Novel trichothecanes, paecilomycine A, B, and C, isolated from entomopathogenic fungus, Paecilomyces tenuipes

Paecilomycine A (1), B (2), and C (3) were isolated from cultivated fruiting bodies of Paecilomyces tenuipes (Isaria japonica), which is a popular entomopathogenic fungus used in folk medicine and health foods in China, Korea, and Japan. The structures of 1-3 were deduced from their spectroscopic data and their absolute configurations were elucidated by preparing their MPA esters. Compound 1 showed activity in the neurotrophic factor biosynthesis in glial cells.     

A Review of Silver Nanoparticles: Research Trends,Global Consumption,Synthesis, Properties,and Future Challenges

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are intensively investigated for their superior physical, chemical, and biological properties. A proper knowledge of these properties is essential to maximizing the potential applications of AgNPs in several areas while minimizing their risks to humans and the environment. This paper aims to critically review AgNPs from the perspectives of research trends, global consumption, synthesis, properties, and future challenges. Generally, AgNPs can be synthesized using three methods, namely physical, chemical, and biological, and the related works as well as their numerous advantages and disadvantages are presented in this review. In addition, AgNPs can be potentially explored for various applications. Future challenges on (AgNP) synthesis, their release into the environment, and scaling up production, as presented in the review, suggest that several potential topics for future works are available to promote a safer and more efficient use of these nanoparticles. Studies on AgNPs in Malaysia have increased since the Malaysian government officially established a directorate for nanotechnology development. This calls for a proper set of policies on AgNPs starting from their production to utilization as well as their effects on various related industries and the environment.     

Chemical,Electrochemical, and Structural Properties of Endohedral Metallofullerenes

Ever since the first experimental evidence of the existence of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) was obtained, the search for carbon cages with encapsulated metals and small molecules has become a very active field of research. EMFs exhibit unique electronic and structural features, with potential applications in many fields. Furthermore, functionalized EMFs offer additional potential applications because of their higher solubility and their ease of characterization by X‐ray crystallography and other techniques. Herein we review the general field of EMFs, particularly of functionalized EMFs. We also address their structures and their (electrochemical) properties, as well as applications of these fascinating compounds.     

Conformational behavior on 2,2,3-trisubstituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline alkaloids,virantmycin, benzastatins,and their congeners,evaluated by semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations

The conformational behaviors on ring inversion between two half-chair conformers a and b in physiologically active 2,2,3-trisubstituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline alkaloids, virantmycin ( 1 ), benzastatin C ( 6 ), benzastatin D ( 7 ), and their congeners 2–5 , which were revealed by their nmr studies have been quantitatively evaluated by semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations (PM3). The geometries of respective half-chair conformers a and b in compounds 1–7 were optimized and it was found that their thermodynamic distributions are approximately valid in comparison with the coupling constants observed in their nmr experiments. Furthermore, these calculations estimated the energy barriers for ring inversion in compounds 1–7 in the range of ca. 4.86–11.13 kcal/mol, which were compatible with rapid interconversions between a and b at room temperature.     

Microdetermination of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Hg, Pb, Bi and U in inorganic and organometallic compounds with morpholinium morpholine-N-dithiocarboxylate

The chelates of morpholinium morpholine-N-dithiocarboxylate with manganese(II), iron(II), iron(III), cobalt(II), nickel, copper(II), zinc, silver, cadmium, mercury(II), lead, bismuth and uranium(VI) have been prepared and their compositions elucidated. Simple, accurate and relatively rapid procedures for the gravimetric and titrimetric microdetermination of these metals in inorganic and organometallic compounds are presented.     

Hybrid porous solids: past, present, future

This critical review will be of interest to the experts in porous solids (including catalysis), but also solid state chemists and physicists. It presents the state-of-the-art on hybrid porous solids, their advantages, their new routes of synthesis, the structural concepts useful for their 'design', aiming at reaching very large pores. Their dynamic properties and the possibility of predicting their structure are described. The large tunability of the pore size leads to unprecedented properties and applications. They concern adsorption of species, storage and delivery and the physical properties of the dense phases. (323 references)     

1,1',3,3',6,6',8,8'-Octachloro-9,9'-bifluorenylidene and perchloro-9,9'-bifluorenylidene,two exceedingly twisted ethylenes

The syntheses of 1,1',3,3',6,6',8,8'-octachloro-9,9'-bifluorenylidene (1), its precursors, and the byproduct 3,3',5,5'-tetrachloro-4-(trichloromethyl)biphenyl (5) are described. Accurate structural X-ray data on 1 and on perchloro-9,9'-bifluorenylidene (2) are reported and discussed. Because of chlorine overcrowding, the dihedral angles between their two identical fluorenylidene moieties are abnormally large, the central-ethylene twist angles being 55 and 66 degrees, respectively. Significant out-of-plane carbon-chlorine bond bending is likewise exhibited. Their ESR spectra and magnetic measurements prove that they are singlet species. The exceptionally large bathochromic displacements of their UV-vis absorption spectrum with respect to that of their parent hydrocarbon are mainly attributed to bond bending and molecular warping.     

Ruffling-induced chirality: synthesis, metalation, and optical resolution of highly nonplanar, cyclic, benzimidazole-based ligands

Expedient five-step syntheses of a cyclic bis(benzimidazole)-based amide 5 and two sterically more hindered analogues 23-24 have been developed. These amides are chiral due to the inherent ruffling of the macrocyclic plane. Racemization of the optical antipodes of these compounds has been studied using dynamic chiral stationary phase HPLC. These studies reveal that, while the parent amide 5 racemizes rapidly, for the sterically more hindered amides 23-24, the rate of racemization is significantly reduced. Bis(benzimidazole)-based amides 5 and 23-24 form stable Ni(II) complexes 25-27, respectively. Like their parent ligands, complexes 25-27 are chiral due to their highly ruffled geometry. Studies of these complexes by chiral stationary phase HPLC reveal that metalation leads to a much lower rate of racemization. Incorporation of a strap can slow racemization even further. A series of strapped cyclic amides 54-57, along with their corresponding dimers 58-61, have been prepared. The rate of racemization for amides 54-57 is strongly dependent on the length of the strap. X-ray single-crystal structure analysis of the Ni(II) complex of strapped amide 54 reveals that the bis(benzimidazole) core retains its highly ruffled shape, with the two phenyl rings of the macrocycle located anti to the strap. Chiral separation of strapped ligands 54-57 and their corresponding Ni(II) complexes is shown to be facile by chiral stationary phase HPLC.     

Photoinduced activation of molecular oxygen by various porphyrins,bis-porphyrins,phthalocyanines, pyridinoporphyrazins,and their metal derivatives

Aerobic irradiation of tetraphenylporphyrins, phthalocyanines, tetra-t-butylphthalocyanines, tetracarboxylphthalocyanines, tetrapyridinoporphyrazins and some of their metal derivatives with visible light (λ > 420 nm) give singlet oxygen by energy transfer and oxygen superoxide by electron transfer, but some of their Cu, Zn of Pt derivatives are efficient quenchers for superoxide formation.     

Vinyl carbonates, vinyl carbamates, and related monomers: synthesis, polymerization, and application

Although acrylates and methacrylates are the state-of-the-art monomers for protective and decorative coatings, skin and inhalation irritancy and potential cytotoxicity of monomers present serious health hazards. Monomers like vinyl carbonates or vinyl carbamates can overcome these problems with their generally lower cytotoxicity and yet similar photoreactivity to (meth)acrylates. The reviewed classes of monomers have not attracted industry's attention until now due to expensive synthetic methods though recently developed affordable routes offer prospect for their increasing use (88 references).     

Radioanalytical researches performed in the Continental Contamination Laboratory,CNEN, Casaccia Nuclear Center,Rome, Italy

A report is given on the various research activities concerning radioanalytical chemistry performed in the following fields; (a) radiochemistry; (b) non-nuclear methods; (c) instrumental neutron activation analysis; (d) computer analysis of γ-ray spectra. All these activities are carried on in the frame of two surveys extended to the whole Italian territory: the first one on the radioactive environmental contamination both of natural and of artificial origin; the second one on a number of non-radioactive trace elements, with a particular emphasis upon their presence, as contaminants, in the food-chain and upon their uptake by man.     

Recent Developments in the Chemistry of Pn(I) (Pn=N,P, As,Sb, Bi) Cations

The Group 15 Pn(I) cations (Pn=N, P, As, Sb and Bi), which are isoelectronic with the donor-stabilized carbones, have emerged recently. Despite the presence of two lone pair of electrons, the Pn(I) cations are weakly nucleophilic due to their inherent positive charge. Strongly electron-donating supporting ligands including zwitterionic forms have been used to enhance their Lewis basicity. Furthermore, the chelating effect of cyclic ligand systems proved effective in increasing their nucleophilicity. The strategies involved in successfully isolating the fleeting Sb(I) and Bi(I) cations as the recent most achievements in this field have been discussed. The syntheses, structure, bonding situations and reactivity of the Pn(I) cations are discussed. An outlook on the periodic trends and future applications of these electronically unique electron-rich cationic moieties have been provided.     

Diamond Nanowires: Fabrication,Structure, Properties,and Applications

C(sp³)? C‐bonded diamond nanowires are wide band gap semiconductors that exhibit a combination of superior properties such as negative electron affinity, chemical inertness, high Young’s modulus, the highest hardness, and room‐temperature thermal conductivity. The creation of 1D diamond nanowires with their giant surface‐to‐volume ratio enhancements makes it possible to control and enhance the fundamental properties of diamond. Although theoretical comparisons with carbon nanotubes have shown that diamond nanowires are energetically and mechanically viable structures, reproducibly synthesizing the crystalline diamond nanowires has remained challenging. We present a comprehensive, up‐to‐date review of diamond nanowires, including a discussion of their synthesis along with their structures, properties, and applications.     

A Smart,Autocatalytic, DNAzyme Biocircuit for in Vivo,Amplified, MicroRNA Imaging

DNAzymes have been recognized as promising transducing agents for visualizing endogenous biomarkers, but their inefficient intracellular delivery and limited amplification capacity (including insufficient cofactor supply) preclude their extensive biological application. Herein, an autocatalytic DNAzyme (ACD) biocircuit is constructed for amplified microRNA imaging in vivo based on a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and DNAzyme biocatalysis, sustained by a honeycomb MnO₂ nanosponge (hMNS). The hMNS not only delivers DNA probes, but also supplies Mn²⁺ as a DNAzyme cofactor and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent. Through the subsequent cross‐activation of HCR and DNAzyme amplicons, the ACD amplifies the limited signal resulting from miRNA recognition. The hMNS/ACD system was used to image microRNA in vivo, thus demonstrating its great promise in cancer diagnosis.     

含DDQ^—的Phen,Bipy,En金属配合物的量子化学研究

含ＤＤＱ（２,３－Ｄｉｃｈｌｏｒｏ－５,６－ｄｉＣｙａｎｏｂｅｎｚｏｑｕｉｎｏｎｅ）的某些金属配合物由于具有较好的导电性能及特殊的磁性,在记录材料等领域具有广阔的应用前景而引起不少化学工作者的研究兴趣［１］。六十年代至今Ｂｒａｎｄｏｎ［２］、ｌｉｄａ［３］、Ｇｉａｌｍｏｔｔｉ［４］、Ｆｕｋｕｚｕｍｉ［５］、Ｍｉｌｌｅｒ［６］等为代表的一些化学家研究了与某些茂金属的氧化还原反应、电荷转移反应及产物光谱性质、磁学性质和导电性,并弄清了在这些电荷转移盐中ＤＤＱ不是以ＤＤＱ而是以ＤＤＱ形式出现。胡培植等…     

Synthesis,characterization, antibacterial,and thermal studies of unsymmetrical Schiff-base complexes of cobalt(II)

Cobalt(II) complexes of a new series of unsymmetrical Schiff bases have been synthesized and characterized by their elemental analyses, melting points, magnetic susceptibility, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared (IR), and electronic spectral measurements. The purity of the ligands and the metal complexes are confirmed by microanalysis, while the unsymmetrical nature of the ligands was further corroborated by ¹H-NMR. Comparison of the IR spectra of the Schiff bases and their metal complexes confirm that the Schiff bases are tetradentate and coordinated via N₂O₂ chromophore. The magnetic moments and electronic spectral data support square-planar geometry for the cobalt(II) complexes. The complexes were thermally stable to 372.3°C and their thermal decomposition was generally via the partial loss of the organic moiety. The Schiff bases and their complexes were screened for in vitro antibacterial activities against 10 human pathogenic bacteria and their minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined. Both the free ligands and cobalt(II) complexes exhibit antibacterial activities against some strains of the microorganisms, which in a number of cases were comparable with, or higher than, that of chloramphenicol.     

Electrostriction, ion solvation, and solvent release on ion pairing

The theoretical mean molar electrostriction volume of electrolytic solvents, DeltaVel(solvent), was calculated from their properties: the relative pressure derivatives of the density (the compressibility) and permittivity and their second pressure derivatives. The molar electrostriction caused by ions at infinite dilution was taken as the differences of their standard partial molar volumes in the solution and their intrinsic volumes: DeltaVel(ion) = Vinfinity(ion) - Vin(ion). The ratio ninfinity = DeltaVel(ion)/DeltaVel(solvent) then represents the solvation number of the ion in the solvent at infinite dilution. Similarly, from the molar volume change on ion pair formation, DeltaVip, the ratio Deltanip = DeltaVip/DeltaVel(solvent) represents the number of solvent molecules released thereby. These values were tabulated for those solvents, ions, and ion pairs for which the relevant information could be found, the extension to nonaqueous solvents not having been attempted previously.     

Alpha,2-, alpha,3-, and alpha,4-dehydrophenol radical anions: formation,reactivity, and energetics leading to the heats of formation of alpha,2-, alpha,3-, and alpha,4-oxocyclohexadienylidene

We have regiospecifically generated the alpha,2-, alpha,3-, and alpha,4-dehydrophenoxide anions by collisional activation of o-, m-, and p-nitrobenzoate. The alpha,2 and alpha,4 isomers also were synthesized by reacting o-benzyne radical anion with carbon dioxide and electron ionization of p-diazophenol. All three dehydrophenol radical anions were differentiated from each other and identified by probing their chemical reactivity with several reagents. Each isomer was converted to phenoxide and its corresponding quinone as well. Thermochemical measurements were carried out on all three radical anions and their hydrogen-atom affinities, proton affinities, and electron binding energies are reported. These measured quantities are combined in thermodynamic cycles to derive the heats of formation of each of the radical anions and their corresponding carbenes (i.e., alpha,2-, alpha,3-, and alpha,4-dehydrophenol). These results are compared to MCQDPT2, G3, G2+(MP2), and B3LYP calculations and experimental data for appropriate reference compounds.     

Simultaneous Visualization of Endogenous Homocysteine,Cysteine, Glutathione,and their Transformation through Different Fluorescence Channels

Studying numerous biologically important species simultaneously is crucial to understanding cellular functions and the root causes of related diseases. Direct visualization of endogenous biothiols in biological systems is of great value to understanding their biological roles. Herein, a novel multi‐signal fluorescent probe was rationally designed and exploited for the simultaneous sensing of homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys), and glutathione (GSH) using different emission channels. This probe was successfully applied to the simultaneous discrimination between and visualization of endogenous Hcy, Cys, GSH, and their transformation in living cells.     

Gemini imidazolium amphiphiles for the synthesis, stabilization, and drug delivery from gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are considered useful vehicles for medical therapy and diagnosis. Despite the progress made in this field, there is need to find direct, reliable, and versatile synthetic procedures for their preparation as well as new multifunctional coating agents. In this sense, we have explored the use of imidazolium amphiphiles to prepare new AuNPs designed for anion recognition and transport. Thus, in this work we describe (a) the synthesis, by a phase transfer method, of new gold nanoparticles using gemini-type surfactants as ligands based on imidazolium salts, those ligands acting as transfer agents into organic media and also as nanoparticle stabilizers, (b) the examination of their stability in solution, (c) the chemical and physical characterization of the nanoparticles, using a variety of techniques, including UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), (d) toxicity data concerning both the imidazolium ligands and the imidazolium coated nanoparticles, (e) the assessment of their molecular recognition ability toward molecules of biological interest, such as anions and carboxylate containing model drugs, such as ibuprofen, (f) the study of their toxicity and those of their coating ligands, as well as their ability for cell internalization, and (g) the study of their ability for delivering anionic pharmaceuticals. The structurally governed triple role of those new gemini-type surfactants is responsible for the preparation, remarkable stability, and delivery properties of these functional AuNPs.