Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of a novel Cu(II) complex with the mixed ligands 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid and 2-aminopyridine

A novel bridged binuclear Cu(II) complex with mixed ligands, di-μ-(2-aminopyridine(N,N′))-bis[(2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate)aquacopper(II)] tetrahydrate, formulated as [Cu(μ-ap)(dipic)(H₂O)]₂·4H₂O (1) (dipic = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate, ap = 2-aminopyridine), has been synthesized and characterized by elemental, spectral (IR and UV–Vis.), thermal analysis, magnetic measurements and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The central Cu(II) ion resides on a centre of symmetry in a distorted square-pyramid coordination environment comprising of two N atoms, one from dipic and one from the ap ring, two carboxylate O atoms from dipic, and one O atom from water. Intermolecular N–HO and O–HO hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions seem to be effective in the stabilization of the crystal structure. The free ligands and the complex were also evaluated for their antimicrobial and radical scavenging activities (DPPH = 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate) using in vitro microdilution methods. Antimicrobial screening of the free ligands and their complex showed that the free ligands and the complex possess antifungal activity against Candida sp.     

Enthalpic relaxation of convective desiccated trehalose-water glasses

Minimizing molecular mobility for desiccation preservation of biologics close to ambient temperature using trehalose glasses require quantitative characterization of their enthalpic relaxation at various end water contents. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to characterize three different water contents: 0%, 1.5% and 10% over a wide range of aging temperatures. Results showed the characteristic time (τ) varies both with the water content and the aging temperature. τ increased with lowered aging temperature but showed a non-monotonous relationship as a function of water content. Fragility of trehalose glasses was analyzed using thermophysical parameters obtained from relaxation studies. The study showed trehalose to be a fragile glass former at all water contents, with 0% water samples showing a relatively stronger glass. A compromise between molecular mobility and glass fragility led to an optimal water content close to 1.5% and an aging temperature close to room temperature. This would ensure a τ value of 9000 h, which corresponds to a storage period of a year.     

Synthesis, characterization, thermal stability and electrochemical properties of poly-4-[(2-methylphenyl)iminomethyl]phenol

In this study, the reaction conditions of poly-4-[(2-methylphenyl)iminomethyl]phenol (P-2-MPIMP) were studied by using oxidants such as air O₂, H₂O₂ and NaOCl in an aqueous alkaline medium between 50 and 90 °C. The structures of the synthesized monomer and polymer were confirmed by FT-IR, UV-vis, NMR and elemental analysis. The characterization was made by TG-DTA, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and solubility tests. At the optimum reaction conditions, the yield of poly-4-[(2-methylphenyl)iminomethyl]phenol (P-2-MPIMP) was found to be 20% (for air O₂ oxidant), 33% (for H₂O₂ oxidant), and 74% (for NaOCl oxidant). According to the SEC analysis, the number-average molecular weight (M_n), weight-average molecular weight (M_w) and polydispersity index (PDI) values of P-2-MPIMP were found to be 3300, 4100 g mol⁻¹ and 1.242, using H₂O₂, and 4550, 5150 g mol⁻¹and 1.132, using air O₂ and 5300, 5850 g mol⁻¹ and 1.104, using NaOCl, respectively. According to TG analysis, the weight losses of 4-[(2-methylphenyl)iminomethyl]phenol (2-MPIMP) and P-2-MPIMP were found to be between 75.29% and 48.17% at 1000 °C, respectively. P-2-MPIMP was shown to have a higher stability against thermal decomposition. Also, electrical conductivity of the P-2-MPIMP was measured, showing that the polymer is a typical semiconductor. Electrochemically, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and electrochemical energy gaps ( of 2-MPIMP and P-2-MPIMP were found to be −6.01, −6.03; −2.63, −2.82; 3.38 and 3.21 eV, respectively. According to UV-vis measurements, the optical band gap (E_g) of 2-MPIMP and P-2-MPIMP was found to be 3.40 and 2.97 eV, respectively.     

Transfer hydrogenation of aryl ketones with homogeneous ruthenium catalysts containing diazafluorene ligands

Novel cationic ruthenium(II) complexes bearing a 4,5‐diazafluorene unit and p‐cymene as ligands have been synthesised. The complexes were characterised based on elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. The synthesised Ru(II) complexes were employed as pre‐catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones using 2‐propanol as both hydrogen source and solvent in the presence of NaOH. All complexes showed high catalytic activity as catalysts in the reduction of substituted acetophenones to corresponding secondary alcohols. The products of catalysis were obtained with conversion rates of between 80 and 99%. Among the seven new complexes investigated, the most efficient catalyst showed turnover frequencies in the range 255–291 h^?1 corresponding to 85 to 97% conversion, respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total synthesis of (+/-)-4'-demethylmacrophyllol, a naturally occurring compound

The naturally occurring compound 4'-Demethylmacrophyllol (1), 8-Hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-phenyl)-isochroman-1-one, was synthesized starting from 4-benzyloxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (3) and a phosphonium salt (2) in four steps with an overall yield of 44%. This is the first report on the total synthesis of 4'-demethylmacrophyllol (1). The structures of compounds were determined by NMR and MS and elemental analysis techniques.     

Dissociation constants of some Schiff bases and stability constants of their copper,cobalt, nickel and zinc complexes

The stoichiometry and stability constant of metal complexes with 4-(3-methoxy-salicylideneamino)-5-hydroxynaphthalene-2,7-disulfonic acid monosodium salt (H₂L) and 4-(3-methoxysalicylideneamino)-5-hydroxy-6-(2,5-dichlorophenylazo)-2,7-naphthalene disulfonic acid monosodium salt (H₂L¹) were studied by potentiometric titration. The stability constants of H₂L and H₂L¹ Schiff bases have been investigated by potentiometric titration and u.v.–vis spectroscopy in aqueous media. The dissociation constants of the ligand and the stability constants of the metal complexes were calculated pH-metrically at 25 °C and 0.1 m KCl ionic strength. The dissociation constants for H₂L were obtained as 3.007, 7.620 and 9.564 and for H₂L¹, 4.000, 6.525, 9.473 and 10.423, respectively. The complexes were found to have the formulae [M(L)₂] for M = Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cu(II). The stability of the complexes follows the sequence: Zn(II) < Co(II) < Cu(II) < Ni(II). The high stability of H₂L¹ towards Cu(II) and Ni(II) over the other ions is remarkable, in particular over Cu(II), and may be of technological interest. Concentration distribution diagram of various species formed in solution was evaluated for ligands and complexes. The formation of the hydrogen bonds may cause this increased stability of ligands. The pH-metric data were used to find the stoichiometry, deprotonation and stability constants via the SUPERQUAD computer program.     

Cloud point extraction procedure for flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of lead(II) in sediment and water samples

The conditions for cloud point extraction of lead(II) from aqueous solutions were investigated and optimized. The procedure is based on the separation of Pb(II) – brillant cresyl blue (BCB) complexes into the micellar media by adding the surfactant Triton X-114. After phase separation, the surfactant-rich phase was dissolved with 1 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ in ethanol and diluted with 1 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ solution before lead was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Optimization of the pH, ligand and surfactant quantities, incubation time, temperature, viscosity, sample volume, and interfering ions was performed. The effects of the matrix ions were also examined. The detection limits for three times the standard deviations of the blank for lead were 7.5 μg L⁻¹ for water samples and 0.33 μg g⁻¹ for sediment samples. The validity of cloud point extraction was checked by employing certified reference samples of Lake Sediment IAEA-SL-1 and Sewage Sludge BCR-CRM 144R. The procedure was applied to natural waters and sediment samples with satisfactory results (recoveries >95%, relative standard deviations <6.4%).     

Patterned co-culture of primary hepatocytes and fibroblasts using polyelectrolyte multilayer templates

This paper describes the formation of patterned cell co-cultures using the layer-by-layer deposition of synthetic ionic polymers and without the aid of adhesive proteins/ligands such as collagen or fibronectin. In this study, we used synthetic polymers, namely poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDAC) and sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) as the polycation and polyanion, respectively, to build the multilayer films. We formed SPS patterns on polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) surfaces either by microcontact printing PDAC onto SPS surfaces or vice-versa. To create patterned co-cultures on PEMs, we capitalize on the preferential attachment and spreading of primary hepatocytes on SPS as opposed to PDAC surfaces. In contrast, fibroblasts readily attached to both PDAC and SPS surfaces, and as a result, we were able to obtain patterned co-cultures of fibroblast and primary hepatocytes on synthetic PEM surfaces. We characterized the morphology and hepatic-specific functions of the patterned cell co-cultures with microscopy and biochemical assays. Our results suggest an alternative approach to fabricating controlled co-cultures with specified cell-cell and cell-surface interactions; this approach provides flexibility in designing cell-specific surfaces for tissue engineering applications.     

Hierarchical structure of the energy landscape of proteins revisited by time series analysis. I. Mimicking protein dynamics in different time scales

Time series models, which are constructed from the projections of the molecular-dynamics (MD) runs on principal components (modes), are used to mimic the dynamics of two proteins: tendamistat and immunity protein of colicin E7 (ImmE7). Four independent MD runs of tendamistat and three independent runs of ImmE7 protein in vacuum are used to investigate the energy landscapes of these proteins. It is found that mean-square displacements of residues along the modes in different time scales can be mimicked by time series models, which are utilized in dividing protein dynamics into different regimes with respect to the dominating motion type. The first two regimes constitute the dominance of intraminimum motions during the first 5 ps and the random walk motion in a hierarchically higher-level energy minimum, which comprise the initial time period of the trajectories up to 20-40 ps for tendamistat and 80-120 ps for ImmE7. These are also the time ranges within which the linear nonstationary time series are completely satisfactory in explaining protein dynamics. Encountering energy barriers enclosing higher-level energy minima constrains the random walk motion of the proteins, and pseudorelaxation processes at different levels of minima are detected in tendamistat, depending on the sampling window size. Correlation (relaxation) times of 30-40 ps and 150-200 ps are detected for two energy envelopes of successive levels for tendamistat, which gives an overall idea about the hierarchical structure of the energy landscape. However, it should be stressed that correlation times of the modes are highly variable with respect to conformational subspaces and sampling window sizes, indicating the absence of an actual relaxation. The random-walk step sizes and the time length of the second regime are used to illuminate an important difference between the dynamics of the two proteins, which cannot be clarified by the investigation of relaxation times alone: ImmE7 has lower-energy barriers enclosing the higher-level energy minimum, preventing the protein to relax and letting it move in a random-walk fashion for a longer period of time.     

Orthogonal Synthesis of Block Copolymer via Photoinduced CuAAC and Ketene Chemistries

A novel route for the synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐polystyrene copolymer, starting from commercially available poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether and azido terminated polystyrene prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization and subsequent nucleophilic substitution, is applied with simplicity and high efficiency. The combination of photoinduced copper (I)‐catalyzed alkyne‐azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) and ketene chemistry reactions proceeds either simultaneously or sequentially in a one‐pot procedure under near‐visible light irradiation. In both cases, excellent block copolymer formations are achieved, with an average molecular weight of around 7000 g mo1⁻¹ and a polydispersity index of 1.20.