Nickel versus copper: enhanced antibacterial activity in a series of new nickel(II) Schiff base complexes

Five new Ni(II) Schiff base complexes [NiL^x(Solv)₂] denoted by NiL^x, x = 1–5, were synthesized and characterized. The Schiff base ligands were synthesized from the condensation of 5-bromo-2-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzaldehyde with different aliphatic and aromatic diamines. The X-ray crystal structure of NiL³ was determined. The ligands and complexes were tested as antibacterial agents against two gram(+) and two gram(?) human pathogenic bacteria. The complexes showed moderate antibacterial activity against both gram type bacteria. The new Ni(II) complexes showed enhanced antibacterial activity compared to the previously reported Cu(II) complexes of the same ligands.     

Structural,theoretical and multinuclear NMR study of mercury(II) complexes of phosphorus ylides: Mono and binuclear complexes

Reaction of phosphorus ylide Ph₃PCHC(O)C₆H₄Cl (Y₁) with HgX₂ (X = Cl, Br and I) and ylide (p-tolyl)₃PCHC(O)CH₃ (Y₂) with HgI₂ in equimolar ratios using methanol as solvent leads to binuclear products. The bridge-splitting reaction of binuclear complex [(Y₁) · HgCl₂]₂ by DMSO yields a mononuclear complex containing DMSO as ligand. O-coordination of DMSO is revealed by single crystal X-ray analysis in mononuclear complex of [(Y₁) · HgCl₂ · DMSO]. C-coordination of ylides is confirmed by X-ray structure of binuclear complex [(Y₂) · HgI₂]₂. Characterization of the obtained compounds was also performed by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H, ³¹P, and ¹³C NMR. Theoretical studies on mercury(II) complexes of Y₁ show that formation of mononuclear complexes in DMSO solution in which DMSO acts as a ligand, energetically is more favorable than that of binuclear complexes.     

Conformations of polyolefins on platinum catalysts control product distribution in plastics recycling

The design of catalysts for the chemical recycling of plastic waste will benefit greatly from an intimate knowledge of the interfacial polymer–catalyst interactions that determine reactant and product distributions. Here, we investigate backbone chain length, side chain length, and concentration effects on the density and conformation of polyethylene surrogates at the interface with Pt(111) and relate them to experimental product distributions resulting from carbon–carbon bond cleavage. Using replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations, we characterize the polymer conformations at the interface by the distributions of trains, loops, and tails and their first moments. We find that the preponderance of short chains, in the range of 20 carbon atoms, lies entirely on the Pt surface, whereas longer chains exhibit much broader distributions of conformational features. Remarkably, the average length of trains is independent of the chain length but can be tuned via the polymer–surface interaction. Branching profoundly impacts the conformations of long chains at the interface as the distributions of trains become less dispersed and more structured, localized around short trains, with the immediate implication of a wider carbon product distribution upon C–C bond cleavage. The degree of localization increases with the number and size of the side chains. Long chains can adsorb from the melt onto the Pt surface even in melt mixtures containing shorter polymer chains at high concentrations. We confirm experimentally key computational findings and demonstrate that blends may provide a strategy to reduce the selectivity for undesired light gases.

The design of catalysts for the chemical recycling of plastic waste will benefit greatly from an intimate knowledge of the interfacial polymer–catalyst interactions that determine reactant and product distributions.     

Prediction of microscopic protonation constants of polybasic molecules via computational methods: A complete microequilibrium analysis of spermine

For the first time, a simple methodology is reported for theoretical calculation of microscopic protonation constants of polybasic molecules in solution. Density functional theory study was used for complete microequilibrium analysis of spermine, H₂N(CH₂)₃NH(CH₂)₄NH(CH₂)₃NH₂, a linear tetraamine with 16 known microspecies. A general thermodynamic cycle is proposed to calculate protonation microconstants of polybasic molecules using calculated micro‐ΔG values in aqueous solution. The microscopic protonation constants were determined with considering both the most abundant and most stable conformers for all microspecies. The results show that the microscopic protonation constants derived from the most abundant conformers (i.e., linear conformers in which the intramolecular hydrogen bonding does not exist) are in good agreement with the corresponding available experimental data. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Computational explorations to gain insight into the structural features of TNF-α receptor I inhibitors

TNF-α is a crucial cytokine in the process of inflammatory diseases. The adverse effect of TNF-α is mostly mediated by interaction of TNF-α with TNF-α receptor type I (TNFR1); therefore, discovery of molecules which can bind to TNFR1 preventing TNF-α-receptor complex formation would be of great interest. In the current study, using GRID/GOLPE program, a 3D-QSAR study was conducted on a series of synthetic TNFR1 binders, which resulted in a 3D-QSAR model with appropriate power of predictivity in internal (r²?=?0.94 and q²_LOO?=?0.74) and external (r²?=?0.66 and SDEP?=?0.42) validations. The structural features of TNFR1 inhibitors essential for exerting activity were explored by analyzing the contour maps of the 3D-QSAR model showing that steric interactions and hydrogen bonds are responsible for exerting TNFR1 inhibitory activity. To propose potential chemical entities for TNFR1 inhibition, PubChem database was searched and the selected compounds were virtually tested for anti-TNFR1 activity using the generated model, resulting in two potential anti-TNFR1 compounds. Finally, the possible interactions of the compounds with TNFR1 were investigated using docking studies. The findings in the current work can pave the way for designing more potent anti-TNFR1 inhibitors.     

An injectable chitosan-based hydrogel reinforced by oxidized nanocrystalline cellulose and mineral trioxide aggregate designed for tooth engineering applications

The complex anatomy of teeth limits the accessibility and efficacy of regenerative treatments. Therefore, the application of well-known inducers as injectable hydrogels for the regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex is considered a promising approach. In this regard, this study aimed to develop an injectable hydrogel containing mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). The injectable chitosan/oxidized-nanocrystalline cellulose/MTA (CS/OCNC/MTA) hydrogels were prepared, and the physicochemical properties of these hydrogels were evaluated by TGA, FTIR, Rheological analysis, and SEM. Moreover, the effect of MTA on the swelling and degradability of scaffolds was assessed. The proliferative effects of synthesized hydrogels were also determined on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) by MTT assay. For induction of differentiation and biomineralization in these cells, the alkaline phosphatase activity and Alizarin Red S staining tests were performed in the presence of fabricated scaffolds. The proliferation of hDPSCs was significantly increased in the presence of these hydrogels. Moreover, the addition of MTA to hydrogel structure dramatically improved the differentiation of hDPSCs. These results suggested that this novel injectable hydrogel provides appropriate physiochemical properties and can be considered a promising scaffold for regenerative endodontic procedures.

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