We report the synthesis of two new series of triangular aromatic platforms, either with three aminoalkyl side chains (triazatrinaphthylene series, TrisK: six compounds), or without side chains (triazoniatrinaphthylene, TrisQ). The quadruplex-DNA binding behavior of the two series, which differ essentially by the localization of the cationic charges, was evaluated by means of FRET-melting and G4-FID assays. For the trisubstituted triazatrinaphthylenes (TrisK), the length of the substituents and the presence of terminal hydrogen-bond-donor groups (NH(2)) were shown to be crucial for ensuring a high quadruplex affinity (ΔT(1/2) values of up to 20 °C at 1 μM for the best candidate, TrisK3-NH) and selectivity versus duplex DNA. Subsequently, comparison of data collected on both the telomeric- and c-myc-quadruplex showed that the nonsubstituted TrisQ is even more efficient than TrisK3-NH, both in terms of quadruplex affinity (ΔT(1/2)=26 °C in K(+) buffer) and selectivity versus duplex DNA. Structural considerations conducted with the c-myc quadruplex indicate that both TrisK3-NH and TrisQ stack well onto the G-quartet but in an offset position, which might be influenced by the formation of multiple hydrogen bonds with the target in the former case. Finally, the nonsubstituted TrisQ displays a binding profile very similar to some of the best quadruplex binders, BRACO-19 and bisquinolinium 360A, used herein as references, and thereby represents a highly promising novel molecular design for quadruplex recognition.

The connection of an additional bidentate chelating unit at the extremity of a segmental bis-tridentate ligand in L5 provides an unprecedented sequence of binding sites for the self-assembly of heterometallic 3d-4f triple-stranded helicates. Thorough thermodynamic and structural investigations in acetonitrile show the formation of intricate mixtures of complexes when a single type of metal (3d or 4f) is reacted with L5. However, the situation is greatly simplified when Zn(II) (3d-block) and Lu(III) (4f-block) are simultaneously coordinated to L5, thus leading to only two identified species: the target C 3 -symmetrical trinuclear triple-stranded d-f-f helicate HHH-[ZnLu 2 (L5) 3 ] 8+ and a tetranuclear doublestranded complex [Zn 2 Lu 2 (L5) 2 ] 10+ . Interestingly, the removal of Zn(II) from the former triple-helical complex has only a minor effect on the coordination of Lu(III), and translational autodiffusion coefficients show a simple reduction of the length of the molecular rigid cylinder from L = 2.7 nm in HHH-[ZnLu 2 (L5) 3 ] 8+ to L = 2.3 nm in HHH-[Lu 2 (L5) 3 ] 6+ . Finally, the complete thermodynamic picture provides five novel stability macroconstants containing information about shortrange (ca. 9 A ˚) and long-range (ca. 18 A ˚) intramolecular intermetallic d-f and f-f interactions.

The synthesis and characterisation of a novel isomeric family of closo-carborane-containing Pt(II) complexes ((R/S)-(1-4)⋅2 NO(3)) are reported. Related complexes (5⋅NO(3) and 6⋅NO(3)) that contain the 7,8-nido-carborane cluster were obtained from the selective deboronation of the 1,2-closo-carborane analogues. The corresponding water-soluble supramolecular 1:1 host-guest β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) adducts ((R/S)-(1-4)⋅β-CD⋅2 NO(3)) were also prepared and fully characterised. HR-ESI-MS experiments confirmed the presence of the host-guest adducts, and 2D-(1) H{(11)B} ROESY NMR studies showed that the boron clusters enter the β-CD from the side of the wider annulus. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments revealed enthalpically driven 1:1 and higher-order supramolecular interactions between β-CD and (R/S)-(1-4)⋅2 NO(3) in aqueous solution. A comparison of the predominate 1:1 binding mode established that the affinity of β-CD for the guest molecule is mainly influenced by the pyridyl ring substitution pattern and chirality of the host, whilst the nature of the closo-carborane isomer also plays some role, with the most favourable structural features for β-CD binding being the presence of the 4-pyridyl ring, 1,12-closo-carborane, and an S configuration. The results reported here represent the first comprehensive calorimetric study of the supramolecular interactions between closo-carborane compounds and β-CD, and it provides fascinating insights into the structural features influencing the thermodynamics of this phenomenon.

Aqueous amine absorbent processes remain at the forefront of existing technologies for the removal of CO 2 from industrial and large-scale power generation flue gas streams. It is essential that improvements in amine-based absorbent technologies are made in order to reduce both capital and operational costs. Intimate understanding of the fundamental chemical behavior of new amine absorbent systems is an intelligent pathway toward higher efficiency amine-based CO 2 capture processes. Herein, we investigate and report for the first time the complete temperature-dependent kinetic and equilibrium behavior of a new heterocyclic amine 4-aminomethyltetrahydropyran (4-AMTHP), with CO 2 , in aqueous solutions. Stopped-flow spectrophotometry, 1 H NMR spectroscopy, and potentiometric titration measurements performed over the temperature range 25.0−45.0 °C and the corresponding rate constants for the reversible formation of the carbamic acid, together with equilibrium constants describing the stability of the carbamate, and the protonation of the amine are reported here. Thermodynamic analysis of the resulting constants using the Eyring, Arrhenius, and van't Hoff relationships has revealed the activation energies, enthalpies, and entropies for the reactions, allowing a comparison to the industrial standard monoethanolamine (MEA). From the kinetic data, the performance of 4-AMTHP was found to be superior to MEA and in line with the established Brønsted relationship between the second-order rate constant and the protonation constant or basicity of the amine. The largely negative protonation enthalpy (−47 kJ/mol), among the key chemical drivers for CO 2 regeneration, is again superior to MEA (−41 kJ/mol). Together, a combination of kinetic and equilibrium properties of 4-AMTHP strongly position 4-AMTHP as a promising candidate for more intensive evaluations as a CO 2 capture absorbent.

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