Pd- and Cu-catalyzed one-pot multicomponent synthesis of hetero α,α'-dimers of heterocycles

A novel palladium- and copper-catalyzed one-pot multicomponent synthesis of hetero α,α'-dimers of heterocycles via Sonogashira coupling and double cyclization cascade involving imine formation has been developed. This reaction cascade proceeded under mild conditions, providing a powerful synthetic tool for the assembly of π-conjugated systems with a combination of palladium-catalyzed post-direct C-H bond arylations.     

Exploiting the divergent reactivity of α-isocyanoacetate: multicomponent synthesis of 5-alkoxyoxazoles and related heterocycles

A novel multicomponent synthesis of 5-alkoxyoxazoles, based on a new reactivity profile of α-isocyanoacetates, is described. Thus, simply heating a solution of amine, aldehyde, and α-(EWG-phenyl)-α-isocyanoacetate or α-(4-pyridyl)-α-isocyanoacetate (EWG=electron-withdrawing group) in toluene provided 5-alkoxyoxazoles in good to excellent yields. Reaction of the 5-alkoxyoxazoles with various α,β-unsaturated acyl chlorides led to the formation of epoxytetrahydropyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-ones by a domino N-acylation/Diels-Alder cycloaddition sequence. Subsequent fragmentation under basic conditions provided 6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-ones. A four-component synthesis of the pyridin-5-one compounds, without isolation of the 5-alkoxyoxazole, was subsequently developed.     

A one-pot multicomponent synthesis of polysubstituted thiophenes via the reactions of an isocyanide, α-haloketones,and β-ketodithioesters in water

An efficient synthesis of polysubstituted thiophene derivatives is achieved via the multicomponent reaction of β-ketodithioesters, α-haloketones, and cyclohexylisocyanide in aqueous medium.     

Formal synthesis of Pellasoren – A

A convergent and highly stereoselective formal synthesis of Pellasoren – A is described. The salient features of the synthesis are the utilization of enzymatic desymmetrization, Crimmin’s non-Evans syn aldol, Lindlar’s and Wittig reaction.     

Ionic liquids in separations of azeotropic systems – A review

Efforts to make existing separation methods more efficient and eco-friendly may get a boost from the use of a relatively new class of compounds known as ionic liquids (ILs). The separation of azeotropic mixtures has conventionally been one of the most challenging tasks in industrial processes due to the fact that their separation by simple distillation is basically impossible.This paper provides a critical review of methods using ILs as azeotrope breakers. Three separation processes were addressed: liquid–liquid extraction, extractive distillation, and supported liquid membranes. We examine the azeotrope breaking potential of ILs and compare their performance to that of conventional solvents. A systematic analysis of the influence of the structure of ILs on their azeotrope breaking capacity contributes to the establishment of guidelines for selecting the most suitable ILs for the separation of specific azeotropic mixtures.     

A comparative study of the multicomponent Ugi reactions of an oxabicycloheptene-based β-amino acid in water and in methanol

Di-exo-3-amino-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid 1, five aldehydes and two isocyanides were reacted both in methanol and in water to prepare a 10-membered β-lactam library via a Ugi-4-centre-3-component reaction. The yields were found to be similar in water and methanol. The diastereoselectivities of the aqueous reactions were similar, though in a few cases higher than those in methanol. The benefits of water are the facile isolation of the precipitated product and the shorter reaction time.     

Bioanalytical chemistry of cytokines – A review

Cytokines are bioactive proteins produced by many different cells of the immune system. Due to their role in different inflammatory disease states and maintaining homeostasis, there is enormous clinical interest in the quantitation of cytokines. The typical standard methods for quantitation of cytokines are immunoassay-based techniques including enzyme-linked immusorbent assays (ELISA) and bead-based immunoassays read by either standard or modified flow cytometers. A review of recent developments in analytical methods for measurements of cytokine proteins is provided. This review briefly covers cytokine biology and the analysis challenges associated with measurement of these biomarker proteins for understanding both health and disease. New techniques applied to immunoassay-based assays are presented along with the uses of aptamers, electrochemistry, mass spectrometry, optical resonator-based methods. Methods used for elucidating the release of cytokines from single cells as well as in vivo collection methods are described.     

Determination of rare earth elements in natural water samples – A review of sample separation,preconcentration and direct methodologies

This review discusses and compares the methods given for the determination of rare earth elements (REE) in natural water samples, including sea, river, lake, tap, ground and waste waters as well as Antarctic ice. Since REE are at very low concentrations in natural waters, numerous different preconcentration methods have been proposed to enable their measurement. These include liquid liquid extraction, dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction and solidified floating drop micro-extraction. In addition to liquid-liquid extraction methods, solid phase extraction using commercial resins, resins made in-house, silica-based exchange materials and other solid media is also discussed. These and other techniques such as precipitation/co-precipitation and flotation are compared in terms of speed, preconcentration factors achieved, precision, accuracy and limits of detection (LOD). Some papers have discussed the direct determination of REE in these sample types. Some have used specialised sample introduction systems such as ultrasonic nebulization whereas others have used a standard sample introduction system coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection. These direct methods have also been discussed and compared.     

Computational approaches in the design of synthetic receptors – A review

The rational design of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) has been a major contributor to their reputation as “plastic antibodies” – high affinity robust synthetic receptors which can be optimally designed, and produced for a much reduced cost than their biological equivalents. Computational design has become a routine procedure in the production of MIPs, and has led to major advances in functional monomer screening, selection of cross-linker and solvent, optimisation of monomer(s)-template ratio and selectivity analysis. In this review the various computational methods will be discussed with reference to all the published relevant literature since the end of 2013, with each article described by the target molecule, the computational approach applied (whether molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics, semi-empirical quantum mechanics, ab initio quantum mechanics (Hartree-Fock, Møller–Plesset, etc.) or DFT) and the purpose for which they were used. Detailed analysis is given to novel techniques including analysis of polymer binding sites, the use of novel screening programs and simulations of MIP polymerisation reaction. The further advances in molecular modelling and computational design of synthetic receptors in particular will have serious impact on the future of nanotechnology and biotechnology, permitting the further translation of MIPs into the realms of analytics and medical technology.     

Rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H alkylation of heterocycles with allylic alcohols in water: A reusable catalytic system for the synthesis of β-aryl ketones

A highly efficient, green and sustainable protocol for rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H alkylation of heterocycles with allylic alcohols has been achieved, which affords a series of β-aryl ketones in high yields. The reaction proceeds smoothly in water under air, and works well with heterocycles such as indoles, indolines, pyrroles and carbazoles. Notably, the expensive rhodium catalyst in water could be easily separated from the organic products, and reused for at least five times without loss of its catalytic activity and selectivity, which is a promising, green and sustainable pathway for the synthesis of β-aryl ketones. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example for the reuse of expensive rhodium catalyst in water.     

Advances in the determination of hindered amine light stabilizers – A review

Within this paper we discuss analytical strategies for the characterization and quantitation of hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) an important sub-group of polymer additives. For the determination of monomeric HALS a range of mature and reliable techniques exists, allowing their determination in polymer extracts. If qualitative or semi-quantitative information suffices, certain techniques are capable of sampling directly from the polymer surface with limited or no sample preparation. Different strategies for the determination of complex oligomeric HALS in extracts from polymer samples are discussed. Here, approaches providing only a sum parameter including all HALS oligomers have been distinguished from more sophisticated technologies allowing the determination of single oligomers, their degradation and by-products. Particularly, the latter issue is facing increased interest as it provides important information for polymers aging studies. A tabulated overview provides comprehensive information on different analytical techniques suitable for HALS determination.     

Recent trends in the determination of biogenic amines in fermented beverages – A review

Biogenic amines (BA) are generally considered as a food hazard, even though there is not a threshold for these biomolecules in the European legislation, except for histamine in fishery products. These compounds are formed during the storage and processing of certain foods through microbiological activity, and when present in high concentrations, could have toxicological effects, causing health problems in consumers, especially to sensitive persons. This fact, in addition to the economical concern involved, makes it necessary to control the amounts of biogenic amines in foods. For all these reasons, literature on biogenic amines in different food products, especially in fermented beverages, is extensive. This review provides an overview of the most recent trends in the determination of biogenic amines in fermented beverages focusing on novelty, improvement and optimization of analytical methods. Hence, the different sample treatment procedures (including derivatization), the most important analytical techniques and the most frequent applications are described and discussed. Although biogenic amines have been determined in wine and other fermented beverages for decades, new advancements and technical possibilities have allowed to increase the accuracy and sensitivity of analytical methods, in order to overcome the challenges posed by the complex matrices and their high intrinsic variability. Thus, the different purposes of BA determination (food safety, production process or food microbiology research) and the most widely employed analytical techniques have been reviewed.     

Molecular design of heterocycles. 2. “Structure-synthesis” magic rule in the synthesis of six-membered heteroaromatic rings (review)

This review deals with the frequency of occurrence of literature references to various types of reagents used in syntheses of the pyridine ring and a number of its heterocyclic analogs (classed as heteroalternant systems). It is shown that the nature of the terminal groups in the reagents, the parity of the chain of atoms between the terminal groups, and the position of the heteroatom are interrelated and are subject to magic rules (principles of alternation and heteroalternation). These rules can be interpreted within the frame of a new concept, structure—synthesis, based on preservation of the electrophilic-nucleophilic nature of the reagents in the heterolytic formation of even-membered rings. A complete classification of pyridine-ring syntheses that are allowed by the rules provides a means for predicting the polar type of reagents for the last unknown synthesis of pyridines of the type CNCCC+C.This article is dedicated to Prof. A. R. Katritsky on the occasion of his 65th birthday.See [1] for Communication 1.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 7, 937–961, July, 1993.     

Chan–Lam coupling reactions: synthesis of heterocycles

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Chan–Lam coupling reactions and their applications on the synthesis of a number of differently functionalized heterocycles are reviewed. This report contains 125 references.     

Positional selectivity in electrophilic substitution reactions of π-excessive heterocycles (review)

Existing experimental data on positional selectivity in electrophilic substitution reactions of π-excessive heterocycles are classified. These data are discussed basing on the results of the authors' quantum-chemical calculations [RHF/6-31G(d), MP2/6-31G(d), and B3LYP/6-31G(d)] of the σ-complexes formed during attack of electrophiles such as H⁺, Me⁺, Me₃Si⁺, Br⁺, NO₂ ⁺, MeCO⁺, and SO₃ at the α- and β-positions of furan, thiophene, selenophene, pyrrole and its N-substituted derivatives, N-R-pyrroles (R = Me, t-Bu, SiMe₃, Si(i-Pr)₃, C₆H₄(p-NO₂), SO₂Ph, CHO, CO₂Me), and the corresponding α- and β-substituted electrophilic substitution products. The differences in energies of the α-and β-isomers of the σ-complexes characterize the preferred direction of electrophilic attack, while the differences in the energies of the isomeric products make it possible to assess the energy preference of one of them. Analysis of the obtained data demonstrates the effects of the studied heterocycles' structure, the nature of the electrophile, and the thermal and steric factors on the positional selectivity (α/β ratio) in electrophilic substitution reactions of π-excessive five-membered heteroaromatic compounds.     

LC-MS analysis in the aquatic environment and in water treatment – a critical review

LC-MS has become an invaluable technique for trace analysis of polar compounds in aqueous samples of the environment and in water treatment. LC-MS is of particular importance due to the impetus it has provided for research into the occurrence and fate of polar contaminants, and of their even more polar transformation products. Mass spectrometric detection and identification is most widely used in combination with sample preconcentration, chromatographic separation and atmospheric pressure ionization (API). The focus of the first part of this review is directed particularly toward instruments and method development with respect to their applications for detecting emerging contaminants, microorganisms and humic substances (HS). The current status and future perspectives of 1) mass analyzers, 2) ionization techniques to interface liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS), 3) methods for preconcentration and separation with respect to their application for water analysis are discussed and examples of applications are given. Quadrupole and ion trap mass analyzers with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) are already applied in routine analysis. Time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers are of particular interest for accurate mass measurements for identification of unknowns. For non-polar compounds, different ionization approaches have been described, such as atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), electrochemistry with ESI, or electron capture ionization with APCI. In sample preconcentration and separation, solid phase extraction (SPE) with different non-selective sorbent materials and HPLC on reversed-phase materials (RP-HPLC) play the dominant role. In addition, various on-line and miniaturized approaches for sample extraction and sample introduction into the MS have been used. Ion chromatography (IC), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE) are alternative separation techniques. Furthermore, the issues of compound identification, matrix effects on quantitation, development of mass spectral libraries and the topic of connecting analysis and toxicity bioassays are addressed.     

Ultrasound-assisted rapid synthesis of β-cyanoepoxides using hypervalent iodine reagents

An elegant approach for the rapid synthesis of β-cyanoepoxides 3 by the epoxidation of β-cyanostyrenes 1 with PIDA 2a is described. The epoxidation of β-cyanostyrenes 1 was performed with 1.2 equiv. of PIDA 2a in MeCN-H₂O (1:1) at room temperature in ultrasonic bath. The epoxidation reactions were completed in short reaction time and β-cyanoepoxides 3 were isolated in 69–94% yields.     

Gas chromatographic determination of perfluorocarboxylic acids in aqueous samples – A tutorial review

Determination of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) by gas chromatography (GC) has been undertaken since 1980. However, only small number of studies can be found in the literature due to the major drawbacks associated with the GC determination of PFCAs such as high detection limits, a small range of analytes, long analysis time, and laborious derivatization prior to chromatographic separation. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS²) can overcome these limitations of GC, and therefore has become the method of choice for the determination of PFCAs since 2001. Nevertheless, GC as a low-cost and commonly available analytical technique should not be ignored because of its inherent advantage over LC to identify PFCA isomers in environmental and biological matrices owing to its high-resolution power. In addition, GC provides an opportunity to crosscheck LC–MS² results that are often suspicious due to background contamination. This tutorial provides an overview of GC methods that have been used for the determination of PFCAs after derivatization. Moreover, performance characteristics of GC–MS are compared with that of LC–MS². PFCAs in aqueous samples were determined by both analytical techniques, and two sets of measurements were compared using the Bland-Altman plot. For both methods, reasons for false-positive and false-negative results (overestimation and underestimation of the PFCA concentration, respectively) are discussed, and accordingly some advice is offered on how to avoid erroneous results. Finally, major applications of GC and its future perspectives for the determination of PFCAs are discussed.