Atropisomerization, C-H activation, and dissociative substitution at some biphenyl platinum(II) complexes

The reaction of 2,2'-dilithiumbiphenyl with cis-[PtCl(2)(SEt(2))(2)] at -10 degrees C in diethyl ether not only leads to the main product [Pt(2)(micro-SEt(2))(2)(bph)(2)], containing the planar 2,2'-biphenyl dianion (bph(2)(-)), but also forms a new dinuclear platinum(II) compound of formula [Pt(2)(micro-SEt(2))(2)(Hbph)(4)], 1a (Hbph(-) = eta(1)-biphenyl monoanion), in which each metal is in a square-planar environment. NMR spectroscopy and molecular mechanics (MMFF) calculations were used to characterize 1a. The results suggest that the favored conformation for the four Hbph biphenyl groups is alphabetabetaalpha. In chloroform solution, 1a undergoes atropisomerization to 1b (alphabetaalphabeta) (k(is) = 1.03 x 10(-)(4) s(-)(1), at 298 K) that subsequently cyclometalates (k(obs) = 4.48 x 10(-)(6) s(-)(1), at 298 K) to yield [Pt(2)(micro-SEt(2))(2)(bph)(2)] and biphenyl. Both processes, atropisomerization and C-H activation, presumably involve preliminary thioether bridge splitting. The dinuclear complex 1a has been shown to be a versatile and useful precursor to a variety of mononuclear eta(1)-biphenyl platinum(II) complexes. By reaction with diethyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfoxide, or with rigid dinitrogen containing ligands, such as 2,2'-bipyridine or 1,10-phenanthroline, complexes cis-[Pt(Hbph)(2)(dmso)(2)] 3, cis-[Pt(Hbph)(2)(SEt(2))(2)] 4, [Pt(Hbph)(2)(bpy)] 5, and [Pt(Hbph)(2)(phen)] 6 were obtained, respectively. The crystal structures of compounds 5 and 6 were determined. Only the head-to-tail isomer of these compounds was recognized in the solid state and in solution, where restricted rotation around the Pt-C bond prevents interconversion to the head-to-head form. A detailed kinetic study of ligand (dmso) exchange and substitution (by 2,2'-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline) has been performed on complex 3 in CDCl(3) and toluene-d(8) by (1)H NMR magnetization transfer experiments, and in toluene by UV/vis spectroscopy, respectively. The rates of both processes show no dependence on ligand concentration, the rate of ligand substitution being in reasonable agreement with that of ligand exchange at the same temperature. The kinetics are characterized by largely positive entropies of activation. The results are consistent with a dissociative mode of activation analogous to the pattern already found for compounds with a similar [Pt(C,C)(S,S)] set of coordinating ligands. The role of ML(3) d(8) T-shaped 14-electron species, as elusive reaction intermediates or structurally characterized compounds, is discussed.     

Detection and characterization by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of a goat beta-casein associated with a CSN2 null allele

The identification and characterization of a truncated goat beta-casein, associated with a null beta-casein allele (CSN2(O')), is reported. The truncated beta-casein predicted at the DNA level (NCBI Acc. No. CAB39313) but never observed at the protein level, here named beta-casein O, was detected as a minor component in a goat milk sample from an autochthonous breed from southern Italy, 'Rossa Mediterranea', by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC/ESI-MS). The ESI mass spectrum of the intact beta-casein O determined an M(r) value of 18 780 Da (calculated 18 781.5). Characterization of the amino acid sequence, performed by coupling trypsin digestion with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), RP-HPLC/ESI-MS and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), demonstrated that the amino acid sequence corresponds to the 1-166 sequence of mature beta-casein variant A (Acc. No. P33048), thus confirming that the protein is coded by the null allele CSN2(O'), characterized by a transition (C --> T) at the 373rd nucleotide of the 7th exon of the gene, which generates a premature stop codon in position 182.     

New [f]-fused xanthines: Synthesis of 1,3-dipropyl-1H,3H-pyrazino,pyrido, pyrimido and pyrrolo[2, 1-f]purine-2,4-diones

Synthesis of 1,3-dipropyl-1H,3H-pyrazino, pyrido, pyrimido and pyrrolo[2,1-f]purine-2,4-diones, starting from 5,6-diamino-1,3-dipropylpyrimidine-2,4-dione 1 and 6-chloro-1,3-dipropylpyrimidine-2,4-dione 14 is described. A new synthetic approach to 1,3-dipropyl-1H,3H-pyrido(or pyrazino)[1′,2′-1,2]pyrimido[4,5-d]pyrimidine-2,4,5-triones 19 e, f, h has been also developed.     

Research on heterocyclic compounds. XXI. Synthesis of imidazo[2,1-b]benzothiazole and imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole derivatives

The reaction of some 2-aminobenzothiazoles and 2-aminothiazoles with ethyl 3-bromo-4-oxopentanoate was investigated with the aim to obtain the corresponding imidazo[2,1-b]benzothiazole and imidazo[2,1-b]-thiazole derivatives, respectively. In some cases, two unexpected side products were obtained together with the required compound and their structures were elucidated: e.g., 2-aminobenzothiazole reacted with ethyl 3-bromo-4-oxopentanoate to give ethyl 2-methylimidazo[2,1-b]benzothiazole-3-acetate together with ethyl imi-dazo[2,1-b]benzothiazole-2-propionate and ethyl 3-(benzothiazol-2-yl)amino-4-oxopentanoate.     

Determination of ink photoinitiators in packaged beverages by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new analytical method, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) techniques, was developed for the determination in packaged food beverages of five ink photoinitiator residues: 2-isopropylthioxanthone (ITX), benzophenone, 2-ethylhexyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EHDAB), 1-hydroxycyclohexyl-1-phenyl ketone (IRGACURE 184) and ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDAB). Samples were extracted from selected beverages (milk, fruit juices and wine) and relative packagings, using n-hexane and dichloromethane, respectively, purified on solid-phase extraction (SPE) silica gel cartridges, and then analyzed in GC/MS and LC/MS. The recovery percentages, obtained spiking the beverage samples at concentrations of 4 and 10 microgl(-1) with a standard mixture of photoinitiators, were in the range 42-108% (milk), 50-84% (wine), and 48-109% (fruit juices). The repeatability of the method was assessed in all cases by the % of correlation value, that was lower than 19%. The lowest limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs), obtained using GC/MS, were in the range 0.2-1 and 1-5 microgl(-1), respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of forty packaged food beverages (milk, fruit juices and wine samples). The most significant contamination was that of benzophenone, found in all samples in a concentration range of 5-217mugl(-1). Its presence was confirmed by an LC/Atmospheric-Pressure PhotoIonization (APPI)/MS/MS analysis. The photoinitiator (EHDAB) was found in eleven out of forty beverages in a concentration range of 0.13-0.8 microgl(-1). Less important was the ITX contamination, found in three out of forty samples in a range 0.2-0.24 microgl(-1). The work proposes a new method to analyze ink photoinitiator residues in polycoupled carton packaging and in contained food beverages.     

Toughening Brittle Bio-P3HB with Synthetic P3HB of Engineered Stereomicrostructures

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB), a biologically produced, biodegradable natural polyester, exhibits excellent thermal and barrier properties but suffers from mechanical brittleness, largely limiting its applications. Here we report a mono-material product design strategy to toughen stereoperfect, brittle bio or synthetic P3HB by blending it with stereomicrostructurally engineered P3HB. Through tacticity ([mm] from 0 to 100 %) and molecular weight (M_n to 788 kDa) tuning, high-performance synthetic P3HB materials with tensile strength to ≈30 MPa, fracture strain to ≈800 %, and toughness to 126 MJ m⁻³ (>110× tougher than bio-P3HB) have been produced. Physical blending of the brittle P3HB with such P3HB in 10 to 90 wt % dramatically enhances its ductility from ≈5 % to 95–450 % and optical clarity from 19 % to 85 % visible light transmittance while maintaining desirably high elastic modulus (>1 GPa), tensile strength (>35 MPa), and melting temperature (160–170 °C). This P3HB-toughening-P3HB methodology departs from the traditional approach of incorporating chemically distinct components to toughen P3HB, which hinders chemical or mechanical recycling, highlighting the potential of the mono-material product design solely based on biodegradable P3HB to deliver P3HB materials with diverse performance properties.     

Sample preparation techniques coupled to advanced chromatographic methods for marine organisms investigation

Objective

of this work was to develop suitable extraction methodologies for the isolation of lipids from fish, mussels and clams from the Mediterranean sea, and their successive analysis by means of advanced chromatographic instrumentation. More specifically, three different sample preparation methodologies were adopted: Folch’s, Bligh & Dyer’s and maceration. The lipidic extracts, after application of two different methylation procedures, were subjected to monodimensional and comprehensive two-dimensional GC analyses, in order to compare the fingerprints of samples derived from different extraction and transesterification methodologies. Triacylglycerols (TAGs) were analyzed by an off-line combination of silver-ion liquid chromatography with non-aqueous reversed phase liquid chromatography. In both LC and GC analyses, mass spectrometric detectors were used, which greatly supported the identification procedure. In particular, with respect to HPLC, mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in positive mode was applied.     

Phytochemical Analysis and Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Osteoarthritic Bioactive Potential of Verbascum thapsus L. (Scrophulariaceae) Leaf Extract Evaluated in Two In Vitro Models of Inflammation and Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease, source of pain and disability that affects millions of people worldwide. OA etiology is complex, multifactorial and joint-specific, with genetic, biological and biomechanical components. Recently, several studies have suggested a potential adjuvant role for natural extracts on OA progression, in terms of moderating chondrocyte inflammation and following cartilage injury, thus resulting in an overall improvement of joint pain. In this study, we first analyzed the phenylethanoid glycosides profile and the total amount of polyphenols present in a leaf aqueous extract of Verbascum thapsus L. We then investigated the anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoarthritic bioactive potential of the extract in murine monocyte/macrophage-like cells (RAW 264.7) and in human chondrocyte cells (HC), by gene expression analysis of specifics inflammatory cytokines, pro-inflammatory enzymes and metalloproteases. Six phenylethanoid glycosides were identified and the total phenolic content was 124.0 ± 0.7 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g of extract. The biological investigation showed that the extract is able to significantly decrease most of the cellular inflammatory markers, compared to both control cells and cells treated with Harpagophytum procumbens (Burch.) DC. ex Meisn, used as a positive control. Verbascum thapsus leaf aqueous extract has the potential to moderate the inflammatory response, representing an innovative possible approach for the inflammatory joint disease treatment.     

Synthesis of 10-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,6]-naphthyridines and related derivatives

This paper describes the synthesis of some 10-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,6]naphthyridines and of the new 13-amino-6,6a,7,8,9,10-hexahydro-12H-benzo[b]pyrido[1,2-g][1,6]naphthyridines starting from isatins and 4-piperidones or quinolizidin-2-one.