Kamil Lang

(Thia)calix[4]arene–porphyrin conjugates: novel receptors for fullerene complexation with C70 over C60 selectivity

Molecular tweezers, (thia)calix[4]arene–porphyrin conjugates, are constructed from the (thia)calix[4]arene unit serving as a scaffold and from two and/or four porphyrin units. These molecules form stable complexes with fullerenes in a toluene solution and exhibit selectivity towards C70. The observed fullerene–porphyrin contacts suggest cooperative behaviour of closely separated porphyrin units attracting C60 or C70. Measurements show efficient quenching of porphyrin fluorescence emission.

Bactericidal nanofabrics based on photoproduction of singlet oxygen

We present novel photofunctional nanofabrics that produce singlet oxygen on irradiation and have a bactericidal effect.

Magnesium Azaphthalocyanines: An Emerging Family of Excellent Red-Emitting Fluorophores

Magnesium(II), zinc(II), and metal-free phthalocyanines (Pcs) and azaphthalocyanines (AzaPcs) containing alkylsulfanyl, aryloxy, and dialkylamino peripheral substituents have been synthesized. The complexation of magnesium(II) by metal-free Pcs and AzaPcs has been studied in detail to determine the optimal reaction conditions necessary to ensure a complete conversion. Photophysical and photochemical measurements in tetrahydrofuran showed that magnesium(II) AzaPcs with aryloxy and alkylsulfanyl substituents have excellent fluorescent properties (Φ(F) up to 0.73) and that the corresponding zinc(II) Pcs are efficient singlet oxygen producers (Φ(Δ) up to 0.68). The presence of dialkylamino substituents causes intramolecular charge transfer within the molecule that competes with fluorescence and singlet oxygen formation. Alkylsulfanyl MgAzaPc and ZnAzaPc were the most photostable compounds among the series of studied derivatives. In addition, high molar absorption coefficients (ε ∼ 300,000 M(-1) cm(-1)), absorption (λ(max) ∼ 650 nm), and emission (λ(em) ∼ 660 nm, high Φ(F)) in the red region suggest that these molecules are potential fluorescent probes that are superior to the commercial red cyanine dye Cy5. MgAzaPc, when incorporated into lipidic bilayers of liposomes, maintains excellent fluorescence properties (Φ(F) = 0.64). Water-soluble MgAzaPc with quaternary ammonium peripheral substituents retained a high fluorescence quantum yield even in water (Φ(F) = 0.25). The described properties show that magnesium(II) AzaPcs are excellent red-emitting fluorophores with potential applications as fluorescent probes in sensing or in vitro imaging applications.

Fluorescent polyurethane nanofabrics: a source of singlet oxygen and oxygen sensing.

Polyurethane (PUR) nanofabrics based on nanofibers of average diameters in the range of 250-110 nm with different meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) loading (0.01-5 wt %) were prepared by an electrospinning process. The oxygen quenching of excited states and singlet oxygen-sensitized delayed fluorescence (SODF) of TPP were studied at different oxygen pressures. We found that TPP in PUR matrix is present in monomeric state, and it is easily accessed by oxygen. Analysis of the kinetics of the TPP triplet, singlet oxygen, and SODF indicates that repopulation of TPP fluorescent state includes reaction of singlet oxygen with TPP triplets. The integrated SODF achieved more than 20% of the prompt fluorescence for nanofabric loaded with 5 wt % TPP. The dependence of SODF intensity on the TPP concentration in nanofibers is nearly quadratic.

Photophysical Properties and Photoinduced Electron Transfer Within Host–Guest Complexes of 5,10,15,20‐Tetrakis(4‐N‐methylpyridyl)porphyrin with Water‐soluble Calixarenes and Cyclodextrins¶

Abstract We report the formation of host–guest complexes between water-soluble calix[n]arene-p-tetrasulfonates (n = 4, 6, 8) or 2-hydroxypropyl-cyclodextrins (α-, β-, γ-) and the tetratosylate salt of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (TMPyP). The binding constants ranging between 102 and 105 M−1 were calculated from the absorption and fluorescence changes. Calix[4]arene-p-tetrasulfonate has a high binding affinity and forms with TMPyP a 1:1 complex, whereas other calixarenes bind two molecules of TMPyP. Electrostatic attraction is the dominating binding mode. Binding to calixarenes leads to a considerable decrease of the quantum yields of the triplet and excited singlet states and to shortening of the singlet and triplet lifetimes of TMPyP. The quenching mechanism is attributed to electron transfer between calixarene phenolates and excited TMPyP. Photoinduced electron transfer within a novel supramolecular complex calixarene/TMPyP (electron donor)/methyl viologen (electron acceptor) has been proven by absorption and fluorescence measurements. Electrostatic attraction between the cationic donor and cationic acceptor, on the one hand, and the anionic host, on the other, overcomes the electrostatic repulsion forces. In contrast, the interaction of cyclodextrin with TMPyP is hydrophobic in nature and only slightly influences the photophysical properties of TMPyP. The different behavior of TMPyP bound to either of the hosts has been assigned to the specific effects of the dominant binding modes, viz. the electrostatic attraction for calixarenes and the hydrophobic interactions for inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins.

Steroid-porphyrin conjugate for saccharide sensing in protic media.

A new saccharide receptor in protic media has been designed and synthesized. The receptor combines advantages of steroids, which are responsible for saccharide binding, and of the porphyrin moiety acting as a signalling component of the molecule due to changes in UV-vis electronic spectra. The synthesis is based on condensation of steroid aldehyde with pyrrole to form the porphyrin unit with four protected steroid moieties. After deprotection, meso-substituted porphyrin contains 12-hydroxy groups on the steroidal part. The receptor is soluble in aqueous solutions and exhibits high complexation affinity towards saccharides. Because the receptor extensively aggregates in water, most of the experiments were performed in 50% aqueous 2-propanol where aggregation is significantly eliminated. Binding is evidenced by spectral changes in the Soret region of the receptor in UV-vis absorption spectra allowing the evaluation of the binding constants. Additional confirmation of binding is obtained using 1H NMR, Raman and IR spectroscopies and the surface plasmon resonance technique. The receptor exhibits higher selectivity for oligosaccharides over monosaccharide. The results point to the importance of a combination of multiple binding via H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions.

Luminescent Hydrogel Particles Prepared by Self-Assembly of β-Cyclodextrin Polymer and Octahedral Molybdenum Cluster Complexes

A series of luminescent octahedral molybdenum cluster complexes were obtained by treating Na2[Mo6I8(OMe)6] with icosahedral closo-dicarbaborane C-carboxylic acids in refluxing tetrahydrofuran. The study of the photophysical properties of Na2[Mo6I8(1-OOC-1,2-closo-C2B10H11)6] (1), Na2[Mo6I8(1-OOC-1,7-closo-C2B10H11)6] (2), and Na2[Mo6I8(1-OOC-1,12-closo-C2B10H11)6] (3) in acetonitrile revealed a red luminescence with high quantum yields up to 0.93 for 2, an efficient quenching of the luminescence by oxygen, and high quantum yields of singlet oxygen formation of approximately 0.7. Self-assembly between compound 2 and β-cyclodextrin polymer led to monodisperse hydrogel particles with a diameter of approximately 200 nm and unchanged luminescence spectra and kinetics features over 14 days. In contrast, bare cluster complex 2 in water formed aggregates and hydrolyzed over the time as indicated by a progressive red shift of the luminescence maxima. The invariance of key photophysical parameters of the hydrogel particles coupled with a high oxygen sensitivity of the luminescence are attractive features for long-term biological experiments involving optical oxygen probing. In addition, this hydrogel is a singlet oxygen sensitizer in water with promising properties for photodynamic therapy.

Lanthanide-Porphyrin Hybrids: from Layered Structures to Metal–Organic Frameworks with Photophysical Properties

Rare-earth layered hydroxides with intercalated tetrasulfonated porphyrins and corresponding to the chemical formula Ln2(OH)4.7(Por)0.33·2H2O (Ln = Eu(3+), Tb(3+); Por = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) and PdTPPS) have been prepared to investigate their photophysical properties. A slight variation of the synthetic procedure led to the metal-organic framework (MOF) assembled from a distorted octahedral oxometalate clusters [Eu6(μ6-O)(μ3-OH)8(H2O)14](8+). These secondary building units (SBUs) are linked together by six distorted porphyrin units. During activation, the original SBU loses not only water molecules from the coordination sphere but also the central μ6-O atom. The loss of the central atom results in the distortion of the octahedral [Eu6(μ6-O)(μ3-OH)8(H2O)14](8+) SBU into a trigonal antiprismatic [Eu6(μ3-OH)8(H2O)2](10+) SBU with two μ3-OH groups nearly in plane with the europium atoms and the reduction of pores to approximately 2 × 3 Å. As a result, the MOF has no accessible porosity. This transformation was thoroughly characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis of both phases. Solid-state photophysical investigations suggest that the MOF material is fluorescent; however, in contrast to the prepared layered hydroxides, the as-prepared MOF is an effective sensitizer of singlet oxygen, O2((1)Δg), with a relatively long lifetime of 23 ± 1 μs. The transition is also accompanied by variation in photophysical properties of the coordinated TPPS. The alteration of the fluorescence properties and of the O2((1)Δg) lifetime presents an opportunity for preparation of MOFs with oxygen-sensing ability or with oxidation potential toward organic molecules by O2((1)Δg).

Polystyrene Nanofiber Materials Modified with an Externally Bound Porphyrin Photosensitizer

Polystyrene ion-exchange nanofiber materials with large surface areas and adsorption capacities were prepared by electrospinning followed by the sulfonation and adsorption of a cationic 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMPyP) photosensitizer on the nanofiber surfaces. The morphology, structure, and photophysical properties of these nanofiber materials were characterized by microscopic methods and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and absorption spectroscopies. The externally bound TMPyP can be excited by visible light to form triplet states and singlet oxygen O2((1)Δg) and singlet oxygen-sensitized delayed fluorescence (SODF). The photophysical properties of the nanofibers were strongly dependent on the amount of bound TMPyP molecules and their organization on the nanofiber surfaces. The nanofibers demonstrated photooxidative activity toward inorganic and organic molecules and antibacterial activity against E. coli due to the sensitized formation of O2((1)Δg) that is an effective oxidation/cytotoxic agent. The nanofiber materials also adsorbed heavy metal cations (Pb(2+)) and removed them from the water environment.

Antibacterial nanofiber materials activated by light

Electrospun polymeric nanofiber materials doped with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) photosensitizer were prepared from four different polymers and were characterized with microscopic methods, steady-state, and time-resolved fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy. The polymers used included polyurethane Larithane™ (PUR), polystyrene (PS), polycaprolactone (PCL), and polyamide 6 (PA6). The antibacterial activity of all nanofiber materials against E. coli was activated by visible light and it was dependent on oxygen permeability/diffusion coefficients and the diameter of the polymeric nanofibers. This activity is based on oxidation ability of singlet oxygen O₂(¹Δ(g)) that is generated upon irradiation. All tested nanofiber materials exhibited prolonged antibacterial properties, even in the dark after long-duration irradiation. The post-irradiation effect was explained by the photogeneration of H₂O₂, which provided the material with long-lasting antibacterial properties.