Delivery of Targeted Co(III)-DNA Inhibitors of Gli Proteins to Disrupt Hedgehog Signaling.

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is integral for embryonic development and normal cell maintenance. However, aberrant expression of the Hh pathway is recognized as the oncogenic driving force for basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Current chemotherapeutic treatments that inhibit Hh signaling allow treatment of only locally advanced and metastatic BCCs via inhibition of the transmembrane protein, smoothened.

A Ln(III)-3-hydroxypyridine pH responsive probe optimized by DFT.

Differences in tissue pH can be diagnostic of cancer and other conditions that shift cell metabolism. Paramagnetic probes are promising tools for pH mapping in vivo using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) as they provide uniquely shifted MR signals that change with pH. Here, we demonstrate a 3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridyl coordinating group as a new pH-responsive reporter group for Ln(III) MRS probes.

Tunable Rh(II,II) Light Absorbers as Excited-State Electron Donors and Acceptors Accessible with Red/Near-Infrared Irradiation.

A series of dirhodium(II,II) paddlewheeel complexes of the type cis-[Rh(μ-DTolF)(μ-L)][BF], where DTolF = N,N'-di( p-tolyl)formamidinate and L = 1,8-naphthyridine (np), 2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,8-naphthyridine (pynp), 2-(quinolin-2-yl)-1,8-naphthyridine (qnnp), and 2-(1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl)quinoxaline (qxnp), were synthesized and characterized. These molecules feature new tridentate ligands that concomitantly bridge the dirhodium core and cap the axial positions. The complexes absorb light strongly throughout the ultraviolet/visible range and into the near-infrared region and exhibit relatively long-lived triplet excited-state lifetimes.

New Ligand Design Provides Delocalization and Promotes Strong Absorption throughout the Visible Region in a Ru(II) Complex.

The new Ru(II)-anthraquinone complex [Ru(bpy)(qdpq)](PF) (Ru-qdpq; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; qdpq = 2,3-di(2-pyridyl)naphtho[2,3-f]quinoxaline-7,12-quinone) possesses a strong MLCT Ru → qdpq absorption with a maximum at 546 nm that tails into the near-IR and is significantly red-shifted relative to that of the related complex [Ru(bpy)(qdppz)](PF) (Ru-qdppz; qdppz = naphtho[2,3-a]dipyrido[3,2-h:2',3'-f]phenazine-5,18-dione), with λ = 450 nm. Ru-qdppz possesses electronically isolated proximal and distal qdppz-based excited states; the former is initially generated and decays to the latter, which repopulates the ground state with τ = 362 ps. In contrast, excitation of Ru-qdpq results in the population of a relatively long-lived (τ = 19 ns) Ru(dπ) → qdpq(π*) MLCT excited state where the promoted electron is delocalized throughout the qdpq ligand.

New Rh(II,II) Complexes for Solar Energy Applications: Panchromatic Absorption and Excited-State Reactivity.

The new heteroleptic paddlewheel complexes cis-[Rh(μ-form)(μ-np)][BF], where form = p-ditolylformamidinate (DTolF) or p-difluorobenzylformamidinate (F-form) and np = 1,8-napthyridyine, and cis-Rh(μ-form)(μ-npCOO) (npCOO = 1,8-naphthyridine-2-carboxylate), were synthesized and characterized. The complexes absorb strongly throughout the ultraviolet (λ = 300 nm, ε = 20 300 M cm) and visible regions (λ = 640 nm ε = 3500 M cm), making them potentially useful new dyes with panchromatic light absorption for solar energy conversion applications. Ultrafast and nanosecond transient absorption and time-resolved infrared spectroscopies were used to characterize the identity and dynamics of the excited states, where singlet and triplet Rh/form-to-naphthyridine, metal/ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer (ML-LCT) excited states were observed in all four complexes.

Excited-State Intramolecular Proton-Transfer Properties of Three Tris(N-Salicylideneaniline)-Based Chromophores with Extended Conjugation.

The synthesis and photophysical properties of three tris(N-salicylideneaniline) (TSA) compounds containing 1,3,5-triarylbenzene, -tristyrylbenzene, and -tris(arylethynyl)benzene core units are reported. The TSA compounds underwent efficient excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in solution and in solid state due to the preformed C=N⋅⋅⋅H-O hydrogen-bonded motifs of the structures. Steady-state fluorescence emission spectra of the TSA molecules revealed dual bands only in DMSO, and large Stokes shifts in other polar aprotic and protic solvents.

Steric and Electronic Factors Associated with the Photoinduced Ligand Exchange of Bidentate Ligands Coordinated to Ru(II).

In an effort to create a molecule that can absorb low energy visible or near-infrared light for photochemotherapy (PCT), the new complexes [Ru(biq)2 (dpb)](PF6 )2 (1, biq = 2,2'-biquinoline, dpb = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)benzoquinoxaline) and [(biq)2 Ru(dpb)Re(CO)3 Cl](PF6 )2 (2) were synthesized and characterized. Complexes 1 and 2 were compared to [Ru(bpy)2 (dpb)](PF6 )2 (3, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) and [Ru(biq)2 (phen)](PF6 )2 (4, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). Distortions around the metal and biq ligands were used to explain the exchange of one biq ligand in 4 upon irradiation.