Synthesis and characterization of Cu,Ni and Zn binding capability of some amino- and imidazole hydroxamic acids: Effects of substitution of side chain amino-N for imidazole-N or hydroxamic-N-H for -N-CH3 on metal complexation

Solution equilibrium studies on Cu(II)-, Ni(II)- and Zn(II)-N-Me-β-Alaninehydroxamic acid (N-Me-β-Alaha), -N-Me-α-alaninehydroxamic acid (N-Me-α-Alaha), -Imidazole-4-carbohydroxamic acid (Im-4-Cha), -N-Me-imidazole-4-carbohydroxamic acid (N-Me-Im-4-Cha) and -Imidazole-4-acetohydroxamic acid (Im-4-Aha) systems have been performed by pH-potentiometry, UV–Vis spectrophotometry, EPR, CD, ESI-MS and ¹H NMR methods. According to the results: (i) the amino-N atoms are more basic in N-Me-α-Alaha and N-Me-β-Alaha than the hydroxamate function, but the trend is just the opposite between the imidazole-N(3) and hydroxamate. (ii) The metal ion anchor is always the hydroxamate part in the amino acid derivatives, while it is always the imidazole-N(3) in the studied imidazolehydroxamic acids. (iii) The three studied N-Me derivatives do not form metallacrowns. Only hydroxamate type chelate is formed with N-Me-β-Alaha, but with N-Me-α-Alaha a new type of coordination mode (via amino-N and hydroxamate-O) also exists. N-Me-Im-4-Cha also forms a dinuclear complex, [M₂L₃], with Cu(II) and Ni(II) (but not with Zn(II)). In this complex, one of the three ligands might bridge the two metal ions (five-membered hydroxamate-(O,O) plus five-membered (N_im, O_carb) bridging bis-chelating mode), while each of the additional two ligands binds to one metal. (iv) The two studied N–H derivatives, having dissociable proton on the hydroxamic-N, are able to form metallacrown species. A pentanuclear complex, [M₅L₄H₋₄], is exclusively formed above pH 4 between Cu(II) and Im-4-Aha. Interestingly, this 12-metallacrown-4 type complex, although together with various mononuclear binding isomers, appears also with Ni(II) and Zn(II). Unfortunately, the complexes of Im-4-Cha are not soluble in water at physiological pH at all.     

Surface and Structural Properties of Gold Nanoparticles and Their Biofunctionalized Derivatives in Aqueous Electrolytes Solution

Gold nanoparticles reduced by sodium citrate (d ～ 10 nm) and purchased gold colloid particles (d ～ 500 nm) were examined and compared. The properties of both gold particles and their biofunctionalized derivatives with L-cysteine and L-glutathione were studied in the presence of sodium nitrate. The structural investigations indicated an aggregated inner structure.

The isoelectric points of pure gold, citrate reduced gold, and functionalized gold were measured and compared. The low isoelectric point of pure gold/water interface was explained by considering the distribution and accumulation of H⁺ and OH^? ions within the interfacial water layer, being more pronounced for OH^? ions.      

An Abnormal N‐Heterocyclic Carbene–Carbon Dioxide Adduct from Imidazolium Acetate Ionic Liquids: The Importance of Basicity

In the reaction of 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate [C₂C₁Im][OAc] ionic liquid with carbon dioxide at 125 °C and 10 MPa, not only the known N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)–CO₂ adduct I , but also isomeric aNHC‐CO₂ adducts II and III were obtained. The abnormal NHC‐CO₂ adducts are stabilized by the presence of the polarizing basic acetate anion, according to static DFT calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics studies. A further possible reaction pathway is facilitated by the high basicity of the system, deprotonating the initially formed NHC‐CO₂ adduct I , which can then be converted in the presence of the excess of CO₂ to the more stable 2‐deprotonated anionic abnormal NHC–CO₂ adduct via the anionic imidazolium‐2,4‐dicarboxylate according to DFT calculations on model compounds. This suggests a generalizable pathway to abnormal NHC complex formation.     

Specific Design of Titanium(IV) Phenolato Chelates Yields Stable and Accessible,Effective and Selective Anticancer Agents

Octahedral titanium(IV) complexes of phenolato hexadentate ligands were developed and showed very high stability for days in water solutions. In vitro cytotoxicity studies showed that, whereas tetrakis(phenolato) systems are generally of low activity presumably due to inaccessibility, smaller bis(phenolato)bis(alkoxo) complexes feature high anticancer activity and accessibility even without formulations, also toward a cisplatin‐resistant cell line. An all‐aliphatic control complex was unstable and inactive. A leading phenolato complex also revealed: 1) high durability in fully aqueous solutions; accordingly, negligible loss of activity after preincubation for three days in medium or in serum; 2) maximal cellular accumulation and induction of apoptosis following 24–48 h of administration; 3) reduced impact on noncancerous fibroblast cells; 4) in vivo efficacy toward lymphoma cells in murine model; 5) high activity in NCI‐60 panel, with average GI₅₀ of 4.6±2 μm . This newly developed family of Ti^IV complexes is thus of great potential for anticancer therapy.     

Permanganate oxidation of unsaturated alcohols in alkaline media

A study was made on permanganate oxidation of olefinic and acetylenic alcohols in aqueous alkali media. Deprotonation constants of alcohols can be calculated from the kinetic data. The rate constant of alkoxide group oxidation exceeded that of the unsaturated bond. For oxidation of the alcoholic group a mechanism based on hydride ion transfer is proposed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 561–567, 2002     

Comparison of U-Statistics in the Change-Point Problem and in Sequential Change Detection

The purpose of this note is to compare the power of U-statistics based change-point tests and U-statistics based sequential tests. The theorems describe the large sample behaviour of these tests under local alternatives, and their analysis shows that sequential tests are more powerful under certain assumptions.     

Wavelength dependence of light-induced fading and free radical formation in azoreactive dyes

Light-induced stable free radicals (SFRs) were detected in azoreactive dyed cotton fabrics. Extremely slow photofading occurred under exposure to light of relatively long wavelength. The rate of photofading and SFR formation depend on the structure of the dye. Some of them show little drop in the rate of fading with the increasing wavelength, whereas others show nearly negligible changes under incident light of relatively long wavelength. In general a high rate of photofading was found when the SFR concentration was low.     

Syntheses and characterization of Cu,Ni and Zn binding capability of histidinehydroxamic acid derivatives

Two histidinehydroxamic acid derivatives (N-methyl-histidinehydroxamic acid, N-Me-Hisha and Z-histidinehydroxamic acid, Z-Hisha) have been synthesized and their complexation with Cu²⁺-, Ni²⁺- and Zn²⁺-ions has been studied by using pH-potentiometric, UV–Vis, CD, ¹H NMR, EPR and ESI-MS methods. Both of the two new derivatives contain one donor atom less compared to the histidinehydroxamic acid (Hisha). In the case of N-Me-Hisha the hydroxamate-N as donor is eliminated, while the coordination of the amino-N of Z-Hisha is not possible at all.     

Identification of Iridoids,Flavonoids and Triterpenes from the Methanolic Extract of Melampyrum bihariense A. Kern. and the Antioxidant Activity of the Extract

Melampyrum bihariense A. Kern. (Scrophulariaceae), a plant species used in traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatic disorders and skin infections, was investigated with regard to its antioxidant activity and identification of its bioactive chemical constituents. The crude methanolic extract of the aerial parts of M. bihariense was examined by the spectrophotometric DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ferric reducing antioxidant power methods. The free radical scavenging capacity (SC₅₀) of the extract was found by the DPPH method to be 27.10 mg mL^?1, and the ferric reducing ability equivalent to ascorbic acid at 50 mg mL^?1 was 0.709 μg mL^?1. The chemical composition of this highly effective in the methanolic extract was analysed, and the main compounds were isolated through solvent–solvent partition, and multiple chromatographic separations, including column chromatography, vacuum liquid chromatography, centrifugal planar chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. The structures were established by one- and two-dimensional NMR and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The iridoids aucubin (1), 8-epi-loganin (2) and mussaenoside (3), the flavones apigenin and luteolin and the triterpene acids ursolic acid and oleanolic acid were identified; components 2, 3, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid for the first time in this species. The present study reveals that M. bihariense exerts antioxidant activity, and the iridoids, flavonoids and triterpene acids may be the main bioactive constituents of its methanolic extract.