Tailored oxido-vanadium(V) cage complexes for selective sulfoxidation in confined spaces.

Five sets of oxido-vanadium(V) complexes, which include both cages and open structures, were prepared and tested in the catalytic oxidation of sulfides. It was found that the hemicryptophane complexes, which are simultaneously comprised of cyclotriveratrylene (CTV), binaphthol and oxido-vanadium(V) moieties, are the most efficient supramolecular catalysts. The specific shape of the confined hydrophobic space above the metal center leads to a strong improvement in the yield, selectivity and rate of the reaction, compared to the other catalysts investigated herein.

Multifunctional Self-Assembled Films for Rapid Hemostat and Sustained Anti-infective Delivery.

Uncontrolled bleeding and infection are the major causes of death and morbidity from traumatic wounds during military conflicts, disasters, and accidents. Because immediate treatment is critical to survival, it is desirable to have a lightweight and rapidly applicable bandage-one capable of delivering a hemostat that can quickly resolve bleeding while addressing infection over short and longer time frames. It is challenging to design thin film coatings capable of multidrug release, particularly when the drugs are quite different in nature (biologic versus small molecule, charged versus neutral) and the desired release profiles are different for each drug.

N-heterocyclic carbene formation induced fluorescent and colorimetric sensing of fluoride using perimidinium derivatives.

In this study, two perimidinium derivatives (1 and 2) were designed, synthesized, and developed as efficient fluorescent and colorimetric chemodosisensors for F(-) in DMSO or more competitive media (DMSO containing 10 % water). In the presence of F(-) , the yellow and non-fluorescent solution of 1/2 became colourless and exhibited strong blue fluorescence. This unique spectroscopic behaviour of 1/2 towards F(-) was attributed to the formation of N-heterocyclic carbene deprotonated by F(-) , which immediately reacted with water to give a colourless and fluorescent carbinol.

Ordered and kinetically discrete sequential protein release from biodegradable thin films.

Multidrug regimens can sometimes treat recalcitrant diseases when single-drug therapies fail. Recapitulating complex multidrug administration from controlled release films for localized delivery remains challenging because their release kinetics are frequently intertwined, and an initial burst release of each drug is usually uncontrollable. Kinetic control over protein release is demonstrated by cross-linking layer-by-layer films during the assembly process.

Multilayer films assembled from naturally-derived materials for controlled protein release.

Herein we designed and characterized films composed of naturally derived materials for controlled release of proteins. Traditional drug delivery strategies rely on synthetic or semisynthetic materials or utilize potentially denaturing assembly conditions that are not optimal for sensitive biologics. Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of films uses benign conditions and can generate films with various release mechanisms including hydrolysis-facilitated degradation.