Triangular ruthenium acetate clusters containing the bis(pyridyl)propane ligand and their inclusion chemistry with beta-cyclodextrin

The triruthenium carboxylate cluster [Ru(3)O(OAc)(6)(py)(2)(bpp)](+) (OAc = acetate) containing the bridging 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) ligand, and its dimeric species [{Ru(3)O(OAc)(6)(py(2))}(2)(mu-bpp)](2+) were synthesized in order to investigate their inclusion compounds with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD). Characterization of the complexes was carried out based on spectroscopic, electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques, while the formation of inclusion complexes was evaluated using (1)H NMR/NOESY spectroscopy. Since bpp is a flexible ligand, a DFT study was carried out in order to characterize its conformational isomers and their possible role in the host-guest chemistry with beta-CD. Instead of observing the formation of inclusion compounds with different stoichiometries, we observed the formation of 1:1 bpp/beta-CD compounds in which the bpp ligand assumes different conformations. The assembly of polymetallic rotaxane species was successfully demonstrated by monitoring the (1)H NMR spectra of the monomeric cluster species in the presence of aquapentacyanoferrate(II) ions and beta-CD.

Solvatochromism in Binary Mixtures: First Report on a Solvation Free Energy Relationship between Solvent Exchange Equilibrium Constants and the Properties of the Medium

We have employed UV-vis spectroscopy in order to investigate details of the solvation of six solvatochromic indicators, hereafter designated as ""probes"", namely, 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (RB); 4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePM; 1-methylquinolinium-8-olate, QB; 2-bromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr, 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (WB); and 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr,, respectively. These can be divided into three pairs, each includes two probes of similar pK(a) in water and different lipophilicity. Solvation has been studied in binary mixtures, BMs, of water, W, with 12 protic organic solvents, S, including mono- and bifunctional alcohols (2-alkoxyethanoles, unsaturated and chlorinated alcohols). Each medium was treated as a mixture of S, W, and a complex solvent, S-W, formed by hydrogen bonding. Values of lambda(max) (of the probe intramolecular charge transfer) were converted into empirical polarity scales, E(T)(probe) in kcal/mol, whose values were correlated with the effective mole fraction of water in the medium, chi w(effective). This correlation furnished three equilibrium constants for the exchange of solvents in the probe solvation shell; phi(W/S) (W substitutes S): phi(S-W/W) (S-W substitutes W), and phi(S-W/S) (S-W substitutes S), respectively. The values of these constants depend on the physicochemical properties of the probe and the medium. We tested, for the first time, the applicability of a new solvation free energy relationship: phi = constant + a alpha(BM) + b beta(BM) + s(pi*(BM) + d delta) + p log P(BM), where a, b, s, and p are regression coefficients alpha(BM), beta(BM), and pi*(BM) are solvatochromic parameters of the BM, delta is a correction term for pi*, and log P is an empirical scale of lipophilicity. Correlations were carried out with two-, three-, and four-medium descriptors. In all cases, three descriptors gave satisfactory correlations; use of four parameters gave only a marginal increase of the goodness of fit. For phi(W/S), the most important descriptor was found to be the lipophilicity of the medium; for phi(S-W/W) and phi(S-W/S), solvent basicity is either statistically relevant or is the most important descriptor. These responses are different from those of E(T)(probe) of many solvatochromic indicators in pure solvents, where the importance of solvent basicity is usually marginal, and can be neglected.

First study on the thermo-solvatochromism in aqueous 1-(1-butyl)-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate: A comparison between the solvation by an ionic liquid and by aqueous alcohols

The thermo-solvatochrornic behaviors of 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate, RB; 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyloyridinium-1-yl) phenolate, WB; 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr(2); 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-n-octylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, OcPMBr(2), have been investigated in binary mixtures of the ionic liquid, IL, 1-(1-butyl)-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluorborate, [BuMeIm][BF(4)], and water (W), in the temperature range from 10 to 60 degrees C. Plots of the empirical solvent polarities, ET (probe) in kcal mol(-1), versus the mole fraction of water in the binary mixture, chi(w) showed nonlinear, i.e., nonideal behavior. Solvation by these IL-W mixtures shows the following similarities to that by aqueous aliphatic alcohols: The same solvation model can be conveniently employed to treat the data obtained; it is based on the presence in the system-bulk medium and probe solvation shell of IL, W, and the ""complex"" solvent 1:1 IL-W. The origin of the nonideal solvation behavior appears to be the same, preferential solvation of the probe, in particular by the complex solvent. The strength of association of the IL-W complex, and the polarity of the IL are situated between the corresponding values of aqueous methanol and aqueous ethanol. Temperature increase causes a gradual desolvation of all probes employed. A difference between solvation by IL-W and aqueous alcohols is that probe-solvent hydrophobic interactions appear to play a minor role in case of the former mixture, probably because solvation is dominated by hydrogen-bonding and Coulombic interactions between the ions of the IL and the zwitterionic probes.

Local Structure and Photochromic Response in Ormosils Containing Dodecatungstophosphoric Acid

Two hybrid materials based on dodecatungstophosphoric acid (HPW) dispersed in ormosils modified with 3-aminopropiltrietoxysilane (APTS) or with N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyl)-ethylene-diamine (TSPEN) show reversible photochromic response induced by irradiation in the 200-390 nm UV range. A set of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques was used to analyze the structural properties of the main components of these hybrids (the HPW polyanion, the inorganic matrix, and the organic functionalities). For the ormosils, the use of (29)Si NMR, {(1)H}-(29)Si cross-polarization, and {(1)H}-(29)Si HETCOR revealed a homogeneous distribution of silicon species Q ``, T(2), and T(3) for the APTS hybrid, contrasting with the separation of T(3) species in the TSPEN hybrid. The combination of (31)P NMR, {(1)H}-(31)P cross-polarization and (31)P-{(1)H} spin-echo double resonance (SEDOR) revealed the dispersion of the HPW ions in the ormosil, occupying sites with a high number of close protons (>50). Differences in the molecular dynamics at room temperature, inferred from SEDOR experiments, indicate a state of restricted mobility of the HPW ion and the surrounding molecular groups in the TSPEN hybrid. This behavior is consistent with the presence of more amino groups in the TSPEN, acting as chelating groups to the HPW ion. This hybrid, with the strong chelate interaction of the diamine group, shows the most intense photochromic response, in agreement with the charge transfer models proposed to explain the photochromic effect. Electronic reflectance spectroscopy in irradiated samples revealed the presence of one-electron and two-electron reduced polyanions. The one-electron reduced species could be detected also by (31)P NMR spectroscopy immediately after UV irradiation.

A novel nanostructured composite formed by interaction of copper octa(3-aminopropyl)octasilsesquioxane with azide ligands: Preparation, characterization and a voltammetric application

This study presents the preparation, characterization and application of copper octa(3-aminopropyl)octasilsesquioxane following its subsequent reaction with azide ions (ASCA). The precursor (AC) and the novel compound (ASCA) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analyses and voltammetric technique. The cyclic voltammogram of the modified graphite paste electrode with ASCA (GPE-ASCA), showed one redox couple with formal potential (E(1/2)(ox)) = 0.30 V and an irreversible process at 1.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl; NaCl 1.0 M; v = 20 mV s(-1)). The material is very sensitive to nitrite concentrations. The modified graphite paste electrode (GPE-ASCA) gives a linear range from 1.0 x 10(-4) to 4.0 x 10(-3) mol L(-1) for the determination of nitrite, with a detection limit of 2.1 x 10(-4) mol L(-1) and the amperometric sensitivity of 8.04 mA/mol L(-1). (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressure Perturbation Calorimetry and Guest-Host Chemistry of NDMG and N-MAP with p-Sulfonatocalix[6]arene

The aim of this project is to provide an explanation for recently obtained binding constants for two similar guest molecules, NDMG and N-MAP, with a p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene host in ammonium acetate buffer. This work was done primarily using pressure perturbation calorimetry, which is a technique that determines the coefficient of thermal expansion, α, which is in turn related to the solute molecule's effect on the order of the surrounding water molecules. A series of experiments were designed to test the effects of suspected confounding variables on the validity of PPC data. PPC was then used to study NDMG and N-MAP in ammonium acetate buffer. NDMG exhibited a minimum in α as function of temperature, while N-MAP did not. This difference was theorized to be due to the formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond in monocationic NDMG that would lower the heat capacity of the molecule and better distribute the molecule's charge. Computational work and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed that monocationic, ring-closed NDMG has less concentrated charge and more constrained motion than monocationic, ring-open NDMG. This evidence supports the theory that monocationic NDMG forms an intramolecular hydrogen bond and that this may be responsible for the minimum in α. This difference may explain the differences in binding constants between NDMG and N-MAP.

PEGylated polyethyleneimine-entrapped gold nanoparticles for enhanced and targeted gene delivery applications

Gene therapy, which involves the transfer of nucleic acid into target cells in patients, has become one of the most important and widely explored strategies to treat a variety of diseases, such as cancer, infectious diseases and genetic disorders. Relative to viral vectors that have high immunogenicity, toxicity and oncogenicity, non-viral vectors have gained a lot of interest in recent years. This is largely due to their ability to mimic viral vector features including the capacity to overcome extra- and intra-cellular barriers and to enhance transfection efficiency. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) has been extensively investigated as a non-viral vector. This cationic polymer, which is able to compact nucleic acid through electrostatic interactions and to transport it across the negatively charged cell membranes, has been shown to effectively transfect nucleic acid into different cell lines. Moreover, entrapment of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) into such an amine-terminated polymer template has been shown to significantly enhance gene transfection efficiency. In this work, a novel non-viral nucleic acid vector system for enhanced and targeted nucleic acid delivery applications was developed. The system was based on the functionalization of PEI with folic acid (FA; for targeted delivery to cancer cells overexpressing FA receptors on their surface) using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a linker molecule. This was followed by the preparation of PEI-entrapped Au NPs (Au PENPs; for enhancement of transfection efficiency). In the synthesis process, the primary amines of PEI were first partially modified with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FI) using a molar ratio of 1:7. The formed PEI-FI conjugate was then further modified with either PEG or PEGylated FA using a molar ratio of 1:1. This process was finally followed by entrapment of Au NPs into the modified polymers. The resulting conjugates and Au PENPs were characterized by several techniques, namely Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Dynamic Light Scattering and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy, to assess their physicochemical properties. In the cell biology studies, the synthesized conjugates and their respective Au PENPs were shown to be non-toxic towards A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cells. The role of these materials as gene delivery agents was lastly evaluated. In the gene delivery studies, the A2780 cells were successfully transfected with plasmid DNA using the different vector systems. However, FA-modification and Au NPs entrapment were not determinant factors for improved transfection efficiency. In the gene silencing studies, on the other hand, the Au PENPs were shown to effectively deliver small interfering RNA, thereby reducing the expression of the B-cell lymphoma 2 protein. Based on these results, we can say that the systems synthesized in this work show potential for enhanced and targeted gene therapy applications.

Síntese e caracterização do líquido iônico tetrafluoroborato de 1-metil-3-(2,6-(S)-dimetiloct-2-eno)-imidazol como eletrólito para produção de hidrogênio via eletrólise da água

Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic compounds liquid at room temperature, good electrical conductors, with the potential to form as a means for electrolyte on electrolysis of water, in which the electrodes would not be subjected to such extreme conditions demanding chemistry [1]. This paper describes the synthesis, characterization and study of the feasibility of ionic liquid ionic liquid 1-methyl-3(2,6-(S)-dimethyloct-2-ene)-imidazole tetrafluoroborate (MDI-BF4) as electrolyte to produce hydrogen through electrolysis of water. The MDI-BF4 synthesized was characterized by thermal methods of analysis (Thermogravimetric Analysis - TG and Differential Scanning Calorimetry - DSC), mid-infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform by method of attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of hydrogen (NMR 1H) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Where thermal methods were used to calculate the yield of the synthesis of MDI-BF4 which was 88.84%, characterized infrared spectroscopy functional groups of the compound and the binding B-F 1053 cm-1; the NMR 1H analyzed and compared with literature data defines the structure of MDI-BF4 and the current density achieved by MDI-BF4 in the voltammogram shows that the LI can conduct electrical current indicating that the MDI-BF4 is a good electrolyte, and that their behavior does not change with the increasing concentration of water

Development and pharmacological evaluation of ropivacaine-2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex

Ropivacaine (RVC) is an enantiomerically pure local anesthetic (LA) largely used in surgical procedures, which presents physico-chemical and therapeutic properties similar to those of bupivacaine (BPV), but associated to less systemic toxicity This study focuses on the development and pharmacological evaluation of a RVC in 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-P-CD) inclusion complex. Phase-solubility diagrams allowed the determination of the association constant between RVC and HP-beta-CD (9.46 M-1) and showed an increase on RVC solubility upon complexation. Release kinetics revealed a decrease on RVC release rate and reduced hemolytic effects after complexation. (onset at 3.7 mM and 11.2 mM for RVC and RVCHP-beta-CD, respectively) were observed. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray analysis (X-ray) showed the formation and the morphology of the complex. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and job-plot experiments afforded data regarding inclusion complex stoichiometry (1:1) and topology. Sciatic nerve blockade studies showed that RVCHP-beta-CD was able to reduce the latency without increasing the duration of motor blockade, but prolonging the duration and intensity of the sensory blockade (p < 0.001) induced by the LA in mice. These results identify the RVCHP-beta-CD complex as an effective novel approach to enhance the pharmacological effects of RVC, presenting it as a promising new anesthetic formulation. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Stability and Local Toxicity Evaluation of a Liposomal Prilocaine Formulation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Host-guest system of 4-nerolidylcatechol in 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin: preparation, characterization and molecular modeling

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Chemical Modification of Botryosphaeran: Structural Characterization and Anticoagulant Activity of a Water-Soluble Sulfonated (1 -> 3)(1 -> 6)-beta-D-Glucan

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Synthesis, Characterization and Pharmacological Evaluation of 1-(2-Chloro-6-Fluorophenyl)-5-Methylindolin-2-One: A New Anti-Inflammatory Compound with Reduced Gastric Ulceration Properties

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Analysis of the molecular association of rifampicin with hydroxypropyl-²-cyclodextrin

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ab initio study and NMR analysis of the complexion of citric acid with ion lithium

Quantum mechanics calculations at the ab initio HF/3-21G* level were carried out with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements to characterize citric acid and lithium interactions. The results indicate the formation of a tridentate organometallic compound with one lithium and one citric acid molecule and a tridentate and bidentate compound of two lithium atoms and one citric acid molecule. The results are in agreement with the experimental and theoretical data. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.