Thiosemicarbazone@Gold nanoparticle hybrid as selective SERS substrate for Hg2+ ions.

The Raman spectral profile of p-methylcarbohydrazonethioamide (MCHT) is completely changed due to strong SERS effects upon bonding onto gold nanoparticles surface, but some vibrational modes are further enhanced in the presence of Hg(II) ions. The lack of SERS response for most common metal ions indicates that the coordinating groups are interacting with the gold nanoparticles surface and not available for binding metal ions in solution, except for mercury ions. The selective enhancement of some vibrational modes is consistent with significant conformational changes upon binding of Hg(II) ion onto the AuNP@MCHT hybrid, as confirmed by TEM/EDS measurements, demonstrating its potentiality as a highly selective and sensitive SERS substrate.

Evaluation of the photodynamic activity of xanthene dyes on Artemia salina described by chemometric approaches.

The development of drugs for photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an important area of research due to their growing use in medical applications. Therefore, it is important to develop new bioassay methods for PDT photosensitizers that are inexpensive, easy to handle and highly sensitive to environmental conditions. Xanthene dyes (fluorescein, rose bengal B, erythrosine B and eosin Y) with LED light sources were investigated using Artemia salina as a bioindicator of photodynamic activity. In this study, three factors were investigated: (i) photosensitizers concentration, (ii) the LED irradiation time and (iii) the waiting time between the addition of the photosensitizers and the beginning of the irradiation. To analyze the photo-killing of A. salina, it was employed a 2³ full factorial design. The death of A. salina was related to dye structure and the interaction between the irradiation time and the photosensitizers concentration. About 60% of crustaceans death was obtained using rose bengal B, which presentes the highest quantum yield of singlet oxygen due to the number of iodide substituents in the xanthenes ring. The proposed bioassay using A. salina, xanthene dyes and LED irradiation was found suitable for quantitative PDT drug evaluation.

Self-aggregation processes of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene in water/ethanol mixtures with high water percentages.

This work describes the behavior of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) in ethanol/water mixtures. The dependence of DPH photophysical properties (absorption and fluorescence emission) on the water percentage in ethanol indicates that DPH undergoes self-aggregation processes in solvent conditions above a critical water content. Evidence such as an additional absorption band, Beer's law deviation, kinetic behavior, and other experimental results obtained from temperature variation and surfactant addition demonstrated the presence of several types of DPH aggregates. Resonance light scattering measurements proved that the aggregate grew in water-rich media by a self-catalyzed process.

Photodynamic effect of light-emitting diode light on cell growth inhibition induced by methylene blue.

The aim of this study was to propose the use of red light-emitting diode (LED) as an alternative light source for methylene blue (MB) photosensitizing effect in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Its effectiveness was tested against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 26923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 26922), Candida albicans (ATCC 90028) and Artemia salina. The maximum absorption of the LED lamps was at a wavelength of 663 nm, at intensities of 2,4,6 and 12 J.cm-2 for 10, 20, 30 and 60 min of exposure, respectively. Assays with and without LED exposure were carried out in plates containing MB at concentrations of 7 to 140.8 (micro) M for microorganisms and 13.35 to 668.5 (micro) M for microorganisms or microcrustaceans. The LED exposure induced more than 93.05%, 93.7% and 93.33% of growth inhibition for concentrations of 42.2 (micro)M for S.aureus (D-value=12.05 min) and 35.2 (micro)M for E.coli (D-value=11.51 min) and C.albicans (D-value=12.18 min), respectively after 20 min of exposure. LED exposure for 1 h increased the cytotoxic effect of MB against A.salina from 27% to 75%. Red LED is a promising light device for PDT that can effectively inhibit bacteria, yeast and microcrustacean growth.

Spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of iron(II) complexes of polydentate Schiff bases containing pyrazine, pyridine and imidazole groups.

We report the synthesis and spectroscopic/electrochemical properties of iron(II) complexes of polydentate Schiff bases generated from 2-acetylpyridine and 1,3-diaminopropane, acetylpyrazine and 1,3-diaminopropane, and from 2-acetylpyridine and L-histidine. The complexes exhibit bis(diimine)-iron(II) chromophores in association with pyrazine, pyridine or imidazole groups displaying contrasting pi-acceptor properties. In spite of their open geometry, their properties are much closer to those of macrocyclic tetraimineiron(II) complexes. An electrochemical/spectroscopic correlation between E degrees (FeIII/II) and the energies of the lowest MLCT band has been observed, reflecting the stabilization of the HOMO levels as a consequence of the increasing backbonding effects in the series of compounds. Mössbauer data have also confirmed the similarities in their electronic structure, as deduced from the spectroscopic and theoretical data.

Spectroscopic, redox and magnetic properties of a tetraiminediphenolate iron(II) macrocyclic complex: a model compound for iron proteins.

The title complex [Fe(II)(tidf-H2)(H2O)2](ClO4)2*H(2)O (tidf-H2 = tetraiminediphenolate ligand) has been prepared from a transmetallation reaction between [Mg2(tidf)](NO3)2*4H2O and an iron(II) salt in methanolic solutions under inert atmosphere conditions. It was characterized by analytical, magnetic and spectroscopic methods (Mossbauer, FTIR, UV-vis), by cyclic voltammetry as well as spectroelectrochemistry.