Microfabrication of three-dimensional bioelectronic architectures

The functionality and structural diversity of biological macromolecules has motivated efforts to exploit proteins and DNA as templates for synthesis of electronic architectures. Although such materials offer promise for numerous applications in the fabrication of cellular interfaces, biosensors, and nanoelectronics, identification of techniques for positioning and ordering bioelectronic components into useful patterns capable of sophisticated function has presented a major challenge. Here, we describe the fabrication of electronic materials using biomolecular scaffolds that can be constructed with precisely defined topographies. In this approach, a tightly focused pulsed laser beam capable of promoting protein photo-cross-linking in specified femtoliter volume elements is scanned within a protein solution, creating biomolecular matrices that either remain in integral contact with a support surface or extend as free-standing structures through solution, tethered at their ends. Once fabricated, specific protein scaffolds can be selectively metallized via targeted deposition and growth of metal nanoparticles, yielding high-conductivity bioelectronic materials. This aqueous fabrication strategy opens new opportunities for creating electronic materials in chemically sensitive environments and may offer a general approach for creating microscopically defined inorganic landscapes.     

Cellular logic with orthogonal ribosomes

The creation and use of unnatural molecules to control cellular function is a long standing goal of the chemical community, but in general, these efforts have been directed at finding molecules to inhibit or activate a particular molecular target or function, or to elicit a particular phenotype. Here we show that multiple unnatural molecules (orthogonal ribosomes) can be used combinatorially, in a single cell, to program Boolean logic functions. These experiments show how attention to the molecular specificity of noncovalent interactions between unnatural macromolecules allows the synthesis of complex function from the "bottom-up" in living matter.     

Azines possessing strong push-pull donors/acceptors

Azines (R(2)C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-N[double bond, length as m-dash]CR(2)) are 2,3-diaza analogues of 1,3-butadiene. In this report we show that strong polarisation of the azine imparts structural features consistent with delocalization within the azine fragment; NLO properties for the azines are also reported.     

A first synthesis of thiophene dendrimers

[structure: see text] Thiophene dendrons and dendrimers were designed and synthesized using a convergent approach. Metal-mediated coupling reactions were used in the synthesis. A rational approach allowed the formation of alphaalpha, betabeta, and alphabeta linkages between the dendrons and thiophene units.     

Studies towards the total synthesis of palau'amine. Formation of 4,5-dihydropyrrole-2-carboxylate intermediates by alkene-enamide ring-closing metathesis

A highly functionalized 4,5-dihydropyrrole-2-carboxylate is assembled by alkene-enamide ring-closing metathesis. Subsequent intramolecular azomethine imine dipolar cycloaddition provides a triazacyclopenta[cd]pentalene intermediate of potential use in a total synthesis of palau'amine.     

Heterogeneous binding of lipoteichoic acid to the surface of titanium dioxide as determined with 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The adsorption of lipoteichoic acid onto the surface of titanium dioxide is shown to be heterogeneous. 31P CPMAS solid-state NMR reveals two distinct phosphate species. The chemical shift anisotropy, asymmetry parameter, and rotating-frame spin-lattice relaxation suggest that 50% of the phosphates are bound to the surface. The remaining phosphates also exhibit restricted molecular motion, but do not have a direct surface bond.     

Synthesis and single-molecule studies of a well-defined biomimetic modular multidomain polymer using a peptidomimetic beta-sheet module

In the pursuit of advanced biomaterials with combined strength, toughness, and elasticity, a new class of well-defined modular polymers has been synthesized, and their nanomechanical properties have been studied using atomic force microscopy. These polymers are based on a peptidomimetic beta-sheet-based double-closed loop (DCL) module, which was designed to overcome the limitation of the modular polymers we reported previously (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 2059). Single-molecule force-extension experiments revealed the sequential unfolding of these modules as the polymer is stretched, resulting in more regular sawtooth-patterned curves similar to those seen in titin and other biopolymers. The single-molecule data agreed well with computer modeling, which suggested that hydrogen bonding and pi-stacking are both involved in the formation of small DCL clusters along the polymer chain.     

Polyamine-based anion receptors: Extraction and structural studies

In the discussion that follows some of the more recent progress in the area of anion binding by synthetic polyamine receptors is presented, with emphasis given to work undertaken by the authors’ groups. A continuing theme in these studies has been the relationship between receptor structure and its anion extraction properties.Systematic solvent extraction and structural studies for halide and perrhenate complexes with polyamines of tripodal, macrocyclic and macrobicyclic architecture that contain both aromatic moieties and four to eight amine functions have been performed in order to derive relevant structure-binding/extractability relationships. The results demonstrate that the binding and extraction behaviour of the polyamines towards halides and perrhenate is a complex function of their structural features, degree of protonation and lipophilic properties. The extraction is characterized by the preferred formation of mono- and diprotonated amine species in the organic phase. X-ray structure studies of iodide and perrhenate complexes with open-chain tetraamino derivatives and octaamino cryptands in different protonation states lead to the conclusion that in the first case only limited chelation of the anion occurs and in the second only highly protonated species are able to encapsulate the anion. The structural patterns observed are strongly influenced by the presence of water molecules in the crystals.     

Clar valence bond representation of pi-bonding in carbon nanotubes

The application of the Clar aromatic sextet valence bond (VB) model to extended, defect-free single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with roll-up vectors (m, n) provides a real space model of their electronic structure. If m - n = 3k, where k is an integer, then all pi-electrons can be represented by aromatic sextets, and the CNT is fully benzenoid; the converse is also true. Since m - n = 3k is known to be a necessary criterion for conductivity in CNTs, only fully benzenoid CNTs are metallic, and only potentially metallic CNTs are fully benzenoid. This behavior contrasts with that of planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in which the fully benzenoid structures are known to have large HOMO-LUMO gaps. For CNTs that are not fully benzenoid, e.g., m - n = 3k + l, where l = 1 or 2 and k is an integer, a seam of double bonds wraps about an otherwise benzenoid CNT at the chiral angle - 60 degrees or the chiral angle, respectively. Nucleus-independent chemical shift calculations on hydrogen-terminated CNT segments support this, and show that the magnetic manifestation of aromatic sextets is not due to electron correlation. The resonance hybrid of the Clar VB structures corresponds to patterns occasionally observed in scanning tunneling microscopy images of CNTs.     

Structural characterization of plasmenylcholine photooxidation products

Oxidative damage to plasmenyl-type lipids contributes to decreased membrane barrier function, loss of membrane structure and formation of nonlamellar defects in membrane bilayers. Previous results from this laboratory have shown that membrane-soluble sensitizers (e.g. zinc phthalocyanine and bacteriochlorophyll a) mediate the photooxidation of palmitoyl plasmenylcholine (1-O-alk-1'-Z-enyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; PPlsC) vesicles with the subsequent creation of lamellar defect structures, vesicle contents leakage and membrane-membrane fusion. Because plasmalogen lipids are significant components of sarcoplasma and myelin membranes, we sought to characterize the products of their photooxidation. This study focuses on the photooxidation of PPlsC vesicles in the presence of the water-soluble sensitizer, aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (AlPcS4(4-)). Attack of photogenerated singlet oxygen on the 1-O-alkenyl ether linkage of PPlsC lipids was expected to generate dioxetane- and ene-type photoproducts. The products formed during continuous aerobic irradiation (28 mW/cm2, (610 nm) of PPlsC vesicles in the presence of AlPcS4(4-) were separated via reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection (ECD) or evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD). Photooxidized dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol vesicles (control) were used to optimize the HPLC-ECD conditions, using 7 alpha-hydroperoxy-cholesterol as standard. HPLC-ECD was found to be most sensitive for PPlsC hydroperoxides, whereas HPLC-ELSD was more sensitive for nonhydroperoxide photoproducts. The three major photoproducts formed during vesicle irradiation were isolated via preparative HPLC and then characterized by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. 1-Formyl-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1-hydroxy-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were identified as dioxetane cleavage products that coeluted at approximately 3 min. The second fraction (retention time [RT] = 48 min) was identified as a PPlsC allylic hydroperoxide. The third photoproduct, eluting at RT = 64 min, is tentatively identified as an oxidation product arising from allylic hydroperoxide degradation via Hock rearrangement or free radical decomposition.