http://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/macromolecules-c-m-fm/ Submission All papers should be submitted to molecules@mdpi.org with copy to the guest editor. To be published continuously until the deadline and papers will be listed together at the special websites. Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed monthly journal published by Molecular Diversity Preservation International. Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a paper. Article Processing Charges (APC) are 800 CHF per paper and additional English correction fees (250 CHF) will be added in certain cases (1050CHF per paper for those papers that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections) for paper submitted before 31 December 2009. Starting 1 January 2010, Article Processing Charges are of 1400 CHF per accepted article for Molecules. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/15/3/1798/ A new macromolecule possessing two dansyl moieties and based on 2-[4-(2-aminoethylthio)butylthio]ethanamine was prepared as a fluorescent sensor and its mercury sensing properties toward various transition metal, alkali, and alkali earth ions were investigated. The designed compound exhibited pronounced Hg2+-selective ON-OFF type fluorescence switching upon binding. The new compoundprovided highly selective sensing to Hg2+ in acetonitrile-water solvent mixtures with a detection limit of 2.49 x 10-7 M or 50 ppb. The molecular modeling results indicated that ions-recognition of the sensor originated from a self assembly process of the reagentand Hg2+ to form a helical wrapping structure with the favorable electrostatic interactions of Hg2+coordinated with sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen atoms and aromatic moieties. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/15/3/1798/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 CET Molecules 2010-03-12 15 3 Article 1798 1810 1420-3049 Synthesis of a Novel Fluorescent Sensor Bearing Dansyl Fluorophores for the Highly Selective Detection of Mercury (II) Ions 2010-03-12 doi: 10.3390/molecules15031798 Wanichacheva Watpathomsub Lee Grudpan http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/15/2/1007/ Medical-grade polyvinyl chloride was coated by polysaccharides through a novel physicochemical approach. An initial surface activation was performed foremost via diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge plasma in air at ambient temperature and pressure. Then, radical graft copolymerization of acrylic acid through grafting-from pathway was directed to render a well-defined brush of high density, and finally a chitosan monolayer and chitosan/pectin alternating multilayer were bound onto the functionalized surfaces. Surface characteristics were systematically investigated using several probe techniques. In vitro bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation assays indicated that a single chitosan layer was incapable of hindering the adhesion of a Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strain, while up to 30% reduction was achieved by the chitosan/pectin layered assembly. On the other hand, chitosan and chitosan/pectin multilayer could retard Escherichia coli adhesion by 50% and 20%, respectively. Furthermore, plasma treated and graft copolymerized samples were also found effective to diminish the degree of adherence of Escherichia coli. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/15/2/1007/ Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 CET Molecules 2010-02-23 15 2 Article 1007 1027 1420-3049 Polysaccharides Coatings on Medical-Grade PVC: A Probe into Surface Characteristics and the Extent of Bacterial Adhesion 2010-02-23 doi: 10.3390/molecules15021007 Ahmad Asadinezhad Igor Novák Marián Lehocký František Bílek Alenka Vesel Ita Junkar Petr Sáha Anton Popelka http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/7/2669/ Comparative investigations were carried out regarding the efficiency of introduction of exogenous genes into cultured cells using a cationic polysaccharide DEAE-dextran-MMA (methyl methacrylate ester) graft copolymer (2-diethylaminoethyl-dextran-methyl methacrylate graft copolymer; DDMC) as a nonviral carrier for gene introduction. The results confirmed that the gene introduction efficiency was improved with DDMC relative to DEAE-dextran. Comparative investigations were carried out using various concentrations of DDMC and DNA in the introduction of DNA encoding luciferase (pGL3 control vector; Promega) into COS-7 cells derived from African green monkey kidney cells. The complex formation reaction is thought to be directly proportional to the transformation rate, but the complex formation reaction between DDMC and DNA is significantly influenced by hydrophobic bonding strength along with hydrogen bonding strength and Coulomb forces due to the hydrophobicity of the grafted MMA sections. It is thought that the reaction is a Michaelis-Menten type complex formation reaction described by the following equation: Complex amount = K1 (DNA concentration)(DDMC concentration). In support of this equation, it was confirmed that the amount of formed complex was proportional to the RLU value. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/7/2669/ Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CEST Molecules 2009-07-23 14 7 Article 2669 2683 1420-3049 Mechanism of Introduction of Exogenous Genes into Cultured Cells Using DEAE-Dextran-MMA Graft Copolymer as Non-Viral Gene Carrier 2009-07-23 doi: 10.3390/molecules14072669 Yuki Eshita Junko Higashihara Masayasu Onishi Masaaki Mizuno Jun Yoshida Tomohiko Takasaki Naoji Kubota Yasuhiko Onishi http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/7/2656/ Theoretical calculations for some structural and electronic properties of the azide moiety in the nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor 3¢-azido-3¢-deoxythymidine (AZT) are reported. These properties, which include geometrical properties in three dimensional space, Hirshfeld charges, electrostatic potential (MEP), vibrational frequencies, and core and valence ionization spectra, are employed to study how the azide group is affected by the presence of a larger fragment. For this purpose, two small but important organic azides, hydrazoic acid and methyl azide, are also considered. The general features of trans Cs configuration for RNNN fragments[1] is distorted in the large AZT bio-molecule. Hirshfeld charge analysis shows charges are reallocated more evenly on azide when the donor group R is not a single atom. Infrared and photoelectron spectra reveal different aspects of the compounds. In conclusion, the electronic structural properties of the compounds depend on the specific property, the local structure and chemical environment of a species. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/7/2656/ Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CEST Molecules 2009-07-22 14 7 Article 2656 2668 1420-3049 Electronic Structure of the Azide Group in 3¢-Azido-3¢-deoxythymidine (AZT) Compared to Small Azide Compounds 2009-07-22 doi: 10.3390/molecules14072656 Fang-Fang Chen Feng Wang http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/7/2535/ Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by microorganisms are a complex mixture of biopolymers primarily consisting of polysaccharides, as well as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and humic substances. EPS make up the intercellular space of microbial aggregates and form the structure and architecture of the biofilm matrix. The key functions of EPS comprise the mediation of the initial attachment of cells to different substrata and protection against environmental stress and dehydration. The aim of this review is to present a summary of the current status of the research into the role of EPS in bacterial attachment followed by biofilm formation. The latter has a profound impact on an array of biomedical, biotechnology and industrial fields including pharmaceutical and surgical applications, food engineering, bioremediation and biohydrometallurgy. The diverse structural variations of EPS produced by bacteria of different taxonomic lineages, together with examples of biotechnological applications, are discussed. Finally, a range of novel techniques that can be used in studies involving biofilm-specific polysaccharides is discussed. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/7/2535/ Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 CEST Molecules 2009-07-13 14 7 Review 2535 2554 1420-3049 Bacterial Extracellular Polysaccharides Involved in Biofilm Formation 2009-07-13 doi: 10.3390/molecules14072535 Barbara Vu Miao Chen Russell J. Crawford Elena P. Ivanova http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/6/2111/ (E,E)-1,4-bis(4'-aminostyryl)-2,5-bis(octyloxy)-benzene (6) and its derivative (E,E)-1,4-bis(4'-acetamidostyryl)-2,5-bis(octyloxy)-benzene (7) were synthesized and characterized after alkylation, bromomethylation, Horner-Emmons reaction and reduction from hydroquinone. In order to gain more molecular electronic data, HOMO and LUMO of compound 6 have been calculated by Gaussian 03 W. http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/6/2111/ Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CEST Molecules 2009-06-10 14 6 Article 2111 2117 1420-3049 Synthesis of a Diamino Substituted Terphenyldivinyl Chromophore 2009-06-10 doi: 10.3390/molecules14062111 Zhen-Ting Du Ru Liu Jun-Ru Wang An-Pai Li