Uncommon perspectives in palladium- and copper-catalysed arylation and heteroarylation of terminal alkynes following Heck or Sonogashira protocols: Interactions copper/ligand,formation of diynes,reaction and processes in ionic liquids

Conjugated alkynes are recurring building blocks in natural products and in a wide range of important compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, or molecular materials. The palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reaction between the sp²-hybridized carbon atoms of aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl halides with the sp-hybridized carbon atoms of terminal alkynes is one of the most important developments in the field of alkyne chemistry over the past 50 years. Room for improvement still exists in these important reactions of direct arylation of terminal alkynes. In this prospect, the present authors have developed several strategies aiming at improving the reactivity, the selectivity, and several aspects of processes involving the palladium-catalysed alkyne arylation and heteroarylation reactions, in relation with sustainable chemistry. Various original approaches have thus been adopted: (i) the development of catalytic systems efficient at low metal loading below 1 mol% of palladium and copper (to reduce metal contamination) from polydentate ligands chemistry, (ii) the limitation of diyne formation by undesired side-reaction, this from a better mechanistic understanding and the innovating use of copper adducts, (iii) and the development of cost-efficient catalytic reactions in ionic liquid solvents. These topics have been developed with the general outlook of a large scope in organic synthesis. In addition, the investigation of recycling opportunities and the unprecedented production of extendedly conjugated bis(aryl)diynes has been also achieved. The present account reviews all this work, as it has been presented by the corresponding author at GECOM–CONCOORD 2012 as recipient of the 2012 European journal of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award.     

Gas chromatography–triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry for analysis of selected polyhalogenated pollutants in plants. Comparison of extraction methods

Different extraction methods, followed by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, were evaluated for simultaneous extraction of seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and six polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from common weeds. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with in-cell clean-up, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with in-column clean-up, and UAE with dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) clean-up were evaluated and compared. In-cell clean-up with 4 g Florisil and 0.5 g graphitized carbon black (GCB) and two extraction cycles of 10 min with n-hexane–ethyl acetate 80:20 (v/v) at 60 °C were used for the PLE procedure. UAE with in-column clean-up was conducted under conditions similar to those reported for the PLE method whereas in UAE with dSPE clean-up purification of the extract was performed after extraction using primary and secondary amine sorbent (PSA) and GCB. Recovery from 82 to 104 % was obtained for all the compounds by PLE whereas, in general, lower extraction efficiency was obtained by UAE with in-column clean-up (especially for BDE-17 and BDE-183, for which recovery was 70 and 41 %, respectively) and by UAE with dSPE clean-up, for which the main drawback is that BDE-183 cannot be extracted. Finally, PLE was used for analysis of PCBs and PBDEs in different plants (Lolium rigidum, Lactuca serriola, Malva sylvestris, and Verbascum thapsus) collected from residential and/or rural areas of Madrid (Spain). Several of the analyzed compounds were detected at low levels in these plants, but only PCB-153 could be quantified.

Size-Exclusion Chromatography of Asphaltenes: An Experimental Comparison of Commonly Used Approaches

Asphaltenes, the heaviest and most polar fraction of crude oil, are responsible for the clogging of oil pipelines and of underground reservoir rocks. Asphaltenes are defined as a solubility class (toluene- or benzene-soluble, n-alkane insoluble), and a consensus is still lacking on the molar mass (M) averages, distribution, and range of these materials. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is among the most widely employed methods for characterizing the M averages and distributions of both natural and synthetic polymers and, as such, has seen widespread application in the study of asphaltenes. SEC analysis of asphaltenes presents a number of challenges, however, some inherent to all low-M materials and some unique to these particular analytes. Here, we have experimentally compared several of the most commonly used approaches to SEC of asphaltenes, in hope of both demonstrating the influence of experimental conditions upon the results obtained as well as to determine optimal conditions of analysis. In the end, while the former goal was met, the latter one remains an open challenge in the field.     

Synthesis of New Five Membered Nitrogen Containing Heterocycles Bearing D-Galactose Side Chains

The synthesis of 5-[6′-deoxy-(1′,2′:3′,4′-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-galactopyranos-6′-yl)]tetrazole and its reaction with acetic anhydride and 1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-6-O-(4-toluenesulfonyl)-α-D-galactopyranose are described.     

A Useful Synthesis of Chiral Glyoxylates

A convenient synthesis of the cyclohexyl, (1R,3R,4S)-3-P-menthyl and (15-endo)-2-bomyl glyoxylates, from the respective alcohols and other very available materials, as a model applicable to that of other chiral, sensitive giyoxylates, is described.     

A Fused Benzocyclooctene Ring System via an Aromatic Cope Rearrangement: Thermal Reactions of trans‐1‐Aryl‐2‐ethenylcyclobutanecarbonitriles

The results of an aromatic Cope rearrangement of a trans‐1‐aryl‐2‐ethenylcyclobutanecarbonitrile are reported (Scheme). The use of this rearrangement for the construction of the fused benzocyclooctene ring system and a preliminary study of the electronic requirements to favor such a transformation are also described.     

Density functional theory investigation of the binding interactions between phosphoryl,carbonyl, imino,and thiocarbonyl ligands and the pentaaqua nickel(II) complex: Coordination affinity and associated parameters

Density Functional Theory (UB3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p)) calculations of the affinity of the pentaaqua nickel(II) complex for a set of phosphoryl [O?P(H)(CH₃)(PhR)], imino [HN?C(CH₃)(PhR)], thiocarbonyl [S?C(CH₃)(PhR)] and carbonyl [O?C(CH₃)(PhR)] ligands were performed, where R?NH₂, OCH₃, OH, CH₃, H, Cl, CN, and NO₂ is a substituent at the para‐position of a phenyl ring.The affinity of the pentaaqua nickel(II) complex for these ligands was analized and quantified in terms of interaction enthalpy (ΔH), Gibbs free energy (ΔG²⁹⁸), geometric and electronic parameters of the resultant octahedral complexes. The ΔH and ΔG²⁹⁸ results show that the ligand coordination strength increases in the following order: carbonyl < thiocarbonyl < imino < phosphoryl. This coordination strength order is also observed in the analysis of the metal‐ligand distances and charges on the ligand atom that interacts with the Ni(II) cation. The electronic character of the substituent R is the main parameter that affects the strength of the metal‐ligand coordination. Ligands containing electron‐donating groups (NH₂, OCH₃, OH) have more exothermic ΔH and ΔG²⁹⁸ than ligands with electron‐withdrawing groups (Cl, CN, NO₂). The metal‐ligand interaction decomposed by means of the energy decomposition analysis (EDA) method shows that the electronic character of the ligand modulates all the components of the metal‐ligand interaction. The absolute softness of the free ligands is correlated with the covalent contribution to the instantaneous interaction energy calculated using the EDA method. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Improved In vitro and In vivo Cutaneous Delivery of Protoporphyrin IX from PLGA‐based Nanoparticles

We report the development of d , l lactic co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA)‐based nanoparticles (NPs) for topical delivery of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a photosensitizer (PS), in treatments like photodynamic therapy (PDT) of skin cancers. PpIX‐NPs were obtained in ~75.0% yield, encapsulation efficiency of 67.7%, drug content of 50.3 μg mg^?1, average diameter of 290 nm maintained up to 30 days and a zeta potential of 32.3 mV. Sustained in vitro release of PpIX through artificial membranes following Higuchi kinetics was kept up to 10 days. In vitro retentions of PpIX both in stratum corneum (SC) and epidermis + dermis ([EP + D]) were higher from NPs (23.0 and 10.0 times, respectively) compared to control solutions at all times. Quantification of PpIX by extraction, after in vivo skin application of NPs‐PpIX on hairless mice, showed higher retention of the PS both in SC and in [EP + D] (3.0 and 2.0 times, respectively) compared to control solutions. Taken together, the results indicate that NPs are suitable for PpIX encapsulation showing minimal permeation through the skin and a localized effect, characteristics of a potential and promising delivery system for PDT‐associated treatments of skin cancers, photodiagnosis and their off‐label uses.     

Identification of bioactive peptides in hypoallergenic infant milk formulas by CE‐TOF‐MS assisted by semiempirical model of electromigration behavior

Biologically active peptides derived from complex bovine milk protein hydrolysates are of particular interest in food science and nutrition because they have been shown to play different physiological roles, providing benefits in human health. In this study, we used CE‐TOF‐MS for separation and identification of bioactive peptides in three hypoallergenic infant milk formulas. An appropriate sample cleanup using a citrate buffer with DTT and urea followed by SPE with Sep‐Pack® C18 and StrataX^TM cartridges allowed the detection of a large number of low molecular mass bioactive peptides. This preliminary identification was solely based on the measured experimental monoisotopic molecular mass values (M_exp). Later, we evaluated the classical semiempirical relationships between electrophoretic mobility and charge‐to‐mass ratio (m_e vs. q/M^α, α = 1/2 for the classical polymer model) to describe their migration behavior. The assistance of migration prediction proved to be useful to improve reliability of the identification, avoiding misinterpretations and solving some identity conflicts. After revision, the identity of 24, 30, and 38 bioactive peptides was confirmed in each of the three infant milk formulas. A significant number of these peptides were reported as inhibitors of angiotensin‐converting enzyme, however, the presence of sequences with other biological activities such as antihypertensive, antithrombotic, hypocholesterolemic, immunomodulation, cytotoxicity, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antigenic, or opioid was also confirmed.