New Organophosphorus Proligands and Amide Precursors: Crystal and Molecular Structures of Ph2P(X)NH(C6H3Pri 2-2,6) (X = O,S) and (OPPh2)(O2SMe)N(C6H3Pri 2-2,6)

The new organophosphorus proligand (OPPh₂)(O₂SMe)NR (R = C₆H₃Prⁱ ₂–2,6) (3) was prepared as a white crystalline solid by reacting the lithiated compound Li[Ph₂P(O)NR] with MeSO₂Cl in a 1:1 molar ratio. The precursor Ph₂P(O)NHR (1), as well as its thio analogue Ph₂P(S)NHR (2), were obtained in the reaction between the lithiated amine RNHLi and the corresponding organophosphorus chloride. All compounds were characterized by multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P) NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of 1–3 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A zigzag polymeric chain is formed in the crystals of 1 and 2 by hydrogen N–H···X (X = O, S) bonding, while the crystal of 3 contains discrete monomeric units with a syn–syn conformation of the O?P(C)₂–N–S(C)(?O)₂ skeleton.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

Electrically insulated molecular wires

This paper is an up-to-date mini-review based on literature data and own results regarding synthesis and properties of conducting (pseudo)rotaxane supramolecular structures. Conjugated polymers, such as polyarylene, polyheteroarylene, polyaniline, polyarylenevinylene or polyaryleneimine, were used as axle, while the macrocyclic components were cyclodextrins, cucurbiturils, cyclophanes or crown ethers. Properties of the supramolecular structure such as solubility, thermal or chemical stability, conductivity, etc. can be drastically modified by the inclusion of hydrophobic conjugated polymers inside the macrocycle, without any chemical modification. For instance, the photophysical properties (i.e. quantum yield of fluorescence and electroluminescence) of the supramolecular structures were enhanced when compared with uninsulated conjugated polymers. The doping process is also affected, because the access of a dopant to the conjugated chain is limited only to the uncovered domains of the conjugated chain.     

Free-radical selective functionalization of 1,4-naphthoquinones by perfluorodiacyl peroxides

Perfluoroalkyl radicals, generated by thermal decomposition of perfluorodiacyl peroxides, react selectively with quinone rings of 1,4-naphthoquinones. In the presence of a non-conjugated alkene such as 1-hexene, perfluoroalkyl radicals add to the double bonds of the olefin forming a radical adduct, which selectively adds to the naphthoquinone ring. Several perfluorodiacyl peroxides have been synthesized and used for the direct and alkene-mediated functionalization of naphthoquinones. Geometrical parameters and electron density topology of all perfluorodiacyl peroxides have been calculated by the density functional formalism and quantum theory of atoms in molecules to attempt a rationalization of the experimental reactivity.     

Hydrogen bonding-based 3D supramolecular architecture of [Cu(CHA)2][TCM]·11H2O

Reaction of Na₄TCM (1) (H₄TCM = tetra[4-(carboxyphenyl)oxamethyl]methane) with [Cu(CHA)](ClO₄)₂ (2)(CHA = 1,3,6,8,11,14-hexaaz atricyclo[12.2.1.1.^8,11] octadecane) in a DMF-water mixture yields [Cu(CHA)]₂[TCM] (3). Structural analysis of [Cu(CHA)]₂[TCM]·11H₂O (3·11H₂O) by single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals strong copper-oxygen bonds between two complex cations and the tetraanion leading to a 3D coordination network (zwitterionic structure), consolidated through additional NH...O=C hydrogen bonding within the cation/anion association. The resulting coordination geometry around a copper atom is a distorted square pyramidal with an oxygen atom of the anionic ligand in the apical position. A 3D supramolecular network is developed in the crystal based only on NH...OC hydrogen bonds between the macrocyclic metallic tecton and the carboxylate groups of neighboring 3D coordinated (zwitterionic) moieties. The pseudotetrahedral TCM^4? tetraanionic ligand induces a diamondoid architecture formed of large distorted adamantanoid cages.      

Use of green alternative solvents in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction: A review

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction is one of the most widely used microextraction techniques currently in the analytical chemistry field, mainly due to its simplicity and rapidity. The operational mode of this approach has been constantly changing since its introduction, adapting to new trends and applications. Most of these changes are related to the nature of the solvent employed for the microextraction. From the classical halogenated solvents (e.g., chloroform or dichloromethane), different alternatives have been proposed in order to obtain safer and non-pollutants microextraction applications. In this sense, low-density solvents, such as alkanols, switchable hydrophobicity solvents, and ionic liquids were the first and most popular replacements for halogenated solvents, which provided similar or better results than these classical dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction solvents. However, despite the good performances obtained with low-density solvents and ionic liquids, researchers have continued investigating in order to obtain even greener solvents for dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. For that reason, in this review, the evolution over the last five years of the three types of solvents already mentioned and two of the most promising solvent alternatives (i.e., deep eutectic solvents and supramolecular solvents), have been studied in detail with the purpose of discussing which one provides the greenest alternative.     

Lipid-Based Nanostructures for the Delivery of Natural Antimicrobials

Encapsulation can be a suitable strategy to protect natural antimicrobial substances against some harsh conditions of processing and storage and to provide efficient formulations for antimicrobial delivery. Lipid-based nanostructures, including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLCs), are valuable systems for the delivery and controlled release of natural antimicrobial substances. These nanostructures have been used as carriers for bacteriocins and other antimicrobial peptides, antimicrobial enzymes, essential oils, and antimicrobial phytochemicals. Most studies are conducted with liposomes, although the potential of SLNs and NLCs as antimicrobial nanocarriers is not yet fully established. Some studies reveal that lipid-based formulations can be used for co-encapsulation of natural antimicrobials, improving their potential to control microbial pathogens.     

The B-factor index for the binding site (BFIbs) to prioritize crystal protein structures for docking

Structural Chemistry - In cheminformatics, protein-ligand docking is a powerful tool applied for virtual screening, pose prediction, and binding affinity estimation. However, docking results depend...     

Accurate control of a liquid-crystal display to produce a homogenized Fourier transform for holographic memories

We show an accurate procedure to obtain a Fourier transform (FT) with no dc term using a commercial twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display. We focus on the application to holographic storage of binary data pages, where a drastic decrease of the dc term in the FT is highly desirable. Two different codification schemes are considered: binary pi radians phase modulation and hybrid ternary modulation. Any deviation in the values of the amplitude and phase shift generates the appearance of a strong dc term. Experimental results confirm that the calculated configurations provide a FT with no dc term, thus showing the effectiveness of the proposal.     

A New Cells‐Compatible Microfluidic Device for Single Channel Recordings

We report the fabrication of a microfluidic apparatus and the realization of a sensors based on PEDOT : PSS, a biocompatible semiconductor polymer used in substitution of standard electrodes for electrophysiological studies and for detection of nanopores in membrane. This gives the possibility to study the mechanisms of ions balance and molecular transport though cell membranes. In particular the apparatus is based on two chambers connected through an aperture in a PTFE sheet where lipid bilayer are formed using Montal‐Mueller method, and the pore‐forming proteins activity is detected by polymeric electrodes. This methodology could be applied to examine different membrane proteins for the purpose of biosensing, drug screening and nanopore technologies.