High-flexibility combinatorial peptide synthesis with laser-based transfer of monomers in solid matrix material.

Laser writing is used to structure surfaces in many different ways in materials and life sciences. However, combinatorial patterning applications are still limited. Here we present a method for cost-efficient combinatorial synthesis of very-high-density peptide arrays with natural and synthetic monomers. A laser automatically transfers nanometre-thin solid material spots from different donor slides to an acceptor. Each donor bears a thin polymer film, embedding one type of monomer. Coupling occurs in a separate heating step, where the matrix becomes viscous and building blocks diffuse and couple to the acceptor surface. Furthermore, we can consecutively deposit two material layers of activation reagents and amino acids. Subsequent heat-induced mixing facilitates an in situ activation and coupling of the monomers. This allows us to incorporate building blocks with click chemistry compatibility or a large variety of commercially available non-activated, for example, posttranslationally modified building blocks into the array's peptides with >17,000 spots per cm(2).

meso-Ester Corroles.

The introduction of ester groups on the 5- and 15-meso positions of corroles stabilizes them against oxidation and induces a redshift of their absorption and emission spectra. These effects are studied through the photophysical and electrochemical characterization of up to 16 different 5,15-diester corroles, in which the third meso position is free or occupied by an aryl group, a long alkyl chain, or an ester moiety. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of five 5,15-diestercorroles and DFT and time-dependent DFT calculations show that the strong electron-withdrawing character of the 5,15 ester substituents is reinforced by their π overlap with the macrocyclic aromatic system. The crystal packing of corroles 2, 4, 6, 9, and 15 features short distances between chromophores that are stacked into columns thanks to the low steric hindrance of meso-ester groups. This close packing is partially due to intermolecular interactions that involve inner hydrogen and nitrogen atoms, and thereby, stabilize a single, identical corrole tautomeric form.

Energy transfer in aggregates of bacteriochlorophyll c self-assembled with azulene derivatives.

Bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c is the main light-harvesting pigment of certain photosynthetic bacteria. It is found in the form of self-assembled aggregates in the so-called chlorosomes. Here we report the results of co-aggregation experiments of BChl c with azulene and its tailored derivatives. We have performed spectroscopic and quantum chemical characterization of the azulenes, followed by self-assembly experiments. The results show that only azulenes with sufficient hydrophobicity are able to induce aggregation of BChl c. Interestingly, only azulene derivatives possessing a conjugated phenyl ring were capable of efficient (∼50%) excitation energy transfer to BChl molecules. These aggregates represent an artificial light-harvesting complex with enhanced absorption between 220 and 350 nm compared to aggregates of pure BChl c. The results provide insight into the principles of self-assembly of BChl aggregates and suggest an important role of the π-π interactions in efficient energy transfer.