Synthesis and characterization of trans-di-(4-pyridyl)porphyrin dimers

Preparation and characterization of a small library of symmetric trans-di(4-pyridyl) porphyrin dimers, obtained by either Glaser\u2013Hay or Sonogashira coupling reactions from appropriately prepared trans-di-4-pyridylporphyrin precursors, is presented. The porphyrin dimers are differentiated by a phenyl-alkynyl bridge of increasing length at one meso-position, while for all the derivatives the two remaining opposite meso-positions are tailored with a phenyl moiety bearing a short polyether chain. Coordination of the four pyridyl groups with appropriate metal fragments may be exploited to construct tubular hollow structures, with varied internal sizes, depending on the choice of the porphyrin dimer component

Toward fractioning of isomers through binding-induced acceleration of azobenzene switching

The E/Z isomerization process of a uracil-azobenzene derivative in which the nucleobase is conjugated to a phenyldiazene tail is studied in view of its ability to form triply-H-bonded complexes with a suitably complementary 2,6-diacetylamino-4-pyridine ligand. UV-Vis and 1H-NMR investigations of the photochemical and thermal isomerization kinetics show that the thermal Z→E interconversion is four-fold accelerated upon formation of the H-bonded complex. DFT calculations show that the formation of triple H-bonds triggers a significant elongation of the N=N double bond, caused by an increase of its πg∗ antibonding character. This results in a reduction of the N=N torsional barrier and thus in accelerated thermal Z→E isomerization. Combined with light controlled E→Z isomerization this enables controllable fractional tuning of the two configurational isomers

Guanine-based amphiphiles: synthesis, ion transport properties and biological activity

Novel amphiphilic guanine derivatives, here named Gua1 and Gua2, have been prepared through few, simple and efficient synthetic steps. In ion transport experiments through phospholipid bilayers, carried out to evaluate their ability to mediate H(+) transport, Gua2 showed high activity. When this compound was investigated for ion-selective transport activities, no major differences were observed in the behaviour with cations while, in the case of anions, selective activity was observed in the series I(-)>Br(-)>Cl(-)>F(-). The bioactivity of these guanine analogues has been evaluated on a panel of human tumour and non-tumour cell lines in preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity assays, showing a relevant antiproliferative profile for Gua2

Synthesis and characterization of a hydrophilic conjugated 4+4 Re(I)-porphyrin metallacycle

The preparation and the full characterization, including the X-ray structure determination, of a polar trans-dipyridylporphyrin functionalized with two short polyoxyethylene chains is reported. Reaction of the porphyrin with a Re(I) complex yielded a 4+4 metallacycle showing an improved solubility and a lower tendency to aggregate with respect to analogous porphyrin cyclic derivatives. These properties allowed a full NMR characterization of the metallacycle including VT 1H DOSY-NMR experiments and, for the first time, the recording of a 13C-NMR spectrum giving further insight into the structural definition of these type of metallacycles. Spray deposition of the metallacycle on a heated mica substrate shows the formation of regular ring-like nano-structures which are not formed by the parent porphyrin

Cyclic Peptoids as Mycotoxin Mimics: An Exploration of Their Structural and Biological Properties

Cyclic peptoids have recently emerged as important examples of peptidomimetics for their interesting complexing properties and innate ability to permeate biological barriers. In the present contribution, experimental and theoretical data evidence the intricate conformational and stereochemical properties of five novel hexameric peptoids decorated with N-isopropyl, N-isobutyl, and N-benzyl substituents. Complexation studies by NMR, in the presence of sodium tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate (NaTFPB), theoretical calculations, and single-crystal X-ray analyses indicate that the conformationally stable host/guest metal adducts display architectural ordering comparable to that of the enniatins and beauvericin mycotoxins. Similarly to the natural depsipeptides, the synthetic oligolactam analogues show a correlation between ion transport abilities in artificial liposomes and cytotoxic activity on human cancer cell lines. The reported results demonstrate that the versatile cyclic peptoid scaffold, for its remarkable conformational and complexing properties, can morphologically mimic related natural products and elicit powerful biological activities

Conjugates between minor groove binders and Zn(II)-tach complexes: Synthesis, characterization, and interaction with plasmid DNA

A new family of conjugates between a Zn(II)-tach complex and (indole)(2) or benzofuran-indole amide minor groove binders connected through alkyl or oxyethyl linkers of different lengths has been prepared. The conjugates bind strongly to DNA. However, the complexation to DNA to promote the Zn(II) catalyzed hydrolytic cleavage of the DNA results instead in its inhibition. This inhibition effect has been confirmed also using Cu(II). Modeling studies suggest that in the most stable complex conformation, the minor groove binder and the linker lie in the minor groove hampering the interaction between the metal complex and the phosphate backbone of DNA. Therefore, the linear arrangement of minor groove binder-linker-metal complex appears to be effective to ensure tight binding but unproductive from a hydrolytic point of view. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Configurational selection in azobenzene-based supramolecular systems through dual-stimuli processes

Azobenzene is one of the most studied light‐controlled molecular switches and it has been incorporated in a large variety of supramolecular systems to control their structural and functional properties. Given the peculiar isomeric distribution at the photoexcited state (PSS), azobenzene derivatives have been used as photoactive framework to build metastable supramolecular systems that are out of the thermodynamic equilibrium. This could be achieved exploiting the peculiar E/Z photoisomerization process that can lead to isomeric ratios that are unreachable in thermal equilibrium conditions. The challenge in the field is to find molecular architectures that, under given external circumstances, lead to a given isomeric ratio in a reversible and predictable manner, ensuring an ultimate control of the configurational distribution and system composition. By reviewing early and recent works in the field, this review aims at describing photoswitchable systems that, containing an azobenzene dye, display a controlled configurational equilibrium by means of a molecular recognition event. Specifically, examples include programmed photoactive molecular architectures binding cations, anions and H‐bonded neutral guests. In these systems the non‐covalent molecular recognition adds onto the thermal and light stimuli, equipping the supramolecular architecture with an additional external trigger to select the desired configuration composition