Solvothermal Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Properties of the First Zinc Containing Thioantimonate(III) [Zn( tren)] 2Sb 4S 8·0.75 H 2O

Yellow crystals of the title compound were obtained under solvothermal conditions reacting elemental Zn, Sb, and S in a solution of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (=tren) and water. The compound crystallises in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a=13.0247(7), b=22.308(2), c=12.1776(6) Å, and =105.352(6)°. In the structure of [Zn(tren)]₂Sb₄S₈·0.75 H₂O two [Zn(tren)]²⁺ cations are bound to the [Sb₄S₈]^4– anion via S atoms. The Zn²⁺ ions are in a trigonal bipyramidal environment of four N atoms of the tetradentate tren ligand and one S atom of the [Sb₄S₈]^4– anion. The anion is formed by SbS₃ and SbS₄ units which share common corners and edges. The interconnection mode yields three different non-planar Sb₂S₂ heterorings. The shortest intermolecular Sb–S distance amounts to about 3.7Å, and taking this long separation into account undulated chains running along [001] are formed with the water molecules residing in the pocket-like cavities. Upon heating the compound decomposes in one step starting at about 240°C. The final decomposition product was identified as ZnS and Sb₂S₃ by X-ray powder diffractometry. Additionally, spectroscopic data as well as synthetic procedures for [Zn(tren)]₂Sb₄S₈·0.75 H₂O are reported.     

A remarkable stereoselectivity switching upon solid-state versus solution-phase enantiodifferentiating photocyclodimerization of 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid mediated by native and 3,6-anhydro-γ-cyclodextrins

The enantiodifferentiating [4+4] photocyclodimerization of anthracenecarboxylic acid (AC) mediated by native, mono- and di-3,6-anhydro-γ-cyclodextrins was investigated in both aqueous solution and solid-state. The solid-state photolyses gave inherently disfavored head-to-head photodimers in much higher chemical and optical yields than in the aqueous solution.     

Surface Modification of Fine Particles with a SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Film by Using a Polyhedral-Barrel Sputtering System

Fine particles were modified with a thin film of SnO₂ by using a barrel sputtering system that is a dry process. The conditions for the preparation of SnO₂ were studied by reactive sputtering onto a glass plate substrate. The optimal conditions for the preparation of tetragonal SnO₂ were identified as 60% partial oxygen pressure and 1.0 Pa total gas pressure with the substrate at room temperature. Under the optimized conditions, the surfaces of Al flake particles were modified with a thin film of SnO₂. XRD and SEM/EDS analysis of the prepared samples showed that the Al particle surfaces were uniformly modified by a thin film of SnO₂ in all cases. The film thicknesses were 80, 130, and 180 nm at RF outputs of 195, 350, and 490 W. These measured thicknesses coincided with the values estimated from the interference colors of the samples.     

2-alkoxy and 2,2-dialkoxy nitriles from acetals and orthoesters — exchange of alkoxy into cyano group by means of cyanotrimethylsilane

Title transformation is accomplished by the catalytic action of SnCl₂ or BF₃·OEt₂ Lithio derivative of 2,2-dimethoxyacetonitrile is used as synthetic equivalent of methyl lithioformate.     

Determination of the thiol redox state of organisms: new oxidative stress indicators

This study describes a new methodology by which the concentrations of non-protein (NP) thiols glutathione (GSH), cysteine (CSH), N-acetylcysteine (AcCSH), and protein (P) thiols (PSH), as well as the contribution of these components to symmetric and mixed disulfides (NPSSR, NPSSC, NPSSCAc, PSSR, PSSC, PSSCAc, PSSP) can reliably be measured. The methodology consists of a strict sequence of methods which are applied to every sample. Free thiols at any given state of the procedure are measured by Ellmans assay, the CSH fraction is measured by its unique response in the ninhydrin assay, AcCSH is selectively measured with ninhydrin after enzymatic deacylation, proteins are separated from non-protein thiols/disulfides by precipitation with trichloroacetic or perchloric acid, disulfides are reduced into free thiols with borohydride, mixed disulfides between a protein and a non-protein component are measured by extracting the non-protein thiol from the protein pellet after borohydride treatment, and protein thiols/disulfides are measured after resolubilization of the protein pellet.When this method was applied to animal and fungal tissue, new molecular indicators of the thiol redox state of living cells were identified. The findings of the present study clearly show that the new parameters are very sensitive indicators of redox state, while at the same time the traditional parameters GSH and GSSG often remain constant even upon dramatic changes in the overall redox state of biological tissue. Therefore, unbiased assessment of the redox state also requires explicit measurement of its most sensitive thiol indicators.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at . A link in the frame on the left on that page takes you directly to the supplementary material.     

Oxygenolysis of flavonoid compounds: DFT description of the mechanism for quercetin.

Flavonoids are naturally occurring phenol derivatives present in substantial amounts in a large variety of plants, fruits and vegetables daily eaten by humans. Most of these compounds exhibit several interesting biological activities, such as antiradical and antioxidant actions. Indeed, by complexation with specific enzymes, flavonoids are notably liable to metabolize molecular dioxygen. On the basis of experimental results describing oxygenolysis of the flavonoid quercetin, activated by the enzyme quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase (2,3-QD),ur attention has focused on the role of metal center in the activation of the substrate quercetin. Thus, in the present study, by means of DFT calculations at the B3LYP/ 6-31(+)G* level on model molecular systems, we describe different mechanisms for dioxygen metabolization by quercetin. Stationary points are described, and energetic and structural analyses along the reaction paths are reported. Our calculations show that the copper cation must act as an oxidant towards the substrate and that the reaction proceeds through a 1,3-cycloaddition.     

Importance of single electron-transfer in singlet oxygen reaction in aqueous solution : Oxidation of electron-rich thioanisoles

Oxidation of substituted thioanisoles by chemically generated singlet oxygen was investigated in polar aqueous media. The formation of the superoxide ion was observed during sulphoxidation of 4-hydroxythioanisole (4) in phosphate buffer at pH 7.5. Control experiments indicated that the superoxide ion was formed by a direct reaction between singlet oxygen and 4. The kinetics of the trapping reaction by diphenylsulphoxide indicated the involvement of a single intermediate. The overall rate constants of the reaction of thioanisoles with singlet oxygen in methanol-water (1:1) are one order of magnitude larger than those in benzene. On the basis of these results, a mechanism involving a charge-transfer complex has been proposed for the reaction of electron-rich thioanisoles with singlet oxygen, whereby the charge-transfer complex would produce persulphoxide directly or dissociate to the cation radical and superoxide ion in polar aqueous media.