Photophysical properties of methyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate mediated by hydrogen-bonded complexes--a comparative study in different solvents

The hydrogen bonding interactions of methyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (BCCM) in both ground and first singlet excited electronic states have been studied in solvents with different properties in the presence of acetic acid, a hydrogen-bonding donor/acceptor. The methyl ester substituent reduces the pyridinic nitrogen basicity of this beta-carboline derivative. This fact has let us study the hydrogen bonding interactions in a higher range of acetic acid concentrations than for other beta-carboline derivatives previously studied. Steady and non-steady photophysical studies have been carried out in two non-polar solvents, benzene and p-dioxane; and in two polar solvents, acetonitrile and dichloromethane. Six different fluorescence emissions have been isolated corresponding to the uncomplexed BCCM, the protonated species and four different complexes between BCCM and acetic acid whose structures we have tried to elucidate.     

Solvent-dependent intramolecular charge transfer dual fluorescence of p-dimethylaminobenzanilide bearing steric ortho,ortho-dimethyl substituents at amido aniline

Intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) dual fluorescence was observed in various organic solvents with p-dimethylaminobenzanilide (DMBA) derivatives bearing ortho-methyl (DMOMBA) and ortho,ortho-dimethyl (DMDMBA) substituents at amido aniline moiety. Ab initio calculation and absorption spectral data indicated that high steric hindrance was introduced by the ortho,ortho-dimethyl substitutions. It was found that, with DMDMBA, the CT emission initially shifted to the red with increasing solvent polarity from cyclohexane (CHX, 480 nm) to diethyl ether (DEE, 520 nm), similar to those of DMBA derivatives with the ortho-, meta- or para-methyl substitutions at amido aniline moiety. However, there is a characteristic blue-shift of the long wavelength emission between DEE and tetrahydrofuran (THF, 424 nm) then a bathochromic shift again in highly polar solvent acetonitrile (ACN, 484 nm). The unusual solvent-dependent CT emission was ascribed to two competitive CT channels. One is benzanilide (BA)-like CT, whose CT reaction occurs from amido aniline to benzoyl moiety in nonpolar solvent CHX and DEE; the other one is p-dimethylaminobenzamide (DMABA)-like, whose CT reaction occurs from dimethylamino to benzanilide moiety in highly polar solvent THF and ACN. These findings revealed the steric effect plays an important role in the ICT process, which may alter the properties of the electron donor and/or acceptor, but also change the reaction potential.     

Photochemically induced electron transfer

Biochemical reactions involving electron transfer between substrates or enzyme cofactors are both common and physiologically important; they have been studied by means of a variety of techniques. In this paper we review the application of photochemical methods to the study of intramolecular electron transfer in hemoproteins, thus selecting a small, well-defined sector of this otherwise enormous field. Photoexcitation of the heme populates short-lived excited states which decay by thermal conversion and do not usually transfer electrons, even when a suitable electron acceptor is readily available, e.g., in the form of a second oxidized heme group in the same protein; because of this, the experimental setup demands some manipulation of the hemoprotein. In this paper we review three approaches that have been studied in detail: (i) the covalent conjugation to the protein moiety of an organic ruthenium complex, which serves as the photoexcitable electron donor (in this case the heme acts as the electron acceptor); (ii) the replacement of the heme group with a phosphorescent metal-substituted porphyrin, which on photoexcitation populates long-lived excited states, capable of acting as electron donors (clearly the protein must contain some other cofactor acting as the electron acceptor, most often a second heme group in the oxidized state); (iii) the combination of the reduced heme with CO (the photochemical breakdown of the iron-CO bond yields transiently the ground-state reduced heme which is able to transfer one electron (or a fraction of it) to an oxidized electron acceptor in the protein; this method uses a "mixed-valence hybrid" state of the redox active hemoprotein and has the great advantage of populating on photoexcitation an electron donor at physiological redox potential).     

Photophysical behaviour of 1-(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenylethynyl)pyrene (DMAPEPy) in homogeneous media.

The photophysical behaviour of a new pyrene derivative, 1-(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenylethynyl)pyrene (DMAPEPy), in various solvents has been studied. Due to the presence of an ethynyl link with a cylindrical pi cloud between the donor (N,N-dimethyl group) and the acceptor (pyrene), the molecule shows efficient intramolecular charge transfer, with a high extinction coefficient in all the solvents. There is significant solvatochromism in the fluorescence with a large increase in the Stokes' shift of around 125 nm between n-hexane and acetonitrile. The solvent-dependent spectral data show a good correlation with the Kamlet-Taft solvent polarity parameter (pi*). The plots of Stokes' shifts with E(T)(30) are linear for non-protic solvents and for protic solvents but with different slopes. The fluorescence quantum yields are high for non-polar solvents and decrease as the solvent polarity increases. Unlike the parent molecule pyrene, DMAPEPy shows a short lifetime, which is fairly insensitive to oxygen-induced quenching and is dependent on solvent polarity. The molecule shows high steady-state fluorescence anisotropy, which is very sensitive to the viscosity change of the medium.     

Regiospecific glycosidase-assisted synthesis of lacto-N-biose I (Galbeta1-3GlcNAc) and 3'-sialyl-lacto-N-biose I (NeuAcalpha2-3Galbeta1-3GlcNAc).

The all-transglycolytic synthesis of lacto-N-biose I (Galbeta1-3GlcNAc) and 3'-sialyl-lacto-N-biose I (NeuAcalpha2-3Galbeta1-3GlcNAc) was performed. The disaccharide lacto-N-biose I was obtained by use of p-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside as the donor, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose as the acceptor and Xanthomonas manihotis beta-D-galactosidase as the catalyst. The reaction was shown to be regiospecific, with a high molar yield (about 55%) with respect to the donor. Lacto-N-biose I obtained by this method was used as the acceptor for a subsequent enzymatic reaction catalyzed by Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase in which 2'-(4-methylumbellyferyl)-alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminic was used as the donor of the N-acetylneuraminil moiety. The reaction generated the product, 3'-sialyl-lacto-N-biose I, regiospecifically and with a molar yield of about 35%.     

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in dihydroxyphenyl anthracenes

The photochemistry of three 9-(dihydroxyphenyl)anthracenes 6-8 was studied in neat CH(3)CN and selected organic solvents, to investigate excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from the phenol to the anthracene moiety. In D(2)O-CH(3)CN mixtures, the observed deuterium exchange of 6-8 is consistent with water-mediated (formal) ESIPT process from the ortho phenolic OH to the 10'-position of the anthracene ring, giving rise to quinone methide (QM) intermediates 12-14. There is no ESIPT for the corresponding methoxy-substituted compounds. Introduction of an extra hydroxyl group onto the phenol ring at different positions led to a range of deuterium exchange quantum yields (Φ = 0.03 to 0.15). In addition to the anticipated ESIPT process to the 10'-position, in neat CH(3)CN and other organic solvents, 6 (but not 7 or 8) undergoes a clean photocyclization to give bridged product 19 in quantitative yield. The mechanism of this unique photocyclization may involve a direct ESIPT or a 1,4-hydrogen transfer from the ortho phenolic OH to the 9'-position of the anthracene ring, generating a zwitterion (20) or diradical (21) intermediate, respectively, followed by ring closure. Fluorescence studies of 6 in various solvents show the existence of both local excited and intramolecular charge transfer states whereas only the former was present for 7 and 8, offering a possible rationalization for the photocyclization pathway.     

Synthesis and chiroptical properties of chiral azoaromatic dendrimers with a C3‐symmetrical core

New chiral azoaromatic dendrimeric systems have been synthesized starting from 1,3,5‐benzenetricarbonyl trichloride as the core molecule. The simultaneous presence of the (S)‐3‐hydroxy pyrrolidinyl ring as the optically active moiety and the azobenzene donor‐acceptor conjugated system as the photochromic group with permanent dipole moment, makes these systems potentially interesting as materials for advanced applications in nanotechnologies. All the compounds obtained have been characterized with particular attention to the effects induced by changing the electron‐withdrawing group in the chromophoric moiety and to their optical activity. A strong nonlinear enhancement of chiroptical properties related to the number of chiral units linked to the symmetrical core is observed in these derivatives, which indicates the presence of conformationally chiral substructures. Chirality, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Donor-substituted phenyl-pi-chromones: electrochemiluminescence and intriguing electronic properties.

Phenylethynylchromones bearing different donor groups at the phenyl moiety have been prepared and their photophysical and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) properties have been studied with respect to their structural features. Intriguingly, the presence and variation of donor groups do not much influence the absorption spectra, which can be compared with the spectrum of unsubstituted chromone, whereas the photoluminescence (PL) spectra show pronounced changes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate enhancement of HOMO energy levels upon increasing the donor strength. The photophysical properties have also been studied in various solvents, and the PL spectra in particular show the anticipated trend. The introduction of pi-extension imparts ECL to the new molecules and the electronic coupling between the donor and the acceptor moieties through C-C triple bond influences ECL emission maxima. Weaker donors impart excimer ECL while stronger donors impart monomeric intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) ECL.     

Synthesis of 2-(thienyl-2-yl or -3-yl)-4-furyl-6-aryl pyridine derivatives and evaluation of their topoisomerase I and II inhibitory activity,cytotoxicity, and structure–activity relationship

A series of 2-(thienyl-2-yl or -3-yl)-4-furyl-6-aryl pyridine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their topoisomerase I and II inhibition and cytotoxic activity against several human cancer cell lines. Compounds 10–19 showed moderate topoisomerase I and II inhibitory activity and 20–29 showed significant topoisomerase II inhibitory activity. Structure–activity relationship study revealed that 4-(5-chlorofuran-2-yl)-2-(thiophen-3-yl) moiety has an important role in displaying topoisomerase II inhibition.     

Excited state proton transfer (ESPT) from phenol to nitrogen and carbon in (2-hydroxyphenyl)pyridines.

ESIPT and ESPT are the only photochemical deactivation pathways of the singlet excited states of 2-, 3- and 4-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)pyridines. Due to the existence of an intramolecular hydrogen bond in 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)pyridine, ESIPT leads only to protonation of the pyridine nitrogen. On the other hand, the singlet excited states of 3- and 4-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)pyridine undergo protonation of both nitrogen and carbon atoms of the pyridine ring, via ESIPT or ESPT. The extent of ESIPT to carbon (as measured by extent of deuterium incorporation) can be controlled by the amount of water in the solvent system.     

Dynamics and equilibrium for the formation of fluorescent Lewis acid-base exciplexes and triplexes between 9-aminophenanthrene and aliphatic amines.

The excited singlet states of 9-aminophenanthrene and its N-aminoalkyl derivatives are strongly fluorescent in cyclohexane. Addition of low concentrations of Et(3)N, Pr(2)NH, or PrNH(2) results in a red shift of the emission maximum and moderately decreased fluorescence intensity. Analysis of the fluorescence behavior using a combination of singular value decomposition with self-modeling and kinetic analysis provides evidence for the sequential formation of 1 : 1 (exciplex) and 1 : 2 (triplex) complexes between the excited 9-aminophenanthrene and ground-state alkylamine, both of which are strongly fluorescent. Both the formation and decay of the exciplex and triplex are dependent upon the extent of amine N-alkylation. Rate constants and equilibrium constants for complex formation follow the order 1 degree approximately 2 degree > 3 degree, analogous to that for the formation of ground-state complexes between amines and the soft Lewis base HgBr(2). Similarly, N-aminoalkyl derivatives of 9-aminophenanthrene form intramolecular exciplexes. Excited-state complex formation is attributed to a Lewis acid-base interaction between the excited aminophenanthrene (lone-pair acceptor) and ground-state amine (lone-pair donor). The factors which determine the stability of excited-state Lewis acid-base complexes are characteristic of the specific excited-state acceptor. No universal scale of lone-pair donor strength can be expected to describe the formation of such complexes.     

Structure-activity relationships of novel anti-malarial agents. Part 4: N-(3-benzoyl-4-tolylacetylaminophenyl)-3-(5-aryl-2-furyl)acrylic acid amides

In a previous report, we have described novel anti-malarial compounds based on a 2,5-diaminobenzophenone scaffold. Here, we have invesigated acryloyl derivatives carrying a biaryl structure consisting of a terminal aryl residue and a central 2-furyl ring. Several compounds were obtained in the series of para-substituted phenylfurylacryloyl derivatives that displayed improved anti-malarial activity in comparison to earlier described derivatives. From the structure-activity relationships it can be deduced that there has to be a lipophilic moiety in the para-position of the terminal phenyl residue. Furthermore, there are indications that, alternatively, activity may benefit from the presence of a polar moiety with hydrogen bond acceptor properties.     

Modulation of dual fluorescence in a 3-hydroxyquinolone dye by perturbation of its intramolecular proton transfer with solvent polarity and basicity.

A representative of a new class of dyes with dual fluorescence due to an excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction, namely 1-methyl-2-(4-methoxy)phenyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone (QMOM), has been studied in a series of solvents covering a large range of polarity and basicity. A linear dependence of the logarithm of its two bands intensity ratio, log(I(N*)/I(T*)), upon the solvent polarity expressed as a function of the dielectric constant, (epsilon- 1)/(2epsilon + 1), is observed for a series of protic solvents. A linear dependence for log(I(N*)/I(T*)) is also found in aprotic solvents after taking into account the solvent basicity. In contrast, the positions of the absorption and the two emission bands of QMOM do not noticeably depend on the solvent polarity and basicity, indicating relatively small changes in the transition moment of QMOM upon excitation and emission. Time-resolved experiments in acetonitrile, ethyl acetate and dimethylformamide suggest an irreversible ESIPT reaction for this dye. According to the time-resolved data, an increase of solvent basicity results in a dramatic decrease of the ESIPT rate constant, probably due to the disruption of the intramolecular H-bond of the dye by the basic solvent. Due to this new sensor property, 3-hydroxyquinolones are promising candidates for the development of a new generation of environment-sensitive fluorescence dyes for probing interactions of biomolecules.     

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer in 3-hydroxy flavone and 5-hydroxy flavone: A DFT based comparative study

Potential energy (PE) curves for the intramolecular proton transfer in the ground (GSIPT) and excited (ESIPT) states of 3-hydroxy-flavone (3HF) and 5-hydroxy-flavone (5HF) were studied using DFT/B3LYP (6-31G (d,p)) and TD-DFT/B3LYP (6-31G (d,p)) level of theory respectively. Our calculations suggest the non-viability of ground state intramolecular proton transfer for both the compounds. Calculated PE curves of 3HF for the ground and excited singlet states proton transfer process explain its four state laser diagram. Excited states PE calculations support the ESIPT process to both 5HF and 3HF. The difference in ESIPT emission process of 3HF and 5HF have been explained in terms of HOMO and LUMO electron distribution of the enol and keto tautomer of these two compounds.     

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer in 3-hydroxychromone: a DFT-based computational study

Potential energy (PE) curves for intramolecular proton transfer in the ground (GSIPT) and intramolecular proton transfer in the excited (ESIPT) states of 3-hydroxychromone (3HC) have been studied using DFT-B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and TD-DFT/6-31G(d,p) level of theory, respectively. Our calculations suggest the non-viability of GSIPT in 3HC. Excited states PE calculations show the existence of ESIPT process in 3HC. ESIPT in 3HC has also been explained in terms of HOMO and LUMO electron densities of the enol and keto tautomers of 3HC.     

Design,synthesis and binding affinity of 3'-fluoro analogues of Cl-IB-MECA as adenosine A3 receptor ligands

Several 3'-fluoro analogues, 1a, 1b, and 1c of selective and potent adenosine A(3) receptor agonist, Cl-IB-MECA were synthesized from D-xylose via highly regioselective opening of lyxo-epoxides, 8a and 8b with fluoride anion. Compared to the high binding affinity of Cl-IB-MECA to the A(3) adenosine receptor, the corresponding 3'-fluoro derivative showed remarkably decreased binding affinity, indicating that 3'-hydroxyl group acts as hydrogen bonding acceptor, not hydrogen bonding donor like fluorine atom in binding to the A(3) adenosine receptor.     

Towards an artificial model for Photosystem II: a manganese(II,II) dimer covalently linked to ruthenium(II) tris-bipyridine via a tyrosine derivative

In order to model the individual electron transfer steps from the manganese cluster to the photooxidized sensitizer P680+ in Photosystem II (PS II) in green plants, the supramolecular complex 4 has been synthesized. In this complex, a ruthenium(II) tris-bipyridine type photosensitizer has been linked to a manganese(II) dimer via a substituted L-tyrosine, which bridges the manganese ions. The trinuclear complex 4 was characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The excited state lifetime of the ruthenium tris-bipyridine moiety in 4 was found to be about 110 ns in acetonitrile. Using flash photolysis in the presence of an electron acceptor (methylviologen), it was demonstrated that in the supramolecular complex 4 an electron was transferred from the excited state of the ruthenium tris-bipyridine moiety to methylviologen, forming a methylviologen radical and a ruthenium(III) tris-bipyridine moiety. Next, the Ru(III) species retrieved the electron from the manganese(II/II) dimer in an intramolecular electron transfer reaction with a rate constant kET > 1.0 x 10(7) s(-1), generating a manganese(II/III) oxidation state and regenerating the ruthenium(II) photosensitizer. This is the first example of intramolecular electron transfer in a supramolecular complex, in which a manganese dimer is covalently linked to a photosensitizer via a tyrosine unit, in a process which mimics the electron transfer on the donor side of PS II.     

Spectrofluorimetric analysis of 7-hydroxycoumarin binding to bovine phenol sulfotransferase

Phenol sulfotransferases (SULT1s, EC 2.8.2.1) catalyze sulfuryl group transfer from 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to the hydroxyl oxygen of aromatic acceptor substrates. Previous work with the bovine SULT1A1 has utilized the highly fluorescent substrate 7-hydroxycoumarin (7-HC, umbelliferone) as an acceptor substrate [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 261 (1999) 815]. Here we report that adenosine-3',5'-bisphosphate (PAP)-dependent binding of 7-HC to bSULT1A1 can be observed due to the appearance of a 400-420-nm shoulder in the emission spectrum, using an excitation wavelength of 280 nm. This emission was observed by placing 7-HC in ethanol, which is consistent with bSULT1A1 phenol binding site hydrophobicity. Titrations with 7-HC indicate a K(d) for 7-HC of 0.58 microM and substoichiometric binding to the homodimeric enzyme. The bSULT1A1:PAP:7-HC complex could be disrupted with pentachlorophenol (PCP), titrations with which indicated 0.5 equivalents per enzyme subunit. Titrations of enzyme plus 7-HC with PAP also indicated 0.5 equivalents per enzyme subunit. These results suggest a model of homodimeric bSULT1A1 in which subunit interactions favor half-site reactivity in the formation of a dead end complex.     

Substrate specificity of GM2 and GD3 synthase of Golgi vesicles derived from rat liver

Several GM3 derivatives have been synthesized. Among them were lyso-GM3 derivatives and GM3 analogues with modifications in the sialic acid moiety. They were used as glycolipid acceptors in assays for GM2 and GD3 synthase of rat liver Golgi. Analysis of the resulting enzyme activities and of the reaction products revealed different substrate specificities for GM2 and GD3 synthase although the normal glycolipid acceptor for both transferases is ganglioside GM3. Specificity of GD3 synthase is strongly determined by the substrate's negative charge and the acyl residue in amide bond to the amino group of neuraminic acid, while GM2 synthase reacts quite indifferently to these changes in the sialic moiety of the substrate. Both enzymes seem to be sensitive to the spatial extension at the neuraminic acid's carboxylic group.     

Bacteriophage T4 RNA ligase. Reaction intermediates and interaction of substrates.

Bacteriophage T4 RNA ligase catalyzes the ATP-dependent ligation of a 5'-phosphoryl-terminated nucleic acid donor to a 3'-hydroxyl-terminated nucleic acid acceptor. We have identified adenylylated DNA and RNA reaction intermediates in which the AMP moiety is attached by a pyrophosphate bond to the 5'-phosphoryl group of the donor. A large amount of DNA-adenylate accumulates during the reaction and the dependence of joining and adenylylation on chain length are similar. The adenylylated donor is joined by ligase to an acceptor in the absence of ATP, and AMP is released stoichiometrically in this reaction. The acceptor is not only a substrate in the reaction but also a cofactor for adenylylation of the donor; in the absence of a 3'-hydroxyl group the activated intermediate does not form. The activated DNA need not join to the acceptor that initially stimulated activation but can also join to another acceptor. This process of acceptor exchanges has proven useful for promoting the cyclization of small DNA substrates and the synthesis of DNA co-polymers.