Tuning the Reactivity of a Heterogeneous Catalyst using N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands for C−H Activation Reactions

We report the dramatic impact of the addition of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) on the reactivity and selectivity of heterogeneous Ru catalysts in the context of C−H activation reactions. Using a simple and robust method, we prepared a series of new air-stable catalysts starting from commercially available Ru on carbon (Ru/C) and differently substituted NHCs. Associated with C−H deuteration processes, depending on Ru/C-NHC ratios, the chemical outcome can be controlled to a large extent. Indeed, tuning the reactivity of the Ru catalyst with NHC enabled: 1) increased chemoselectivity and the regioselectivity for the deuteration of alcohols in organic media; 2) the synthesis of fragile pharmaceutically relevant deuterated heterocycles (azine, purine) that are otherwise completely reduced using unmodified commercial catalysts; 3) the discovery of a novel reactivity for such heterogeneous Ru catalysts, namely the selective C-1 deuteration of aldehydes.     

Reversible Assembly of Microgels by Metallo-Supramolecular Chemistry

The combination of supramolecular chemistry and soft colloids as microgels represents an ambitious way to develop multi-versatile colloidal assemblies. Hereafter, terpyridine-functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM) microgel building blocks are shown to undergo an assemble–freeze–disassemble process. The microgel assemblies, which are controlled by monitoring the attractive and repulsive potentials between the soft colloidal particles, are then frozen by forming inter-particle metal–terpyridine bis-complexes upon addition of the metallic cation (such as Fe^II, Co^II). By oxidation of the metal–terpyridine bis-complex links, the aggregates open up, which is due to the complex dissociation releasing the connected particles in the form of single microgels. We extended our work to the development of 1D filaments and 2D membranes materials made of soft particles connected via supramolecular chemistry.     

Hydrogen Isotope Exchange Catalyzed by Ru Nanocatalysts: Labelling of Complex Molecules Containing N-Heterocycles and Reaction Mechanism Insights

Ruthenium nanocatalysis can provide effective deuteration and tritiation of oxazole, imidazole, triazole and carbazole substructures in complex molecules using D₂ or T₂ gas as isotopic sources. Depending on the substructure considered, this approach does not only represent a significant step forward in practice, with notably higher isotope uptakes, a broader substrate scope and a higher solvent applicability compared to existing procedures, but also the unique way to label important heterocycles using hydrogen isotope exchange. In terms of applications, the high incorporation of deuterium atoms, allows the synthesis of internal standards for LC-MS quantification. Moreover, the efficacy of the catalyst permits, even under subatmospheric pressure of T₂ gas, the preparation of complex radiolabeled drugs owning high molar activities. From a fundamental point of view, a detailed DFT-based mechanistic study identifying undisclosed key intermediates, allowed a deeper understanding of C−H (and N−H) activation processes occurring at the surface of metallic nanoclusters.     

Reversible Assembly of Microgels by Metallo‐Supramolecular Chemistry

The combination of supramolecular chemistry and soft colloids as microgels represents an ambitious way to develop multi‐versatile colloidal assemblies. Hereafter, terpyridine‐functionalized poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM) microgel building blocks are shown to undergo an assemble–freeze–disassemble process. The microgel assemblies, which are controlled by monitoring the attractive and repulsive potentials between the soft colloidal particles, are then frozen by forming inter‐particle metal–terpyridine bis‐complexes upon addition of the metallic cation (such as Fe^II, Co^II). By oxidation of the metal–terpyridine bis‐complex links, the aggregates open up, which is due to the complex dissociation releasing the connected particles in the form of single microgels. We extended our work to the development of 1D filaments and 2D membranes materials made of soft particles connected via supramolecular chemistry.     

IRMPD Spectra of Protonated Hydroxybenzaldehydes: Evidence of Torsional Barriers in Carboxonium Ions

Protonation at the formyl oxygen atom of benzaldehydes leading to the formation of carboxonium ions yields two distinct isomers, depending on the relative orientation of the proton either cis or trans with respect to the hydrogen atom on the adjacent carbon. In this context, the IR multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectra of protonated ortho, meta, and para-hydroxybenzaldehydes ( OH−BZH⁺ ), delivered into the gas phase by electrospray ionization of hydro-alcoholic solutions, are reported in the 3200–3700 cm⁻¹ spectral range. This range is characteristic of O−H stretching modes and thus able to differentiate cis and trans carboxonium isomers. Comparison between IRMPD spectra and DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2df2p) level suggests that for both p- OH−BZH⁺ and m- OH−BZH⁺ only cis conformers are present in the ion population analyzed. For o- OH−BZH⁺ , IRMPD spectroscopy points to a mixture comprising one trans and more than one cis conformers. The energy barrier for cis–trans isomerization calculated for each OH−BZH⁺ isomer is a measure of the degree of π-electron delocalization. Furthermore, IRMPD spectra of p- OH−BZH⁺ , m- OH−BZH⁺ and protonated phenol (this last used as reference) were recorded also in the fingerprint range. Both the observed C−O and O−H stretching vibrations appear to be a measure of π-electron delocalization in the ions.     

Design of Oligourea-Based Foldamers with Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities

There is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies to fight the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria. Many antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been identified and characterized, but clinical translation has been limited partly due to their structural instability and degradability in physiological environments. The use of unnatural backbones leading to foldamers can generate peptidomimetics with improved properties and conformational stability. We recently reported the successful design of urea-based eukaryotic cell-penetrating foldamers (CPFs). Since cell-penetrating peptides and AMPs generally share many common features, we prepared new sequences derived from CPFs by varying the distribution of histidine- and arginine-type residues at the surface of the oligourea helix, and evaluated their activity on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as on fungi. In addition, we prepared and tested new amphiphilic block cofoldamers consisting of an oligourea and a peptide segment whereby polar and charged residues are located in the peptide segment and more hydrophobic residues in the oligourea segment. Several foldamer sequences were found to display potent antibacterial activities even in the presence of 50% serum. Importantly, we show that these urea-based foldamers also possess promising antifungal properties.     

The Potential of 2-Substituted Quinolines as Antileishmanial Drug Candidates

There is a need for new, cost-effective drugs to treat leishmaniasis. A strategy based on traditional medicine practiced in Bolivia led to the discovery of the 2-substituted quinoline series as a source of molecules with antileishmanial activity and low toxicity. This review documents the development of the series from the first isolated natural compounds through several hundred synthetized molecules to an optimized compound exhibiting an in vitro IC₅₀ value of 0.2 µM against Leishmania donovani, and a selectivity index value of 187, together with in vivo activity on the L. donovani/hamster model. Attempts to establish structure–activity relationships are described, as well as studies that have attempted to determine the mechanism of action. For the latter, it appears that molecules of this series act on multiple targets, possibly including the immune system, which could explain the observed lack of drug resistance after in vitro drug pressure. We also show how nanotechnology strategies could valorize these drugs through adapted formulations and how a mechanistic targeting approach could generate new compounds with increased activity.     

Microwave-Assisted Desulfation of the Hemolytic Saponins Extracted from Holothuria scabra Viscera

Saponins are plant and marine animal specific metabolites that are commonly considered as molecular vectors for chemical defenses against unicellular and pluricellular organisms. Their toxicity is attributed to their membranolytic properties. Modifying the molecular structures of saponins by quantitative and selective chemical reactions is increasingly considered to tune the biological properties of these molecules (i) to prepare congeners with specific activities for biomedical applications and (ii) to afford experimental data related to their structure–activity relationship. In the present study, we focused on the sulfated saponins contained in the viscera of Holothuria scabra, a sea cucumber present in the Indian Ocean and abundantly consumed on the Asian food market. Using mass spectrometry, we first qualitatively and quantitatively assessed the saponin content within the viscera of H. scabra. We detected 26 sulfated saponins presenting 5 different elemental compositions. Microwave activation under alkaline conditions in aqueous solutions was developed and optimized to quantitatively and specifically induce the desulfation of the natural saponins, by a specific loss of H₂SO₄. By comparing the hemolytic activities of the natural and desulfated extracts, we clearly identified the sulfate function as highly responsible for the saponin toxicity.     

Chain transfer by addition-fragmentation mechanism. VII. Radical polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of ethyl 2-[1-(trimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate and related compounds

Ethyl 2-[1-(trimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate 1 , ethyl 2-[1-(dimethylvinylsilylperoxy)-ethyl]propenoate 2 , ethyl 2-[1-(1-(2-ethoxycarbonyl-1-methyl-2-propenylperoxysilyl)-1-methylethylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate 3 , and 2-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylperoxypropane 4 were synthesized and added to the free radical polymerization of vinylic monomers. 1 and 2 were found to show no homopolymerizability but act as effective chain transfer reagents in radical polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA), styrene (St), and n-butyl acrylate (BA). The estimated chain transfer constants (C_tr) are as follows: C_tr ( 1 ) = 0.15 for MMA, 0.90 for St, and 2.03 for BA at 60°C; C_tr ( 2 ) = 0.12 for MMA, 1.16 for St, and 1.9 for BA at 60°C. ¹H–NMR spectra of poly(St) formed in the presence of 1 is consistent with the view that the polymers bear an oxirane at one terminal and an trimethylsilyloxy fragment at the other end. Moreover, peroxysilane 4 showed very low transfer properties by direct homolytic substitution (SH₂). These findings indicate that the ethyl 2-[1-(substituted dimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]-propenoates 1–3 undergo chain transfer reaction via a intramolecular homolytic substitution (SHi) following an addition process. Preparation of poly(styrene) up to high conversion in the presence of 3 yielded to the formation of the corresponding polymeric structures bearing hydrolysable C(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)Si(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)C bonds. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Global Solutions to a Penrose–Fife Phase-field Model Under Flux Boundary Conditions for the Inverse Temperature

In this paper, we study an initial-boundary value problem for a system of phase-field equations arising from the Penrose–Fife approach to model the kinetics of phase transitions. In contrast to other recent works in the field, the correct form of the boundary condition for the temperature field is assumed which leads to additional difficulties in the mathematical treatment. It is demonstrated that global existence of strong solutions can be shown under essentially the same assumptions on the data as in the previous papers where a simplified boundary condition for the heat exchange with the surrounding medium has been used.