To optimize the optical properties of semiconductor nanoplatelets, simple routes to add high-quality shells are needed. We demonstrate uniform growth of CdS shells on CdSe nanoplatelets at 300 °C, overcoming limitations of previous low-temperature syntheses. We obtain core/shell nanoplatelets with spectrally narrow (20 nm) and efficient emission for shells up to 4 nm thick.

Liposomes have been exploited for pharmaceutical purposes, including diagnostic imaging and drug and gene delivery. The versatility of liposomes as drug carriers has been demonstrated by a variety of clinically approved formulations. Since liposomes were first reported, research of liposomal formulations has progressed to produce improved delivery systems. One example of this progress is stealth liposomes, so called because they are equipped with a PEGylated coating of the liposome bilayer, leading to prolonged blood circulation and improved biodistribution of the liposomal carrier. A growing research area focuses on the preparation of liposomes with the ability of targeting specific tissues. Several strategies to prepare liposomes with active targeting ligands have been developed over the last decades. Herein, several strategies for the functionalization of liposomes are concisely summarized, with emphasis on recently developed technologies for the covalent conjugation of targeting ligands to liposomes.

The coordination chemistry of the new curcuminoid ligand, 1,7-(di-9-anthracene-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione), abbreviated 9Accm has been studied, resulting in two new copper-9Accm compounds. Compound 1, [Cu(phen)Cl(9Accm)], was synthesized by reacting 9Accm with [Cu(phen)Cl(2)] in a 1:1 ratio (M:L) and compound 2, [Cu(9Accm)(2)], was prepared from Cu(OAc)(2) and 9Accm (1:2). UV-vis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements were some of the techniques employed to portray these species; studies on single crystals of free 9Accm, [Cu(phen)Cl(9Accm)] and [Cu(9Accm)(2)(py)] provided detailed structural information about compounds 1 and 2·py, being the first two copper-curcuminoids crystallographically described. In addition the antitumor activity of the new compounds was studied and compared with free 9Accm for a number of human tumor cells. To provide more insight on the mode of action of these compounds under biological conditions, additional experiments were accomplished, including studies on the nature of their interactions with calf thymus DNA by UV-vis titration and Circular Dichroism. These experiments together with DNA-binding studies indicate electrostatic interactions between some of these species and the double helix, pointing out the weak nature of the interaction of the compounds with CT-DNA. The intrinsic fluorescence of the free ligand and both copper compounds provided valuable information over the cellular process and therefore, fluorescence microscopy studies were performed using a human osteosarcoma cell line. Studies in vitro using this technique suggest that the action of these molecules seems to occur outside the nuclei.

Two new cytotoxic fluorescent platinum(II) compounds, cis-[Pt(A9opy)Cl2] (1) and cis-[Pt(A9pyp)(DMSO)Cl2] (2),have been designed, synthesized, and characterized by IR, 1H NMR, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopy; electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS); and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The carrier ligands selected for thesynthesis of these fluorescent platinum(II) compounds are E-2-[1-(9-anthryl)-3-oxo-3-prop-2-enylpyridine] (abbreviatedas A9opy) and E-1-(9-anthryl)-3-(2-pyridyl)-2-propenone (abbreviated as A9pyp). The compound cis-[Pt(A9opy)Cl2](1) comprises a peculiar cis-platinum(II) organometallic compound, in which the platinum(II) ion is bound to the photoisomerizable carbon-carbon double bond of the carrier ligand. The effects of the metal-ion coordination on the photoisomerization of the carbon-carbon double bond of the ligand have been studied. In contrast, the carrier ligand A9pyp used for the synthesis of the cis-[Pt(A9pyp)(DMSO)Cl2] compound (2) does not undergo such anisomerization process and remains in the E conformation, while coordinated to the platinum(II) ion through the nitrogen of the pyridine ring. In addition to the synthesis and characterization, solution studies of both compounds have also been performed in detail, including NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopy. Moreover, a high degree of cytotoxicactivity of compound 1 was found, as compared to cisplatin and its corresponding platinum-free molecule, in a series of human tumor cell lines. Compound 2 was also found to be highly active against these cell lines but appeared less active compared to the platinum-free molecule.