Guanosine Nucleolipids: Synthesis, Characterization, Aggregation and X-Ray Crystallographic Identification of Electricity-Conducting G-Ribbons.

The lipophilization of β-d-riboguanosine (1) with various symmetric as well as asymmetric ketones is described (→3a-3f). The formation of the corresponding O-2',3'-ketals is accompanied by the appearance of various fluorescent by-products which were isolated chromatographically as mixtures and tentatively analyzed by ESI-MS spectrometry. The mainly formed guanosine nucleolipids were isolated and characterized by elemental analyses, H-, C-NMR and UV spectroscopy.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Properties of Peptides Mimicking Copolymers of Maleic Anhydride and 4-Methyl-1-pentene.

Synthetic amphiphilic copolymers with strong antimicrobial properties mimicking natural antimicrobial peptides were obtained via synthesis of an alternating copolymer of maleic anhydride and 4-methyl-1-pentene. The obtained copolymer was modified by grafting with 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylamine (DMAPA) and imidized in a one-pot synthesis. The obtained copolymer was modified further to yield polycationic copolymers by means of quaternization with methyl iodide and dodecyl iodide, as well as by being sequentially quaternized with both of them.

Solubility, Emulsification and Surface Properties of Maleic Anhydride, Perfluorooctyl and Alkyl Meth-Acrylate Terpolymers.

The solubility of terpolymers containing alkyl, and perfluoroalkyl side chains as well as succinic acid moieties in the main chain, P[RMA--RMA--MAH] (R = C₄H₉- or CH-, R- = CH₄F-) with ca. 20 mol % fluorinated side chains and 10⁻22 mol % of succinic anhydride rings was tested in a number of solvents varying from water to non polar mineral oils. The polymers are well soluble in fluorinated solvents like Freon-113 and 1,3-bis(trifluoromethyl) benzene, in semi-polar solvents like chloroform, THF or lower esters and also in hydrocarbons with polymers containing dodecyl methacrylate.

Synthesis of Terpolymers with Homogeneous Composition by Free Radical Copolymerization of Maleic Anhydride, Perfluorooctyl and Butyl or Dodecyl Methacrylates: Application of the Continuous Flow Monomer Addition Technique.

Terpolymers of homogeneous composition were prepared by free radical copolymerization of butyl or dodecyl methacrylate, 1,1,2,2-perfluorodecyl methacrylate and maleic anhydride using the continuous monomer addition technique. The copolymerization reactions were performed at 65 °C in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator in a mixture of methyl ethyl ketone and 1,3-bis (trifluoromethyl)benzene. The monomers and initiator are added to the reaction mixture with the same rate they are consumed in 5- and 10-fold excess compared to the initial monomer stock.

The effect of the shape of the mesogenic group on the structure and phase behavior of 2,3,4-tris(dodecyloxy)benzenesulfonates with alkaline cations.

Synthesis and mesophase structure characterisation are reported for a group of alkali salts of 2,3,4-tris(dodecyloxy)benzenesulfonic acid. As revealed by a combination of polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray scattering, variation of the effective mesogen shape due to changes of the cation size leads to systematic transformation of the materials' phase behaviour. Thermotropic mesophases of different types and dimensionalities were observed: 1D (smectic bilayers), 2D (ordered and disordered columnar phases), and 3D (high-temperature micellar mesomorphic phase, low-temperature crystalline one).

3-Methyl-ideneoxolane-2,5-dione.

The title compound (itaconic anhydride), C5H4O3, consists of a five-membered carbon-oxygen ring in a flat envelope conformation (the unsubstituted C atom being the flap) with three exocyclic double bonds to two O atoms and one C atom. In contrast to the bond lengths, which are very similar to those in itaconic acid in its pure form or in adducts with other mol-ecules, the bond angles differ significantly because of the effect of ring closure giving rise to strong distortions at the C atoms involved in the exocyclic double bonds. In the crystal, C-H⋯O inter-actions link the mol-ecules, forming an extended three-dimensional network.

Dimer/tetramer motifs determine amphiphilic hydrazine fibril structures on graphite.

Fibril structures are produced at a solvent-graphite interface by self-assembly of custom-designed symmetric and asymmetric amphiphilic benzamide derivatives bearing C(10) aliphatic chains. Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies reveal geometry-dependent internal structures for the elementary fibrils of the two molecules that are distinctly different from known mesophase bulk structures. The structures are described by building-block models based on hydrogen-bonded dimer and tetramer precursors of hydrazines.

Self-assembled structures formed by a wedge-shaped molecule in 2D and 3D: the role of flexible side chains and polar head groups.

A wedge-shaped amphiphilic molecule, 3,4,5-tridodecyloxycinnamic acid, was used as a model system to explore the role of different constitutive elements of the chemical structure in the formation of 2D and 3D self-assemblies. The polar heads forming cyclic hydrogen-bonded dimers determine the two largest unit cell parameters, which depend only slightly on the dimensionality of the system (i.e.

Self-organization of polybases neutralized with mesogenic wedge-shaped sulfonic acid molecules: an approach toward supramolecular cylinders.

Complexes consisting of poly(4-vinylpyridine) and mesogenic wedge-shaped ligands 4'-[3",4",5"-tris(dodecyloxy)benzoyloxy]azobenzene-4-sulfonic acid and 4'-[3",4",5"-tris(octyloxy)benzoyloxy]azobenzene-4-sulfonic acid have been prepared with different monomer/ligand ratios. Upon protonation of the poly(4-vinylpyridine) chains by the wedge-shaped sulfonic acid molecules a hypsochromic and hyperchromic effect was observed with the pi-pi* transition of the azo-chromophor, allowing us to monitor the neutralization process by means of UV-vis spectroscopy in solution. The changes of the absorption characteristics implied a conformational change of the polymer backbone.

Creation of a mixed-valence state from one-dimensionally aligned TTF utilizing the self-assembling nature of a low molecular-weight gel.

One-dimensional TTF assemblies have been obtained through the design of low molecular-weight gels, which show a characteristic absorption band at around 1750 nm upon I2 doping, assignable to a mixed-valence state of the TTF assemblies.

Field-gradient NMR diffusometry in poly(ethylene oxide) melts confined to nanoscopic pores of solid methacrylate matrices.

Depending on the choice of matrix constituents, the diameters of strands of linear, monodisperse poly(ethylene oxide) confined to nanoscopic pores of cross-linked methacrylate matrices can be varied considerably. The samples were characterized by DSC, TEM, SEM and fringe field-gradient NMR diffusometry with respect to the strand diameter. A formalism evaluating diffusive spin echo attenuation curves based on the tube/reptation model allows the determination of the strand diameter.

Surface orientation of 3,4,5-tris-substituted benzoic acid amphiphiles.

Regarding the molecular orientation on flat substrates, thin films have been studied of a series of wedge-shaped molecules (3,4,5-tris-substituted benzoate-benzo crown ether compounds) consisting of a hydrophobic outer rim and a polar group at the thin end which form columnar mesomorphic and crystalline structures. For most substrates studied here, autophobic dewetting is demonstrated to be caused by the formation of a monomolecular adlayer in which the molecules are oriented normal to the substrate surface with the hydrophobic tails directed away from the substrate. For thick films, this adlayer is shown to cause an "in-plane" orientation of the axis of the columnar state.

Wedge-shaped molecules with a sulfonate group at the tip--a new class of self-assembling amphiphiles.

The synthesis of 4-N-[3',4',5'-tris(dodecyloxy)benzamido]benzene-4-sulfonic acid (1) and 4'-[3",4",5"-tris(dodecyloxy)benzoyloxy]azobenzene-4-sulfonic acid (2) is described. Pure acid 1 is stable, while 2 can be stored only in solution. Both acids were obtained from their sodium salts and were quantitatively transformed into the pyridinium salts.

Polymer dynamics under nanoscopic constraints: the "corset effect" as revealed by NMR relaxometry and diffusometry.

A spinodal demixing technique was employed for the preparation of linear poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) confined in nanoscopic strands, which in turn are embedded in a quasi-solid methacrylate matrix impenetrable to PEO. Both the molecular weight of the PEO and the mean diameter of the strands are variable to a certain degree. Chain dynamics of the PEO in the molten state were examined with the aid of field-gradient NMR diffusometry and field-cycling NMR relaxometry.

Supramolecular polymerization and gel formation of bis(merocyanine) dyes driven by dipolar aggregation.

Two highly dipolar merocyanine dyes were tethered by a rigid tris(n-dodecyloxy)xylylene unit that preorganizes the dyes for a supramolecular polymerization process through intermolecular aggregation of the dyes. UV/vis spectroscopy revealed a solvent dependent equilibrium between monomeric dyes and two different types of dye aggregates that are characterized by hypsochromically shifted D- and H-type absorption bands. Taking into account the ditopic nature of the supramolecular building blocks, the occurrence of the D-band indicates the formation of an oligomeric/polymeric supramolecular chain whereas the observation of the H-band suggests a higher order assembly.