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Stimuli Responsive Compounds for Biological and Materials Sciences: Design, Characterization and Applications

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Cross-Field Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 6138

Special Issue Editor

Microbiology, Bioorganic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Interests: halogen bonding; supramolecular materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Stimuli-responsive materials have the ability to translate a stimulus into a change of physical/chemical properties. This activation leads to a modification at the nano/macromolecular scale such as a bond cleavage, a morphology transformation, color change or actuation. A wide range of stimuli from the internal (body)/external environment can trigger a molecular response, namely, a variation of temperature, magnetic/electrical field, pH, redox conditions, light, ultrasound, stress, or combinations thereof. These functional materials can be endowed with multiresponsiveness and find some applications in drug delivery, smart surfaces, sensors, gels, optical devices, shape-memory polymers, or nanocomposites.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on the design and application of stimuli-responsive small molecules and polymeric materials. Particular attention will be paid to the development of new responsive functional groups, and the improvement of their sensitivity/selectivity toward specific stimuli. These studies will also concern the determination of new stimuli from an external/internal environment. These smart compounds will also be endowed with multiresponsiveness and find application in biological and materials sciences. 

Prof. Dr. Franck Meyer
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • stimuli responsiveness
  • polymers
  • smart materials
  • sensors
  • drug delivery
  • gels
  • shape memory

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 5757 KiB  
Article
Novel NIR-Phosphorescent Ir(III) Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization and Their Exploration as Lifetime-Based O2 Sensors in Living Cells
by Ilya S. Kritchenkov, Vitaliya G. Mikhnevich, Victoria S. Stashchak, Anastasia I. Solomatina, Daria O. Kozina, Victor V. Sokolov and Sergey P. Tunik
Molecules 2022, 27(10), 3156; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27103156 - 14 May 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1969
Abstract
A series of [Ir(N^C)2(N^N)]+ NIR-emitting orthometalated complexes (17) has been prepared and structurally characterized using elemental analysis, mass-spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. The complexes display intense phosphorescence with vibrationally structured emission bands exhibiting [...] Read more.
A series of [Ir(N^C)2(N^N)]+ NIR-emitting orthometalated complexes (17) has been prepared and structurally characterized using elemental analysis, mass-spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. The complexes display intense phosphorescence with vibrationally structured emission bands exhibiting the maxima in the range 713–722 nm. The DFT and TD DFT calculations showed that the photophysical characteristics of these complexes are largely determined by the properties of the metalating N^C ligands, with their major contribution into formation of the lowest S1 and T1 excited states responsible for low energy absorption and emission, respectively. Emission lifetimes of 1–7 in degassed methanol solution vary from 1.76 to 5.39 µs and show strong quenching with molecular oxygen to provide an order of magnitude lifetime reduction in aerated solution. The photophysics of two complexes (1 and 7) were studied in model physiological media containing fetal bovine serum (FBS) and Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) to give linear Stern-Volmer calibrations with substantially lower oxygen-quenching constants compared to those obtained in methanol solution. These observations were interpreted in terms of the sensors’ interaction with albumin, which is an abundant component of FBS and cell media. The studied complexes displayed acceptable cytotoxicity and preferential localization, either in mitochondria (1) or in lysosomes (7) of the CHO-K1 cell line. The results of the phosphorescence lifetime imaging (PLIM) experiments demonstrated considerable variations of the sensors’ lifetimes under normoxia and hypoxia conditions and indicated their applicability for semi-quantitative measurements of oxygen concentration in living cells. The complexes’ emission in the NIR domain and the excitation spectrum, extending down to ca. 600 nm, also showed that they are promising for use in in vivo studies. Full article
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19 pages, 4287 KiB  
Article
Controlled Release of Insulin Based on Temperature and Glucose Dual Responsive Biomicrocapsules
by Xiaoguang Fan, Shiya Gu, Jingsheng Lei, Shiyan Gu and Lei Yang
Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1686; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051686 - 04 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2193
Abstract
The treatment of diabetes lies in developing novel functional carriers, which are expected to have the unique capability of monitoring blood glucose levels continuously and dispensing insulin correctly and timely. Hence, this study is proposing to create a smart self-regulated insulin delivery system [...] Read more.
The treatment of diabetes lies in developing novel functional carriers, which are expected to have the unique capability of monitoring blood glucose levels continuously and dispensing insulin correctly and timely. Hence, this study is proposing to create a smart self-regulated insulin delivery system according to changes in glucose concentration. Temperature and glucose dual responsive copolymer microcapsules bearing N-isopropylacrylamide and 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid as main components were developed by bottom-spray coating technology and template method. The insulinoma β-TC6 cells were trapped in the copolymer microcapsules by use of temperature sensitivity, and then growth, proliferation, and glucose-responsive insulin secretion of microencapsulated cells were successively monitored. The copolymer microcapsules showed favorable structural stability and good biocompatibility against β-TC6 cells. Compared with free cells, the biomicrocapsules presented a more effective and safer glucose-dependent insulin release behavior. The bioactivity of secreted and released insulin did not differ between free and encapsulated β-TC6 cells. The results demonstrated that the copolymer microcapsules had a positive effect on real-time sensing of glucose and precise controlled release of insulin. The intelligent drug delivery system is supposed to mimic insulin secretion in a physiological manner, and further provide new perspectives and technical support for the development of artificial pancreas. Full article
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33 pages, 10366 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Design and Synthesis of Diselenafulvenes, Tetraselenafulvalenes, and Their Tellurium Analogs and Application for Materials Sciences
by Nataliya A. Makhaeva, Svetlana V. Amosova and Vladimir A. Potapov
Molecules 2022, 27(17), 5613; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27175613 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1402
Abstract
The first organic metals were obtained based on tetrathiafulvalene. The most significant advance in the field of organic metals was the discovery of superconductivity. The first organic superconductors were obtained based on tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene. These facts demonstrate great importance of tetraselenafulvalenes and their precursors, [...] Read more.
The first organic metals were obtained based on tetrathiafulvalene. The most significant advance in the field of organic metals was the discovery of superconductivity. The first organic superconductors were obtained based on tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene. These facts demonstrate great importance of tetraselenafulvalenes and their precursors, diselenafulvenes, for materials sciences. Derivatives of 1,4-diselenafulvene and 1,4,5,8-tetraselenafulvalene are useful building blocks for organic synthesis and donor units for the preparation of charge-transfer complexes and radical ion salts, the construction of organic metals, superconductors, organic Dirac materials, semiconductors, ferromagnets, and other conductive materials. This review covers the literature on the design, synthesis, and application of 1,4,5,8-tetraselenafulvalenes and 1,4-diselenafulvenes and their tellurium analogs over the past 15–20 years. These two classes of compounds are interconnected, since the main part of methods for the synthesis of tetraselenafulvalenes is based on the diselenafulvene derivatives as starting compounds. Special attention is paid to the development of novel efficient synthetic approaches to these classes of compounds. Conducting properties and distinguishing features of materials based on tetraselenafulvalenes and their tellurium analogs as well as examples of materials with high conductivity are discussed. Full article
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