An expedient esterification of aromatic carboxylic acids using sodium bromate and sodium hydrogen sulfite

Treatment of aromatic carboxylic acids and substituted toluenes with a mixture of sodium bromate and sodium hydrogen sulfite in a two-phase system gave the corresponding esters in good yield. The intermediate α-brominated toluene was formed by the in situ generated hypobromous acid. The α-bromotoluene underwent an intermolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction with aromatic carboxylic acids present in the reaction mixture to afford the corresponding esters.     

Trimeric perfluoro-ortho-phenylenemercury: a versatile Lewis acidic host

Trimeric perfluoro-ortho-phenylenemercury (1) constitutes one of the simplest trifunctional Lewis acidic hosts. In addition to cooperative effects arising from the proximity of the mercury(II) centers, the electron-withdrawing properties of the backbone and the accessibility of the electrophilic sites lead to the facile complexation of neutral and electron rich substrates. The planarity of the structure as well as its overall polarizability compounded with relativistic effects at mercury also permits the occurrence of non-covalent interactions and accounts for the tendency of this compound to form cofacial dimers. Collectively, the Lewis acidic properties of 1 as well as its ability to engage in non-covalent interactions can be held responsible for its ability to form extended binary supramolecular stacks with arenes. The photoluminescence observed in some of these supramolecular complexes corresponds to the phosphorescence of the aromatic substrate and indicate the occurrence of a mercury heavy atom effect.     

Proposed Mechanism for the Antitrypanosomal Activity of Quercetin and Myricetin Isolated from Hypericum afrum Lam.: Phytochemistry,In Vitro Testing and Modeling Studies

The in vitro activity of L. donovani (promastigotes, axenic amastigotes and intracellular amastigotes in THP1 cells) and T. brucei, from the fractions obtained from the hydroalcoholic extract of the aerial part of Hypericum afrum and the isolated compounds, has been evaluated. The chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts showed significant antitrypanosomal activity towards T. brucei, with IC₅₀ values of 12.35, 13.53 and 12.93 µg/mL and with IC₉₀ values of 14.94, 19.31 and 18.67 µg/mL, respectively. The phytochemical investigation of the fractions led to the isolation and identification of quercetin (1), myricitrin (2), biapigenin (3), myricetin (4), hyperoside (5), myricetin-3-O-β-d-galactopyranoside (6) and myricetin-3’-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (7). Myricetin-3’-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (7) has been isolated for the first time from this genus. The chemical structures were elucidated by using comprehensive one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D and 2D NMR) spectroscopic data, as well as high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI–MS). These compounds have also been evaluated for their antiprotozoal activity. Quercetin (1) and myricetin (4) showed noteworthy activity against T. brucei, with IC₅₀ and IC₉₀ values of 7.52 and 5.71 µM, and 9.76 and 7.97 µM, respectively. The T. brucei hexokinase (TbHK1) enzyme was further explored as a potential target of quercetin and myricetin, using molecular modeling studies. This proposed mechanism assists in the exploration of new candidates for novel antitrypanosomal drugs.     

Energetic and topological analyses of the oxidation reaction between Mo(n) (n = 1, 2) and N2O

The interaction between molybdenum, atom, and dimer, with nitrous oxide has been investigated using density functional theory. The analysis of the potential energy surfaces for both reactions has revealed that a single molybdenum atom can activate the N--O bond of N2O requiring a small activation energy. However, the presence of several intersystem crossings between three different spin states, namely, septet, quintet and triplet states, seems to be the major constraint to the Mo + N2O reaction. Contrarily, the low-lying excited states (triplet and quintet) do not participate in the reaction between the molybdenum dimer and N2O. The latter reaction fully evolves on the singlet spin surface. Three different regions have been distinguished along the pathway: formation of an adduct complex, formation of an inserted compound, and the N2 detachment. The connection between the two first regions has been characterized by the formation of a special complex in which the N--O bond is so weakened that it could be considered as a first step in the insertion process. It has been shown that the topological changes along the pathways provide a clear explanation for the geometrical changes that occur along the reaction pathway. In summary, the detachment of the N2 molecule is found to be kinetically an effective process for both reactions, owing to the high exothermicity and consequently to the high internal energy of the insertion intermediates. However, in the case of Mo atom, the reaction should be a slow process due to the presence of spin-forbidden transitions. These results fully agree with previous experimental works.     

Rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes with α-diimine ligands containing amino or hydroxy substituents

-Diimines, RN:C(R)C(R):NR(LL) derived from glyoxal, GLL (R=H) abbreviated as GAA (R= R=4-dimethylaminophenyl) or GHA (R= R=4-hydroxyphenyl), and derived from biacetyl, BLL (R=Me) abbreviated as BDH (R=R= NH₂), BOH (R=NH₂, R=OH) react with carbonylrhodium(I) compounds to give different products depending on the imino substituents in the ligand and/or the solvent employed. The reaction of -diimines bearing amino groups, such as GAA or BDH with [RhCl(CO)₂]₂ in acetone yields binuclear [RhCl(CO)₂]₂(-LL) while in CH₂Cl₂ ionic [Rh- (CO)₂(LL)]⁺[RhCl₂(CO)₂]^– species are obtained. In acetone [RhCl(CO)₂]₂(-GAA) exists as an equilibrium mixture between two different neutral binuclear species; [Rh(CO)₂(BDH)]⁺ exists as a mixture of two species containing chelate or monodentate bonded diimine respectively. GAA or BDH react in situ with [RhCl(CO)(C₂H₄)]₂ in benzene to yield tetracoordinated monocarbonylated [RhCl(CO)(LL)] compounds. -Diimines (LL) bearing hydroxy groups, such as GHA or BOH react with [RhCl(CO)₂]₂ or [RhCl(CO)(C₂H₄)]₂ to give pentacoordinated dicarbonylated [RhCl(CO)₂(LL)] compounds.     

Pore size control and gas permeation kinetics of silica membranes by pyrolysis of phenyl-substituted ethoxysilanes with cross-flow through a porous support wall

A silica membrane was produced by chemical vapor deposition using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), phenyltriethoxysilane (PTES) or diphenyldiethoxysilane (DPDES) as the Si source. Amorphous silica was deposited in the mesopores of a γ-alumina film coated on a porous -alumina tube, by evacuating the reactant through the porous wall. Hydrogen permeance at a permeation temperature of 600°C was of the order of 10⁻⁷ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ Pa⁻¹, and was not greatly dependent on the Si sources. The silica membrane produced using TEOS contained micropores permeable to both helium and hydrogen, but CO₂ and larger molecules were only slightly permeated through those mesopores which were left unplugged. The silica membrane produced from DPDES showed a single-component CO₂ permeance equivalent to that of single-component He, and CO₂/N₂ selectivity was approximately 9 at a permeation temperature of 30°C. When a mixture of CO₂ and N₂ was fed, however, CO₂ permeance decreased to the level of N₂ permeance. The H₂/N₂ selectivity, determined from single-component permeances to H₂ and N₂, was approximately 100, and these permeances remained unchanged when an equimolar mixture of H₂ and N₂ was fed. Thus, the DPDES-derived membrane possessed two types of micropores, abundant pores through which helium and hydrogen permeated and a small number of pores in which molecules of CO₂ and N₂ were permeable but not able to pass one another. Neither meso or macropores remained in the DPDES membrane.     

On nonhomogeneous singular elliptic equations with cylindrical weights

In this paper, we establish the existence of multiple solutions for nonhomogeneous singular elliptic equations with cylindrical weights, by using Ekeland??s variational principle and mountain pass theorem without Palais?CSmale condition.     

Synthesis of Jasminaldehyde by Solid-Liquid Phase Transfer Catalysis Without Solvent,Under Microwave Irradiation

α-n-amylcinnamaldehyde (jasminaldehyde) was obtained with 82 % yield by solid-liquid phase transfer catalysis without solvent within 3 days at room temperature. By use of domestic microwave irradiation, the same yield was obtained within 1 minute at a power of 600 W.     

Ultra performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry studies of formalin‐induced alterations of human brain lipidome

The development of ‘omics’ sciences offers new opportunities for the study of neurodegenerative diseases but increases at the same time the sample demand on brain banks that collect and store valuable human post‐mortem tissue. Our study aims to evaluate in lipidomics the potential of formalin‐fixed tissue compared with the cryopreservation method, considered as the gold standard for biochemical research. Two complementary liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analytical platforms were used on the basis of hybrid quadrupole time‐of‐flight and triple quadrupole mass spectrometers. Untargeted fingerprinting, semitargeted profiling of specific lipid classes and targeted monitoring of lipid species were performed in formalin‐fixed and cryopreserved samples to provide detailed information at the molecular level on the formalin‐induced alterations of the brain tissue. In vitro incubations of lipid standards were also performed to further describe the degradation processes induced by formaldehyde. Phospholipid compounds were found to be extensively hydrolysed, whilst the sphingolipid ones were preserved. N‐methylation and N‐formylation of amine‐containing phospholipids have also been evidenced. These findings show that the potential detrimental effect of formalin on the analytes of interest must be taken into account when analysing formalin‐fixed samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.