Azobenzene as Antimicrobial Molecules

Azo molecules, characterized by the presence of a -N=N- double bond, are widely used in various fields due to their sensitivity to external stimuli, ch as light. The emergence of bacterial resistance has pushed research towards designing new antimicrobial molecules that are more efficient than those currently in use. Many authors have attempted to exploit the antimicrobial activity of azobenzene and to utilize their photoisomerization for selective control of the bioactivities of antimicrobial molecules, which is necessary for antibacterial therapy. This review will provide a systematic and consequential approach to coupling azobenzene moiety with active antimicrobial molecules and drugs, including small and large organic molecules, such as peptides. A selection of significant cutting-edge articles collected in recent years has been discussed, based on the structural pattern and antimicrobial performance, focusing especially on the photoactivity of azobenzene and the design of smart materials as the most targeted and desirable application.     

Green Solvents for Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Dimethindene: A Forward-Looking Approach

Dimethindene is a selective histamine H₁ antagonist and is commercially available as a racemate. Upon analyzing the synthetic pathways currently available for the industrial preparation of dimethindene, we set up a sustainable approach for the synthesis of this drug, switching from petroleum-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to eco-friendly solvents, such as 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) and cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) belonging to classes 3 and 2, respectively. Beyond decreasing the environmental impact of the synthesis (E-factor: 24.1–54.9 with VOCs; 12.2–22.1 with 2-MeTHF or CPME), this switch also improved the overall yield of the process (from 10% with VOCs to 21–22% with 2-MeTHF or CPME) and remarkably simplified the manual operations, working under milder conditions. Typical metrics applied at the first and second pass, according to the CHEM21 metrics toolkit, were also calculated for the whole synthetic procedure of dimethindene, and the results were compared with those of the classical procedure.     

New Insight on Phenolic Composition and Evaluation of the Vitamin C and Nutritional Value of Smoothies Sold on the Spanish Market

Fruits and vegetables are a source of a wide range of nutrients, including bioactive compounds. These compounds have great biological activity and have been linked to the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases. Currently, the food industry is developing new products to introduce these compounds, whereby smoothies are becoming more popular among consumers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional quality and the polyphenol and vitamin C content of smoothies available on the Spanish market. An evaluation of the nutritional information and ingredients was carried out. The phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS; the vitamin C content was quantified using HPLC-UV/VIS; and the antioxidant activity was analyzed by DPPH and FRAP. Among all of the ingredients of the smoothies, coconut and banana have shown a negative impact on the polyphenol content of the smoothies. In contrast, ingredients such as orange, mango, and passion fruit had a positive correlation with the vitamin C content. Moreover, apple and red fruits showed the highest positive correlations with most of the phenolic acids, flavonoids, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities. In addition, a clustering analysis was performed, and four groups were clearly defined according to the bioactive composition determined here. This research is a precious step for the formulation of new smoothies and to increase their polyphenol quality.     

Fuzzy Entropy-Based Spatial Hotspot Reliability

Cluster techniques are used in hotspot spatial analysis to detect hotspots as areas on the map; an extension of the Fuzzy C-means that the clustering algorithm has been applied to locate hotspots on the map as circular areas; it represents a good trade-off between the accuracy in the detection of the hotspot shape and the computational complexity. However, this method does not measure the reliability of the detected hotspots and therefore does not allow us to evaluate how reliable the identification of a hotspot of a circular area corresponding to the detected cluster is; a measure of the reliability of hotspots is crucial for the decision maker to assess the need for action on the area circumscribed by the hotspots. We propose a method based on the use of De Luca and Termini’s Fuzzy Entropy that uses this extension of the Fuzzy C-means algorithm and measures the reliability of detected hotspots. We test our method in a disease analysis problem in which hotspots corresponding to areas where most oto-laryngo-pharyngeal patients reside, within a geographical area constituted by the province of Naples, Italy, are detected as circular areas. The results show a dependency between the reliability and fluctuation of the values of the degrees of belonging to the hotspots.     

Hidden in plain sight: unlocking the full potential of cyclic voltammetry with the thin-film rotating (ring) disk electrode studies for the investigation of oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts

Cyclic voltammetry conducted with a thin-film rotating disk electrode, or ring-disk electrode (CV-TF-R(R)DE) is a very popular ‘ex situ’ tool for the rapid screening of electrocatalysts for their activity in oxygen reduction reaction. Despite its popularity and broad use, in most instances only a small part of the information that could be accessed by CV-TF-R(R)DE is actually used by scientists in their research. This work outlines both innovative and more traditional (but half-forgotten) ways of using CV-TF-R(R)DE to its optimal or full potential in the ongoing quest to study the most relevant features of oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts and quickly identify the most promising candidates for their applications in fuel cells or other electrochemical devices.     

Approximation of Composition and Temperature Dependent Heat Conductivity and Optimization of Thermoelectric Energy Conversion in Silicon–Germanium Alloys

We analyze the efficiency as thermoelectric energy converter of a silicon–germanium alloy with composition and temperature dependent heat conductivity. The dependency on composition is determined by a non-linear regression method (NLRM), while the dependency on temperature is approximated by a first-order expansion in the neighborhood of three reference temperatures. The differences with respect to the case of thermal conductivity depending on composition only are pointed out. The efficiency of the system is analyzed under the assumption that the optimal energy conversion corresponds to the minimum rate of energy dissipated. The values of composition and temperature which minimize such a rate are calculated as well.     

Spectroscopic studies and X-ray crystal structures of charge-transfer complexes of 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane with diiodine

1,4,7-Trithiacyclononane ([9]aneS₃) reacts with molecular diiodine in CH₂Cl₂ to form a 1:1 adduct. The formation constant and the thermodynamic parameters of this adduct have been determined by UV-visible spectra of several solutions at the temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C. The ¹³C NMR spectra show that adducts with higher ligand/diiodine molar ratios are formed. Two neutral charge-transfer molecular compounds having formula 2[9]aneS₃ · 4I₂ ( I ) and [9]aneS₃ · 3I₂ · ( II ) have been obtained as crystals. The crystals of I are triclinic (a = 8.498(2) Å, b = 13.984(4) Å, c = 14.898(6) Å, α = 65.57(2)°, γ = 89.19(2)°, γ = 81.26(2)°, Z = 2, space group P1; R = 0.025) and contain units formed by two [9]aneS₃ molecules connected by a diiodine molecule; one [9]aneS₃ binds two other diiodine molecules, while the second binds only one other diiodine molecule. The crystals of II are monoclinic (a = 13.810(2) Å, b = 9.829(4) Å, c = 16.198(6) Å, β = 113.41(2)°, Z = 4, space group P2₁/c; R = 0.019) and contain molecules of [9]aneS₃ binding three diiodine molecules. FT-Raman spectra in the characteristic v(I–I) region, carried out on the solid adducts, are discussed in comparison with the structural parameters.     

Introducing Water and Deep Eutectic Solvents in Organosodium Chemistry: Chemoselective Nucleophilic Functionalizations in Air

Advancing the development of perfecting the use of polar organometallics in bio-inspired solvents, we report on the effective generation in batch of organosodium compounds, by the oxidative addition of a C−Cl bond to sodium, a halogen/sodium exchange, or by direct sodiation, when using sodium bricks or neopentylsodium in hexane as sodium sources. C(sp³)-, C(sp²)-, and C(sp)-hybridized alkyl and (hetero)aryl sodiated species have been chemoselectively trapped (in competition with protonolysis), with a variety of electrophiles when working “on water”, or in biodegradable choline chloride/urea or L-proline/glycerol eutectic mixtures, under hydrous conditions and at room temperature. Additional benefits include a very short reaction time (20 s), a wide substrate scope, and good to excellent yields (up to 98 %) of the desired adducts. The practicality of the proposed protocol was demonstrated by setting up a sodium-mediated multigram-scale synthesis of the anticholinergic drug orphenadrine.     

Ligand-Free Pd-Catalyzed Reductive Mizoroki-Heck Reaction Strategy for the One-Pot Synthesis of Functionalized Oxygen Heterocycles in Deep Eutectic Solvents

A Deep Eutectic Solvent, choline chloride/glycerol (1 : 2 mol mol⁻¹), proved to be an effective and sustainable reaction medium to promote telescoped, one-pot Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling/reduction processes between 2,3-dihydrofuran or 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran and several (hetero)aryl halides to easily access valuable 2-(hetero)aryl tetrahydrofuran (THF) or tetrahydropyran derivatives in up to 95 % yield. Notably, the whole transformation takes place under aerobic conditions, in the absence of additional ligands, and with a good substrate scope. The practicability of the method is also exemplified by the sustainable synthesis of two key THF derivatives, which are side chains of pharmacologically relevant inhibitors of Kv1.2 channel.