Microwave-assisted synthesis of naphthalenemonoimides and N-desymmetrized naphthalenediimides

Self-Assembly of Discrete Oligomers of Naphthalenediimides in Bulk and on Surfaces

Here, we report on the synthesis of discrete oligomers of alkyl-bridged naphthalenediimides (NDIs) and study their molecular nanostructures both in bulk, in solution, and at the liquid-solid interface. Via an iterative synthesis method, multiple NDI cores were bridged with short and saturated alkyl-diamines (C3 and C12 ) or long and unsaturated alkyl-diamines (u2 C33 to u8 C100 ) at their imide termini. The strong intermolecular interaction between the NDI cores was observed by probing their photophysical properties in solution. In bulk, the discrete NDI oligomers preferentially ordered in lamellar morphologies, irrespective of whether a saturated or unsaturated spacer was employed. Moreover, both the molecular architecture as well as the crystallization conditions play a significant role in the nanoscale ordering. The long unsaturated alkyl chains lead preferably to folded-chain conformations while their saturated analogues form stretched arrangements. At the solution-solid interface, well-defined lamellar regions were observed. These results show that precision in chemical structure alone is not sufficient to reach well-defined structures of discrete oligomers, but that it must be combined with precision in processing conditions.

Anion-(π)n -π Catalytic Micelles

Anion-π catalysis operates by stabilizing anionic transition states on π-acidic aromatic surfaces. In anion-(π)n -π catalysis, π stacks add polarizability to strengthen interactions. In search of synthetic methods to extend π stacks beyond the limits of foldamers, the self-assembly of micelles from amphiphilic naphthalenediimides (NDIs) is introduced. To interface substrates and catalysts, charge-transfer complexes with dialkoxynaphthalenes (DANs), a classic in supramolecular chemistry, are installed. In π-stacked micelles, the rates of bioinspired ether cyclizations exceed rates on monomers in organic solvents by far. This is particularly impressive considering that anion-π catalysis in water has been elusive so far. Increasing rates with increasing π acidity of the micelles evince operational anion-(π)n -π catalysis. At maximal π acidity, autocatalytic behavior emerges. Dependence on position and order in confined micellar space promises access to emergent properties. Anion-(π)n -π catalytic micelles in water thus expand supramolecular systems catalysis accessible with anion-π interactions with an inspiring topic of general interest and great perspectives.

Supramolecular Rings as Building Blocks for Stimuli-Responsive Materials

Stimuli-responsive polymers are of great interest due to their ability to translate changing environmental conditions into responses in defined materials. One possibility to impart such behavior is the incorporation of optically active molecules into a polymer host. Here, we describe how sensor molecules that consist of a π-extended benzothiadiazole emitter and a naphthalene diimide quencher can be exploited in this context. The two optically active entities were connected via different spacers and, thanks to attractive intramolecular interactions between them, the new sensor molecules assembled into cyclic structures in which the fluorescence was quenched by up to 43% when compared to solutions of the individual dyes. Detailed spectroscopic investigations of the sensor molecules in solution show that the extent of donor/acceptor interactions is influenced by various factors, including solvent polarity and ion concentration. The new sensor molecule was covalently incorporated into a polyurethane; the investigation of the optical characteristics in both the solid and solvent-swollen states indicates that a stimulus-induced formation of associated dye pairs is possible in polymeric materials. Indeed, a solvatochromic quenching effect similar to the behavior in solution was observed for solvent-swollen polymer samples, leading to an effective change of the green emission color of the dye to a yellow color.

Nano-Theranostics for the Sensing, Imaging and Therapy of Prostate Cancers

We highlight hereby recent developments in the emerging field of theranostics, which encompasses the combination of therapeutics and diagnostics in a single entity aimed for an early-stage diagnosis, image-guided therapy as well as evaluation of therapeutic outcomes of relevance to prostate cancer (PCa). Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men and a frequent cause of male cancer death. As such, this overview is concerned with recent developments in imaging and sensing of relevance to prostate cancer diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. A major advantage for the effective treatment of PCa is an early diagnosis that would provide information for an appropriate treatment. Several imaging techniques are being developed to diagnose and monitor different stages of cancer in general, and patient stratification is particularly relevant for PCa. Hybrid imaging techniques applicable for diagnosis combine complementary structural and morphological information to enhance resolution and sensitivity of imaging. The focus of this review is to sum up some of the most recent advances in the nanotechnological approaches to the sensing and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). Targeted imaging using nanoparticles, radiotracers and biomarkers could result to a more specialised and personalised diagnosis and treatment of PCa. A myriad of reports has been published literature proposing methods to detect and treat PCa using nanoparticles but the number of techniques approved for clinical use is relatively small. Another facet of this report is on reviewing aspects of the role of functional nanoparticles in multimodality imaging therapy considering recent developments in simultaneous PET-MRI (Positron Emission Tomography-Magnetic Resonance Imaging) coupled with optical imaging in vitro and in vivo, whilst highlighting feasible case studies that hold promise for the next generation of dual modality medical imaging of PCa. It is envisaged that progress in the field of imaging and sensing domains, taken together, could benefit from the biomedical implementation of new synthetic platforms such as metal complexes and functional materials supported on organic molecular species, which can be conjugated to targeting biomolecules and encompass adaptable and versatile molecular architectures. Furthermore, we include hereby an overview of aspects of biosensing methods aimed to tackle PCa: prostate biomarkers such as Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) have been incorporated into synthetic platforms and explored in the context of sensing and imaging applications in preclinical investigations for the early detection of PCa. Finally, some of the societal concerns around nanotechnology being used for the detection of PCa are considered and addressed together with the concerns about the toxicity of nanoparticles–these were aspects of recent lively debates that currently hamper the clinical advancements of nano-theranostics. The publications survey conducted for this review includes, to the best of our knowledge, some of the most recent relevant literature examples from the state-of-the-art. Highlighting these advances would be of interest to the biomedical research community aiming to advance the application of theranostics particularly in PCa diagnosis and treatment, but also to those interested in the development of new probes and methodologies for the simultaneous imaging and therapy monitoring employed for PCa targeting.

A Functional Hexaphenylbenzene Library Comprising of One, Three, and Six Peripheral Rylene-Diimide Substituents

Synthesis and characterization of a series of rylene-diimide substituted hexaphenylbenzenes (HPBs) is presented. The direct connection of the rylene-diimide units to the HPBs via the imide-N-position without any linkers as well as the use of naphthalene-diimides (NDIs) next to perylene-diimides (PDIs) is unprecedented. While mono-substituted products were obtained by imidization reactions with amino-HPB and the respective rylene-monoimides, key step for the formation of tri- and hexa-substituted HPBs is the Co-catalysed cyclotrimerization. Particular emphasis for physic-chemical characterization was on to the number of NDIs/PDIs per HPB and the overall substitution patterns. Lastly, Scholl oxidation conditions were applied to all HPB systems to generate the corresponding hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes (HBCs). Importantly, the efficiency of the transformation strongly depends on the number of NDIs/PDIs. While three rylene-diimide units already hinder the Scholl reaction, the successful synthesis of mono-substituted HBCs is possible.

Porphyrin-rylene-diimide-hexabenzocoronene triads

Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes (HBCs), substituted by two different chromophores in an ortho arrangement, were synthesized for the first time and investigated towards their photophysical properties. Rylene-diimide dyes, in particular naphthalene-diimides (NDIs) and perylene-diimides (PDIs), were attached to the HBC as the first, and porphyrins as the second chromophore. Therefore, porphyrin-NDI-HPB as well as porphyrin-PDI-HPB precursors were accessed and converted into the respective HBC derivatives applying oxidative Scholl conditions. UV-vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy showed interesting photophysical behavior such as energy transfer processes. Particularly, the porphyrin-PDI-HBC displays pronounced absorption features between 330–650 nm, which cover a wide range of the visible spectrum.

Progress in the synthesis of perylene bisimide dyes

Rapid progress in the synthesis of perylene bisimide dyes gave an old scaffold new life.

Tunable Aggregation-Induced Multicolor Emission of Organic Nanoparticles by Varying the Substituent in Naphthalene Diimide

In this article, we have designed l-aspartic acid-linked naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based amphiphilic molecules having a benzyl ester group at both the terminals with varying substituents (NAB-1-5). The substituent was judiciously modified from an electron-withdrawing group (EWG) like nitrobenzene to an electron-donating group (EDG), methoxybenzene, and finally to an extended aromatic residue (naphthalene) to regulate the π-electron density at the terminal of NDI derivatives. All of the synthesized NDI derivatives were molecularly dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and with an increase in the water content within the DMSO solution, the NDI derivative starts to get self-assembled through J-aggregation at and above 40% water content. Self-assembled spherical organic nanoparticles formed in 99% water in DMSO ( f_w = 99%) were characterized by microscopic studies. All of the NDI derivatives showed very weak emission in the molecularly dissolved state (DMSO). Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) was observed for the NDI derivatives (except NAB-1) at the self-assembled state through excimer formation. Upon excitation at 350 nm, the emission maxima of these NDI-based AIE luminogens (AIE-gens) (NAB-2-5) get red shifted from 463 to 588 nm upon altering the substitution from EWG to EDG at the donor site. Inclusion of proper donor-acceptor moieties in the molecular backbone of the self-assembling unit can govern the AIE in combination with the intramolecular charge-transfer process. Consequently, the emission color of these AIE-gens (NAB-2-5) gets tuned from cyan blue to faint green to strong green and finally to bright orange. The tunable aggregation-induced multicolor emission was investigated by different spectroscopic techniques. These cytocompatible, multicolor-emitting fluorescent organic nanoparticles were utilized for bioimaging applications.

Highly efficient one-step microwave-assisted synthesis of structurally diverse bis-substituted α-amino acid derived diimides

We report herein a facile and widely applicable microwave-assisted protocol for the synthesis of symmetrical diimides based on three structurally distinct aromatic dianhydrides: pyromellitic (PMA), biphenyl-tetracarboxylic acid (BPDA) and benzophenone-tetracarboxylic (BTDA) and five natural amino acids (Phe, Tyr, Ile, Lys, Cys). Fifteen symmetrical diimides with different structural characteristics containing a variety of functional groups can be produced with high yields and on a large scale.

Unraveling the Driving Forces in the Self-Assembly of Monodisperse Naphthalenediimide-Oligodimethylsiloxane Block Molecules

Block molecules belong to a rapidly growing research field in materials chemistry in which discrete macromolecular architectures bridge the gap between block copolymers (BCP) and liquid crystals (LCs). The merging of characteristics from both BCP and LCs is expected to result in exciting breakthroughs, such as the discovery of unexpected morphologies or significant shrinking of domain spacings in materials that possess the high definition of organic molecules and the processability of polymers. Here we report the bulk self-assembly of two families of monodisperse block molecules comprised of naphthalenediimides (NDIs) and oligodimethylsiloxanes (ODMS). These materials are characterized by waxy texture, strong long-range order, and very low mobility, typical properties of conformationally disordered crystals. Our investigation unambiguously reveals that thermodynamic immiscibility and crystallization direct the self-assembly of ODMS-based block molecules. We show that a synergy of high incompatibility between the blocks and crystallization of the NDIs causes nanophase separation, giving access to hexagonally packed columnar (Colh) and lamellar (LAM) morphologies with sub-10 nm periodicities. The domain spacings can be tuned by mixing molecules with different ODMS lengths and the same number of NDIs, introducing an additional layer of control. X-ray scattering experiments reveal macrophase separation whenever this constitutional bias is not observed. Finally, we highlight our "ingredient approach" to obtain perfect order in sub-10 nm structured materials with a simple strategy built on a crystalline "hard" moiety and an incompatible "soft" ODMS partner. Following this simple rule, our recipe can be extended to a number of systems.

Stabilization of peptides against proteolysis through disulfide-bridged conjugation with synthetic aromatics

We developed an efficient strategy for the stabilization of peptides against proteolysis, which involves noncovalent π–π interactions between aromatic amino acid residues in peptides and synthetic electron-deficient aromatics.

Aromatic donor-acceptor interactions in non-polar environments

We have evaluated the strength of aromatic donor-acceptor interactions between dialkyl naphthalenediimide and dialkoxynaphthalene in non-polar environments. (1)H NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry were used to characterise this interaction. We concluded that the strength of donor-acceptor interactions in heptane is sufficient to drive supramolecular assemblies in this and other aliphatic solvents.

NDI and DAN DNA: nucleic acid-directed assembly of NDI and DAN

Two novel DNA base surrogate phosphoramidites 1 and 2, based upon relatively electron-rich 1,5-dialkoxynaphthalene (DAN) and relatively electron-deficient 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (NDI), respectively, were designed, synthesized, and incorporated into DNA oligonucleotide strands. The DAN and NDI artificial DNA bases were inserted within a three-base-pair region within the interior of a 12-mer oligonucleotide duplex in various sequential arrangements and investigated with CD spectroscopy and UV melting curve analysis. The CD spectra of the modified duplexes indicated B-form DNA topology. Melting curve analyses revealed trends in DNA duplex stability that correlate with the known association of DAN and NDI moieties in aqueous solution as well as the known favorable interactions between NDI and natural DNA base pairs. This demonstrates that DNA duplex stability and specificity can be driven by the electrostatic complementarity between DAN and NDI. In the most favorable case, an NDI-DAN-NDI arrangement in the middle of the DNA duplex was found to be approximately as stabilizing as three A-T base pairs.

A novel and highly regioselective synthesis of new carbamoylcarboxylic acids from dianhydrides

A regioselective synthesis has been developed for the preparation of a series of N,N'-disubstituted 4,4'-carbonylbis(carbamoylbenzoic) acids and N,N'-disubstituted bis(carbamoyl) terephthalic acids by treatment of 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (1) and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (2) with arylalkyl primary amines (A-N). The carbamoylcarboxylic acid derivatives were synthesized with good yield and high purity. The specific reaction conditions were established to obtain carbamoyl and carboxylic acid functionalities over the thermodynamically most favored imide group. Products derived from both anhydrides 1 and 2 were isolated as pure regioisomeric compounds under innovative experimental conditions. The chemo- and regioselectivity of products derived from dianhydrides were determined by NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by density functional theory (DFT). All products were characterized by NMR, FTIR, and MS.

Fluorescent bowl-shaped nanoparticles from ‘clicked’ porphyrin–polymer conjugates

We report the synthesis and post-synthetic modification of a library of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ‘clicked’ triazole-linked porphyrin–polymer conjugates (PPCs), and their subsequent assembly into fluorescent bowl-shaped nanoparticles.

Direct core functionalisation of naphthalenediimides by iridium catalysed C–H borylation

We report the first boron-substituted naphthalenediimides (NDIs), prepared by iridium catalysed C–H activation. Both mono- and diborylated products are available, which have been further elaborated by Suzuki–Miyaura coupling.

Amino acid derivatized arylenediimides: a versatile modular approach for functional molecular materials

Nature's elegant molecular designs and their assemblies with specific structure-property correlations have inspired researchers to design and develop bio-mimics for advanced functional applications. To realize such advanced molecular materials, naturally evolved amino acids are arguably the ideal auxiliaries due to their remarkable molecular/chiral recognition and distinctive sequence specific self-assembling properties. Over the years, this modular approach of derivatizing naphthalenediimides (NDIs) and perylenediimides (PDIs) with amino acids and peptides have resulted in several hitherto unknown molecular assemblies with phenomenal impact on their performance. Derivatization with versatile arylenediimides is especially interesting due to their wide spread applications in fields ranging from biomedicine to electronics. Herein some of these seminal reports of this rapidly emerging field and the design principles embraced are discussed.