A Supramolecular Antidote to Macromolecular Toxins Prepared through Coassembly of Macrocyclic Amphiphiles

Poisoning is a leading cause of admission to medical emergency departments and intensive care units. Supramolecular detoxification, which involves injecting supramolecular receptors that bind with toxins to suppress their biological activity, is an emerging strategy for poisoning treatment; it has few requirements and a broad application scope. However, it is still a formidable challenge to design supramolecular therapeutic materials as an antidote to macromolecular toxins, because the large size, flexible conformation, and presence of multiple and diverse binding sites of biomacromolecules hinder their recognition. Herein, a supramolecular antidote to macromolecular toxins is developed through the coassembly of macrocyclic amphiphiles, relying on heteromultivalent recognition between the coassembled components and toxic macromolecules. The coassembly of amphiphilic cyclodextrin and calixarene strongly and selectively captures melittin, a toxin studied herein; this imparts various therapeutic effects such as inhibiting the interactions of melittin with cell membranes, alleviating melittin cytotoxicity and hemolytic toxicity, reducing the mortality rate of melittin-poisoned mice, and mitigating damage to major organs. The use of the proposed antidote overcomes the limitation of supramolecular detoxification applicability to only small-molecular toxins. The antidote can also detoxify other macromolecular toxins as long as selective and strong binding is achieved because of the coassembling tunability.

Reorganization of porphyrin nanoparticle morphology driven by surface energetics

Organic nanoparticles (ONp) of an Fe(III) porphyrin appended with four [Formula: see text]-polyethyleneglyco-pyridinium moieties prepared in acetonitrile were deposited onto hydrophilic or hydrophobic Si surfaces. Self-organized by intermolecular interactions, ONp reorganize in response to environmental changes. Mechanisms for the control of nanoparticle morphologies and surface patterning by varying surface energies are discussed.

Adaptive organic nanoparticles of a teflon-coated iron (III) porphyrin catalytically activate dioxygen for cyclohexene oxidation

Self-organized organic nanoparticles (ONP) are adaptive to the environmental reaction conditions. ONP of fluorous alkyl iron(III) porphyrin catalytically oxidize cyclohexene to the allylic oxidation products. In contrast, the solvated metalloporphyrin yields both allylic oxidation and epoxidation products. The ONP system facilitates a greener reaction because about 89% reaction medium is water, molecular oxygen is used in place of synthetic oxidants, and the ambient reaction conditions used require less energy. The enhanced catalytic activity of these ONP is unexpected because the metalloporphyrins in the nanoaggregates are in the close proximity and the TON should diminish by self-oxidative degradation. The fluorous alkyl chain stabilizes the ONP toward self-oxidative degradation.

Nanoaggregates of Mn(III)tetraperfluorophenylporphyrin: a greener approach for allylic oxidation of olefins

Organic nanoparticles of metalloporphyrins can be a versatile catalyst for the selective oxidation of alkenes and other hydrocarbons. The catalytic activity of the metalloporphyrin depends on the nature of the central metal atom, peripheral groups, and the architecture of the porphyrin macrocycle. Herein, we report the catalytic activity of organic nanoparticles of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinato manganese(III), Mn (III)TPPF20, for the oxidation of cyclohexene using molecular oxygen as an oxidant in aqueous solvent under ambient conditions. While the solvated metalloporphyrins catalytically oxidize alkenes to the corresponding epoxide with a modest turn-over numbers, ca. 30 nm organic nanoparticles of Mn (III)TPPF20 have enhanced catalytic activity with up to a two-fold greater turn-over number and yields only allylic oxidation products. The activity of organic nanoparticles is slow compared to the solvated metalloporphyrins. These organic nanoparticles catalytic systems facilitate a greener reaction since ca. 89% of the reaction medium is water, molecular oxygen is used in place of man-made oxidants, and the ambient reaction conditions require less energy. This organic nanoparticle catalytic system also avoids using halogenated solvents commonly used in solution phase reactions. The enhanced catalytic activity of these organic nanoparticles is unexpected because the metalloporphyrins in the nanoaggregates are in the close proximity and the turn-over number should diminish by self-oxidative degradation.