On the use of the pseudo-diatomic model for experimental evaluation of stabilization energies of weakly bound molecular complexes

Stabilization energies of weakly bound molecular complexes, relative to the isolated monomers constituents, have been evaluated experimentally using the pseudo-diatomic (PD) model employing a Lennard-Jones 6-12 potential (LJ), here denominated the PD-LJ model. This method uses spectroscopic data to estimate the potential depth of weakly bound species. In this work we report a systematic comparison between high level ab initio stabilization energy values and the respective experimental data available for a series of binary complexes, aiming to assess the efficaciousness of the PD-LJ model

Superstructure based on β-CD self-assembly induced by a small guest molecule

The size, shape and surface chemistry of nanoparticles play an important role in cellular interaction. Thus, the main objective of the present study was the determination of the β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) self-assembly thermodynamic parameters and its structure, aiming to use these assemblies as a possible controlled drug release system. Light scattering measurements led us to obtain the β-CD's critical aggregation concentration (cac) values, and consequently the thermodynamic parameters of the β-CD spontaneous self-assembly in aqueous solution: Δ[subscript agg]G[superscript o] = −16.31 kJ mol[superscript −1], Δ[subscript agg]H[superscript o] = −26.48 kJ mol[superscript −1] and TΔ[subscript agg]S[superscript o] = −10.53 kJ mol[superscript −1] at 298.15 K. Size distribution of the self-assembled nanoparticles below and above cac was 1.5 nm and 60–120 nm, respectively. The number of β-CD molecules per cluster and the second virial coefficient were identified through Debye's plot and molecular dynamic simulations proposed the three-fold assembly for this system below cac. Ampicillin (AMP) was used as a drug model in order to investigate the key role of the guest molecule in the self-assembly process and the β-CD:AMP supramolecular system was studied in solution, aiming to determine the structure of the supramolecular aggregate. Results obtained in solution indicated that the β-CD's cac was not affected by adding AMP. Moreover, different complex stoichiometries were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments.Brazil. National Institute in Science and Technology in Nanobiopharmaceutics (NanoBiofar) (CNPq/MCT/FAPEMIG)Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (Brazil)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant 1-R01-DE016516-03)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (Process 4597-08-7)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (CEX APQ-00498/08

Reactivity of 5a,6-anhydrotetracycline platinum(II) complex with biological nucleophiles: a theoretical study

This paper describes a theoretical analysis of the interaction between 5a,6-anhydrotetracycline platinum(II) complex (AHTC-Pt) and some biological nucleophiles; adenine (A), guanine (G), cysteine (Cys) and methionine (Met). The aquated species [Pt(AHTC)Cl(H2O)]+ was taken as reagent for the processes studied here. For DNA bases (A and G), the calculated values for ΔGa,aq at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) level were 21.7 and 20.7 kcal mol-1 for interaction with A and G, respectively, which are in accordance with the expected behavior of faster process involving G. These values are higher than the experimental activation energy for the parent compound cisplatin (18.5 kcal mol-1 for interaction with G). For the process involving the amino-acids, the barriers were 17.6 (Cys) and 18.5 kcal mol-1 (Met), which are lower than the observed values for cisplatin (20.5 and 20.2 kcal mol-1, respectively). These outcomes show that AHTC-Pt hybrid complex may be considered a promising lead compound in the development of novel anticancer drugs based on platinum complex