Fluoride ion induced reactions of organocilanes with saturated lactones and αβ-enones

Benzyl-, heteroaryl-, and allylsilanes, under the catalytic action of CsF or silica/TBAF, react in mild conditions with electrophiles such as σ-valero and ε-caprolactone, and with cyclohexen-2-one.     

Carbon Paste Electrode Bulk-Modified with the Conducting Polymer Poly(1,8-Diaminonaphthalene): Application to Lead Determination

Carbon paste electrodes modified with conducting polymers for sensitive and selective determination of lead are presented. A novel method for generating a reproducible polymer-coated electrode surface is developed. We prove that 1,8-diaminonaphthalene (1,8-DAN) mixed with a carbon paste electrode leads to a conducting polymer in acidic medium while, in the same medium, this polymer is known to be non-conducting on platinum electrode. The electrode behaviour of poly(1,8-DAN), electropolymerised into carbon paste, was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in the presence of the ferri-ferrocyanide couple.A carbon paste electrode modified with poly(1,8-DAN) was used to determine Pb²⁺ in aqueous solutions. Pb²⁺ ions were firstly complexed and then electrochemically deposited by a potential step to –0.9V. The accumulated lead after reduction was anodically stripped by differential pulse voltammetry. Different parameters, such as pH of the solution, preconcentration time, and electropolymerisation procedures were studied.For a preconcentration time of ten minutes, the calibration graph was linear from 40 to 2070ngmL^–1 with r²=0.998. The detection limit was found to be 30ngmL^–1, and the relative standard deviation was 6%.     

Cross‐Talk Between the Octarepeat Domain and the Fifth Binding Site of Prion Protein Driven by the Interaction of Copper(II) with the N‐terminus

Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative diseases based on the conformational conversion of the normal form of the prion protein (PrP^C) to the disease‐related scrapie isoform (PrP^Sc). Copper(II) coordination to PrP^C has attracted considerable interest for almost 20 years, mainly due to the possibility that such an interaction would be an important event for the physiological function of PrP^C. In this work, we report the copper(II) coordination features of the peptide fragment Ac(PEG₁₁)₃PrP(60‐114) [Ac=acetyl] as a model for the whole N‐terminus of the PrP^C metal‐binding domain. We studied the complexation properties of the peptide by means of potentiometric, UV/Vis, circular dichroism and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry techniques. The results revealed that the preferred histidyl binding sites largely depend on the pH and copper(II)/peptide ratio. Formation of macrochelate species occurs up to a 2:1 metal/peptide ratio in the physiological pH range and simultaneously involves the histidyl residues present both inside and outside the octarepeat domain. However, at increased copper(II)/peptide ratios amide‐bound species form, especially within the octarepeat domain. On the contrary, at basic pH the amide‐bound species predominate at any copper/peptide ratio and are formed preferably with the binding sites of His96 and His111, which is similar to the metal‐binding‐affinity order observed in our previous studies.     

Four bromo‐substituted pyrazoline and isoxazolinone spiro derivatives

Conformational analyses and a structural comparison of the four spiro compounds 3‐bromo‐1,9‐di­phenyl‐4‐p‐tolyl‐7‐oxa‐1,2,8‐tri­aza­spiro­[4.4]­nona‐2,8‐dien‐6‐one, (I), C₂₄H₁₈BrN₃O₂, 3‐bromo‐4‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)‐1,9‐di­phenyl‐7‐oxa‐1,2,8‐tri­aza­spiro­[4.4]­nona‐2,8‐dien‐6‐one, (II), C₂₄H₁₈BrN₃O₃, 3‐bromo‐4‐(4‐chloro­phenyl)‐1,7,9‐tri­phenyl‐1,2,7,8‐tetra­aza­spiro­[4.4]­nona‐2,8‐dien‐6‐one, (III), C₂₉H₂₀BrClN₄O, and 3‐bromo‐1,7,9‐tri­phenyl‐4‐p‐tolyl‐1,2,7,8‐tetra­aza­spiro­[4.4]­nona‐2,8‐di­en‐6‐one, (IV), C₃₀H_22.89Br_1.11N₄O, are presented. The mol­ecular structures are rather similar, which is as expected since the compounds are all products of concerted 1,3‐dipolar attack on (Z)‐4‐aryl­idene oxazolone and pyrazolone derivatives. The observed conformations tend to favour extended π conjugation of the benzene rings and other π systems, as shown by a comparison of selected geometric parameters of the four structures.     

Non-standard probability,coherence and conditional probability on many-valued events

The usual coherence criterion by de Finetti is extended both to many-valued events and to conditional probability. Special attention is paid to assessments in which the betting odds for conditioning events are zero. This case is treated by means of infinitesimal probabilities. We propose a rationality criterion, called stable coherence, which is stronger than coherence in the sense of no sure loss.     

Synthesis of New Macrocyclic Aryl Phosphonates. X-Ray Structure and Clathration Properties

Williamson condensation of bis-o-hydroxy aryl phosphonates with dihaloalkylaryl derivatives yields the title compounds. They show interesting stereochemical aspects and some of them can be used in chiral recognitions and separations.     

Gold nanoparticles stabilized by modified halloysite nanotubes for catalytic applications

A highly sustainable prototype of a flow system based on gold nanoparticles (4.2 nm) supported on thiol‐functionalized halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) was developed for catalytic applications. The catalytic performances were evaluated using the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol as a model system. Under the best experimental conditions (0.0001 mol%, 1.97 × 10^?8 mg of Au nanoparticles), an impressive apparent turnover frequency value up to 2 204 530 h^?1 was achieved and the halloysite‐based catalyst showed full recyclability even after ten cycles. The high catalytic activity confirms the importance of the use of HNTs as support for Au nanoparticles that can exert a synergistic effect both as medium for transfer of electrons from borohydride ions to 4‐nitrophenol and by modulating interfacial electron transfer dynamics. With the application of flow technology, the obtained heterogeneous HNT@Au catalyst was fully recovered and reused for at least one month.     

Expanding the Chemical Space of Tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD) through a Cyano-Diels-Alder Reaction: Synthesis,Structure, and Physicochemical Properties of an Anthryl-fused-TCBD Derivative

Tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD) is a powerful and versatile electron-acceptor moiety widely used for the preparation of electroactive conjugates. While many reports addressing its electron-accepting capability have appeared in the literature, significantly scarcer are those dealing with its chemical modification, a relevant topic which allows to broaden the chemical space of this interesting functional unit. Here, we report on the first example of a high-yielding cyano-Diels-Alder (CDA) reaction between TCBD, that is, where a nitrile group acts as a dienophile, and an anthryl moiety, that is, acting as a diene. The resulting anthryl-fused-TCBD derivative, which structure was unambiguously identified by X-ray diffraction, shows high thermal stability, remarkable electron-accepting capability, and interesting electronic ground- and excited-state features, as characterized by a thorough theoretical, electrochemical, and photophysical investigation. Moreover, a detailed kinetic analysis of the intramolecular CDA reaction transforming the anthryl-TCBD-based reactant into the anthryl-fused-TCBD product was carried out at different temperatures.