Investigation of the electrocatalytic oxidation of formate and ethanol at platinum black under microbial fuel cell conditions

In this communication, we discuss the electro-oxidation of the fermentation products formate and ethanol at platinum black modified electrodes under microbial fuel cell conditions, i.e., at neutral pH, room temperature, and in microbial culture solutions. The electrocatalytic oxidation was studied using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and potentiostatic coulometry. Current densities up to 6 mA cm⁻² at 0.2 V oxidation potential and 97% coulombic efficiency were observed for the electro-oxidation of 100 mM solutions of formate in pH 7 buffer solution. Electrode deactivation could be successfully prevented using an oxidative potential reactivation procedure. Polymer coating, however, fully stopped the formate oxidation. As expected, the electro-oxidation of ethanol was less efficient—with a limiting current density being 600 μA cm⁻².Dedicated to Professor Dr. Alan M. Bond on the occasion of this 60th birthday.     

Synthesis and pharmacological activity of 4-(4'-(chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxypiperidine) derivatives

A new series of 4-(4'-chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxypiperidine derivatives (2-5), substituted at nitrogen, were synthesized and tested as potential analgesic compounds as well as evaluated for their effect on hypotensive activity. Results showed that all the derivatives exhibit significant analgesic activity in male Wistar rats at a dose of 50 mg/kg of body weight after intramuscular injection, when tested by thermal stimuli (tail flick test). Pethidine was used as reference drug. Compounds 2, 3 and 5 produced reduction in blood pressure in normotensive rat.     

Efficient syntheses of new chiral peptidomimetic macrocycles through a configurationally driven preorganization

A new family of 32-membered ring peptidomimetic macrocycles has been efficiently obtained in a simple one-pot two-step reductive amination reaction, from easily prepared precursors. The structural and stereochemical variables have been explored in order to rationalize the obtained selectivity. The formation of the [2A+2B] tetraimine intermediate has been explained in terms of a very favorable configurationally driven preorganization as detected by NMR, CD and molecular modeling.     

Capture of toxic gases in MOFs: SO2, H2S,NH3 and NOx

MOFs are promising candidates for the capture of toxic gases since their adsorption properties can be tuned as a function of the topology and chemical composition of the pores. Although the main drawback of MOFs is their vulnerability to these highly corrosive gases which can compromise their chemical stability, remarkable examples have demonstrated high chemical stability to SO₂, H₂S, NH₃ and NO_x. Understanding the role of different chemical functionalities, within the pores of MOFs, is the key for accomplishing superior captures of these toxic gases. Thus, the interactions of such functional groups (coordinatively unsaturated metal sites, μ-OH groups, defective sites and halogen groups) with these toxic molecules, not only determines the capture properties of MOFs, but also can provide a guideline for the desigh of new multi-functionalised MOF materials. Thus, this perspective aims to provide valuable information on the significant progress on this environmental-remediation field, which could inspire more investigators to provide more and novel research on such challenging task.

MOFs are promising candidates for the capture of toxic gases such as SO₂, H₂S, NH₃ and NOx. Understanding the role of different chemical functionalities, within the pores of MOFs, is the key for accomplishing superior captures of these toxic gases.     

Callimorphine: identification and synthesis of the cinnabar moth “metabolite”.

Callimorphine, a putative pyrrolizidine alkaloid metabolite found in some Arctiid moths which feed as larvae on plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids, has been identified and synthesised.     

A stereoselective and atom-efficient approach to multifunctionalized five- and six-membered rings via a novel michael-initiated intramolecular Diels-Alder furan reaction

[reaction: see text] A variety of key precursors to the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of furan diene (IMDAF) have been prepared via a very facile 1,4-addition of O-, S-, N-, and C-centered nucleophiles possessing unsaturated tether to beta-furyl nitroethylene. Subsequent IMDAF reaction of the 1,4-adducts, carried out under thermal conditions, provided five- and six-membered carbocycles and heterocycles fused to an easily cleavable oxabicycloheptene moiety. The structure and stereochemistry of the cycloadducts were determined by 2D-NMR experiments and further confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The salient features of the strategy include high degree of stereoselectivity (>80:20) in the cycloaddition, atom and step economy, and generation of multiple chiral centers and functionalities. The feasibility of the cleavage of the oxa bridge in the cycloadducts to afford novel multifunctional molecules has also been demonstrated.     

α-Hydroxymethylation of conjugated nitroalkenes via the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction

The Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction (MBHR) of conjugated nitroalkenes has been successfully carried out for the first time. A variety of aromatic and heteroaromatic nitroalkenes react with formaldehyde at room temperature in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of imidazole and catalytic amounts of anthranilic acid in THF providing moderate to good yields of the multifunctional adducts in most of the cases.     

Evaluation of the redox properties and anti/pro-oxidant effects of selected flavonoids by means of a DNA-based electrochemical biosensor

Quercetin and rutin as well as catechin and epigallocatechin gallate were investigated, as widely distributed representatives of flavonols and flavanols, respectively, regarding their anti/pro-oxidant properties. The flavonoids are irreversibly oxidized at a dsDNA-modified screen-printed electrode within 0.368 to 0.449 V vs. SHE without binding to DNA. Using the DNA biosensor the detection scheme of a DNA prevention/degradation exploits the [Co(phen)(3)](3+) complex as an electrochemical DNA marker. Antioxidant activity of flavonoids was tested in a model cleavage mixture composed of 5 x 10(-7) mol L(-1) [Cu(phen)(2)](2+) as the catalyst, 1 x 10(-3) mol L(-1) ascorbic acid as the chemical reductant and atmospheric oxygen as the natural oxidant where reactive oxygen radicals are generated. The antioxidant activity increases with the concentration of flavonoids reaching a maximum where pro-oxidative behaviour becomes of importance. The pro-oxidant potency of flavonoids depends on the presence of atmospheric oxygen and follows the order quercetin>rutin>epigallocatechin gallate>catechin.     

Tentoxin as a scaffold for drug discovery. Total solid-phase synthesis of tentoxin and a library of analogues

[reaction: see text] A solid-phase method for the synthesis of tentoxin has been developed. Two key steps-dehydration and N-alkylation-are carried out while the peptide is anchored to the resin. The method, which has been validated by the preparation of a library of tentoxin analogues, should be applicable to the generation of further libraries that have the tentoxin scaffold structure, as well as other structures containing N-alkylated didehydroamino acids.