An infrared study of solid glycine in environments of astrophysical relevance

The conversion from neutral to zwitterionic glycine is studied using infrared spectroscopy from the point of view of the interactions of this molecule with polar (water) and non-polar (CO(2), CH(4)) surroundings. Such environments could be found on astronomical or astrophysical matter. The samples are prepared by vapour-deposition on a cold substrate (25 K), and then heated up to sublimation temperatures of the co-deposited species. At 25 K, the neutral species is favoured over the zwitterionic form in non-polar environments, whereas for pure glycine, or in glycine/water mixtures, the dominant species is the latter. The conversion is easily followed by the weakening of two infrared bands in the mid-IR region, associated to the neutral structure. Theoretical calculations are performed on crystalline glycine and on molecular glycine, both isolated and surrounded by water. Spectra predicted from these calculations are in reasonable agreement with the experimental spectra, and provide a basis to the assignments. Different spectral features are suggested as probes for the presence of glycine in astrophysical media, depending on its form (neutral or zwitterionic), their temperature and composition.     

Topological Fermi liquids from Coulomb interactions in the doped honeycomb lattice

We propose a simple method for obtaining time reversal symmetry (T) broken phases in simple lattice models based on enlarging the unit cell. As an example we study the honeycomb lattice with nearest neighbor hopping and a local nearest neighbor Coulomb interaction V. We show that when the unit cell is enlarged to host six atoms that permits Kekulé distortions, self-consistent currents spontaneously form creating nontrivial magnetic configurations with total zero flux at high electron densities. A very rich phase diagram is obtained within a variational mean field approach that includes metallic phases with broken time reversal symmetry (T). The predominant (T) breaking configuration is an anomalous Hall phase, a realization of a topological Fermi liquid.     

Total Synthesis of Enantiopure Pyrrhoxanthin: Alternative Methods for the Stereoselective Preparation of 4‐Alkylidenebutenolides

A new stereocontrolled total synthesis of the configurationally labile C₃₇‐norcarotenoid pyrrhoxanthin in enantiopure form has been completed. A highly stereoselective Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons (HWE) condensation of a C₁₇‐allylphosphonate and a C₂₀‐aldehyde was used as the last conjunctive step. Both a Sonogashira reaction to form the C₁₇‐phosphonate and the final HWE condensation proved to be compatible with the sensitive C7–C10 enyne E configuration. Regioselective (5‐exo‐dig) silver‐promoted lactonization reactions of three alternative pent‐2‐en‐4‐ynoic acid precursors with increased complexity, including a fully functionalized C₂₀‐fragment, were explored for the preparation of the γ‐alkylidenebutenolide fragment. This survey extends the existing methodologies for the preparation of oxygen‐containing carotenoids (xanthophylls) and streamlines the synthesis of additional members of the C₃₇‐norcarotenoid butenolide family of natural products.     

Sustainable Catalysis: Rational Pd Loading on MIL‐101Cr‐NH2 for More Efficient and Recyclable Suzuki–Miyaura Reactions

Palladium nanoparticles have been immobilized into an amino‐functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF), MIL‐101Cr‐NH₂, to form Pd@MIL‐101Cr‐NH₂. Four materials with different loadings of palladium have been prepared (denoted as 4‐, 8‐, 12‐, and 16 wt %Pd@MIL‐101Cr‐NH₂). The effects of catalyst loading and the size and distribution of the Pd nanoparticles on the catalytic performance have been studied. The catalysts were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), N₂‐sorption isotherms, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). To better characterize the palladium nanoparticles and their distribution in MIL‐101Cr‐NH₂, electron tomography was employed to reconstruct the 3D volume of 8 wt %Pd@MIL‐101Cr‐NH₂ particles. The pair distribution functions (PDFs) of the samples were extracted from total scattering experiments using high‐energy X‐rays (60 keV). The catalytic activity of the four MOF materials with different loadings of palladium nanoparticles was studied in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction. The best catalytic performance was obtained with the MOF that contained 8 wt % palladium nanoparticles. The metallic palladium nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed, with an average size of 2.6 nm. Excellent yields were obtained for a wide scope of substrates under remarkably mild conditions (water, aerobic conditions, room temperature, catalyst loading as low as 0.15 mol %). The material can be recycled at least 10 times without alteration of its catalytic properties.     

Comparison Between Methyl and Trimethylsilyl Ester Derivatives in the Separation and GC Quantification of Triterpene Acids in Eugenia brasiliensis Leaf Extract

This study details a method to characterize the triterpene acid-rich extract obtained from the defatted leaves of Eugenia brasiliensis (Myrtaceae) via extraction with 2 % NaOH in ethanol at room temperature. The crude extract (yield 2.35 %) was submitted to analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) confirming ursolic acid as its major compound. The optimal conditions for the separation of oleanolic, betulinic and ursolic acids were assayed by GC with flame ionization detection (GC–FID) using two different columns (DB-5 and DB-17HT) and by applying two distinct derivatizing protocols. The use of a DB-17HT column led to the best results, with a shorter runtime and a better resolution (Rs) between the oleanolic and betulinic signals for both the bis-trimethylsilyl (Rs 2.84) and methyl ester derivatives (Rs 2.47). A DB-5 column also gave satisfactory results for the TMS ester, with a runtime of 30 min and Rs 2.14. Ursolic acid in the crude extract was quantified by comparison to two individual standard curves determined using commercial ursolic as its TMS derivative on the DB-5 column and its methyl ester on the DB-17HT column. Good linearity was achieved in both cases (r ² = 0.9776 and 0.9953, respectively), and the amounts of ursolic acid in the extracts were calculated to be 144.7 and 147.9 mg·g^?1, respectively. These results showed no significant differences when compared using Tukey’s HSD test. Total triterpene acids amounted to 0.52 % in E. brasiliensis dry leaves.     

Thermal synthesis and structural characterization of the orthorhombic Th2(PO4)(P3O10)

Polycrystalline thorium(IV) phosphate-triphosphate, Th₂(PO₄)(P₃O₁₀) (1), was obtained by (NH₄)₂Th(PO₄)₂·H₂O (2) heating from room temperature to 1,273 K. 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pn2₁ a (a = 11.6846(2) Å, b = 7.1746(1) Å, c = 12.9320(3) Å, Z = 4). Combining powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction data and DFT geometry optimization, a structural model is proposed for 1. The structure is built on ThO₈ polyhedral chains along the b-axis. PO₄ ^3? and P₃O₁₀ ^5? groups coexist in the structure and the latter group forms non-linear chains. Cohesion of the structure is made by the linkage of ThO₈ chains by PO₄ and P₃O₁₀ groups. Thermal transformation from 2 to 1 was monitored by thermogravimetric analysis (activation energy as a function of the extent of conversion was obtained from Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) isoconversional method) and powder X-ray thermo-diffraction. For 2, the dehydration process takes place in two steps, with the apparition of a layered intermediate phase, (NH₄)₂Th(PO₄)₂·nH₂O (0 < n < 1, d = 6.42 Å), previously to the formation of (NH₄)₂Th(PO₄)₂ (d = 6.31 Å). The condensation process produces an amorphous material that crystallizes to α-ThP₂O₇ (3) when the temperature increases. At 1,273 K, 3 slowly transforms to 1.     

Activation of Carboxylic Acids in Asymmetric Organocatalysis

Organocatalysis, catalysis using small organic molecules, has recently evolved into a general approach for asymmetric synthesis, complementing both metal catalysis and biocatalysis. 1 Its success relies to a large extent upon the introduction of novel and generic activation modes. 2 Remarkably though, while carboxylic acids have been used as catalyst directing groups in supramolecular transition‐metal catalysis, 3 a general and well‐defined activation mode for this useful and abundant substance class is still lacking. Herein we propose the heterodimeric association of carboxylic acids with chiral phosphoric acid catalysts as a new activation principle for organocatalysis. This self‐assembly increases both the acidity of the phosphoric acid catalyst and the reactivity of the carboxylic acid. To illustrate this principle, we apply our concept in a general and highly enantioselective catalytic aziridine‐opening reaction with carboxylic acids as nucleophiles.     

Comparative structural and chemical studies of ferritin cores with gradual removal of their iron contents

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (XANES), Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy (EELS), Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), and SQUID magnetic studies were performed in a batch of horse spleen ferritins from which iron had been gradually removed, yielding samples containing 2200, 1200, 500, and 200 iron atoms. Taken together, findings obtained demonstrate that the ferritin iron core consists of a polyphasic structure (ferrihydrite, magnetite, hematite) and that the proportion of phases is modified by iron removal. Thus, the relative amount of magnetite in ferritin containing 2200 to 200 iron atoms rose steadily from approximately 20% to approximately 70% whereas the percentage of ferrihydrite fell from approximately 60% to approximately 20%. These results indicate a ferrihydrite-magnetite core-shell structure. It was also found that the magnetite in the ferritin iron core is not a source of free toxic ferrous iron, as previously believed. Therefore, the presence of magnetite in the ferritin cores of patients with Alzheimer's disease is not a cause of their increased brain iron(II) concentration.     

Crystal Structure of Mercury 7-Amylthio-8-mercaptoquinolinate Hg[C9H5(SC5H11)NS]2 and the Structure of the 7-Amylthio-8-mercaptoquinoline Ligand

Mercury 7-amylthio-8-mercaptoquinolinate Hg[C9H₅(SC5H₁₁)NS]₂ has been synthesized and studied by X-ray diffraction. The crystals are triclinic: a = 8.980(2) Å, b = 9.298(2) Å, c = 18.909(4) Å, α = 93.66(2)°, β = 98.00(2)°, γ = 62.25(2)°, V = 1383.7(5) ų, ρ_calcd = 1.74 g/cm³, Z = 2, space group P1?. The structure is formed by neutral asymmetric complexes in which two 7-amylthio-8-mercaptoquinoline ligands coordinate, in a bidentate fashion (N,S), a mercury atom (Hg-S, 2.363(2) and 2.376(2) Å; Hg-N, 2.436(6) and 2.466(7) Å). The coordination polyhedron of mercury, which is a “swing” (2S+2N), has an SHgS bond angle equal to 173.5(1)°. Some structural features of the ligands in mercury, zinc and copper 7-amylthio-8-mercaptoquinolinates are discussed.