Peptide nanotube aligning side chains onto one side.

A novel pseudo cyclic penta-ß-peptide composed of a ß-naphthylalanine, two ß-alanines, and a sequence of ethylenediamine-succinic acid (CP5ES) is synthesized and investigated on peptide nanotube (PNT) formation. When the PNT is formed with the maximum number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the cyclic peptides, the sequence enables the alignment of the side chains, naphthyl groups, on one side of the PNT. Microscopic and spectroscopic observations of CP5ES crystals reveal that CP5ES forms rod- or needle-shaped molecular assemblies showing exciton coupling of the Cotton effect and predominant monomer emission, which are different from a reference cyclic tri-ß-peptide composed of a ß-naphthylalanine and two ß-alanines. Insertion of a sequence of ethylenediamine-succinic acid into ß-amino acids in the cyclic skeleton is therefore suggested to be effective to make the side chains aligning on one side of the PNT. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Electronic properties of tetrathiafulvalene-modified cyclic-ß-peptide nanotube.

Cyclic tri-ß-peptide having tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) at the side chain was synthesized to prepare a peptide nanotube aligning TTF side chains along the nanotube. The polarized light microscopic observations revealed crystallization of the cyclic peptide by the vapor diffusion method. Fourier-transform infrared and electron diffraction measurements of the crystals clarified formation of homogeneous hydrogen bonds making a columnar structure with a layer spacing of 4.9 Å. Electronic measurements of the peptide crystals on a gold mica substrate were carried out by the current sensing AFM. The current-voltage curves showed a rectification behavior, whose profile was consistent with a metal and p-type semiconductor junction. The p-type property is supported by the first principle calculations, which showed the HOMO orbital delocalizing fully over the plane of the TTF ring with the energy level of -5.1 eV. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 275-282, 2016.

Spectrophotometric determination of hydrogen peroxide with osmium(VIII) and m-carboxyphenylfluorone.

Spectrophotometric determination of hydrogen peroxide was accomplished with osmium(VIII) and m-carboxyphenylfluorone (MCPF) in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). In the determination of hydrogen peroxide based on the fading of the color of osmium(VIII)-MCPF complex, Beer's law was obeyed in the range 20-406 ng mL(-1), with an effective molar absorption coefficient (at 580 nm) of 5.21×10(4) L mol(-1) cm(-1) and a relative standard deviation of 0.33% (n=6). Further, we performed the characterization of MCPF and obtained the crystal structure.

Spectrophotometric determination of titanium with o-carboxyphenylfluorone in cationic micellar media, and its equilibrium and kinetic studies.

Spectrophotometric determination of titanium(IV) was accomplished with o-carboxyphenylfluorone (OCPF) in the presence of hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (HTAC) under strongly acidic media. In the determination of titanium(IV), Beer's law was obeyed in the range of 24-340 ng mL(-1) with an effective molar absorption coefficient (at 530 nm) and relative standard deviation of 2.24 × 10(5)dm(3)mol(-1)cm(-1) and 0.64% (n=8), respectively. The severe interference of iron ions was easily eliminated by the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA); the effects of other foreign substances were low. Equilibrium and kinetic studies under analytical conditions were investigated to quantitatively evaluate the reaction mechanism. The obtained orange complex is considered to be Ti(OCPF)(4). Its stability log K(f) and rate constant K(obs) are 16.88 and 1.65 × 10(-2)s(-1), respectively. It is suggested that the color of the complex is related to the species of OCPF in the solution.