Copper-catalyzed amidation of benzoic acids using tetraalkylthiuram disulfides as amine sources

A facile method for the copper-catalyzed synthesis of N-substituted benzamides was explored. In the presence of CuBr and di-tert-butyl peroxide, various N-substituted benzamides were prepared through amidation of benzoic acid by using commercially available and cheap tetraalkylthiuram disulfides as amine sources. With this protocol, a series of 14 N-substituted benzamides were furnished in good to excellent yields. The broad substrate scope and good to excellent yield show its practical synthetic value in organic synthesis.     

Antiviral peptides from marine gorgonian-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41501

A new cyclic pentapeptide and three new linear peptides, namely, aspergillipeptides D–G (1–4), were isolated from a culture broth of marine gorgonian-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41501. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and their absolute configurations were confirmed by Marfey’s method. Compounds 1 and 2 showed evident antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) with IC₅₀ values of 9.5 and 19.8 µM under their non-cytotoxic concentrations against a Vero cell line, respectively, and 1 also had antiviral activity against acyclovir-resistant clinical isolates of HSV-1.     

A fluorescence based immunoassay for galectin-4 using gold nanoclusters and a composite consisting of glucose oxidase and a metal-organic framework

The authors describe a fluorescence immunoassay for galectin-4, a candidate biomarker for various cancers. Glucose oxidase was encapsulated into a zeolitic imidazolate framework to give a composite (GOx/ZIF-8 composite) that acts as a signal-transduction tag via a biomimetic mineralization process. After modification of the composite with streptavidin, it binds biotinylated antibody against galectin-4. In the immunoassay, the response to galectin-4 results from the enzymatic oxidation of glucose. This reaction produces hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) that reacts with iron(II) ions to generate hydroxy radical (?OH), which leads to the quenching of the fluorescence of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). Accordingly, the fluorescence quenching of AuNCs depends on the concentration of target galectin-4. The GOx/ZIF-8 composite has a high loading capacity for GOx at uncompromised enzymatic activity. The fluorescence of AuNCs is sensitively quenched by ?OH radicals. Galectin-4 can be detected by this method in concentrations as low as 10 pg·mL^?1. It is expected that this kind of enzyme/MOF composite-based immunoassay has a wide scope in that it may be adapted to other low-abundance proteins and biomarkers.

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Graphical abstract Schematic of a fluorescence immunoassay for galectin-4, a candidate biomarker for various cancers. It is based on a composite consisting of glucose oxidase and a metal-organic framework (GOx/ZIF-8 composite) as well as gold nanoclusters (AuNC)-iron(II) system.

     

Iodine-catalyzed C3-formylation of indoles using hexamethylenetetramine and air

An efficient iodine-catalyzed chemoselective 3-formylation of free (N–H) and N-substituted indoles was achieved by using hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) in the presence of activated carbon under air atmosphere. This new method could provide 3-formylindoles in moderate to excellent yields with fairly short reaction times. Moreover, this catalytic formylation of indoles procedure can be applied to gram-scale synthesis.     

Thermal properties characterization of two promising phase change material candidates

Solar absorption cooling is a wonderful method to provide cold energy by exploiting solar energy. Phase change materials (PCMs) that store latent thermal energy are indispensible in solar absorption cooling system. It is worthwhile to find new PCMs due to the demanding on the temperature of the stored thermal energy which in turn would power the absorption chiller. In this paper, two compounds: 1-bromo-2-methoxynaphthalene (compound 1) and 2,2′-diphenyl-4,4′-bi(1,3-dioxane)-5,5′-diol (compound 2), were selected as potential PCMs. Their thermal energy storage properties and thermal stability were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that both compounds could be applied as good PCMs in solar absorption cooling systems. Compound 1 melted at 356.82 K with the ΔH of 98.81 J g^?1, while compound 2 melted in a broad temperature range with the melting point of 466.26 K and the ΔH of 101.4 J g^?1. Both compounds exhibited good thermal stability. Furthermore, the molar specific heat capacities of these two compounds were measured by temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry from 198.15 K to the temperature that they started to decompose, and the thermodynamic functions of [H _T–H _298.15] and [S _T–S _298.15] were calculated based on the specific heat capacities data.     

Effects of some nucleating agents on the supercooling of erythritol to be applied as phase change material

Nine nucleating agents, calcium pimelate (CaPi), bicyclic [1, 2, 2]heptane di-carboxylate (HPN-68), a commercially obtained aryl amide nucleating agent (TMB-5), calcium salt of hexahydrophthalic acid (HPN-20E), 1,3:2,4-di-p-methylbenzylidene sorbitol (MDBS) and sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium salt of benzene-1, 3, 5-tricarboxylic acid (Na₃BTC, K₃BTC, Mg₃BTC₂ and Ca₃BTC₂, respectively), were applied to reduce the supercooling of erythritol, and their effects were investigated by cyclic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results revealed that Na₃BTC and K₃BTC could not induce erythritol to crystallize under the experiment condition. MDBS could only make erythritol to crystallize at a temperature slightly higher than that of pure erythritol, and the effect was unstable. Mg₃BTC₂, Ca₃BTC₂ and HPN-68 could induce erythritol to crystallize at relatively high temperature, but the peak temperature of crystallizing (T _{p, cr}) and the phase change enthalpy of crystallizing (Δ_cr H) decreased greatly as the melting–crystallizing cycles increased. HPN-20E-doped erythritol crystallized at a high temperature with the T _{p, cr} of 69.3 °C at the first cycle, but the T _{p, cr} and Δ_cr H varied greatly during the melting–crystallizing cycles. CaPi and TMB-5 could induce erythritol to crystallize at a stable temperature with the T _{p, cr} of about 69 °C and 64 °C, respectively, and with a stable Δ_cr H of about 204 and 185 J g^?1, respectively, in all melting–crystallizing cycles. Hence, CaPi- and TMB-5-doped erythritol could be used as PCMs and applied in thermal energy storage in which the energy was absorbed at a high temperature and released at a lower but stable temperature.     

Syntheses,crystal structures,electrochemical and photocatalytic properties of two mixed-ligand cobalt(II) coordination polymers based on flexible bis(2-methylbenzimidazole) dicarboxylic acid ligands

Two Co(II) coordination polymers (CPs), namely [Co(L)(tp)] _n (1) and [Co(L)_0.5(tbip)·H₂O] _n (2), (L = 1,6-bis(2-methylbenzimidazolyl) hexane, H₂tp = terephthalic acid, H₂tbip = 5-tert-butyl isophthalic acid), were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. CP 1 possesses a 2D (4,4) corrugated layer structure, which further extends into a 3D supramolecular framework by π–π stacking interactions, while CP 2 has a 1D ladder-like chain structure and combines into a 2D layer via O–H?O hydrogen-bonding interactions. The thermal stabilities, luminescence and electrochemical properties of both CPs, as well as photocatalytic activities for the decomposition of methylene blue, were presented. The photocatalytic mechanism was investigated by introducing t-butyl alcohol, EDTA-2Na and benzoquinone as ?OH, (hole)⁺ and ·O^2? scavengers, respectively.     

Hybrid fluorescent nanoparticles from quantum dots coupled to cellulose nanocrystals

Carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were decorated with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) using a carbodiimide chemistry coupling approach. The one-step covalent modification was supported by nanoscale imaging, which showed QDs clustered on and around the CNCs after coupling. The QD–CNC hybrid nanoparticles remained colloidally stable in aqueous suspension and were fluorescent, exhibiting the broad excitation and narrow emission profile characteristic of the QDs. QD–CNCs in nanocomposite films imparted strong fluorescence within CNC-compatible matrices at relatively low loadings (0.15 nmol QDs/g of dry film), without altering the overall physical properties or self-assembly of the CNCs. The hybrid QD–CNCs may find applications in nanoparticle tracking, bio-imaging, optical/sensing devices, and anti-counterfeit technologies.     

Solubility and Solution Thermodynamic Properties of 4-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone (Raspberry Ketone) in Different Pure Solvents

The solubility of 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone (raspberry ketone) in six pure solvents was experimentally determined at temperatures ranging from 283.15 to 313.15 K under the pressure 0.10 MPa by employing a gravimetrical method. The experimental results indicate that the solubility of raspberry ketone in all studied solvents is temperature dependent, a rise in temperature brings about an increase in solubility. The experimental solubility data of raspberry ketone in six pure solvents (acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate, n-propyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, and distilled water) was correlated by using several commonly used thermodynamic models, including the Apelblat, van’t Hoff and λh equations. The results of the error analysis indicate that the van’t Hoff equation was able to give more accurate and reliable predictions of solubility with root-mean-square deviation less than 0.56%. Furthermore, the changes of dissolution enthalpies (Δ_diss H°), dissolution entropies (Δ_diss S°) and dissolution Gibbs energies (Δ_diss G°) of raspberry ketone in the solvents studied were estimated by the van’t Hoff equation. The positive value of Δ_diss H°, Δ_diss S°, and Δ_diss G° indicated that these dissolution processes of raspberry ketone in the solvents studied were all endothermic and enthalpy-driven.     

Preparation and evaluation of <Superscript>131</Superscript>I-quercetin as a novel radiotherapy agent against dedifferentiated thyroid cancer

Here we reported the radiolabeling and evaluation of a novel ¹³¹I-radiolabeled quercetin for the treatment of dedifferentiated thyroid cancers. The human thyroid cancer cell lines (FTC-133, TT and DRO) experienced much higher uptake of ¹³¹I-quercetin as compared to the free ¹³¹I. And the proliferation inhibition rate of ¹³¹I-quercetin on in vitro DRO cell line was 86.87 ± 7.15%. Biodistribution and SPECT analysis demonstrated that the injected radioactivity mainly accumulated in tumors. The tumor volume in the treatment group was dramatically inhibited in comparison with the control group.