Multifunctional 8‐Hydroxyquinoline‐Appended Cyclodextrins as New Inhibitors of Metal‐Induced Protein Aggregation

Mounting evidence suggests a pivotal role of metal imbalances in protein misfolding and amyloid diseases. As such, metal ions represent a promising therapeutic target. In this context, the synthesis of chelators that also contain complementary functionalities to combat the multifactorial nature of neurodegenerative diseases is a highly topical issue. We report two new 8‐hydroxyquinoline‐appended cyclodextrins and highlight their multifunctional properties, including their Cu^II and Zn^II binding abilities, and capacity to act as antioxidants and metal‐induced antiaggregants. In particular, the latter property has been applied in the development of an effective assay that exploits the formation of amyloid fibrils when β‐lactoglobulin A is heated in the presence of metal ions.     

Vibrational spectra of metals treated with allyltrimethoxysilane sol-gel and self-assembled monolayer of allytrichlorosilane

A sol-gel has been prepared by using allyltrimethoxysilane (ATMS) as precursor, ethanol as homogenizer as well as solvent, and hydrochloric acid as catalyst. The sol-gel was employed for the coating treatment of aluminum. Self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with allyltrichlorosilane (ATCS) is another method used for the metal surface treatment in the present work. The treated metal surfaces were characterized with reflection adsorption infrared spectra (RAIR). Detailed interpretation and vibrational assignment have been given to the collected IR spectra of the sol-gel, xerogel and surface films of ATMS and the SAM of ATCS on aluminum as well as pure silanes. A series of investigation of the UV exposure and temperature effects has been carried out. Results from the investigation indicate that the UV radiation exposure or the high temperature thermal treatment will induce a chemical process on the organosilica coated surfaces.     

Diaminotrehalose-capped β-cyclodextrin, a new member of hemispherodextrins: synthesis, thermodynamic and spectroscopic characterization and its exploitation in chiral electrokinetic chromatography

The diaminotrehalose-capped derivative of β-CD, a new member of hemispherodextrins, was synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Its protonation constants were determined by potentiometry, and the inclusion of both the enantiomers of dansyl-phenylalanine was investigated by NMR spectroscopy. Its stereoselective properties were exploited in electrokinetic chromatography by separating four enantiomeric pairs of dansyl derivatives of amino acids.     

Evolved Gas Analysis by Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

The analytical applications of the evolved gas analysis (EGA) performed by infrared spectroscopy, for the period extending from 2005 to 2009, are collected in this review. By this technique, the nature of volatile products released by a substance subjected to a controlled temperature program are on-line determined, with the possibility to prove a supposed reaction, either under isothermal or under heating conditions.     

Coordination properties of 3-functionalized beta-cyclodextrins. Thermodynamic stereoselectivity of copper(II) complexes of the A,B-diamino derivative and its exploitation in LECE

The bis-amino AB derivative of beta-cyclodextrin on the secondary rim was synthesised and spectroscopically characterised by different techniques. Its binary systems both with protons and copper(II) were thermodynamically characterised by pH-metric potentiometry. In addition the ternary systems with each of the enantiomers of tryptophan and alanine were investigated. A thermodynamic stereoselectivity was observed for the tryptophan enantiomers and this was exploited to separate them by capillary electrophoresis through a ligand exchange mechanism (LECE). LECE separation of racemates of phenylalanine and tyrosine was also obtained.     

Thermal stability and crystallization phenomena of low cost Ti-based bulk metallic glass

The thermal stability, kinetics of crystallization, and glass forming ability of a Ti₄₈Ni₃₂Cu₈Si₈Sn₄ bulk amorphous alloy have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry using both isothermal and non-isothermal experiments. The activation energy, frequency factor, and reaction rate for the crystallization cascade were determined via the Kissinger method. X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that crystallization starts with the primary precipitation of Ti(Ni,Cu), followed by the nucleation of Cu₃Ti from the amorphous precursor. The kinetics of nucleation of the primary crystalline phase was also investigated using the Johnson–Mehl-Avrami method and the Avrami exponent, n, was determined. This new alloy possesses a significantly larger supercooled liquid region than any other non beryllium- or non rare earth – containing titanium-based bulk metallic glass to date.     

Permanence and global stability of a class of discrete epidemic models

In this paper we investigate the permanence of a system and give a sufficient condition for the endemic equilibrium to be globally asymptotically stable, which are the remaining problems in our previous paper (G. Izzo, Y. Muroya, A. Vecchio, A general discrete time model of population dynamics in the presence of an infection, Discrete Dyn. Nat. Soc. (2009), Article ID 143019, 15 pages. doi:10.1155/2009/143019.)     

Evolution of High-Valent Nickela-Electrocatalyzed C−H Activation: From Cross(-Electrophile)-Couplings to Electrooxidative C−H Transformations

C−H activation has emerged as one of the most efficient tools for the formation of carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bonds, avoiding the use of prefunctionalized materials. In spite of tremendous progress in the field, stoichiometric quantities of toxic and/or costly chemical redox reagents, such as silver(I) or copper(II) salts, are largely required for oxidative C−H activations. Recently, electrosynthesis has experienced a remarkable renaissance that enables the use of storable, safe and waste-free electric current as a redox equivalent. While major recent momentum was gained in electrocatalyzed C−H activations by 4d and 5d metals, user-friendly and inexpensive nickela-electrocatalysis has until recently proven elusive for oxidative C−H activations. Herein, the early developments of nickela-electrocatalyzed reductive cross-electrophile couplings as well as net-redox-neutral cross-couplings are first introduced. The focus of this Minireview is, however, the recent emergence of nickel-catalyzed electrooxidative C−H activations until April 2020.