We have prepared and characterized a series of substituted 2-phenylbenzthiazole (4-CF3, 4-Me, 4-OMe, 4-F, 4-CN, and 3-F) ligands. The intermediate di-irrido and the six-coordinated mononuclear iridium(III) dopants of the above ligands have been synthesized and characterized. These complexes are thermally stable between 275 and 300 °C depending upon the types and volatility of substituents. They emit bright yellow to orange light. The peak emission wavelengths of the dopants can be finely tuned depending upon the electronic properties of the substituents as well as their positions in the ring. In the absorption spectra, the 1MLCT and 3MLCT transitions have been resolved in the range of 385−450 nm. The long tail toward lower energies are assigned to 3MLCT and 3π−π* transitions, which gains intensity by mixing with the higher lying 1MLCT state through the spin−orbit coupling of iridium(III). All complexes exhibit one electron oxidation and the oxidation potential values can be correlated with the Hammett substituent constants. The electroluminescent characteristics for the substituted and the unsubstituted complexes have been compared and discussed.

No abstract

No abstract

In recent years, the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in biomedical applications has shown an unprecedented boost along with simultaneous expansion of rapid, high-yielding, and sustainable AgNP synthesis methods that can deliver particles with well-defined characteristics. The present study demonstrates the potential of metal-tolerant soil fungal isolate Penicillium shearii AJP05 for the synthesis of protein-capped AgNPs. The particles were characterized using standard techniques, namely, UV–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The anticancer activity of the biosynthesized AgNPs was analyzed in two different cell types with varied origin, for example, epithelial (hepatoma) and mesenchymal (osteosarcoma). The biological NPs (bAgNPs) with fungal-derived outer protein coat were found to be more cytotoxic than bare bAgNPs or chemically synthesized AgNPs (cAgNPs). Elucidation of the molecular mechanism revealed that bAgNPs induce cytotoxicity through elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and induction of apoptosis. Upregulation of autophagy and activation of JNK signaling were found to act as a prosurvival strategy upon bAgNP treatment, whereas ERK signaling served as a prodeath signal. Interestingly, inhibition of autophagy increased the production of ROS, resulting in enhanced cell death. Finally, bAgNPs were also found to sensitize cells with acquired resistance to cisplatin, providing valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of bAgNPs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that provides a holistic idea about the molecular mechanisms behind the cytotoxic activity of protein-capped AgNPs synthesized using a metal-tolerant soil fungus.

A series of ‘aggregation induced emission’ active cyclometalated iridium(iii) complexes were synthesized and tested in cell imaging.