Synthesis and anti-leukaemic activity of pyrrolo[3,2,1-hi]indole-1,2-diones,pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinoline-1,2-diones and other polycyclic isatin derivatives

To further expand the structure–cytotoxic activity relationships of isatin derivatives and to reduce flexibility in substituent groups at nitrogen, 20 analogues incorporating a ring system between the N1 and C7 atoms of isatin were prepared using a variety of synthetic strategies. This yielded pyrroloindole-, pyrroloquinoline-, pyrroloacridine-, pyrrolophenanthridine- and benzopyrrolophenanthridine-based systems with embedded isatin moieties, the latter possessing a novel carbon skeleton. These compounds were subsequently assessed for their in vitro cytotoxicity against human U937 lymphoma cells, with the brominated pyrroloacridine dione 27 showing the most promising activity (IC₅₀ 3.01 μM) after 24 h.     

Advances on the Determination of the Astatine Pourbaix Diagram: Predomination of AtO(OH)2− over At− in Basic Conditions

It is generally assumed that astatide (At^?) is the predominant astatine species in basic aqueous media. This assumption is questioned in non‐complexing and non‐reductive aqueous solutions by means of high‐pressure anion‐exchange chromatography. Contrary to what is usually believed, astatide is found to be a minor species at pH=11. A different species, which also bears a single negative charge, becomes predominant when the pH is increased beyond 7. Using competition experiments, an equilibrium constant value of 10^?6.9 has been determined for the formation of this species from AtO(OH) with the exchange of one proton. The identification of this species, AtO(OH)₂^?, is achieved through relativistic quantum mechanical calculations, which rule out the significant formation of the AtO₂^? species, while leading to a hydrolysis constant of AtO(OH) in excellent agreement with experiment when the AtO(OH)₂^? species is considered. Beyond the completion of the Pourbaix diagram of astatine, this new information is of interest for the development of ²¹¹At radiolabeling protocols.     

Transition-metal nanoparticles in imidazolium ionic liquids: recyclable catalysts for biphasic hydrogenation reactions

1-n-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate room-temperature ionic liquid is not only suitable as a medium for the preparation and stabilization of iridium nanoparticles but also ideal for the generation of recyclable biphasic catalytic systems for hydrogenation reactions. Thus, Ir(0) nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 2 nm have been prepared by reduction of Ir(I) dissolved in the ionic liquid with H2. This catalytic solution can be reused several times for the biphasic hydrogenation of olefins under mild reaction conditions.     

EXAFS investigations of the mechanism of facilitated ion transfer into a room-temperature ionic liquid

The Sr(II)-crown ether complexes formed in a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-methyl-3-pentylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]amide, have been studied by X-ray absorption fine structure measurements at the Sr K-edge. When a Sr(NO(3))(2)-crown ether complex is directly dissolved in a water-saturated RTIL, both nitrate ligands and the crown ether coordinate the Sr, as observed in a conventional two-phase water-octanol system. When the cationic Sr-crown ether complex is created in a two-phase water-RTIL system, however, only cationic Sr-crown ether complexes are observed in the RTIL phase. This difference in the coordination complexes arises from differences in the mechanism of cation extraction between the RTIL and conventional molecular organic solvents, a finding with important implications for synthesis, catalysis, and ion separations using two-phase water-RTIL systems.     

Photoinduced electron transfer in a triad that can be assembled/disassembled by two different external inputs. Toward molecular-level electrical extension cables

We have designed, synthesized, and investigated a self-assembling supramolecular system which mimics, at a molecular level, the function performed by a macroscopic electrical extension cable. The system is made up of three components, 12+, 2-H3+, and 3. Component 12+ consists of two moieties: a [Ru(bpy)3]2+ unit, which plays the role of an electron donor under light excitation, and a DB24C8 crown ether, which fulfills the function of a socket. The wire-type component 2-H3+ is also composed of two moieties, a secondary dialkylammonium-ion center and a bipyridinium unit, which thread into the DB24C8 crown-ether socket of 12+ and the 1/5DN38C10 crown-ether socket 3, respectively. The photochemical, photophysical, and electrochemical properties of the three separated components, of the 12+ superset 2-H3+ and 2-H3+ subset 3 dyads, and of the 12+ superset 2-H3+ subset 3 triad have been investigated in CH2Cl2 solution containing 2% MeCN. Reversible connection/disconnection of the two plug/socket systems can be controlled independently by acid/base and redox stimulation. The behavior of the various different dyads and triad has been monitored by light absorption and emission spectroscopies, as well as by electrochemical techniques. In the fully connected 12+ superset 2-H3+ subset 3 triad, light excitation of the [Ru(bpy)3]2+ unit of component 12+ is followed by electron transfer (k = 2.8 x 108 s-1) to the bipyridinium unit of component 2-H3+, which is plugged into component 3. Possible schemes to obtain improved molecular-level electrical extension cables are discussed.     

A Basis for the Top Homology of a Generalized Partition Lattice

For a fixed positive integer k, consider the collection of all affine hyperplanes in n-space given by xi – xj = m, where i, j [n], i j, and m {0, 1,..., k}. Let Ln,k be the set of all nonempty affine subspaces (including the empty space) which can be obtained by intersecting some subset of these affine hyperplanes. Now give Ln,k a lattice structure by ordering its elements by reverse inclusion. The symmetric group Gn acts naturally on Ln,k by permuting the coordinates of the space, and this action extends to an action on the top homology of Ln,k. It is easy to show by computing the character of this action that the top homology is isomorphic as an Gn-module to a direct sum of copies of the regular representation, CGn. In this paper, we construct an explicit basis for the top homology of Ln,k, where the basis elements are indexed by all labelled, rooted, (k + 1)-ary trees on n-vertices in which the root has no 0-child. This construction gives an explicit Gn-equivariant isomorphism between the top homology of Ln,k and a direct sum of copies of CGn.     

The hierarchical basis multigrid method

Summary We derive and analyze the hierarchical basis-multigrid method for solving discretizations of self-adjoint, elliptic boundary value problems using piecewise linear triangular finite elements. The method is analyzed as a block symmetric Gauß-Seidel iteration with inner iterations, but it is strongly related to 2-level methods, to the standard multigridV-cycle, and to earlier Jacobi-like hierarchical basis methods. The method is very robust, and has a nearly optimal convergence rate and work estimate. It is especially well suited to difficult problems with rough solutions, discretized using highly nonuniform, adaptively refined meshes.