Rapid deposition of triangular silver nanoplates on planar surfaces: application to metal-enhanced fluorescence

A simple and rapid wet-chemical technique for the deposition of silver triangles on conventional glass substrates, which alleviates the need for lithography, has been developed. The technique is based on the seed-mediated cetyltrimethylammonium-bromide-directed growth of silver triangles on glass surfaces, where smaller spherical silver seeds that were attached to the surface were subsequently converted and grown into silver triangles in the presence of a cationic surfactant and silver ions. The size of the silver triangles was controlled by sequential immersion of silver seed-coated glass substrates into a growth solution and by the duration time of immersion. Atomic force microscopy studies revealed that the size of the silver triangles ranged between 100 and 500 nm. Interestingly, these new surfaces are a significant improvement over traditional silver island films for applications in metal-enhanced fluorescence. A routine 16-fold enhancement in emission intensity was typically observed, for protein-immobilized indocyanine green, with a relatively very low loading density of silver triangles on the glass surface.     

Oxidation Kinetics of the Potent Insulin Mimetic Agent Bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV) in Water and in Methanol

The kinetics of oxidation of bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV), BMOV or VO(ma)(2), by dioxygen have been studied by UV-vis spectroscopy in both MeOH and H(2)O media. The VO(ma)(2):O(2) stoichiometry was 4:1. In aqueous solution, the pH-dependent rate of the VO(ma)(2)/O(2) reaction to generate cis-[VO(2)(ma)(2)](-) is attributed to the deprotonation of coordinated H(2)O, the deprotonated species [VO(ma)(2)(OH)](-) being more easily oxidized (k(OH) = 0.39 M(-)(1) s(-)(1), 25 degrees C) than the neutral form VO(ma)(2)(H(2)O) (k(H)()2(O) = 0.08 M(-)(1) s(-)(1), 25 degrees C). The activation parameters for the two second-order reactions in aqueous solution were deduced from variable temperature kinetic measurements. In MeOH, VO(ma)(2) was oxidized by dioxygen to cis-VO(OMe)(ma)(2), whose structure was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction; the crystals were monoclinic, C2/c, with a = 28.103(1) ?, b = 7.721(2) ?, c = 13.443(2) ?, beta = 94.290(7) degrees, and Z = 8. The structure was solved by Patterson methods and was refined by full-matrix least-squares procedures to R = 0.043 for 1855 reflections with I >/= 3sigma(I). The kinetic results are consistent with a mechanism involving an attack of O(2) at the V(IV) center, followed by the formation of radicals and H(2)O(2) as transient intermediates.     

1-[Hydroxy(sulfonyloxy)iodo]-1H,1H-perfluoroalkanes: Stable, Fluoroalkyl Analogs of Koser's Reagent

1-[Hydroxy(sulfonyloxy)iodo]-1H,1H-perfluoroalkanes 3 [R(f)CH(2)I(OH)OSO(2)R; R = CH(3), CF(3), p-CH(3)C(6)H(4), R(f) = CF(3), C(2)F(5)] can be prepared in two steps from the appropriate iodofluoroalkanes by oxidation with peroxytrifluoroacetic acid and subsequent reaction with TsOH, MsOH, or Me(3)SiOTf. The tosylate derivative 3a reacts with silyl enol ethers under mild conditions to give the respective alpha-(tosyloxy) ketones. A similar reaction of cyclohexene furnishes cis-1,2-bis(tosyloxy)cyclohexane as the major product. Triflates 3c,f react with (trimethylsilyl)arenes under mild conditions to afford the respective (fluoroalkyl) (aryl)iodonium triflates 7, while the analogous reaction with alkynyltrimethylsilanes leads to novel (fluoroalkyl)(alkynyl)iodonium salts 8.     

Synthesis and solution studies of the complexes of trivalent lanthanides with the tetraazamacrocycle TETA-(PO)(2)

A new potentially multidentate hexaprotic ligand H(6)[TETA-(PO)(2)] has been prepared by reaction of ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (EDDA), paraformaldehyde, and phosphinic acid; its coordination properties with three lanthanide ions (La(3+), Gd(3+), and Lu(3+)) have been explored. The structures of the complexes were studied in aqueous solution by potentiometric pH titrations and by (31)P NMR spectroscopy. Four acidity constants were determined potentiometrically in the range 2.5 < pH < 14. The four measured pK(a) values can be divided into two groups, and within each group the initial deprotonation was found to have little effect on the second. Variable temperature (31)P and (31)P[(1)H] EXSY NMR spectra showed that, for [Lu(TETA-(PO)(2))](3-), the two phosphorus atoms exist in different chemical environments and undergo an exchange process which is very fast on the NMR time scale at room temperature. This result is consistent with one of the phosphinate residues coordinating the metal ion and exchanging with a free analogue. In the case of [La(TETA-(PO)(2))](3-), only one temperature invariant signal is observed in (31)P NMR spectra; it corresponds to both phosphinate residues remaining uncoordinated to La(3+). The stability of [Ln(TETA-(PO)(2))](3-) has an order of La(3+) > Gd(3+) > Lu(3+). The coordination of one phosphinate residue to Lu(3+) brings the metal ion closer to the plane of four nitrogens and farther from the four carboxylate arms, resulting in [Lu(TETA-(PO)(2))](3-) having a lower stability than the corresponding La(3+) and Gd(3+) complexes. A pM-pH distribution diagram showed that introducing two phosphinate groups into TETA renders [Gd(TETA-(PO)(2))](3-) more stable than [Gd(TETA)](-). The selectivity factor of the ligand for Gd(3+) vs Ca(2+), Zn(2+), and Cu(2+) has been calculated, and the hydration number for [Dy(TETA-(PO)(2))](3-) has been measured by (17)O NMR spectroscopy to be zero.     

Fast reduction of a copper center in laccase by nitric oxide and formation of a peroxide intermediate

The rapid reduction of one of the copper atoms (type 2) of tree laccase by nitric oxide (NO) has been detected. Addition of NO to native laccase in the presence of oxygen leads to EPR changes consistent with fast reduction and slow reoxidation of this metal center. These events are paralleled by optical changes that are reminiscent of formation and decay of the peroxide intermediate in a fraction of the enzyme population. Formation of this species is only possible if the trinuclear copper cluster (type 2 plus type 3) is fully reduced. This condition can only be met if, as suggested previously, a fraction of the enzyme contains both type 3 coppers already reduced before addition of NO. Our data are consistent with this assumption. We have suggested recently that fast reduction of copper is the mechanism by which NO interacts with the oxidized dinuclear center in cytochrome c oxidase. The present experiments using laccase strongly support this view and suggest this reaction as a general mechanism by which copper proteins interact with NO. In addition, this provides an unexploited way to produce a stable peroxide intermediate in copper oxidases in which the full complement of copper atoms is present. This enables the O-O scission step in the catalytic cycle to be studied by electron addition to the peroxide derivative through the native electron entry site, type 1 copper.     

Assay development and high-throughput screening of caspases in microfluidic format

Caspase proteases are familiar targets in drug discovery. A common format for screening to identify caspase inhibitors employs fluorogenic or colorimetric tetra-peptide substrates in 96, 384, or 1536 -well microtiter plates. The primary motivation for increasing the number of wells per plate is to reduce the reagent cost per test and increase the throughput of HTS operations. There are significant challenges, however, to moving into or beyond the 1536-well format, such as submicroliter liquid handling, liquid evaporation, increased surface area-to-volume ratios, and the potential for artifacts and interference from small air-borne particles such as lint. Therefore, HTS scientists remain keenly interested in technologies that offer alternatives to the ever-shrinking microtiter plate well. Microfluidic assay technology represents an attractive option that, in theory, consumes only subnanoliter volumes of reagents per test. We have successfully employed a microfluidic assay technology in fluorogenic screening assays for several caspase isoforms utilizing the Caliper Technologies Labchip platform. Caspase-3 is used as a representative case to describe microfluidic assay development and initial high-throughput screening results. In addition, microfluidic screening and plate-based screening are compared in terms of reagent consumption, data quality, and ease of operation.     

Intra- and intermolecular Fe-catalyzed dicarbofunctionalization of vinyl cyclopropanes

Design and implementation of the first (asymmetric) Fe-catalyzed intra- and intermolecular difunctionalization of vinyl cyclopropanes (VCPs) with alkyl halides and aryl Grignard reagents has been realized via a mechanistically driven approach. Mechanistic studies support the diffusion of alkyl radical intermediates out of the solvent cage to participate in an intra- or intermolecular radical cascade with a range of VCPs followed by re-entering the Fe radical cross-coupling cycle to undergo (stereo)selective C(sp²)–C(sp³) bond formation. This work provides a proof-of-concept of the use of vinyl cyclopropanes as synthetically useful 1,5-synthons in Fe-catalyzed conjunctive cross-couplings with alkyl halides and aryl/vinyl Grignard reagents. Overall, we provide new design principles for Fe-mediated radical processes and underscore the potential of using combined computations and experiments to accelerate the development of challenging transformations.

Design and implementation of the first (asymmetric) Fe-catalyzed intra- and intermolecular difunctionalization of vinyl cyclopropanes (VCPs) with alkyl halides and aryl Grignard reagents has been realized via a mechanistically driven approach.     

Broadband Multidimensional Spectroscopy Identifies the Amide II Vibrations in Silkworm Films

We used two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy to disentangle the broad infrared band in the amide II vibrational regions of Bombyx mori native silk films, identifying the single amide II modes and correlating them to specific secondary structure. Amide I and amide II modes have a strong vibrational coupling, which manifests as cross-peaks in 2D infrared spectra with frequencies determined by both the amide I and amide II frequencies of the same secondary structure. By cross referencing with well-known amide I assignments, we determined that the amide II (N-H) absorbs at around 1552 and at 1530 cm^–1 for helical and β-sheet structures, respectively. We also observed a peak at 1517 cm⁻¹ that could not be easily assigned to an amide II mode, and instead we tentatively assigned it to a Tyrosine sidechain. These results stand in contrast with previous findings from linear infrared spectroscopy, highlighting the ability of multidimensional spectroscopy for untangling convoluted spectra, and suggesting the need for caution when assigning silk amide II spectra.     

Found in the Folds: A Rediscovery of Ancient Egyptian Pleated Textiles and the Analysis of Carbohydrate Coatings

Charles T. Currelly, first director of the Royal Ontario Museum, participated in excavations of the tomb of King Nebhepetre, now known as Mentuhotep II, (Dynasty XI) in Deir el-Bahri, Egypt in 1906. He brought to Canada many objects from the excavations, and objects that he purchased while in Egypt; these formed the initial collection of the museum. Among the objects were seven fragments of fine linen cloth with intricate pleat patterns. Recently, the cloths became the subject of a study to learn how they had retained their pleats for 4000 years. Samples were examined and analysed using polarised light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-electron dispersive X-ray spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Three of the cloths were likely fragments of clothing re-purposed as bandages and were found to be saturated in mummification balms composed of Pinaceae resin, Pistacia resin, and an essential oil characterised by a high abundance of cedrol, possibly originating from a juniper species. All seven of the cloths were found to have traces of polysaccharides from two probable sources: an arabinogalactan gum such as gum arabic or a fruit gum, and a polyglucoside, possibly starch.