Asymmetric,Three‐Component,One‐Pot Synthesis of Spiropyrazolones and 2,5‐Chromenediones from Aldol Condensation/NHC‐Catalyzed Annulation Reactions

A novel one‐pot, three‐component diastereo‐ and enantioselective synthesis of spiropyrazolones has been developed involving the aldol condensation of an enal to generate α,β‐unsaturated pyrazolones, which react with a second equivalent of enal through an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐catalyzed [3+2] annulation. The desired spirocyclopentane pyrazolones are obtained in moderate to good yields and good to excellent stereoselectivities. Alternatively, starting from cyclic 1,3‐diketones, 2,5‐chromenediones are available through [2+4] annulation.     

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Pilea microphylla and its Antimicrobial Activity

Chemistry of Natural Compounds -     

Stannoxane capping derived from chiral tridentate NNO donor ligand for nickel and copper macrocycles: Comparative binding studies of stannoxane moiety and its modulated copper complex with CTDNA

Novel stannoxane type dinuclear tin complex C₁₆H₁₃N₄O₂Sn₂Cl₇ (1) and its modulated macrocyclic complexes [C₂₄H₃₆N₁₀O₃Sn₂CuCl₇] ClO₄ (2) and [C₂₄H₃₄N₁₀O₂Sn₂NiCl₇] ClO₄ (3) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and various spectroscopic techniques (IR, ¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn NMR, ESI-MS, EPR and UV-Vis). ¹¹⁹Sn NMR shows the presence of two tin metal centers in different environment. The proposed pseudo-octahedral geometry of copper in complex 2 and square pyramidal geometry of nickel in complex 3 were established by the analysis of spectroscopic data. Absorption and fluorescence spectral studies and viscosity measurements have been carried out to assess the comparative binding of dinuclear stannoxane complex 1 and its modulated copper complex 2 with calf thymus DNA. The intrinsic binding constants K_b of the complex 1 and 2 were determined as 4.4 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ and 7.5 × 10⁴ M⁻¹, respectively. Cyclic voltammetric studies have also been employed to ascertain the binding of complex 2 with CTDNA. The results suggest that the complex 2 binds to CTDNA twice in the order of magnitude compared to complex 1. Interaction studies of complex 2 with guanosine 5′-monophosphate further confirm the binding via N₇ position of guanine and phosphate moiety.     

Synthesis of 2- and 4-substituted 5,12-dihydroxy-6,11-dioxo-1-azanaphthacenes from 2-aminoquinizarine

The reaction of 2-aminoquinizarine with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in presence of 10N-hydrochloric acid gives 2- and 4-substituted 5,12-dihydroxy-6,11-dioxo-1-azanaphthacenes.     

Indium-doped ZnOas efficient photosensitive material for sunlight driven hydrogen generation and DSSC applications: integrated experimental and computational approach

Electricity generation using simple and cheap dye-sensitized solar cells and photocatalytic water splitting to produce future fuel, hydrogen, directly under natural sunlight fascinated the researchers worldwide. Herein, synthesis of indium-doped wurtzite ZnO nanostructures with varying molar percentage of indium from 0.25 to 3.0% with concomitant characterization indicating wurtzite structure is reported. The shift of (002) reflection plane to higher 2θ degree with increase in indium-doping thus is a clear evidence of doping of indium in zinc oxide nanoparticles. Surface morphological as well as microstructural studies of In@ZnO exhibited generation of ZnO nanoparticles and nanoplates of diameter 10–30 nm. The structures have been correlated well using computational density functional (DFT) studies. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy depicted the extended absorbance of these materials in the visible region. Hence, the photocatalytic activity towards hydrogen generation from water under natural sunlight as well as efficient DSSC fabrication of these newly synthesized materials has been demonstrated. In-doped ZnO exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution (2465 μmol/h/g) via water splitting under natural sunlight. DSSC fabricated using 2% In-doped ZnO exhibited an efficiency of 3.46% which is higher than other reported In-doped ZnO based DSSCs.

     

Electronic structures,bonding, and spin state energetics of biomimetic mononuclear and bridged dinuclear iron complexes: a computational examination

Structural Chemistry - Mononuclear and dinuclear iron complexes are found as key intermediates in many synthetic and biocatalytic reactions, since many of these species are transient and have high...     

Fundamental Methods for the Phase Transfer of Nanoparticles

The utilization of nanoparticles for a variety of applications has raised much interest in recent years as new knowledge has emerged in nanochemistry. New and diverse methods for synthesis, characterization, and application of these particles have been discovered with differing degrees of ease and reproducibility. Post-synthetic modification of nanoparticles is often a required step to facilitate their use in applications. The reaction conditions and chemical environment for the nanoparticle synthesis may not support or may conflict with further reactions. For this reason, it is beneficial to have phase transfer methods for nanoparticles to allow for their dispersion in a variety of solvents. Phase transfer methods are often limited in the types and sizes of particles that can be effectively dispersed in an immiscible solvent. Currently, general transfer methods for a wide variety of nanoparticles have not been identified. New routes for phase transfer allow for utilization of a larger range of particles in applications which were previously limited by solubility and reactivity issues. In this work, we will describe the fundamental methods for the phase transfer of metallic nanoparticles. We will look at the major problems and pitfalls of these methods. The applications of phase transfer will also be reviewed, mainly focusing on catalysis and drug delivery.     

Applications of Fruit Polyphenols and Their Functionalized Nanoparticles Against Foodborne Bacteria: A Mini Review

The ingestion of contaminated water and food is known to cause food illness. Moreover, on assessing the patients suffering from foodborne disease has revealed the role of microbes in such diseases. Concerning which different methods have been developed for protecting food from microbes, the treatment of food with chemicals has been reported to exhibit an unwanted organoleptic effect while also affecting the nutritional value of food. Owing to these challenges, the demand for natural food preservatives has substantially increased. Therefore, the interest of researchers and food industries has shifted towards fruit polyphenols as potent inhibitors of foodborne bacteria. Recently, numerous fruit polyphenols have been acclaimed for their ability to avert toxin production and biofilm formation. Furthermore, various studies have recommended using fruit polyphenols solely or in combination with chemical disinfectants and food preservatives. Currently, different nanoparticles have been synthesized using fruit polyphenols to curb the growth of pathogenic microbes. Hence, this review intends to summarize the current knowledge about fruit polyphenols as antibacterial agents against foodborne pathogens. Additionally, the application of different fruit extracts in synthesizing functionalized nanoparticles has also been discussed.     

Spectroscopy vs. Electrochemistry: Catalyst Layer Thickness Effects on Operando/In Situ Measurements

In recent years, operando/in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has become an important tool in the electrocatalysis community. However, the high catalyst loadings often required to acquire XA-spectra with a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio frequently imply the use of thick catalyst layers (CLs) with large ion- and mass-transport limitations. To shed light on the impact of this variable on the spectro-electrochemical results, in this study we investigate Pd-hydride formation in carbon-supported Pd-nanoparticles (Pd/C) and an unsupported Pd-aerogel with similar Pd surface areas but drastically different morphologies and electrode packing densities. Our in situ XAS and rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements with different loadings unveil that the CL-thickness largely determines the hydride formation trends inferred from spectro-electrochemical experiments, therewith calling for the minimization of the CL-thickness in such experiments and the use of complementary thin-film control measurements.