Task Specific Ionic Liquids for Enantiomeric Recognition and Nanomaterials for Biomedical Imaging

Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic salts that melt at or below 100°C. Interest in ILs continues to grow due to their unique properties such as lack of measurable vapor pressure, high thermal stability, tunability and recyclability. The first part of this dissertation explores the use of chiral ionic liquids (CILs) for enantiomeric recognition of chiral analytes using fluorescence spectroscopy. Chiral analyses continue to be a subject of considerable interest primarily as a result of legislation introduced by the Food and Drug Administration. This has led to an increased need for suitable chiral selectors and methods to verify the enantiomeric forms of drugs. In this study, CILs derived from amino acid esters were used simultaneously as solvents and chiral selectors for enantiomeric recognition of various fluorescent as well as non-fluorescent chiral analytes. The second part of this dissertation focuses on the development of a new class of fluorescent near infrared (NIR) nanoparticles from a Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS) largely comprising frozen ILs. The GUMBOS were subsequently used to fabricate nanoGUMBOS using a reprecipitation method. The potential of the NIR nanoGUMBOS for non-invasive imaging was evaluated by fluorescence imaging of Vero cells incubated with nanoGUMBOS. Fluorescence imaging of diseased cells and tissues is useful for early detection and treatment of diseases. The work presented here is significant and may improve the quality of human life by employing NIR nanoGUMBOS as contrast agents for early diagnosis and treatment of some diseases. Through variations in the anion, different spectral properties were observed for nanoGUMBOS presenting the possibility of using a single dye for multiple applications

Application of Ionic Liquids in Pot-in-Pot Reactions

Pot-in-pot reactions are designed such that two reaction media (solvents, catalysts and reagents) are isolated from each other by a polymeric membrane similar to matryoshka dolls (Russian nesting dolls). The first reaction is allowed to progress to completion before triggering the second reaction in which all necessary solvents, reactants, or catalysts are placed except for the starting reagent for the target reaction. With the appropriate trigger, in most cases unidirectional flux, the product of the first reaction is introduced to the second medium allowing a second transformation in the same glass reaction pot—albeit separated by a polymeric membrane. The basis of these reaction systems is the controlled selective flux of one reagent over the other components of the first reaction while maintaining steady-state catalyst concentration in the first “pot”. The use of ionic liquids as tools to control chemical potential across the polymeric membranes making the first pot is discussed based on standard diffusion models—Fickian and Payne’s models. Besides chemical potential, use of ionic liquids as delivery agent for a small amount of a solvent that slightly swells the polymeric membrane, hence increasing flux, is highlighted. This review highlights the critical role ionic liquids play in site-isolation of multiple catalyzed reactions in a standard pot-in-pot reaction

Paramagnetic Ionic Liquids for Measurements of Density Using Magnetic Levitation

Paramagnetic ionic liquids (PILs) provide new capabilities to measurements of density using magnetic levitation (MagLev). In a typical measurement, a diamagnetic object of unknown density is placed in a container containing a PIL. The container is placed between two magnets (typically NdFeB, oriented with like poles facing). The density of the diamagnetic object can be determined by measuring its position in the magnetic field along the vertical axis (levitation height, h), either as an absolute value, or relative to internal standards of known density. For density measurements by MagLev, PILs have three advantages over solutions of paramagnetic salts in aqueous or organic solutions: (i) negligible vapor pressures; (ii) low melting points; (iii) high thermal stabilities. In addition, the densities, magnetic susceptibilities, glass transition temperatures, thermal decomposition temperatures, viscosities, and hydrophobicities of PILs can be tuned over broad ranges by choosing the cation–anion pair. The low melting points and high thermal stabilities of PILs provide large liquidus windows for density measurements. This paper demonstrates applications and advantages of PILs in density-based analyses using MagLev.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Paper-based electroanalytical devices with an integrated, stable reference electrode

This paper describes the development of a referenced Electrochemical Paper-based Analytical Device (rEPAD) comprising a sample zone, a reference zone, and a connecting microfluidic channel that includes a central contact zone. We demonstrated that the rEPADs provide a simple system for direct and accurate voltammetric measurements that are referenced by an electrode with a constant, well-defined potential. The performance of the rEPADs is comparable to commercial electrochemical cells, and the layout can be easily integrated into systems that permit multiplexed analysis and pipette-free sampling. The cost of this portable device is sufficiently low that it could be for single-use, disposable applications, and its method of fabrication is compatible with that used for other paper-based systems.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Adaptive Use of Bubble Wrap for Storing Liquid Samples and Performing Analytical Assays

This paper demonstrates that the gas-filled compartments in the packing material commonly called “bubble wrap” can be repurposed in resource-limited regions as containers to store liquid samples, and to perform bioanalyses. The bubbles of bubble wrap are easily filled by injecting the samples into them using a syringe with a needle or a pipet tip, and then sealing the hole with nail hardener. The bubbles are transparent in the visible range of the spectrum, and can be used as “cuvettes” for absorbance and fluorescence measurements. The interiors of these bubbles are sterile and allow storage of samples without the need for expensive sterilization equipment. The bubbles are also permeable to gases, and can be used to culture and store micro-organisms. By incorporating carbon electrodes, these bubbles can be used as electrochemical cells. This paper demonstrates the capabilities of the bubbles by culturing E. coli, growing C. elegans, measuring glucose and hemoglobin spectrophotometrically, and measuring ferrocyanide electrochemically, all within the bubbles.Chemistry and Chemical BiologyOther Research Uni

Nontemplated approach to tuning the spectral properties of cyanine-based fluorescent NanoGUMBOS

Template-free controlled aggregation and spectral properties in fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) is highly desirable for various applications. Herein, we report a nontemplated method for controlling the aggregation in near-infrared (NIR) cyanine-based nanoparticles derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS). Cationic heptamethine cyanine dye 1,1′,3,3,3′,3′-hexamethylindotricarbocyanine (HMT) was coupled with five different anions, viz., [NTf2-], [BETI -], [TFPB-], [AOT-], and [TFP4B-], by an ion-exchange method to obtain the respective GUMBOS. The nanoGUMBOS obtained via a reprecipitation method were primarily amorphous and spherical (30-100 nm) as suggested by selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The formation of tunable self-assemblies within the nanoGUMBOS was characterized using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy in conjunction with molecular dynamics simulations. Counterion-controlled spectral properties observed in the nanoGUMBOS were attributed to variations in J/H ratios with different anions. Association with the [AOT-] anion afforded predominant J aggregation enabling the highest fluorescence intensity, whereas [TFP4B-] disabled the fluorescence due to predominant H aggregation in the nanoparticles. Analyses of the stacking angle of the cations based on molecular dynamic simulation results in [HMT][NTf2], [HMT][BETI], and [HMT][AOT] dispersed in water and a visual analysis of the representative simulation snapshots also imply that the type of aggregation was controlled through the counterion associated with the dye cation. © 2010 American Chemical Society

Using Magnetic Levitation to Separate Mixtures of Crystal Polymorphs

Magnetische Levitation (MagLev) ist eine einfache Trennmethode für Kristallpolymorphe mit Dichteunterschieden (Δρ) von nur 0.001 g cm−3. Für vier organische Verbindungen wurden dichtebasierte Trennungen verschiedener kristalliner Formen gezeigt: 5-Methyl-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino]-3-thiophencarbonitril, Sulfathiazol, Carbamazepin und trans-Zimtsäure.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Separation and enrichment of enantiopure from racemic compounds using magnetic levitation

Crystallization of a solution with high enantiomeric excess can generate a mixture of crystals of the desired enantiomer and the racemic compound. Using a mixture of S-/RS-ibuprofen crystals as a model, we demonstrated that magnetic levitation (MagLev) is a useful technique for analysis, separation and enantioenrichment of chiral/racemic products.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Using Magnetic Levitation for Non-Destructive Quality Control of Plastic Parts

Magnetic levitation (MagLev) enables rapid and non-destructive quality control of plastic parts. The feasibility of MagLev as a method to: i) rapidly assess injection-molded plastic parts for defects during process optimization, ii) monitor the degradation of plastics after exposure to harsh environmental conditions, and iii) detect counterfeit polymers by density is demonstrated.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Chiral ionic liquids in chromatographic separation and spectroscopic discrimination

Chiral ionic liquids (CILs) are a subclass of ionic liquids (ILs) in which the cation, anion, or both may be chiral. The chirality can be central, axial, or planar. CILs possess a number of unique advantageous properties which are inherited from ionic liquids including negligible vapor pressure, wide liquidus temperature range, high thermal stability, and high tunability. Due to their dual functionalities as chiral selectors and chiral solvents simultaneously, CILs recently have been widely used both in enantiomeric chromatographic separation and in chiral spectroscopic discrimination. In this chapter, the various applications of CILs in chiral chromatographic separations such as GC, HPLC, CE, and MEKC are reviewed. The applications of CILs in enantiomeric spectroscopic discrimination using techniques such as NMR, fluorescence, and NIR are described. In addition, chiral recognition and separation mechanism using the CILs as chiral selectors or chiral solvents is also discussed. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg