Electrochemical behavior and antioxidant activity of tetradentate Schiff bases and their copper(II) complexes

This study describes the effects of the substituents on electrochemical behavior and antioxidant activity of the six tetradentate Schiff bases, containing ethane-1,2-diamine or propane-1,2-diamine as the amine part and pentane-2,4-dione and/or 1-phenylbutane-1,3-dione as ??-diketone, and corresponding copper(II) complexes. Cyclic voltammograms of these compounds were recorded in dimethylsulfoxide and 0.1?M sodium perchlorate as supporting electrolyte with glassy carbon as working electrode at different scan rates. The voltammograms of Schiff bases alone showed only one irreversible peak. Voltammograms recorded for complexes showed the presence of quasi-reversible processes taking place at the metal center and reversible process at the ligand part. Both steric and inductive effects of substituents and structure of imine bridge of Schiff base ligands as well as complexes were discussed. These effects appear relevant for the antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity of the investigated compounds expressed as Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity is also discussed. The electrochemical behavior showed a high correlation with the antioxidant activity for investigated compounds.     

ATPases as Multi-Response Sensing System for Various Organic and Inorganic Analytes

Summary. The possibility of using synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) enzymes Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and Mg²⁺-ATPase, isolated from rat brain, as a biological component of multi-response sensing system for detection of different compounds (alkaline and heavy metal salts, organic compounds) was studied. The method is based on the spectrophotometric determination of inorganic ortho-phosphate (P_i) that serves as a measure of the enzymatic activity in the presence of various analytes. The concentration of P_i, liberated by enzyme catalysed hydrolysis of adenosinetriphosphate (ATP), was followed spectrophotometrically, by single exposure to analytes or in the mixture. P_i was dose dependent on the analyte concentration. Alkaline elements (Na, K, Mg), heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Cu, Fe, Co, Zn), toxic organic compounds (pyridine, urea, chlorpyrifos), and some drugs (digoxin, gitoxin) showed diverse effects, inducing the inhibition or stimulation of the enzymes activity. Development of simple test method for simultaneous detection of the investigated analytes based on the variation of medium assay composition was discussed.     

Two succinic acid derivatives of 2‐ethyl‐6‐methylpyridin‐3‐ol

Crystals of bis(2‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxy‐6‐methylpyridinium) succinate–succinic acid (1/1), C₈H₁₂NO⁺·0.5C₄H₄O₄²⁻·0.5C₄H₆O₄, (I), and 2‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxy‐6‐methylpyridinium hydrogen succinate, C₈H₁₂NO⁺·C₄H₅O₄⁻, (II), were obtained by reaction of 2‐ethyl‐6‐methylpyridin‐3‐ol with succinic acid. The succinate anion and succinic acid molecule in (I) are located about centres of inversion. Intermolecular O—H...O, N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds are responsible for the formation of a three‐dimensional network in the crystal structure of (I) and a two‐dimensional network in the crystal structure of (II). Both structures are additionally stabilized by π–π interactions between symmetry‐related pyridine rings, forming a rod‐like cationic arrangement for (I) and cationic dimers for (II).     

Oxidative 10-membered ring expansion and contraction of stereoisomeric 1(10)-unsaturated and 1,10-epoxy-5-oxo-5,10-secosteroids induced by peracids

The present study is concerned with the oxidative behaviour of unsaturated and epoxy 5-oxo-5,10-secosteroids in the presence of m-CPBA or TFAA-UHP as oxidants in order to investigate potential parameters controlling the chemoselectivity and regioselectivity. In the study we discovered a striking difference in the chemical behaviour of stereoisomeric compounds, (Z)- and (E)-3β-acetoxy-5,10-secocholest-1(10)-en-5-ones, as well as 1S,10R- and 1R,10R-epoxides. The secoketones were oxidized with exclusively C-6 migration and Baeyer–Villiger rearrangement product formation, whereas their stereoisomers provided the ring-contracted products, without lactone formation. The preferred conformation of expanded and contracted rings was established by NOESY correlations. The structures of two obtained lactones were also confirmed by X-ray analysis. The mechanistic and stereochemical aspects of these transformations are discussed.     

Capillary electrophoretic determination of lignin degradation products obtained by permanganate oxidation

A new capillary electrophoretic (CE) technique was developed for the separation of lignin degradation products after permanganate oxidation, yielding information about quality and quantity of various linkages in the lignin molecule. This CE method is a promising alternative to existing gas chromatographic (GC) methods. An advantage in comparison with GC is the short separation time and the fact that the oxidation products (aromatic acids) can be analyzed without derivatization. The selectivity and sensitivity of CE combined with UV detection is adequate and makes it suited for fast routine characterization of lignins. If necessary, the CE method can be coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in order to make a clear assignment of the peaks.     

Design,synthesis, and characterization of fullerene–peptide–steroid covalent hybrids

The present study reports the synthesis, spectral characterization, self-assembly properties, and preliminary in vitro study of antioxidant capacity of two triple covalent hybrids consisting of fullerene C₆₀, peptide, and steroidal moiety. Previously synthesized fulleropyrrolidinic acid and pregnenolone were connected by peptide linker using a multistep DCC/DMAP and/or EDC/HOBT esterification/amidation procedure. The hybrids were characterized by comparative analysis of spectroscopic data obtained from FTIR, UV–vis, HRMS, and extensive NMR experiments (¹H, ¹³C, COSY, HSQC, and HMBC). The self-assembling properties and morphology of triads samples prepared by drop-drying method were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Preliminary in vitro antioxidant activity was studied by Ferrous ion Oxidation-Xylenol orange (FOX) method.     

A Hot‐Segment‐Based Approach for the Design of Cross‐Amyloid Interaction Surface Mimics as Inhibitors of Amyloid Self‐Assembly

The design of inhibitors of protein–protein interactions mediating amyloid self‐assembly is a major challenge mainly due to the dynamic nature of the involved structures and interfaces. Interactions of amyloidogenic polypeptides with other proteins are important modulators of self‐assembly. Here we present a hot‐segment‐linking approach to design a series of mimics of the IAPP cross‐amyloid interaction surface with Aβ (ISMs) as nanomolar inhibitors of amyloidogenesis and cytotoxicity of Aβ, IAPP, or both polypeptides. The nature of the linker determines ISM structure and inhibitory function including both potency and target selectivity. Importantly, ISMs effectively suppress both self‐ and cross‐seeded IAPP self‐assembly. Our results provide a novel class of highly potent peptide leads for targeting protein aggregation in Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, or both diseases and a chemical approach to inhibit amyloid self‐assembly and pathogenic interactions of other proteins as well.     

The Chemistry of Redox‐Flow Batteries

The development of various redox‐flow batteries for the storage of fluctuating renewable energy has intensified in recent years because of their peculiar ability to be scaled separately in terms of energy and power, and therefore potentially to reduce the costs of energy storage. This has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of publications on redox‐flow batteries. This was a motivation to present a comprehensive and critical overview of the features of this type of batteries, focusing mainly on the chemistry of electrolytes and introducing a thorough systematic classification to reveal their potential for future development.