Self-assembly of melem on Ag(111)—emergence of porous structures based on amino-heptazine hydrogen bonds

Self-assembly of melem on Ag(111) as studied by Scanning-Tunneling-Microscopy (STM) in ultra-high vacuum revealed a great structural variety. In total, five porous and two densely packed monolayer polymorphs were observed. All structures are stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen bonds, where melem–melem arrangements are based on very few basic motifs. Six out of seven polymorphs can be described by a unified concept

c-Fos is required for excision repair of UV-light induced DNA lesions by triggering the re-synthesis of XPF

Cells deficient in c-Fos are hypersensitive to ultraviolet (UV-C) light. Here we demonstrate that mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking c-Fos (fos−/−) are defective in the repair of UV-C induced DNA lesions. They show a decreased rate of sealing of repair-mediated DNA strand breaks and are unable to remove cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers from DNA. A search for genes responsible for the DNA repair defect revealed that upon UV-C treatment the level of xpf and xpg mRNA declined but, in contrast to the wild type (wt), did not recover in fos−/− cells. The observed decline in xpf and xpg mRNA is due to impaired re-synthesis, as shown by experiments using actinomycin D. Block of xpf transcription resulted in a lack of XPF protein after irradiation of fos−/− cells, whereas the XPF level normalized quickly in the wt. Although the xpg mRNA level was reduced, the amount of XPG protein was not altered in c-Fos-deficient cells after UV-C, due to higher stability of the XPG protein. The data suggest a new role for c-Fos in cells exposed to genotoxic stress. Being part of the transcription factor AP-1, c-Fos stimulates NER via the upregulation of xpf and thus plays a central role in the recovery of cells from UV light induced DNA damage

Nanopatterning of a Covalent Organic Framework Host-Guest System

We have used a boroxine-based COF as a template for C60-fullerene self-assembly on graphite. Local removal of the COF by STM based nanomanipulation creates nanocorrals that may host other species

Three prime exonuclease I (TREX1) is Fos/AP-1 regulated by genotoxic stress and protects against ultraviolet light and benzo(a)pyrene-induced DNA damage

Cells respond to genotoxic stress with the induction of DNA damage defence functions. Aimed at identifying novel players in this response, we analysed the genotoxic stress-induced expression of DNA repair genes in mouse fibroblasts proficient and deficient for c-Fos or c-Jun. The experiments revealed a clear up-regulation of the three prime exonuclease I (trex1) mRNA following ultraviolet (UV) light treatment. This occurred in the wild-type but not c-fos and c-jun null cells, indicating the involvement of AP-1 in trex1 induction. Trex1 up-regulation was also observed in human cells and was found on promoter, RNA and protein level. Apart from UV light, TREX1 is induced by other DNA damaging agents such as benzo(a)pyrene and hydrogen peroxide. The mouse and human trex1 promoter harbours an AP-1 binding site that is recognized by c-Fos and c-Jun, and its mutational inactivation abrogated trex1 induction. Upon genotoxic stress, TREX1 is not only up-regulated but also translocated into the nucleus. Cells deficient in TREX1 show reduced recovery from the UV and benzo(a)pyrene-induced replication inhibition and increased sensitivity towards the genotoxins compared to the isogenic control. The data revealed trex1 as a novel DNA damage-inducible repair gene that plays a protective role in the genotoxic stress response

Adsorption structure determination of a large polyaromatic trithiolate on Cu(111): Combination of LEED-I(V) and DFT-vdW

The adsorption geometry of 1,3,5-tris(4-mercaptophenyl)benzene (TMB) on Cu(111) is determined with high precision using two independent methods, experimentally by quantitative low energy electron diffraction (LEED-I(V)) and theoretically by dispersion corrected density functional theory (DFT-vdW). Structural refinement using both methods consistently results in similar adsorption sites and geometries. Thereby a level of confidence is reached that allows deduction of subtle structural details such as molecular deformations or relaxations of copper substrate atoms

Untersuchung organischer Adsorbate auf kristallinen Substraten mit dem Raster-Tunnel-Mikroskop

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit sind ultradünne Filme organischer Moleküle auf anorganischen Substraten. Adsorbate wurden in Bedeckungen von Submonolagen bis hin zu Multilagen mittels Raster-Tunnel-Mikroskopie und Spektroskopie untersucht. Ergänzt wurde die Strukturaufklärung durch die Beugung niederenergetischer Elektronen (LEED). Im Mittelpunkt stehen in-situ Untersuchungen von im UHV aufgedampften Schichten. Darüberhinaus werden Experimente zur Erzeugung, Abbildung und Manipulation selbstassemblierter Monolagen an der flüssig-fest Grenzfläche beschrieben. Als Modell-Substanzen wurden Coronen, Zinn- und Palladium-Phthalocyanin, Naphthalocyanin sowie Trimesinsäure ausgewählt. Auf Ag(111) konnte bei geringer Bedeckung des planaren Coronens die Wechselwirkung mit dem Oberflächenzustand anhand von stehenden Elektronenwellen nachgewiesen werden. Sowohl auf Ag(111) als auch auf Graphit(0001) konnten für Coronen Monolagen kommensurable Überstrukturen gefunden werden. Für Palladium- und Zinn-Phthalocyanin offenbarte sich auf Ag(111) die Koexistenz von geordneten und ungeordneten Phasen. Wobei es für Palladium-Pc sowohl in der kristallinen als auch in der ungeordneten Phase Indizien für eine höhere Mobilität der Moleküle gibt. Im Fall des nicht planaren Zinn-Pc konnten zwei verschiedene Adsorptionsgeometrien des Moleküls mit dem STM eindeutig unterschieden werden. Die etwas größere Molekülstruktur des Naphthalocyanins bedingt eine Herauf-Skalierung der Einheitszelle, wie sie typischerweise bei Phthalocyaninen beobachtet wird. Ferner ließ sich eine eindeutige Abhängigkeit des intramolekularen Kontrastes vom Vorzeichen der Tunnelspannung durch zweimaligen Wechsel der Polarität im selben Bild zweifelsfrei belegen. Hierbei konnten die submolekularen Strukturen mit simulierten Molekülorbitalen isolierter Moleküle interpretiert werden. Bei den durch Wasserstoffbrücken-Bindungen stabilisierten offenen Netzwerken der Trimesinsäure (TMA) auf Graphit konnte je nach Lösungsmittel an der flüssig-fest Grenzfläche entweder die "Flower"- oder "Chickenwire"-Struktur eingestellt werden. Zudem konnte die Eignung dieser Schicht als Wirt-Gast-System durch die Einlagerung von C60-Fullerenen und Coronen demonstriert werden. Außerdem gelang die Manipulation einzelner C60 im TMA-Templat mit der STM-Spitze in flüssiger Umgebung bei Raumtemperatur

The Current Understanding of how 2D Polymers Grow Photochemically

2D polymers are a relatively new class of macromolecules. Therefore, it is not astounding that so far research focused on how to provide access to this intriguing class of organic 2D materials, how to prove their existence, and how to assess their structural quality. Studies concerning the formation mechanism are comparatively scarce. We here collect and compare all the mechanistic information available for 2D polymer synthesis by photochemical means and point towards research directions to be followed in order to advance the fundamental understanding and, thus, fast development of this field. Because the two current starting situations for the photochemical synthesis of 2D polymers are layered single crystals and surface-supported monolayers, the prominent analytical tools are X-ray diffraction (XRD), local vibration spectroscopy, e. g. tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), and scanning probe microscopy (SPM), e. g. low temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (LT STM) in ultra-high vacuum (UHV), but also atomic force microscopy (AFM). With their advantages and shortcomings, they will therefore play an important role throughout this mini review.ISSN:1434-193XISSN:1099-069

Explosives Sensing by Using Electron-Rich Supramolecular Polymers: Role of Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding in Significant Enhancement of Sensitivity

We demonstrate here that supramolecular interactions enhance the sensitivity towards detection of electron-deficient nitro-aromatic compounds (NACs) over discrete analogues. NACs are the most commonly used explosive ingredients and are common constituents of many unexploded landmines used during World WarII. In this study, we have synthesised a series of pyrene-based polycarboxylic acids along with their corresponding discrete esters. Due to the electron richness and the fluorescent behaviour of the pyrene moiety, all the compounds act as sensors for electron-deficient NACs through a fluorescence quenching mechanism. A Stern-Volmer quenching constant determination revealed that the carboxylic acids are more sensitive than the corresponding esters towards NACs in solution. The high sensitivity of the acids was attributed to supramolecular polymer formation through hydrogen bonding in the case of the acids, and the enhancement mechanism is based on an exciton energy migration upon excitation along the hydrogen-bond backbone. The presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the acids in solution was established by solvent-dependent fluorescence studies and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments. In addition, the importance of intermolecular hydrogen bonds in solid-state sensing was further explored by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) experiments at the liquid-solid interface, in which structures of self-assembled monolayer of the acids and the corresponding esters were compared. The sensitivity tests revealed that these supramolecular sensors can even detect picric acid and trinitrotoluene in solution at levels as low as parts per trillion (ppt), which is much below the recommended permissible level of these constituents in drinking water