An efficient and versatile chemical synthesis of bioactive glyco-glycerolipids

Synthesis of β-glyco-1,2-diacylglycerols is achieved by a versatile and simple procedure based on trichloro-acetimidate methodology and use of peracetate sugar substrates. The chemical strategy was tested through stereoselective preparation of β-galacto- and β-gluco-lipid derivatives capable to trigger immune system response. The synthetic approach is designed to obtain enantiomerically pure regio- and stereo-isomers including derivatives containing poly-unsaturated fatty acids.     

Multiresidue Analysis of Organic Pollutants in Water by SPE with a C8 and SDVB Combined Cartridge

Abstract

A multi-component target method for screening purposes to determine organic pollutants of different polarities in water is reported. The following classes of chemicals were tested: base-neutral and acidic herbicides, phenolic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalic acid esters.

Data was initially obtained from the extraction of one liter of water sample, using separate octyl bonded porous silica (C8) and highly crosslinked polystyrene based polymer columns (SDVB) cartridges. A second set of data was obtained using for the extraction a combined cartridge containing both phases. The analysis was carried out directly by GC-MS in SIM mode, without any derivatisation, with the exception of acidic herbicides, derivatised with pentafluorobenzylbromide. The obtained results showed recoveries between 75% and 98% at two different spiking levels, with relative standard deviations below 15%.     

The “Historical Materials BAG”: A New Facilitated Access to Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Analyses for Cultural Heritage Materials at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) has recently commissioned the new Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS). The gain in brightness as well as the continuous development of beamline instruments boosts the beamline performances, in particular in terms of accelerated data acquisition. This has motivated the development of new access modes as an alternative to standard proposals for access to beamtime, in particular via the “block allocation group” (BAG) mode. Here, we present the recently implemented “historical materials BAG”: a community proposal giving to 10 European institutes the opportunity for guaranteed beamtime at two X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) beamlines—ID13, for 2D high lateral resolution XRPD mapping, and ID22 for high angular resolution XRPD bulk analyses—with a particular focus on applications to cultural heritage. The capabilities offered by these instruments, the specific hardware and software developments to facilitate and speed-up data acquisition and data processing are detailed, and the first results from this new access are illustrated with recent applications to pigments, paintings, ceramics and wood.     

New pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridones as selective A(1) adenosine receptor antagonists: synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modelling studies

A series of ethyl 4-amino-1-(2-chloro-2-phenylethyl)-6-oxo-6,7-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5-carboxylates () has been synthesized as potential A(1) adenosine receptor (A(1) AR) ligands. Binding affinities of the new compounds were determined for adenosine A(1), A(2A) and A(3) receptors. Compounds and showed good affinity (K(i)= 299 nM and 517 nM, respectively) and selectivity towards A(1) AR, whereas showed good affinity for A(2A) AR (K(i)= 290 nM), higher than towards A(1) AR (K(i)= 1000 nM). The only arylamino derivative of the series displayed high affinity (K(i)= 4.6 nM) and selectivity for A(3) AR. Molecular modelling and 3D-QSAR (CoMFA) studies carried out on the most active compounds gave further support to the pharmacological results.     

Aplysiopsenes: an additional example of marine polyketides with a mixed acetate/propionate pathway

First chemical study of the Hermaeidae sacoglossan Aplysiopsis formosa from Azores led to aplysiopsenes, α-pyrone polyketides with a mixed acetate/propionate structural pathway.     

Luminescence properties of Pt(II) complexes containing polypyridine ligands with extended aromatic moieties

The luminescence properties of eleven Pt(ii) complexes containing polypyridine ligands with extended aromatic moieties have been studied, both in acetonitrile fluid solution at 298 K and in butyronitrile rigid matrix at 77 K. For comparison purposes, also the phosphorescence properties of three free ligands at 77 K in butyronitrile have been investigated. The absorption spectra of all the compounds exhibit intense bands (epsilon in the range 10(4)-10(5) M(-1) cm(-1)) in the UV region, which are attributed to spin-allowed ligand-centered (LC) transitions, and moderately intense bands (epsilon in the range 10(3)-10(4) M(-1) cm(-1)) in the visible region, which receive contribution from both spin-allowed LC transitions and spin-allowed metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) transitions. At low energy, less intense spin-forbidden MLCT bands are also present. At 77 K in rigid matrix, all the studied compounds exhibit structured and long-lived (lifetimes from 840 mus on the millisecond timescale) luminescence, which is attributed to triplet LC states in all cases. At room temperature in fluid solution the luminescence lifetime of all the compounds is largely shortened (nanosecond timescale), and most of the emission spectra are unstructured and red-shifted. For species exhibiting structured emission spectra even at room temperature, low luminescence quantum yields are always obtained (Phi < 10(4)), and their emission is assigned to triplet LC states, which mainly deactivate to the ground state by thermal-activated surface crossing to a closely-lying metal-centered (MC) triplet state. Compounds exhibiting unstructured emission show relatively high emission quantum yields (about 0.1) and their emission is assigned to a mixed LC/MLCT state.     

Asymmetric catalytic synthesis of enantiopure N-protected 1,2-amino alcohols

[reaction: see text] The asymmetric aminolytic kinetic resolution (AKR) of racemic terminal epoxides using carbamates as the nucleophile catalyzed by (salen)Co(III) complex provides a practical and straightforward method for the synthesis of both aliphatic and aromatic N-Boc- or N-Cbz-protected 1,2-amino alcohols in almost enantiomerically pure form (ee >/= 99%). The AKR uses an easily accessible catalyst and inexpensive starting materials, and the reactions are conveniently carried out at room temperature under an air atmosphere.