Monoclonal antibody based electrochemical immunosensor for the determination of ochratoxin A in wheat

Competitive electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays based on disposable screen-printed electrodes have been developed for quantitative determination of ochratoxin A (OTA). The assays were carried out using monoclonal antibodies in the direct and indirect format. OTA working range, I₅₀ and detection limits were 0.05-2.5 and 0.1-7.5 μg L⁻¹, 0.35 (±0.04) μg L⁻¹ and 0.9 (±0.1) μg L⁻¹, 60 and 100 μg L⁻¹ in the direct and indirect assay format, respectively. The immunosensor in the direct format was selected for the determination of OTA in wheat. Samples were extracted with aqueous acetonitrile and the extract analyzed directly by the assay without clean-up. The I₅₀ in real samples was 0.2 μg L⁻¹ corresponding to 1.6 μg/kg in the wheat sample with a detection limit of 0.4 μg/kg (calculated as blank signal −3σ). Within- and between-assay variability were less than 5 and 10%, respectively. A good correlation (r = 0.9992) was found by comparative analysis of naturally contaminated wheat samples using this assay and an HPLC/immunoaffinity clean-up method based on the AOAC Official Method 2000.03 for the determination of OTA in barley.     

Benzo[b]thiophene as a template for substituted quinolines and tetrahydroquinolines

An original methodology starting from 3-aroyl-2-(2′-nitro-4′-methoxyphenyl)-benzo[b]thiophene allows the synthesis of unusual fused heterocycles. Direct hydrogenation with nickel catalysts followed by desulfurisation led to 2,3-diarylquinolines or 2,3-diaryltetrahydroquinolines.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of α-halogeno-3-octanol and 4- or 5-nonanols. Application to the preparation of chiral epoxides

A study of the microbiological reduction of different α-halogenoketones (4-chloro-3-octanone, 4-chloro-5-nonanone, 5-bromo-4-nonanone and 5-chloro-4-nonanone) with several strains of microorganism showed great difficulty in reducing ketone functions located in the middle of carbon chains. However, by choosing the appropriate microorganism, several enantiomerically pure diastereoisomers of the corresponding halohydrins have been obtained and were transformed into chiral epoxides.     

Investigations providing a plausible mechanism in the hexamethyldisilazane-catalyzed trimerization of alkyl isocyanates

Using HMDS as catalyst for the trimerization of isocyanates presents many advantages as the expected isocyanurate is not contaminated by the catalyst or other side-products resulting from its degradation. In addition, HMDS presents a low toxicity, and is compatible with industrial applications. This article describes the hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)-catalyzed trimerization of octylisocyanate. Experimental investigations and mechanistic considerations indicate that the true catalyst of the trimerization is trimethylsilyloctylamine, which results from the preliminary condensation of HMDS with octylisocyanate.     

Regioselective synthesis of novel substituted indazole-5,6-diamine derivatives

The synthesis of a series of novel indazole-5,6-diamine derivatives is described. This indazole ring system was incorporated in an octahydropyrrolo[3,4-b]phenazine scaffold and was diversely and regioselectively substituted on the nitrogen atoms at the 5- and 10-positions. Thus, the nitrogen atom at the 5-position was found to be more reactive toward electrophiles than the one at the 10-position. This difference of reactivity could be attributed to the electronic effect of the pyrazole moiety. Moreover, an unexpected tetrahydropyran protecting group migration was observed from the N-1 atom to the C-11 position of the octahydropyrrolo[3,4-b]phenazine scaffold.     

Copper-free click conjugation of methotrexate to a PAMAM dendrimer platform

The synthesis of a generation 5 (G5) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer platform having cyclooctyne ligands that were subsequently be used for a copper-free Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click reaction) with azido modified methotrexate is described. The G5 PAMAM dendrimer was first partially (70%) acetylated and then coupled with 20 cyclooctyne ligands through amide bonds. The remaining primary amine groups on the dendrimer surface were neutralized by acetylation. The platform was then ‘clicked’ with different numbers (5, 10, and 17) of γ-azido functionalized methotrexate. The copper-free click reactions were stoichiometric with excellent yields.     

Practical synthesis of (2'R)-2'-deoxy-2'-C-methyluridine by highly diastereoselective homogeneous hydrogenation

Diastereoselective hydrogenation of 2'-deoxy-2'-exo-methyleneuridine was carried out under homogeneous conditions using a low loading of a chiral Rh catalyst. This, coupled with improvements in the synthesis of the substrate, allowed the smooth pilot plant preparation of the title compound on >10 kg scale.     

Syntheses, crystal structures, transport properties and first-principles electronic structure study of the (tTTF)2X (X=Br, I) low-dimensional antiferromagnets

An efficient synthetic procedure for the preparation of unsymmetrically substituted tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) donors has been used to obtain the trimethylene-tetrathiafulvalene (tTTF) donor with high purity. Good quality crystals of the two (tTTF)(2)X (X = Br, I) salts have been obtained by electrocrystallization. The two salts are isomorphous and contain tTTF layers which are built from (tTTF)(2) dimeric units. Both systems are low-dimensional antiferromagnets with the highest Ne?el temperatures for TTF based radical cation salts: ≈ 35 K (Br salt) and ≈43 K (I salt). The resistivity is found to substantially decrease with pressure although both salts still have activated conductivity at 25 kbar. First-principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations have been used to investigate the relative strength of the three different types of magnetic interactions in the tTTF layers as well as the potential magnetic ground states. These calculations successfully predict the nature of the ground state and suggest a possible correlation between structural details and Ne?el temperatures for the bromine and iodine salts. Remarkably, the calculated antiferromagnetic ground state can be predicted from the nesting properties of the Fermi surface for the hypothetical Pauli paramagnetic metallic state.     

NCO quantitative measurement in premixed low pressure flames by combining LIF and CRDS techniques

NCO is a short-lived species involved in NO(x) formation. It has never been quantitatively measured in flame conditions. In the present study, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) were combined to measure NCO radical concentrations in premixed low-pressure flames (p = 5.3 kPa). NCO LIF excitation spectrum and absorption spectrum (using CRDS) measured in a stoichiometric CH(4)/O(2)/N(2)O/N(2) flame were found in good agreement with a simulated spectrum using PGOPHER program that was used to calculate the high-temperature absorption cross section of NCO in the A(2)Σ(+)-X(2)Π transition around 440.479 nm. The relative NCO-LIF profiles were measured in stoichiometric CH(4)/O(2)/N(2)O/N(2) flames where the ratio N(2)O/O(2) was progressively decreased from 0.50 to 0.01 and in rich CH(4)/O(2)/N(2) premixed flames. Then, the LIF profiles were converted into NCO mole fraction profiles from the absorption measurements using CRDS in a N(2)O-doped flame.