Ternary thiophene–X–thiophene semiconductor building blocks (X=fluorene, carbazole, phenothiazine): Modulating electronic properties and electropolymerization ability by tuning the X core

Chemistry towards Biology-Instruct: Snapshot

The knowledge of interactions between different molecules is undoubtedly the driving force of all contemporary biomedical and biological sciences. Chemical biology/biological chemistry has become an important multidisciplinary bridge connecting the perspectives of chemistry and biology to the study of small molecules/peptidomimetics and their interactions in biological systems. Advances in structural biology research, in particular linking atomic structure to molecular properties and cellular context, are essential for the sophisticated design of new medicines that exhibit a high degree of druggability and very importantly, druglikeness. The authors of this contribution are outstanding scientists in the field who provided a brief overview of their work, which is arranged from in silico investigation through the characterization of interactions of compounds with biomolecules to bioactive materials.

Boosting carbon quantum dots/fullerene electron transfer via surface group engineering

Thiophene functionalization of N-doped carbon quantum dots greatly increases their electron donating capabilities under visible light excitation.

Optical and electrochemical properties of ethynylaniline derivatives of phenothiazine, phenothiazine-5-oxide and phenothiazine-5,5-dioxide

Modifications in the sulfur oxidation state of phenothiazine results in dramatic changes to the excited-state geometry with little effect on the HOMO energy.

Anion-controlled morphologies and spectral features of cyanine-based nanoGUMBOS--an improved photosensitizer

The ability to control the morphologies and spectral properties of organic low-dimensional nanomaterials is of paramount importance. The research reported herein demonstrates a template-free approach to tailored morphological and optical properties for a novel class of pseudoisocyanine (PIC)-based fluorescent organic nanoparticles derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS). The synthesized nanoscale PIC-based particles (termed nanoGUMBOS), [PIC][NTf(2)] and [PIC][BETI], exhibit interesting adaptability as a function of the associated anion. The diamond-shaped nanostructures of [PIC][NTf(2)] and [PIC][BETI] nanorods exhibit enhanced fluorescence quantum yields relative to the parent compound, [PIC][I]. As supported by fluorescence lifetime measurements, these enhanced spectral properties can be attributed to differences in molecular self-assembly ordering (e.g., H- vs. J-aggregation) and restricted molecular rotation leading to reduced twisted intramolecular charge transfer in the nanoGUMBOS. The electrochemical properties of the PIC-based GUMBOS suggest their potential use in dye-sensitized solar cells.