An amphiphilic macrocyclic acylhydrazone dimer: Facile synthesis and dual channel detection and removal of phthalate anion.

Despite the large number of dicarboxylates' receptors, the dual channel ones capable of recognizing and removing of phthalate anion are rare and the task remains challenging. In this paper, a facilely synthesized amphiphilic macrocyclic acylhydrazone dimer (AMAD) can not only detect phthalate anion selectively, through both color changes and turn-on fluorescence in solution as well as in solid state, but is also able to remove it from either water or organic solvents. The current study paves the way for the search of more multiple functional receptors of dicarboxylates anions.

One-step synthesis of methylene-bridged bis-carbazole and evaluation of its antitumor activity and G-quadruplex DNA binding property.

Most reported carbazolyl G-quadruplex DNA (G4-DNA) ligands possess a rigid structure rather than a flexible one. The conformationally flexible ligands are paid much less attention. In this study, we report a novel class of non-rigid methylene-bridged biscarbazolyl ligand and their G4-DNA binding properties. Moreover, the antitumor activities of all these oligomers have been evaluated. The results show that this family of oligomers could be facilely synthesized via solely one step. Among them, compound 2, the bis-carbazole derivative, displays the best antitumor activity and IC50 values against HT-29, HepG2, A375 and MCF-7 cells are 0.69, 5.09, 3.15 and 3.8 µ mol/L, respectively. Although conformationally flexible, 2 is still capable of binding to as well as stabilizing G4-DNA via π-π stacking interaction. Moreover, 2 selectively binds to G4-DNA over duplex DNA. The current study enriches the category of carbazolyl G4-DNA ligands and paves the way for the search of more efficient G4-DNA ligands and antitumor leads.

Supramolecular catalytic synthesis of a novel bis(salicylaldehyde hydrazone) ligand for ratiometric recognition of AT-DNA.

Hydrazone bond formation under physiological conditions remains challenging. In this study, bis(salicylaldehyde hydrazone) was synthesized using supramolecular catalysis under physiological conditions and its AT-DNA ratiometric sensing properties were identified.