TRANSFER OF EXCITATION ENERGY BETWEEN PORPHYRIN CENTERS OF A COVALENTLY-LINKED DIMER*

Abstract— Three covalently-linked porphyrin hybrid dimers were synthesized, each containing a metallotetraarylporphyrin [Zn(II), Cu(II), or Ni(II)], and a free base tetraarylporphyrin. Transfer of singlet excitation energy from the metalloporphyrin center to the free base porphyrin center was determined by measuring fluorescence properties. The Zn hybrid dimer displayed excellent intramolecular transfer of energy ( 85%) from the excited singlet state of the Zn(II) chromophore to the free base chromophore. No evidence for such transfer of the excited singlet state energy was found in the Ni(II) or Cu(II) analogues. From our experimental data, the fluorescence quantum yield of the Zn hybrid dimer was the same as for the free base monomer porphyrin (0.11; Seybold and Gouterman, 1969). Thus, the covalent attachment of another fluorescent porphyrin center effectively doubled the antenna size without decreasing the quantum yield even though the fluorescence quantum yield of the Zn(II) containing monomer was substantially less (0.03, according to Seybold and Gouterman, 1969) than that of the free base porphyrin. The donor-acceptor distance and the rate constant for energy transfer were calculated using the Forster equation. Assuming random orientation, a donor-acceptor distance of 15 Å was calculated with an associated rate constant (k_ci) for energy transfer of 1.9 ± 10₉ s_–1.     

Redox,transmetalation, and stacking properties of tetrathiafulvalene-2,3,6,7-tetrathiolate bridged tin,nickel, and palladium compounds

Here we report that capping the molecule TTFtt (TTFtt = tetrathiafulvalene-2,3,6,7-tetrathiolate) with dialkyl tin groups enables the isolation of a stable series of redox congeners and facile transmetalation to Ni and Pd. TTFtt has been proposed as an attractive building block for molecular materials for two decades as it combines the redox chemistry of TTF and dithiolene units. TTFttH₄, however, is inherently unstable and the incorporation of TTFtt units into complexes or materials typically proceeds through the in situ generation of the tetraanion TTFtt⁴⁻. Capping of TTFtt⁴⁻ with Bu₂Sn²⁺ units dramatically improves the stability of the TTFtt moiety and furthermore enables the isolation of a redox series where the TTF core carries the formal charges of 0, +1, and +2. All of these redox congeners show efficient and clean transmetalation to Ni and Pd resulting in an analogous series of bimetallic complexes capped by 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) ligands. Furthermore, by using the same transmetalation method, we synthesized analogous palladium complexes capped by 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf) which had been previously reported. All of these species have been thoroughly characterized through a systematic survey of chemical and electronic properties by techniques including cyclic voltammetry (CV), ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectroscopy (UV-vis-NIR), electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These detailed synthetic and spectroscopic studies highlight important differences between the transmetalation strategy presented here and previously reported synthetic methods for the installation of TTFtt. In addition, the utility of this stabilization strategy can be illustrated by the observation of unusual TTF radical–radical packing in the solid state and dimerization in the solution state. Theoretical calculations based on variational 2-electron reduced density matrix methods have been used to investigate these unusual interactions and illustrate fundamentally different levels of covalency and overlap depending on the orientations of the TTF cores. Taken together, this work demonstrates that tin-capped TTFtt units are ideal reagents for the installation of redox-tunable TTFtt ligands enabling the generation of entirely new geometric and electronic structures.

Capping TTFtt enables facile transmetalation in three different oxidation states.     

Comparison of uncoated, pyro-coated and totally pyrolytic graphite tubes for the HGA-500 electrothermal atomiser

The analytical performance of three uncoated electrographite tubes, three pyro-coated electrographite tubes, one tantalum carbide (TaC) coated electrographite tube, and three totally pyrolytic graphite (TPG) tubes has been evaluated and compared. A test programme was devised to determine the useful operational lifetime of each tube, and assess the influence of tube age on the sensitivity of lead, manganese and vanadium measurements by atomic absorption spectrometry. The TPG tubes were found to be more durable than the other types studied, but the lifetime advantage depended on the thickness of the pyrolytic graphite. The best TPG tube, of 720 μm wall-thickness, lasted 2.5 times longer than the pyro-coated tubes, and 5 times longer than the uncoated electrographite tubes.The TPG tubes gave slightly poorer AAS sensitivity for lead, equivalent sensitivity for manganese, and 4 times better sensitivity for vanadium than the pyro-coated electrographite tubes. Also, with TPG, signal magnitude was more consistent throughout the lifetime of a tube. For each of the test elements studied, poorest sensitivity was encountered with the TaC-coated electrographite tube.     

Synthesis and Systematic Study on the Effect of Different PEG Units on Stability of PEGylated,Integrin-αvβ6-Specific A20FMDV2 Analogues in Rat Serum and Human Plasma

A20FMDV2 is a 20-mer peptide that exhibits high selectivity and affinity for the tumour-related αvβ6 integrin that can compete with extracellular ligands for the crucial RGD binding site, playing a role as a promising αvβ6-specific inhibitor for anti-cancer therapies. Unfortunately, the clinical value of A20FMDV2 is limited by its poor half-life in blood caused by rapid renal excretion and its reported high susceptibility to serum proteases. The incorporation of poly (ethylene glycol) chains, coined PEGylation, is a well-established approach to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of drug molecules. Here, we report a systematic study on the incorporation of a varying number of ethylene glycol units (1–20) into the A20FMDV2 peptide to establish the effects of PEGylation size on the peptide stability in both rat serum and human plasma. In addition, the effect of acetyl and propionyl PEGylation handles on peptide stability is also described. Selected peptide analogues were assessed for integrin-αvβ6-targeted binding, showing good specificity and activity in vitro. Stability studies in rat serum established that all of the PEGylated peptides displayed good stability, and an A20FMDV2 peptide containing twenty ethylene glycol units (PEG₂₀) was the most stable. Surprisingly, the stability testing in human plasma identified shorter PEGs (PEG₂ and PEG₅) as more resistant to degradation than longer PEGs, a trend which was also observed with affinity binding to integrin αvβ6.     

Ultrasonic measurement technique to study thermometric effects in glass

Ultrasonic measurements of shear wave propagation in alkali containing glasses reveal temporal instabilities and thermal after-effects which parallel thermometric effects, the secular rise and zero point depression in the ice point of glass thermometers. The ultrasonic method of observing these effects has advantages over the thermometric technique. Sound velocity is a dynamic quantity proportional to the elastic moduli and density which can be measured on an absolute basis and over a frequency range if desired. Thus in measuring instabilities in the elastic properties of glass the ultrasonic method provides additional information over the use of the thermometric technique whose measured changes relate only to density changes in the glass and only on a relative basis. In addition sound velocity can be measured over as wide a temperature range as desired extending from cryogenic to above glass transition range temperatures. Also no fixed reference points are required as with thermometers. Sample preparation is relatively simple and the availability of ‘packaged’ ultrasonic measurement facilities makes this method of measuring very small changes (ppm) in elastic properties very attractive.Data as a function of time and temperature are presented for a series of alkali-lead-silicates incorporating separately Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and for a lead silicate containing the alkaline earth Ba. The results indicate the reversible nature of the instabilities and after-effects and express their magnitudes and sensitivities to the temperature and temperature interval of measurement. They are also related to the thermal history of the glass, and the concentration and species of the incorporated alkali.     

Evaluation of Electrospun PCL-PLGA for Sustained Delivery of Kartogenin

In this study, kartogenin was incorporated into an electrospun blend of polycaprolactone and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (1:1) to determine the feasibility of this system for sustained drug delivery. Kartogenin is a small-molecule drug that could enhance the outcome of microfracture, a cartilage restoration procedure, by selectively stimulating chondrogenic differentiation of endogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Experimental results showed that kartogenin did not affect the electrospinnability of the polymer blend, and it had negligible effects on fiber morphology and scaffold mechanical properties. The loading efficiency of kartogenin into electrospun membranes was nearly 100%, and no evidence of chemical reaction between kartogenin and the polymers was detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the released drug using high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection indicated an abundance of kartogenin and only a small amount of its major hydrolysis product. Kartogenin displayed a typical biphasic release profile, with approximately 30% being released within 24 h followed by a much slower, constant rate of release up to 28 days. Although additional development is needed to tune the release kinetics and address issues common to electrospun scaffolds (e.g., high fiber density), the results of this study demonstrated that a scaffold electrospun from biodegradable synthetic polymers is a suitable kartogenin delivery vehicle.     

Toxic Effect of Fullerene and Its Derivatives upon the Transmembrane β2-Adrenergic Receptors

Numerous experiments have revealed that fullerene (C₆₀) and its derivatives can bind to proteins and affect their biological functions. In this study, we explored the interaction between fullerine and the β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂AR). The MD simulation results show that fullerene binds with the extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) and intracellular loop 2 (ICL2) of β₂AR through hydrophobic interactions and π–π stacking interactions. In the C₆₀_in1 trajectory, due to the π–π stacking interactions of fullerene molecules with PHE and PRO residues on ICL2, ICL2 completely flipped towards the fullerene direction and the fullerene moved slowly into the lipid membrane. When five fullerene molecules were placed on the extracellular side, they preferred to stack into a stable fullerene cluster (a deformed tetrahedral aggregate), and had almost no effect on the structure of β₂AR. The hydroxyl groups of fullerene derivatives (C₆₀(OH)_X, X represents the number of hydroxyl groups, X = 4, 8) can form strong hydrogen bonds with the ECL2, helix6, and helix7 of β₂AR. The hydroxyl groups firmly grasp the β₂AR receptor like several claws, blocking the binding entry of ligands. The simulation results show that fullerene and fullerene derivatives may have a significant effect on the local structure of β₂AR, especially the distortion of helix4, but bring about no great changes within the overall structure. It was found that C₆₀ did not compete with ligands for binding sites, but blocked the ligands’ entry into the pocket channel. All the above observations suggest that fullerene and its derivatives exhibit certain cytotoxicity.     

Polymerization of head and tail methacrylate micelle-forming surfactants and thermotropic liquid-crystalline character of these monomers and their polymers

The polymerization in micellar and isotropic media of a head-tail pair of surfactants, i.e. of monomers bearing the methacrylate group either at the polar head or at the end of the lipophilic chain is investigated in this study. Owing to the tailor-made structure of these monomers, any differentiations observed in their polymerization can be primarily attributed to topochemical effects resulting from the different location of the polymerizable group in the two monomers. Both monomers exhibited mesomorphic-like textures, which were examined by optical microscopy and DSC studies. Also, their respective polymers showed mesomorphic behaviour, which was found to be dependent on the position of the backbone relative to the polar head.