An efficient one-pot three-component synthesis of functionalized pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolines and indeno fused pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines in water

A simple, efficient, and high yielding one-pot protocol for the synthesis of pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolines and indeno[2′,1′:5,6]pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines has been developed by three-component domino coupling of 6-amino-1,3-dimethyluracil, aldehydes, and cyclic 1,3-diketones in ecofriendly solvent water promoted by PTSA. The protocol avoids the use of expensive catalysts, toxic solvents, and chromatographic separation. The generality and functional tolerance of this convergent and environmentally benign method is demonstrated.     

Bent-core V-shaped mesogens consisting of salicylaldimine mesogenic segments: synthesis and characterization of mesomorphic behaviour

A series of bent-core V-shaped mesogens consisting of salicylaldimine mesogenic segments have been synthesized and their mesomorphic behaviour characterized. In an attempt to understand structure–property relationships, the lengths of the terminal alkoxy chains have been varied from C₂ to C₁₂, C₁₆ and C₁₈, resulting in 13 new bent-core V-shaped molecules. The thermal behaviour of these new compounds has been investigated by optical microscopy, calorimetry and X-ray diffraction studies. In general the compounds show conventional mesophases similar to those shown by calamitic LCs. The materials exhibit good thermal stability, even though their melting and clearing transition temperatures are high as a result of the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the H-atom of the hydroxyl group and the N-atom of the imine functionality. The phase appearing in the first member of the series with ethoxy chains is a nematic, while the C₃ to C₆ derivatives exhibit a smectic A phase as well as a nematic phase. The higher homologues, C₇ to C₁₂, C₁₆ and C₁₈, show only the smectic A phase. X-ray studies reveal that the SmA phase has a partially bilayer (interdigitated) structure. Remarkably, in some cases, the smectic A phase supercools well below room temperature. It is apparent from our studies that increasing the length of the alkoxy chains promotes smectic behaviour, in agreement with the general observation made for such bent-core molecules.     

Poly (amaranth) film based sensor for resolution of dopamine in presence of uric acid: A voltammetric study

The electropolymerized film of amaranth was prepared on the surface of graphite pencil electrode (GPE) by using cyclic voltammetric technique. This poly (amaranth) film coated electrode exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the detection of dopamine (DA) in presence of uric acid (UA) in 0.2 mol/L phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0. The effect of interference study was carried out by using differential pulse voltammetric technique. The poly (amaranth) modified GPE was applied for the detection of DA in dopamine injection with satisfactory results.     

Heteroleptic rhodium complexes containing both the dipyrrin/cyclooctadiene ligands and application of [(η-C8H12)Rh(4-pyrdpm)] in the construction of homo-/hetero-bimetallic complexes

Heteroleptic rhodium(I) complexes with the general formulations [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(L)] [η⁴-C₈H₁₂ = 1,5-cyclooctadiene; L = 5-(4-cyanophenyl)dipyrromethene, cydpm; 5-(4-nitrophenyl)dipyrromethene, ndpm; and 5-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)dipyrromethene, bdpm; 5-(4-pyridyl)dipyrromethene, 4-pyrdpm; 5-(3-pyridyl)dipyrromethene, 3-pyrdpm] have been synthesized. The complex [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(4-pyrdpm)] have been used as a synthon in the construction of homo-bimetallic complex [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(μ-4-pyrdpm)Rh(η⁵-C₅Me₅)Cl₂] and hetero-bimetallic complexes [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(μ-4-pyrdpm)Ir(η⁵-C₅Me₅)Cl₂], [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(μ-4-pyrdpm)Ru(η⁶-C₁₀H₁₄)Cl₂] and [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(μ-4-pyrdpm)Ru(η⁶-C₆H₆)Cl₂]. Resulting complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses and spectral studies. Molecular structures of the representative mononuclear complexes [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(ndpm)] and [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Rh(4-pyrdpm)] have been authenticated crystallographically.     

Effect of high pressure on the nematic–isotropic transition in aerosil–liquid crystal composites

We report the first high pressure investigations of the nematic–isotropic transition in the composites of a liquid crystal compound with hydrophilic aerosil particles. The low concentrations of the aerosil particles used create soft gels of the composites. As expected T_N–Iso, the nematic–isotropic transition at room pressure exhibits a non-monotonic variation with increasing aerosil concentration. This non-monotonic behaviour is seen in the isobaric scans over the wide range of pressures studied, and its “magnitude” is dependent on the pressure applied. The surprising result of the present investigations on these nanocolloidal systems is that the slope of the pressure–temperature boundary also exhibits a non-monotonic dependence with the aerosil concentration, which qualitatively is similar to that of the transition temperature variation. Employing the transition enthalpy values determined at room pressure using differential scanning calorimetric scans collected at low heating rates, we calculate the transition volume dependence on the aerosil concentration. The study adds a new dimension, namely, the influence of pressure on liquid crystalline transitions in restricted geometries.     

Ultrahigh sensitivity assays for human cardiac troponin I using TiO2 nanotube arrays

Rapid, highly sensitive troponin assays for the analysis of serum at the point-of-care are particularly desirable for the effective treatment of myocardial infarction (MYI). TiO(2) nanotube arrays constitute a low cost, high surface area, semiconducting architecture with great promise for biosensing applications due to their compatibility with multiple detection techniques. Using TiO(2) nanotube arrays functionalized with highly robust and ordered carboxyalkylphosphonic acid self-assembled monolayers, we have developed a simple and highly sensitive fluorescence immunoassay which can detect concentrations of human cardiac troponin I as low as 0.1 pg ml(-1) without the use of enzymatic amplification. Varying the morphological parameters of the nanotube arrays allows tuning the detection range over 6 orders of magnitude of the troponin concentration from 0.1 pg ml(-1)-100 ng ml(-1).     

Mosquito larvicidal activity of linear alkane hydrocarbons from Excoecaria agallocha L. against Culex quinquefasciatus Say

Excoecaria agallocha Linn. the blinding mangrove tree of historical significance, is well known for its curative properties. In this investigation, crude hexane extract from the dried roots of E. agallocha inhibited 50% of the growth of third instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say. within 24?h (LC(50): 315?ppm). SiO(2) (60-120) column chromatography purification of the extract yielded four fractions, of which fractions 3 (LC(50): 61.2?ppm) and 4 (LC(50): 74.5?ppm) exhibited 100% larvicidal activity within 18-24?h. Bioactive fraction 3 contained sub-fractions R1 and R2. R1 was characterised by (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR and FAB mass spectrometry techniques as the acyclic hydrocarbon n-triacontane (C(30)H(62)).     

Synthesis and structure of azole-fused indeno[2,1-c]quinolines and their anti-mycobacterial properties

Prompted by our discovery of a new class of conformationally-locked indeno[2,1-c]quinolines as anti-mycobacterials, compounds 2a and 3a (Fig. 1; MIC < 0.39 μg mL(-1) and 0.78 μg mL(-1), respectively)(14) with a freely rotating C2-imidazolo substituent, we herein describe the synthesis of pentacyclic azole-fused quinoline derivatives 4 and 5, in which we have restricted the rotation of the C2-imidazolo moiety by fusing it to the adjacent quinoline-nitrogen to give a five-membered fused azole heterocycle. The idea of locking the flexibility of the system by conformational constraint was simply to reduce its entropy, thereby reducing the overall free-energy of its binding to the target receptor. Out of 22 different azole-fused indeno[2,1-c]quinoline derivatives, seven structurally distinct compounds, 9, 15, 17, 25, 27, 28 and 29, have shown 79-99% growth inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv at a fixed dose of 6.25 μg mL(-1). The efficacies of these compounds were evaluated in vitro for 8/9 consecutive days using the BACTEC radiometric assay upon administration of single dose on day one. Of these, two compounds, 9 and 28, inhibited growth of M. tuberculosis very effectively at MIC < 0.39 μg mL(-1) (0.89 μM and 1 μM, respectively). These active compounds 9, 15, 17, 25, 27, 28 and 29 were screened for their cytotoxic effect on mammalian cells (human monocytic cell line U937), which showed that the human cell survival is almost unperturbed (100% survival), except for compound 25, hence these new compounds with new scaffolds have been identified as potent anti-mycobacterials, virtually with no toxicity. Thus these "hit" molecules constitute our important "leads" for further optimization by structure-activity relationship against TB.     

Stereoselective total synthesis of achaetolide and reconfirmation of its absolute configuration

The stereoselective total synthesis of achaetolide 1 has been achieved and its absolute stereochemistry has been reconfirmed to be 3S,6R,7S,9R configuration. Keck allylation, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, and ring closing metathesis are the key steps involved in the target synthesis.