Hb Complex Research Articles

Unveiling Nano-Resveratrol induced by oil-in-water binding to human haemoglobin in the presence of holo-transferrin as binary and ternary systems: Spectroscopy, molecular dynamic and hemoglobin oxygenation approaches

Resveratrol (RES) is a member of polyphenols compounds capable of performing antioxidant activities and exhibiting anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. This study attempted to increase the bioavailability and solubility of RES through an O/W nano-emulsion process. The performance of synthesized Nano-RES with hemoglobin (Hb) and human holo transferrin (HTF) as the binary and ternary systems was investigated by the means of various spectroscopic techniques and cancer cell experiments. Fluorescence quenching measurement configured the static quenching mechanism of Hb-Nano-RES and (Hb-HTF) interaction with Nano-RES complexes. According to the results, the measurements for binding constant of Hb-Nano-RES and (Hb-HTF) Nano-RES complexes were observed to be (6.62 ± 0.08) × 104 and (6.37 ± 0.09) × 104 M−1 at 298 K respectively. Thermodynamic parameters revealed the participation of electrostatic forces throughout the binding of ligands and proteins. Furthermore, the resonance light scattering signal of Hb and Hb-HTF in the presence of Nano-RES displayed the formation and production of complexes in larger sizes. According to the data of far-UV CD and UV/vis, the secondary structure of proteins was altered by the interaction of Nano-RES with both proteins. The results of melting point assessment confirmed the impact of Nano-RES on increasing the thermal stability of Hb-HTF complex as a ternary system. As the different behavior of Hb and Hb-HTF in the presence of Nano-RES concentrations was approved by the conductivity analysis, the distances between donor and acceptor was determined by fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements (FRET) to be 1.68 nm and 1.77 nm for Hb-Nano-RES and (Hb-HTF) Nano-RES complexes, respectively. Molecular dynamic study was carried out to investigate the binding interactions of RES to Hb and Hb-HTF complex and was followed by MD simulation under the calculation of 100 ns. Lastly, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of Nano-RES in different concentrations on A549 and BEAS-2B cells, which increased the rate of apoptosis in A549 cells.

Bimetallic Coreshell-Hemoglobin Complex Immobilized MXene Based Voltammetric Biosensor for the Electrochemical Detection of Acrylamide

The gold electrode was modified with MXene nanosheets followed by Au@Ag coreshell and Hb complex (Au@Ag CS-Hb/MXene/AuE) for the detection of acrylamide. The prepared MXene was delaminated followed by the etching process and well characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The constructed biosensor showed electrochemical signal for acrylamide in the cyclic voltammetric method. The biosensor was tested in different pH and scan rate variations. The biosensor exhibited a limit of detection of 3.46 μM with two linear curves in higher and lower concentration ranges. The stability, reproducibility and repeatability studies of Au@Ag CS/Hb/MXene/AuE biosensor showed results emphasizing the good analytical performance of the biosensor. For practical applications, acrylamide was tested in spiked real samples and a good recovery rate was obtained. The proposed biosensor could further be converted to a rapid, portable sensor for acrylamide sensing.

On the Biophysical Investigation of Sulfamethazine‐Hemoglobin Binding and the Resulting Adverse Effects of Antibiotics

AbstractBinding of the well‐known antibiotic drug sulfamethazine (SMZ) with tetrameric heme protein, hemoglobin (Hb), was studied using spectroscopic, calorimetric and molecular docking techniques. SMZ belongs to the sulfonamide group of medicines with versatile applications. Nevertheless, it can be biologically harmful if used in excess or in an uncontrolled manner. The binding induced absorbance and fluorescence data indicated a ground state complex formation between the drug and the protein with 1 : 1 stoichiometry. Drug induced conformational perturbation of Hb structure was investigated with circular dichroism and synchronous fluorescence. The binding constant obtained from spectroscopy was in the order of 104 M−1which was further confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry. This may be higher compared to that of the oxygenation in Hb; thus SMZ binding can subsequently interrupt the oxygen transporting property of this iron protein. FRET analysis showed that the distance between SMZ and Hb is ∼3.75 nm, which is suitable for an effective binding. The MD simulation substantiated the mode and site of binding by confirming the factors contributing to the binding energy. It shows that SMZ binds to the central cavity close to subunit α 1‐helix of Hb. Residues around the drug forms hydrogen bonding and increases hydrophobicity to stabilize the SMZ−Hb complex. The binding interaction appears to be dominated by H‐bond formation and electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. This is in agreement with the thermodynamic analyses and contributes to the binding energy.

The Staphylococcus Aureus IsdH Receptor Forms a Dynamic Complex with Human Hemoglobin and Triggers Heme Release via Two Distinct Hot Spots

Iron is an essential nutrient that is actively acquired by bacterial pathogens during infections. Clinically important Staphylococcus aureus obtains iron by extracting heme from hemoglobin using the IsdH surface receptor; extraction is done by a tri-domain unit that contains its second (N2) and third (N3) NEAT domains, joined by a helical linker. Previous studies found these three domains are necessary for heme transfer and resolved the IsdH:Hb complex, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this work, we probed the mechanism of heme capture by using steered and conventional molecular dynamic simulations to explain NMR and stopped-flow transfer kinetics measurements. An alanine mutagenesis analysis reveals that two subsites trigger heme with the transiently forming receptor-Hb interface by contacting Hb's F-helix. The subsites are located within the N3 and linker domains and appear to play distinct roles stabilizing the heme transfer transition state. Using this information, we present a model of the transfer reaction that provides new insight into the mechanism underpinning microbial heme transfer.

Tyrosyl radical in haemoglobin and haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex: how does haptoglobin make haemoglobin less toxic?

One of the difficulties in creating a blood substitute on the basis of human haemoglobin (Hb) is the toxic nature of Hb when it is outside the safe environment of the red blood cells. The plasma protein haptoglobin (Hp) takes care of the Hb physiologically leaked into the plasma – it binds Hb and makes it much less toxic while retaining the Hb's high oxygen transporting capacity. We used Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to show that the protein bound radical induced by H2O2 in Hb and Hp-Hb complex is formed on the same tyrosine residue(s), but, in the complex, the radical is found in a more hydrophobic environment and decays slower than in unbound Hb, thus mitigating its oxidative capacity. The data obtained in this study might set new directions in engineering blood substitutes for transfusion that would have the oxygen transporting efficiency typical of Hb, but which would be non-toxic.

The Staphylococcus aureus IsdH Receptor Forms a Dynamic Complex with Human Hemoglobin that Triggers Heme Release via Two Distinct Hot Spots

Iron is an essential nutrient that is actively acquired by bacterial pathogens during infections. Clinically important Staphylococcus aureus obtains iron by extracting heme from hemoglobin (Hb) using the closely related IsdB and IsdH surface receptors. In IsdH, extraction is mediated by a conserved tridomain unit that contains its second (N2) and third (N3) NEAT domains joined by a helical linker, called IsdHN2N3. Leveraging the crystal structure of the IsdHN2N3:Hb complex, we have probed the mechanism of heme capture using NMR, stopped-flow transfer kinetics measurements, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. NMR studies of the 220 kDa IsdHN2N3:Hb complex reveal that it is dynamic, with persistent interdomain motions enabling the linker and N3 domains in the receptor to transiently engage Hb to remove its heme. An alanine mutagenesis analysis reveals that two receptor subsites positioned ~20 Å apart trigger heme release by contacting Hb's F-helix. These subsites are located within the N3 and linker domains and appear to play distinct roles in stabilizing the heme transfer transition state. Linker domain contacts primarily function to destabilize Hb–heme interactions, thereby lowering ΔH‡, while contacts from the N3 subsite play a similar destabilizing role, but also form a bridge through which heme moves from Hb to the receptor. Interestingly, MD simulations suggest that within the transiently forming interface, both the F-helix and receptor bridge are in motion, dynamically sampling conformations that are suitable for heme transfer. Thus, IsdH triggers heme release from Hb via a flexible, low-affinity interface that forms fleetingly in solution.

Identification of a haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex in human blood plasma

Blood plasma metalloproteins that contain copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and/or other metals/metalloids are potential disease biomarkers because the bloodstream is in permanent contact with organs. Their quantification and/or the presence of additional metal-entities or the absence of certain metalloproteins in blood plasma (e.g. in Wilson's disease) may provide insight into the dyshomeostasis of the corresponding metal (s) to gain insight into disease processes. The first step in investigating if the determination of plasma metalloproteins is useful for the diagnosis of diseases is their definitive qualitative identification. To this end, we have added individual highly pure Cu, Fe or Zn-containing metalloproteins to plasma (healthy volunteer) and analyzed this mixture by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled to an inductively coupled plasma atomic spectrometer (ICP-AES), simultaneously monitoring the emission lines of Cu, Fe and Zn. The results clearly identified ceruloplasmin (Cp), holo-transferrin (hTf), and α2-macroglobulin (α2M), which verifies our previous assignments. Interestingly, another major Fe-peak in plasma was identified as a haptoglobin (Hp)-hemoglobin (Hb) complex. This Hp-Hb complex is formed after Hb, which is released during the hemolysis of erythrocytes, binds to the plasma protein Hp. The Hp-Hb complex formation is known to be one of the strongest interactions in biochemistry (Kd≈1pmol/L) and is critical because it prevents kidney toxicity of free Hb. Hence, the simultaneous determination of Cp, hTf, α2M and the Hp-Hb complex in plasma in <25min has the potential to provide new insight into disease processes associated with the bioinorganic chemistry of Cu, Fe and Zn.

Antiproliferative and interaction studies of a synthesized palladium(II) complex with human hemoglobin

Previous reports have shown that Pd(II) complexes, as non-platinum complexes, are great anti-tumor agents against various cancer cells with reduced side effects compared to cis-platin. In this study, the biological activity of a synthesized Pd(II) complex (2-foran-2-yl, 1H-imidazo–[4,5–f], 1,10-phenanthroline palladium chloride [Pd (-FIP)2]) was investigated. The cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative properties of the complex was evaluated using the human leukemia K562 cancer cell line. Additionally, structural changes in the human blood carrier protein hemoglobin (Hb) was studied in the presence and absence of the Pd(II) complex using various spectroscopic methods including fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) at two temperatures of 25 and 37°C.The results have shown that this complex has a significant inhibitory effect on K562 cells by inducing apoptotic cell death. Intrinsic fluorescence data have shown a reduction in Hb fluorescence intensity through the addition of Pd(II) complex. Fluorescence quenching method was used to derive the stoichiometry of binding, the values of binding constants and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters at the two temperatures. The resulting values of ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° indicated that the process of Pd(II)–Hb complex formation was spontaneous in which hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions played major roles. Furthermore, CD spectra showed that the regular secondary structure of Hb does not change significantly.Finally, these results suggest that the newly synthesized Pd(II) complex can bind to Hb without changing the secondary structure of the protein, which is important in providing insights into the side effects of newly synthesized drugs on their carriers.

Studies on the interaction between nanodiamond and human hemoglobin by surface tension measurement and spectroscopy methods

In this study, a novel method to probe molecular interactions and binding of human hemoglobin (Hb) with nanodiamond (ND) was introduced based on the surface tension measurement. This method complements conventional techniques, which are basically done by zeta potential and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements, near and far circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. Addition of ND to Hb solution increased the surface tension value of Hb–ND complex relative to those of Hb and ND molecules. The zeta potential values reveled that Hb and ND provide identical charge distribution at pH 7.5. DLS measurements demonstrated that Hb, ND, and ND–Hb complex have hydrodynamic radiuses of 98.37 ± 4.57, 122.07 ± 7.88 nm and 62.27 ± 3.70 at pH of 7.5 respectively. Far and near UV-CD results indicated the loss of α-helix structure and conformational changes of Hb, respectively. Intrinsic fluorescence data demonstrated that the fluorescence quenching of Hb by ND was the result of the static quenching. The hydrophobic interaction plays a pivotal role in the interaction of ND with Hb. Fluorescence intensity changes over time revealed conformational change of Hb continues after the mixing of the components (Hb–ND) till 15 min, which is indicative of the denaturation of the Hb relative to the protein control. Extrinsic fluorescence data showed a considerable enhancement of the ANS fluorescence intensity of Hb–ND system relative to the Hb till 60 nM of ND, likely persuaded by greater exposure of nonpolar residues of Hb hydrophobic pocket. The remarkable decrease in Tm value of Hb in Hb–ND complex exhibits interaction of Hb with ND conducts to conformational changes of Hb. This study offers consequential discrimination into the interaction of ND with proteins, which may be of significance for further appeal of these nanoparticles in biotechnology prosecution.

Efficient Degradation of Aqueous Rhodamine B Irradiation Under Indoor Light Using a SiO2 -Hypocrellin B Complex.

An efficient method for the degradation of the dye Rhodamine B (RhB) is reported. A SiO2 -hypocrellin B (SiO2 -HB) complex was found to work as a catalyst to degrade RhB in aqueous solution at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, over the pH range 1-10, under indoor light conditions. This method is capable of removing 82.68% of RhB within 20 min at pH 9. The SiO2 -HB complex was characterized by both scanning electron microscopy and surface area analysis. The reaction progress was examined using ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and UV-visible spectroscopy. This process represents an efficient means of decontaminating dye-containing wastewaters in either highly acidic or weakly alkaline environments.

Characterization of an epimastigote-stage-specific hemoglobin receptor of Trypanosoma congolense.

BackgroundSince Trypanosoma spp. lack a complete heme synthesis pathway, the parasites are totally dependent on their host for heme throughout all of the stages of their life-cycle. We herein report the identification and characterization of a T. congolense epimastigote form (EMF)-specific hemoglobin (Hb) receptor. The gene was initially reported to encode a T. congolense haptoglobin (Hp)-Hb complex receptor (TcHpHbR) based on its similarity to a gene encoding a T. brucei Hp-Hb complex receptor (TbHpHbR).MethodsTrypanosoma congolense IL3000 was used in this study. A TcHpHbR gene was PCR amplified from the parasite genome. The recombinant protein was used as an immunogen to raise antibodies for immunofluorescence assay and immunoblotting. Hemoglobin uptake by the parasite was examined by using Alexa 488 labelled Hb and visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The qualitative and quantitative interaction between TcHpHbR and its ligand were measured using a surface plasmon resonance assay.ResultsWe found that, unlike TbHpHbR, TcHpHbR was exclusively expressed in the EMF stage at RNA and protein levels. The recombinant TcHpHbR (rTcHpHbR) was co-precipitated with free-Hb in a GST-pull down assay. Surface plasmon resonance revealed that rTcHpHbR binds free-Hb with high affinity (dissociation constant (Kd) = 2.1×10-8 M) but free-Hp with low affinity (Kd = 2.2×10-7 M). Furthermore, Alexa 488-labelled-Hb was only taken up by the EMF and co-localized with tomato lectin, which is a marker of endocytic compartments (flagellar pocket and lysosome).ConclusionWe conclude that the T. congolense EMF takes up free-Hb via TcHpHbR, a receptor which is specific to this developmental stage. We therefore propose renaming TcHpHbR as T. congolense EMF-specific Hb receptor (TcEpHbR).Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1563-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Destructive effect of anticancer oxali-palladium on heme degradation through the generation of endogenous hydrogen peroxide

The interaction between human hemoglobin (Hb) and oxali-palladium was studied using different spectroscopic methods of UV–vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and chemiluminescence at two temperatures of 25 and 37°C. The experimental results showed that both dynamic and static quenching is occurred simultaneously when oxali-palladium quenches the fluorescence of Hb. According to the fluorescence quenching method, the binding site number, apparent binding constant, and corresponding thermodynamic parameters were measured at two temperatures. The values of ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° indicate that process of the formation of oxali-palladium–Hb complex is a spontaneous interaction procedure in which electrostatic interaction plays a major role. In addition, UV–vis and CD results showed that the addition of oxali-palladium changes the conformation of Hb. To evaluate the functional changes of Hb via destruction of the heme structure, fluorescence studies were performed. The results demonstrated that two fluorescent heme degradation products are found during the interaction of oxali-palladium with Hb. Also, the amount of hydrogen peroxide produced in the solution of Hb due to the interaction of oxali-palladium with Hb using chemiluminescence method indicated heme degradation in the protein is occurred. Structural and functional changes induced in Hb via heme degradation are considered as side effects of this synthesized anticancer drug.

Native top-down mass spectrometry for the structural characterization of human hemoglobin.

Native mass spectrometry (MS) has become an invaluable tool for the characterization of proteins and noncovalent protein complexes under near physiological solution conditions. Here we report the structural characterization of human hemoglobin (Hb), a 64 kDa oxygen-transporting protein complex, by high resolution native top-down MS using electrospray ionization and a 15-Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Native MS preserves the noncovalent interactions between the globin subunits, and electron capture dissociation (ECD) produces fragments directly from the intact Hb complex without dissociating the subunits. Using activated ion ECD, we observe the gradual unfolding process of the Hb complex in the gas phase. Without protein ion activation, the native Hb shows very limited ECD fragmentation from the N-termini, suggesting a tightly packed structure of the native complex and therefore a low fragmentation efficiency. Precursor ion activation allows a steady increase in N-terminal fragment ions, while the C-terminal fragments remain limited (38 c ions and four z ions on the α chain; 36 c ions and two z ions on the β chain). This ECD fragmentation pattern suggests that upon activation, the Hb complex starts to unfold from the N-termini of both subunits, whereas the C-terminal regions and therefore the potential regions involved in the subunit binding interactions remain intact. ECD-MS of the Hb dimer shows similar fragmentation patterns as the Hb tetramer, providing further evidence for the hypothesized unfolding process of the Hb complex in the gas phase. Native top-down ECD-MS allows efficient probing of the Hb complex structure and the subunit binding interactions in the gas phase. It may provide a fast and effective means to probe the structure of novel protein complexes that are intractable to traditional structural characterization tools.

The structure of haemoglobin bound to the haemoglobin receptor IsdH from Staphylococcus aureus shows disruption of the native α-globin haem pocket.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common and serious cause of infection in humans. The bacterium expresses a cell-surface receptor that binds to, and strips haem from, human haemoglobin (Hb). The binding interface has previously been identified; however, the structural changes that promote haem release from haemoglobin were unknown. Here, the structure of the receptor-Hb complex is reported at 2.6 Å resolution, which reveals a conformational change in the α-globin F helix that disrupts the haem-pocket structure and alters the Hb quaternary interactions. These features suggest potential mechanisms by which the S. aureus Hb receptor induces haem release from Hb.

CD163 Binding to Haptoglobin-Hemoglobin Complexes Involves a Dual-point Electrostatic Receptor-Ligand Pairing

Formation of the haptoglobin (Hp)-hemoglobin (Hb) complex in human plasma leads to a high affinity recognition by the endocytic macrophage receptor CD163. A fast segregation of Hp-Hb from CD163 occurs at endosomal conditions (pH <6.5). The ligand binding site of CD163 has previously been shown to involve the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domain 3. This domain and the adjacent SRCR domain 2 of CD163 contain a consensus motif for a calcium-coordinated acidic amino acid triad cluster as originally identified in the SRCR domain of the scavenger receptor MARCO. Here we show that site-directed mutagenesis in each of these acidic triads of SRCR domains 2 and 3 abrogates the high affinity binding of recombinant CD163 to Hp-Hb. In the ligand, Hp Arg-252 and Lys-262, both present in a previously identified CD163 binding loop of Hp, were revealed as essential residues for the high affinity receptor binding. These findings are in accordance with pairing of the calcium-coordinated acidic clusters in SRCR domains 2 and 3 with the two basic Arg/Lys residues in the Hp loop. Such a two-point electrostatic pairing is mechanistically similar to the pH-sensitive pairings disclosed in crystal structures of ligands in complex with tandem LDL receptor repeats or tandem CUB domains in other endocytic receptors.

Plasma Clearance of Hemoglobin and Haptoglobin in Mice and Effect of CD163 Gene Targeting Disruption

In humans, plasma haptoglobin (Hp) and the macrophage receptor CD163 promote a fast scavenging of hemoglobin (Hb). In the present study, we have compared the mouse and human CD163-mediated binding and uptake of Hb and HpHb complex in vitro and characterized the CD163-mediated plasma clearance of Hb in CD163 gene knockout mice and controls. Contrary to human Hp, mouse Hp did not promote high-affinity binding to CD163. This difference between mouse and man was evident both by analysis of the binding of purified proteins and by ligand uptake studies in CD163-transfected cells. Plasma clearance studies in mice showed a fast clearance (half-life few minutes) of fluorescently labeled mouse Hb with the highest uptake in the kidney and liver. HPLC analysis of serum showed that the clearance curve exhibited a two-phase decay with a faster clearance of Hb than plasma-formed HpHb. In CD163-deficient mice, the overall clearance of Hb was slightly slower and followed a one-phase decay. In conclusion, mouse Hp does not promote high-affinity binding of mouse Hb to CD163, and noncomplexed mouse Hb has a higher CD163 affinity than human Hb has. Moreover, CD163-mediated uptake in mice seems to only account for a part of the Hb clearance. The new data further underscore the fact that the Hp system in man seems to have a broader and more sophisticated role. This has major implications in the translation of data on Hb metabolism from mouse to man.

Haptoglobin genotype and its role in determining heme-iron mediated vascular disease

Haptoglobin (Hp) is a hemoglobin (Hb) binding protein whose major function is to prevent heme-iron mediated oxidation. The polymorphic nature of the Hp gene results in varying levels of antioxidant function associated with the protein products. Multiple clinical studies have now determined that the Hp 2-2 genotype is associated with an increased risk of developing vascular complications in patients suffering from diabetes. The mechanism for this phenomenon is a decrease in antioxidant capability associated with the Hp 2-2 protein. Specifically, heme iron associated with the Hp2-2/Hb complex is more redox active than other Hp type complexes and has been shown in a number of systems to lead to increased levels of oxidative stress in the form of oxidized lipids and decreased lipoprotein function. In addition, Hp 2-2/Hb complexes are cleared less efficiently from the circulation, leading to a buildup of iron in the plasma and in tissues. Recent analyses from clinical studies utilizing vitamin E treatment have shown beneficial results specifically in the diabetic Hp 2-2 genotype population. The use of vitamin E in the treatment of Hp 2-2 diabetics has the potential to greatly reduce medical costs and improve quality of life in the ever-growing diabetic population.

Nature of Hydrogen Bonding in Charged Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes and Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids

The nature of hydrogen bonding was compared in neutral complexes and negatively charged complexes consisting of either the HF molecule or the halide anion (fluoride and chloride) and the C-H bond in the methane molecule with a varying degree of fluorination (such as CH(4), CH(2)F(2), and CHF(3)). Both linear (C(3v) symmetry) and nonlinear (C(2v) symmetry) hydrogen-bonded complexes were studied. Symmetry-adapted perturbation theory was used to decompose interaction energies into fundamental components such as Coulomb, repulsion, induction and dispersion to analyze the interplay among these forces in stabilizing hydrogen bonding. In the linear charged complexes, both Coulomb attraction and induction significantly contributed to the stabilization of hydrogen bonding. In the nonlinear charged complexes, mainly Coulomb attraction contributed to the HB complex stabilization, with the inductive forces playing a less important role. Contrary to the neutral complexes, dispersion forces played only a marginal role in the charged complexes. Interplay between the fundamental forces was also investigated in the ion pairs of the imidazolium-based ionic liquid, [C(2)mim]Cl, that were categorized as either (1) typical ion-ion interaction, with the anion interacting from above or below the imidazolium plane; or (2) hydrogen-bonding interaction, with the anion interacting with the C2-H bond of the imidazolium cation. Both types of interactions were found to induce similar charge transfers, and the analysis of the energetic components revealed only a slight difference in the ion pairs studied: (1) both interactions were electrostatically driven, between 86% and 88% of the overall attractive energy, with the electrostatic component being slightly lower in the hydrogen-bonded ion pairs by ~8 kJ mol(-1); and (2) dispersion forces were found to be stronger in the typical ion-ion interactions by ~15 kJ mol(-1) and could be possible only due to the fact that the anion was able to move closer to the cation with no steric hindrance. From the experimental point of view, a vibrational red shift is expected in the hydrogen-bonded complexes of imidazolium-based ionic liquids, whereas the ion-ion interactions are more likely to produce a slight blue shift.

Influence of chemical moieties and the flexible chain for the tilted smectic phases in linear hydrogen bonded liquid crystals with Schiff based pyridene derivatives

A novel series of hydrogen bonded liquid crystals (HBLC’s) prepared from non-mesogenic 4-pyridine carboxaldehyde, p-n-tetradecyl aniline and mesogenic 4-n-alkoxy benzoic acids (nOBA’s) are isolated by a condensation reaction followed by an HB complexation. Formation of HB complex and purity of product is confirmed by 1H NMR and IR spectroscopic techniques. The phase variance exhibited by the present HBLC series of compounds viz., Py14BA:nOBA’s (for n = 3–5, 7–9 and 12) is found to be AB in lower homologues and CF in higher homologues. Odd–even effect is exhibited by the series at I-SmA, I-SmC and LC to Solid transitions. Iso-SmA, Iso-SmC, SmA–SmB and SmC–SmF transitions are found to be of 1st order nature. The even higher homologues (for n = 8 and 12) exhibit a paramorphotic textural transition of 2nd order nature in their SmC phase. The influence of HB (soft-covalent) interaction and the inductomeric effect contributed by the end chains for the enhancement of transverse dipole moment μt, the stability of tilted LC phases (SmC and SmF) are discussed. An ACF Multi-Critical Point is predicted in the phase diagram for Py14BA:nOBA series of HBLC’s in the vicinity of n = 5.

Characterization of Phenosafranine–Hemoglobin Interactions in Aqueous Solution

Binding of the drug phenosafranine to hemoglobin (Hb) in aqueous solutions was investigated by fluorescence, UV/vis and circular dichroism (CD) spectral methods at pH=7.4. The fluorescence data showed that fluorescence quenching of Hb by phenosafranine is the result of formation of a phenosafranine–Hb complex with a 1:1 molar ratio. Thermodynamic analysis implied that hydrophobic, electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions are all involved in stabilizing the complex. The molecular distance (r=4.29 nm) between the donor (Hb) and acceptor (phenosafranine) was calculated according to Forster’s theory. The features of phenosafranine-induced secondary structure changes of Hb have been studied by synchronous fluorescence, CD and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. This study improves our knowledge of the interaction dynamics of phenazinium drugs to the physiologically important protein Hb.