THE USE OF INTERNALIZABLE DERIVATIVES OF CHLORIN E6 FOR INCREASING ITS PHOTOSENSITIZING ACTIVITY

Experiments with human hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 cells and human embryo skin fibroblasts involving the use of three different tests (colony formation, Trypan blue exclusion, labeled thymidine incorporation) have demonstrated a significantly higher photosensitizing activity of chlorin e₆ conjugates with internalizable ligands as compared to that of chlorin e₆ itself. Receptor-mediated internalization of chlorin e₆ conjugates ensures a greater photosensitization of cells than binding of those conjugates to cell surface receptors. The suitability of such conjugates that permit the delivery of a photosensitizer to sensitive intracellular targets is discussed.     

Luminescent properties of three structures built from 3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olate and cadmium

Yellow–orange tetraaquabis(3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olato‐κN³)cadmium(II) dihydrate, [Cd(C₈HN₄O₂)₂(H₂O)₄]·2H₂O, (I), and yellow tetraaquabis(3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olato‐κN³)cadmium(II) 1,4‐dioxane solvate, [Cd(C₈HN₄O₂)₂(H₂O)₄]·C₄H₈O₂, (II), contain centrosymmetric mononuclear Cd²⁺ coordination complex molecules in different conformations. Dark‐red poly[[decaaquabis(μ₂‐3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐5‐oxo‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐olato‐κ²N:N′)bis(μ₂‐3‐cyano‐4‐dicyanomethylene‐1H‐pyrrole‐2,5‐diolato‐κ²N:N′)tricadmium] hemihydrate], [Cd₃(C₈HN₄O₂)₂(C₈N₄O₂)₂(H₂O)₁₀]·0.5H₂O, (III), has a polymeric two‐dimensional structure, the building block of which includes two cadmium cations (one of them located on an inversion centre), and both singly and doubly charged anions. The cathodoluminescence spectra of the crystals are different and cover the wavelength range from UV to red, with emission peaks at 377 and 620 nm for (III), and at 583 and 580 nm for (I) and (II), respectively.     

Ethylenediaminetetraacetato-monoperoxo complexes of vanadium(V)

Summary The monoperoxo complexes, M₂[VO(HEDTA)(O₂)]· 4H₂O, where M is K⁺ or NH ₄ ⁺ and H₄EDTA is ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid, were prepared and characterized by Raman and i.r. spectra in the solid state and in aqueous solution. The single crystal X-ray study revealed a pentagonal bipyramidal anion structure with a tetradentate HEDTA(3—) ligand. The decomposition of complexes in aqueous solution to blue vanadium(IV) complexes as end products proceeds via a nonperoxo complex of vanadium.     

Total stepwise solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotide-(3'-->N)-peptide conjugates

[structure: see text] An efficient total stepwise solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotide-(3'-->N)-peptide conjugates is described that makes use of either a controlled pore glass support or macroporous polystyrene beads. Extending our previous homoserine linker approach, we prepared a range of conjugates containing one of four different cell or nuclear penetration peptides together with oligonucleotides containing 2'-deoxynucleoside or 2'-O-methylribonucleoside phosphodiesters, or gapmers containing 2'-deoxyphosphorothioates. The route also allows incorporation of a fluorescent label within the conjugate for cell uptake studies.     

Geometry changes of a Cu(I) phenanthroline complex on photoexcitation in a confining medium by time-resolved X-ray diffraction

Using a stroboscopic technique, in which the molecule is repeatedly excited and the structural change is probed more than 5000 times per second immediately after excitation, we performed a 16 K time-resolved single-crystal study of the microsecond lifetime triplet state of the Cu(I)phenanthroline derivative[Cu(I)(dmp)(dppe)][PF6] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane). The geometry changes on excitation differ for the two symmetry-independent molecules, but are in the same direction as calculated for an isolated reference molecule, although the flattening distortion in the crystal is significantly smaller, implying that the reorganization energy is greatly affected by the confining medium.     

Synthesis of Functionalized o‐, m‐, and p‐Terphenyl Derivatives by Consecutive Cross‐Coupling Reactions of Triazene‐Substituted Arylboronic Esters

Triazene‐substituted arylboronic esters were prepared readily from the corresponding aryl magnesium derivatives and shown to function as a new class of donor–acceptor‐substituted coupling reagents. The selective functionalization of these aromatic derivatives led to a wide variety of terphenyl derivatives in which the original bifunctional unit (often further substituted with another functional group) formed the central aromatic ring. The functionalized terphenyl derivatives were formed in two efficient cross‐coupling steps from the triazene‐substituted boronic esters: Suzuki cross‐coupling with an aryl halide was followed by BF₃?OEt₂‐induced palladium‐catalyzed coupling of the diazonium salt generated in situ from the triazene with an arylboronic acid.     

An evaluation of analytical techniques for determination of lead, cadmium, chromium, and mercury in food-packaging materials

Closed microwave digestion and a high-pressure asher have been evaluated for wet-oxidation and extraction of lead, cadmium, chromium, and mercury from a range of typical packaging materials used for food products. For the high-pressure asher a combination of nitric and sulfuric acids was efficient for destruction of a range of packaging materials; for polystyrene, however, nitric acid alone was more efficient. For microwave digestion, a reagent containing nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide was used for all materials except polystyrene. Use of the high-pressure asher resulted in the highest recoveries of spiked lead (median 92%), cadmium (median 92%), chromium (median 97%), and mercury (median 83%). All samples were spiked before digestion with 40 microg L(-1) Cd, Cr, and Pb and 8 microg L(-1) Hg in solution. The use of indium as internal standard improved the accuracy of results from both ICP-MS and ICP-AES. Average recovery of the four elements from spiked packaging materials was 92 +/- 14% by ICP-MS and 87 +/- 15% (except for mercury) by ICP-AES. For mercury analysis by CVAAS, use of tin(II) chloride as reducing agent resulted in considerably better accuracy than use of sodium borohydride reagent.     

Synthesis and use of alpha-silyl-substituted alpha-hydroxyacetic acids

[reaction: see text] Rhodium-catalyzed oxygen transfer was used to generate benzyl 2-silyl-2-oxoacetates in good yields. The hydrogenation of these compounds led to chiral alpha-silyl-substituted alpha-hydroxyacetic acids. Resolution by means of HPLC using a chiral stationary phase afforded an enantiomerically pure representative of this class of compounds, which was successfully applied as a chiral ligand in an asymmetric aldol-type reaction.     

In situ determination of orientational distributions in Langmuir monolayers by total internal reflection fluorescence

A new application of the polarized total internal reflection fluorescence (PTIRF) technique to study the orientation distribution of a fluorophore within a Langmuir monolayer in situ on an aqueous subphase is described. The technique utilizes the measurement of polarized fluorescence, excited by the evanescent field appearing upon total internal reflection. The excitation by the evanescent field is achieved by launching the beam into a prism that is brought into contact with the monolayer from above. We also show here that a combination of PTIRF of monolayers on water and those freshly deposited onto the prism by horizontal lift in the same experiment provide enough data to determine the dielectric constant of the actual local environment of the fluorophore in the monolayer to eliminate the ambiguity of the orientation determination, arising from uncertainty in the normal component of excitation field. The new technique was applied to several model systems: fatty acid monolayers containing amphiphilic dyes DiI or BODIPY and also a monolayer of a synthetic amphiphilic porphyrin-binding peptide AP0. This technique is more accurate than polarized epifluorescence (PEF) in determining the fluorophore orientation distribution due to the much higher normal component of the excitation, achievable in the evanescent field, and to the lack of surface vibrations caused by capillary waves. Comparison of the new PTIRF approach with PEF shows that the monolayer structure is not disturbed by weak van der Waals attachment to the hydrophobic substrate.     

Sulfonated and sulfoacylated poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) copolymers as packing materials for cation chromatography

Three different types of cation exchangers were produced from four basic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) substrates with different properties. Porous PS-DVB resin beads were functionalized by sulfonation and sulfoacylation under various conditions to produce sulfonated resins with exchange capacities of 0.03-1.80 mM g(-1). The matrix with 50% of cross-linking is most suitable for updating by the proposed technique. Sulfuric and chlorosulfonic acids were used as the reagents for sulfonation. The sulfonating conditions, capacities, and the technique of the synthesis are given. The effects of parameters of the sulfonation reaction and the composition of the reactionary mixture on ion-exchange capacity of the sorbents were investigated. Selectivity and efficiency of the separation of some inorganic cations and derivatives of amines and hydrazines on the resins obtained are compared by ion chromatography with conductometric detection. As a result, the sulfoacylated resin was proved more efficient for the separation of these analytes. The resolution of the analytes strongly depends on the degree of functionalization. The best performance about 19,000 plates m(-1) was obtained using the sulfopropionylated beads with an ion-exchange capacity of 0.3 mM g(-1). The prepared sulfoacylated cation exchanger was compared with the commercially available Dionex CS-12 packing material. It was found that the separation of alkaline ions and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) were much better that those for the commercial material.