Charge mediation by ruthenium poly(pyridine) complexes in 'second-generation' glucose biosensors based on carboxymethylated β-cyclodextrin polymer membranes

Four different poly(pyridine) complexes of ruthenium, viz. Ru(II)(trpy)(phen)(OH(2))](2+) (1), trans-[Ru(III)(2,2'bpy)(2)(OH(2))(OH)](2+) (2), [(2,2'bpy)(2)(OH)Ru(III)ORu(III)(OH)(2,2'bpy)(2)](4+) (3), and [Ru(II)(4,4'bpy)(NH(3))(5)](2+) (4) (2,2'bpy=2,2'-bipyridine, 4,4'bpy=4,4'-bipyridine, trpy=2,2',2"-terpyridine, phen=1,10-phenanthroline), were tested as non-physiological charge mediators of 'second-generation' glucose biosensors. The membranes for these biosensors were prepared by casting anionic carboxymethylated beta-cyclodextrin polymer films (beta-CDPA) directly onto the Pt or glassy carbon (GC) disk electrodes. Simultaneously, glucose oxidase (GOD) was immobilized in the films by covalent bonding and the Ru complexes were incorporated both by inclusion in the beta-CD molecular cavities and by ion exchange at the fixed carboxymethyl cation-exchange sites. The leakage of the mediator from the polymer has been minimized by adopting a suitable pre-treatment procedure. The biosensors catalytic activities increased in the order 1<2<3<4, as established by linear sweep voltammetry. In case of complexes 2-4, the enzymatic glucose oxidation was mediated by the Ru complexes at their redox potentials. However, this oxidation was mediated by oxygen in case of complex 1 where H(2)O(2) was detected as the reaction product. The effectiveness of the mediators used in the presence of oxygen has been estimated using Pt and GC supports. The redox potential of the mediator does not depend on the support used, while the oxidation of H(2)O(2) proceeds on GC at much higher positive potentials than on Pt. The sensitivity and the linear concentration range of the biosensor studied varied significantly. For complex 4, which forms stable inclusion complex with beta-CD, the biosensor sensitivity was the highest and equal to 7.2 micro A mM(-1) cm(-2), detectability was as low as 1 mM, but the linear concentration range was limited only to 4 mM. In contrast, for complexes 2 and 3 the sensitivity was 0.4 and 3.2 micro A mM(-1) cm(-2), while the linear concentration range extended up to at least 24 and 14 mM glucose, respectively. Even though some common interfering substances, such as ascorbate, paracetamol or urea, are oxidized at potentials close to those of the Ru complex redox couples, their electro-oxidation currents at physiological concentrations are insignificant compared to those due to the biocatalytic oxidation of glucose. The biosensor response to glucose is reversible as demonstrated by the inhibition of GOD activity by Cu(II). That is, the Cu(II) concentration required to inhibit by half the response to glucose of the biosensor containing complex 2 was 1.0 mM. This inhibitory effect was fully reversed by addition of citrate, a ligand forming sufficiently stable complex with Cu(II).     

Crystal structure oftrans-(benzyl-C)bis(dimethylglyoximato-N,N′)-(morpholine-N)cobalt(III)-monohydrate

Summary The title compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n, with cell dimensions:a = 8.535(4) Å,b = 13.009(4) Å,c = 20.615(5) Å, = 100.57(3) and Z = 4. The central cobalt atom coordination is a slightly distorted octahedron, formed by five N-atoms (two glyoximes and morpholine) and one C-atom.The interaction between the complex Co-units is weak: the strongest nearest neighbour interaction is formed by a hydrogen bridge in which the water molecule of crystallization acts as the donor part.     

Structural factors determining DNA length limitations in conformation-sensitive mutation detection methods

Numerous mutations and polymorphisms in human genes remain to be identified using reliable methods. Of the available mutation scanning methods those dependent on structural change-induced mobility shifts are highly effective. Their efficiency is, however, DNA length-sensitive and the reasons for that are poorly understood. In this study, we explain why scanning genes for mutations is less effective in longer DNA fragments, and reveal the factors which are behind this effect. We have performed a systematic analysis of the same sequence variants of exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene in DNA fragments of three different lengths using the combined single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and heteroduplex analysis (DA) by capillary electrophoresis (CE). There are two major structural factors responsible for the reduced mutation detection rate in long amplicons. The first is increased contribution from other secondary structure modules and domains in longer fragments, which mask the structural change induced by the mutation. The second is higher frequency of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including common polymorphisms in longer fragments. This makes it necessary to distinguish the structural effect of the mutation from that of each polymorphic variant, which is often difficult to achieve. Taking these factors into account, an efficient scanning of genes for sequence variants by conformation-sensitive methods may be performed.     

Electrochemically aided solid phase microextraction: conducting polymer film material applicable for cationic analytes

The cation uptake and release properties of a poly(pyrrole-sulfated β-cyclodextrin) (PPy-SβCD) film electrode have been investigated under both open circuit and controlled potential conditions for prospective applications in electrochemically aided solid-phase microextraction (EA SPME). The EDAX and ion chromatography results show that the K⁺ and Na⁺ cation uptake is enhanced if a small negative potential is applied to the electrode in the range where PPy is in its neutral form. These cations are released rapidly from the film if the applied potential is switched to the value at which PPy is converted to its positively charged form, i.e., oxidized state. The cation ingress and egress mechanism is affected both by the cation exchange at the negative sulfate moiety on the cyclodextrin sites and electrostatic interactions generated by the applied potential. The electrochemical "switching" capability increases the speed of the cation uptake and release, presumably due to electro migration, as compared to the open circuit ion exchange which is controlled solely by diffusion. Our preliminary fundamental results show that the PPy-SβCD film is suitable for the future design of EA SPME devices. Electronic Publication     

Methyl transfer reactivity of five-coordinate CH3CoIIIPc

CH3CoIIIPc (Pc = dianion of phthalocyanine) has been characterized by equilibrium studies of its trans axial ligation and cyclic voltammetry as a relatively "electron poor" model of methylcobalamin, which in noncoordinating solvents persists as a five-coordinate complex. Axial base (N-donors, PBu3, SCN-, weakly binding O-donors) inhibition of methyl transfer from CH3CoIIIPc shows that the reaction proceeds via the reactive five-coordinate species, even in coordinating solvents. The virtual inactivity of six-coordinate CH3CoIIIPc(L) complexes provides a reference point for important biological processes.     

J/ψ, ψ′ and related decays from dual unitarisation

The widths for about 30 decay modes of the J/ψ family are calculated from dual unitarisation. Consistency with experiment is obtained wherever such information is available.     

Polarizations and differential calculus in affine spaces

Within the framework of mappings between affine spaces, the notion of nth polarization of a function will lead to an intrinsic characterization of polynomial functions. We prove that the characteristic features of derivations, such as linearity, iterability, Leibniz and chain rules are shared - at the finite level - by the polarization operators. We give these results by means of explicit general formulae, which are valid at any order n, and are based on combinatorial identities. The infinitesimal limits of the nth polarizations of a function will yield its nth derivatives (without resorting to the usual recursive definition), and the afore-mentioned properties will be recovered directly in the limit. Polynomial functions will allow us to produce a coordinate free version of Taylor's formula.     

Über die magnetische Untersuchung der Zersetzungsprodukte des Kobalt(II)-hexacyano-ferrates

Zusammenfassung Kobalt(II)-hexacyanoferrat wird in der Luft zersetzt und die Zersetzungsprodukte werden analytisch, durch Röntgenaufnahmen und magnetische Messungen identifiziert.Die Rückstände, deren Zusammensetzung von der Zersetzungstemperatur abhängt, bestehen hauptsächlich aus Co, Co₃O₄, -Fe₂O₃, -Fe₂O₃, CoFe₂O₄ und CoO.     

"Two-point" assembling of Zn(II) and Co(II) metalloporphyrins derivatized with a crown ether substituent in Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

The effect of "two-point" interactions of Zn(II) and Co(II) metalloporphyrins, bearing 15-crown-5 ether peripheral substituents, on their assembling in Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films was investigated. That is, simultaneously, the central metal ion of the porphyrin was axially ligated by a nitrogen-containing ligand in the emerged part of the Langmuir film on one hand, and a suitably selected cation pertaining in the subphase solution was supramolecularly complexed by the crown ether moiety in the submerged part of the film on the other. The compression and polarity properties of the Langmuir films of the derivatized free-base 5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(benzo-15-crown-5)porphyrin, H2(TPMCP), and the corresponding cobalt(II) and zinc(II) metalloporphyrins, denoted as Co(TPMCP) and Zn(TPCMP), respectively, as well as inclusion complexes of the metalloporphyrins with selected cations were investigated. For the axial ligation of Zn(II) and Co(II), pyrazine (pyz) and 4,4'-bipyridnine (bpy) aromatic as well as piperazine (ppz) and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) cyclic heteroaliphatic ligands were selected. The films were formed on the water subphase solution in the absence and presence of LiCl, NaCl, or NH4Cl. The Langmuir films were built of monolayer J-type aggregates of tilted porphyrin macrocycles. The porphyrins formed rather labile complexes with the cations in the subphase. Nevertheless, the XPS analysis revealed that these cations were LB transferred together with the porphyrins onto solid substrates. In the Co(TPMCP) Langmuir films formed on the water subphases, Co(II) was complexed by aromatic but not cyclic heteroaliphatic ligands, while, in these films formed on the NaCl subphase solutions, the metalloporphyrin was also complexed by DABCO. In Langmuir films spread on alkaline subphase solutions, both aromatic and heteroaliphatic ligands formed complexes with Co(TPMCP) of different stoichiometries. The X-ray reflectivity and GIXD measurements performed on selected LB films revealed some structure-building effects of the axial ligation.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of a cationic zinc porphyrin-imidazole-functionalized fullerene dyad: formation and photoelectrochemical studies

Electron donor-acceptor dyad ensembles of a water-soluble cationic zinc porphyrin (viz., zinc tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium)porphyrin tetrachloride, Zn(TMPyP)) and a C60 derivative that bears an imidazole ligand (viz., 2-(phenylimidazolyl)fulleropyrrolidine, C60im) were assembled during the formation of Langmuir and then Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. Surface pressure versus surface area isotherms and surface pressure time profiles, as well as Brewster angle microscopic images documented that the Langmuir films formed were remarkably stable. Subsequently, these Langmuir films were transferred onto different solid substrates, by using the LB technique, for spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical characterization. The UV-vis spectroscopic investigations confirmed that the water-soluble Zn(TMPyP) was, indeed, transferred together with C60im in the LB films. Upon visible light illumination of these LB films, deposited on the ITO transparent conductive supports, a photocurrent generated in the C60im-Zn(TMPyP) system is ascribed to an efficient photoinduced electron transfer from the electron donor, porphyrin singlet excited-state to the electron acceptor, C60. Overall, internal photon-to-current efficiency, IPCE, of the photoanodic current generation (with ascorbate as a sacrificial electron donor) in the ITO/C60im-Zn(TMPyP)/ascorbate/Pt construct is over 5x larger than that of the photocathodic system (with methyl viologen, MV2+, as a sacrificial electron acceptor) in the ITO/Zn(TMPyP)-C60im/MV2+/Pt construct. Highly ordered film stacking favors vectorial electron transfer within the dyad, giving rise to the highest IPCE values of 2.5% determined for a photoanode that was composed of around 20 monolayer films.