The mitochondrial ATP synthase is a negative regulator of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.

The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is a channel in the inner mitochondrial membrane whose sustained opening in response to elevated mitochondrial matrix Ca concentrations triggers necrotic cell death. The molecular identity of mPTP is unknown. One proposed candidate is the mitochondrial ATP synthase, whose canonical function is to generate most ATP in multicellular organisms.

Investigation into Red Emission and Its Applications: Solvatochromic N-Doped Red Emissive Carbon Dots with Solvent Polarity Sensing and Solid-State Fluorescent Nanocomposite Thin Films.

In this work, a NIR emitting dye, -toluenesulfonate (IR-813) was explored as a model precursor to develop red emissive carbon dots (813-CD) with solvatochromic behavior with a red-shift observed with increasing solvent polarity. The 813-CDs produced had emission peaks at 610 and 698 nm, respectively, in water with blue shifts of emission as solvent polarity decreased. Subsequently, 813-CD was synthesized with increasing nitrogen content with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to elucidate the change in band gap energy.

Covalent post-assembly modification of π-conjugated supramolecular polymers delivers structurally robust light-harvesting nanoscale objects.

A two-component stapling strategy is used to covalently tether a new class of water-soluble supramolecular polymers built from bay-functionalized perylene bisimide (PBI) units. By leveraging a novel combined strategy where excitonic coupling and fluorescence data are exploited as spectroscopic reporters, structural design principles are established to form light-harvesting superstructures whose ground-state electronic properties are not sensitive to solvation environments. Moreover, we interrogate the structural properties of stapled superstructures by capitalizing on the drastic changes in fluorescence quantum yields against parent supramolecular assemblies.

Cancer cells inhibition by cationic carbon dots targeting the cellular nucleus.

Nucleus targeting is tremendously important in cancer therapy. Cationic carbon dots (CCDs) are potential nanoparticles which might enter cells and penetrate nuclear membranes. Although some CCDs have been investigated in nucleus targeting and applied in nuclear imaging, the CCDs derived from drugs, that are able to target the nucleus, bind with DNA and inhibit the growth of cancer cells have not been reported.

Modulating the Conduction Band Energies of Si Electrode Interfaces Functionalized with Monolayers of a Bay-Substituted Perylene Bisimide.

The confinement of π-conjugated chromophores on silicon (Si) electrode surfaces is a powerful approach to engineer electroresponsive monolayers relevant to microelectronics, electrocatalysis, and information storage and processing. While common strategies to functionalize Si interfaces exploit molecularly dissolved building blocks, only a handful number of studies have leveraged the structure-function relationships of π-aggregates to tune the electronic structures of hybrid monolayers at Si interfaces. Herein, we show that the semiconducting properties of -type monolayers constructed on Si electrodes are intimately correlated to the initial aggregation state of π-conjugated chromophore precursors derived from bay-substituted perylene bisimide (PBI) units.

How to reprogram the excitonic properties and solid-state morphologies of π-conjugated supramolecular polymers.

The development of supramolecular tools to modulate the excitonic properties of non-covalent assemblies paves the way to engineer new classes of semicondcuting materials relevant to flexible electronics. While controlling the assembly pathways of organic chromophores enables the formation of J-like and H-like aggregates, strategies to tailor the excitonic properties of pre-assembled aggregates through post-modification are scarce. In the present contribution, we combine supramolecular chemistry with redox chemistry to modulate the excitonic properties and solid-state morphologies of aggregates built from stacks of water-soluble perylene diimide building blocks.

Leveraging the Assembly of a Rylene Dye to Tune the Semiconducting Properties of Functionalized n-Type, Hybrid Si Interfaces.

The functionalization of silicon electrodes with π-conjugated chromophores opens new avenues to engineer hybrid semiconducting interfaces relevant to information storage and processing. Notably, molecularly dissolved π-conjugated units, such as ferrocene derivatives, are traditionally exploited as building blocks to construct well-defined interfaces that establish electrochemically addressable platforms with which to investigate electron transfer properties and charge storage capabilities. In contrast, planar π-conjugated building blocks such as naphthalene diimide (NDI) cores enable the formation of solvated aggregates equipped with emergent electronic structures not manifested by the parent, molecularly dissolved building blocks.

A small-molecule allosteric inhibitor of BAX protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.

Doxorubicin remains an essential component of many cancer regimens, but its use is limited by lethal cardiomyopathy, which has been difficult to target, owing to pleiotropic mechanisms leading to apoptotic and necrotic cardiac cell death. Here we show that BAX is rate-limiting in doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy and identify a small-molecule BAX inhibitor that blocks both apoptosis and necrosis to prevent this syndrome. By allosterically inhibiting BAX conformational activation, this compound blocks BAX translocation to mitochondria, thereby abrogating both forms of cell death.

A Molecular Strategy to Lock-in the Conformation of a Perylene Bisimide-Derived Supramolecular Polymer.

Locking-in the conformation of supramolecular assemblies provides a new avenue to regulate the (opto)electronic properties of robust nanoscale objects. In the present contribution, we show that the covalent tethering of a perylene bisimide (PBI)-derived supramolecular polymer with a molecular locker enables the formation of a locked superstructure equipped with emergent structure-function relationships. Experiments that exploit variable-temperature ground-state electronic absorption spectroscopy unambiguously demonstrate that the excitonic coupling between nearest neighboring units in the tethered superstructure is preserved at a temperature (371 K) where the pristine, non-covalent assembly exists exclusively in a molecularly dissolved state.

Molecular Strategies to Modulate the Electrochemical Properties of P-Type Si(111) Surfaces Covalently Functionalized with Ferrocene and Naphthalene Diimide.

The surface coverage and molecular composition of redox-active molecules anchored on conductive surfaces regulate the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of charge transfer reactions, providing a means to tune the electrochemical properties of hybrid materials. Herein, anchoring strategies and structural properties of redox-active probes, derived from ferrocene (Fc) and naphthalene diimide (NDI), are shown to regulate the electrochemical properties of functionalized p-doped Si(111) surfaces. Covalent functionalization of hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surfaces with Fc and NDI affords redox-active hybrid interfaces characterized through microscopy, spectroscopy, and voltammetry methods.

Tissue transglutaminase induction in the pressure-overloaded myocardium regulates matrix remodelling.

Aims: Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is induced in injured and remodelling tissues, and modulates cellular phenotype, while contributing to matrix cross-linking. Our study tested the hypothesis that tTG may be expressed in the pressure-overloaded myocardium, and may regulate cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and chamber remodelling.

Methods And Results: In order to test the hypothesis, wild-type and tTG null mice were subjected to pressure overload induced through transverse aortic constriction.