10,15-Bis(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl) B(III)subchlorin: A photosensitizer with high singlet oxygen producing efficiency

A novel A2B-type B(III)subchlorin has been synthesized for the first time in two ways possessing two different ester moieties upon macrocyclic periphery from meso-diethoxycarbonyl tripyrrane. Its photophysical and electrochemical properties have been explored. Introduction of the third meso-substituent resulted in the synthesis of the B(III)subchlorin as the major product with the formation of minor oxidized B(III)subporphyrin analogue. This subchlorin derivative was found to generate singlet oxygen much efficiently with quantum yield ([Formula: see text] 0.88.

Unitary evolution to a state with a fixed mean number of particles

In the framework of finite-dimensional Fock space models, for a predefined fixed mean number of particles [Formula: see text], it is shown that there is a “large” multidimensional subspace [Formula: see text] of initial pure states, in the space [Formula: see text] of all pure states, unitarily evolving to a subspace [Formula: see text] of final pure states which yield [Formula: see text]. As an example, in particular it follows that the blackbody form of the mean number of particles [Formula: see text] does not by itself contradict unitarity of black hole evaporation.

Radiosynthesis, molecular modeling and biodistribution of 99mTc-Protoporphyrin as a preclinical model for tumor diagnosis

Porphyrins are among the most important and widely used compounds involved in a variety of chemical and biochemical applications. These molecules exhibit very special properties that encourage researchers to label many derivatives with diagnostic or therapeutic radionuclides for medical applications. This study reports the radiolabeling and biodistribution of [Formula: see text]Tc-protoporphyrin IX ([Formula: see text]Tc-PPIX) as a novel potential solid-tumor imaging agent. The factors affecting the radiolabeling process were varied to achieve maximum radiochemical yield. [Formula: see text]Tc-PPIX was obtained in high yield of 97.34 ± 0.21% and high stability in serum up to 24 h. The radiochemical yield of [Formula: see text]Tc-PPIX was assessed by a combination of a paper chromatographic technique and HPLC. A computational analysis for all the potential structures that may be formed due to the interaction between protoporphyrin IX and technetium was performed via the DFT method of calculations in gas phase to predict the most likely structure. Molecular docking was further employed to shed light on the nature of the interaction between the most stable complexes with the target protein. Finally, the in-vivo biodistribution of [Formula: see text]Tc-PPIX complex was evaluated in solid-tumor-bearing mice and high tumor/tissue ratio of 5.17 ± 0.34 at 60 min post injection was obtained. Our finding clearly suggests [Formula: see text]Tc-PPIX as a potential SPECT agent for tumor imaging.

The productivity of spring rapeseed hybrids depending on different levels of mineral nutrition and humic fertilizer

Rapeseed has a multifunctional agricultural and environmental value. According to statistics, the growth of acreage occupied by rapeseed in the Russian Federation for 10 years reached 126.8 % or 872.9 thousand ha. The article provides an assessment of spring rapeseed production for oilseeds in the Clearfield system at different levels of mineral nutrition in combination with Ecorost bio-fertilizer in conditions of the Non-Chernozem Zone of Russia. The studies were carried out in 2018–2019 at an experimental agrotechnological station of Ryazan State Agrotechnological University Named after P.A. Kostychev (FSBEI HE RSATU) on gray forest soils. High efficiency of the Clearfield production system has been established. The introduction of N180P120K60 complex for pre-sowing cultivation contributed to the formation of maximum indicators of the rapeseed yield formula and size. The highest yields were shown by Ecorost variants: Kultus KL N180P120K60 (27.8 dt/ha), Cultus KL N180 (27.3 dt/ha), Cebra KL N180P120K60, N180 (24.4 dt/ha), Cyclus KL N180, N90P60K60 (26.6 dt/ha). The maximum profitability of rapeseed oilseeds production was obtained on N180 variant Kultus KL (133.5 %).

Bioconjugatable synthetic chlorins rendered water-soluble with three PEG-12 groups via click chemistry

Chlorins provide many ideal features for use as red-region fluorophores but require molecular tailoring for solubilization in aqueous solution. A chlorin building-block bearing 18,18-dimethyl, 15-bromo and 10-[2,4,6-tris(propargyloxy)phenyl] substituents has been transformed via click chemistry with CH3(OCH2CH[Formula: see text]-N3 followed by Suzuki coupling with 3-(4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)phenyl)propanoic acid, thereby installing a water-solubilization motif and a bioconjugatable handle, respectively. In toluene, [Formula: see text]-dimethylformamide (DMF) or water, the resulting facially encumbered free base chlorin exhibits characteristic chlorin absorption ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]412, 643 nm) and fluorescence ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]645 nm) spectra with only modest variation in fluorescence quantum yield ([Formula: see text] values (0.24, 0.25 and 0.19, respectively). The zinc chlorin derived therefrom exhibits similar spectral constancy ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]414 and 613 nm, [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]616 nm) and [Formula: see text] 0.094, 0.10 and 0.086 in the three solvents. The results together indicate the viability of the molecular design and synthetic methodology to create red-region fluorophores for use in diverse applications.

meso-(2-Benzimidazolyl)-substituted BODIPYs: Synthesis, structures and spectroscopic properties

A series of meso-(2-benzimidazolyl)-substituted boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives 3a–3c and 4 have been synthesized and characterized. The absorption and fluorescence bands of 3a are bathochromically shifted by 36 nm and 61 nm, respectively, compared with those of the meso-phenyl BODIPY in toluene. More importantly, the fluorescence quantum yields of these meso-(2-benzimidazolyl)-substituted BODIPYs (up to 0.45 in toluene) are much higher than those of the previously reported meso-heterocyclic BODIPYs. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the single crystal structure of 3a revealed that the dihedral angle of meso-benzimidazolyl ring and indacene plane (40.47[Formula: see text] ) is smaller compared with that of the meso-tolyl substituted BODIPY (61.4[Formula: see text] ). Replacement of the six-membered ring with a five-membered ring, as well as the absence of hydrogen at the imino-nitrogen, generated the reduced repulsion and the hydrogen bonding interaction. The increased planarity not only provided the substantial delocalization of [Formula: see text] electrons and red shifted the absorption and emission bands but also enhanced the fluorescence quantum yield by reducing free rotation induced nonradiative deactivation pathway. Furthermore, 3,5-distyryl coupled BODIPY 4 exhibits a NIR fluorescence band at 712 nm with moderate quantum yield ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] 0.3) in nonpolar and polar solvents, which indicate that meso-(2-benzimidazolyl) BODIPY acts as a good candidate for post modification toward NIR dyes for biological applications.

Mitochondria-targeted tri-triphenylphosphonium substituted meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin(TCPP) by conjugation with folic acid and graphene oxide for improved photodynamic therapy

Mitochondria are extensively researched as target sites to maximize photodynamic therapy (PDT) effects because they play crucial roles in metabolism. Here, a mitochondria targeting PDT agent, tri-triphenylphosphonium substituted meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP-TPP) is prepared for the first time. Considering that many porphyrin derivatives are quick to aggregate, thereby reducing the PDT effect, our photosensitizer (PS) was loaded on a folic acid (FA) decorated graphene oxide (GO) nanosystem, called GF@TCPP-TPP, by electrostatic and [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] stacking or hydrophobic cooperative interactions, to improve the transportation of photosensitizers and enhance the therapeutic effect. Herein, we have performed a detailed study of photodynamic activity of GF@TCPP-TPP nanocomposites and evaluated their potential as a photosensitizer in PDT. An MTT assay showed that GF@TCPP-TPP inhibited HeLa cells in a concentration-dependent manner under light (650 ± 10 nm, 5 mW [Formula: see text] and 10 min), and presented remarkably improved PDT efficiency (IC[Formula: see text] g [Formula: see text] mL[Formula: see text] of equivalent TCPP-TPP) over free TCPP (IC[Formula: see text] after irradiation. Furthermore, our research indicated that Type I mechanisms (the generation of hydroxyl radicals) play a predominant role in the GF@TCPP-TPP induced PDT process. This coincides with the low singlet oxygen (1O[Formula: see text] quantum yield ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] 33.6%) in a DMF solution. Moreover, cell morphological changes after GF@TCPP-TPP PDT further demonstrated that GF@TCPP-TPP could induce damage and apoptotic cell death efficiently. In particular, precise delivery of photosensitizers to mitochondria was proven by organelle localization.

THEORETICAL RESEARCH OF SECONDARY ELECTRON EMISSION FROM NEGATIVE ELECTRON AFFINITY SEMICONDUCTORS

Based on primary range [Formula: see text], relationships among parameters of secondary electron yield [Formula: see text] and the processes and characteristics of secondary electron emission (SEE) from negative electron affinity (NEA) semiconductors, the universal formulas for [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] and at [Formula: see text] for NEA semiconductors were deduced, respectively; where [Formula: see text] is incident energy of primary electron. According to the characteristics of SEE from NEA semiconductors with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], deduced universal formulas for [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text] and at [Formula: see text] for NEA semiconductors and experimental data, special formulas for [Formula: see text] at 0.5[Formula: see text] of several NEA semiconductors with [Formula: see text] were deduced and proved to be true experimentally, respectively; where [Formula: see text] is the [Formula: see text] at which [Formula: see text] reaches maximum secondary electron yield. It can be concluded that the formula for [Formula: see text] of NEA semiconductors with [Formula: see text] was deduced and could be used to calculate [Formula: see text], and that the method of calculating the 1/[Formula: see text] of NEA semiconductors with [Formula: see text] is plausible; where [Formula: see text] is the probability that an internal secondary electron escapes into vacuum upon reaching the surface of emitter, and 1/[Formula: see text] is mean escape depth of secondary electron.

Optimization of neon soft X-ray yield in a low-energy dense plasma focus device

The modified version of Lee model code is used in numerical experiments for characterizing and optimizing neon soft X-ray yield ([Formula: see text]) of the United Nations University/International Center for Theoretical Physics Plasma Focus Facility (UNU/ICTP PFF) device operated at 14 kV and 30 [Formula: see text]. In our present work, the neon yield [Formula: see text] is improved with an optimized UNU/ICTP PFF device by computing the optimum combination of static inductance ([Formula: see text]), anode length ([Formula: see text]), anode radius ([Formula: see text]) and cathode radius ([Formula: see text]), keeping fixed their ratio ([Formula: see text]) at 3.368, through a lot of numerical experiments at six operating pressures ([Formula: see text]). At lower [Formula: see text] (e.g. 2.0, 2.5 and 3.3 Torr), the optimum [Formula: see text] value, together with the corresponding optimum combination of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], is found to be 15 nH, whereas at higher [Formula: see text] (e.g. 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 Torr), it is obtained as 10 nH. Though the computed maximum neon yield [Formula: see text] (57.2 J with the corresponding efficiency of 1.94%) is found at [Formula: see text], assuming an achievable range of incorporating low-inductance technology, the best optimum combination of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is found to be at [Formula: see text], resulting in the computed optimum neon yield [Formula: see text] of 54.60 J with a corresponding efficiency of 1.9%. This computed neon yield [Formula: see text] is about 11 times higher than the measured value [Formula: see text] at optimum [Formula: see text] of UNU/ICTP PFF. It is also observed that our computed neon yield [Formula: see text] is improved by around six times from the previously computed value, which was 9.5 J at the optimum [Formula: see text] Torr for optimum anode configuration of this machine. In addition, neon yield [Formula: see text] is obtained with our optimized combination of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at 11.5 kV and compared with the measured neon yield [Formula: see text] of the NX2 machine.

Application of activated carbon supported cobalt(II) tetraaminophthalocyanine towards preparation of dimethyl disulfide

Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) is an important fine chemical that can be prepared by the refined Merox process of oxidation of sodium methyl mercaptide (SMM) in the presence of a catalyst. In this paper, a novel activated carbon (AC) supported cobalt(II) tetraaminophthalocyanine (AC-CoTAPc) catalyst was prepared by the chemical grafting method. EA, UV-vis, FT-IR, BET and XPS were used to characterize the structure of the new catalyst. The effects of reaction time, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature and oxygen pressure on SMM conversion per pass (CPP[Formula: see text], yield (Yield[Formula: see text] and purity of DMDS product (Purity[Formula: see text] were investigated to evaluate the catalytic performance of new AC-CoTAPc catalyst. The results show that free CoTAPc is easily dissolved in this DMDS product, which needs extra post treatment and cannot be reused. The supported catalyst AC-CoTAPc can easily solve these problems and can be properly reused four times to get Yield[Formula: see text] and CPP[Formula: see text] higher than 70% and 90%. Under optimum conditions, the Yield[Formula: see text] andCPP[Formula: see text] of the AC-CoTAPc catalyst could be as high as 87.4% and 98.1%, with a purity[Formula: see text]of DMDS product of above 99.9%. AC-CoTAPc exhibits better catalytic and reuse performance than the commercial AC-supported sulphonated cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (AC-CoPcS) catalyst and shows broad industrial application prospects.