Water Reduction and Dihydrogen Addition in Aqueous Conditions With ansa-Phosphinoborane

Ortho-phenylene-bridged phosphinoborane (2,6-Cl₂Ph)₂B-C₆H₄-PCy₂ 1 was synthesized in three steps from commercially available starting materials. 1 reacts with H₂ or H₂O under mild conditions to form corresponding zwitterionic phosphonium borates 1-H₂ or 1-H₂O . NMR studies revealed both reactions to be remarkably reversible. Thus, when exposed to H₂, 1-H₂O partially converts to 1-H₂ even in the presence of multiple equivalents of water in the solution. The addition of parahydrogen to 1 leads to nuclear spin hyperpolarization both in dry and hydrous solvents, confirming the dissociation of 1-H₂O to free 1 . These observations were supported by computational studies indicating that the formation of 1-H₂ and 1-H₂O from 1 are thermodynamically favored. Unexpectedly, 1-H₂O can release molecular hydrogen to form phosphine oxide 1-O . Kinetic, mechanistic, and computational (DFT) studies were used to elucidate the unique “umpolung” water reduction mechanism.     

The Use of Galvanic Displacement for Synthesizing Pt/Carbide (Mo2C,ZrC, NbC) Catalysts Highly Active in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Russian Journal of Electrochemistry - The composite materials involving platinum nanoparticles on the surface of carbides of Mo, Zr, and Nb are synthesized by the currentless redox reaction between...     

Third Generation Buchwald Precatalysts with XPhos and RuPhos: Multigram Scale Synthesis,Solvent-Dependent Isomerization of XPhos Pd G3 and Quality Control by 1H- and 31P-NMR Spectroscopy

The third generation Buchwald precatalysts Pd(ABP)(Phos)(OMs) (also known as Phos Pd G3)) with XPhos and RuPhos were prepared in multigram scale by a modified procedure (ABP = fragment of C-deprotonated 2-aminobiphenyl, XPhos = 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2′,4′,6′-triisopropylbiphenyl, RuPhos = 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2′,6′-diisopropoxybiphenyl, OMs⁻ = CH₃SO₃⁻). The ¹H- and ³¹P-NMR spectra of the title complexes and some impurities, measured by various 1D and 2D techniques, were analyzed in detail. The solvent-dependent isomerization of Pd(ABP)(XPhos)(OMs) was studied by NMR, and the X-ray structures of two isomers were determined. The impurities in precatalysts, such as Pd(ABP)(HABP)(OMs) (HABP—neutral 2-aminobiphenyl coordinated to Pd²⁺ in N-monodentate mode) and PdCl₂(XPhos)₂, were identified and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. A simple method for the quick quality control (QC) of the precatalysts, suitable for routine use, was proposed. The method was based on the assessment of the impurity content on the basis of the ¹H-NMR spectra analysis.     

Discovery of Novel Sultone Fused Berberine Derivatives as Promising Tdp1 Inhibitors

A new type of berberine derivatives was obtained by the reaction of berberrubine with aliphatic sulfonyl chlorides. The new polycyclic compounds have a sultone ring condensed to C and D rings of a protoberberine core. The reaction conditions were developed to facilitate the formation of sultones with high yields without by-product formation. Thus, it was shown that the order of addition of reagents affects the composition of the reaction products: when sulfochlorides are added to berberrubine, their corresponding 9-O-sulfonates are predominantly formed; when berberrubine is added to pre-generated sulfenes, sultones are the only products. The reaction was shown to proceed stereo-selectively and the cycle configuration was confirmed by 2D NMR spectroscopy. The inhibitory activity of the synthesized sultones and their 12-brominated analogs against the DNA-repair enzyme tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1), an important target for a potential antitumor therapy, was studied. All derivatives were active in the micromolar and submicromolar range, in contrast to the acyclic analogs and 9-O-sulfonates, which were inactive. The significance of the sultone cycle and bromine substituent in binding with the enzyme was confirmed using molecular modeling. The active inhibitors are mostly non-toxic to the HeLa cancer cell line, and several ligands show synergy with topotecan, a topoisomerase 1 poison in clinical use. Thus, novel berberine derivatives can be considered as candidates for adjuvant therapy against cancer.     

Generation of a Hetero Spin Complex from Iron(II) Iodide with Redox Active Acenaphthene-1,2-Diimine

The reaction of the redox active 1,2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene (dpp-BIAN) and iron(II) iodide in acetonitrile led to a new complex [(dpp-BIAN)Fe^III₂] (1). Molecular structure of 1 was determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The spin state of the iron cation in complex 1 at room temperature and the magnetic behavior of 1 in the temperature range of 2–300 K were studied using Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements, respectively. The neutral character of dpp-BIAN in 1 was confirmed by IR and UV spectroscopy. The electrochemistry of 1 was studied in solution and solid state using cyclic voltammetry. The generation of the radical anion form of the dpp-BIAN ligand upon reduction of 1 in a CH₂Cl₂ solution was monitored by EPR spectroscopy.     

Novel Tdp1 Inhibitors Based on Adamantane Connected with Monoterpene Moieties via Heterocyclic Fragments

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) is a promising target for anticancer therapy due to its ability to counter the effects topoisomerase 1 (Top1) poison, such as topotecan, thus, decreasing their efficacy. Compounds containing adamantane and monoterpenoid residues connected via 1,2,4-triazole or 1,3,4-thiadiazole linkers were synthesized and tested against Tdp1. All the derivatives exhibited inhibition at low micromolar or nanomolar concentrations with the most potent inhibitors having IC₅₀ values in the 0.35–0.57 µM range. The cytotoxicity was determined in the HeLa, HCT-116 and SW837 cancer cell lines; moderate CC₅₀ (µM) values were seen from the mid-teens to no effect at 100 µM. Furthermore, citral derivative 20c, α-pinene-derived compounds 20f, 20g and 25c, and the citronellic acid derivative 25b were found to have a sensitizing effect in conjunction with topotecan in the HeLa cervical cancer and colon adenocarcinoma HCT-116 cell lines. The ligands are predicted to bind in the catalytic pocket of Tdp1 and have favorable physicochemical properties for further development as a potential adjunct therapy with Top1 poisons.     

3-Cyanoazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines: synthesis and antiviral activity

Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds - A series of azolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines containing a cyano group were prepared as analogs of the drug Triazavirin (riamilovir). Sodium...     

A feasibility study of X‐ray phase‐contrast mammographic tomography at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron

Results are presented of a recent experiment at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron intended to contribute to the implementation of low‐dose high‐sensitivity three‐dimensional mammographic phase‐contrast imaging, initially at synchrotrons and subsequently in hospitals and medical imaging clinics. The effect of such imaging parameters as X‐ray energy, source size, detector resolution, sample‐to‐detector distance, scanning and data processing strategies in the case of propagation‐based phase‐contrast computed tomography (CT) have been tested, quantified, evaluated and optimized using a plastic phantom simulating relevant breast‐tissue characteristics. Analysis of the data collected using a Hamamatsu CMOS Flat Panel Sensor, with a pixel size of 100 µm, revealed the presence of propagation‐based phase contrast and demonstrated significant improvement of the quality of phase‐contrast CT imaging compared with conventional (absorption‐based) CT, at medically acceptable radiation doses.     

Ionic strength of electrospray droplets affects charging of DNA oligonucleotides

The fundamental aspects of charging in electrospray ionization (ESI) are hotly debated. In the present study, ESI charging of DNA oligonucleotides was explored in both positive (ESI+) and negative (ESI?) polarity using mass spectrometry detection. Single‐stranded 12‐mer CCCCAATTCCCC in buffer solution (aqueous NH₄Ac, 100 mM) produced similar charge state distribution (CSD) in either ESI+ or ESI?. Similarity of CSD in ESI+ and ESI? was also observed for the double‐stranded 12‐mer CGCGAATTCGCG. By adding typical low‐vapor reagents (e.g. m‐nitro benzyl alcohol, m‐NBA; sulfolane) into the same buffer solution (<0.5% w/v), both CCCCAATTCCCC and CGCGAATTCGCG revealed strong supercharging (SC) effect in ESI?, while very little or no SC effect was observed in ESI+. With either sulfolane or m‐NBA, the CGCGAATTCGCG duplex dissociated into single strands in ESI?. No SC was observed in both ESI+ and ESI? for thermally denatured CGCGAATTCGCG duplex in NH₄Ac buffer without the reagents. These findings are difficult to reconcile with the earlier model, which attributes SC in aqueous buffer solution to the conformational changes of analytes. Our observations suggest that the ionic strength of ESI droplets strongly affects the CSD of biopolymers such as DNA oligonucleotides and that SC effect is related to the depletion of ionic strength during the ESI process. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.