Synthesis and Characterization of Two Formyl 2‐Tetrazenes

The synthesis of two formyl 2‐tetrazenes, namely, (E)‐1‐formyl‐1,4,4‐trimethyl‐2‐tetrazene ( 2 ) and (E)‐1,4‐diformyl‐1,4‐dimethyl‐2‐tetrazene ( 3 ), by oxidation of (E)‐1,1,4,4‐tetramethyl‐2‐tetrazene ( 1 ) using potassium permanganate in acetone solution is presented. Compound 3 was also synthesized in an improved yield from the oxidation of 1‐formyl‐1‐methylhydrazine ( 4a ) using potassium permanganate in acetone. Both compounds 2 and 3 were characterized by analytical (elemental analysis, GC‐MS) and spectroscopic methods (¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N NMR spectroscopy, and IR and Raman spectroscopy). In addition, the solid‐state structures of the compounds were confirmed by low‐temperature X‐ray analysis. (Compound 2 : triclinic; space group P‐1; a=5.997(1) Å, b=8.714(1) Å, c=13.830(2) Å; α=107.35(1)°, β=90.53(1)°, γ=103.33(1)°; V_UC=668.9(2) ų; Z=4; ρ_calc=1.292 cm^?3. Compound 3 : monoclinic; space group P2₁/c; a=5.840(2) Å, b=7.414(3) Å, c=8.061(2) Å; β=100.75(3)°; V_UC=342(2) ų; Z=2; ρ_calc=1.396 g cm^?3.) The vibrational frequencies of compounds 2 and 3 were calculated using the B3LYP method with a 6‐311+G(d,p) basis set. We also computed the natural bond orbital (NBO) charges using the rMP2/aug‐cc‐pVDZ method and the heats of formation were determined on the basis of their electronic energies. Furthermore, the thermal stabilities of these compounds, as well as their sensitivity towards classical stimuli, were also assessed by differential scanning calorimetry and standard BAM tests, respectively. Lastly, the attempted synthesis of (E)‐1,2,3,4‐tetraformyl‐2‐tetrazene ( 6 ) is also discussed.     

Synthesis, characterization and antitumor activity of 1,2-disubstituted ferrocenes and cyclodextrin inclusion complexes

Seven different ferrocene derivatives have been tested in vitro against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Neither ferrocene nor the monosubstituted derivative N,N-dimethylaminomethylferrocene showed cytotoxic activity (IC₅₀ > 1000 μM for 3 h treatments). Better results were obtained with 1,2-disubstituted derivatives. The IC₅₀ values ranged from 376.6 μM for 1,2-diformylferrocene to 71.2 μM for racemic 2-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)ferrocenecarboxamide. The latter derivative was also encapsulated in native β-cyclodextrin (CD), heptakis-2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-β-CD (TRIMEB) and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HPβCD) to give 1:1 (host:guest) inclusion compounds. The existence of true inclusion complexes in the solid state was confirmed by a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR and ¹³C CP MAS NMR spectroscopy. The IC₅₀ value for the β-CD inclusion compound was identical to that obtained for the nonincluded ferrocene derivative. By contrast, the inclusion compounds comprising TRIMEB and HPβCD yielded IC₅₀ values of 25.2 and 20.0 μM, respectively. No obvious relationship could be established between the redox behavior of the compounds determined by cyclic voltammetry and the biochemical data.     

Adsorption and bioactivity studies of albumin onto hydroxyapatite surface

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) may have an inhibitory or promoter effect on hydroxyapatite (HA) nucleation when apatite is precipitated in a medium containing the protein. In this study we evaluated the influence of BSA on the precipitation of calcium phosphate phases (CP) from simulated body fluid (SBF) when the protein was previously bounded to HA surface. The kinetics of BSA immobilization onto hydroxyapatite surface was performed in different buffers and protein concentrations in order to adjust experimental conditions in which BSA was tightly linked to HA surface for long periods in SBF solution. It was shown that for BSA concentration higher than 0.1mg/mL the adsorption to HA surface followed Langmuir-Freundlich mechanisms, which confirmed the existence of cooperative protein-protein interactions on HA surface. Fourier Transformed Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance Microscopy (FTIRM-ATR) evidenced changes in BSA conformational state in favor of less-ordered structure. Analyses from high resolution grazing incident X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation (GIXRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) showed that a poorly crystalline calcium phosphate was precipitated on the surface of HA discs coated with BSA, after the immersion in SBF for 4 days. The new bioactive layer had morphological characteristics similar to the one formed on the HA surface without protein. It was identified as a carbonated apatite with preferential crystal growth along apatite 002 direction. The GIXRD results also revealed that BSA layer bound to the surface inhibited the HA dissolution leading to a reduction on the formation of new calcium phosphate phase.     

Identification and separation of saxitoxins using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to traveling wave ion mobility‐mass spectrometry

The aim of this work was to develop a reliable and efficient analytical method to characterise and differentiate saxitoxin analogues (STX), including sulphated (gonyautoxins, GTX) and non‐sulphated analogues. For this purpose, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) was used to separate sulphated analogues. We also resorted to ion mobility spectrometry to differentiate the STX analogues because this technique adds a new dimension of separation based on ion gas phase conformation. Positive and negative ionisation modes were used for gonyautoxins while positive ionisation mode was used for non‐sulphated analogues. Subsequently, the coupling of these three complementary techniques, HILIC‐IM‐MS, permitted the separation and identification of STX analogues; isomer differentiation was achieved in HILIC dimension while non‐sulphated analogues were separated in the IM‐MS dimension. Additional structural characteristics concerning the conformation of STXs could be obtained using IM‐MS measurements. Thus, the collision cross sections (CCS) of STXs are reported for the first time in the positive ionisation mode. These experimental CCSs correlated well with the calculated CCS values using the trajectory method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3,5‐Dimethyl‐4‐[(E)‐(2‐nitrophenyl)diazenyl]‐1‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazole

The title compound, C₁₇H₁₀F₅N₅O₂, is described and compared with its 4‐nitrophenyl isomer [Bustos, Sánchez, Schott, Alvarez‐Thon & Fuentealba (2007). Acta Cryst. E 63 , o1138–o1139]. The title molecule presents its nitro group split into two rotationally disordered components, which in conjunction with the rotation of the `unclamped' rings constitute the main molecular differences. Packing is directed by a head‐to‐tail type `I' C—F...F—C interaction, generating double‐chain strips running along [100]. These substructures are interlinked by a variety of weak F...F, O...F, F...π and O...π interactions.     

Tuning the coordination sphere around highly luminescent lanthanide complexes

A series of three ligands designed for the formation of water-soluble luminescent lanthanide complexes is described. All ligands are based on a 6'-carboxy-2,2':6',2'-terpyridine framework linked via a methylene bridge to n-butylamine. The second negatively charged arm consists of a 6-carboxy-2-methylenepyridine for L1, a 6'-carboxy-6-methylene-2,2'-bipyridine for L2, and a 6'-carboxy-6-methylene-2,2':6',2'-terpyridine for L3. The photophysical properties of the Eu and Tb complexes were studied in aqueous solutions by means of absorption spectroscopy and steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. Luminescence excited-state lifetimes were recorded and led to the determination of two water molecules in the first coordination sphere. The europium complexes were characterized by means of (1)H NMR spectroscopy in D 2O and DFT calculations performed at the B3LYP level both in vacuo and in aqueous solution. Finally, the influence of different phosphorylated anions such as HPO 4 (2-), ATP (4-), ADP (3-), and AMP (2-) on the luminescence properties of the [Eu L X (H 2O) 2] (+) complexes ( X = 1-3) was investigated in buffered aqueous solutions (0.01 M TRIS, pH 7.0), showing a significant interaction of ATP (4-) with [Eu( L2)(H 2O) 2] (+). The coordination of anions was understood in terms of partial decomplexation of one arm of the ligands and water displacement, with formation of ternary species, and it was rationalized on the basis of the structural models of the complexes obtained from DFT calculations.     

Non-trivial behavior of palladium(II) acetate

Reaction of activated palladium metal with a HNO3/acetic acid mixture produces both orange Pd3(OAc)6, 1, and purple Pd3(OAc)5(NO2), 2. Compound has a trinuclear structure derived from that of the well-known triangular complex 1 in which one acetate group has been replaced by a nitrite group which is bonded to one palladium atom by the nitrogen atom and to another Pd atom using one of the oxygen atoms. Highly pure 1 can be made by continuous removal of the nitric oxides from the reaction mixture using a flow of N2. 1H NMR spectra of solutions of 1 in CDCl3 and C6D6 show several signals of various intensities when a small amount of water is present in the deuterated solvents but only one signal when the solvents are thoroughly dried. These results are consistent with the occurrence of one or more hydrolysis processes when the solvents contain water and suggest that hypotheses about various [Pd(OAc)2]n aggregates that have previously been brought forward in the literature to explain the complexity of the spectrum of 1 are unnecessary, especially for nonpolar solvents. Compound 2 does not hydrolyze, and in wet or dried solvents shows a 1H NMR spectrum that consists of five equal-intensity signals due to the five nonequivalent acetate groups.     

Synthesis of 10-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)thieno[3,2-b][1,5]benzoxazepines

A series of the title compounds has been synthesized starting from methyl 3-hydroxythiophene-2-carboxylate. Its condensation with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene provides through compound 4e a way to introduce 7-substituents by means of diazonium salts reactions.     

Optical pumping of nuclear spin magnetization in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells of variable electron density

We report the use of time-resolved Faraday rotation to induce and probe the polarization of nuclear spins within a set of quantum wells with varying background electron density. The electron density was controlled over a broad range by making use of structures of mixed type-I/type-II GaAs/AlAs quantum wells that spatially separate photoexcited electron–hole pairs. We find that the optically detected nuclear magnetic field decreases quasi-monotonically with increasing electron density. The likely factors responsible for this behavior are increased electron spin-lattice relaxation, increased electron spin delocalization, and dilution of the electron spin polarization.