Pseudoesters and derivatives. XXV. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of diazomethane to 5-methoxy-3-pyrrolin-2-ones

Cycloaddition of diazomethane to pyrrolinones 1a,b,d,e affords only one regioisomer as a mixture of the epimeric pyrrolopyrazolines 2 and 2 ′,4-Halo derivatives 1f,g react with diazomethane to give the two possible regioisomers 2 and 3. The regio- and stereochemistry of the adducts is evidenced by the ¹H-nmr data. The primary adducts originated from the halopyrrolinones suffer dehydrohalogenation to give aromatized products, which by further methylation give derivatives of type 7, 8, 10 and 11.     

Stereoselective synthesis of the octahydroisobenzofuran skeleton of the eunicellins

A de novo asymmetric synthesis of the octahydroisobenzofuran skeleton contained within the eunicellin family of natural products has been completed. The key transformations involve the convergent assembly of a tetrasubstituted tetrahydrofuran by condensation of a functionalised allylsiloxane with an aldehyde; controlled epimerisation of a C4 aldehyde by intramolecular trapping; installation of the isopropyl substituent by stereoselective Michael addition to a 5,5-bicyclic enone; and ring expansion of the 5,5-system to the target structure by radical-mediated cyclopropane fragmentation.     

Uptake of Europium(III) from Water using Magnetite Nanoparticles

It is demonstrated that colloidal magnetite nanoparticles can be used as nanosorbents for lanthanide ions dissolved in water. In particular, a series of experiments are performed for the removal of Eu(III) in distinct analytical conditions and by applying an external magnet to collect the sorbents previously dispersed in water samples. Furthermore, strategies for surface chemistry functionalization are also investigated, aiming to investigate the effect of this parameter on the removal capacity of the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The supernatant solutions are monitored for the remaining amount of Eu(III) by fluorescence emission measurements in the presence of 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid as a sensitizer. The results demonstrate that neat Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are capable of capturing lanthanide ions (III) from aqueous solutions (pH 7), without need of surface modification, and for subsequent removal by magnetic separation. During the removal, efficiency is increased after modifying the particles' surfaces with silica and 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane; in alkaline medium (pH 10), there is complete removal regardless the type of nanosorbent used. This has been explained by the formation of insoluble Eu(III) species that adsorb strongly to the nanosorbents surfaces allowing their subsequent magnetic separation.     

Development of a method for quantitative determination of the cytotoxic agent piplartine (piperlongumine) in multiple skin layers

This study reports the development of a simple and reproducible method, with high rates of recovery, to extract the cytotoxic agent piplartine from skin layers, and a sensitive and rapid UV‐HPLC method for its quantification. Considering the potential of piplartine for topical treatment of skin cancer, this method may find application for formulation development and pharmacokinetics studies to assess cutaneous bioavailability. Porcine skin was employed as a model for human tissue. Piplartine was extracted from the stratum corneum (SC) and remaining viable skin layers (VS) using methanol, vortex homogenization and bath sonication, and subsequently assayed by HPLC using a C₁₈ column, and 1:1 (v/v) acetonitrile–water (adjusted to pH 4.0 with acetic acid 0.1%) as mobile phase. The quantification limit of piplartine was 0.2 μg/mL (0.6 μm ), and the assay was linear up to 5 μg/mL (15.8 μm ), with within‐day and between‐days assay coefficients of variation and relative errors <15%. Piplartine recovery from SC and VS varied from 86 to 96%. The method was suitable to assay samples from skin penetration studies, enabling detection of differences in cutaneous delivery in different skin compartments resulting from treatment with various formulations and time periods.     

Asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of N-metalated azomethine ylides to methyl (S)-2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)acrylate. Synthesis of optically pure 2,4,5-trisubstituted 2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrroles

The first 1,3-dipolar reaction of azomethine ylides with optically pure vinyl sulfoxide are reported. The presence of the sulfinyl group increase the reactivity of the acrylate moiety as a dipolarophile, and the reactions evolve with complete regio- and endo-selectivities. Nevertheless, mixtures of the two diastereoisomers 4 and 5 (75-88% de) resulting from the anti dipole/s-cis dipolarophile and syn dipole/s-trans dipolarophile approaches, respectively, are obtained. The stereoselectivity can be controlled by using THF or MeCN as solvents or by changing the reaction temperature in MeCN. After separation of the cycloadducts, optically pure 2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrroles are easily obtained by pyrolytic desulfinylation.     

Experimental constraints on heavy fermions in Higgsless models

Using an effective Lagrangian approach we analyse a generic Higgsless model with composite heavy fermions, transforming as SU(2) _L+R doublets. Assuming that the Standard Model fermions acquire mass through mixing with the new heavy fermions, we constrain the free parameters of the effective Lagrangian studying Flavour Changing Neutral Current processes. In doing so we obtain bounds that can be applied to a wide range of models characterised by the same fermion mixing hypothesis.     

Embedding optimisation algorithms with Mosel

Algebraic modelling languages allow models to be implemented in such a way that they can easily be understood and modified. They are therefore a working environment commonly used by practitioners in Operations Research. Having once developed models, they need to be integrated inside the company information system. This step often involves embedding a model into a programming language environment: many existing algebraic modelling languages make possible to run parameterised models and subsequently retrieve their results, but without any facility for interacting with the model during the model generation or solution process.In this paper we show how to use the Mosel environment to implement complex algorithms directly in the modelling language.The Office cleaning problem is solved by a branch-and-cut algorithm, implemented entirely in the modelling language (including the definition of the callback function for the solver). Secondly, a cutting stock problem is solved by column generation, also implemented in the modelling language.AMS classification: 90Cxx, 65K05, 68N15     

X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR studies of a germanium binuclear complex

A compound formulated as (C4H12N2)[Ge2(pmida)2(OH)2] x 4 H2O (where pmida(4-) = N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetate and C4H12N2(2+) = piperazinedium cation), containing the anionic [Ge2(pmida)2(OH)2]2- complex, has been synthesised by the hydrothermal approach and its structure determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Several high-resolution solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR techniques, in particular two-dimensional 1H-X(13C,31P) heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) and 1H-1H homonuclear correlation (HOMCOR) experiments incorporating a frequency-switched Lee-Goldburg (FS-LG) decoupling scheme, have been employed for the first time in such a material. Using these tools in tandem affords an excellent general approach to study the structure of other inorganic-organic hybrids. We assigned the NMR resonances with the help of C...H and P...H internuclear distances obtained through systematic statistical analyses of the crystallographic data. The compound was further characterised by powder X-ray diffraction techniques, IR and Raman spectroscopy, and by elemental and thermal analyses (thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry).     

Hydrolysis of new phthalimide-derived esters catalyzed by immobilized lipase

The last step of the production of four phthalimide-derived acids, designed to act as antiasthma drugs, was performed by enzymatic hydrolysis of the respective methyl or ethyl esters. The esters 4-ethyl-[2-(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2-isoindoylyl)]-phenoxyacetic methyl ester (PHT-MET), 4-ethyl-[2-(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2-isoindoylyl)]-phenoxyacetic ethyl ester, 4-(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2-isoindoylyl)-phenoxyacetic ethyl ester, and 2-(1,3-dioxo-1, 3-dihydro-2-isoindoylyl)-phenoxyacetic ethyl ester were hydrolyzed by immobilized lipase. The enzymatic reaction could be used only to produce the desired 4-substituted compounds. The best result that was found to hydrolysis of PHT-MET, and, therefore, that ester was selected for optimization experiments in a three-phase system. Reactions were performed with solid biocatalyst (Lipozyme® RM IM), organic solvent phase (ethyl acetate), and aqueous phase (saturated Na₂CO₃ solution). To optimize the reaction conditions, an experimental design optimization procedure was used. The variables studied were the amount of enzyme, the temperature, and the volume of the aqueous solution. Time course experiments were then performed for different initial enzyme concentrations (0.5, 0.9, and 1.4 U_H/mL of solvent). The optimized reaction conditions found were 20 mg of Lipozyme (0.9 U_H/mL_solvent) and 5.0 mL of Na₂CO_3(sat) at 40°C for 6 h.