Rigid-core fluorescent oligothiophene-S,S-dioxide isothiocyanates. Synthesis,optical characterization,and conjugation to monoclonal antibodies

In this paper we report the synthesis of a new class of fluorescent thiophene-based isothiocyanates containing a 3,5-disubstituted dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]thiophene-4,4-dioxide moiety as the rigid core, using the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of aryl stannanes with aryl bromides (Stille coupling). By changing the molecular structure through the progressive addition of thienylene or phenylene units, light emission from blue to orange was obtained. Photoluminescence quantum yields ranged from 0.65 to 0.90 for blue and green light emitters to 0.10-0.35 for yellow and orange ones. Optically and chemically stable fluorescent bioconjugates were prepared by spontaneous reaction of the isothiocyanates with monoclonal antibodies anti-CD3 and anti-CD8 in slightly basic solutions.     

Reductive lithiation of 1,3-dimethyl-2-arylimidazolidines

Naphthalene catalyzed lithiation of 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenylimidazolidine led to cleavage of the benzylic carbon-nitrogen bond, with formation of an intermediate dianion. Under similar conditions, 1,3-dimethyl-2-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazolidine underwent regioselective cleavage of the aromatic carbon-chlorine bond, leading to a 4-formylphenyllithium equivalent, whilst 1,3-dimethyl-2-(4-methoxymethylphenyl)imidazolidine underwent regioselective cleavage of the benzylic carbon-oxygen bond, leading to a 4-formylbenzyllithium equivalent.     

Influence of interchain interactions on the electronic properties of neutral and charged oligodiacetylenes carrying bulk substituents

We discuss the effect of the interchain interactions on the electronic properties of a "dimer", named (CHD(4))(2), built from two molecules of a fully carbazolyl-substituted oligodiacetylene containing four repeating units. Each carbazolyl moiety is connected to its respective backbone through a methylene spacer, and the excitations of the neutral and doubly positively charged dimer are obtained using the CIS (configuration interaction including singles) and CEO (collective electronic oscillator) models. The separation distance between the backbones is fixed to a value that could possibly imply a very weak, if any, interchain interaction between the oligomers. In the charged dimer, where we have not been able to perform CEO calculations, it can be expected from previous results that the CIS method will behave satisfactorily. Contrary to the neutral case and surprisingly enough, the simulated photoinduced absorption (PA) spectra indicate a substituent-induced strong interaction between the oligomers, due to the very large amount of excess charge on the distorted oligomer which is spread over its carbazolyl moieties. Broadening of the lowest energy band due to the latter interaction improves the agreement between the theoretical and the experimental PA spectrum for the corresponding polymer. The through-space charge transfer directly connecting the charged with the neutral molecule could supply an efficient channel for charge transport in substituted polydiacetylenes.     

Electron impact mass spectrometry of new tris(polyoxalkyl)amines (tridents)

The mass spectrometric behavior of new tris(polyoxalkyl)amines (tridents) 1–5 have been studied and compared with N-(3,6,9,12-tetraoxatridecyl)-16-aza-18-crown-6 ( 6 ) and 1-morpholino-3,6,9-trioxadecane ( 7 ). The peculiar fragmentation patterns are emphasized.     

Functional and structural characterization of ovine ornithine transcarbamoylase

Ornithine transcarbamoylase from ovine liver has been purified to homogeneity. Like all anabolic OTCs, the ovine enzyme is a trimer, constituted by identical subunits of 34 kDa. Sequence analysis of the 54 N-terminal residues of ovine OTC shows a high degree of homology with the human enzyme. The optimum pH and the Michaelis constants for the catalytic reaction were determined. The ovine enzyme is the most thermostable one among mammals OTCs, its critical temperature being 6 degrees C higher than those measured for the other enzymes. The enzyme has been crystallised and the structure determined at 3.5 A resolution. Crystals belong to the cubic P4(3)32 space group, with a = b = c = 184.7 A and a solvent content of about 80%. There is no evidence of any ligand in the active site cavity, indicating that the crystals contain an unliganded or T state of the enzyme. The unliganded OTCase enzyme adopts a trimeric structure which, in the crystal, presents a three-fold axis coincident with the crystallographic one. The conformation of each monomer in the trimer is quite similar to that of the liganded human protein, with the exception of a few loops, directly interacting with the substrate(s), which are able to induce a rearrangement of the quaternary organisation of the trimer, that accounts for the cooperative behaviour of the enzyme following the binding of the substrates.     

Active-sodium-promoted reductive cleavage of halogenated benzoic acids

The outcome of the reaction between 1,2-diaryl-1,2-disodioethanes and halogenated benzoic acids strongly depends on the nature of both reaction partners. Indeed, whilst chloro-, bromo- and iodobenzoic acids are easily dehalogenated, the reductive cleavage of fluorobenzoic acids proceeds to a high extent only in the presence of the dianions endowed with more powerful reducing properties. Moreover, it was observed that ortho-substituted benzoic acids are more easily dehalogenated than the corresponding para or meta isomers. These observations allowed the development of reaction conditions for the exhaustive or regioselective cleavage of selected polyhalogenated benzoic acids.     

Compositional Changes in Sugarcane Bagasse on Low Temperature, Long-term Diluted Ammonia Treatment

Sugarcane bagasse is the major by-product of the sugar industry. It has a great potential for the production of biofuels and chemicals due to its considerable amount of cellulose and hemicellulose. In this study, we investigated a simple and economic pretreatment process using dilute ammonia for the storage of sugarcane bagasse. Sugarcane bagasse was stored in 0, 0.03, and 0.3% (w/w) ammonium hydroxide in a closed bottle for 40 days at 30 °C under atmospheric pressure without any agitation or circulation. Samples were taken every 10 days and analyzed for changes on lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose composition, ammonia concentration, and microbial counts. Biomass storage for 40 days at 0.3% ammonium hydroxide removed 46% of lignin and retained 100% cellulose and 73% hemicellulose.     

Frontal polymerization as a new method for developing drug controlled release systems (DCRS) based on polyacrylamide

Stimuli-responsive polymers are macromolecular materials that undergo changes in response to small external stimuli in the environmental conditions. Among stimuli-responsive hydrogels are several polyacrylamides. Frontal polymerization is a fast, easy and inexpensive polymerization technique used for the synthesis of macromolecules.Aim of this work was the evaluation of the Frontal polymerization technique as new method for the preparation of controlled release dosage forms in which drug loading and polymer preparation occur together, as well as the possibility of obtaining more dosage units by a unique preparation. Hydrogels based on polyacrylamide containing diclofenac sodium salt were prepared using the Frontal polymerization and compared with similar systems obtained by the classic batch method. Polymers characterized by three different degree of cross-linking were prepared. The stability of the drug during the sample preparation was evaluated by IR analysis. The obtained samples were characterized in terms of drug content, morphology, in vitro drug release and swelling properties. Samples were studied also divided into disks. The results show that hydrogels based on polyacrylamide can be prepared by Frontal polymerization; these samples show similar properties to those obtained by batch polymerization. The drug is stable in the polymerization reaction conditions. Samples characterized by the lowest degree of cross-linking show drug loading values always higher than samples with the highest one regardless of the preparation method employed. The swelling ratio decreases as the degree of cross-linking increases. Loaded samples swell more than drug free ones. From a single preparation of hydrogel, three disks showing same drug content and in vitro release behaviour can be obtained and thus they can be used as three single dosage units.     

Microfluidic-based electrochemical genosensor coupled to magnetic beads for hybridization detection

This paper describes the development of a rapid and sensitive enzyme-linked electrochemical genosensor using a novel microfluidic-based platform. In this work, hybridization was performed on streptavidin-coated paramagnetic micro-beads functionalized with a biotinylated capture probe. The complementary sequence was then recognized via sandwich hybridization with a capture probe and a biotinylated signaling probe. After labeling the biotinylated hybrid with a streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate, the beads were introduced in a disposable cartridge composed of eight parallel microchannels etched in a polyimide substrate. The modified beads were trapped with a magnet addressing each microchannel individually. The presence of microelectrodes in each channel allowed direct electrochemical detection of the enzymatic product within the microchannel. Detection was performed in parallel within the eight microchannels, giving rise to the possibility of performing a multiparameter assay. Quantitative determinations of the analyte concentrations were obtained by following the kinetics of the enzymatic reaction in each channel. The chip was regenerated after each assay by removing the magnet and thus releasing the magnetic beads. The system was applied to the analytical detection of PCR amplified samples with a RSD% = 6. A detection limit of 0.2 nM was evaluated.