Synthesis of derivatives of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-aminoacetophenone and <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-aminobenzyl alcohol

Oxidation of 2′-hydroxy-8-methylspiro[4H-benz-1,3-oxazin-2-one-6,1′-cyclopentane] or N-mesyl-2-(cyclopent-1-en-1-yl)-6-methylaniline provided the corresponding ketones. The rearrangement of these ketones oximes under treatment with thionyl chloride gave rise to nitriles of 5-(2-amino-3-methylphenyl)-5-oxopentanoic or 5-(2-methanesulfamido-3-methylphenyl)-5-hydroxypentanoic acids. By heating 5-(2-acetylamido-3-methylphenyl)-5-oxopentanoic acid with LiH in THF3-(2,8-dimethylquinol-4-on-3-yl)propanoic acid was obtained.     

New tin(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">iv</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-iminosemiquinone complexes

New tin(iv) mono- and bis-o-iminosemiquinone complexes were obtained by the exchange reaction of radical anion lithium salt of 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-o-imino-benzoquinone with tin(iv) organochlorides. The compounds synthesized were characterized by EPR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Substituents on the tin atom were found to affect stability of paramagnetic metal derivatives formed.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>)-carborane-containing azomethines

A method of preparative synthesis of o(m)-carborane-containing azomethines via the condensation of o(m)-carboranyl-C-methylene-4-formylbenzoates with aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, and aromatic amines was developed.     

Molecular structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-and <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-hydroxybenzyl)cytisine

The molecular structures of N-(o-and p-hydroxybenzyl)cytisine were investigated by NMR spectroscopy, x-ray structure analysis, and molecular modeling. It was found that NMR resonances of the OH and aromatic protons in N-(o-hydroxybenzyl)cytisine were doubled because of the presence of two conformers in solution. __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 165–168, March–April, 2008.     

Conformational Polymorphism in Racemic 2,4-Di-<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-Benzoyl-6-<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-Tosyl <Emphasis Type="Italic">myo</Emphasis>-Inositol 1,3,5-Orthoacetate

The title compound, C₂₉H₂₆O₁₀S, yields two conformational polymorphs concomitantly from dichloromethane-methanol mixture; the major polymorph grows as plates (Form I, monoclinic, P2₁/n) and the minor polymorph grows as needles (Form II, triclinic, P-1). The two forms differ mainly in orientation of the tosyl group. In Form I, sulfonyl oxygen of the tosyl group makes intermolecular C −H…O interactions, whereas the same group in Form II is involved in an intramolecular short dipolar S=O…C=O (sulfonyl-carbonyl) contact. The molecular organization and the influence of various weak non-covalent interactions that stabilize these conformers in the crystal lattices are discussed.     

Nickel catalysis for hydrogenation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-dinitrobenzene to <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine

The activity of supported nickel catalysts (5–20% Ni) in the hydrogenation of p-dinitrobenzene to p-phenylenediamine was investigated. The catalysts were obtained by ureainduced precipitation. Activated carbon, alumina, titania, and silica gel were evaluated as supports. The most active catalysts, 5%Ni/TiO₂ and 20%Ni/SiO₂, provided 50–54% yields of p-phenylenediamine at complete dinitrobenzene conversion.     

The electrochemical polymerization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine on <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-tyrosine functionalized glassy carbon electrode and its application

The polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) on l-tyrosine (Tyr) functionalized glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and its electro-catalytic oxidation towards ascorbic acid (AA) had been studied in this report. l-Tyrosine was first covalently grafted on GCE surface via electrochemical oxidation, which was followed by the electrochemical polymerization of OPD on the l-tyrosine functionalized GCE. Then, the poly(o-phenylenediamine)/l-tyrosine composite film modified GCE (POPD-Tyr/GCE) was obtained. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electrochemical techniques have been used to characterize the grafting of l-tyrosine and the polymerization and morphology of OPD film on GCE surface. Due to the doping of the carboxylic functionalities in l-tyrosine molecules, the POPD film showed good redox activity in neutral medium, and thus, the POPD-Tyr/GCE exhibited excellent electrocatalytic response to AA in 0.1 mol l⁻¹ phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 6.8). The anode peak potential of AA shifted from 0.58 V at GCE to 0.35 V at POPD-Tyr/GCE with a greatly enhanced current response. A linear calibration graph was obtained over the AA concentration range of 2.5 × 10⁻⁴–1.5 × 10^–3 mol l⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The detection limit (3δ) for AA was 9.2 × 10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹. The modified electrode showed good stability and reproducibility and had been used for the determination of AA content in vitamin C tablet with satisfactory results.     

Photolysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-iodo- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-bromophenols in aqueous solution of sodium sulfite and organic solvents

The photochemical reaction of o-iodo- and o-bromophenol in an aqueous sodium sulfite solution proceeds via both nonchain and chain mechanisms. The formation of the intermediate product, aromatic radical anion, was observed. The quantum yield of the photochemical reaction of o-iodophenol increases, when the electron donor diphenylamine is irradiated. In the photolysis of o-halophenols in organic solvents, free iodine is evolved in addition to aromatic products. The products of the photolysis of o-iodophenol in ethanol and carbon tetrachloride were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These are phenol in the case of ethanol and a mixture of o-chlorophenol and hydroxychloro-substituted biphenyls in the case of carbon tetrachloride. The quantum yields were determined for all photochemical reactions studied.     

Synthesis of ethyl (2<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>,4<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>)- and (2<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>,4<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>)-5-chloropenta-2,4-dienoates

An efficient synthetic approach to 2E,4E and 2E,4Z isomers of ethyl 5-chloropenta-2,4-dienoate has been developed on the basis of one-pot oxidation–olefination of readily accessible (E)- and (Z)-3-chloroprop-2-en-1-ols by the action of barium manganate and ethyl (triphenyl-λ⁵-phosphanylidene)acetate.     

Synthesis of new hydrazones based on <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-hydroxybenzohydrazides

o- and p-Hydroxybenzohydrazides reacted with various unsaturated aromatic aldehydes to give the corresponding N′-(hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazones. Inhibitory activity of the obtained hydrazones against cathepsin E was evaluated.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>-and <Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>-conformers of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-chloroacetylcytisine

N-Chloroacetylcytisine was synthesized by acylation of (–)-cytisine. Stable Z- and E-conformers with respect to rotational isomerism around the N-12–CO bond were found in PMR spectra at room temperature. The point at which PMR resonances of the Z- and E-conformers coalesced upon heating was measured. The transition barrier between the conformers was estimated.     

New flavonoid-<Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis>-glycosides from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis>

Two new flavonoid-C-glycosides named triticuside A (1a) and triticuside B (1b) were isolated from bran of Triticum aestivum L. The structures of the two new compounds were elucidated by spectral techniques including ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR as well as HSQC, HMBC, and COSY. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 135–137, March–April, 2008.     

New lignans from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Syringa reticulata</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">mandshurica</Emphasis>

In the search for platelet-activating-factor (PAF) antagonists, two new lignan compounds were isolated from the leaves of Syringa reticulata Hara var. mandshurica. Their structures were elucidated as (7R,8S, 8'S)-3,4,3',4'-dimethylenedioxy-8,9-dihydroxy-8.8', 7-O-9'-lignan (mandshuricol A) and (7R,8S,8'S)-3',4'methylenedioxy-4-methoxy-3,8,9-trihydroxy-8.8', 7-O-9'-lignan (mandshuricol B), Mandshuricol A and B showed antagonistic activity on PAF in the [³H] PAF receptor binding assay with IC₅₀ values of 4.8 × 10^–5 M and 3.5 × 10^–5 M, respectively.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-aryl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-iminobenzoquinones as novel regulators of radical polymerization

The effect of a number of quinoid compounds on methyl methacrylate polymerization initiated by azo-bis(isobutyronitrile) has been studied. It has been revealed that N-aryl-o-iminobenzoquinones, in contrast to o-benzoquinones, can provide radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in controllable mode. The efficiency of the compounds as chain growth regulators has been found to depend on their composition and reaction conditions. It has been established that 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-o-iminobenzoquinone and 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-o-iminobenzoquinone under radical initiation conditions provide the synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) with wide-range molecular weight, retaining polydispersity indices about ~1.4–1.8 up to deep conversions.     

Phosphorylation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-glycosides derived from <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-substituted aromatic amines

New carbohydrate-containing aminophosphoryl compounds were synthesized on the basis of glycosylamines. The reaction pathway suggested for addition of hydrophosphoryl compounds to N-glycosides was confirmed. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1986–1992, September, 2008.     

Conducting materials prepared by the oxidation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine with <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-benzoquinone

p-Phenylenediamine was oxidized with p-benzoquinone in the aqueous solutions of methanesulfonic acid (MSA). The conductivity of the products increased with increasing concentration of MSA from 1.5?×?10^?12 S cm^?1 in 0.1 M MSA up to 3.4?×?10^?4 S cm^?1 in 5 M MSA. The low-molecular-weight products are basically composed of one p-benzoquinone and two p-phenylenediamine molecules. Their molecular structure is discussed on the basis of mass, Fourier-transform infrared, Raman, NMR and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The formation of 2,5-di(p-phenylenediamine)-p-benzoquinone protonated with methanesulfonic acid best complies with the information provided by spectroscopic techniques. Its conversion to hydroquinone tautomer explains the formation of unpaired spins observed by EPR and their potential contribution to the conduction.     

Zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes with <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-hydroxybenzoic acid or <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-aminobenzoic acid and 2-methylimidazole

Mixed complexes of the type: Zn(Hsal)₂(2-MeHim)₂, Zn(Han)₂(2-MeHim)₂, Cd(Hsal)₂(2-MeHim)₂, Cd(Han)₂(2-MeHim)₂, where Hsal=OHC₆H₄COO⁻, Han=NH₂C₆H₄COO⁻, 2-MeHim=2-methylimidazol) have been synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies. Single-crystal X-ray structure of Cd(Hsal)₂(2-MeHim)₂ has been obtained. Thermal behaviour of the compounds was investigated by thermal analysis (TG, DTG, DTA). A coupled TG-MS system was used to analyse the principal volatile products of complexes. Thermal decomposition pathways have been postulated.     

Lipids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halostachys caspica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halocharis hispida</Emphasis>

The composition of lipids from the aerial parts of two species of halophytes from the family Chenopodiaceae, Halostachys caspica C. A. Mey. and Halocharis hispida Bge. was determined. Neutral lipids (NL, 62.1 and 54.2%, respectively) dominated the total lipids (TL) of these plants. More than a third of the NL were esters of aliphatic alcohols and phytosterols (FAE). Fatty acids 16:0, 18:1, and 18:2 dominated the acids of FAE; 16:0, 18:1, and 18:3, the phospholipids. The principal fatty acids of glycolipids were unsaturated acids (68.3 and 75.1%) with linolenic acid dominating (44.9 and 43.5%). Presented at the 7th International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Tashkent, October 16–18, 2007. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 276–278, May–June, 2009.     

Cytotoxicity of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine)

Although poly(p-phenylenediamine) is an electric non-conductor, it exhibits, analogously to conducting polymers, redox activity and could, therefore, find applications in biomedicine. In the current work, the cytotoxicity of poly(p-phenylenediamine) polymer powder produced by the chemical oxidation of p-phenylenediamine with ammonium peroxydisulfate in acidic aqueous media has been studied. Primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts were used for this purpose. Interestingly, the standard methods for the determination of polymer cytotoxicity based on international standard EN ISO 10993-5 could not be applied. The reason was the interaction of polymer extracts with MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. On the basis of the evaluation of flow cytometry and micrographs taken by fluorescence microscopy on cells treated with extracts of poly(p-phenylenediamine), it can be concluded that the powder polymer possesses severe cytotoxicity. The results suggest that practical application of the polymer within biomedicine is, at the current state of knowledge, difficult, and modification of the preparation techniques and/or subsequent purification of poly(p-phenylenediamine) is needed.     

Conformations and properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-Alkyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>-(2-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-dialkylamino)-ethylmethylthiophosphonates

Conformers of the biologically active compounds CH₃P(O)(OR)(SCH₂CH₂NR ₂ ^′ ), where (I) R = i-C₄H₉, R′ = C₂H₅ and (II) R = C₂H₅, R′ = i-C₃H₇, are calculated within the AM1 level of theory. The elongated and twisted forms with maximum and minimum distances between a nitrogen atom and those of a phosphorus tetrahedron, respectively, and bearing a syn and anti oriented alkoxy group relative to a phosphoryl oxygen, are studied. It is found that the differences between the energy, electronic, and geometric parameters of these forms are apparent in differences between their properties, e.g., the ability to participate in complexation and protonation, reactions that to some extent simulate the interaction between a substance and a biological object.