Lab-on-a-brane for spheroid formation.

Lab-On-a-Brane (LOB) represents a class of Lab-On-a-Chip (LOC) integrating flexible, highly gas permeable and biocompatible thin membranes (TMs). Here we demonstrate the potentiality of LOBs as cell biochips promoting 3D cell growth. The human cancer cells MCF-7 were cultured into standard multiwells (MWs) and into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) MWs, LOCs, and LOBs of different wettability. Surface treatments based on oxygen plasma and coating deposition have been performed to produce hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and oleophobic chips. By a comparison between all these chips, we observed that 3D cell aggregation is favored in LOBs, independent of substrate wettability. This may be attributed to the TM flexibility and the high oxygen/carbon dioxide permeability. Ultimately, LOBs seem to combine the advantages of LOCs as multi-well microfluidic chips to reduce operation time for cell seeding and medium refresh, with the mechanical/morphological properties of PDMS TMs. This is convenient in the perspective of applying mechanical stimuli and monitoring cell stiffness, or studying the metabolism of molecules permeable to PDMS membrane in response to external stimuli with interesting outcomes in cellular biology.

Superfluorinated and NIR-luminescent gold nanoclusters.

A novel class of superfluorinated and NIR-luminescent gold nanoclusters were obtained starting from a branched thiol, bearing 27 equivalent 19F atoms per molecule. These unprecedented clusters combine in a unique nanosystem both NIR photoluminescence and 19F NMR properties, thus representing a promising multimodal platform for bioimaging applications.

Halogen bonding: a paradigm in supramolecular chemistry.

The term halogen bonding describes the tendency of halogen atoms to interact with lone pair possessing atoms. The binding features and structural properties of halogen bonding are discussed and applied to drive the intermolecular self-assembly of hydrocarbons and perfluorocarbons in chemo-, site-, and enantioselective supramolecular synthesis. The halogen bonding is thus an effective and reliable tool in crystal engineering at the disposal of the supramolecular chemist.

Interactions at the outside faces of calix

Attractive pi-pi interactions between two of the four outside cavity faces of 1,3-bis-pyridylmethylcalix[4]arene (1) and both faces of 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (2a) form infinite one-dimensional non-covalent ribbons where the two modules alternate. These ribbons are cross-linked by electron donor-acceptor interactions between picolyl nitrogen atoms of calixarene 1 in one chain and iodine atoms of perfluoroarene 2a in another chain and the two-dimensional supramolecular network 3a is formed. A similar behaviour is also shown by 1,4-dibromotetrafluorobenzene (2b). The halogen bonding and the attractive pi-pi interactions occur in directions which are nearly orthogonal each other. Diiodotetrafluorobenzene, being involved in both these interactions, appears to be a particularly interesting tecton. The ability of electron-poor arenes to elicit the exo-receptor potential of calixarene module by connecting their outside faces through pi-pi interactions may be developed as a new and general binding protocol in calixarene self-assembly processes.

Resolution of Racemic 1,2-Dibromohexafluoropropane through Halogen-Bonded Supramolecular Helices.

Halogen bonds, attractive intermolecular interactions between perfluoroalkyl bromides and bromide ions, are present in cocrystals of (-)-sparteinium hydrobromide (1) and (S)-1,2-dibromohexafluoropropane (2; shown schematically), and result in enantiopure and infinite supramolecular helices. The perfluorocarbon-hydrocarbon self-assembly allows the resolution of racemic 2.