Cancer-specific gene silencing through therapeutic siRNA delivery with B vitamin-based nanoassembled low-molecular-weight hydrogelators.

This paper describes the synthesis, characterization, and in vitro and in vivo siRNA transfection ability of B vitamin-based cationic clickable bolaamphiphiles (VBs). Our VBs derived from vitamins B₂, B₃, B₅, B₆, and B₇ formed nanoassembled low-molecular-weight hydrogelators (LMWGs, vitagels). The vitagels VB2, VB6, and VB7 (derived from vitamins B₂, B₆, and B₇, respectively) facilitated delivery of small interfering RNAs (siRNA), efficiently silencing gene expression specifically into cancer cell lines; in addition, the LMWGs derived from vitamins B₃, B₅, and B₆ were biocompatible.

Electrochemical discrimination of phthalic acid among three phthalic acid isomers based on an N-butylaminomethyl-ferrocene derivative.

A chemosensor compound (1) consisting of a central ferrocene with two butylaminomethyl arms showed unexpected facile electrochemical oxidation of the secondary amines in proximity to the ferrocene, which was utilized for electrochemical discrimination of phthalic acid selectively over two other isomers, isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid.