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Sample records for charged pyrrole oligomers

  1. Adsorption characteristics and polymerization of pyrrole on Y-zeolites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsumoto, Akihiko; Kitajima, Tsutomu; Tsutsumi, Kazuo

    1999-10-26

    Conductive polymers have attracted considerable interest from the viewpoint of their electrochemical aspects and have been investigated for application in novel devices such as solid electrolyte cells and molecular electronic devices. Adsorption characteristics and polymerization of pyrrole on Y-zeolites of different cation types (NaY, HY, and CuY) have been investigated in connection with adsorption behavior, in situ IR spectroscopy, and EPR spectroscopy. Adsorption of pyrrole on NaY is physisorption giving no significant changes in IR and EPR spectra. In the adsorption on HY and CuY, the formation of pyrrole oligomers or polymers is observed. Pyrrole oligomer formed on HY is a nonconjugated one, which gives no EPR signal. In the case of CuY, EPR signal assigned to polaron of polypyrrole was observed at g = 2.008 by the pyrrole adsorption. The relationship between the amount of the spin of g = 2.008 and the adsorbed amount of pyrrole was linear even at the number of pyrrole exceeding that of Cu{sub 2+}, which suggests that the polymerization giving conjugated polypyrrole would take place on Cu{sup 2+} sites and the polypyrrole of aromatic form would be oxidized to quinoid form to give polaron on CuY surface.

  2. Interchain interactions in charged diacetylenic oligomers carrying bulk substituents revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ottonelli, M.; Izzo, G.M.M.; Comoretto, D.; Musso, G.F.; Dellepiane, G.

    2006-01-01

    We are studying how the electronic properties of an aggregate, built with conjugated oligomers carrying bulk substituents, are affected by intermolecular interactions. In this paper we apply the CEO (Collective Electronic Oscillator) method, on the basis of the semiempirical INDO/S Hamiltonian, to compute the electronic density matrix modifications following the photon absorption in a doubly charged cluster of two units of a fully carbazolyl-substituted oligodiacetylene tetramer, taken as a model system. The picture that had emerged from our previous calculations based on the less sophisticated CIS (Configuration Interaction including Singles) approach is seen to be confirmed. Despite the large separation between the backbones, a through-space charge transfer occurs between the two oligomers due to the fact that the excess charge, contrary to what is generally believed, is not localized on the conjugated backbone, but is spread out over the carbazolyl moieties of the charged molecule. Consideration of this kind of interaction improves the theoretical results obtained for the isolated charged oligomer chain, and aids in better explaining some features of the experimental photoinduced spectra of the corresponding polymer

  3. Effect of Conjugation Length on Photoinduced Charge-Transfer in π-Conjugated Oligomer-Acceptor Dyads

    KAUST Repository

    Jiang, Junlin

    2017-05-25

    A series of -conjugated oligomer-acceptor dyads were synthesized that feature oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE) conjugated backbones end-capped with a naphthalene diimide (NDI) acceptor. The OPE segments vary in length from 4 to 8 phenylene ethynene units (PEn-NDI, where n = 4, 6 and 8). Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that intramolecular OPE NDI charge transfer dominates the deactivation of excited states of the PEn-NDI oligomers. Both charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) are strongly exothermic (G0CS ~ -1.1 and G0CR ~ -2.0 eV), and the driving forces do not vary much across the series because the oxidation and reduction potentials and singlet energies of the OPEs do not vary much with their length. Bimolecular photoinduced charge transfer between model OPEs that do not contain the NDI acceptors with methyl viologen was studied, and the results reveal that the absorption of the cation radical state (OPE+•) remains approximately constant ( ~ 575 nm) regardless of oligomer length. This finding suggests that the cation radical (polaron) of the OPE is relatively localized, effectively occupying a confined segment of n 4 repeat units in the longer oligomers. Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer dynamics in the PEn-NDI series was investigated by UV-visible femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with visible and mid-infrared probes. Charge separation occurs on the 1 – 10 ps timescale, with the rates decreasing slightly with increased oligomer length (βCS ~ 0.15 Å-1). The rate for charge-recombination decreases in the sequence PE4-NDI > PE6-NDI ~ PE8-NDI. The discontinuous distance dependence in the rate for charge recombination may be related to the spatial localization of the positive polaron state in the longer oligomers.

  4. Effect of Conjugation Length on Photoinduced Charge-Transfer in π-Conjugated Oligomer-Acceptor Dyads

    KAUST Repository

    Jiang, Junlin; Alsam, Amani Abdu; Wang, Shanshan; Aly, Shawkat Mohammede; Pan, Zhenxing; Mohammed, Omar F.; Schanze, Kirk S.

    2017-01-01

    A series of -conjugated oligomer-acceptor dyads were synthesized that feature oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE) conjugated backbones end-capped with a naphthalene diimide (NDI) acceptor. The OPE segments vary in length from 4 to 8 phenylene ethynene units (PEn-NDI, where n = 4, 6 and 8). Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that intramolecular OPE NDI charge transfer dominates the deactivation of excited states of the PEn-NDI oligomers. Both charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) are strongly exothermic (G0CS ~ -1.1 and G0CR ~ -2.0 eV), and the driving forces do not vary much across the series because the oxidation and reduction potentials and singlet energies of the OPEs do not vary much with their length. Bimolecular photoinduced charge transfer between model OPEs that do not contain the NDI acceptors with methyl viologen was studied, and the results reveal that the absorption of the cation radical state (OPE+•) remains approximately constant ( ~ 575 nm) regardless of oligomer length. This finding suggests that the cation radical (polaron) of the OPE is relatively localized, effectively occupying a confined segment of n 4 repeat units in the longer oligomers. Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer dynamics in the PEn-NDI series was investigated by UV-visible femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with visible and mid-infrared probes. Charge separation occurs on the 1 – 10 ps timescale, with the rates decreasing slightly with increased oligomer length (βCS ~ 0.15 Å-1). The rate for charge-recombination decreases in the sequence PE4-NDI > PE6-NDI ~ PE8-NDI. The discontinuous distance dependence in the rate for charge recombination may be related to the spatial localization of the positive polaron state in the longer oligomers.

  5. Charge transfer in conjugated oligomers encapsulated into carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Almadori, Y.; Alvarez, L.; Michel, T.; Le Parc, R.; Bantignies, J.L.; Hermet, P.; Sauvajol, J.L. [Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5521, Universite Montpellier 2, 34095 Montpellier (France); Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5521, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier (France); Arenal, R. [Laboratoire d' Etude des Microstructures, CNRS-ONERA, 92322 Chatillon (France); Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas, Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragon, U. Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza (Spain); Babaa, R. [Laboratoire de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces, CEA, IRAMIS, SPCSI, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Chemical Engineering Department, University of Technology PETRONAS, UTP, Ipoh-Perak (Malaysia); Jouselme, B.; Palacin, S. [Laboratoire de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces, CEA, IRAMIS, SPCSI, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)

    2011-11-15

    This study deals with a hybrid system consisting in quaterthiophene derivative encapsulated inside single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Investigations of the encapsulation step are performed by transmission electron microscopy. Raman spectroscopy data point out different behaviors depending on the laser excitation energy with respect to the optical absorption of quaterthiophene. At low excitation energy (far from the oligomer resonance window) there is no significant modification of the Raman spectra before and after encapsulation. By contrast, at high excitation energy (close to the oligomer resonance window), Raman spectra exhibit a G-band shift together with an important RBM intensity loss, suggesting a significant charge transfer between the inserted molecule and the host nanotubes. Those results suggest a photo induced process leading to a significant charge transfer. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  6. Flexible supercapacitor based on electrochemically synthesized pyrrole formyl pyrrole copolymer coated on carbon microfibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gholami, Mehrdad; Moozarm Nia, Pooria; Narimani, Leila; Sokhakian, Mehran; Alias, Yatimah

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A Flexible supercapacitor prepared by carbon microfibers coated with P(Py-co-FPy). • The variation of capacitance with different mole ratio of monomers is investigated. • The capacitance measured by different electrochemical methods. • This flexible supercapacitor can be discharged in higher currents for longer time. - Abstract: The main objective of this work is to prepare a flexible supercapacitor using electrochemically synthesized pyrrole formyl pyrrole copolymer P(Py-co-FPy) coated on the carbon microfibers. Due to difficulties of working with carbon microfibers, glassy carbon was used to find out optimized conditions by varying mole ratio of pyrrole and formyl pyrrole monomers on the capacitance value. The prepared electrodes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Then the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the optimized electrode. The specific capacitance is calculated using cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge method, and impedance spectroscopy. The charge/discharge study reveals that the best specific capacitance is estimated to be 220.3 mF cm"−"2 for equal mole fraction of pyrrole and formyl pyrrole Py (0.1)-FP (0.1) at discharge current of 3 × 10"−"4 A. This optimized electrode keeps about 92% of its capacitance value in high current of discharging. The specific capacitances calculated by all the mentioned methods are in agreement with each other. Finally, the found optimized conditions were successfully applied to produce a flexible supercapacitor on the surface of carbon microfibers.

  7. Flexible supercapacitor based on electrochemically synthesized pyrrole formyl pyrrole copolymer coated on carbon microfibers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gholami, Mehrdad, E-mail: mehrdad897@um.edu.my [University of Malaya center for ionic liquids, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Department of Chemistry, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, P.O. Box 465, Marvdasht (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Moozarm Nia, Pooria, E-mail: pooriamn@yahoo.com [University of Malaya center for ionic liquids, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Narimani, Leila, E-mail: Narimani.leila@gmail.com [University of Malaya center for ionic liquids, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Sokhakian, Mehran, E-mail: m.sokhakian@gmail.com [University of Malaya center for ionic liquids, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Alias, Yatimah, E-mail: yatimah70@um.edu.my [University of Malaya center for ionic liquids, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2016-08-15

    Highlights: • A Flexible supercapacitor prepared by carbon microfibers coated with P(Py-co-FPy). • The variation of capacitance with different mole ratio of monomers is investigated. • The capacitance measured by different electrochemical methods. • This flexible supercapacitor can be discharged in higher currents for longer time. - Abstract: The main objective of this work is to prepare a flexible supercapacitor using electrochemically synthesized pyrrole formyl pyrrole copolymer P(Py-co-FPy) coated on the carbon microfibers. Due to difficulties of working with carbon microfibers, glassy carbon was used to find out optimized conditions by varying mole ratio of pyrrole and formyl pyrrole monomers on the capacitance value. The prepared electrodes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Then the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the optimized electrode. The specific capacitance is calculated using cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge method, and impedance spectroscopy. The charge/discharge study reveals that the best specific capacitance is estimated to be 220.3 mF cm{sup −2} for equal mole fraction of pyrrole and formyl pyrrole Py (0.1)-FP (0.1) at discharge current of 3 × 10{sup −4} A. This optimized electrode keeps about 92% of its capacitance value in high current of discharging. The specific capacitances calculated by all the mentioned methods are in agreement with each other. Finally, the found optimized conditions were successfully applied to produce a flexible supercapacitor on the surface of carbon microfibers.

  8. The nonadiabatic deactivation paths of pyrrole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbatti, Mario; Vazdar, Mario; Aquino, Adelia J. A.; Eckert-Maksic, Mirjana; Lischka, Hans

    2006-01-01

    Multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations have been performed for pyrrole with the aim of providing an explanation for the experimentally observed photochemical deactivation processes. Potential energy curves and minima on the crossing seam were determined using the analytic MRCI gradient and nonadiabatic coupling features of the COLUMBUS program system. A new deactivation mechanism based on an out-of-plane ring deformation is presented. This mechanism directly couples the charge transfer 1 ππ* and ground states. It may be responsible for more than 50% of the observed photofragments of ππ*-excited pyrrole. The ring deformation mechanism should act complementary to the previously proposed NH-stretching mechanism, thus offering a more complete interpretation of the pyrrole photodynamics

  9. Synthesis and characterization of N-t-BOC protected pyrrole-sulfur oligomers and polymers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groenendaal, L.; Pieterse, K.; Vekemans, J.A.J.M.; Meijer, E.W.

    1997-01-01

    The synthesis and characterization of a new class of pyrrole-sulfur compounds is described. These compounds are designed to be precursors for an organic analogue of poly(sulfur nitride). Poly(N-t-BOC-2.5-pyrrolyl sulfide) was prepared from N-t-BOC-2,5-dibromopyrrole by first lithiating this compound

  10. Charge-carrier selective electrodes for organic bulk heterojunction solar cell by contact-printed siloxane oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Hyun-Sik; Khang, Dahl-Young

    2015-01-01

    ‘Smart’ (or selective) electrode for charge carriers, both electrons and holes, in organic bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells using insertion layers made of hydrophobically-recovered and contact-printed siloxane oligomers between electrodes and active material has been demonstrated. The siloxane oligomer insertion layer has been formed at a given interface simply by conformally-contacting a cured slab of polydimethylsiloxane stamp for less than 100 s. All the devices, either siloxane oligomer printed at one interface only or printed at both interfaces, showed efficiency enhancement when compared to non-printed ones. The possible mechanism that is responsible for the observed efficiency enhancement has been discussed based on the point of optimum symmetry and photocurrent analysis. Besides its simplicity and large-area applicability, the demonstrated contact-printing technique does not involve any vacuum or wet processing steps and thus can be very useful for the roll-based, continuous production scheme for organic BHJ solar cells. - Highlights: • Carrier-selective insertion layer in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells • Simple contact-printing of siloxane oligomers improves cell efficiency. • Printed siloxane layer reduces carrier recombination at electrode surfaces. • Siloxane insertion layer works equally well at both electrode surfaces. • Patterned PDMS stamp shortens the printing time within 100 s

  11. Synthesis and electrochemical properties of novel, donor–acceptor pyrrole derivatives with 1,8-naphthalimide units and their polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ledwon, Przemyslaw; Brzeczek, Alina; Pluczyk, Sandra; Jarosz, Tomasz; Kuznik, Wojciech; Walczak, Krzysztof; Lapkowski, Mieczyslaw

    2014-01-01

    A new class of bipolar monomers with pyrrole or thiophene–pyrrole–thiophene as electron donor and 1,8-naphthalimide as electron acceptor unit is reported. Donor–acceptor conjugated polymers were generated electrochemically. The synthesis of monomers, optical, electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties supported by theoretical calculations are presented. 1,8-naphthalimide units were attached directly to pyrrole in compounds 1a and 2a or by different bridges in the case of 1b and 2b. Intra-molecular donor–acceptor interactions of the monomers and its polymers were investigated using cyclic voltammetry, in-situ UV–Vis-NIR, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroelectrochemistry and fluorescence spectroscopy. Studied compounds present large discrepancy (up to 1.31 eV for 2a) between energy gap values determined through electrochemical and optical measurements. The Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations help to explain this discrepancy. This is caused by weak HOMO to LUMO transition, 2000 times weaker than HOMO −2 to LUMO or HOMO to LUMO +1 transition. Altering the structure of monomers yields different stability and properties of obtained polymers. The p- and n-doping processes are separated. Anions are localized mainly on 1,8-naphthalimide units. Cations are localized mainly on pyrrole or thiophene–pyrrole–thiophene moiety and their polymer chains. Attachment of the additional thiophene units decreases the oxidation potential of the monomer and reduces the influence of the steric hindrance between 1,8-naphthalimide moiety and polymer/oligomers chain. This new class of model compounds is promising for use as a material with enhanced charge separation for wide range of optoelectronic, electrochromic and photovoltaic applications

  12. Computer simulations and theoretical aspects of the depletion interaction in protein-oligomer mixtures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boncina, M; Rescic, J; Kalyuzhnyi, Yu V; Vlachy, V

    2007-07-21

    The depletion interaction between proteins caused by addition of either uncharged or partially charged oligomers was studied using the canonical Monte Carlo simulation technique and the integral equation theory. A protein molecule was modeled in two different ways: either as (i) a hard sphere of diameter 30.0 A with net charge 0, or +5, or (ii) as a hard sphere with discrete charges (depending on the pH of solution) of diameter 45.4 A. The oligomers were pictured as tangentially jointed, uncharged, or partially charged, hard spheres. The ions of a simple electrolyte present in solution were represented by charged hard spheres distributed in the dielectric continuum. In this study we were particularly interested in changes of the protein-protein pair-distribution function, caused by addition of the oligomer component. In agreement with previous studies we found that addition of a nonadsorbing oligomer reduces the phase stability of solution, which is reflected in the shape of the protein-protein pair-distribution function. The value of this function in protein-protein contact increases with increasing oligomer concentration, and is larger for charged oligomers. The range of the depletion interaction and its strength also depend on the length (number of monomer units) of the oligomer chain. The integral equation theory, based on the Wertheim Ornstein-Zernike approach applied in this study, was found to be in fair agreement with Monte Carlo results only for very short oligomers. The computer simulations for a model mimicking the lysozyme molecule (ii) are in qualitative agreement with small-angle neutron experiments for lysozyme-dextran mixtures.

  13. Theoretical studies of optics and charge transport in organic conducting oligomers and polymers: Rational design of improved transparent and conducting polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchison, Geoffrey Rogers

    Theoretical studies on a variety of oligo- and polyheterocycles elucidate their optical and charge transport properties, suggesting new, improved transparent conductive polymers. First-principles calculations provide accurate methodologies for predicting both optical band gaps of neutral and cationic oligomers and intrinsic charge transfer rates. Multidimensional analysis reveals important motifs in chemical tailorability of oligoheterocycle optical and charge transport properties. The results suggest new directions for design of novel materials. Using both finite oligomer and infinite polymer calculations, the optical band gaps in polyheterocycles follow a modified particle-in-a-box formalism, scaling approximately as 1/N (where N is the number of monomer units) in short chains, saturating for long chains. Calculations demonstrate that band structure changes upon heteroatom substitution, (e.g., from polythiophene to polypyrrole) derive from heteroatom electron affinity. Further investigation of chemical variability in substituted oligoheterocycles using multidimensional statistics reveals the interplay between heteroatom and substituent in correlations between structure and redox/optical properties of neutral and cationic species. A linear correlation between band gaps of neutral and cationic species upon oxidation of conjugated oligomers, shows redshifts of optical absorption for most species and blueshifts for small band gap species. Interstrand charge-transport studies focus on two contributors to hopping-style charge transfer rates: internal reorganization energy and the electronic coupling matrix element. Statistical analysis of chemical variability of reorganization energies in oligoheterocycles proves the importance of reorganization energy in determining intrinsic charge transfer rates (e.g., charge mobility in unsubstituted oligothiophenes). Computed bandwidths across several oligothiophene crystal packing motifs show similar electron and hole bandwidths

  14. Charge Separation and Recombination in Small Band Gap Oligomer-Fullerene Triads

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karsten, Bram P.; Bouwer, Ricardo K. M.; Hummelen, Jan C.; Williams, Rene M.; Janssen, Rene A. J.

    2010-01-01

    Synthesis and photophysics of a series of thiophene-thienopyrazine small band gap oligomers end-capped at both ends with C(60) are presented In these triads a photoinduced electron transfer reaction occurs between the oligomer as a donor and the fullerene as an acceptor Femtosecond photoinduced

  15. Ultrafast Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a π-Conjugated Oligomer/Porphyrin Complex

    KAUST Repository

    Aly, Shawkat Mohammede

    2014-10-02

    Controlling charge transfer (CT), charge separation (CS), and charge recombination (CR) at the donor-acceptor interface is extremely important to optimize the conversion efficiency in solar cell devices. In general, ultrafast CT and slow CR are desirable for optimal device performance. In this Letter, the ultrafast excited-state CT between platinum oligomer (DPP-Pt(acac)) as a new electron donor and porphyrin as an electron acceptor is monitored for the first time using femtosecond (fs) transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy with broad-band capability and 120 fs temporal resolution. Turning the CT on/off has been shown to be possible either by switching from an organometallic oligomer to a metal-free oligomer or by controlling the charge density on the nitrogen atom of the porphyrin meso unit. Our time-resolved data show that the CT and CS between DPP-Pt(acac) and cationic porphyrin are ultrafast (approximately 1.5 ps), and the CR is slow (ns time scale), as inferred from the formation and the decay of the cationic and anionic species. We also found that the metallic center in the DPP-Pt(acac) oligomer and the positive charge on the porphyrin are the keys to switching on/off the ultrafast CT process.

  16. Studies of pyrrole black electrodes as possible battery positive electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mengoli, G.; Musiani, M.M.; Fleischmann, M.; Pletcher, D.

    1984-05-01

    It is shown that a polypyrrole, pyrrole black, may be formed anodically in several aqueous acids. The polypyrrole film shows a redox couple at less positive potentials than that required to form the film and the charge associated with these reduction and oxidation processes together with their stabilty to cycling varies with the anion in solution and the potential where the polypyrrole is formed; over-oxidation of the film caused by taking its potential too positive has a particularly disadvantageous affect. In the acids HBr and HI, the polypyrrole films can act as a storage medium for Br/sub 2/ or I/sub 2/ so that they may be used as a substrate for a X/sub 2//X/sup -/ electrode. Such electrodes may be charge/discharge cycled and the pyrrole/Br/sub 2/ electrode shows promise as a battery positive electrode.

  17. Radiation Induced Polymerization of Pyrrole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarada Idris; Ratnam, C.T.; Ahmad Ashrif Abu Bakar

    2016-01-01

    We demonstrate the polymerization of pyrrole by gamma irradiation. The pyrrole films were exposed to gamma ray from cobalt 60 source at doses ranging from 0 to 150 kGy. The films were subjected to structural and morphological analyses by using FTIR, SEM and AFM techniques. Similar studies were also made on pristine pyrrole film which serve as control. Results revealed that pyrrole has been successfully polymerized through irradiation induced reactions. The SEM images depicted the formation of cauliflower shape upon gamma irradiation. The structural changes of pyrrole also evidenced by FTIR spectra. Surface topography and roughness of pyrrole before and after gamma irradiation found to show significant differences. (author)

  18. Charge Delocalization in Oligomers of Poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Yuexing

    2016-04-25

    We investigate theoretically charge delocalization in radical-cations, i.e., positive polarons, formed on oligomer chains of poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT. We use non-empirically tuned range-separated density functionals (TRS-DFT), including LC-ωPBE, LC-BLYP, and ωB97XD. We consider the evolution with oligomer length of the molecular geometric and electronic structures, optical absorption features, and spin densities. The TRS-DFT results indicate that a positive polaron can delocalize ideally over some 10 thiophene rings when the backbone is non-planar and up to 14 rings for a backbone forced to be completely planar. Interestingly, up to six polarons can co-exist side-by-side in a hexamer (which contains 24 thiophene rings), which is consistent with the highest degrees of doping (oxidation) experimentally achievable in polythiophene derivatives.

  19. Charge Delocalization in Oligomers of Poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Yuexing; Steyrleuthner, Robert; Bredas, Jean-Luc

    2016-01-01

    We investigate theoretically charge delocalization in radical-cations, i.e., positive polarons, formed on oligomer chains of poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT. We use non-empirically tuned range-separated density functionals (TRS-DFT), including LC-ωPBE, LC-BLYP, and ωB97XD. We consider the evolution with oligomer length of the molecular geometric and electronic structures, optical absorption features, and spin densities. The TRS-DFT results indicate that a positive polaron can delocalize ideally over some 10 thiophene rings when the backbone is non-planar and up to 14 rings for a backbone forced to be completely planar. Interestingly, up to six polarons can co-exist side-by-side in a hexamer (which contains 24 thiophene rings), which is consistent with the highest degrees of doping (oxidation) experimentally achievable in polythiophene derivatives.

  20. Morphology and electrical properties of electrochemically synthesized pyrrole–formyl pyrrole copolymer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gholami, Mehrdad, E-mail: mehrdad897@um.edu.my [Department of Chemistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Department of Chemistry, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, P.O. Box 465, Marvdasht (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nia, Pooria Moozarm, E-mail: pooriamn@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Alias, Yatimah, E-mail: yatimah70@um.edu.my [Department of Chemistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia)

    2015-12-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The (Py–co-FPy) copolymer was synthesized electrochemically. • This copolymer has 1.6 times higher surface coverage compared to polypyrrole. • This copolymer showed 2.5 times lower resistance compared to polypyrrole. • The conjugated structure between Py and FPy causes enhancement of conductivity. • This conducting copolymer has a strong potential to be used in various applications. - Abstract: A direct electrochemical copolymerization of pyrrole–formyl pyrrole (Py–co-FPy) was carried out by oxidative copolymerization of formyl pyrrole and pyrrole in LiClO{sub 4} aqueous solution through galvanostatic method. The (Py–co-FPy) copolymer was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy-filtering transmission electron microscope (EFTEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The FESEM images showed that the synthesized copolymer had a hollow whelk-like helixes structure, which justifies the enhancement of charge transportation through the copolymer film. Cyclic voltammetry studies revealed that the electrocatalytic activity of synthesized copolymer has improved and the surface coverage in copolymer enhanced 1.6 times compared to polypyrrole alone. Besides, (Py–co-FPy) copolymer showed 2.5 times lower electrochemical charge transfer resistance (R{sub ct}) value in impedance spectroscopy. Therefore, this copolymer has a strong potential to be used in several applications such as sensor applications.

  1. Donor-acceptor-donor thienyl/bithienyl-benzothiadiazole/quinoxaline model oligomers: experimental and theoretical studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pina, João; de Melo, J Seixas; Breusov, D; Scherf, Ullrich

    2013-09-28

    A comprehensive spectral and photophysical investigation of four donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) oligomers consisting of electron-deficient 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole or quinoxaline moieties linked to electron-rich thienyl or bithienyl units has been undertaken. Additionally, a bis(dithienyl) substituted naphthalene was also investigated. The D-A-D nature of these oligomers resulted in the presence of an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state, which was further substantiated by solvatochromism studies (analysis with the Lippert-Mataga formalism). Hereby, significant differences have been obtained for the fluorescence quantum yields of the oligomers in the non-polar solvent methylcyclohexane vs. the polar ethanol. The study was further complemented with the determination of the optimized ground-state molecular geometries for the oligomers together with the prediction of the lowest vertical one-electron excitation energy and the relevant molecular orbital contours using DFT calculations. The electronic transitions show a clear HOMO to LUMO charge-transfer character. In contrast to the thiophene oligomers (the oligothiophenes with n = 1-7), where the intersystem crossing (ISC) yield decreases with n, the studied DAD oligomers were found to show an increase in the ISC efficiency with the number of (donor) thienyl units.

  2. Structures of Metalloporphyrin-Oligomer Multianions: Cofacial versus Coplanar Motifs as Resolved by Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brendle, Katrina; Schwarz, Ulrike; Jäger, Patrick; Weis, Patrick; Kappes, Manfred

    2016-11-03

    We have combined ion mobility mass spectrometry with quantum chemical calculations to investigate the gas-phase structures of multiply negatively charged oligomers of meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)metalloporphyrins comprising the divalent metal centers Zn II , Cu II , and Pd II . Sets of candidate structures were obtained by geometry optimizations based on calculations at both the semiempirical PM7 and density functional theory (DFT) levels. The corresponding theoretical cross sections were calculated with the projection approximation and also with the trajectory method. By comparing these collision cross sections with the respective experimental values we were able to assign oligomer structures up to the tetramer. In most cases the cross sections of the lowest energy isomers predicted by theory were found to agree with the measurements to within the experimental uncertainty (2%). Specifically, we find that for a given oligomer size the structures are independent of the metal center but depend strongly on the charge state. Oligomers in low charge states with a correspondingly larger number of sodium counterions tend to form stacked, cofacial structures reminiscent of H-aggregate motifs observed in solution. By contrast, in higher charge states, the stack opens to form coplanar structures.

  3. Charge transport and dielectric relaxation processes in anilin-based oligomers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mrlík, M.; Moučka, R.; Ilčíková, M.; Bober, Patrycja; Kazantseva, N.; Špitálský, Z.; Trchová, Miroslava; Stejskal, Jaroslav

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 192, June (2014), s. 37-42 ISSN 0379-6779 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : aniline-based oligomers * conductivity * dielectric properties Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.252, year: 2014

  4. Simple two-step synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted pyrroles and 3,5-disubstituted pyrrole-2-carbonitriles from enones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murat Kucukdisli

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The cyclocondensation of enones with aminoacetonitrile furnishes 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole-2-carbonitriles which can be readily converted to 2,4-disubstituted pyrroles by microwave-induced dehydrocyanation. Alternatively, oxidation of the intermediates produces 3,5-disubstituted pyrrole-2-carbonitriles.

  5. Synthesis, autoxidation and photooxidation of hindered pyrrole derivatives. Hindered pyrrolic nitroxide radicals; Synthese, autoxydation et photoxidation de pyrroles encombres radicaux nitroxydes pyrroliques encombres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramasseul, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1969-07-01

    2,5-di-t-butyl and 2,3,5-tri-t-butyl pyrrole are prepared from pinacoline and their structure is confirmed by comparison with 2,5-di-t-butyl furan and thiophene (I.R., U.V. and N.M.R. {sup 13}C satellites observation giving J{sub 13{sub C-H}} and J{sub H{sub 3}-H{sub 4}}). The sensitized photooxidation of these hindered pyrroles gives corresponding hydroperoxides which most likely structure is determined using physical and chemical methods. Oxidation of 2,5-di-t-butyl and 2,3,5-tri-t-butyl pyrrole by hydrogen peroxide in presence of inorganic per-acid of by p-nitro-perbenzoic acid does not give the pyrrolic nitroxides in contrast with secondary amines. Some N-hydroxypyrroles are then prepared from pinacoline and ethyl pivaloyl-acetate. Their oxidation by lead dioxide gives the corresponding pyrrolic nitroxides. 2,5-di-t-butyl 3,4-di-ethoxycarbonyl pyrryl 1-oxy is isolated and studied spectroscopically (visible and U.V., E.P.R.). In marked contrast with ordinary nitroxides it does not show solvent effect. It can be compared with 2,4-di-t-butyl cyclopentadienone, a carbon analog. For both, the long wave length transition does not show the usual n - {pi}* behaviour; that is confirmed by E.P.R. Using Huckel method for pyrrolic nitroxide skeleton, it is possible to have a good interpretation of experimental data. (author) [French] Les di-t-butyl 2,5 et tri-t-butyl-2,3,5 pyrrole sont synthetises a partir de la pinacoline et leur structure confirmee par comparaison avec les di-t-butyl-2,5 furanne et thiophene (I.R., U.V. et R.M.N.: observation des satellites {sup 13}C conduisant a la mesure des J{sub 13{sub C-H}} et J{sub H{sub 3}{sub -H{sub 4}}). La photoxydation sensibilisee de ces pyrroles encombres conduit aux hydroperoxydes correspondants dont la structure la plus probable est determinee par les methodes physicochimiques. L'oxydation des di-t-butyl-2,5 et tri-t-butyl-2,3,5 pyrrole par l'eau oxygenee en presence de peracide mineral ou par l'acide p

  6. GRINDING SOLVENT-FREE PAAL-KNORR PYRROLE SYNTHESIS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Paal-Knorr pyrrole synthesis on smectites as recyclable and green catalysts. Bull. Chem. Soc. .... 1-Propyl-2,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole (8a). Oil (reported as oil .... of pyrroles catalyzed by zirconium chloride under solvent-free conditions . Ultrason.

  7. α-Synuclein oligomers induced by docosahexaenoic acid affect membrane integrity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiara Fecchio

    Full Text Available A key feature of Parkinson disease is the aggregation of α-synuclein and its intracellular deposition in fibrillar form. Increasing evidence suggests that the pathogenicity of α-synuclein is correlated with the activity of oligomers formed in the early stages of its aggregation process. Oligomers toxicity seems to be associated with both their ability to bind and affect the integrity of lipid membranes. Previously, we demonstrated that α-synuclein forms oligomeric species in the presence of docosahexaenoic acid and that these species are toxic to cells. Here we studied how interaction of these oligomers with membranes results in cell toxicity, using cellular membrane-mimetic and cell model systems. We found that α-synuclein oligomers are able to interact with large and small unilamellar negatively charged vesicles acquiring an increased amount of α-helical structure, which induces small molecules release. We explored the possibility that oligomers effects on membranes could be due to pore formation, to a detergent-like effect or to fibril growth on the membrane. Our biophysical and cellular findings are consistent with a model where α-synuclein oligomers are embedded into the lipid bilayer causing transient alteration of membrane permeability.

  8. Syntheses of Calix[4]Pyrroles by Amberlyst-15 Catalyzed Cyclocondensations of Pyrrole with Selected Ketones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanuja Bisht

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available A facile and efficient protocol is reported for the synthesis of calix[4]pyrrolesand N-confused calix[4]pyrroles in moderate to excellent yields by reaction of dialkyl orcycloalkyl ketones with pyrrole catalyzed by reusable AmberlystTM-15 under eco-friendlyconditions.

  9. Pyrrole-Pyridine and Pyrrole-Naphthyridine Hosts for Anion Recognition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Angeles García

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The association constants of the complexes formed by two hosts containing pyrrole, amide and azine (pyridine and 1,8-naphthyridine groups and six guests, all monoanions (Cl−, CH3CO2−, NO3−, H2PO4−, BF4−, PF6−, have been determined using NMR titrations. The X-ray crystal structure of the host N2,N5-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole- 2,5-dicarboxamide (1 has been solved (P21/c monoclinic space group. B3LYP/6-31G(d,p and calculations were carried out in an attempt to rationalize the trends observed in the experimental association constants.

  10. pyrroles

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    and various aldehydes to afford 4H-pyrano[3,2-b]pyrrole derivatives in moderate to good yield using ferric .... (pyran C5), 122.8, 122.4, 128.9, 132.7, 133.0, 141.6. (Ar-C), 179.0 (pyran C2). 2.2f ..... After Michael-type addition of malononitrile.

  11. Characterization of electrogenerated polypyrrole-benzophenone films coated on poly(pyrrole-methyl metacrylate) optic-conductive fibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Rabeah, Khalil; Atias, Danit; Herrmann, Sebastien; Frenkel, Julia; Tavor, Dorith; Cosnier, Serge; Marks, Robert S

    2009-09-01

    A conductive surface was created for the development of a biosensing platform via chemical polymerization of pyrrole onto the surface of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fibers, with a subsequent electrogeneration of a photoactive linker pyrrole-benzophenone (PyBz) monomer on the fiber surface. Irradiation of the benzophenone groups embedded in the polypyrrole (Ppy) films by UV (350 nm) formed active radicals, allowing covalent attachment of the desired biomaterials. Characterization and optimization of this platform were carried out, with the platform showing conductive, stable, thin, controllable, and light-transmissible film features. Various parameters such as time deposition, process temperature, and activator plus pyrrole monomer concentrations were examined in the study. The morphology and permeability of the optic-fiber PMMA fibers were investigated to examine mass transfer ability. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry techniques were applied to characterize the electrical features of the surface and charge transfer. The platform potential was then demonstrated by the construction of both amperometric and optical biosensors.

  12. The electrochemical synthesis of poly(pyrrole-co-o-anisidine) on 3102 aluminum alloy and its corrosion protection properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mert, B. Dogru; Yazici, B.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → The electrochemical synthesis of strongly adherent, uniform polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(pyrrole-co-o-anisidine) coatings were successfully achieved on 3102 aluminum alloy from 0.1 M monomer (pyrrole and pyrrole:o-anisidine, 8:2) containing oxalic acid by means of the cyclic voltammetry technique. → The results were showed that the water permeation of copolymer coating is lower than PPy. → This study was showed that copolymer is suitable coating for protection of 3102 Al alloy against corrosion. - Abstract: The electrochemical syntheses of polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(pyrrole-co-o-anisidine) were achieved on 3102 aluminum alloy (Al) from 0.1 M monomer (pyrrole:o-anisidine, 8:2) containing 0.4 M oxalic acid solution using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The synthesized films were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy. The thermal stability of films was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique. Surface morphologies were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The potential of zero charge (pzc) of Al was determined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The corrosion behavior of samples was investigated with open circuit potential (E ocp )-time, EIS, and anodic polarization techniques. It was found that copolymer coated Al provides better barrier property against of corrosion in 3.5% NaCl solution.

  13. Influencing the electronic interaction in diferrocenyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrroles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildebrandt, Alexander; Lang, Heinrich

    2011-11-28

    Functionalised diferrocenyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrroles were synthesised using Negishi C,C cross-coupling reactions. The influence of different substituents at the phenyl moiety on the electronic interaction was studied using electrochemistry (cyclic and square-wave voltammetry) and spectro-electrochemistry (in situ UV/Vis-NIR spectroscopy). The ferrocenyl moieties gave rise to two sequential, reversible redox processes in each of the diferrocenyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrroles. The observed ΔE(1/2) values (ΔE(1/2) = difference between first and second oxidation) range between 420 and 480 mV. A linear relationship between the Hammett constants σ of the substituents and the separation of the redox potentials exists. The NIR measurements confirm electronic communication between the iron centers as intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) absorptions were observed in the corresponding mixed-valent monocationic species. All compounds were classified as class II systems according to Robin and Day (M. B. Robin and P. Day, Adv. Inorg. Chem., 1967, 10, 247-423). The oscillator strength of the charge transfer transition highly depends on the electron donating or electron withdrawing character of the phenyl substituents. This enables direct tuning of the intermetallic communication by simple modification of the molecule's functional group. Hence, this series of molecules may be regarded as model compounds for single molecule transistors.

  14. Cholesterol facilitates interactions between α-synuclein oligomers and charge-neutral membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Maarschalkerweerd, Andreas; Vetri, Valeria; Vestergaard, Bente

    2015-01-01

    composed of anionic lipids, while the more physiologically relevant zwitterionic lipids remain intact. We present experimental evidence for significant morphological changes in zwitterionic membranes containing cholesterol, induced by α-synuclein oligomers. Depending on the lipid composition, model...... of cholesterol for mediating interactions between physiologically relevant membranes and α-synuclein....

  15. Length dependence of rectification in organic co-oligomer spin rectifiers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Gui-Chao; Zhang Zhao; Li Ying; Ren Jun-Feng; Wang Chuan-Kui

    2016-01-01

    The rectification ratio of organic magnetic co-oligomer diodes is investigated theoretically by changing the molecular length. The results reveal two distinct length dependences of the rectification ratio: for a short molecular diode, the charge-current rectification changes little with the increase of molecular length, while the spin-current rectification is weakened sharply by the length; for a long molecular diode, both the charge-current and spin-current rectification ratios increase quickly with the length. The two kinds of dependence switch at a specific length accompanied with an inversion of the rectifying direction. The molecular ortibals and spin-resolved transmission analysis indicate that the dominant mechanism of rectification suffers a change at this specific length, that is, from asymmetric shift of molecular eigenlevels to asymmetric spatial localization of wave functions upon the reversal of bias. This work demonstrates a feasible way to control the rectification in organic co-oligomer spin diodes by adjusting the molecular length. (paper)

  16. High-capacity conductive nanocellulose paper sheets for electrochemically controlled extraction of DNA oligomers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aamir Razaq

    Full Text Available Highly porous polypyrrole (PPy-nanocellulose paper sheets have been evaluated as inexpensive and disposable electrochemically controlled three-dimensional solid phase extraction materials. The composites, which had a total anion exchange capacity of about 1.1 mol kg(-1, were used for extraction and subsequent release of negatively charged fluorophore tagged DNA oligomers via galvanostatic oxidation and reduction of a 30-50 nm conformal PPy layer on the cellulose substrate. The ion exchange capacity, which was, at least, two orders of magnitude higher than those previously reached in electrochemically controlled extraction, originated from the high surface area (i.e. 80 m(2 g(-1 of the porous composites and the thin PPy layer which ensured excellent access to the ion exchange material. This enabled the extractions to be carried out faster and with better control of the PPy charge than with previously employed approaches. Experiments in equimolar mixtures of (dT(6, (dT(20, and (dT(40 DNA oligomers showed that all oligomers could be extracted, and that the smallest oligomer was preferentially released with an efficiency of up to 40% during the reduction of the PPy layer. These results indicate that the present material is very promising for the development of inexpensive and efficient electrochemically controlled ion-exchange membranes for batch-wise extraction of biomolecules.

  17. Pyrrole alkaloids from the fruits of Morus alba.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seon Beom; Chang, Bo Yoon; Hwang, Bang Yeon; Kim, Sung Yeon; Lee, Mi Kyeong

    2014-12-15

    Phytochemical investigation of the fruits of Morus alba afforded seventeen pyrrole alkaloids including five new compounds. The structures of five new pyrrole alkaloids, named morroles B-F (4, 5, 7, 16 and 17), were determined on the basis of spectroscopic interpretations. 4-[Formyl-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanoate (2) was synthesized by chemical reaction but first isolated from nature. Among isolated compounds, compounds 6 and 14 significantly inhibited pancreatic lipase activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Influence of gamma irradiation on polymerization of pyrrole and glucose oxidase immobilization onto poly (pyrrole)/poly (vinyl alcohol) matrix

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Idris, Sarada, E-mail: sarada@nuclearmalaysia.gov.my [Department of Radiation Technology, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, 43000, Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Department of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, 43600 (Malaysia); Bakar, Ahmad Ashrif A., E-mail: ashrif@ukm.edu.my [Department of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, 43600 (Malaysia); Thevy Ratnam, Chantara [Department of Radiation Technology, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, 43000, Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Kamaruddin, Nur Hasiba [Department of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, 43600 (Malaysia); Shaari, Sahbudin [Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, 43600 (Malaysia)

    2017-04-01

    Graphical abstract: The illustration of pyrrole polymerization, PVA crosslinking and immobilization of GOx onto polymer matrix. - Highlights: • Immobilization of glucose oxidase onto polymer matrices by gamma irradiation is proposed. • Crosslinking and grafting of polymers implies the immobilization reaction. • The mechanisms relies on gamma irradiation doses. • A simple single step process of polymerization, cross linking and immobilization by mean of gamma irradiation as was shown in Graphical abstract. - Abstract: This paper describes the immobilization of glucose oxidase, GOx onto polymer matrix comprising of poly(pyrrole), PPy and poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA using gamma irradiation technique. Py/PVA-GOx film was prepared by spreading PVA:GOx, 1:1 solution onto dried pyrrole film and exposed to gamma irradiation from cobalt 60 source at doses ranging from 0 to 60 kGy. The films were subjected to structural and morphological analyses by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Similar studies were also made on pristine pyrrole film which served as control. The SEM and FTIR spectra of Py/PVA-GOx film revealed that pyrrole has been successfully polymerized through irradiation-induced reactions. The results on the morphological properties of the samples characterize using FESEM, SEM and AFM further confirmed the occurrence of radiation-induced modification of Py/PVA-GOx film. The FTIR spectra showed the existence of intermolecular interaction between polymer matrix and GOx indicating that GOx had been successfully immobilized onto Ppy/PVA matrix by radiation-induced reactions. Results revealed that radiation induced reactions such as polymerization of pyrrole, crosslinking of PVA, grafting between the adjacent PVA and pyrrole molecules as well as immobilization of GOx onto Ppy

  19. Influence of gamma irradiation on polymerization of pyrrole and glucose oxidase immobilization onto poly (pyrrole)/poly (vinyl alcohol) matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Idris, Sarada; Bakar, Ahmad Ashrif A.; Thevy Ratnam, Chantara; Kamaruddin, Nur Hasiba; Shaari, Sahbudin

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The illustration of pyrrole polymerization, PVA crosslinking and immobilization of GOx onto polymer matrix. - Highlights: • Immobilization of glucose oxidase onto polymer matrices by gamma irradiation is proposed. • Crosslinking and grafting of polymers implies the immobilization reaction. • The mechanisms relies on gamma irradiation doses. • A simple single step process of polymerization, cross linking and immobilization by mean of gamma irradiation as was shown in Graphical abstract. - Abstract: This paper describes the immobilization of glucose oxidase, GOx onto polymer matrix comprising of poly(pyrrole), PPy and poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA using gamma irradiation technique. Py/PVA-GOx film was prepared by spreading PVA:GOx, 1:1 solution onto dried pyrrole film and exposed to gamma irradiation from cobalt 60 source at doses ranging from 0 to 60 kGy. The films were subjected to structural and morphological analyses by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Similar studies were also made on pristine pyrrole film which served as control. The SEM and FTIR spectra of Py/PVA-GOx film revealed that pyrrole has been successfully polymerized through irradiation-induced reactions. The results on the morphological properties of the samples characterize using FESEM, SEM and AFM further confirmed the occurrence of radiation-induced modification of Py/PVA-GOx film. The FTIR spectra showed the existence of intermolecular interaction between polymer matrix and GOx indicating that GOx had been successfully immobilized onto Ppy/PVA matrix by radiation-induced reactions. Results revealed that radiation induced reactions such as polymerization of pyrrole, crosslinking of PVA, grafting between the adjacent PVA and pyrrole molecules as well as immobilization of GOx onto Ppy

  20. Very Strong Binding for a Neutral Calix[4]pyrrole Receptor Displaying Positive Allosteric Binding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duedal, Troels; Nielsen, Kent; Olsen, Gunnar

    2017-01-01

    . The tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) subunits in the tetraTTF-calix[4]pyrrole receptor 1 present a nearly perfect shape and electronic complementarity to the NTCDA guest, which was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis, DFT calculations, and electron density surface mapping. The complexation results in formation...... of a charge transfer complex (22⊆1), that is visualized as a color change from yellow to brown....

  1. Influence of gamma irradiation on polymerization of pyrrole and glucose oxidase immobilization onto poly (pyrrole)/poly (vinyl alcohol) matrix

    Science.gov (United States)

    Idris, Sarada; A. Bakar, Ahmad Ashrif; Thevy Ratnam, Chantara; Kamaruddin, Nur Hasiba; Shaari, Sahbudin

    2017-04-01

    This paper describes the immobilization of glucose oxidase, GOx onto polymer matrix comprising of poly(pyrrole), PPy and poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA using gamma irradiation technique. Py/PVA-GOx film was prepared by spreading PVA:GOx, 1:1 solution onto dried pyrrole film and exposed to gamma irradiation from cobalt 60 source at doses ranging from 0 to 60 kGy. The films were subjected to structural and morphological analyses by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Atomic-force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Similar studies were also made on pristine pyrrole film which served as control. The SEM and FTIR spectra of Py/PVA-GOx film revealed that pyrrole has been successfully polymerized through irradiation-induced reactions. The results on the morphological properties of the samples characterize using FESEM, SEM and AFM further confirmed the occurrence of radiation-induced modification of Py/PVA-GOx film. The FTIR spectra showed the existence of intermolecular interaction between polymer matrix and GOx indicating that GOx had been successfully immobilized onto Ppy/PVA matrix by radiation-induced reactions. Results revealed that radiation induced reactions such as polymerization of pyrrole, crosslinking of PVA, grafting between the adjacent PVA and pyrrole molecules as well as immobilization of GOx onto Ppy/PVA matrix occurred simultaneously upon gamma irradiation. The optimum dose for GOx immobilization in the polymer matrix found to be 40 kGy. Therefore it is clear that this irradiation technique offered a simple single process to produce Py/PVA-GOx film without additional crosslinking and polymerization agents.

  2. Towards physical interpretation of substituent effects: the case of N- and C3-substituted pyrrole derivatives

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zborowski, K. K.; Szatylowicz, H.; Stasyuk, Olga A.; Krygowski, T. M.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 28, č. 4 (2017), s. 1223-1227 ISSN 1040-0400 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : substituent effect * pyrrole derivatives * Hammett equation * charges of the substituent active region Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 1.582, year: 2016 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11224-017-0938-7

  3. Macrophage activating activity of pyrrole alkaloids from Morus alba fruits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seon Beom; Chang, Bo Yoon; Jo, Yang Hee; Lee, Sang Hoon; Han, Sang-Bae; Hwang, Bang Yeon; Kim, Sung Yeon; Lee, Mi Kyeong

    2013-01-09

    The fruits of Morus alba have been traditionally used as a tonic to enhance immune responses. The macrophage activating constituents of Morus alba fruits were purified using various column chromatography techniques. The structures of isolated compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation such as 1D and 2D NMR analysis. The macrophage activating activities of isolated compounds were evaluated by measuring the production of nitric oxide, TNF-α and IL-12 in RAW 264.7 cells. The phagocytic activity was also evaluated. Five pyrrole alkaloids, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde (1), 2-formyl-1H-pyrrole-1-butanoic acid (2), 2-formyl-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrole-1-butanoic acid (3), 2-formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrole-1-butanoic acid (4) and Morrole A (5) were isolated from the fruits of Morus alba. Morrole A (5) is first reported in nature and other pyrrole alkaloids (1-4) are first reported from Morus species. Among the isolated compounds, compounds 3 and 4 significantly activated macrophage activity by the enhancement of nitric oxide, TNF-α and IL-12 production, and the stimulation of phagocytic activity in RAW 264.7 cells. Pyrrole alkaloids, including a new compound, were isolated from Morus alba fruits. These compounds activated macrophage activity in RAW 264.7 cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. PIPERIDINE OLIGOMERS AND COMBINATORIAL LIBRARIES THEREOF

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    1999-01-01

    The present invention relates to piperidine oligomers, methods for the preparation of piperidine oligomers and compound libraries thereof, and the use of piperidine oligomers as drug substances. The present invention also relates to the use of combinatorial libraries of piperidine oligomers...... in libraries (arrays) of compounds especially suitable for screening purposes....

  5. Oxidative coupling and polymerization of pyrroles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, Gregers Hendrik; Henriksen, Rikke Morck; Kamounah, Fadhil S.; Lund, Torben; Hammerich, Ole

    2005-01-01

    The electrochemical oxidation of 2,4-dimethyl-3-ethylpyrrole in acetonitrile has been studied using cyclic voltammetry, constant current coulometry, preparative electrolyses and ab initio calculations. The product analysis after the preparative electrolyses was carried out by HPLC combined with UV-vis and electrospray ionization MS detection. The aim of the work was to address some of the unresolved problems in the oxidative oligomerization and polymerization of alkylpyrroles. The title compound was chosen as a model for studies of pyrroles that are more basic than the solvent-supporting electrolyte system and for that reason are forced to serve as the base accepting the protons released during the coupling steps. The voltammograms obtained by cyclic voltammetry at a substrate concentration of 2 mM and voltage scan rates between 0.02 and 2 V s -1 showed a characteristic trace-crossing phenomenon that could be demonstrated by digital simulation to be related to that fact that the deprotonations of the initially formed dimer dication are slow with second order rate constants in the range 10 3 -10 4 M -1 s -1 . The relative stability of the different tautomers of the protonated pyrrole monomer and the corresponding 2,2'-dimer was determined by ab initio calculations at the RHF 6-31G(d) level. The studies also included investigations of the effects resulting from addition of a non-nucleophilic base, 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine, to the voltammetry solutions. The major product observed after preparative electrolyses was a trimer the structure of which is proposed to include a central 2H-pyrrole unit. Since 2H-pyrroles are stronger bases than the corresponding 1H-pyrroles, the trimer is effectively protected against further oxidation by protonation. Two other trimers were observed as minor or trace products as well as a 1H,2H-dimer and several tetramers, also in trace amounts. In addition to the dimer, the trimers and the tetramers, a number of other minor products could be

  6. Marked Consequences of Systematic Oligothiophene Catenation in Thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione and Bithiopheneimide Photovoltaic Copolymers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Nanjia; Guo, Xugang; Ponce Ortiz, Rocio; Harschneck, Tobias; Manley, Eric F.; Lou, Sylvia J.; Hartnett, Patrick E.; Yu, Xinge; Horwitz, Noah E.; Mayorga Burrezo, Paula; Aldrich, Thomas J.; Lopez Navarrete, Juan T.; Wasielewski, Michael R.; Chen, Lin X.; Chang, Robert P. H.; Facchetti, Antonio; Marks, Tobin J.

    2015-10-07

    As effective building blocks for high-mobility transistor polymers, oligothiophenes are receiving attention for polymer solar cells (PSCs) because the resulting polymers can effectively suppress charge recombination. Here we investigate two series of in-chain donor-acceptor copolymers, PTPDnT and PBTInT, based on thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) or bithiopheneimide (BTI) as electron acceptor units, respectively, and oligothiophenes (nTs) as donor counits, for high-performance PSCs. Intramolecular S···O interaction leads to more planar TPD polymer backbones, however backbone torsion yields greater open-circuit voltages for BTI polymers. Thiophene addition progressively raises polymer HOMOs but marginally affects their band gaps. FT-Raman spectra indicate that PTPDnT and PBTInT conjugation lengths scale with nT catenation up to n = 3 and then saturate for longer oligomer. Furthermore, the effects of oligothiophene alkylation position are explored, revealing that the alkylation pattern greatly affects film morphology and PSC performance. The 3T with “outward” alkylation in PTPD3T and PBTI3T affords optimal π-conjugation, close stacking, long-range order, and high hole mobilities (0.1 cm2/(V s)). These characteristics contribute to the exceptional ~80% fill factors for PTPD3T-based PSCs with PCE = 7.7%. The results demonstrate that 3T is the optimal donor unit among nTs (n = 1-4) for photovoltaic polymers. Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements reveal that the terthiophene-based PTPD3T blend maintains high crystallinity with appreciable local mobility and long charge carrier lifetime. These results provide fundamental materials structure-device performance correlations and suggest guidelines for designing oligothiophene-based polymers with optimal thiophene catenation and appropriate alkylation pattern to maximize PSC performance.

  7. Synthesis of 14C analogue of 1,2-diaryl-[2-14C]-pyrroles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saemian, N.; Shirvani, G.; Matloubi, H.

    2007-01-01

    Three 1,2-diaryl pyrroles selective COX-2 inhibitors, 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-methyl-1-(4-methylsulfonyl-phenyl)-1H pyrrole, 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1- [4-(methylsulfonyl) phenyl]-1H-pyrrole and 4-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]benzenesulfon-amide, all three labeled with 14 C in the 2-position were prepared from para-fluoro-benzaldehyde-[carbonyl- 14 C]. (author)

  8. Synthesis and characterisation of new Schiff base monomers containing N-(alkyl and phenyl) pyrrole moieties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amer, Ahcene Ait; Ilikti, Hocine; Maschke, Ulrich

    2017-11-01

    This article deals with the synthesis and characterisation of seven new functional Schiff base monomers, such as: M1: 1-(3-Pyrrole-1-yl-propylimino-methyl)-naphtalen-2-ol; M2: 2-(3-Pyrrole-1-yl-phenylimino-methyl)-phenol; M3: 1-(3-Pyrrole-1-yl-phenylimino-methyl)-naphtalen-2-ol; M4: N-(pyridin-2-yl-methylene)-2-(pyrrol-1-yl)-benzenamine; M5: N-(pyridin-2-yl-methylene)-3-(pyrrol-1-yl)-propan-1-amine; M6: 2-(3-pyrrol-1-yl-propylimino-methyl)-quinolin-8-ol; M7: 2-(3-pyrrol-1-yl-phenylimino-methyl)-quinolin-8-ol. Two series of compounds emerged from this study, N-propyl pyrrole derivatives (M1, M5, M6) and N-phenyl pyrrole compounds (M2, M3, M4, M7). All monomers were elaborated by condensation reactions between appropriate amines and aldehydes, and their molecular structures were confirmed by spectroscopic analysis methods like FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and GC-MS.

  9. Hydrolytic study of the copolymer Poly pyrrole/ Polyethyleneglycol and Poly pyrrole synthesized by plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colin, E.; Enriquez, M.A.; Olayo, M.G.; Cruz, G.J.; Carapia, L.; Romero, M.; Morales, J.; Olayo, R.

    2006-01-01

    In this work the study about the hydrolytic compatibility of semiconductor polymers, copolymer Poly pyrrole/ Polyethyleneglycol (PPy/PEG) and Poly pyrrole (PPy) for their possible use as biomaterials. The polymers were synthesized by plasma between 10 and 100 W, with discharges of splendor RF to 13.5 MHz with resistive coupling. The hydrolytic affinity was evaluated calculating the contact angle with solutions of NaCl, NaCl-MgSO 4 and Krebs-Ringer. The results show a hydrophilicity increment due to the increase of the surface ruggedness with the synthesis energy. On the contrary, the crystallinity diminishes when increasing the power in PPy and it stays approximately constant in PPy/PEG. The electric conductivity presents a growth from 2 to 4 magnitude orders in function of the water content in the polymers. (Author)

  10. STUDY OF ELECTROPOLIMERIZATION PROCESSES OF PYRROLE BY CYCLIC VOLTAMMETRIC TECHNIQUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adhitasari Suratman

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Electropolymerization processes and electrochemical properties of polypyrrole as electroactive polymer have been studied by cyclic voltammetric technique. Pyrrole was electropolymerized to form polypyrrole in water-based solvent containing sodium perchlorate as supporting electrolyte in several pH values. The pH of the solutions were varied by using Britton Robinson buffer. The results showed that oxidation potential limit of electropolymerization processes of pyrrole was 1220 mV vs Ag/AgCl reference electrode. It can be seen that cyclic voltammetric respon of polypyrrole membrane that was prepared by electropolymerization processes of pyrrole at the scanning rate of 100 mV/s was stable. While the processes of pyrrole electropolymerization carried out at the variation of pH showed that the best condition was at the pH range of 2 - 6.   Keywords: polypyrolle, electropolymer, voltammetric technique

  11. Role of the ribose-specific marker furfuryl-amine in the formation of aroma active 1-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-1H-pyrrole (or furfuryl-pyrrole) derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolov, Plamen Y; Yaylayan, Varoujan A

    2012-10-10

    Furfuryl-pyrroles possess a diverse range of organoleptic properties described as roasted, chocolaty, green, horseradish-like, and mushroom-like and are detected in various foods such as coffee, chocolate, popcorn, and roasted chicken. Although their origin in food was attributed to furfuryl-amine, the latter has not been detected so far in Maillard model systems or in foods. In this study, furfuryl-amine was shown to be formed specifically from ribose through nitrogen atom transfer from the α-amino group of any amino acid. Such a transfer can be achieved through decarboxylation of the Schiff base adduct and isomerization followed by hydrolysis. Through the use of (15)Nα-lysine it was revealed that only the (15)Nα nitrogen atom was incorporated into its structure, indicating a specific role for the carboxylate moiety in the mechanism of its formation. Furthermore, isotope labeling studies have indicated that furfuryl-pyrrole derivatives can be formed by the interaction of 2 mol of furfuryl-amine with 3-deoxyribosone followed by dehydration and cyclization to form 1-(furan-2-yl)-N-{[1-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl]methylidene}methanamine. After hydrolysis, this intermediate can generate furfuryl-formyl-pyrrole, furfuryl-pyrrole carboxylic acid, and furfuryl-pyrrole. In this study, the furfuryl-amine derivatives were also detected in different coffee beans after pyrolysis and analysis by GC-MS. The potential of these compounds to form in aqueous model systems at a temperature of 120 °C was also demonstrated.

  12. Control of charge transfer by conformational and electronic effects: Donor-donor and donor-acceptor phenyl pyrroles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neubauer, Antje; Bendig, Juergen; Rettig, Wolfgang

    2009-01-01

    Derivatives of N-pyrrolobenzene with a para-donor and a para-acceptor substituent on the benzene ring are compared. It is shown that by a suitable increase of the donor strength of the pyrrolo group, CT fluorescence can be achieved even for donor-donor-substituted benzenes. The ICT emission for sterically hindered compounds is more forbidden than that of unhindered phenyl pyrroles. This suggests conformational effects which induce a narrower twist angle distribution around a perpendicular minimum in the excited state.

  13. An Efficient and Short Route for the Synthesis of Reverse Pyrrole Ribonucleosides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pereira Letícia O. R.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of reverse pyrrole ribonucleosides methyl 5-C-(4-acetyl-5-methyl-pyrrol-1-yl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-5-deoxy- beta-D-ribofuranoside (10, methyl 5-C-(4-ethoxycarbonyl-5-methyl-pyrrol-1-yl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-5-deoxy- beta-D-ribofuranoside (11, methyl 5-C-(4-acetyl-5-methyl-pyrrol-1-yl-5-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranoside (12, methyl 5-C-(4-ethoxycarbonyl-5-methyl-pyrrol-1-yl-5-deoxy- beta-D-ribofuranoside (13, methyl 5-deoxy-5-C-(3'-formyl-4'-hydroxypropyl-pyrrol-1'-yl-2,3-O-isopropylidene- beta-D-ribofuranoside (16 and methyl 5-deoxy-5-C-(3'-formyl-pyrrol-1'-yl-2,3-O-isopropylidene- beta-D-ribofuranoside (18 are described starting from readily available methyl 5-amino-5-deoxy-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-ribofuranoside (9. The synthetic strategy for the construction of the heterocyclic ring was based on the nucleophilic attack of (9 to 4-acetyl-2-n-butoxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydrofuran (4, 4-carbetoxy-2-n-butoxy-5-methyl-4,5-dihydrofuran (5, 4-formyl-2-n-butoxy-4,5-dihydrofuran (6 and 4-formyl-1-methyl dioxabyciclo[3.3.0]oct-3-en (8, in situ. The later compounds were obtained from reaction between 3-diazo-2,4-pentadione (1, ethyl 2-diazoacetoacetate (2 or diazomalonaldehyde (3 and enol ethers using dirhodium tetraacetate as a catalyst.

  14. Computational study on the functionalization of BNNC with pyrrole molecule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payvand, Akram; Tavangar, Zahra

    2018-05-01

    The functionalization of the boron nitride nanocone (BNNC) by pyrrole molecule was studied using B3LYP/6-311+G(d) level of theory. The reaction was studied in three methods in different layers of the nanocone: Diels-Alder cycloaddition, quartet cycloaddition and the reaction of the nitrogen atom of the pyrrole molecule with the boron or nitrogen atom of the BNNC. Thermodynamic quantities, Chemical hardness and potential and electrophilicity index of the functionalized BNNC were studied. The results show that the tip of nanocone has a higher tendency for participation in the reaction and the most favorable product of the reaction between BNNC and pyrrole molecule is produced from the reaction of N atom of pyrrole with the B atom of BNNC. The reaction decreases the energy gap value which leads to increasing the reactivity and conductivity of functionalized nanocone. The calculated NICS values confirm the aromaticity in the pristine nanocone as well as in the functionalized nanocone.

  15. Polycondensation of pyrrole and benzaldehyde catalyzed by Maghnite–H+

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Rapid synthesis of poly[(pyrrole-2,5-diyl-co-(benzylidene] was achieved under microwave irradiation via the condensation of pyrrole and benzaldehyde in 1,2-dichloroethane using acid exchanged montmorillonite clay called Maghnite–H+ (Mag–H+ as an efficient catalyst. The effect of the amount of catalyst and of time on the polymerization yield and on the viscosity of the polymers was studied. Compared with conventional static interfacial polymerization, the microwave-radiation polymerization reaction proceeded rapidly and was completed within 35 s. The conjugated polymer was characterized by means of 1H-NMR, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy and AFM. The X-ray data showed the presence of a backbone form of the [(pyrrole-2,5-diyl-co-(benzylidene] formed.

  16. Spectroscopic and theoretical studies on the aromaticity of pyrrol-2-yl-carbonyl conformers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubis, Alina T.; Wojtulewski, Sławomir; Filipkowski, Karol

    2013-06-01

    The aromaticity of s-cis and s-trans pyrrol-2-yl carbonyl conformers was studied by FT-IR, 1H NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The Harmonic Oscillator Model of Aromaticity (HOMA) and Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift (NICS) indices were calculated to estimate π-electron delocalization in the pyrrole ring. The usefulness of infrared spectroscopy in the evaluation of the aromaticity of the homogeneous set of pyrroles is discussed. The influence of 2-substitution on different aspects of aromaticity and stability of the pyrrol-2-yl carbonyl conformers is also discussed. It is concluded that the substitution effect of the title pyrrole derivatives can be explained on the basis of theoretical and experimental measurements of π-electron delocalization, including IR data.

  17. Effect of alkali metal ions on the pyrrole and pyridine π-electron systems in pyrrole-2-carboxylate and pyridine-2-carboxylate molecules: FT-IR, FT-Raman, NMR and theoretical studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Świderski, G.; Wojtulewski, S.; Kalinowska, M.; Świsłocka, R.; Lewandowski, W.

    2011-05-01

    The FT-IR, FT-Raman and 1H and 13C NMR spectra of pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (PCA) and lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and caesium pyrrole-2-carboxylates were recorded, assigned and compared in the Li → Na → K → Rb → Cs salt series. The effect of alkali metal ions on the electronic system of ligands was discussed. The obtained results were compared with previously reported ones for pyridine-2-carboxylic acid and alkali metal pyridine-2-carboxylates. Calculations for pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid and Li, Na, K pyrrole-2-carboxylates in B3LYP/6-311++G ** level and Møller-Plesset method in MP2/6-311++G ** level were made. Bond lengths, angles and dipole moments as well as aromaticity indices (HOMA, EN, GEO, I 6) for the optimized structures of pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (PCA) and lithium, sodium, potassium pyrrole-2-carboxylates were also calculated. The degree of perturbation of the aromatic system of ligand under the influence of metals in the Li → Cs series was investigated with the use of statistical methods (linear correlation), calculated aromaticity indices and Mulliken, NBO and ChelpG population analysis method. Additionally, the Bader theory (AIM) was applied to setting the characteristic of the bond critical points what confirmed the influence of alkali metals on the pyrrole ring.

  18. Solid state properties of oligomers containing dithienothiophene or fluorene residues suitable for field effect transistor devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porzio, William; Destri, Silvia; Giovanella, Umberto; Pasini, Mariacecilia; Marin, Luminita; Iosip, Mariana Dana; Campione, Marcello

    2007-01-01

    A series of three thiophene based oligomers has been extensively characterized. The chemical design has been addressed to obtain ionization potential (IP) and electronic affinity (EA) values matching the work function of commonly used electrode materials. Such IP and EA values were tested by cyclovoltammetry. In order to tune electron-donation and drawing strength the sequence of the molecule subunits in the oligomer has been varied. The thermal properties with particular reference to their stability during preparation and operation were checked by using differential scanning calorimetry, polarised light microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis techniques. Prototypes of thin film field effect transistor, based on this series of oligomers have been electrically and structurally characterized. The long axes of the molecules are oriented nearly perpendicular to the gate insulator, in agreement with both highly sensitive X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. From powder diffraction data the structure of oligomer I was solved. A general relation is envisaged between charge mobility and packing closeness in the series. For the most promising molecule a study of mobility/temperature behaviour was performed yielding interesting results

  19. Numerical Analysis Of Hooke Jeeves-Runge Kutta To Determine Reaction Rate Equation In Pyrrole Polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunawan, Indra; Sulistyo, Harry; Rochmad

    2001-01-01

    The numerical analysis of Hooke Jeeves Methods combined with Runge Kutta Methods is used to determine the exact model of reaction rate equation of pyrrole polymerization. Chemical polymerization of pyrrole was conducted with FeCI 3 / pyrrole solution at concentration ratio of 1.62 mole / mole and 2.18 mole / mole with varrying temperature of 28, 40, 50, and 60 o C. FeCl 3 acts as an oxidation agent to form pyrrole cation that will polymerize. The numerical analysis was done to examine the exact model of reaction rate equation which is derived from reaction equation of initiation, propagation, and termination. From its numerical analysis, it is found that the pyrrole polymerization follows third order of pyrrole cation concentration

  20. Simulations of absorption spectra of conjugated oligomers: role of planar conformation and aggregation in condensed phase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Xiang-Ai; Wen, Jin; Zheng, Dong; Ma, Jing

    2018-04-01

    This Review highlights the structure/property relationship underlying the morphology modulation through various factors towards the exploration of light-absorbing materials for efficient utilisation of solar power. Theoretical study using a combination of molecular dynamics imulations and the time-dependent density functional theory demonstrated that the planarity plays an important role in tuning spectral properties of oligomer aggregates. The aggregation-induced blue-shift in absorption spectra of oligothiophenes and the red-shift for oligofluorenols were rationalised in a unified way from the reduced (and increased) content of planar conformations in molecular aggregates. The planarity versus non-planarity of oligomers can be modulated by introduction of alkyl side chain or steric bulky substituents. The substitution with various groups in the ortho-position of azobenzene leads to the distorted backbone, breaking symmetry, and hence the red-shift in spectra, expanding the application in biological systems with visible light absorption. The donor-acceptor substituent groups in conjugated oligomers can increase the degree of planarity, electron delocalisation and polarisation, and charge separation, giving rise to the red-shift in spectra and enhancement in polarisability and charge mobility for device applications. The solvent dependent and pH-sensitive properties and intramolecular hydrogen bonds also caused the shift of absorption spectra with the appearance of planar conformers.

  1. Preparation of ultrathin pyrrolic conductor films as backings of radioactive sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, L.; Los Arcos, J.M.

    1993-01-01

    A procedure for electropolymerization of pyrrole has been set up in order to produce thin (> 15 μ g/cm 2 ) homogeneous (thickness variation 2 . The experimental equipment, reagent and procedure utilized is described as well as the characterization pyrrolic films produced

  2. Characteristics of tau oligomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan eRen

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available In Alzheimer disease (AD and other tauopathies, microtubule-associated protein tau becomes hyperphosphorylated, undergoes conformational changes, aggregates, eventually becoming neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs. As accumulating evidence suggests that NFTs themselves may not be toxic, attention is now turning toward the role of intermediate tau oligomers in AD pathophysiology. Sarkosyl extraction is a standard protocol for investigating insoluble tau aggregates in brains. There is a growing consensus that sarkosyl-insoluble tau correlates with the pathological features of tauopathy. While sarkosyl-insoluble tau from tauopathy brains has been well characterized as a pool of filamentous tau, other dimers, multimers, and granules of tau are much less well understood. There are protocols for identifying these tau oligomers. In this mini review, we discuss the characteristics of tau oligomers isolated via different methods and materials.

  3. Theoretical study of structure and electronic properties of cyano-substituted pyrroles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rimarcik, Jan; Lukes, Vladimir; Klein, Erik; Griesser, Markus; Kelterer, Anne-Marie

    2008-01-01

    DFT and ab initio MP2 calculations of optimal geometries, dipole moments, polarizabilities, excitation energies and enthalpies of hydrogen or proton transfer from N-H group for cyano derivatives of pyrrole are presented. CN groups in α and β positions have distinct effects on electron spectra absorption bands. CN in α position causes larger bathochromic shift in comparison to β position. N-H bond dissociation enthalpies (BDE) of substituted pyrroles are higher by 7 kJ mol -1 than pyrrole BDE. Number and position of CN groups do not affect BDEs. Proton affinities of pyrrolyl anions and enthalpies of electron transfer from these anions are proportional to the number of CN groups in molecule. Each CN group causes decrease in proton affinity by 72 kJ mol -1 and 73 kJ mol -1 rise in electron transfer enthalpy. For several studied pyrroles, BDEs, proton affinities and electron transfer enthalpies in water and benzene were computed

  4. Electron beam curing of acrylic oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seto, J.; Arakawa, S.; Ishimoto, C.; Miyashita, M.; Nagai, T.; Noguchi, T.; Shibata, A.

    1984-01-01

    The electron-beam curing process of acrylic oligomers, with and without γ-Fe 2 O 3 pigment filler and blended linear polymer, was investigated in terms of molecular structure and reaction mechanism. The polymerized fraction of trimethylolpropane-triacrylate (TMPTA) oligomers increases with increasing total dose, and is independent of the dose rate. Since the reaction rate is linearly dependent on the dose rate, the reaction mechanism involves monomolecular termination. The reaction rate does not depend on the number of functional groups of the oligomer at low doses, but above 0.3 Mrad the rate is slower for oligomers of higher functionality. A gel is formed more readily upon curing of a polyfunctional than a monofunctional oligomer, especially at high conversion to polymer; the resulting loss of flexibility of the polymer chains slows the reaction. Decrease of the molecular weight per functional group results in lower conversion; this is also due to the loss of chain flexibility, which is indicated as well by a higher glass-transition temperature. Modification of the acrylate oligomers with urethane results in more effective cross-linking reactions because of the more rigid molecular chains. Addition of γ-Fe 2 O 3 pigment reduces the reaction rate very little, but has the effect of providing added structural integrity, as indicated by the decrease of solvent-extractable material and the improvement of anti-abrasion properties. However, the flexibility of the coating and its adhesion to a PET base film are diminished. To increase the flexibility, linear polyvinylchloride and/or polyurethane were added to the acrylic oligomers. Final conversion to polymer was nearly 100 percent, and a higher elastic modulus and better antiabrasion properties were realized

  5. Biofunctionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by electropolymerized poly(pyrrole-concanavalin A) films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papper, Vladislav; Elouarzaki, Kamal; Gorgy, Karine; Sukharaharja, Ayrine; Cosnier, Serge; Marks, Robert S

    2014-10-13

    The synthesis and electropolymerization of a pyrrolic concanavalin A derivative (pyrrole-Con A) onto a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) deposit is reported. Glucose oxidase was then immobilized onto the MWCNT-poly(pyrrole-Con A) coating by affinity carbohydrate interactions with the polymerized Con A protein. The resulting enzyme electrode was applied to the amperometric detection of glucose exhibiting a high sensitivity of 36 mA cm(-2) mol(-1) L and a maximum current density of 350 μA cm(-2) . © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Synthesis and characterization of thermally stable oligomer-metal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The thermal stabilities of the oligomer-metal complexes were compared by thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal (DTA) analyses. According to TG, oligomer-metal complexes were stable against to temperature and thermooxidative decomposition. The weight losses of oligomer-metal complexes were found to be 5 ...

  7. Quadrupolar, emission-tunable pi-expanded 1,4-dihydropyrrolo 3,2-b pyrroles - synthesis and optical properties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Janiga, A.; Bednarska, D.; Thorsted, B.

    2014-01-01

    elucidated by comparison with simpler tetraaryl-analogues. The strong charge-transfer characteristic of these functional dyes can be illustrated by large Stokes shifts (4100-7100 cm(-1)) for A-D-A architectures. The replacement of phenyl rings at positions 2 and 5 with the arylethynylaryl substituents......The synthesis and optical characterization of six novel heteroaromatic-based chromophores is described. The new dyes present mostly an A-D-A general framework, where A is an electron-deficient aromatic ring and D is an electron-rich pyrrolo[3,2-b] pyrrole moiety, linked via triple bonds...

  8. Fibril specific, conformation dependent antibodies recognize a generic epitope common to amyloid fibrils and fibrillar oligomers that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rasool Suhail

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Amyloid-related degenerative diseases are associated with the accumulation of misfolded proteins as amyloid fibrils in tissue. In Alzheimer disease (AD, amyloid accumulates in several distinct types of insoluble plaque deposits, intracellular Aβ and as soluble oligomers and the relationships between these deposits and their pathological significance remains unclear. Conformation dependent antibodies have been reported that specifically recognize distinct assembly states of amyloids, including prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils. Results We immunized rabbits with a morphologically homogeneous population of Aβ42 fibrils. The resulting immune serum (OC specifically recognizes fibrils, but not random coil monomer or prefibrillar oligomers, indicating fibrils display a distinct conformation dependent epitope that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers. The fibril epitope is also displayed by fibrils of other types of amyloids, indicating that the epitope is a generic feature of the polypeptide backbone. The fibril specific antibody also recognizes 100,000 × G soluble fibrillar oligomers ranging in size from dimer to greater than 250 kDa on western blots. The fibrillar oligomers recognized by OC are immunologically distinct from prefibrillar oligomers recognized by A11, even though their sizes overlap broadly, indicating that size is not a reliable indicator of oligomer conformation. The immune response to prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils is not sequence specific and antisera of the same specificity are produced in response to immunization with islet amyloid polypeptide prefibrillar oligomer mimics and fibrils. The fibril specific antibodies stain all types of amyloid deposits in human AD brain. Diffuse amyloid deposits stain intensely with anti-fibril antibody although they are thioflavin S negative, suggesting that they are indeed fibrillar in conformation. OC also stains islet amyloid deposits in transgenic mouse models of type

  9. New pyrrole inhibitors of monoamine oxidase: synthesis, biological evaluation, and structural determinants of MAO-A and MAO-B selectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Regina, Giuseppe; Silvestri, Romano; Artico, Marino; Lavecchia, Antonio; Novellino, Ettore; Befani, Olivia; Turini, Paola; Agostinelli, Enzo

    2007-03-08

    A series of new pyrrole derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B inhibitory activity and selectivity. N-Methyl,N-(benzyl),N-(pyrrol-2-ylmethyl)amine (7) and N-(2-benzyl),N-(1-methylpyrrol-2-ylmethyl)amine (18) were the most selective MAO-B (7, SI = 0.0057) and MAO-A (18, SI = 12500) inhibitors, respectively. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations gave structural insights into the MAO-A and MAO-B selectivity. Compound 18 forms an H-bond with Gln215 through its protonated amino group into the MAO-A binding site. This H-bond is absent in the 7/MAO-A complex. In contrast, compound 7 places its phenyl ring into an aromatic cage of the MAO-B binding pocket, where it forms charge-transfer interactions. The slightly different binding pose of 18 into the MAO-B active site seems to be forced by a bulkier Tyr residue, which replaces a smaller Ile residue present in MAO-A.

  10. 2,5-Dimethyl-1-phenylsulfonyl-1H-pyrrole-3,4-dicarbaldehyde

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available In the title compound, C14H13NO4S, the mean planes of the pyrrole and phenyl rings form a dihedral angle of 88.7 (1°. The aldehyde groups are slightly twisted from the pyrrole plane. In the crystal structure, molecules are linked into a three-dimensional framework by C—H...O hydrogen bonds.

  11. Strapped Calix[4]pyrroles Bearing an 1,3-Indanedione at a β-Pyrrolic Position: Chemodosimeters for the Cyanide Anion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sook-Hee; Hong, Seong-Jin; Yoo, Jaeduk; Kim, Sung Kuk; Sessler, Janathan L.; Lee, Chang-Hee

    2014-01-01

    A strapped calix[4]pyrrole bearing an 1,3-indanedione group at a β-pyrrolic position has been synthesized and studied as a ratiometric cyanide selective chemosensor. A concentration-dependent bleaching of the initial yellow color was observed upon addition of the cyanide anion. The bleaching, which was observed exclusively with the cyanide anion, occurred even in the presence of other anions. Spectroscopic studies provides support for a mechanistic interpretation wherein the cyanide anion forms a complex with the receptor (K = 2.78 × 104 M-1) through a fast equilibrium, which is followed by slow nucleophilic addition to the β-position of the 1,3-indanedione group. A minimum inhibitory effect from other anions was observed, a feature that could be beneficial in the selective sensing of the cyanide anion. PMID:19639968

  12. 5-Imino-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrol-2-one

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulatov, Evgeny; Chulkova, Tatiana; Haukka, Matti

    2014-01-01

    The title compound, C16H12N2O, exists in the crystalline state as the 5-imino-3,4-di­phenyl­-1H-pyrrol-2-one tautomer. The dihedral angles between the pyrrole and phenyl rings are 35.3 (2) and 55.3 (2)°. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds generate a graph-set motif of R 2 2(8) via N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds. PMID:24764881

  13. 5-Imino-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrol-2-one

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evgeny Bulatov

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The title compound, C16H12N2O, exists in the crystalline state as the 5-imino-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrol-2-one tautomer. The dihedral angles between the pyrrole and phenyl rings are 35.3 (2 and 55.3 (2°. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of N—H...N hydrogen bonds generate a graph-set motif of R22(8 via N—H...N hydrogen bonds.

  14. Oxoanion Recognition by Benzene-based Tripodal Pyrrolic Receptors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bill, Nathan [University of Texas at Austin; Kim, Dae-Sik [University of Texas at Austin; Kim, Sung Kuk [University of Texas at Austin; Park, Jung Su [University of Texas at Austin; Lynch, Vincent M. [University of Texas at Austin; Young, Neil J [ORNL; Hay, Benjamin [ORNL; Yang, Youjun [University of Texas at Austin; Anslyn, Eric [University of Texas at Austin; Sessler, Jonathan L. [University of Texas

    2012-01-01

    Two new tripodal receptors based on pyrrole- and dipyrromethane-functionalised derivatives of a sterically geared precursor, 1,3,5-tris(aminomethyl)-2,4,6-triethylbenzene, are reported; these systems, compounds 1 and 2, display high affinity and selectivity for tetrahedral anionic guests, in particular dihydrogen phosphate, pyrophosphate and hydrogen sulphate, in acetonitrile as inferred from isothermal titration calorimetry measurements. Support for the anion-binding ability of these systems comes from theoretical calculations and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction structure of the 2:2 (host:guest) dihydrogen phosphate complex is obtained in the case of the pyrrole-based receptor system, 1. Keywords anion receptors, dihydrogen phosphate, hydrogen sulphate, X-ray structure, theoretical calculations.

  15. Versatile functionalization of nanoelectrodes by oligonucleotides via pyrrole electrochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Descamps, Emeline; Nguyen, Khoa; Bouchain-Gautier, Christelle; Filoramo, Arianna; Goux-Capes, Laurence; Goffman, Marcello; Bourgoin, Jean-Philippe; Mailley, Pascal; Livache, Thierry

    2010-11-15

    Surface modification at the nanometer scale is a challenge for the future of molecular electronics. In particular, the precise anchoring and electrical addressing of biological scaffolds such as complex DNA nanonetworks is of importance for generating bio-directed assemblies of nano-objects for nanocircuit purposes. Herein, we consider the individual modification of nanoelectrodes with different oligonucleotide sequences by an electrochemically driven co-polymerization process of pyrrole and modified oligonucleotide sequences bearing pyrrole monomers. We demonstrate that this one-step technique presents the advantages of simplicity, localization of surface modification, mechanical, biological and chemical stability of the coatings, and high lateral resolution.

  16. Biophysical characterization data on Aβ soluble oligomers produced through a method enabling prolonged oligomer stability and biological buffer conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda C. Crisostomo

    2015-09-01

    Aβ1-40 soluble oligomers are produced that are suitable for biophysical studies requiring sufficient transient stability to exist in their “native” conformation in biological phosphate-saline buffers for extended periods of time. The production involves an initial preparation of highly monomeric Aβ in a phosphate saline buffer that transitions to fibrils and oligomers through time incubation alone, without added detergents or non-aqueous chemicals. This criteria ensures that the only difference between initial monomeric Aβ reactant and subsequent Aβ oligomer products is their degree of peptide assembly. A number of chemical and biophysical methods were used to characterize the monomeric reactants and soluble oligomer and amyloid fibril products, including chemical cross-linking, Western blots, fraction solubility, thioflvain T binding, size exclusion chromatography, transmission electron micrscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

  17. Preparation of Stable Amyloid-β Oligomers Without Perturbative Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotler, Samuel A; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

    2018-01-01

    Soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers have become a focal point in the study of Alzheimer's disease due to their ability to elicit cytotoxicity. A number of recent studies have concentrated on the structural characterization of soluble Aβ oligomers to gain insight into their mechanism of toxicity. Consequently, providing reproducible protocols for the preparation of such oligomers is of utmost importance. The method presented in this chapter details a protocol for preparing an Aβ oligomer, with a primarily disordered secondary structure, without the need for chemical modification or amino acid substitution. Due to the stability of these disordered Aβ oligomers and the reproducibility with which they form, they are amenable for biophysical and high-resolution structural characterization.

  18. Structural and functional properties of prefibrillar α-synuclein oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pieri, Laura; Madiona, Karine; Melki, Ronald

    2016-04-14

    The deposition of fibrillar alpha-synuclein (α-syn) within inclusions (Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites) in neurons and glial cells is a hallmark of synucleinopathies. α-syn populates a variety of assemblies ranging from prefibrillar oligomeric species to fibrils whose specific contribution to neurodegeneration is still unclear. Here, we compare the specific structural and biological properties of distinct soluble prefibrillar α-syn oligomers formed either spontaneously or in the presence of dopamine and glutaraldehyde. We show that both on-fibrillar assembly pathway and distinct dopamine-mediated and glutaraldehyde-cross-linked α-syn oligomers are only slightly effective in perturbing cell membrane integrity and inducing cytotoxicity, while mature fibrils exhibit the highest toxicity. In contrast to low-molecular weight and unstable oligomers, large stable α-syn oligomers seed the aggregation of soluble α-syn within reporter cells although to a lesser extent than mature α-syn fibrils. These oligomers appear elongated in shape. Our findings suggest that α-syn oligomers represent a continuum of species ranging from unstable low molecular weight particles to mature fibrils via stable elongated oligomers composed of more than 15 α-syn monomers that possess seeding capacity.

  19. Pyrrolic-N-doped graphene oxide/Fe2O3 mesocrystal nanocomposite: Efficient charge transfer and enhanced photo-Fenton catalytic activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Bing; Tian, Lihong; Wang, Ran; Yang, Jinfeng; Guan, Rong; Chen, Xiaobo

    2017-11-01

    Though α-Fe2O3 has attracted much attention in photocatalytic or Fenton-catalytic degradation of organic contaminants, its performance is still unsatisfactory due to fast recombination of electrons and holes in photocatalytic process and the difficult conversion of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in Fenton reaction. Herein, a pyrrolic N-doped graphene oxide/Fe2O3 mesocrystal (NG-Fe2O3) nanocomposite with good distribution is synthesized by a simple solvothermal method and adjusting the oxygen-containing groups on graphene oxide. The morphology of NG-Fe2O3 contributes to a relatively large BET surface area and an intimate contact between NG and Fe2O3. These two important factors along with the excellent electro-conductivity of pyrrolic-N doped GO result in the efficient separation of electron-hole pairs and fast conversion of Fe(II)and Fe(III) in photo-Fenton synergistic reaction. Thus, a remarkably improved photo-Fenton catalytic activity of NG-Fe2O3 is obtained. The degrading rate on methyl blue increases by 1.5 times and the conversion rate of glyphosate increases by 2.3 times under visible light irradiation, compared to pristine α-Fe2O3 mesocrystals.

  20. Boron-rich oligomers for BNCT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gula, M.; Perleberg, O.; Gabel, D.

    2000-01-01

    The synthesis of two BSH derivatives is described, which can be used for oligomerization in DNA-synthesizers. Synthesis pathways lead to final products in five and six steps, respectively. Because of chirality interesting results were expected. NMR-measurements confirm this expectation. Possible oligomers with high concentrations of boron can be attached to biomolecules. These oligomers can be explored with several imaging methods (EELS, PEM) to determine the lower detection limit of boron with these methods. (author)

  1. Electrografting of conductive oligomers and polymers using diazonium electroreduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacroix, Jean Christophe; Trippe-Allard, Gaelle; Ghilane, Jalal; Martin, Pascal

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the attachment of conjugated oligomers onto electrode surface through the reduction of diazonium compounds. In this connection some properties of conjugated oligomers and of layers grafted through diazonium electroreduction will first be briefly presented. The electrochemical behavior of conjugated oligomers grafted on a surface using diazonium electroreduction will then be discussed. (paper)

  2. Electrografting of conductive oligomers and polymers using diazonium electroreduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacroix, Jean Christophe; Trippe-Allard, Gaelle; Ghilane, Jalal; Martin, Pascal

    2014-03-01

    This paper describes the attachment of conjugated oligomers onto electrode surface through the reduction of diazonium compounds. In this connection some properties of conjugated oligomers and of layers grafted through diazonium electroreduction will first be briefly presented. The electrochemical behavior of conjugated oligomers grafted on a surface using diazonium electroreduction will then be discussed.

  3. Tau Oligomers as Pathogenic Seeds: Preparation and Propagation In Vitro and In Vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerson, Julia E; Sengupta, Urmi; Kayed, Rakez

    2017-01-01

    Tau oligomers have been shown to be the main toxic tau species in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. In order to study tau oligomers both in vitro and in vivo, we have established methods for the reliable preparation, isolation, and detection of tau oligomers. Methods for the seeding of tau oligomers, isolation of tau oligomers from tissue, and detection of tau oligomers using tau oligomer-specific antibodies by biochemical and immunohistochemical methods are detailed below.

  4. Electron beam curing polyurethane acrylate oligomer in air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Zhenkang; Chen, Xing; Zhou, Jichun; Ma, Zue-Teh

    1988-01-01

    It has been found according to our synthesis that a novel kind of polyurethane acrylate oligomer can be cured by electron beam in the presence of oxygen, even at normal atomospheric levels, without any additives. Irradiation of the oligomer with substantially complete cure to a solid non-tacky state is quite remarkable. It has the same gel content (90 %) in air as in nitrogen at dose of 33 kGy. Double bond conversion of the oligomer is about 50 % by I.R. (author)

  5. Pigments and oligomers for inks - moving towards the best combination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hutchinson, I.; Smith, S.; Grierson, W.; Devine, E.

    1999-01-01

    The formulation of UV curable printing inks depends on several complex factors. If the individual components of the ink are not complementary, then performance problems can arise. One critical combination is that between the pigment and the oligomer. In a new approach to improve understanding of pigment/oligomer interactions, the resources of a pigment manufacturer and an oligomer manufacturer have been combined to investigate the problem. Initial screening of process yellow pigments and several oligomer types highlighted performance variations which were then examined in more detail

  6. Electrochemical synthesis of poly(pyrrole-co-o-anisidine)/chitosan composite films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yalçınkaya, Süleyman; Çakmak, Didem

    2017-05-01

    In this study, poly(pyrrole-co-o-anisidine)/chitosan composite films were electrochemically synthesized in various monomers feed ratio (pyrrole: o-anisidine; 9:1, 7:3, 1:1, 3:7 and 1:9) of pyrrole and o-anisidine on the platinum electrode. Electrochemical synthesis of the composite films was carried out via cyclic voltammetry technique. They were characterized by FT-IR, cyclic voltammetry, SEM micrographs, digital images, TGA and DSC techniques. The SEM results indicated that the particle size of the composite decreased with increasing o-anisidine ratio and the films became more likely to be smooth morphology. The TGA results proved that the film of the composite with 1:1 ratio showed highest final degradation temperature and lowest weight loss (83%) compared to copolymer and 9:1 1:9 composite films. The 1:1 composite film had higher thermal stability than copolymer and the other composite films (9:1 1:9). Meanwhile, electrochemical studies exhibited that the 1/9 composite film had good electrochemical stability as well.

  7. Binding Sites for Amyloid-β Oligomers and Synaptic Toxicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Levi M.; Strittmatter, Stephen M.

    2017-01-01

    In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), insoluble and fibrillary amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide accumulates in plaques. However, soluble Aβ oligomers are most potent in creating synaptic dysfunction and loss. Therefore, receptors for Aβ oligomers are hypothesized to be the first step in a neuronal cascade leading to dementia. A number of cell-surface proteins have been described as Aβ binding proteins, and one or more are likely to mediate Aβ oligomer toxicity in AD. Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a high-affinity Aβ oligomer binding site, and a range of data delineates a signaling pathway leading from Aβ complexation with PrPC to neuronal impairment. Further study of Aβ binding proteins will define the molecular basis of this crucial step in AD pathogenesis. PMID:27940601

  8. Knorr-Rabe partial reduction of pyrroles: Application to the synthesis of indolizidine alkaloids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan John H

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Birch reduction of electron rich pyrroles does not occur readily. However, dissolving metal reduction with zinc under acidic conditions gives 3-pyrrolines (2,5-dihydropyrroles in reasonable yield. This dissolving metal reduction was first reported by Knorr and Rabe in 1901 but since then has only been reported for the reduction of electron rich pyrroles. Results The partial reduction of bicyclic α-ketopyrrole derivatives has been performed under dissolving metal conditions with zinc and hydrochloric acid to give excellent yields of hexahydroindolizidines. This reduction method has been utilised for the diastereoselective synthesis of 5-alkylindolizidines and the stereoselectivity obtained is opposite to that of catalytic hydrogenation. Conclusion An efficient stereoselective synthesis of indolizidine alkaloids has been developed from α-ketopyrrole intermediates using a modified version of Knorr and Rabe's pyrrole reduction.

  9. Blood Pyrrole-Protein Adducts--A Biomarker of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid-Induced Liver Injury in Humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruan, Jianqing; Gao, Hong; Li, Na; Xue, Junyi; Chen, Jie; Ke, Changqiang; Ye, Yang; Fu, Peter Pi-Cheng; Zheng, Jiang; Wang, Jiyao; Lin, Ge

    2015-01-01

    Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) induce liver injury (PA-ILI) and is very likely to contribute significantly to drug-induced liver injury (DILI). In this study we used a newly developed ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS)-based method to detect and quantitate blood pyrrole-protein adducts in DILI patients. Among the 46 suspected DILI patients, 15 were identified as PA-ILI by the identification of PA-containing herbs exposed. Blood pyrrole-protein adducts were detected in all PA-ILI patients (100%). These results confirm that PA-ILI is one of the major causes of DILI and that blood pyrrole-protein adducts quantitated by the newly developed UHPLC-MS method can serve as a specific biomarker of PA-ILI.

  10. Poly (pyrrole-co-aniline) hollow nanosphere supported Pd nanoflowers as high-performance catalyst for methanol electrooxidation in alkaline media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fard, Leyla Abolghasemi; Ojani, Reza; Raoof, Jahan Bakhsh; Zare, Ehsan Nazarzadeh; Lakouraj, Moslem Mansour

    2017-01-01

    In this work, first poly (pyrrole-co-aniline) (PPCA) hollow nanosphere (HN) as a catalyst support material is fabricated through in-situ emulsion polymerization. Then we reported a one-step and template-free approach to fabricate Pd NFs on a PPCA HN coated glassy carbon electrode by a facile electrochemical approach. Several techniques such as FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy) were utilized for the characterization of the synthesized materials. The catalytic performance of Pd NFs/PPCA HN catalyst is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy toward methanol oxidation as a model reaction in alkaline media. The comparison of specific activities for Pd NFs/PPCA HN (1.79 mA cm"−"2), Pd NFs/PPy (1.28 mA cm"−"2), Pd NFs/PANI (0.93 mA cm"−"2) and Pd NFs (0.78 mA cm"−"2) shows that the PPCA supported Pd NFs with high surface area exhibits the excellent electrocatalytic activity than other electrodes for the electro-oxidation reaction in alkaline media. This might be due to the easier charge transfer at conductive copolymer interfaces, higher electrochemically accessible surface areas and electronic conductivity. This strategy provides a promising platform for direct methanol fuel cells. - Highlights: • Pd nanoflowers supported on poly (pyrrole-co-aniline) hollow nanosphere is prepared by a facile electrochemical approach. • The as-prepared nanocatalyst displays the enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation. • The high performance is attributed to facile electron transfer on poly (pyrrole-co-aniline) hollow nanosphere substrate.

  11. Self-association and infrared spectres of some heterocyclic compounds based on pyrrol in solid state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulloev, N.; Nurulloev, M.; Narziev, B.N.

    1993-01-01

    Present article is devoted to self-association and infrared spectres of some heterocyclic compounds based on pyrrol in solid state. The study results of self-association specified by molecular hydrogen bonds of some heterocyclic compounds based on pyrrol on spectres of infrared absorption of stretching vibrations of N-H group were considered.

  12. Amyloid-β oligomer detection by ELISA in cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruggink, Kim A; Jongbloed, Wesley; Biemans, Elisanne A L M; Veerhuis, Rob; Claassen, Jurgen A H R; Kuiperij, H Bea; Verbeek, Marcel M

    2013-02-15

    Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits are important pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ aggregates into fibrils; however, the intermediate oligomers are believed to be the most neurotoxic species and, therefore, are of great interest as potential biomarkers. Here, we have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for Aβ oligomers by using the same capture and (labeled) detection antibody. The ELISA predominantly recognizes relatively small oligomers (10-25 kDa) and not monomers. In brain tissue of APP/PS1 transgenic mice, we found that Aβ oligomer levels increase with age. However, for measurements in human samples, pretreatment to remove human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMAs) was required. In HAMA-depleted human hippocampal extracts, the Aβ oligomer concentration was significantly increased in AD compared with nondemented controls. Aβ oligomer levels could also be quantified in pretreated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples; however, no difference was detected between AD and control groups. Our data suggest that levels of small oligomers might not be suitable as biomarkers for AD. In addition, we demonstrate the importance of avoiding HAMA interference in assays to quantify Aβ oligomers in human body fluids. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. An Open-Circuit Voltage and Power Conversion Efficiency Study of Fullerene Ternary Organic Solar Cells Based on Oligomer/Oligomer and Oligomer/Polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guichuan; Zhou, Cheng; Sun, Chen; Jia, Xiaoe; Xu, Baomin; Ying, Lei; Huang, Fei; Cao, Yong

    2017-07-01

    Variations in the open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of ternary organic solar cells are systematically investigated. The initial study of these devices consists of two electron-donating oligomers, S2 (two units) and S7 (seven units), and the electron-accepting [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM) and reveals that the V oc is continuously tunable due to the changing energy of the charge transfer state (E ct ) of the active layers. Further investigation suggests that V oc is also continuously tunable upon change in E ct in a ternary blend system that consists of S2 and its corresponding polymer (P11):PC 71 BM. It is interesting to note that higher power conversion efficiencies can be obtained for both S2:S7:PC 71 BM and S2:P11:PC 71 BM ternary systems compared with their binary systems, which can be ascribed to an improved V oc due to the higher E ct and an improved fill factor due to the improved film morphology upon the incorporation of S2. These findings provide a new guideline for the future design of conjugated polymers for achieving higher performance of ternary organic solar cells. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Imidazopyridine/Pyrrole and hydroxybenzimidazole/pyrrole pairs for DNA minor groove recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renneberg, Dorte; Dervan, Peter B

    2003-05-14

    The DNA binding properties of fused heterocycles imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (Ip) and hydroxybenzimidazole (Hz) paired with pyrrole (Py) in eight-ring hairpin polyamides are reported. The recognition profile of Ip/Py and Hz/Py pairs were compared to the five-membered ring pairs Im/Py and Hp/Py on a DNA restriction fragment at four 6-base pair recognition sites which vary at a single position 5'-TGTNTA-3', where N = G, C, T, A. The Ip/Py pair distinguishes G.C from C.G, T.A, and A.T, and the Hz/Py pair distinguishes T.A from A.T, G.C, and C.G, affording a new set of heterocycle pairs to target the four Watson-Crick base pairs in the minor groove of DNA.

  15. Laser-induced charge separation in organic nanofibers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tavares, Luciana; Behn, Dino; Kjelstrup-Hansen, Jakob

    Organic semiconductors have unique properties that can be tailored via synthetic chemistry for specific applications, which combined with their low price and straight-forward processing over large areas make them interesting materials for future devices. Certain oligomers can self-assemble into c......Organic semiconductors have unique properties that can be tailored via synthetic chemistry for specific applications, which combined with their low price and straight-forward processing over large areas make them interesting materials for future devices. Certain oligomers can self......-assemble into crystalline nanofibers by vapor deposition onto muscovite mica substrates, and we have recently shown that such nanofibers can be transferred to different substrates by roll-printing and used as the active material in e.g. organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs......), and organic phototransistors (OPTs). However, several device-related issues incl. charge-separation and local band structure remain poorly understood. In this work, we use electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) combined with optical microscopy to study the local surface charge of an individual organic nanofiber...

  16. Star-shaped tetrathiafulvalene oligomers towards the construction of conducting supramolecular assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iyoda, Masahiko; Hasegawa, Masashi

    2015-01-01

    The construction of redox-active supramolecular assemblies based on star-shaped and radially expanded tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) oligomers with divergent and extended conjugation is summarized. Star-shaped TTF oligomers easily self-aggregate with a nanophase separation to produce supramolecular structures, and their TTF units stack face-to-face to form columnar structures using the fastener effect. Based on redox-active self-organizing supramolecular structures, conducting nanoobjects are constructed by doping of TTF oligomers with oxidants after the formation of such nanostructures. Although radical cations derived from TTF oligomers strongly interact in solution to produce a mixed-valence dimer and π-dimer, it seems to be difficult to produce nanoobjects of radical cations different from those of neutral TTF oligomers. In some cases, however, radical cations form nanostructured fibers and rods by controlling the supramolecular assembly, oxidation states, and counter anions employed.

  17. Oligomers and Polymers Based on Pentacene Building Blocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehnherr, Dan; Tykwinski, Rik R.

    2010-01-01

    Functionalized pentacene derivatives continue to provide unique materials for organic semiconductor applications. Although oligomers and polymers based on pentacene building blocks remain quite rare, recent synthetic achievements have provided a number of examples with varied structural motifs. This review highlights recent work in this area and, when possible, contrasts the properties of defined-length pentacene oligomers to those of mono- and polymeric systems.

  18. Grinding solvent-free Paal-Knorr pyrrole synthesis on smectites as ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Journal Home > Vol 32, No 1 (2018) > ... An environmentally benign method for the synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles from one-pot solvent-free ... conditions make this protocol practical, environmentally friendly and economically attractive.

  19. Radiation curable oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huemmer, T.F.; Edison, B.A.

    1977-01-01

    A process is described for the high energy radiation curing of oligomers for use as coatings. The method is particularly applicable to the reaction products of certain low molecular weight epoxy compounds and certain low molecular weight mono-hydroxy vinyl compounds having at least one vinylic unsaturation. The curable mixture is applied as a thin film and cured very quickly

  20. Electrorheology of aniline oligomers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mrlík, M.; Sedlačík, M.; Pavlínek, V.; Bober, Patrycja; Trchová, Miroslava; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Sáha, P.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 291, č. 9 (2013), s. 2079-2086 ISSN 0303-402X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/09/1626 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : anilin e oligomers * polyaniline * electrorheology Subject RIV: JI - Composite Materials Impact factor: 2.410, year: 2013

  1. Conducting polymers of decanedioic acid bis-(4-pyrrol-1-yl-phenyl) ester

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cirpan, A.; Guner, Y.; Toppare, L.

    2004-01-01

    A dipyrrolyl monomer was synthesized via the reaction between 4-pyrrol-1-yl phenol and decanedioyl dichloride. The electrochemical behavior of this monomer was studied. Polymerization of decanedioic acid bis-(4-pyrrol-1-yl-phenyl) ester (DAPE) was achieved by chemical and constant current electrolyses methods. Copolymerization of DAPE with thiophene was performed by constant potential electrolysis in acetonitrile-tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAFB), dichloromethane-TBAFB, solvent-electrolyte couples. The chemical structures and properties were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetry analysis. The conductivities of the samples were measured by a four-probe technique

  2. Conducting polymers of decanedioic acid bis-(4-pyrrol-1-yl-phenyl) ester

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cirpan, A.; Guner, Y.; Toppare, L

    2004-05-15

    A dipyrrolyl monomer was synthesized via the reaction between 4-pyrrol-1-yl phenol and decanedioyl dichloride. The electrochemical behavior of this monomer was studied. Polymerization of decanedioic acid bis-(4-pyrrol-1-yl-phenyl) ester (DAPE) was achieved by chemical and constant current electrolyses methods. Copolymerization of DAPE with thiophene was performed by constant potential electrolysis in acetonitrile-tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAFB), dichloromethane-TBAFB, solvent-electrolyte couples. The chemical structures and properties were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetry analysis. The conductivities of the samples were measured by a four-probe technique.

  3. Oligomers and Polymers Based on Pentacene Building Blocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Lehnherr

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Functionalized pentacene derivatives continue to provide unique materials for organic semiconductor applications. Although oligomers and polymers based on pentacene building blocks remain quite rare, recent synthetic achievements have provided a number of examples with varied structural motifs. This review highlights recent work in this area and, when possible, contrasts the properties of defined-length pentacene oligomers to those of mono- and polymeric systems.

  4. A colorimetric tetrathiafulvalene-calix 4 pyrrole anion sensor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, K. A.

    2012-01-01

    The interaction and colorimetric sensing properties of a tetrathiafulvalene substituted calix[4]pyrrole sensor with anions were investigated using H-1 NMR and absorption spectroscopic techniques. Visual color changes were observed upon addition of different anions (Cl-, Br-, CN-, and Ac......O-) to a solution of the sensor. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

  5. Hydrolytic study of the copolymer Poly pyrrole/ Polyethyleneglycol and Poly pyrrole synthesized by plasma; Estudio hidrolitico del copolimero polipirrol/polietilenglicol y polipirrol sintetizado por plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Colin, E.; Enriquez, M.A.; Olayo, M.G.; Cruz, G.J.; Carapia, L.; Romero, M. [ININ, 52045 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Morales, J.; Olayo, R. [UAM-I, A.P. 55-534 Iztapalapa, Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

    2006-07-01

    In this work the study about the hydrolytic compatibility of semiconductor polymers, copolymer Poly pyrrole/ Polyethyleneglycol (PPy/PEG) and Poly pyrrole (PPy) for their possible use as biomaterials. The polymers were synthesized by plasma between 10 and 100 W, with discharges of splendor RF to 13.5 MHz with resistive coupling. The hydrolytic affinity was evaluated calculating the contact angle with solutions of NaCl, NaCl-MgSO{sub 4} and Krebs-Ringer. The results show a hydrophilicity increment due to the increase of the surface ruggedness with the synthesis energy. On the contrary, the crystallinity diminishes when increasing the power in PPy and it stays approximately constant in PPy/PEG. The electric conductivity presents a growth from 2 to 4 magnitude orders in function of the water content in the polymers. (Author)

  6. Self-Assembly of Dimeric Tetrathiafulvalene-Calix 4 pyrrole: Receptor for 1,375-Trinitrobenzene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, K. A.; Stein, P. C.

    2011-01-01

    The synthesis and binding properties of a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-calix[4]pyrrole receptor 2 appended with one 3,5-dinitrobenzoate guest moiety are reported. The preliminary studies revealed that the receptor is self-compiexing into a dimer receptor 2 center dot 2. The self-complexation of the r......The synthesis and binding properties of a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-calix[4]pyrrole receptor 2 appended with one 3,5-dinitrobenzoate guest moiety are reported. The preliminary studies revealed that the receptor is self-compiexing into a dimer receptor 2 center dot 2. The self...

  7. Amyloid oligomers and protofibrils, but not filaments, self-replicate from native lysozyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulaj, Mentor; Foley, Joseph; Muschol, Martin

    2014-06-25

    Self-assembly of amyloid fibrils is the molecular mechanism best known for its connection with debilitating human disorders such as Alzheimer's disease but is also associated with various functional cellular responses. There is increasing evidence that amyloid formation proceeds along two distinct assembly pathways involving either globular oligomers and protofibrils or rigid monomeric filaments. Oligomers, in particular, have been implicated as the dominant molecular species responsible for pathogenesis. Yet the molecular mechanisms regulating their self-assembly have remained elusive. Here we show that oligomers/protofibrils and monomeric filaments, formed along distinct assembly pathways, display critical differences in their ability to template amyloid growth at physiological vs denaturing temperatures. At physiological temperatures, amyloid filaments remained stable but could not seed growth of native monomers. In contrast, oligomers and protofibrils not only remained intact but were capable of self-replication using native monomers as the substrate. Kinetic data further suggested that this prion-like growth mode of oligomers/protofibrils involved two distinct activities operating orthogonal from each other: autocatalytic self-replication of oligomers from native monomers and nucleated polymerization of oligomers into protofibrils. The environmental changes to stability and templating competence of these different amyloid species in different environments are likely to be important for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying both pathogenic and functional amyloid self-assembly.

  8. Effects of lattice fluctuations on electronic transmission in metal/conjugated-oligomer/metal structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Z.G.; Smith, D.L.; Saxena, A.; Bishop, A.R.

    1997-01-01

    The electronic transmission across metal/conjugated-oligomer/metal structures in the presence of lattice fluctuations is studied for short oligomer chains. The lattice fluctuations are approximated by static white noise disorder. Resonant transmission occurs when the energy of an incoming electron coincides with a discrete electronic level of the oligomer. The corresponding transmission peak diminishes in intensity with increasing disorder strength. Because of disorder there is an enhancement of the electronic transmission for energies that lie within the electronic gap of the oligomer. If fluctuations are sufficiently strong, a transmission peak within the gap is found at the midgap energy E=0 for degenerate conjugated oligomers (e.g., trans-polyacetylene) and E≠0 for AB-type degenerate oligomers. These results can be interpreted in terms of soliton-antisoliton states created by lattice fluctuations. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  9. Self-Aggregation in Pyrrole:  Matrix Isolation, Solid State Infrared Spectroscopy, and DFT Study

    OpenAIRE

    Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea; Fausto, Rui

    2004-01-01

    Pyrrole (C4H5N) was embedded in low-temperature solid inert matrixes (argon, xenon; T = 9 K) and both the monomer and low-order aggregates characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. The spectroscopic studies were complemented by extensive theoretical [DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p)] structural and vibrational studies carried out for the monomer and their self-aggregates (up to four units). The calculated spectrum for monomeric pyrrole fits well those obtained immediately after deposition (at 9 K) of dilut...

  10. Antisense Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers as Novel Antiviral Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuchen Nan

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMO are short single-stranded DNA analogs that are built upon a backbone of morpholine rings connected by phosphorodiamidate linkages. As uncharged nucleic acid analogs, PMO bind to complementary sequences of target mRNA by Watson–Crick base pairing to block protein translation through steric blockade. PMO interference of viral protein translation operates independently of RNase H. Meanwhile, PMO are resistant to a variety of enzymes present in biologic fluids, a characteristic that makes them highly suitable for in vivo applications. Notably, PMO-based therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration which is now a hallmark for PMO-based antisense therapy. In this review, the development history of PMO, delivery methods for improving cellular uptake of neutrally charged PMO molecules, past studies of PMO antagonism against RNA and DNA viruses, PMO target selection, and remaining questions of PMO antiviral strategies are discussed in detail and new insights are provided.

  11. Biexcitons in π-conjugated oligomers: Intensity-dependent femtosecond transient-absorption study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klimov, V. I.; McBranch, D. W.; Barashkov, N.; Ferraris, J.

    1998-09-01

    We report femtosecond transient-absorption (TA) studies of a five-ring oligomer of poly(para-phenylene vinylene) prepared in two different forms: solid-state films and dilute solutions. At high pump fluences, in both types of samples, we observe generation of two-exciton states, which are detected by the evolution of TA spectra and dynamics with increasing pump intensity. In solutions, double excitation of molecules results in the formation of stable biexcitons with enhanced oscillator strength, leading to an increased efficiency of the radiative decay and a superlinear pump dependence of the stimulated emission. In solid-state samples, the two-exciton states are unstable and decay on the subpicosecond time scale due to ultrafast charge transfer, accompanied by generation of interchain excitons.

  12. Tau oligomers impair memory and induce synaptic and mitochondrial dysfunction in wild-type mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jackson George R

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The correlation between neurofibrillary tangles of tau and disease progression in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD patients remains an area of contention. Innovative data are emerging from biochemical, cell-based and transgenic mouse studies that suggest that tau oligomers, a pre-filament form of tau, may be the most toxic and pathologically significant tau aggregate. Results Here we report that oligomers of recombinant full-length human tau protein are neurotoxic in vivo after subcortical stereotaxic injection into mice. Tau oligomers impaired memory consolidation, whereas tau fibrils and monomers did not. Additionally, tau oligomers induced synaptic dysfunction by reducing the levels of synaptic vesicle-associated proteins synaptophysin and septin-11. Tau oligomers produced mitochondrial dysfunction by decreasing the levels of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (electron transport chain complex I, and activated caspase-9, which is related to the apoptotic mitochondrial pathway. Conclusions This study identifies tau oligomers as an acutely toxic tau species in vivo, and suggests that tau oligomers induce neurodegeneration by affecting mitochondrial and synaptic function, both of which are early hallmarks in AD and other tauopathies. These results open new avenues for neuroprotective intervention strategies of tauopathies by targeting tau oligomers.

  13. Antioxidant Activity of Hispidin Oligomers from Medicinal Fungi: A DFT Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    El Hassane Anouar

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Hispidin oligomers are styrylpyrone pigments isolated from the medicinal fungi Inonotus xeranticus and Phellinus linteus. They exhibit diverse biological activities and strong free radical scavenging activity. To rationalize the antioxidant activity of a series of four hispidin oligomers and determine the favored mechanism involved in free radical scavenging, DFT calculations were carried out at the B3P86/6-31+G (d, p level of theory in gas and solvent. The results showed that bond dissociation enthalpies of OH groups of hispidin oligomers (ArOH and spin density delocalization of related radicals (ArO• are the appropriate parameters to clarify the differences between the observed antioxidant activities for the four oligomers. The effect of the number of hydroxyl groups and presence of a catechol moiety conjugated to a double bond on the antioxidant activity were determined. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies showed that the PC-ET mechanism is the main mechanism involved in free radical scavenging. The spin density distribution over phenoxyl radicals allows a better understanding of the hispidin oligomers formation.

  14. Crystal structures of unsymmetrically mixed β-pyrrole substituted ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    NiTPP(Ph)3(CN)5, 3 complex was synthesized and its solvated structure was examined by crystallography. ... sive interactions among the peripheral substituents.28,29 ... 1H NMR spectra of porphyrins were. 1047 ... Single crystals of MTPP(Ph)3Cl5 (M = 2H and Ni(II)) .... by ∼0.3–0.6ppm but β-pyrrole phenyls do not show.

  15. Asymmetrically substituted calix[4]pyrrole with chiral substituents

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Štěpánek, P.; Šimák, Ondřej; Nováková, Z.; Wimmer, Zdeněk; Drašar, P.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 9, č. 3 (2011), s. 682-683 ISSN 1477-0520 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 2B06024 Grant - others:NATO(XE) CBP.EAP.CLG.982972 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506; CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : porphyrin derivatives * anion-binding * aggregation * pyrrole * ketones Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 3.696, year: 2011

  16. Metallation of N-allenylpyrroles by superbase reagents. Synthesis of new N-substituted pyrroles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasova, O.A.; Brandsma, L.; Verkrajsse, Kh.D.; Mal'kina, A.G.; Trofimov, B.A.

    1996-01-01

    Metallation of N-allenylpyrrole by BuLi-Et 2 O (THP), BuLi-t-BuOK-THP superbases and reactions of carbanions formed with different electrophilic agents have been studied. Fundamental data on mutual influence of allene group and pyrrole ring have been obtained. Alpha-proton features the highest acidity and it is the first one to be replaced by metal. In BuLi excess (more than 3-fold) in ether or in BuLi-t-BuOK-THP system a through metallation of allene group occurs. New pyrroles functionally substituted in allene chain have been prepared. 19 refs.; 3 tabs

  17. Interesting reactivity of diketones with pyrrole under acidic condition

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    e-mail: pkpsc@uohyd.ernet.in; pradeepta.panda@gmail.com. MS received 18 October 2010; revised 7 June 2011; accepted 13 June 2011. Abstract. The acid catalysed condensation of diketones with pyrrole did not result in the formation of expected divergent bisdipyrromethane always; instead the product depends on the ...

  18. Structure and Oxidation of Pyrrole Adducts Formed between Aflatoxin B2a and Biological Amines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rushing, Blake R; Selim, Mustafa I

    2017-06-19

    Aflatoxin B 2a has been shown to bind to proteins through a dialdehyde intermediate under physiological conditions. The proposed structure of this adduct has been published showing a Schiff base interaction, but adequate verification using structural elucidation instrumental techniques has not been performed. In this work, we synthesized the aflatoxin B 2a amino acid adduct under alkaline conditions, and the formation of a new product was determined using high performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The resulting accurate mass was used to generate a novel proposed chemical structure of the adduct in which the dialdehyde forms a pyrrole ring with primary amines rather than the previously proposed Schiff base interaction. The pyrrole structure was confirmed using 1 H, 13 C, correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single quantum correlation, and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation NMR and tandem mass spectrometry. Reaction kinetics show that the reaction is overall second order and that the rate increases as pH increases. Additionally, this study shows for the first time that aflatoxin B 2a dialdehyde forms adducts with phosphatidylethanolamines and does so through pyrrole ring formation, which makes it the first aflatoxin-lipid adduct to be structurally identified. Furthermore, oxidation of the pyrrole adduct produced a product that was 16 m/z heavier. When the aflatoxin B 2a -lysine (ε) adduct was oxidized, it gave a product with an accurate mass, mass fragmentation pattern, and 1 H NMR spectrum that match aflatoxin B 1 -lysine, which suggest the transformation of the pyrrole ring to a pyrrolin-2-one ring. These data give new insight into the fate and chemical properties of biological adducts formed from aflatoxin B 2a as well as possible interferences with known aflatoxin B 1 exposure biomarkers.

  19. Catalytic formal [2+2+1] synthesis of pyrroles from alkynes and diazenes via Ti(II)/Ti(IV) redox catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Zachary W; Hue, Ryan J; Tonks, Ian A

    2016-01-01

    Pyrroles are structurally important heterocycles. However, the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrroles is often challenging. Here, we report a multicomponent, Ti-catalysed formal [2+2+1] reaction of alkynes and diazenes for the oxidative synthesis of penta- and trisubstituted pyrroles: a nitrenoid analogue to classical Pauson-Khand-type syntheses of cyclopentenones. Given the scarcity of early transition-metal redox catalysis, preliminary mechanistic studies are presented. Initial stoichiometric and kinetic studies indicate that the mechanism of this reaction proceeds through a formally Ti(II)/Ti(IV) redox catalytic cycle, in which an azatitanacyclobutene intermediate, resulting from [2+2] alkyne + Ti imido coupling, undergoes a second alkyne insertion followed by reductive elimination to yield pyrrole and a Ti(II) species. The key component for catalytic turnover is the reoxidation of the Ti(II) species to a Ti(IV) imido via the disproportionation of an η(2)-diazene-Ti(II) complex.

  20. Photo-electron spectroscopy study of energy levels in conjugated oligomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veenstra, SC; Heeres, A; Stalmach, U; Wildeman, J; Hadziioannou, G; Sawatzky, GA; Jonkman, HT; Moss, SC

    2002-01-01

    We report on the valence orbital structure of poly(para-phenylenevinylene) (PPV)-like oligomers. We studied these molecules as isolated oligomers in the gas phase, as well as in thin films deposited on metal substrates. We use a simple model based on a previously reported Hamiltonian that accurately

  1. Efficient assembly of polysubstituted pyrroles via a (3 + 2) cycloaddition/skeletal rearrangement/redox isomerization cascade reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yuanyuan; Wang, Chunyu; He, Xinze; Yao, Xiaotong; Zu, Liansuo

    2014-07-03

    An unprecedented cascade strategy, used in conjunction with a redox isomerization, for the synthesis of 3-allyl pyrroles is reported. In a single step, readily accessible simple starting materials are transformed into highly substituted pyrroles with high efficiency. The products obtained contain allyl substituents, which can be readily elaborated to other useful functional groups. The reaction proceeds through an unusual (3 + 2) cycloaddition/skeletal rearrangement/redox isomerization pathway.

  2. Solvent free low-melt viscosity imide oligomers and thermosetting polymide composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, Chun-Hua (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    .[.This invention relates to the composition and a solvent-free process for preparing novel imide oligomers and polymers specifically formulated with effective amounts of a dianhydride such as 2,3,3',4-biphenyltetra carboxylic dianydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic diamine and an endcapped of 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260-280.degree. C. When the imide oligomer melt is cured at about 371.degree. C. in a press or autoclave under 100-500 psi, the melt resulted in a thermoset polyimide having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) equal to and above 310.degree. C. A novel feature of this process is that the monomers; namely the dianhydrides, diamines and the endcaps, are melt processable to form imide oligomers at temperatures ranging between 232-280.degree. C. (450-535.degree. F.) without any solvent. These low-melt imide oligomers can be easily processed by resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or the resin infusion process with fiber preforms e.g. carbon, glass or quartz preforms to produce polyimide matrix composites with 288-343.degree. C. (550-650.degree. F.) high temperature performance capability..]. .Iadd.This invention relates to compositions and a solvent-free reaction process for preparing imide oligomers and polymers specifically derived from effective amounts of dianhydrides such as 2,3,3',4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic polyamine and an end-cap such as 4-phenylethynyphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260.degree. C.-280.degree. C..Iaddend.

  3. Lipid-Lowering Effects of Ethyl 2-Phenacyl-3-aryl-1H-pyrrole- 4-carboxylates in Rodents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruce S. Burnham

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available A series of substituted 2-phenacyl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrrole-4-carboxylates were prepared from substituted acetophenones in 6 steps. The final condensations between a chloroenal and an aminoketone were carried out under neutral conditions in parallel to yield the series listed below. Selected pyrrole derivatives proved to be potent hypolipidemic agents lowering serum triglyceride concentrations in CF-1 male mice after 14 days of I.P. administration. One agent orally lowered serum cholesterol in Sprague-Dawley male rats at 2mg/kg/day after 14 days. The agents demonstrated a lowering of mouse serum LDL- cholesterol levels and selected compounds showed an elevation of serum HDL-cholesterol levels. The cholesterol concentrations in the liver were raised while the cholesterol and triglyceride contents of the aorta were significantly lowered by the selected trisubstituted pyrrole.

  4. Pyrrole PMOs, incorporating new N-heterocyclic compounds on an ethene-PMO through Diels–Alder reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esquivel, Dolores; De Canck, Els; Jiménez-Sanchidrián, César; Romero-Salguero, Francisco J.; Van Der Voort, Pascal

    2014-01-01

    The ethenylene bridges on the walls of an ethenylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica were successfully modified with a variety of pyrrole derivatives – pyrrole, methylpyrrole, dimethylpyrrole, trimethylpyrrole and 1-phenylpyrrole – through Diels–Alder reactions. X-ray diffraction measurements and N 2 adsorption–desorption analysis confirmed the preservation of the ordering and mesoporosity of the parent material as well as the decoration of the pores with the surface Diels–Alder adducts. Moreover, other techniques such as DRIFT, 13 C and 29 Si nuclear magnetic resonances revealed the formation of the surface N-heterocyclic compounds at the parent ethenylene sites. - Highlights: • Chemical modification of the double bonds on an ethene-PMO through the Diels–Alder reaction. • A family of pyrrole derivatives act as dienes in the Diels–Alder reaction. • Well-ordering and mesoporosity are retained after the post-functionalization. • N-containing compounds on the surface of ethene-PMO are present after the Diels–Alder reaction

  5. Pyrrole PMOs, incorporating new N-heterocyclic compounds on an ethene-PMO through Diels–Alder reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Esquivel, Dolores; De Canck, Els [Center for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Jiménez-Sanchidrián, César [Department of Organic Chemistry, Nanochemistry and Fine Chemistry Research Institute (IUIQFN), Faculty of Sciences, University of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Marie Curie Building, Ctra. Nnal. IV, km 396, 14071 Córdoba (Spain); Romero-Salguero, Francisco J., E-mail: qo2rosaf@uco.es [Department of Organic Chemistry, Nanochemistry and Fine Chemistry Research Institute (IUIQFN), Faculty of Sciences, University of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Marie Curie Building, Ctra. Nnal. IV, km 396, 14071 Córdoba (Spain); Van Der Voort, Pascal, E-mail: pascal.vandervoort@ugent.be [Center for Ordered Materials, Organometallics and Catalysis, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, 9000 Ghent (Belgium)

    2014-11-14

    The ethenylene bridges on the walls of an ethenylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica were successfully modified with a variety of pyrrole derivatives – pyrrole, methylpyrrole, dimethylpyrrole, trimethylpyrrole and 1-phenylpyrrole – through Diels–Alder reactions. X-ray diffraction measurements and N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption analysis confirmed the preservation of the ordering and mesoporosity of the parent material as well as the decoration of the pores with the surface Diels–Alder adducts. Moreover, other techniques such as DRIFT, {sup 13}C and {sup 29}Si nuclear magnetic resonances revealed the formation of the surface N-heterocyclic compounds at the parent ethenylene sites. - Highlights: • Chemical modification of the double bonds on an ethene-PMO through the Diels–Alder reaction. • A family of pyrrole derivatives act as dienes in the Diels–Alder reaction. • Well-ordering and mesoporosity are retained after the post-functionalization. • N-containing compounds on the surface of ethene-PMO are present after the Diels–Alder reaction.

  6. Self-propagative replication of Aβ oligomers suggests potential transmissibility in Alzheimer disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit Kumar

    Full Text Available The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ peptide and its deposition in parts of the brain form the central processes in the etiology of Alzheimer disease (AD. The low-molecular weight oligomers of Aβ aggregates (2 to 30 mers are known to be the primary neurotoxic agents whose mechanisms of cellular toxicity and synaptic dysfunction have received substantial attention in the recent years. However, how these toxic agents proliferate and induce widespread amyloid deposition throughout the brain, and what mechanism is involved in the amplification and propagation of toxic oligomer species, are far from clear. Emerging evidence based on transgenic mice models indicates a transmissible nature of Aβ aggregates and implicates a prion-like mechanism of oligomer propagation, which manifests as the dissemination and proliferation of Aβ toxicity. Despite accumulating evidence in support of a transmissible nature of Aβ aggregates, a clear, molecular-level understanding of this intriguing mechanism is lacking. Recently, we reported the characterization of unique replicating oligomers of Aβ42 (12-24 mers in vitro called Large Fatty Acid-derived Oligomers (LFAOs (Kumar et al., 2012, J. Biol. Chem. In the current report, we establish that LFAOs possess physiological activity by activating NF-κB in human neuroblastoma cells, and determine the experimental parameters that control the efficiency of LFAO replication by self-propagation. These findings constitute the first detailed report on monomer - oligomer lateral propagation reactions that may constitute potential mechanism governing transmissibility among Aβ oligomers. These data support the previous reports on transmissible mechanisms observed in transgenic animal models.

  7. Biexcitons in {pi}-conjugated oligomers: Intensity-dependent femtosecond transient-absorption study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klimov, V.I.; McBranch, D.W. [Chemical Science and Technology Division, CST-6, Mail Stop J585, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Barashkov, N.; Ferraris, J. [Chemistry Department, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas 75083 (United States)

    1998-09-01

    We report femtosecond transient-absorption (TA) studies of a five-ring oligomer of poly({ital para}-phenylene vinylene) prepared in two different forms: solid-state films and dilute solutions. At high pump fluences, in both types of samples, we observe generation of two-exciton states, which are detected by the evolution of TA spectra and dynamics with increasing pump intensity. In solutions, double excitation of molecules results in the formation of stable biexcitons with enhanced oscillator strength, leading to an increased efficiency of the radiative decay and a superlinear pump dependence of the stimulated emission. In solid-state samples, the two-exciton states are unstable and decay on the subpicosecond time scale due to ultrafast charge transfer, accompanied by generation of interchain excitons. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

  8. Applications of oligomers for nanostructured conducting polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yue; Tran, Henry D; Kaner, Richard B

    2011-01-03

    This Feature Article provides an overview of the distinctive nanostructures that aniline oligomers form and the applications of these oligomers for shaping the nanoscale morphologies and chirality of conducting polymers. We focus on the synthetic methods for achieving such goals and highlight the underlying mechanisms. The clear advantages of each method and their possible drawbacks are discussed. Assembly and applications of these novel organic (semi)conducting nanomaterials are also outlined. We conclude this article with our perspective on the main challenges, new opportunities, and future directions for this nascent yet vibrant field of research. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Laser-Induced Population Inversion in Rhodamine 6G for Lysozyme Oligomer Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanczyc, Piotr; Sznitko, Lech

    2017-06-06

    Fluorescence spectroscopy is a common method for detecting amyloid fibrils in which organic fluorophores are used as markers that exhibit an increase in quantum yield upon binding. However, most of the dyes exhibit enhanced emission only when bound to mature fibrils, and significantly weaker signals are obtained in the presence of amyloid oligomers. In the concept of population inversion, a laser is used as an excitation source to keep the major fraction of molecules in the excited state to create the pathways for the occurrence of stimulated emission. In the case of the proteins, the conformational changes lead to the self-ordering and thus different light scattering conditions that can influence the optical signatures of the generated light. Using this methodology, we show it is possible to optically detect amyloid oligomers using commonly available staining dyes in which population inversion can be induced. The results indicate that rhodamine 6G molecules are complexed with oligomers, and using a laser-assisted methodology, weakly emissive states can be detected. Significant spectral red-shifting of rhodamine 6G dispersed with amyloid oligomers and a notable difference determined by comparison of spectra of the fibrils suggest the existence of specific dye aggregates around the oligomer binding sites. This approach can provide new insights into intermediate oligomer states that are believed to be responsible for toxic seeding in neurodegeneration diseases.

  10. A C{sub 2}-symmetric ratiometric fluorescence and colorimetric anion sensor based on pyrrole derivative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu Ge [Department of Chemistry, Chifeng University, Chifeng 024000 (China); Shao Jie, E-mail: njshao@live.c [Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037 (China)

    2011-07-15

    A C{sub 2}-symmetric fluorescence and colorimetric anion sensor (1) based on pyrrole derivative was designed and synthesized according to binding site-signaling subunit approach. The compound 1 was easily prepared by reaction of pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxaldehyde with 4-nitrophenylhydrazine in ethanol (yield=78%). In DMSO, the sensor 1 exhibited a visible color change from red to brown upon exposure to anions such as AcO{sup -} and F{sup -}; however, no obvious color changes were observed when the other tested anions (e. g. H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, Br{sup -} and I{sup -}) were added. There was a significant redshift ({Delta}{lambda}{sub max}=160 nm) in UV-vis spectrum during UV-vis spectral titrations. In particular, the sensor 1 showed ratiometric fluorescence responses to anions. - Highlights: {yields} C{sub 2}-symmetric fluorescence and colorimetric anion sensor based on pyrrole derivative was designed and synthesized according to binding site-signaling subunit approach. {yields} The sensor was easily prepared by reaction of pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxaldehyde with 4-nitrophenylhydrazine in ethanol (yield=78%). {yields} In DMSO, the sensor exhibited a visible color change from red to brown upon exposure to anions such as AcO{sup -} and F{sup -}, however, no obvious color changes were observed when the other anions tested (e. g. H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, Br{sup -} and I{sup -}) were added. {yields} The sensor showed ratiometric fluorescence responses to anions.

  11. Solvent Free Low-Melt Viscosity Imide Oligomers And Thermosetting Polyimide Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, CHun-Hua (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    This invention relates to the composition and a solvent-free process for preparing novel imide oligomers and polymers specifically formulated with effective amounts of a dianhydride such as 2,3,3',4-biphenyltetra carboxylic dianydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic diamine' and an endcapped of 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260-280" C. When the imide oligomer melt is cured at about 371 C. in a press or autoclave under 100-500 psi, the melt resulted in a thermoset polyimide having a glass transition temperature (T(sub g)) equal to and above 310 C. A novel feature of this process is that the monomers; namely the dianhydrides, diamines and the endcaps, are melt processable to form imide oligomers at temperatures ranging between 232-280 C. (450-535 F) without any solvent. These low-melt imide oligomers can be easily processed by resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or the resin infusion process with fiber preforms e.g. carbon, glass or quartz preforms to produce polyimide matrix composites with 288-343C (550-650 F) high temperature performance capability.

  12. Cationic membranes complexed with oppositely charged microtubules: hierarchical self-assembly leading to bio-nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raviv, Uri; Needleman, Daniel J; Safinya, Cyrus R

    2006-01-01

    The self-assembly of microtubules and charged membranes has been studied, using x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Polyelectrolyte lipid complexes usually form structures templated by the lipid phase, when the polyelectrolyte curvature is much larger than the membrane spontaneous curvature. When the polyelectrolyte curvature approaches the membrane spontaneous curvature, as in microtubules, two types of new structures emerge. Depending on the conditions, vesicles either adsorb onto the microtubule, forming a 'beads on a rod' structure, or coat the microtubule, which now forms the template. Tubulin oligomers then coat the external lipid layer, forming a lipid protein nanotube. The tubulin oligomer coverage at the external layer is determined by the membrane charge density. The energy barrier between the beads on a rod and the lipid-protein nanotube states depends on the membrane bending rigidity and membrane charge density. By controlling the lipid/tubulin stoichiometry we can switch between lipid-protein nanotubes with open ends to lipid-protein nanotubes with closed end with lipid cups. This forms the basis for controlled drug encapsulation and release

  13. Aniline oligomers versus polyaniline

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Stejskal, Jaroslav; Trchová, Miroslava

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 61, č. 2 (2012), s. 240-251 ISSN 0959-8103 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA400500905; GA AV ČR IAA100500902; GA ČR GA203/08/0686; GA ČR GA202/09/1626 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : polyaniline * anilin e oligomers * anilin e Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.125, year: 2012

  14. Biofunctionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by irradiation of electropolymerized poly(pyrrole-diazirine) films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papper, Vladislav; Gorgy, Karine; Elouarzaki, Kamal; Sukharaharja, Ayrine; Cosnier, Serge; Marks, Robert S

    2013-07-15

    A photoactivatable poly(pyrrole-diazirine) film was synthesized and electropolymerized as a versatile tool for covalent binding of laccase and glucose oxidase on multiwalled carbon nanotube coatings and Pt, respectively. Irradiation of the functionalized nanotubes allowed photochemical grafting of laccase and its subsequent direct electrical wiring, as illustrated by the electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen. Moreover, covalent binding of glucose oxidase as model enzyme, achieved by UV activation of electropolymerized pyrrole-diazirine, allowed a glucose biosensor to be realized. This original method to graft biomolecules combines electrochemical and photochemical techniques. The simplicity of this new method allows it to be extended easily to other biological systems. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Photophysical properties of fullerenes prepared in an atmosphere of pyrrole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glenis, S.; Cooke, S.; Chen, X.; Labes, M.M. (Temple Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States))

    1994-10-01

    Samples of C[sub 60] and C[sub 70] containing a variety of nitrogen-doped species were prepared by arc vaporization of graphite in the presence of pyrrole. Cage-doped fractions were isolated by column chromatography and characterized by mass spectroscopy, optical absorption, and fluorescence measurements. Mass spectra were consistent with the substitution of an even number of carbon atoms of the C[sub 60] and C[sub 70] cages by nitrogen atoms. Carbonaceous clusters including fragmented fullerenes containing hydrogen atoms were also formed. UV-visible spectral analysis indicated that there is an influence of the molecular weight on the fundamental [pi]-[pi]* electronic transition. Fluorescence spectra showed a broad band containing vibrational fine structure that is attributed to photoseparated charges in the fragmented fullerenes and a shoulder on the low-energy side that is related to intrinsic excitation in the nitrogen-doped species. Fluorescence results imply a bandgap of 2.36 eV for the N doped fullerenes and the existence of intermediate excitonic transitions below the optical bandgap. Although it has not yet been possible to isolate a pure cage-doped material, the photophysical studies add credence to their existence and the importance of further attempts at their isolation. 17 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

  16. Pyrrole-regulated precipitation of titania nanorods on polymer fabrics for photocatalytic degradation of trace toluene in air

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Yi-Jie; Wen, Wei; Xu, Yang; Wu, Jin-Ming

    2018-03-01

    When compared with nanoparticulate counterparts, TiO2 thin films with vertically aligned one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity because of the highly accessible surface area. The perpendicular of the 1D nanostructure reduces the charge migration path and hence the carrier recombination rate, which also contributes to the photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, TiO2 thin films on flexible substrates are more suitable to degrade pollutants in either water or air because of its easy recovery and free-bending shape. In this study, flexible polyethylene fabrics were firstly coated with a sol-gel nanoparticulate TiO2 seed layer. Quasi-aligned TiO2 nanorods were then precipitated homogeneously under an atmospheric pressure and a low temperature not exceeding 80 °C, using a peroxy-titanium complex precursor with the additive of pyrrole. It is found that the density of TiO2 nanorods increased with the increasing amount of pyrrole monomers. The resultant TiO2 film on polyethylene fabrics exhibited a much reduced band gap of ca. 2.86 eV, which can be attributed to the surface oxygen deficiencies. When utilized to assist photocatalytic degradation of trace toluene in air under the UV light illumination, the TiO2 film exhibited a gradually increased photocatalytic activity upon the increasing cycles for up to six, because of the gradual removal of trace organics on the TiO2 surface. The highest photocatalytic efficiency is recorded to be 5 times that of TiO2 nanotube arrays, which are regarded as an excellent photocatalyst for air cleaning.

  17. In-situ optical spectroscopy and electronic properties of pyrrole sub-monolayers on Ga-rich GaAs(001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruhn, Thomas; Ewald, Marcel; Fimland, Bjørn-Ove; Kneissl, Michael; Esser, Norbert; Vogt, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    We report on the characterization of sub-monolayers of pyrrole adsorbed on Ga-rich GaAs(001) surfaces. The interfaces were characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) in a spectral range between 1.5 and 8 eV. The adsorption of pyrrole on Ga-rich GaAs(001) modifies the RAS spectrum of the clean GaAs surface significantly at the surface transitions at 2.2 and 3.5 eV indicating a chemisorption of the molecules. By the help of transients at these surface transitions during the adsorption process, we were able to prepare different molecular coverages from a sub-monolayer up to a complete molecular layer. The different coverages of pyrrole were imaged by STM and electronically characterized by STS. The measurements reveal that the adsorbed molecules electronically insulate the surface and indicate the formation of new interface states around −3.5 and +4.2 eV. The RAS measurements in the UV region show new anisotropies in the spectral range of the optical transitions of the adsorbed pyrrole molecules. Our measurements demonstrate the potential of optical and electronic spectroscopy methods for the characterization of atomically thin molecular layers on semiconductor surfaces allowing a direct access to the properties of single adsorbed molecules.

  18. Structural Investigations of on-pathway Oligomers of α-Synuclein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Martin Nors; Horvath, Istvan; Weise, Christoph F.

    Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108(8): 3246-3251. Horvath, I., et al. (2012). "Mechanisms of protein oligomerization: In-hibitor of functional amyloids templates a-synuclein fibrilla-tion." Journal of the American Chemical Society. Spillantini, M. G., et al. (1997). "[alpha...... by decomposition of SAXS data from the evolving fibrillating solution (Giehm et al. 2011). NMR data have furthermore suggested that the C-terminal is exposed on oligomers obtained by incubation with the ligand FN075 (Horvath et al. 2012). In this study we aim at obtaining SAXS data from isolated stabilized...... oligomer (MAX-lab, May 2012); data analysis is in progress. ITC experiments are furthermore planned to more accurately determine the stoichiometry between α-synuclein and FN075. Horvath and co-workers have already shown that the FN075 stabilized oligomer is on pathway. We have shown that the in...

  19. Characterization of methacrylate-based composites containing thio-urethane oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacchi, Atais; Nelson, Morgan; Pfeifer, Carmem S

    2016-02-01

    To evaluate the ability of thio-urethane oligomers to improve the properties of restorative composite resins. Oligomers were synthesized by combining 1,6-hexanediol-diissocyante (aliphatic) with pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) or 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene (aromatic) with trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate (TMP), at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol, leaving pendant thiols. Oligomers were added at 0-20 wt% to BisGMA-TEGDMA (70-30 wt%). Silanated inorganic fillers were added (70 wt%). Materials were photoactivated at 800 mW/cm(2) filtered to 320-500 nm. Near-IR was used to follow degree of methacrylate conversion (DC). Mechanical properties were evaluated in three-point bending with 2 mm × 2 mm × 25 mm bars for flexural strength/modulus and toughness (FS/E, and T) according to ISO 4049, and 2 mm × 5 mm × 25 mm notched specimens for fracture toughness (KIC). Polymerization stress (PS) was measured on the Bioman. Results were analyzed with ANOVA/Tukey's test (α=5%). Significant increase in DC was observed in thio-urethane-containing materials especially for the group with 20 wt% of aliphatic version. Materials composed by oligomers also promoted higher FS, E, and KIC in comparison to controls irrespective of thio-urethane type. A significant increase in toughness was detected by ANOVA, but not distinguished in the groups. The PS was significantly reduced by the presence of thio-urethane for almost all groups. The use of thio-urethane oligomer to compose methacrylate-based restorative composite promote increase in DC, FS, E and KIC while significant reduces PS. A simple additive was shown to reduce stress while increasing convrersion and mechanical properties, mainly fracture toughness. This has he potential of increasing the service life of dental composites, without changing current operatory procedures. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Acrylate oligomers in ultraviolet cured PSA's glass transition, molecular weight versus peel strength

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, H.C.

    1999-01-01

    Typically those not skilled in the art relate Glass Transition Temperature to Pressure Sensitive Adhesives. You need a low Tg material to prepare good pressure sensitive adhesives. This report deals with a wide range acrylate terminated oligomers in a standard formulation. Molecular weight, chemical structure variations are examined versus the Glass Transition of the oligomers and final peel strength. Each formulated adhesive will require unique oligomer properties to reach one hundred newtons per 100 millimeters (5.71 pounds per square inch) peel strength. Excellent peel strengths may be obtained with oligomer molecular weight ranging from six thousand to one thousand molecular weight and glass transition temperatures ranging from minus seventy four degrees centigrade up to thirteen degrees centigrade

  1. Synthesis of soybean oil-based thiol oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jennifer F; Fernando, Shashi; Weerasinghe, Dimuthu; Chen, Zhigang; Webster, Dean C

    2011-08-22

    Industrial grade soybean oil (SBO) and thiols were reacted to generate thiol-functionalized oligomers via a thermal, free radical initiated thiol-ene reaction between the SBO double bond moieties and the thiol functional groups. The effect of the reaction conditions, including thiol concentration, catalyst loading level, reaction time, and atmosphere, on the molecular weight and the conversion to the resultant soy-thiols were examined in a combinatorial high-throughput fashion using parallel synthesis, combinatorial FTIR, and rapid gel permeation chromatography (GPC). High thiol functionality and concentration, high thermal free radical catalyst concentration, long reaction time, and the use of a nitrogen reaction atmosphere were found to favor fast consumption of the SBO, and produced high molecular weight products. The thiol conversion during the reaction was inversely affected by a high thiol concentration, but was favored by a long reaction time and an air reaction atmosphere. These experimental observations were explained by the initial low affinity of the SBO and thiol, and the improved affinity between the generated soy-thiol oligomers and unreacted SBO during the reaction. The synthesized soy-thiol oligomers can be used for renewable thiol-ene UV curable materials and high molecular solids and thiourethane thermal cure materials. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Preparation of conductive membranes using poly pyrrole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madaeni, S.; Khavaran, B.

    2003-01-01

    Conductive membranes show many benefits including fouling reduction for feeds containing ionic species. These membranes may be prepared either by conductive polymers or coating of the surfaces of non-conductive membranes with conductive polymer. In this research, the commercial micro filtration GVHP membrane manufactured from PVDF was coated with poly pyrrole using two different techniques. The conductivity of the prepared membranes was measured. In this paper, effects of various factors including concentration of the solutions, oxidizing agents, time for leaving the support in the solutions, support type and temperature on membrane conductivity were investigated

  3. In situ polymerization process of polypyrrole ultrathin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onoda, Mitsuyoshi; Tada, Kazuya; Shinkuma, Akira

    2006-01-01

    A novel thin film processing technique has been developed for the fabrication of ultrathin films of conducting polymers with molecular-level control over thickness and multilayer architecture. This new self-assembly process opens up vast possibilities in applications which require large area, ultrathin films of conducting polymers and more importantly in applications that can take advantage of the unique interactions achievable in the complex, supermolecular architectures of multilayer films. In in situ polymerized polypyrrole (PPy), the deposition process strongly depends on the nature of the substrate surface. That is, for a surface that is negatively charged, there is a linear correspondence between dipping time and the amount of PPy deposited on the substrate. However, in the case of a positively charged surface, there is an apparent rest period of approximately 10-20 min, during which no PPy is deposited. From optical absorption spectroscopy and photoelectron emission studies etc., it became clear that oligomers of pyrrole were adsorbed on the positively charged surface during the rest period, as a result the polymerization reaction of PPy could proceed

  4. Preparation of Chito-Oligomers by Hydrolysis of Chitosan in the Presence of Zeolite as Adsorbent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibrahim, Khalid A.; El-Eswed, Bassam I.; Abu-Sbeih, Khaleel A.; Arafat, Tawfeeq A.; Al Omari, Mahmoud M. H.; Darras, Fouad H.; Badwan, Adnan A.

    2016-01-01

    An increasing interest has recently been shown to use chitin/chitosan oligomers (chito-oligomers) in medicine and food fields because they are not only water-soluble, nontoxic, and biocompatible materials, but they also exhibit numerous biological properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor activities, as well as immuno-enhancing effects on animals. Conventional depolymerization methods of chitosan to chito-oligomers are either chemical by acid-hydrolysis under harsh conditions or by enzymatic degradation. In this work, hydrolysis of chitosan to chito-oligomers has been achieved by applying adsorption-separation technique using diluted HCl in the presence of different types of zeolite as adsorbents. The chito-oligomers were retrieved from adsorbents and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (LC/MS), and ninhydrin test. PMID:27455287

  5. Thio-urethane oligomers improve the properties of light-cured resin cements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacchi, Ataís; Consani, Rafael L; Martim, Gedalias C; Pfeifer, Carmem S

    2015-05-01

    Thio-urethanes were synthesized by combining 1,6-hexanediol-diissocyante (aliphatic) with pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) or 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene (aromatic) with trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate (TMP), at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol, leaving pendant thiols. Oligomers were added at 10-30 phr to BisGMA-UDMA-TEGDMA (5:3:2, BUT). 25 wt% silanated inorganic fillers were added. Commercial cement (Relyx Veneer, 3M-ESPE) was also evaluated with 10-20 phr of aromatic oligomer. Near-IR was used to follow methacrylate conversion (DC) and rate of polymerization (Rpmax). Mechanical properties were evaluated in three-point bending (ISO 4049) for flexural strength/modulus (FS/FM, and toughness), and notched specimens (ASTM Standard E399-90) for fracture toughness (KIC). Polymerization stress (PS) was measured on the Bioman. Volumetric shrinkage (VS, %) was measured with the bonded disk technique. Results were analyzed with ANOVA/Tukey's test (α=5%). In general terms, for BUT cements, conversion and mechanical properties in flexure increased for selected groups with the addition of thio-urethane oligomers. The aromatic versions resulted in greater FS/FM than aliphatic. Fracture toughness increased by two-fold in the experimental groups (from 1.17 ± 0.36 MPam(1/2) to around 3.23 ± 0.22 MPam(1/2)). Rpmax decreased with the addition of thio-urethanes, though the vitrification point was not statistically different from the control. VS and PS decreased with both oligomers. For the commercial cement, 20 phr of oligomer increased DC, vitrification, reduced Rpmax and also significantly increased KIC, and reduced PS and FM. Thio-urethane oligomers were shown to favorably modify conventional dimethacrylate networks. Significant reductions in polymerization stress were achieved at the same time conversion and fracture toughness increased. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Multicolored, Low-Voltage-Driven, Flexible Organic Electrochromic Devices Based on Oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Zhijun; Zeng, Jinming; Li, Hui; Liu, Ping; Deng, Wenji

    2018-04-20

    In this study, a series of organic conjugated oligomers containing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and aromatic groups are synthesized, which are as follows: 2,5-di(methyl benzoate)-3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene (1EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ), 5,5'-di(methyl benzoate)-2,2'-bi(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (2EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ), 5,5″-di(methyl benzoate)-2,2':5',2″-ter(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (3EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ), and 5,5″'-di(methyl benzoate)-2,2':5',2″: 5″,2″'-quater(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (4EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ). Using these oligomers as active materials, flexible organic electrochromic devices are fabricated. The device structure is indium tin oxide-PET plastic slide (ITO-PET)/active layer/conducting gel/ITO-PET, and the electrochromic properties of oligomers are investigated. These oligomers exhibit reversible color changes upon electrochemical doping and dedoping. The highest optical contrast is exhibited by 4EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 , which is 75.2% at 700 nm. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Peptide oligomers for holographic data storage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Rolf Henrik; Hvilsted, Søren; Ramanujam, P.S.

    1996-01-01

    SEVERAL classes of organic materials (such as photoanisotropic liquid-crystalline polymers(1-4) and photorefractive polymers(5-7)) are being investigated for the development of media for optical data storage. Here we describe a new family of organic materials-peptide oligomers containing azobenzene...

  8. Self-assembly of aniline oligomers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zhao, Y.; Tomšík, Elena; Wang, J.; Morávková, Zuzana; Zhigunov, Alexander; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Trchová, Miroslava

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 8, č. 1 (2013), s. 129-137 ISSN 1861-4728 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/09/1626; GA ČR GAP205/12/0911 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : morphology * oligoaniline * oligomers Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 3.935, year: 2013

  9. Direct Correlation Between Ligand-Induced α-Synuclein Oligomers and Amyloid-like Fibril Growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Martin Nors; Foderà, Vito; Horvath, Istvan

    2015-01-01

    link to disease related degenerative activity. Fibrils formed in the presence and absence of FN075 are indistinguishable on microscopic and macroscopic levels. Using small angle X-ray scattering, we reveal that FN075 induced oligomers are similar, but not identical, to oligomers previously observed......Aggregation of proteins into amyloid deposits is the hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The suggestion that intermediate oligomeric species may be cytotoxic has led to intensified investigations of pre-fibrillar oligomers, which...

  10. A New Series of Pyrrole-Based Chalcones: Synthesis and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Genotoxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmet Özdemir

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In an effort to develop new potent antimicrobial and anticancer agents, new pyrrole-based chalcones were designed and synthesized via the base-catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt condensation of 2-acetyl-1-methylpyrrole with 5-(arylfurfural derivatives. The compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial effects on pathogenic bacteria and Candida species using microdilution and ATP luminescence microbial cell viability assays. MTT assay was performed to determine the cytotoxic effects of the compounds on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma, HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma, C6 rat glioma, and NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines. 1-(1-Methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl-3-(5-(4-chlorophenylfuran-2-ylprop-2-en-1-one (7 and 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl-3-(5-(2,5-dichlorophenylfuran-2-ylprop-2-en-1-one (9 were found to be the most potent antifungal agents against Candida krusei and therefore these compounds were chosen for flow cytometry analysis and Ames MPF assay. ATP bioluminescence assay indicated that the antifungal activity of compounds 7 and 9 against C. krusei was significantly higher than that of other compounds and the reference drug (ketoconazole, whereas flow cytometry analysis revealed that the percentage of dead cells treated with compound 7 was more than that treated with compound 9 and ketoconazole. According to Ames MPF assay, compounds 7 and 9 were found to be non-genotoxic against TA98 and TA100 with/without metabolic activation. MTT assay indicated that 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl-3-(5-(2-nitrophenylfuran-2-ylprop-2-en-1-one (3 showed more selective anticancer activity than cisplatin against the HepG2 cell line. On the other hand, 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl-3-(5-(4-nitrophenylfuran-2-ylprop-2-en-1-one (1 was found to be more effective and selective on the A549 cell line than cisplatin.

  11. Preparation of Chito-Oligomers by Hydrolysis of Chitosan in the Presence of Zeolite as Adsorbent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid A. Ibrahim

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available An increasing interest has recently been shown to use chitin/chitosan oligomers (chito-oligomers in medicine and food fields because they are not only water-soluble, nontoxic, and biocompatible materials, but they also exhibit numerous biological properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor activities, as well as immuno-enhancing effects on animals. Conventional depolymerization methods of chitosan to chito-oligomers are either chemical by acid-hydrolysis under harsh conditions or by enzymatic degradation. In this work, hydrolysis of chitosan to chito-oligomers has been achieved by applying adsorption-separation technique using diluted HCl in the presence of different types of zeolite as adsorbents. The chito-oligomers were retrieved from adsorbents and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (LC/MS, and ninhydrin test.

  12. Determination of oligomers in virgin and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) samples by UPLC-MS-QTOF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ubeda, Sara; Aznar, Margarita; Nerín, Cristina

    2018-03-01

    An oligomer is a molecule that consists of a few monomer units. It can be formed during polymer manufacturing and also due to polymer degradation processes or even during use conditions. Since oligomers are not included in chemical databases, their identification is a complex process. In this work, the oligomers present in 20 different PET pellet samples have been determined. Two different sample treatment procedures, solvent extraction and total dissolution, were applied in order to select the most efficient one. The analyses were carried out by UPLC-MS-QTOF. The use of high resolution mass spectrometry allowed the structural elucidation of these compounds and their correct identification. The main oligomers identified were cyclic as well as lineal from the first, second, and third series. All of them were composed of terephthalic acid (TPA), diethylene glycol (DEG), and ethylene glycol (EG). Quantitative values were very different in both procedures. In total dissolution of PET samples, the concentration of oligomers was always, at least, 10 times higher than in solvent extraction; some of the compounds were only detected when total dissolution was used. Results showed that the oligomers with the highest concentration values were dimers and trimers, cyclic, as well as lineal, from the first and second series. The oligomer with the maximum concentration value was TPA 2 -EG-DEG that was found in all the samples in a concentration range from 2493 to 19,290 ng/g PET. No differences between virgin and recycled PET were found. Migration experiments were performed in two PET bottles, and results showed the transference of most of these oligomers to a fat food simulant (ethanol 95%). Graphical abstract Graphical abstract of the two procedures developd and optimized for identifying oligomers in PET pellets and in migration form PET bottles.

  13. Zinc hexacyanoferrate film as an effective protecting layer in two-step and one-step electropolymerization of pyrrole on zinc substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pournaghi-Azar, M.H. [Electroanalytical Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)]. E-mail: pournaghiazar@tabrizu.ac.ir; Nahalparvari, H. [Electroanalytical Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2005-03-15

    The two-step and one-step electrosynthesis processes of polypyrrole (PPy) films on the zinc substrate are described. The two-step process includes (i) the zinc surface pretreatment with hexacyanoferrate ion in the aqueous medium in order to form a zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZnHCF) film non-blocking passive layer on the surface and with the view to prevent its reactivity and (ii) electropolymerization of pyrrole on the ZnHCF vertical bar Zn-modified electrode in aqueous pyrrole solution. In this context, both the non-electrolytic and electrolytic procedures were adapted, and the effect of some experimental conditions such as supporting electrolyte, pH and temperature of the solution at the zinc surface pretreatment step as well as pyrrole concentration and electrochemical techniques at the polymerization step was investigated. By optimizing the experimental conditions in both steps, we have obtained a homogeneous and strongly adherent PPy films on the zinc substrate. The one-step process is based on the use of an aqueous medium containing Fe(CN){sub 6}{sup 4-} and pyrrole. The ferrocyanide ion passivates the substrate by formation of ZnHCF film during the electropolymerization process of pyrrole and therefore makes it possible to obtain strongly adherent PPy films, with controlled thickness, either by cyclic voltammetry or by electrolysis at constant current or constant potential without any previously treatment of the zinc electrode surface. The polypyrrole films deposited on the zinc electrode were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) measurement.

  14. Zinc hexacyanoferrate film as an effective protecting layer in two-step and one-step electropolymerization of pyrrole on zinc substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pournaghi-Azar, M.H.; Nahalparvari, H.

    2005-01-01

    The two-step and one-step electrosynthesis processes of polypyrrole (PPy) films on the zinc substrate are described. The two-step process includes (i) the zinc surface pretreatment with hexacyanoferrate ion in the aqueous medium in order to form a zinc hexacyanoferrate (ZnHCF) film non-blocking passive layer on the surface and with the view to prevent its reactivity and (ii) electropolymerization of pyrrole on the ZnHCF vertical bar Zn-modified electrode in aqueous pyrrole solution. In this context, both the non-electrolytic and electrolytic procedures were adapted, and the effect of some experimental conditions such as supporting electrolyte, pH and temperature of the solution at the zinc surface pretreatment step as well as pyrrole concentration and electrochemical techniques at the polymerization step was investigated. By optimizing the experimental conditions in both steps, we have obtained a homogeneous and strongly adherent PPy films on the zinc substrate. The one-step process is based on the use of an aqueous medium containing Fe(CN) 6 4- and pyrrole. The ferrocyanide ion passivates the substrate by formation of ZnHCF film during the electropolymerization process of pyrrole and therefore makes it possible to obtain strongly adherent PPy films, with controlled thickness, either by cyclic voltammetry or by electrolysis at constant current or constant potential without any previously treatment of the zinc electrode surface. The polypyrrole films deposited on the zinc electrode were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) measurement

  15. Ultrasound-assisted green synthesis of pyrroles and pyridazines in water via three-component condensation reactions of arylglyoxals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bagher Eftekhari-Sis

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available A green and efficient method for the preparation of 5-aryl-4-hydroxy-2-methyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid esters and 6-aryl-3-methylpyridazine-4-carboxylic acid esters via three-component reaction of arylglyoxal hydrates with β-dicarbonyl compounds in the presence of ammonium acetate and hydrazine hydrate using water as solvent under ultrasonic irradiation was reported. The reactions proceeded rapidly and afforded the corresponding pyrroles and pyridazines in good to high yields in very short reaction time.

  16. Separation of xylose oligomers using centrifugal partition chromatography with a butanol-methanol-water system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Ching-Shuan; Clausen, Edgar C; Lay, Jackson O; Gidden, Jennifer; Carrier, Danielle Julie

    2013-01-01

    Xylose oligomers are the intermediate products of xylan depolymerization into xylose monomers. An understanding of xylan depolymerization kinetics is important to improve the conversion of xylan into monomeric xylose and to minimize the formation of inhibitory products, thereby reducing ethanol production costs. The study of xylan depolymerization requires copious amount of xylose oligomers, which are expensive if acquired commercially. Our approach consisted of producing in-house oligomer material. To this end, birchwood xylan was used as the starting material and hydrolyzed in hot water at 200 °C for 60 min with a 4 % solids loading. The mixture of xylose oligomers was subsequently fractionated by a centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) with a solvent system of butanol:methanol:water in a 5:1:4 volumetric ratio. Operating in an ascending mode, the butanol-rich upper phase (the mobile phase) eluted xylose oligomers from the water-rich stationary phase at a 4.89 mL/min flow rate for a total fractionation time of 300 min. The elution of xylose oligomers occurred between 110 and 280 min. The yields and purities of xylobiose (DP 2), xylotriose (DP 3), xylotetraose (DP 4), and xylopentaose (DP 5) were 21, 10, 14, and 15 mg/g xylan and 95, 90, 89, and 68 %, respectively. The purities of xylose oligomers from this solvent system were higher than those reported previously using tetrahydrofuran:dimethyl sulfoxide:water in a 6:1:3 volumetric ratio. Moreover, the butanol-based solvent system improved overall procedures by facilitating the evaporation of the solvents from the CPC fractions, rendering the purification process more efficient.

  17. Post Hartree–Fock and DFT Studies on Pyrrole···Nitrogen and Pyrrole···Carbon Monoxide Molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Kolandaivel

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: The hydrogen bonded and van der Waals isomers of pyrrole···nitrogen and pyrrole···carbon monoxide have been studied using ab initio and density functional theory methods. Complex geometries and total energies of the isomers have been determined at HF, MP2, B3LYP and B3PW91 levels of theory employing 6-31G* basis set. For pyrrole···nitrogen complex, only two isomers have stable structure and the more stable one is found to be the hydrogen bonded isomer. Among the five isomers of pyrrole···carbon monoxide complex, the hydrogen bonded isomer is found to be the most stable form. The interaction energy for all these isomers have been calculated after eliminating the basis set superposition errors by using the full counterpoise correction method. Chemical hardness, chemical potential have been calculated and are used to study the stability of the molecules.

  18. Electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole over AZ31 Mg alloy for biomedical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srinivasan, A.; Ranjani, P.; Rajendran, N.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Polymerization of pyrrole over AZ31 Mg was carried out using cyclic voltammetry. ► Pyrrole concentration was optimized to accomplish the adherent and uniform coating. ► Effect of monomer concentration on the surface morphology was discussed. ► Corrosion resistance of AZ31 Mg in SBF was studied as a function of Py concentration. ► PPy coated AZ31 Mg alloy exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance at 0.25 M of Py. -- Abstract: Electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole (Py) from aqueous salicylate solution over AZ31 Mg alloy was carried out using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The effect of monomer concentration on the surface and electrochemical corrosion in simulated body fluid (SBF) were analysed. Attenuated total reflection-infrared (ATR-IR) spectra showed the characteristic ring stretching peaks for polypyrrole (PPy). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies exhibited typical cauliflower morphology with rough surface for PPy coated AZ31 Mg alloy. Open circuit potential measurement and potentiodynamic polarization studies revealed that the coating prepared using 0.25 M of Py had positive shift of about 120 mV in corrosion potential and lower corrosion current density (0.03 mA/cm 2 ) compared to other concentrations and uncoated AZ31 Mg alloy (0.25 mA/cm 2 ). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies of uncoated and PPy coated Mg alloy in SBF revealed three-time constants behaviour with about one order of increment in impedance value for 0.25 M of Py

  19. One-pot Synthesis of Substituted Pyrroles with N,N,N',N'

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this research, N,N,N'N'-tetrachlorobenzene-1,3-disulphonamide as novel catalytic reagent and N,N'-diiodo-N,N'-1,2-ethanediylbis(p-toluenesulphonamide) as new catalyst were used for the synthesis of N-substituted pyrroles in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. These reusable reagents were compared with ...

  20. Aβ42 oligomers selectively disrupt neuronal calcium release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazzari, Cristian; Kipanyula, Maulilio J; Agostini, Mario; Pozzan, Tullio; Fasolato, Cristina

    2015-02-01

    Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides correlates with aging and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ peptides, which cause early synaptic dysfunctions, spine loss, and memory deficits, also disturb intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. By cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) measurements, we here define the short-term effects of synthetic Aβ42 on neuronal Ca(2+) dynamics. When applied acutely at submicromolar concentration, as either oligomers or monomers, Aβ42 did not cause Ca(2+) release or Ca(2+) influx. Similarly, 1-hour treatment with Aβ42 modified neither the resting cytosolic Ca(2+) level nor the long-lasting Ca(2+) influx caused by KCl-induced depolarization. In contrast, Aβ42 oligomers, but not monomers, significantly altered Ca(2+) release from stores with opposite effects on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)- and caffeine-induced Ca(2+) mobilization without alteration of the total store Ca(2+) content. Ca(2+) dysregulation by Aβ42 oligomers involves metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 and requires network activity and the intact exo-endocytotic machinery, being prevented by tetrodotoxin and tetanus toxin. These findings support the idea that Ca(2+) store dysfunction is directly involved in Aβ42 neurotoxicity and represents a potential therapeutic target in AD-like dementia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. New 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione derivatives as efficient organic inhibitors of carbon steel corrosion in hydrochloric acid medium: Electrochemical, XPS and DFT studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zarrouk, A.; Hammouti, B.; Lakhlifi, T.; Traisnel, M.; Vezin, H.; Bentiss, F.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • 1H-pyrrole derivatives act as good corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in 1 M HCl. • Adsorption of the inhibitors on carbon steel surface obeys Langmuir’s isotherm. • XPS showed that the inhibitors are chemisorbed on the metal surface. • Quantum chemical parameters were correlated with experimental results. - Abstract: New 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione derivatives, namely 1-phenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (PPD) and 1-(4-methylphenyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (MPPD) were synthesised and their inhibitive action against the corrosion of carbon steel in 1 M HCl solution were investigated at 308 K by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The results showed that the investigated 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione derivatives are good corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in 1 M HCl medium, their inhibition efficiency increased with inhibitor concentration, and MPPD is slightly more effective than PPD. Potentiostatic polarization study showed that PPD and MPPD are mixed-type inhibitors in 1 M HCl. Impedance experimental data revealed a frequency distribution of the capacitance, simulated as constant phase element. The results obtained from electrochemical and weight loss studies were in reasonable agreement. The adsorption of MPPD and PPD on steel surface obeyed Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm. Thermodynamic data and XPS analysis clearly indicated that the adsorption mechanism of 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione derivatives on carbon steel surface in 1 M HCl solution is mainly controlled by a chemisorption process. Quantum chemical calculations using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) were performed on 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione derivatives to determine the relationship between molecular structures and their inhibition efficiencies

  2. Accumulation of oligomer-prone α-synuclein exacerbates synaptic and neuronal degeneration in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockenstein, Edward; Nuber, Silke; Overk, Cassia R; Ubhi, Kiren; Mante, Michael; Patrick, Christina; Adame, Anthony; Trejo-Morales, Margarita; Gerez, Juan; Picotti, Paola; Jensen, Poul H; Campioni, Silvia; Riek, Roland; Winkler, Jürgen; Gage, Fred H; Winner, Beate; Masliah, Eliezer

    2014-05-01

    In Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, α-synuclein aggregates to form oligomers and fibrils; however, the precise nature of the toxic α-synuclein species remains unclear. A number of synthetic α-synuclein mutations were recently created (E57K and E35K) that produce species of α-synuclein that preferentially form oligomers and increase α-synuclein-mediated toxicity. We have shown that acute lentiviral expression of α-synuclein E57K leads to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons; however, the effects of chronic expression of oligomer-prone α-synuclein in synapses throughout the brain have not been investigated. Such a study could provide insight into the possible mechanism(s) through which accumulation of α-synuclein oligomers in the synapse leads to neurodegeneration. For this purpose, we compared the patterns of neurodegeneration and synaptic damage between a newly generated mThy-1 α-synuclein E57K transgenic mouse model that is prone to forming oligomers and the mThy-1 α-synuclein wild-type mouse model (Line 61), which accumulates various forms of α-synuclein. Three lines of α-synuclein E57K (Lines 9, 16 and 54) were generated and compared with the wild-type. The α-synuclein E57K Lines 9 and 16 were higher expressings of α-synuclein, similar to α-synuclein wild-type Line 61, and Line 54 was a low expressing of α-synuclein compared to Line 61. By immunoblot analysis, the higher-expressing α-synuclein E57K transgenic mice showed abundant oligomeric, but not fibrillar, α-synuclein whereas lower-expressing mice accumulated monomeric α-synuclein. Monomers, oligomers, and fibrils were present in α-synuclein wild-type Line 61. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses demonstrated that α-synuclein accumulated in the synapses but not in the neuronal cells bodies, which was different from the α-synuclein wild-type Line 61, which accumulates α-synuclein in the soma. Compared to non-transgenic and lower-expressing mice, the

  3. Graphene/Poly(aniline-co-pyrrole) Nanocomposite: Potential Candidate for Supercapacitor and Microwave Absorbing Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, Sumanta; Bhattacharya, Pallab; Dhibar, Saptarshi; Hatui, Goutam; Das, Tanya; Das, Chapal Kumar

    2015-09-01

    A simple and cost-effective in-situ chemical route to prepare the nanocomposites based on graphene and Poly(aniline-co-pyrrole) [PPP] has been proposed. Introduction of graphene changes the morphology of copolymer from spherical to fiber like. Graphene/Poly(aniline-co-pyrrole) [GPPP] nanocomposite achieved highest specific capacitance of 351 F/g and energy density of 124.8 Wh/Kg at 10 mV/s scan rate. The composite also obtained moderate specific capacitance retention of 66% after 500 cycles, which establish its potentiality as supercapacitor electrode materials. The composite also exhibited high electrical conductivity and superior microwave absorbing properties (maximum reflection loss is -29.97 dB). The absorption range corresponding to ≥ 90% absorption (or -10 dB) is 2.72 GHz which is excellent for the microwave absorbing applications.

  4. Direct detection of pyridine formation by the reaction of CH (CD) with pyrrole: a ring expansion reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soorkia, Satchin; Taatjes, Craig A.; Osborn, David L.; Selby, Talitha M.; Trevitt, Adam J.; Wilson, Kevin R.; Leone, Stephen R.

    2010-03-16

    The reaction of the ground state methylidyne radical CH (X2Pi) with pyrrole (C4H5N) has been studied in a slow flow tube reactor using Multiplexed Photoionization Mass Spectrometry coupled to quasi-continuous tunable VUV synchrotron radiation at room temperature (295 K) and 90 oC (363 K), at 4 Torr (533 Pa). Laser photolysis of bromoform (CHBr3) at 248 nm (KrF excimer laser) is used to produce CH radicals that are free to react with pyrrole molecules in the gaseous mixture. A signal at m/z = 79 (C5H5N) is identified as the product of the reaction and resolved from 79Br atoms, and the result is consistent with CH addition to pyrrole followed by Helimination. The Photoionization Efficiency curve unambiguously identifies m/z = 79 as pyridine. With deuterated methylidyne radicals (CD), the product mass peak is shifted by +1 mass unit, consistent with the formation of C5H4DN and identified as deuterated pyridine (dpyridine). Within detection limits, there is no evidence that the addition intermediate complex undergoes hydrogen scrambling. The results are consistent with a reaction mechanism that proceeds via the direct CH (CD) cycloaddition or insertion into the five-member pyrrole ring, giving rise to ring expansion, followed by H atom elimination from the nitrogen atom in the intermediate to form the resonance stabilized pyridine (d-pyridine) molecule. Implications to interstellar chemistry and planetary atmospheres, in particular Titan, as well as in gas-phase combustion processes, are discussed.

  5. Laccase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Low-Molecular-Weight Lignin-Like Oligomers and their Application as UV-Blocking Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Jieyan; Sana, Barindra; Krishnan, Ranganathan; Seayad, Jayasree; Ghadessy, Farid J; Jana, Satyasankar; Ramalingam, Balamurugan

    2018-02-02

    The laccase-catalyzed oxidative polymerization of monomeric and dimeric lignin model compounds was carried out with oxygen as the oxidant in aqueous medium. The oligomers were characterized by using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. Oxidative polymerization led to the formation of oligomeric species with a number-average molecular weight (M n ) that ranged from 700 to 2300 Da with a low polydispersity index. Spectroscopic analysis provided insight into the possible modes of linkages present in the oligomers, and the oligomerization is likely to proceed through the formation of C-C linkages between phenolic aromatic rings. The oligomers were found to show good UV light absorption characteristics with high molar extinction coefficient (5000-38 000 m -1  cm -1 ) in the UV spectral region. The oligomers were blended independently with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by using solution blending to evaluate the compatibility and UV protection ability of the oligomers. The UV/Vis transmittance spectra of the oligomer-embedded PVC films indicated that these lignin-like oligomers possessed a notable ability to block UV light. In particular, oligomers obtained from vanillyl alcohol and the dimeric lignin model were found to show good photostability in accelerated UV weathering experiments. The UV-blocking characteristics and photostability were finally compared with the commercial low-molecular-weight UV stabilizer 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Optimization of the All-D Peptide D3 for Aβ Oligomer Elimination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonia Nicole Klein

    Full Text Available The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ is postulated to be the crucial event in Alzheimer's disease (AD. In particular, small neurotoxic Aβ oligomers are considered to be responsible for the development and progression of AD. Therefore, elimination of thesis oligomers represents a potential causal therapy of AD. Starting from the well-characterized d-enantiomeric peptide D3, we identified D3 derivatives that bind monomeric Aβ. The underlying hypothesis is that ligands bind monomeric Aβ and stabilize these species within the various equilibria with Aβ assemblies, leading ultimately to the elimination of Aβ oligomers. One of the hereby identified d-peptides, DB3, and a head-to-tail tandem of DB3, DB3DB3, were studied in detail. Both peptides were found to: (i inhibit the formation of Thioflavin T-positive fibrils; (ii bind to Aβ monomers with micromolar affinities; (iii eliminate Aβ oligomers; (iv reduce Aβ-induced cytotoxicity; and (v disassemble preformed Aβ aggregates. The beneficial effects of DB3 were improved by DB3DB3, which showed highly enhanced efficacy. Our approach yielded Aβ monomer-stabilizing ligands that can be investigated as a suitable therapeutic strategy against AD.

  7. Synthesis of novel synthetic intermediates from the reaction of benzimidazole and triazole carbenes with ketenimines and their application in the construction of spiro-pyrroles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mo, Jun-Ming; Ma, Yang-Guang; Cheng, Ying

    2009-12-07

    2-(2-Alkoxycarbonyl-1-arylamino-1-propenyl)benzimidazolium and 5-(2-alkoxycarbonyl-1-arylamino-1-propenyl)triazolium salts were synthesized in good yields from the reaction of benzimidazole and triazole carbenes with ketenimines. Upon treatment with a base, both salts were converted into novel 1,3-dipoles which underwent [3+2] cycloaddition reactions with electron-deficient alkynes and allenes to produce benzimidazole-spiro-pyrroles or triazole-spiro-pyrroles. This work provides novel synthons for the construction of multifunctional spiro-pyrrole derivatives that are not easy accessible by other synthetic methods and are potentially amenable to further transformations.

  8. Preparation and characterization of dutasteride-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers coated with stearic acid-chitosan oligomer for topical delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noor, Norhayati Mohamed; Sheikh, Khalid; Somavarapu, Satyanarayana; Taylor, Kevin M G

    2017-08-01

    Dutasteride, used for treating benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), promotes hair growth. To enhance delivery to the hair follicles and reduce systemic effects, in this study dutasteride has been formulated for topical application, in a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) coated with chitosan oligomer-stearic acid (CSO-SA). CSO-SA has been successfully synthesized, as confirmed using 1 H NMR and FTIR. Formulation of dutasteride-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (DST-NLCs) was optimized using a 2 3 full factorial design. This formulation was coated with different concentrations of stearic acid-chitosan solution. Coating DST-NLCs with 5% SA-CSO increased mean size from 187.6±7.0nm to 220.1±11.9nm, and modified surface charge, with zeta potentials being -18.3±0.9mV and +25.8±1.1mV for uncoated and coated DST-NLCs respectively. Transmission electron microscopy showed all formulations comprised approximately spherical particles. DST-NLCs, coated and uncoated with CSO-SA, exhibited particle size stability over 60days, when stored at 4-8°C. However, NLCs coated with CSO (without conjugation) showed aggregation when stored at 4-8°C after 30days. The measured particle size for all formulations stored at 25°C suggested aggregation, which was greatest for DST-NLCs coated with 10% CSO-SA and 5% CSO. All nanoparticle formulations exhibited rapid release in an in vitro release study, with uncoated NLCs exhibiting the fastest release rate. Using a Franz diffusion cell, no dutasteride permeated through pig ear skin after 48h, such that it was not detected in the receptor chamber for all samples. The amount of dutasteride in the skin was significantly different (pchitosan conjugate was successfully prepared, and modified the surface charge of DST-NLCs from negative to positive. These stable, less cytotoxic, positively-charged dutasteride-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers, with stearic acid-chitosan oligomer conjugate, are appropriate for topical delivery and have

  9. PrP(Sc-specific antibodies with the ability to immunodetect prion oligomers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mourad Tayebi

    Full Text Available The development of antibodies with binding capacity towards soluble oligomeric forms of PrPSc recognised in the aggregation process in early stage of the disease would be of paramount importance in diagnosing prion diseases before extensive neuropathology has ensued. As blood transfusion appears to be efficient in the transmission of the infectious prion agent, there is an urgent need to develop reagents that would specifically recognize oligomeric forms of the abnormally folded prion protein, PrPSc.To that end, we show that anti-PrP monoclonal antibodies (called PRIOC mAbs derived from mice immunised with native PrP-coated microbeads are able to immunodetect oligomers/multimers of PrPSc. Oligomer-specific immunoreactivity displayed by these PRIOC mAbs was demonstrated as large aggregates of immunoreactive deposits in prion-permissive neuroblastoma cell lines but not in equivalent non-infected or prn-p(0/0 cell lines. In contrast, an anti-monomer PrP antibody displayed diffuse immunoreactivity restricted to the cell membrane. Furthermore, our PRIOC mAbs did not display any binding with monomeric recombinant and cellular prion proteins but strongly detected PrPSc oligomers as shown by a newly developed sensitive and specific ELISA. Finally, PrioC antibodies were also able to bind soluble oligomers formed of Aβ and α-synuclein. These findings demonstrate the potential use of anti-prion antibodies that bind PrPSc oligomers, recognised in early stage of the disease, for the diagnosis of prion diseases in blood and other body fluids.

  10. Ethyl 5-cyano-4-[2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetamido]-1-phenyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Xu

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available In the title compound, C22H17Cl2N3O4, the pyrrole ring and the 2,4-dichlorophenyl group form a dihedral angle of 8.14 (13°; the phenyl ring is twisted with respect to the pyrrole ring, forming a dihedral angle of 60.77 (14°. The C=O bond length is 1.213 (3 Å, indicating that the molecule is in the keto form, associated with a –CONH– group, and the amide group adopts the usual trans conformation. The molecule is stabilized by an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen-bonding interaction. In the crystal, the stacked molecules exhibit intermolecular C—H...O and C—H...N hydrogen-bonding interactions.

  11. Amyloid β oligomers induce interleukin-1β production in primary microglia in a cathepsin B- and reactive oxygen species-dependent manner

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taneo, Jun; Adachi, Takumi [Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Yoshida, Aiko; Takayasu, Kunio [Responses to Environmental Signals and Stresses, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Takahara, Kazuhiko, E-mail: ktakahar@zoo.zool.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Tokyo 102-0081 (Japan); Inaba, Kayo [Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Tokyo 102-0081 (Japan)

    2015-03-13

    Amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, a causative agent of Alzheimer's disease, forms two types of aggregates: oligomers and fibrils. These aggregates induce inflammatory responses, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production by microglia, which are macrophage-like cells located in the brain. In this study, we examined the effect of the two forms of Aβ aggregates on IL-1β production in mouse primary microglia. We prepared Aβ oligomer and fibril from Aβ (1–42) peptide in vitro. We analyzed the characteristics of these oligomers and fibrils by electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy. Interestingly, Aβ oligomers but not Aβ monomers or fibrils induced robust IL-1β production in the presence of lipopolysaccharide. Moreover, Aβ oligomers induced endo/phagolysosome rupture, which released cathepsin B into the cytoplasm. Aβ oligomer-induced IL-1β production was inhibited not only by the cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074-Me but also by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor N-acetylcysteine. Random chemical crosslinking abolished the ability of the oligomers to induce IL-1β. Thus, multimerization and fibrillization causes Aβ oligomers to lose the ability to induce IL-1β. These results indicate that Aβ oligomers, but not fibrils, induce IL-1β production in primary microglia in a cathepsin B- and ROS-dependent manner. - Highlights: • We prepared amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils with minimum contamination of Aβ oligomers. • Primary microglia (MG) produced IL-1β in response to Aβ oligomers, but not fibrils. • Only Aβ oligomers induced leakage of cathepsin B from endo/phagolysosomes. • IL-1β production in response to Aβ oligomers depended on both cathepsin B and ROS. • Crosslinking reduced the ability of the Aβ oligomers to induce IL-1β from MG.

  12. Causative factors for formation of toxic islet amyloid polypeptide oligomer in type 2 diabetes mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeong HR

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Hye Rin Jeong, Seong Soo A AnDepartment of Bionano Technology, Gachon Medical Research Institute, Gachon University, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of KoreaAbstract: Human islet amyloid polypeptide (h-IAPP is a peptide hormone that is synthesized and cosecreted with insulin from insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells. Recently, h-IAPP was proposed to be the main component responsible for the cytotoxic pancreatic amyloid deposits in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. Since the causative factors of IAPP (or amylin oligomer aggregation are not fully understood, this review will discuss the various forms of h-IAPP aggregation. Not all forms of IAPP aggregates trigger the destruction of β-cell function and loss of β-cell mass; however, toxic oligomers do trigger these events. Once these toxic oligomers form under abnormal metabolic conditions in T2DM, they can lead to cell disruption by inducing cell membrane destabilization. In this review, the various factors that have been shown to induce toxic IAPP oligomer formation will be presented, as well as the potential mechanism of oligomer and fibril formation from pro-IAPPs. Initially, pro-IAPPs undergo enzymatic reactions to produce the IAPP monomers, which can then develop into oligomers and fibrils. By this mechanism, toxic oligomers could be generated by diverse pathway components. Thus, the interconnections between factors that influence amyloid aggregation (eg, absence of PC2 enzyme, deamidation, reduction of disulfide bonds, environmental factors in the cell, genetic mutations, copper metal ions, and heparin will be presented. Hence, this review will aid in understanding the fundamental causative factors contributing to IAPP oligomer formation and support studies for investigating novel T2DM therapeutic approaches, such as the development of inhibitory agents for preventing oligomerization at the early stages of diabetic pathology.Keywords: amyloid aggregation, causative factor, IAPP, islet

  13. Dynamics in coarse-grained models for oligomer-grafted silica nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Bingbing

    2012-01-01

    Coarse-grained models of poly(ethylene oxide) oligomer-grafted nanoparticles are established by matching their structural distribution functions to atomistic simulation data. Coarse-grained force fields for bulk oligomer chains show excellent transferability with respect to chain lengths and temperature, but structure and dynamics of grafted nanoparticle systems exhibit a strong dependence on the core-core interactions. This leads to poor transferability of the core potential to conditions different from the state point at which the potential was optimized. Remarkably, coarse graining of grafted nanoparticles can either accelerate or slowdown the core motions, depending on the length of the grafted chains. This stands in sharp contrast to linear polymer systems, for which coarse graining always accelerates the dynamics. Diffusivity data suggest that the grafting topology is one cause of slower motions of the cores for short-chain oligomer-grafted nanoparticles; an estimation based on transition-state theory shows the coarse-grained core-core potential also has a slowing-down effect on the nanoparticle organic hybrid materials motions; both effects diminish as grafted chains become longer. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

  14. Extended Ladder-Type Benzo[ k ]tetraphene-Derived Oligomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jongbok [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Li, Huanbin [MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Rd Hangzhou 310027 China; Kalin, Alexander J. [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Yuan, Tianyu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, 3003 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3003 USA; Wang, Chenxu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, 3003 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3003 USA; Olson, Troy [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Li, Hanying [MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Rd Hangzhou 310027 China; Fang, Lei [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, 3003 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3003 USA

    2017-10-02

    Well-defined, fused-ring aromatic oligomers represent promising candidates for the fundamental understanding and application of advanced carbon-rich materials, though bottom-up synthesis and structure–property correlation of these compounds remain challenging. In this work, an efficient synthetic route was employed to construct extended benzo[k]tetraphene-derived oligomers with up to 13 fused rings. The molecular and electronic structures of these compounds were clearly elucidated. Precise correlation of molecular sizes and crystallization dynamics was established, thus demonstrating the pivotal balance between intermolecular interaction and molecular mobility for optimized processing of highly ordered solids of these extended conjugated molecules.

  15. Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed synthesis of pyrrole- and indole-fused isocoumarins by C-H bond activation in DMF and water

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Singh, K.S.; Sawant, S.G.; Dixneuf, P.H.

    stream_size 26907 stream_content_type text/plain stream_name ChemCatChem_8_1046a.pdf.txt stream_source_info ChemCatChem_8_1046a.pdf.txt Content-Encoding UTF-8 Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Author version...: ChemCatChem, vol.8(6); 2016; 1046-1050 Ruthenium(II) catalysed synthesis of pyrrole and indole fused isocoumarins via C-H bond activation in DMF and water† Keisham S. Singh*,a Sneha G. Sawanta, Pierre H. Dixneuf*,b Abstract: Pyrrole and indole...

  16. Excitations and optical properties of phenylene-based conjugated polymers and oligomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brazovskii, S.; Kirova, N.; Bishop, A. R.; Klimov, V.; McBranch, D.; Barashkov, N. N.; Ferraris, J. P.

    1998-01-01

    We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the ground and photoexcited optical properties of a model oligomer of PPV, MEH-DSB. Our theoretical picture is based upon a band description of electronic states of PPV oligomers, while invoking corrections from Coulomb interactions. The necessary discrete energy levels at low and intermediate energies appear naturally, in addition to the lower energy delocalized states. On this basis we identify the most important features in direct optical absorption for both high (4-6 eV) and low (2-4 eV) photon energies as well as in photoinduced absorption (PA) and stimulated photoemissions (SE) in MEH-DSB solutions, which represent the limit of noninteracting oligomers. While in agreement with previous interpretations for three absorption peaks (2.74, 4.46 and 6.2 eV), we give a new assignment for the most disputed 3.62 eV one as well as for the two PA peaks.

  17. Nitrogen-Containing, Light-Absorbing Oligomers Produced in Aerosol Particles Exposed to Methylglyoxal, Photolysis, and Cloud Cycling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Haan, David O; Tapavicza, Enrico; Riva, Matthieu; Cui, Tianqu; Surratt, Jason D; Smith, Adam C; Jordan, Mary-Caitlin; Nilakantan, Shiva; Almodovar, Marisol; Stewart, Tiffany N; de Loera, Alexia; De Haan, Audrey C; Cazaunau, Mathieu; Gratien, Aline; Pangui, Edouard; Doussin, Jean-François

    2018-04-03

    Aqueous methylglyoxal chemistry has often been implicated as an important source of oligomers in atmospheric aerosol. Here we report on chemical analysis of brown carbon aerosol particles collected from cloud cycling/photolysis chamber experiments, where gaseous methylglyoxal and methylamine interacted with glycine, ammonium, or methylammonium sulfate seed particles. Eighteen N-containing oligomers were identified in the particulate phase by liquid chromatography/diode array detection/electrospray ionization high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Chemical formulas were determined and, for 6 major oligomer products, MS 2 fragmentation spectra were used to propose tentative structures and mechanisms. Electronic absorption spectra were calculated for six tentative product structures by an ab initio second order algebraic-diagrammatic-construction/density functional theory approach. For five structures, matching calculated and measured absorption spectra suggest that they are dominant light-absorbing species at their chromatographic retention times. Detected oligomers incorporated methylglyoxal and amines, as expected, but also pyruvic acid, hydroxyacetone, and significant quantities of acetaldehyde. The finding that ∼80% (by mass) of detected oligomers contained acetaldehyde, a methylglyoxal photolysis product, suggests that daytime methylglyoxal oligomer formation is dominated by radical addition mechanisms involving CH 3 CO*. These mechanisms are evidently responsible for enhanced browning observed during photolytic cloud events.

  18. Electrochemistry of end-capped oligothienyls. New insights into the polymerization mechanism and the charge storage, conduction and capacitive properties of polythiophene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zotti, G. (Ist. di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Padua (Italy)); Schiavon, G. (Ist. di Polarografia ed Elettrochimica Preparativa, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Padua (Italy)); Berlin, A. (Dipt. di Chimica Organica e Industriale dell' Univ. e Centro CNR, Speciali Sistemi Organici, Milan (Italy)); Pagani, G. (Dipt. di Chimica Organica e Industriale dell' Univ. e Centro CNR, Speciali Sistemi Organici, Milan (Italy))

    1993-11-23

    The kinetics of anodic coupling to dimers of thiophene oligomers (n=3-5), methyl protected at one [alpha]-terminal position, is second order in oligomer concentration and evidences high activation enthalpies and negative activation entropies. Activation free energies are linearly related to the inverse of the oligomer length n (the dimerization rate decreases as n is increased). Thin films of methyl end-capped thiophene oligomers (n=4, 6, 8 and 10) display reversible oxidations from a single one-electron step (tetramer) to a single two-electron step (octamer and decamer) through two separate one-electron steps (hexamer). ESR indicates strong magnetic dimerization for the one-electron-oxidized hexamer. The close resemblance of the electrochemical and ESR behaviour of the hexamer with that of polythiophene suggests that oxidation of the latter occurs via hexameric spin-dimerized polarons. The conductive and capacitive properties of the end-capped oligomers (n=6, 8 and 10) were investigated by in situ conductivity and chronopotentiometry. While conductivity of octamer and decamer is displayed at the two-electron (bipolaron) state, the hexamer, insulating at this state, is conducting at the mixed-valence polaron-bipolaron state; capacitive responses are evidenced at the bipolaron state for the octamer and decamer only. The difference of conductive and capacitive behaviour between the hexamer and the higher oligomers is explained by charge localization in hexameric segments. (orig.)

  19. Structure–property relationships of synthetic organophosphorus flame retardant oligomers by thermal analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai, Zhiman; Wang, Xin; Tang, Gang; Song, Lei; Hu, Yuan; Yuen, Richard K.K.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Oligomers with different chemical components in molecular chains were synthesized. • FP-3 containing three IFR components possessed high thermal stability. • FP-3 possessed lowest flammability. • FP-3 exhibited a synergistic interaction between gas and condensed phase. - Abstract: A series of flame retardant oligomers with different chemical components in molecular chains, designated as FP-1, FP-2 and FP-3, respectively, were successfully synthesized using solution polycondensation and well characterized. The thermal properties and flammability of these oligomers were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC). The results demonstrated that FP-3 had the lowest flammability in terms of the lowest maximum mass loss rate, and FP-1 possessed the highest thermal stability and char yield, due to its higher stable hexatomic ring structure of piperazine compared with the linear alkane chain structure of neopentyl glycol. The gases evolved during decomposition were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared coupled with the thermogravimetric analyzer (TG–IR) technique. The char residues of the flame retardant oligomers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that FP-3 exhibited a synergistic interaction between the gas phase and condensation phase, increasing its flame retardancy

  20. Formation process of silver-polypyrrole coaxial nanocables synthesized by redox reaction between AgNO3 and pyrrole in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Aihua; Kamata, Kaori; Nakagawa, Masaru; Iyoda, Tomokazu; Haiqiao Wang, Haiqiao; Li, Xiaoyu

    2005-10-06

    We have recently demonstrated a one-step process to fabricate silver-polypyrrole (PPy) coaxial nanocables (Chen, A.; Wang, H.; Li, X. Chem. Commun. 2005, 14, 1863). The formation process of silver-PPy coaxial nanocables is discussed in this article. It was found from the results of TEM and SEM images that large numbers of silver atoms were formed when AgNO3 was added to a pyrrole solution. Then silver atoms transform to silver-PPy nanosheets with regular morphology, which will connect together to be more stable. Silver-PPy nanocables will be able to grow at the expense of the silver-PPy nanosheets. Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) plays crucial roles in this process: as a capping agent to form silver nanowires, and as a dispersant of pyrrole monomers, which can influence the site at which pyrrole monomer exists. On the basis of experimental analysis, the possible mechanism was proposed. Because of the effect of PVP, silver ions and pyrrole monomers are apt to be adsorbed at the [111] and [100] facets of silver nanosheets, respectively. Obvious polymerization will take place on the boundary of the [111] and [100] facets. The PPy layer stays stable on the [100] facets. Meanwhile, newly formed silver atoms and silver nanosheets will further ripen and grow on the [111] facets. In a word, the morphology of final products and the formation process are determined by the reaction site between AgNO3 and the pyrrole monomer, which is influenced by PVP.

  1. Synthesis of 2-[4-(10H-Substituted Phenothiazine-3-yl-6-Pyrimidin-2-Phenylthiol/ol/amine/thiol] Pyrroles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meghasham Narule

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available 2-[4-Hydroxy benz-1(propene-1-one]Pyrrole II on treatment with phenyl thiourea, guanidine carbonate, urea and thiourea in alcoholic KOH yielded compounds III, IV, V, VI which on treatment with different aryl anilines gave compounds VII, VIII, IX, X which under goes cyclisation with sulphur and iodine to give 2-[4-(10H-substituted phenothiazine-3-yl-6-pyrimidin-2-phenylthiol/-ol/-amine/-thiol] pyrrole XI(a-j, XII(a-j, XIII(a-j and XIV(a-j respectively. The structural products were characterized by elemental analysis and spectral data.

  2. Biosynthesis, asymmetric synthesis, and pharmacology, including cellular targets, of the pyrrole-2-aminoimidazole marine alkaloids

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Al-Mourabit, A.; Zancanella, M.A.; Tilvi, S.; Romo, D.

    The pyrrole-2-aminoimidazole (P-2-AI) alkaloids are a growing family of marine alkaloids, now numbering well over 150 members, with high topographical and biological information content. Their intriguing structural complexity, rich and compact...

  3. Hydroquinone–pyrrole dyads with varied linkers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Huang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A series of pyrroles functionalized in the 3-position with p-dimethoxybenzene via various linkers (CH2, CH2CH2, CH=CH, C≡C has been synthesized. Their electronic properties have been deduced from 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and UV–vis spectra to detect possible interactions between the two aromatic subunits. The extent of conjugation between the subunits is largely controlled by the nature of the linker, with the largest conjugation found with the trans-ethene linker and the weakest with the aliphatic linkers. DFT calculations revealed substantial changes in the HOMO–LUMO gap that correlated with the extent of conjugation found experimentally. The results of this work are expected to open up for use of the investigated compounds as components of redox-active materials in sustainable, organic electrical energy storage devices.

  4. Interplay of sequence, topology and termini charge in determining the stability of the aggregates of GNNQQNY mutants: a molecular dynamics study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alka Srivastava

    Full Text Available This study explores the stabilities of single sheet parallel systems of three sequence variants of 1GNNQQNY7, N2D, N2S and N6D, with variations in aggregate size (5-8 and termini charge (charged or neutral. The aggregates were simulated at 300 and 330 K. These mutations decrease amyloid formation in the yeast prion protein Sup35. The present study finds that these mutations cause instability even in the peptide context. The protonation status of termini is found to be a key determinant of stabilities; other determinants are sequence, position of mutation and aggregate size. All systems with charged termini are unstable, whereas both stable and unstable systems are found when the termini are neutral. When termini are charged, the largest stable aggregate for the N2S and N6D systems has 3 to 4 peptides whereas N2D mutation supports oligomers of larger size (5-and 6-mers as well. Mutation at 2nd position (N2S and N2D results in fewer H-bonds at the mutated as well as neighboring (Gly1/Gln4 positions. However, no such effect is found if mutation is at 6th position (N6D. The effect of Asn→Asp mutation depends on the position and termini charge: it is more destabilizing at the 2nd position than at the 6th in case of neutral termini, however, the opposite is true in case of charged termini. Appearance of twist in stable systems and in smaller aggregates formed in unstable systems suggests that twist is integral to amyloid arrangement. Disorder, dissociation or rearrangement of peptides, disintegration or collapse of aggregates and formation of amorphous aggregates observed in these simulations are likely to occur during the early stages of aggregation also. The smaller aggregates formed due to such events have a variety of arrangements of peptides. This suggests polymorphic nature of oligomers and presence of a heterogeneous mixture of oligomers during early stages of aggregation.

  5. Mitochondrial Ca2+ overload underlies Abeta oligomers neurotoxicity providing an unexpected mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Sanz-Blasco

    Full Text Available Dysregulation of intracellular Ca(2+ homeostasis may underlie amyloid beta peptide (Abeta toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease (AD but the mechanism is unknown. In search for this mechanism we found that Abeta(1-42 oligomers, the assembly state correlating best with cognitive decline in AD, but not Abeta fibrils, induce a massive entry of Ca(2+ in neurons and promote mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload as shown by bioluminescence imaging of targeted aequorin in individual neurons. Abeta oligomers induce also mitochondrial permeability transition, cytochrome c release, apoptosis and cell death. Mitochondrial depolarization prevents mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload, cytochrome c release and cell death. In addition, we found that a series of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs including salicylate, sulindac sulfide, indomethacin, ibuprofen and R-flurbiprofen depolarize mitochondria and inhibit mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload, cytochrome c release and cell death induced by Abeta oligomers. Our results indicate that i mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload underlies the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta oligomers and ii inhibition of mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload provides a novel mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs against Abeta oligomers and AD.

  6. Mitochondrial Ca2+ overload underlies Abeta oligomers neurotoxicity providing an unexpected mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanz-Blasco, Sara; Valero, Ruth A; Rodríguez-Crespo, Ignacio; Villalobos, Carlos; Núñez, Lucía

    2008-07-23

    Dysregulation of intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis may underlie amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) but the mechanism is unknown. In search for this mechanism we found that Abeta(1-42) oligomers, the assembly state correlating best with cognitive decline in AD, but not Abeta fibrils, induce a massive entry of Ca(2+) in neurons and promote mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload as shown by bioluminescence imaging of targeted aequorin in individual neurons. Abeta oligomers induce also mitochondrial permeability transition, cytochrome c release, apoptosis and cell death. Mitochondrial depolarization prevents mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload, cytochrome c release and cell death. In addition, we found that a series of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including salicylate, sulindac sulfide, indomethacin, ibuprofen and R-flurbiprofen depolarize mitochondria and inhibit mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload, cytochrome c release and cell death induced by Abeta oligomers. Our results indicate that i) mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload underlies the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta oligomers and ii) inhibition of mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload provides a novel mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs against Abeta oligomers and AD.

  7. Enthalpies of solvation of ethylene oxide oligomers CH{sub 3}O(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}O){sub n}CH{sub 3} (n = 1 to 4) in different H-bonding solvents: Methanol, chloroform, and water. Group contribution method as applied to the polar oligomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barannikov, Vladimir P., E-mail: vpb@isc-ras.ru [Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Academicheskaya Str. 1, Ivanovo 153045 (Russian Federation); Guseynov, Sabir S.; Vyugin, Anatoliy I. [Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Academicheskaya Str. 1, Ivanovo 153045 (Russian Federation)

    2011-12-15

    Highlights: > Solvation enthalpy is found for ethylene oxide oligomers in chloroform and methanol. > Coefficients of solute-solute interaction are determined for oligomers in methanol. > Enthalpies of hydrogen bonding of oligomers with chloroform and water are estimated. > Additivity scheme is developed for describing enthalpies of solvation of oligomers. - Abstract: The enthalpies of solution and solvation of ethylene oxide oligomers CH{sub 3}O(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}O){sub n}CH{sub 3} (n = 1 to 4) in methanol and chloroform have been determined from calorimetric measurements at T = 298.15 K. The enthalpic coefficients of pairwise solute-solute interaction for methanol solutions have been calculated. The enthalpic characteristics of the oligomers in methanol, chloroform, water and tetrachloromethane have been compared. The hydrogen bonding of the oligomers with chloroform and water molecules is exhibited in the values of solvation enthalpy and coefficient of solute-solute interaction. This effect is not observed for methanol solvent. The thermochemical data evidence an existence of multi-centred hydrogen bonds in associates of polyethers with the solvent molecules. Enthalpies of hydrogen bonding of the oligomers with chloroform and water have been estimated. The additivity scheme has been developed to describe the enthalpies of solvation of ethylene oxide oligomers, unbranched monoethers and n-alkanes in chloroform, methanol, water, and tetrachloromethane. The correction parameters for contribution of repeated polar groups and correction term for methoxy-compounds have been introduced. The obtained group contributions permit to describe the enthalpies of solvation of unbranched monoethers and ethylene oxide oligomers in the solvents with standard deviation up to 0.6 kJ . mol{sup -1}. The values of group contributions and corrections are strongly influenced by solvent properties.

  8. Five gene products are required for assembly of the central pyrrole moiety of coumermycin A1

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Novotná, J.; Gust, B.; Kulik, A.; Spížek, Jaroslav; Heide, L.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 40, č. 8 (2013), s. 915-925 ISSN 1367-5435 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Streptomyces * Coumermycin * Pyrrole Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.505, year: 2013

  9. Formation of soluble amyloid oligomers and amyloid fibrils by the multifunctional protein vitronectin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Langen Ralf

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The multifunctional protein vitronectin is present within the deposits associated with Alzheimer disease (AD, age-related macular degeneration (AMD, atherosclerosis, systemic amyloidoses, and glomerulonephritis. The extent to which vitronectin contributes to amyloid formation within these plaques, which contain misfolded, amyloidogenic proteins, and the role of vitronectin in the pathophysiology of the aforementioned diseases is currently unknown. The investigation of vitronectin aggregation is significant since the formation of oligomeric and fibrillar structures are common features of amyloid proteins. Results We observed vitronectin immunoreactivity in senile plaques of AD brain, which exhibited overlap with the amyloid fibril-specific OC antibody, suggesting that vitronectin is deposited at sites of amyloid formation. Of particular interest is the growing body of evidence indicating that soluble nonfibrillar oligomers may be responsible for the development and progression of amyloid diseases. In this study we demonstrate that both plasma-purified and recombinant human vitronectin readily form spherical oligomers and typical amyloid fibrils. Vitronectin oligomers are toxic to cultured neuroblastoma and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE cells, possibly via a membrane-dependent mechanism, as they cause leakage of synthetic vesicles. Oligomer toxicity was attenuated in RPE cells by the anti-oligomer A11 antibody. Vitronectin fibrils contain a C-terminal protease-resistant fragment, which may approximate the core region of residues essential to amyloid formation. Conclusion These data reveal the propensity of vitronectin to behave as an amyloid protein and put forth the possibilities that accumulation of misfolded vitronectin may contribute to aggregate formation seen in age-related amyloid diseases.

  10. Theory and simulation of charge transfer through DNA - nanotube contacts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rink, Gunda; Kong Yong; Koslowski, Thorsten

    2006-01-01

    We address the problem of charge transfer between a single-stranded adenine oligomer and semiconducting boron nitride nanotubes from a theoretical and numerical perspective. The model structures have been motivated by computer simulations; sample geometries are used as the input of an electronic structure theory that is based upon an extended Su-Schrieffer-Heeger Hamiltonian. By analyzing the emerging potential energy surfaces, we obtain hole transfer rates via Marcus' theory of charge transfer. In the presence of nanotubes, these rates exceed those of isolated DNA single strands by a factor of up to 10 4 . This enhancement can be rationalized and quantified as a combination of a template effect and the participation of the tube within a superexchange mechanism

  11. Interaction of cesium ions with calix[2]furan[4]pyrrole and its fluoride complex

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kříž, Jaroslav; Dybal, Jiří; Makrlík, E.; Kohnke, F. H.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 541, 10 July (2012), s. 27-31 ISSN 0009-2614 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : calix[2]furan[4]pyrrole * Cs complex * NMR Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.145, year: 2012

  12. α-Synuclein oligomers and clinical implications for Parkinson disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalia, Lorraine V.; Kalia, Suneil K.; McLean, Pamela J.; Lozano, Andres M.; Lang, Anthony E.

    2012-01-01

    Protein aggregation within the central nervous system has been recognized as a defining feature of neurodegenerative diseases since the early 20th century. Since that time, there has been a growing list of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson disease, which are characterized by inclusions of specific pathogenic proteins. This has led to the long-held dogma that these characteristic protein inclusions, which are composed of large insoluble fibrillar protein aggregates and visible by light microscopy, are responsible for cell death in these diseases. However, the correlation between protein inclusion formation and cytotoxicity is inconsistent suggesting another form of the pathogenic proteins may be contributing to neurodegeneration. There is emerging evidence implicating soluble oligomers, smaller protein aggregates not detectable by conventional microscopy, as potential culprits in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The protein α-synuclein is well recognized to contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease and is the major component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. However, α-synuclein also forms oligomeric species with certain conformations being toxic to cells. The mechanisms by which these α-synuclein oligomers cause cell death are being actively investigated as they may provide new strategies for diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson disease and related disorders. Here we review the possible role of α-synuclein oligomers in cell death in Parkinson disease and discuss the potential clinical implications. PMID:23225525

  13. SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF EFFECTS OF TETRAALKYLAMMONIUM CATIONS ON F--SENSING PROPERTIES OF CALIX[4]PYRROLE BORADIAZAINDACENE DYE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongjun Lv

    Full Text Available A novel meso-tetracyclohexylcalix[4]pyrrole-based boradiazaindacene dye 3 was synthesized and characterized. F--binding properties of the dye in the presence of tetrabutylammonium (TBA+, tetraethylammonium (TEA+, and tetramethylammonium (TMA+ counter ions were investigated by UV-Vis, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopies. Dye 3 displayed various degrees of absorption red shift, fluorescence quenching, and downfield shifts of NH signals for the three fluoride salts. The association constants of these salts mainly depend on cation size effects and ion-pairing effects and were in the order KTMA+ > KTEA+ > KTBA+. Thus, we speculate that both F- and tetraalkylammonium cations are concomitantly located above and below a bowl-shaped calix[4]pyrrole cup in an ion-paired complex, respectively.

  14. The tilt-dependent potential of mean force of a pair of DNA oligomers from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortini, Ruggero; Cheng, Xiaolin

    2017-01-01

    Electrostatic interactions between DNA molecules have been extensively studied experimentally and theoretically, but several aspects (e.g. its role in determining the pitch of the cholesteric DNA phase) still remain unclear. Here, we performed large-scale all-atom molecular dynamics simulations in explicit water and 150 mM sodium chloride, to reconstruct the potential of mean force (PMF) of two DNA oligomers 24 base pairs long as a function of their interaxial angle and intermolecular distance. We find that the potential of mean force is dominated by total DNA charge, and not by the helical geometry of its charged groups. The theory of homogeneously charged cylinders fits well all our simulation data, and the fit yields the optimal value of the total compensated charge on DNA to ≈65% of its total fixed charge (arising from the phosphorous atoms), close to the value expected from Manning's theory of ion condensation. The PMF calculated from our simulations does not show a significant dependence on the handedness of the angle between the two DNA molecules, or its size is on the order of 1k B T. Thermal noise for molecules of the studied length seems to mask the effect of detailed helical charge patterns of DNA. The fact that in monovalent salt the effective interaction between two DNA molecules is independent on the handedness of the tilt may suggest that alternative mechanisms are required to understand the cholesteric phase of DNA.

  15. Studies on Oligomer Metal Complexes Derived from Bisamic Acid of Pyromellitic Dianhydride and 4-Bromoaniline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Yogesh S

    2014-01-01

    Novel oligomer metal complexes (2a-f) of the ligand 2,5-bis((4-bromophenyl)carbamoyl) terephthalic acid (1) were prepared using transition metal salts and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. The geometry of oligomer metal complexes was carried out by electronic spectral analysis and magnetic measurement studies. Polymeric properties have also been carried out. Ligand was synthesized using pyromellitic dianhydride and 4-bromoaniline. It was duly characterized. All novel synthesized compounds 1 and 2a-f were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activity. The results showed significantly higher antibacterial and antifungal activity of oligomer metal complexes compared to the ligand.

  16. Poly(1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole)/polypyrrole composite nanowires for glucose biosensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Hairong; Zhang Aifeng; Sun Yanan; Ru Xiaoning; Ge Dongtao; Shi Wei

    2012-01-01

    A novel glucose biosensor based on poly(1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole) (PPyCOOH)/polypyrrole (PPy) composite nanowires was developed by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOD) on the nanowires via covalent linkages. The PPyCOOH/PPy composite nanowires were fabricated by a facile two-step electrochemical synthesis route. First, PPy nanowires were synthesized in phosphate buffer solution using organic sulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonate acid, as soft-template. Then, PPyCOOH/PPy composite nanowires were obtained by polymerizing 1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole onto PPy nanowires via electrochemical method. Scanning electron microscopic, FT-IR spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammograms were used to characterize the structural and electrical behaviors of the composite nanowires. The PPyCOOH/PPy composite nanowires exhibited uniform diameter, high reactive site (-COOH), large specific surface, excellent electroactivity and good adhesion to electrode. The glucose biosensor was constructed by covalently coupling GOD to the composite nanowires. The biosensor response was rapid (5 s), highly sensitive (33.6 μA mM −1 cm −2 ) with a wide linear range (up to 10.0 mM) and low detection limit (0.63 μM); it also exhibited high stability and specificity to glucose. The attractive electrochemical and structural properties of PPyCOOH/PPy composite nanowires suggested potential application for electrocatalysis and biosensor.

  17. Organic heterostructures based on arylenevinylene oligomers deposited by MAPLE

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Socol, M.; Preda, N.; Vacareanu, L.; Grigoras, M.; Socol, G.; Mihailescu, I. N.; Stanculescu, F.; Jelínek, Miroslav; Stanculescu, A.; Stoicanescu, M.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 302, May (2014), s. 216-222 ISSN 0169-4332 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : organic heterostructures * MAPLE * oligomer * optoelectronica Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.711, year: 2014

  18. Copper-promoted oxidative coupling of enamides and alkynes for the synthesis of substituted pyrroles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Mi-Na; Ren, Zhi-Hui; Wang, Yao-Yu; Guan, Zheng-Hui

    2014-02-10

    An efficient copper-promoted oxidative coupling of enamides with alkynes has been developed for the synthesis of substituted pyrroles. The reaction proceeded through C-H and N-H bond functionalization of enamides under mild conditions. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Combined HILIC-ELSD/ESI-MS(n) enables the separation, identification and quantification of sugar beet pectin derived oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remoroza, C; Cord-Landwehr, S; Leijdekkers, A G M; Moerschbacher, B M; Schols, H A; Gruppen, H

    2012-09-01

    The combined action of endo-polygalacturonase (endo-PGII), pectin lyase (PL), pectin methyl esterase (fungal PME) and RG-I degrading enzymes enabled the extended degradation of methylesterified and acetylated sugar beet pectins (SBPs). The released oligomers were separated, identified and quantified using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with online electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS(n)) and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). By MS(n), the structures of galacturonic acid (GalA) oligomers having an acetyl group in the O-2 and/or O-3 positions eluting from the HILIC column were elucidated. The presence of methylesterified and/or acetylated galacturonic acid units within an oligomer reduced the interaction with the HILIC column significantly compared to the unsubstituted GalA oligomers. The HILIC column enables a good separation of most oligomers present in the digest. The use of ELSD to quantify oligogalacturonides was validated using pure GalA standards and the signal was found to be independent of the chemical structure of the oligomer being detected. The combination of chromatographic and enzymatic strategies enables to distinguish SBPs having different methylesters and acetyl group distribution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Sustainable Pathways to Pyrroles through Iron-Catalyzed N-Heterocyclization from Unsaturated Diols and Primary Amines

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yan, Tao; Barta, Katalin

    2016-01-01

    Pyrroles are prominent scaffolds in pharmaceutically active compounds and play an important role in medicinal chemistry. Therefore, the development of new, atom-economic, and sustainable catalytic strategies to obtain these moieties is highly desired. Direct catalytic pathways that utilize readily

  1. New strategy for stable-isotope-aided, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy of DNA oligomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ono, Okira; Tate, Shin-Ichi; Kainosho, Masatsune [Tokyo Metropolitan Univ., Tokyo (Japan)

    1994-12-01

    Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is the most efficient method for determining the solution structures of biomolecules. By applying multidimensional heteronuclear NMR techniques to {sup 13}C/{sup 15}N-labeled proteins, we can determine the solution structures of proteins with molecular mass of 20 to 30kDa at an accuracy similar to that of x-ray crystallography. Improvements in NMR instrumentation and techniques as well as the development of protein engineering methods for labeling proteins have rapidly advanced multidimensional heteronuclear NMR of proteins. In contrast, multidimensional heteronuclear NMR studies of nucleic acids is less advanced because there were no efficient methods for preparing large amounts of labeled DNA/RNA oligomers. In this report, we focused on the chemical synthesis of DNA oligomers labeled at specific residue(s). RNA oligomers with specific labels, which are difficult to synthesize by the enzyme method, can be synthesized by the chemical method. The specific labels are useful for conformational analysis of larger molecules such as protein-nucleic acid complexes.

  2. Toxic prefibrillar α-synuclein amyloid oligomers adopt a distinctive antiparallel β-sheet structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celej, María Soledad; Sarroukh, Rabia; Goormaghtigh, Erik; Fidelio, Gerardo D; Ruysschaert, Jean-Marie; Raussens, Vincent

    2012-05-01

    Parkinson's disease is an age-related movement disorder characterized by the presence in the mid-brain of amyloid deposits of the 140-amino-acid protein AS (α-synuclein). AS fibrillation follows a nucleation polymerization pathway involving diverse transient prefibrillar species varying in size and morphology. Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, cytotoxicity is currently attributed to these prefibrillar species rather than to the insoluble aggregates. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for cytotoxicity remain elusive and structural studies may contribute to the understanding of both the amyloid aggregation mechanism and oligomer-induced toxicity. It is already recognized that soluble oligomeric AS species adopt β-sheet structures that differ from those characterizing the fibrillar structure. In the present study we used ATR (attenuated total reflection)-FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared) spectroscopy, a technique especially sensitive to β-sheet structure, to get a deeper insight into the β-sheet organization within oligomers and fibrils. Careful spectral analysis revealed that AS oligomers adopt an antiparallel β-sheet structure, whereas fibrils adopt a parallel arrangement. The results are discussed in terms of regions of the protein involved in the early β-sheet interactions and the implications of such conformational arrangement for the pathogenicity associated with AS oligomers.

  3. Interface Bond Improvement of Sisal Fibre Reinforced Polylactide Composites with Added Epoxy Oligomer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Mingyang; Wu, Hongwu; Qiu, Feng; Wang, Xiwen

    2018-03-07

    To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber-reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with addition of a commercial grade epoxy-functionalized oligomer Joncryl ADR @ -4368 (ADR). The FTIR (Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis and SEM (scanning electron microscope) characterization demonstrated that the PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and the epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between the sisal fibers and the PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of the ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and the PLA matrix. These results were further justified with the calculation of activation energies of glass transition relaxation (∆ E a ) by dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened with the addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure-properties relationship of the composites are the key points of this study.

  4. Diffusivities and Viscosities of Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomers

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Bingbing; Escobedo, Fernando; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

    2010-01-01

    Diffusivities and viscosities of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) oligomer melts with 1 to 12 repeat units have been obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations using the TraPPE-UA force field. The simulations generated diffusion coefficients

  5. A Bis-Calix[4]pyrrole Enzyme Mimic that Constrains Two Oxoanions in Close Proximity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    He, Qing; Kelliher, Michael; Bähring, Steffen

    2017-01-01

    Herein we describe a large capsule-like bis-calix[4]pyrrole 1 , that is able to host concurrently two dihydrogen phosphate anions within a relatively large internal cavity. Evidence for the concurrent, dual recognition of the encapsulated anions came from 1H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies and ITC ...

  6. Synthesis and Electronic Properties of Length-Defined 9,10-Anthrylene-Butadiynylene Oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagaoka, Maiko; Tsurumaki, Eiji; Nishiuchi, Mai; Iwanaga, Tetsuo; Toyota, Shinji

    2018-05-18

    Linear π-conjugated oligomers consisting of anthracene and diacetylene units were readily synthesized by a one-pot process that involved desilylation and oxidative coupling from appropriate building units. We were able to isolate length-defined oligomers ranging from 2-mer to 6-mer as stable and soluble solids. The bathochromic shifts in the UV-vis spectra suggested that the π-conjugation was extended with elongation of the linear chain. Cyclic voltammetric measurements showed characteristic reversible oxidation waves that were dependent on the number of anthracene units.

  7. Size-Dependent Affinity of Glycine and Its Short Oligomers to Pyrite Surface: A Model for Prebiotic Accumulation of Amino Acid Oligomers on a Mineral Surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afrin, Rehana; Ganbaatar, Narangerel; Aono, Masashi; Cleaves, H. James; Yano, Taka-aki; Hara, Masahiko

    2018-01-01

    The interaction strength of progressively longer oligomers of glycine, (Gly), di-Gly, tri-Gly, and penta-Gly, with a natural pyrite surface was directly measured using the force mode of an atomic force microscope (AFM). In recent years, selective activation of abiotically formed amino acids on mineral surfaces, especially that of pyrite, has been proposed as an important step in many origins of life scenarios. To investigate such notions, we used AFM-based force measurements to probe possible non-covalent interactions between pyrite and amino acids, starting from the simplest amino acid, Gly. Although Gly itself interacted with the pyrite surface only weakly, progressively larger unbinding forces and binding frequencies were obtained using oligomers from di-Gly to penta-Gly. In addition to an expected increase of the configurational entropy and size-dependent van der Waals force, the increasing number of polar peptide bonds, among others, may be responsible for this observation. The effect of chain length was also investigated by performing similar experiments using l-lysine vs. poly-l-lysine (PLL), and l-glutamic acid vs. poly-l-glutamic acid. The results suggest that longer oligomers/polymers of amino acids can be preferentially adsorbed on pyrite surfaces. PMID:29370126

  8. (4-Nitrophenylmethyl 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-1-carboxylate: crystal structure and Hirshfeld analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julio Zukerman-Schpector

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In the title compound, C12H12N2O4, the dihydropyrrole ring is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0049 Å and is nearly coplanar with the adjacent C2O2 residue [dihedral angle = 4.56 (9°], which links to the 4-nitrobenzene substituent [dihedral angle = 4.58 (8°]. The molecule is concave, with the outer rings lying to the same side of the central C2O2 residue and being inclined to each other [dihedral angle = 8.30 (7°]. In the crystal, supramolecular layers parallel to (10-5 are sustained by nitrobenzene-C—H...O(carbonyl and pyrrole-C—H...O(nitro interactions. The layers are connected into a three-dimensional architecture by π(pyrrole–π(nitrobenzene stacking [inter-centroid separation = 3.7414 (10 Å] and nitro-O...π(pyrrole interactions.

  9. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification induces the conversion of recombinant prion protein to PrP oligomers causing neuronal apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Zhen; Yang, Lifeng; Chen, Baian; Zhu, Ting; Hassan, Mohammad Farooque; Yin, Xiaomin; Zhou, Xiangmei; Zhao, Deming

    2015-06-01

    The formation of neurotoxic prion protein (PrP) oligomers is thought to be a key step in the development of prion diseases. Recently, it was determined that the sonication and shaking of recombinant PrP can convert PrP monomers into β-state oligomers. Herein, we demonstrate that β-state oligomeric PrP can be generated through protein misfolding cyclic amplification from recombinant full-length hamster, human, rabbit, and mutated rabbit PrP, and that these oligomers can be used for subsequent research into the mechanisms of PrP-induced neurotoxicity. We have characterized protein misfolding cyclic amplification-induced monomer-to-oligomer conversion of PrP from three species using western blotting, circular dichroism, size-exclusion chromatography, and resistance to proteinase K (PK) digestion. We have further shown that all of the resulting β-oligomers are toxic to primary mouse cortical neurons independent of the presence of PrP(C) in the neurons, whereas the corresponding monomeric PrP were not toxic. In addition, we found that this toxicity is the result of oligomer-induced apoptosis via regulation of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 in both wild-type and PrP(-/-) cortical neurons. It is our hope that these results may contribute to our understanding of prion transformation within the brain. We found that β-state oligomeric PrPs can be generated through protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) from recombinant full-length hamster, human, rabbit, and mutated rabbit PrP. β-oligomers are toxic to primary mouse cortical neurons independent of the presence of PrP(C) in the neurons, while the corresponding monomeric PrPs were not toxic. This toxicity is the result of oligomers-induced apoptosis via regulation of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3. These results may contribute to our understanding of prion transformation within the brain. © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  10. Fabrication of calix[4]pyrrole nanofilms at the glassy carbon surface and their characterization by spectroscopic, optic and electrochemical methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taner, Bilge; Ozcan, Emine; Ustuendag, Zafer; Keskin, Selda; Solak, Ali Osman; Eksi, Haslet

    2010-01-01

    meso-Octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole (CP) and meso-heptaethylcalix[4]pyrrole-meso-4-aminophenyl (4APCP) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrodes were prepared by the electrochemical oxidation in acetonitrile solution. Binding of the calix[4]pyrroles with the glassy carbon surface was investigated that it is through the etheric linkage revealed from the reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). Surface films of CP and 4APCP were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, RAIRS and the contact angle measurements. The thicknesses of the films were determined by ellipsometry which confirmed that the film was multilayer and homogeneous over the surface. Ellipsometric measurements also provided that the CP and 4APCP film thicknesses were 2.49 nm and 4.58 nm for 6 CV cycle modification, corresponding to 66 μF/cm 2 and 106 μF/cm 2 capacitances obtained by CV. The wetting behavior was examined by contact angle measurements and found that the hydrophobicity of the GC-4APCP surface was higher than that of GC-CP, probably due to the aromatic meso substituent present in the former.

  11. Tumor Repression of VCaP Xenografts by a Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamide

    OpenAIRE

    Hargrove, Amanda E.; Martinez, Thomas F.; Hare, Alissa A.; Kurmis, Alexis A.; Phillips, John W.; Sud, Sudha; Pienta, Kenneth J; Dervan, Peter B.

    2015-01-01

    Pyrrole-imidazole (Py-Im) polyamides are high affinity DNA-binding small molecules that can inhibit protein-DNA interactions. In VCaP cells, a human prostate cancer cell line overexpressing both AR and the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion, an androgen response element (ARE)-targeted Py-Im polyamide significantly downregulates AR driven gene expression. Polyamide exposure to VCaP cells reduced proliferation without causing DNA damage. Py-Im polyamide treatment also reduced tumor growth in a VCaP mouse ...

  12. Construction of a monoanionic S,N,S-pincer ligand with a pyrrole core by sequential [1,2] phospho-Fries rearrangement. Characterization of palladium and silver coordination complexes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fraix, A.; Lutz, M.; Spek, A.L.; Klein Gebbink, R.J.M.; van Koten, G.; Salaun, J. -Y; Jaffrès, P. -A

    2010-01-01

    The synthesis of an S,NH,S-pincer ligand possessing a pyrrole core and two O,O-diethylthiophosphonyl groups to design PS lateral coordination sites is reported. The synthetic procedure to produce this ligand makes use of the nitrogen atom of the pyrrole heterocycle to successively functionalize the

  13. Structure and properties of binary mixtures polystyrene-epoxyacrylic oligomers irradiated by electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lomonosova, N.V.

    1995-01-01

    Using the methods of birefringence, isometrical heating, IR-dichroism and thermal optical analysis change in structure of oriented polymer-oligomer systems on the base of PS (M>10 6 ) and epoxyacrylic (EA) oligomers of aliphatic and aromatic structure is studied during the process of irradiation by fast electrons. Their mechanical properties are studied and it is established that introduction of aliphatic epoxyacrylate to PS and subsequent irradiation allow to obtain composite materials with higher values of strength, modulus of elasticity and softening temperature in isotropic and oriented states. 6 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

  14. Selective amyloid β oligomer assay based on abasic site-containing molecular beacon and enzyme-free amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Linling; Zhang, Junying; Wang, Fengyang; Wang, Ya; Lu, Linlin; Feng, Chongchong; Xu, Zhiai; Zhang, Wen

    2016-04-15

    Amyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomers are highly toxic species in the process of Aβ aggregation and are regarded as potent therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, a label-free molecular beacon (MB) system integrated with enzyme-free amplification strategy was developed for simple and highly selective assay of Aβ oligomers. The MB system was constructed with abasic site (AP site)-containing stem-loop DNA and a fluorescent ligand 2-amino-5,6,7-trimethyl-1,8-naphyridine (ATMND), of which the fluorescence was quenched upon binding to the AP site in DNA stem. Enzyme-free amplification was realized by target-triggered continuous opening of two delicately designed MBs (MB1 and MB2). Target DNA hybridization with MB1 and then MB2 resulted in the release of two ATMND molecules in one binding event. Subsequent target recycling could greatly amplify the detection sensitivity due to the greatly enhanced turn-on emission of ATMND fluorescence. Combining with Aβ oligomers aptamers, the strategy was applied to analyze Aβ oligomers and the results showed that it could quantify Aβ oligomers with high selectivity and monitor the Aβ aggregation process. This novel method may be conducive to improve the diagnosis and pathogenic study of Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. A Simple Geotracer Compositional Correlation Analysis Reveals Oil Charge and Migration Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yunlai; Arouri, Khaled

    2016-03-01

    A novel approach, based on geotracer compositional correlation analysis is reported, which reveals the oil charge sequence and migration pathways for five oil fields in Saudi Arabia. The geotracers utilised are carbazoles, a family of neutral pyrrolic nitrogen compounds known to occur naturally in crude oils. The approach is based on the concept that closely related fields, with respect to filling sequence, will show a higher carbazole compositional correlation, than those fields that are less related. That is, carbazole compositional correlation coefficients can quantify the charge and filling relationships among different fields. Consequently, oil migration pathways can be defined based on the established filling relationships. The compositional correlation coefficients of isomers of C1 and C2 carbazoles, and benzo[a]carbazole for all different combination pairs of the five fields were found to vary extremely widely (0.28 to 0.94). A wide range of compositional correlation coefficients allows adequate differentiation of separate filling relationships. Based on the established filling relationships, three distinct migration pathways were inferred, with each apparently being charged from a different part of a common source kitchen. The recognition of these charge and migration pathways will greatly aid the search for new accumulations.

  16. A Simple Geotracer Compositional Correlation Analysis Reveals Oil Charge and Migration Pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yunlai; Arouri, Khaled

    2016-03-11

    A novel approach, based on geotracer compositional correlation analysis is reported, which reveals the oil charge sequence and migration pathways for five oil fields in Saudi Arabia. The geotracers utilised are carbazoles, a family of neutral pyrrolic nitrogen compounds known to occur naturally in crude oils. The approach is based on the concept that closely related fields, with respect to filling sequence, will show a higher carbazole compositional correlation, than those fields that are less related. That is, carbazole compositional correlation coefficients can quantify the charge and filling relationships among different fields. Consequently, oil migration pathways can be defined based on the established filling relationships. The compositional correlation coefficients of isomers of C1 and C2 carbazoles, and benzo[a]carbazole for all different combination pairs of the five fields were found to vary extremely widely (0.28 to 0.94). A wide range of compositional correlation coefficients allows adequate differentiation of separate filling relationships. Based on the established filling relationships, three distinct migration pathways were inferred, with each apparently being charged from a different part of a common source kitchen. The recognition of these charge and migration pathways will greatly aid the search for new accumulations.

  17. Flame retardant cotton fabrics by electron beam-induced polymerization of vinyl phosphonate oligomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawai, Takeshi; Ametani, Kazuo; Enomoto, Ichiro

    1988-01-01

    Vinyl phosphonate oligomer is presently used commercially as a cellulosic flame retardant in conjugation with N-methylol acrylamide, using a persulfate catalyst and a thermal cure. This combination can also be cured at room temperature with electron beams, as can the vinyl phosphonate alone. For the textile application, fixation of flame retardants by electron beams with low energy is one of the most promising applications. For the purpose of preparing flame resistant cotton fabrics such as bed sheets and pajamas, flame retardant curing of vinyl phosphonate oligomer on cotton fabrics was examined using electron beams from a self-sealed electron beam processor and gamma rays from a 60 Co source. A joint investigation was undertaken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Textile Research Institute and Tokyo Metropolitan Isotope Research Center to determine the feasibility of curing vinyl phosphonate oligomer on the cotton fabrics for textile finishing. (author)

  18. Pyrrole Alkaloids with Potential Cancer Chemopreventive Activity Isolated from a Goji Berry-Contaminated Commercial Sample of African Mango

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Bioassay-guided fractionation of a commercial sample of African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) that was later shown to be contaminated with goji berry (Lycium sp.) led to the isolation of a new pyrrole alkaloid, methyl 2-[2-formyl-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]propanoate, 1, along with seven known compounds, 2–8. The structures of the isolated compounds were established by analysis of their spectroscopic data. The new compound 1g showed hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity with an ED50 value of 16.7 μM, whereas 4-[formyl-5-(methoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl]butanoic acid (2) was active in both the hydroxyl radical-scavenging (ED50 11.9 μM) and quinone reductase-induction [CD (concentration required to double QR activity) 2.4 μM)] assays used. The isolated compounds were shown to be absent in a taxonomically authenticated African mango sample but present in three separate authentic samples of goji berry (Lycium barbarum) using LC-MS and 1H NMR fingerprinting analysis, including one sample that previously showed inhibitory activity in vivo in a rat esophageal cancer model induced with N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine. Additionally, microscopic features characteristic of goji berry were observed in the commercial African mango sample. PMID:24792835

  19. Conjugated Polymers and Oligomers: Structural and Soft Matter Aspects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    This book identifies modern topics and current trends of structural and soft matter aspects of conjugated polymers and oligomers. Each chapter recognizes an active research line where structural perspective dominates research and therefore the book covers fundamental aspects of persistent...

  20. Effect of phenolic oligomer on adhesion of poly (ethylene terephthalate) film laminated steel sheets by Electron Beam Curing method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuhara, Kenichi; Mori, Koji; Koshiishi, Kenji; Sasaki, Takashi.

    1995-01-01

    Adhesion of poly (ethylene terephthalate) film by Electron Beam Curing (EBC) method which can be thought as an energy-saving process was studied for the purpose of bestowing economically design and distinctness of image on thermosetting high molecular weight polyester precoated steel sheets. Adhesion of EB curable resins onto metal is generally poor. In this report, addition of EB curable phenolic resole oligomer with bifunctional acrylates to the top coat used for precoated steel was studied in order to increase the adhesion of an EB curable adhesive, and it was found that the phenolic oligomer is tremendously effective for the improvement of adhesion. The reasons why the phenolic oligomer provides excellent adhesion were 1) elongation at break of the top coat to which the phenolic oligomer is added is little decreased by EB irradiation, and the formability does not reduce. 2) As the phenolic oligomer is unevenly distributed to the surface layer of the top coat, it is suggested that the contact frequency of the phenolic oligomer to the EB curable adhesive is so high that graft polymerization between them is liable to occur. (author)

  1. Unraveling the Role of Π - Conjugation in Thiophene Oligomers for Optoelectronic Properties by DFT/TDDFT Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gajalakshmi

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Thiophene oligomer has been investigated using DFT/TDDFT calculations with an aim to check its suitability for opto electronic applications and also to analyse the influence of π-bridge. Our results revealed that thiophene oligomers have excellent π-conjugation throughout. FMO analysis give an estimate of band gap of thiophene oligomer and further revealed HOMO are localized on π - bridge, donor group and LUMO are localized on π - bridge and acceptor group. A TDDFT calculation has been performed to understand the absorption properties of them in gas phase and solvent phase. PCM calculations convey that absorption maxima show positive solvatochromism. Among the designed candidates, the one with more π - bridge show higher wavelength of absorption maxima and would be a choice for better optoelectronic materials. NBO analysis provides support for complete delocalization in these systems. It is interesting to note that oligomer with more π-bridge display an enhanced optoelectronic properties than with less π - bridge.

  2. A simple procedure for preparing chitin oligomers through acetone precipitation after hydrolysis in concentrated hydrochloric acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazami, Nao; Sakaguchi, Masayoshi; Mizutani, Daisuke; Masuda, Tatsuhiko; Wakita, Satoshi; Oyama, Fumitaka; Kawakita, Masao; Sugahara, Yasusato

    2015-11-05

    Chitin oligomers are of interest because of their numerous biologically relevant properties. To prepare chitin oligomers containing 4-6 GlcNAc units [(GlcNAc)4-6], α- and β-chitin were hydrolyzed with concentrated hydrochloric acid at 40 °C. The reactant was mixed with acetone to recover the acetone-insoluble material, and (GlcNAc)4-6 was efficiently recovered after subsequent water extraction. Composition analysis using gel permeation chromatography and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry indicated that (GlcNAc)4-6 could be isolated from the acetone-insoluble material with recoveries of approximately 17% and 21% from the starting α-chitin and β-chitin, respectively. The acetone precipitation method is highly useful for recovering chitin oligomers from the acid hydrolysate of chitin. The changes in the molecular size and higher-order structure of chitin during the course of hydrolysis were also analyzed, and a model that explains the process of oligomer accumulation is proposed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. High-resolution NMR characterization of low abundance oligomers of amyloid-β without purification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotler, Samuel A; Brender, Jeffrey R; Vivekanandan, Subramanian; Suzuki, Yuta; Yamamoto, Kazutoshi; Monette, Martine; Krishnamoorthy, Janarthanan; Walsh, Patrick; Cauble, Meagan; Holl, Mark M Banaszak; Marsh, E Neil G; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

    2015-07-03

    Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the misfolding and self-assembly of the amyloidogenic protein amyloid-β (Aβ). The aggregation of Aβ leads to diverse oligomeric states, each of which may be potential targets for intervention. Obtaining insight into Aβ oligomers at the atomic level has been a major challenge to most techniques. Here, we use magic angle spinning recoupling (1)H-(1)H NMR experiments to overcome many of these limitations. Using (1)H-(1)H dipolar couplings as a NMR spectral filter to remove both high and low molecular weight species, we provide atomic-level characterization of a non-fibrillar aggregation product of the Aβ1-40 peptide using non-frozen samples without isotopic labeling. Importantly, this spectral filter allows the detection of the specific oligomer signal without a separate purification procedure. In comparison to other solid-state NMR techniques, the experiment is extraordinarily selective and sensitive. A resolved 2D spectra could be acquired of a small population of oligomers (6 micrograms, 7% of the total) amongst a much larger population of monomers and fibers (93% of the total). By coupling real-time (1)H-(1)H NMR experiments with other biophysical measurements, we show that a stable, primarily disordered Aβ1-40 oligomer 5-15 nm in diameter can form and coexist in parallel with the well-known cross-β-sheet fibrils.

  4. Fluorine-18 labelling of a novel series of chimeric, mdm2 oncogene targeting, peptide-pna oligomers using [18F]FPyME

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuhnast, B.; Hinnen, F.; Boisgard, R.; Tavitian, B.; Dolle, F.; Nielsen, P.

    2011-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows: Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) form a unique class of synthetic macromolecules, originally designed as ligands for the recognition of double stranded DNA, where the deoxyribose phosphate backbone of original DNA is replaced by a pseudo-peptide N-(2-aminoethyl)glycyl backbone, while retaining the nucleobases of DNA. PNAs have already showed promising therapeutic potential as antisense and anti-gene agents and are inspiring the development of a variety of research and diagnostic assays, including their use as imaging tools. Within our intensive programs of development of oligonucleotide-based probes for PET-imaging, a novel series of chimeric peptide-PNA oligomers has been designed as complementary antisense probes targeting a specific 15-base sequence located at the intron-exon junction of the pre-mRNA of the murine double minute (mdm2) oncogene. This gene codes for a p53 interacting protein that represses p53 transcriptional activity, and appears to be over expressed in several tumor types including soft tissue sarcomas and osteosarcomas as well as breast tumors. For in vivo 3D-imaging purposes, all oligomers include a cysteine thus providing a sulfhydryl function permitting prosthetic conjugation with maleimide-based reagents such as AlexaFluor680 R (AF680) for optical fluorescence imaging and [ 18 F]FPyME (1-[3-(2-[ 18 F]fluoropyridin-3-yloxy)propyl]pyrrole-2, 5-dione), a prosthetic reagent labeled with the positron-emitter fluorine-18 for PET imaging, which latter work is presented herein. Methods: [ 18 F]FPyME was prepared using a three-step radiochemical pathway already reported and includes an HPLC-purification (semi-preparative SiO 2 Zorbax R Rx-SIL, Hewlett Packard). [ 18 F]FPyME was conjugated with the peptide-PNA oligomers (PNA3132, PNA3133, and PNA3135, 0.25-0.30 micro-moles) in 1/9 (v:v) mixture (1 mL) of DMSO and 0.1 M aq. PBS (pH 8) at room temperature for 15 min. The [ 18 F]FPyME-conjugated products (c-[ 18 F

  5. Computational Design of High-χ Block Oligomers for Accessing 1 nm Domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qile P; Barreda, Leonel; Oquendo, Luis E; Hillmyer, Marc A; Lodge, Timothy P; Siepmann, J Ilja

    2018-05-22

    Molecular dynamics simulations are used to design a series of high-χ block oligomers (HCBOs) that can self-assemble into a variety of mesophases with domain sizes as small as 1 nm. The exploration of these oligomers with various chain lengths, volume fractions, and chain architectures at multiple temperatures reveals the presence of ordered lamellae, perforated lamellae, and hexagonally packed cylinders. The achieved periods are as small as 3.0 and 2.1 nm for lamellae and cylinders, respectively, which correspond to polar domains of approximately 1 nm. Interestingly, the detailed phase behavior of these oligomers is distinct from that of either solvent-free surfactants or block polymers. The simulations reveal that the behavior of these HCBOs is a product of an interplay between both "surfactant factors" (headgroup interactions, chain flexibility, and interfacial curvature) and "block polymer factors" (χ, chain length N, and volume fraction f). This insight promotes the understanding of molecular features pivotal for mesophase formation at the sub-5 nm length scale, which facilitates the design of HCBOs tailored toward particular desired morphologies.

  6. Influence of electron delocalization in heterocyclic core systems on the electrochemical communication in 2,5-di- and 2,3,4,5-tetraferrocenyl thiophenes, furans, and pyrroles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildebrandt, Alexander; Schaarschmidt, Dieter; Claus, Ron; Lang, Heinrich

    2011-11-07

    A series of 2,5-di- and 2,3,4,5-tetraferrocenyl-substituted thiophenes, furans, and pyrroles were synthesized using the Negishi C,C cross-coupling protocol. The electronic and electrochemical properties of these compounds were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV), and in situ UV-vis/NIR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of 2,5-diferrocenyl furan and 2,3,4,5-tetraferrocenyl-1-methyl-1H-pyrrole in the solid state are discussed. The ferrocenyls could sequentially be oxidized giving two or four reversible responses for the appropriate di- or tetraferrocenyl-substituted heterocyclic molecules. The observed ΔE°' values range between 186 and 450 mV. The NIR measurements confirm electronic communication as intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) absorptions were found in the corresponding mono- and in case of the tetraferrocenyl compounds also in the dicationic species. All compounds, except tetraferrocenyl thiophene (a class I system), were classified as class II systems according to Robin and Day. They show a linear relationship between ΔE°' and the IVCT oscillator strength f which could be shown for the first time in organometallic chemistry. This was possible because the series of molecules exhibit analogous geometries and hence, similar electrostatic properties. This correlation was confirmed by electro- and spectro-electrochemical measurements. Within these studies a new approach for the estimation of the effective electron transfer distances r(ab) is discussed. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  7. Backbone conformation affects duplex initiation and duplex propagation in hybridisation of synthetic H-bonding oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iadevaia, Giulia; Núñez-Villanueva, Diego; Stross, Alexander E; Hunter, Christopher A

    2018-06-06

    Synthetic oligomers equipped with complementary H-bond donor and acceptor side chains form multiply H-bonded duplexes in organic solvents. Comparison of the duplex forming properties of four families of oligomers with different backbones shows that formation of an extended duplex with three or four inter-strand H-bonds is more challenging than formation of complexes that make only two H-bonds. The stabilities of 1 : 1 complexes formed between length complementary homo-oligomers equipped with either phosphine oxide or phenol recognition modules were measured in toluene. When the backbone is very flexible (pentane-1,5-diyl thioether), the stability increases uniformly by an order of magnitude for each additional base-pair added to the duplex: the effective molarities for formation of the first intramolecular H-bond (duplex initiation) and subsequent intramolecular H-bonds (duplex propagation) are similar. This flexible system is compared with three more rigid backbones that are isomeric combinations of an aromatic ring and methylene groups. One of the rigid systems behaves in exactly the same way as the flexible backbone, but the other two do not. For these systems, the effective molarity for formation of the first intramolecular H-bond is the same as that found for the other two backbones, but additional H-bonds are not formed between the longer oligomers. The effective molarities are too low for duplex propagation in these systems, because the oligomer backbones cannot adopt conformations compatible with formation of an extended duplex.

  8. Alzheimer's-associated Aβ oligomers show altered structure, immunoreactivity and synaptotoxicity with low doses of oleocanthal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pitt, Jason; Roth, William; Lacor, Pascale; Smith, Amos B.; Blankenship, Matthew; Velasco, Pauline; De Felice, Fernanda; Breslin, Paul; Klein, William L.

    2009-01-01

    It now appears likely that soluble oligomers of amyloid-β 1-42 peptide, rather than insoluble fibrils, act as the primary neurotoxin in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Consequently, compounds capable of altering the assembly state of these oligomers (referred to as ADDLs) may have potential for AD therapeutics. Phenolic compounds are of particular interest for their ability to disrupt Aβ oligomerization and reduce pathogenicity. This study has focused on oleocanthal (OC), a naturally-occurring phenolic compound found in extra-virgin olive oil. OC increased the immunoreactivity of soluble Aβ species, when assayed with both sequence- and conformation-specific Aβ antibodies, indicating changes in oligomer structure. Analysis of oligomers in the presence of OC showed an upward shift in MW and a ladder-like distribution of SDS-stable ADDL subspecies. In comparison with control ADDLs, oligomers formed in the presence of OC (Aβ-OC) showed equivalent colocalization at synapses but exhibited greater immunofluorescence as a result of increased antibody recognition. The enhanced signal at synapses was not due to increased synaptic binding, as direct detection of fluorescently-labeled ADDLs showed an overall reduction in ADDL signal in the presence of OC. Decreased binding to synapses was accompanied by significantly less synaptic deterioration assayed by drebrin loss. Additionally, treatment with OC improved antibody clearance of ADDLs. These results indicate oleocanthal is capable of altering the oligomerization state of ADDLs while protecting neurons from the synaptopathological effects of ADDLs and suggest OC as a lead compound for development in AD therapeutics.

  9. Synergistic influence of phosphorylation and metal ions on tau oligomer formation and coaggregation with α-synuclein at the single molecule level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nübling Georg

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fibrillar amyloid-like deposits and co-deposits of tau and α-synuclein are found in several common neurodegenerative diseases. Recent evidence indicates that small oligomers are the most relevant toxic aggregate species. While tau fibril formation is well-characterized, factors influencing tau oligomerization and molecular interactions of tau and α-synuclein are not well understood. Results We used a novel approach applying confocal single-particle fluorescence to investigate the influence of tau phosphorylation and metal ions on tau oligomer formation and its coaggregation with α-synuclein at the level of individual oligomers. We show that Al3+ at physiologically relevant concentrations and tau phosphorylation by GSK-3β exert synergistic effects on the formation of a distinct SDS-resistant tau oligomer species even at nanomolar protein concentration. Moreover, tau phosphorylation and Al3+ as well as Fe3+ enhanced both formation of mixed oligomers and recruitment of α-synuclein in pre-formed tau oligomers. Conclusions Our findings provide a new perspective on interactions of tau phosphorylation, metal ions, and the formation of potentially toxic oligomer species, and elucidate molecular crosstalks between different aggregation pathways involved in neurodegeneration.

  10. Indirubin Derivative 7-Bromoindirubin-3-Oxime (7Bio Attenuates Aβ Oligomer-Induced Cognitive Impairments in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liping Chen

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Indirubins are natural occurring alkaloids extracted from indigo dye-containing plants. Indirubins could inhibit various kinases, and might be used to treat chronic myelocytic leukemia, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. 7-bromoindirubin-3-oxime (7Bio, an indirubin derivative derived from indirubin-3-oxime, possesses inhibitory effects against cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (CDK5 and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β, two pharmacological targets of Alzheimer's disease (AD. In this study, we have discovered that 2.3–23.3 μg/kg 7Bio effectively prevented β-amyloid (Aβ oligomer-induced impairments of spatial cognition and recognition without affecting bodyweight and motor functions in mice. Moreover, 7Bio potently inhibited Aβ oligomer-induced expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α. Furthermore, 7Bio significantly prevented the decreased expression of synapsin-1 and PSD-95, biomarkers of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic proteins in Aβ oligomer-treated mice. The mean optical density (OD with hyper-phosphorylated tau (pTau, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP and CD45 positive staining in the hippocampus of 7Bio-treated mice were significantly decreased compared to those of Aβ oligomer-treated mice. In addition, Western blotting analysis showed that 7Bio attenuated Aβ oligomer-decreased expression of pSer9-GSK3β. Those results suggested that 7Bio could potently inhibit Aβ oligomer-induced neuroinflammation, synaptic impairments, tau hyper-phosphorylation, and activation of astrocytes and microglia, which may contribute to the neuroprotective effects of 7Bio. Based on these findings, we expected that 7Bio might be developed as a novel anti-AD lead compound.

  11. Photopolymerizable silicone monomers, oligomers, and resins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobine, A.F.; Nakos, S.T.

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint the general photopolymer researcher with the historical development of the chemistry and technology of photopolymerizable silicone monomers, fluids, and resins. The current status of research in these areas is assessed. The focus of this chapter is not only on the polymer chemistry and application of this technology, but also on important aspects of the synthetic chemistry involved in the preparation of UV-curable silicone monomers, oligomers, and resins. 236 refs., 6 tabs

  12. Theory of microphase separation in homopolymer-oligomer mixtures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olemskoi, Alexander [Department of Physical Electronics, Sumy State University, Rimskii-Korsakov St. 2, 40007 Sumy (Ukraine)]. E-mail: alex@ufn.ru; Savelyev, Alexey [Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290 (United States)]. E-mail: alexsav@unc.edu

    2005-11-01

    This work starts with the review of theoretical methods proposed, during past decades, for description of phase behavior in different polymer systems, involving variety of linear polymers (regular and polydisperse block (co)polymers, random polymers) and the polymer systems with non-covalent bonds of different strength. Microphase separation (MS) into different ordered mesophases is known to be the principal property of such systems. It is shown that most of the theoretical approaches proposed for description of the MS are based on the simple random phase approximation (RPA). It turns out, however, that mean field RPA method applied to description of the systems with non-covalent bonds does not provide the whole picture of MS. We show that the problem here arises when one treats both Flory-Huggins non-associated interactions and non-covalent bonds (hydrogen, ionic) within the unified RPA scheme, which is obviously rough for description of the latter type of interactions. Such a theory was developed in a few recent papers for the systems involving weak hydrogen bonds between homopolymer chains and the low molecular weight oligomers (surfactants). However, it leaves some experimental data unaccounted. The purpose of this review is to consider more detailed theory which is able to explain not only all the experimental data for the above systems but also to take into account the strength variation of non-bonding interactions. In particular, we consider the strong ionic interactions, weak hydrogen bonding, and the interactions of intermediate strength between polymer chain and short oligomers within our unifying theory. To develop such a description in a self-consistent way we propose to use a general field theory of stochastic systems. The mesoscopic (lamellar) structure of the periodically alternating layers of stretched homopolymer chains surrounded by perpendicularly oriented oligomeric tails is studied for the systems with both strong (ionic) and weak (hydrogen

  13. Theory of microphase separation in homopolymer-oligomer mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olemskoi, Alexander; Savelyev, Alexey

    2005-01-01

    This work starts with the review of theoretical methods proposed, during past decades, for description of phase behavior in different polymer systems, involving variety of linear polymers (regular and polydisperse block (co)polymers, random polymers) and the polymer systems with non-covalent bonds of different strength. Microphase separation (MS) into different ordered mesophases is known to be the principal property of such systems. It is shown that most of the theoretical approaches proposed for description of the MS are based on the simple random phase approximation (RPA). It turns out, however, that mean field RPA method applied to description of the systems with non-covalent bonds does not provide the whole picture of MS. We show that the problem here arises when one treats both Flory-Huggins non-associated interactions and non-covalent bonds (hydrogen, ionic) within the unified RPA scheme, which is obviously rough for description of the latter type of interactions. Such a theory was developed in a few recent papers for the systems involving weak hydrogen bonds between homopolymer chains and the low molecular weight oligomers (surfactants). However, it leaves some experimental data unaccounted. The purpose of this review is to consider more detailed theory which is able to explain not only all the experimental data for the above systems but also to take into account the strength variation of non-bonding interactions. In particular, we consider the strong ionic interactions, weak hydrogen bonding, and the interactions of intermediate strength between polymer chain and short oligomers within our unifying theory. To develop such a description in a self-consistent way we propose to use a general field theory of stochastic systems. The mesoscopic (lamellar) structure of the periodically alternating layers of stretched homopolymer chains surrounded by perpendicularly oriented oligomeric tails is studied for the systems with both strong (ionic) and weak (hydrogen

  14. NEXAFS characterization of DNA components and molecular-orientation of surface-bound DNA oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samuel, Newton T.; Lee, C.-Y.; Gamble, Lara J.; Fischer, Daniel A.; Castner, David G.

    2006-01-01

    Single stranded DNA oligomers (ssDNA) immobilized onto solid surfaces forms the basis for several biotechnological applications such as DNA microarrays, affinity separations, and biosensors. Surface structure of Surface-bound oligomers is expected to significantly influence their biological activity and interactions with the environment. In this study near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) is used to characterize the components of DNA (nucleobases, nucleotides and nucleosides) and the orientation information of surface-bound ssDNA. The K-edges of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen have spectra with features that are characteristic of the different chemical species present in the nucleobases of DNA. The effect of addition of the DNA sugar and phosphate components on the NEXAFS K-edge spectra was also investigated. The polarization-dependent nitrogen K-edge NEXAFS data show significant changes for different orientations of surface bound ssDNA. These results establish NEXAFS as a powerful technique for chemical and structural characterization of surface-bound DNA oligomers

  15. Genotoxicity of styrene oligomers extracted from polystyrene intended for use in contact with food

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Makoto Nakai

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Here, we conducted in vitro genotoxicity tests to evaluate the genotoxicity of styrene oligomers extracted from polystyrene intended for use in contact with food. Styrene oligomers were extracted with acetone and the extract was subjected to the Ames test (OECD test guideline No. 471 and the in vitro chromosomal aberration test (OECD test guideline No. 473 under good laboratory practice conditions. The concentrations of styrene dimers and trimers in the concentrated extract were 540 and 13,431 ppm, respectively. Extraction with acetone provided markedly higher concentrations of styrene oligomers compared with extraction with 50% ethanol aqueous solution, which is the food simulant currently recommended for use in safety assessments of polystyrene by both the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority. And these high concentrations of styrene dimers and trimers were utilized for the evaluation of genotoxicity in vitro. Ames tests using five bacterial tester strains were negative both in the presence or absence of metabolic activation. The in vitro chromosomal aberration test using Chinese hamster lung cells (CHL/IU was also negative. Together, these results suggest that the risk of the genotoxicity of styrene oligomers that migrate from polystyrene food packaging into food is very low.

  16. Formation of nitrogen-containing oligomers by methylglyoxal and amines in simulated evaporating cloud droplets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Haan, David O; Hawkins, Lelia N; Kononenko, Julia A; Turley, Jacob J; Corrigan, Ashley L; Tolbert, Margaret A; Jimenez, Jose L

    2011-02-01

    Reactions of methylglyoxal with amino acids, methylamine, and ammonium sulfate can take place in aqueous aerosol and evaporating cloud droplets. These processes are simulated by drying droplets and bulk solutions of these compounds (at low millimolar and 1 M concentrations, respectively) and analyzing the residuals by scanning mobility particle sizing, nuclear magnetic resonance, aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS), and electrospray ionization MS. The results are consistent with imine (but not diimine) formation on a time scale of seconds, followed by the formation of nitrogen-containing oligomers, methylimidazole, and dimethylimidazole products on a time scale of minutes to hours. Measured elemental ratios are consistent with imidazoles and oligomers being major reaction products, while effective aerosol densities suggest extensive reactions take place within minutes. These reactions may be a source of the light-absorbing, nitrogen-containing oligomers observed in urban and biomass-burning aerosol particles.

  17. Synthesis of alginate oligomers by gamma irradiation and to investigate its antioxidant and prebiotic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhoir, S.A.; Chawla, S.P.

    2016-01-01

    Alginate oligomers formed by alginate lyase have been reported to possess antioxidant activity as well as prebiotic activity. Hence, utility of gamma radiation to depolymerise alginate in its aqueous solution was investigated and its antioxidant and prebiotic activities were screened. 1% aqueous solution of sodium alginate was subjected to gamma irradiation and it's reducing power and ability to scavenge DPPH". and O_2"."."-, chelate iron and prevent heat induced β-carotene bleaching was determined. Prebiotic activity was determined by using alginate oligomers to promote prebiotic activity of Lactobacillus plantarum against E coli. Gamma radiation induced depolymerisation of alginate resulted in formation of oligomers with antioxidant and prebiotic activity. These polymers are potential candidates for utilization as natural preservatives and functional foods

  18. Characterizing the Dynamics of α-Synuclein Oligomers Using Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Monitored by Mass Spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mysling, Simon; Betzer, Cristine; Jensen, Poul Henning

    2013-01-01

    Soluble oligomers formed by α-synuclein (αSN) are suspected to play a central role in neuronal cell death during Parkinson's disease. While studies have probed the surface structure of these oligomers, little is known about the backbone dynamics of αSN when they form soluble oligomers. Using...... analyses performed on αSN fibrils and indicated a possible zipperlike maturation mechanism for αSN aggregates. We find the protected N-terminus (residues 4-17) to be of particular interest, as this region has previously been observed to be highly dynamic for both monomeric and fibrillar αSN. This region...... has mainly been described in relation to membrane binding of αSN, and structuring may be important in relation to disease....

  19. Preparation and enhanced electrochemical properties of nano-sulfur/poly(pyrrole-co-aniline) cathode material for lithium/sulfur batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu Linlin; Zhang Shichao; Zhang Lan; Sun, Mingming; Wang Weikun

    2010-01-01

    Poly(pyrrole-co-aniline) (PPyA) copolymer nanofibers were prepared by chemical oxidation method with cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC) as template, and the nano-sulfur/poly(pyrrole-co-aniline) (S/PPyA) composite material in lithium batteries was achieved via co-heating the mixture of PPyA and sublimed sulfur at 160 deg. C for 24 h. The component and structure of the materials were characterized by FTIR, Raman, XRD, and SEM. PPyA with nanofiber network structure was employed as a conductive matrix, adsorbing agent and firm reaction chamber for the sulfur cathode materials. The nano-dispersed composite exhibited a specific capacity up to 1285 mAh g -1 in the initial cycle and remained 866 mAh g -1 after 40 cycles.

  20. Synthesis of Citric-Acrylate Oligomer and its in-Situ Reaction with Chrome Tanned Collagen (hide powder)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haroun, A.A.; Masoud, R.A.; Bronco, S.; Ciardelli, F.

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to formulate the new combined system of acrylic and citric acids, which has been prepared by free radical polymerization and esterification reaction at the same time to form citric acrylate (CAC) oligomer through ester linkage and low molecular weight (Mw 2241), in compared with polyacrylic acid. The chemical structure and the reaction mechanism of this oligomer were confirmed by different spectroscopic tools (1 H , 13 C-NMR, ATR-IR), gel permeation chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA). The problem of the effect of the masking agents in the chrome tanning of the collagen and the pickling of the hide has been approached from the study of the hydrothermal and mechanical properties, using this new eco-friendly oligomer, which was carried out in-situ treated/grafted chrome tanned collagen (hide powder), and pickled hide. The microemulsion grafting copolymerization of (CAC) using 2.2-azo-bis isobutyronitrile (ABIN), via direct coupling reaction, onto the chrome tanned collagen showed that the free amino groups of the collagen were considered to be a potential site for the in-situ reaction with (CAC) oligomer. Also, using of citric-acrylate (CAC) oligomer, during chrome tanning of leather, instead of the traditional strong acids (sulfuric, hydrochloric and formic) resulted in significant improvement in chrome exhaustion and physical properties

  1. Fabrication of calix[4]pyrrole nanofilms at the glassy carbon surface and their characterization by spectroscopic, optic and electrochemical methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taner, Bilge; Ozcan, Emine [Selcuk University, Faculty of Science, Dept. of Chemistry, Konya (Turkey); Ustuendag, Zafer [Dumlupinar University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Chemistry, Kuetahya (Turkey); Keskin, Selda [Middle East Technical University, Central Research Laboratory, Ankara (Turkey); Solak, Ali Osman, E-mail: osolak@science.ankara.edu.t [Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Ankara (Turkey); Eksi, Haslet [Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Ankara (Turkey)

    2010-10-29

    meso-Octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole (CP) and meso-heptaethylcalix[4]pyrrole-meso-4-aminophenyl (4APCP) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrodes were prepared by the electrochemical oxidation in acetonitrile solution. Binding of the calix[4]pyrroles with the glassy carbon surface was investigated that it is through the etheric linkage revealed from the reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). Surface films of CP and 4APCP were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, RAIRS and the contact angle measurements. The thicknesses of the films were determined by ellipsometry which confirmed that the film was multilayer and homogeneous over the surface. Ellipsometric measurements also provided that the CP and 4APCP film thicknesses were 2.49 nm and 4.58 nm for 6 CV cycle modification, corresponding to 66 {mu}F/cm{sup 2} and 106 {mu}F/cm{sup 2} capacitances obtained by CV. The wetting behavior was examined by contact angle measurements and found that the hydrophobicity of the GC-4APCP surface was higher than that of GC-CP, probably due to the aromatic meso substituent present in the former.

  2. Nanoscale structure, dynamics and power conversion efficiency correlations in small molecule and oligomer-based photovoltaic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szarko, Jodi M.; Guo, Jianchang; Rolczynski, Brian S.; Chen, Lin X.

    2011-01-01

    Photovoltaic functions in organic materials are intimately connected to interfacial morphologies of molecular packing in films on the nanometer scale and molecular levels. This review will focus on current studies on correlations of nanoscale morphologies in organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials with fundamental processes relevant to photovoltaic functions, such as light harvesting, exciton splitting, exciton diffusion, and charge separation (CS) and diffusion. Small molecule photovoltaic materials will be discussed here. The donor and acceptor materials in small molecule OPV devices can be fabricated in vacuum-deposited, multilayer, crystalline thin films, or spin-coated together to form blended bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films. These two methods result in very different morphologies of the solar cell active layers. There is still a formidable debate regarding which morphology is favored for OPV optimization. The morphology of the conducting films has been systematically altered; using variations of the techniques above, the whole spectrum of film qualities can be fabricated. It is possible to form a highly crystalline material, one which is completely amorphous, or an intermediate morphology. In this review, we will summarize the past key findings that have driven organic solar cell research and the current state-of-the-art of small molecule and conducting oligomer materials. We will also discuss the merits and drawbacks of these devices. Finally, we will highlight some works that directly compare the spectra and morphology of systematically elongated oligothiophene derivatives and compare these oligomers to their polymer counterparts. We hope this review will shed some new light on the morphology differences of these two systems. PMID:22110870

  3. Molecular control of photoexcited charge transfer and recombination at a quaterthiophene/zinc oxide interface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mou Weiwei; Nakano, Aiichiro; Ohmura, Satoshi; Shimojo, Fuyuki

    2012-01-01

    Nonadiabatic quantum molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study photoexcited charge transfer (CT) and charge recombination (CR) at an interface between a conjugated oligomer donor, quaterthiophene (QT), and an inorganic acceptor (ZnO). Simulations reveal a detrimental effect of static disorder in QT conformation on the efficiency of hybrid QT/ZnO solar cells due to increased CR. On the contrary, dynamic disorder (i.e., fluctuation of carbon-hydrogen bonds in QT) is essential for high efficiency by assisting CT. The separate controllability of CT and CR at the molecular level has impacts on molecular design for efficient solar cells and explains recent experimental observations.

  4. Kinetics of tritium isotope exchange between liquid pyrrole and gaseous hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stolarz, A.

    1994-01-01

    The kinetics of tritium isotope exchange between liquid pyrrole and gaseous hydrogen has been studied over the temperature range of 290-303 K. The reaction was carried out in the presence of platinum black but in spite of that, it appeared to be relatively slow. The kinetics of the exchange reaction studied could be described by the simple McKay equation. The results obtained suggest that diffusion is the rate-determining step. A mechanism of exchange is proposed. (author) 10 refs.; 2 figs.; 1 tab

  5. Natural amyloid-β oligomers acutely impair the formation of a contextual fear memory in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kittelberger, Kara A; Piazza, Fabrizio; Tesco, Giuseppina; Reijmers, Leon G

    2012-01-01

    Memory loss is one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been proposed that soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta) oligomers acutely impair neuronal function and thereby memory. We here report that natural Abeta oligomers acutely impair contextual fear memory in mice. A natural Abeta oligomer solution containing Abeta monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers was derived from the conditioned medium of 7PA2 cells, a cell line that expresses human amyloid precursor protein containing the Val717Phe familial AD mutation. As a control we used 7PA2 conditioned medium from which Abeta oligomers were removed through immunodepletion. Separate groups of mice were injected with Abeta and control solutions through a cannula into the lateral brain ventricle, and subjected to fear conditioning using two tone-shock pairings. One day after fear conditioning, mice were tested for contextual fear memory and tone fear memory in separate retrieval trials. Three experiments were performed. For experiment 1, mice were injected three times: 1 hour before and 3 hours after fear conditioning, and 1 hour before context retrieval. For experiments 2 and 3, mice were injected a single time at 1 hour and 2 hours before fear conditioning respectively. In all three experiments there was no effect on tone fear memory. Injection of Abeta 1 hour before fear conditioning, but not 2 hours before fear conditioning, impaired the formation of a contextual fear memory. In future studies, the acute effect of natural Abeta oligomers on contextual fear memory can be used to identify potential mechanisms and treatments of AD associated memory loss.

  6. Natural Amyloid-Beta Oligomers Acutely Impair the Formation of a Contextual Fear Memory in Mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kittelberger, Kara A.; Piazza, Fabrizio; Tesco, Giuseppina; Reijmers, Leon G.

    2012-01-01

    Memory loss is one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been proposed that soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta) oligomers acutely impair neuronal function and thereby memory. We here report that natural Abeta oligomers acutely impair contextual fear memory in mice. A natural Abeta oligomer solution containing Abeta monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers was derived from the conditioned medium of 7PA2 cells, a cell line that expresses human amyloid precursor protein containing the Val717Phe familial AD mutation. As a control we used 7PA2 conditioned medium from which Abeta oligomers were removed through immunodepletion. Separate groups of mice were injected with Abeta and control solutions through a cannula into the lateral brain ventricle, and subjected to fear conditioning using two tone-shock pairings. One day after fear conditioning, mice were tested for contextual fear memory and tone fear memory in separate retrieval trials. Three experiments were performed. For experiment 1, mice were injected three times: 1 hour before and 3 hours after fear conditioning, and 1 hour before context retrieval. For experiments 2 and 3, mice were injected a single time at 1 hour and 2 hours before fear conditioning respectively. In all three experiments there was no effect on tone fear memory. Injection of Abeta 1 hour before fear conditioning, but not 2 hours before fear conditioning, impaired the formation of a contextual fear memory. In future studies, the acute effect of natural Abeta oligomers on contextual fear memory can be used to identify potential mechanisms and treatments of AD associated memory loss. PMID:22238679

  7. Coronavirus nucleocapsid proteins assemble constitutively in high molecular oligomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cong, Yingying; Kriegenburg, Franziska; de Haan, Cornelis A. M.; Reggiori, Fulvio

    2017-01-01

    Coronaviruses (CoV) are enveloped viruses and rely on their nucleocapsid N protein to incorporate the positive-stranded genomic RNA into the virions. CoV N proteins form oligomers but the mechanism and relevance underlying their multimerization remain to be fully understood. Using in vitro pull-down

  8. Use of Graphite Oxide and Graphene Oxide as Catalysts in the Synthesis of Dipyrromethane and Calix[4]pyrrole

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sweta Mishra

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Graphite oxide and graphene oxides have been used as solid catalysts for the synthesis of 5,5-dialkyldipyrromethanes and calix[4]pyrroles in organic and aqueous solutions at room temperature.

  9. Thermodynamically stable amyloid-β monomers have much lower membrane affinity than the small oligomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bidyut eSarkar

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Amyloid beta (Aβ is an extracellular 39-43 residue long peptide present in the mammalian cerebrospinal fluid, whose aggregation is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Small oligomers of Aβ are currently thought to be the key to toxicity. However, it is not clear why the monomers of Aβ are non-toxic, and at what stage of aggregation toxicity emerges. Interactions of Aβ with cell membranes is thought to be the initiator of toxicity, but membrane-binding studies with different preparations of monomers and oligomers have not settled this issue. We have earlier found that thermodynamically stable Aβ monomers emerge spontaneously from oligomeric mixtures upon long term incubation in physiological solutions (Nag et al, JBC, 2011. Here we show that the membrane-affinity of these stable Aβ monomers is much lower than that of a mixture of small oligomers (containing dimers to decamers, providing a clue to the emergence of toxicity. Fluorescently labeled Aβ40 monomers show negligible binding to cell membranes of a neuronal cell line (RN46A at physiological concentrations (250 nM, while oligomers at the same concentrations show strong binding within 30 minutes of incubation. The increased affinity most likely does not require any specific neuronal receptor, since this difference in membrane-affinity was also observed in a somatic cell-line (HEK 293T. Similar results are also obtained for Aβ42 monomers and oligomers. Minimal amount of cell death is observed at these concentrations even after 36 hours of incubation. It is likely that membrane binding precedes subsequent slower toxic events induced by Aβ. Our results a provide an explanation for the non-toxic nature of Aβ monomers, b suggest that Aβ toxicity emerges at the initial oligomeric phase, and c provide a quick assay for monitoring the benign-to-toxic transformation of Aβ.

  10. Distinct Internalization Pathways of Human Amylin Monomers and Its Cytotoxic Oligomers in Pancreatic Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trikha, Saurabh; Jeremic, Aleksandar M.

    2013-01-01

    Toxic human amylin oligomers and aggregates are implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (TTDM). Although recent studies have shown that pancreatic cells can recycle amylin monomers and toxic oligomers, the exact uptake mechanism and trafficking routes of these molecular forms and their significance for amylin toxicity are yet to be determined. Using pancreatic rat insulinoma (RIN-m5F) beta (β)-cells and human islets as model systems we show that monomers and oligomers cross the plasma membrane (PM) through both endocytotic and non-endocytotic (translocation) mechanisms, the predominance of which is dependent on amylin concentrations and incubation times. At low (≤100 nM) concentrations, internalization of amylin monomers in pancreatic cells is completely blocked by the selective amylin-receptor (AM-R) antagonist, AC-187, indicating an AM-R dependent mechanism. In contrast at cytotoxic (µM) concentrations monomers initially (1 hour) enter pancreatic cells by two distinct mechanisms: translocation and macropinocytosis. However, during the late stage (24 hours) monomers internalize by a clathrin-dependent but AM-R and macropinocytotic independent pathway. Like monomers a small fraction of the oligomers initially enter cells by a non-endocytotic mechanism. In contrast a majority of the oligomers at both early (1 hour) and late times (24 hours) traffic with a fluid-phase marker, dextran, to the same endocytotic compartments, the uptake of which is blocked by potent macropinocytotic inhibitors. This led to a significant increase in extra-cellular PM accumulation, in turn potentiating amylin toxicity in pancreatic cells. Our studies suggest that macropinocytosis is a major but not the only clearance mechanism for both amylin’s molecular forms, thereby serving a cyto-protective role in these cells. PMID:24019897

  11. Benzothienobenzothiophene-based conjugated oligomers as semiconductors for stable organic thin-film transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Han; Li, Weili; Tian, Hongkun; Wang, Haibo; Yan, Donghang; Zhang, Jingping; Geng, Yanhou; Wang, Fosong

    2014-04-09

    Two benzothienobenzothiophene (BTBT)-based conjugated oligomers, i.e., 2,2'-bi[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (1) and 5,5'-bis([1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophen-2-yl)-2,2'-bithiophene (2), were prepared and characterized. Both oligomers exhibit excellent thermal stability, with 5% weight-loss temperatures (T(L)) above 370 °C; no phase transition was observed before decomposition. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels of 1 and 2 are -5.3 and -4.9 eV, respectively, as measured by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Thin-film X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy characterizations indicate that both oligomers form highly crystalline films with large domain sizes on octadecyltrimethoxysilane-modified substrates. Organic thin-film transistors with top-contact and bottom-gate geometry based on 1 and 2 exhibited mobilities up to 2.12 cm(2)/V·s for 1 and 1.39 cm(2)/V·s for 2 in an ambient atmosphere. 1-based devices exhibited great air and thermal stabilities, as evidenced by the slight performance degradation after 2 months of storage under ambient conditions and after thermal annealing at temperatures below 250 °C.

  12. HAMLET forms annular oligomers when deposited with phospholipid monolayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, Anne; Gjerde, Anja Underhaug; Ying, Ming; Svanborg, Catharina; Holmsen, Holm; Glomm, Wilhelm R; Martinez, Aurora; Halskau, Oyvind

    2012-04-20

    Recently, the anticancer activity of human α-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells (HAMLET) has been linked to its increased membrane affinity in vitro, at neutral pH, and ability to cause leakage relative to the inactive native bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA) protein. In this study, atomic force microscopy resolved membrane distortions and annular oligomers (AOs) produced by HAMLET when deposited at neutral pH on mica together with a negatively charged lipid monolayer. BLA, BAMLET (HAMLET's bovine counterpart) and membrane-binding Peptide C, corresponding to BLA residues 75-100, also form AO-like structures under these conditions but at higher subphase concentrations than HAMLET. The N-terminal Peptide A, which binds to membranes at acidic but not at neutral pH, did not form AOs. This suggests a correlation between the capacity of the proteins/peptides to integrate into the membrane at neutral pH-as observed by liposome content leakage and circular dichroism experiments-and the formation of AOs, albeit at higher concentrations. Formation of AOs, which might be important to HAMLET's tumor toxic action, appears related to the increased tendency of the protein to populate intermediately folded states compared to the native protein, the formation of which is promoted by, but not uniquely dependent on, the oleic acid molecules associated with HAMLET. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Rapamycin-induced oligomer formation system of FRB-FKBP fusion proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inobe, Tomonao; Nukina, Nobuyuki

    2016-07-01

    Most proteins form larger protein complexes and perform multiple functions in the cell. Thus, artificial regulation of protein complex formation controls the cellular functions that involve protein complexes. Although several artificial dimerization systems have already been used for numerous applications in biomedical research, cellular protein complexes form not only simple dimers but also larger oligomers. In this study, we showed that fusion proteins comprising the induced heterodimer formation proteins FRB and FKBP formed various oligomers upon addition of rapamycin. By adjusting the configuration of fusion proteins, we succeeded in generating an inducible tetramer formation system. Proteins of interest also formed tetramers by fusing to the inducible tetramer formation system, which exhibits its utility in a broad range of biological applications. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Studies on Oligomer Metal Complexes Derived from Bisamic Acid of Pyromellitic Dianhydride and 4-Bromoaniline

    OpenAIRE

    Patel, Yogesh S.

    2014-01-01

    Novel oligomer metal complexes (2a–f) of the ligand 2,5-bis((4-bromophenyl)carbamoyl) terephthalic acid (1) were prepared using transition metal salts and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. The geometry of oligomer metal complexes was carried out by electronic spectral analysis and magnetic measurement studies. Polymeric properties have also been carried out. Ligand was synthesized using pyromellitic dianhydride and 4-bromoaniline. It was duly characterized. All novel synthesi...

  15. Heterogeneous hydrogenation using stable and reusable calix[4]pyrrole fenced Pt nanoparticles and its mechanistic insight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kongor, Anita; Panchal, Manthan; Athar, Mohd; Mehta, Viren; Bhatt, Keyur; Jha, P. C.; Jain, Vinod

    2018-04-01

    Novel calix[4]pyrrole encapsulated platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) have been prepared in the aqueous medium using meso-tetra(methoxy) meso-tetra (4-phenoxy acetohydrazide) calix[4]pyrrole (MCPTH) as both reducing as well as the capping agent. The developed MCPTH-PtNPs nano-assembly has been characterized by HRTEM, XRD, XPS, TGA and FTIR methods. Grafting capability of MCPTH on PtNPs was envisaged by molecular dynamics simulations that renders towards the complemented role of ligand in capping the surface via metal-acceptor interactions. These nanoparticles have been exploited for chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes using molecular hydrogen at room temperature. Supplemented computational and experimental apprehension clearly corroborates that hydrazide group remains in close contact with the surface and provides adequate coordination sites for the adsorption of nitrenes; required for hydrogenation. This catalytic approach can be conceived as an important tool for determining the electronic and structural influence on the catalytic activity which may open new vistas pertaining to the use of calix functionalized nanocatalyst.

  16. Synthesis of Cycloveratrylene Macrocycles and Benzyl Oligomers Catalysed by Bentonite under Microwave/Infrared and Solvent-Free Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Salmón

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Tonsil Actisil FF, which is a commercial bentonitic clay, promotes the formation of cycloveratrylene macrocycles and benzyl oligomers from the corresponding benzyl alcohols in good yields under microwave heating and infrared irradiation in the absence of solvent in both cases. The catalytic reaction is sensitive to the type of substituent on the aromatic ring. Thus, when benzyl alcohol was substituted with a methylenedioxy, two methoxy or three methoxy groups, a cyclooligomerisation process was induced. Unsubstituted, methyl and methoxy benzyl alcohols yielded linear oligomers. In addition, computational chemistry calculations were performed to establish a validated mechanistic pathway to explain the growth of the obtained linear oligomers.

  17. Structure and properties of binary polystyrene-epoxy acrylate oligomer mixtures irradiated by electron beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lomonosova, N.V.

    1995-01-01

    The change in the structure of oriented polymer-oligomer systems based on polystyrene (PS) with M > 10 6 and epoxy acrylate oligomers (aliphatic and aromatic) under irradiation by accelerated electrons was studied using birefringence, isometric heating, IR dichroism, and thermooptical analysis. Mechanical properties of these systems were investigated. It was found that, by adding aliphatic epoxy acrylate to PS and further irradiating this mixture, one can obtain both isotropic and oriented composites with higher strengths, elasticity moduli, and glass transition temperatures

  18. Electrochromic properties of multicolored novel polymer synthesized via combination of benzotriazole and N-functionalized 2,5-di(2-thienyl)-1H-pyrrole units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rende, Eda; Kilic, Cihan E.; Udum, Yasemin Arslan; Toffoli, Daniele; Toppare, Levent

    2014-01-01

    Synthesis of new conducting polymers is desired since their electrochemical and optical properties enable them to be used as active layers in many device applications. Benzotriazole and N-functionalized 2,5-di(2-thienyl)-1H-pyrrole (SNS Series) containing polymers showed very promising results as electrochromic materials. In order to observe the effect of the combination of these two units, three new monomers; 2-(6-(2,5-bis(5-methylthiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)hexyl)-4,7-di (thiophen-2-yl)-2H benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole (M1), 2-(6-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)hexyl)-4,7-di(thiophen-2-yl) -2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole (M2) and 2-(6-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)hexyl)-4,7-bis (5-methylthiophen-2-yl)-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole (M3) were synthesized. To better characterize the electronic and spectroscopic properties of the monomers, density functional theory (DFT) and its time-dependent generalization (TD-DFT) were used to calculate their vertical ionization potentials, vertical electron affinity and to simulate and interpret their infrared and UV-vis spectra. The monomers were electrochemically polymerized and the resultant polymers were characterized with cyclic voltammetry and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy techniques. An electrochromic device was constructed with electrochemical polymer of M2. The device switched between red and blue colors and showed exceptional optical memory

  19. Natural amyloid-β oligomers acutely impair the formation of a contextual fear memory in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kara A Kittelberger

    Full Text Available Memory loss is one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD. It has been proposed that soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta oligomers acutely impair neuronal function and thereby memory. We here report that natural Abeta oligomers acutely impair contextual fear memory in mice. A natural Abeta oligomer solution containing Abeta monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers was derived from the conditioned medium of 7PA2 cells, a cell line that expresses human amyloid precursor protein containing the Val717Phe familial AD mutation. As a control we used 7PA2 conditioned medium from which Abeta oligomers were removed through immunodepletion. Separate groups of mice were injected with Abeta and control solutions through a cannula into the lateral brain ventricle, and subjected to fear conditioning using two tone-shock pairings. One day after fear conditioning, mice were tested for contextual fear memory and tone fear memory in separate retrieval trials. Three experiments were performed. For experiment 1, mice were injected three times: 1 hour before and 3 hours after fear conditioning, and 1 hour before context retrieval. For experiments 2 and 3, mice were injected a single time at 1 hour and 2 hours before fear conditioning respectively. In all three experiments there was no effect on tone fear memory. Injection of Abeta 1 hour before fear conditioning, but not 2 hours before fear conditioning, impaired the formation of a contextual fear memory. In future studies, the acute effect of natural Abeta oligomers on contextual fear memory can be used to identify potential mechanisms and treatments of AD associated memory loss.

  20. meso-Octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole as an effective macrocyclic receptor for the univalent thallium cation in the gas phase: Experimental and theoretical study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polášek, Miroslav; Makrlík, Emanuel; Kvíčala, Jaroslav; Křížová, Věra; Vaňura, Petr

    2018-02-01

    By using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), it was proven experimentally that the univalent thallium cation (Tl+) forms with meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole (1) the cationic complex species 1 Tl+. When this kinetically stable cation-π complex 1 Tl+ is collisionally activated, it decomposes by elimination of the whole ligand 1 or small meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole fragments. Further, applying quantum chemical DFT calculations, four different conformations of the resulting complex 1 Tl+ were derived. It means that under the present experimental conditions, this ligand 1 can be considered as a very effective macrocyclic receptor for the thallium cation.

  1. Atomistic simulation of CO 2 solubility in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Bingbing; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

    2013-01-01

    We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations coupled with thermodynamic integration to obtain the excess chemical potential and pressure-composition phase diagrams for CO2 in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers. Poly(ethylene oxide

  2. Investigation of the structure of isobutylene oligomers, used in the capacity of stock for succinimide additives, by the method of proton magnetic resonance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iarmoliuk, V.M.; Garun, Ia.E.; Ostroverkhov, V.G.; Pustovit, V.E.; Tikhonov, V.P.

    1980-01-01

    By the method of proton magnetic resonance, investigation was made of the structure of hydrocarbon framework of isobutylene oligomers of the Salavatsk petrochemical plant, produced by the cation polymerization of the isobutane isobutylene fraction at a temperature from -10 to +20/sup 0/ with A1C1/sub 3/ and used in the production of succinide additives. Determination was made of the qualitative and quantitative compositions of the various structures in the oligomers. It is shown, that as a rule, oligobutenes are not pure oligomers of isobutylene, but represent, at least, fragments of four structures, which can be formed on the basis of isobutylene. The content of the given structures does not affect the reaction capacity of the oligomers in respect to the maleic anhydride. It was established, that the low molecular fraction, contained in oligomers up to 5%, are not isobutylene oligomers, but represent a low molecular polymer of butene-2 and its copolymer with isobutylene.

  3. A Submarine Journey: The Pyrrole-Imidazole Alkaloids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Scolaro

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available In his most celebrated tale “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, Oscar Wilde stated that “those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril”. This sentence could be a prophetical warning for the practitioner who voluntarily challenges himself with trying to synthesize marine sponge-deriving pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids. This now nearly triple-digit membered community has been growing exponentially in the last 20 years, both in terms of new representatives and topological complexity − from simple, achiral oroidin to the breathtaking 12-ring stylissadines A and B, each possessing 16 stereocenters. While the biosynthesis and the role in the sponge economy of most of these alkaloids still lies in the realm of speculations, significant biological activities for some of them have clearly emerged. This review will account for the progress in achieving the total synthesis of the more biologically enticing members of this class of natural products.

  4. Interaction of derived polymers from pyrrole with biocompatible solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez G, O. G.

    2010-01-01

    This work presents a study about the synthesis by plasma, the electric properties and superficial interaction of polymers derived from pyrrole doped with Iodine with potential use as bio material. Poly-pyrrole is a semiconductor and biocompatible polymer with potential application in the development of artificial muscles and implants where the electric interaction between cells and material is an important variable. The syntheses were made at 13.5 MHz in a glass tubular reactor of 1500 cm 3 with electrodes of 6.5 cm diameter and stainless steel flanges. An electrode was connected to the RF terminal of the power supply that is combined with a matching coupling resistance. The monomer and dopant used in this work were pyrrole and Iodine respectively, in closed containers. They were vaporized and injected separately into the reactor at room temperature and 0.1 mbar. The vapors of the reagents mixed freely in the reactor. The synthesis time was 240 min at 40, 60, 80 and 100 W. The polymers were obtained as thin films adhered to the reactor walls. The films were washed and swollen with distilled water and removed from the reactor walls with a small spatula. The polymers were irradiated with gamma rays at 18 and 22 KGy. Due to the fact that the doses are cumulative, the final dose applied was 40 KGy. The polymers characterization was carried out by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, electrical conductivity and X-ray diffraction. The analyses indicates that the polymers have very similar structure in almost the entire power range, showing C-O, C=C, C-H, O-H, N-H bonds with a predominantly amorphous structure. The TGA analyses showed that the material has 4 or 5 loses of material. The first one starts after that 115 C except for the material irradiated at 40 KGy, this one begins in 87 C, the second one is in the interval of 196 and 295 C, the third one between 311 and 500 C, and the last

  5. Macrocyclic 2,7-Anthrylene Oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Yuta; Wakamatsu, Kan; Iwanaga, Tetsuo; Sato, Hiroyasu; Toyota, Shinji

    2016-05-06

    A macrocyclic compound consisting of six 2,7-anthrylene units was successfully synthesized by Ni-mediated coupling of the corresponding dibromo precursor as a novel π-conjugated compound. This compound was sufficiently stable and soluble in organic solvents due to the presence of mesityl groups. X-ray analysis showed that the molecule had a nonplanar and hexagonal wheel-shaped framework of approximately S6 symmetry. The dynamic process between two S6 structures was observed by using the dynamic NMR technique, the barrier being 58 kJ mol(-1) . The spectroscopic properties of the hexamer were compared with those of analogous linear oligomers. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Intrahippocampal Administration of Amyloid-β1–42 Oligomers Acutely Impairs Spatial Working Memory, Insulin Signaling, and Hippocampal Metabolism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson-Leary, Jiah; McNay, Ewan C.

    2017-01-01

    Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal brain accumulation of amyloid-β1–42 (Aβ1–42) oligomers plays a causal role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and in particular may cause the cognitive deficits that are the hallmark of AD. In vitro, Aβ1–42 oligomers impair insulin signaling and suppress neural functioning. We previously showed that endogenous insulin signaling is an obligatory component of normal hippocampal function, and that disrupting this signaling led to a rapid impairment of spatial working memory, while delivery of exogenous insulin to the hippocampus enhanced both memory and metabolism; diet-induced insulin resistance both impaired spatial memory and prevented insulin from increasing metabolism or cognitive function. Hence, we tested the hypothesis that Aβ1–42 oligomers could acutely impair hippocampal metabolic and cognitive processes in vivo in the rat. Our findings support this hypothesis: Aβ1–42 oligomers impaired spontaneous alternation behavior while preventing the task-associated dip in hippocampal ECF glucose observed in control animals. In addition, Aβ1–42 oligomers decreased plasma membrane translocation of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter 4 (GluT4), and impaired insulin signaling as measured by phosphorylation of Akt. These data show in vivo that Aβ1–42 oligomers can rapidly impair hippocampal cognitive and metabolic processes, and provide support for the hypothesis that elevated Aβ1–42 leads to cognitive impairment via interference with hippocampal insulin signaling. PMID:22430529

  7. Extracellular Tau Oligomers Induce Invasion of Endogenous Tau into the Somatodendritic Compartment and Axonal Transport Dysfunction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanson, Eric; Breckenridge, Leigham; McMahon, Lloyd; Som, Sreemoyee; McConnell, Ian; Bloom, George S.

    2017-01-01

    Aggregates composed of the microtubule associated protein, tau, are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s tauopathies. Extracellular tau can induce the accumulation and aggregation of intracellular tau, and tau pathology can be transmitted along neural networks over time. There are six splice variants of central nervous system tau, and various oligomeric and fibrillar forms are associated with neurodegeneration in vivo. The particular extracellular forms of tau capable of transferring tau pathology from neuron to neuron remain ill defined, however, as do the consequences of intracellular tau aggregation on neuronal physiology. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of extracellular tau monomers, oligomers, and filaments comprising various tau isoforms on the behavior of cultured neurons. We found that 2N4R or 2N3R tau oligomers provoked aggregation of endogenous intracellular tau much more effectively than monomers or fibrils, or of oligomers made from other tau isoforms, and that a mixture of all six isoforms most potently provoked intracellular tau accumulation. These effects were associated with invasion of tau into the somatodendritic compartment. Finally, we observed that 2N4R oligomers perturbed fast axonal transport of membranous organelles along microtubules. Intracellular tau accumulation was often accompanied by increases in the run length, run time and instantaneous velocity of membranous cargo. This work indicates that extracellular tau oligomers can disrupt normal neuronal homeostasis by triggering axonal tau accumulation and loss of the polarized distribution of tau, and by impairing fast axonal transport. PMID:28482642

  8. Alpha-synuclein oligomers - neurotoxic molecules in Parkinson’s disease and other Lewy body disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Ingelsson

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Adverse intra- and extracellular effects of toxic α-synuclein are believed to be central to the pathogenesis in Parkinson’s disease and other disorders with Lewy body pathology in the nervous system. One of the physiological roles of α-synuclein relates to the regulation of neurotransmitter release at the presynapse, although it is still unclear whether this mechanism depends on the action of monomers or smaller oligomers. As for the pathogenicity, accumulating evidence suggest that prefibrillar species, rather than the deposits per se, are responsible for the toxicity in affected cells. In particular, larger oligomers or protofibrils of α-synuclein have been shown to impair protein degradation as well as the function of several organelles, such as the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. Accumulating evidence further suggest that oligomers/protofibrils may have a toxic effect on the synapse, which may lead to disrupted electrophysiological properties. In addition, recent data indicate that oligomeric α-synuclein species can spread between cells, either as free-floating proteins or via extracellular vesicles, and thereby act as seeds to propagate disease between interconnected brain regions. Taken together, several lines of evidence suggest that α-synuclein have neurotoxic properties and therefore should be an appropriate molecular target for therapeutic intervention in Parkinson’s disease and other disorders with Lewy pathology. In this context, immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies against α-synuclein oligomers/protofibrils should be a particularly attractive treatment option.

  9. Targeting α-synuclein oligomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Diggelen, Femke

    Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a complex disease, characterised by degeneration of neocortical, limbic and nigrostriatal neurons. It is unknown what initiates neurodegeneration, but soluble oligomers of the protein α-synuclein (αSn) seem to be particularly toxic, compared to insoluble fibrils...... unique characteristics, e.g. they were recognized by different conformational antibodies and DHA–αSOs also formed a second elongated species in addition to the dominant spherical species. Although further functional testing is needed, this suggests that each species has its own distinct toxic mechanism......+/K+ ATPase, V-type ATPase, VDAC, CaMKII and Rab-3A. The identification of these targets is a first step towards unravelling the toxic pathways which are activated upon synaptic binding of extracellularly added αSOs, and hopefully will contribute to the discovery of new disease modifying compounds, which can...

  10. Use of solvent to regulate the degree of polymerisation in weakly associated supramolecular oligomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bähring, Steffen; Kim, D. S.; Duedal, T.

    2014-01-01

    Using a tetrathiafulvalene functionalised calix[4] pyrrole (TTF-C[4]P; 1) and alkyl diester-linked bis-dinitrophenols (2-4), it was found that the solvent polarity and linker length have an effect on the molecular aggregation behaviour. 2D H-1 NOESY, DOSY NMR and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopic studies...

  11. Molecular size evolution of oligomers in organic aerosols collected in urban atmospheres and generated in a smog chamber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalberer, Markus; Sax, Mirjam; Samburova, Vera

    2006-10-01

    Only a minor fraction of the total organic aerosol mass can be resolved on a molecular level. High molecular weight compounds in organic aerosols have recently gained much attention because this class of compound potentially explains a major fraction of the unexplained organic aerosol mass. These compounds have been identified with different mass spectrometric methods, and compounds with molecular masses up to 1000 Da are found in secondary organic aerosols (SOA) generated from aromatic and terpene precursors in smog chamber experiments. Here, we apply matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to SOA particles from two biogenic precursors, alpha-pinene and isoprene. Similar oligomer patterns are found in these two SOA systems, but also in SOA from trimethylbenzene, an anthropogenic SOA precursor. However, different maxima molecular sizes were measured for these three SOA systems. While oligomers in alpha-pinene and isoprene have sizes mostly below 600-700 Da, they grow up to about 1000 Da in trimethylbenzene-SOA. The final molecular size of the oligomers is reached early during the particle aging process, whereas other particle properties related to aging, such as the overall acid concentration or the oligomer concentration, increase continuously over a much longer time scale. This kinetic behavior of the oligomer molecular size growth can be explained by a chain growth kinetic regime. Similar oligomer mass patterns were measured in aqueous extracts of ambient aerosol samples (measured with the same technique). Distinct differences between summer and winter were observed. In summer a few single mass peaks were measured with much higher intensity than in winter, pointing to a possible difference in the formation processes of these compounds in winter and summer.

  12. Isolation and Quantification of Polyamide Cyclic Oligomers in Kitchen Utensils and Their Migration into Various Food Simulants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Yutaka; Mutsuga, Motoh; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Kawamura, Yoko; Akiyama, Hiroshi

    2016-01-01

    Small amounts of cyclic monomers and oligomers are present in polyamide (PA)-based kitchen utensils. In this study, we isolated eight PA-based cyclic monomers and oligomers from kitchen utensils made from PA6 (a polymer of ε-caprolactam) and PA66 (a polymer of 1,6-diaminohexane and adipic acid). Their structures were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and their residual levels in PA-based kitchen utensils and degree of migration into food simulants were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using purchased PA6 monomer and isolated PA66 monomers, and isolated PA6 and PA66 oligomers as calibration standards. Their total residual levels among 23 PA-based kitchen utensils made from PA6, PA66, and copolymers of PA6 and PA66 (PA6/66) ranged from 7.8 to 20 mg/g. Using water, 20% ethanol, and olive oil as food simulants, the total migration levels of the PA monomers and oligomers ranged from 0.66 to 100 μg/cm2 under most examined conditions. However, the total migration levels of the PA66 monomer and oligomers from PA66 and PA6/66 kitchen utensils into 20% ethanol at 95°C were very high (1,700 and 2,200 μg/cm2, respectively) due to swelling by high-temperature ethanol.

  13. Isolation and Quantification of Polyamide Cyclic Oligomers in Kitchen Utensils and Their Migration into Various Food Simulants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yutaka Abe

    Full Text Available Small amounts of cyclic monomers and oligomers are present in polyamide (PA-based kitchen utensils. In this study, we isolated eight PA-based cyclic monomers and oligomers from kitchen utensils made from PA6 (a polymer of ε-caprolactam and PA66 (a polymer of 1,6-diaminohexane and adipic acid. Their structures were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and their residual levels in PA-based kitchen utensils and degree of migration into food simulants were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using purchased PA6 monomer and isolated PA66 monomers, and isolated PA6 and PA66 oligomers as calibration standards. Their total residual levels among 23 PA-based kitchen utensils made from PA6, PA66, and copolymers of PA6 and PA66 (PA6/66 ranged from 7.8 to 20 mg/g. Using water, 20% ethanol, and olive oil as food simulants, the total migration levels of the PA monomers and oligomers ranged from 0.66 to 100 μg/cm2 under most examined conditions. However, the total migration levels of the PA66 monomer and oligomers from PA66 and PA6/66 kitchen utensils into 20% ethanol at 95°C were very high (1,700 and 2,200 μg/cm2, respectively due to swelling by high-temperature ethanol.

  14. A combined semiempirical-DFT study of oligomers within the finite-chain approximation, evolution from oligomers to polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derosa, Pedro A

    2009-06-01

    A computationally cheap approach combining time-independent density functional theory (TIDFT) and semiempirical methods with an appropriate extrapolation procedure is proposed to accurately estimate geometrical and electronic properties of conjugated polymers using just a small set of oligomers. The highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap (HLG) obtained at a TIDFT level (B3PW91) for two polymers, trans-polyacetylene--the simplest conjugated polymer, and a much larger poly(2-methoxy-5-(2,9-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MEH-PPV) polymer converge to virtually the same asymptotic value than the excitation energy obtained with time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations using the same functional. For TIDFT geometries, the HLG is found to converge to a value within the experimentally accepted range for the band gap of these polymers, when an exponential extrapolation is used; however if semiempirical geometries are used, a linear fit of the HLG versus 1/n is found to produce the best results. Geometrical parameters are observed to reach a saturation value in good agreement with experimental information, within the length of oligomers calculated here and no extrapolation was considered necessary. Finally, the performance of three different semiempirical methods (AM1, PM3, and MNDO) and for the TIDFT calculations, the performance of 7 different full electron basis sets (6-311+G**, 6-31+ +G**, 6-311+ +G**, 6-31+G**, 6-31G**, 6-31+G*, and 6-31G) is compared and it is determined that the choice of semiempirical method or the basis set does not significantly affect the results. 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Detection of the electronic structure of iron-(iii)-oxo oligomers forming in aqueous solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seidel, Robert; Kraffert, Katrin; Kabelitz, Anke; Pohl, Marvin N; Kraehnert, Ralph; Emmerling, Franziska; Winter, Bernd

    2017-12-13

    The nature of the small iron-oxo oligomers in iron-(iii) aqueous solutions has a determining effect on the chemical processes that govern the formation of nanoparticles in aqueous phase. Here we report on a liquid-jet photoelectron-spectroscopy experiment for the investigation of the electronic structure of the occurring iron-oxo oligomers in FeCl 3 aqueous solutions. The only iron species in the as-prepared 0.75 M solution are Fe 3+ monomers. Addition of NaOH initiates Fe 3+ hydrolysis which is followed by the formation of iron-oxo oligomers. At small enough NaOH concentrations, corresponding to approximately [OH]/[Fe] = 0.2-0.25 ratio, the iron oligomers can be stabilized for several hours without engaging in further aggregation. Here, we apply a combination of non-resonant as well as iron 2p and oxygen 1s resonant photoelectron spectroscopy from a liquid microjet to detect the electronic structure of the occurring species. Specifically, the oxygen 1s partial electron yield X-ray absorption (PEY-XA) spectra are found to exhibit a peak well below the onset of liquid water and OH - (aq) absorption. The iron 2p absorption gives rise to signal centered between the main absorption bands typical for aqueous Fe 3+ . Absorption bands in both PEY-XA spectra are found to correlate with an enhanced photoelectron peak near 20 eV binding energy, which demonstrates the sensitivity of resonant photoelectron (RPE) spectroscopy to mixing between iron and ligand orbitals. These various signals from the iron-oxo oligomers exhibit maximum intensity at [OH]/[Fe] = 0.25 ratio. For the same ratio, we observe changes in the pH as well as in complementary Raman spectra, which can be assigned to the transition from monomeric to oligomeric species. At approximately [OH]/[Fe] = 0.3 we begin to observe particles larger than 1 nm in radius, detected by small-angle X-ray scattering.

  16. SAXS and stability studies of iron-induced oligomers of bacterial frataxin CyaY.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mostafa Fekry

    Full Text Available Frataxin is a highly conserved protein found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It is involved in several central functions in cells, which include iron delivery to biochemical processes, such as heme synthesis, assembly of iron-sulfur clusters (ISC, storage of surplus iron in conditions of iron overload, and repair of ISC in aconitase. Frataxin from different organisms has been shown to undergo iron-dependent oligomerization. At least two different classes of oligomers, with different modes of oligomer packing and stabilization, have been identified. Here, we continue our efforts to explore the factors that control the oligomerization of frataxin from different organisms, and focus on E. coli frataxin CyaY. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, we show that higher iron-to-protein ratios lead to larger oligomeric species, and that oligomerization proceeds in a linear fashion as a results of iron oxidation. Native mass spectrometry and online size-exclusion chromatography combined with SAXS show that a dimer is the most common form of CyaY in the presence of iron at atmospheric conditions. Modeling of the dimer using the SAXS data confirms the earlier proposed head-to-tail packing arrangement of monomers. This packing mode brings several conserved acidic residues into close proximity to each other, creating an environment for metal ion binding and possibly even mineralization. Together with negative-stain electron microscopy, the experiments also show that trimers, tetramers, pentamers, and presumably higher-order oligomers may exist in solution. Nano-differential scanning fluorimetry shows that the oligomers have limited stability and may easily dissociate at elevated temperatures. The factors affecting the possible oligomerization mode are discussed.

  17. Antitumor Activity of a 5-Hydroxy-1H-Pyrrol-2-(5H-One-Based Synthetic Small Molecule In Vitro and In Vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunyun Geng

    Full Text Available Alternative chemo-reagents are in great demand because chemotherapy resistance is one of the major challenges in current cancer treatment. 5-hydoxy-1H-pyrrol-2-(5H-one is an important N-heterocyclic scaffold that is present in natural products and medicinal chemistry. However, its antitumor activity has not been systematically explored. In this study, we screened a panel of 5-hydoxy-1H-pyrrol-2-(5H-one derivatives and identified compound 1d as possessing strong anti-proliferative activity in multiple cancer cell lines. Cell cycle analysis revealed that 1d can induce S-phase cell cycle arrest and that HCT116 was sensitive to 1d-induced apoptosis. Further analysis indicated that 1d preferentially induced DNA damage and p53 activation in HCT116 cells and that 1d-induced apoptosis is partly dependent on p53. Furthermore, we showed that 1d significantly suppressed tumor growth in xenograft tumor models in vivo. Taken together, our results suggest that 5-hydoxy-1H-pyrrol-2-(5H-one derivatives bear potential antitumor activity and that 1d is an effective agent for cancer treatment.

  18. 3-(Dicyanomethylidene)indan-1-one-Functionalized Calix[4]arene-Calix[4]pyrrole Hybrid: An Ion-Pair Sensor for Cesium Salts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeon, Yerim; Leem, Soojung; Wagen, Corin; Lynch, Vincent M; Kim, Sung Kuk; Sessler, Jonathan L

    2016-09-02

    A chromogenic calix[4]arene-calix[4]pyrrole hybrid ion pair receptor bearing an indane substituent at a β-pyrrolic position has been prepared. On the basis of solution-phase UV-vis spectroscopic analysis and (1)H NMR spectroscopic studies carried out in 10% methanol in chloroform, receptor 1 is able to bind only cesium ion pairs (e.g., CsF, CsCl, and CsNO3) but not the constituent cesium cation (as its perchlorate salt) or the F(-), Cl(-), or NO3(-) anions (as the tetrabutylammonium salts). It thus displays rudimentary AND logic gate behavior. Receptor 1 shows a colorimetric response to cesium ion pairs under conditions of solid-liquid (nitrobenzene) and liquid-liquid (D2O-nitrobenzene-d5) extraction.

  19. Silica sulfuric acid: a reusable solid catalyst for one pot synthesis of densely substituted pyrrole-fused isocoumarins under solvent-free conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudipta Pathak

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available A convenient and efficient methodology for the synthesis of densely substituted pyrrole-fused isocoumarins, which employs solid-supported silica sulfuric acid (SSA as catalyst, has been developed. When the mixture of ninhydrin adducts of acetylacetone/ethyl acetoacetate and primary amines was heated on the solid surface of SSA under solvent-free conditions, the pyrrole-fused isocoumarins were formed in good yields. This synthetic method has several advantages such as the employment of solvent-free reaction conditions without the use of any toxic reagents and metal catalysts, the ease of product isolation, the use of a recyclable catalyst, the low cost, the easy availability of the starting materials, and the excellent yields of products.

  20. Tumor delivery of antisense oligomer using trastuzumab within a streptavidin nanoparticle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yi [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States); Yale University, Yale PET Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, New Haven, CT (United States); Liu, Xinrong; Chen, Ling; Cheng, Dengfeng; Rusckowski, Mary [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States); Hnatowich, Donald J. [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States); Umass Medical School, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States)

    2009-12-15

    Trastuzumab (Herceptin trademark) is often internalized following binding to Her2+ tumor cells. The objective of this study was to investigate whether trastuzumab can be used as a specific carrier to deliver antisense oligomers into Her2+ tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. A biotinylated MORF oligomer antisense to RhoC mRNA and its biotinylated sense control were labeled with either lissamine for fluorescence detection or {sup 99m}Tc for radioactivity detection and were linked to biotinylated trastuzumab via streptavidin. The nanoparticles were studied in SUM190 (RhoC+, Her2+) study and SUM149 (RhoC+, Her2-) control cells in culture and as xenografts in mice. As evidence of unimpaired Her2+ binding of trastuzumab within the nanoparticle, accumulations were clearly higher in SUM190 compared to SUM149 cells and, by whole-body imaging, targeting of SUM190 tumor was similar to that expected for a radiolabeled trastuzumab. As evidence of internalization, fluorescence microscopy images of cells grown in culture and obtained from xenografts showed uniform cytoplasm distribution of the lissamine-MORF. An invasion assay showed decreased RhoC expression in SUM190 cells when incubated with the antisense MORF nanoparticles at only 100 nM. Both in cell culture and in animals, the nanoparticle with trastuzumab as specific carrier greatly improved tumor delivery of the antisense oligomer against RhoC mRNA into tumor cells overexpressing Her2 and may be of general utility. (orig.)

  1. Chemical and Biological Significance of Oenothein B and Related Ellagitannin Oligomers with Macrocyclic Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takashi Yoshida

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In 1990, Okuda et al. reported the first isolation and characterization of oenothein B, a unique ellagitannin dimer with a macrocyclic structure, from the Oenothera erythrosepala leaves. Since then, a variety of macrocyclic analogs, including trimeric–heptameric oligomers have been isolated from various medicinal plants belonging to Onagraceae, Lythraceae, and Myrtaceae. Among notable in vitro and in vivo biological activities reported for oenothein B are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, enzyme inhibitory, antitumor, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory activities. Oenothein B and related oligomers, and/or plant extracts containing them have thus attracted increasing interest as promising targets for the development of chemopreventive agents of life-related diseases associated with oxygen stress in human health. In order to better understand the significance of this type of ellagitannin in medicinal plants, this review summarizes (1 the structural characteristics of oenothein B and related dimers; (2 the oxidative metabolites of oenothein B up to heptameric oligomers; (3 the distribution of oenotheins and other macrocyclic analogs in the plant kingdom; and (4 the pharmacological activities hitherto documented for oenothein B, including those recently found by our laboratory.

  2. Co-existence of two different α-synuclein oligomers with different core structures determined by hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paslawski, Wojciech; Mysling, Simon; Thomsen, Karen

    2014-01-01

    Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the formation of protein oligomers and amyloid fibrils, which in the case of Parkinson's disease involves the protein α-synuclein (αSN). Cytotoxicity is mainly associated with the oligomeric species, but we still know little about their assembly...... are protected from exchange with D2 O until they dissociate into monomeric αSN by EX1 exchange kinetics. Fewer residues are protected against exchange in oligomer type II, but this type does not revert to αSN monomers. Both oligomers are protected in the core sequence Y39-A89. Based on incubation studies...

  3. Regeneration of cello-oligomers via selective depolymerization of cellulose fibers derived from printed paper wastes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voon, Lee Ken; Pang, Suh Cem; Chin, Suk Fun

    2016-05-20

    Cellulose extracted from printed paper wastes were selectively depolymerized under controlled conditions into cello-oligomers of controllable chain lengths via dissolution in an ionic liquid, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AMIMCl), and in the presence of an acid catalyst, Amberlyst 15DRY. The depolymerization process was optimized against reaction temperature, concentration of acid catalyst, and reaction time. Despite rapid initial depolymerization process, the rate of cellulose depolymerization slowed down gradually upon prolonged reaction time, with 75.0 wt% yield of regenerated cello-oligomers (mean Viscosimetric Degree of Polymerization value of 81) obtained after 40 min. The depolymerization of cellulose fibers at 80 °C appeared to proceed via a second-order kinetic reaction with respect to the catalyst concentration of 0.23 mmol H3O(+). As such, the cellulose depolymerization process could afford some degree of control on the degree of polymerization or chain lengths of cello-oligomers formed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Organization of the resting TCR in nanoscale oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schamel, Wolfgang W A; Alarcón, Balbino

    2013-01-01

    Despite the low affinity of the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) for its peptide/major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligand, T cells are very sensitive to their antigens. This paradox can be resolved if we consider that the TCR may be organized into pre-existing oligomers or nanoclusters. Such structures could improve antigen recognition by increasing the functional affinity (avidity) of the TCR-pMHC interaction and by allowing cooperativity between individual TCRs. Up to approximately 20 TCRs become tightly apposed in these nanoclusters, often in a linear manner, and such structures could reflect a relatively generalized phenomenon: the non-random concentration of membrane receptors in specific areas of the plasma membrane known as protein islands. The association of TCRs into nanoclusters can explain the enhanced kinetics of the pMHC-TCR interaction in two dimensional versus three dimensional systems, but also their existence calls for a revision of the TCR triggering models based on pMHC-induced TCR clustering. Interestingly, the B-cell receptor and the FcεRI have also been shown to form nanoclusters, suggesting that the formation of pre-existing receptor oligomers could be widely used in the immune system. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. Single-molecule studies of oligomer extraction and uptake of dyes in poly(dimethylsiloxane) films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Jeffrey J; Collinson, Maryanne M; Culbertson, Christopher T; Higgins, Daniel A

    2009-12-15

    Single-molecule microscopic methods were used to probe the uptake, mobility, and entrapment of dye molecules in cured poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) films as a function of oligomer extraction. The results are relevant to the use of PDMS in microfluidic separations, pervaporation, solid-phase microextraction, and nanofiltration. PDMS films were prepared by spin-casting dilute solutions of Sylgard 184 onto glass coverslips, yielding approximately 1.4 microm thick films after curing. Residual oligomers were subsequently extracted from the films by "spin extraction". In this procedure, 200 microL aliquots of isopropyl alcohol were repeatedly dropped onto the film surface and spun off at 2000 rpm. Samples extracted 5, 10, 20, and 40 times were investigated. Dye molecules were loaded into these films by spin-casting nanomolar dye solutions onto the films. Both neutral perylene diimide (N,N'-bis(butoxypropyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide) and cationic rhodamine 6G (R6G) dyes were employed. The films were imaged by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The images obtained depict nonzero populations of fixed and mobile molecules in all films. Cross-correlation methods were used to quantitatively determine the population of fixed molecules in a given region, while a Bayesian burst analysis was used to obtain the total population of molecules. The results show that the total amount of dye loaded increases with increased oligomer extraction, while the relative populations of fixed and mobile molecules decrease and increase, respectively. Bulk R6G data also show greater dye loading with increased oligomer extraction.

  6. Acids and alkali resistant sticky superhydrophobic surfaces by one-pot electropolymerization of perfluoroalkyl alkyl pyrrole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolas, Mael

    2010-03-15

    Over the past few years, electropolymerization of semifluorinated monomers like thiophene or pyrrole has been used as a gentle and effective method to generate, in one step, stable superhydrophobic surfaces. The synthetic route mostly involves the coupling reaction between a carboxylic acid and an alcohol, using a carboxy group-activated reagent and a catalyst. As a consequence, the electroformed surfaces present high liquid repellency due to the concomitant effect of roughness and low surface energy. Nevertheless, the ester connector can be cleaved under acidic and basic conditions, preventing its use under a range of environmental conditions. To overcome this drawback, a new perfluoroalkyl alkyl pyrrole has been synthesized, the fluorinated segment being connected to the electropolymerizable part via an alkyl chain, and electropolymerized, leading to surfaces that exhibit a static contact angle with water superior to 150 degrees and no sliding angle, over a wide pH range and with a long lifetime. This represents the first example of a pure conducting polymer surface with sticky superhydrophobicity not only in pure water but also in corrosive solutions such as acids and bases, giving rise to new prospects in practical applications. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Programmable Oligomers Targeting 5′-GGGG-3′ in the Minor Groove of DNA and NF-κB Binding Inhibition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chenoweth, David M.; Poposki, Julie A.; Marques, Michael A.; Dervan, Peter B.

    2009-01-01

    A series of hairpin oligomers containing benzimidazole (Bi) and imidazopyridine (Ip) rings were synthesized and screened to target 5′-WGGGGW-3′, a core sequence in the DNA binding site of NF-κB, a prolific transcription factor important in biology and disease. Five Bi and Ip containing oligomers bound to the 5′-WGGGGW-3′ site with high affinity. One of the oligomers (Im-Im-Im-Im-γ-PyBi-PyBi-β-Dp) was able to inhibit DNA binding by the transcription factor NF-κB. PMID:17095230

  8. Structural fingerprints and their evolution during oligomeric vs. oligomer-free amyloid fibril growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley, Joseph; Hill, Shannon E; Miti, Tatiana; Mulaj, Mentor; Ciesla, Marissa; Robeel, Rhonda; Persichilli, Christopher; Raynes, Rachel; Westerheide, Sandy; Muschol, Martin

    2013-09-28

    Deposits of fibrils formed by disease-specific proteins are the molecular hallmark of such diverse human disorders as Alzheimer's disease, type II diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. Amyloid fibril formation by structurally and functionally unrelated proteins exhibits many generic characteristics, most prominently the cross β-sheet structure of their mature fibrils. At the same time, amyloid formation tends to proceed along one of two separate assembly pathways yielding either stiff monomeric filaments or globular oligomers and curvilinear protofibrils. Given the focus on oligomers as major toxic species, the very existence of an oligomer-free assembly pathway is significant. Little is known, though, about the structure of the various intermediates emerging along different pathways and whether the pathways converge towards a common or distinct fibril structures. Using infrared spectroscopy we probed the structural evolution of intermediates and late-stage fibrils formed during in vitro lysozyme amyloid assembly along an oligomeric and oligomer-free pathway. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed that both pathways produced amyloid-specific β-sheet peaks, but at pathway-specific wavenumbers. We further found that the amyloid-specific dye thioflavin T responded to all intermediates along either pathway. The relative amplitudes of thioflavin T fluorescence responses displayed pathway-specific differences and could be utilized for monitoring the structural evolution of intermediates. Pathway-specific structural features obtained from infrared spectroscopy and Thioflavin T responses were identical for fibrils grown at highly acidic or at physiological pH values and showed no discernible effects of protein hydrolysis. Our results suggest that late-stage fibrils formed along either pathway are amyloidogenic in nature, but have distinguishable structural fingerprints. These pathway-specific fingerprints emerge during the earliest aggregation events and persist throughout the

  9. Structural fingerprints and their evolution during oligomeric vs. oligomer-free amyloid fibril growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley, Joseph; Hill, Shannon E.; Miti, Tatiana; Mulaj, Mentor; Ciesla, Marissa; Robeel, Rhonda; Persichilli, Christopher; Raynes, Rachel; Westerheide, Sandy; Muschol, Martin

    2013-09-01

    Deposits of fibrils formed by disease-specific proteins are the molecular hallmark of such diverse human disorders as Alzheimer's disease, type II diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. Amyloid fibril formation by structurally and functionally unrelated proteins exhibits many generic characteristics, most prominently the cross β-sheet structure of their mature fibrils. At the same time, amyloid formation tends to proceed along one of two separate assembly pathways yielding either stiff monomeric filaments or globular oligomers and curvilinear protofibrils. Given the focus on oligomers as major toxic species, the very existence of an oligomer-free assembly pathway is significant. Little is known, though, about the structure of the various intermediates emerging along different pathways and whether the pathways converge towards a common or distinct fibril structures. Using infrared spectroscopy we probed the structural evolution of intermediates and late-stage fibrils formed during in vitro lysozyme amyloid assembly along an oligomeric and oligomer-free pathway. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed that both pathways produced amyloid-specific β-sheet peaks, but at pathway-specific wavenumbers. We further found that the amyloid-specific dye thioflavin T responded to all intermediates along either pathway. The relative amplitudes of thioflavin T fluorescence responses displayed pathway-specific differences and could be utilized for monitoring the structural evolution of intermediates. Pathway-specific structural features obtained from infrared spectroscopy and Thioflavin T responses were identical for fibrils grown at highly acidic or at physiological pH values and showed no discernible effects of protein hydrolysis. Our results suggest that late-stage fibrils formed along either pathway are amyloidogenic in nature, but have distinguishable structural fingerprints. These pathway-specific fingerprints emerge during the earliest aggregation events and persist throughout the

  10. Non-Covalent Functionalisation of C30 Fullerene by Pyrrole-n-Carboxylic Acid (n=2, 3): Density Functional Theory Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harismah, Kun; Mirzaei, Mahmoud; Ghasemi, Nahid; Nejati, Mohammad

    2017-12-01

    For functionalisation of a representative C30 fullerene nanostructure by pyrrole-n-carboxylic acid (PnCA; n=2, 3) their stabilities and properties were investigated based on density functional theory calculations. Parallel calculations were also done for C60 fullerene as evidence for comparing the results. Non-covalent interactions are considered to make the functionalised structures. In contrast with the spherical shape of C60, the shape of C30 fullerene is elliptical; therefore, the functionalisation processes were done for both axial and equatorial elliptical positions (AC30 and EC30). The results indicated that both the positions of C30 have almost equivalent chances to be functionalised by PnCA; but functionalisation by P2CA is slightly more favourable than P3CA, either for C60. The illustrated molecular orbitals' distributions indicated that the direction of charge transfer could be considered from PnCA counterparts to fullerene counterparts. The molecular properties indicated more reactivity for C30 than for C60 fullerene. Finally, the atomic scale quadrupole coupling constants indicated different roles for N and O atoms of PnCA in the functionalised models.

  11. "Nail" and "comb" effects of cholesterol modified NIPAm oligomers on cancer targeting liposomes

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Wengang; Deng, Lin; Moosa, Basem; Wang, Guangchao; Mashat, Afnan; Khashab, Niveen M.

    2014-01-01

    Thermosensitive liposomes are a promising approach to controlled release and reduced drug cytotoxicity. Low molecular weight N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) oligomers (NOs) with different architectures (main chain NOs (MCNOs) and side chain NOs (SCNOs)) were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and radical polymerization and then separately used to prepare thermosensitive liposomes. A more controlled and enhanced release was observed for both NO liposomes compared to pristine ones. Two release mechanisms depending on the oligomer architecture, namely "nail" for MCNOs and "comb" for SCNOs, are proposed. In addition to thermosensitivity, the cancer targeting property of NO liposomes was achieved by further biotinylation of the delivery system. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  12. The Synthesis of Novel 3-Substituted Poly(pyrroles) Bearing Crown-ether Moieties and a Study of their Electrochemical Properties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guernion, Nicolas J.L.; Blencowe, A.; Hayes, Wayne

    2006-01-01

    A series of fourteen novel pyrrole monomers substituted at the 3-position with aliphatic and aromatic crown-ether moieties have been synthesised in good yield and characterised extensively. Several of those compounds were electropolymerised successfully in acetonitrile, using both potentiostatic ...

  13. Liquid Crystalline Thermosets from Ester, Ester-imide, and Ester-amide Oligomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dingemans, Theodorus J. (Inventor); Weiser, Erik S. (Inventor); St. Clair, Terry L. (Inventor)

    2009-01-01

    Main chain thermotropic liquid crystal esters, ester-imides, and ester-amides were prepared from AA, BB, and AB type monomeric materials and end-capped with phenylacetylene, phenylmaleimide, or nadimide reactive end-groups. The end-capped liquid crystal oligomers are thermotropic and have, preferably, molecular weights in the range of approximately 1000-15,000 grams per mole. The end-capped liquid crystaloligomers have broad liquid crystalline melting ranges and exhibit high melt stability and very low melt viscosities at accessible temperatures. The end-capped liquid crystal oli-gomers are stable forup to an hour in the melt phase. They are highly processable by a variety of melt process shape forming and blending techniques. Once processed and shaped, the end-capped liquid crystal oigomers were heated to further polymerize and form liquid crystalline thermosets (LCT). The fully cured products are rubbers above their glass transition temperatures.

  14. Amyloid oligomer structure characterization from simulations: A general method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nguyen, Phuong H., E-mail: phuong.nguyen@ibpc.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, UPR 9080, CNRS Université Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité IBPC, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Li, Mai Suan [Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland); Derreumaux, Philippe, E-mail: philippe.derreumaux@ibpc.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, UPR 9080, CNRS Université Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité IBPC, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Institut Universitaire de France, 103 Bvd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris (France)

    2014-03-07

    Amyloid oligomers and plaques are composed of multiple chemically identical proteins. Therefore, one of the first fundamental problems in the characterization of structures from simulations is the treatment of the degeneracy, i.e., the permutation of the molecules. Second, the intramolecular and intermolecular degrees of freedom of the various molecules must be taken into account. Currently, the well-known dihedral principal component analysis method only considers the intramolecular degrees of freedom, and other methods employing collective variables can only describe intermolecular degrees of freedom at the global level. With this in mind, we propose a general method that identifies all the structures accurately. The basis idea is that the intramolecular and intermolecular states are described in terms of combinations of single-molecule and double-molecule states, respectively, and the overall structures of oligomers are the product basis of the intramolecular and intermolecular states. This way, the degeneracy is automatically avoided. The method is illustrated on the conformational ensemble of the tetramer of the Alzheimer's peptide Aβ{sub 9−40}, resulting from two atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent, each of 200 ns, starting from two distinct structures.

  15. Theoretical study of stability geometrical and electronic structure of (BeHsub(2))sub(n) oligomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sukhanov, L P; Boldyrev, A I; Charkin, O P [AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Novykh Khimicheskikh Problem

    1983-01-01

    The Hartree-Fock-Ruthane method with the Roos-Siegbahn two-exponent basis is used to calculate stability, geometrical and electronic structures of (BeHsub(2))sub(n) oligomers, where n=1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. It is shown that with the growth of oligomerization degree n stability of linear band structure is increased as compared with other configurations including high-coordination volumetric ones. Tendencies in formation with n growth of geometrical, energetic characteristics, electronic structure of (BeHsub(2))sub(n) oligomers of band type are analysed.

  16. Viscosity of nanoconfined polyamide-6,6 oligomers: atomistic reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eslami, Hossein; Müller-Plathe, Florian

    2010-01-14

    Our new simulation scheme in isosurface-isothermal-isobaric ensemble [Eslami, H.; Mozaffari, F.; Moghadasi, J.; Müller-Plathe, F. J. Chem. Phys. 2008, 129, 194702], developed to simulate confined fluids in equilibrium with bulk, is applied to simulate polyamide-6,6 oligomers confined between graphite surfaces. The reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation technique is employed to shear the graphite surfaces. In this work, six confined systems, with different surface separations, as well as the bulk fluid are simulated. Our results show a viscosity increase with respect to the bulk fluid, with decreasing distance between surfaces. Also, the calculated viscosities of the confined systems show an oscillatory behavior with maxima corresponding to well-formed layers between the surfaces. We observe a substantial slip at the surfaces, with the slip length depending on the shear rate and on the slit width. The slip length and the slip velocity show oscillatory behavior with out-of-phase oscillations with respect to the solvation force oscillations. Moreover, the temperature difference between coldest and hottest parts of the simulation box depends on the shear rate and on the layering effect (solvation force oscillations). An analysis of oligomer deformation under flow shows preferential alignment of oligomers parallel to the surfaces with increasing shear rate.

  17. NMR studies of DNA oligomers and their interactions with minor groove binding ligands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fagan, Patricia A. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

    1996-05-01

    The cationic peptide ligands distamycin and netropsin bind noncovalently to the minor groove of DNA. The binding site, orientation, stoichiometry, and qualitative affinity of distamycin binding to several short DNA oligomers were investigated by NMR spectroscopy. The oligomers studied contain A,T-rich or I,C-rich binding sites, where I = 2-desaminodeoxyguanosine. I•C base pairs are functional analogs of A•T base pairs in the minor groove. The different behaviors exhibited by distamycin and netropsin binding to various DNA sequences suggested that these ligands are sensitive probes of DNA structure. For sites of five or more base pairs, distamycin can form 1:1 or 2:1 ligand:DNA complexes. Cooperativity in distamycin binding is low in sites such as AAAAA which has narrow minor grooves, and is higher in sites with wider minor grooves such as ATATAT. The distamycin binding and base pair opening lifetimes of I,C-containing DNA oligomers suggest that the I,C minor groove is structurally different from the A,T minor groove. Molecules which direct chemistry to a specific DNA sequence could be used as antiviral compounds, diagnostic probes, or molecular biology tools. The author studied two ligands in which reactive groups were tethered to a distamycin to increase the sequence specificity of the reactive agent.

  18. Formation of a stable oligomer of beta-2 microglobulin requires only transient encounter with Cu(II).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calabrese, Matthew F; Miranker, Andrew D

    2007-03-16

    Beta-2 Microglobulin (beta2m) is a small, globular protein, with high solubility under conditions comparable to human serum. A complication of hemodialysis in renal failure patients is the deposition of unmodified beta2m as amyloid fibers. In vitro, exposure of beta2m to equimolar Cu(2+) under near-physiological conditions can result in self-association leading to amyloid fiber formation. Previously, we have shown that the early steps in this process involve a catalyzed structural rearrangement followed by formation of discrete oligomers. These oligomers, however, have a continued requirement for Cu(2+) while mature fibers are resistant to addition of metal chelate. Here, we report that the transition from Cu(2+) dependent to chelate resistant states occurs in the context of small oligomers, dimeric to hexameric in size. These species require Cu(2+) to form, but once generated, do not need metal cation for stability. Importantly, this transition occurs gradually over several days and the resulting oligomers are isolatable and kinetically stable on timescales exceeding weeks. In addition, formation is enhanced by levels of urea similar to those found in hemodialysis patients. Our results are consistent with our hypothesis that transient encounter of full-length wild-type beta2m with transition metal cation at the dialysis membrane interface is causal to dialysis related amyloidosis.

  19. Some biological actions of PEG-conjugated RNase A oligomers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Poučková, P.; Škvor, J.; Gotte, G.; Vottariello, F.; Slavík, Tomáš; Matoušek, Josef; Laurents, D. V.; Libonati, M.; Souček, J.

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 53, č. 1 (2006), s. 79-85 ISSN 0028-2685 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA523/04/0755; GA MZd NR8233 Grant - others:Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Technologia BQU2003-05227 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515 Keywords : RNase A oligomers * polyethylene glycol conjugates * anti-tumour activity Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.247, year: 2006

  20. Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Oligomers in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Azurin Solutions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sokolová, L.; Williamson, H.; Sýkora, Jan; Hof, Martin; Gray, H. B.; Brutschy, B.; Vlček, Antonín

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 115, č. 16 (2011), s. 4790-4800 ISSN 1520-6106 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ME10124; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06063 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : mass spectrometry * oligomers * pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin solutions Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.696, year: 2011

  1. Humans Can Taste Glucose Oligomers Independent of the hT1R2/hT1R3 Sweet Taste Receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapis, Trina J; Penner, Michael H; Lim, Juyun

    2016-08-23

    It is widely accepted that humans can taste mono- and disaccharides as sweet substances, but they cannot taste longer chain oligo- and polysaccharides. From the evolutionary standpoint, the ability to taste starch or its oligomeric hydrolysis products would be highly adaptive, given their nutritional value. Here, we report that humans can taste glucose oligomer preparations (average degree of polymerization 7 and 14) without any other sensorial cues. The same human subjects could not taste the corresponding glucose polymer preparation (average degree of polymerization 44). When the sweet taste receptor was blocked by lactisole, a known sweet inhibitor, subjects could not detect sweet substances (glucose, maltose, and sucralose), but they could still detect the glucose oligomers. This suggests that glucose oligomer detection is independent of the hT1R2/hT1R3 sweet taste receptor. Human subjects described the taste of glucose oligomers as "starchy," while they describe sugars as "sweet." The dose-response function of glucose oligomer was also found to be indistinguishable from that of glucose on a molar basis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. GalaxyHomomer: a web server for protein homo-oligomer structure prediction from a monomer sequence or structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, Minkyung; Park, Taeyong; Heo, Lim; Park, Chiwook; Seok, Chaok

    2017-07-03

    Homo-oligomerization of proteins is abundant in nature, and is often intimately related with the physiological functions of proteins, such as in metabolism, signal transduction or immunity. Information on the homo-oligomer structure is therefore important to obtain a molecular-level understanding of protein functions and their regulation. Currently available web servers predict protein homo-oligomer structures either by template-based modeling using homo-oligomer templates selected from the protein structure database or by ab initio docking of monomer structures resolved by experiment or predicted by computation. The GalaxyHomomer server, freely accessible at http://galaxy.seoklab.org/homomer, carries out template-based modeling, ab initio docking or both depending on the availability of proper oligomer templates. It also incorporates recently developed model refinement methods that can consistently improve model quality. Moreover, the server provides additional options that can be chosen by the user depending on the availability of information on the monomer structure, oligomeric state and locations of unreliable/flexible loops or termini. The performance of the server was better than or comparable to that of other available methods when tested on benchmark sets and in a recent CASP performed in a blind fashion. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  3. Cation-pi interaction of the univalent silver cation with meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole: Experimental and theoretical study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Polášek, Miroslav; Kvíčala, J.; Makrlík, E.; Křížová, Věra; Vaňura, P.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 1130, FEB 2017 (2017), s. 408-413 ISSN 0022-2860 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) 20/2015; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010005 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : silver cation * meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole * complexation Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 1.753, year: 2016

  4. Nanoparticle for delivery of antisense γPNA oligomers targeting CCR5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahal, Raman; McNeer, Nicole Ali; Ly, Danith H; Saltzman, W Mark; Glazer, Peter M

    2013-01-01

    The development of a new class of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), i.e., gamma PNAs (γPNAs), creates the need for a general and effective method for its delivery into cells for regulating gene expression in mammalian cells. Here we report the antisense activity of a recently developed hydrophilic and biocompatible diethylene glycol (miniPEG)-based gamma peptide nucleic acid called MPγPNAs via its delivery by poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)-based nanoparticle system. We show that MPγPNA oligomers designed to bind to the selective region of chemokine receptor 5 (CC R5) transcript, induce potent and sequence-specific antisense effects as compared with regular PNA oligomers. In addition, PLGA nanoparticle delivery of MPγPNAs is not toxic to the cells. The findings reported in this study provide a combination of γPNA technology and PLGA-based nanoparticle delivery method for regulating gene expression in live cells via the antisense mechanism.

  5. Pyrrole-phenylboronic acid: a novel monomer for dopamine recognition and detection based on imprinted electrochemical sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Min; Teng, Ying; Pang, Shufen; Yan, Liqin; Kan, Xianwen

    2015-02-15

    A molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) based electrochemical sensor was successfully prepared for dopamine (DA) recognition and detection using pyrrole-phenylboronic acid (py-PBA) as a novel electropolymerized monomer. py-PBA could form cyclic boronic ester bond with DA, thus endowing a double recognition capacity of the sensor to DA in the combination of the imprinted effect of MIP. Compared with the sensor prepared using pyrrole or phenylboronic acid as electropolymerized monomer, the present sensor exhibited a remarkable high imprinted factor to DA. The influence factors including pH value, the mole ratio between monomer and template molecule, electropolymerization scan rate, and scan cycles of electropolymerization process were investigated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor could recognize DA from its analogs and monosaccharides. A linear ranging from 5.0 × 10(-8) to 1.0 × 10(-5) mol/L for the detection of DA was obtained with a detection limit of 3.3 × 10(-8) mol/L (S/N = 3). The sensor has been applied to analyze DA in injection samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Non-covalent functionalisation of C{sub 30} fullerene by pyrrole-n-carboxylic acid (n=2, 3). Density functional theory studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harismah, Kun [Univ. Muhammadiyah Surakarta (Indonesia). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Mirzaei, Mahmoud [Isfahan Univ. of Medical Sciences (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Bioinformatics Research Center; Ghasemi, Nahid [Islamic Azad Univ., Arak (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Chemistry; Nejati, Mohammad [Islamic Azad Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Chemistry

    2018-04-01

    For functionalisation of a representative C{sub 30} fullerene nanostructure by pyrrole-n-carboxylic acid (PnCA; n=2, 3) their stabilities and properties were investigated based on density functional theory calculations. Parallel calculations were also done for C{sub 60} fullerene as evidence for comparing the results. Non-covalent interactions are considered to make the functionalised structures. In contrast with the spherical shape of C{sub 60}, the shape of C{sub 30} fullerene is elliptical; therefore, the functionalisation processes were done for both axial and equatorial elliptical positions (AC{sub 30} and EC{sub 30}). The results indicated that both the positions of C{sub 30} have almost equivalent chances to be functionalised by PnCA; but functionalisation by P2CA is slightly more favourable than P3CA, either for C{sub 60}. The illustrated molecular orbitals' distributions indicated that the direction of charge transfer could be considered from PnCA counterparts to fullerene counterparts. The molecular properties indicated more reactivity for C{sub 30} than for C{sub 60} fullerene. Finally, the atomic scale quadrupole coupling constants indicated different roles for N and O atoms of PnCA in the functionalised models.

  7. Organization in sol-gel polymerization of methacrylate co-oligomers containing trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vraštil, J.; Matějka, Libor; Špaček, V.; Večeřa, M.; Prokůpek, L.

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 46, č. 25 (2005), s. 11232-11240 ISSN 0032-3861 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : organic-inorganic hybrid * sol-gel process * oligomers Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.849, year: 2005

  8. Mechanisms leading to oligomers and SOA through aqueous photooxidation: insights from OH radical oxidation of acetic acid and methylglyoxal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Tan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Previous experiments have demonstrated that the aqueous OH radical oxidation of methylglyoxal produces low volatility products including pyruvate, oxalate and oligomers. These products are found predominantly in the particle phase in the atmosphere, suggesting that methylglyoxal is a precursor of secondary organic aerosol (SOA. Acetic acid plays a central role in the aqueous oxidation of methylglyoxal and it is a ubiquitous product of gas phase photochemistry, making it a potential "aqueous" SOA precursor in its own right. However, the fate of acetic acid upon aqueous-phase oxidation is not well understood. In this research, acetic acid (20 μM–10 mM was oxidized by OH radicals, and pyruvic acid and methylglyoxal experimental samples were analyzed using new analytical methods, in order to better understand the formation of SOA from acetic acid and methylglyoxal. Glyoxylic, glycolic, and oxalic acids formed from acetic acid and OH radicals. In contrast to the aqueous OH radical oxidation of methylglyoxal, the aqueous OH radical oxidation of acetic acid did not produce succinic acid and oligomers. This suggests that the methylgloxal-derived oligomers do not form through the acid catalyzed esterification pathway proposed previously. Using results from these experiments, radical mechanisms responsible for oligomer formation from methylglyoxal oxidation in clouds and wet aerosols are proposed. The importance of acetic acid/acetate as an SOA precursor is also discussed. We hypothesize that this and similar chemistry is central to the daytime formation of oligomers in wet aerosols.

  9. A Fluorescent Oligothiophene-Bis-Triazine ligand interacts with PrP fibrils and detects SDS-resistant oligomers in human prion diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imberdis, Thibaut; Ayrolles-Torro, Adeline; Duarte Rodrigues, Alysson; Torrent, Joan; Alvarez-Martinez, Maria Teresa; Kovacs, Gabor G; Verdier, Jean-Michel; Robitzer, Mike; Perrier, Véronique

    2016-01-26

    Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation in the central nervous system of an abnormally folded isoform of the prion protein, named PrP(Sc). Aggregation of PrP(Sc) into oligomers and fibrils is critically involved in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Oligomers are supposed to be the key neurotoxic agents in prion disease, so modulation of prion aggregation pathways with small molecules can be a valuable strategy for studying prion pathogenicity and for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We previously identified thienyl pyrimidine compounds that induce SDS-resistant PrP(Sc) (rSDS-PrP(Sc)) oligomers in prion-infected samples. Due to the low effective doses of the thienyl pyrimidine hits, we synthesized a quaterthiophene-bis-triazine compound, called MR100 to better evaluate their diagnostic and therapeutic potentials. This molecule exhibits a powerful activity inducing rSDS-PrP(Sc) oligomers at nanomolar concentrations in prion-infected cells. Fluorescence interaction studies of MR100 with mouse PrP fibrils showed substantial modification of the spectrum, and the interaction was confirmed in vitro by production of rSDS-oligomer species upon incubation of MR100 with fibrils in SDS-PAGE gel. We further explored whether MR100 compound has a potential to be used in the diagnosis of prion diseases. Our results showed that: (i) MR100 can detect rSDS-oligomers in prion-infected brain homogenates of various species, including human samples from CJD patients; (ii) A protocol, called "Rapid Centrifugation Assay" (RCA), was developed based on MR100 property of inducing rSDS-PrP(Sc) oligomers only in prion-infected samples, and avoiding the protease digestion step. RCA allows the detection of both PK-sensitive and PK-resistant PrP(Sc) species in rodents samples but also from patients with different CJD forms (sporadic and new variant); (iii) A correlation could be established between the amount of rSDS-PrP(Sc) oligomers revealed by MR100 and the

  10. Synthesis and Physical Characterization of Carbon Nano tubes Coated by Conducting Poly pyrrole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talib, A.B.Z.A.; Wan Mahmood Mat Yunus; Kasar Behzad; Nayereh Soltani

    2011-01-01

    This study describes the preparation of poly pyrrole multi walled carbon nano tube (PPy/ MWNT) composites by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. Various ratios of functionalized MWNTs are dispersed in the water, and PPy are then synthesized via in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization on the surface of the carbon nano tubes. The morphology of the resulting complex nano tubes (MWNT-PPY) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The conductivity of each composite showed a maximum in the temperature scale of 120- 160 degree Celsius and then decreased dramatically with the increase of temperature. (author)

  11. Analysis of linear and cyclic oligomers in polyamide-6 without sample preparation by liquid chromatography using the sandwich injection method. II. Methods of detection and quantification and overall long-term performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mengerink, Y; Peters, R; Kerkhoff, M; Hellenbrand, J; Omloo, H; Andrien, J; Vestjens, M; van der Wal, S

    2000-05-05

    By separating the first six linear and cyclic oligomers of polyamide-6 on a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic system after sandwich injection, quantitative determination of these oligomers becomes feasible. Low-wavelength UV detection of the different oligomers and selective post-column reaction detection of the linear oligomers with o-phthalic dicarboxaldehyde (OPA) and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) are discussed. A general methodology for quantification of oligomers in polymers was developed. It is demonstrated that the empirically determined group-equivalent absorption coefficients and quench factors are a convenient way of quantifying linear and cyclic oligomers of nylon-6. The overall long-term performance of the method was studied by monitoring a reference sample and the calibration factors of the linear and cyclic oligomers.

  12. Gamma irradiation effect on polymers derived of pyrrole synthesized by plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez G, O. G.

    2013-01-01

    This work studies the effect of gamma irradiation at doses of 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 kGy on polymers obtained from pyrrole synthesized by plasma. The evolution of the structure was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (Ftir) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Ftir spectra show that poly pyrroles have N-H, C-H, C=O, triple and consecutive double bonds in their structure. The irradiated polymers show the same chemical groups in their structure without significant changes. Nevertheless, a more detailed analysis by XPS allows the identification of superficial chemical states, such as: C=CH-C, C=CC-C, C-NH-C, C-NC-C, etc., and shows that most of these states are present in all polymers but with different participation. One possible mechanism indicates that as the irradiation dose increases, dehydrogenation processes are performed increasing fragmentation, crosslinking and formation of multiple bonds. The fragmentation and thermal degradation were studied by thermogravimetric analysis, indicating that the loss of moisture and light compounds formed during gamma irradiation occurs in the firsts 100 grades C. The main degradation of all polymers occurs from 150 to 700 grades C, suggesting that the thermal stability is independent of the irradiation dose in the interval studied. Morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy techniques. Before irradiation, the polymer presented a uniform and practically smooth surface, however, after gamma irradiation, the applied energy increased roughness and macro fragmentation. The roughness and functional groups on the surface reduced the contact angle with water as the irradiation dose increased. However, the polymers are hydrophilic, because for all doses that contact angle is smaller than 90 grades C. Electrical conductivity was calculated respect to temperature in the interval from 25 to 100 grades C. Conductivity increases with temperature and is slightly greater in the irradiated polymers

  13. Caspase-cleaved tau exhibits rapid memory impairment associated with tau oligomers in a transgenic mouse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, YoungDoo; Choi, Hyunwoo; Lee, WonJae; Park, Hyejin; Kam, Tae-In; Hong, Se-Hoon; Nah, Jihoon; Jung, Sunmin; Shin, Bora; Lee, Huikyong; Choi, Tae-Yong; Choo, Hyosun; Kim, Kyung-Keun; Choi, Se-Young; Kayed, Rakez; Jung, Yong-Keun

    2016-03-01

    In neurodegenerative diseases like AD, tau forms neurofibrillary tangles, composed of tau protein. In the AD brain, activated caspases cleave tau at the 421th Asp, generating a caspase-cleaved form of tau, TauC3. Although TauC3 is known to assemble rapidly into filaments in vitro, a role of TauC3 in vivo remains unclear. Here, we generated a transgenic mouse expressing human TauC3 using a neuron-specific promoter. In this mouse, we found that human TauC3 was expressed in the hippocampus and cortex. Interestingly, TauC3 mice showed drastic learning and spatial memory deficits and reduced synaptic density at a young age (2-3months). Notably, tau oligomers as well as tau aggregates were found in TauC3 mice showing memory deficits. Further, i.p. or i.c.v. injection with methylene blue or Congo red, inhibitors of tau aggregation in vitro, and i.p. injection with rapamycin significantly reduced the amounts of tau oligomers in the hippocampus, rescued spine density, and attenuated memory impairment in TauC3 mice. Together, these results suggest that TauC3 facilitates early memory impairment in transgenic mice accompanied with tau oligomer formation, providing insight into the role of TauC3 in the AD pathogenesis associated with tau oligomers and a useful AD model to test drug candidates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Effect of Side Chains on Molecular Conformation of Anthracene-Ethynylene-Phenylene-Vinylene Oligomers: A Comparative Density Functional Study With and Without Dispersion Interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Chuanding; Hoppe, Harald; Beenken, Wichard J D

    2016-06-02

    Using density functional calculations with and without dispersion interaction, we studied the effects of linear octyl and branched 2-ethylhexyl side chains on the oligomer conformation of the conjugated copolymer poly(p-anthracene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(p-phenylene-vinylene). With dispersion included, the branched side chains can cause significant bending of the oligomer backbone, while without dispersion they induce mainly torsional disorder. The oligomers with mainly linear side chains keep good planarity when optimized with and without dispersion. Despite their dramatically different conformations, the calculated absorption spectra of the oligomers with various side chain combinations are very similar, indicating that the conformation of the copolymer is not the main reason for the experimentally observed different spectra of ordered and disordered phases.

  15. Amino siloxane oligomer-linked graphene oxide as an efficient adsorbent for removal of Pb(II) from wastewater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, Shenglian; Xu, Xiangli; Zhou, Guiyin; Liu, Chengbin; Tang, Yanhong; Liu, Yutang

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A high performance sorbent, oligomer-linked graphene oxide, was prepared by using oligomeric poly3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as crosslinking agents. The sorbent could selectively remove Pb(II) with high adsorption capacity. - Highlights: • Oligomer-linked graphene oxide sharply fattened function groups. • The sorbent exhibited high adsorption capacity toward Pb(II). • Pb, Cu and Fe were selectively removed from smelter industrial effluent. • The sorption could be conducted at a wide pH range of about 4.0–7.0. - Abstract: A high performance sorbent, oligomer-linked graphene oxide (GO) composite, was prepared through simple cross-linking reactions between GO sheets and poly3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (PAS) oligomers as crosslinking agents. The three-dimensional PAS oligomers prevented GO sheets from aggregation, provided foreign molecules with easier access, and introduced a large amount of amino functional groups. The morphology, structure and property of the PAS-GO composite were determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourie transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adsorption performance of PAS-GO was investigated in removing Pb(II) ions from water. Compared to 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized GO (AS-GO) which was prepared by the direct reaction between 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and GO, PAS-GO exhibited much higher adsorptivity toward Pb(II) with the maximum adsorption capacity of 312.5 mg/g at 303 K and furthermore the maximum adsorption capacity increased with increasing temperature. The adsorption could be conducted in a wide pH range of 4.0–7.0. Importantly, PAS-GO had a priority tendency to adsorb Pb, Cu and Fe from a mixed solution of metal ions, especially from a practical industrial effluent

  16. Supersymmetry theory of microphase separation in homopolymer-oligomer mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olemskoi, Alexander; Krakovsky, Ivan; Savelyev, Alexey

    2004-01-01

    The mesoscopic structure of periodically alternating layers of stretched homopolymer chains surrounded by perpendicularly oriented oligomeric tails is studied for systems with both strong (ionic) and weak (hydrogen) interactions. We focus on the consideration of the distribution of oligomers along the homopolymer chains that is described by the effective equation of motion with the segment number playing the role of imaginary time. The supersymmetry technique is developed to consider associative hydrogen bonding, self-action effects, inhomogeneity, and temperature fluctuations in the oligomer distribution. Making use of the self-consistent approach allows one to explain experimentally observed temperature dependence of the structure period and the order-disorder transition temperature and period as functions of the oligomeric fraction for systems with different bonding strengths. A whole set of parameters of the model used is found for strong, intermediate, and weak coupled systems being Poly (4-vinyl pyridine)-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid [P4VP-(DBSA) x ], P4VP-[Zn(DBS) 2 ] x , and P4VP- 3-pentadecyl Phenol x , respectively. A passage from the former two to the latter is shown to cause a crucial decrease in the magnitude of both parameters of hydrogen bonding and self-action, as well as the order-disorder transition temperature

  17. Emission and absorption of light in poly pyrrole synthesized by plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Enriquez, M.A.; Colin, E.; Olayo, M.G.; Cruz, G.J.; Ordonez, E.; Benavides, R.; Morales, J.; Olayo, R.

    2007-01-01

    The poly pyrrole structure (PPy) consists of heterocyclic rings with conjugation that it depends on the intensity of the electric field applied during the synthesis, and its luminescence is related with the π-π * transitions of that conjugation. To irradiate with light of different wavelengths, the results indicate that the polymer absorbs in the interval from 290 to 700 nm and it emits between 450 and 470 nm. The basal conductivity of the polymers, without electromagnetic excitation, it was measured in 10 -15 S/cm, however, to interact with visible light it is increased approximately 10 times and when excite with UV light it is increased up to 3 magnitude orders. (Author)

  18. Sulfur-containing constituents and one 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid derivative from pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.] fruit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zong-Ping; Ma, Jinyu; Cheng, Ka-Wing; Chao, Jianfei; Zhu, Qin; Chang, Raymond Chuen-Chung; Zhao, Ming; Lin, Zhi-Xiu; Wang, Mingfu

    2010-12-01

    Two sulfur-containing compounds, (S)-2-amino-5-((R)-1-carboxy-2-((E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)allylthio)ethyl-amino)-5-oxopentanoic acid (1) and (S)-2-amino-5-((R)-1-(carboxymethylamino)-3-((E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)allylthio)-1-oxopropan-2-ylamino)-5-oxopentanoic acid (2), and one 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid derivative, 6-(3-(1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyloxy)-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-carboxylic acid (3), together with eighteen known phenolic compounds, were isolated from the fruits of pineapple. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic analyses. Some of these compounds showed inhibitory activities against tyrosinase. The half maximal inhibitory concentration values of compounds 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 are lower than 1 mM. These compounds may contribute to the well-known anti-browning effect of pineapple juice and be potential skin whitening agents in cosmetic applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Rheological and mechanical properties and interfacial stress development of composite cements modified with thio-urethane oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacchi, Ataís; Pfeifer, Carmem S

    2016-08-01

    Thio-urethane oligomers have been shown to reduce stress and increase toughness in highly filled composite materials. This study evaluated the influence of thio-urethane backbone structure on rheological and mechanical properties of resin cements modified with a fixed concentration of the oligomers. Thio-urethane oligomers (TU) were synthesized by combining thiols - pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) or trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate (TMP) - with isocyanates - 1,6-hexanediol-diissocyante (HDDI) (aliphatic) or 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene (BDI) (aromatic) or dicyclohexylmethane 4,4'-diisocyanate (HMDI) (cyclic), at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol, leaving pendant thiols. 20wt% TU were added to BisGMA-UDMA-TEGDMA (5:3:2). 60wt% silanated inorganic fillers were added. Near-IR was used to follow methacrylate conversion and rate of polymerization ( [Formula: see text] ). Mechanical properties were evaluated in three-point bending (ISO 4049) for flexural strength/modulus (FS/FM, and toughness), and notched specimens (ASTM Standard E399-90) for fracture toughness (KIC). PS was measured on the Bioman. Viscosity (V) and gel-points (defined as the crossover between storage and loss shear moduli (G'/G″)) were obtained with rheometry. Glass transition temperature (Tg), cross-link density and homogeneity of the network were obtained with dynamic mechanical analysis. Film-thickness was evaluated according to ISO 4049. DC and mechanical properties increased and [Formula: see text] and PS decreased with the addition of TUs. Gelation (G'/G″) was delayed and DC at G'/G″ increased in TU groups. Tg and cross-link density dropped in TU groups, while oligomers let to more homogenous networks. An increase in V was observed, with no effect on film-thickness. Significant reductions in PS were achieved at the same time conversion and mechanical properties increased. The addition of thio-urethane oligomers proved successful in improving several key properties

  20. Designing thiophene-based azomethine oligomers with tailored properties: Self-assembly and charge carrier mobility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiriy, N.; Bocharova, V.; Kiriy, A.

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes synthesis and characterization of two thiophene-based azomethines designed to optimize solubility, self-assembly, and charge carrier mobility. We found that incorporation of azomethine and amide moieties in the alpha,omega-position, and hexyl chains in the beta-position of th...... with the mobilities of the best organic semiconductors. All these significant differences in properties of related compounds can be attributed to the hydrogen bonding between QT-amide molecules responsible for the observed self-assembly....

  1. Towards directional assembly of hierarchical structures: aniline oligomers as the model precursors

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zhao, Y.; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Wang, J.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 5, č. 7 (2013), s. 2620-2626 ISSN 2040-3364 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/0911 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : aniline oligomers * hierarchical nanostructures * microflowers Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 6.739, year: 2013

  2. Side-chain degradation of ultrapure π-conjugated oligomers: implications for organic electronics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Abbel, R.J.; Wolffs, M.; Bovee, R.A.A.; Dongen, van J.L.J.; Lou, X.W.; Henze, O.; Feast, W.J.; Meijer, E.W.; Schenning, A.P.H.J.

    2009-01-01

    The degrdn. of two defect-free pi-conjugated oligomers and the participation of their solubilizing side chains in the process are studied in unprecedented detail. The detected intermediate products reveal a mechanism of successive shortening of alkyl and oligo(ethylene glycol) substituents.

  3. Novel composite materials synthesized by the high-temperature interaction of pyrrole with layered oxide matrices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavel, Alexandru Cezar

    The initial goal of the research presented herein was to develop the very first synthetic metal---high-temperature superconductor ceramic composite material, in the specific form of a polypyrrole---Bi2Sr2CaCu 2O8+delta nanocomposite. In the course of scientific investigation, this scope was broadened to encompass structurally and compositionally similar layered bismuthates and simpler layered oxides. The latter substrates were prepared through novel experimental procedures that enhanced the chance of yielding nanostructured morphologies. The designed novel synthesis approaches yielded a harvest of interesting results that may be further developed upon their dissemination in the scientific community. High-temperature interaction of pyrrole with molybdenum trioxide substrates with different crystalline phases and morphologies led to the formation of the first members of a new class of heterogeneous microcomposites characterized by incomplete occupancy by the metal oxide core of the volume encapsulated by the rigid, amorphous permeable polymeric membrane that reproduces the volume of the initial grain of precursor substrate. The method may be applied for various heterogeneous catalyst substrates for the precise determination of the catalytically active crystallographic planes. In a different project, room-temperature, templateless impregnation of molybdenum trioxide substrates with different crystalline phases and morphologies by a large excess of silver (I) cations led to the formation of 1-D nanostructured novel Ag-Mo-O ternary phase in what may be the simplest experimental procedure available to date that has yielded a 1-D nanostructure, regardless the nature of the constituent material. Interaction of this novel ternary phase with pyrrole vapors at high reaction temperatures led to heterogeneous nanostructured composites that exhibited a silver nanorod core. Nanoscrolls of vanadium pentoxide xerogel were synthesized through a novel, facile reflux-based method that

  4. Isolation and Quantification of Polyamide Cyclic Oligomers in Kitchen Utensils and Their Migration into Various Food Simulants

    OpenAIRE

    Abe, Yutaka; Mutsuga, Motoh; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Kawamura, Yoko; Akiyama, Hiroshi

    2016-01-01

    Small amounts of cyclic monomers and oligomers are present in polyamide (PA)-based kitchen utensils. In this study, we isolated eight PA-based cyclic monomers and oligomers from kitchen utensils made from PA6 (a polymer of ε-caprolactam) and PA66 (a polymer of 1,6-diaminohexane and adipic acid). Their structures were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and their residual levels in PA-based kitchen utensils and degree of m...

  5. Supercapacitance of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes-Polypyrrole Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matei Raicopol

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The composites based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs and conducting polymers (CPs are promising materials for supercapacitor devices due to their unique nanostructure that combines the large pseudocapacitance of the CPs with the fast charging/discharging double-layer capacitance and excellent mechanical properties of the CNTs. Here, we report a new electrochemical method to obtain polypyrrole (PPY/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT composites. In the first step, the SWCNTs are covalently functionalized with monomeric units of pyrrole by esterification of acyl chloride functionalized SWCNTs and N-(6-hydroxyhexylpyrrole. In the second step, the PPY/SWCNTs composites are obtained by copolymerizing the pyrrole monomer with the pyrrole units grafted on SWCNTs surface using controlled potential electrolysis. The composites were further characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results showed good electrochemical charge storage properties for the synthesized composites based on PPY and SWCNTs covalently functionalized with pyrrole units making them promising electrode materials for high power supercapacitors.

  6. Combining Orthogonal Chain-End Deprotections and Thiol-Maleimide Michael Coupling: Engineering Discrete Oligomers by an Iterative Growth Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Zhihao; Zhao, Junfei; Wang, Zimu; Meng, Fanying; Ding, Kunshan; Pan, Xiangqiang; Zhou, Nianchen; Li, Xiaopeng; Zhang, Zhengbiao; Zhu, Xiulin

    2017-10-23

    Orthogonal maleimide and thiol deprotections were combined with thiol-maleimide coupling to synthesize discrete oligomers/macromolecules on a gram scale with molecular weights up to 27.4 kDa (128mer, 7.9 g) using an iterative exponential growth strategy with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 2 n -1. Using the same chemistry, a "readable" sequence-defined oligomer and a discrete cyclic topology were also created. Furthermore, uniform dendrons were fabricated using sequential growth (DP=2 n -1) or double exponential dendrimer growth approaches (DP=22n -1) with significantly accelerated growth rates. A versatile, efficient, and metal-free method for construction of discrete oligomers with tailored structures and a high growth rate would greatly facilitate research into the structure-property relationships of sophisticated polymeric materials. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Silica Nanoparticles Grafted with Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomer Chains

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Bingbing; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

    2012-01-01

    A molecular model of silica nanoparticles grafted with poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers has been developed for predicting the transport properties of nanoparticle organic-hybrid materials (NOHMs). Ungrafted silica nanoparticles in a medium of poly(ethylene

  8. Transition metal doped poly(aniline-co-pyrrole)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite for high performance supercapacitor electrode materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dhibar, Saptarshi; Bhattacharya, Pallab; Hatui, Goutam; Das, C.K., E-mail: chapal12@yahoo.co.in

    2015-03-15

    Highlights: • The CuCl{sub 2} doped copolymer (PANI and PPy)/MWCNTs nanocomposite was prepared. • The nanocomposite achieved highest specific capacitance of 383 F/g at a 0.5 A/g. • Nanocomposite exhibits better energy density as well as power density. • The nanocomposite also showed better electrical conductivity at room temperature. • The nanocomposite can be used as promising electrode materials for supercapacitor. - Abstract: In this present communication, copolymer of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy) that is poly(aniline-co-pyrrole) [poly(An-co-Py)], copper chloride (CuCl{sub 2}) doped poly(aniline-co-pyrrole) [poly(An-co-Py) Cu], and CuCl{sub 2} doped poly(aniline-co-pyrrole)/multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) [poly(An-co-Py) Cu CNT] nanocomposite have been prepared by a simple and inexpensive in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization method, using ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidant and hydrochloric acid (HCl) as dopant and investigated as high performance supercapacitor electrode materials. The possible interaction between CuCl{sub 2} with copolymers and MWCNTs was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV–visible spectroscopy analysis. The morphological characteristic of all the electrode materials were analyzed by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study. The electrochemical characterizations of all the electrode materials were carried out by three electrode probe method where, standard calomel electrode and platinum were used as reference and counter electrodes, respectively. Among all the electrode materials, poly(An-co-Py) Cu CNT nanocomposite achieved highest specific capacitance value of 383 F/g at 0.5 A/g scan rate. The nanocomposite showed better electrical conductivity at room temperature and also attained nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. Based on the superior electrochemical as well as other properties the as prepared

  9. Transition metal doped poly(aniline-co-pyrrole)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite for high performance supercapacitor electrode materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhibar, Saptarshi; Bhattacharya, Pallab; Hatui, Goutam; Das, C.K.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The CuCl 2 doped copolymer (PANI and PPy)/MWCNTs nanocomposite was prepared. • The nanocomposite achieved highest specific capacitance of 383 F/g at a 0.5 A/g. • Nanocomposite exhibits better energy density as well as power density. • The nanocomposite also showed better electrical conductivity at room temperature. • The nanocomposite can be used as promising electrode materials for supercapacitor. - Abstract: In this present communication, copolymer of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy) that is poly(aniline-co-pyrrole) [poly(An-co-Py)], copper chloride (CuCl 2 ) doped poly(aniline-co-pyrrole) [poly(An-co-Py) Cu], and CuCl 2 doped poly(aniline-co-pyrrole)/multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) [poly(An-co-Py) Cu CNT] nanocomposite have been prepared by a simple and inexpensive in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization method, using ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidant and hydrochloric acid (HCl) as dopant and investigated as high performance supercapacitor electrode materials. The possible interaction between CuCl 2 with copolymers and MWCNTs was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV–visible spectroscopy analysis. The morphological characteristic of all the electrode materials were analyzed by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study. The electrochemical characterizations of all the electrode materials were carried out by three electrode probe method where, standard calomel electrode and platinum were used as reference and counter electrodes, respectively. Among all the electrode materials, poly(An-co-Py) Cu CNT nanocomposite achieved highest specific capacitance value of 383 F/g at 0.5 A/g scan rate. The nanocomposite showed better electrical conductivity at room temperature and also attained nonlinear current–voltage characteristic. Based on the superior electrochemical as well as other properties the as prepared nanocomposite can be used

  10. Casein Aggregates Built Step-by-Step on Charged Polyelectrolyte Film Surfaces Are Calcium Phosphate-cemented*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagy, Krisztina; Pilbat, Ana-Maria; Groma, Géza; Szalontai, Balázs; Cuisinier, Frédéric J. G.

    2010-01-01

    The possible mechanism of casein aggregation and micelle buildup was studied in a new approach by letting α-casein adsorb from low concentration (0.1 mg·ml−1) solutions onto the charged surfaces of polyelectrolyte films. It was found that α-casein could adsorb onto both positively and negatively charged surfaces. However, only when its negative phosphoseryl clusters remained free, i.e. when it adsorbed onto a negative surface, could calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoclusters bind to the casein molecules. Once the CaP clusters were in place, step-by-step building of multilayered casein architectures became possible. The presence of CaP was essential; neither Ca2+ nor phosphate could alone facilitate casein aggregation. Thus, it seems that CaP is the organizing motive in the casein micelle formation. Atomic force microscopy revealed that even a single adsorbed casein layer was composed of very small (in the range of tens of nanometers) spherical forms. The stiffness of the adsorbed casein layer largely increased in the presence of CaP. On this basis, we can imagine that casein micelles emerge according to the following scheme. The amphipathic casein monomers aggregate into oligomers via hydrophobic interactions even in the absence of CaP. Full scale, CaP-carrying micelles could materialize by interlocking these casein oligomers with CaP nanoclusters. Such a mechanism would not contradict former experimental results and could offer a synthesis between the submicelle and the block copolymer models of casein micelles. PMID:20921229

  11. Rhodium(III)-catalyzed [3+2] annulation of 5-aryl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrroles with internal alkynes through C(sp²)-H/alkene functionalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ming-Bo; Pi, Rui; Hu, Ming; Yang, Yuan; Song, Ren-Jie; Xia, Yuanzhi; Li, Jin-Heng

    2014-10-13

    This study describes a new rhodium(III)-catalyzed [3+2] annulation of 5-aryl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrroles with internal alkynes using a Cu(OAc)2 oxidant for building a spirocyclic ring system, which includes the functionalization of an aryl C(sp(2))-H bond and addition/protonolysis of an alkene C=C bond. This method is applicable to a wide range of 5-aryl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrroles and internal alkynes, and results in the assembly of the spiro[indene-1,2'-pyrrolidine] architectures in good yields with excellent regioselectivities. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. The Effect of H2SO4 Concentration on the Ionic Conductivity of Liquid PMMA Oligomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norashima Kamaluddin; Famiza Abdul Latif; Han, C.C.; Ruhani Ibrahim; Sharil Fadli Mohamad Zamri; Norashima Kamaluddin; Famiza Abdul Latif; Han, C.C.; Ruhani Ibrahim; Sharil Fadli Mohamad Zamri

    2015-01-01

    To date gel and film type polymer electrolytes have been widely synthesized due to their wide range of electrical properties. However these types of polymer electrolytes exhibit poor mechanical stability and poor electrode-electrolyte contact hence deprive the overall performance of a battery system. Therefore, in order to indulge the advantages of polymer as electrolyte, a new class of polymer electrolyte was synthesized and investigated. In this study, liquid poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) electrolyte was synthesized using the simplest free radical polymerization technique using benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. At this stage, it was found that this liquid PMMA oligomer (MW=3000 g/ mole) has a potential as electrolyte in electrochemical devices. It was found that an ionic conductivity of ∼10 -7 S/ cm at room temperature can be achieved when only small volume of high molarity of sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) was doped in the liquid PMMA oligomer. The properties of this liquid PMMA oligomer were further investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). (author)

  13. Hydrogen bonding as the origin of the switching behavior in dithiolated phenylene-vinylene oligomers

    KAUST Repository

    Obodo, Tobechukwu Joshua; Gkionis, Konstantinos; Rungger, Ivan; Sanvito, Stefano; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2013-01-01

    We investigate theoretically the switching behavior of a dithiolated phenylene-vinylene oligomer sandwiched between Au(111) electrodes using self-interaction corrected density-functional theory combined with the nonequilibrium Green

  14. Thieno[3,4-c]Pyrrole-4,6-Dione-Based Polymer Acceptors for High Open-Circuit Voltage All-Polymer Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Shengjian; Song, Xin; Thomas, Simil; Kan, Zhipeng; Cruciani, Federico; Laquai, Fré dé ric; Bredas, Jean-Luc; Beaujuge, Pierre

    2017-01-01

    limits the perspectives to meet the 10% efficiency threshold in all-polymer solar cells. This report examines two polymer acceptor analogs composed of thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) and 3,4-difluorothiophene ([2F]T) motifs, and their BHJ solar cell

  15. Atomistic simulation of CO 2 solubility in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Bingbing

    2013-10-02

    We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations coupled with thermodynamic integration to obtain the excess chemical potential and pressure-composition phase diagrams for CO2 in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers. Poly(ethylene oxide) dimethyl ether, CH3O(CH 2CH2O)nCH3 (PEO for short) is a widely applied physical solvent that forms the major organic constituent of a class of novel nanoparticle-based absorbents. Good predictions were obtained for pressure-composition-density relations for CO2 + PEO oligomers (2 ≤ n ≤ 12), using the Potoff force field for PEO [J. Chem. Phys. 136, 044514 (2012)] together with the TraPPE model for CO2 [AIChE J. 47, 1676 (2001)]. Water effects on Henrys constant of CO2 in PEO have also been investigated. Addition of modest amounts of water in PEO produces a relatively small increase in Henrys constant. Dependence of the calculated Henrys constant on the weight percentage of water falls on a temperature-dependent master curve, irrespective of PEO chain length. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

  16. Enhanced Solubilization of Fluoranthene by Hydroxypropyl β-Cyclodextrin Oligomer for Bioremediation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyeong Hui Park

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Fluoranthene (FT is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH, consisting of naphthalene and benzene rings connected by a five-member ring. It is widespread in the environment. The hydrophobicity of FT limits its availability for biological uptake and degradation. In this study, hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin oligomers (HP-β-CD-ol were synthesized with epichlorohydrin (EP, while the solubility enhancement of FT by HP-β-CD-ol was investigated in water. The synthesized HP-β-CD-ol was characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The solubility of FT increased 178-fold due to the complex formation with HP-β-CD oligomers. The inclusion complexes of FT/HP-β-CD-ol were analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM, and Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy Nuclear magnetic resonance (NOESY NMR spectroscopy. On the basis of these results, HP-β-CD-ol is recommended as a potential solubilizer for the development of PAH removal systems.

  17. QIAD assay for quantitating a compound’s efficacy in elimination of toxic Aβ oligomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brener, Oleksandr; Dunkelmann, Tina; Gremer, Lothar; van Groen, Thomas; Mirecka, Ewa A.; Kadish, Inga; Willuweit, Antje; Kutzsche, Janine; Jürgens, Dagmar; Rudolph, Stephan; Tusche, Markus; Bongen, Patrick; Pietruszka, Jörg; Oesterhelt, Filipp; Langen, Karl-Josef; Demuth, Hans-Ulrich; Janssen, Arnold; Hoyer, Wolfgang; Funke, Susanne A.; Nagel-Steger, Luitgard; Willbold, Dieter

    2015-01-01

    Strong evidence exists for a central role of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) oligomers in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. We have developed a fast, reliable and robust in vitro assay, termed QIAD, to quantify the effect of any compound on the Aβ aggregate size distribution. Applying QIAD, we studied the effect of homotaurine, scyllo-inositol, EGCG, the benzofuran derivative KMS88009, ZAβ3W, the D-enantiomeric peptide D3 and its tandem version D3D3 on Aβ aggregation. The predictive power of the assay for in vivo efficacy is demonstrated by comparing the oligomer elimination efficiency of D3 and D3D3 with their treatment effects in animal models of Alzheimer´s disease. PMID:26394756

  18. Modulation of α-synuclein fibrillization by ring-fused 2-pyridones: templation and inhibition involve oligomers with different structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horvath, Istvan; Sellstedt, Magnus; Weise, Christoph; Nordvall, Lina-Maria; Krishna Prasad, G; Olofsson, Anders; Larsson, Göran; Almqvist, Fredrik; Wittung-Stafshede, Pernilla

    2013-04-15

    In a recent study we discovered that a ring-fused 2-pyridone compound triggered fibrillization of a key protein in Parkinson's disease, α-synuclein. To reveal how variations in compound structure affect protein aggregation, we now prepared a number of strategic analogs and tested their effects on α-synuclein amyloid fiber formation in vitro. We find that, in contrast to the earlier templating effect, some analogs inhibit α-synuclein fibrillization. For both templating and inhibiting compounds, the key species formed in the reactions are α-synuclein oligomers that contain compound. Despite similar macroscopic appearance, the templating and inhibiting oligomers are distinctly different in secondary structure content. When the inhibitory oligomers are added in seed amounts, they inhibit fresh α-synuclein aggregation reactions. Our study demonstrates that small chemical changes to the same central fragment can result in opposite effects on protein aggregation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Steady State and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Dynamics of Triphenylamine Based Oligomers with Phenylene/Thiophene/Furan in Solvents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, Zeng; Ying-Liang, Liu; Kang, Meng; Xiang-Jie, Zhao; Shu-Feng, Wang; Qi-Huang, Gong

    2009-01-01

    We investigate the photo-physical properties of a series of triphenylamine-based oligomers by steady-state and picosecond transient fluorescence measurements in solvents. The oligomers are composed alternatively with triphenylamine and phenylene/thiophene/furan group, bridged by vinyl group (PNB/PNT/PNF). Their fluorescence spectra show bathochromic phenomenon with solvent polarity and viscosity increasing. The fluorescence decays are bi-exponential for PNB and PNT, and tri-exponential for PNF in THF and aniline. The strong viscosity dependence suggests conformational relaxation along the PNF chain after photo excitation. (condensed matter: electronicstructure, electrical, magnetic, and opticalproperties)

  20. Rationally designed turn promoting mutation in the amyloid-β peptide sequence stabilizes oligomers in solution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jayakumar Rajadas

    Full Text Available Enhanced production of a 42-residue beta amyloid peptide (Aβ(42 in affected parts of the brain has been suggested to be the main causative factor for the development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD. The severity of the disease depends not only on the amount of the peptide but also its conformational transition leading to the formation of oligomeric amyloid-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs in the brain of AD patients. Despite being significant to the understanding of AD mechanism, no atomic-resolution structures are available for these species due to the evanescent nature of ADDLs that hinders most structural biophysical investigations. Based on our molecular modeling and computational studies, we have designed Met35Nle and G37p mutations in the Aβ(42 peptide (Aβ(42Nle35p37 that appear to organize Aβ(42 into stable oligomers. 2D NMR on the Aβ(42Nle35p37 peptide revealed the occurrence of two β-turns in the V24-N27 and V36-V39 stretches that could be the possible cause for the oligomer stability. We did not observe corresponding NOEs for the V24-N27 turn in the Aβ(21-43Nle35p37 fragment suggesting the need for the longer length amyloid peptide to form the stable oligomer promoting conformation. Because of the presence of two turns in the mutant peptide which were absent in solid state NMR structures for the fibrils, we propose, fibril formation might be hindered. The biophysical information obtained in this work could aid in the development of structural models for toxic oligomer formation that could facilitate the development of therapeutic approaches to AD.

  1. Characterization of poly pyrrole/montmorillonite electro polymerised onto Pt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castagno, K.R.L.; Azambuja, D.S.; Dalmoro, V.; Mauller, R.S.

    2010-01-01

    In this study films of polypyrrole/montmorillonite (PPy/MT) were electropolymerized on platinum in order to evaluate the performance of this technique in the preparation of nanocomposite materials and to determine the thermal properties and conductivity of the composites. The films were synthesized from a solution containing pyrrole, dodecylbenzene sulfonate, acid and two types of clays: montmorillonite-Na + (MT-Na) and montmorillonite-30B (MT-M). The characterization of the films we have used FT-IR, TEM, XRD, TGA, DSC and resistivity measurement by the four-point van der Pauw method. The study showed that the adopted method of exfoliation and the electropolymerization method used, allows obtaining nanocomposite materials. Analyses of FT-IR, TEM and XRD show that the clays are exfoliated in the polymer matrix. Thermal analysis of the films indicates that the addition of clay reflects an enhancement in the thermal properties of the matrix of PPy, but decreases the conductivity of the same. (author)

  2. Synthesis, optical properties and supramolecular order of π-conjugated 2,5-di(alcoxy)phenyleneethynylene oligomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castruita, Griselda; Arias, Eduardo; Moggio, Ivana; Pérez, Fátima; Medellín, Diana; Torres, Román; Ziolo, Ronald; Olivas, Amelia; Giorgetti, Emilia; Muniz-Miranda, Maurizio

    2009-11-01

    Two series of 2,5-di(alkoxy)phenyleneethynylene oligomers were synthesized by Sonogashira-Heck coupling reaction. The chemical structure was corroborated by 1H, 13C, APT, DEPT-135 NMR, Raman, FTIR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The chemical structure of the molecules has been varied in order to study the effect on the physicochemical and optoelectronic properties of the different chain lengths of the lateral substituents (dodecanoxy and butoxy), of different terminal groups (H, Br and I), of different chain length (3, 5 and 7 repeat units in the main conjugated backbone). The thermal properties were analyzed by DSC, TGA and by temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction. The diffraction studies of the oligomers revealed a crystalline behavior for the butoxy series, while for the dodecanoxy series the X-ray patterns are consistent with a supramolecular organization formed of randomly distributed crystalline domains that exhibit a periodic structure at small angles, indicating the presence of a lamellar order. The optical properties can be modulated within a series by increasing the length of the conjugated oligomer chain. On the contrary, neither the length of the alkoxy substituents nor the terminal groups have effect on the shape of the absorption and emission spectra.

  3. Regioselective C2 Oxidative Olefination of Indoles and Pyrroles through Cationic Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed C-H Bond Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bin; Ma, Jianfeng; Xie, Weijia; Song, Haibin; Xu, Shansheng; Wang, Baiquan

    2013-09-02

    Be economic with your atoms! An efficient Rh-catalyzed oxidative olefination of indoles and pyrroles with broad substrate scope and tolerance is reported. The catalytic reaction proceeds with excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. The directing group N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl was crucial for the reaction and could be removed easily. Copyright © 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. 2-[2-(Aziridin-1-ylethyl]-5,5-dimethyl-2,5-dihydro-4H-benzo [e]isoindol-4-one (Cytotoxic Oxonaphthalene-Pyrroles, Part IV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helmut Spreitzer

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available An aziridine-containing side chain is attached to an oxonaphthalene-annelated pyrrole in expectation of DNA alkylating properties. The cytotoxicity is evaluated against two cell lines, KB-31 and KB-8511, respectively.

  5. Detection of aniline oligomers on polyaniline-gold interface using resonance Raman scattering

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Trchová, Miroslava; Morávková, Zuzana; Dybal, Jiří; Stejskal, Jaroslav

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 2 (2014), s. 942-950 ISSN 1944-8244 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/0911; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-00270S Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : polyaniline * aniline oligomers * Raman spectroscopy Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 6.723, year: 2014

  6. Radiation-chemical hardening of phenol-formaldehyde oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shlapatskaya, V.V.; Omel'chenko, S.I.

    1978-01-01

    Radiation-chemical hardening of phenol formaldehyde oligomers of the resol type has been studied in the presence of furfural and diallylphthalate diluents. The samples have been hardened on an electron accelerator at an electron energy of 1.0-1.1 MeV and a dose rate of 2-3 Mrad/s. The kinetics of hardening has been studied on the yield of gel fraction within the range of absorbed doses from 7 to 400 Mrad. Radiation-chemical hardening of the studied compositions is activated with sensitizers, namely, amines, metal chlorides, and heterocyclic derivatives of metals. Furfural and diallylphthalate compositions are suitable for forming glass-fibre plastic items by the wet method and coatings under the action of ionizing radiations

  7. Structural Transitions of Solvent-Free Oligomer-Grafted Nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Chremos, Alexandros

    2011-09-01

    Novel structural transitions of solvent-free oligomer-grafted nanoparticles are investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained bead-spring model. Variations in core size and grafting density lead to self-assembly of the nanoparticles into a variety of distinct structures. At the boundaries between different structures, the nanoparticle systems undergo thermoreversible transitions. This structural behavior, which has not been previously reported, deviates significantly from that of simple liquids. The reversible nature of these transitions in solvent-free conditions offers new ways to control self-assembly of nanoparticles at experimentally accessible conditions. © 2011 American Physical Society.

  8. Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of a fluorescent pyrrole derivative containing electron acceptor and donor groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, A. K. A.; Monteiro, M. P.; Dias, J. M. M.; Omena, L.; da Silva, A. J. C.; Tonholo, J.; Mortimer, R. J.; Navarro, M.; Jacinto, C.; Ribeiro, A. S.; de Oliveira, I. N.

    2014-07-01

    The synthesis and fluorescence characterization of a new pyrrole derivative (PyPDG) containing the electron donor-acceptor dansyl substituent is reported. The effects of temperature and solvent polarity on the steady-state fluorescence of this compound are investigated. Our results show that PyPDG exhibits desirable fluorescent properties which makes it a promising candidate to be used as the photoactive material in optical thermometry and thermography applications. Further, the electrochemical and emission properties of polymeric films obtained from the oxidation polymerization of PyPDG are also analyzed.

  9. Thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-3,4-difluorothiophene Polymer Acceptors for Efficient All-Polymer Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Shengjian

    2016-09-16

    Branched-alkyl-substituted poly(thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-alt-3,4-difluorothiophene) (PTPD[2F]T) can be used as a polymer acceptor in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells with a low-band-gap polymer donor (PCE10) commonly used with fullerenes. The

  10. PT-symmetry management in oligomer systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horne, R L; Cuevas, J; Kevrekidis, P G; Whitaker, N; Abdullaev, F Kh; Frantzeskakis, D J

    2013-01-01

    We study the effects of management of the PT-symmetric part of the potential within the setting of Schrödinger dimer and trimer oligomer systems. This is done by rapidly modulating in time the gain/loss profile. This gives rise to a number of interesting properties of the system, which are explored at the level of an averaged equation approach. Remarkably, this rapid modulation provides for a controllable expansion of the region of exact PT-symmetry, depending on the strength and frequency of the imposed modulation. The resulting averaged models are analysed theoretically and their exact stationary solutions are translated into time-periodic solutions through the averaging reduction. These are, in turn, compared with the exact periodic solutions of the full non-autonomous PT-symmetry managed problem and very good agreement is found between the two. (paper)

  11. Ferrocene-Functionalized 4-(2,5-Di(thiophen-2-yl-1H-pyrrol-1-ylaniline: A Novel Design in Conducting Polymer-Based Electrochemical Biosensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rukiye Ayranci

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Herein, we report a novel ferrocenyldithiophosphonate functional conducting polymer and its use as an immobilization matrix in amperometric biosensor applications. Initially, 4-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl-1H-pyrrol-1-ylamidoferrocenyldithiophosphonate was synthesized and copolymerized with 4-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl-1H-pyrrol-1-ylbenzenamine at graphite electrodes. The amino groups on the polymer were utilized for covalent attachment of the enzyme glucose oxidase. Besides, ferrocene on the backbone was used as a redox mediator during the electrochemical measurements. Prior to the analytical characterization, optimization studies were carried out. The changes in current signals at +0.45 V were proportional to glucose concentration from 0.5 to 5.0 mM. Finally, the resulting biosensor was applied for glucose analysis in real samples and the data were compared with the spectrophotometric Trinder method.

  12. Detection of aniline oligomers on polyaniline-gold interface using resonance Raman scattering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trchová, Miroslava; Morávková, Zuzana; Dybal, Jiří; Stejskal, Jaroslav

    2014-01-22

    In situ deposited conducting polyaniline films prepared by the oxidation of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate in aqueous media of various acidities on gold and silicon supports were characterized by Raman spectroscopy. Enhanced Raman bands were found in the spectra of polyaniline films produced in the solutions of weak acids or in water on gold surface. These bands were weak for the films prepared in solutions of a strong acid on a gold support. The same bands are present in the Raman spectra of the reaction intermediates deposited during aniline oxidation in water or aqueous solutions of weak or strong acids on silicon removed from the reaction mixture at the beginning of the reaction. Such films are formed by aniline oligomers adsorbed on the surface. They were detected on the polyaniline-gold interface using resonance Raman scattering on the final films deposited on gold. The surface resonance Raman spectroscopy of the monolayer of oligomers found in the bulk polyaniline film makes this method advantageous in surface science, with many applications in electrochemistry, catalysis, and biophysical, polymer, or analytical chemistry.

  13. In vitro synthesis and purification of PhIP-deoxyguanosine and PhIP-DNA oligomer covalent complexes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freeman, J.

    1994-12-01

    2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is a heterocyclic amine compound formed when meats are cooked at high temperatures. PhIP damages DNA by forming covalent complexes with DNA carcinogen. In an effort to understand how the binding of PhIP to DNA may cause cancer, it is important to characterize the structures of PhIP-damaged DNA molecules. Our HPLC data support fluorescence and {sup 32}P Post-labeling studies which indicate the formation of several species of 2{prime}deoxyguanosine-(dG) or oligodeoxynucleotide-PhIP adducts. The reaction of PhIP with dG resulted in a reddish precipitate that was likely the major adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-PhIP (dG-C8-PhIP) adduct, with a more polar adduct fraction remaining in the supernatant. Reversed-phase HPLC analysis of the adducts in the supernatant revealed the existence of species of much shorter retention times than the dG-C8-PhIP adduct, confirming that these species are more polar than dG-C8-PhIP. At least four adducts were formed in the reaction of PhIP with DNA oligomer. HPLC analysis of the PhIP-DNA oligomer supernatant after butanol extractions revealed four unresolved peaks which spectra had maximum wavelengths between 340 and 360 nm. Though adduct peaks were not completely resolved, there was {approximately}3 minutes interval between the DNA oligomer peak and the adduct peaks. Furthermore, fluorescence emission data of the DNA oligomer-PhIP adduct solution show heterogeneous binding. The more polar PhIP adducts were fraction-collected and their structures will be solved by nuclear magnetic resonance or x-ray crystallography.

  14. Formation of low charge state ions of synthetic polymers using quaternary ammonium compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasioudis, Andreas; Joyce, William F; van Velde, Jan W; Heeren, Ron M A; van den Brink, Oscar F

    2010-07-01

    Factors such as high polymer dispersity and variation in elemental composition (of copolymers) often complicate the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis of synthetic polymers with high molar mass. In the experiments described in this study, quaternary ammonium compounds were observed to facilitate the production of low charge state pseudomolecular ions when added to the spray solution for ESI-MS. This approach was then used for the ESI time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) analysis of synthetic polymers. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride permitted the successful analysis of poly(ethylene glycol) of 2-40 kDa, poly(propylene glycol) and poly(tetramethylene glycol) oligomers. Increasing the quaternary ammonium compounds' concentration results in the production of low charge state pseudomolecular ions. A comparison of structurally different quaternary ammonium compounds showed that the best performance is expected from large molecules with specific charge localization, which leaves the charge available for interactions. The applicability of the method for the MS analysis of other polymeric systems was also studied. In the case of poly(tetramethylene glycol), the method not only shifted the distributions to higher m/z values but also allowed the detection of high molecular weight material that was not observed without addition of the modifier to the spray solution.

  15. A sensitive and selective electrochemical biosensor for the determination of beta-amyloid oligomer by inhibiting the peptide-triggered in situ assembly of silver nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing Y

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Yun Xing,1,2 Xiao-Zhen Feng,2 Lipeng Zhang,1 Jiating Hou,2 Guo-Cheng Han,2 Zhencheng Chen2 1Henan Province of Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anyang Normal University, Anyang, 2School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Soluble beta-amyloid (Aβ oligomer is believed to be the most important toxic species in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease (AD patients. Thus, it is critical to develop a simple method for the selective detection of Aβ oligomer with low cost and high sensitivity. In this paper, we report an electrochemical method for the detection of Aβ oligomer with a peptide as the bioreceptor and silver nanoparticle (AgNP aggregates as the redox reporters. This strategy is based on the conversion of AgNP-based colorimetric assay into electrochemical analysis. Specifically, the peptide immobilized on the electrode surface and presented in solution triggered together the in situ formation of AgNP aggregates, which produced a well-defined electrochemical signal. However, the specific binding of Aβ oligomer to the immobilized peptide prevented the in situ assembly of AgNPs. As a result, a poor electrochemical signal was observed. The detection limit of the method was found to be 6 pM. Furthermore, the amenability of this method for the analysis of Aβ oligomer in serum and artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF samples was demonstrated. Keywords: electrochemical biosensors, Alzheimer’s disease, beta-amyloid oligomer, peptide, silver nanoparticles

  16. KARAKTERISASI ENZIM KITOSANASE DAR] ISOLAT BAKTERI KPU 2123 DAN APLIKASINYA UNTUK PRODUKS1 OLIGOMER KITOSAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yusro Nuri Fawzya

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini merupakan sebagian dari rangkaian penelitian mengenai eksplorasi enzim kitinolitik dari mikroba lingkungan laut, khususnya dari limbah udang. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi isolat bakteri KPU 2123 dari limbah udang, mengkarakterisasi dan mengaplikasikan enzim kitosanase yang dihasilkan oleh bakteri tersebut untuk produksi oligomer kitosan dan menguji bioaktivitas oligomer kitosan tersebut sebagai antitumor dan antibakteri. Karakterisasi enzim dilakukan dengan menguji aktivitas enzim pada berbagai suhu dan pH. Selain itu juga ditentukan besarnya aktivitas yang tersisa setelah enzim diinkubasi pada suhu dan lama waktu tertentu. Pengaruh ion logam terhadap aktivitas enzim juga dilihat dengan mereaksikan enzim dengan 1 mM ion logam dalam bentuk larutan khlorida. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa berdasarkan analisis gen 16S-rRNA, isolat bakteri KPU 2123 memiliki kemiripan 95% dengan Stanotrophomonas maltophilia. Enzim kitosanase dari isolat ini bekerja optimal pada suhu 50 ºC dan pH 6. Enzim ini cukup stabil pada suhu 37 ºC selama 120 menit. Penambahan ion logam berpengaruh terhadap aktivitas enzim. Ion logam Zn²+ (sebagai garam klorida 1 mM menghambat 100% aktivitas enzim tersebut. Penggunaan enzim kitosanase dalam menghidrolisis substrat kitosan, menghasilkan oligomer kitosan yang mengandung tetramer, pentamer dan heksamer Oligor kitosan tersebut mampu menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri Staphylococcus aureus sebesar 10,06% dan dapat menyebabkan kematian sel HeLa dengan LC50 pada dosis 120 ppm.

  17. Rhodium enalcarbenoids: direct synthesis of indoles by rhodium(II)-catalyzed [4+2] benzannulation of pyrroles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawande, Sudam Ganpat; Kanchupalli, Vinaykumar; Kalepu, Jagadeesh; Chennamsetti, Haribabu; Lad, Bapurao Sudam; Katukojvala, Sreenivas

    2014-04-14

    Disclosed herein is the design of an unprecedented electrophilic rhodium enalcarbenoid which results from rhodium(II)-catalyzed decomposition of a new class of enaldiazo compounds. The synthetic utility of these enalcarbenoids has been successfully demonstrated in the first transition-metal-catalyzed [4+2] benzannulation of pyrroles, thus leading to substituted indoles. The new benzannulation has been applied to the efficient synthesis of the natural product leiocarpone as well as a potent adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein inhibitor. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Conjugated and fluorescent polymer based on dansyl-substituted pyrrole prepared by electrochemical polymerization in acetonitrile containing boron trifluoride diethyl etherate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida, Andresa K.A.; Dias, Jéssica M.M.; Silva, Ana Julia C.; Santos, Diego P.; Navarro, Marcelo; Tonholo, Josealdo; Goulart, Marília O.F.; Ribeiro, Adriana S.

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A fluorescent pyrrole derivative bearing a dansyl substituent (PyPDG) was synthesized. • PyPDG was electropolymerized onto ITO in (C 4 H 9 ) 4 NBF 4 /CH 3 CN/BFEE mixed electrolyte. • The resulting polymer (PPyPDG) films displayed electrochromic behavior. • PPyPDG is a good green light emitter material. - Abstract: A fluorescent pyrrole derivative bearing a dansyl substituent was prepared by a simple synthetic route and electropolymerized onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) electrodes. The presence of the dansyl group in the monomer precursor prevents the electropolymerization in usual systems, such as (C 4 H 9 ) 4 NBF 4 in acetonitrile (CH 3 CN). For this reason, it was added 20% boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE) to this system, to achieve electropolymerization. The resulting poly[3-(N-pyrrolyl)propyl dansylglycinate] (PPyPDG) films displayed electrochromic behavior. Their color varied from greenish-yellow, in the neutral state, to greyish-green, in the oxidized state; moreover PPyPDG is a good green light emitter material. Therefore, PPyPDG films might be potentially applicable in displays and optoelectronic devices

  19. Synthetic oligomer analysis using atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry at different photon energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desmazières, Bernard; Legros, Véronique; Giuliani, Alexandre; Buchmann, William

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoIonization mass spectra of synthetic oligomers were recorded in the negative mode by varying the photon energy using synchrotron radiation. Photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to ionization potential of the solvent (for example 9.4 eV for tetrahydrofuran). -- Highlights: •Atmospheric pressure photoionization was performed using synchrotron radiation. •Photoionization of oligomers in THF with 10% CH 2 Cl 2 produces intact [M + Cl] − ions. •The photon energy required corresponds to ionization potential of the solvent. •Polymer distributions depend on source parameters such T °C and applied voltages. •Liquid chromatography was coupled to MS using an APPI interface for polymer analysis. -- Abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) followed by mass spectrometric detection was used to ionize a variety of polymers: polyethylene glycol, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and polysiloxane. In most cases, whatever the polymer or the solvent used (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, acetone or toluene), only negative ion mode produced intact ions such as chlorinated adducts, with no or few fragmentations, in contrast to the positive ion mode that frequently led to important in-source fragmentations. In addition, it was shown that optimal detection of polymer distributions require a fine tuning of other source parameters such as temperature and ion transfer voltage. Series of mass spectra were recorded in the negative mode, in various solvents (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, toluene, and acetone), by varying the photon energy from 8 eV up to 10.6 eV using synchrotron radiation. To these solvents, addition of a classical APPI dopant (toluene or acetone) was not necessary. Courtesy of the synchrotron radiation, it was demonstrated that the photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to the ionization energy

  20. Synthetic oligomer analysis using atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry at different photon energies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Desmazières, Bernard [Global Bioenergies, 5 rue Henri Desbruyeres, 91030 Evry (France); Legros, Véronique [CNRS, UMR8587, Université d’Evry-Val-d’Essonne, Laboratoire Analyse et Modélisation pour la Biologie et l’Environnement, F-91025 Evry (France); Giuliani, Alexandre [Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); UAR1008, CEPIA, INRA, Rue de la Geraudiere, F-44316 Nantes (France); Buchmann, William, E-mail: william.buchmann@univ-evry.fr [CNRS, UMR8587, Université d’Evry-Val-d’Essonne, Laboratoire Analyse et Modélisation pour la Biologie et l’Environnement, F-91025 Evry (France)

    2014-01-15

    Graphical abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoIonization mass spectra of synthetic oligomers were recorded in the negative mode by varying the photon energy using synchrotron radiation. Photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to ionization potential of the solvent (for example 9.4 eV for tetrahydrofuran). -- Highlights: •Atmospheric pressure photoionization was performed using synchrotron radiation. •Photoionization of oligomers in THF with 10% CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} produces intact [M + Cl]{sup −} ions. •The photon energy required corresponds to ionization potential of the solvent. •Polymer distributions depend on source parameters such T °C and applied voltages. •Liquid chromatography was coupled to MS using an APPI interface for polymer analysis. -- Abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) followed by mass spectrometric detection was used to ionize a variety of polymers: polyethylene glycol, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and polysiloxane. In most cases, whatever the polymer or the solvent used (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, acetone or toluene), only negative ion mode produced intact ions such as chlorinated adducts, with no or few fragmentations, in contrast to the positive ion mode that frequently led to important in-source fragmentations. In addition, it was shown that optimal detection of polymer distributions require a fine tuning of other source parameters such as temperature and ion transfer voltage. Series of mass spectra were recorded in the negative mode, in various solvents (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, toluene, and acetone), by varying the photon energy from 8 eV up to 10.6 eV using synchrotron radiation. To these solvents, addition of a classical APPI dopant (toluene or acetone) was not necessary. Courtesy of the synchrotron radiation, it was demonstrated that the photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to the

  1. [18F]fluoromethylated phenyl-pyrroles and 7-azaindole analog as potential dopamine D4 receptor imaging agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji, D. Y.; Oh, S. Z.; Choi, Y. S.; Lee, K. C.; Kim, S. E.; Choi, Y.; Lee, K. H.; Kim, B. T.

    1997-01-01

    An association between the dopamine D 4 receptor and schizophrenia was recently suggested and the D 4 receptor antagonists may thus have potential in elucidating the role of the receptor in schizophrenic patients. The purpose of this study was to develop some of these antagonists as potential dopamine D 4 receptor imaging agents for PET. We have prepared 1-(3-[ 18 F]fluoromethylphenyl)-3-([4-(pyridin-2-yl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl) pyrrole (1), 1-(3-[ 18 F]fluoromethylphenyl)-3-([4-(pyridin-2-yl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl) pyrrole (2), and 3-([4-(4-[ 18 F]fluoro methylbenzyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)-1H-pyrrolo(2,3,-b)pyridine (3) as potential imaging agents for the dopamine D 4 receptor for PET. The compounds [ 18 F]1 and [ 18 F]2 were prepared by coupling of (3-[ 18 F]fluoromethylphenyl)-pyrrol-1- yl-3-aldehyde and the piperazine moiety in the presence of NaBH 3 CN. The [ 18 F]fluorinated aldehyde was obtained in 60-85% yield by the displacement of the corresponding mesylate with F-18-(THF, 90 .deg. C, 5 min). HPLC purification (Alltech Econosil C-18 columm, 250 x 10 mm, 35: 65 = 0.1M NH 4 CI 2 H : CH 3 OH, 4 ml/min, t R =26.6 min) gave the [ 18 F]1 and [ 18 F]2 in 7-12% yield. In the case of azaindole 3, a methlene link was inserted between the piperazinyl and a fluoromethyl phenyl group. Radiochemical synthesis of the [ 18 F]3 was carried out by coupling of the piperazne moiety and [ 18 F]fluoromethylbenzyl mesylate in the presence of NEt 3 (3:1-CH 3 CN: DMF, 120 .deg. C, 30 min). Purification was carried out by HPLC using a C-18 column (Alltech Econosil, 50 x 10 mm, 100% 0.1M NH 4 CO 2 H for 5 min followed by 40:60=0.1 M NH 4 CO 2 H : MeOH, 4 ml/min t R =28.7 min). The time of synthesis including HPLC purification was 100 min. The overall yield of [ 18 F]3 was 10-15% with a radiochemical purity better than 97% and a specific activity greater than 1000 ci/mmol

  2. Tumor Repression of VCaP Xenografts by a Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamide.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda E Hargrove

    Full Text Available Pyrrole-imidazole (Py-Im polyamides are high affinity DNA-binding small molecules that can inhibit protein-DNA interactions. In VCaP cells, a human prostate cancer cell line overexpressing both AR and the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion, an androgen response element (ARE-targeted Py-Im polyamide significantly downregulates AR driven gene expression. Polyamide exposure to VCaP cells reduced proliferation without causing DNA damage. Py-Im polyamide treatment also reduced tumor growth in a VCaP mouse xenograft model. In addition to the effects on AR regulated transcription, RNA-seq analysis revealed inhibition of topoisomerase-DNA binding as a potential mechanism that contributes to the antitumor effects of polyamides in cell culture and in xenografts. These studies support the therapeutic potential of Py-Im polyamides to target multiple aspects of transcriptional regulation in prostate cancers without genotoxic stress.

  3. Carbonization of aniline oligomers to electrically polarizable particles and their use in electrorheology

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Plachý, T.; Sedlačík, M.; Pavlínek, V.; Trchová, Miroslava; Morávková, Zuzana; Stejskal, Jaroslav

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 256, 15 November (2014), s. 398-406 ISSN 1385-8947 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/0911; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-08944S Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : aniline * aniline oligomers * carbonization Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.321, year: 2014

  4. Electrical and dielectric investigation of intercalated polypyrrole montmorillonite nanocomposite prepared by spontaneous polymerization of pyrrole into Fe(III)-montmorillonite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zidi, Rabii, E-mail: rabiizidi@gmail.com [Physical Chemistry Laboratory for Mineral Materials and their Applications, National Center for Research in Materials Sciences (CNRSM), B.P.73, 8020 Soliman (Tunisia); Bekri-Abbes, Imene; Sdiri, Nasr [Physical Chemistry Laboratory for Mineral Materials and their Applications, National Center for Research in Materials Sciences (CNRSM), B.P.73, 8020 Soliman (Tunisia); Vimalanandan, Ashokanand; Rohwerder, Michael [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf (Germany); Srasra, Ezzeddine [Physical Chemistry Laboratory for Mineral Materials and their Applications, National Center for Research in Materials Sciences (CNRSM), B.P.73, 8020 Soliman (Tunisia)

    2016-10-15

    Highlights: • We have prepared and characterized a Fe-MMT/PPy nanocomposites. • Investigate electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of the nanocomposite. • Investigate the temperature and frequency dependencies of alternating current conductivity of nanocomposites. - Abstract: Pyrrole was introduced into Fe(III)-exchanged montmorillonite to spontaneously polymerize within the interlayer resulting in the formation of intercalated polypyrrole-montmorillonite nanocomposite. The molar proportion of pyrrole to interlayer Fe{sup 3+} (R) has been varied from 0.5 to 5. The nanocomposite has been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electronic Microscope, FTIR spectroscopy and impedance spectroscopy. It has been shown that intercalated polypyrrole montmorillonite nanocomposite was obtained. The results showed that the dc conductivity and dielectric properties of polypyrrole depend on R. The alternating current (ac) conductivity of the polymer obeys the power law, i.e., σ{sub ac}(ω) = Aω{sup s}. The alternating conductivity of nanocomposite was controlled by the correlated barrier hopping model. The activation energy for alternating current mechanism decreases with increasing frequency which confirms the hopping conduction to the dominant mechanism as compared with the dc activation energy. The dielectric relaxation mechanism was explained on the basis of complex dielectric modulus.

  5. Ferrocene-functionalized 4-(2,5-Di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)aniline: a novel design in conducting polymer-based electrochemical biosensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayranci, Rukiye; Demirkol, Dilek Odaci; Ak, Metin; Timur, Suna

    2015-01-13

    Herein, we report a novel ferrocenyldithiophosphonate functional conducting polymer and its use as an immobilization matrix in amperometric biosensor applications. Initially, 4-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)amidoferrocenyldithiophosphonate was synthesized and copolymerized with 4-(2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzenamine at graphite electrodes. The amino groups on the polymer were utilized for covalent attachment of the enzyme glucose oxidase. Besides, ferrocene on the backbone was used as a redox mediator during the electrochemical measurements. Prior to the analytical characterization, optimization studies were carried out. The changes in current signals at +0.45 V were proportional to glucose concentration from 0.5 to 5.0 mM. Finally, the resulting biosensor was applied for glucose analysis in real samples and the data were compared with the spectrophotometric Trinder method.

  6. Intracerebroventricular Administration of Amyloid β-protein Oligomers Selectively Increases Dorsal Hippocampal Dialysate Glutamate Levels in the Awake Rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sean D. O’Shea

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Extensive evidence supports an important role for soluble oligomers of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ in Alzheimer’s Disease pathogenesis. In the present study we combined intracerebroventricular (icv injections with brain microdialysis technology in the fully conscious rat to assess the effects of icv administered SDS-stable low-n Aβ oligomers (principally dimers and trimers on excitatory and inhibitory amino acid transmission in the ipsilateral dorsal hippocampus. Microdialysis was employed to assess the effect of icv administration of Aβ monomers and Aβ oligomers on dialysate glutamate, aspartate and GABA levels in the dorsal hippocampus. Administration of Aβ oligomers was associated with a +183% increase (p<0.0001 vs. Aβ monomer-injected control in dorsal hippocampal glutamate levels which was still increasing at the end of the experiment (260 min, whereas aspartate and GABA levels were unaffected throughout. These findings demonstrate that icv administration and microdialysis technology can be successfully combined in the awake rat and suggests that altered dorsal hippocampal glutamate transmission may be a useful target for pharmacological intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease.

  7. Study of metal specific interaction, F-LUMO and VL shift to understand interface of CuPc thin films and noble metal surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sinha, Sumona; Mukherjee, M., E-mail: manabendra.mukherjee@saha.ac.in

    2015-10-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • F-LUMO, a hybridized state near E{sub F} confirms partial charge transfer. • Non-significant role of partial charge transfer in VL shift over push back effect. • Pyrrole sites affected for partial charge transfer from Cu and Ag substrates. • Negligible effect on pyrrole cites for Pt and Au substrates. - Abstract: The performances of organic electronic devices are significantly associated with their energy level alignment at organic semiconductor/metal–electrode interfaces. The electronic character of an organic semiconducting molecular over-layer on a metal surface can vary from semiconducting to metallic, depending on the nature of the molecular orbitals with respect to the Fermi level of the electrode. The general tendency of extrapolating established models for single crystal substrates to ‘real’ device substrates is highly misleading. Hence, the importance of metal specific interaction, former lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (F-LUMO) and vacuum level (VL) shift have been investigated as a function of thickness of the deposited films by means of photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS) to understand the interface between CuPc and Cu, Ag, Pt and Au foils sequentially. The XPS data provides the signature of affectability of pyrrole sites of CuPc molecules for partial charge transfer from Cu and Ag substrates while a negligible effect on pyrrole cites resulted for Pt and Au substrates. Furthermore, the appearance of F-LUMO, a hybridized state close to the Fermi level gives confirmatory information about partial charge transfer. Contrary to the general belief that vacuum level shift caused by charge transfer can partially or totally cancel that for push back effect, our observation indicates that the partial charge transfer does not play significant role in the shift of vacuum level. The entire thickness dependent electronic energy level alignment of CuPc films on all noble metal substrates is explained in terms

  8. Study of metal specific interaction, F-LUMO and VL shift to understand interface of CuPc thin films and noble metal surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinha, Sumona; Mukherjee, M.

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • F-LUMO, a hybridized state near E_F confirms partial charge transfer. • Non-significant role of partial charge transfer in VL shift over push back effect. • Pyrrole sites affected for partial charge transfer from Cu and Ag substrates. • Negligible effect on pyrrole cites for Pt and Au substrates. - Abstract: The performances of organic electronic devices are significantly associated with their energy level alignment at organic semiconductor/metal–electrode interfaces. The electronic character of an organic semiconducting molecular over-layer on a metal surface can vary from semiconducting to metallic, depending on the nature of the molecular orbitals with respect to the Fermi level of the electrode. The general tendency of extrapolating established models for single crystal substrates to ‘real’ device substrates is highly misleading. Hence, the importance of metal specific interaction, former lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (F-LUMO) and vacuum level (VL) shift have been investigated as a function of thickness of the deposited films by means of photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS) to understand the interface between CuPc and Cu, Ag, Pt and Au foils sequentially. The XPS data provides the signature of affectability of pyrrole sites of CuPc molecules for partial charge transfer from Cu and Ag substrates while a negligible effect on pyrrole cites resulted for Pt and Au substrates. Furthermore, the appearance of F-LUMO, a hybridized state close to the Fermi level gives confirmatory information about partial charge transfer. Contrary to the general belief that vacuum level shift caused by charge transfer can partially or totally cancel that for push back effect, our observation indicates that the partial charge transfer does not play significant role in the shift of vacuum level. The entire thickness dependent electronic energy level alignment of CuPc films on all noble metal substrates is explained in terms of a

  9. A role of nanotube dangling pyrrole and oxygen functions in the electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole/MWCNTs hybrid materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krukiewicz, Katarzyna; Herman, Artur P.; Turczyn, Roman; Szymańska, Katarzyna; Koziol, Krzysztof K.K.; Boncel, Sławomir; Zak, Jerzy K.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The effect of MWCNT functionalization on properties of PPy composites was explained. • The behavior of pristine, pyrrole-modified and oxidized MWCNT was explained. • Functionalization of MWCNT improved their dispersibility and processability. • Different mechanisms of (f-)MWCNT incorporation into PPy composites were explained. • Orientation of growing PPy chains was tailored through the addition of (f-)MWCNT. - Abstract: The effect of the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the process of electrochemical co-deposition of MWCNTs and polypyrrole (PPy), as well as the morphology of obtained composites have been demonstrated. As the nanotube components of the hybrids, three types of MWCNT were used, namely c-CVD derived (pristine) MWCNTs, their oxidized counterparts MWCNT-Ox and pyrrole-modified MWCNT-Py. The stability of pristine and functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNT) dispersions in tetrahydrofuran and water was studied together with the description of the process of formation PPy/(f-)MWCNT hybrid materials via electrochemical co-deposition. The structural and morphological properties of the hybrids were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealing substantial differences among hybrid materials in their surface morphology and the influence of MWCNT functionalization on the orientation of growing PPy chains

  10. A role of nanotube dangling pyrrole and oxygen functions in the electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole/MWCNTs hybrid materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krukiewicz, Katarzyna, E-mail: katarzyna.krukiewicz@polsl.pl [Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland); Herman, Artur P., E-mail: artur.herman@polsl.pl [Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 4, Gliwice 44-100 (Poland); Turczyn, Roman, E-mail: roman.turczyn@polsl.pl [Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland); Szymańska, Katarzyna, E-mail: katarzyna.szymanska@polsl.pl [Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 7, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland); Koziol, Krzysztof K.K., E-mail: kk292@cam.ac.uk [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Boncel, Sławomir, E-mail: slawomir.boncel@polsl.pl [Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 4, Gliwice 44-100 (Poland); Zak, Jerzy K., E-mail: jerzy.zak@polsl.pl [Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland)

    2014-10-30

    Highlights: • The effect of MWCNT functionalization on properties of PPy composites was explained. • The behavior of pristine, pyrrole-modified and oxidized MWCNT was explained. • Functionalization of MWCNT improved their dispersibility and processability. • Different mechanisms of (f-)MWCNT incorporation into PPy composites were explained. • Orientation of growing PPy chains was tailored through the addition of (f-)MWCNT. - Abstract: The effect of the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the process of electrochemical co-deposition of MWCNTs and polypyrrole (PPy), as well as the morphology of obtained composites have been demonstrated. As the nanotube components of the hybrids, three types of MWCNT were used, namely c-CVD derived (pristine) MWCNTs, their oxidized counterparts MWCNT-Ox and pyrrole-modified MWCNT-Py. The stability of pristine and functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNT) dispersions in tetrahydrofuran and water was studied together with the description of the process of formation PPy/(f-)MWCNT hybrid materials via electrochemical co-deposition. The structural and morphological properties of the hybrids were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealing substantial differences among hybrid materials in their surface morphology and the influence of MWCNT functionalization on the orientation of growing PPy chains.

  11. Design, synthesis, and characterization of biomimetic oligomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Jonas Striegler

    a helical arrangement found by DFT calculations. The designed oligomer indeed proved the existence of a ß-peptoid helical conformation by X-ray. Further studies of these compounds indicated a structured display in solution. These helices thus definitively show that the ß-peptoids should be considered......Peptides and proteins made from the 20 canonical amino acids are responsible for many processes necessary for organisms to function. Beside their composition, proteins obtain their activity and unique selectivity through an ability to display functionalities accurately in the three......, for their ability to mimic the structural elements seen in proteins. Two prominent peptidomimetics are ß-peptides and a-peptoids (N-alkylglycines), which have been shown to fold into helical and sheet-like arrangements. To expand the chemical space available for mimicking protein structure their features have been...

  12. Shaking alone induces de novo conversion of recombinant prion proteins to β-sheet rich oligomers and fibrils.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carol L Ladner-Keay

    Full Text Available The formation of β-sheet rich prion oligomers and fibrils from native prion protein (PrP is thought to be a key step in the development of prion diseases. Many methods are available to convert recombinant prion protein into β-sheet rich fibrils using various chemical denaturants (urea, SDS, GdnHCl, high temperature, phospholipids, or mildly acidic conditions (pH 4. Many of these methods also require shaking or another form of agitation to complete the conversion process. We have identified that shaking alone causes the conversion of recombinant PrP to β-sheet rich oligomers and fibrils at near physiological pH (pH 5.5 to pH 6.2 and temperature. This conversion does not require any denaturant, detergent, or any other chemical cofactor. Interestingly, this conversion does not occur when the water-air interface is eliminated in the shaken sample. We have analyzed shaking-induced conversion using circular dichroism, resolution enhanced native acidic gel electrophoresis (RENAGE, electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thioflavin T fluorescence and proteinase K resistance. Our results show that shaking causes the formation of β-sheet rich oligomers with a population distribution ranging from octamers to dodecamers and that further shaking causes a transition to β-sheet fibrils. In addition, we show that shaking-induced conversion occurs for a wide range of full-length and truncated constructs of mouse, hamster and cervid prion proteins. We propose that this method of conversion provides a robust, reproducible and easily accessible model for scrapie-like amyloid formation, allowing the generation of milligram quantities of physiologically stable β-sheet rich oligomers and fibrils. These results may also have interesting implications regarding our understanding of prion conversion and propagation both within the brain and via techniques such as protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA and quaking induced conversion (QuIC.

  13. Applicability of new spin trap agent, 2-diphenylphosphinoyl-2-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole N-oxide, in biological system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karakawa, Tomohiro; Sato, Keizo; Muramoto, Yosuke; Mitani, Yoshihiro; Kitamado, Masataka; Iwanaga, Tatsuya; Nabeshima, Tetsuji; Maruyama, Kumiko; Nakagawa, Kazuko; Ishida, Kazuhiko; Sasamoto, Kazumi

    2008-01-01

    Electron spin resonance using spin-trapping is a useful technique for detecting direct reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide (O 2 .- ). However, the widely used spin trap 2,2-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole N-oxide (DMPO) has several fundamental limitations in terms of half-life and stability. Recently, the new spin trap 2-diphenylphosphinoyl-2-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole N-oxide (DPhPMPO) was developed by us. We evaluated the biological applicability of DPhPMPO to analyze O 2 .- in both cell-free and cellular systems. DPhPMPO had a larger rate constant for O 2 .- and formed more stable spin adducts for O 2 .- than DMPO in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) system. In the phorbol myristate acetate-activated neutrophil system, the detection potential of DPhPMPO for O 2 .- was significantly higher than that of DMPO (k DMPO = 13.95 M -1 s -1 , k DPhPMPO = 42.4 M -1 s -1 ). These results indicated that DPhPMPO is a potentially good candidate for trapping O 2 .- in a biological system

  14. Grafting of palladium nanoparticles onto mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41: Heterogeneous catalysts for the formation of an N-substituted pyrrol

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Demel, Jan; Čejka, Jiří; Bakardjieva, Snejana; Štěpnička, P.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 263, 1-2 (2007), s. 259-265 ISSN 1381-1169 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/05/0192; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06070 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503; CEZ:AV0Z40320502 Keywords : palladium * nanoparticles * MCM-41 * pyrrol * catalysis Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.707, year: 2007

  15. Charge Effect on the Formation of Polyoxometalate-Based Supramolecular Polygons Driven by Metal Coordination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piot, Madeleine; Hupin, Sébastien; Lavanant, Hélène; Afonso, Carlos; Bouteiller, Laurent; Proust, Anna; Izzet, Guillaume

    2017-07-17

    The metal-driven self-assembly of a Keggin-based hybrid bearing two remote pyridine units was investigated. The resulting supramolecular species were identified by combination of 2D diffusion NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) as a mixture of molecular triangles and squares. This behavior is different from that of the structural analogue Dawson-based hybrid displaying a higher charge, which only led to the formation of molecular triangles. This study highlights the decisive effect of the charge of the POMs in their self-assembly processes that disfavors the formation of large assemblies. An isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiment confirmed the stronger binding in the case of the Keggin hybrids. A correlation between the diffusion coefficient D and the molecular mass M of the POM-based building block and its coordination oligomers was also observed. We show that the diffusion coefficient of these compounds is mainly determined by their occupied volume rather than by their shape.

  16. ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT STRENGTHENS CORTICOCORTICAL INTERACTIONS AND REDUCES AMYLOID-β OLIGOMERS IN AGED MICE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco eMainardi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Brain aging is characterized by global changes which are thought to underlie age-related cognitive decline. These include variations in brain activity and the progressive increase in the concentration of soluble amyloid-β (Aβ oligomers, directly impairing synaptic function and plasticity even in the absence of any neurodegenerative disorder. Considering the high social impact of the decline in brain performance associated to aging, there is an urgent need to better understand how it can be prevented or contrasted. Lifestyle components, such as social interaction, motor exercise and cognitive activity, are thought to modulate brain physiology and its susceptibility to age-related pathologies. However, the precise functional and molecular factors that respond to environmental stimuli and might mediate their protective action again pathological aging still need to be clearly identified. To address this issue, we exploited environmental enrichment (EE, a reliable model for studying the effect of experience on the brain based on the enhancement of cognitive, social and motor experience, in aged wild-type mice. We analyzed the functional consequences of EE on aged brain physiology by performing in vivo local field potential (LFP recordings with chronic implants. In addition, we also investigated changes induced by EE on molecular markers of neural plasticity and on the levels of soluble Aβ oligomers. We report that EE induced profound changes in the activity of the primary visual and auditory cortices and in their functional interaction. At the molecular level, EE enhanced plasticity by an upward shift of the cortical excitation/inhibition balance. In addition, EE reduced brain Aβ oligomers and increased synthesis of the Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin. Our findings strengthen the potential of EE procedures as a non-invasive paradigm for counteracting brain aging processes.

  17. Interpenetrating polymer networks based on cyanate ester and fluorinated ethynyl-terminated imide oligomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Wen

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Highly soluble fluorinated ethynyl-terminated imide (FETI oligomers were prepared via a conventional one-step method in m-cresol, using 4, 4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride and 2, 2′-bis(trifluoromethyl benzidine as the monomers, and ethynylphthalic anhydride as the end-capper; then interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN were formulated from FETI oligomers and bisphenol A dicyanate ester (BADCy through a solvent-free procedure, and their thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties were fully characterized. The curing mechanism was studied by model reactions using nitrogen nuclear magnetic resonance. As evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry analysis and rheological measurements, the FETI/BADCy blends exhibited lower curing temperature and shorter gelation time in comparison with pure BADCy due to the catalytic effects of ethynyl and residue amic acid groups. The properties of IPNs were fully compared with those of polycyanurate, and the results revealed that the incorporation of FETI into cyanate ester resins could significantly improve the toughness, glass transition temperatures, mechanical and dielectric properties of the resultant IPNs.

  18. Inactivation of lipoprotein lipase occurs on the surface of THP-1 macrophages where oligomers of angiopoietin-like protein 4 are formed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makoveichuk, Elena; Sukonina, Valentina; Kroupa, Olessia; Thulin, Petra; Ehrenborg, Ewa; Olivecrona, Thomas; Olivecrona, Gunilla

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity is controlled by ANGPTL4 in THP-1 macrophages. ► Both LPL and ANGPTL4 bind to THP-1 macrophages in a heparin-releasable fashion. ► Only monomers of ANGPTL4 are present within THP-1 macrophages. ► Covalent oligomers of ANGPTL4 appear on cell surface and in medium. ► Inactivation of LPL coincide with ANGPTL4 oligomer formation on cell surfaces. -- Abstract: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) hydrolyzes triglycerides in plasma lipoproteins causing release of fatty acids for metabolic purposes in muscles and adipose tissue. LPL in macrophages in the artery wall may, however, promote foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL) 4 inactivates LPL and ANGPTL4 expression is controlled by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). The mechanisms for inactivation of LPL by ANGPTL4 was studied in THP-1 macrophages where active LPL is associated with cell surfaces in a heparin-releasable form, while LPL in the culture medium is mostly inactive. The PPARδ agonist GW501516 had no effect on LPL mRNA, but increased ANGPTL4 mRNA and caused a marked reduction of the heparin-releasable LPL activity concomitantly with accumulation of inactive, monomeric LPL in the medium. Intracellular ANGPTL4 was monomeric, while dimers and tetramers of ANGPTL4 were present in the heparin-releasable fraction and medium. GW501516 caused an increase in the amount of ANGPTL4 oligomers on the cell surface that paralleled the decrease in LPL activity. Actinomycin D blocked the effects of GW501516 on ANGPTL4 oligomer formation and prevented the inactivation of LPL. Antibodies against ANGPTL4 interfered with the inactivation of LPL. We conclude that inactivation of LPL in THP-1 macrophages primarily occurs on the cell surface where oligomers of ANGPTL4 are formed.

  19. Amyloid β oligomers in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, treatment, and diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viola, Kirsten L; Klein, William L

    2015-02-01

    Protein aggregation is common to dozens of diseases including prionoses, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Over the past 15 years, there has been a paradigm shift in understanding the structural basis for these proteinopathies. Precedent for this shift has come from investigation of soluble Aβ oligomers (AβOs), toxins now widely regarded as instigating neuron damage leading to Alzheimer's dementia. Toxic AβOs accumulate in AD brain and constitute long-lived alternatives to the disease-defining Aβ fibrils deposited in amyloid plaques. Key experiments using fibril-free AβO solutions demonstrated that while Aβ is essential for memory loss, the fibrillar Aβ in amyloid deposits is not the agent. The AD-like cellular pathologies induced by AβOs suggest their impact provides a unifying mechanism for AD pathogenesis, explaining why early stage disease is specific for memory and accounting for major facets of AD neuropathology. Alternative ideas for triggering mechanisms are being actively investigated. Some research favors insertion of AβOs into membrane, while other evidence supports ligand-like accumulation at particular synapses. Over a dozen candidate toxin receptors have been proposed. AβO binding triggers a redistribution of critical synaptic proteins and induces hyperactivity in metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors. This leads to Ca(2+) overload and instigates major facets of AD neuropathology, including tau hyperphosphorylation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and synapse loss. Because different species of AβOs have been identified, a remaining question is which oligomer is the major pathogenic culprit. The possibility has been raised that more than one species plays a role. Despite some key unknowns, the clinical relevance of AβOs has been established, and new studies are beginning to point to co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypercholesterolemia as etiological factors. Because pathogenic AβOs appear early in the disease, they

  20. A nontoxic polypeptide oligomer with a fungicide potency under agricultural conditions which is equal or greater than that of their chemical counterparts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Monteiro

    Full Text Available There are literally hundreds of polypeptides described in the literature which exhibit fungicide activity. Tens of them have had attempted protection by patent applications but none, as far as we are aware, have found application under real agricultural conditions. The reasons behind may be multiple where the sensitivity to the Sun UV radiation can come in first place. Here we describe a multifunctional glyco-oligomer with 210 kDa which is mainly composed by a 20 kDa polypeptide termed Blad that has been previously shown to be a stable intermediary product of β-conglutin catabolism. This oligomer accumulates exclusively in the cotyledons of Lupinus species, between days 4 and 12 after the onset of germination. Blad-oligomer reveals a plethora of biochemical properties, like lectin and catalytic activities, which are not unusual per si, but are remarkable when found to coexist in the same protein molecule. With this vast range of chemical characteristics, antifungal activity arises almost as a natural consequence. The biological significance and potential technological applications of Blad-oligomer as a plant fungicide to agriculture, its uniqueness stems from being of polypeptidic in nature, and with efficacies which are either equal or greater than the top fungicides currently in the market are addressed.

  1. Modulation of hematopoietic progenitor cell fate in vitro by varying collagen oligomer matrix stiffness in the presence or absence of osteoblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chitteti, Brahmananda Reddy; Kacena, Melissa A; Voytik-Harbin, Sherry L; Srour, Edward F

    2015-10-01

    To recreate the in vivo hematopoietic cell microenvironment or niche and to study the impact of extracellular matrix (ECM) biophysical properties on hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) proliferation and function, mouse bone-marrow derived HPC (Lin-Sca1+cKit+/(LSK) were cultured within three-dimensional (3D) type I collagen oligomer matrices. To generate a more physiologic milieu, 3D cultures were established in both the presence and absence of calvariae-derived osteoblasts (OB). Collagen oligomers were polymerized at varying concentration to give rise to matrices of different fibril densities and therefore matrix stiffness (shear storage modulus, 50-800 Pa). Decreased proliferation and increased clonogenicity of LSK cells was associated with increase of matrix stiffness regardless of whether OB were present or absent from the 3D culture system. Also, regardless of whether OB were or were not added to the 3D co-culture system, LSK within 800 Pa collagen oligomer matrices maintained the highest percentage of Lin-Sca1+ cells as well as higher percentage of cells in quiescent state (G0/G1) compared to 50 Pa or 200Pa matrices. Collectively, these data illustrate that biophysical features of collagen oligomer matrices, specifically fibril density-induced modulation of matrix stiffness, provide important guidance cues in terms of LSK expansion and differentiation and therefore maintenance of progenitor cell function. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Preparation of deuterated heterocyclic five-membered ring compounds (furan, thiophene, pyrrole, and derivatives) by base-catalyzed hydrogen isotope exchange with deuterium oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinrich, K.H.; Herrmann, M.; Moebius, G.; Sprinz, H.

    1984-01-01

    Several deuterated heterocyclic compounds of the type of furan,thiophene and pyrrole were prepared by base-catalyzed proton exchange with deuterium oxide at temperatures above 423 K in a closed system. The determination of deuterium and its distribution within the molecules was carried out by mass spectrometry and 1 H nmr spectrometry. (author)

  3. Expression of enzymes in yeast for lignocellulose derived oligomer CBP

    Science.gov (United States)

    McBride, John E.; Wiswall, Erin; Shikhare, Indraneel; Xu, Haowen; Thorngren, Naomi; Hau, Heidi H.; Stonehouse, Emily

    2017-08-29

    The present invention provides a multi-component enzyme system that hydrolyzes hemicellulose oligomers from hardwood which can be expressed, for example, in yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In some embodiments, this invention provides for the engineering of a series of biocatalysts combining the expression and secretion of components of this enzymatic system with robust, rapid xylose utilization, and ethanol fermentation under industrially relevant process conditions for consolidated bioprocessing. In some embodiments, the invention utilizes co-cultures of strains that can achieve significantly improved performance due to the incorporation of additional enzymes in the fermentation system.

  4. Fragmentation dynamics of size selected pyrrole clusters prepared by electron impact ionization: Forming a solvated dimer ion core

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Profant, V.; Poterya, Viktoriya; Fárník, Michal; Slavíček, P.; Buck, U.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 111, č. 49 (2007), s. 12477-12486 ISSN 1089-5639 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN400400651; GA ČR GA203/06/1290 Grant - others:GA ČR GP203/07/P449; University Grant(CZ) 8113-10/257852 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Source of funding: V - iné verejné zdroje Keywords : pyrrole cluster s * structure * dynamics Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.918, year: 2007

  5. Chemical modifications of antisense morpholino oligomers enhance their efficacy against Ebola virus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swenson, Dana L; Warfield, Kelly L; Warren, Travis K; Lovejoy, Candace; Hassinger, Jed N; Ruthel, Gordon; Blouch, Robert E; Moulton, Hong M; Weller, Dwight D; Iversen, Patrick L; Bavari, Sina

    2009-05-01

    Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) are uncharged nucleic acid-like molecules designed to inactivate the expression of specific genes via the antisense-based steric hindrance of mRNA translation. PMOs have been successful at knocking out viral gene expression and replication in the case of acute viral infections in animal models and have been well tolerated in human clinical trials. We propose that antisense PMOs represent a promising class of therapeutic agents that may be useful for combating filoviral infections. We have previously shown that mice treated with a PMO whose sequence is complementary to a region spanning the start codon of VP24 mRNA were protected against lethal Ebola virus challenge. In the present study, we report on the abilities of two additional VP24-specific PMOs to reduce the cell-free translation of a VP24 reporter, to inhibit the in vitro replication of Ebola virus, and to protect mice against lethal challenge when the PMOs are delivered prior to infection. Additionally, structure-activity relationship evaluations were conducted to assess the enhancement of antiviral efficacy associated with PMO chemical modifications that included conjugation with peptides of various lengths and compositions, positioning of conjugated peptides to either the 5' or the 3' terminus, and the conferring of charge modifications by the addition of piperazine moieties. Conjugation with arginine-rich peptides greatly enhanced the antiviral efficacy of VP24-specific PMOs in infected cells and mice during lethal Ebola virus challenge.

  6. Influence of fused aromatic ring on the stability of charge transfer complex between iodine and some five membered heterocyclic molecules through ultrasonic and spectral studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulagendran, V.; Balu, P.; Kannappan, V.; Kumar, R.; Jayakumar, S.

    2017-08-01

    The charge transfer (CT) interaction between two fused heterocyclic compounds with basic pyrrole group as donors, viz., indole (IND) and carbazole (CAR), and iodine (acceptor) in DMSO medium is investigated by ultrasonic and UV-visible spectral methods at 303 K. The formation of CT complex in these systems is established from the trend in acoustical and excess thermo acoustical properties with molar concentration. The frequency acoustic spectra (FAS) is also carried out on these two systems for two fixed concentrations 0.002 M and 0.02 M, and in the frequency range 1 MHz-10 MHz to justify the frequency chosen for ultrasonic study. The absorption coefficient values in solution are computed and discussed. The formation constants of these complexes are determined using Kannappan equation in ultrasonic method. The formation of 1:1 complexes between iodine and IND, CAR was established by the theory of Benesi - Hildebrand in the UV-visible spectroscopic method. The stability constants of the CT complexes determined by spectroscopic and ultrasonic methods show a similar trend. These values also indicate that the presence of fused aromatic ring influences significantly when compared with K values of similar CT complexes of parent five membered heterocyclic compound (pyrrole) reported by us earlier.

  7. Ordering effects in benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6- dione polymers with >7% solar cell efficiency

    KAUST Repository

    Warnan, Julien; Cabanetos, Clement; El Labban, Abdulrahman; Hansen, Michael Ryan; Tassone, Christopher J.; Toney, Michael F.; Beaujuge, Pierre

    2014-01-01

    Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (PBDFTPD) polymers prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis can achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) >7% in bulk-heterojunction solar cells with phenyl-C61/71-butyric acid methyl

  8. Nanoparticle for delivery of antisense γPNA oligomers targeting CCR5

    OpenAIRE

    Bahal, Raman; McNeer, Nicole Ali; Ly, Danith H.; Saltzman, W. Mark; Glazer, Peter M.

    2013-01-01

    The development of a new class of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), i.e., gamma PNAs (γPNAs), creates the need for a general and effective method for its delivery into cells for regulating gene expression in mammalian cells. Here we report the antisense activity of a recently developed hydrophilic and biocompatible diethylene glycol (miniPEG)-based gamma peptide nucleic acid called MPγPNAs via its delivery by poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)-based nanoparticle system. We show that MPγPNA oligome...

  9. Detergent-Resistant Membrane Microdomains Facilitate Ib Oligomer Formation and Biological Activity of Clostridium perfringens Iota-Toxin

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hale, Martha

    2004-01-01

    ...) were extracted with cold Triton X-100. Western blotting revealed that Ib oligomers localized in DRMs extracted from Vero, but not MRC-5, cells while monomeric Ib was detected in the detergent-soluble fractions of both cell types...

  10. Disrupting self-assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic protein oligomers by "molecular tweezers" - from the test tube to animal models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attar, Aida; Bitan, Gal

    2014-01-01

    Despite decades of research, therapy for diseases caused by abnormal protein folding and aggregation (amyloidoses) is limited to treatment of symptoms and provides only temporary and moderate relief to sufferers. The failure in developing successful disease-modifying drugs for amyloidoses stems from the nature of the targets for such drugs - primarily oligomers of amyloidogenic proteins, which are distinct from traditional targets, such as enzymes or receptors. The oligomers are metastable, do not have well-defined structures, and exist in dynamically changing mixtures. Therefore, inhibiting the formation and toxicity of these oligomers likely will require out-of-the-box thinking and novel strategies. We review here the development of a strategy based on targeting the combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions that are key to the assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins using lysine (K)-specific "molecular tweezers" (MTs). Our discussion includes a survey of the literature demonstrating the important role of K residues in the assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins and the development of a lead MT derivative called CLR01, from an inhibitor of protein aggregation in vitro to a drug candidate showing effective amelioration of disease symptoms in animal models of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

  11. Parkinson's disease in the spotlight: unraveling nanoscale α-Synuclein oligomers using ultrasensitive single-molecule spectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zijlstra, Niels

    2014-01-01

    During the last 15 years, we have witnessed a major shift in the research focus to understand the cause of amyloid diseases. The attention has shifted from the fully matured amyloid fibrils to the nanometer sized aggregation intermediates called oligomers as the potentially cytotoxic species that

  12. Diethyl 2,2′-({[1,4-phenylenebis(azanediyl]bis(methylene}bis(1H-pyrrole-2,1-diyldiacetate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasim Alshawi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The complete molecule of the title compound, C24H30N4O4, is generated by crystallographic inversion symmetry. The molecule is S-shaped and the pyrrole groups have an anti or trans confirmation with respect to the central benzene ring, to which they are inclined by 76.38 (9°. In the crystal, molecules are linked via C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the ac plane. Within the layers there are C—H...π interactions present. There are, however, no significant interactions between the layers.

  13. Conducting polymers and hybrid nano-materials for electrochemical storage; Polymeres conducteurs electroniques et nanomateriaux hybrides pour le stockage de l'energie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mallouki, M.

    2006-02-15

    In this work, we report first on the preparation of nano-structures based on poly-pyrrole and iron oxide nano-particles by oxidative polymerisation of pyrrole in colloidal solution of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The conductivity and the morphology of nano-composites were studied and related to the doping agent role and the weight ratio (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/PPy). The specific capacity measurement on the composite electrode (based on the nano-composite, acetylene black and binders) indicate a significant enhancement of charge storage for nano-composites compared to pure poly-pyrrole. Then, we investigated the synthesis and characterisation of composite electrode based on poly 3-methyl-thiophene (PMeT), which depend on different methods of preparation, electrolyte and doping potential. Finally, a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) such as imidazolium tri-fluoro-methane-sulfonimide (EMITFSI), was used and seem to be a promising electrolyte since it increases further the capacity with a high stability during charge-discharge processes. (author)

  14. Conducting polymers and hybrid nano-materials for electrochemical storage; Polymeres conducteurs electroniques et nanomateriaux hybrides pour le stockage de l'energie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mallouki, M

    2006-02-15

    In this work, we report first on the preparation of nano-structures based on poly-pyrrole and iron oxide nano-particles by oxidative polymerisation of pyrrole in colloidal solution of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The conductivity and the morphology of nano-composites were studied and related to the doping agent role and the weight ratio (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/PPy). The specific capacity measurement on the composite electrode (based on the nano-composite, acetylene black and binders) indicate a significant enhancement of charge storage for nano-composites compared to pure poly-pyrrole. Then, we investigated the synthesis and characterisation of composite electrode based on poly 3-methyl-thiophene (PMeT), which depend on different methods of preparation, electrolyte and doping potential. Finally, a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) such as imidazolium tri-fluoro-methane-sulfonimide (EMITFSI), was used and seem to be a promising electrolyte since it increases further the capacity with a high stability during charge-discharge processes. (author)

  15. Chemical evolution. XXI - The amino acids released on hydrolysis of HCN oligomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferris, J. P.; Wos, J. D.; Nooner, D. W.; Oro, J.

    1974-01-01

    Major amino acids released by hydrolysis of acidic and basic HCN oligomers are identified by chromatography as Gly, Asp, and diaminosuccinic acid. Smaller amounts of Ala, Ile and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid are also detected. The amino acids released did not change appreciably when the hydrolysis medium was changed from neutral to acidic or basic. The presence of both meso and d, l-diaminosuccinic acids was established by paper chromatography and on an amino acid analyzer.

  16. Self-Healable and Reprocessable Polysulfide Sealants Prepared from Liquid Polysulfide Oligomer and Epoxy Resin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Wentong; Bie, Mengyao; Liu, Fu; Chang, Pengshan; Quan, Yiwu

    2017-05-10

    Polysulfide sealants have been commercially applied in many industrial fields. In this article, we study the self-healing property of the epoxy resin-cured polysulfide sealants for the first time. The obtained sealants showed a flexible range of ultimate elongation of 157-478% and a tensile strength of 1.02-0.75 MPa corresponding to different polysulfide oligomers. By taking advantage of the dynamic reversible exchange of disulfide bonds, polysulfide sealants exhibited good self-healing ability under a moderate thermal stimulus. A higher molecular weight and a lower degree of cross-linking of polysulfide oligomer were helpful in improving the ultimate elongation and healing efficiency of the polysulfide sealants. After subjecting to a temperature of 75 °C for 60 min, both the tensile strength and ultimate elongation of a fully cut sample, LP55-F, were restored to 91% of the original values, without affecting the sealing property. Furthermore, the sample exhibited excellent reshaping and reprocessing abilities. These outcomes offer a paradigm toward sustainable industrial applications of the polysulfide-based sealants.

  17. MCR-1 Inhibition with Peptide-Conjugated Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers Restores Sensitivity to Polymyxin in Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seth M. Daly

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In late 2015, the first example of a transferrable polymyxin resistance mechanism in Gram-negative pathogens, MCR-1, was reported. Since that report, MCR-1 has been described to occur in many Gram-negative pathogens, and the mechanism of MCR-1-mediated resistance was rapidly determined: an ethanolamine is attached to lipid A phosphate groups, rendering the membrane more electropositive and repelling positively charged polymyxins. Acquisition of MCR-1 is clinically significant because polymyxins are frequently last-line antibiotics used to treat extensively resistant organisms, so acquisition of this mechanism might lead to pan-resistant strains. Therefore, the ability to inhibit MCR-1 and restore polymyxin sensitivity would be an important scientific advancement. Peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PPMOs are antisense molecules that were designed to target mRNA, preventing translation. Peptide conjugation enhances cellular entry, but they are positively charged, so we tested our lead antibacterial PPMOs by targeting an essential Escherichia coli gene, acpP, and demonstrated that they were still effective in mcr-1-positive E. coli strains. We then designed and synthesized two PPMOs targeted to mcr-1 mRNA. Five clinical mcr-1-positive E. coli strains were resensitized to polymyxins by MCR-1 inhibition, reducing MICs 2- to 16-fold. Finally, therapeutic dosing of BALB/c mice with MCR-1 PPMO combined with colistin in a sepsis model reduced morbidity and bacterial burden in the spleen at 24 h and offered a survival advantage out to 5 days. This is the first example of a way to modulate colistin resistance with an antisense approach and may be a viable strategy to combat this globally emerging antibiotic resistance threat.

  18. Aging Enables Ca2+ Overload and Apoptosis Induced by Amyloid-β Oligomers in Rat Hippocampal Neurons: Neuroprotection by Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and R-Flurbiprofen in Aging Neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvo-Rodríguez, María; García-Durillo, Mónica; Villalobos, Carlos; Núñez, Lucía

    2016-07-22

    The most important risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is aging. Neurotoxicity in AD has been linked to dyshomeostasis of intracellular Ca2+ induced by small aggregates of the amyloid-β peptide 1-42 (Aβ42 oligomers). However, how aging influences susceptibility to neurotoxicity induced by Aβ42 oligomers is unknown. In this study, we used long-term cultures of rat hippocampal neurons, a model of neuronal in vitro aging, to investigate the contribution of aging to Ca2+ dishomeostasis and neuron cell death induced by Aβ42 oligomers. In addition, we tested whether non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and R-flurbiprofen prevent apoptosis acting on subcellular Ca2+ in aged neurons. We found that Aβ42 oligomers have no effect on young hippocampal neurons cultured for 2 days in vitro (2 DIV). However, they promoted apoptosis modestly in mature neurons (8 DIV) and these effects increased dramatically after 13 DIV, when neurons display many hallmarks of in vivo aging. Consistently, cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ responses induced by Aβ42 oligomers increased dramatically with culture age. At low concentrations, NSAIDs and the enantiomer R-flurbiprofen lacking anti-inflammatory activity prevent Ca2+ overload and neuron cell death induced by Aβ42 oligomers in aged neurons. However, at high concentrations R-flurbiprofen induces apoptosis. Thus, Aβ42 oligomers promote Ca2+ overload and neuron cell death only in aged rat hippocampal neurons. These effects are prevented by low concentrations of NSAIDs and R-flurbiprofen acting on mitochondrial Ca2+ overload.

  19. Elucidation of amyloid beta-protein oligomerization mechanisms: discrete molecular dynamics study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urbanc, B; Betnel, M; Cruz, L; Bitan, G; Teplow, D B

    2010-03-31

    Oligomers of amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) play a central role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Of the two predominant Abeta alloforms, Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42), Abeta(1-42) is more strongly implicated in the disease. We elucidated the structural characteristics of oligomers of Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42) and their Arctic mutants, [E22G]Abeta(1-40) and [E22G]Abeta(1-42). We simulated oligomer formation using discrete molecular dynamics (DMD) with a four-bead protein model, backbone hydrogen bonding, and residue-specific interactions due to effective hydropathy and charge. For all four peptides under study, we derived the characteristic oligomer size distributions that were in agreement with prior experimental findings. Unlike Abeta(1-40), Abeta(1-42) had a high propensity to form paranuclei (pentameric or hexameric) structures that could self-associate into higher-order oligomers. Neither of the Arctic mutants formed higher-order oligomers, but [E22G]Abeta(1-40) formed paranuclei with a similar propensity to that of Abeta(1-42). Whereas the best agreement with the experimental data was obtained when the charged residues were modeled as solely hydrophilic, further assembly from spherical oligomers into elongated protofibrils was induced by nonzero electrostatic interactions among the charged residues. Structural analysis revealed that the C-terminal region played a dominant role in Abeta(1-42) oligomer formation whereas Abeta(1-40) oligomerization was primarily driven by intermolecular interactions among the central hydrophobic regions. The N-terminal region A2-F4 played a prominent role in Abeta(1-40) oligomerization but did not contribute to the oligomerization of Abeta(1-42) or the Arctic mutants. The oligomer structure of both Arctic peptides resembled Abeta(1-42) more than Abeta(1-40), consistent with their potentially more toxic nature.

  20. Inactivation of lipoprotein lipase occurs on the surface of THP-1 macrophages where oligomers of angiopoietin-like protein 4 are formed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Makoveichuk, Elena; Sukonina, Valentina; Kroupa, Olessia [Department of Medical Biosciences, Physiological Chemistry Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea (Sweden); Thulin, Petra; Ehrenborg, Ewa [Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm (Sweden); Olivecrona, Thomas [Department of Medical Biosciences, Physiological Chemistry Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea (Sweden); Olivecrona, Gunilla, E-mail: Gunilla.Olivecrona@medbio.umu.se [Department of Medical Biosciences, Physiological Chemistry Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea (Sweden)

    2012-08-24

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity is controlled by ANGPTL4 in THP-1 macrophages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Both LPL and ANGPTL4 bind to THP-1 macrophages in a heparin-releasable fashion. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Only monomers of ANGPTL4 are present within THP-1 macrophages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Covalent oligomers of ANGPTL4 appear on cell surface and in medium. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inactivation of LPL coincide with ANGPTL4 oligomer formation on cell surfaces. -- Abstract: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) hydrolyzes triglycerides in plasma lipoproteins causing release of fatty acids for metabolic purposes in muscles and adipose tissue. LPL in macrophages in the artery wall may, however, promote foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL) 4 inactivates LPL and ANGPTL4 expression is controlled by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). The mechanisms for inactivation of LPL by ANGPTL4 was studied in THP-1 macrophages where active LPL is associated with cell surfaces in a heparin-releasable form, while LPL in the culture medium is mostly inactive. The PPAR{delta} agonist GW501516 had no effect on LPL mRNA, but increased ANGPTL4 mRNA and caused a marked reduction of the heparin-releasable LPL activity concomitantly with accumulation of inactive, monomeric LPL in the medium. Intracellular ANGPTL4 was monomeric, while dimers and tetramers of ANGPTL4 were present in the heparin-releasable fraction and medium. GW501516 caused an increase in the amount of ANGPTL4 oligomers on the cell surface that paralleled the decrease in LPL activity. Actinomycin D blocked the effects of GW501516 on ANGPTL4 oligomer formation and prevented the inactivation of LPL. Antibodies against ANGPTL4 interfered with the inactivation of LPL. We conclude that inactivation of LPL in THP-1 macrophages primarily occurs on the cell surface where oligomers of ANGPTL4 are formed.

  1. Electron-deficient N-alkyloyl derivatives of thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione yield efficient polymer solar cells with open-circuit voltages > 1 v

    KAUST Repository

    Warnan, Julien; Cabanetos, Clement; Bude, Romain; El Labban, Abdulrahman; LI, LIANG; Beaujuge, Pierre

    2014-01-01

    Poly(benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione) (PBDTTPD) polymer donors yield some of the highest open-circuit voltages (V OC, ca. 0.9 V) and fill factors (FF, ca. 70%) in conventional bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells

  2. Observation of the Strong Electronic Coupling in Near-Infrared-Absorbing Tetraferrocene aza-Dipyrromethene and aza-BODIPY with Direct Ferrocene-α- and Ferrocene-β-Pyrrole Bonds: Toward Molecular Machinery with Four-Bit Information Storage Capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zatsikha, Yuriy V; Holstrom, Cole D; Chanawanno, Kullapa; Osinski, Allen J; Ziegler, Christopher J; Nemykin, Victor N

    2017-01-17

    The 1,3,7,9-tetraferrocenylazadipyrromethene (3) and the corresponding 1,3,5,7-tetraferrocene aza-BODIPY (4) were prepared via three and four synthetic steps, respectively, starting from ferrocenecarbaldehyde using the chalcone-type synthetic methodology. The novel tetra-iron compounds have ferrocene groups directly attached to both the α- and the β-pyrrolic positions, and the shortest Fe-Fe distance determined by X-ray crystallography for 3 was found to be ∼6.98 Å. These new compounds were characterized by UV-vis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry methods, while metal-metal couplings in these systems were probed by electro- and spectroelectrochemistry, chemical oxidations, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Electrochemical data are suggestive of the well-separated stepwise oxidations of all four ferrocene groups in 3 and 4, while spectroelectrochemical and chemical oxidation experiments allowed for characterization of the mixed-valence forms in the target compounds. Intervalence charge-transfer band analyses indicate that the mixed-valence [3] + and [4] + complexes belong to the weakly coupled class II systems in the Robin-Day classification. This interpretation was further supported by Mössbauer spectroscopy in which two individual doublets for Fe(II) and Fe(III) centers were observed in room-temperature experiments for the mixed-valence [3] n+ and [4] n+ species (n = 1-3). The electronic structure, redox properties, and UV-vis spectra of new systems were correlated with Density Functional Theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations (TDDFT), which are suggestive of a ferrocene-centered highest occupied molecular orbital and chromophore-centered lowest unoccupied molecular orbital in 3 and 4 as well as predominant spin localization at the ferrocene fragment attached to the α-pyrrolic positions in [3] + and [4] + .

  3. Mass and Charge Transport in Electronically Conductive Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-08-02

    This method is based on coating an electrode surface with an insulating nitrile butadiene rubber ( NBR ). The electrolyte for polymerization (LiCIO4...in acetonitrile) etches channels through the NBR ; pyrrole is then polymerized in these channels. After polymerization the NBR is extracted away with

  4. Characterization of radiation modified κ-carrageenan oligomers for bio-based materials development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abad, Lucille V.; Relleve, Lorna S.; Aranilla, Charito T.; Racadio, Darwin T.; Dela Rosa, Alumanda M.

    2011-01-01

    κ-carrageenan oligomers are known to have several biological activities such as anti-HIV, anti-herpes, antitumor and antioxidant properties. Recent progress in the development of radiation modified κ-carrageenan has resulted in new applications such as plant growth promoter, radiation dose indicator and hydrogels for wound dressing. This presentation would touch on the changes in chemical structure, gelation and conformational transition behavior and molecular size of κ-carrageenan at doses from 0 to 200 kGy and would be correlated to these functions for the development of bio-based materials. Chemical and spectral analyses were carried out using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, reducing sugar analysis, free sulfate and carboxylic acid analysis. The chemical and spectral analyses of the radiolytic products indicated increasing reducing sugars, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, and sulfates with increasing doses which reached a maximum level at a certain dose depending on the irradiation condition. Values were very much lower in solid irradiation (in vacuum and in air) as compared to aqueous irradiation. NMR data also revealed an intact structure of the oligomer irradiated at 100 kGy in the specific fraction that contains an Mw = (3-10) kDa. κ-carrageenan oligomers exhibited antioxidant properties as determined by hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, reducing power and DPPH radical scavenging capacity assay. The degree of oxidative inhibition increased with increasing dose which can be attributed to higher reducing sugar. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments showed that a dose of up to 50 kGy, sol-gelation transition was still observed. Beyond 50 kGy, no gelation took place, instead appearance of fast relax-carrageenan mode in characteristic decay time function was observed at doses of (75-150) kGy. Optimum peak intensity was found at 100 kGy (mol wt. 5-10 kDa) which coincides with the optimum plant growth promoter effect in κ

  5. Dynamic conformations of nucleophosmin (NPM1 at a key monomer-monomer interface affect oligomer stability and interactions with granzyme B.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei D Duan-Porter

    Full Text Available Nucleophosmin (NPM1 is an abundant, nucleolar tumor antigen with important roles in cell proliferation and putative contributions to oncogenesis. Wild-type NPM1 forms pentameric oligomers through interactions at the amino-terminal core domain. A truncated form of NPM1 found in some hepatocellular carcinoma tissue formed an unusually stable oligomer and showed increased susceptibility to cleavage by granzyme B. Initiation of translation at the seventh methionine generated a protein (M7-NPM that shared all these properties. We used deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (DXMS to perform a detailed structural analysis of wild-type NPM1 and M7-NPM, and found dynamic conformational shifts or local "unfolding" at a specific monomer-monomer interface which included the β-hairpin "latch." We tested the importance of interactions at the β-hairpin "latch" by replacing a conserved tyrosine in the middle of the β-hairpin loop with glutamic acid, generating Y67E-NPM. Y67E-NPM did not form stable oligomers and further, prevented wild-type NPM1 oligomerization in a dominant-negative fashion, supporting the critical role of the β-hairpin "latch" in monomer-monomer interactions. Also, we show preferential cleavage by granzyme B at one of two available aspartates (either D161 or D122 in M7-NPM and Y67E-NPM, whereas wild-type NPM1 was cleaved at both sites. Thus, we observed a correlation between the propensity to form oligomers and granzyme B cleavage site selection in nucleophosmin proteins, suggesting that a small change at an important monomer-monomer interface can affect conformational shifts and impact protein-protein interactions.

  6. Ion vs. ion pair receptor: NMR and DFT study of the interaction of Thallium and Cesium ions and ion pairs with meso-octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kříž, Jaroslav; Dybal, Jiří; Makrlík, E.; Sedláková, Zdeňka

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 400, 25 May (2012), s. 19-28 ISSN 0301-0104 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/09/1478 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : calix[4]pyrrole * cesium receptor * fluoride receptor Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 1.957, year: 2012

  7. Overall and specific migration from multilayer high barrier food contact materials - kinetic study of cyclic polyester oligomers migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Úbeda, Sara; Aznar, Margarita; Vera, Paula; Nerín, Cristina; Henríquez, Luis; Taborda, Laura; Restrepo, Claudia

    2017-10-01

    Most multilayer high barrier materials used in food packaging have a polyurethane adhesive layer in their structures. In order to assess the safety of these materials, it is important to determine the compounds intentionally added to the adhesives (IAS) as well as those non-intentionally added substances (NIAS). During the manufacture of polyurethane adhesives, some by-products can be formed, such as cyclic polyester oligomers coming from the reaction between dicarboxylic acids and glycols. Since these compounds are not listed in the Regulation 10/2011/EU, they should not be found in migration above 0.01 mg/kg of simulant. In this study two flexible multilayer packaging materials were used and migration was evaluated in simulant A (ethanol 10% v/v), simulant B (acetic acid 3% w/v) and simulant ethanol 95% v/v during 10 days at 60ºC. Identification and quantification of non-volatile compounds was carried out by UPLC-MS-QTOF. Most of migrants were oligomers such as cyclic polyesters and caprolactam oligomers. Overall migration and specific migration of adipic acid-diethylene glycol and phthalic acid-diethylene glycol were monitored over time and analysed by UPLC-MS-TQ. In most cases, ethanol 95% v/v was the simulant with the highest concentration values. Overall migration kinetics followed a similar pattern than specific migration kinetics.

  8. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) cell penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugates as carriers for cellular delivery of antisense oligomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shiraishi, Takehiko; Nielsen, Peter E

    2012-01-01

    We have explored the merits of a novel delivery strategy for the antisense oligomers based on cell penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugated to a carrier PNA with sequence complementary to part of the antisense oligomer. The effect of these carrier CPP-PNAs was evaluated by using antisense PNA targeting......-PNA (cPNA1(7)-(D-Arg)8) and hexamer carrier decanoyl-CPP-PNA (Deca-cPNA1(6)-(D-Arg)8), respectively, without showing significant additional cellular toxicity. Most interestingly, the activity reached the same level obtained by enhancement with endosomolytic chloroquine (CQ) treatment, suggesting...... that the carrier might facilitate endosomal escape. Furthermore, 50% downregulation of luciferase expression at 60 nM siRNA was obtained using this carrier CPP-PNA delivery strategy (with CQ co-treatment) for a single stranded antisense RNA targeting normal luciferase mRNA. These results indicated that CPP...

  9. Autoassemblage de macromolécules biologiques via des poly(pyrroles) et/ou des nanotubes de carbone fonctionnalisés

    OpenAIRE

    Baur , Jessica

    2010-01-01

    This work is dedicated to the development of hybrid assemblies based on polymers and biomolecules with or without carbon nanotubes with the aim to show their applications in different areas such as biosensors or bio-fuel cells. Firstly, poly(pyrrole-NTA)/Cu2+ was used for the elaboration of DNA or enzymatic biosensors. So, it was able to be used with its affinity partner, histidine, for the reversible immobilization of oligonucleotide probes tagged with histidines. Thanks to a detection witho...

  10. Combined HILIC-ELSD/ESI-MSn enables the separation, identification and quantification of sugar beet pectin derived oligomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Remoroza, C.A.; Cord-Landwehr, S.; Leijdekkers, A.G.M.; Moerschbacher, B.M.; Schols, H.A.; Gruppen, H.

    2012-01-01

    The combined action of endo-polygalacturonase (endo-PGII), pectin lyase (PL), pectin methyl esterase (fungal PME) and RG-I degrading enzymes enabled the extended degradation of methylesterified and acetylated sugar beet pectins (SBPs). The released oligomers were separated, identified and quantified

  11. On the Kendrick Mass Defect Plots of Multiply Charged Polymer Ions: Splits, Misalignments, and How to Correct Them

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fouquet, Thierry N. J.; Cody, Robert B.; Ozeki, Yuka; Kitagawa, Shinya; Ohtani, Hajime; Sato, Hiroaki

    2018-05-01

    The Kendrick mass defect (KMD) analysis of multiply charged polymeric distributions has recently revealed a surprising isotopic split in their KMD plots—namely a 1/z difference between KMDs of isotopes of an oligomer at charge state z. Relying on the KMD analysis of actual and simulated distributions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), the isotopic split is mathematically accounted for and found to go with an isotopic misalignment in certain cases. It is demonstrated that the divisibility (resp. indivisibility) of the nominal mass of the repeating unit (R) by z is the condition for homolog ions to line up horizontally (resp. misaligned obliquely) in a KMD plot. Computing KMDs using a fractional base unit R/z eventually corrects the misalignments for the associated charge state while using the least common multiple of all the charge states as the divisor realigns all the points at once. The isotopic split itself can be removed by using either a new charge-dependent KMD plot compatible with any fractional base unit or the remainders of KM (RKM) recently developed for low-resolution data all found to be linked in a unified theory. These original applications of the fractional base units and the RKM plots are of importance theoretically to satisfy the basics of a mass defect analysis and practically for a correct data handling of single stage and tandem mass spectra of multiply charged homo- and copolymers.

  12. meso-Octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole as an effective macrocyclic receptor for the univalent thallium cation in the gas phase: Experimental and theoretical study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Polášek, Miroslav; Makrlík, E.; Kvíčala, J.; Křížová, Věra; Vaňura, P.

    Roč. 1153 ( 2018 ), s. 78-84 ISSN 0022-2860 R&D Projects: GA MŠk CZ.1.05/3.2.00/08.0144 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) 20/2015; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010005 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : Thallium cation * meso-Octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole * Complexation * DFT calculations * Structures Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 1.753, year: 2016

  13. Correlating charge transport to structure in deconstructed diketopyrrolopyrrole oligomers: A case study of a monomer in field-effect transistors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pickett, Alec; Torkkeli, Mika; Mukhopadhyay, Tushita

    2018-01-01

    Copolymers based on diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) cores have attracted a lot of attention due to their high p-type as well as n-type carrier mobilities in organic field-effect transistors (FETs) and high power conversion efficiencies in solar cell structures. We report the structural and charge tran...

  14. Kinetic properties of two Rhizopus exo-polygalacturonase enzymes hydrolyzing galacturonic acid oligomers using isothermal titration calorimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    The kinetic characteristics of two Rhizopus oryzae exo-polygalacturonases acting on galacturonic acid oligomers (GalpA) were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). RPG15 hydrolyzing (GalpA)2 demonstrated a Km of 55 uM and kcat of 10.3 s^-1^ while RPG16 was shown to have greater af...

  15. Structure and spectroscopic properties of N,S-coordinating 2-methylsulfanyl-N-[(1H-pyrrol-2-ylmethylidene]aniline methanol monosolvate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Douglas Richards

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The reaction of pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde and 2-(methylsulfanylaniline in refluxing methanol gave an olive-green residue in which yellow crystals of the title compound, C12H12N2S·CH3OH, were grown from slow evaporation of methanol at 263 K. In the crystal, hydrogen-bonding interactions link the aniline molecule and a nearby methanol solvent molecule. These units are linked by a pair of weak C—H...Omethanol interactions, forming inversion dimers consisting of two main molecules and two solvent molecules.

  16. Linear side chains in benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-thieno[3,4-c] pyrrole-4,6-dione polymers direct self-assembly and solar cell performance

    KAUST Repository

    Cabanetos, Clement; El Labban, Abdulrahman; Bartelt, Jonathan A.; Douglas, Jessica D.; Mateker, William R.; Frechet, Jean; McGehee, Michael D.; Beaujuge, Pierre

    2013-01-01

    role that linear side-chain substituents play in poly(benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione) (PBDTTPD) polymers for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell applications. We show that replacing branched side chains by linear ones

  17. Effect of side chain length and degree of polymerization on the decomposition and crystallization behaviour of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinze, D.; Mang, Th.; Popescu, C.; Weichold, O.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermal behaviour of telomerized polyvinyl esters is investigated. • Thermal stability relies mainly on the contribution of side chains. • At equal molecular weights thermal stability is dictated by length of side chain. • Increasing the length of side chains improves also the packing degree of polymer. - Abstract: Four members of a homologous series of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers CCl_3–(CH_2CH (OCO(CH_2)_mCH_3))_n–Cl with degrees of polymerization of 10 and 20 were prepared by telomerisation using carbon tetrachloride. The number of side chain carbon atoms ranges from 2 (poly(vinyl acetate) to 18 (poly(vinyl stearate)). The effect of the n-alkyl side chain length and of the degree of polymerization on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated. All oligomers degrade in two major steps by first losing HCl and side chains with subsequent breakdown of the backbone. The members with short side chains, up to poly(vinyl octanoate), are amorphous and show internal plasticization, whereas those with high number of side chain carbon atoms are semi-crystalline due to side-chain crystallization. A better packing for poly(vinyl stearate) is also noticeable. The glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the onset temperature of decomposition are influenced to a larger extent by the side chain length than by the degree of polymerization. Thermal stability is improved if both the size and number of side chains increase, but only a long side chain causes a significant increase of the resistance to degradation. This results in a stabilization of PVAc so that oligomers from poly(vinyl octanoate) on are stable under atmospheric conditions. Thus, the way to design stable, chlorinated PVEs oligomers is to use a long n-alkyl side chain.

  18. Effect of side chain length and degree of polymerization on the decomposition and crystallization behaviour of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heinze, D.; Mang, Th. [Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428 Jülich (Germany); Popescu, C., E-mail: crisan.popescu@kao.com [KAO Germany GmbH, Pfungstädterstr. 98-100, 64297 Darmstadt (Germany); Weichold, O., E-mail: weichold@ibac.rwth-aachen.de [Institute of Building Materials Research, Schinkelstr. 3, 52062 Aachen (Germany)

    2016-08-10

    Highlights: • Thermal behaviour of telomerized polyvinyl esters is investigated. • Thermal stability relies mainly on the contribution of side chains. • At equal molecular weights thermal stability is dictated by length of side chain. • Increasing the length of side chains improves also the packing degree of polymer. - Abstract: Four members of a homologous series of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers CCl{sub 3}–(CH{sub 2}CH (OCO(CH{sub 2}){sub m}CH{sub 3})){sub n}–Cl with degrees of polymerization of 10 and 20 were prepared by telomerisation using carbon tetrachloride. The number of side chain carbon atoms ranges from 2 (poly(vinyl acetate) to 18 (poly(vinyl stearate)). The effect of the n-alkyl side chain length and of the degree of polymerization on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated. All oligomers degrade in two major steps by first losing HCl and side chains with subsequent breakdown of the backbone. The members with short side chains, up to poly(vinyl octanoate), are amorphous and show internal plasticization, whereas those with high number of side chain carbon atoms are semi-crystalline due to side-chain crystallization. A better packing for poly(vinyl stearate) is also noticeable. The glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the onset temperature of decomposition are influenced to a larger extent by the side chain length than by the degree of polymerization. Thermal stability is improved if both the size and number of side chains increase, but only a long side chain causes a significant increase of the resistance to degradation. This results in a stabilization of PVAc so that oligomers from poly(vinyl octanoate) on are stable under atmospheric conditions. Thus, the way to design stable, chlorinated PVEs oligomers is to use a long n-alkyl side chain.

  19. Eckmaxol, a Phlorotannin Extracted from Ecklonia maxima, Produces Anti-β-amyloid Oligomer Neuroprotective Effects Possibly via Directly Acting on Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jialing; Zheng, Jiachen; Huang, Chunhui; Zhao, Jiaying; Lin, Jiajia; Zhou, Xuezhen; Naman, C Benjamin; Wang, Ning; Gerwick, William H; Wang, Qinwen; Yan, Xiaojun; Cui, Wei; He, Shan

    2018-04-10

    Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that mainly affects the elderly. Soluble β-amyloid oligomer, which can induce neurotoxicity, is generally regarded as the main neurotoxin in Alzheimer's disease. Here we report that eckmaxol, a phlorotannin extracted from the brown alga Ecklonia maxima, could produce neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells. Eckmaxol effectively prevented but did not rescue β-amyloid oligomer-induced neuronal apoptosis and increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Eckmaxol also significantly reversed the decreased expression of phospho-Ser9-glycogen synthase kinase 3β and increased expression of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, which was induced by Aβ oligomer. Moreover, both glycogen synthase kinase 3β and mitogen activated protein kinase inhibitors produced neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, eckmaxol showed favorable interaction in the ATP binding site of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and mitogen activated protein kinase. These results suggested that eckmaxol might produce neuroprotective effects via concurrent inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways, possibly via directly acting on glycogen synthase kinase 3β and mitogen activated protein kinase. Based on the central role that β-amyloid oligomers play in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and the high annual production of Ecklonia maxima for alginate and other nutritional ingredients, this report represents a new candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and also expands the potential application of Ecklonia maxima and its constituents in the field of pharmacology.

  20. An approach for degradation of grape seed and skin proanthocyanidin polymers into oligomers by sulphurous acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Lanxin; Cui, Yan; Cheng, Jinhui; Fang, Bairui; Wei, Zongmin; Sun, Baoshan

    2018-08-01

    To develop an efficient method for degradation of grape seed and skin proanthocyanidins polymers into oligomers, an optimized sulphurous acid degradation conditions for grape seed with the temperature of 60 °C, reaction time of 60 min and sample-sulphurous acid ratio of 1:0.2, and for grape skin with the temperature of 40 °C, reaction time of 60 min and sample-sulphurous acid ratio of 1:0.2, were established. Afterwards, HSCCC and prep-HPLC were used to fractionate and isolate individual proanthocyanidin oligomers from the degradation products. Total of ten dimeric or trimeric procyanidins were obtained, and most of them presented high yield (from 0.7 mg to 13.6 mg per run in grape seed and from 0.5 mg to 4.1 mg per run in grape skin) and high purity (over 90%). The proposed method provides a new way for large preparation of oligomeric proanthocyanidins from naturally abundant and wasted polymeric ones. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Identification of chlorinated oligomers formed during anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Linxi; Campo, Pablo; Kupferle, Margaret J.

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • By-products from anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride are investigated. • Chlorinated oligomer formation is demonstrated by LC-QTOF-MS. • They have structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. - Abstract: Chlorinated oligomer intermediates formed during the anodic electrochemical oxidation of phenol with a boron-doped diamond electrode were studied at two different concentrations of chloride (5 mM and 50 mM). Under the same ionic strength, with sodium sulfate being the make-up ion, a 10-fold increase in Cl − led to removal rates 10.8, 1.5, and 1.4 times higher for phenol, TOC, and COD, respectively. Mono-, di- and trichlorophenols resulting from electrophilic substitution were the identified by-products. Nevertheless, discrepancies between theoretical and measured TOC values along with gaps in the mass balance of chlorine-containing species indicated the formation of unaccounted-for chlorinated by-products. Accurate mass measurements by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and MS-MS fragmentation spectra showed that additional compounds formed were dimers and trimers of phenol with structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins

  2. Morpholino oligomer-mediated exon skipping averts the onset of dystrophic pathology in the mdx mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, Sue; Honeyman, Kaite; Fall, Abbie M; Harding, Penny L; Johnsen, Russell D; Steinhaus, Joshua P; Moulton, Hong M; Iversen, Patrick L; Wilton, Stephen D

    2007-09-01

    Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are allelic disorders arising from mutations in the dystrophin gene. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is characterized by an absence of functional protein, whereas Becker muscular dystrophy, commonly caused by in-frame deletions, shows synthesis of partially functional protein. Anti-sense oligonucleotides can induce specific exon removal during processing of the dystrophin primary transcript, while maintaining or restoring the reading frame, and thereby overcome protein-truncating mutations. The mdx mouse has a non-sense mutation in exon 23 of the dystrophin gene that precludes functional dystrophin production, and this model has been used in the development of treatment strategies for dystrophinopathies. A phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) has previously been shown to exclude exon 23 from the dystrophin gene transcript and induce dystrophin expression in the mdxmouse, in vivo and in vitro. In this report, a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-conjugated oligomer targeted to the mouse dystrophin exon 23 donor splice site was administered to mdxmice by intraperitoneal injection. We demonstrate dystrophin expression and near-normal muscle architecture in all muscles examined, except for cardiac muscle. The CPP greatly enhanced uptake of the PMO, resulting in widespread dystrophin expression.

  3. Identification of chlorinated oligomers formed during anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Linxi; Campo, Pablo; Kupferle, Margaret J., E-mail: margaret.kupferle@uc.edu

    2015-02-11

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • By-products from anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride are investigated. • Chlorinated oligomer formation is demonstrated by LC-QTOF-MS. • They have structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. - Abstract: Chlorinated oligomer intermediates formed during the anodic electrochemical oxidation of phenol with a boron-doped diamond electrode were studied at two different concentrations of chloride (5 mM and 50 mM). Under the same ionic strength, with sodium sulfate being the make-up ion, a 10-fold increase in Cl{sup −} led to removal rates 10.8, 1.5, and 1.4 times higher for phenol, TOC, and COD, respectively. Mono-, di- and trichlorophenols resulting from electrophilic substitution were the identified by-products. Nevertheless, discrepancies between theoretical and measured TOC values along with gaps in the mass balance of chlorine-containing species indicated the formation of unaccounted-for chlorinated by-products. Accurate mass measurements by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and MS-MS fragmentation spectra showed that additional compounds formed were dimers and trimers of phenol with structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins.

  4. Gold nanoparticle/nickel oxide/poly(pyrrole-N-propionic acid hybrid multilayer film: Electrochemical study and its application in biosensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Karazehir

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The present study describes the fabrication of Indium Tin Oxide /gold nanoparticles/nickel oxide/poly(Pyrrole-N-propionic acid (ITO/GNPs/NiO/poly(PPA multilayered film, and its modification with Tyrosinase (Ty. The ITO/GNPs/NiO/poly(PPA electrode was fabricated by sequential electrochemical assembly onto ITO substrate which electrochemical deposition provides a facile, inexpensive technique for synthesis of multilayered film within the adherent morphology with controllable film thickness. Cyclic voltammetry (CV, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR, scanning electron microcopy (SEM, and atomic force microcopy (AFM were used to characterize the film assembly processes. The properties of a semiconductor/electrolyte interface were investigated based on the Mott–Schottky (M-S approach for the modified electrodes, with the flat band potential (EFB according to the potential intercept and the carrier density (ND according to the linear slopes. The ND and EFB of ITO/GNPs/NiO/poly(PPA were obtained as 2.48·1021 cm–3 and 0.26 V, respectively. Tyrosinase was immobilized using carbodiimide coupling reaction. The bioelectrode was characterized by FTIR-ATR, SEM, AFM, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS. A Randles equivalent circuit was introduced for modeling the performance of impedimetric biosensing for the detection of the dopamine (DP and the interface of bioelectrode/electrolyte. The EIS of the ITO/GNPs/NiO/poly(PPA-Ty exhibited significant changes in the charge transfer resistance (RCT value toward the detection of dopamine over a linear range of 80 µM to 0.2 mM with a limit of detection (LOD of 5.46 µM.

  5. Intracellular formation of α-synuclein oligomers and the effect of heat shock protein 70 characterized by confocal single particle spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Levin, Johannes [Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases – DZNE, Site Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich (Germany); Hillmer, Andreas S. [Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich (Germany); Högen, Tobias [Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); McLean, Pamela J. [Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224 (United States); Giese, Armin, E-mail: armin.giese@med.uni-muenchen.de [Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich (Germany)

    2016-08-12

    Synucleinopathies such as dementia with Lewy bodies or Parkinson’s disease are characterized by intracellular deposition of pathologically aggregated α-synuclein. The details of the molecular pathogenesis of PD and especially the conditions that lead to intracellular aggregation of α-synuclein and the role of these aggregates in cell death remain unknown. In cell free in vitro systems considerable knowledge about the aggregation processes has been gathered. In comparison, the knowledge about these aggregation processes in cells is far behind. In cells α-synuclein aggregates can be toxic. However, the crucial particle species responsible for decisive steps in pathogenesis such as seeding a continuing aggregation process and triggering cell death remain to be identified. In order to understand the complex nature of intracellular α-synuclein aggregate formation, we analyzed fluorescent particles formed by venus and α-synuclein-venus fusion proteins and α-synuclein-hemi-venus fusion proteins derived from gently lyzed cells. With these techniques we were able to identify and characterize α-synuclein oligomers formed in cells. Especially the use of α-synuclein-hemi-venus fusion proteins enabled us to identify very small α-synuclein oligomers with high sensitivity. Furthermore, we were able to study the molecular effect of heat shock protein 70, which is known to inhibit α-synuclein aggregation in cells. Heat shock protein 70 does not only influence the size of α-synuclein oligomers, but also their quantity. In summary, this approach based on fluorescence single particle spectroscopy, that is suited for high throughput measurements, can be used to detect and characterize intracellularly formed α-synuclein aggregates and characterize the effect of molecules that interfere with α-synuclein aggregate formation. - Highlights: • Single particle spectroscopy detects intracellular formed α-synuclein aggregates. • Fusion proteins allow detection of protein

  6. Chemo-enzymatic modification of poly-N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc oligomers and N,N-diacetyllactosamine (LacDiNAc based on galactose oxidase treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christiane E. Kupper

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The importance of glycans in biological systems is highlighted by their various functions in physiological and pathological processes. Many glycan epitopes on glycoproteins and glycolipids are based on N-acetyllactosamine units (LacNAc; Galβ1,4GlcNAc and often present on extended poly-LacNAc glycans ([Galβ1,4GlcNAc]n. Poly-LacNAc itself has been identified as a binding motif of galectins, an important class of lectins with functions in immune response and tumorigenesis. Therefore, the synthesis of natural and modified poly-LacNAc glycans is of specific interest for binding studies with galectins as well as for studies of their possible therapeutic applications. We present the oxidation by galactose oxidase and subsequent chemical or enzymatic modification of terminal galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine residues of poly-N-acetyllactosamine (poly-LacNAc oligomers and N,N-diacetyllactosamine (LacDiNAc by galactose oxidase. Product formation starting from different poly-LacNAc oligomers was characterised and optimised regarding formation of the C6-aldo product. Further modification of the aldehyde containing glycans, either by chemical conversion or enzymatic elongation, was established. Base-catalysed β-elimination, coupling of biotin–hydrazide with subsequent reduction to the corresponding hydrazine linkage, and coupling by reductive amination to an amino-functionalised poly-LacNAc oligomer were performed and the products characterised by LC–MS and NMR analysis. Remarkably, elongation of terminally oxidised poly-LacNAc glycans by β3GlcNAc- and β4Gal-transferase was also successful. In this way, a set of novel, modified poly-LacNAc oligomers containing terminally and/or internally modified galactose residues were obtained, which can be used for binding studies and various other applications.

  7. Interplay Between Side Chain Pattern, Polymer Aggregation, and Charge Carrier Dynamics in PBDTTPD:PCBM Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Dyer-Smith, Clare

    2015-05-01

    Poly(benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene–alt–thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione) (PBDTTPD) polymer donors with linear side-chains yield bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of about 4% with phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as the acceptor, while a PBDTTPD polymer with a combination of branched and linear substituents yields a doubling of the PCE to 8%. Using transient optical spectroscopy it is shown that while the exciton dissociation and ultrafast charge generation steps are not strongly affected by the side chain modifications, the polymer with branched side chains exhibits a decreased rate of nongeminate recombination and a lower fraction of sub-nanosecond geminate recombination. In turn the yield of long-lived charge carriers increases, resulting in a 33% increase in short circuit current (J sc). In parallel, the two polymers show distinct grazing incidence X-ray scattering spectra indicative of the presence of stacks with different orientation patterns in optimized thin-film BHJ devices. Independent of the packing pattern the spectroscopic data also reveals the existence of polymer aggregates in the pristine polymer films as well as in both blends which trap excitons and hinder their dissociation.

  8. Biocatalytic ammonolysis of (5S)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-1,5-dicarboxylic acid, 1-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-5-ethyl ester: preparation of an intermediate to the dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor Saxagliptin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Iqbal; Patel, Ramesh

    2006-02-01

    An efficient biocatalytic method has been developed for the conversion of (5S)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-1,5-dicarboxylic acid, 1-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-5-ethyl ester (1) into the corresponding amide (5S)-5-aminocarbonyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-1-carboxylic acid, 1-(1,1-dimethylethyl)ester (2), which is a critical intermediate in the synthesis of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) inhibitor Saxagliptin (3). Candida antartica lipase B mediates ammonolysis of the ester with ammonium carbamate as ammonia donor to yield up to 71% of the amide. The inclusion of Ascarite and calcium chloride as adsorbents for carbon dioxide and ethanol byproducts, respectively, increases the yield to 98%, thereby offering an efficient and practical alternative to chemical routes which yield 57-64%.

  9. Co-oligomers Based on 2-Methoxy, 5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy phenylene and Thienylenevinylene for Organic Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. El Alamy

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Thanks to their optoelectronic properties and specific applications such as organic solar cells, the research on the lower band gap of organic p-conjugated materials encompassing both polymers and oligomers have been widely studied over the last years. The control of the band gap of these materials is a research issue of ongoing interest. In this study, theoretical study using the DFT method on four oligomers based on 2-methoxy, 5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy phenylene and thienylenevinylene is reported. The theoretical ground-state geometry and electronic structure of the studied molecules were obtained by the DFT method at the B3LYP level with a 6–31G (d basis set. Theoretical knowledge of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO energy levels the gap energy (Eg and the open-circuit voltage (Voc of the studied compounds are calculated and discussed. The results of this work suggest these materials as a good candidate for organic solar cells.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v8i3.800

  10. Design and modelling of enzyme/poly-pyrrole modified electrodes for bio-catalyzed electro-synthesis processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gros, Pierre

    1996-01-01

    This research thesis reports a study which aims at developing, analyzing and integrating an electrode-enzyme interface within an electro-enzymatic reactor to develop electrochemical biosensors. The adopted method comprises a confinement of the enzyme at the electrode surface by means of an electro-formed poly-pyrrole film. The author reports an experimental and theoretical study of the coupling between electrochemical reaction, enzymatic reaction and matter transfer in the polymer in order to better understand the operation of so-modified electrodes. Different parameters have an influence on the reaction rate. A numerical model (validated by experiments) allows the identification of the reaction limiting stages. A new elaboration protocol allows the polymer permeability to be increased. The interface is first applied to the reduction of the NAD coenzyme, and the process is also applied to the production of gluconic acid [fr

  11. Unified approach to catechin hetero-oligomers: first total synthesis of trimer EZ-EG-CA isolated from Ziziphus jujuba.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yano, Takahisa; Ohmori, Ken; Takahashi, Haruko; Kusumi, Takenori; Suzuki, Keisuke

    2012-10-14

    A catechin hetero-trimer isolated from Ziziphus jujuba has been synthesized. Among three constituent monomers, (-)-epiafzelechin and (-)-epigallocatechin were prepared by de novo synthesis. Trimer formation relied on the unified approach to oligomers based on the bromo-capping and the orthogonal activation, reaching the reported structure of the natural product.

  12. Synthesis and properties of novel TEMPO-contained polypyrrole derivatives as the cathode material of organic radical battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Lihuan; Yang, Fang; Su, Chang; Ji, Lvlv; Zhang, Cheng

    2014-01-01

    Two 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-N-oxy (TEMPO) contained polypyrrole (PPy) derivatives with the different side-chain length were synthesized by esterification of 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl free radial with pyrrole butyric acid and pyrrole caproic acid. Then the homopolymers of 4-(3-(Pyrrol-1-yl)butyryloxy)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yloxy (PPy-B-TEMPO) and 4-(3-(Pyrrol-1-yl)hexanoyloxy)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yloxy (PPy-C-TEMPO) were prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization. The structure, morphology, electrochemical properties of prepared polymers were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammograms (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), respectively. Also, the charge-discharge properties of the prepared polymers were studied by galvanostatic charge-discharge testing. The results demonstrated that the as-synthesized nitroxide radical polymers showed a reversible two-electron redox reaction process in the potential limits of 2.5–3.0 V and 3.4–3.8 V vs Li/Li + , respectively. Under our experimental conditions, PPy only presented the discharge capacity of 16.5 mAh·g −1 at 20 mA·g −1 between 2.5 and 4.2 V, while PPy-B-TEMPO with the short side-chain linked to TEMPO groups exhibited an initial discharge capacity of up to 86.5 mAh·g −1 with two well-defined plateaus. Furthermore, the PPy-C-TEMPO with the longer linking side-chain even displayed a discharge capacity of 115 mAh·g −1 . These superior electrochemical performances were ascribed to the flexible linking side-chain and the introduction of stable conductive PPy main chain, which benefits the improvement of charge carrier transportation in the aggregated polymer bulk

  13. Anisotropic Copoly(Imide Oxetane) Coatings and Articles of Manufacture, Copoly(Imide Oxetane)s Containing Pendant Fluorocarbon Moieties, Oligomers and Processes Therefor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wohl, Christopher J. (Inventor); Connell, John W. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor); Smith, Joseph G. (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    Copoly(imide oxetane) materials are disclosed that can exhibit a low surface energy while possessing the mechanical, thermal, chemical and optical properties associated with polyimides. The copoly(imide oxetane)s are prepared using a minor amount of fluorinated oxetane-derived oligomer with sufficient fluorine-containing segments of the copoly(imide oxetane)s that migrate to the exterior surface of the polymeric material to yield low surface energies. Thus the coatings and articles of manufacture made with the copoly(imide oxetane)s of this invention are characterized as having an anisotropic fluorine composition. The low surface energies can be achieved with very low content of fluorinated oxetane-derived oligomer. The copolymers of this invention can enhance the viability of polyimides for many applications and may be acceptable where homopolyimide materials have been unacceptable.

  14. Study on aggregation and electric properties in the micro-region of functionalized dithieno[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DTT) oligomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Xiaohong; Huang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Jiajia; Lu, Zhijuan; Wang, Hua; Du, Zuliang, E-mail: zld@henu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004 (China)

    2016-07-15

    Three kinds of 2,5,-diphenyl-dithienol[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DP-DTT), 2,5,-distyryl-dithienol[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DEP-DTT) and 2,5,-thienyl-dithienol[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DET-DTT) micro-region structure and electronic properties were studied. Thin films of these functionalized DTT oligomers were prepared in a one-step drop-casting deposition onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrates. The surface structure of these films was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Conducting probe atomic force microscope (C-AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscope (KFM) were both used to characterize the electronic transport behavior and surface potential distribution. The substituents of DTT oligomers can greatly affect their aggregation and the hopping conductance mechanism was used to explain the Au-DTTs-HOPG junctions. KFM investigation revealed that these oligomers with different substituents have different highest occupied molecular orbital energy levels. The corresponding theoretical analysis reveals similar result to KFM characterization. The I-V results indicated that the aggregates of molecules were the dominating factor to their micro-region electrical transport.

  15. Lack of effect of deferoxamine, dimethyl sulfoxide, and catalase on monocrotaline pyrrole pulmonary injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruner, L.H.; Johnson, K.; Carpenter, L.J.; Roth, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    Monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) is a reactive metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline. MCTP given intravenously to rats causes pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy. Lesions in lungs after MCTP treatment contain macrophages and neutrophils, which may contribute to the damage by generation of reactive oxygen metabolites. Rats were treated with MCTP and agents known to protect against oxygen radical-mediated damage in acute models of neutrophil-dependent lung injury. Rats received MCTP and deferoxamine mesylate (DF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or polyethylene glycol-coupled catalase (PEG-CAT). MCTP/vehicle-treated controls developed lung injury manifested as increased lung weight, release of lactate dehydrogenase into the airway, and sequestration of 125 I-labeled bovine serum albumin in the lungs. Cotreatment of rats with DF, DMSO, or PEG-CAT did not protect against the injury due to MCTP. These results suggest that toxic oxygen metabolites do not play an important role in the pathogenesis of MCTP-induced pulmonary injury

  16. Lack of effect of deferoxamine, dimethyl sulfoxide, and catalase on monocrotaline pyrrole pulmonary injury

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruner, L.H.; Johnson, K.; Carpenter, L.J.; Roth, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    Monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) is a reactive metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline. MCTP given intravenously to rats causes pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy. Lesions in lungs after MCTP treatment contain macrophages and neutrophils, which may contribute to the damage by generation of reactive oxygen metabolites. Rats were treated with MCTP and agents known to protect against oxygen radical-mediated damage in acute models of neutrophil-dependent lung injury. Rats received MCTP and deferoxamine mesylate (DF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or polyethylene glycol-coupled catalase (PEG-CAT). MCTP/vehicle-treated controls developed lung injury manifested as increased lung weight, release of lactate dehydrogenase into the airway, and sequestration of SVI-labeled bovine serum albumin in the lungs. Cotreatment of rats with DF, DMSO, or PEG-CAT did not protect against the injury due to MCTP. These results suggest that toxic oxygen metabolites do not play an important role in the pathogenesis of MCTP-induced pulmonary injury.

  17. Resonant stimulation of Raman scattering from single-crystal thiophene/phenylene co-oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanagi, Hisao; Marutani, Yusuke; Matsuoka, Naoki; Hiramatsu, Toru; Ishizumi, Atsushi; Sasaki, Fumio; Hotta, Shu

    2013-01-01

    Amplified Raman scattering was observed from single crystals of thiophene/phenylene co-oligomers (TPCOs). Under ns-pulsed excitation, the TPCO crystals exhibited amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) at resonant absorption wavelengths. With increasing excitation wavelength to the 0-0 absorption edge, the stimulated resonant Raman peaks appeared both in the 0-1 and 0-2 ASE band regions. When the excitation wavelength coincided with the 0-1 ASE band energy, the Raman peaks selectively appeared in the 0-2 ASE band. Such unusual enhancement of the 0-2 Raman scattering was ascribed to resonant stimulation via vibronic coupling with electronic transitions in the uniaxially oriented TPCO molecules

  18. Amplifying (Im)perfection: The Impact of Crystallinity in Discrete and Disperse Block Co-oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Genabeek, Bas; Lamers, Brigitte A G; de Waal, Bas F M; van Son, Martin H C; Palmans, Anja R A; Meijer, E W

    2017-10-25

    Crystallinity is seldomly utilized as part of the microphase segregation process in ultralow-molecular-weight block copolymers. Here, we show the preparation of two types of discrete, semicrystalline block co-oligomers, comprising an amorphous oligodimethylsiloxane block and a crystalline oligo-l-lactic acid or oligomethylene block. The self-assembly of these discrete materials results in lamellar structures with unforeseen uniformity in the domain spacing. A systematic introduction of dispersity reveals the extreme sensitivity of the microphase segregation process toward chain length dispersity in the crystalline block.

  19. Radiation inactivation method provides evidence that membrane-bound mitochondrial creatine kinase is an oligomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quemeneur, E.; Eichenberger, D.; Goldschmidt, D.; Vial, C.; Beauregard, G.; Potier, M.

    1988-01-01

    Lyophilized suspensions of rabbit heart mitochondria have been irradiated with varying doses of gamma rays. Mitochondrial creatine kinase activity was inactivated exponentially with a radiation inactivation size of 352 or 377 kDa depending upon the initial medium. These values are in good agreement with the molecular mass previously deduced from by permeation experiments: 357 kDa. This is the first direct evidence showing that the native form of mitochondrial creatine kinase is associated to the inner membrane as an oligomer, very likely an octamer

  20. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Silica Nanoparticles Grafted with Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomer Chains

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Bingbing

    2012-03-01

    A molecular model of silica nanoparticles grafted with poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers has been developed for predicting the transport properties of nanoparticle organic-hybrid materials (NOHMs). Ungrafted silica nanoparticles in a medium of poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers were also simulated to clarify the effect of grafting on the dynamics of nanoparticles and chains. The model approximates nanoparticles as solid spheres and uses a united-atom representation for chains, including torsional and bond-bending interactions. The calculated viscosities from Green-Kubo relationships and temperature extrapolation are of the same order of magnitude as experimental data but show a smaller activation energy relative to real NOHMs systems. Grafted systems have higher viscosities, smaller diffusion coefficients, and slower chain dynamics than the ungrafted ones at high temperatures. At lower temperatures, grafted systems exhibit faster dynamics for both nanoparticles and chains relative to ungrafted systems, because of lower aggregation of particles and enhanced correlations between nanoparticles and chains. This agrees with the experimental observation that NOHMs have liquidlike behavior in the absence of a solvent. For both grafted and ungrafted systems at low temperatures, increasing chain length reduces the volume fraction of nanoparticles and accelerates the dynamics. However, at high temperatures, longer chains slow down nanoparticle diffusion. From the Stokes-Einstein relationship, it was determined that the coarse-grained treatment of nanoparticles leads to slip on the nanoparticle surfaces. Grafted systems obey the Stokes-Einstein relationship over the temperature range simulated, but ungrafted systems display deviations from it. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  1. Concentrations of oligomers and polymers of proanthocyanidins in red and purple rice bran and their relationships to total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity and whole grain color.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ming-Hsuan; McClung, Anna M; Bergman, Christine J

    2016-10-01

    Proanthocyanidins, a flavonoids subgroup, are proposed to have chronic disease modulation properties. With the eventual goal of enhancing rice phytonutrient concentrations, we investigated the genotypic variation of the concentrations of individual oligomers and polymers of proanthocyanidins in red and purple rice brans. A 4.3-fold variation in total proanthocyanidins (sum of oligomers and polymers) in the extractable fraction was found and the concentration was highly correlated with total phenolics, total flavonoids and antiradical capacity. Variation in the proportion of oligomers and polymers existed, with monomers to trimers, 4-6mers, 7-10mers and polymers accounting for 7, 18, 26.5 and 48.7%, respectively, of the total. The redness value a(∗) of whole grain rice measured in CIE L(∗)a(∗)b(∗) color space was negatively and positively correlated with extractable and non-extractable proanthocyanidins, respectively. The variation found indicates it is possible to select rice with bran containing high levels of total proanthocyanidins and specific degree of polymerization profiles. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Polyethylenimine-modified Pluronics (PCMs) Improve Morpholino Oligomer Delivery in Cell Culture and Dystrophic mdx Mice

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Mingxing; Wu, Bo; Lu, Peijuan; Cloer, Caryn; Tucker, Jay D; Lu, Qilong

    2012-01-01

    We investigated a series of small-sized polyethylenimine (PEI, 0.8/1.2 k)-conjugated pluronic copolymers (PCMs) for their potential to enhance delivery of an antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) in vitro and in dystrophic mdx mice. PCM polymers containing pluronics of molecular weight (Mw) ranging 2–6 k, with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) 7–23, significantly enhanced PMO-induced exon-skipping in a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter-based myoblast culture system....

  3. Supplementation with xylanase and β-xylosidase to reduce xylo-oligomer and xylan inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and pretreated corn stover

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Hemicellulose is often credited with being one of the important physical barriers to enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, and acts by blocking enzyme access to the cellulose surface. In addition, our recent research has suggested that hemicelluloses, particularly in the form of xylan and its oligomers, can more strongly inhibit cellulase activity than do glucose and cellobiose. Removal of hemicelluloses or elimination of their negative effects can therefore become especially pivotal to achieving higher cellulose conversion with lower enzyme doses. Results In this study, cellulase was supplemented with xylanase and β-xylosidase to boost conversion of both cellulose and hemicellulose in pretreated biomass through conversion of xylan and xylo-oligomers to the less inhibitory xylose. Although addition of xylanase and β-xylosidase did not necessarily enhance Avicel hydrolysis, glucan conversions increased by 27% and 8% for corn stover pretreated with ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) and dilute acid, respectively. In addition, adding hemicellulase several hours before adding cellulase was more beneficial than later addition, possibly as a result of a higher adsorption affinity of cellulase and xylanase to xylan than glucan. Conclusions This key finding elucidates a possible mechanism for cellulase inhibition by xylan and xylo-oligomers and emphasizes the need to optimize the enzyme formulation for each pretreated substrate. More research is needed to identify advanced enzyme systems designed to hydrolyze different substrates with maximum overall enzyme efficacy. PMID:21702938

  4. Phase Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Cyclic Butylene Terephthalate Oligomer-Containing Rubbers: Effect of Mixing Temperature

    OpenAIRE

    Hal?sz, Istv?n Zolt?n; B?r?ny, Tam?s

    2016-01-01

    In this work, the effect of mixing temperature (Tmix) on the mechanical, rheological, and morphological properties of rubber/cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT) oligomer compounds was studied. Apolar (styrene butadiene rubber, SBR) and polar (acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, NBR) rubbers were modified by CBT (20 phr) for reinforcement and viscosity reduction. The mechanical properties were determined in tensile, tear, and dynamical mechanical analysis (DMTA) tests. The CBT-caused viscosity cha...

  5. Dopamine induces soluble α-synuclein oligomers and nigrostriatal degeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mor, Danielle E; Tsika, Elpida; Mazzulli, Joseph R; Gould, Neal S; Kim, Hanna; Daniels, Malcolm J; Doshi, Shachee; Gupta, Preetika; Grossman, Jennifer L; Tan, Victor X; Kalb, Robert G; Caldwell, Kim A; Caldwell, Guy A; Wolfe, John H; Ischiropoulos, Harry

    2017-11-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is defined by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the formation of Lewy body inclusions containing aggregated α-synuclein. Efforts to explain dopamine neuron vulnerability are hindered by the lack of dopaminergic cell death in α-synuclein transgenic mice. To address this, we manipulated both dopamine levels and α-synuclein expression. Nigrally targeted expression of mutant tyrosine hydroxylase with enhanced catalytic activity increased dopamine levels without damaging neurons in non-transgenic mice. In contrast, raising dopamine levels in mice expressing human A53T mutant α-synuclein induced progressive nigrostriatal degeneration and reduced locomotion. Dopamine elevation in A53T mice increased levels of potentially toxic α-synuclein oligomers, resulting in conformationally and functionally modified species. Moreover, in genetically tractable Caenorhabditis elegans models, expression of α-synuclein mutated at the site of interaction with dopamine prevented dopamine-induced toxicity. These data suggest that a unique mechanism links two cardinal features of PD: dopaminergic cell death and α-synuclein aggregation.

  6. Diffusivities and Viscosities of Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomers

    KAUST Repository

    Hong, Bingbing

    2010-10-14

    Diffusivities and viscosities of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) oligomer melts with 1 to 12 repeat units have been obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations using the TraPPE-UA force field. The simulations generated diffusion coefficients with high accuracy for all of the molar masses studied, but the statistical uncertainties in the viscosity calculations were significantly larger for longer chains. There is good agreement of the calculated viscosities and densities with available experimental data, and thus, the simulations can be used to bridge gaps in the data and for extrapolations with respect to chain length, temperature, and pressure. We explored the convergence characteristics of the Green-Kubo formulas for different chain lengths and propose minimal production times required for convergence of the transport properties. The chain-length dependence of the transport properties suggests that neither Rouse nor reptation models are applicable in the short-chain regime investigated. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  7. Rhodium/Silver-Cocatalyzed Transannulation of N-Sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles with Vinyl Azides: Divergent Synthesis of Pyrroles and 2 H-Pyrazines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lin; Sun, Ge; Bi, Xihe

    2016-11-07

    The first cyclization reaction between vinyl azides and N-sulfonyl-1,2,3-triazoles is reported. A Rh/Ag binary metal catalyst system proved to be necessary for the successful cyclization. By varying the structure of vinyl azides, such reaction allows the divergent synthesis of pyrroles and 2H-pyrazines. The cyclization reactions feature a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, high reaction efficiency, and good to high product yields. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Copoly(Imide Siloxane) Abhesive Materials with Varied Siloxane Oligomer Length

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wohl, Christopher J.; Atkins, Brad M.; Belcher, Marcus A.; Connell, John W.

    2010-01-01

    Incorporation of PDMS moieties into a polyimide matrix lowered the surface energy resulting in enhanced adhesive interactions. Polyimide siloxane materials were generated using amine-terminated PDMS oligomers of different lengths to study changes in surface migration behavior, phase segregation, mechanical, thermal, and optical properties. These materials were characterized using contact angle goniometry, tensile testing, and differential scanning calorimetry. The surface migration behavior of the PDMS component depended upon the siloxane molecular weight as indicated by distinct relationships between PDMS chain length and advancing water contact angles. Similar correlations were observed for percent elongation values obtained from tensile testing, while the addition of PDMS reduced the modulus. High fidelity topographical modification via laser ablation patterning further reduced the polyimide siloxane surface energy. Initial particulate adhesion testing experiments demonstrated that polyimide siloxane materials exhibited greater abhesive interactions relative to their respective homopolyimides.

  9. Structure and spectroscopic properties of N,S-coordinating 2-methyl-sulfanyl-N-[(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methyl-idene]aniline methanol monosolvate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, D Douglas; Ang, M Trisha C; McDonald, Robert; Bierenstiel, Matthias

    2015-10-01

    The reaction of pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde and 2-(methyl-sulfan-yl)aniline in refluxing methanol gave an olive-green residue in which yellow crystals of the title compound, C12H12N2S·CH3OH, were grown from slow evaporation of methanol at 263 K. In the crystal, hydrogen-bonding inter-actions link the aniline mol-ecule and a nearby methanol solvent mol-ecule. These units are linked by a pair of weak C-H⋯Omethanol interactions, forming inversion dimers consisting of two main molecules and two solvent molecules.

  10. Ferricyanide confined into the integrative system of pyrrolic surfactant and SWCNTs: The enhanced electrochemial sensing of paracetamol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Xiao-Yan; Niu, Wen-Jun; Cosnier, Serge; Deng, Sheng-Yuan; Zhang, Xue-Ji; Shan, Dan

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Amphiphilic surfactant derived from pyrrole was used to construct a special microheterogeneous system incorporated with SWCNTs by electropolymerization. • Common redox probe, Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− , was captured into this microheterogeneous system due to the cooperation interactions of electrostatic and π-π stacking. • A dramatically negative shift in the half wave potential compared to Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− in aqueous solution can be obtained due to the unusual Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− partitioning. • The entrapped Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− was applied in the construction of the enhanced electrochemical sensor to paracetamol. - Abstract: An enhanced paracetamol sensor was developed based on the integrative system of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and the pyrrolic surfactant, (11-pyrrolyl-1-yl-undecyl)triethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (A 2 ), in which confined the redox probe, Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− . A well-defined redox peaks of the firmly confined Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− with dramatically negative shift in the half-wave potential compared to Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− in aqueous solution was observed at GCE/polyA 2 -Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− /SWCNTs. To understand the unusual Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− partitioning in this microheterogeneous system, the responses of the Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− at the electrodes modified by SWCNTs, polyA 2 , SWCNTs/polyA 2 , and polyA 2 /SWCNTs were investigated, respectively. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) indicated that the proposed electrode exhibiting efficient electrocatalytic capability towards the paracetamol oxidation. Thereafter, an amperometric assay for paracetamol at GCE/polyA 2 -Fe(CN) 6 3−/4− /SWCNTs was developed at 0.4 V with an enhanced linear range from 3.4×10 −7 ∼7.98 × 10 −4 M.

  11. Interaction of derived polymers from pyrrole with biocompatible solutions; Interaccion de polimeros derivados de pirrol con soluciones biocompatibles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopez G, O. G.

    2010-07-01

    This work presents a study about the synthesis by plasma, the electric properties and superficial interaction of polymers derived from pyrrole doped with Iodine with potential use as bio material. Poly-pyrrole is a semiconductor and biocompatible polymer with potential application in the development of artificial muscles and implants where the electric interaction between cells and material is an important variable. The syntheses were made at 13.5 MHz in a glass tubular reactor of 1500 cm{sup 3} with electrodes of 6.5 cm diameter and stainless steel flanges. An electrode was connected to the RF terminal of the power supply that is combined with a matching coupling resistance. The monomer and dopant used in this work were pyrrole and Iodine respectively, in closed containers. They were vaporized and injected separately into the reactor at room temperature and 0.1 mbar. The vapors of the reagents mixed freely in the reactor. The synthesis time was 240 min at 40, 60, 80 and 100 W. The polymers were obtained as thin films adhered to the reactor walls. The films were washed and swollen with distilled water and removed from the reactor walls with a small spatula. The polymers were irradiated with gamma rays at 18 and 22 KGy. Due to the fact that the doses are cumulative, the final dose applied was 40 KGy. The polymers characterization was carried out by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, electrical conductivity and X-ray diffraction. The analyses indicates that the polymers have very similar structure in almost the entire power range, showing C-O, C=C, C-H, O-H, N-H bonds with a predominantly amorphous structure. The TGA analyses showed that the material has 4 or 5 loses of material. The first one starts after that 115 C except for the material irradiated at 40 KGy, this one begins in 87 C, the second one is in the interval of 196 and 295 C, the third one between 311 and 500 C, and the

  12. Brain infusion of α-synuclein oligomers induces motor and non-motor Parkinson's disease-like symptoms in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortuna, Juliana T S; Gralle, Matthias; Beckman, Danielle; Neves, Fernanda S; Diniz, Luan P; Frost, Paula S; Barros-Aragão, Fernanda; Santos, Luís E; Gonçalves, Rafaella A; Romão, Luciana; Zamberlan, Daniele C; Soares, Felix A A; Braga, Carolina; Foguel, Debora; Gomes, Flávia C A; De Felice, Fernanda G; Ferreira, Sergio T; Clarke, Julia R; Figueiredo, Cláudia P

    2017-08-30

    Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor dysfunction, which is preceded by a number of non-motor symptoms including olfactory deficits. Aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) gives rise to Lewy bodies in dopaminergic neurons and is thought to play a central role in PD pathology. However, whether amyloid fibrils or soluble oligomers of α-syn are the main neurotoxic species in PD remains controversial. Here, we performed a single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of α-syn oligomers (α-SYOs) in mice and evaluated motor and non-motor symptoms. Familiar bedding and vanillin essence discrimination tasks showed that α-SYOs impaired olfactory performance of mice, and decreased TH and dopamine levels in the olfactory bulb early after infusion. The olfactory deficit persisted until 45days post-infusion (dpi). α- SYO-infused mice behaved normally in the object recognition and forced swim tests, but showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze tests 20 dpi. Finally, administration of α-SYOs induced late motor impairment in the pole test and rotarod paradigms, along with reduced TH and dopamine content in the caudate putamen, 45 dpi. Reduced number of TH-positive cells was also seen in the substantia nigra of α-SYO-injected mice compared to control. In conclusion, i.c.v. infusion of α-SYOs recapitulated some of PD-associated non-motor symptoms, such as increased anxiety and olfactory dysfunction, but failed to recapitulate memory impairment and depressive-like behavior typical of the disease. Moreover, α-SYOs i.c.v. administration induced motor deficits and loss of TH and dopamine levels, key features of PD. Results point to α-syn oligomers as the proximal neurotoxins responsible for early non-motor and motor deficits in PD and suggest that the i.c.v. infusion model characterized here may comprise a useful tool for identification of PD novel therapeutic targets and drug screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All

  13. High content of pyridinic- and pyrrolic-nitrogen-modified carbon nanotubes derived from blood biomass for the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, Jie; Guo, Chaozhong; Chen, Chunyan; Fan, Mingzhi; Gong, Jianping; Zhang, Yanfang; Zhao, Tianxin; Sun, Yuelin; Xu, Xiaofan; Li, Mengmeng; Wang, Ran; Luo, Zhongli; Chen, Changguo

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Display Omitted -- Highlights: •An ORR electrocatalyst was fabricated from blood biomass and carbon nanotube. •The N-CNT catalyst exhibits good ORR activity, methanol resistance and stability. •The pyrolysis process produces high contents of pyridinic and pyrrolic N species. •The pyridinic-N group may play more important role in the active sites for ORR. -- Abstract: Here we present a facile synthetic route to design nitrogen-doped nanostructured carbon-based electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) by the copyrolysis of blood biomass from pig and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at high temperatures. The nitrogen-doped CNTs obtained at 800 °C not only results in excellent ORR activity with four-electron transfer selectivity in alkaline medium, but also exhibits superior methanol-tolerant property and long-term stability. It is confirmed that high-temperature pyrolysis processes can facilitate to produce higher contents of pyridinic- and pyrrolic-N binding groups in electrocatalysts, contributing to the enhancement of ORR performance in terms of onset potential, half-wave potential, and limited current density. We also propose that the planar-N configuration may be the active site that is responsible for the improved ORR electrocatalytic performance. The straight-forward and cheap synthesis of the active and stable electrocatalyst makes it a promising candidate for electrochemical power sources such as fuel cells or metal-air batteries

  14. Conformation of chromatin oligomers. A new argument for a change with the hexanucleosome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marion, C; Bezot, P; Hesse-Bezot, C; Roux, B; Bernengo, J C

    1981-11-01

    Quasielastic laser light scattering measurements have been made on chromatin oligomers to obtain information on the transition in their electrooptical properties, previously observed for the hexameric structures [Marion, C. and Roux, B. (1978) Nucleic Acids Res. 5, 4431-4449]. Translational diffusion coefficients were determined for mononucleosomes to octanucleosomes containing histone H1 over a range of ionic strength. At high ionic strength, oligomers show a linear dependence of the logarithm of diffusion coefficient upon the logarithm of number of nucleosomes. At low ionic strength a change occurs between hexamer and heptamer. Our results agree well with the recent sedimentation data of Osipova et al. [Eur. J. Biochem. (1980) 113, 183-188] and of Butler and Thomas [J. Mol. Biol. (1980) 140, 505-529] showing a change in stability with hexamer. Various models for the arrangements of nucleosomes in the superstructure of chromatin are discussed. All calculations clearly indicate a conformational change with the hexanucleosome and the results suggest that, at low ionic strength, the chromatin adopts a loosely helical structure of 28-nm diameter and 22-nm pitch. These results are also consistent with a discontinuity every sixth nucleosome, corresponding to a turn of the helix. This discontinuity may explain the recent electric dichroism data of Lee et al. [Biochemistry (1981) 20, 1438-1445]. The hexanucleosome structure which we have previously suggested, with the faces of nucleosomes arranged radially to the helical axis has been recently confirmed by Mc Ghee et al. [Cell (1980) 22, 87-96]. With an increase of ionic strength, the helix becomes more regular and compact with a slightly reduced outer diameter and a decreased pitch, the dimensions resembling those proposed for solenoid models.

  15. Supplementation with xylanase and β-xylosidase to reduce xylo-oligomer and xylan inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and pretreated corn stover

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Qing

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hemicellulose is often credited with being one of the important physical barriers to enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, and acts by blocking enzyme access to the cellulose surface. In addition, our recent research has suggested that hemicelluloses, particularly in the form of xylan and its oligomers, can more strongly inhibit cellulase activity than do glucose and cellobiose. Removal of hemicelluloses or elimination of their negative effects can therefore become especially pivotal to achieving higher cellulose conversion with lower enzyme doses. Results In this study, cellulase was supplemented with xylanase and β-xylosidase to boost conversion of both cellulose and hemicellulose in pretreated biomass through conversion of xylan and xylo-oligomers to the less inhibitory xylose. Although addition of xylanase and β-xylosidase did not necessarily enhance Avicel hydrolysis, glucan conversions increased by 27% and 8% for corn stover pretreated with ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX and dilute acid, respectively. In addition, adding hemicellulase several hours before adding cellulase was more beneficial than later addition, possibly as a result of a higher adsorption affinity of cellulase and xylanase to xylan than glucan. Conclusions This key finding elucidates a possible mechanism for cellulase inhibition by xylan and xylo-oligomers and emphasizes the need to optimize the enzyme formulation for each pretreated substrate. More research is needed to identify advanced enzyme systems designed to hydrolyze different substrates with maximum overall enzyme efficacy.

  16. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Poly-pyrrole hybrid nano-composite materials for super-capacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mallouki, M.; Tran-Van, F.; Sarrazin, C.; Chevrot, C. [Cergy-Pontoise Univ., Lab. de Physicochimie des Polymeres et des Interfaces (LPPI), EA 2528 95 (France); Fauvarque, J.F. [CNAM, Lab. d' Electrochimie Industrielle, 75 - Paris (France); Simon, P. [Universite Paul Sabatier, CIRIMAT-LCMIE, UMR 5085, 31 - Toulouse (France); De, A. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Calcutta (India)

    2004-07-01

    Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Poly-pyrrole hybrid nano-composite materials chemically synthesized from colloid particles of iron oxide in aqueous solution have been processed to realize electrode materials for super-capacitor applications. The performances have been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and galvano-static techniques in a three-electrode cell. The capacitance of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-PPy hybrid nano-composite doped with para-toluene-sulfonate reaches 47 mAh/g in PC/NEt{sub 4}BF{sub 4} with a good stability during cycling (loss of 3% after 1000 cycles). Transmission Electronic Microscopy indicates a porous nano-structure with spherical particles in a range of 400-500 nm which ensures a good accessibility of the electrolyte in the bulk of the electro-active hybrid material. Preliminary studies with room temperature ionic liquid show promising results since the specific capacitance reaches 427 F/g in 1- ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis((tri-fluoro-methyl)sulfonyl)amide (EMITFSI). (authors)

  17. An approach towards azafuranomycin analogs by gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of allenes: synthesis of (αS,2R-(2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-2-ylglycine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jörg Erdsack

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of (αS,2R-(2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-2-ylglycine (22, normethylazafuranomycin by the gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of α-aminoallene 17 is described. The target molecule was synthesized in 13 linear steps from Cbz-protected Garner aldehyde (R-2 in an overall yield of 2.4%. The approach was first examined in model studies, which afforded the alkylated azafuranomycin derivative 13a in 2.9% yield over 12 steps.

  18. Small protease sensitive oligomers of PrPSc in distinct human prions determine conversion rate of PrP(C.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chae Kim

    Full Text Available The mammalian prions replicate by converting cellular prion protein (PrP(C into pathogenic conformational isoform (PrP(Sc. Variations in prions, which cause different disease phenotypes, are referred to as strains. The mechanism of high-fidelity replication of prion strains in the absence of nucleic acid remains unsolved. We investigated the impact of different conformational characteristics of PrP(Sc on conversion of PrP(C in vitro using PrP(Sc seeds from the most frequent human prion disease worldwide, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD. The conversion potency of a broad spectrum of distinct sCJD prions was governed by the level, conformation, and stability of small oligomers of the protease-sensitive (s PrP(Sc. The smallest most potent prions present in sCJD brains were composed only of∼20 monomers of PrP(Sc. The tight correlation between conversion potency of small oligomers of human sPrP(Sc observed in vitro and duration of the disease suggests that sPrP(Sc conformers are an important determinant of prion strain characteristics that control the progression rate of the disease.

  19. The role of stable α-synuclein oligomers in the molecular events underlying amyloid formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lorenzen, Nikolai; Nielsen, Søren Bang; Buell, Alexander K.

    2014-01-01

    α-synuclein (αSN), whose aggregation is strongly implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The two types of oligomers are both formed under conditions where amyloid fibril formation is observed but differ in molecular weight by an order of magnitude. Both possess a degree of β......, either as precursors of fibrils or as species involved in the fibril elongation process or instead if they are associated with an aggregation process that is distinct from that generating mature fibrils. Here we describe and characterize in detail two well-defined oligomeric species formed by the protein...

  20. Conformational alteration in alpha-toxin from Staphylococcus aureus concomitant with the transformation of the water-soluble monomer to the membrane oligomer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikigai, H; Nakae, T

    1985-07-16

    The membrane-damaging alpha-toxin aggregate of Staphylococcus aureus was characterized physicochemically. The aggregate weight of the toxin formed by various methods appeared to be 6 times higher than the molecular weight of the monomer as determined by the laser light scattering technique, suggesting the presence of a hexamer in the membrane. The aggregates fluoresced 20 to 50% more than the monomer at 336 nm. Circular dichroism measurements revealed that both the monomer and the oligomer showed essentially beta-sheet structure with the maximum ellipticity about -8,400 deg.cm2.dmol-1 at 215 nm. Circular dichroism spectrum of the oligomers showed ellipticity difference of -6,600, -44 and +84 deg.cm2.dmol-1, at 200, 250 and 280 nm, respectively, compared with the monomer. All these results suggest that the conformational change in the toxin molecule occurs concomitant with the transformation of the water-soluble monomer to the membrane-embedded hexamer.

  1. Nano-silver mediated polymerization of pyrrole: synthesis and gas sensing properties of polypyrrole (PPy)/Ag nano-composite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kate, Kunal H; Damkale, Shubhangi R; Khanna, P K; Jain, G H

    2011-09-01

    Thermal polymerization of pyrrole was performed using silver nitrate as source of silver ions followed by its conversion to Polypyrrole (PPy)/Ag nano-comoposites without using any external oxidizing agent or solvent. The formation of PPy was monitored by UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy showing a band at approximately 464 nm. XRD measurement confirmed characteristic peaks for face centered cubic (fcc) silver and presence of PPy at 2 theta of approximately 23 degrees suggesting the formation of PPy/Ag nanocomposite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed non-aggregated spherical Ag nano-particles of about 5-10 nm. PPy/Ag thick film acts as a NH3 sensor at 100 degrees C, a H2S sensor at 250 degrees C and CO2 sensor at 350 degrees C. The thick films showed capability to recognize various gases at different operating temperature.

  2. Hemispherand-Strapped Calix[4]pyrrole: An Ion-pair Receptor for the Recognition and Extraction of Lithium Nitrite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Qing; Zhang, Zhan; Brewster, James T; Lynch, Vincent M; Kim, Sung Kuk; Sessler, Jonathan L

    2016-08-10

    The hemispherand-strapped calix[4]pyrrole (1) acts as an ion pair receptor that exhibits selectivity for lithium salts. In organic media (CD2Cl2 and CD3OD, v/v, 9:1), receptor 1 binds LiCl with high preference relative to NaCl, KCl, and RbCl. DFT calculations provided support for the observed selectivity. Single crystal structures of five different lithium ion-pair complexes of 1 were obtained. In the case of LiCl, a single bridging water molecule between the lithium cation and chloride anion was observed, while tight contact ion pairs were observed in the case of the LiBr, LiI, LiNO3, and LiNO2 salts. Receptor 1 proved effective as an extractant for LiNO2 under both model solid-liquid and liquid-liquid extraction conditions.

  3. Synthesis of Dicyclopentadiene Oligomer Over Nanoporous Al-MCM-41 Catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Eunseo; Kim, Jinhan; Yim, Jin-Heong; Han, Jeongsik; Kwon, Tae Soo; Park, Y K; Jeon, Jong-Ki

    2016-05-01

    One step reaction composed of DCPD oligomerization and DCPD oligomer isomerization was investigated over nanoporous Al-MCM-41 catalysts. The effects of aluminum grafting over MCM-41 on the catalyst characteristics were studied with respect to the synthesis of TCPD isomer. Physical and chemical properties of the catalysts were analyzed by N2 adsorption, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, and infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine. The overall number of acid sites as well as the number of Lewis acid sites increased with increasing of aluminum content over MCM-41. When utilizing MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41 as the catalyst, DCPD oligomerization reaction activity greatly increased compared to the thermal reaction. The highest TCPD isomer selectivity over the Al-MCM-41 catalyst with the highest aluminum content could be ascribed to the largest amount of acid sites. This study showed an increased level of TCPD isomer selectivity by an increasing level of Lewis acid sites through aluminum addition over MCM-41.

  4. Dermal, inhalation, and internal exposure to 1,6-HDI and its oligomers in car body repair shop workers and industrial spray painters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pronk, A.; Yu, F.; Vlaanderen, J.; Tielemans, E.; Preller, L.; Bobeldijk, I.; Deddens, J.A.; Latza, U.; Baur, X.; Heederik, D.

    2006-01-01

    Objectives: To study inhalation and dermal exposure to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and its oligomers as well as personal protection equipment (PPE) use during task performance in conjunction with urinary hexamethylene diamine (HDA) in car body repair shop workers and industrial spray painters.

  5. Optical magnetism and plasmonic Fano resonances in metal-insulator-metal oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verre, R; Yang, Z J; Shegai, T; Käll, M

    2015-03-11

    The possibility of achieving optical magnetism at visible frequencies using plasmonic nanostructures has recently been a subject of great interest. The concept is based on designing structures that support plasmon modes with electron oscillation patterns that imitate current loops, that is, magnetic dipoles. However, the magnetic resonances are typically spectrally narrow, thereby limiting their applicability in, for example, metamaterial designs. We show that a significantly broader magnetic response can be realized in plasmonic pentamers constructed from metal-insulator-metal (MIM) sandwich particles. Each MIM unit acts as a magnetic meta-atom and the optical magnetism is rendered quasi-broadband through hybridization of the in-plane modes. We demonstrate that scattering spectra of individual MIM pentamers exhibit multiple Fano resonances and a broad subradiant spectral window that signals the magnetic interaction and a hierarchy of coupling effects in these intricate three-dimensional nanoparticle oligomers.

  6. Synthetic oligomer analysis using atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry at different photon energies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desmazières, Bernard; Legros, Véronique; Giuliani, Alexandre; Buchmann, William

    2014-01-15

    Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) followed by mass spectrometric detection was used to ionize a variety of polymers: polyethylene glycol, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and polysiloxane. In most cases, whatever the polymer or the solvent used (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, acetone or toluene), only negative ion mode produced intact ions such as chlorinated adducts, with no or few fragmentations, in contrast to the positive ion mode that frequently led to important in-source fragmentations. In addition, it was shown that optimal detection of polymer distributions require a fine tuning of other source parameters such as temperature and ion transfer voltage. Series of mass spectra were recorded in the negative mode, in various solvents (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, toluene, and acetone), by varying the photon energy from 8eV up to 10.6eV using synchrotron radiation. To these solvents, addition of a classical APPI dopant (toluene or acetone) was not necessary. Courtesy of the synchrotron radiation, it was demonstrated that the photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to the ionization energy of the solvent. As commercial APPI sources typically use krypton lamps with energy fixed at 10eV and 10.6eV, the study of the ionization of polymers over a wavelength range allowed to confirm and refine the previously proposed ionization mechanisms. Moreover, the APPI source can efficiently be used as an interface between size exclusion chromatography or reverse phase liquid chromatography and MS for the study of synthetic oligomers. However, the photoionization at fixed wavelength of polymer standards with different molecular weights showed that it was difficult to obtain intact ionized oligomers with molecular weights above a few thousands. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. A hydrogel biosensor for high selective and sensitive detection of amyloid-beta oligomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sun LP

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Liping Sun,1 Yong Zhong,1 Jie Gui,1 Xianwu Wang,1 Xiaorong Zhuang,2 Jian Weng1 1Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province, Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen, Department of Biomaterials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, 2Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People’s Republic of China Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive and memory impairment. It is the most common neurological disease that causes dementia. Soluble amyloid-beta oligomers (AβO in blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF are the pathogenic biomarker correlated with AD. Methods: A simple electrochemical biosensor using graphene oxide/gold nanoparticles (GNPs hydrogel electrode was developed in this study. Thiolated cellular prion protein (PrPC peptide probe was immobilized on GNPs of the hydrogel electrode to construct an AβO biosensor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was utilized for AβO analysis. Results: The specific binding between AβO and PrPC probes on the hydrogel electrode resulted in an increase in the electron-transfer resistance. The biosensor showed high specificity and sensitivity for AβO detection. It could selectively differentiate AβO from amyloid-beta (Aβ monomers or fibrils. Meanwhile, it was highly sensitive to detect as low as 0.1 pM AβO in artificial CSF or blood plasma. The linear range for AβO detection is from 0.1 pM to 10 nM. Conclusion: This biosensor could be used as a cost-effective tool for early diagnosis of AD due to its high electrochemical performance and bionic structure. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid-beta oligomer, graphene, gold nanoparticles, biosensor

  8. Modular synthesis and in vitro and in vivo antimalarial assessment of C-10 pyrrole mannich base derivatives of artemisinin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacorel, Bénédicte; Leung, Suet C; Stachulski, Andrew V; Davies, Jill; Vivas, Livia; Lander, Hollie; Ward, Stephen A; Kaiser, Marcel; Brun, Reto; O'Neill, Paul M

    2010-01-28

    In two steps from dihydroartemisinin, a small array of 16 semisynthetic C-10 pyrrole Mannich artemisinin derivatives (7a-p) have been prepared in moderate to excellent yield. In vitro analysis against both chloroquine sensitive and resistant strains has demonstrated that these analogues have nanomolar antimalarial activity, with several compounds being more than 3 times more potent than the natural product artemisinin. In addition to a potent antimalarial profile, these molecules also have very high in vitro therapeutic indices. Analysis of the optimal Mannich side chain substitution for in vitro and in vivo activity reveals that the morpholine and N-methylpiperazine Mannich side chains provide analogues with the best activity profiles, both in vitro and in vivo in the Peter's 4 day test.

  9. Keampferol-3-O-rhamnoside abrogates amyloid beta toxicity by modulating monomers and remodeling oligomers and fibrils to non-toxic aggregates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharoar Md

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aggregation of soluble, monomeric β- amyloid (Aβ to oligomeric and then insoluble fibrillar Aβ is a key pathogenic feature in development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD. Increasing evidence suggests that toxicity is linked to diffusible Aβ oligomers, rather than to insoluble fibrils. The use of naturally occurring small molecules for inhibition of Aβ aggregation has recently attracted significant interest for development of effective therapeutic strategies against the disease. A natural polyphenolic flavone, Kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside (K-3-rh, was utilized to investigate its effects on aggregation and cytotoxic effects of Aβ42 peptide. Several biochemical techniques were used to determine the conformational changes and cytotoxic effect of the peptide in the presence and absence of K-3-rh. Results K-3-rh showed a dose-dependent effect against Aβ42 mediated cytotoxicity. Anti-amyloidogenic properties of K-3-rh were found to be efficient in inhibiting fibrilogenesis and secondary structural transformation of the peptide. The consequence of these inhibitions was the accumulation of oligomeric structural species. The accumulated aggregates were smaller, soluble, non-β-sheet and non-toxic aggregates, compared to preformed toxic Aβ oligomers. K-3-rh was also found to have the remodeling properties of preformed soluble oligomers and fibrils. Both of these conformers were found to remodel into non-toxic aggregates. The results showed that K-3-rh interacts with different Aβ conformers, which affects fibril formation, oligomeric maturation and fibrillar stabilization. Conclusion K-3-rh is an efficient molecule to hinder the self assembly and to abrogate the cytotoxic effects of Aβ42 peptide. Hence, K-3-rh and small molecules with similar structure might be considered for therapeutic development against AD.

  10. Vinyl ethers, containing isothiocyanate group. 12. Reaction of 2-vinyloxyethylisothiocyanate with metallated ethoxyethene, methoxyalline and 2-alkynes: 2,3-disubstituted N-(2-vinyloxyethyl) pyrroles and 6-(vinyloxymethyl)-5,6-dihydropyridines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedolya, N.A.; Brandsma, L.; Zinov'eva, V.P.; Trofimov, B.A.

    1997-01-01

    New route of synthesis of 1,2,3-trisubstituted pyrroles and 2,3,6-trisubstituted 5,6-dyhydropyridines by the reaction of lithiated alkoxyallenes and 2-alkynes with 2-vinyloxyethylisothiocyanate is found. It is shown that key intermediates are 1,3,4-azatrienes. Reaction of metallized ethoxyethene with 2-vinyloxyethyisothiocyanate (after intermediate alkylation) results in 1-(2-vinyloxyethyl)-1,3-azadiene

  11. Labile conjugation of a hydrophilic drug to PLA oligomers to modify a drug delivery system: cephradin in a PLAGA matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ustariz-Peyret, C; Coudane, J; Vert, M; Kaltsatos, V; Boisramené, B

    2000-01-01

    The physical entrapment of a hydrophilic drug within degradable microspheres is generally difficult because of poor entrapment yield and/or fast release, depending on the microsphere fabrication method. In order to counter the effects of drug hydrophilicity, it is proposed to covalently attach the drug to lactic acid oligomers, with the aim of achieving temporary hydrophobization and slower release controlled by the separation of the drug from the degradable link within the polymer matrix. This strategy was tested on microspheres of the antibiotic cephradin. As the prodrug form, the entrapment of the drug was almost quantitative. The prodrug did degrade in an aqueous medium, modelling body fluids, but cleavage did not occur at the drug-oligomer junction and drug molecules bearing two lactyl residual units were released. When the prodrug is entrapped within a PLAGA matrix, no release was observed within the experimental time period. However, data suggest that conjugation via a bond more sensitive to hydrolysis than the main chain PLA ester bonds should make the system work as desired.

  12. Role of Nearby Charges on the Electronic Structure of π-Conjugated Molecules: Symmetric versus Asymmetric Charge Distributions in Oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirketerp, Maj-Britt Suhr; Ryhding, Torben; Støchkel, Kristian

    2011-01-01

    Oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) are conjugated oligomers of great interest within materials science and molecular electronics on account of their highly applicable electronic and optical properties. Here we use gas-phase action spectroscopy to elucidate how the intrinsic electronic properties...

  13. Valence and charge-transfer optical properties for some SinCm (m, n ≤ 12) clusters: Comparing TD-DFT, complete-basis-limit EOMCC, and benchmarks from spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutz, Jesse J.; Duan, Xiaofeng F.; Ranasinghe, Duminda S.; Jin, Yifan; Margraf, Johannes T.; Perera, Ajith; Burggraf, Larry W.; Bartlett, Rodney J.

    2018-05-01

    Accurate optical characterization of the closo-Si12C12 molecule is important to guide experimental efforts toward the synthesis of nano-wires, cyclic nano-arrays, and related array structures, which are anticipated to be robust and efficient exciton materials for opto-electronic devices. Working toward calibrated methods for the description of closo-Si12C12 oligomers, various electronic structure approaches are evaluated for their ability to reproduce measured optical transitions of the SiC2, Si2Cn (n = 1-3), and Si3Cn (n = 1, 2) clusters reported earlier by Steglich and Maier [Astrophys. J. 801, 119 (2015)]. Complete-basis-limit equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOMCC) results are presented and a comparison is made between perturbative and renormalized non-iterative triples corrections. The effect of adding a renormalized correction for quadruples is also tested. Benchmark test sets derived from both measurement and high-level EOMCC calculations are then used to evaluate the performance of a variety of density functionals within the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) framework. The best-performing functionals are subsequently applied to predict valence TD-DFT excitation energies for the lowest-energy isomers of SinC and Sin-1C7-n (n = 4-6). TD-DFT approaches are then applied to the SinCn (n = 4-12) clusters and unique spectroscopic signatures of closo-Si12C12 are discussed. Finally, various long-range corrected density functionals, including those from the CAM-QTP family, are applied to a charge-transfer excitation in a cyclic (Si4C4)4 oligomer. Approaches for gauging the extent of charge-transfer character are also tested and EOMCC results are used to benchmark functionals and make recommendations.

  14. Excess L-arginine restores endothelium-dependent relaxation impaired by monocrotaline pyrrole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng Wei; Oike, Masahiro; Hirakawa, Masakazu; Ohnaka, Keizo; Koyama, Tetsuya; Ito, Yushi

    2005-01-01

    The pyrrolizidine alkaloid plant toxin monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) causes pulmonary hypertension in experimental animals. The present study aimed to examine the effects of MCTP on the endothelium-dependent relaxation. We constructed an in vitro disease model of pulmonary hypertension by overlaying MCTP-treated bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (CPAEs) onto pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell-embedded collagen gel lattice. Acetylcholine (Ach) induced a relaxation of the control CPAEs-overlaid gels that were pre-contracted with noradrenaline, and the relaxation was inhibited by L-NAME, an inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS). In contrast, when MCTP-treated CPAEs were overlaid, the pre-contracted gels did not show a relaxation in response to Ach in the presence of 0.5 mM L-arginine. Expression of endothelial NOS protein, Ach-induced Ca 2+ transients and cellular uptake of L-[ 3 H]arginine were significantly smaller in MCTP-treated CPAEs than in control cells, indicating that these changes were responsible for the impaired NO production in MCTP-treated CPAEs. Since cellular uptake of L-[ 3 H]arginine linearly increased according to its extracellular concentration, we hypothesized that the excess concentration of extracellular L-arginine might restore NO production in MCTP-treated CPAEs. As expected, in the presence of 10 mM L-arginine, Ach showed a relaxation of the MCTP-treated CPAEs-overlaid gels. These results indicate that the impaired NO production in damaged endothelial cells can be reversed by supplying excess L-arginine

  15. γ-Ray radiolysis and theoretical study on radical ions of star-shaped oligofluorenes having a truxene or isotruxene as a core

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujitsuka, Mamoru; Tojo, Sachiko; Yang, Jye-Shane; Majima, Tetsuro

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Radiolysis provides absorption spectra of radical ions of star-shaped oligofluorenes. ► Absorption spectroscopic properties depend on oligomer size extensively. ► TDDFT provides reasonable assignments to the visible and near-IR absorption bands. ► Extensive charge delocalization was indicated by planarization of oligomers. - Abstract: Poly- and oligofluorenes have been intensively studied for years, because of their excellent properties as photo- and electro-functional materials. Especially, star-shaped oligofluorenes as two-dimensional oligomers are interesting materials for wide researchers. To understand their electronic properties in charged states, absorption spectra of radical cation and radical anion of star-shaped oligomers with varied size were investigated by means of γ-ray radiolysis. The absorption spectra of their radical ions ranged from the visible to near-IR regions were successfully obtained. By using the theoretical calculation, the observed peaks were assigned. It is indicated that the transition between HOMO and LUMO of the original neutral state plays a significant role in the visible region. Furthermore, it is indicated that the star-shaped oligofluorenes tend to take a planar structure upon oxidation and reduction

  16. Delocalization of Coherent Triplet Excitons in Linear Rigid Rod Conjugated Oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hintze, Christian; Korf, Patrick; Degen, Frank; Schütze, Friederike; Mecking, Stefan; Steiner, Ulrich E; Drescher, Malte

    2017-02-02

    In this work, the triplet state delocalization in a series of monodisperse oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) is studied by pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) determining zero-field splitting, optical spin polarization, and proton hyperfine couplings. Neither the zero-field splitting parameters nor the optical spin polarization change significantly with OPE chain length, in contrast to the hyperfine coupling constants, which showed a systematic decrease with chain length n according to a 2/(1 + n) decay law. The results provide striking evidence for the Frenkel-type nature of the triplet excitons exhibiting full coherent delocalization in the OPEs under investigation with up to five OPE repeat units and with a spin density distribution described by a nodeless particle in the box wave function. The same model is successfully applied to recently published data on π-conjugated porphyrin oligomers.

  17. Supercritical fluid assisted production of chitosan oligomers micrometric powders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Zhe; Shen, Yu-Bin; Tang, Chuan; Guan, Yi-Xin; Yao, Shan-Jing; Zhu, Zi-Qiang

    2014-02-15

    Chitosan oligomers (O-chitosan) micrometric particles were produced from aqueous solution using a novel process, i.e. supercritical fluid assisted atomization introduced by hydrodynamic cavitation mixer (SAA-HCM). Hydrodynamic cavitation was introduced to enhance mass transfer and facilitate the mixing between SC-CO2 and liquid solution for fine particles formation. Well defined, separated and spherical microparticles were obtained, and the particles size could be well controlled with narrow distribution ranging from 0.5 μm to 3 μm. XRD patterns showed amorphous structure of O-chitosan microparticles. FTIR, TGA and DSC analyses confirmed that no change in molecular structure and thermal stability after SAA-HCM processing, while the water content was between 5.8% and 8.4%. Finally, tap densities were determined to be below 0.45 g/cm(3) indicating hollow or porous structures of microparticles. By tuning process parameters, theoretical mass median aerodynamic sizes lied inside respirable range of 1-2 μm, which presented the potential of the O-chitosan microparticles in application as inhaled dry powders. SAA-HCM was demonstrated to be very useful in particle size engineering. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Emission and absorption of light in poly pyrrole synthesized by plasma; Emision y absorcion de luz en polipirrol sintetizado por plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enriquez, M.A.; Colin, E.; Olayo, M.G.; Cruz, G.J.; Ordonez, E. [ININ, A.P. 18-1027, 11801 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Benavides, R. [Departamento de Procesos de Transformacion, CIQA, Blvd. Enrique Reyna 140, Saltillo, Coahuila (Mexico); Morales, J.; Olayo, R. [UAM-I, Apdo. Postal 55-534, Iztapalapa, D.F. (Mexico)]. e-mail: gcc@nuclear.inin.mx

    2007-07-01

    The poly pyrrole structure (PPy) consists of heterocyclic rings with conjugation that it depends on the intensity of the electric field applied during the synthesis, and its luminescence is related with the {pi}-{pi}{sup *} transitions of that conjugation. To irradiate with light of different wavelengths, the results indicate that the polymer absorbs in the interval from 290 to 700 nm and it emits between 450 and 470 nm. The basal conductivity of the polymers, without electromagnetic excitation, it was measured in 10{sup -15} S/cm, however, to interact with visible light it is increased approximately 10 times and when excite with UV light it is increased up to 3 magnitude orders. (Author)

  19. Ordering effects in benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6- dione polymers with >7% solar cell efficiency

    KAUST Repository

    Warnan, Julien

    2014-05-15

    Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b\\']difuran-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (PBDFTPD) polymers prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis can achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) >7% in bulk-heterojunction solar cells with phenyl-C61/71-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). In "as-cast" PBDFTPD-based devices solution-processed without a small-molecule additive, high PCEs can be obtained in spite of the weak propensity of the polymers to self-assemble and form π-aggregates in thin films. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Net charge fluctuations and local charge compensation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Jinghua

    2006-01-01

    We propose net charge fluctuation as a measure of local charge correlation length. It is demonstrated that, in terms of a schematic multiperipheral model, net charge fluctuation satisfies the same Quigg-Thomas relation as satisfied by charge transfer fluctuation. Net charge fluctuations measured in finite rapidity windows depend on both the local charge correlation length and the size of the observation window. When the observation window is larger than the local charge correlation length, the net charge fluctuation only depends on the local charge correlation length, while forward-backward charge fluctuations always have strong dependence on the observation window size. Net charge fluctuations and forward-backward charge fluctuations measured in the present heavy ion experiments show characteristic features similar to those from multiperipheral models. But the data cannot all be understood within this simple model

  1. USE OF WOOD DERIVATIVES AS DOPING / DISPERSING AGENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF POLYPYRROLE AQUEOUS DISPERSIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Sasso

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS, lignosulfonic acid (LS sodium salts, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC were used as doping/dispersing agents in the chemical polymerization of polypyrrole (Ppy. Conductivity measure-ments performed on dry Ppy pellets showed a sharp increase in conductivity when adding the anionic polymers to the polymerization liquor. For a polyanion/pyrrole weight ratio ranging between 0.1 and 0.6, the highest conductivity was given by PpyCMC (82 S/m and PpyPSS (80 S/m, followed by PpyLS (6 S/m. On the other hand, for a polyanion/pyrrole ratio higher than 0.6, the conductivity of PpyPSS systems sharply decreased, and for polyanion/pyrrole ratios higher than 1, the highest conductivity was given by PpyCMC (~10 S/m, followed by PpyLS (~7 S/m and PpyPSS (~5 S/m. Zeta-potential measurements showed that the surface charge of Ppy was strongly affected by the polyanion type and amount. Cationic Ppy particles were obtained in the presence of the two polymers bearing strongly acidic moieties (PSS and LS. Anionic PpyPSS colloids were obtained at the highest PSS/Py ratio, after the degradation of the conducting properties. When using a weakly acidic dopant (CMC, PpyCMC colloids had a negative charge for all of the tested conditions.

  2. EGb761 provides a protective effect against Aβ1-42 oligomer-induced cell damage and blood-brain barrier disruption in an in vitro bEnd.3 endothelial model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-bin Wan

    Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease (AD is the most common form of senile dementia which is characterized by abnormal amyloid beta (Aβ accumulation and deposition in brain parenchyma and cerebral capillaries, and leads to blood-brain barrier (BBB disruption. Despite great progress in understanding the etiology of AD, the underlying pathogenic mechanism of BBB damage is still unclear, and no effective treatment has been devised. The standard Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 has been widely used as a potential cognitive enhancer for the treatment of AD. However, the cellular mechanism underlying the effect remain to be clarified. In this study, we employed an immortalized endothelial cell line (bEnd.3 and incubation of Aβ(1-42 oligomer, to mimic a monolayer BBB model under conditions found in the AD brain. We investigated the effect of EGb761 on BBB and found that Aβ1-42 oligomer-induced cell injury, apoptosis, and generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS, were attenuated by treatment with EGb761. Moreover, treatment of the cells with EGb761 decreased BBB permeability and increased tight junction scaffold protein levels including ZO-1, Claudin-5 and Occludin. We also found that the Aβ(1-42 oligomer-induced upregulation of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE, which mediates Aβ cytotoxicity and plays an essential role in AD progression, was significantly decreased by treatment with EGb761. To our knowledge, we provide the first direct in vitro evidence of an effect of EGb761 on the brain endothelium exposed to Aβ(1-42 oligomer, and on the expression of tight junction (TJ scaffold proteins and RAGE. Our results provide a new insight into a possible mechanism of action of EGb761. This study provides a rational basis for the therapeutic application of EGb761 in the treatment of AD.

  3. Rutin improves spatial memory in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice by reducing Aβ oligomer level and attenuating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Peng-Xin; Wang, Shao-Wei; Yu, Xiao-Lin; Su, Ya-Jing; Wang, Teng; Zhou, Wei-Wei; Zhang, He; Wang, Yu-Jiong; Liu, Rui-Tian

    2014-05-01

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Aβ aggregation is closely associated with neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuronal inflammation. The soluble Aβ oligomers are believed to be the most neurotoxic form among all forms of Aβ aggregates. We have previously reported a polyphenol compound rutin that could inhibit Aβ aggregation and cytotoxicity, attenuate oxidative stress, and decrease the production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in vitro. In the current study, we investigated the effect of rutin on APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice. Results demonstrated that orally administered rutin significantly attenuated memory deficits in AD transgenic mice, decreased oligomeric Aβ level, increased super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio, reduced GSSG and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, downregulated microgliosis and astrocytosis, and decreased interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels in the brain. These results indicated that rutin is a promising agent for AD treatment because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and reducing Aβ oligomer activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Evidence that a synthetic amyloid-ß oligomer-binding peptide (ABP) targets amyloid-ß deposits in transgenic mouse brain and human Alzheimer's disease brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakravarthy, Balu; Ito, Shingo; Atkinson, Trevor; Gaudet, Chantal; Ménard, Michel; Brown, Leslie; Whitfield, James

    2014-03-14

    The synthetic ~5 kDa ABP (amyloid-ß binding peptide) consists of a region of the 228 kDa human pericentrioloar material-1 (PCM-1) protein that selectively and avidly binds in vitro Aβ1-42 oligomers, believed to be key co-drivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but not monomers (Chakravarthy et al., (2013) [3]). ABP also prevents Aß1-42 from triggering the apoptotic death of cultured human SHSY5Y neuroblasts, likely by sequestering Aß oligomers, suggesting that it might be a potential AD therapeutic. Here we support this possibility by showing that ABP also recognizes and binds Aβ1-42 aggregates in sections of cortices and hippocampi from brains of AD transgenic mice and human AD patients. More importantly, ABP targets Aβ1-42 aggregates when microinjected into the hippocampi of the brains of live AD transgenic mice. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The influence of the diluent nature on scandium extraction by the phenol-formaldehyde resol oligomer yarrezin B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semenov, S.A.; Valkina, E.M.; Reznik, A.M.

    1996-01-01

    The paper studies the effect of diluent nature on scandium extraction by Yarrezin B phenol-formaldehyde resol oligomer using n-octan, toluene, chloroform, n-octanol and kerosene as an example. Correlation coefficients of dependences of scandium distribution factor on some parameters of diluents are calculated. Possibility to use some parameters of diluents to predict their effect on extraction indices is determined. Hildebrandt solubility parameter of extracting agent and parameters of extracting agent-diluent interaction according to Flory-Haggins are calculated. 13 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

  6. Characterization of poly pyrrole/montmorillonite electro polymerised onto Pt; Caracterizacao de filmes PPy/montmorilonita eletropolimerizados sobre Pt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castagno, K.R.L., E-mail: katiarlc@pelotas.ifsul.edu.b [Instituto Federal Sul-rio-grandense (IFSul), RS (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica; Azambuja, D.S.; Dalmoro, V.; Mauller, R.S. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Pelotas, RS (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica

    2010-07-01

    In this study films of polypyrrole/montmorillonite (PPy/MT) were electropolymerized on platinum in order to evaluate the performance of this technique in the preparation of nanocomposite materials and to determine the thermal properties and conductivity of the composites. The films were synthesized from a solution containing pyrrole, dodecylbenzene sulfonate, acid and two types of clays: montmorillonite-Na + (MT-Na) and montmorillonite-30B (MT-M). The characterization of the films we have used FT-IR, TEM, XRD, TGA, DSC and resistivity measurement by the four-point van der Pauw method. The study showed that the adopted method of exfoliation and the electropolymerization method used, allows obtaining nanocomposite materials. Analyses of FT-IR, TEM and XRD show that the clays are exfoliated in the polymer matrix. Thermal analysis of the films indicates that the addition of clay reflects an enhancement in the thermal properties of the matrix of PPy, but decreases the conductivity of the same. (author)

  7. Sub-10 nm Platinum Nanocrystals with Size and Shape Control: Catalytic Study for Ethylene and Pyrrole Hydrogenation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsung, Chia-Kuang; Kuhn, John N.; Huang, Wenyu; Aliaga, Cesar; Hung, Ling-I; Somorjai, Gabor A.; Yang, Peidong

    2009-03-02

    Platinum nanocubes and nanopolyhedra with tunable size from 5 to 9 nm were synthesized by controlling the reducing rate of metal precursor ions in a one-pot polyol synthesis. A two-stage process is proposed for the simultaneous control of size and shape. In the first stage, the oxidation state of the metal ion precursors determined the nucleation rate and consequently the number of nuclei. The reaction temperature controlled the shape in the second stage by regulation of the growth kinetics. These well-defined nanocrystals were loaded into MCF-17 mesoporous silica for examination of catalytic properties. Pt loadings and dispersions of the supported catalysts were determined by elemental analysis (ICP-MS) and H2 chemisorption isotherms, respectively. Ethylene hydrogenation rates over the Pt nanocrystals were independent of both size and shape and comparable to Pt single crystals. For pyrrole hydrogenation, the nanocubes enhanced ring-opening ability and thus showed a higher selectivity to n-butylamine as compared to nanopolyhedra.

  8. Synthesis of 1-((4-methoxyphenyl-3-alkynes-1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones and functionalization to tria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bakhat Ali

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available A series of alkynyl maleimides were prepared via one-step cross-coupling reaction using bromomaleimide and acetylenes under the Sonogashira conditions, affording 1-((4-methoxyphenyl-3-alkynes-1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones in good to high yields. These products were subsequently converted in the corresponding 1,2,3-triazole using conventional click chemistry approach. The alkynyl maleimide compound (8g crystallized in the triclinic space group P1 with unit cell parameters a = 5.3692(6, b = 9.2513(10, c = 10.3070(11 Å, α = 85.349(4, β = 86.892(4, γ = 86.892(4°, V = 507.31(10 Å3, and Z = 1. In the crystal the molecules are stacked parallel to the c axis and held together through a C–H⋯π and a C–H⋯O interaction.

  9. Oligomers Based on a Weak Hydrogen Bond Network: the Rotational Spectrum of the Tetramer of Difluoromethane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Gang; Evangelisti, Luca; Caminati, Walther; Cacelli, Ivo; Carbonaro, Laura; Prampolini, Giacomo

    2013-06-01

    Following the investigation of the rotational spectra of three conformers (so-called ``book'', ``prism'' and ``cage'') of the water hexamer, and of some other water oligomers, we report here the rotational spectrum of the tetramer of a freon molecule. The pulse jet Fourier transform microwave (pj-FTMW) spectrum of an isomer of the difluoromethane tetramer has been assigned. This molecular system is made of units of a relatively heavy asymmetric rotor, held together by a network of weak hydrogen bonds. The search of the rotational spectrum has been based on a high-level reference method, the CCSD(T)/CBS protocol. It is interesting to outline that the rotational spectrum of the water tetramer was not observed, probably because the minimum energy structures of this oligomer is effectively nonpolar in its ground states, or because of high energy tunnelling splittings. The rotational spectra of the monomer, dimer, trimer and tetramer of difluoromethane have been assigned in 1952, 1999, 2007, and 2013 (present work), with a decreasing time spacing between the various steps, looking then promising for a continuous and rapid extension of the size limits of molecular systems accessible to MW spectroscopy. C. Pérez, M. T. Muckle, D. P. Zaleski, N. A. Seifert, B. Temelso, G. C. Shields, Z. Kisiel, B. H. Pate, Science {336} (2012) 897. D. R. Lide, Jr., J. Am. Chem. Soc. {74} (1952) 3548. W. Caminati, S. Melandri, P. Moreschini, P. G. Favero, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. {38} (1999) 2924. S. Blanco, S. Melandri, P. Ottaviani, W. Caminati, J. Am. Chem. Soc. {129} (2007) 2700.

  10. A human scFv antibody that targets and neutralizes high molecular weight pathogenic amyloid-β oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sebollela, Adriano; Cline, Erika N; Popova, Izolda; Luo, Kevin; Sun, Xiaoxia; Ahn, Jay; Barcelos, Milena A; Bezerra, Vanessa N; Lyra E Silva, Natalia M; Patel, Jason; Pinheiro, Nathalia R; Qin, Lei A; Kamel, Josette M; Weng, Anthea; DiNunno, Nadia; Bebenek, Adrian M; Velasco, Pauline T; Viola, Kirsten L; Lacor, Pascale N; Ferreira, Sergio T; Klein, William L

    2017-07-03

    Brain accumulation of soluble oligomers of the amyloid-β peptide (AβOs) is increasingly considered a key early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A variety of AβO species have been identified, both in vitro and in vivo, ranging from dimers to 24mers and higher order oligomers. However, there is no consensus in the literature regarding which AβO species are most germane to AD pathogenesis. Antibodies capable of specifically recognizing defined subpopulations of AβOs would be a valuable asset in the identification, isolation, and characterization of AD-relevant AβO species. Here, we report the characterization of a human single chain antibody fragment (scFv) denoted NUsc1, one of a number of scFvs we have identified that stringently distinguish AβOs from both monomeric and fibrillar Aβ. NUsc1 readily detected AβOs previously bound to dendrites in cultured hippocampal neurons. In addition, NUsc1 blocked AβO binding and reduced AβO-induced neuronal oxidative stress and tau hyperphosphorylation in cultured neurons. NUsc1 further distinguished brain extracts from AD-transgenic mice from wild type (WT) mice, and detected endogenous AβOs in fixed AD brain tissue and AD brain extracts. Biochemical analyses indicated that NUsc1 targets a subpopulation of AβOs with apparent molecular mass greater than 50 kDa. Results indicate that NUsc1 targets a particular AβO species relevant to AD pathogenesis, and suggest that NUsc1 may constitute an effective tool for AD diagnostics and therapeutics. © 2017 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  11. The critical role of Nramp1 in degrading α-synuclein oligomers in microglia under iron overload condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kuo-Chen; Liou, Horng-Huei; Kao, Yu-Han; Lee, Chih-Yu; Lin, Chun-Jung

    2017-08-01

    Oligomeric α-synuclein is a key mediator in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and is mainly cleared by autophagy-lysosomal pathway, whose dysfunction results in the accumulation and cell-to-cell transmission of α-synuclein. In this study, concomitant with the accumulation of iron and oligomeric α-synuclein, higher expression of a lysosomal iron transporter, natural resistance-associated macrophage protein-1 (Nramp1), was observed in microglia in post-mortem striatum of sporadic PD patients. Using Nramp1-deficient macrophage (RAW264.7) and microglial (BV-2) cells as in-vitro models, iron exposure significantly reduced the degradation rate of the administered human α-synuclein oligomers, which can be restored by the expression of the wild-type, but not mutant (D543N), Nramp1. Likewise, under iron overload condition, mice with functional Nramp1 (DBA/2 and C57BL/6 congenic mice carrying functional Nramp1) had a better ability to degrade infused human α-synuclein oligomers than mice with nonfunctional Nramp1 (C57BL/6) in the brain and microglia. The interplay between iron and Nramp1 exhibited parallel effects on the clearance of α-synuclein and the activity of lysosomal cathepsin D in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these findings suggest that the function of Nramp1 contributes to microglial degradation of oligomeric α-synuclein under iron overload condition and may be implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Nanoscale Synaptic Membrane Mimetic Allows Unbiased High Throughput Screen That Targets Binding Sites for Alzheimer?s-Associated A? Oligomers

    OpenAIRE

    Wilcox, Kyle C.; Marunde, Matthew R.; Das, Aditi; Velasco, Pauline T.; Kuhns, Benjamin D.; Marty, Michael T.; Jiang, Haoming; Luan, Chi-Hao; Sligar, Stephen G.; Klein, William L.

    2015-01-01

    Despite their value as sources of therapeutic drug targets, membrane proteomes are largely inaccessible to high-throughput screening (HTS) tools designed for soluble proteins. An important example comprises the membrane proteins that bind amyloid β oligomers (AβOs). AβOs are neurotoxic ligands thought to instigate the synapse damage that leads to Alzheimer's dementia. At present, the identities of initial AβO binding sites are highly uncertain, largely because of extensive protein-protein int...

  13. Ultrafast Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a π-Conjugated Oligomer/Porphyrin Complex

    KAUST Repository

    Aly, Shawkat Mohammede; Goswami, Subhadip; Alsulami, Qana; Schanze, Kirk S.; Mohammed, Omar F.

    2014-01-01

    Controlling charge transfer (CT), charge separation (CS), and charge recombination (CR) at the donor-acceptor interface is extremely important to optimize the conversion efficiency in solar cell devices. In general, ultrafast CT and slow CR

  14. Calix[2]pyreno[2]pyrrole as a Fluorescence Chemical Probe for Polynitroaromatics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Kyung Hwa; Yoo, Jae Duk; Lee, Chang Hee; Ka, Jae Won

    2012-01-01

    We have demonstrated that the new, readily synthesized and well characterized calix pyreno pyrrole fluorescence molecular probe can detect polynitroaromatic compounds with high affinity. In addition, this highly fluorescent neutral molecular receptor also exhibits enhanced binding affinity towards TNT which is associated with the formation of a pi-complex. The dynamic nature of the current system may enable it to serve as an excellent scaffold for electron-deficient guest molecular binding. Studies for other neutral molecules including metal ions are under in active progress. The elevated selectivity and sensitivity for specific analytes are the core requirements for an ideal chemical probes. A signal induced by guest binding must be sensitive enough so that accurate real time monitoring could be satisfactorily achieved. Introduction of signaling units at suitable places in which they can directly interact with the recognition events is critical in designing chemosensors. Among various signaling events, fluorescence changes are often applied for the sensitive detection of various analytes. An easy modulation of the photochemical properties of the signaling units is an additional advantage in compatibility and applications. Chemosensors for the detection of explosives becomes important due to their immediate applications in remedation of explosive manufacturing sites, homeland security or forensic sciences. With that in mind, numerous methods for the explosive detection have been reported in recent years. Nevertheless, some detection methods sometimes require sophisticated instrumentation which is not easy for on-site testing

  15. Electron microscopic studies on experimental skin cancer after combination treatment with X-ray, hematoporphyrin oligomer and caffeine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueda, Keiichi; Ishiguro, Kazumori; Takaishi, Kimiko; Hatcho, Masahiro; Nakagawa, Shigemori

    1992-01-01

    The effect of combination treatment with X-ray, hematoporphyrin oligomer (HpO) and caffeine (Caf) was compared electron microscopically with that of a single use of these treatments. In experimental skin cancer, ultrastructural changes of nuclei and cytoplasm of tumor cells after combination treatment with HpO, X-ray and Caf showed more remarkable changes than in single X-ray irradiation and in HpO and X-ray irradiation. It is concluded that the combination treatment of HpO, X-ray and Caf is useful to the skin cancers in clinical practice. (author)

  16. Electron microscopic studies on experimental skin cancer after combination treatment with X-ray, hematoporphyrin oligomer and caffeine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueda, Keiichi; Ishiguro, Kazumori; Takaishi, Kimiko; Hatcho, Masahiro; Nakagawa, Shigemori (Fukui Medical School, Matsuoka (Japan))

    1992-05-01

    The effect of combination treatment with X-ray, hematoporphyrin oligomer (HpO) and caffeine (Caf) was compared electron microscopically with that of a single use of these treatments. In experimental skin cancer, ultrastructural changes of nuclei and cytoplasm of tumor cells after combination treatment with HpO, X-ray and Caf showed more remarkable changes than in single X-ray irradiation and in HpO and X-ray irradiation. It is concluded that the combination treatment of HpO, X-ray and Caf is useful to the skin cancers in clinical practice. (author).

  17. Preparation of polymer composite nanomembranes with a conductivity asymmetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kravets, L.I.; Dmitriev, S.N.; Satulu, B.; Mitu, B.; Dinescu, G.

    2009-01-01

    The structure and charge transport properties of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) track membrane modified by a pyrrole plasma have been studied. It was found that polymer deposition on the surface of a track membrane via the plasma polymerization of pyrrole results in the creation of a composite nanomembrane that, in the case of the formation of a semipermeable layer covering the pores, possesses conductivity asymmetry in electrolyte solutions - a rectification effect similar to that of a p-n junction in semiconductors. It is caused by presence in the membrane of two layers with different functional groups and also by the pore geometry. Such a type of membranes can be used for creation of chemical and biochemical sensors

  18. Investigation of utilization of process of polyethylene waste of low density for creation of competitive materials with application of phenol formaldehyde oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agakishieva, M.A.; Bilalov, Ya. M; Ibragimova, S. M; Dadasheva, G. I; Rezaei, Rudabeh

    2007-01-01

    Full text: The possibility of the utilization of low density polyethylene wastes by means of their modification with phenol formaldehyde oligomers (Ph FO) and PhFO with the thiourathenes has been investigation. Theology properties of the investigated systems showed that the obtained compositions can be able to be processed by the ordinary methods such as extrusion and casting

  19. Concentrations of oligomers and polymers of proanthocyanidins in red and purple rice bran and their relationships to total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity and whole grain color

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proanthocyanidins, a flavonoids subgroup, are proposed to have chronic disease modulation properties. With the eventual goal of enhancing rice phytonutrient concentrations, we investigated the genotypic variation of the concentrations of individual oligomers and polymers of proanthocyanidins in dark...

  20. SYNTHESIS OF THE FULLY PROTECTED PHOSPHORAMIDITE OF THE BENZENE-DNA ADDUCT, N2- (4-HYDROXYPHENYL)-2'-DEOXYGUANOSINE AND INCORPORATION OF THE LATER INTO DNA OLIGOMERS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chenna, Ahmed; Gupta, Ramesh C.; Bonala, Radha R.; Johnson, Francis; Huang, Bo

    2008-06-09

    N2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-O-DMT-3'-phosphoramidite has been synthesized and used to incorporate the N2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2'-dG (N2-4-HOPh-dG) into DNA, using solid-state synthesis technology. The key step to obtaining the xenonucleoside is a palladium (Xantphos-chelated) catalyzed N2-arylation (Buchwald-Hartwig reaction) of a fully protected 2'-deoxyguanosine derivative by 4-isobutyryloxybromobenzene. The reaction proceeded in good yield and the adduct was converted to the required 5'-O-DMT-3'-O-phosphoramidite by standard methods. The latter was used to synthesize oligodeoxynucleotides in which the N2-4-HOPh-dG adduct was incorporated site-specifically. The oligomers were purified by reverse-phase HPLC. Enzymatic hydrolysis and HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of this adduct in the oligomers.