Engineering supramolecular helical assemblies via interplay between carbon(sp) tetrel and halogen bonding interactions.

Building supramolecular helical structures is a challenge due to difficulties in the design and control of competitive noncovalent forces. Herein, we report three scaffolds (1a, 1b, and 1c) decorated with -CN and -Br groups. These groups known for their ability to form multiple noncovalent interactions and with efficient design can be utilized to achieve such complex structures. X-Ray analyses revealed that the crystal packing of 1a, 1b and 1c is dominated by highly directional Br⋯CN Csp-tetrel bonding (1a), Br⋯π, Br⋯N (1b) and Br⋯Br (1c) XB interactions, and these interactions have led to the formation of achiral P/M, chiral M and achiral P/M helical assemblies, respectively. A detailed structural and computational analysis was performed to clarify the nature and estimate the strength of these interactions in helical assemblies. MEP analyses of 1a, 1b, and 1c have shown that the potential of electron-deficient and electron-rich regions within the structures has similar values. Yet, the geometric accessibility of σ-holes has differed with each scaffold. Thus, dominant interactions have changed and consequently led to different helical assembly formations. The interaction energies are around -11.4 (1a), -4.0 (1b), and -4.6 (1c) kcal mol-1 and mainly driven by dispersion, followed by electrostatic interactions. To our surprise, the Csp-tetrel bonding (1a), considered the weakest among non-covalent interactions, is the strongest interaction among the three scaffolds, which shows the importance of accessibility of Sigma holes. These findings are expected to contribute to the future rational design of complex self-assembled materials, utilizing Csp-tetrel and XB interactions, in various applications such as crystal engineering, organic semiconductors, sensor devices, and medicinal chemistry.

Triangular Regulation of Cucurbit[8]uril 1:1 Complexes.

Triangular shapes have inspired scientists over time and are common in nature, such as the flower petals of oxalis triangularis, the triangular faces of tetrahedrite crystals, and the icosahedron faces of virus capsids. Supramolecular chemistry has enabled the construction of triangular assemblies, many of which possess functional features. Among these structures, cucurbiturils have been used to build supramolecular triangles, and we recently reported paramagnetic cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) triangles, but the reasons for their formation remain unclear. Several parameters have now been identified to explain their formation. At first sight, the radical nature of the guest was of prime importance in obtaining the triangles, and we focused on extending this concept to biradicals to get supramolecular hexaradicals. Two sodium ions were systematically observed by ESI-MS in trimer structures, and the presence of Na+ triggered or strengthened the triangulation of CB[8]/guest 1:1 complexes in solution. X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling have allowed the proposal of two plausible sites of residence for the two sodium cations. We then found that a diamagnetic guest with an H-bond acceptor function is equally good at forming CB[8] triangles. Hence, a guest molecule containing a ketone function has been precisely triangulated thanks to CB[8] and sodium cations as determined by DOSY-NMR and DLS. A binding constant for the triangulation of 1:1 to 3:3 complexes is proposed. This concept has finally been extended to the triangulation of ditopic guests toward network formation by the reticulation of CB[8] triangles using dinitroxide biradicals.

Mitigation of NADPH Oxidase 2 Activity as a Strategy to Inhibit Peroxynitrite Formation.

Using high throughput screening-compatible assays for superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, we identified potential inhibitors of the NADPH oxidase (Nox2) isoform from a small library of bioactive compounds. By using multiple probes (hydroethidine, hydropropidine, Amplex Red, and coumarin boronate) with well defined redox chemistry that form highly diagnostic marker products upon reaction with superoxide (O2 (̇̄)), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), the number of false positives was greatly decreased. Selected hits for Nox2 were further screened for their ability to inhibit ONOO(-)formation in activated macrophages. A new diagnostic marker product for ONOO(-)is reported. We conclude that the newly developed high throughput screening/reactive oxygen species assays could also be used to identify potential inhibitors of ONOO(-)formed from Nox2-derived O2 (̇̄)and nitric oxide synthase-derived nitric oxide.

Mechanism of the Zn(II)Phthalocyanines' Photochemical Reactions Depending on the Number of Substituents and Geometry.

In this work, the synthesis and the nonlinear absorption and population dynamics investigation of a series of zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) dissolved in chloroform are reported. In order to determine the relevant spectroscopic parameters, such as absorption cross-sections of singlet and triplet excited states, fluorescence relaxation times, intersystem crossing, radiative decay and internal conversion, different optical and spectroscopic techniques were used. By single pulse and pulse train Z-scan techniques, respectively, singlet and triplet excited states' absorption cross-section were determined at 532 nm. Furthermore, the intersystem crossing time was obtained by using both techniques combined with the fluorescence lifetime determined by time-resolved fluorescence. The radiative and internal conversion rates were determined from the fluorescence quantum yield of the samples. Such spectroscopy parameters are fundamental for selecting photosensitizers used in photodynamic therapy, as well as for many other applications.

EPR Studies of the Binding Properties, Guest Dynamics, and Inner-Space Dimensions of a Water-Soluble Resorcinarene Capsule.

Nitroxide free radicals have been used to study the inner space of one of Rebek's water-soluble capsules. EPR and (1) H NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS, and DFT calculations showed a preference for the formation of 1:2 complexes. EPR titrations allowed us to determine binding constants (Ka ) in the order of 10(7) M(-2) . EPR spectral-shape analysis provided information on the guest rotational dynamics within the capsule. The interplay between optimum hydrogen bonding upon capsule formation and steric strain for guest accommodation highlights some degree of flexibility for guest inclusion, particularly at the center of the capsule where the hydrogen bond seam can be barely distorted or slightly disturbed.

ABAB homoleptic bis(phthalocyaninato)lanthanide(III) complexes: original octupolar design leading to giant quadratic hyperpolarizability.

The octupolar cube, a Td symmetry cube presenting alternating charges at its corners, is the generic point charge template of any octupolar molecule. So far, transposition into real molecular structures has yet to be achieved. We report here a first step toward the elaboration of fully cubic octupolar architectures. A series of octupolar bis(2,3,16,17-tetra(hexylthio)phthalocyaninato)lanthanide double-decker complexes [Pc2Ln], Ln = Nd (1), Eu (2), Dy (3), Y (4), and Lu (5), are described, whose original three-dimensional structures display the required alternation of ABAB type for one face of the cube and the delocalization between the two rings approximating to the electronic interaction along the edges of the cube. Synthesis, X-ray crystal structure, and study of the optical properties and of the first molecular hyperpolarizability ß are reported. The size of the lanthanide (III) central ion modulates the ring-to-ring distance and the degree of coupling between the two phthalocyanine rings. As a consequence, the optical properties of these octupolar chromophores and in particular the strong near-infrared absorption due to the intervalence transition between the two rings also depend on the central lanthanide (III) ion. The first oxidized and reduced states of the complexes, while keeping a similar octupolar structure, display considerably changed optical properties compared to the neutral states. Second-order nonlinear properties were determined by nonpolarized harmonic light scattering in solution at 1907 nm. Exceptionally large dynamic molecular first hyperpolarizabilities √(<ßHLS(2)>1907), among the highest ever reported, were found that showed a strong dependence on the number of 4f electrons.

The chemical and electrochemical stimuli viologen substituted phthalocyanine with tunable optical features1.

In this study, viologen-tetrasubstituted Zn(II) phthalocyanines (PcV1 and PcV2) were designed and synthesized to achieve the tunable optical features via redox-active viologen groups. Several parameters relevant to the evaluation of the tunable optical features have been investigated: UV-Vis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), EPR, square wave voltammetry (SWV), and theoretical analyses. The results showed that upon reductions and oxidations of viologen groups either chemically or electrochemically, the optical features of PcV1 and PcV2 change drastically with switchable processes. These outcomes indicate that achieving control over optical features of large organic chromophores such as Pc with our rational design can be used for the design of new complex organic electronic materials.

ABAB homoleptic bis(phthalocyaninato)lutetium(III) complex: toward the real octupolar cube and giant quadratic hyperpolarizability.

The concept of octupolar molecules has considerably enlarged the engineering of second-order nonlinear optical materials by giving access to 2D and 3D architectures. However, if the archetype of octupolar symmetry is a cube with alternating donor and acceptor groups at the corners, no translation of this ideal structure into a real molecule has been realized to date. This may be achieved by designing a bis(phthalocyaninato)lutetium(III) double-decker complex with a crosswise ABAB phthalocyanine bearing alternating electron-donor and electron-acceptor groups. In this communication, we present the first step toward this goal with the synthesis, crystal structure determination, and measurement of the molecular first-order hyperpolarizability ß by harmonic light diffusion, of an original lutetium(III) sandwich complex displaying the required ABAB-type alternation for one face of the cube. This structure is characterized by an intense absorption in the near-IR due to an intervalence transition and exhibits the highest quadratic hyperpolarizability ever reported for an octupolar molecule, √<ß(2)(HLS)> = 5750 × 10(-30) esu.

Photo-SRM: laser-induced dissociation improves detection selectivity of Selected Reaction Monitoring mode.

Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) carried out on triple-quadrupole mass spectrometers coupled to liquid chromatography has been a reference method to develop quantitative analysis of small molecules in biological or environmental matrices for years and is currently emerging as a promising tool in clinical proteomic. However, sensitive assays in complex matrices are often hampered by the presence of co-eluted compounds that share redundant transitions with the target species. On-the-fly better selection of the precursor ion by high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) or increased quadrupole resolution is one way to escape from interferences. In the present work we document the potential interest of substituting classical gas-collision activation mode by laser-induced dissociation in the visible wavelength range to improve the specificity of the fragmentation step. Optimization of the laser beam pathway across the different quadrupoles to ensure high photo-dissociation yield in Q2 without detectable fragmentation in Q1 was assessed with sucrose tagged with a push-pull chromophore. Next, the proof of concept that photo-SRM ensures more specific detection than does conventional collision-induced dissociation (CID)-based SRM was carried out with oxytocin peptide. Oxytocin was derivatized by the thiol-reactive QSY® 7 C(5)-maleimide quencher on cysteine residues to shift its absorption property into the visible range. Photo-SRM chromatograms of tagged oxytocin spiked in whole human plasma digest showed better detection specificity and sensitivity than CID, that resulted in extended calibration curve linearity. We anticipate that photo-SRM might significantly improve the limit of quantification of classical SRM-based assays targeting cysteine-containing peptides.

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.

Effects of position (α or ß) and linker heteroatom (O or S) of substituent on the photophysicochemical behavior of poly(oxyethylene) substituted ZnPcs and assessment of J-aggregation or protonation using TD-DFT computations.

A series of zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) tetra-substituted with 1,3-di[2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethoxy]-2-propanol () or 1,3-di[2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethoxy]-2-propanethiol () at peripheral (ß) () and non-peripheral (α) () positions have been synthesized and characterized. The spectroscopic, photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical (singlet oxygen generation and photodegradation) properties of these newly synthesized phthalocyanines have been investigated in DMSO. The effects of the position of the substituents on the phthalocyanine skeleton and the nature of the linker heteroatom on their spectroscopic, photophysical and photochemical properties have been determined. The quenching behavior of the zinc phthalocyanines by 1,4-benzoquinone has been studied in DMSO. All of the zinc(ii) Pc complexes ( and ) showed similar electronic absorption spectra in various solvents (chloroform, dichloromethane, DMF, DMSO, THF and toluene). However, complex gave an extra red-shifted band at 742 nm in chloroform and dichloromethane. DFT and TD-DFT computations were performed on the model structures (, and ) to find out the cause of the extra red-shifted Q band (J-type aggregation or protonation of the Pc ring). The computational results showed that monoprotonation of a meso nitrogen atom leads to the formation of this extra band. Photophysical and photochemical measurements indicated that these newly synthesized ZnPc derivatives are promising candidates for use as photosensitizers in the application of PDT.

Optical properties of a visible push-pull chromophore covalently bound to carbohydrates: solution and gas-phase spectroscopy combined to theoretical investigations.

The use of visible absorbing and fluorescent tags for sensing and structural analysis of carbohydrates is a promising route in a variety of medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic contexts. Here we report an easy method for covalent attachment of nonfluorescent push-pull chromophores based on the 4-cyano-5-dicyanomethylene-2-oxo-3-pyrroline ring to carbohydrate moieties. The impact of sugar grafting on the optical properties of the push-pull chromophore in the gas phase and in solution was investigated by absorption and action spectroscopy and theoretical methods. The labeled sugars efficiently absorb photons in the visible range, as demonstrated by their intense photodissociation in a quadrupole ion trap. A strong blue shift (-70 nm) of the gas-phase photodissociation intensity maximum is observed upon sugar grafting, whereas no such effect is visible on the solution absorption spectra. Molecular dynamics simulations of labeled maltose in the gas phase describe strong interactions between the sulfonated chromophore and the carbohydrate, which lead to cyclic conformations. These are not observed in the simulations with explicit solvation. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations on model molecules permit us to attribute the observed shift to the formation of such cyclic conformations and to the displacement of the negative charge relative to the aromatic moiety of the chromophore.