Comparing Ullmann Coupling on Noble Metal Surfaces: On‐Surface Polymerization of 1,3,6,8‐Tetrabromopyrene on Cu(111) and Au(111)

The on‐surface polymerization of 1,3,6,8‐tetrabromopyrene (Br₄Py) on Cu(111) and Au(111) surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions was investigated by a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Deposition of Br₄Py on Cu(111) held at 300 K resulted in a spontaneous debromination reaction, generating the formation of a branched coordination polymer network stabilized by C?Cu?C bonds. After annealing at 473 K, the C?Cu?C bonds were converted to covalent C?C bonds, leading to the formation of a covalently linked molecular network of short oligomers. In contrast, highly ordered self‐assembled two‐dimensional (2D) patterns stabilized by both Br?Br halogen and Br?H hydrogen bonds were observed upon deposition of Br₄Py on Au(111) held at 300 K. Subsequent annealing of the sample at 473 K led to a dissociation of the C?Br bonds and the formation of disordered metal‐coordinated molecular networks. Further annealing at 573 K resulted in the formation of covalently linked disordered networks. Importantly, we found that the chosen substrate not only plays an important role as catalyst for the Ullmann reaction, but also influences the formation of different types of intermolecular bonds and thus, determines the final polymer network morphology. DFT calculations further support our experimental findings obtained by STM and XPS and add complementary information on the reaction pathway of Br₄Py on the different substrates.     

Parallel hybrid extragradient methods for pseudomonotone equilibrium problems and nonexpansive mappings

In this paper we propose and analyze three parallel hybrid extragradient methods for finding a common element of the set of solutions of equilibrium problems involving pseudomonotone bifunctions and the set of fixed points of nonexpansive mappings in a real Hilbert space. Based on parallel computation we can reduce the overall computational effort under widely used conditions on the bifunctions and the nonexpansive mappings. A simple numerical example is given to illustrate the proposed parallel algorithms.     

Synthesis and evaluation of new phosphonic,bisphosphonic and difluoromethylphosphonic acid monomers for dental application

Syntheses of novel 5-(methacryloyloxy)pentylphosphonic acid 1, 5-(methacryloyloxy)pentylidenebisphosphonic acid 2 and 1,1-difluoro-5-(methacryloyloxy)pentylphosphonic acid 3 are described. The ability of these monomers to adhere to hydroxyapatite was demonstrated using ³¹P CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy. Their copolymerization with N,N′-diethyl-1,3-bis(acrylamido)propane (DEBAAP) was investigated with photo differential scanning calorimetry. These mixtures exhibit a significantly higher reactivity than DEBAAP alone. Bisphosphonic acid 2 was shown to be significantly more reactive than monomers 1 and 3. Adhesive properties of these monomers were also studied. Adhesives based on bisphosphonic acid 2 and difluoromethylphosphonic acid 3 provide significantly higher dentin shear bond strength than the one based on phosphonic acid 1.     

Efficient Solid/Liquid Phase-Transfer Catalytic Diazo Transfer Synthesis

A simple and efficient solid/liquid phase-transfer catalytic diazo transfer reaction for the synthesis of diazocarbonyl, diazophosphonyl, and diazophosphinyl compounds is reported.     

Fluorogenic Probe Using a Mislow–Evans Rearrangement for Real‐Time Imaging of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) mediates the biology of wound healing, apoptosis, inflammation, etc. H₂O₂ has been fluorometrically imaged with protein‐ or small‐molecule‐based probes. However, only protein‐based probes have afforded temporal insights within seconds. Small‐molecule‐based electrophilic probes for H₂O₂ require many minutes for a sufficient response in biological systems. Here, we report a fluorogenic probe that selectively undergoes a [2,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement (seleno‐Mislow‐Evans rearrangement) with H₂O₂, followed by acetal hydrolysis, to produce a green fluorescent molecule in seconds. Unlike other electrophilic probes, the current probe acts as a nucleophile. The fast kinetics enabled real‐time imaging of H₂O₂ produced in endothelial cells in 8 seconds (much earlier than previously shown) and H₂O₂ in a zebrafish wound healing model. This work may provide a platform for endogenous H₂O₂ detection in real time with chemical probes.     

Cinnamides Target Leishmania amazonensis Arginase Selectively

Caffeic acid and related natural compounds were previously described as Leishmania amazonensis arginase (L-ARG) inhibitors, and against the whole parasite in vitro. In this study, we tested cinnamides that were previously synthesized to target human arginase. The compound caffeic acid phenethyl amide (CAPA), a weak inhibitor of human arginase (IC₅₀ = 60.3 ± 7.8 μM) was found to have 9-fold more potency against L-ARG (IC₅₀ = 6.9 ± 0.7 μM). The other compounds that did not inhibit human arginase were characterized as L-ARG, showing an IC₅₀ between 1.3–17.8 μM, and where the most active was compound 15 (IC₅₀ = 1.3 ± 0.1 μM). All compounds were also tested against L. amazonensis promastigotes, and only the compound CAPA showed an inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 80 μM). In addition, in an attempt to gain an insight into the mechanism of competitive L-ARG inhibitors, and their selectivity over mammalian enzymes, we performed an extensive computational investigation, to provide the basis for the selective inhibition of L-ARG for this series of compounds. In conclusion, our results indicated that the compounds based on cinnamoyl or 3,4-hydroxy cinnamoyl moiety could be a promising starting point for the design of potential antileishmanial drugs based on selective L-ARG inhibitors.     

Fe2O3/Mn2O3 nanoparticles: Preparations and applications in the photocatalytic degradation of phenol and parathion in water

In this study, nanoparticles of Fe₂O₃/Mn₂O₃ mixture were obtained using the sol–gel method. The synthesis uses the combination of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and tartaric acid (TA). Synthesized catalysts prove superior compared to those afforded from previous reports. To be specific, desired catalysts can be received at lower calcination temperature. Furthermore, their structures display higher uniformity in term of particle sizes. Finally, they show better performance for the photocatalytic degradation of model-persistent organic compounds.