Dialkylaluminium‐, ‐Gallium‐, and ‐Indium‐Based Poly‐Lewis Acids with a 1,8‐Diethynylanthracene Backbone

Potential host systems based on a rigid 1,8‐diethynylanthracendiyl backbone were synthesised by treatment of 1,8‐diethynylanthracene with the Group 13 trialkyls AlMe₃, GaMe₃, InMe₃, AlEt₃ and GaEt₃. The resulting products were characterised by IR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, elemental analyses and determination of their crystal structures by X‐ray diffraction. The compounds are dimeric in the solid state and comprise two M₂C₂ heterocycles. Depending on the steric demand of the alkyl substituents at the metal atom, different types of binding modes were observed, which can be classified to lie between the ideals of side‐on coordination with almost linear primary M? C?C units and the 3c–2e coordination with symmetrically bridging alkynyl units in M‐C‐M bonds. As a solution in THF the dimers are broken into monomers and some are found to undergo ligand scrambling reactions.     

Organocatalyzed Kabbe condensation reaction for mild and expeditious synthesis of 2,2-dialkyl and 2-spiro-4-chromanones

An expeditious Kabbe condensation reaction for the synthesis of 2,2-dialkyl and 2-spiro-chroman-4(1H)-ones has been developed using pyrrolidine-butanoic acid in DMSO as bifunctional organocatalyst. Unlike existing methods, this reaction proceeds at room temperature with high yields, rendering it an attractive method to synthesize a vast variety of privileged 4-chromones.     

Polymers for in vivo tuning of refractive properties in intraocular lenses

High-refractive-index polymers for intraocular lenses are presented whose refractive index can be tuned post-operatively in a non-invasive manner to enable focal length and aspheric corrections in vivo. The polymer materials contain covalently attached photochemically crosslinkable coumarin side groups, to cause a change in refractive index of Deltan > 0.02, which enables one to tune the focal length of a standard IOL by two diopters. This is enough to ensure that more than 80% of all cataract patients can be adjusted non-invasively to optimal vision after cataract surgery, thus providing a remedy to a major shortcoming of today's cataract surgery.     

A spectrophotometric method for quantitative determination of lactulose in pharmaceutical preparations

A simple spectrophotometric assay for the quantification of lactulose in pharmaceutical preparations was developed. The method is based on hydrolysis of lactulose under acidic conditions. The hydrolyzed product reacts with resorcinol, giving absorption peaks at 398 and 480 nm. Both absorption wavelengths can be used for the determination of lactulose. The limit of detection of lactulose at 398 nm and 480 nm was 0.075 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.65 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The calibration was linear in the range of 5–25 μg mL⁻¹. Analytical conditions were optimized, and the method was validated for analysis of pharmaceutical preparations. The determined amount of lactulose was found to be in good agreement with labeled claims in commercial products. The proposed method is economical, convenient, and suitable for the quantification of lactulose in pharmaceutical preparations. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Rheology of polyacrylate binders produced via catalytic chain transfer polymerization as an alternative to bitumen in road pavement materials

Catalytic chain transfer polymerization has been successfully used to produce a range of methyl acrylate (MA) and butyl acrylate (BA) synthetic polymers of specific, targeted molecular weights, with polydispersity index values in the range of 2–4.5. The rheological properties of a subgroup of these synthetic binders consisting of four MA homo-polymers and one MA–BA co-polymer were then determined by means of oscillatory testing using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). The rheological tests consisted of a combination of stress/strain amplitude and frequency sweeps using a standard 8 mm diameter parallel plate testing geometry. The rheological parameters of phase angle and complex, storage and loss moduli were then shifted to form master curves at a reference temperature of 25 °C and isochronal plots at 0.1, 1 and 10 Hz. The rheological properties of the synthetic polymers were also compared to those of standard road pavement bitumens. The results show that it is possible to produce a range of synthetic polyacrylates with different rheological responses by altering the reactant type, reactant concentration and polymerization conditions to match the rheological properties of road bitumens. All the polyacrylate binders showed a similar rheological profile with a unique viscoelastic response as represented by the phase angle master curves together with an upper limiting stiffness and intermediate temperature/frequency ‘plateau’ region as shown in the complex modulus master curves. The results of the rheological examination of the binders showed that the key material property that influenced the performance of the polyacrylates in these specific application tests was glass transition temperature rather than molecular weight. Over this range of investigated molecular weights, it is the ratio between the two polymers which determines the glass transition and as such determines the material properties. These findings suggest that such sustainably sourced polyacrylate binders may allow for a move from petrochemical feed stocks to be made and allow for targeted road pavement design based on local climates, offering improved mechanical robustness.     

Inhibition of the histone demethylase JMJD2E by 3-substituted pyridine 2,4-dicarboxylates

Based on structural analysis of the human 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) dependent JMJD2 histone N(ε)-methyl lysyl demethylase family, 3-substituted pyridine 2,4-dicarboxylic acids were identified as potential inhibitors with possible selectivity over other human 2OG oxygenases. Microwave-assisted palladium-catalysed cross coupling methodology was developed to install a diverse set of substituents on the sterically demanding C-3 position of a pyridine 2,4-dicarboxylate scaffold. The subsequently prepared di-acids were tested for in vitro inhibition of the histone demethylase JMJD2E and another human 2OG oxygenase, prolyl-hydroxylase domain isoform 2 (PHD2, EGLN1). A subset of substitution patterns yielded inhibitors with selectivity for JMJD2E over PHD2, demonstrating that structure-based inhibitor design can enable selective inhibition of histone demethylases over related human 2OG oxygenases.     

Extractive Spectrophotometric Methods for Determination of Clarithromycin in Pharmaceutical Formulations Using Bromothymol Blue and Cresol Red

Two simple and sensitive extractive spectrophotometric methods have been described for the analysis of clarithromycin in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations. The methods involved formation of yellow colored chloroform extractable ion‐association complexes of clarithromycin with bromothymol blue (BTB) and cresol red (CR) in buffered aqueous solution at pH 4. The extracted complexes showed maximum absorbance at 410 and 415 nm for BTB and CR, respectively. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration ranges 0.1–20 μg mL^?1 and 2.0–20 μg mL^?1 of clarithromycin with molar absorptivity of 2.01 × 10⁴ and 4.378 × 10³ for BTB and CR, respectively. The composition ratio of the ion‐association complex was clarithromycin: BTB and CR = 1:1 as established by Job's method. The methods have been applied to the determination of drug in commercial formulations. The results of analysis were validated statistically and through recovery studies.