Adducts of niobium(V) and tantalum(V) halides. XIV. Structure and relative stability of the adducts with some phosphoryl compounds

The adducts of niobium(V) and tantalum(V) halides with some phosphoryl compounds have been studied in chloroform solution by ¹H- and ¹⁹F-FT-NMR. spectroscopy. These octahedral adducts of general formula MX₅ · L (M = Nb, Ta; X = F, Cl, Br; L = phosphoryl ligand) are monomeric and neutral. Their relative stability constants have been determined at ?60°. The stabilities are controlled by electronic effects of substituents on the phosphoryl group.     

Palladium‐catalyzed selective decarboxylative coupling reaction versus direct C―H arylation for arylation of heteroaromatics

Conditions for selective palladium‐catalyzed decarboxylative 2‐arylation of 3‐substituted thiophene and furan derivatives bearing an ester at C2 position have been established. By using 2 mol% phosphine‐free Pd(OAc)₂ as the catalyst and a mixture of KOH and K₂CO₃ as the bases, in dimethylacetamide, moderate to good yields of the desired 2‐arylated products were obtained. A range of functional groups such as nitrile, nitro, formyl or acetyl on the aryl bromides was tolerated. This method allows us to employ in some cases more convenient reactants in terms of cost or physical properties (boiling point) for arylations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pressure drop effects on selectivity and resolution in packed column supercritical fluid chromatography

The influence of pressure drop on retention, selectivity, plate height and resolution was investigated systematically in packed supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) using pure carbon dioxide as the mobile phase. Numerical methods developed previously which enabled the prediction of pressure gradients, diffusivities, capacity factors, plate heights and resolutions along the length of the column were used for the model calculations. The effects of inlet pressure and supercritical fluid flow rate on selectivity and resolution are studied. In packed column SFC with pure carbon dioxide as the mobile phase, the pressure drop can have a significant effect on resolution. The flow rate is shown to have a larger effect than generally realized. The calculated data are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, the variation of the chromatographic parameters along a 5.5 meter long model SFC column is illustrated. The possibilities and limitations of using long packed columns in SFC are discussed. It is demonstrated that long columns with large plate numbers do not necessarily yield better separations.     

Estimation of the surface energetic heterogeneity of fillers by inverse gas chromatography

The surface properties of the fillers are determining for obtaining high performance filled polymers. Yet, their determination is most difficult. This paper proposes to use inverse gas chromatography, either at infinite dilution or finite concentration conditions, to estimate surface energy and nanomorphological characteristics, but also surface heterogeneity of different clays, talcs of various origins and ground muscovites.     

Essential oils in combination and their antimicrobial properties

Essential oils (EOs) have been long recognized for their antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, insecticidal and antioxidant properties. They are widely used in medicine and the food industry for these purposes. The increased interest in alternative natural substances is driving the research community to find new uses and applications of these substances. EOs and their components show promising activities against many food-borne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms when tested in vitro. In food systems, higher concentrations of EOs are needed to exert similar antibacterial effects as those obtained in in vitro assays. The use of combinations of EOs and their isolated components are thus new approaches to increase the efficacy of EOs in foods, taking advantage of their synergistic and additive effects. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the antimicrobial efficacy of these combinations. A survey of the methods used for the determination of the interactions and mechanisms involved in the antimicrobial activities of these combinations are also reported.     

Hermite and Smith normal form algorithms over Dedekind domains

We show how the usual algorithms valid over Euclidean domains, such as the Hermite Normal Form, the modular Hermite Normal Form and the Smith Normal Form can be extended to Dedekind rings. In a sequel to this paper, we will explain the use of these algorithms for computing in relative extensions of number fields.

     

Using chemical probes to investigate the sub-inhibitory effects of azithromycin

The antibacterial drug azithromycin has clinically beneficial effects at sub-inhibitory concentrations for the treatment of conditions characterized by chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, such as cystic fibrosis. These effects are, in part, the result of inhibition of bacterial biofilm formation. Herein, the efficient synthesis of azithromycin in 4 steps from erythromycin and validation of the drug's ability to inhibit biofilm formation at sub-MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values are reported. Furthermore, the synthesis of immobilized and biotin-tagged azithromycin analogues is described. These chemical probes were used in pull-down assays in an effort to identify azithromycin's binding partners in vivo. Results from these assays revealed, as expected, mainly ribosomal-related protein binding partners, suggesting that this is the primary target of the drug. This was further confirmed by studies using a P. aeruginosa strain containing plasmid-encoded ermC, which expresses a protein that modifies 23S rRNA and so blocks macrolide entry to the ribosome. In this strain, no biofilm inhibition was observed. This work supports the hypothesis that the sub-inhibitory effects of azithromycin are mediated through the ribosome. Moreover, the synthesis of these chemical probes, and proof of their utility, is of value in global target identification in P. aeruginosa and other species.     

Host-guest interaction between cyclen based macrotricyclic ligands and phosphate anions. A potentiometric investigation

The host-guest interaction between orthophosphate, pyrophosphate and triphosphate anions and three cyclen based macrotricyclic ligands possessing ortho- (TOC), meta- (TMC) and para-xylenyl (TPC) linkers was investigated by potentiometric measurements. The ternary species present in solution and their stability constants have been determined. The different behaviours are explained in terms of hydrogen bond formation and coulombic attraction between the organic host and the inorganic guest. The selectivity, illustrated with species distribution diagrams, is discussed. The results unambiguously showed the importance of the distance between the two cyclen cores and emphasized the increasing of the triphosphate species selectivity together with the cavity size of the ligand. A comparison of the present results with those obtained with their mono-bridged homologues is also discussed.