Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity of n-Tributyltin Derivatives of Pharmaceutically Active Carboxylates

Summary.  Tributyltin(IV) derivatives of six different pharmaceutically active carboxylates were synthesized. The complexes were characterized by different analytical techniques (elemental analysis; infrared, NMR, and mass spectroscopy). ¹¹⁹Sn NMR data were also recorded in six different coordinating and non-coordinating solvents. The antibacterial activities of the compounds were tested using ten different bacteria relative to the reference drugs ampicillin and cephalexin. Received September 20, 2001. Accepted (revised) December 6, 2001     

Chemical Biological Sensors Based on Advances in Conducting Electroactive Polymers

Advances in conducting electroactive polymers (CEPs) have driven the design of novel chemical and biochemical sensors. The redox properties of CEPs have been intensely studied for more than two decades with emphasis on their synthesis and characterization. Little attention has been paid to the importance of mechanism in sensor designs. However, in order to design robust and stable sensors, it is important to understand how the polymer structure, morphology, adhesion properties and microenvironment affect sensor performance. This work describes how chemical and biological sensors have been designed, fabricated, characterized and tested based on the fundamental understanding in CEPs. The use of photopolymerized conducting polymers in sensor designs is described. Four focus areas are presented in which the electronic properties of CEPs have enabled the design of novel sensors for organics, nucleic acids, biological molecules, vapors and metal ions.     

Nitridation under ammonia of high surface area vanadium aerogels

Vanadium pentoxide gels have been obtained from decavanadic acid prepared by ion exchange on a resin from ammonium metavanadate solution. The progressive removal of water by solvent exchange in supercritical conditions led to the formation of high surface area V₂O₅, 1.6H₂O aerogels. Heat treatment under ammonia has been performed on these aerogels in the 450-900 °C temperature range. The oxide precursors and oxynitrides have been characterized by XRD, SEM, TGA, BET. Nitridation leads to divided oxynitride powders in which the fibrous structure of the aerogel is maintained. The use of both very low heating rates and high surface area aerogel precursors allows a higher rate and a lower threshold of nitridation than those reported in previous works. By adjusting the nitridation temperature, it has been possible to prepare oxynitrides with various nitrogen enrichment and vanadium valency states. Whatever the V(O,N) composition, the oxidation of the oxynitrides in air starts between 250 and 300 °C. This determines their potential use as chemical gas sensors at a maximum working temperature of 250 °C.     

Preparation of Diazo Phenyl Sulfides. Kinetics and Mechanism of the Diazo Coupling Reaction of p-Nitrobenzenediazo Phenyl Sulfide with β-Naphthol under Various Conditions

Aryldiazophenyl sulfides prepared from diazotised arylamines and thiophenol at controlled pH, are coupled with β-naphthol yielding the corresponding azo dye. A kinetic study of the diazo coupling reaction of p-nitrobenzenediazo phenyl sulfide with β-naphthol under various conditions revealed that the reaction is of first order kinetics with respect to the diazo phenyl sulfide, and that the rate of coupling measured colorimetrically is influenced by the hydrogen ion concentration and by the ionising power of the medium.     

Investigation of Raman,FT-IR,EPR spectra and antimicrobial activity of 2-(5-H/Me/Cl-1<Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">H</Emphasis>-benzimidazol-2-yl)-phenol ligands and their Fe(NO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> complexes

2-(5-H/Me/Cl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-phenol ligands form 1:1 electrolytes, 5-coordinate monometallic complexes with iron(III) nitrate. The geometry of the [Fe(L)(OH)(H₂O)₂](NO₃) complexes was derived from theoretical calculation in DGauss/DFT level (DZVP basis set) on CACHE. In all of the complexes the ligands are bidentate, via one imine nitrogen atom and phenolate oxygen atom. The coordination is completed with a hydroxide ion, and two water molecules, adopting a distorted square pyramidal geometry. The structures of the compounds were confirmed on the basis of elemental analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic moment, FT-Raman, FT-IR (mid-IR, far-IR), EPR and u.v.–vis. The antimicrobial activities of the free ligands, their hydrochloride salts, and the complexes were evaluated using the disk diffusion method in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as well as the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) dilution method, against nine bacteria and the results are compared with several known antibiotic agents. Antifungal activities were reported for Candida albicans, Kluyveromyces fragilis, Rhodotorula rubra, Debaryomyces hansenii, Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, and the results were referenced against nystatin, ketaconazole, and clotrimazole antifungal agents. In most cases, the compounds tested showed broad-spectrum (Gram⁺ & Gram⁻ bacteria) activities that were either more active or as potent as the references.     

New lariat ether carboxylic and hydroxamic acids: Synthesis and lanthanide ion complexation

Twenty-six new lariat ether carboxylic and hydroxamic acids based upon dibenzo-13-crown-4, dibenzo-14-crown-4, dibenzo-16-crown-5 and dibenzo-19-crown-6 ring systems are synthesized and the solid-state structure for a dibenzo-19-crown-6 lariat ether hydroxamic acid is determined. The efficiency and selectivity for lanthanide ion extraction into chloroform by these proton-ionizable lariat ethers is strongly influenced by the crown ether ring size, lipophilic group attachment site and identity of the acidic function. In general, the lariat ether hydroxamic acids were more efficient and selective lanthanide ion extractants than the corresponding lariat ether carboxylic acids. The ¹H nmr and ir binding studies indicate that both the macrocyclic polyether unit and the proton-ionizable group are involved in lanthanide ion complexation.     

About macroscopic models of instability pattern formation

Various macroscopic models to describe instability pattern formation are discussed in this paper. They are similar to the Ginzburg–Landau envelope equation, but they can remain valid away from the bifurcation and are based on the technique of Fourier series with slowly varying coefficients. We focus on two questions: the need to take phase changes into account and the boundary conditions to be associated with macroscopic models. The analysis is carried out on the basis of numerical simulations for the problem of a compressed beam on a nonlinear foundation that is quite similar to the well known Swift–Hohenberg equation. The first macroscopic model involves a real envelope so that the phase is assumed to be constant. The second model is also macroscopic and it is a sort of Ginzburg–Landau equation with a complex envelope. The third one follows from a multi-scaled approach with a numerical bridging between the full model near the boundary and a macroscopic model in the bulk.     

Investigation of a UV-laser generated waveguide in a planar polymer chip using an improved interferometric method

Polymeric integrated-optical waveguides are prepared in a planar polymer chip by UV-laser lithographic methods. The waveguide samples are irradiated by an excimer laser at a wavelength Λ=248 nm with various irradiation parameters (different fluencies and irradiation doses). Mach-Zehnder interferometer is employed and the refractive index depth profiles of the waveguide samples are obtained. This profile covers two regions having exponential and Gaussian shapes. The model field distributions strongly depend on the refractive index of each region. The mode field distribution and the effective mode indices for each region have been calculated on the basis of a theoretical model and the experimentally measured data.     

Organotin(IV) Complexes of 2-[(2′,4′,6′- Trichlorophenylamido)]benzoic Acid: Synthesis,Coordination Chemistry,and Semi-Empirical Study

A new series of organotin(IV) complexes of aniline derivatives, R₂SnL₂ and R₃SnL [where R = Me, n-Bu, n-Oct, and Ph], have been synthesized by the reaction of ligand acid with respective organotin halides in the presence of triethylamine as base or dioctyltin oxide using a Dean–Stark trap for the removal of water under reflux conditions. Experimental details for the preparation and characterization, including elemental analysis, IR, semi-empirical study, multinuclear NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and ¹¹⁹Sn spectra and EI mass spectral studies) of all reported complexes are provided. The IR data indicate that in both di- and triorganotin(IV) carboxylates, the ligand moiety ?COO acts as a bidentate group in the solid state. Multinuclear NMR data show that triorganotin complexes exhibits a four-coordinated geometry, while diorganotin(IV) complexes show a coordination number greater than four, probably five or six, in solution state.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

cyc-DEP: Cyclic immunofluorescence profiling of particles collected using dielectrophoresis

Cancer is a highly heterogenous disease that requires precise detection tools and active surveillance methods. Liquid biopsy assays provide an agnostic way to follow the complex trajectory of cancer, providing better patient stratification tools for optimized treatment. Here, we present the development of a low-volume liquid biopsy assay called cyc-DEP (cyclic immunofluorescent imaging on dielectrophoretic chip) to profile biomarkers collected on a dielectrophoretic microfluidic chip platform. To enable on-chip cyclic imaging, we optimized a fluorophore quenching method and sequential rounds of on-chip staining with fluorescently conjugated primary antibodies. cyc-DEP allows for the quantification of a multiplex array of proteins using 25 µl of a patient plasma sample. We utilized nanoparticles from a prostate adenocarcinoma (LNCaP) cell line and a panel of six target proteins to develop our proof-of-concept technique. We then used cyc-DEP to quantify blood plasma levels of target proteins from healthy individuals, low-grade and high-grade prostate cancer patients (n = 3 each) in order to demonstrate that our platform is suitable for liquid biopsy analysis in its present form. To ensure accurate quantification of signal intensities and comparisons between different samples, we incorporated a signal intensity normalization method (fluorescent beads) and a custom signal intensity quantification algorithm that account for the distribution of signal across hundreds of collection regions on each chip. Our technique enabled a threefold improvement in multiplicity for detecting proteins associated with fluid samples, opening doors for early detection, and active surveillance through quantification of a multiplex array of biomarkers from low-volume liquid biopsies.