Conjugates of flower pigments and silica: smart and biocompatible hybrid materials

• Grant number: 19/15412-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: January 01, 2020 - December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Convênio/Acordo: CONFAP - National Council of State Research Support Foundations
• Principal Investigator: Erick Leite Bastos
• Grantee: Erick Leite Bastos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present proposal aims to develop new smart and biocompatible organic-inorganic hybrid materials from both silica xerogels or aerogels silica containing flower pigments through the collaboration between the research groups of Prof. Fabiano Severo Rodembusch (UFRGS) and Prof. Erick Leite Bastos (USP), who have complementary expertises. The betalamic acid, the betalain precursor, will be obtained biotechnologically from L-DOPA using 4,5-extradiol dioxygenase from isolated or in cellulo Amanita muscaria. Photoresponsive, fluorescent and chelating betalains will be prepared by coupling reaction between betalamic acid and carbon or nitrogen nucleophiles. These compounds will be, in turn, functionalized to the corresponding silyl derivatives using different alkoxysilanes. Betalain-silica xerogels (type I and II) will be prepared by the sol-gel chemistry and their morphological, photophysical and photochemical properties, as well as their interactions with retinal pigment epithelial cells will be studied. These hybrid materials (type I and II) will also be used to prepare new aerogels from CO2 supercritical drying. Also, the effects of lanthanides on the photophysical properties and the potential application of these materials will be investigated. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PINHEIRO, AMANDA CAPISTRANO; FAZZI, RODRIGO BONI; ESTEVES, LARISSA CERRATO; MACHADO, CAROLINE OLIVEIRA; DORR, FELIPE AUGUSTO; PINTO, ERNANI; HATTORI, YOCEFU; SA, JACINTO; FERREIRA, ANA MARIA DA COSTA; BASTOS, ERICK LEITE. A bioinspired nitrone precursor to a stabilized nitroxide radical. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, v. 168, p. 110-116, MAY 20 2021. (19/06391-8, 15/18474-4, 19/15412-9, 13/07937-8, 14/22136-4)