New strategies to study the chemical nature of wine oligomeric procyanidins

Tannins represent a key element in red wine flavors, so researchers have made a lot of effort to try to understand the role of their structure in wine taste in recent decades. We report some new routes to achieve a true structure–taste relationship for the major tannins found in wine, which are procyanidins in their monomeric or oligomeric state. All these routes use synthetic standards. New advances in their synthesis and their analyses using chromatographic methods, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry to obtain more precise information about their chemical structure, including their stereochemistry and their precise degree of polymerization and galloylation, are described.     

聚乳酸类医用生物降解材料的研究进展

聚乳酸由于其突出的优点如生物相容性好、降解产物对人体无毒而倍受重视,并且在生物医学领域的应用中获得了很好的效果。本文对聚乳酸的合成及在医学方面的应用作了总结和评述,并对其在生物医学领域的应用前景作了进一步展望。     

N-heterocyclic carbenes as organocatalysts

Organocatalyzed reactions represent an attractive alternative to metal-catalyzed processes notably because of their lower cost and benign environmental impact in comparison to organometallic catalysis. In this context, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been studied for their ability to promote primarily the benzoin condensation. Lately, dramatic progress in understanding their intrinsic properties and in their synthesis have made them available to organic chemists. This has resulted in a tremendous increase of their scope and in a true explosion of the number of papers reporting NHC-catalyzed reactions. Here, we highlight the ever-increasing number of reactions that can be promoted by N-heterocyclic carbenes.     

Polymer Networks: A Challenge to Theorist and Technologist

Polymer networks challenge a theorist to develop methods of their generation, describe their topology, and understand critical phenomena (gelation) during their formation. They challenge a technologist because of their unique properties based on their large-scale three-dimensional connectivity and their easy transformation of relatively low-viscosity liquids into crosslinked solids. Polymer networks challenge both, in that they are structurally very complex for the technologist who needs the theorist for understanding and controlling their structure and properties. Also, the theorist is challenged by problems appearing in technology which may initiate a basic reconsideration of the theories' assumptions. In this contribution, methods for modeling polymer network structures and their recent applications to relatively complex systems of technological importance are briefly discussed.     

Anthocyanins and their variation in red wines I. Monomeric anthocyanins and their color expression

Originating in the grapes, monomeric anthocyanins in young red wines contribute the majority of color and the supposed beneficial health effects related to their consumption, and as such they are recognized as one of the most important groups of phenolic metabolites in red wines. In recent years, our increasing knowledge of the chemical complexity of the monomeric anthocyanins, their stability, together with the phenomena such as self-association and copigmentation that can stabilize and enhance their color has helped to explain their color representation in red wine making and aging. A series of new enological practices were developed to improve the anthocyanin extraction, as well as their color expression and maintenance. This paper summarizes the most recent advances in the studies of the monomeric anthocyanins in red wines, emphasizing their origin, occurrence, color enhancing effects, their degradation and the effect of various enological practices on them.     

食物的色、香、味与食品添加剂

食品添加剂可以改善食品的品质,延长食品的保存期,增加食品的营养成分。本文介绍了生活中常见的食品添加剂：食品色素、食用香料、甜味剂、鲜味剂、防腐剂和抗氧化剂的性能、使用范围和化学结构。以便于在化学教学中开阔学生的知识视野,提高学生的学习兴趣,全面培养学生的科学素质。     

One-step synthesis of large-aspect-ratio single-crystalline gold nanorods by using CTPAB and CTBAB surfactants

Gold nanorods were prepared in high yields by using a one-step seed-mediated process in aqueous cetyltripropylammonium bromide (CTPAB) and cetyltributylammonium bromide (CTBAB) solutions in the presence of silver nitrate. The diameters of the nanorods range from 3 to 11 nm, their lengths are in the range of 15 to 350 nm, and their aspect ratios are in the range of 2 to 70. The diameters of the Au nanorods obtained from one growth batch in CTPAB solutions decrease as their lengths increase, and their volumes decrease as the aspect ratios increase. The diameters of the Au nanorods obtained from one growth batch in CTBAB solutions first decrease and then slightly increase as their lengths increase, and their volumes increase as the aspect ratios increase. These Au nanorods are single-crystalline and are seen to be oriented in either the [100] or [110] direction under transmission electron microscopy imaging, irrespective of their sizes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the preparation by using wet-chemistry methods of single-crystalline Au nanorods with aspect ratios larger than 15.     

The development for the synthesis of chiral acyclic nucleosides and their phosphonates

Acyclic nucleosides and their phosphonates possess significantly antiviral and cytostatic activities. For acyclic nucleosides and their phosphonates, the introduction of a chiral group to their side chain or the absolute configuration of the chiral atom could affect their biological activities obviously. Thus, the asymmetric synthesis of chiral acyclic nucleosides and their phosphonates has received continuous attention. The previous reports mainly focus on employing the chiral pool and chiral auxiliary methods for the synthesis of chiral acyclic nucleosides and their phosphonates. In contrast, the asymmetric catalysis methods for the synthesis of acyclic nucleosides and their phosphonates are still in the beginning. This digest paper will serve to highlight the significant progress that has been made in these areas.     

Measurement of nanoparticles by light-scattering techniques

Nanoparticles (NPs), due to their unique physical and chemical properties, especially their minute particle size (?100 nm), find applications in numerous industrial, commercial and consumer products. After their end-user applications, these NPs find their way into the environment and food products. The NPs so discharged need to be quantified accurately to determine their toxicity and exposure levels.At this time, there is a need to develop a unified method for their determination. There are plenty of techniques available in the market that were initially used for colloidal particles (e.g., microscopy, spectroscopy and the recent addition of magnetic resonance), but each of these techniques has a certain degree of uncertainty.Further, sample homogeneity, sample preparation, instrument-operating procedures, and statistical practices are likely to add to the complexity of the problem. In this context, this review attempts to understand the widely-used light-scattering techniques, including their theory, practice and real-world use in determination of NPs in environmental and food applications.     

Physico-chemical behavior of bile salts

Roles and potential roles of bile salts in the human body and in health have been reviewed. The nomenclature of these biological amphiphiles, the mechanism of their formation in the liver and subsequent structural modifications in the enterohepatic cycle have been summarized. Emphasis has been placed on the controversies surrounding their physico-chemical properties, especially the patterns of their aggregation, and their ability to catalyze hydrolysis pathways in aqueous solution and to stimulate the activity of human milk lipase. The role of bile salts as biological surfactants and their participation in the dissolution of cholesterol gallstones, lipid solubilizatlon and absorption, and their ability to cause lysis of membrane surfaces has been discussed. Where possible, emphasis has been placed on the importance of the presence of monomers or small oligomers on the physico-chemical properties of these steroidal molecules.     

Carbon Dots: The Newest Member of the Carbon Nanomaterials Family

Carbon nanomaterials have been extensively researched in the past few years owing to their interesting properties. The massive research efforts resulted in the emergence of carbon dots, which belong to the carbon nanomaterials family. Carbon dots (C‐dots) have garnered the attention of researchers mainly due to their convenient availability from organic as well as inorganic materials and also due to the novel properties they exhibit. C‐Dots have been said to overcome the era of quantum dots, referring to their levels of toxicity and biocompatibility. In this review, we focus on the discovery of C‐dots, their structure and composition, surface passivation to enhance their optical properties, the various synthetic methods used, their applications in different areas, and future perspectives. Emphasis has been given to greener approaches for the synthesis of C‐dots in order to make them cost effective as well as to improve their biocompatibility.     

Natural products from medicinal plants: non-alkaloidal natural constituents of the Thalictrum species

Thalictrum is an important plant genus that is widely used in traditional medicine. In this review considerable attention has been given to triterpenoid saponins in connection with their specific distribution in the Thalictrum genus and with their biological activity. All other non-alkaloid compounds isolated from the Thalictrum genus are also reviewed; these metabolites are discussed in relation to their structural features and to their role in the plants.     

New advances in electrochemical biosensors for the detection of toxins: Nanomaterials,magnetic beads and microfluidics systems. A review

The use of nanotechnology in bioanalytical devices has special advantages in the detection of toxins of interest in food safety and environmental applications. The low levels to be detected and the small size of toxins justify the increasing number of publications dealing with electrochemical biosensors, due to their high sensitivity and design versatility. The incorporation of nanomaterials in their development has been exploited to further increase their sensitivity, providing simple and fast devices, with multiplexed capabilities. This paper gives an overview of the electrochemical biosensors that have incorporated carbon and metal nanomaterials in their configurations for the detection of toxins. Biosensing systems based on magnetic beads or integrated into microfluidics systems have also been considered because of their contribution to the development of compact analytical devices. The roles of these materials, the methods used for their incorporation in the biosensor configurations as well as the advantages they provide to the analyses are summarised.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Evaluation of Peptide Nanostructures for Biomedical Applications

There is a challenging need for the development of new alternative nanostructures that can allow the coupling and/or encapsulation of therapeutic/diagnostic molecules while reducing their toxicity and improving their circulation and in-vivo targeting. Among the new materials using natural building blocks, peptides have attracted significant interest because of their simple structure, relative chemical and physical stability, diversity of sequences and forms, their easy functionalization with (bio)molecules and the possibility of synthesizing them in large quantities. A number of them have the ability to self-assemble into nanotubes, -spheres, -vesicles or -rods under mild conditions, which opens up new applications in biology and nanomedicine due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability as well as their surface chemical reactivity via amino- and carboxyl groups. In order to obtain nanostructures suitable for biomedical applications, the structure, size, shape and surface chemistry of these nanoplatforms must be optimized. These properties depend directly on the nature and sequence of the amino acids that constitute them. It is therefore essential to control the order in which the amino acids are introduced during the synthesis of short peptide chains and to evaluate their in-vitro and in-vivo physico-chemical properties before testing them for biomedical applications. This review therefore focuses on the synthesis, functionalization and characterization of peptide sequences that can self-assemble to form nanostructures. The synthesis in batch or with new continuous flow and microflow techniques will be described and compared in terms of amino acids sequence, purification processes, functionalization or encapsulation of targeting ligands, imaging probes as well as therapeutic molecules. Their chemical and biological characterization will be presented to evaluate their purity, toxicity, biocompatibility and biodistribution, and some therapeutic properties in vitro and in vivo. Finally, their main applications in the biomedical field will be presented so as to highlight their importance and advantages over classical nanostructures.     

Two heterocyclic merocyanine classes and their optical properties in relation to the donor-acceptor strength of end substituents

The relationship between the first electronic transition energy of heterocyclic merocyanines and donor-acceptor properties of their end substituents has been quailtatively treated and analytically substantiated in terms of the classical valence bond model and the biradicaloid theory. A simple graphical technique has been suggested to classify donor-acceptor-substituted compounds in relation to their electronic structure and to predict the effect of donor-acceptor strength on their optical behavior. In this context, merocyanines can be divided into two classes which differ in charges and electron populations of their donor and acceptor moieties and exhibit mirror-like responses to the variation of donor-acceptor strength. Two families of new heterocyclic merocyanines have been synthesized and their experimentally observed spectroscopic properties have been rationalized using the approach developed.     

The application of hydrated mineral fillers as fire retardant and smoke suppressing additives for polymers

The characteristics of hydrated mineral fillers are discussed with reference to their use as fire retardant additives for polymers. Particular consideration is given to their mode of action and criteria which influence their performance, both in reducing polymer flammability and in suppressing smoke evolution during combustion. Methods for reducing their adverse effect on mechanical properties of the host polymer are also highlighted.     

Deep Eutectic Solvents in Solar Energy Technologies

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) have been widely used in many fields to exploit their ecofriendly characteristics, from green synthetic procedures to environmentally benign industrial methods. In contrast, their application in emerging solar technologies, where the abundant and clean solar energy is used to properly respond to most important societal needs, is still relatively scarce. This represents a strong limitation since many solar devices make use of polluting or toxic components, thus seriously hampering their eco-friendly nature. Herein, we review the literature, mainly published in the last few years, on the use of DESs in representative solar technologies, from solar plants to last generation photovoltaics, featuring not only their passive role as green solvents, but also their active behavior arising from their peculiar chemical nature. This collection highlights the increasing and valuable role played by DESs in solar technologies, in the fulfillment of green chemistry requirements and for performance enhancement, in particular in terms of long-term temporal stability.     

Relative energy of organic compounds IV. Radicals,carbocations, and carbanions

The structure-dependent energies of organic radicals, cations, and anions are deduced from their calculated relative enthalpies and are compared to the relative enthalpies of their parent compounds. The use of relative enthalpies to express the relative energies of organic radicals, cations, and anions proved to be as fruitful as in the case of their parent organic compounds. The same energy-determining structural factors may have stronger, weaker, or even opposite effects in the radicals, cations, or anions than those in their parent molecules.     

Liposome-based delivery of biological drugs

Biological drugs are attracting tremendous attention in disease treatment. However, their application is significantly limited by their inherent properties, such as high hydrophilicity, poor membranepermeability, low stability, and larger size. Liposome-based drug delivery systems are emerging as promising tools to improve their delivery, owing to their ability to reduce toxicity, improve bioavailability,and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the drug by optimizing delivery to the specific targ...