Optimising biocatalyst design for obtaining high transesterification activity by α-chymotrypsin in non-aqueous media

Background  

Enzymes are often used in organic solvents for catalyzing organic synthesis. Two enzyme preparations, EPRP (enzyme precipitated and rinsed with n-propanol) and PCMC (protein coated microcrystals) show much higher activities than lyophilized powders in such systems. Both preparations involve precipitation by an organic solvent. The clear understanding of why these preparations show higher catalytic activity than lyophilized powders in organic solvents is not available.     

A synthesis of diethyl alkylsulfanylmethylmalonates catalyzed by KOH in an ionic liquid

Abstract  

1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide was used as a green recyclable alternative to volatile organic solvents for KOH catalyzed three-component synthesis of diethyl alkylsulfanylmethylmalonates from aldehydes, diethyl malonate, and alkylthiols.     

A biocatalytic approach for regioselective monoacetylation of 3-aryloxy-1,2-propanediols by porcine pancreatic lipase

Abstract  

Among the various lipases screened for the regioselective monoacetylation of 3-aryloxy-1,2-propanediols, porcine pancreatic lipase was found to afford a higher yield. The selectivity for the monoacetylation process was maximized by using different organic solvents and diisopropyl ether gave the highest conversion to monoacetylated product (ca. 98%). The optimized reaction afforded excellent yields of the monoacetylated product with regioselectivity at the terminal hydroxyl group in the presence of various aryl substituents in the starting material.     

Synthesis, structure, and solvatochromic properties of pharmacologically active 5-substituted 5-phenylhydantoins

Abstract  

A series of 5-substituted 5-phenylhydantoins was synthesized and their UV absorption spectra were recorded in the region 200–400 nm in selected solvents of different polarity. The effects of solvent dipolarity/polarizability and solvent–solute hydrogen-bonding interactions were analyzed by means of the linear solvation energy relationship concept proposed by Kamlet and Taft. The lipophilicities of the investigated hydantoins were estimated by calculation of their log P values. The quantitative relationship between the ratio of the contributions of specific solvent interactions and the corresponding lipophilicity parameter is discussed. The correlation equations were combined with the corresponding ED₅₀ values and different physicochemical parameters to generate new equations that demonstrate the reasonable relationships between solute–solvent interactions and the structure–activity parameters. In order to determine a spectroscopic assignment of the absorption bands in different solvents, quantum chemical calculations were done.     

Synthesis and characterization of alternating fluorene–thiophene copolymers bearing ethylene glycol side-chains

Abstract  

New alternating fluorene–thiophene copolymers are introduced bearing polar ethylene glycol-carboxylate functionalities on the thiophene ring to achieve enhanced solubility in polar solvents. Suzuki polycondensation was applied to synthesize a set of three polymers with differing lengths of the ethylene glycol side-chains. The polymers are thermally stable up to temperatures of 300 °C. Solutions of the polymers in CHCl₃ show an absorption maximum at approximately 397 nm and a luminescence maximum of 472 nm in solutions with quantum yield of 30%. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels have been determined to be at −5.7 and −2.6 eV, respectively.     

Construction of Novel Terbium Green Emissive Gels and Their Unique Thermal Degradation Processes

Abstract  

In this paper, four green luminescent gels were successfully formed in dimethyl sulfoxide as solvents. The gels are prepared by self-assembly of urea derivatives gelator N,N′-dioctadecylurea 1 and N-octadecylurea 2 in the presence of two terbium complexes. Very interestingly, the analysis of the peak intensities as function of temperature during heating treatments could be described by two linear equations at two stages. The best fit results were composed of two independent decay processes.     

An efficient, high yielding, and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of 14-aryl- or 14-alkyl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes using polyvinylsulfonic acid as a recyclable Br?nsted acid catalyst

Abstract  

Aryl or alkyl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthene derivatives were synthesized efficiently by the reaction of 2-naphthol and aromatic or aliphatic aldehydes in the presence of polyvinylsulfonic acid (PVSA) as a reusable Br?nsted acid catalyst under aqueous conditions at 90 °C. This reaction was studied under different conditions, and several solvents were examined. In terms of reaction yield and time, water was found to be the optimum solvent. The catalytic performance of PVSA was then compared with various acidic catalysts under optimized reaction conditions. The catalyst is well characterized using IR and DSC techniques.     

Crystal habit modifications of imatinib mesylate under various precipitation conditions

Abstract  

Crystals of the α-form of imatinib mesylate with various habits (e.g., polyhedral-like and plate-like) were prepared from various organic solvents (e.g., butyl lactate, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2-methyl-2-butanol, 2-isopropoxyethanol, propyl ether) by several precipitation methods. The methods provide imatinib mesylate in a non-needle-shaped crystalline α-form. The crystal modification was identified by hot-stage microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). The analyses by DSC, IR, and XRPD indicate that imatinib mesylate crystals with various habits have the same crystal structure. The plate-like habit has been also observed in the system where the organic solvent acts as a precipitant.     

Novel microwell assay with high throughput and minimum consumption for organic solvents in the charge transfer-based spectrophotometric determination of clarithromycin in pharmaceutical formulations

Background

Clarithromycin (CLM) is a semi-synthetic macrolide antibiotic with a broad antibacterial spectrum. It has a potent activity against Myc. Pneumonia, Legionella Spp., H. Influenza, and Mor. Catarrhalis. It is also used for prevention and treatment of disseminated M. Avium infections in patients with AIDS. The therapeutic importance and wide use of CLM promotes the growing interest in developing proper methods for its determination in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations.

Results

The present study describes the development and validation of a novel assay that can increase the throughput and reduce the consumption of organic solvents in the charge transfer (CT)-based spectrophotometric determination of CLM. In this assay, the CT reaction between CLM as n-electron donor and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as a π-electron acceptor was performed in the 96-microwells of an assay plate. The color signals of the CT complex were measured at 450 nm by microwell-plate absorbance reader. The linear range of the assay was 20?850 μg mL^?1. The limits of detection and quantitation were 15.5 and 51.2 μg mL^?1, respectively. The proposed assay gave very high precisions; the relative standard deviation (RSD) values did not exceed 1.82%.

Conclusions

The assay described herein has a high throughput property that facilitates the processing of large number of samples in a reasonable time. As well, it consumes minimum volumes of organic solvents, thus it significantly reduces the exposures of the analysts to the toxic effects of organic solvents, and reduce the analysis cost by 50-folds. The results demonstrated that the proposed assay has great practical value in the routine analysis of CLM in quality control laboratories.

     

Phthalocyanines: colorful macroheterocyclic sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract  

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have gained great attention as lower-cost alternatives to conventional photovoltaic devices. One way to improve the excellent efficiencies (ca. 11%) exhibited by DSSCs based on ruthenium polypyridyl dyes would consist in using sensitizers with enhanced light-harvesting properties in the red region of the spectrum. Phthalocyanines (Pcs) are very robust molecules which present extraordinary high extinction coefficients in the 600- to 700-nm spectral region. Intensive research has been focused on reducing the undesired aggregation phenomena of Pcs on the metal oxide surface, while keeping a good electronic coupling between the LUMO of the Pcs and the TiO₂ conduction band, and a good solubility of the dye in organic solvents. Recently, unsymmetrically substituted “push–pull” Pcs have emerged as efficient red-absorbing dyes, reaching power conversion efficiencies of up to 4.7%, when used as single sensitizers.     

Molecular cloning,gene structure and expression profile of two mouse peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase genes

Background  

In rats, two peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase genes (A and B) have been cloned, whereas only one thiolase gene is found in humans. The aim of this study was thus to clone the different mouse thiolase genes in order to study both their tissue expression and their associated enzymatic activity.     

Studies on the synthesis, characterization, binding with DNA and activities of two cis-planaramineplatinum(II) complexes of the form: cis-PtL(NH3)Cl2 where L = 3-hydroxypyridine and 2,3-diaminopyridine

Background  

Cis-planaramineplatinum(II) complexes like their trans isomers are often found to be active against cancer cell lines. The present study deals with the synthesis, characterization and determination of activity of new cis-planaramineplatinum(II) complexes.     

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes as electrode materials for electrochemical studies of organometallic compounds in organic solvent media

Abstract  

Films of vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were selectively synthesized on silicon dioxide substrate by catalytic chemical vapor deposition using either benzene or acetonitrile as carbon source and ferrocene (1% w/w) as catalyst. The MWCNT were extensively characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. In order to examine the prospective application of the fabricated MWCNT films for the detection of electro-active compounds in organic solvent media, electrochemical studies of the oxidation of cobaltocene (CoCp₂) to cobaltocenium cation (CoCp₂⁺) (Cp = cyclopentadienyl anion) in acetonitrile were performed on these films. For this purpose, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were employed. The electrochemical parameters for the CoCp₂^+/0 couple in acetonitrile were derived and compared with those obtained using a conventional glassy carbon electrode. The results demonstrate that the synthesized MWCNT films are promising electrode materials for the electrochemical detection of electro-active species in organic solvents. The MWCNT film formed upon decay of benzene has higher capacitance, less Warburg impedance, and less charge transfer resistance, and consequently it provides faster electron transfer kinetics.     

Three novel oligosaccharides synthesized using Thermoanaerobacter brockii kojibiose phosphorylase

Background  

Recently synthesized novel oligosaccharides have been produced primarily by hydrolases and glycosyltransferases, while phosphorylases have also been subject of few studies. Indeed, phosphorylases are expected to give good results via their reversible reaction. The purpose of this study was to synthesis other novel oligosaccharides using kojibiose phosphorylase.     

Interplay of thermochemistry and Structural Chemistry, the journal (volume 17, 2006) and the discipline

Abstract  

In the current study we relate the contents of the journal of “Structural Chemistry” for the calendar year 2006 to thermochemistry. Each paper is briefly summarized and supplemented by a comment which explicitly interrelates the content of the study to chemical energetics.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel thermally stable aromatic and semiaromatic polyamides derived from thiourea-based flexible diacid dichlorides

Abstract  

New diacid dichlorides bearing phenyl thiourea groups were prepared by a facile synthetic approach and characterized using spectroscopic and elemental analyses. A series of novel aromatic and semiaromatic polyamides were prepared via a condensation route from the synthesized diacid dichlorides with 4,4′-oxydianiline. The polymers were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and their physical properties, including their solution viscosities, solubilities and thermal properties, were studied too. Polyamides with phenyl thiourea moieties in the backbone showed good solubilities in amide solvents such as DMAc, DMF, DMSO, and NMP. All of the synthesized polymers had η _inh values of 0.042–0.053 dm³/g, and were obtained in quantitative yield. GPC measurements of the synthesized polyamides indicated M _w values of 64,759–86,172. The crystallinity of the polymers was evaluated via their X-ray diffraction patterns. Their glass transition temperatures were found to be 218–229 °C. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the polymers were thermally stable in the range 300–398 °C in a N₂ atmosphere.     

Kinetics and mechanism of monomolecular heterolysis of commercial organohalogen compounds: XXXVIII. Correlation analysis of solvent effects on the activation parameters of heterolysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">t</Emphasis>-BuBr and <Emphasis Type="Italic">t</Emphasis>-BuI

Heterolysis of t-BuBr and t-BuI in aprotic solvents involves a H - S compensation effect. The G of t-BuBr heterolysis in aprotic solvents decreases with increasing solvent polarity and cohesion, whereas the respective value for t-BuI heterolysis decreases with increasing solvent polarity, nucleophilicity, and polarizability. In protic solvents, a negative effect of nucleophilic solvation is observed.Translated from Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii, Vol. 74, No. 9, 2004, pp. 1476–1483.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Ponomarev, Zaliznyi, Dvorko.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Preparation of benzoate esters of morphine and its derivatives

Abstract  

Sustained analgesia is crucial for patients suffering from long-acting pain. Ester derivatives of morphine could enhance the lipophilicity of morphine; consequently its transdermal delivery as well as its duration of action are also increased. Therefore, twenty-one 3-O-, 6-O-, and 14-O-benzoate esters of morphine and their derivatives were synthesized in order to elaborate different synthetic methods suitable for esterification of these widely used compounds. Schotten–Baumann reaction was applied with sodium hydrogen carbonate, triethylamine, or pyridine in methylene chloride or 1,2-dichloroethane as solvents. The presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine catalyst was also successfully utilized mainly in the case of tertiary alcohols. A novel synthesis of dihydromorphine via diacetyl morphine free of by-products is also presented. Structures of all synthesized compounds were elucidated by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³C NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS). The log D (pH 7.4) values of the synthesized compounds were determined by a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–MS-based method, and calculated hydrolysis rate constants are also provided. The synthesized benzoate esters are potential prodrugs of the parent morphine with enhanced lipophilicity, derivatives which can also be used in transdermal drug delivery as prospective long-acting narcotic analgesics.     

Purification and characterization of cysteine protease from germinating cotyledons of horse gram

Background  

Proteolytic enzymes play central role in the biochemical mechanism of germination and intricately involved in many aspects of plant physiology and development. To study the mechanism of protein mobilization, undertaken the task of purifying and characterizing proteases, which occur transiently in germinating seeds of horse gram.     

An experimental NMR and computational study of 4-quinolones and related compounds

Abstract  

We report the synthesis and structural study of eight compounds, either quinolin-4(1H)-ones or quinolines. Tautomerism as well as (E) → (Z) and rotational isomerism were studied both experimentally (¹H and ¹³C NMR) and theoretically [B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)].