A series of dendrimeric compounds bearing pyrene units were synthesized to afford light-harvesting antennae based on the formation of intramolecular excimers. The synthetic plan profited from the efficiency of the Huisgen reaction, the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides and terminal alkynes, which allowed ready assembly of the different building blocks. The three molecular antennae obtained, of increasing generation, revealed efficient energy transfer both in solution and in the solid state.

An efficient approach to the organic functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for the production of highly soluble/dispersible materials has been accomplished by a class of highly reactive and thermally stable nitrones. Besides the unprecedented solubility in aprotic polar solvents of the functionalized samples (up to 10 mg of f-MWCNTs per mL of DMF), we have demonstrated, for the first time, that the CNT functionalization by nitrones preferentially occurs at the defective CNT sidewalls without any appreciable degradation of their sp2 network. The role of the reticular imperfections on the graphitic lattice of the MWCNTs has been experimentally and theoretically addressed. A complete chemical (TGA-MS, FT-IR, SSA) and morphological (TEM, AFM) characterization of the functionalized materials has accounted for the high degree of CNT functionalization, whereas Raman scattering, in combination with complementary XRPD and active surface area (ASA) measurements, has provided unambiguous evidence of the key role played by the structural “disorder” of the MWCNTs in the nitrone cycloaddition. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the reactivity of selected topological defects at the CNT sidewalls have contributed to trace-out a “defect-based” sidewall reactivity trend. The excellent processability of the functionalized MWCNTs has been finally exploited for the preparation of highly homogeneous CNT/polymer nanocomposites with CNT loadings as high as 3 wt%

(3S, 4S)-1-benzylpyrrolidine-3,4-diyl bis(dodecylcarbamate), a pyrrolidine ring bearing two long carbon chains connected by carbamate functionalities, is the origin of stable gels in both polar and apolar solvents. Several experimental and theoretical techniques (cryo-TEM, AFM, DSC, circular dichroism (CD), molecular mechanics calculations and CD simulations) were used to describe the formation and the characteristics of the chiral supramolecular structures and fibers constituting the gel. The chirality at both supramolecular and microscopic level depends on the configuration of the stereogenic centers of the pyrrolidine unit. The gels formed by the two enantiomers of the gelator and their mixtures display enantiomeric discrimination resulting in a self-sorting process. In fact, separate fibers of opposite helicity are obtained, which suggests this class of compounds has strong potential for realizing functionalized chiral architectures

Graphene has recently emerged as a novel material in the biomedical field owing to its optical properties, biocompatibility, large specific surface area and low cost. In this paper, we provide the first demonstration of the possibility of using light to remotely trigger the release of drugs from graphene in a highly controlled manner. Different drugs including chemotherapeutics and proteins are firmly adsorbed onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets dispersed in a biopolymer film and then released by individual millisecond-long light pulses generated by a near infrared (NIR) laser. Here graphene plays the dual role of a versatile substrate for temporary storage of drugs and an effective transducer of NIR-light into heat. Drug release appears to be narrowly confined within the size of the laser spot under noninvasive conditions and can be precisely dosed depending on the number of pulses. The approach proposed paves the way for tailor-made pharmacological treatments of chronic diseases, including cancer, anaemia and diabetes.