A hierarchical bottom-up route exploiting reversible covalent interactions with boronic acids and so-called click chemistry for selective glycoprotein detection is described. The self-assembled and imprinted surfaces confer high binding affinities, nanomolar sensitivity, exceptional glycoprotein specificity and selectivity.

A focused library of potential hydrogelators each containing two substituted aromatic residues separated by a urea or thiourea linkage have been synthesised and characterized. Six of these novel compounds are highly efficient hydrogelators, forming gels in aqueous solution at low concentrations (0.03–0.60 wt %). Gels were formed through a pH switching methodology, by acidification of a basic solution (pH 14 to ≈4) either by addition of HCl or via the slow hydrolysis of glucono‐δ‐lactone. Frequently, gelation was accompanied by a dramatic switch in the absorption spectra of the gelators, resulting in a significant change in colour, typically from a vibrant orange to pale yellow. Each of the gels was capable of sequestering significant quantities of the aromatic cationic dye, methylene blue, from aqueous solution (up to 1.02 g of dye per gram of dry gelator). Cryo‐transmission electron microscopy of two of the gels revealed an extensive network of high aspect ratio fibers. The structure of the fibers altered dramatically upon addition of 20 wt % of the dye, resulting in aggregation and significant shortening of the fibrils. This study demonstrates the feasibility for these novel gels finding application as inexpensive and effective water purification platforms.

The increasing use of drug combinations to treat disease states, such as cancer, calls for improved delivery systems that are able to deliver multiple agents. Herein, we report a series of novel Janus dendrimers with potential for use in combination therapy. Different generations (first and second) of PEG-based dendrons containing two different "model drugs", benzyl alcohol (BA) and 3-phenylpropionic acid (PPA), were synthesized. BA and PPA were attached via two different linkers (carbonate and ester, respectively) to promote differential drug release. The four dendrons were coupled together via (3 + 2) cycloaddition chemistries to afford four Janus dendrimers, which contained varying amounts and different ratios of BA and PPA, namely, (BA)(2)-G1-G1-(PPA)(2), (BA)(4)-G2-G1-(PPA)(2), (BA)(2)-G1-G2-(PPA)(4), and (BA)(4)-G2-G2-(PPA)(4). Release studies in plasma showed that the dendrimers provided sequential release of the two model drugs, with BA being released faster than PPA from all of the dendrons. The different dendrimers allowed delivery of increasing amounts (0.15-0.30 mM) and in exact molecular ratios (1:2; 2:1; 1:2; 2:2) of the two model drug compounds. The dendrimers were noncytotoxic (100% viability at 1 mg/mL) toward human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and nontoxic toward red blood cells, as confirmed by hemolysis studies. These studies demonstrate that these Janus PEG-based dendrimers offer great potential for the delivery of drugs via combination therapy.

No abstract

The hydrido fluorido ruthenium(II) complex [Ru(PPh3)(dppp)(CO)HF] [1, dppp = 1,4‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane], which forms upon reaction of [Ru(PPh3)3(CO)HF] with dppp, reacts with IMes [1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene] to give the expected carbene‐containing hydrido fluorido complex [Ru(IMes)(dppp)(CO)HF] (2), as well as the C–H activated species [Ru(IMes)′(dppp)(CO)H] (3). The formation of the latter product results from the reaction of 2 with a base (IMes or Et3N). Displacement of PPh3 from [Ru(PPh3)(dppp)(CO)H2] by ICy (1,3‐dicyclohexylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) yields [Ru(ICy)(dppp)(CO)H2] (7), which upon reaction with Et3N·3HF, gives [Ru(ICy)(dppp)(CO)HF] (8). Thermolysis of 7 with C6F6 at elevated temperature generates 8 and [Ru(ICy)(dppp)(CO)(C6F5)H] (9). The related fluoroaryl complexes [Ru(ICy)(dppp)(CO)(C6F4CF3)H] (10) and [Ru(ICy)(dppp)(CO)(C5F4N)H] (11) are formed upon the room temperature C–F activation of C6F5CF3 and C5F5N by 7, but also by C–H activation of the partially fluorinated substrates p‐C6F4HCF3 and p‐C5F4HN.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)