One-pot Three-component Condensation Reactions in Water. An Efficient and Improved Procedure for the Synthesis of Furan Annulated Heterocycles

Summary. The environment-friendly one-pot three-component condensation reactions of 4-hydroxycoumarin or 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyrone, p-substituted benzaldehyde, and alkyl or aryl isocyanides to afford furocoumarines or furopyranones in water in good yields after about one hour at 75°C are reported.     

Solid State Regeneration of Carbonyl Compounds from Oximes and Semicarbazones with Poly [N‐Bromo‐Benzene‐1,3‐Disulfonylamide]

Poly [N‐bromo‐benzene‐1,3‐disulfonylamide] [ PBBS ] is a novel and efficient reagent for the conversion of oximes and semicarbazones under solid state to their corresponding carbonyl compounds in high yields.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and an ab initio Study of a Manganese(II) Macrocyclic Schiff-Base Complex with Two 2-Aminoethyl Pendant Arms

The cyclocondensation of 2,6-diformylpyridine with N,N,N,N-tetrakis(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (pentene) in the presence of Mn^II forms the [1 + 1] pendant arm Schiff-base macrocyclic complex, [MnL³]²⁺. The ligand is a 15-membered pentaaza macrocycle having two 2-aminoethyl pendant arms {L³= 6,9-bis(aminoethyl)-3,6,9,12,18-pentaazabicyclo[12.3.1]octadeca-1(18),2,12,14,16-pentene}. The complex, investigated by analytical, spectroscopic and magnetic techniques, supports the formation of a highly symmetrical pentagonal bipyramid complex with the Mn^II ion located within a pentaaza macrocycle and two pendant amines coordinating on opposite sides of a plane defined by the macrocycle and the metal ion. The structure of the complex was also verified by ab initio HF-MO calculations using a standard 3-21G basis set.     

A new, efficient, and simple method for the synthesis of thiiranes from epoxides under solvent-free conditions

A simple, efficient, and new method has been developed for the synthesis of thiiranes from epoxides through a one-pot reaction of epoxides with diethyl phosphite in the presence of ammonium acetate or ammonium hydrogen carbonate/sulfur/ and acidic alumina under solvent-free conditions using microwave irradiation.     

Mode of action and synergism of cellulases fromPenicillium funiculosum

A 1,4-β-d-glucan cellobiohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.91) and l,4-β-d-glucan glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.4) were purified from the culture filtrates ofPenicillium funiculosum by using preparative isoelectric focusing. Both the enzymes were homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel with and without sodium dodecyl sulphate. The mol wt of the cellobiohydrolase and endoglucanase were 14,400 and 25,000 respectively. The purified enzymes were free of β-glucosidase activity. Acting in isolation, the cellobiohydrolase had little capacity for solubilizing Avicel or Walseth cellulose, but showed increased rates of hydrolysis when combined with endoglucanase. Cellobiose inhibition (50%) was observed in the initial rate of the hydrolysis of Walseth cellulose. It was also observed that cellobiohydrolase initiates the attack on crystalline cellulose. † NCL communication no. 3898.     

Vector and Cell Line Engineering Technologies Toward Recombinant Protein Expression in Mammalian Cell Lines

The rapid growth of global biopharmaceutical market in the recent years has been a good indication of its significance in biotechnology industry. During a long period of time in recombinant protein production from 1980s, optimizations in both upstream and downstream processes were launched. In this regard, one of the most promising strategies is expression vector engineering technology based on incorporation of DNA opening elements found in the chromatin border regions of vectors as well as targeting gene integration. Along with these approaches, cell line engineering has revealed convenient outcomes in isolating high-producing clones. According to the fact that more than 50% of the approved therapeutic proteins is being manufactured in mammalian cell lines, in this review, we focus on several approaches and developments in vector and cell line engineering technologies in mammalian cell culture.     

Cellulosic nanoparticles from alfa fibers (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Stipa tenacissima)</Emphasis>: extraction procedures and reinforcement potential in polymer nanocomposites

The microstructure and chemical composition of alfa (Stipa tenacissima) were investigated. The polysaccharide and lignin contents were around 70 and 20 wt%, respectively. From the bleached and delignified fibers, two types of nanosized cellulosic particles were extracted, namely cellulose nanocrystals and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). The former correspond typically to the elementary crystallite units of the cellulose fibers, with a rod-like morphology and an aspect ratio of about 20. The latter, mechanically disintegrated from oxidized bleached fibres, presents an entangled fibrillar structure with widths in the range 5-20 nm. The reinforcing potential of the ensuing nanoparticles was investigated by casting a mixture of acrylic latex and aqueous dispersion of cellulose nanoparticles. Thermo-mechanical analysis revealed a huge enhancement of the stiffness above the glass transition of the matrix. Significant differences in the mechanical reinforcing capability of the nanoparticles were reported.     

Sonochemical Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of Metal Hydroxide and Carbonate (M:Mg, Ca, Sr or Ba) Nanoparticles

In this work Mg(OH)₂, Ca(OH)₂, CaCO₃, SrCO₃ and BaCO₃ nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple sonochemical reaction at room temperature. Nanoparticles were synthesized via a surfactant-free reaction solvent water. Nanostructures materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic behavior of nanoparticles was evaluated using the degradation of a methyl orange aqueous solution under ultraviolet light irradiation. The results show that metal hydroxide and metal carbonate nanoparticles are promising materials with excellent performance in photocatalytic applications.     

Carbon dots with strong excitation-dependent fluorescence changes towards pH. Application as nanosensors for a broad range of pH

In this study, preparation of novel pH-sensitive N-doped carbon dots (NCDs) using glucose and urea is reported. The prepared NCDs present strong excitation-dependent fluorescence changes towards the pH that is a new behavior from these nanomaterials. By taking advantage of this unique behavior, two separated ratiometric pH sensors using emission spectra of the NCDs for both acidic (pH 2.0 to 8.0) and basic (pH 7.0 to 14.0) ranges of pH are constructed. Additionally, by considering the entire Excitation–Emission Matrix (EEM) of NCDs as analytical signal and using a suitable multivariate calibration method, a broad range of pH from 2.0 to 14.0 was well calibrated. The multivariate calibration method was independent from the concentration of NCDs and resulted in a very low average prediction error of 0.067 pH units. No changes in the predicted pH under UV irradiation (for 3 h) and at high ionic strength (up to 2 M NaCl) indicated the high stability of this pH nanosensor. The practicality of this pH nanosensor for pH determination in real water samples was validated with good accuracy and repeatability.