Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Aryl Cyclitols: Polycyclitols

New polycyclitols were synthesized starting from 1,4-naphthoquinone. An endo-selective Diels–Alder cycloaddition between 1,4-naphthoquinone and 1-acetoxybutadiene afforded a diketone. Reduction of the diketone with a NaBH₄-CeCl₃ · 7H₂O system gave a new cyclitol analog diol acetate. Acetylation of this compound afforded a triacetate. Oxidation of the double bond of the triacetate compound with OsO₄ followed by acetylation of hydroxyl groups gave the pentaacetate, whose structure was established unequivocally via application of x-ray crystallographic methods. Hydrolysis of ester groups of pentaacetate under basic condutions furnished the desired and another novel aryl cyclitol.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource: Full experimental and spectral details.]     

Novel N‐Alkylbenzimidazole‐Ruthenium (II) complexes: Synthesis and catalytic activity of N‐alkylating reaction under solvent‐free medium

In this article, direct N‐alkylation reactions of amines with alcohols derivatives have been investigated. For this purpose, a new series ruthenium (II) complexes bearing N‐coordinated benzimidazole complexes with have been synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analysis, FT‐IR, ¹H NMR and, ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. Additionally, the structures of the complexes 2b and 2c have been confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Although the N‐alkylating reaction is usually performed in toluene, the catalytic study of complexes 2a‐d has carried out no additional solvent and alcohol acted both as solvent and reactant of alkylating by using a little excess of alcohols. Surprisingly, conversion and selectivity of amine product for alkylation reaction have been seen high in medium solvent‐free relative to in toluene.     

Synthesis of poly(2-acetamidoacrylic acid) and its PEGMA block copolymer via ATRP in water

Controlled polymerization of a captodative monomer, 2-acetamidoacrylic acid (AAA), was studied for the first time in the literature. Salt of the monomer in water was polymerized using ATRP method and influence of several factors, including solvent composition, halogen exchange and additives like pyridine and halide salts were investigated to improve the control. Captodative monomers form very stable radicals favoring the active species over the dormant one. Depolymerization at room temperature under ATRP conditions was determined as the major obstacle in front of the high molecular weight polymers and block copolymer formation. Nevertheless, poly(AAA-b-(AAA-co-PEGMA)) block polymers were prepared through ATRP and possible applications were discussed. As an example, pH responsive nature and ability to coat superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were demonstrated.     

Experimental and Theoretical Spectral(FT-IR,Raman,NMR,UV-Vis and NLO)Analysis of a Potential Anti-Tumor Drug:1-Methyl-6-Nitro-1H-Benzimidazole

In the present work, the experimental and the theoretical spectroscopic properties of 1-Methyl-6-Nitro-1H- Benzimidazole were investigated. The FT-IR (400~4 000 cm-1) and FT-Raman spectra (100~4 000 cm-1) of 1-Methyl-6-Nitro-1H- Benzimidazole in the solid phase were recorded. Also, experimental NMR and UV spectra of titled molecule were measured. To interpret the experimental data, geometric parameters, vibrational frequencies, NMR, UV spectra and NLO analysis of the optimized molecule were calculated using ab initio Hartree–Fock (HF) method and density functional theory (B3LYP) method with the 6-31++G(d,p) and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets. Vibrational bands were assigned based on the potential energy distribution using the VEDA 4 program. The theoretical results showed good agreement with the experimental values.     

Producing of qualified oil and carbon black from waste tyres and pet bottles in a newly designed pyrolysis reactor

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Waste tyre and waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are major environmental problems. In this study, by using newly designed simple and...     

Electricity production by a microbial fuel cell fueled by brewery wastewater and the factors in its membrane deterioration

Electricity production from brewery wastewater using dual-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with a tin-coated copper mesh in the anode was investigated by changing the hydraulic retention time (HRT). The MFCs were fed with wastewater samples from the inlet (inflow, MFC-1) and outlet (outflow, MFC-2) of an anaerobic digester of a brewery wastewater treatment plant. Both chemical oxygen demand removal and current density were improved by decreasing HRT. The best MFC performance was with an HRT of 0.5 d. The maximum power densities of 8.001 and 1.843 μW/cm2 were obtained from reactors MFC-1 and MFC-2, respectively. Microbial diversity at different condi-tions was studied using PCR-DGGE profiling of 16S rRNA fragments of the microorganisms from the biofilm on the anode electrode. The MFC reactor had mainlyGeobacter,Shewanella, andClostridium species, and some bacteria were easily washed out at lower HRTs. The fouling characteristics of the MFC Nafion membrane and the resulting degradation of MFC performance were examined. The ion exchange capacity, conductivity, and diffusivity of the membrane decreased significantly after foul-ing. The morphology of the Nafion membrane and MFC degradation were studied using scanning electron microscopy and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.     

Chromone-based Schiff base metal complexes as catalysts for catechol oxidation: Synthesis,kinetics and electrochemical studies

Two new Schiff base ligands with chromone moiety and their transition metal complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductance and TGA analyses, FT IR, UV-Vis, NMR and mass spectroscopy. All the complexes synthesized have been investigated as functional models for catechol oxidase (catecholase) activity by employing 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol as a model substrate. The two mononuclear copper(II) and two mononuclear iron(II) complexes show catecholase activity with turnover (k_cat) numbers lying in the range 27.2–1328.4 h^?1. According to the kinetic measurement results, the rate of catechol oxidation follows first order kinetics and iron(II) complexes were found to have higher catalytic activity than those of copper(II) complexes. Electron-donating substituent on Schiff base ligand enhanced the catalytic activity of metal complexes while the electron-withdrawing substituent led to a decrease in activity. The electrochemical properties of two Schiff bases and their metal complexes were also investigated by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) using glassy carbon electrode (GCE) at various scan rates. Electrochemical processes of all the compounds were observed as irreversible.     

Conventional and microwave irradiated synthesis,biological activity evaluation and molecular docking studies of highly substituted piperazine-azole hybrids

Azole derivatives(3,6) obtained starting from 1-(2-methoxyphenyl) piperazine were converted to the corresponding Mannich bases containing β-lactame or flouroquinolone core via a one pot three component reaction.The synthesis of conazole analogues was carried out starting from triazoles by three steps.Reactions were carried out under conventional and microwave mediated conditions.All the newly synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial,enzyme inhibition and antioxidant activity,and most of them displayed good-moderate activity.Binding affinities and non-covalent interactions between enzyme-ligand complexes were predicted with molecular docking method at molecular level.Docking results complemented well the experimental results on α-glucosidase and urease inhibitory effects of the compounds.Higher binding affinities and much more interaction networks were observed for active compounds in contrary to inactive ones.It was predicted with the docking studies that triazole and anisole moieties in the structure of the synthesized compounds contributed to the stabilization of corresponding enzymes through noncovalent interactions.     

Optimization of Enzyme Co-Immobilization with Sodium Alginate and Glutaraldehyde-Activated Chitosan Beads

In this study, two different materials—alginate and glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan beads—were used for the co-immobilization of α-amylase, protease, and pectinase. Firstly, optimization of multienzyme immobilization with Na alginate beads was carried out. Optimum Na alginate and CaCl₂ concentration were found to be 2.5% and 0.1 M, respectively, and optimal enzyme loading ratio was determined as 2:1:0.02 for pectinase, protease, and α-amylase, respectively. Next, the immobilization of multiple enzymes on glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan beads was optimized (3% chitosan concentration, 0.25% glutaraldehyde with 3 h of activation and 3 h of coupling time). While co-immobilization was successfully performed with both materials, the specific activities of enzymes were found to be higher for the enzymes co-immobilized with glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan beads. In this process, glutaraldehyde was acting as a spacer arm. SEM and FTIR were used for the characterization of activated chitosan beads. Moreover, pectinase and α-amylase enzymes immobilized with chitosan beads were also found to have higher activity than their free forms. Three different enzymes were co-immobilized with these two materials for the first time in this study.     

Common Structural Elements in the Chromophore Binding Pocket of the Pfr State of Bathy Phytochromes

Phytochromes are bimodal photoreceptors which, upon light absorption by the tetrapyrrole chromophore, can be converted between a red‐absorbing state (Pr) and far‐red‐absorbing state (Pfr). In bacterial phytochromes, either Pr or Pfr are the thermally stable states, thereby constituting the classes of prototypical and bathy phytochromes, respectively. In this work, we have employed vibrational spectroscopies to elucidate the origin of the thermal stability of the Pfr states in bathy phytochromes. Here, we present the first detailed spectroscopic analysis of RpBphP6 (Rhodopseudomas palustris), which together with results obtained for Agp2 (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) and PaBphP (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) allows identifying common structural properties of the Pfr state of bathy phytochromes, which are (1) a homogenous chromophore structure, (2) the protonated ring C propionic side chain of the chromophore and (3) a retarded H/D exchange at the ring D nitrogen. These properties are related to the unique strength of the hydrogen bonding interactions between the ring D N‐H group with the side chain of the conserved Asp194 (PaBphP numbering). As revealed by a comparative analysis of homology models and available crystal structures of Pfr states, these interactions are strengthened by an Arg residue (Arg453) only in bathy but not in prototypical phytochromes.