A water-soluble small molecular fluorescent sensor based on phosphazene platform for selective detection of nitroaromatic compounds.

Nitro-aromatic compounds have a deleterious effect on the environment and they are extremely explosive. Therefore, societal concern about exposure to nitro-aromatic compounds encourages researchers to develop selective and sensitive detection platforms for nitro-aromatic compounds in recent years. In this paper, a new 100% water-soluble cyclotriphosphazene-based bridged naphthalene material (4) was prepared as a small molecule fluorescent sensor for ultra-selective detection of nitro-aromatic compounds. The chemical structure of 4 was extensively characterized by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies (31P, 13C, 1H). The photo-physical properties of the newly developed sensing system were investigated by steady-state fluorescence and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopies. The fluorescence sensor behaviors were extensively evaluated after treatment with the most commonly used metal cations, anions, competitive aromatic compounds, saccharides, and organic acids. The developed fluorescent sensing system (4) demonstrated ultra-selective fluorescence "turn-off" signal change toward nitro-aromatic compounds while other tested competitive species caused negligible changes. To evaluate selectivity, time-resolved, steady-state 3D-fluorescence and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopies were used in fully aqueous media. Moreover, theoretical calculations (density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory) were applied and discussed to identify fluorescence sensing mechanisms toward nitroaromatic compounds for the presented sensing system.

Halogen-Bonded BODIPY Frameworks with Tunable Optical Features*.

The ability to tune the optical features of BODIPY materials in the solid state is essential for their photorelated application and requires efficient control of the crystal packing. In this study, such control of BODIPY supramolecular assemblies was achieved by deliberate design and synthesis of a BODIPY containing a strong halogen-bond (XB) acceptor (-NO2 ) and donor (I, Br) to mediate XB interactions. The di-halogenated structures formed isostructural mono-coordinate motif B3, B4 (1D tubular structure) and symmetric bifurcated motif B4-II (1D zigzag chains structure) through N-O⋅⋅⋅I, Br XB interactions. These XB interactions promote singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing and triplet-to-singlet reverse intersystem crossing due to partial delocalization of oxygen electrons onto Br and I, which leads to unexpected fluorescence enhancement of B4-II. Finally, the indirect optical band gaps of B3, B4 and B4-II were amenable to tuning in the range of 1.85-2.50 eV by XB-driven crystal packings.

Recent chemo-/biosensor and bioimaging studies based on indole-decorated BODIPYs.

BODIPY is an important fluorophores due to its enhanced photophysical and chemical properties including outstanding thermal/photochemical stability, intense absorption/emission profiles, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and small Stokes' shifts. In addition to BODIPY, indole and its derivatives have recently gained attention because of their structural properties and particularly biological importance, therefore these molecules have been widely used in sensing and biosensing applications. Here, we focus on recent studies that reported the incorporation of indole-based BODIPY molecules as reporter molecules in sensing systems. We highlight the rationale for developing such systems and evaluate detection limits of the developed sensing platforms. Furthermore, we also review the application of indole-based BODIPY molecules in bioimaging studies. This article includes the evaluation of indole-based BODIPYs from synthesis to characterization and a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of developed reporter systems, making it instructive for researchers in various disciplines for the design and development of similar systems.

Toward Understanding the Impact of Dimerization Interfaces in Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is a prototypical class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that has an important role in cardiovascular pathologies and blood pressure regulation as well as in the central nervous system. GPCRs may exist and function as monomers; however, they can assemble to form higher order structures, and as a result of oligomerization, their function and signaling profiles can be altered. In the case of AT1R, the classical Gαq/11 pathway is initiated with endogenous agonist angiotensin II binding. A variety of cardiovascular pathologies such as heart failure, diabetic nephropathy, atherosclerosis, and hypertension are associated with this pathway. Recent findings reveal that AT1R can form homodimers and activate the noncanonical (ß-arrestin-mediated) pathway. Nevertheless, the exact dimerization interface and atomic details of AT1R homodimerization have not been still elucidated. Here, six different symmetrical dimer interfaces of AT1R are considered, and homodimers were constructed using other published GPCR crystal dimer interfaces as template structures. These AT1R homodimers were then inserted into the model membrane bilayers and subjected to all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulation results along with the principal component analysis and water pathway analysis suggest four different interfaces as the most plausible: symmetrical transmembrane (TM)1,2,8; TM5; TM4; and TM4,5 AT1R dimer interfaces that consist of one inactive and one active protomer. Moreover, we identified ILE2386.33 as a hub residue in the stabilization of the inactive state of AT1R.

Synthesis and crystal structures of novel copper(II) complexes with glycine and substituted phenanthrolines: reactivity towards DNA/BSA and in vitro cytotoxic and antimicrobial evaluation.

New copper(II) complexes-dimeric-[Cu(nphen)(gly)(H2O)]+ (1) and [Cu(dmphen)(gly)(NO3)(H2O)] (2) (nphen = 5-nitro-1,10-phenanthroline, dmphen = 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, and gly = glycine)-have been synthesized and characterized by CHN analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, FTIR, EPR spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The CT-DNA-binding properties of these complexes have been investigated by thermal denaturation measurements and both absorption and emission spectroscopy. The DNA cleavage activity of these complexes has been studied on supercoiled pUC19 plasmid DNA by gel electrophoresis experiments in the absence and presence of H2O2. Furthermore, the interaction of these complexes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been investigated using absorption and emission spectroscopy. The thermodynamic parameters, free-energy change (ΔG), enthalpy change (ΔH), and entropy change (ΔS) for BSA + complexes 1 and 2 systems have been calculated by the van't Hoff equation at three different temperatures (293.2, 303.2, and 310.2 K). The distance between the BSA and these complexes has been determined using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Conformational changes of BSA have been observed using the synchronous fluorescence technique. In addition, in vitro cytotoxicities of these complexes on tumor cell lines (Caco-2, A549, and MCF-7) and healthy cells (BEAS-2B) have been examined. The antimicrobial activity of the complexes has also been tested on certain bacteria cells. The effect of mono and dimeric in the above complexes is presented and discussed. New copper(II) complexes-dimeric-[Cu(nphen)(gly)(H2O)]+ (1) and [Cu(dmphen)(gly) (NO3)(H2O)] (2) (nphen = 5-nitro-1,10-phenanthroline, dmphen = 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline and gly = glycine)-have been synthesized and characterized by CHN analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, FTIR and EPR spectroscopy. They have been tested for their in vitro DNA/BSA interactions by the spectroscopic methods. These complexes exhibited higher cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. Complex 1 shows better DNA / BSA interactions in comparison to complex 2.

Erlotinib-Modified BODIPY Photosensitizers for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an innovative, non-invasive and highly selective therapeutic modality for tumours and non-malignant diseases. BODIPY based molecules can function as new generation photosensitizers (PSs) in various PDT applications. Despite numerous conjugated PS systems are available, BODIPYs containing erlotinib lagged behind other photosensitizer units. In this study, smart photosensitizers containing BODIPY, erlotinib and hydrophilic units were prepared for the first time, their physicochemical properties and PDT effects were investigated. Compared with non-halogenated compound, halogenated derivatives possessed much lower fluorescence profile as well as the good ROS generation ability under red light. In vitro PDT studies were performed on both healthy (PNT1a) and prostate cancerous cells (PC3) to determine the selectivity of the compounds on cancerous cells and their effects under light. The halogenated conjugates, exposed to low dose of light illumination exhibited potent activity on cancer cell viability and the calculated IC50 values proved the high phototoxicity of the photosensitizers. It was also determined that the PSs have very low dark toxicity and that the light illumination and ROS formation are required for the initiation of the cell death mechanism. As a result, erlotinib modified BODIPYs could serve as promising agents in anticancer photodynamic therapy.

The novel tetrahydropyrimidine derivative as inhibitor of SARS CoV-2: synthesis, modeling and molecular docking analysis.

N-(1,3-Benzothiazol-2-yl)-N-(1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1H-pyrimidine-2-yl) amine was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, NMR and X-ray single crystal diffraction. The compound structure belongs to the triclinic system with the P-1 space group with unit cell parameters a = 11.9290(4), b = 13.2547(4) and c = 15.3904(5) Å. Hirhsfeld surface analysis is performed to revealintermolecular interactions with these interactions. The molecular structure, vibrational spectroscopic data and HOMOs and LUMOs analyses were calculated by using the DFT/B3LYP method with the 6-311 + G(d,p)) basis set. Some of pharmacokinetic parameters and drug-likeness properties of the compound were also performed. Besides these, the present work is a searching to test N-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-yl)-N-(1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1H-pyrimidine-2-yl) amine as an inhibitor for the SARS-CoV-2. For this aim, the molecular docking analysis of the synthesized compound was applied along with Favipiravir. Besides the docking results, ADMET properties of the compound were also calculated.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Understanding and Tailoring Excited State Properties in Solution-Processable Oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s: Highly Fluorescent Hybridized Local and Charge Transfer Character via Experiment and Theory.

Rod-shaped oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene) (OPE) offers an attractive π-framework for the development of solution-processable highly fluorescent molecules having tunable hybridized local and charge transfer (HLCT) excited states and (reverse) intersystem crossing ((R)ISC) channels. Herein, an HLCT oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene) library was studied for the first time in the literature in detail systematically via experiment and theory. The design, synthesis, and full characterization of a new highly fluorescent (ΦPL-solution ∼ 1) sky blue emissive 4',4‴-((2,5-bis((2-ethylhexyl)oxy)-1,4-phenylene)bis(ethyne-2,1-diyl))bis(N,N-diphenyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-amine) (2EHO-TPA-PE) was also reported. The new molecule consists of a D'-Ar-π-D-π-Ar-D' molecular architecture with an extended π-spacer and no acceptor unit, and detailed structural, physicochemical, single-crystal, and optoelectronic characterizations were performed. A high solid-state quantum efficiency (ΦPL-solid state ∼ 0.8) was achieved as a result of suppressed exciton-phonon/vibronic couplings (no π-π interactions and multiple (14 per dimeric form) strong C-H···π interactions). Strong solution-phase/solid-state dipole-dependent tunable excited state behavior (local excited (LE) → HLCT → charge transfer (CT)) and decay dynamics covering a wide spectral region were demonstrated, and the CT state was observed to be highly fluorescent despite extremely large Stokes shift (∼130 nm)/fwhm (∼125 nm) and significant charge separation (0.75 charge·nm). Employing the Lippert-Mataga model, along with detailed photophysical studies and TDDFT calculations, key relationships between molecular design-electronic structure-exciton characteristics were elucidated with regards to HLCT and hot exciton channel formations. The interstate coupling between CT and LE states and the interplay of this coupling with respect to medium polarity were explored. A key relationship between excited-state symmetry breaking process and the formation of HLCT state was discussed for TPA-ended rod-shaped OPE π-systems. (R)ISC-related delayed fluorescence (τ ∼ 2-6 ns) processes were evident following the prompt decays (∼0.4-0.9 ns) both in the solution and in the solid-state. As a unique observation, the delayed fluorescence could be tuned and facilitated via small dielectric changes in the medium. Our results and the molecular engineering perspectives presented in this study may provide unique insights into the structural and electronic factors governing tunable excited state and hot-exciton channel formations in OPEs for (un)conventional solution-processed luminescence applications.

Phosphorus-nitrogen compounds. 21. Syntheses, structural investigations, biological activities, and DNA interactions of new N/O spirocyclic phosphazene derivatives. The NMR behaviors of chiral phosphazenes with stereogenic centers upon the addition of chiral solvating agents.

The reactions of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazatriene, N(3)P(3)Cl(6), with N/O-donor-type N-alkyl (or aryl)-o-hydroxybenzylamines (1a-1e) produce mono- (2a-2e), di- (3a-3d), and tri- (4a and 4b) spirocyclic phosphazenes. The tetrapyrrolidino monospirocyclic phosphazenes (2f-2i) are prepared from the reactions of partly substituted compounds (2a-2d) with excess pyrrolidine. The dispirodipyrrolidinophosphazenes (3e-3h) and trispirophosphazenes (3i-3k) are obtained from the reactions of trans-dispirophosphazenes with excess pyrrolidine and sodium (3-amino-1-propanoxide), respectively. Compounds 3a-3d have cis and trans geometric isomers. Only the trans isomers of these compounds are isolated. Compounds 3a-3h have two stereogenic P atoms. They are expected to be in cis (meso) and trans (racemic) geometric isomers. In the trans trispiro compounds (3i-3k), there are three stereogenic P atoms. They are expected to be in racemic mixtures. The stereogenic properties of 3a-3k are confirmed by (31)P NMR spectroscopy upon the addition of the chiral solvating agent; (S)-(+)-2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(9'-anthryl)ethanol. The molecular structures of 3i-3k, 4a, and 4b look similar to a propeller, where the chemical environment of one P atom is different from that of others. Additionally, 4a and 4b are also expected to exist as cis-trans-trans and cis-cis-cis geometric isomers, but both of them are found to be in cis-trans-trans geometries. The solid-state structures of 2a, 2e, 2f, 3e, and 3f are determined by X-ray crystallography. The compounds 2f-2i, 3e-3i, and 3k are screened for antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and for antifungal activity against yeast strains. These compounds (except 3f) have shown a strong affinity against most of the bacteria. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) are determined for 2f-2i, 3e-3i, and 3k. DNA binding and the nature of interaction with pUC18 plasmid DNA are studied. The compounds 2f-2i, 3e-3i, and 3k induce changes on the DNA mobility. The prevention of BamHI and HindIII digestion (except 2g) with compounds indicates that the compounds bind with nucleotides in DNA.

Synthesis, optical, and structural properties of bisphenol-bridged aromatic cyclic phosphazenes.

Phenoxy- and naphthoxy-substituted bisphenol-bridged cyclic phosphazenes were synthesized in 2 steps and their thermal, photophysical, and electrochemical properties were investigated. The structures of the cyclic phosphazene compounds were determined by ESI-MS mass spectrometry and 1 H, 13 C, and 31 P NMR spectroscopies. The photophysical studies of phenoxy- and naphthoxy-substituted bridged cyclophosphazenes were investigated by means of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies in different solvents. Thermal and electrochemical properties of the target compounds were also studied. Furthermore, the excimer emissions through intramolecular interactions in solution and in solid state were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and the theoretical calculations were performed in detail using DFT.

Phosphonate Metal-Organic Frameworks: A Novel Family of Semiconductors.

Herein, the first semiconducting and magnetic phosphonate metal-organic framework (MOF), TUB75, is reported, which contains a 1D inorganic building unit composed of a zigzag chain of corner-sharing copper dimers. The solid-state UV-vis spectrum of TUB75 reveals the existence of a narrow bandgap of 1.4 eV, which agrees well with the density functional theory (DFT)-calculated bandgap of 1.77 eV. Single-crystal conductivity measurements for different orientations of the individual crystals yield a range of conductances from 10-3 to 103 S m-1 at room temperature, pointing to the directional nature of the electrical conductivity in TUB75. Magnetization measurements show that TUB75 is composed of antiferromagnetically coupled copper dimer chains. Due to their rich structural chemistry and exceptionally high thermal/chemical stabilities, phosphonate MOFs like TUB75 may open new vistas in engineerable electrodes for supercapacitors.

Semiconductive microporous hydrogen-bonded organophosphonic acid frameworks.

Herein, we report a semiconductive, proton-conductive, microporous hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) derived from phenylphosphonic acid and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[p-phenylphosphonic acid] porphyrin (GTUB5). The structure of GTUB5 was characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction. A narrow band gap of 1.56 eV was extracted from a UV-Vis spectrum of pure GTUB5 crystals, in excellent agreement with the 1.65 eV band gap obtained from DFT calculations. The same band gap was also measured for GTUB5 in DMSO. The proton conductivity of GTUB5 was measured to be 3.00 × 10-6 S cm-1 at 75 °C and 75% relative humidity. The surface area was estimated to be 422 m2 g-1 from grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. XRD showed that GTUB5 is thermally stable under relative humidities of up to 90% at 90 °C. These findings pave the way for a new family of organic, microporous, and semiconducting materials with high surface areas and high thermal stabilities.

Absolute structure determination as a reference for the enantiomeric resolution of racemic mixtures of cyclophosphazenes via chiral high-performance liquid chromatography.

Reversed-phase chiral high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a potentially powerful technique for the enantiomeric resolution of racemic mixtures, although the elution order of enantiomers is only relative and it is necessary to fully characterize reference systems for this method to provide absolute configurational information. The enantiomeric resolution of a series of racemic di-spiro cyclotriphosphazene derivatives, N3P3X2[O(CH2)(3)NH]2 (X = Cl, Ph, SPh, NHPh, OPh) [(1)-(5), respectively] was carried out by reversed-phase chiral HPLC on a commercially available Pirkle-type chiral stationary phase (R,R)-Whelk-01 using 85:15 (v/v) hexane-thf as the mobile phase. The absolute configurations of the resulting enantiomers of compounds (3) (X = SPh) and (5) (X = OPh) were determined unambiguously by X-ray crystallography. For both (3) and (5) it was found that the SS enantiomer eluted before the RR enantiomer, indicating a convenient method to determine the absolute configurations of enantiomers of this series of cyclophosphazene derivatives and providing the first set of enantiomeric reference compounds for cyclophosphazene derivatives. These structures demonstrate an interesting anomaly in that the pair of enantiomers of (3) crystallize in enantiomorphically paired space groups whilst, under the same conditions, the solid-state forms of the enantiomers of (5) form structures in Sohncke space groups that are not enantiomorphous.

The novel anthracene decorated dendrimeric cyclophosphazenes for highly selective sensing of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT).

Novel fluorescent anthracene-decorated cyclotri- and cyclotetraphosphazenes (5 and 6) are designed and synthesized, and their chemosensor behaviors against nitroaromatic compounds are examined by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies for addressing the sensors with cyclophosphazenes for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene detection. The fluorescence intensities of (5 and 6) are found to be selectively quenched by only 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene through the non-covalent π⋯π stacking interactions between anthracene-substituted cyclophosphazenes and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene. In addition, cyclic voltammetry and theoretical calculation of novel sensor systems are studied. The proposed fluorescent sensor systems are critical in terms of practical detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene.

A Solution-Processable meso-Phenyl-BODIPY-Based n-Channel Semiconductor with Enhanced Fluorescence Emission.

The molecular design, synthesis, and characterization of an acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) semiconductor BDY-Ph-2T-Ph-BDY comprising a central phenyl-bithiophene-phenyl π-donor and BODIPY π-acceptor end-units is reported. The semiconductor shows an optical band gap of 2.32 eV with a highly stabilized HOMO/LUMO (-5.74 eV/-3.42 eV). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals D-A dihedral angle of ca. 66° and strong intermolecular "C-H ⋅⋅⋅ π (3.31 Å)" interactions. Reduced π-donor strength, increased D-A dihedral angle, and restricted intramolecular D-A rotations allows for both good fluorescence efficiency (ΦF =0.30) and n-channel OFET transport (µe =0.005 cm2 /V ⋅ s; Ion /Ioff =104 -105 ). This indicates a much improved (6-fold) fluorescence quantum yield compared to the meso-thienyl BODIPY semiconductor BDY-4T-BDY. Photophysical studies reveal important transitions between locally excited (LE) and twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) states in solution and the solid state, which could be controlled by solvent polarity and nano-aggregation. This is the first report of such high emissive characteristics for a BODIPY-based n-channel semiconductor.

Azaindole-BODIPYs: Synthesis, fluorescent recognition of hydrogen sulfate anion and biological evaluation.

The synthesized and sensing capability of two novel azaindole substituted mono and distyryl BODIPY dyes against bisulfate anion were reported. Structural characterizations of the targeted compounds were conducted by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies. Photophysical properties of the azaindole substituted BODIPY compounds were investigated employing absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies in acetonitrile solution. It was found that the final compounds 3 and 4 exhibited exclusively selective and sensitive turn-off sensor behavior on HSO4- anion. Additionally, the stoichiometry ratio of the targeted compounds to bisulfate anion was measured 0.5 by Job's method. Also, density function theory was performed to the optical response of the sensor for targeted compounds. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of Azaindole-BODIPYs was examined against living human leukemia K562 cell lines.

Solution-Processable BODIPY-Based Small Molecules for Semiconducting Microfibers in Organic Thin-Film Transistors.

Electron-deficient π-conjugated small molecules can function as electron-transporting semiconductors in various optoelectronic applications. Despite their unique structural, optical, and electronic properties, the development of BODIPY-based organic semiconductors has lagged behind that of other π-deficient units. Here, we report the design and synthesis of two novel solution-proccessable BODIPY-based small molecules (BDY-3T-BDY and BDY-4T-BDY) for organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The new semiconductors were fully characterized by (1)H/(13)C NMR, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization of a key intermediate reveals crucial structural properties. Solution-sheared top-contact/bottom-gate OTFTs exhibited electron mobilities up to 0.01 cm(2)/V·s and current on/off ratios of >10(8). Film microstructural and morphological characterizations indicate the formation of relatively long (∼0.1 mm) and micrometer-sized (1-2 µm) crystalline fibers for BDY-4T-BDY-based films along the shearing direction. Fiber-alignment-induced charge-transport anisotropy (µâˆ¥/µâŠ¥ ≈ 10) was observed, and higher mobilities were achieved when the microfibers were aligned along the conduction channel, which allows for efficient long-range charge-transport between source and drain electrodes. These OTFT performances are the highest reported to date for a BODIPY-based molecular semiconductor, and demonstrate that BODIPY is a promising building block for enabling solution-processed, electron-transporting semiconductor films.

Intramolecular excimer formation in hexakis(pyrenyloxy)cyclotriphosphazene: photophysical properties, crystal structure, and theoretical investigation.

A hexakis(pyrenyloxy)cyclotriphosphazene is synthesized by the reaction of N3P3Cl6 with 2-hydroxypyrene, and its excimer emission through intramolecular interactions in solution and in the solid state has been investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Thermal and electrochemical properties were investigated. A DFT benchmark study has been performed to evaluate the intramolecular interactions and molecular orbital levels by comparing with the experimental results.