Synthesis of 2‐formyl‐1‐aza‐dibenzo[e,h]azulenes

Synthesis of a novel heterocyclic class of compounds, 1‐aza‐dibenzo[e,h]azulenes [1] ( 6a‐c and 7a‐c ), derived from dibenzo[b,f]oxepin, its 8‐chloro analogue and dibenzo[b,f]thiepin, respectively, is described. Aldol condensation of the starting ketones 4a‐c with (dimethyl‐hydrazono)‐acetaldehyde affords hydrazonoethylidene derivatives 5a‐c , which on reduction with sodium dithionite and subsequent cyclization provide the target tetracyclic 1‐aza‐dibenzo[e,h]azulenes 6a‐c . Regiospecific formylation of 6a‐c with Vilsmeier reagent leads to 2‐formyl derivatives 7a‐c . A series of derivatives 6a‐c and 7a‐c was tested for antiinflammatory activity as potential inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) production in vitro.     

Experimental and DFT studies on competitive heterocyclic rearrangements. Part 2: a one-atom side-chain versus the classic three-atom side-chain (Boulton-Katritzky) ring rearrangement of 3-acylamino-1,2,4-oxadiazoles

The experimental investigation of the base-catalyzed rearrangements of 3-acylamino-1,2,4-oxadiazoles evidenced a new reaction pathway which competes with the well-known ring-degenerate Boulton-Katritzky rearrangement (BKR). The new reaction consists of a one-atom side-chain rearrangement that is base-activated, occurs at a higher temperature than the BKR, and irreversibly leads to the corresponding 2-acylamino-1,3,4-oxadiazoles. An extensive DFT study is reported to elucidate the proposed reaction mechanism and to compare the three possible inherent routes: (i) the reversible three-atom side-chain ring-degenerate BKR, (ii) the ring contraction-ring expansion route (RCRE), and (iii) the one-atom side-chain rearrangement. The results of the computational investigation point out that the latter route is kinetically preferred over the RCRE and can be considered as the ground-state analogue of a previously proposed C(3)-N(2) migration-nucleophilic attack-cyclization (MNAC) photochemically activated pathway. The MNAC consists of the formation of a diazirine intermediate, involving the exocyclic nitrogen, that eventually evolves into a carbodiimide intermediate (migration); the latter undergoes a single intramolecular nucleophilic attack-cyclization step leading to the final 2-acylamino-1,3,4-oxadiazole.     

Relaxation properties of porphyrin, diprotonated porphyrin, and isoelectronic tetraoxaporphyrin dication in the S2 state

The fluorescence spectra of unsubstituted porphyrin (H2P), diprotonated porphyrin (H4P2+), and isoelectronic tetraoxaporphyrin dication (TOxP2+) have been measured in solution at room temperature. The S2-->S0 fluorescence has been observed, much more intense for TOxP2+ than for H4P2+ and H2P. In the TOxP2+ case, the S2-->S0 fluorescence spectrum is remarkably sharp and shows an excellent mirror symmetry with respect to S0-->S2 absorption. On the contrary, the spectra of H4P2+ and H2P are shifted and more extended with respect to the absorption counterparts. The differences have been attributed primarily to the change of the equilibrium geometry upon excitation, larger in H2P and H4P2+ than in TOxP2+ and in the case of H4P2+ to the nonplanar conformation of the macrocycle. Also the S1-->S0 spectra of H2P, H4P2+, and TOxP2+ have been measured and more qualitatively discussed. The S1 and S2 fluorescence decays have been observed for H4P2+ and TOxP2+ exciting with ultrashort pulses. The S2 lifetime of TOxP2+ is of the order of the temporal resolution of our experimental apparatus, whereas that of H4P2+ is shorter. The S2-->S0 quantum yield of TOxP2+ has been estimated to be 0.035, approximately 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of H4P2+. It is proposed on the basis of ab initio model calculations that excited states of the H4P2+(CF3COO-)2 complex with charge-transfer character are responsible of the increased extension of the S2-->S0 spectrum with respect to that of H2P.     

Iron(III) complex of a crown ether-porphyrin conjugate and reversible binding of superoxide to its Iron(II) form

The synthesis and characterization of the Fe(III) complex of a novel crown ether-porphyrin conjugate, 52-N-(4-aza-18-crown-6)methyl-54,104,154,204-tetra-tert-butyl-56-methyl-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (H2Porph), as well as the corresponding hydroxo, dimeric, Fe(II), and peroxo species are reported. The crystal structure of [FeIII(Porph)Cl].H3O+.FeCl4-.C6H6.EtOH is also reported. [FeIII(Porph)(DMSO)2]+ and K[FeIII(Porph)(O22-)] are high-spin species (M?ssbauer data: delta = 0.38 mm s(-1), DeltaEq = 0.83 mm s(-1) and delta = 0.41 mm s(-1), DeltaEq = 0.51 mm s(-1), respectively), whereas in a solution of reduced [FeIII(Porph)(DMSO)2]+ complex the low-spin [FeII(Porph)(DMSO)2] (delta = 0.44 mm s(-1), DeltaEq = 1.32 mm s(-1)) and high-spin [FeII(Porph)(DMSO)] (delta = 1.27 mm s(-1), DeltaEq = 3.13 mm s(-1)) iron(II) species are observed. The reaction of [FeIII(Porph)(DMSO)2]+ with KO2 in DMSO has been investigated. The first reaction step, involving reduction to [FeII(Porph)(DMSO)2], was not investigated in detail because of parallel formation of an Fe(III)-hydroxo species. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the second reaction step, reversible binding of superoxide to the Fe(II) complex and formation of an Fe(III)-peroxo species, were studied in detail (by stopped-flow time-resolved UV/vis measurements in DMSO at 25 degrees C), resulting in kon = 36 500 +/- 500 M(-1) s(-1), koff = 0.21 +/- 0.01 s(-1) (direct measurements using an acid as a superoxide scavenger), and KO2- = (1.7 +/- 0.2) x 10(5) (superoxide binding constant kinetically obtained as kon/koff), (1.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(5), and (9.0 +/- 0.1) x 10(4) M(-1) (thermodynamically obtained in the absence and in the presence of 0.1 M NBu4PF6, respectively). Temperature-dependent kinetic measurements for kon (-40 to 25 degrees C in 3:7 DMSO/CH3CN mixture) yielded the activation parameters DeltaH = 61.2 +/- 0.9 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS = +48 +/- 3 J K(-1) mol(-1). The observed reversible binding of superoxide to the metal center and the obtained kinetic and thermodynamic parameters are unique. The finding that fine-tuning of the proton concentration can cause the Fe(III)-peroxo species to release O2- and form an Fe(II) species is of biological interest, since this process might occur under very specific physiological conditions.     

Structure and bonding of vanadium(V) complexes with hydroxyurea in aqueous solution: density functional theory investigations of isomers and intramolecular rearrangements

Extensive geometry optimizations have been performed at the BP86 level of density functional theory, in order to identify the most stable isomer of pentacoordinated [VO(OH)UH2O]+ and [VOU(H2O)2]2+ as well as of hexacoordinated [VO(OH)U(H2O)2]+ and [VOU(H2O)3]2+ complexes (U = hydroxyurea anion). Most of these are conformationally very flexible, with up to 12 isomers within an energy range of 5 kcal/mol. The most stable hexacoordinate forms are characterized by the oxo ligand in trans position to the carbonyl O atom of U. Bulk solvent effects on the relative stabilities, estimated from a polarizable continuum model, are indicated to be small and do not affect the energetic sequence of the isomers significantly. Details of the coordination sphere of the most stable isomers in aqueous solution (coordination number, protonation state) have been studied with Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations. The preferred mechanisms of interconversion between selected [VO(OH)U(H2O)2]+ isomers, according to the DFT computations, involve proton transfers between H2O and OH or between O and OH ligands in the coordination sphere of the metal, assisted by a water molecule from the second hydration sphere.     

Simulation of the photodeactivation of formamide in the nO-pi* and pi-pi* states: an ab initio on-the-fly surface-hopping dynamics study

The short-time photodynamics (1 ps) of formamide in its low-lying singlet excited n(O)-pi(*) and pi-pi(*) states have been investigated by the direct trajectory surface-hopping method based on multiconfigurational ab initio calculations. The simulations showed that in both states, the primary deactivation process is C-N bond dissociation. In the ground state, the energy is transferred to (a) translational motion of the HCO and NH(2) fragments, (b) additional C-H dissociation from the vibrationally hot HCO fragment, or (c) formation of NH(3) and CO. In addition to the C-N dissociation pathway, C-O bond fission is found to be an additional primary deactivation path in the pi-pi(*) dynamics. From fractional occupations of trajectories, lifetimes of formamide were estimated: tau(S(1))=441 fs and tau(S(2))=66 fs.     

High-performance size-exclusion chromatography of humic substances on the hydroxyethyl methacrylate column

HEMA, the copolymer of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate, has proven to be a suitable stationary phase for the size-exclusion chromatographic (SEC) characterization of humic substances in a wide pH range. The SEC measurements were performed typically with alkaline borate-based mobile phase: 0.025 mol/l Na2B4O7, 0.025 mol/l NaCl, 0.001 mol/l Na4P2O7, pH 9.1. After calibrating with globular protein standards, apparent molecular weights of typical peat- and coal-derived humic acids were estimated. The average molecular weights determined with the aid of the HEMA column were quite comparable with the values obtained previously by the method of low-pressure gel-permeation chromatography on the Sephadex column.     

Coordination modes of 3-hydroxypicolinic acid: Synthesis and structural characterization of polymeric mercury(II) complexes

Novel mercury(II) compounds of 3-hydroxypicolinic acid (HpicOH; IUPAC name: 3-hydroxy-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) were synthesized and characterized. HgCl(picOH) (1) and HgBr₂(HpicOH) (2) were obtained as reaction products from the reaction of the corresponding mercury(II) halide with HpicOH, irrespective of the molar ratio of the reactants. From the reaction of HpicOH and mercury(II) acetate, Hg(picOH)₂ (3) was obtained, while mercury(II) nitrate monohydrate gave the 1/1 solvate with water Hg(picOH)₂ · H₂O (3a). Infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic data were analyzed for complexes 1, 2 and 3. X-ray crystal structure analysis of 1 and 2 revealed their polymeric nature and different coordination modes of HpicOH. In 1 the deprotonated picolinic acid is N,O-chelating and bridging, while in 2 HpicOH is a O-monodentate weakly bound ligand. Compound 1 consists of HgCl(picOH) moieties with two linear covalent bonds, Hg–N 2.143(4) and Hg–Cl 2.298(1) Å, and four additional Hg?O contacts (2.460(3)–2.904(3) Å) in which both oxygen atoms from the carboxylic group are bridging and involved in coordination to three neighboring mercury atoms, thus forming infinite layers. The coordination of mercury is 2 + 4. 2 consists of {HgBr₂(HpicOH)} moieties, which are linked into chains by means of mercury to bromine secondary long range interactions. The coordination sphere of mercury can be described as irregular 2 + 3 formed by two covalently bonded bromine atoms (Hg–Br 2.277(1) and 2.366(1) Å), two bridging bromine atoms (Hg?Br 3.309(1) and 3.247(1) Å) and by the HpicOH ligand attached to mercury in the zwitterionic form via the carboxylic oxygen atom (Hg?O 2.602(7) Å).     

Determination of flavanones in Citrus juices by means of one- and two-dimensional liquid chromatography

1-D and 2-D comprehensive (LC×LC) liquid chromatography methods have been developed and compared for the separation and quantification of flavanones in various Citrus juices. 1-D analyses were carried out on a superficially porous C18 column, whereas the 2-D LC approach was composed of a polyethylene glycol silica narrow-bore column packed with totally porous particles in the first dimension (D1) and a superficially porous C18 column in the second dimension (D2). Low-selectivity correlations were ensured by the complementary separation mechanisms offered by the D1 and D2 columns. Quantification was carried out both manually and by means of a software capable of detecting and quantifying each peak from the 2-D plot. Limit of detection (LOD) values as low as 0.023 μg/mL were obtained for hesperidin used as reference material for 1-D LC analyses, whereas values as high as 0.432 μg/mL were obtained by comprehensive LC. This discrepancy can be traced back to the minor sensitivity experienced in comprehensive LC due to both sample dilution in D1 and the high flow rates employed in D2. On the other hand, the separation capabilities of the LC×LC approach allowed to reduce the interferences coming from the matrix and to achieve the separation of some critical pairs, e.g. hesperidin/naringin difficult to accomplish in 1-D LC.     

Development of a rapid resolution HPLC method for the separation and determination of 17 phenolic compounds in crude plant extracts

Rapid Resolution HPLC/DAD method, on a 1.8 μm, 4.6×50 mm column, was developed to enable a rapid separation of a mixture of 17 compounds, which consisted of hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavones, flavonols, flavanone, flavonol-glycoside and antraquinone, in a single run, within 22 minutes. The developed method is precise, accurate and sensitive enough for simultaneous quantitative evaluation of major compounds in crude and hydrolyzed extracts of parsley, buckthorn, mint, caraway and birch. In order to overcome the inability to quantify all the phenolic compounds present in the samples caused by lack of external standards, HPLC approaches for the total phenolic content estimation based on sum of all integrated peak areas were made. These results were compared with the total phenolic content determined by Folin-Cioacalteu method. Although the correlation between the series of data was not significant (p<0.05), the difference between the results of total phenolic content obtained spectrophotometrically and by HPLC was not high in the case of parsley, buckthorn and mint extract. Regarding the obtained results, the HPLC approach could serve as an excellent tool for total phenolic content estimation, without the need for complete identification of the individual compounds.