TY - JOUR A1 - Kole, Goutam Kumar A1 - Košćak, Marta A1 - Amar, Anissa A1 - Majhen, Dragomira A1 - Božinović, Ksenija A1 - Brkljaca, Zlatko A1 - Ferger, Matthias A1 - Michail, Evripidis A1 - Lorenzen, Sabine A1 - Friedrich, Alexandra A1 - Krummenacher, Ivo A1 - Moos, Michael A1 - Braunschweig, Holger A1 - Boucekkine, Abdou A1 - Lambert, Christoph A1 - Halet, Jean‐François A1 - Piantanida, Ivo A1 - Müller‐Buschbaum, Klaus A1 - Marder, Todd B. T1 - Methyl Viologens of Bis‐(4’‐Pyridylethynyl)Arenes – Structures, Photophysical and Electrochemical Studies, and their Potential Application in Biology JF - Chemistry – A European Journal N2 - A series of bis‐(4’‐pyridylethynyl)arenes (arene=benzene, tetrafluorobenzene, and anthracene) were synthesized and their bis‐N‐methylpyridinium compounds were investigated as a class of π‐extended methyl viologens. Their structures were determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, and their photophysical and electrochemical properties (cyclic voltammetry), as well as their interactions with DNA/RNA were investigated. The dications showed bathochromic shifts in emission compared to the neutral compounds. The neutral compounds showed very small Stokes shifts, which are a little larger for the dications. All of the compounds showed very short fluorescence lifetimes (<4 ns). The neutral compound with an anthracene core has a quantum yield of almost unity. With stronger acceptors, the analogous bis‐N‐methylpyridinium compound showed a larger two‐photon absorption cross‐section than its neutral precursor. All of the dicationic compounds interact with DNA/RNA; while the compounds with benzene and tetrafluorobenzene cores bind in the grooves, the one with an anthracene core intercalates as a consequence of its large, condensed aromatic linker moiety, and it aggregates within the polynucleotide when in excess over DNA/RNA. Moreover, all cationic compounds showed highly specific CD spectra upon binding to ds‐DNA/RNA, attributed to the rare case of forcing the planar, achiral molecule into a chiral rotamer, and negligible toxicity toward human cell lines at ≤10 μM concentrations. The anthracene‐analogue exhibited intracellular accumulation within lysosomes, preventing its interaction with cellular DNA/RNA. However, cytotoxicity was evident at 1 μM concentration upon exposure to light, due to singlet oxygen generation within cells. These multi‐faceted features, in combination with its two‐photon absorption properties, suggest it to be a promising lead compound for development of novel light‐activated theranostic agents. KW - cell imaging KW - DNA/RNA binding KW - methyl viologen KW - singlet oxygen KW - two-photon absorption Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287126 VL - 28 IS - 40 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Merz, Julia A1 - Dietz, Maximilian A1 - Vonhausen, Yvonne A1 - Wöber, Frederik A1 - Friedrich, Alexandra A1 - Sieh, Daniel A1 - Krummenacher, Ivo A1 - Braunschweig, Holger A1 - Moos, Michael A1 - Holzapfel, Marco A1 - Lambert, Christoph A1 - Marder, Todd B. T1 - Synthesis, Photophysical and Electronic Properties of New Red-to-NIR Emitting Donor-Acceptor Pyrene Derivatives JF - Chemistry - A European Journal N2 - We synthesized new pyrene derivatives with strong bis(para ‐methoxyphenyl)amine donors at the 2,7‐positions and n ‐azaacene acceptors at the K‐region of pyrene. The compounds possess a strong intramolecular charge transfer, leading to unusual properties such as emission in the red to NIR region (700 nm), which has not been reported before for monomeric pyrenes. Detailed photophysical studies reveal very long intrinsic lifetimes of >100 ns for the new compounds, which is typical for 2,7‐substituted pyrenes but not for K‐region substituted pyrenes. The incorporation of strong donors and acceptors leads to very low reduction and oxidation potentials, and spectroelectrochemical studies show that the compounds are on the borderline between localized Robin‐Day class‐II and delocalized Robin‐Day class‐III species. KW - orylation KW - K-region KW - luminescence KW - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons KW - redox Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-207486 VL - 26 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ferger, Matthias A1 - Roger, Chantal A1 - Köster, Eva A1 - Rauch, Florian A1 - Lorenzen, Sabine A1 - Krummenacher, Ivo A1 - Friedrich, Alexandra A1 - Košćak, Marta A1 - Nestić, Davor A1 - Braunschweig, Holger A1 - Lambert, Christoph A1 - Piantanida, Ivo A1 - Marder, Todd B. T1 - Electron‐Rich EDOT Linkers in Tetracationic bis‐Triarylborane Chromophores: Influence on Water Stability, Biomacromolecule Sensing, and Photoinduced Cytotoxicity JF - Chemistry – A European Journal N2 - Three novel tetracationic bis‐triarylboranes with 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) linkers, and their neutral precursors, showed significant red‐shifted absorption and emission compared to their thiophene‐containing analogues, with one of the EDOT‐derivatives emitting in the NIR region. Only the EDOT‐linked trixylylborane tetracation was stable in aqueous solution, indicating that direct attachment of a thiophene or even 3‐methylthiophene to the boron atom is insufficient to provide hydrolytic stability in aqueous solution. Further comparative analysis of the EDOT‐linked trixylylborane tetracation and its bis‐thiophene analogue revealed efficient photo‐induced singlet oxygen production, with the consequent biological implications. Thus, both analogues bind strongly to ds‐DNA and BSA, very efficiently enter living human cells, accumulate in several different cytoplasmic organelles with no toxic effect but, under intense visible light irradiation, they exhibit almost instantaneous and very strong cytotoxic effects, presumably attributed to singlet oxygen production. Thus, both compounds are intriguing theranostic agents, whose intracellular and probably intra‐tissue location can be monitored by strong fluorescence, allowing switching on of the strong bioactivity by well‐focused visible light. KW - boranes KW - DNA/RNA sensors KW - fluorescent probes KW - singlet oxygen KW - theranostics Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287241 VL - 28 IS - 48 ER -