Search

Background Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is one of the biggest challenges facing medicine today. Anti-adhesive therapy, using inhibitors of bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, one of the first stages of infection, is a promising approximation in this area. The size, shape, number of sugar and their placement are variables that have to be taken into account in order to develop multivalent systems able to inhibit the bacterial adhesion based on sugar-lectin interaction. Materials and methods In the present work we report a modular approach for the synthesis of water-soluble 1D-carbon nanotube-sugar nanoconstructs, with the necessary flexibility to allow an efficient sugar-lectin interaction. The method is based on the reaction of aryl diazonium salts generated in situ from aniline-substituted mannose and lactose derivatives with single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) sidewalls. Results Two hybrid nanosystems, I-II, exposing mannose or lactose and having a tetraethylene glycol spacer between the sugar and the nanotube sidewall were rapidly assembled and adequately characterized. The sweet nano-objects were then tested for their ability to agglutinate and selectively inhibit the growth of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. These studies have shown that nanosystem I, exposing mannose on the nanotube surface is able to agglutinate and to inhibit the bacterial growth unlike nano-objects II exposing lactose. Conclusion The results reported constitute a proof of principle in using mannose-coated 1D-carbon nanotubes as antiadhesive drugs that compete for FimH binding and prevent the uropathogenic bacteria from adhering to the urothelial surface.

Background Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is one of the biggest challenges facing medicine today. Anti-adhesive therapy, using inhibitors of bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, one of the first stages of infection, is a promising approximation in this area. The size, shape, number of sugar and their placement are variables that have to be taken into account in order to develop multivalent systems able to inhibit the bacterial adhesion based on sugar-lectin interaction. Materials and methods In the present work we report a modular approach for the synthesis of water-soluble 1D-carbon nanotube-sugar nanoconstructs, with the necessary flexibility to allow an efficient sugar-lectin interaction. The method is based on the reaction of aryl diazonium salts generated in situ from aniline-substituted mannose and lactose derivatives with single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) sidewalls. Results Two hybrid nanosystems, I-II, exposing mannose or lactose and having a tetraethylene glycol spacer between the sugar and the nanotube sidewall were rapidly assembled and adequately characterized. The sweet nano-objects were then tested for their ability to agglutinate and selectively inhibit the growth of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. These studies have shown that nanosystem I, exposing mannose on the nanotube surface is able to agglutinate and to inhibit the bacterial growth unlike nano-objects II exposing lactose. Conclusion The results reported constitute a proof of principle in using mannose-coated 1D-carbon nanotubes as antiadhesive drugs that compete for FimH binding and prevent the uropathogenic bacteria from adhering to the urothelial surface.

A family of triarylamine-fullerene conjugates has been synthesized and shown to self-assemble upon light stimulation in chlorinated solvents. This light-induced process primarily involves excitation of triarylamine derivatives, which then oxidize and stack with their neutral counterparts to form charge transfer complexes in the form of p-conducting channels, while fullerenes are consequently enforced in coaxial n-conducting columnar arrangements. These supramolecular heterojunctions can be organized over very long distances in micrometric fibers when a controlled amount of photons is provided from a white light source to initiate the process. Surprisingly, when sunlight or UV light is used instead, the nanostructuration leads to monodisperse spherical objects due to the nature of the nucleation-growth process involved in the stacks formation. This control over the supramolecular morphology of organic self-assemblies using the nature of light is of general interest for the design of functional responsive materials.

A logic gate based on a bistable [c2] daisy chain rotaxane decorated with lateral triarylamine units is described, giving rise to an INHIBIT logic function using proton concentration and light as inputs, and producing dual color change and supramolecular self-assembly as outputs.

International audience; A series of reactions have been performed by mixing 2-diphenylphosphino-6-methyl-pyridine (dpPyMe) and [Cu(CH3CN)4]BF4 in different molar ratios. Starting from equimolar quantities of dpPyMe and Cu+, a dinuclear Cu(I) complex with two P,N binucleating bridging ligands has been obtained. This compound is stable in the solid state, however ligand exchange reactions leading to a mixture of species have been evidenced in solution. By increasing the amount of dpPyMe, the reaction of dpPyMe and [Cu(CH3CN)4]BF4 afforded the dinuclear Cu(I) complex [Cu2(μ-dpPyMe)3(CH3CN)](BF4)2 in which the three bridging dpPyMe ligands are in a head-to-head arrangement. This compound is remarkably stable in solution. It has been also shown that the axial CH3CN ligand of [Cu2(μ-dpPyMe)3(CH3CN)](BF4)2 can be suitably exchanged with other nitrile ligands [benzonitrile, 4-(dimethylamino)-benzonitrile, 4-nitrobenzonitrile and bromoacetonitrile] but also with triphenylphosphine oxide. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of the resulting complexes have been systematically investigated. The [Cu2(μ-dpPyMe)3(L)](BF4)2 derivatives are weak emitters in solution but remarkable emission quantum yields (6 to 46%) have been found in rigid matrices at room temperature. One complex was utilized as active material for preliminary tests in LEC devices.

The size and shape of nanoparticles are of prominent importance for their biological activities and for their application as smart drug delivery systems. Thus, synthetic designs allowing divergent synthesis of nanoscale materials with controlled size, morphology, and surface chemistry are currently highly desirable, but they remain a major challenge. Herein, we report a simple method for the creation of supramolecular diversity from structurally related diacetylenic-based glycolipids. We have found that neoglycolipids with an amide function between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic part of the amphiphile afford tridimensional micelles, while those having a triazole self-organize into 1D-nanotubes. Additionally, at higher concentrations, the clicked amphiphiles form hydrogels through three-dimensional networks of bundled nanotubes. Photopolymerization of the obtained nanomaterials leads to the formation of conjugated polydiacetylene backbone of alternating enyne groups, which rigidify glyconanomaterial struc...

Supramolecular organic electronics rests on the use of bottom-up chemical self-assembly processes in order to design conducting components on the 5-100 nm scale. The challenges in this field are both the construction of 1D-nanostructures displaying optimized transport properties and their precise connections to electrodes. The present Research News highlights important advances in such materials regarding their electrical performances, from semiconductors to organic metals, but also regarding their processability. In particular, by externally controlling light-responsive supramolecular polymerization processes, and by using appropriate methods of casting with an applied electric field, it becomes possible to pre-determine the accurate positioning of organic interconnects within patterned nano-circuitry. These strategies using external stimuli to obtain addressability, thus hold promising alternatives to other conducting materials such as carbon nanotubes for further technological applications in nanosciences.

The synthesis and photophysical properties of several fullerene-phthalocyanine-porphyrin triads (1-3) and pentads (4-6) are described. The three photoactive moieties were covalently connected in an one-step synthesis through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to C(60) of the corresponding azomethine ylides generated in situ by condensation reaction of a substituted N-porphyrinylmethylglycine derivative and an appropriated formyl phthalocyanine or a diformyl phthalocyanine derivative, respectively. ZnP-C(60)-ZnPc (3), (ZnP)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (6), and (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (5) give rise upon excitation of their ZnP or H(2)P components to a sequence of energy and charge-transfer reactions with, however, fundamentally different outcomes. With (ZnP)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (6) the major pathway is an highly exothermic charge transfer to afford (ZnP)(ZnP(.+))-ZnPc-(C(60)(.-))(C(60)). The lower singlet excited state energy of H(2)P (i.e., ca. 0.2 eV) and likewise its more anodic oxidation (i.e., ca. 0.2 V) renders the direct charge transfer in (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc-(C(60))(2) (5) not competitive. Instead, a transduction of singlet excited state energy prevails to form the ZnPc singlet excited state. This triggers then an intramolecular charge transfer reaction to form exclusively (H(2)P)(2)-ZnPc(.+)-(C(60)(.-))(C(60)). A similar sequence is found for ZnP-C(60)-ZnPc (3).

High molecular weight poly(p-phenylenenevinylene) PPV copolymers laterally substituted with zinc (II) phthalocyanines ( Zn(II)Pc -PPV 1 and 2) have been synthesized by means of post-polymerization functionalization reactions through DCC-mediated esterifications between hydroxy-phthalocyanines 4 and 6 and carboxy-bearer PPV copolymers, comprising 2-methoxy-5-(3,7-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MDMO-PPV) and 1,4-(2-(5-carboxypentyloxy)-5-methoxyphenylenevinylene (CPM-PPV) units in a 9:1 (3) and 1:1 (5) ratio, respectively. The resulting copolymer 1 contains a 7 mol % of Pc molecules, while copolymer 2, which is isolated as the soluble fraction of the reaction with the starting 1:1 copolymer (namely having around 50% of COOH -containing monomeric units), holds a 9 mol % of zinc(II) phthalocyanines. 1 and 2 were fully characterized by 1H NMR, UV-vis and FT-IR spectroscopies.

To take full advantage of the remarkable applications of carbon nanotubes in different fields, there is a need to develop effective methods to improve their water dispersion and biocompatibility while maintain- ing their physical properties. In this sense, current approaches suffer from serious drawbacks such as loss of electronic structure together with low surface coverage in the case of covalent functionalizations, or instability of the dynamic hybrids obtained by non-covalent functionalizations. In the present work, we examined the molecular basis of an original strategy that combines the advantages of both functionaliza- tions without their main drawbacks. The hierarchical self-assembly of diacetylenic-based neoglycolipids into highly organized and compacted rings around the nanotubes, followed by photopolymerization leads to the formation of nanotubes covered with glyconanorings with a shish kebab-type topology exposing the carbohydrate ligands to the water phase in a multivalent fashion. The glyconanotubes obtained are fully functional, and able to establish specific interactions with their cognate receptors. In fact, by taking advantage of this selective binding, an easy method to sense lectins as a working model of toxin detection was developed based on a simple analysis of TEM images. Remarkably, different experimental settings to assess cell membrane integrity, cell growth kinetics and cell cycle demonstrated the cellular biocompatibility of the sugar-coated carbon nanotubes compared to pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes. Consejería de Economía, Ciencia e Innovación P10-CTS-6928 y P11- CTS-8161 to DP; P07-FQM-2774 to NK, P11-FQM-8046 to IF PAIDI Junta de Andalucía CTS-677 to DP; FQM-102 to IF Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CTQ2013-49066-C2-1-R to NK y PI14-1600 to DP

By using a combination of experimental and theoretical tools, we elucidate unique physical characteristics of supramolecular triarylamine nanowires (STANWs), their packed structure, as well as the entire kinetics of the associated radical-controlled supramolecular polymerization process. AFM, small-angle X-ray scattering, and all-atomic computer modeling reveal the two-columnar "snowflake" internal structure of the fibers involving the π-stacking of triarylamines with alternating handedness. The polymerization process and the kinetics of triarylammonium radicals formation and decay are studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and electronic paramagnetic resonance. We fully describe these experimental data with theoretical models demonstrating that the supramolecular self-assembly starts by the production of radicals that are required for nucleation of double-columnar fibrils followed by their growth in double-strand filaments. We also elucidate nontrivial kinetics of this self-assembly process revealing sigmoid time dependency and complex self-replicating behavior. The hierarchical approach and other ideas proposed here provide a general tool to study kinetics in a large number of self-assembling fibrillar systems.

Herein, we describe the first report on a new class of disk-shaped and quite monodisperse water-soluble nanomaterials that we named glyconanosomes (GNS). GNSs were obtained by sliding out the cylindrical structures formed upon self-organization and photopolymerization of glycolipid 1 on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) sidewalls. GNSs present a sheltered hydrophobic inner cavity formed by the carbonated tails, surrounded by PEG and lactose moieties. The amphiphilic character of GNSs allows the water solubility of insoluble hydrophobic cargos such as a perylene-bisimide derivative, [60]fullerene, or the anti-carcinogenic drug camptothecin (CPT). GNS/C60 inclusion complexes are able to establish specific interactions between peanut agglutinin (PNA) lectin and the lactose moiety surrounding the complexes, while CPT solubilized by GNS shows higher cytotoxicity toward MCF7-type breast cancer cells than CPT alone. Thus, GNS represents an attractive extension of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. © 2013 American Chemical Society., This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Grant Nos. CTQ2010- 21755-CO2-01 and BFU2010-21339), the Junta de Andalucía (Grant Nos. P07-FQM-2774 and P08-CTS-04297). M.A. thanks the MAEC-AECID for a PhD scholarship. J.-J.C. thanks CSIC for the postdoctoral JAE DOC scholarship, and M.M.-B. thanks the Junta de Andalucía for predoctoral training grant.

Keywords: conjugation ; electron transfer ; solar cells ; synthetic methods ; zinc ; Conversion Efficiency ; Porphyrin Sensitizers ; Tio2 ; Dyes Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-177266doi:10.1002/anie.201108963View record in Web of Science Record created on 2012-05-18, modified on 2016-08-09

A photo- and redoxactive system ZnPc-oPPV-C 60 2 , in which the photoexcited state electron donor – zinc phthalocyanine – and the ground state electron acceptor – C 60 – are connected by a oligo( p -phenylenevinylene) (oPPV) spacer, has been synthesized in a multi-step synthesis by means of two consecutive Wadsworth–Horner–Emmons and a dipolar 1,3-cycloaddition reactions as key steps. The simpler system ZnPc-C 60 1 has also been prepared as a reference model for photophysical studies. In this regards, the photophysical investigations by means of fluorescence, flash photolysis, and transient-absorption spectroscopy have manifested a clear dependence between charge transfer kinetics and spatial arrangement. In both systems, intramolecular charge separation evolves from the photoexcited ZnPc and yields the ZnPc ·+ /C 60 ·- radical ion pairs. Interestingly, the ZnPc ·+ /C 60 ·- radical ion pair lifetimes and quantum yields are strongly impacted by the solvent polarity and the distance. To this end, maximum radical ion pair lifetimes of 2900 and 5530 ps were found in anisol for 1 and 2 , respectively.

In this paper, the ability to disperse single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) of several different-nature poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) oligomers having pendant zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc) has been investigated. Based on the quenching of the ZnPc and SWNT fluorescence in the supramolecular assemblies, it has been shown that parameters such as p/n-type character of the oligomer, size and the distance between the ZnPc moiety and the conjugated backbone play an important role in the strength of the interactions. Important results suggest that n-type oligomers as well as certain flexibility in the phthalocyanine arrangement are breakthroughs for immobilizing SWNT in THF, affording stable and homogeneous suspensions. Transient absorption measurements confirm that upon photoexcitation the photoexcited ZnPc triggers an intraensemble charge transfer to yield oxidized ZnPc and reduced SWNT.

Several zinc-based phthalocyanines have been synthesized and used in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC). The results have been compared with the standard TT1 phthalocyanine, which shows good light-to-energy conversion efficiencies in comparison with other IR sensitizers used in DSSC. We show herein that the anchoring moiety is critical for both achieving high injection yields and slow back electron transfer dynamics that affect the overall device efficiency. Moreover, based on these results, we have synthesized a new phthalocyanine with a superior performance, when compared to the TT1 dye, with a subtle change on the anchoring moiety, thus leading to a higher photocurrent response.

A series of unsymmetrical zinc phthalocyanines bearing an anchoring carboxylic function linked to the phthalocyanine ring through different spacers were designed for dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC). The modification of the spacer group allows not only a variable distance between the dye and the nanocrystalline TiO(2), but also a distinct orientation of the phthalocyanine on the semiconductor surface. The photovoltaic data show that the nature of the spacer group plays a significant role in the electron injection from the photo-excited dye into the nanocrystalline TiO(2) semiconductor, the recombination rates and the efficiency of the cells. The incident monochromatic photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) for phthalocyanines bearing an insulating spacer is as low as 9%, whereas for those with a conducting spacer an outstanding IPCE 80% was obtained.

The effect of chenodeoxycholic acid as a coadsorbent on TiO 2 nanocrystalline solar cells incorporating phthalocyanine sensitizers was studied under various conditions. Adding chenodeoxycholic acid onto TiO 2 nanoparticles not only reduces the adsorption of phthalocyanine sensitizers but also prevents sensitizer aggregation, leading to different photovoltaic performance. The inspection of IPCE and absorption spectra showed that the load of phthalocyanine sensitizers is strongly dependent on the molar concentration of chenodeoxycholic acid coadsorbent. The open circuit voltage of the solar cells with chenodeoxycholic acid coadsorbent increases due to the enhanced electron lifetime in TiO 2 nanoparticles coupled with the band edge shift of TiO 2 to negative potentials.

The synthesis of two poly(p-phenylenevinylene) oligomers (oPPV) laterally substituted by phthalocyanines (Pc) is described. The preparation of Pc-based oligomers 1 and 2 was accomplished by means of Knoevenagel and Wadsworth–Horner–Emmons reactions, respectively. Diformylphthalocyanine 3 was employed as a monomer in these reactions, thus providing functionalised conjugated oligomers upon reaction with the corresponding co-monomers, 4 and 5. Photophysical and electrochemical experiments have been carried out with both oligomeric derivatives, revealing excited state interactions such as transduction of singlet excited state energy

Reference LPI-ARTICLE-2007-040doi:10.1002/anie.200703106View record in Web of Science Record created on 2007-12-05, modified on 2016-08-08