Bis-Pyrene Photo-Switch Open- and Closed-Form Differently Bind to ds-DNA,ds-RNA and Serum Albumin and Reveal Light-Induced Bioactivity

Newly designed and synthesized diarylethene (DAE) derivatives with aliphatic amine sidearms and one with two pyrenes, revealed excellent photo-switching property of central DAE core in MeOH and water. The only exception was bis-pyrene analogue, its DAE core very readily photochemically closed, but reversible opening completely hampered by aromatic stacking interaction of pyrene(s) with cyclic DAE. In this process, pyrene fluorescence showed to be a reliable monitoring method, an open form characterized by strong emission at 480 nm (typical for pyrene-aggregate), while closed form emitted weakly at 400 nm (typical for pyrene-DAE quenching). Only open DAE-bis-pyrene form interacted measurably with ds-DNA/RNA by flexible insertion in polynucleotide grooves, while self-stacked closed form did not bind to DNA/RNA. For the same steric reasons, flexible open DAE-bis-pyrene form was bound to at least three different binding sites at bovine serum albumin (BSA), while rigid, self-stacked closed form interacted dominantly with only one BSA site. Preliminary screening of antiproliferative activity against human lung carcinoma cell line A549 revealed that all DAE-derivatives are non-toxic. However, bis-pyrene analogue efficiently entered cells and located in the cytoplasm, whereby irradiation by light (315–400 nm) resulted in a strong, photo-induced cytotoxic effect, typical for pyrene-related singlet oxygen species production.     

Phenolic content and antioxidant potential of macerated white wines

Influence of maceration on phenolic content and antiradical activity was analyzed in fourteen white wines from Italian region Friuli–Venezia Giulia and Croatian region Istria. Total phenols were determined by Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, twelve individual polyphenols were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and antiradical activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH^·). The experiments showed that the maceration process increases significantly the amount of total phenols and inhibition of DPPH^·. Furthermore, a high synergistic activity of individual phenols was observed. The strongest inhibition of DPPH^· and the highest amount of total phenols were obtained for 800 Bianco, a blending macerated wine made from 3 white wine varieties. Our study shows that the antioxidant potential of white grape phenols can be preserved during wine processing. The maceration step allows the extraction of phenolic compounds from grape skins, seeds and stalks, resulting in phenol-rich white wine with strong antioxidant properties.     

Fabrication of tunable bandgap epitaxial β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films using a spin-coating method

β-(Al_xGa_1−x)₂O₃ films have several critical properties of interest to the research community, including a wide bandgap that may be used in the development of new electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices. Here we demonstrate the first time fabricated metal-alkoxide-based spin-coated single-phase epitaxial β-(Al_xGa_1−x)₂O₃ films on c-sapphire substrates with $(\overline{2}01)$ orientation and good crystallinity that is comparable to the films fabricated using other film deposition techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition. Using this technique, we generated films with broad Al compositions (x) of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 with bandgap energies of 5.15, 5.56, and 6.16 eV, respectively, estimated from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy inelastic energy-loss spectra. Photoluminescence emission spectra in the ultraviolet and visible (blue) wavelength range highlighted several intrinsic defects in the film structure that functioned as luminescence centers, including self-trapped exciton and recombining donor-to-acceptor band. Detailed analysis of the structural and optical properties of β-(Al_xGa_1−x)₂O₃ epitaxial films revealed that this low-cost and scalable solution-deposition approach coupled with a spin-coating technique could be used to fabricate β-(Al_xGa_1−x)₂O₃ films with tunable properties.     

Octenylsuccinate Derivatives of Carboxymethyl Starch – Synthesis and Properties

Carboxymethyl starch (CMS, DS_CM 0.1) was modified with octenylsuccinic anhydride in various solvent systems. Using the dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)/p‐toluenesulphonic acid (p‐Ts‐OH) system, carboxymethyl starch octenylsuccinates (OS‐CMS) were obtained with degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from 0.03 to 0.53 at high reaction efficiency, and characterized with regard to their molecular structure, their rheological and surface active properties. The water‐soluble OS‐CMS derivatives showed a pseudoplastic behavior dependent on both the DS and polymer concentration (c_p). The thickening power displayed a maximum at DS 0.14 at higher c_p (2.5 and 5.0%). In spite of the only moderate surface‐tension decreasing effect of the OS‐CMS derivatives, most of them exhibited excellent emulsifying, foaming and antiredeposition effects. They represent novel polysaccharide‐based biosurfactants with a broad application potential.