Catalytic activity of [L₂.Zn][NO₃]₂] (L = spiro-N₃P₃[O₂C₁₂H₈][N(CH₃)NH₂]) towards the hydrolysis of two phosphodiesters, [bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate, bNPP] and [2-(hydroxypropyl)-p-nitrophenyl phosphate, hNPP] has been examined. While the rate of hydrolysis of the former is accelerated over a million-fold, the rate of hydrolysis of the latter also is enhanced considerably. Detailed kinetic evaluation of these reactions has been carried out and all the kinetic parameters including the Michaelis-Menten parameters are reported. The catalyst [L₂.Zn][NO₃]₂] has also been found to be an effective nuclease. Relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA, pBR322, occurs in presence of [L₂.Zn][NO₃]₂ without the need for any exogenous reagents.

Relaxation dynamics of the excited singlet states of 2,5-bis-(N-methyl-N-1,3-propdienylaniline)-cyclopentanone (MPAC), a ketocyanine dye, have been investigated using steady-state absorption and emission as well as femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopic techniques. Following photoexcitation using 400 nm light, the molecule is excited to the S₂ state, which is fluorescent in rigid matrices at 77 K. S₂ state is nearly non-fluorescent in solution and has a very short lifetime ($0.5 \pm 0.2$ ps). In polar aprotic solvents, the S₁ state follows a complex multi-exponential relaxation dynamics consisting of torsional motion of the donor groups, solvent re-organization as well as photoisomerization processes. However, in alcoholic solvents, solvent re-organization via intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interaction is the only relaxation process observed in the S₁ state. In trifluoroethanol, a strong hydrogen bonding solvent, conversion of the non-hydrogen-bonded form, which is formed following photoexcitation, to the hydrogen-bonded complex has been clearly evident in the relaxation process of the S₁ state.

This study describes peptide fibre formation in a hexapeptide, derived from the V3 loop of HIV-1, mediated by the interactions between arginine residues and phosphate/carboxylate anions. This charge neutralization approach was further confirmed when the deletion of arginine residue from the hexapeptide sequence resulted in fibre formation, which was studied by a combination of microscopic techniques.

We describe synthesis and solid state structural description of uranyl complexes of carboxylate functionalized adenine and uracil derivatives. The metal coordination through carboxylate pendant leads to the formation of dimeric assemblies, whereas the directional nature of hydrogen bonding interaction supported by nucleobases and aqua ligands, result in the generation of complex 3-D architectures containing embedded nucleobase ribbons.