Development and validation of a sensitive and selective method using GC/MS-MS for quantification of 5-fluorouracil in hospital wastewater

Pollution of the environment by pharmaceuticals is a subject of growing scientific and societal concern. However, few quantitative data have been reported concerning hospital wastewater contamination. Among the different molecules used at hospital, antineoplastic drugs appear to be of special interest, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) can be considered as a key compound of this therapeutic class. To monitor this pharmaceutical in hospital wastewater, a highly specific and selective method was developed using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction. This sensitive method (limit of quantification = 40 ng L⁻¹) was then applied to assess sewage contamination of a middle-size hospital with oncology service located in Paris, France. Native 5-FU was detectable in 12 of the 14 analysed samples. In positive samples, concentration range was measured from 0.09 to 4.0 μg L⁻¹. Finally, a predicting model for the hospital wastewater concentrations is presented, and results of this model are discussed.     

Insight into the reactivity of olefins in the Pauson-Khand reaction

The reactivity of different Co(2)(CO)(6)-acetylene complexes in the Pauson-Khand reaction is strongly dependent on the nature of the olefin. Theoretical calculations at both the DFT and ONIOM levels are concordant with experimental observations and suggest how the olefin-cobalt interactions in the complex could have a major effect on the relative reactivity of the olefins. This study rationalizes for the first time the experimentally observed reactivity differences of cyclohexene, cyclopentene, and norbornene.     

Atoms of multistationarity in chemical reaction networks

Chemical reaction systems are dynamical systems that arise in chemical engineering and systems biology. In this work, we consider the question of whether the minimal (in a precise sense) multistationary chemical reaction networks, which we propose to call ‘atoms of multistationarity,’ characterize the entire set of multistationary networks. Our main result states that the answer to this question is ‘yes’ in the context of fully open continuous-flow stirred-tank reactors (CFSTRs), which are networks in which all chemical species take part in the inflow and outflow. In order to prove this result, we show that if a subnetwork admits multiple steady states, then these steady states can be lifted to a larger network, provided that the two networks share the same stoichiometric subspace. We also prove an analogous result when a smaller network is obtained from a larger network by ‘removing species.’ Our results provide the mathematical foundation for a technique used by Siegal- Gaskins et al. of establishing bistability by way of ‘network ancestry.’ Additionally, our work provides sufficient conditions for establishing multistationarity by way of atoms and moreover reduces the problem of classifying multistationary CFSTRs to that of cataloging atoms of multistationarity. As an application, we enumerate and classify all 386 bimolecular and reversible two-reaction networks. Of these, exactly 35 admit multiple positive steady states. Moreover, each admits a unique minimal multistationary subnetwork, and these subnetworks form a poset (with respect to the relation of ‘removing species’) which has 11 minimal elements (the atoms of multistationarity).     

One-pot microwave-assisted substitution of a glucuronan trisaccharide

Substitution of a glucuronic acid trisaccharide was easily performed in one step under microwave irradiation, affording a product resulting from simultaneous glycosylation, esterification and a butyl ether formation.     

Sonogashira cross-coupling of 3-bromo-1,2-diones: an access to 3-alkynyl-1,2-diones

A new general method for the synthesis of enols of cyclic 3-alkynyl-substituted 1,2-diketones is developed. Sonogashira cross-coupling of silyl enolates of cyclic 3-bromo-cyclopentane- and 3-bromo-cyclohexane-1,2-diones with variety of substituted acetylenes afforded enols of cyclic 3-alkynyl-1,2-diones with good yields (up to 93%) in a short reaction time. The starting 3-bromo-1,2-diones are easily obtainable by direct bromination of 1,2-diones with NBS.     

Sequential Pd/Ru-catalysed allenylation/olefin metathesis/1,3-dipolar cycloaddition route to novel heterocycles

A novel sequential palladium/ruthenium-catalysed four component process is described involving carbonylation of an aryl/heteroaryl iodide followed by allenylation to generate (π-allyl) palladium species which are intercepted by nitrogen nucleophiles to afford 1,6-dienes. Subsequent Ring-Closing Metathesis (RCM) affords C-acyl-N-heterocycles in good yield. These heterocycles proved to be active dipolarophiles in sequential and cascade 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions (1,3-DC) as exemplified by reactions with nitrones and azomethine ylides.     

Diverged Plant Terpene Synthases Reroute the Carbocation Cyclization Path towards the Formation of Unprecedented 6/11/5 and 6/6/7/5 Sesterterpene Scaffolds

Sesterterpenoids are a relatively rare class of plant terpenes. Sesterterpene synthase (STS)‐mediated cyclization of the linear C₂₅ isoprenoid precursor geranylfarnesyl diphosphate (GFPP) defines sesterterpene scaffolds. So far only a very limited number of STSs have been characterized. The discovery of three new plant STSs is reported that produce a suite of sesterterpenes with unprecedented 6/11/5 and 6/6/7/5 fused ring systems when transiently co‐expressed with a GFPP synthase in Nicotiana benthamiana. Structural elucidation, feeding experiments, and quantum chemical calculations suggest that these STSs catalyze an unusual cyclization path involving reprotonation, intramolecular 1,6 proton transfer, and concerted but asynchronous bicyclization events. The cyclization is diverted from those catalyzed by the characterized plant STSs by forming unified 15/5 bicyclic sesterterpene intermediates. Mutagenesis further revealed a conserved amino acid residue implicated in reprotonation.     

Substituted 1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones are superior to thymine in the recognition of adenine in duplex as well as triplex structures

The synthesis and evaluation of a series of novel nucleobases based on substituted 1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones are reported. The nucleobases were designed to meet the requirements for incorporation into peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and were evaluated as part of PNA duplex and triplex nucleic acid recognition systems. Of the various nucleobases tested, only the 7-chloro-1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-one (7-Cl-bT) nucleobase led to consistently increased affinity in all recognition systems, duplex (Watson-Crick) as well as triplex (Hoogsteen). For multiply modified systems, the increase in thermal stability per modification was dependent on the sequence context, ranging from 2.0 degrees C (in separate positions) to 3.5 degrees C (in adjacent positions) in PNA-DNA duplexes and from 1.2 degrees C (in separate positions) to 3.2 degrees C (in adjacent positions) in PNA-RNA duplexes. Singly mismatched oligonucleotide targets were employed to demonstrate uncompromised sequence discrimination. When part of multiply modified triplex (Hoogsteen) recognition systems, the 7-Cl-bT unit gave rise to increases in the thermal stability ranging from 2.7 to 3.5 degrees C when incorporated into separated and adjacent positions, respectively. Our results furthermore indicate that the duplex stabilization is predominantly enthalpic and therefore most likely not a consequence of single-strand preorganization. Finally, and most surprisingly, we find no direct correlation between the end-stacking efficiency of this type of nucleobase and its helix stabilization when involved in Watson-Crick base pairing within a helix.