Structural Deformations in Cucurbit[n]urils: Analysis, Host-Guest Dependence, and Automated Ellipticity Measurements Using ElliptiCB[n].

Cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]s) are cyclic macrocycles with rich host-guest chemistry. In many cases, guest binding in CB[n]s results in host structural deformations. Unfortunately, measuring such deformations remains a major challenge, with only a handful of manual estimations reported in the literature.

Solubilization of elemental sulfur by surfactants promotes reduction to HS by thiols.

Elemental sulfur (S) may contribute to sulfane sulfur (S) storage in biological systems. We demonstrate that surfactants can solubilize S in water and promote S reduction to HS by thiols. Moreover, anionic and cationic surfactants interact differently with intermediate S carriers, highlighting how specific hydrophobic microenvironments impact reactive sulfur species.

Supramolecular Activation of S by Cucurbiturils in Water and Mechanism of Reduction to HS by Thiols: Insights into Biological Sulfane Sulfur Trafficking.

Reactive sulfur species (RSS) play critical roles in diverse chemical environments. Molecules containing sulfane sulfur (S) have emerged as key species involved in cellular redox buffering as well as RSS generation, translocation, and action. Using cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) as a model hydrophobic host, we demonstrate here that S can be encapsulated to form a 1:1 host guest complex, which was confirmed by solution state experiments, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.

Hydrolysis-Based Small-Molecule Hydrogen Selenide (HSe) Donors for Intracellular HSe Delivery.

Hydrogen selenide (HSe) is a central metabolite in the biological processing of selenium for incorporation into selenoproteins, which play crucial antioxidant roles in biological systems. Despite being integral to proper physiological function, this reactive selenium species (RSeS) has received limited attention. We recently reported an early example of a HSe donor (TDN1042) that exhibited slow, sustained release through hydrolysis.

A Photoprotective Effect by Cation-π-Interaction? Quenching of Singlet Oxygen by an Indole Cation-π Model System.

We investigated the effect of the cation-π interaction on the susceptibility of a tryptophan model system toward interaction with singlet oxygen, that is, type II photooxidation. The model system consists of two indole units linked to a lariat crown ether to measure the total rate of removal of singlet oxygen by the indole units in the presence of sodium cations (i.e.

Chemistry of Singlet Oxygen with a Cadmium-Sulfur Cluster: Physical Quenching versus Photooxidation.

We investigated the chemistry of singlet oxygen with a cadmium-sulfur cluster, (MeN)[Cd(SPh)]. This cluster was used as a model for cadmium-sulfur nanoparticles. Such nanoparticles are often used in conjunction with photosensitizers (for singlet oxygen generation or dye-sensitized solar cells), and hence, it is important to determine if cadmium-sulfur moieties physically quench and/or chemically react with singlet oxygen.