Nanoparticles of adaptive supramolecular networks self-assembled from nucleotides and lanthanide ions.

Amorphous nanoparticles of supramolecular coordination polymer networks are spontaneously self-assembled from nucleotides and lanthanide ions in water. They show intrinsic functions such as energy transfer from nucleobase to lanthanide ions and excellent performance as contrast enhancing agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, adaptive inclusion properties are observed in the self-assembly process: functional materials such as fluorescent dyes, metal nanoparticles, and proteins are facilely encapsulated.

Photophysical and photosensitizing properties of brominated porphycenes.

A heavy atom, bromine, was directly substituted into the porphycene macrocycle to promote intersystem crossing by way of spin-orbit coupling. The singlet oxygen production ability of the porphycene is dramatically enhanced, and the highest value of 0.95 for the quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation (PhiDelta) was obtained for the dibrominated porphycene by visible light excitation.