Design of a Gd‐DOTA‐Phthalocyanine Conjugate Combining MRI Contrast Imaging and Photosensitization Properties as a Potential Molecular Theranostic

The design and synthesis of a phthalocyanine – Gd‐DOTA conjugate is presented to open the way to novel molecular theranostics, combining the properties of MRI contrast imaging with photodynamic therapy. The rational design of the conjugate integrates isomeric purity of the phthalocyanine core substitution, suitable biocompatibility with the use of polyoxo water‐solubilizing substituents, and a convergent synthetic strategy ended by the use of click chemistry to graft the Gd‐DOTA moiety to the phthalocyanine. Photophysical and photochemical properties, contrast imaging experiments and preliminary in vitro investigations proved that such a combination is relevant and lead to a new type of potential theranostic agent.     

Oxa-spirocycles: synthesis,properties and applications

A general approach to a new generation of spirocyclic molecules – oxa-spirocycles – was developed. The key synthetic step was iodocyclization. More than 150 oxa-spirocyclic compounds were prepared. Incorporation of an oxygen atom into the spirocyclic unit dramatically improved water solubility (by up to 40 times) and lowered lipophilicity. More potent oxa-spirocyclic analogues of antihypertensive drug terazosin were synthesized and studied in vivo.

A general practical approach to a new generation of spirocyclic molecules – oxa-spirocycles – is developed.     

Self-Assembling Drug Formulations with Tunable Permeability and Biodegradability

This review focuses on key topics in the field of drug delivery related to the design of nanocarriers answering the biomedicine criteria, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, and the ability to overcome biological barriers. For these reasons, much attention is paid to the amphiphile-based carriers composed of natural building blocks, lipids, and their structural analogues and synthetic surfactants that are capable of self-assembly with the formation of a variety of supramolecular aggregates. The latter are dynamic structures that can be used as nanocontainers for hydrophobic drugs to increase their solubility and bioavailability. In this section, biodegradable cationic surfactants bearing cleavable fragments are discussed, with ester- and carbamate-containing analogs, as well as amino acid derivatives received special attention. Drug delivery through the biological barriers is a challenging task, which is highlighted by the example of transdermal method of drug administration. In this paper, nonionic surfactants are primarily discussed, including their application for the fabrication of nanocarriers, their surfactant-skin interactions, the mechanisms of modulating their permeability, and the factors controlling drug encapsulation, release, and targeted delivery. Different types of nanocarriers are covered, including niosomes, transfersomes, invasomes and chitosomes, with their morphological specificity, beneficial characteristics and limitations discussed.     

The anisotropic hard-sphere crystal-melt interfacial free energy from fluctuations

We have calculated the interfacial free energy for the hard-sphere system, as a function of crystal interface orientation, using a method that examines the fluctuations in the height of the interface during molecular dynamics simulations. The approach is particularly sensitive for the anisotropy of the interfacial free energy. We find an average interfacial free energy of gamma=0.56+/-0.02k(B)Tsigma(-2). This value is lower than earlier results based upon direct calculations of the free energy [R. L. Davidchack and B. B. Laird, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4751 (2000)]. However, both the average value and the anisotropy agree with the recent values obtained by extrapolation from direct calculations for a series of the inverse-power potentials [R. L. Davidchack and B. B. Laird, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 086102 (2005)].     

Discretization errors in molecular dynamics simulations with deterministic and stochastic thermostats

We investigate the influence of numerical discretization errors on computed averages in a molecular dynamics simulation of TIP4P liquid water at 300 K coupled to different deterministic (Nosé–Hoover and Nosé–Poincaré) and stochastic (Langevin) thermostats. We propose a couple of simple practical approaches to estimating such errors and taking them into account when computing the averages. We show that it is possible to obtain accurate measurements of various system quantities using step sizes of up to 70% of the stability threshold of the integrator, which for the system of TIP4P liquid water at 300 K corresponds to the step size of about 7 fs.     

[Pd8(CH3COO)8(NO)8]: solution from X‐ray powder diffraction data

The water‐insoluble title compound, octakis(μ‐acetato‐κ²O:O)­octakis(μ‐nitro­so‐κ²N:O)­octapalladium(II), [Pd₈(CH₃COO)₈(NO)₈], was precipitated as a yellow powder from a solution of palladium nitrate in nitric acid by adding acetic acid. Ab initio crystal structure determination was carried out using X‐ray powder diffraction techniques. Patterson and Fourier syntheses were used for atom locations, and the Rietveld technique was used for the final structure refinement. The crystal structure is of a molecular type. The skeleton of the [Pd₈(CH₃COO)₈(NO)₈] mol­ecule is con­structed as a tetragonal prism with Pd atoms at the vertices. The eight NO⁻ groups are in bridging positions along the horizontal edges of the prism. The N and O atoms of each nitro­so group coordinate two different Pd atoms. The vertical edges present Pd⋯Pd contacts with a short distance of 2.865 (1) Å. These Pd atoms are bridged by a pair of acetate groups in a cis orientation with respect to each other. The complex has crystallographically imposed 4/m symmetry; all C atoms of the acetate groups are on mirror planes. The unique Pd atom lies in a general position and has square‐planar coordination, consisting of three O and one N atom.     

An efficient,three-component synthesis and molecular structure of derivatives of 2-amino-3-R-6-ethyl-4,6-dihydropyrano[3,2-c][2,1]benzothiazine-5,5-dioxide spirocombined with a 2-oxindole nucleus

Spiro[(2-amino-3-R-6-ethyl-4,6-dihydropyrano[3,2-c][2,1]benzothiazine-5,5-dioxide)-4,3′-(1′-R′-5′-R″-indolin-2′-one)] compounds were synthesized based on the three-component interaction of benzo[c][2,1]thiazin-4-on 2,2-dioxide with corresponding isatins and appropriate methylene active nitriles in the presence of a base as a catalyst. The molecular structures of the target compounds were proved uniquely by the X-ray diffraction analysis method.     

The dependence of 90Y sorption on nanodiamonds on sizes of their aggregates in water solutions

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Today nanomaterials, including carbon ones, considered to be promising radionuclide carriers for nuclear medicine. We previously determined that...