society has been facing is that several human pathogens became resistant to most of the clinically approved antibiotics. Recent advancement in nanoscience and nanotechnology has expanded our ability to design and construct nanomaterials with targeting, therapeutic, and diagnostic functions. These multifunctional materials have attracted our attention to be used as the promising tool for selective bacteria sensing and therapy without the current drugs. This tutorial review provides the basic concepts and critical properties of the different nanostructures that are useful for the pathogen detection and photothermal applications. In addition, bio-conjugated nanomaterial based strategies have been discussed with the aim to provide readers an overview of exciting opportunities and challenges in this field.     

Cyclo- and carbophosphazene-supported ligands for the assembly of heterometallic (Cu2+/Ca2+, Cu2+/Dy3+, Cu2+/Tb3+) complexes: synthesis, structure, and magnetism

The carbophosphazene and cyclophosphazene hydrazides, [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))NH(2)}(2)}] (1) and [N(3)P(3)(O(2)C(12)H(8))(2){N(CH(3))NH(2)}(2)] were condensed with o-vanillin to afford the multisite coordination ligands [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-OH)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}] (2) and [{N(2)P(2)(O(2)C(12)H(8))(2)}{NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C (6)H(3)-(o-OH)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}] (3), respectively. These ligands were used for the preparation of heterometallic complexes [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuCa(NO(3))(2)}] (4), [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{Cu(2)Ca(2)(NO(3))(4)}]·4H(2)O (5), [{NC(N(CH(3))(2))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuDy(NO(3))(4)}]·CH(3)COCH(3) (6), [{NP(O(2)C(12)H(8))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuDy(NO(3))(3)}] (7), and [{NP(O(2)C(12)H(8))}(2){NP{N(CH(3))N═CH-C(6)H(3)-(o-O)(m-OCH(3))}(2)}{CuTb(NO(3))(3)}] (8). The molecular structures of these compounds reveals that the ligands 2 and 3 possess dual coordination pockets which are used to specifically bind the transition metal ion and the alkaline earth/lanthanide metal ion; the Cu(2+)/Ca(2+), Cu(2+)/Tb(3+), and Cu(2+)/Dy(3+) pairs in these compounds are brought together by phenoxide and methoxy oxygen atoms. While 4, 6, 7, and 8 are dinuclear complexes, 5 is a tetranuclear complex. Detailed magnetic properties on 6-8 reveal that these compounds show weak couplings between the magnetic centers and magnetic anisotropy. However, the ac susceptibility experiments did not reveal any out of phase signal suggesting that in these compounds slow relaxation of magnetization is absent above 1.8 K.     

Cyanido-bridged Fe(III)-Mn(III) heterobimetallic materials built from Mn(III) Schiff base complexes and di- or tri-cyanido Fe(III) precursors

The reaction of [Fe(III)L(CN)(3)](-) (L being bpca = bis(2-pyridylcarbonyl)amidate, pcq = 8-(pyridine-2-carboxamido)quinoline) or [Fe(III)(bpb)(CN)(2)](-) (bpb = 1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)benzenate) ferric complexes with Mn(III) salen type complexes afforded seven new bimetallic cyanido-bridged Mn(III)-Fe(III) systems: [Fe(pcq)(CN)(3)Mn(saltmen)(CH(3)OH)]·CH(3)OH (1), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(3-MeO-salen)(OH(2))]·CH(3)OH·H(2)O (2), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(salpen)] (3), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(saltmen)] (4), [Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)Mn(5-Me-saltmen)]·2CHCl(3) (5), [Fe(pcq)(CN)(3)Mn(5-Me-saltmen)]·2CH(3)OH·0.75H(2)O (6), and [Fe(bpb)(CN)(2)Mn(saltmen)]·2CH(3)OH (7) (with saltmen(2-) = N,N'-(1,1,2,2-tetramethylethylene)bis(salicylideneiminato) dianion, salpen(2-) = N,N'-propylenebis(salicylideneiminato) dianion, salen(2-) = N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylideneiminato) dianion). Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies were carried out for all these compounds indicating that compounds 1 and 2 are discrete dinuclear [Fe(III)-CN-Mn(III)] complexes while systems 3-7 are heterometallic chains with {-NC-Fe(III)-CN-Mn(III)} repeating units. These chains are connected through π-π and short contact interactions to form extended supramolecular networks. Investigation of the magnetic properties revealed the occurrence of antiferromagnetic Mn(III)···Fe(III) interactions in 1-4 while ferromagnetic Mn(III)···Fe(III) interactions were detected in 5-7. The nature of these Mn(III)···Fe(III) magnetic interactions mediated by a CN bridge appeared to be dependent on the Schiff base substituent. The packing is also strongly affected by the nature of the substituent and the presence of solvent molecules, resulting in additional antiferromagnetic interdinuclear/interchain interactions. Thus the crystal packing and the supramolecular interactions induce different magnetic properties for these systems. The dinuclear complexes 1 and 2, which possess a paramagnetic S(T) = 3/2 ground state, interact antiferromagnetically in their crystal packing. At high temperature, the complexes 3-7 exhibit a one-dimensional magnetic behavior, but at low temperature their magnetic properties are modulated by the supramolecular arrangement: a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order with a metamagnetic behavior is observed for 3, 4, and 7, and Single-Chain Magnet properties are detected for 5 and 6.     

Understanding the Rhodopsin Worldview Through Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): Structure,Stability, and Activity Studies

Rhodopsin is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) present in the rod outer segment (ROS) of photoreceptor cells that initiates the phototransduction cascade required for scotopic vision. Due to the remarkable advancements in technological tools, the chemistry of rhodopsin has begun to unravel especially over the past few decades, but mostly at the ensemble scale. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a tool capable of providing critical information from a single-molecule point of view. In this regard, to bolster our understanding of rhodopsin at the nanoscale level, AFM-based imaging, force spectroscopy, and nano-indentation techniques were employed on ROS disc membranes containing rhodopsin, isolated from vertebrate species both in normal and diseased states. These AFM studies on samples from native retinal tissue have provided fundamental insights into the structure and function of rhodopsin under normal and dysfunctional states. We review here the findings from these AFM studies that provide important insights on the supramolecular organization of rhodopsin within the membrane and factors that contribute to this organization, the molecular interactions stabilizing the structure of the receptor and factors that can modify those interactions, and the mechanism underlying constitutive activity in the receptor that can cause disease.