Hydrogen-Bonding Induced Alternate Stacking of Donor (D) and Acceptor (A) Chromophores and their Supramolecular Switching to Segregated States

This paper reports comprehensive studies on the mixed assembly of bis-(trialkoxybenzamide)-functionalized dialkoxynaphthalene (DAN) donors and naphthalene-diimide (NDI) acceptors due the cooperative effects of hydrogen bonding, charge-transfer (CT) interactions, and solvophobic effects. A series of DAN as well as NDI building blocks have been examined (wherein the relative distance between the two amide groups in a particular chromophore is the variable structural parameter) to understand the structure-dependent variation in mode of supramolecular assembly and morphology (organogel, reverse vesicle, etc.) of the self-assembled material. Interestingly, it was observed that when the amide functionalities are introduced to enhance the self-assembly propensity, the mode of co-assembly among the DAN and NDI chromophores no longer remained trivial and was dictated by a relatively stronger hydrogen-bonding interaction instead of a weak CT interaction. Consequently, in a highly non-polar solvent like methylcyclohexane (MCH), although kinetically controlled CT-gelation was initially noticed, within a few hours the system sacrificed the CT-interaction and switched over to the more stable self-sorted gel to maximize the gain in enthalpy from the hydrogen-bonding interaction. In contrast, in a relatively less non-polar solvent such as tetrachloroethylene (TCE), in which the strength of hydrogen bonding is inherently weak, the contribution of the CT interaction also had to be accounted for along with hydrogen bonding leading to a stable CT-state in the gel or solution phase. The stability and morphology of the CT complex and rate of supramolecular switching (from CT to segregated state) were found to be greatly influenced by subtle structural variation of the building blocks, solvent polarity, and the DAN/NDI ratio. For example, in a given D-A pair, by introducing just one methylene unit in the spacer segment of either of the building blocks a complete change in the mode of co-assembly (CT state or segregated state) and the morphology (1D fiber to 2D reverse vesicle) was observed. The role of solvent polarity, structural variation, and D/A ratio on the nature of co-assembly, morphology, and the unprecedented supramolecular-switching phenomenon have been studied by detail spectroscopic and microscopic experiments in a gel as well as in the solution state and are well supported by DFT calculations.     

Are Protein Force Fields Getting Better? A Systematic Benchmark on 524 Diverse NMR Measurements

Recent hardware and software advances have enabled simulation studies of protein systems on biophysically-relevant timescales, often revealing the need for improved force fields. Although early force field development was limited by the lack of direct comparisons between simulation and experiment, recent work from several labs has demonstrated direct calculation of NMR observables from protein simulations. Here we quantitatively evaluate recent molecular dynamics force fields against a suite of 524 chemical shift and J coupling ((3)JH(N)H(α), (3)JH(N)C(β), (3)JH(α)C', (3)JH(N)C', and (3)JH(α)N) measurements on dipeptides, tripeptides, tetra-alanine, and ubiquitin. Of the force fields examined (ff96, ff99, ff03, ff03*, ff03w, ff99sb*, ff99sb-ildn, ff99sb-ildn-phi, ff99sb-ildn-nmr, CHARMM27, OPLS-AA), two force fields (ff99sb-ildn-phi, ff99sb-ildn-nmr) combining recent side chain and backbone torsion modifications achieve high accuracy in our benchmark. For the two optimal force fields, the calculation error is comparable to the uncertainty in the experimental comparison. This observation suggests that extracting additional force field improvements from NMR data may require increased accuracy in J coupling and chemical shift prediction. To further investigate the limitations of current force fields, we also consider conformational populations of dipeptides, which were recently estimated using vibrational spectroscopy.     

Ion Interactions with a New Ditopic Naphthalimide‐Based Receptor: A Photophysical,NMR and Theoretical (DFT) Study

A new multi‐component chemosensor system comprising a naphthalimide moiety as fluorophore is designed and developed to investigate receptor–analyte binding interactions in the presence of metal and non‐metal ions. A dimethylamino moiety is utilized as receptor for metal ions and a thiourea receptor, having acidic protons, for binding anions. The system is characterized by conventional analytical methods. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the system consist of a broad band typical for an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). The effects of various metal‐ion additives on the spectral behavior of the present sensor system are examined in acetonitrile. It is found that among the metal ions studied, alkali/alkaline earth‐metal ions and transition‐metal ions modulate the absorption and fluorescence spectra of the system. As an additional feature, the anion signaling behavior of the system in acetonitrile is studied. A decrease in fluorescence efficiency of the system is observed upon addition of fluoride and acetate anions. Fluorescence quenching is most effective in the case of fluoride ions. This is attributed to the enhancement of the photoinduced electron transfer from the anion receptor to the fluorophore moiety. Hydrogen‐bond interactions between the acidic NH protons of the thiourea moiety and the F^? anions are primarily attributed to the fluoride‐selective signaling behavior. Interestingly, a negative cooperativity for the binding event is observed when the interactions of the system are studied in the presence of both Zn²⁺ and F^? ions. NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations are also carried out to better understand the receptor–analyte binding.     

Photosensitization of nanoparticulate TiO2 using a Re(I)-polypyridyl complex: studies on interfacial electron transfer in the ultrafast time domain

We have synthesized a new photoactive rhenium(i)-complex having a pendant catechol functionality [Re(CO)(3)Cl(L)] (1) (L is 4-[2-(4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridinyl-4-yl)vinyl]benzene-1,2-diol) for studying the dynamics of the interfacial electron transfer between nanoparticulate TiO(2) and the photoexcited states of this Re(i)-complex using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Our steady state absorption studies revealed that complex 1 can bind strongly to TiO(2) surfaces through the catechol functionality with the formation of a charge transfer (CT) complex, which has been confirmed by the appearance of a new red-shifted CT band. The longer wavelength absorption band for 1, bound to TiO(2) through the proposed catecholate functionality, could also be explained based on the DFT calculations. Dynamics of the interfacial electron transfer between 1 and TiO(2) nanoparticles was investigated by studying kinetics at various wavelengths in the visible and near infrared regions. Electron injection into the conduction band of the nanoparticulate TiO(2) was confirmed by detection of the conduction band electron in TiO(2) ([e(-)](TiO(2)(CB))) and the cation radical of the adsorbed dye (1˙(+)) in real time as monitored by transient absorption spectroscopy. A single exponential and pulse-width limited (<100 fs) electron injection was observed. Back electron transfer dynamics was determined by monitoring the decay kinetics of 1˙(+) and .     

Inhibiting protein biofouling using graphene oxide in droplet-based microfluidic microsystems

Biofouling or adsorption of biomolecules onto surfaces in microfluidic devices limits the type of samples which can be handled. In this paper, we take advantage of the high adsorption capacity of graphene oxide (GO) for proteins as a strategy to limit biofouling, while preserving their activity for droplet-based lab-on-chip applications.     

UV-vis-NIR and EPR characterisation of the redox series [MQ(3)](2+,+,0,-,2-), M = Ru or Os, and Q = o-quinone derivative

The neutral title compounds with Q = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-quinone or 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-phenyl-o-iminobenzoquinone (Q(x)) were studied by UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry and by EPR spectroscopy in the case of the odd-electron monocation and monoanion intermediates. Supported by DFT and TD-DFT calculations, the results indicate stepwise electron removal from predominantly ligand-based delocalised MOs on oxidation whereas the stepwise electron uptake on reduction involves unoccupied MOs with considerably metal-ligand mixed character. In both cases, the strong near-infrared absorption of the neutral precursors diminishes. In comparison to the ruthenium series, the osmium analogues exhibit larger transition energies from enhanced MO splitting and a different EPR response due to the higher spin-orbit coupling. The main difference between the quinone (1(n), 2(n)) and corresponding monoiminoquinone systems (3(n), 4(n)) is the shift of about 0.6 V to lower potentials for the monoimino analogues. While the absorption features do not differ markedly, the EPR data reflect a higher degree of covalent bonding for the complexes with monoimino ligands.     

Encapsulation of divalent tetrahedral oxyanions of sulfur within the rigidified dimeric capsular assembly of a tripodal receptor: first crystallographic evidence of thiosulfate encapsulation within neutral receptor capsule

A simple tris(2-aminoethyl)amine based meta-chloro substituted tripodal thiourea receptor L has been extensively studied with two divalent oxyanions of sulfur, such as sulfate and thiosulfate, with identical dimensionality. The solid state crystal structure of the anion complexes with L reveal that the anions are encapsulated within the dimeric rigid capsular assembly of the receptor via N-Hanion interactions. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on the encapsulation of thiosulfate within dimeric capsular assembly of a neutral receptor. The tight capsular sizes for both anion complexes are quite comparable, whereas the coordination mode of the anions and the hydrogen bonding parameters are significantly varied. The three dimensional solid state structural orientations of the capsular complexes are mainly governed by the ClCl (for thiosulfate complex) and ClS (for sulfate complex) halogen bonding interactions. The solution-state binding and encapsulation of oxyanions by N-Hanion hydrogen bonding has also been confirmed by quantitative (1)H NMR titration and 2D NOESY NMR experiments. Both the experiments confirm that in contradiction of 2?:?1 solid state binding, in solution the studied anions are bound within the pseudocavity of the receptor with 1?:?1 binding stoichiometry. Moreover, the change in chemical shifts of thiourea -NH protons and the binding constant values suggest the receptor-sulfate interaction is more energetically favorable compared to the receptor thiosulfate interaction.     

Gold nano particles catalyzed oxidation of hydrazine by a metallo-superoxide complex: experimental evidences for surface activity of gold nano particles

Gelatin-capped gold nano particles (GNPs) of diameter 23, 28 and 36 nm were prepared and characterized as almost monodispersed, near-spherical solids. In acidic media, these GNPs at their very low concentration level (～10(-13) M) catalyze the oxidation of hydrazine by the metallo-superoxide, [(NH(3))(4)Co(III)(μ-NH(2),μ-O(2))Co(III)(NH(3))(4)](NO(3))(4) (1). In the presence of a large excess of hydrazine over [1], the catalyzed oxidation is first-order in [1], [GNPs] and media alkalinity. The pure first-order dependence implies that the size as well as the nature of the catalyst remained unchanged during the reaction. The catalytic efficacies increased with increased total surface area of the GNPs. Increasing T(Hydrazine) (T(Hydrazine) is the analytical concentration of hydrazine) tends to saturate the first-order rate constant (k(o)) for hydrazine oxidation and a plot of 1/k(o)versus T(Hydrazine) was found to be linear at a particular [GNPs], indicating the GNPs assisted deprotonation of N(2)H(5)(+) to N(2)H(4). The rate constants show a non-linear behavior with temperature studied in the range 288-308 K. At a lower temperature interval, viz. 288-298 K, k(o) increases with increasing temperature whereas at temperature interval, viz. 303-308 K, k(o) decreases with temperature. Such a variation indicates the important process of absorption and desorption of the reactants on and from the surface. A plausible mechanism for the GNPs catalyzed oxidation of hydrazine is suggested.     

An unprecedented "linear-bent" isomerism in tri-nuclear Cu(2)(II)Zn(II) complexes with a salen type di-Schiff base ligand

Two new trinuclear hetero-metallic copper(ii)-zinc(ii) complexes [(CuL)(2)Zn(N(3))(2)] ( and ) have been synthesized using [CuL] as a so-called "metalloligand" (where H(2)L = N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,3-propanediamine) and structurally characterized. Complexes and have the same molecular formula but crystallize in different crystal systems (triclinic for and monoclinic for ) with space group P1[combining macron] for and P2(1)/c for . is an angular trinuclear species, in which two terminal four-coordinate square planar "metalloligand" [CuL] are coordinated to a central Zn(ii) through double phenoxido bridges. The Zn(ii) is in a six-coordinate distorted octahedral environment being bonded additionally to two mutually cis nitrogen atoms of terminal azide ions. In complex , in addition to the double phenoxido bridge, the two terminal Cu(ii) ions are linked to the central Zn(ii) via a μ(-l,l) azido bridge giving rise to a square pyramidal environment around the Cu(ii) ions and consequently the structure becomes linear. These two species can be considered as "linear-bent" isomers. EPR spectra and ESI mass spectra show that the two isomers are identical in solution. The DFT calculation reveals that the energy of is 7.06 kcal mol(-1) higher than that of . The existence of both isomers in the solid state suggests that crystal packing interactions in are more efficient and probably compensate for the difference in energy.     

General and selective copper-catalyzed reduction of tertiary and secondary phosphine oxides: convenient synthesis of phosphines

Novel catalytic reductions of tertiary and secondary phosphine oxides to phosphines have been developed. Using tetramethyldisiloxane (TMDS) as a mild reducing agent in the presence of copper complexes, PO bonds are selectively reduced in the presence of other reducible functional groups (FGs) such as ketones, esters, and olefins. Based on this transformation, an efficient one pot reduction/phosphination domino sequence allows for the synthesis of a variety of functionalized aromatic and aliphatic phosphines in good yields.