The use of imidazolium ionic liquids for the formation and stabilization of ir0 and rh0 nanoparticles: efficient catalysts for the hydrogenation of arenes

Stable transition-metal nanoparticles of the type [M(0)](n) are easily accessible through the reduction of Ir(I) or Rh(III) compounds dissolved in "dry" 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid by molecular hydrogen. The formation of these [M(0)](n) nanoparticles is straightforward; they are prepared in dry ionic liquid whereas the presence of the water causes the partial decomposition of ionic liquid with the formation of phosphates, HF and transition-metal fluorides. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) show the formation of [Ir(0)](n) and [Rh(0)](n) nanoparticles with 2.0-2.5 nm in diameter. The isolated [M(0)](n) nanoparticles can be redispersed in the ionic liquid, in acetone or used in solventless conditions for the liquid-liquid biphasic, homogeneous or heterogeneous hydrogenation of arenes under mild reaction conditions (75 degrees C and 4 atm). The recovered iridium nanoparticles can be reused several times without any significant loss in catalytic activity. Unprecedented total turnover numbers (TTO) of 3509 in 32 h, for arene hydrogenation by nanoparticles catalysts, have been achieved in the reduction of benzene by the [Ir(0)](n) in solventless conditions. Contrarily, the recovered Rh(0) nanoparticles show significant agglomeration into large particles with a loss of catalytic activity. The hydrogenation of arenes containing functional groups, such as anisole, by the [Ir(0)](n) nanoparticles occurs with concomitant hydrogenolysis of the C-O bond, suggesting that these nanoparticles behave as "heterogeneous catalysts" rather than "homogeneous catalysts".     

Solid sampling Fourier transform infrared determination of Mancozeb in pesticide formulations

A series of approaches have been assayed for FTIR determination of Mancozeb in several solid commercial fungicides using different calibration strategies. The simplest procedure was based on the use of the ratio between the absorbance of a characteristic band of Mancozeb and that of a KSCN internal standard measured in the FTIR spectra obtained from KBr pellets. It was employed the quotient between peak height absorbance values at 1525 cm⁻¹ for Mancozeb and 2070 cm⁻¹ for KSCN. In these conditions a precision as relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.6% and a relative accuracy error of 0.8% (w/w) were found. For complex formulations, containing other compounds with characteristic absorption bands at different wavenumbers than Mancozeb, one of them was used as internal reference being employed the standard addition approach. In this case, the Mancozeb bands at 1525 cm⁻¹ or at 1289 cm⁻¹ were employed, being used the ferrocyanide band at 2075 cm⁻¹ as internal reference. RSD values between 0.7-1.4% and a relative accuracy error of 3% (w/w) were found. A third strategy was based on the use of partial least squares (PLS) calibration. A reference set was prepared mixing Mancozeb, Kaolin, Cymoxanil and KBr, being predicted the Mancozeb concentration in pesticide formulations by using the quotient between absorbance bands of Mancozeb and those of Cymoxanil. In these conditions a relative accuracy error of 0.6% (w/w) and a relative standard deviation of 1.3% were found.     

Primate beta-defensins--structure, function and evolution

Host defense peptides (HDPs) are endogenous antibiotics that play a multifunctional role in the innate immunity of mammals. Among these, beta-defensins contribute to mucosal and epithelial defense, also acting as signal molecules for cellular components of innate and adaptive immunity. Numerous members of this family have been identified in mammalian and avian species, and genomic studies in human and mouse indicate a considerable complexity in their gene organization. Recent reports on the evolution of primate and rodent members of this family indicate quite a complex pattern of variation. In this review we briefly discuss the evolution of mammalian beta-defensins in relation to other types of defensins, and then concentrate on the evolution of beta-defensins 1 to 4 in primates. In particular, the surprisingly varied patterns of evolution, which range from neutral or weakly purifying, to positive selection to a high level of conservation are analyzed in terms of possible genetics, structural or functional implications, as well as to observed variations on the antimicrobial activity in vitro. The role of polymorphisms in the genes encoding for these host defense peptides in determining susceptibility to human diseases are also briefly considered.     

MONOFUNCTIONAL3,4-and4',5'-PHOTOCYCLOADDUCTS BETWEEN 4,5'-DIMETHYLANGELICIN and THYMINE

By irradiating (365 nm) an aqueous liquid solution of 4,5'-dimethylangelicin. a monofunctional photosensitizing furocoumarin, in the presence of an excess of thymine, two new compounds, I and II, have been obtained; they do not show fluorescence when observed with Wood's light. The nuclear magnetic resonance data, the marked similarity of UV absorption and fluorescence spectra of these compounds with those of synthetic 3.4-dihydro-4,5'-dimethylangelicin and their capacity to undergo photodissociation (254 nm) yielding the starting thymine and 4,5'-dimethylangelicin in equimolecular amounts, are consistent with C₄-cycloadducts between the 3,4-double bond of the furocoumarin and 5,6-double bond of thymine. Nuclear magnetic resonance data indicate for I and II a head-to-head and a head-to-tail structure, respectively. When irradiation is carried out in the frozen state, two adducts. III and IV, fluorescent at Wood's light, have been obtained other than the two above-mentioned compounds I and II. Compounds III and IV have been identified as 4'.5'-fluorescent adducts between the 4',5'-double bond of the furocoumarin and the 5.6-double bond of thymine; one of them (III) is identical to that formed in the photoreaction between DNA and 4,5'-dimethylangelicin; for this last compound a cis head-to-head structure has been suggested.     

Study of two diastereomeric pairs of regiosomeric 2-isoxazolines by tandem mass spectrometry with electron impact ionization

On electron impact (EI) ionization, two cis/trans pairs of 4-methyl-5-phenyl and 4-phenyl-5-methyl regioisomeric 3-carbethoxy-2-isoxazolines showed normal mass spectra and mass-analysed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectra of metastable (MI) and collision-activated (CA) molecule ions, allowing unequivocal differentiation of the regioisomers. The cis/trans stereoisomers of each regioisomer showed very similar normal mass spectra. Very interestingly, the cis- and trans-4-phenyl-5-methyl stereoisomers appeared reasonably differentiated by the molecule ion MIKE spectra, whereas the 4-methyl-5-phenyl regioisomeric pair of stereoisomers did not. The influence of the phenyl substituent to the fragmentation processes was notable. Some fragments of interest were studied by comparison of their MIKE spectra with those of model ions, generated by EI from suitable substrates, including (i) the isomeric α,β-unsaturated oxime, namely ethyl (Z)-2-(hydroxymino)-3-methyl-4-phenylbut-3-enoate, a by-product of importance for the mechanism(s) of the addition/cycloaddition reactions of nitrile oxides to alkenes and (ii) trans-β-methylstyrene, a dipolarophilic reactant in the same reactions. The favoured heterocyclic C(5)–O(1) bond cleavage occurred only for the ionized 4-methyl-5-phenyl 2-isoxazoline pair, leading to a distonic ion of relevance, as it can represent either a reasonable precursor for both the isomerization to the ionized α,β-unsaturated oxime and the EI-induced cycloreversion yielding ionized β-methylstyrene, or the ionized form of a zwitterionic intermediate, which had been proposed previously for the addition/cycloaddition mechanism(s) in the solution phase, currently under study.     

Clustering of nucleosides in the presence of alkali metals: Biologically relevant quartets of guanosine,deoxyguanosine and uridine observed by ESI-MS/MS

Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectra of nucleosides, recorded in the presence of alkali metals, display alkali metal ion-bound quartets and other clusters that may have implications for understanding non-covalent interactions in DNA and RNA. The tetramers of guanosine and deoxyguanosine and also their metaclusters (clusters of clusters), cationized by alkali metals, were observed as unusually abundant magic number clusters. The observation of these species in the gas phase parallels previous condensed-phase studies, which show that guanine derivatives can form quartets and metaclusters of quartets in solution in the presence of metal cations. This parallel behavior and also internal evidence suggest that bonding in the guanosine tetramers involves the bases rather than the sugar units. The nucleobases thymine and uracil are known to form magic number pentameric adducts with K+, Cs+ and NH4+ in the gas phase. In sharp contrast, we now show that the nucleosides uridine and deoxythymidine do not form the pentameric clusters characteristic of the corresponding bases. More subtle effects of the sugars are evident in the fact that adenosine and cytidine form numerous higher order clusters with alkali metals, whereas deoxyadenosine and deoxycytidine show no clustering. It is suggested that hydrogen bonding between the bases in the tetramers of dG and rG are the dominant interactions in the clusters, hence changing the ribose group to deoxyribose (and vice versa) generally has little effect. However, the additional hydroxyl group of RNA nucleosides enhances the non-selective formation of higher-order aggregates for adenosine and cytidine and results in the lack of highly stable magic number clusters. Some clusters are the result of aggregation in the course of ionization (ESI) whereas others appear to be intrinsic to the solution being examined.     

First enantioselective synthesis of (−)-neplanocin F

(−)-Neplanocin F, the natural isomer of a component of the neplanocin family was enantioselectively synthesized starting from d-γ-ribonolactone. The synthetic approach was based on the preparation of a suitable carbocyclic precursor bearing three hydroxyl groups orthogonally protected. The key steps of the synthesis were the regioselective protection of a secondary allylic alcohol over a homoallylic one and the coupling of the nucleobase with a triflate intermediate.     

A study of substituent effect on 1H and 13C nmr spectra of N‐ and C‐substituted carbazoles

¹H and ¹³C nmr spectra of several N‐ and C‐substituted carbazoles (Series 1, 2, 3 and 4) were measured. Correlations between chemical shifts and substituent constants show that these parameters describe properly the substituent effect on the nmr phenomena. Atomic charge densities for carbazoles of Series 1, 2, 3 and 4 were calculated by using the semi empirical PM3 method. These values also show a linear correlation with the ¹³C chemical shifts. The synthesis of several carbazole derivatives 1a – 1g, 2a – 2g, 3a – 3j and 4a – 4g have been carried out according to literature procedures. The carbazoles 3i, 3j and 4c have been synthesized and fully characterized for the first time.     

Structure-Reactivity Correlations in the Dissociative Hydrolysis of 2',4'-Dinitrophenyl 4-Hydroxy-X-benzenesulfonates

The hydrolysis reactions of several title esters in water at 60 degrees C follow the rate law k(obs) = (k(a) + k(b)[OH(-)])/(1 + a(H)/K(a)), where K(a) is the ionization constant of the hydroxy group of the ester and k(b) is the second-order rate constant for the S(N)2(S) attack of hydroxide ion on the ionized ester. Hammett and Br?nsted correlations are consistent with a previous proposal that the mechanism related to k(a) is dissociative. An unusual relationship between k(a) values and redox equilibrium constants for substituted quinones is found to hold: this finding further supports the dissociative nature of the pathway related to k(a).