Quantitative in vitro demonstration of two-photon photodynamic therapy using photofrin and visudyne

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), the combined action of a photosensitizer and light to produce a cytotoxic effect, is an approved therapy for a number of diseases. At present, clinical PDT treatments involve one-photon excitation of the photosensitizer. A major limitation is that damage may be caused to healthy tissues that have absorbed the drug and lie in the beam path. Two-photon excitation may minimize this collateral damage, as the probability of absorption increases with the square of the light intensity, enabling spatial confinement of the photosensitizer activation. A potential application is the treatment of the wet-form of age-related macular degeneration, the foremost cause of central vision loss in the elderly. Herein, the commercial photosensitizers Visudyne and Photofrin are used to demonstrate quantitative in vitro two-photon PDT. A uniform layer of endothelial cells (YPEN-1) was irradiated with a Ti:sapphire laser (300 fs, 865 nm, 90 MHz) using a confocal scanning microscope. Quantification of the two-photon PDT effect was achieved using the permeability stain Hoechst 33258 and a SYTOX Orange viability stain. Visudyne was found to be around seven times more effective as a two-photon photosensitizer than Photofrin under the conditions used, consistent with its higher two-photon absorption cross-section. We also demonstrate for the first time the quadratic intensity dependence of cellular two-photon PDT. This simple in vitro method for quantifying the efficacy of photosensitizers for two-photon excited PDT will be valuable to test specifically designed two-photon photosensitizers before proceeding to in vivo studies in preclinical animal models.     

Bis(2‐but­yl‐N,N′‐diisopropyl­amidinato)dichloro­hafnium(IV)

The title compound, [Hf(C₁₁H₂₃N₂)₂Cl₂], is a monomeric hafnium(IV) complex containing two bidentate amidinate ligands and two cis Cl atoms. The crystals are triclinic (space group ) and there is one independent six‐coordinate monomer with a highly distorted octa­hedral geometry in the asymmetric unit. The reported structure is the first hafnium–amidinate complex to be characterized successfully by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.     

Synthesis of silver nanoprisms in formamide

Polygonal (mainly triangular) silver nanoprisms were prepared by reducing silver perchlorate in formamide in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) at room temperature. The reduction of silver ions by formamide leads to the deposition of arrays of triangular shaped silver nanoparticles on the glass walls of the container, accompanied by evolution of CO2 gas. In the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) and PEG (1:1), both nanospheres and nanoprisms are formed.     

A planar model for interacting fermions

One-particle Green function in the paramagnetic phase of a model of interacting fermions is obtained in the planar approximation. The model is zero-dimensional, in that thermal fluctuations are the only source of kinetic energy.     

Novel electron transfer mechanism in lithium alanate reduction of benzylic halides

Occurrence of a new electron transfer mechanism in the LiAlH₄ reduction of 9-chloromethylanthrancene, diphenylchloromethane and 9-bromofluorene is demonstrated. Alanate anion serves as a source of electrons and hydrogen atoms.     

Synthesis and structural details of MSr2RECu2O7+δ(M-1212;0⩽δ<1) compounds with M = Al,Nb, Fe,Ru, Ga & Co and RE = Eu,Y

Synthesis and structural details of MSr₂RECu₂O_z (M-1212) compounds with M = Ga, Nb, Fe, Al and Co) and RE = Eu, Y are reported. Reitveld refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns shows that all compounds are crystallized in single phase. Nb-, Fe- and Al-1212 possess tetragonal P4/mmm space group structure while the Ga-1212 and Co-1212 are crystallized in orthorhombic Ima2 space group. The change of space group from P4/mmm to Ima2 indicating towards the doubling of unit cell. The buckling angle [Cu(2)–O(2)–Cu(2) angle] shows that most of the studied samples are heavily under doped and hence they could not exhibit superconductivity. Thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis shows the M-1212 compounds to be more stable than widely studied 90 K superconductor Cu-1212 (RE-123).