Direct and Indirect Chemiluminescence: Reactions,Mechanisms and Challenges

Emission of light by matter can occur through a variety of mechanisms. When it results from an electronically excited state of a species produced by a chemical reaction, it is called chemiluminescence (CL). The phenomenon can take place both in natural and artificial chemical systems and it has been utilized in a variety of applications. In this review, we aim to revisit some of the latest CL applications based on direct and indirect production modes. The characteristics of the chemical reactions and the underpinning CL mechanisms are thoroughly discussed in view of studies from the very recent bibliography. Different methodologies aiming at higher CL efficiencies are summarized and presented in detail, including CL type and scaffolds used in each study. The CL role in the development of efficient therapeutic platforms is also discussed in relation to the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) produced, as final products. Moreover, recent research results from our team are included regarding the behavior of commonly used photosensitizers upon chemical activation under CL conditions. The CL prospects in imaging, biomimetic organic and radical chemistry, and therapeutics are critically presented in respect to the persisting challenges and limitations of the existing strategies to date.     

Reactivity of 2‐Methyl‐4H‐3,1‐benzoxazin‐4‐ones and 2‐Methyl‐4H‐pyrido[2,3‐d][1,3]oxazin‐4‐one under Microwave Irradiation Conditions

The reactivity of variably substituted 2‐methyl‐4H‐3,1‐benzoxazin‐4‐ones and 2‐methyl‐4H‐pyrido[2,3‐d][1,3]oxazin‐4‐one towards carbon and oxygen nucleophiles under microwave irradiation conditions was investigated. Optimization of the reaction conditions of oxazinones with carbon nucleophiles led to the synthesis of a series of 4‐hydroxy‐quinolin‐2‐ones and 4‐hydroxy‐1,8‐naphthyridin‐2‐ones in high yields, whereas reaction with a variety of alcohols proceeded smoothly to the formation of the corresponding N‐acetyl‐anthranilates and nicotinates.     

Exploring the 2′-Hydroxy-Chalcone Framework for the Development of Dual Antioxidant and Soybean Lipoxygenase Inhibitory Agents

2′-hydroxy-chalcones are naturally occurring compounds with a wide array of bioactivity. In an effort to delineate the structural features that favor antioxidant and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activity, the design, synthesis, and bioactivity profile of a series of 2′-hydroxy-chalcones bearing diverse substituents on rings A and B, are presented. Among all the synthesized derivatives, chalcone 4b, bearing two hydroxyl substituents on ring B, was found to possess the best combined activity (82.4% DPPH radical scavenging ability, 82.3% inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and satisfactory LOX inhibition value (IC₅₀ = 70 μM). Chalcone 3c, possessing a methoxymethylene substituent on ring A, and three methoxy groups on ring B, exhibited the most promising LOX inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 45 μM). A combination of in silico techniques were utilized in an effort to explore the crucial binding characteristics of the most active compound 3c and its analogue 3b, to LOX. A common H-bond interaction pattern, orienting the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups of the aromatic ring A towards Asp768 and Asn128, respectively, was observed. Regarding the analogue 3c, the bulky (-OMOM) group does not seem to participate in a direct binding, but it induces an orientation capable to form H-bonds between the methoxy groups of the aromatic ring B with Trp130 and Gly247.     

Investigation of biosorption process of barium radionuclides on pomegranate peel; isotherms,kinetics and mechanism

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Biosorption of barium onto pomegranate peel was studied by gamma-spectrometry regarding different parameters. Adjustment of the isotherms to...     

The stochastic quantization method for systems with dissipation

The stochastic quantization of dissipative systems is discussed. It is shown that in order to stochastically quantize a system with dissipation, one has to restrict the Fourier transform of the space-time variable to the positive half domain in the complex plane. This breaks the time-reversal invariance, which manifests in the formulation through the resulting non-invariant forms for the propagators. The relation of the stochastic approach with the Caldeira and Leggett path-integral method is also analyzed.     

When Two Circles Determine a Triangle. Discovering and Proving a Geometrical Condition in a Computer Environment

Visualization of mathematical relationships enables students to formulate conjectures as well as to search for mathematical arguments to support these conjectures. In this project students are asked to discover the sufficient and necessary condition so that two circles form the circumscribed and inscribed circle of a triangle and investigate how this condition effects the type of triangle in general and its perimeter in particular. Its open-ended form of the task is a departure from the usual phrasing of textbook’s exercises “show that…”.     

Recent Advances on the Anticancer Properties of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and Its Major Constituents

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally with an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018 and a sustained rise in its incidence in both developing and developed countries. According to the WHO, about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. Despite the emergence of many pioneer therapeutic options for patients with cancer, their efficacy is still time-limited and noncurative. Thus, continuous intensive screening for superior and safer drugs is still ongoing and has resulted in the detection of the anticancer properties of several phytochemicals. Among the spices, Crocus sativus L. (saffron) and its main constituents, crocin, crocetin, and safranal, have attracted the interest of the scientific community. Pharmacological experiments have established numerous beneficial properties for this brilliant reddish-orange dye derived from the flowers of a humble crocus family species. Studies in cultured human malignant cell lines and animal models have demonstrated the cancer prevention and antitumor activities of saffron and its main ingredients. This review provides an insight into the advances in research on the anticancer properties of saffron and its components, discussing preclinical data, clinical trials, and patents aiming to improve the pharmacological properties of saffron and its major ingredients.     

The stochastic approach for non-Hamiltonian systems

The stochastic quantization of dissipative systems is discussed. It is shown that in order to stochastically quantize a system with dissipation, one has to restrict the Fourier transform of the space-time variable to the positive half domain in the complex plane. This breaks the time-reversal invariance, which manifests itself in the formulation through the resulting noninvariant forms for the propagators. The relation of the stochastic approach with the Caldeira and Leggett path-integral method is also analyzed.Department d'Estructura i Constituents de la Matéria, Universitat de Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain. Published in Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 100, No. 1, pp. 153–159, July, 1994.     

Molecular imprinting of natural flavonoid antioxidants: application in solid-phase extraction for the sample pretreatment of natural products prior to HPLC analysis

As shown in the past years, SPE based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) may provide significant enhancement of selectivity in sample preparation and analyte preconcentration. The objective of this work was the fabrication of MIPs for the specific adsorption of rutin and quercetin. The two flavonoids were used as the template molecules for the preparation of MIP phases in a self-assembly (noncovalent) approach. The produced MIPs were validated with regard to the imprinting efficiency as media for LC and SPE. The retention behavior of several flavonoid compounds was studied using as stationary phases imprinted, control nonimprinted polymers, and commercial silica-based materials. MIPs were applied as materials for the selective SPE and preconcentration of the flavonoids from white and red wine, orange juice, and tea. The collected fractions were analyzed by high-pressure LC. MIP-SPE facilitated specific analyte isolation and effective sample clean-up. The results show that molecularly imprinted SPE can be a useful tool for the simple, selective, and cost-effective pretreatment of samples containing natural antioxidants.