Spontaneous switching and fine structure of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts on Au(111).

We present the spontaneous isomerization of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts anchored onto a gold surface, visualized using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Our investigation reveals a palette of molecular arrangements, including those with ferroelectric-like ordering, evolving over time into a fine pattern consisting of both open and closed forms of the photoswitch.

Photoinduced Birefringence and Liquid Crystal Orientation on Polymers with Different Azobenzene Content in the Main Chain.

In this paper, we give an overview of novel main-chain azobenzene-based fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s with different content of azo groups, aiming at providing a better understanding of the link between a number of N═N bonds and the macroscopic response of the material. We discuss chemical synthesis and molecular structure and report on a comprehensive analysis of the polymer properties, thermal behavior, and mechanical strength. We show that a higher content of azobenzene moieties reduces the mechanical strength of the polymer materials.

luxA Gene From Enhygromyxa salina Encodes a Functional Homodimeric Luciferase.

Several clades of luminescent bacteria are known currently. They all contain similar lux operons, which include the genes luxA and luxB encoding a heterodimeric luciferase. The aldehyde oxygenation reaction is presumed to be catalyzed primarily by the subunit LuxA, whereas LuxB is required for efficiency and stability of the complex.

Polar Self-Organization of Ferroelectric Nematic-Liquid-Crystal Molecules on Atomically Flat Au(111) Surface.

Understanding nanoscale mechanisms responsible for the recently discovered ferroelectric nematics can be helped by direct visualization of self-assembly of strongly polar molecules. Here, we report on scanning tunneling microscopy studies of monomolecular layers of a ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal on a reconstructed Au(111) surface. The monolayers are obtained by deposition from a solution at ambient conditions.

D-to-E and T19V Variants of the pH-Low Insertion Peptide and Their Doxorubicin Conjugates Interact with Membrane at Higher pH Ranges Than WT.

To improve targeted cargo delivery to cancer cells, pH-Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP) variants were developed to interact with the membrane at pH values higher than those of the WT. The Asp-to-Glu variants aim to increase side chain p without disturbing the sequence of protonations that underpin membrane insertion. The Thr19 variants represent efforts to perturb the critical Pro20 residue.