Dithiafulvenyl-grafted phenylene ethynylene polymers as selective and reversible dispersants for single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Phenylene ethynylene-based π-conjugated polymers grafted with dithiafulvenyl groups on their side chains were found to be efficient in dispersing single-walled carbon nanotubes in a selective and controllable way.

Examples of Tumor Growth Inhibition Properties of Liposomal Formulations of pH-Sensitive Histidinylated Cationic Amphiphiles.

Herein we report on the unexpected cancer cell selective cytotoxicities of the liposomal formulations of aspartic and glutamic acid backbone-based four novel lipids with endosomal pH-sensitive head-groups and aliphatic n-hexadecyl & n-octadecyl hydrophobic tails. Surprisingly, although the formulations killed cancer cells efficiently, they were significantly less cytotoxic in non-cancerous healthy cells. Importantly, intratumoral administration of the liposomal formulations efficiently inhibited growth of melanoma in a syngeneic C57BL/6J mouse tumor model. Western Blotting experiments with the lysates of liposomes treated cancer cells revealed that liposomes of lipids 1-4 induce apoptosis selectively in cancer cells presumably by releasing cytochrome c from depolarized mitochondria and subsequent activation of caspases 3 & 9, upregulation of Bax and down regulation of Bcl-2. In summary, the present report describes for the first time tumor growth inhibition properties of the liposomal formulations of endosomal pH-sensitive histidinylated cationic lipids under both in vitro and systemic settings.

TTFV-based molecular tweezers and macrocycles as receptors for fullerenes.

Hybrids of tetrathiafulvalene vinylogues (TTFVs) and planar arenes were synthesized via the click reaction to form tweezer-like and macrocyclic structures. These compounds were investigated as receptors for fullerenes (C60 and C70) by UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.