Chiral 2-(2-hydroxyaryl)alcohols (HAROLs) with a 1,4-diol scaffold as a new family of ligands and organocatalysts

Efficient and modular syntheses of chiral 2-(2-hydroxyaryl)alcohols (HAROLs), novel 1,4-diols carrying one phenolic and one alcohol hydroxyl group, have been developed which led to generation of a small library of structurally diverse HAROLs in enantiomerically pure form. Of the different HAROLs examined, a HAROL based on the indan backbone exhibited the highest activity and enantioselectivity in the 1,2-addition of certain organometallic compounds to aldehydes in the presence of Ti(OⁱPr)₄ (up to 97% y, 88% ee) and performed as a hydrogen-bond donor organocatalyst in the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction, promoted by trialkylphosphines.     

Synthesis of phenanthroimidazole-based four coordinate organoboron compounds

The synthesis of N,C-coordinated organoboron compounds (B1-B4) based on phenanthroimidazole described. All the compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the compounds B1 and B3 revealed that the vicinity around the boron atom adopts tetrahedral geometry. Except compound B4, other organoboron compounds (B1-B3) does not show solvatochromism. All our newly synthesized organoboron compounds exhibited moderate to good solution state quantum yields (0.07–0.88) and moderate solid state quantum yields.     

Starch coated titanium dioxide nanoparticles as a challenging sorbent to separate and preconcentrate some heavy metals using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

In this study, a challenging nanosorbent was described for preconcentration/separation method based on the sorption of cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel, lead on starch coated titanium dioxide nanoparticles and its analysis by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Optimum conditions were investigated for quantitative sorption. By using the proposed technique, the analyte elements were determined in spiked tap-water samples in the range of 95% confidence level. Limit of detection (3δ) was 0.05, 0.28, 1.90, 3.10 and 0.11 µg/L (3σ, N = 10) for cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel and lead, respectively. The optimised technique is fast, easy handled, simple and environmental friendly.     

Multiresidue determination of pesticides in drinking and related waters by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction: interlaboratory study

As part of a project funded by the European Commission (EC) for the development and evaluation of multiresidue methods for analysis of drinking and related waters, 15 European laboratories evaluated a method using styrene-divinylbenzene co-polymer solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The main aim of the study was to evaluate whether the method meets the requirements of EC Directive 98/83 in terms of accuracy, precision, and detection limit for 22 pesticides according to the following requirements: limit of detection, < or = 0.025 microg/L; accuracy, expressed as recovery between 75 and 125%; and precision, expressed as repeatability relative standard deviation of the method of < 12.5% and as reproducibility relative standard deviation of the method of < 25%. Analyses for unknown concentrations were performed with fortified commercial bottled and tap waters. All laboratories were able to achieve detection limits of 0.01 microg/L for all pesticides except dimethoate and desisopropylatrazine (0.02 microg/L). The criteria for repeatability were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, and lindane in tap water. The criteria for reproducibility were met for all compounds except trifluralin, dimethoate, and lindane in bottled water and pendimethalin, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, terbutryn, and lindane in tap water. In terms of accuracy, the method meets the requirements for all pesticides in both matrixes, except for lindane in bottled water and lindane and chlorpyrifos in tap water.     

Calculation of enthalpies of hydrogenation of hydrocarbons

Sets of hydrogen molecule equivalents have been developed which permit the calculation of hydrogenation of different types of carbon-carbon bonds from ab initio total energies (3-21G and 6-31G* basis sets, and, to a more limited extent, for MP2/6-31G* data) of reactants and products. The calculated enthalpies of hydrogenation are in good agreement with experiment for unstrained molecules, with average errors on the order of 2 kcal/mol. The 6-31G* equivalents allow the enthalpies for strained molecules to be calculated accurately, but the 3-21G equivalents do not. The equivalents for both basis sets have been tested by calculating the enthalpies of hydrogenation of carbon-carbon bonds in nitrogen- and oxygen-containing organic molecules, free radicals, and classical carbocations. The results are in good agreement with experiment in most cases.     

Studies on heterocyclic enamines: New syntheses of 4H-pyranes,pyranopyrazoles and pyranopyrimidines

The behaviour of several 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran derivatives toward a variety of nucleophilic reagents is reported.     

Usage of deep eutectic solvents for the digestion and ultrasound-assisted liquid phase microextraction of copper in liver samples

In this study, we used deep eutectic solvents for digestion and ultrasound-assisted emulsification liquid phase microextraction (UA-ELPME) of copper in liver samples. Different types of DESs were prepared for digestion and microextraction steps. DESs consisting of lactic acid and choline chloride for the digestion step and DESs consisting of tetrabuthylamonium chloride and decanoic acid for ultrasound-assisted emulsification liquid phase microextraction were used in this method. The liver samples were digested by using DES-based digestion method. After digestion step, Cu(II) ions in aqueous phase were complexed with sodium dimethyl dithiocarbamate (NaDMDTC) and the obtained hydrophobic complex was extracted to tetrabuthylamonium chloride-decanoic acid DES phase. A microsample injection system coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometer (MS-FAAS) was used in the detection of copper. LOD, LOQ, PF and % RSD were determined as 4.00, 13.2 µg L^??1, 10 and 3.2%, respectively. The proposed microextraction procedure was successfully applied to copper contents of the liver samples.     

Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) complexes of tetradentate schiff base containing two thiadiazoles units: Structural,spectroscopic, magnetic properties,and molecular modeling studies

Four new mononuclear metal complexes with a mononucleating Schiff base ligand containing two thiadiazoles units have been synthesized. The ligand and metal complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, IR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR, UV–vis, ESR, electrospray ionization mass spectra, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Electronic spectra, magnetic susceptibility measurement, and molecular modeling studies support octahedral geometry around the Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) ions. The magnetic properties were investigated, and ferromagnetic coupling is observed in Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes. In addition, total energy and heat of formation calculated for conformers of the Schiff base ligand by the semiempirical AM1 calculations have shown that E,Z‐isomer of the ligand is more stable (about 5.3 kcal/mol) than E,E‐ and Z,Z‐isomers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:700–712, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20496     

Pressurized hot ethanol extraction of carotenoids from carrot by-products

Carotenoids are known for their antioxidant activity and health promoting effects. One of the richest sources of carotenoids are carrots. However, about 25% of the annual production is regarded as by-products due to strict market policies. The aim of this study was to extract carotenoids from those by-products. Conventional carotenoid extraction methods require the use of organic solvents, which are costly, environmentally hazardous, and require expensive disposal procedures. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) utilizes conventional solvents at elevated temperatures and pressure, and it requires less solvent and shorter extraction times. The extraction solvent of choice in this study was ethanol, which is a solvent generally recognized as safe (GRAS). The extraction procedure was optimized by varying the extraction time (2-10 min) and the temperature (60-180 °C). β-Carotene was used as an indicator for carotenoids content in the carrots. The results showed that time and temperatures of extraction have significant effect on the yield of carotenoids. Increasing the flush volume during extraction did not improve the extractability of carotenoids, indicating that the extrication method was mainly desorption/diffusion controlled. Use of a dispersing agent that absorbs the moisture content was important for the efficiency of extraction. Analysing the content of β-carotene at the different length of extraction cycles showed that about 80% was recovered after around 20 min of extraction.