Remote Construction of Chiral Vicinal Tertiary and Quaternary Centers by Catalytic Asymmetric 1,6‐Conjugate Addition of Prochiral Carbon Nucleophiles to Cyclic Dienones

An unprecedented remote construction of chiral vicinal tertiary and quaternary centers by a catalytic asymmetric 1,6‐conjugate addition of prochiral carbon nucleophiles to cyclic dienones has been developed. Both 5H‐oxazol‐4‐ones and 2‐oxindoles were found to be very efficient carbon nucleophiles in this reaction at a remote position, giving products with excellent enantio‐ and diastereoselectivities (up to 99 % ee and >19:1 d.r. for 5H‐oxazol‐4‐ones and up to 97 % ee and >19:1 d.r. for 2‐oxindoles).     

An efficient synthesis of benzo[b]benzofurano[2,3-e]-[1,6]naphthyridine-8-ones

An efficient method for the synthesis of benzo[b]benzofurano[2,3-e][1,6]naphthyridine-8-one derivatives has been developed via Pictet-Spengler reaction of 4-(3-aminobenzofuran-2-yl)quinoline-2-ones,which could be obtained from alkylation of 4-bromomethylquinoline-2-ones with salicylonitrile and subsequent Thorpe-Ziegier isomerization,with aromatic aldehydes under p-TsOH as catalyst in good yields.     

Amperometric L‐cysteine Sensor Using a Gold Electrode Modified with Thiolated Catechol

A thiolated catechol (CA) consisting of 1,6‐Hexanedithiol (HDT) and CA was modified on a gold (Au) electrode to obtain an amperometric L‐cysteine sensor with detection limit of 60.6 nM. The preparation of thiolated CA was conducted via a thiol addition between HDT and electro‐oxidized CA (EOCA). Briefly, the thiol addition reaction was accomplished by potential cycling of HDT/Au electrode in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (PB, pH 7.2) containing CA, and an EOCA‐HDT/Au electrode was produced. The obtained EOCA‐HDT/Au electrode exhibits a pair of well‐defined redox peaks (at 0.22/0.10 V) of o‐quinone moiety, which effectively mediates the oxidation of L‐cysteine in a 0.1 M PB (pH 7.2), with an over‐potential decrease by ca. 0.12 V (versus bare Au electrode). Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, cyclic voltammetry and surface‐enhanced Raman spectra were used to study relevant processes and/or film properties. The amperometric L‐cysteine sensor has good anti‐interferent ability and reproducibility. It also has acceptable recovery for detection of L‐cysteine in urine samples.     

Synthesis,Reactions, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of 2,3′‐Bipyridine Derivatives (III)

1‐Pyridin‐3‐yl‐3‐(2‐thienyl of 2‐furyl)prop‐2‐en‐1‐ones 1a , 1b reacted with 2‐cyanoethanethioamide 2 to afford the corresponding 4‐(thiophen‐2‐yl or furan‐2‐yl)‐6‐sulfanyl‐2,3′‐bipyridine‐5‐carbonitriles 3a , 3b . The synthetic potentiality of compounds 3a , 3b were investigated in the present study via their reactions with several active halogen containing compounds 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f , 4g , 4h , 5 , 5a , 5b . Our aim here is the synthesis of 4‐(2‐thienyl or 2‐furyl)‐6‐pyridin‐3‐ylthieno[2,3‐b]pyridin‐3‐amines 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d , 6e , 6g , 6h , 6i , 6j , 6k , 6l , 6m , 6n ,via 6‐(alkyl‐thio)‐4‐(2‐thienyl or 2‐furyl)‐2,3′‐bipyridine‐5‐carbonitriles 5a , 5b , 5c , 5d , 5e , 5i , 5j , 5k , 5l , 5m . The structures of all newly synthesized heterocyclic compounds were elucidated by considering the data of IR, ¹H‐NMR, mass spectra, as well as that of elemental analyses. Anti‐cancer, anti‐Alzheimer, and anti‐COX‐2 activities were investigated for all the newly synthesized heterocyclic compounds.     

Synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted pyrene derivatives through (6-bromo-3,8-dibutylpyren-1-yl)trimethylsilane

A straightforward route to unsymmetrically functionalized pyrene derivatives is described involving the synthesis of key precursor (6-bromo-3,8-dibutylpyren-1-yl)trimethylsilane 1. In a first step bromide 1 was successful in Suzuki-Miyaura, Sonogashira, and Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reactions. Subsequent transformation of the trimethylsilyl group to bromide enabled the introduction of a second variable functional group onto the pyrene skeleton.     

Minimum MD simulation length required to achieve reliable results in free energy perturbation calculations: Case study of relative binding free energies of fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphatase inhibitors

In an attempt to establish the criteria for the length of simulation to achieve the desired convergence of free energy calculations, two studies were carried out on chosen complexes of FBPase‐AMP mimics. Calculations were performed for varied length of simulations and for different starting configurations using both conventional‐ and QM/MM‐FEP methods. The results demonstrate that for small perturbations, 1248 ps simulation time could be regarded a reasonable yardstick to achieve convergence of the results. As the simulation time is extended, the errors associated with free energy calculations also gradually tapers off. Moreover, when starting the simulation from different initial configurations of the systems, the results are not changed significantly, when performed for 1248 ps. This study carried on FBPase‐AMP mimics corroborates well with our previous successful demonstration of requirement of simulation time for solvation studies, both by conventional and ab initio FEP. The establishment of aforementioned criteria of simulation length serves a useful benchmark in drug design efforts using FEP methodologies, to draw a meaningful and unequivocal conclusion. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011     

Fluorescence anisotropy and light-scattering studies of the interaction of insulin with liposomes

The interaction between zinc-stabilized insulin and lecithin liposomal membranes was studied using DPH fluorescence anisotropy and light-scattering techniques. To ascertain a possible influence of a charge on the insulin molecule, experiments were performed at pH 4.5 (insulin possesses a positive charge) and at pH 7.4 (the charge of insulin is negative). Measurements at pH 4.5 revealed significant changes in scattered light intensity induced by the addition of insulin to lecithin liposomes. With increasing time of storage of liposomes the insulin effect became faster and more pronounced. At pH 7.4, significant changes in scattered light were registered only in the case of liposomes stored for 5 days. In these liposomes a peroxidation process of lecithin was revealed. No significant changes induced by insulin were observed in DPH fluorescence anisotropy either at pH 4.5 or at pH 7.4, which suggested the absence of an interaction of insulin with the hycrophobic core of liposomes. Thus, the observed changes in scattered light could be interpreted in terms of the insulin association to the liposomal surface in the case of phospholipid peroxidation and/or acidic pH.     

The exclusive formation of cyclopentenones from molybdenum hexacarbonyl-catalyzed Pauson-Khand reactions of 5-allenyl-1-ynes

The exclusive formation of cyclopentenones (via path B) was observed in molybdenum hexacarbonyl (10 mol %) catalyzed Pauson-Khand reactions of 1,6-allenynes under 1 atm of CO (balloon) without any substitutent effect.     

Conductivity and dielectric properties of the monomer and polymer of the bis(p-toluene sulfonate) of 2,4-hexadiyne-1,6-diol

The electrical conductivity of single crystals of the bis(p-toluene sulfonate) of 2,4-hexadiyne-1,6-diol (TS) and its polymer (PTS) was measured in a temperature range 77–373 K (to 353 K for TS), dielectric properties were measured from 123 to 283 K. Anomalies of the conductivity and the real part of the complex dielectric permittivity of TS and PTS along the molecular stacking direction at the temperature corresponding to the low-temperature phase transitions were observed. The dependence of phase transitions on the polymerization conversion of the monomer TS was examined. The phase diagram of the TS-PTS mixed system was constructed.     

The influence of aliphatic diols on the temperature of maximum density of water

The influence of various aliphatic diols on the temperature of maximum density (TMD) of water has been investigated. 1,2-Propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, and 2,5-hexanediol were found to yield positive structural contributions to the solute-induced shift in the TMD, i.e., they are structure makers. Contrariwise, data from the literature indicate that 1,2-ethanediol is a structure breaker. Relationships between the structure making/breaking tendencies of the solutes and the relative positions of the two hydroxyl groups are discussed.