1,3,5,7-Tetramethyl-8-aminozide-difluoroboradiaza-s-indacene as a new fluorescent labeling reagent for the determination of aliphatic aldehydes in serum with high performance liquid chromatography

A BODIPY-based fluorescent derivatization reagent with a hydrazine moiety, 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-aminozide-difluoroboradiaza-s-indacene (BODIPY-aminozide), has been designed for aldehyde labeling. An increased fluorescence quantum yield was observed from 0.38 to 0.94 in acetonitrile when it reacted with aldehydes. Twelve aliphatic aldehydes from formaldehyde to lauraldehyde were used to evaluate the analytical potential of this reagent by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on C₁₈ column with fluorescence detection. The derivatization reaction of BODIPY-aminozide with aldehydes proceeded at 60 °C for 30 min to form stable corresponding BODIPY hydrazone derivatives in the presence of phosphoric acid as a catalyst. The maximum excitation (495 nm) and emission (505 nm) wavelengths were almost the same for all the aldehyde derivatives. A baseline separation of all the 12 aliphatic aldehydes (except formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) is achieved in 20 min with acetonitrile–tetrahydrofuran (THF)–water as mobile phase. The detection limits were obtained in the range from 0.43 to 0.69 nM (signal-to-noise = 3), which are better than or comparable with those obtained by the existing methods based on aldehyde labeling. This reagent has been applied to the precolumn derivatization followed with HPLC determination of trace aliphatic aldehydes in human serum samples without complex pretreatment or enrichment method.     

Improved solid-phase extraction/micellar procedure for the derivatization/preconcentration of benzaldehyde and methyl derivatives from water samples

A simple, rapid and sensitive method has been developed for the determination of aromatic low-molecular mass aldehydes (LMMAs) such as benzaldehyde (BA) and methyl derivatives in water samples through the use of liquid chromatography-diode array detection (LC-DAD). The method is based on the continuous in situ derivatization of the aldehydes with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) on a LiChrolut EN solid-phase extraction (SPE) column in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles. After elution, hydrazones were successfully separated on a RP-C₁₈ column using a linear gradient mobile phase of acetonitrile (ACN)-water at 75-95% ACN for 10 min. Linearity was established over the concentration range 0.4-200 μg L^-1 and limits of detection (LODs) from 120 to 200 ng L^-1; the inter-day precision expressed as the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the aldehydes ranged from 3.0% to 3.5%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of aromatic and aliphatic LMMAs in water samples with average recoveries ranging between 93.6% and 99.5%. The proposed method surpasses other chromatographic alternatives in terms of LODs, sample requirements for analysis and cost.     

N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed cyanation reaction of carbonyl compounds with ethyl cyanoformate and acetyl cyanide

N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has been employed as an efficient catalyst for cyanation reaction of carbonyl compounds. Under catalysis of 1 mol % NHCs, various aldehydes and 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone coupled with ethyl cyanoformate in THF to provide cyanohydrins ethyl carbonates in excellent yields. While in the presence of 10 mol % catalyst, different types of aldehydes and 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone reacted with acetyl cyanide in dichloroethane to give acylated cyanohydrins in moderate to high yields.     

Development of an environment-friendly microextraction method for the determination of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes in water

Aldehydes are produced in water disinfected primarily by ozone treatment, and are generally present in treated water below the limit of detection (<5 μg L⁻¹) of commonly proposed methods. Formaldehyde is the most studied along with acetaldehyde due to their mutagenic character, and because it causes chromosomal aberrations. This paper reports the first miniaturised system for the simultaneous determination of thirteen aldehydes (aliphatic and aromatic) which are selected based on their frequent or suspected presence in water, mainly as disinfection by-products (DBPs). The micro liquid–liquid extraction (MLLE) method is a miniaturisation of EPA Method 556.1 for carbonyl compounds that includes some innovations, such as performing the derivatising reaction in a strong acidic medium (pH 1.1), and the addition of magnesium sulphate to the aqueous layer as the heating agent, which allows to carry out the whole simultaneous derivatisation/microextraction process in only 1 min. Large-volume sample injection (50 μL) coupled to programmed temperature vaporiser–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry is also used to improve both sensitivity and selectivity. The MLLE method demonstrated high extraction efficiency (96%) with low limits of detection, between 0.7 and 80 ng L⁻¹, and good precision (RSD below 10%, n = 11). The proposed method was evaluated by determining aldehydes in water. Our study demonstrated that the selection of the target aldehydes was appropriate since all were found (at average concentrations from 8.0 to 1.4 μg L⁻¹ for aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, respectively) in swimming pool waters as DBPs.     

Catalyst-free,ethylene glycol promoted one-pot three component synthesis of 3-amino alkylated indoles via Mannich-type reaction

A highly efficient and sustainable approach for the multi-component synthesis of biologically important 3-amino alkylated indoles has been investigated via Mannich-type reaction under catalyst-free, ethylene glycol as a recyclable promoting medium. The wide applicability of the present method was examined with various substrates viz substituted aldehydes, indoles and secondary amines. This method will be useful for a large scale synthesis of 3-amino alkylated indoles without the use of column chromatography. The present method provides higher environmental compatibility and sustainability factors such as smaller E-factor (0.433) and higher atom-economy (AE = 93.3%).     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of hexanal and heptanal in human blood by ultrasound-assisted headspace liquid-phase microextraction with in-drop derivatization

In this paper, an ultrasound-assisted headspace liquid-phase microextraction with in-drop derivatization was developed for the extraction and determination of hexanal and heptanal as the biomarkers in human blood. In the method, a polychloroprene rubber (PCR) tube was utilized as container to load extraction solvent (methyl cyanide) and derivatization reagent (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, 2,4-DNPH). Volatile aldehydes were headspace extracted and simultaneously derivatized in the droplet, followed by LC-UV detection of the formed hydrazones. The stability of organic solvent and the sensitivity of the method enhanced greatly. Under the optimal conditions, good linearity was obtained in the concentration range of 0.01–10 μmol L⁻¹ (r > 0.997) and the limits of detection (LOD) for hexanal and heptanal were 0.79 and 0.80 nmol L⁻¹, respectively. The recoveries in blood sample ranged from 75.2% to 101.1% with the inter- and intra-day precisions less than 9.8%. The method possesses the advantages such as simplicity, sensitivity, efficiency, low consumption of solvent, and little interference from sample matrix. It provides great potential for the investigation of volatile disease biomarkers (aldehydes) in complex biological samples.     

A practical and efficient procedure for the cleavage of acylals to aldehydes catalyzed by indium tribromide in water

Indium tribromide (10 mol %) is an efficient catalyst for chemoselective cleavage of aryl acylals in refluxing water. A variety of acylals have been deprotected to give the corresponding parent aldehydes in high yield. The procedure presented is operationally simple, practical, and compatible with other sensitive functionalities such as methoxy, methyleneioxy, and benzyloxy groups present in the substrates.     

Structure-reactivity relationships of l-proline derived spirolactams and α-methyl prolinamide organocatalysts in the asymmetric Michael addition reaction of aldehydes to nitroolefins

l-Proline derived spirolactams and α-methyl prolinamides act as organocatalysts for the asymmetric conjugate addition of aldehydes to nitroolefins in excellent yields, with good diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. Furthermore, low catalyst loadings (5 mol %) and a low aldehyde molar excess (1.5 M equiv) were achieved.     

Determination of linear aliphatic aldehydes in heavy metal containing waters by high-performance liquid chromatography using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatization

A simple and sensitive method is described for the determination of picomolar amounts of C₁–C₉ linear aliphatic aldehydes in waters containing heavy metal ions. In this method, aldehydes were first derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) at optimized pH 1.8 for 30 min and analyzed by HPLC with UV detector at 365 nm. Factors affecting the derivatization reaction of aldehydes and DNPH were investigated. Cupric ion, an example of heavy metals, is a common oxidative reagent, which may oxidize DNPH and greatly interfere with the determination of aldehydes. EDTA was used to effectively mask the interferences by heavy metal ions. The method detection limits for direct injection of derivatized most aldehydes except formaldehyde were of the order of 7–28 nM. The detection limit can be further lowered by using off-line C₁₈ adsorption cartridge enrichment. The recoveries of C₁–C₉ aldehydes were 93–115% with a relative standard deviation of 3.6–8.1% at the 0.1 μM level for aldehydes. The HPLC–DNPH method has been applied for determining aldehyde photoproducts from Cu(II)–amino acid complex systems.     

Dipeptide-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reactions in the presence of water

The l-proline-based dipeptide has been discovered and developed as an efficient catalyst for the direct asymmetric aldol reactions of unmodified ketones with various aldehydes including aromatic, aliphatic, heteroaromatic, and unsaturated aldehydes in the presence of water at 0 °C. The resulted methodology and optimal conditions led to the corresponding aldol products with high yields (up to 94%) and good enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee).     

A nontransmetalation reaction pathway for anionic four-electron donor-based palladacycle-catalyzed addition reactions of arylborons with aldehydes

A nontransmetalation reaction pathway for anionic four-electron donor-based (Type I) palladacycle-catalyzed addition reactions of arylborons with aldehydes is described. This new reaction pathway offers new catalysis opportunities for Type I palladacycle-catalyzed addition reactions such as the exceptionally low catalyst loading catalysis, with the catalyst loading as low as 0.0005 mol %. This new pathway may be applicable for other transition metal-catalyzed addition reactions and might lead to the development of new reactions including sequential/tandem reactions.     

Fe(Cp)2PF6: An efficient catalyst for cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds under solvent free condition

An efficient method for the addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) to various aldehydes and ketones has been described using Fe(Cp)₂PF₆ (2.5 mol%) as a catalyst under solvent free condition. Excellent yields of trimethylsilylether of cyanohydrin up to (94%) was achieved within 10 min.     

Asymmetric cyano-ethoxycarbonylation of aldehydes catalyzed by self-assembled titanium catalyst

A new self-assembled catalyst based on titanium complex has been developed for the effective enantioselective cyano-ethoxycarbonylation of aldehydes. The self-assembled catalyst was readily prepared from (R)-3,3′-bis((methyl((S)-1-phenylethyl)amino)methyl)-1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diol (1h), N-((1S,2R)-2-hydroxy-1,2-diphenylethyl)acetamide (2b), and tetraisopropyl titanate (Ti(OiPr)₄). A variety of aromatic aldehydes, aliphatic aldehydes, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes were found to be suitable substrates in the presence of the self-assembled titanium catalyst (5 mol % 1h, 5 mol % 2b, and 5 mol % Ti(OiPr)₄). The desired cyanohydrin ethyl carbonates were afforded with high isolated yields (up to 95%) and moderate to good enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee) under mild conditions (at −15 °C). A possible catalytic cycle based on the experimental observation was proposed.     

Determination of aldehydes in rainwater using micro-solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and rapid extraction procedure was developed for determining aldehydes in rainwater samples. This extraction technique involved the use of micro-solid-phase extraction in which the sorbent was held within a polypropylene membrane envelope, followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. Aldehydes such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde and valeraldehyde were used as model compounds. Extraction conditions were optimized. The method linearity ranged between 0.5 and 50 μg l⁻¹ with the correlation coefficient of 0.987–0.999. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the method ranged from 7 to 12%. Method detection limits were in the range of 0.07–0.15 μg l⁻¹, which is lower than those previously reported for solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometric techniques. The proposed extraction technique was used for determination of aldehydes in rainwater samples to demonstrate the applicability of the method.     

Iodine-catalyzed one-pot three-component synthesis of homoallyl benzyl ethers from aldehydes

Iodine has been found to be an effective catalyst for one-pot synthesis of homoallyl benzyl ethers under mild reaction conditions. Various homoallyl benzyl ethers were synthesized in moderate to high yield by three-component condensation of aldehydes, benzyloxytrimethylsilane, and allyltrimethylsilane in presence of iodine (10 mol %) in dichloromethane at 0 °C.     

Sequential three-component reactions: synthesis, regioselectivity and application of functionalized dihydropyridines (DHPs) for the creation of fused naphthyridines

Facile and efficient synthesis of tetrasubstituted 1,4- and 1,6-dihydropyridines (DHPs) has been achieved by employing three-component domino reaction using dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD), aliphatic amines, and α,β-unsaturated aldehyde in the presence of 30 mol % trifluoroacetic acid. Interestingly, regioselectivity for the synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines can be increased by using 30 mol % triflic acid. In addition, the synthesis of fused-naphthyridine derivatives has been accomplished involving imino-Diels-Alder reaction by employing 1,4-dihydropyridines, aromatic aldehydes, and aromatic amines.     

Palladium/di-1-adamantyl-n-butylphosphine-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of aryl and vinyl halides

A general and efficient palladium-catalyzed reductive carbonylation with low catalyst loadings (0.5 mol % Pd or below) has been developed. The formylation of aryl and heteroaryl bromides proceeds smoothly in the presence of palladium/di-1-adamantyl-n-butylphosphine at ambient pressure of synthesis gas to afford the corresponding aromatic aldehydes in good yields and excellent selectivity. In addition, vinyl halides react under similar conditions to form α,β-unsaturated aldehydes in good yield.     

A versatile and practical synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes/bis(indolyl)glycoconjugates catalyzed by trichloro-1,3,5-triazine

A practical and efficient electrophilic substitution reaction of indoles with a variety of aldehydes was carried out using catalytic trichloro-1,3,5-triazine (10 mol %) in acetonitrile to furnish the corresponding bis(indolyl)methanes in excellent yields. Similarly, sugar derived aldehydes gave hitherto unknown bis(indolyl)glycoconjugates in very good yields.     

Direct reductive amination and selective 1,2-reduction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones by NaBH4 using H3PW12O40 as catalyst

A simple and convenient procedure for direct reductive amination of aldehydes and ketones with sodium borohydride is described. The reaction has been carried out in methanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (0.5 mol %). α,β-Unsaturated aldehydes and ketones can be easily converted into the corresponding allyl alcohols by reaction with H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (0.5 mol %)/NaBH₄.