Ruthenium-catalyzed oxidation of alcohols and catechols using t-butyl hydroperoxide

Ruthenium complexes catalyze the oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding ketones or aldehydes when t-BuOOH (70% aq.) is used as an oxidant. The reactions proceed at room temperature to give the products in excellent to fairly good yields. Among the transition metal catalysts used, dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium (RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃) showed the highest catalytic activity. 3,5-Di-t-butylcatechol and 4-t-butylcatechol are also effectively oxidized to the corresponding 1,2-benzoquinones in the presence of a catalytic amount of RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ at room temperature with 1.1 equiv. of t-BuOOH, in quantitative yields. Hydrogen peroxide (30% aq.) can also be employed as an oxidant to give 1,2-benzoquinones in excellent yields.     

Reinforcement of polystyrene by covalently bonded oxo-titanium clusters

Oxo-metallic clusters are employed as inorganic nanobuilding blocks in order to obtain new organic–inorganic hybrid materials. Nanobuilding blocks are well-defined preformed entities which allow a better control of the inorganic domains for the elaboration of hybrid compounds. The oxo-alcoxo cluster Ti₁₆O₁₆(OEt)₃₂ presents a shell of labile ethoxy groups which can be selectively exchanged with the preservation of the oxo-core in order to introduce polymerizable ligands at the surface of this nanobrick. Three different new clusters, Ti₁₆O₁₆(OEt)_32−x(OPhCHCH₂)_x, have been synthesised, each cluster bears exactly 4, 8 and 16 styrenic groups. These functional clusters were copolymerized with styrene leading to three dimensional networks where the inorganic nano-fillers are covalently linked to the organic polymer. Thus new hybrid materials can be obtained and these nanobricks are good models to correlate the structure of hybrid materials and their physical properties especially their mechanical and thermal properties. The structure of the materials in function of the organic–inorganic ratio and in function of the cluster functionalities was investigated by SAXS, and the formation of the different levels of aggregation is reported.     

Assessing chiral self-recognition using chiral stationary phases

Chiral stationary phases were synthesized and their ability to separate racemic precursors from which they were derived was assessed. Taken in conjunction with homochiral recognition previously observed in the solid state, the results of this study reveal that a geometrically controlling π-π interaction has a profound influence on molecular recognition.     

Novel beta-lactam antibiotics synthesized by amination of catechols using fungal laccase

Novel cephalosporins, penicillins, and carbacephems were synthesized by amination of catechols with amino-beta-lactams like cefadroxil, amoxicillin, ampicillin and the structurally related carbacephem loracarbef using laccase from Trametes sp. All isolated monoaminated products inhibited the growth of several Gram positive bacterial strains in the agar diffusion assay, among them methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci. Observed differences in the cytotoxicity and in vivo activity in a "Staphylococcus-infected, immune suppressed mouse" model are discussed.     

Photocatalysis of 4-nitrophenol using zinc phthalocyanine complexes

Photodegradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-Np) in the presence of zinc tetrasulfophthalocyanine (ZnPcS₄), zinc octacarboxyphthalocyanine (ZnPc(COOH)₈) and a sulfonated ZnPc containing a mixture of differently sulfonated derivatives (ZnPcS_mix), as photocatalysts is reported. ZnPcS_mix is the most effective catalyst in terms of a high quantum yield for 4-Np degradation and the stability of the catalyst. However ZnPc(COOH)₈ degrades readily during the catalysis, but it has a higher quantum yield (Φ_4-Np) for 4-Np degradation than the rest of the complexes. The Φ_4-Np values were closely related to the singlet oxygen quantum yields Φ_Δ and hence aggregation. The rate constants for the reaction with 4-Np were k_r = 0.67 × 10⁶ mol⁻¹ dm³ s⁻¹ for ZnPcS_mix and 2.8 × 10⁸ mol⁻¹ dm³ s⁻¹ for ZnPc(COOH)₈.     

Preparation of Metal-free phthalocyanine using the benzenetellurolate ion

Metal-free phthalocyanine was prepared from o-phthalonitrile using the benzenetellurolate ion in ethanol. Furthermore, the yield of metal-free phthalocyanine using the benzenetellurolate ion was compared with that using the benzeneselenolate ion or the benzenethiolate ion.     

Nucleophilic deoxyfluorination of catechols

Nucleophilic deoxyfluorinaiton of one of the two hydroxyl groups of catechols has been developed via the Umpolung concept. This method was successively applied to naturally occurring catechols, such as catechins and dopamine, to produce novel fluorinated analogues.     

Recognition and one-pot extraction of right- and left-handed semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube enantiomers using fluorene-binaphthol chiral copolymers

Synthesized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are mixtures of right- and left-handed helicity and their separation is an essential topic in nanocarbon science. In this paper, we describe the separation of right- and left-handed semiconducting SWNTs from as-produced SWNTs. Our strategy for this goal is simple: we designed copolymers composed of polyfluorene and chiral bulky moieties because polyfluorenes with long alkyl-chains are known to dissolve only semiconducting SWNTs and chiral binaphthol is a so-called BINAP family that possesses a powerful enantiomer sorting capability. In this study, we synthesized 12 copolymers, (9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diyl)x((R)- or (S)-2,2'-dimethoxy-1,1'-binaphthalen-6,6-diyl)y, where x and y are copolymer composition ratios. It was found that, by a simple one-pot sonication method, the copolymers are able to extract either right- or left-handed semiconducting SWNT enantiomers with (6,5)- and (7,5)-enriched chirality. The separated materials were confirmed by circular dichroism, vis-near IR and photoluminescence spectroscopies. Interestingly, the copolymer showed inversion of SWNT enantiomer recognition at higher contents of the chiral binaphthol moiety. Molecular mechanics simulations reveal a cooperative effect between the degree of chirality and copolymer conformation to be responsible for these distinct characteristics of the extractions. This is the first example describing the rational design and synthesis of novel compounds for the recognition and simple sorting of right- and left-handed semiconducting SWNTs with a specific chirality.     

A concise, modular synthesis of chiral peraza-macrocycles using chiral aziridines

[reaction: see text] Novel chiral peraza-macrocycles were synthesized from chiral aziridines as a common building block. Efficient syntheses of chiral [26]-N(6), [12]-N(4), [9]-N(3), and [14]-N(4) systems were accomplished.     

Recognition of chiral anions using calix[4]arene-based ureido receptor in the 1,3-alternate conformation

A new type of calixarene-based receptor designed for the recognition of chiral anions was prepared by the introduction of (S)-2-methylbutan-1-ol moieties into the lower rim of calixarene. The immobilization of calixarene skeleton in the 1,3-alternate conformation enabled the construction of a cavity consisting of preorganised ureido functions and chiral substituents in close proximity. This cavity is capable of chiral discrimination of selected anions as demonstrated on d- and l-phenylalaninates.     

Separation of chiral furan derivatives by liquid chromatography using cyclodextrin-based chiral stationary phases

The enantiomeric separation of a set of 30 new chiral furan derivatives has been achieved on native and derivatized beta-cyclodextrin stationary phases using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond RSP), the 2,3-dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond DM), and the acetyl-beta-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond AC) stationary phases are the most effective chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for the separation of these racemates in the reverse phase mode. No enantioseparations have been observed on the native beta-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phase (Cyclobond I 2000) and only a few separations have been attained on the S-naphthylethyl carbamate beta-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond SN) and 3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate beta-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond DMP) chiral stationary phases in the reverse phase mode. The polar organic and the normal phase mode on these CSPs are not effective for separation of these compounds. The characteristics of the analytes, including steric bulk, hydrogen bonding ability, and geometry, play an important role in the chiral recognition process. The pH affects the enantioseparation of compounds with ionizable groups and the addition of 0.5% methyl tert-butyl ether to the mobile phase significantly enhances the separation efficiency for some highly retained compounds.     

Quantification of N-acetylcysteine in pharmaceuticals using cobalt phthalocyanine modified graphite electrodes

Flow injection analysis (FIA) with amperometric detection was employed for the quantification of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in pharmaceutical formulations, utilizing an ordinary pyrolytic graphite (OPG) electrode modified with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc). Cyclic voltammetry was used in preliminary studies to establish the best conditions for NAC analysis. In FIA-amperometric experiments the OPG-CoPc electrode exhibited sharp and reproducible current peaks over a wide linear working range (5.0 × 10⁻⁵-1.0 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹) in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ NaOH solution. High sensitivity (130 mA mol⁻¹ cm²) and a low detection limit (9.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹) were achieved using the sensor. The repeatability (R.S.D.%) for 13 successive flow injections of a solution containing 5.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ NAC was 1.1%. The new procedure was applied in analyses of commercial pharmaceutical products and the results were in excellent agreement with those obtained using the official titrimetric method. The proposed amperometric method is highly suitable for quality control analyses of NAC in pharmaceuticals since it is rapid, precise and requires much less work than the recommended titrimetric method.     

Separation of chiral sulfoxides by liquid chromatography using macrocyclic glycopeptide chiral stationary phases

A set of 42 chiral compounds containing stereogenic sulfur was prepared. There were 31 chiral sulfoxide compounds, three tosylated sulfilimines and eight sulfinate esters. The separations were done using five different macrocyclic glycopeptide chiral stationary phases (CSPs), namely ristocetin A, teicoplanin, teicoplanin aglycone (TAG), vancomycin and vancomycin aglycone (VAG) and seven eluents, three normal-phase mobile phases, two reversed phases and two polar organic mobile phases. Altogether the macrocyclic glycopeptide CSPs were able to separate the whole set of the 34 sulfoxide enantiomers and tosylated derivatives. Five of the eight sulfinate esters were also separated. The teicoplanin and TAG CSPs were the most effective CSPs able to resolve 35 and 33 of the 42 compounds. The three other CSPs each were able to resolve more than 27 compounds. The normal-phase mode was the most effective followed by the reversed-phase mode with methanol-water mobile phases. Few of these compounds could be separated in the polar organic mode with 100% methanol mobile phases. Acetonitrile was also not a good solvent for the resolution of enantiomers of sulfur-containing compounds, neither in the reversed-phase nor in the polar organic mode. The structure of the chiral molecules was compared to the enantioselectivity factors obtained with the teicoplanin and TAG CSP. It is shown that the polarity, volume and shape of the sulfoxide substituents influence the solute enantioselectivity factor. Changing the oxidation state of the sulfur atom from sulfoxides to sulfinate esters is detrimental to the compound's enantioselectivity. The enantiomeric retention order on the teicoplanin and TAG CSPs was very consistent: the (S)-(+)-sulfoxide enantiomer was always the less retained enantiomer. In contrast, the (R)-(-)-enantiomer was less retained by the ristocetin A, vancomycin and vancomycin aglycone columns, showing the complementarity of these CSPs. The macrocyclic glycopeptide CSPs provided broad selectivity and effective separations of chiral sulfoxides.     

Comparative studies of various run buffers for chiral capillary electrophoresis using chiral crown ether as a chiral selector

In the capillary electrophoretic separation of primary amine enantiomers using (+)-(18-crown-6)-tetracarboxylic acid (18C6H4) as a chiral selector, the presence of run buffer constituents such as tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) or Na+ competing with analytes for 18C6H4, diminishes the effectiveness of 18C6H4. In order to determine appropriate buffer systems for 18C6H4, various run buffer cationic components including Tris, 1,3-bis[tris(hydroxymethyl)methylamino]propane, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)iminotris(hydroxymethyl)methane, triethanolamine, tetramethylammonium, and Na+ were compared. Quantitative studies of the effects of the competitive constituents were carried out by measuring the electrophoretic mobilities of histidine as a function of the 18C6H4 concentration. We also derived a simple equation to estimate the optimal chiral selector concentration for a maximum mobility difference in the presence of a competitive inhibitor.