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Electric field manipulated nanopatterns in thin films of metalorganic 3-miktoarm star terpolymers
(2016)
We report the effect of electric field on the morphological transitions and ordering behavior of polyferrocenylethylmethylsilane block (PFEMS)-containing copolymers. By analyzing structures in solvent-annealed films of metalorganic sphere-and cylinder-forming diblock copolymers, as well as of 3-miktoarm polyisoprene-arm-polystyrene-arm-PFEMS (3 mu-ISF) terpolymers, we decouple two types of responses to the electric field: morphological transformations as a result of an increase in the volume fraction of the PFEMS block by oxidation of the ferrocenyl groups, and the orientation of the dielectric interfaces of microdomains parallel to the electric field vector. In the case of 3m-ISF, the former effect dominates at high electric field strengths which results in an unexpected cylinder-to-sphere transition, leading to a well-ordered hexagonal dot pattern. Our results demonstrate multiple tunability of ordered microdomain morphologies, suggesting future applications in nanofabrication and surface patterning.
Time- and temperature-resolved in situ birefringence measurements were applied to analyze the effect of nanoparticles on the electric field-induced alignment of a microphase separated solution of poly(styrene)-block-poly(isoprene) in toluene. Through the incorporation of isoprene-confined CdSe quantum dots the reorientation behavior is altered. Particle loading lowers the order-disorder transition temperature, and increases the defect density, favoring nucleation and growth as an alignment mechanism over rotation of grains. The temperature dependent alteration in the reorientation mechanism is analyzed via a combination of birefringence and synchrotron SAXS. The detailed understanding of the effect of nanoparticles on the reorientation mechanism is an important prerequisite for optimization of electricfield-induced alignment of block copolymer/nanoparticle composites where the block copolymer guides the nanoparticle self-assembly into anisotropic structures.
Pleurotus ostreatus has been widely used as food because of its nutritional and medicinal properties. These have been attributed to the presence of macronutrients, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, among other secondary metabolites. There are, however, few reports on the antimicrobial activities of different classes of purified compounds from P. ostreatus. This led to the current study, the objective of which was to chemically characterize the antibiotic activities of P. ()streams against selected human pathogenic bacteria and endophytic fungi. Chemical structures were determined using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with values of related structures reported in the literature. Pure compounds from P. ostreatus were tested in vitro against pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and endophytic fungi (Pencillium digitatum and Fusarium prolferatum). A new compound, (E)-5,7-dimethoxy-6-(3-methylbuta-1,3-dienyl)-2H-chromen-2-one (5-methoxy-(E)-suberodiene) (compound 2), along with ergosterol (compound I.) and 5,7-dimethoxy-6-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-2H-chromen-2-one (toddaculin; compound 3), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of P. ostreatus. The growth of S. aureus,E proliferatum, and P. digitatum colonies was inhibited in media containing compound 2, with minimum inhibitory concentrations closely comparable to those of conventional antibiotics.
Total protein concentration (TPC) is a key parameter in many biochemical experiments and its quantification is often necessary for isolation, separation, and analysis of proteins. A sensitive and rapid nanobead-based TPC quantification assay based on Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) has been developed. A new, highly luminescent Tb(III) complex has been synthesised and applied as donor in this FRET assay with an organic dye (Cy5) as acceptor. FRET-induced changes in luminescence have been investigated both at donor and acceptor emission wavelength using time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy with time-gated detection. In the assay, the Tb(III) complex and fine-tuned polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA) nanobeads ensure that an improvement in sensitivity and background reduction is achieved. Using 40 nm large PGMA nanobeads loaded with the Tb(III) complex, it is possible to determine TPC down to 50 ng mL(-1) in just 10 minutes. Through specific assay components the sensitivity has been improved when compared to existing nanobead-based assays and to currently known commercial methods. Additionally, the assay is relatively insensitive to the presence of contaminants, such as non-ionic detergents commonly found in biological samples. Due to no need for any centrifugal steps, this mix-and-measure bioassay can easily be implemented into routine TPC quantification protocols in biochemical laboratories.
Seek and destroy: Filtration schemes and self-detoxifying protective fabrics based on the ZrIV-containing metal—organic frameworks (MOFs) MOF-808 and UiO-66 doped with LiOtBu have been developed that capture and hydrolytically detoxify simulants of nerve agents and mustard gas. Both MOFs function as highly catalytic elements in these applications.
We simulate the femtosecond-laser-induced desorption dynamics of a diatomic molecule from a metal surface by including the effect of the electron and phonon excitations created by the laser pulse. Following previous models, the laser-induced surface excitation is treated through the two temperature model, while the multidimensional dynamics of the molecule is described by a classical Langevin equation, in which the friction and random forces account for the action of the heated electrons. In this work we propose the additional use of the generalized Langevin oscillator model to also include the effect of the energy exchange between the molecule and the heated surface lattice in the desorption dynamics. The model is applied to study the laser-induced desorption of O-2 from the Ag(110) surface, making use of a six-dimensional potential energy surface calculated within density functional theory. Our results reveal the importance of the phonon mediated process and show that, depending on the value of the electronic density in the surroundings of the molecule adsorption site, its inclusion can significantly enhance or reduce the desorption probabilities.
A series of meso monosubstituted metalloporphyrins were synthesized to assess the structural chemistry of porphyrins with only one substituent. The structures of four nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes with either alkyl or aryl residues indicate primarily planar macrocycles. This gives rise to a different type of pi-interactions in the crystal and the formation of dimeric, trimeric or tetrameric porphyrin units that function as building blocks for the overall crystal structure. Notably, some structures exhibit a unique edge-on packing of porphyrins, while the molecules of (5-n-butylporphyrinato)nickel(II) forms an unusual bilayer type structure where rows of two porphyrin macrocycles are separated by the alkyl residues arranged in a head-to-head fashion. This adds to the canon of intermolecular porphyrin packing arrangements and is of relevance for the preparation of ordered nanoscopic porphyrin devices. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The rehydration of thermoresponsive polystyrene-block-poly(methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate)-block-polystyrene (PS-b-PMDEGA-b-PS) films forming a lamellar microphase-separated structure is investigated by in situ neutron reflectivity in a D2O vapor atmosphere. The rehydration of collapsed PS-b-PMDEGA-b-PS films is realized by a temperature change from 45 to 23 degrees C and comprises (1) condensation and absorption of D2O, (2) evaporation of D2O, and (3) reswelling of the film due to internal rearrangement. The hydrophobic PS layers hinder the absorption of condensed D2O, and a redistribution of embedded D2O between the hydrophobic PS layers and the hydrophilic PMDEGA layers is observed. In contrast, the rehydration of semiswollen PS-b-PMDEGA-b-PS films (temperature change from 35 to 23 degrees C) shows two prominent differences: A thicker D2O layer condenses on the surface, causing a more enhanced evaporation of D2O. The rehydrated films differ in film thickness and volume fraction of D2O, which is due to the different thermal protocols, although the final temperature is identical.
A desirable goal is to synthesize easily accessible and highly K+/Na+-selective fluoroionophores to monitor physiological K+ levels in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, highly K+/Na+-selective ionophores have to be developed. Herein, we obtained in a sequence of only four synthetic steps a set of K+-responsive fluorescent probes 4, 5 and 6. In a systematic study, we investigated the influence of the alkoxy substitution in ortho position of the aniline moiety in -conjugated aniline-1,2,3-triazole-coumarin-fluoroionophores 4, 5 and 6 [R=MeO (4), EtO (5) and iPrO (6)] towards the K+-complex stability and K+/Na+ selectivity. The highest K+-complex stability showed fluoroionophore 4 with a dissociation constant K-d of 19mm, but the K-d value increases to 31mm in combined K+/Na+ solutions, indicating a poor K+/Na+ selectivity. By contrast, 6 showed even in the presence of competitive Na+ ions equal K-d values (K-d(K+)=45mm and K-d(K+/Na+)=45mm) and equal K+-induced fluorescence enhancement factors (FEFs=2.3). Thus, the fluorescent probe 6 showed an outstanding K+/Na+ selectivity and is a suitable fluorescent tool to measure physiological K+ levels in the range of 10-80mm in vitro. Further, the isopropoxy-substituted N-phenylaza[18]crown-6 ionophore in 6 is a highly K+-selective building block with a feasible synthetic route.
Macrocycles with quaterthiophene subunits were obtained by cyclooligomerization by direct oxidative coupling of unsubstituted dithiophene moieties. The rings were closed with high selectivity by an α,β′-connection of the thiophenes as proven by NMR spectroscopy. The reaction of the precursor with terthiophene moieties yielded the symmetric α,α′-linked macrocycle in low yield together with various differently connected isomers. Blocking of the β-position of the half-rings yielded selectively the α,α′-linked macrocycle. Selected cyclothiophenes were investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy, which displayed the formation of highly ordered 2D crystalline monolayers.
We combine the stochastic pulse optimization (SPO) scheme with the time-dependent configuration interaction singles method in order to control the high frequency response of a simple molecular model system to a tailored femtosecond laser pulse. For this purpose, we use H-2 treated in the fixed nuclei approximation. The SPO scheme, as similar genetic algorithms, is especially suited to control highly non-linear processes, which we consider here in the context of high harmonic generation. Here, we will demonstrate that SPO can be used to realize a "non-harmonic" response of H2 to a laser pulse. Specifically, we will show how adding low intensity side frequencies to the dominant carrier frequency of the laser pulse and stochastically optimizing their contribution can create a high-frequency spectral signal of significant intensity, not harmonic to the carrier frequency. At the same time, it is possible to suppress the harmonic signals in the same spectral region, although the carrier frequency is kept dominant during the optimization. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.
Polyplexes between Salmon DNA and non-modified hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimines) of varying molar mass, i.e., PEI(5 k) with 5000 g/mol and PEI(25 k) with 25,000 g/mol, and modified PEI(5 k) with maltose units (PEI-Mal) were investigated in dependence on the molar N/P ratio by using dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurements, micro differential scanning calorimetry (mu-DSC), scanning-transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM). A reloading of the polyplexes can be observed by adding the unmodified PEI samples of different molar mass. In excess of PEI a morphological transition from core-shell particles (at N/P 8) to loosely packed onion-like polyplexes (at N/P 40) is observed. The shift of the DSC melting peak from 88 degrees C to 76 degrees C indicates a destabilization of the DNA double helix due to the complexation with the unmodified PEI. Experiments with the maltose-modified PEI show a reloading already at a lower N/P ratio. Due to the presence of the sugar units in the periphery of the polycation electrostatic interactions between DNA become weaker, but cooperative H-bonding forces are reinforced. The resulting less-toxic, more compact polyplexes in excess of the PEI-Mal with two melting points and well distributed DNA segments are of special interest for extended gene delivery experiments. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The performance of different GW methods is assessed for a set of 24 organic acceptors. Errors are evaluated with respect to coupled cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] reference data for the vertical ionization potentials (IPs) and electron affinities (EAs), extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. Additional comparisons are made to experimental data, where available. We consider fully self-consistent GW (scGW), partial self-consistency in the Green’s function (scGW0), non-self-consistent G0W0 based on several mean-field starting points, and a “beyond GW” second-order screened exchange (SOSEX) correction to G0W0. We also describe the implementation of the self-consistent Coulomb hole with screened exchange method (COHSEX), which serves as one of the mean-field starting points. The best performers overall are G0W0+SOSEX and G0W0 based on an IP-tuned long-range corrected hybrid functional with the former being more accurate for EAs and the latter for IPs. Both provide a balanced treatment of localized vs delocalized states and valence spectra in good agreement with photoemission spectroscopy (PES) experiments.
The performance of non-empirically tuned long-range corrected hybrid functionals for the prediction of vertical ionization potentials (IPs) and electron affinities (EAs) is assessed for a set of 24 organic acceptor molecules. Basis set extrapolated coupled cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] calculations serve as a reference for this study. Compared to standard exchange-correlation functionals, tuned long-range corrected hybrid functionals produce highly reliable results for vertical IPs and EAs, yielding mean absolute errors on par with computationally more demanding GW calculations. In particular, it is demonstrated that long-range corrected hybrid functionals serve as ideal starting points for non-self-consistent GW calculations.
We report on an extension of the previously established concept of oligospiroketal (OSK) rods by replacing a part or all ketal moieties by thioketals leading to oligospirothioketal (OSTK) rods. In this way, some crucial problems arising from the reversible formation of ketals are circumvented. Furthermore, the stability of the rods toward hydrolysis is considerably improved. To successfully implement this concept, we first developed a number of new oligothiol building blocks and improved the synthetic accessibility of known oligothiols, respectively. Another advantage of thioacetals is that terephthalaldehyde (TAA) sleeves, which are too flexible in the case of acetals can be used in OSTK rods. The viability of the OSTK approach was demonstrated by the successful preparation of some OSTK rods with a length of some nanometers.
Block copolypeptoids comprising a thermosensitive, crystallizable poly(N-(n-propyl)glycine) block and a watersoluble poly(N-methylglycine) block, P70My (y = 23, 42, 76, 153, and 290), were synthesized bY ring-opening polymerization of the corresponding N-alkylglycine N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) and examined according to their thermo-induced aggregation and crystallization in water by turbidimetty, micro-differential scanning calorimetry (micro-DSC); cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), and static light scattering (SLS). At a temperature above the cloud point temperature, the initially formed micellar aggregates started to crystallize and grow into larger complex assemblies of about 100-500 nm, exhibiting flower-like (P70M23), ellipsoidal (P70M42 and P70M72) or irregular shapes (P70M153 and.P70M290).
Different approaches have been proposed to treat cancer cells using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in combination with radiation ranging from infrared lasers to high-energy ion beams. Here we study the decomposition of the DNA/RNA nucleobases thymine (T) and uracil (U) and the well-known radiosensitizer 5-bromouracil (BrU) in close vicinity to AuNPs, which are irradiated with a nanosecond pulsed laser (532 nm) matching the surface plasmon resonance of the AuNPs. The induced damage of nucleobases is analyzed by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). A clear DNA damage is observed upon laser irradiation. SERS spectra indicate the fragmentation of the aromatic ring system of T and U as the dominant form of damage, whereas with BrU mainly the cleavage of the Br-C bond and formation of Br- ions is observed. This is accompanied by a partial transformation of BrU into U. The observed damage is at least partly ascribed to the intermediate formation of low energy electrons from the laser-excited AuNPs and subsequent dissociative electron attachment to T, U, and BrU. These reactions represent basic DNA damage pathways occurring on the one hand in plasmon-assisted cancer therapy and on the other hand in conventional cancer radiation therapy using AuNPs as sensitizing agents.
Synchrotron-radiation XPS analysis of ultra-thin silane films: Specifying the organic silicon
(2016)
The analysis of chemical and elemental in-depth variations in ultra-thin organic layers with thicknesses below 5 nm is very challenging. Energy- and angle-resolved XPS (ER/AR-XPS) opens up the possibility for non-destructive chemical ultra-shallow depth profiling of the outermost surface layer of ultra-thin organic films due to its exceptional surface sensitivity. For common organic materials a reliable chemical in-depth analysis with a lower limit of the XPS information depth z(95) of about 1 nm can be performed. As a proof-of-principle example with relevance for industrial applications the ER/AR-XPS analysis of different organic monolayers made of amino- or benzamidosilane molecules on silicon oxide surfaces is presented. It is demonstrated how to use the Si 2p core-level region to non-destructively depth-profile the organic (silane monolayer) - inorganic (SiO2/Si) interface and how to quantify Si species, ranging from elemental silicon over native silicon oxide to the silane itself. The main advantage of the applied ER/AR-XPS method is the improved specification of organic from inorganic silicon components in Si 2p core-level spectra with exceptional low uncertainties compared to conventional laboratory XPS. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
We demonstrate that a single-layer graphene replicates the shape of DNA origami nanostructures very well. It can be employed as a protective layer for the enhancement of structural stability of DNA origami nanostructures. Using the AFM based manipulation, we show that the normal force required to damage graphene encapsulated DNA origami nanostructures is over an order of magnitude greater than for the unprotected ones. In addition, we show that graphene encapsulation offers protection to the DNA origami nanostructures against prolonged exposure to deionized water, and multiple immersions. Through these results we demonstrate that graphene encapsulated DNA origami nanostructures are strong enough to sustain various solution phase processing, lithography and transfer steps, thus extending the limits of DNA-mediated bottom-up fabrication.
The aggregation kinetics of thermoresponsive core-shell micelles with a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) shell in pure water or in mixtures of water with the cosolvents methanol or ethanol at mole fractions of 5% is investigated during a temperature jump across the respective cloud point. Characteristically, these mixtures give rise to cononsolvency behavior. At the cloud point, aggregates are formed, and their growth is followed with time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering. Using the reversible association model, the interaction potential between the aggregates is determined from their growth rate in dependence on the cosolvents. The effect of the cosolvent is attributed to the interaction potential on the structured layer of hydration water around the aggregates. It is surmised that the latter is perturbed by the cosolvent and thus the residual repulsive hydration force between the aggregates is reduced. The larger the molar volume of the cosolvent, the more pronounced is the effect. This framework provides a molecular-level understanding of solvent-mediated effective interactions in polymer solutions and new opportunities for the rational control of self-assembly in complex soft matter systems.
The authors report on the fabrication of a thermoresponsive biosensor for the amperometric detection of glucose. Screen printed electrodes with heatable gold working electrodes were modified by a thermoresponsive statistical copolymer [polymer I: poly(omega-ethoxytriethylenglycol methacrylate-omega-3-(N,N-dimethyl-N-2-methacryloyloxyethyl ammonio) propanesulfonate-co-omega-butoxydiethylenglycol methacrylate-co-2-(4-benzoyl-phenoxy)ethyl methacrylate)] with a lower critical solution temperature of around 28 degrees C in aqueous solution via electrochemically induced codeposition with a pH-responsive redox-polymer [polymer II: poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-allyl methacrylate-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate-co-2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)-[Os(bpy)(2)(4-(((2-(2-(2-aminoethoxy) ethoxy) ethyl) amino) methyl)-N,N-dimethylpicolinamide)](2+)] and pyrroloquinoline quinone-soluble glucose dehydrogenase acting as biological recognition element. Polymer II bears covalently bound Os-complexes that act as redox mediators for shuttling electrons between the enzyme and the electrode surface. Polymer I acts as a temperature triggered immobilization matrix. Probing the catalytic current as a function of the working electrode temperature shows that the activity of the biosensor is dramatically reduced above the phase transition temperature of polymer I. Thus, the local modulation of the temperature at the interphase between the electrode and the bioactive layer allows switching the biosensor from an on-to an off-state without heating of the surrounding analyte solution. (C) 2015 American Vacuum Society.
In Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy X-Ray photons are used to excite tightly bound core electrons to low-lying unoccupied orbitals of the system. This technique offers insight into the electronic structure of the system as well as useful structural information. In this work, we apply NEXAFS to two kinds of imidazolium based ionic liquids ([C(n)C(1)im](+)[NTf2](-) and [C(4)C(1)im](+)[I](-)). A combination of measurements and quantum chemical calculations of C K and N K NEXAFS resonances is presented. The simulations, based on the transition potential density functional theory method (TP-DFT), reproduce all characteristic features observed by the experiment. Furthermore, a detailed assignment of resonance features to excitation centers (carbon or nitrogen atoms) leads to a consistent interpretation of the spectra.
The spatial magnetic properties (Through Space NMR Shieldings - TSNMRS) of a number of Y-shaped structures possessing 4n+2 pi-electrons (i.a. the trimethylenemethane ions TMM2+, TMM2-, the guanidinium cation, substituted and hetero analogues) have been computed, visualized as Isochemical Shielding Surfaces (ICSS) of various size and direction, were examined subject to present Y-aromaticity and the results compared with energetic and geometric criteria obtained already. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s (PAOx) exhibit different crystallization behavior depending on the length of the alkyl side chain. PAOx having methyl, ethyl, or propyl side chains do not show any bulk crystallization. Crystallization in the heating cycle, that is, cold crystallization, is observed for PAOx with butyl and pentyl side chains. For PAOx with longer alkyl side chains crystallization occurs in the cooling cycle. The different crystallization behavior is attributed to the different polymer chain mobility in line with the glass transition temperature (T-g) dependency on alkyl side chain length. The decrease in chain mobility with decreasing alkyl side chain length hinders the relaxation of the polymer backbone to the thermodynamic equilibrium crystalline structure. Double melting behavior is observed for PButOx and PiPropOx which is explained by the melt-recrystallization mechanism. Isothermal crystallization experiments of PButOx between 60 and 90 degrees C and PiPropOx between 90 and 150 degrees C show that PAOx can crystallize in bulk when enough time is given. The decrease of Tg and the corresponding increase in chain mobility at T > T-g with increasing alkyl side chain length can be attributed to an increasing distance between the polymer backbones and thus decreasing average strength of amide dipole interactions. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
For Vibrio cholerae, the coordinated import and export of Na+ is crucial for adaptation to habitats with different osmolarities. We investigated the Na+-extruding branch of the sodium cycle in this human pathogen by in vivo Na-23-NMR spectroscopy. The Na+ extrusion activity of cells was monitored after adding glucose which stimulated respiration via the Na+-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR). In a V. cholerae deletion mutant devoid of the Na+-NQR encoding genes (nqrA-F), rates of respiratory Na+ extrusion were decreased by a factor of four, but the cytoplasmic Na+ concentration was essentially unchanged. Furthermore, the mutant was impaired in formation of transmembrane voltage (Delta psi, inside negative) and did not grow under hypoosmotic conditions at pH 8.2 or above. This growth defect could be complemented by transformation with the plasmid encoded nqr operon. In an alkaline environment, Na+/H+ antiporters acidify the cytoplasm at the expense of the transmembrane voltage. It is proposed that, at alkaline pH and limiting Na+ concentrations, the Na+-NQR is crucial for generation of a transmembrane voltage to drive the import of H+ by electrogenic Na+/H+ antiporters. Our study provides the basis to understand the role of the Na+-NQR in pathogenicity of V. cholerae and other pathogens relying on this primary Na+ pump for respiration. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Janus emulsions, formed by mixing two oil components (i.e., olive oil (OO) and silicone oil (SiO)) with water in the presence of two surface active biopolymers, i.e., gelatin and chitosan, are investigated in more detail. The stability of Janus droplets formed strongly depends on the polymer components used. The mixture of both biopolymers represents an extraordinary effect which can be related to the complex formation of gelatin and chitosan. Taken into account that under the given pH conditions, in the acidic pH range between 4 and 6, below the isoelectric point of gelatin, both polymers are polycations, one can conclude that non-Coulombic interactions are of relevance for the enhanced surface activity of the complexes. Dynamic interfacial tension (gamma) measurements by using the drop profile analysis tensiometry (PAT) indicate a strong adsorption of the polymer complexes at the olive oil/water interface in contrast to the silicone/water interface. In a first step, the polymer complexes are adsorbed at the interface, and in a second step, a more rigid skin-like polymer layer is formed. This first example of a polymer-stabilized Janus emulsion opens new perspectives for the application, e.g., in food emulsions or for making scaffold materials.
We dissect the sources of error leading to inaccuracies in the description of the geometry and optical excitation energies of pi-conjugated polymers. While the ground-state bond length alternation is shown to be badly reproduced by standard functionals, the recently adapted functionals PBEh* and omega PBE* as well as the double hybrid functional XYGJ-OS manage to replicate results obtained at the CCSD(T) level. By analysis of the bond length alternation in the excited state, a sensitive dependence of the exciton localization on the long-range behavior of the functional and the amount of Hartree-Fock exchange present is shown. Introducing thermal disorder through molecular dynamics simulations allows the consideration of a range of thermally accessible configurations of each oligomer, including trans to cis rotations, which break the conjugation of the backbone. Thermal disorder has a considerable effect when combined with functionals that overestimate the delocalization of the excitation, such as B3LYP. For functionals with a larger amount of exact exchange such as our PBEh* and omega PBE*, however, the effect is small, as excitations are often localized enough to fit between twists in the chain.
A series of new fluorescent dye bearing monomers, including glycomonomers, based on maleamide and maleic esteramide was synthesized. The dye monomers were incorporated by radical copolymerization into thermo-responsive poly(N‑vinyl-caprolactam) that displays a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in aqueous solution. The effects of the local molecular environment on the polymers’ luminescence, in particular on the fluorescence intensity and the extent of solvatochromism, were investigated below as well as above the phase transition. By attaching substituents of varying size and polarity in the close vicinity of the fluorophore, and by varying the spacer groups connecting the dyes to the polymer backbone, we explored the underlying structure–property relationships, in order to establish rules for successful sensor designs, e.g., for molecular thermometers. Most importantly, spacer groups of sufficient length separating the fluorophore from the polymer backbone proved to be crucial for obtaining pronounced temperature regulated fluorescence responses. View Full-Text
Metal-containing ionic liquids (ILs) are of interest for a variety of technical applications, e.g., particle synthesis and materials with magnetic or thermochromic properties. In this paper we report the synthesis of, and two structures for, some new tetrabromidocuprates(II) with several "onium" cations in comparison to the results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic analyses. The sterically demanding cations were used to separate the paramagnetic Cu(II) ions for EPR measurements. The EPR hyperfine structure in the spectra of these new compounds is not resolved, due to the line broadening resulting from magnetic exchange between the still-incomplete separated paramagnetic Cu(II) centres. For the majority of compounds, the principal g values (g|| and g(perpendicular to)) of the tensors could be determined and information on the structural changes in the [CuBr4](2-) anions can be obtained. The complexes have high potential, e.g., as ionic liquids, as precursors for the synthesis of copper bromide particles, as catalytically active or paramagnetic ionic liquids.
Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) with stratification of the internal structure were assembled from statistical amphiphilic copolyelectrolytes of opposite charges. These polyelectrolytes organize in aqueous solutions into micellar structures with fluoroalkyl and aromatic nanodomains, respectively, that were also preserved after deposition as thin films via layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic self-assembly. The unimolecular micelles, formed due to statistical compositions of amphiphilic polyelectrolytes used, were shown to suppress chain interdiffusion between adjacent layers in resulting micellar PEMs, as evidenced by spectroscopic ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and neutron reflectometry (NR) measurements. Additionally, hydrophobic cores of the micelles were used as hosts for photoactive molecules, namely, ferrocene and perfluorinated magnesium phthalocyanine. Stratified micellar multilayers were then deposited as hollow capsules using CaCO3 microparticles as templates. Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between ferrocene and phthalocyanine solubilized in the polymer micelles was demonstrated to occur efficiently inside the stratified, polyelectrolyte walls of the capsules, due to the polarity gradient created by the incompatible aromatic and fluoroalkyl domains. The obtained results present a new approach to construct well-organized, self-assembled nanostructured materials for solar energy conversion.
Here we apply and expand the knowledge developed in the case of the H atom to describe high-harmonic generation (HHG) for the H-2 molecule by using time-dependent configuration interaction with single excitations. The implications of using a finite atomic orbital basis set and the impact of a heuristic lifetime model which addresses ionisation losses are discussed. We also examine the influence of the angular momentum of the basis on the computed HHG spectra. Moreover, we discuss the impact of adding diffuse functions and ghost atoms in different geometrical configurations around the molecule. The effects of these additional centres on the HHG spectra are correlated with the physical interpretation of this nonlinear optical phenomenon as given by the three-step model, relating the maximal radial extent of the electron as predicted by the model to the radial extent of the Gaussian basis sets. [GRAPHICS] .
para-Substituted aryl prenyl ethers undergo a deprenylation reaction upon microwave irradiation. This offers the opportunity to use a prenyl ether as a thermolabile protecting group in the synthesis of natural products with a chromone structure, which proceeds via a tandem deprenylation/6-endo-cyclization sequence.
Nowadays, the encapsulation of therapeutic compounds in so-called carrier systems is a very smart method to achieve protection as well as an improvement of their temporal and spatial distribution. After the successful transport to the point of care, the delivery has to be released under controlled conditions. To monitor the triggered release from the carrier, we investigated different fluorescent probes regarding their response to the pH-induced collapse of pH-sensitive liposomes (pHSLip), which occurs when the environmental pH falls below a critical value. Depending on the probe, the fluorescence decay time as well as fluorescence anisotropy can be used equally as key parameters for monitoring the collapse. Especially the application of a fluorescein labeled fatty acid (fPA) enabled the monitoring of the pHSLips collapse and the pH of its microenvironment simultaneously without interference. Varying the pH in the range of 3 < pH < 9, anisotropy data revealed the critical pH value at which the collapse of the pHSLips occurs. Complementary methods, e.g., fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering, supported the analysis based on the decay time and anisotropy. Additional experiments with varying incubation times yielded information on the kinetics of the liposomal collapse.
We have synthesized mesoporous silica (monoliths) with defined surface chemistry by means of a number of addition reactions: (i) coupling of an isocyanate to a surface-immobilized thiol, (ii) addition of an epoxide to a surface-immobilized thiol, (iii) cross-metathesis between two olefins, and (iv) Huisgen [2+3] cycloaddition of an alkyne-functionalized silica monolith with an azide. Functionalization of the mesopores was observed, but there are significant differences between individual approaches. Isocyanate and epoxide additions lead to high degrees of functionalization, whereas olefin metathesis and [2+3] cycloaddition are less effective. We further show that the efficiency of the modification is about twice as high in mesoporous silica particles than in macroscopic silica monoliths.
Responsive inverse opal hydrogels functionalized by boroxole moieties were synthesized and explored as sensor platforms for various low molar mass as well as polymeric diols and polyols, including saccharides, glycopolymers and catechols, by exploiting the diol induced modulation of their structural color. The underlying thermoresponsive water-soluble copolymers and hydrogels exhibit a coil-to-globule or volume phase transition, respectively, of the LCST-type. They were prepared from oligoethylene oxide methacrylate (macro)monomers and functionalized via copolymerization to bear benzoboroxole moieties. The resulting copolymers represent weak polyacids, which can bind specifically to diols within an appropriate pH window. Due to the resulting modulation of the overall hydrophilicity of the systems and the consequent shift of their phase transition temperature, the usefulness of such systems for indicating the presence of catechols, saccharides, and glycopolymers was studied, exploiting the diol/polyol induced shifts of the soluble polymers’ cloud point, or the induced changes of the hydrogels’ swelling. In particular, the increased acidity of benzoboroxoles compared to standard phenylboronic acids allowed performing the studies in PBS buffer (phosphate buffered saline) at the physiologically relevant pH of 7.4. The inverse opals constructed of these thermo- and analyte-responsive hydrogels enabled following the binding of specific diols by the induced shift of the optical stop band. Their highly porous structure enabled the facile and specific optical detection of not only low molar mass but also of high molar mass diol/polyol analytes such as glycopolymers. Accordingly, such thermoresponsive inverse opal systems functionalized with recognition units represent attractive and promising platforms for the facile sensing of even rather big analytes by simple optical means, or even by the bare eye.
An extended member of the isoreticular family of metal-imidazolate framework structures, IFP-6 (IFP=imidazolate framework Potsdam), based on cadmium metal and an in situ functionalized 2-methylimidazolate-4-amide-5-imidate linker is reported. A porous 3D framework with 1D hexagonal channels with accessible pore windows of 0.52nm has been synthesized by using an ionic liquid (IL) linker precursor. IFP-6 shows significant gas uptake capacity only for CO2 and CH4 at elevated pressure, whereas it does not adsorb N-2, H-2, and CH4 under atmospheric conditions. IFP-6 is assumed to deteriorate at the outside of the material during the activation process. This closing of the metal-organic framework (MOF) pores is proven by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), which revealed inherent crystal defects. PALS results support the conservation of the inner pores of IFP-6. IFP-6 has also been successfully loaded with luminescent trivalent lanthanide ions (Ln(III)=Tb, Eu, and Sm) in a bottom-up one-pot reaction through the in situ generation of the linker ligand and in situ incorporation of photoluminescent Ln ions into the constituting network. The results of photoluminescence investigations and powder XRD provide evidence that the Ln ions are not doped as connectivity centers into the frameworks, but are instead located within the pores of the MOFs. Under UV light irradiation, Tb@IFP-6 and Eu@IFP-6 ((exc)=365nm) exhibit observable emission changes to a greenish and reddish color, respectively, as a result of strong Ln 4f emissions.
Through the reactions of 1- or 2-naphthol and 4,5-dihydro-3H-benz[c]azepine or 6,7-dihydrothieno[3,2-c]pyridine, new aminonaphthol derivatives were prepared. The syntheses were extended by using N-containing naphthol analogues such as 5-hydroxyisoquinoline and 6-hydroxyquinoline. The ring closures of the novel bifunctional compounds were also achieved, resulting in new naphth[2,1-e][1,3]oxazines, naphth[1,2-e][1,3]oxazines, isoquinolino[5,6-e][1,3]oxazines and quinolino[5,6-e][1,3]oxazines. H-1 NMR spectra of the target heterocycles 16, 20 and 21 were sufficiently resolved to indentify the present stereochemistry; therefore, beside computed structures, spatial experimental (dipolar coupling-NOE) and computed (ring current effect of the naphthyl moiety-TSNMRS) NMR studies were employed. The studied heterocycles exist exclusively as S(14b),R(N), R(14b),S(N), and S(16b)S(N) isomers, respectively. The flexible moieties of the studied compounds prefer. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fluorination of the hydroxylated alpha-Al2O3 (0001) surface is studied using periodic density functional theory calculations. On the basis of a hypothetical reaction substituting surface hydroxyl groups with fluorine atoms, we find surface fluorination to be strongly exergonic but kinetically hindered. Fluorinated surface areas turn out to be rather hydrophobic as compared to hydroxylated areas, suggesting fluorination as a potential route for tuning oxide surface properties such as hydrophilicity.
Species diversity promotes the delivery of multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality). However, the relative functional importance of rare and common species in driving the biodiversity multifunctionality relationship remains unknown. We studied the relationship between the diversity of rare and common species (according to their local abundances and across nine different trophic groups), and multifunctionality indices derived from 14 ecosystem functions on 150 grasslands across a land use intensity (LUI) gradient. The diversity of above- and below-ground rare species had opposite effects, with rare above-ground species being associated with high levels of multifunctionality, probably because their effects on different functions did not trade off against each other. Conversely, common species were only related to average, not high, levels of multifunctionality, and their functional effects declined with LUI. Apart from the community level effects of diversity, we found significant positive associations between the abundance of individual species and multifunctionality in 6% of the species tested. Species specific functional effects were best predicted by their response to LUI: species that declined in abundance with land use intensification were those associated with higher levels of multifunctionality. Our results highlight the importance of rare species for ecosystem multifunctionality and help guiding future conservation priorities.
Quantum dynamics of H-2(+) excited by two-cycle laser pulses with laser carrier frequencies corresponding to the wavelengths lambda(1) = 800 and 200 nm (corresponding to the periods tau(1) = 2.667 and 0.667 fs, respectively) and being linearly polarized along the molecular axis have been studied by the numerical solution of the non-Born-Oppenheimer time-dependent Schrodinger equation within a three-dimensional (3D) model, including the internuclear distance R and electron coordinates z and rho. The amplitudes of the pulses have been chosen such that the energies of H-2(+) after the ends of the laser pulses, < E > approximate to-0.515 au, were close to the dissociation threshold of H-2(+). It is found that there exists a certain characteristic oscillation frequency omega(osc) = 0.2278 au (corresponding to the period tau(osc) = 0.667 fs and the wavelength lambda(osc) = 200 nm) that plays the role of a "carrier" frequency of temporally shaped oscillations of the expectation values <-partial derivative V/partial derivative z) emerging after the ends of the laser pulses, both at lambda(1) = 800 nm and at lambda(1) = 200 nm. Moreover, at lambda(1) = 200 nm, the expectation value < z > also demonstrates temporally shaped oscillations after the end of the laser pulse. In contrast, at lambda(1) = 800 nm, the characteristic oscillation frequency omega(osc) = 0.2278 au appears as the frequency of small-amplitude oscillations of the slowly varying expectation value < z > which makes, after the end of the pulse, an excursion with an amplitude of about 4.5 au along the z axis and returns back to < z > approximate to 0 afterward. It is found that the period of the temporally shaped post-field oscillations of <-partial derivative V/partial derivative z > and < z >, estimated as tau(shp) approximate to 30 fs, correlates with the nuclear motion. It is also shown that vibrational excitation of H-2(+) is accompanied by the formation of "hot" and "cold" vibrational ensembles along the R degree of freedom. Power spectra related to the electron motion in H-2(+) calculated for both the laser-driven z and optically passive rho degrees of freedom in the acceleration form proved to be very interesting. In particular, both odd and even harmonics can be observed.
Molecular photoswitches such as azobenzenes, which undergo photochemical trans <-> cis isomerizations, are often mounted for possible applications on a surface and/or surrounded by other switches, for example, in self-assembled monolayers. This may suppress the isomerization cross section due to possible steric reasons, or, as recently speculated, by exciton coupling to. neighboring switches, leading to ultrafast electronic quenching (Gahl et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 1831). The presence of exciton coupling has been anticipated from a blue shift of the optical absorption band, compared to molecules in solution. From the theory side the need arises to properly analyze and quantify the change of absorption spectra of interacting and adsorbed switches. In particular, suitable methods should be identified, and effects of intermolecule and molecule surface interactions on spectra should be disentangled. In this paper by means of time-dependent Hartree-Fock. (TD-HF), various flavors of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), and the correlated wave function based, coupled cluster (CC2) method we investigated the 4-nitroazobenzene molecule as an:example: The low-lying singlet excited states in the isolated trans monomer and dieter as well as their composites with a silicon pentamantane nanocluster, which serves also as a crude model for a silicon surface, were determined. As most important results we found that (i) HF, CC2, range-separated density functionals, or global hybrids with large amount of exact exchange are able to describe exciton (Davydov) splitting properly, while hybrids with small amount of exact exchange fail producing spurious charge transfer. (ii) The exciton splitting in a free dimer would lead to a blue shift of the absorption signal; however, this effect is almost nullified or even overcompensated by the shift arising from van der Waals interactions between the two molecules. (iii) Adsorption on the Si "surface" leads to a further, strong red shift for the present system. (iv) At a next-nearest neighbor distance (of similar to 3.6 angstrom), the exciton splitting is similar to 0.3 eV, with or without "surface", suggesting a rapid quenching of the molecular pi ->pi* excitation. At larger distances, exciton splitting decreases rapidly.
Self-assembling biomolecules provide attractive templates for the preparation of metallic nanostructures. However, the intuitive transfer of the "outer shape" of the assembled macromolecules to the final metallic particle depends on the intermolecular forces among the biomolecules which compete with interactions between template molecules and the metal during metallization. The shape of the bio-template may thus be more dynamic than generally assumed. Here, we have studied the metallization of phospholipid nanodiscs which are discoidal particles of similar to 10 nm diameter containing a lipid bilayer similar to 5 nm thick. Using negatively charged lipids, electrostatic adsorption of amine-coated Au nanoparticles was achieved and followed by electroless gold deposition. Whereas Au nanoparticle adsorption preserves the shape of the bio-template, metallization proceeds via invasion of Au into the hydrophobic core of the nanodisc. Thereby, the lipidic phase induces a lateral growth that increases the diameter but not the original thickness of the template. Infrared spectroscopy reveals lipid expansion and suggests the existence of internal gaps in the metallized nanodiscs, which is confirmed by surface-enhanced Raman scattering from the encapsulated lipids. Interference of metallic growth with non-covalent interactions can thus become itself a shape-determining factor in the metallization of particularly soft and structurally anisotropic biomaterials.
Extraction of model contaminants from solid surfaces by environmentally compatible microemulsions
(2016)
In the present contribution, we evaluate the efficiency of eco-friendly microemulsions to decontaminate solid surfaces by monitoring the extraction of non-toxic simulants of sulfur mustard out of model surfaces. The extraction process of the non-toxic simulants has been monitored by means of spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. The kinetics of the removal process was analyzed by different empirical models. Based on the analysis of the kinetics, we can assess the influence of the amounts of oil and water and the microemulsion structure on the extraction process. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Three-dimensional (3D) Bragg coherent x-ray diffractive imaging (CXDI) with a nanofocused beam was applied to quantitatively map the internal strain field of a single indium phosphide nanowire. The quantitative values of the strain were obtained by pre-characterization of the beam profile with transmission ptychography on a test sample. Our measurements revealed the 3D strain distribution in a region of 150 nm below the catalyst Au particle. We observed a slight gradient of the strain in the range of +/- 0.6% along the [111] growth direction of the nanowire. We also determined the spatial resolution in our measurements to be about 10 nm in the direction perpendicular to the facets of the nanowire. The CXDI measurements were compared with the finite element method simulations and show a good agreement with our experimental results. The proposed approach can become an effective tool for in operando studies of the nanowires.
We propose a new methodology for the first principles description of the electronic properties relevant for charge transport in organic molecular crystals. This methodology, which is based on the combination of a nonempirical, optimally tuned range separated hybrid functional with the polarizable continuum model, is applied to a series of eight representative molecular semiconductor crystals. We show that it provides ionization energies, electron affinities, and transport gaps in very good agreement with experimental values, as well as with the results of many-body perturbation theory-within the GW approximation at a fraction of the computational cost. Hence, this approach represents an easily applicable and computationally efficient tool to estimate the gas-to crystal phase shifts of the frontier-orbital quasiparticle energies in organic electronic materials.
In this work, three ligands produced from amino acids were synthesized and used to produce five bis- and PEPPSI-type palladium-NHC complexes using a novel synthesis route from sustainable starting materials. Three of these complexes were used as precatalysts in the aqueous-phase Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of various substrates displaying high activity. TEM and mercury poisoning experiments provide evidence for Pd-nanoparticle formation stabilized in water.
Arene diazonium salts undergo Matsuda-Heck reactions with vinylsulfonates and -sulfonamides to give styrylsulfonic acid derivatives in high to excellent yields and with high to excellent selectivities. By quantifying the evolution of nitrogen over time in a gas-meter apparatus, the reactivities of ethylvinylsulfonate and the benchmark olefin methyl acrylate were compared for an electron-rich and an -deficient arene diazonium salt. Tertiary sulfonamides react in Matsuda-Heck couplings with high conversions, but require long reaction times, which prevents the determination of kinetic data through the measurement of nitrogen evolution. Secondary sulfonamides were found to be unreactive. From these results, the following order of reactivity could be deduced: H2C=CHCO2Me > H2C=CHSO2OEt > H2C=CHSO2N(Me)Bn >> H2C=CHSO2NHBn. Through the Matsuda-Heck coupling of 5-indolyldiazonium salt and a tertiary vinylsulfonamide, the synthesis of the C-5-substituted indole part of the antimigraine drug naratriptan was accomplished in high yield.
Bio-inspired Laponite (clay)-liquid crystal (LC) polymer composite materials with high clay fractions (>80%) and a high level of orientation of the clay platelets, i.e. with structural features similar to the ones found in natural nacre, have been shown to exhibit a promising behavior in the context of reduced oxygen transmission. Key characteristics of these bio-inspired composite materials are their high inorganic content, high level of exfoliation and orientation of the clay platelets, and the use of a LC polymer forming the organic matrix in between the Laponite particles. Each single feature may be beneficial to increase the materials gas barrier property rendering this composite a promising system with advantageous barrier capacities. In this detailed study, Laponite/LC polymer composite coatings with different clay loadings were investigated regarding their oxygen transmission rate. The obtained gas barrier performance was linked to the quality, respective Laponite content and the underlying composite micro-and nanostructure of the coatings. Most efficient oxygen barrier properties were observed for composite coatings with 83% Laponite loading that exhibit a structure similar to sheet-like nacre. Further on, advantageous mechanical properties of these Laponite/LC polymer composites reported previously give rise to a multifunctional composite system.
Recently we introduced iron trichloride as an environmentally benign and cost-efficient reagent for the synthesis of N-benzoylguanidines. This highly attractive synthetic approach grants access to a broad spectrum of N-benzoylguanidines under mild conditions in short reaction times. In this work we present an extended scope of Our methodology along with the results obtained from mechanistic studies via in situ IR spectroscopy in combination with LC (liquid chromatography)-MS analyses. On the basis of these new mechanistic insights we were able to optimize the synthetic protocol and to develop an alternative mechanistic proposal. In this context the symbiotic roles of iron trithloride and oxygen in the guanylation process are highlighted.
The interaction of water with a-alumina (i.e. alpha-Al2O3) surfaces is important in a variety of applications and a useful model for the interaction of water with environmentally abundant aluminosilicate phases. Despite its significance, studies of water interaction with alpha-Al2O3 surfaces other than the (0001) are extremely limited. Here we characterize the interaction of water (D2O) with a well defined alpha-Al2O3(1 (1) over bar 02) surface in UHV both experimentally, using temperature programmed desorption and surface-specific vibrational spectroscopy, and theoretically, using periodic-slab density functional theory calculations. This combined approach makes it possible to demonstrate that water adsorption occurs only at a single well defined surface site (the so-called 1-4 configuration) and that at this site the barrier between the molecularly and dissociatively adsorbed forms is very low: 0.06 eV. A subset of OD stretch vibrations are parallel to this dissociation coordinate, and thus would be expected to be shifted to low frequencies relative to an uncoupled harmonic oscillator. To quantify this effect we solve the vibrational Schrodinger equation along the dissociation coordinate and find fundamental frequencies red-shifted by more than 1500 cm(-1). Within the context of this model, at moderate temperatures, we further find that some fraction of surface deuterons are likely delocalized: dissociatively and molecularly absorbed states are no longer distinguishable.
In this work, we study the adsorption of CO from low to high coverage at a defect-free NaCl(100) surface by means of duster and periodic models, using highly accurate wave function-based QM:QM embedding as well as density functional theory. At low coverages, the most accurate methods predict a zero-point-corrected adsorption energy of around 13 kJ/mol, and the CO molecules are found to be oriented perpendicular to the surface. At higher coverages, lower-energy phases with nonparallel/upright, tilted orientations emerge. Besides the well-known p(2 x 1)/antiparallel phase (T/A), we find other tilted phases (tilted/irregular, T/I; tilted/spiral, T/S) as local minima. Vibrational frequencies for CO adsorbed on NaCl(100) and Davydov splittings of the C-O stretch vibration are also determined. The IR spectra are characteristic fingerprints for the relative orientation of CO molecules and may therefore be used as sensitive probes to distinguish parallel/upright from various tilted adsorption phases.
In this study, a new reliable, economic, and environmentally-friendly one-step synthesis is established to obtain carbon nanodots (CNDs) with well-defined and reproducible photoluminescence (PL) properties via the microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment of starch and Tris-acetate-EDTA (TAE) buffer as carbon sources. Three kinds of CNDs are prepared using different sets of above mentioned starting materials. The as-synthesized CNDs: C-CND (starch only), N-CND 1 (starch in TAE) and N-CND 2 (TAE only) exhibit highly homogenous PL and are ready to use without need for further purification. The CNDs are stable over a long period of time (> 1 year) either in solution or as freeze-dried powder. Depending on starting material, CNDs with PL quantum yield (PLQY) ranging from less than 1% up to 28% are obtained. The influence of the precursor concentration, reaction time and type of additives on the optical properties (UV-Vis absorption, PL emission spectrum and PLQY) is carefully investigated, providing insight into the chemical processes that occur during CND formation. Remarkably, upon freeze-drying the initially brown CND-solution turns into a non-fluorescent white/slightly brown powder which recovers PL in aqueous solution and can potentially be applied as fluorescent marker in bio-imaging, as a reduction agent or as a photocatalyst.
We describe an in-fiber interferometer based on a gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Expressions for the sensitivity, figure of merit and refractive index resolution are derived, and values are experimentally measured and theoretically validated using mode field calculations. The refractive indices of nine monoatomic and molecular gases are measured with a resolution of delta(ns) < 10(-6). (C)2016 Optical Society of America
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a nano-structured, highly complex hydrogel, in which the macromolecules are organized primarily by non-covalent interactions. Here, in a biomimetic approach, the decorin-derived collagen-binding peptide LSELRLHNN was grafted to hyaluronic acid (HA) in order to enable the formation of a supramolecular hydrogel network together with collagen. The storage modulus of a mixture of collagen and HA was increased by more than one order of magnitude (G′ = 157 Pa) in the presence of the HA-grafted peptide compared to a mixture of collagen and HA (G′ = 6 Pa). The collagen fibril diameter was decreased, as quantified using electron microscopy, in the presence of the HA-grafted peptide. Here, the peptide mimicked the function of decorin by spatially organizing collagen. The advantage of this approach is that the non-covalent crosslinks between collagen molecules and the HA chains created by the peptide form a reversible and dynamic hydrogel, which could be employed for a diverse range of applications in regenerative medicine.
Statement of Significance
Biopolymers of the extracellular matrix (ECM) like collagen or hyaluronan are attractive starting materials for biomaterials. While in biomaterial science covalent crosslinking is often employed, in the native ECM, stabilization and macromolecular organization is primarily based on non-covalent interactions, which allows dynamic changes of the materials. Here, we show that collagen-binding peptides, derived from the small proteoglycan decorin, grafted to hyaluronic acid enable supramolecular stabilization of collagen hydrogels. These hydrogels have storage moduli more than one order of magnitude higher than mixtures of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Furthermore, the peptide supported the structural organization of collagen. Such hydrogels could be employed for a diverse range of applications in regenerative medicine. Furthermore, the rational design helps in the understanding ECM structuring.
Owing to its rod-like alpha-helical secondary structure, the synthetic polypeptide poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) can form physical and thermoreversible gels in helicogenic solvents such as toluene. The versatility of PBLG can be increased by introducing functionalizable comonomers, such as allylglycine (AG). In this work we examined the secondary structure of PBLG and a series of statistical poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate-co-allylglycine) copolypeptides, varying in composition and chain length, by circular dichroism (CD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The secondary structure of PBLG and the copolypeptides presented dissimilarities that increased with increasing AG molar fraction, especially when racemic AG units were incorporated. The physical gelation behavior of these copolypeptides was analyzed by temperature-sweep H-1 NMR and rheological measurements. The study revealed that both copolypeptide composition and chain length affected secondary structure, gelation temperature, and gel stiffness.
Materials based on biodegradable polyesters, such as poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) or poly(butylene terephthalate-co-poly(alkylene glycol) terephthalate) (PBTAT), have potential application as pro-regenerative scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Herein, the preparation of films composed of PBT or PBTAT and an engineered spider silk protein, (eADF4(C16)), that displays multiple carboxylic acid moieties capable of binding calcium ions and facilitating their biomineralization with calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate is reported. Human mesenchymal stem cells cultured on films mineralized with calcium phosphate show enhanced levels of alkaline phosphatase activity suggesting that such composites have potential use for bone tissue engineering.
Information about the strength of donor-acceptor interactions in push-pull alkenes is valuable, as this so-called "push-pull effect' influences their chemical reactivity and dynamic behaviour. In this paper, we discuss the applicability of NMR spectral data and barriers to rotation around the CQC double bond to quantify the push-pull effect in biologically important 2-alkylidene-4-oxothiazolidines. While olefinic proton chemical shifts and differences in C-13 NMR chemical shifts of the two carbons constituting the CQC double bond fail to give the correct trend in the electron withdrawing ability of the substituents attached to the exocyclic carbon of the double bond, barriers to rotation prove to be a reliable quantity in providing information about the extent of donor-acceptor interactions in the push-pull systems studied. In particular all relevant kinetic data, that is the Arrhenius parameters ( apparent activation energy Ea and frequency factor A) and activation parameters ( Delta S-double dagger, Delta H-double dagger and Delta G(double dagger)), were determined from the data of the experimentally studied configurational isomerization of ( E)-9a. These results were compared to previously published related data for other two compounds, ( Z)-1b and ( 2E, 5Z)-7, showing that experimentally determined Delta G(double dagger) values are a good indicator of the strength of push-pull character. Theoretical calculations of the rotational barriers of eight selected derivatives excellently correlate with the calculated CQC bond lengths and corroborate the applicability of Delta G(double dagger) for estimation of the strength of the push-pull effect in these and related systems.
Encapsulation of diagnostic and therapeutic compounds in transporters improves their delivery to the point of need. An even more efficient treatment of diseases can be achieved using carriers with targeting or protecting moieties. In the present work, we investigated micellar and liposomal nanocarriers modified with fluorescein, peptides, and polymers that are covalently bound to fatty acids or phospholipids to ensure a self-driven incorporation into the micelles or liposomes. First, we characterized the photophysics of the fluorescent probes in the absence and in the presence of nanocarriers. Changes in the fluorescence decay time, quantum yield, and intensity of a fluorescein-labeled fatty acid (fluorescein-labeled palmitic acid [fPA]) and a fluorescein-labeled lipopeptide (P2fA2) were found. By exploiting these changes, we investigated a lipopeptide (P2A2 as an uptake-mediating unit) in combination with different nanocarriers (micelles and liposomes) and determined the corresponding association constant K-ass values, which were found to be very high. In addition, the mobility of fPA was exploited using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and fluorescence depolarization (FD) experiments to characterize the nanocarriers. Cellular uptake experiments with mouse brain endothelial cells provided information on the uptake behavior of liposomes modified by uptake-mediating P2A2 and revealed differences in the uptake behavior between pH-sensitive and pH-insensitive liposomes.
Surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA) is applied to study protein conformational changes. In general, the appropriate functionalization of metal surfaces with biomolecules remains a challenge if the conformation and activity of the biomolecule shall be preserved. Here we present a SEIRA study to monitor pH-induced conformational changes of poly-L lysine (PLL) covalently bound to a thin gold layer via self assembled monolayers (SAMs). We demonstrate that the composition of the SAM is crucial. A SAM of 11-mercaptoundecanonic acid (MUA) can link PLL to the gold layer, but pH-driven conformational transitions were hindered compared to poly-L lysine in solution. To address this problem, we devised a variety of SAMs, i.e., mixed SAMs of MUA with either octanethiol (OT) or 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (MUoL) and furthermore SAMs of MT(PEG)(4) and NHS-PEG(10k)-SH. These mixed SAMs modify the surface properties by changing the polarity and the morphology of the surface present to nearby PLL molecules. Our experiments reveal that mixed SAMs of MUA-MUoL and SAMs of NHS-PEG(10k)-SH-MT(PEG)(4) are suitable to monitor pH-driven conformational changes of immobilized PLL. These SAMs might be applicable for chemoselective protein immobilization in general.
The optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals (SC NCs) are largely controlled by their size and surface chemistry, i.e., the chemical composition and thickness of inorganic passivation shells and the chemical nature and number of surface ligands as well as the strength of their bonds to surface atoms. The latter is particularly important for CdTe NCs, which – together with alloyed CdxHg1−xTe – are the only SC NCs that can be prepared in water in high quality without the need for an additional inorganic passivation shell. Aiming at a better understanding of the role of stabilizing ligands for the control of the application-relevant fluorescence features of SC NCs, we assessed the influence of two of the most commonly used monodentate thiol ligands, thioglycolic acid (TGA) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), on the colloidal stability, photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY), and PL decay behavior of a set of CdTe NC colloids. As an indirect measure for the strength of the coordinative bond of the ligands to SC NC surface atoms, the influence of the pH (pD) and the concentration on the PL properties of these colloids was examined in water and D2O and compared to the results from previous dilution studies with a set of thiol-capped Cd1−xHgxTe SC NCs in D2O. As a prerequisite for these studies, the number of surface ligands was determined photometrically at different steps of purification after SC NC synthesis with Ellman's test. Our results demonstrate ligand control of the pH-dependent PL of these SC NCs, with MPA-stabilized CdTe NCs being less prone to luminescence quenching than TGA-capped ones. For both types of CdTe colloids, ligand desorption is more pronounced in H2O compared to D2O, underlining also the role of hydrogen bonding and solvent molecules.
This paper focused on the synthesis of triangular nanoplatelets in the presence of a tubular network structure. The tubular network structure is formed by adding a strongly alternating polyampholyte, i.e., PalPhBisCarb, to a mixed vesicle system with a negatively charged bilayer containing phosphatidylcholin and AOT. Using the tubular network as a reducing agent in a one-step procedure, triangular and hexagonal nanoplatelets are formed. One can show that the nanoplatelet yield is enhanced by increasing the temperature and decreasing the reaction time. The platelet edge length can be decreased by heating the system up to 100 A degrees C. Due to specific interactions between PalPhBisCarb and the AOT/phospholipid bilayer, stacking and welding effects lead to the formation of ordered platelet structures. The reaction pathway to flat gold nanotriangles is discussed with regard to the twin plane growth model of gold nanoplates.
Fluorescent molecular probes for metal ions have a raft of potential applications in chemistry and biomedicine. We report the synthesis and photophysical characterisation of 1,8-disubstituted-cyclam/naphthalimide conjugates and their zinc complexes. An efficient synthesis of 1,8-bis-(2-azidoethyl)cyclam has been developed and used to prepare 1,8-disubstituted triazolyl-cyclam systems, in which the pendant group is connected to triazole C4. UV/Vis and fluorescence emission spectra, zinc binding experiments, fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime measurements and pH titrations of the resultant bis-naphthalimide ligand elucidate a complex pattern of photophysical behaviour. Important differences arise from the inclusion of two fluorophores in the one probe and from the variation of triazole substitution pattern (dye at C4 vs. N1). Introducing a second fluorophore greatly extends fluorescence lifetimes, whereas the altered substitution pattern at the cyclam amines exerts a major influence on fluorescence output and metal binding. Crystal structures of two key zinc complexes evidence variations in triazole coordination that mirror the solution-phase behaviour of these systems.
Apart from their central role during 3D structure determination of proteins the backbone chemical shift assignment is the basis for a number of applications, like chemical shift perturbation mapping and studies on the dynamics of proteins. This assignment is not a trivial task even if a 3D protein structure is known and needs almost as much effort as the assignment for structure prediction if performed manually. We present here a new algorithm based solely on 4D [H-1, N-15]-HSQC-NOESY-[H-1, N-15]-HSQC spectra which is able to assign a large percentage of chemical shifts (73-82 %) unambiguously, demonstrated with proteins up to a size of 250 residues. For the remaining residues, a small number of possible assignments is filtered out. This is done by comparing distances in the 3D structure to restraints obtained from the peak volumes in the 4D spectrum. Using dead-end elimination, assignments are removed in which at least one of the restraints is violated. Including additional information from chemical shift predictions, a complete unambiguous assignment was obtained for Ubiquitin and 95 % of the residues were correctly assigned in the 251 residue-long N-terminal domain of enzyme I. The program including source code is available at https://github.com/thomasexner/4Dassign.
A promising replacement for the radioactive sources commonly encountered in ion mobility spectrometers is a miniaturized, energy-efficient photoionization source that produce the reactant ions via soft X-radiation (2.8 keV). In order to successfully apply the photoionization source, it is imperative to know the spectrum of reactant ions and the subsequent ionization reactions leading to the detection of analytes. To that end, an ionization chamber based on the photoionization source that reproduces the ionization processes in the ion mobility spectrometer and facilitates efficient transfer of the product ions into a mass spectrometer was developed. Photoionization of pure gasses and gas mixtures containing air, N-2, CO2 and N2O and the dopant CH2Cl2 is discussed. The main product ions of photoionization are identified and compared with the spectrum of reactant ions formed by radioactive and corona discharge sources on the basis of literature data. The results suggest that photoionization by soft X-radiation in the negative mode is more selective than the other sources. In air, adduct ions of O-2 - with H2O and CO2 were exclusively detected. Traces of CO2 impact the formation of adduct ions of O-2 - and Cl -(upon addition of dopant) and are capable of suppressing them almost completely at high CO2 concentrations. Additionally, the ionization products of four alkyl nitrates (ethylene glycol dinitrate, nitroglycerin, erythritol tetranitrate and pentaerythritol tetranitrate) formed by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization induced by X-ray photoionization in different gasses (air, N-2 and N2O) and dopants (CH2Cl2, C2H5Br and CH3I) are investigated. The experimental studies are complemented by density functional theory calculations of the most important adduct ions of the alkyl nitrates (M) used for their spectrometric identification. In addition to the adduct ions [M + NO3](-) and [M + Cl](-), adduct ions such as [M + N2O2](-), [M + Br](-) and [M+ I](-) were detected, and their gas-phase structures and energetics are investigated by density functional theory calculations. Copyright (C) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An ellipsometric approach towards the description of inhomogeneous polymer-based Langmuir layers
(2016)
The applicability of nulling-based ellipsometric mapping as a complementary method next to Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) and imaging ellipsometry (IE) is presented for the characterization of ultrathin films at the air-water interface. First, the methodology is demonstrated for a vertically nonmoving Langmuir layer of star-shaped, 4-arm poly(omega-pentadecalactone) (PPDL-D4). Using nulling-based ellipsometric mapping, PPDL-D4-based inhomogeneously structured morphologies with a vertical dimension in the lower nm range could be mapped. In addition to the identification of these structures, the differentiation between a monolayer and bare water was possible. Second, the potential and limitations of this method were verified by applying it to more versatile Langmuir layers of telechelic poly[(rac-lactide)-co-glycolide]-diol (PLGA). All ellipsometric maps were converted into thickness maps by introduction of the refractive index that was derived from independent ellipsometric experiments, and the result was additionally evaluated in terms of the root mean square roughness, R-q. Thereby, a three-dimensional view into the layers was enabled and morphological inhomogeneity could be quantified.
This report describes the aggregation behavior of an ABC-type ampholytic block copolypeptide, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(L-lysine)-block-poly(L-glutamate), in aqueous media in dependence of pH. Polypeptide secondary structures and self-assemblies are investigated by circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and NMR spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements, analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), dynamic/static light scattering (DLS/SLS), and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryoTEM). The polymer chains tend to form vesicles when the hydrophobic polypeptide helix is located at the chain end (acidic pH) and are existing as single chains when it is located in the center and flanked by the two hydrophilic segments (basic pH). Precipitation occurs in the intermediate pH range due to polyion complexation of the charged polypeptide segments.
2-Fluoroadenine ((2F)A) is a therapeutic agent, which is suggested for application in cancer radiotherapy. The molecular mechanism of DNA radiation damage can be ascribed to a significant extent to the action of low-energy (<20 eV) electrons (LEEs), which damage DNA by dissociative electron attachment. LEE induced reactions in (2F)A are characterized both isolated in the gas phase and in the condensed phase when it is incorporated into DNA. Information about negative ion resonances and anion-mediated fragmentation reactions is combined with an absolute quantification of DNA strand breaks in (2F)A-containing oligonucleotides upon irradiation with LEEs. The incorporation of (2F)A into DNA results in an enhanced strand breakage. The strand-break cross sections are clearly energy dependent, whereas the strand-break enhancements by (2F)A at 5.5, 10, and 15 eV are very similar. Thus, (2F)A can be considered an effective radiosensitizer operative at a wide range of electron energies.
Templates of complex nanopatterns in a form of hierarchically sequenced dots and stripes can be generated in block copolymer films on lithography-free 3D topographic substrates. The approach exploits thickness- and swelling-responsive morphological behavior of block copolymers, and demonstrates novel possibilities of topography-guided registration of nanopatterns due to periodic confinement and spontaneous orthogonal flow-fields.
The enzymatic degradation of oligo(epsilon-caprolactone) (OCL) based films at the air-water interface is investigated by Langmuir monolayer degradation (LMD) experiments to elucidate the influence of the molecular architecture and of the chemical structure on the chain scission process. For that purpose, the interactions of 2D monolayers of two star-shaped poly(epsilon-caprolactone)s (PCLs) and three linear OCL based copolyesterurethanes (P(OCL-U)) with the lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia are evaluated in comparison to linear OCL. While the architecture of star-shaped PCL Langmuir layers slightly influences their degradability compared to OCL films, significantly retarded degradations are observed for P(OCL-U) films containing urethane junction units derived from 2, 2 (4), 4-trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate (TMDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) or lysine ethyl ester diisocyanate (LDI). The enzymatic degradation of the OCL based 2D structures is related to the presence of hydrophilic groups within the macromolecules rather than to the packing density of the film or to the molecular weight. The results reveal that the LMD technique allows the parallel analysis of both the film/enzyme interactions and the degradation process on the molecular level. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
In recent simulations of femtosecond laser induced desorption of molecular oxygen from the Ag(110) surface, it has been shown that depending on the properties (depth and electronic environment) of the well in which 02 is adsorbed, the desorption can be either induced dominantly by hot electrons or via excitations of phonons. In this work we explore whether the ratios between the desorption yields from different adsorption wells can be tuned by changing initial surface temperature and laser pulse properties. We show that the initial surface temperature is an important parameter, and that by using low initial surface temperatures the electronically mediated process can be favored. In contrast, laser properties seem to have only a modest influence on the results. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) studies suggest that TTBC molecules self-assemble in aqueous solution to form single-walled tubes with a diameter of about 35 A. In order to reveal the arrangement and mutual orientations of the individual molecules in the tube, we combine information from crystal structure data of this dye with a calculation of linear absorbance and linear dichroism spectra and molecular dynamics simulations. We start with wrapping crystal planes in different directions to obtain tubes of suitable diameter. This set of tube models is evaluated by comparing the resulting optical spectra with experimental data. The tubes that can explain the spectra are investigated further by molecular dynamics simulations, including explicit solvent molecules. From the trajectories of the most stable tube models, the short-range ordering of the dye molecules is extracted and the optimization of the structure is iteratively completed. The final structural model is a tube of rings with 6-fold rotational symmetry, where neighboring rings are rotated by 30 and the-transition dipole moments of the chromophores form an angle of 74 with respect to the symmetry axis of the tube. This model is in agreement with cryo-TEM images and can explain the optical spectra, consisting of a sharp red-shifted J-band that is polarized parallel to to the symmetry axis of the tube and a broad blue-shifted H-band polarized perpendicular to this axis. The general structure of the homogeneous spectrum of this hybrid HJ-aggregate is described by an analytical model that explains the difference in redistribution of oscillator strength inside the vibrational manifolds of the J- and H-bands and the relative intensities and excitation energies of those bands. In addition to the-particular system investigated here, the present methodology can be expected to aid the structure prediction for a wide range of self-assembled dye aggregates.
The novel combination of infrared matrix-assisted laser dispersion and ionization (IR-MALDI) with ion mobility (IM) spectrometry makes it possible to investigate biomolecules in their natural environment, liquid water. As an alternative to an ESI source, the IR-MALDI source was implemented in an in-house-developed ion mobility (IM) spectrometer. The release of ions directly from an aqueous solution is based on a phase explosion, induced by the absorption of an IR laser pulse (lambda = 2.94 mu m, 6 ns pulse width), which disperses the liquid as nano- and micro-droplets. The prerequisites for the application of IR-MALDI-IM spectrometry as an analytical method are narrow analyte ion signal peaks for a high spectrometer resolution. This can only be achieved by improving the desolvation of ions. One way to full desolvation is to give the cluster ions sufficient time to desolvate. Two methods for achieving this are studied: the implementation of an additional drift tube, as in ESI-IM-spectrometry, and the delayed extraction of the ions. As a result of this optimization procedure, limits of detection between 5 nM and 2.5 mu M as well as linear dynamic ranges of 2-3 orders of magnitude were obtained for a number of substances. The ability of this method to analyze simple mixtures is illustrated by the separation of two different surfactant mixtures.
Microstructured hydrogel allows for a new template-guided method to obtain conductive nanowire arrays on a large scale. To generate the template, an imprinting process is used in order to synthesize the hydrogel directly into the grooves of wrinkled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The resulting poly(N-vinylimidazole)-based hydrogel is defined by the PDMS stamp in pattern and size. Subsequently, tetrachloroaurate(III) ions from aqueous solution are coordinated within the humps of the N-vinylimidazole-containing polymer template and reduced by air plasma. After reduction and development of the gold, to achieve conductive wires, the extension perpendicular to the long axis (width) of the gold strings is considerably reduced compared to the dimension of the parental hydrogel wrinkles (from approximate to 1 mu m down to 200-300 nm). At the same time, the wire-to-wire distance and the overall length of the wires is preserved. The PDMS templates and hydrogel structures are analyzed with scanning force microscopy (SFM) and the gold structures via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The conductivity measurements of the gold nanowires are performed in situ in the SEM, showing highly conductive gold leads. Hence, this method can be regarded as a facile nonlithographic top-down approach from micrometer-sized structures to nanometer-sized features.
Synthetic routes to different oligospirothioketal (OSTK) Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) constructs are described and the photophysics of these constructs were explored in different solvents. The FRET efficiencies were determined from the experimental data and compared with theoretical values. The influence of the outstanding rigidity of the novel OSTK compounds on the FRET is discussed.
A three dimensional biopolymer network structure with incorporated nano-porous calcium phosphate (CaP) balls was fabricated by using gelatin-chitosan (GC) polymer blend and GC stabilized olive/silicone oil Janus emulsions, respectively. The emulsions were freeze-dried, and the oil droplets were washed out in order to prepare porous scaffolds with larger surface area. The morphology, pore size, chemical composition, thermal and swelling behavior was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and micro-Differential Scanning Calorimetry (micro-DSC). Microscopic analysis confirmed that the pore size of the GC based sponges after freeze-drying may be drastically reduced by using Janus emulsions. Besides, the incorporation of nanoporous calcium phosphate balls is also lowering the pore size and enhancing thermal stability. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In this study, the stable conformers of neutral anserine were searched by molecular dynamics simulations and energy minimization calculations using the MM2 force field. Thermochemical calculations at B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory followed these preliminary calculations. The results confirmed that neutral anserine has quite a flexible structure and many stable gauche and trans conformers at room temperature. Nevertheless, two are considerably more favourable in energy than the others and expected to dominate the gas-phase and matrix IR spectra of the molecule. The corresponding structural and vibrational spectral data for these two conformers of neutral anserine, whose relative stabilities were also examined by high-accuracy energy calculations carried out using G3MP2B3 method, and for the most stable conformer of anserine in zwitterion form were calculated at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The calculated harmonic force constants were refined using the Scaled Quantum Mechanical Force Field (SQM-FF) method and then used to produce the refined wavenumbers, potential energy distributions (PEDs) and IR and Raman intensities. These refined data together with the scaled harmonic wavenumbers obtained using another method, Dual Scale factors (DS), enabled us to correctly analyse the observed IR and Raman spectra of anserine and revealed the effects of conformation and zwitterionic tautomerism on its structural and vibrational spectral data. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Due to the adsorption of biomolecules, the control of the biodistribution of nanoparticles is still one of the major challenges of nanomedicine. Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) for surface modification of nanoparticles is applied and both protein adsorption and cellular uptake of PEtOxylated nanoparticles versus nanoparticles coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and non-coated positively and negatively charged nanoparticles are compared. Therefore, fluorescent poly(organosiloxane) nanoparticles of 15 nm radius are synthesized, which are used as a scaffold for surface modification in a grafting onto approach. With multi-angle dynamic light scattering, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation, gel electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, it is demonstrated that protein adsorption on PEtOxylated nanoparticles is extremely low, similar as on PEGylated nanoparticles. Moreover, quantitative microscopy reveals that PEtOxylation significantly reduces the non-specific cellular uptake, particularly by macrophage-like cells. Collectively, studies demonstrate that PEtOx is a very effective alternative to PEG for stealth modification of the surface of nanoparticles.
We characterize the wetting behavior of nano structured wrinkle and gradient wrinkle substrates. Different contact angles on both sides of a water droplet after deposition on a gradient sample induce the self-propelled motion of the liquid toward smaller wrinkle dimensions. The droplet motion is self-limited by the contact angles balancing out. Because of the correlation between droplet motion and contact angles, we investigate the wetting behavior of wrinkle substrates with constant dimensions (wavelengths of 400-1200 nm). Contact angles of water droplets on those substrates increase with increasing dimensions of the underlying substrate. The results are independent of the two measurement directions, parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the nanostructure. The presented findings may be considered for designing microfluidic or related devices and initiate ideas for the development of further wrinkle applications.
Seven enzymes have been screened for the cleavage of aryl acetates. Phenyl and naphthyl acetates react with lipases and esterases, whereas the sterically demanding anthracene acetate gave a conversion only with porcine liver esterase and esterase 2 from Bacillus subtilis (BS2). These two enzymes have been employed on a preparative (0.5 mmol) scale and afforded cleavage products in 91 and 94% yields, even for anthracene acetate. Thus, this method is superior to chemical cleavage with catalytic amounts of sodium methoxide (Zemplen conditions), which gave only low conversions. Finally, regioselectivity has been achieved with an anthracene bisacetate, in which an ethyl group controls the cleavage of the first acetate. This indicates that steric interactions play a crucial role in the enzymatic cleavage of aryl acetates, which might be interesting for future applications or the development of enzyme inhibitors.
The gas-to-crystal-shift denotes the shift of electronic excitation energies, i.e., the difference between ground and excited state energies, for a molecule transferred from the gas to the bulk phase. The contributions to the gas-to-crystal-shift comprise electrostatic as well as inductive polarization and dispersive energy shifts of the molecular excitation energies due to interaction with environmental molecules. For the example of 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-diimide (PTCDI) bulk, the contributions to the gas-to-crystal shift are investigated. In the present work, electrostatic interaction is calculated via Coulomb interaction of partial charges while inductive and dispersive interactions are obtained using respective sum over states expressions. The coupling of higher transition densities for the first 4500 excited states of PTCDI was computed using transition partial charges based on an atomistic model of PTCDI bulk obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. As a result it is concluded that for the investigated model system of a PTCDI crystal, the gas to crystal shift is dominated by dispersive interaction. Published by AIP Publishing.
A 2-fold thermoresponsive diblock copolymer PSPP430-b-PNIPAM(200) consisting of a zwitterionic polysulfobetaine (PSPP) block and a nonionic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) block is prepared by successive RAFT polymerizations. In aqueous solution, the corresponding homopolymers PSPP and PNIPAM feature both upper and lower critical solution temperature (UCST and LCST) behavior, respectively. The diblock copolymer exhibits thermally induced "schizophrenic" aggregation behavior in aqueous solutions. Moreover, the ion sensitivity of the, cloud point of the zwitterionic PSPP block to both the ionic strength and the nature of the salt offers the possibility to create switchable systems which respond sensitively to changes of the temperature and of the electrolyte type and concentration. The diblock copolymer solutions in D2O are investigated by means of turbidimetry and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) with respect to the phase behavior and the self-assembled structures in dependence on temperature and electrolyte content. Marked, differences of the aggregation below the UCST-type and above the LCST-type transition are observed. The addition of a small amount of NaBr (0.004 M) does not affect the overall behavior, and only the UCST-type transition and aggregate structures are slightly altered, reflecting the well-known ion sensitivity of the zwitterionic PSPP block.
While azobenzenes readily photoswitch in solution, their photoisomerization in densely packed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be suppressed. Reasons for this can be steric hindrance and/or electronic quenching, e.g., by exciton coupling. We address these possibilities by means of nonadiabatic molecular dynamics with trajectory surface hopping calculations, investigating the trans -> cis isomerization of azobenzene after excitation into the pi pi* absorption band. We consider a free monomer, an isolated dimer and a dimer embedded in a SAM-like environment of additional azobenzene molecules, imitating in this way the gradual transition from an unconstrained over an electronically coupled to an electronically coupled and sterically hindered, molecular switch. Our simulations reveal that in comparison to the single molecule the quantum yield of the trans -> cis photoisomerization is similar for the isolated dimer, but greatly reduced in the sterically constrained situation. Other implications of dimerization and steric constraints are also discussed.
A convenient and general synthesis of 2-thiocarbohydrates via cerium ammonium nitrate oxidation of the thiocyanate ion is described. Radical addition to glycals proceeds with excellent regio- and good stereoselectivities in only one step, deprotection affords water-soluble 2-thio saccharides. Binding studies to Con A have been performed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR spectroscopy. The 2-thiomannose derivative binds even stronger to Con A than the natural substrate, offering opportunities for new lectin or enzyme inhibitors.
Tailoring cell–surface interactions is important for the of design medical implants as well as regenerative medicine and tissue engineering materials. Here the single parameter system is transcended via translating hard nanotopology into soft polymeric hydrogel structures via hydrogel imprinting lithography. The response of these cells to the nanotopology of the same dimensions but with different mechanical properties displays unexpected behavior between “hard” tissue cells and “soft” tissue cells.
Oligospirothioketal (OSTK) rods are presented as an adjustable scaffold for optical membrane probes. The OSTK rods are readily incorporated into lipid bilayers due to their hydrophobic backbones. Because of their high length-over-diameter aspect ratio, only a minimal disturbance of the lipid bilayer is caused. OSTK rods show outstanding rigidity and allow defined labeling with fluorescent dyes, yielding full control of the orientation between the dye and OSTK skeleton. This. allows the construction of novel Forster resonance energy transfer probes with highly defined relative orientations of the transition dipole moments of the donor and acceptor dyes and makes the class of OSTK probes a power-fill, flexible toolbox for optical biosensing applications. Data on steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence experiments investigating the incorporation of coumarin- and [1,3]-dioxolo[4,5-f][1,3]benzo-dioxole-labeled OSTKs in large unilamellar vesicles are presented as a show case.
In the reconstruction and regeneration of bone tissue, a primary goal is to initiate bone growth and to stabilize the surrounding bone. In this regard, a potentially useful component in biomaterials for bone tissue engineering is strontium, which acts as cationic active agent, triggering certain intracellular pathways and acting as so called dual action bone agent which inhibits bone resorption while stimulating bone regeneration. In this study we established a novel processing for the foaming of a polymer (poly-epsilon-caprolactone) and simultaneous chemical reaction of a mixture of calcium and strontium hydroxides to the respective carbonates using supercritical carbon dioxide. The resultant porous composite scaffold was optimized in composition and strontium content and was characterized via different spectroscopic (infrared and Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), imaging (SEM, mu CT), mechanical testing and in vitro methods (fluorescence vital staining, MTT-assay). As a result, the composite scaffold showed good in vitro biocompatibility with partly open pore structure and the expected chemistry. First mechanical testing results indicate sufficient mechanical stability to support future in vivo applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Hydrophobins are highly surface active proteins which self-assemble at hydrophilic-hydrophobic interfaces into amphipathic membranes. We investigate hydrophobin self-assembly at oil/water interfaces to deepen the understanding of protein behavior in order to improve our biomimetic synthesis. Therefore, we carried out pendant drop measurements of hydrophobin stabilized oil/water systems determining the time-dependent IFT and the dilatational rheology with additional adaptation to the Serrien protein model. We show that the class I hydrophobin H*Protein B adsorbs at an oil/water interface where it forms a densely-packed interfacial protein layer, which dissipates energy during droplet oscillation. Furthermore, the interfacial protein layer exhibits shear thinning behavior. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Multiblock copolymers named PCL-PIBMD consisting of crystallizable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) segments and crystallizable poly[oligo(3S-iso-butylmorpholine-2,5-dione)] segments coupled by trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate provide a versatile molecular architecture for achieving shape-memory effects (SMEs) in polymers. The mechanical properties as well as the SME performance of PCL-PIBMD can be tailored by the variation of physical parameters during programming such as deformation strain or applied temperature protocols. In this study, we explored the influence of applying different strain rates during programming on the resulting nanostructure of PCL-PIBMD. Programming was conducted at 50 degrees C by elongation to epsilon(m)=50% with strain rates of 1 or 10 or 50 mmmin(-1). The nanostructural changes were visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements and investigated by in situ wide and small angle X-ray scattering experiments. With increasing the strain rate, a higher degree of orientation was observed in the amorphous domains. Simultaneously the strain-induced formation of new PIBMD crystals as well as the fragmentation of existing large PIBMD crystals occurred. The observed differences in shape fixity ratio and recovery stress of samples deformed with various strain rates can be attributed to their different nanostructures. The achieved findings can be relevant parameters for programming the shape-memory polymers with designed recovery forces. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 1935-1943
Rotational Barriers of Substituted BIPHEP Ligands: A Comparative Experimental and Theoretical Study
(2016)
The interconversion barriers of 14 different 3,3- and 5,5-disubstituted tropos BIPHEP [2,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1-biphenyl] and BIPHEP(O) [2,2-bis(diphenylphosphoryl)-1,1-biphenyl] ligands were investigated by enantioselective dynamic high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and DFT calculations using the B3LYP/6-31G* and M06-2X/6-31G* levels of theory. The experimentally determined enantiomerization barriers varied from 86.8 to 101.4 kJmol(-1) and were found to be in excellent agreement with the calculated data. The root-mean-square deviations are 7.3 kJmol(-1) for the B3LYP functional and 11.3 kJmol(-1) for the M06-2X method.
An atomic scale molecular dynamics simulation (100 ns) was carried out to reveal the conformational features of a cationic polyelectrolyte, i.e., hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (PEI), inside of water-in-oil microemulsion droplets stabilized by the anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant (SDS) layer. Simulations show that the polymer reorients very quickly and is localized at the headgroup region, i.e., the polymer nitrogens are close to SDS sulfur atoms. In spite of the availability of surface roughness caused by the polymer, we track a stable inverse micelle during the production run. In overall, the obtained parameters are well compared with experimental findings. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The high potential of bottom-up fabrication strategies for realizing sophisticated optical sensors combining the high sensitivity of a surface plasmon resonance with the exceptional properties of stimuli-responsive hydrogel is demonstrated. The sensor is composed of a periodic hole array in a gold film whose holes are filled with gold-capped poly(N-isoproyl-acrylamide) (polyNIPAM) microspheres. The production of this sensor relies on a pure chemical approach enabling simple, time-efficient, and cost-efficient preparation of sensor platforms covering areas of cm(2). The transmission spectrum of this plasmonic sensor shows a strong interaction between propagating surface plasmon polaritons at the metal film surface and localized surface plasmon resonance of the gold cap on top of the polyNIPAM microspheres. Computer simulations support this experimental observation. These interactions lead to distinct changes in the transmission spectrum, which allow for the simultaneous, sensitive optical detection of refractive index changes in the surrounding medium and the swelling state of the embedded polyNIPAM microsphere under the gold cap. The volume of the polyNIPAM microsphere located underneath the gold cap can be changed by certain stimuli such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, and distinct molecules bound to the hydrogel matrix facilitating the detection of analytes which do not change the refractive index of the surrounding medium significantly.
Action spectroscopy has emerged as an analytical tool to probe excited states in the gas phase. Although comparison of gas-phase absorption properties with quantum-chemical calculations is, in principle, straightforward, popular methods often fail to describe many molecules of interest-such as xanthene analogues. We, therefore, face their nano-and picosecond laser-induced photofragmentation with excited-state computations by using the CC2 method and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). Whereas the extracted absorption maxima agree with CC2 predictions, the TDDFT excitation energies are blueshifted. Lowering the amount of Hartree-Fock exchange in the DFT functional can reduce this shift but at the cost of changing the nature of the excited state. Additional bandwidth observed in the photofragmentation spectra is rationalized in terms of multiphoton processes. Observed fragmentation from higher-lying excited states conforms to intense excited-to-excited state transitions calculated with CC2. The CC2 method is thus suitable for the comparison with photofragmentation in xanthene analogues.
The interplay of an enzyme with a multiblock copolymer PDLCL containing two segments of different hydrophilicity and degradability is explored in thin films at the air-water interface. The enzymatic degradation was studied in homogenous Langmuir monolayers, which are formed when containing more than 40 wt% oligo(epsilon-caprolactone) (OCL). Enzymatic degradation rates were significantly reduced with increasing content of hydrophobic oligo(omega-pentadecalactone) (OPDL). The apparent deceleration of the enzymatic process is caused by smaller portion of water-soluble degradation fragments formed from degradable OCL fragments. Beside the film degradation, a second competing process occurs after adding lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia into the subphase, namely the enrichment of the lipase molecules in the polymeric monolayer. The incorporation of the lipase into the Langmuir film is experimentally revealed by concurrent surface area enlargement and by Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). Aside from the ability to provide information about the degradation behavior of polymers, the Langmuir monolayer degradation (LMD) approach enables to investigate polymer-enzyme interactions for non-degradable polymers. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Unwanted shrinkage behaviors or failure in structural functions such as mechanical strength or deformability of polymeric products related to their thermomechanical history are a major challenge in production of plastics. Here, we address the question whether we can turn this challenge into an opportunity by creating defined thermomechanical histories in polymers, represented by a specific morphology and nanostructure, to equip polymeric shaped bodies with desired functions, e.g. a temperature-memory, by hot, warm or cold deformation into multiblock copolymers having two partially overlapping melting transitions. A copolyesterurethane named PDLCL, consisting of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(omega-pentadecalactone) (PPDL) crystalline domains, exhibiting a pronounced phase-segregated morphology and partially overlapping melting transitions was selected for this study. Different types of PCL and PPDL crystals as well as distinct degrees of orientation in both amorphous and crystalline domains were obtained after deformation at 20 or 40 degrees C and to a lower extent at 60 degrees C. The generated non-isotropic structures were stable at ambient temperature and represent the different stresses stored. Stress-free heating experiments showed that the relaxation in both amorphous and crystalline phases occurred predominantly with melting of PCL crystals. When the switching temperature, which was similar to the applied deformation temperature (temperature-memory), was exceeded in stress-free heating experiments, the implemented thermomechanical history could be reversed. In contrast, during constant-strain heating to 60 degrees C the generated structural features remained almost unchanged. These findings provide insights about the structure function relation in multiblock copolymers with two crystalline phases exhibiting a temperature-memory effect by implementation of specific thermomechanical histories, which might be a general principle for tailoring other functions like mechanical strength or deformability in polymers. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.