Inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins with nitroxide-based spin probes in aqueous solutions.

Formation of inclusion complexes between several cyclodextrin derivatives and TEMPO and DOXYL-based spin probes was studied by EPR spectroscopy. Competition between alkyl chains and nitroxide functionalities for cyclodextrin cavities leads to different types of complexation. Long alkyl chains in amphiphilic spin probes interact preferentially with cyclodextrins, and TEMPO units in such molecules are unaffected by complexation.

Solvent-induced textural changes of as-synthesized mesoporous alumina, as reported by spin probe electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

The effect of solvent used during the synthesis and postsynthesis treatment on textural properties of organized mesoporous aluminas was investigated and related to the behavior of spin probes studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. It was found that the structure of surfactant aggregates serving in the as-synthesized precipitates as templates could be easily modified by treatment with different solvents. This treatment induces corresponding variations in surface areas, mesopore volumes, and mesopore diameters of the final products.

Spin-labelled Au nanoparticles.

A series of Au nanoparticles functionalised with nitroxide spin labels has been prepared and studied by EPR spectroscopy. Samples with low coverage of the spin label were used to investigate the dynamics of the surface-attached labels at different distances from the Au surface. The rotational correlation times of spin labels vary from 10(-10) s to more than 3 x 10(-9) s, depending on the chain length of the label and the surrounding ligand.