Cyclopentyl: A Novel Protective Group for Phenols

We have discovered cyclopentyl as a novel group for the protection of hydroxyl functionality of phenols. The key steps involved are cyclopentylation and decyclopentylation.     

The Effects of Salts and Ionic Surfactants on the Micellar Structure of Tri‐Block Copolymer PEO‐PPO‐PEO in Aqueous Solution

The micelles of two poly(ethylene oxide)‐poly(propylene oxide)‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO‐PPO‐PEO) block copolymers, P123 and F127 (same mol wt of PPO but different % PEO) in aqueous solution in the absence and presence of salts as well as ionic surfactants were mainly examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The study is further supported by cloud point and viscosity measurements. The change in cloud point (CP), as well as the size of micelles in aqueous solution in presence of salts obeys the Hofmeister lyotropic series. Addition of both cationic cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) surfactants in the aqueous solution of P123 show initial decrease of micellar size from 20 nm to nearly 7 nm and then increasing with a double relaxation mode, further in the presence of NaCl this double relaxation mode vanishes. The effect of surfactant on F127, which has much bigger hydrophilic part is different than P123 and have no double relaxation. The relaxation time distributions is obtained using the Laplace inversion routine REPES. Two relaxation modes for P123 are explained on the bases of Pluronic rich mixed micelles containing ionic surfactants and the other smaller, predominantly surfactant rich micelles domains.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Surfactant Molecules Based on Amphiphilic Polymers

Twelve amphiphilic polymers were synthesized using poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) of different molecular weights, viz. 300, 600 and1000 as hydrophilic block and aliphatic diacids namely glutaric acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid and suberic acid as hydrophobic block in presence of catalyst Conc. H₂SO₄. Synthesized polyesters were characterized by using ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and IR spectroscopy. Micellar sizes of the polymers were determined using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) which ranged from 127.5–354 nm. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) results confirm the findings of DLS. Critical Micelle Concentrations (CMC) of the synthesized polymers were determined using electrical conductivity meter which ranged from 112 to 155 mg L^?1.     

A new methodology for the synthesis of 3-amino-1H-indole-2-carboxylates

A new methodology has been developed for the synthesis of 3-amino-1H-indole-2-carboxylates. 2-Aminobenzonitriles were protected as benzyl (2-cyanophenyl)carbamates and converted into corresponding glycinate esters using sodium hydride and bromoacetate esters. Sodium hydride efficiently promotes the addition of the glycinate α-carbon to the cyano group at low temperatures, resulting in the formation of the desired indole core with 3-amino and 2-carboxylate groups. This new methodology uses Pd–C mediated hydrogenolysis with molecular hydrogen, providing neutral conditions for removal of the N-carbamate protecting group. This methodology demonstrates good functional group tolerance towards a variety of substituents in the aromatic ring and ester groups. The overall yield of 3-amino-1H-indole-2-carboxylates obtained by this four-step methodology is at least 30% or higher with yields as high as 50% realised for three of the indoles investigated in this study.     

Collimation testing using wedge plate lateral shearing interferometry and Fourier fringe analysis

For checking the collimation of an optical beam Fourier fringe analysis has been incorporated into the wedge plate interferometric setup. Typical interferograms corresponding to ‘in-focus’, ‘at-focus’ and ‘out-of-focus’ positions of an optical beam have been recorded. As per the testing procedure, FFT of the recorded interferometer is computed digitally, and necessary processing for direct determination of phase is undertaken. Finally, the phase data is unwrapped and plotted as a function of pixel position along the direction perpendicular to the shear. The slope of the phase provides the information regarding collimation position of the collimator. As the collimation position is detected by the direct measurement of the phase over the whole area of the interferogram, high accuracy, reliability and precision are achieved.     

Ligand-bridged dinuclear cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes: from metallamacrocycles to discrete dimers

Metallamacrocycles 1, 2, and 3 of the general formula [{Ir(ppy)(2)}(2)(μ-BL)(2)](OTf)(2) (ppyH = 2-phenyl pyridine; BL = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpa) (1), 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) (2), and trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe) (3)) have been synthesized by the reaction of [{(ppy)(2)Ir}(2)(μ-Cl)(2)], first with AgOTf to effect dechlorination and later with various bridging ligands. Open-frame dimers [{Ir(ppy)(2)}(2)(μ-BL)](OTf)(2) were obtained in a similar manner by utilizing N,N'-bis(2-pyridyl)methylene-hydrazine (abp) and N,N'-(bis(2-pyridyl)formylidene)ethane-1,2-diamine (bpfd) (for compounds 4 and 5, respectively) as bridging ligands. Molecular structures of 1, 3, 4, and 5 were established by X-ray crystallography. Cyclic voltammetry experiments reveal weakly interacting "Ir(ppy)(2)" units bridged by ethylene-linked bpe ligand in 3; on the contrary the metal centers are electronically isolated in 1 and 2 where the bridging ligands are based on ethane and propane linkers. The dimer 4 exhibits two accessible reversible reduction couples separated by 570 mV indicating the stability of the one-electron reduced species located on the diimine-based bridge abp. The "Ir(ppy)(2)" units in compound 5 are noninteracting as the electronic conduit is truncated by the ethane spacer in the bpfd bridge. The dinuclear compounds 1-5 show ligand centered (LC) transitions involving ppy ligands and mixed metal to ligand/ligand to ligand charge transfer (MLCT/LLCT) transitions involving both the cyclometalating ppy and bridging ligands (BL) in the UV-vis spectra. For the conjugated bridge bpe in compound 3 and abp in compound 4, the lowest-energy charge-transfer absorptions are red-shifted with enhanced intensity. In accordance with their similar electronic structures, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit identical emissions. The presence of vibronic structures in these compounds indicates a predominantly (3)LC excited states. On the contrary, broad and unstructured phosphorescence bands in compounds 3-5 strongly suggest emissive states of mixed (3)MLCT/(3)LLCT character. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out to gain insight on the frontier orbitals, and to rationalize the electrochemical and photophysical properties of the compounds based on their electronic structures.     

Protective Effect of Cudrania tricuspidata Extract against High-Fat Diet Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease through Nrf-2/HO-1 Pathway

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common chronic disease affecting a wide range of the world’s population and associated with obesity-induced metabolic syndrome. It is possibly emerging as a leading cause of life-threatening liver diseases for which a drug with a specific therapeutic target has not been developed yet. Previously, there have been reports on the benefits of Cudrania tricuspidata (CT) for treating obesity and diabetes via regulation of metabolic processes, such as lipogenesis, lipolysis, and inflammation. In this study, we investigated the ameliorative effect of orally administered 0.25% and 0.5% (w/w) CT mixed with high-fat diet (HFD) to C57BL/6J mice for 7 weeks. It was found that body weight, fat mass, hepatic mass, serum glucose level, and liver cholesterol levels were significantly reduced after CT treatment. In CT-treated HFD-fed mice, the mRNA expression levels of hepatic lipogenic and inflammatory cytokine-related genes were markedly reduced, whereas the expression level of epididymal lipogenic genes was increased. The mRNA expression level of beta-oxidation and Nrf-2/HO-1 genes significantly increased in CT-treated obese mice livers. We propose that CT alleviates hepatic steatosis by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.     

"Polysiloxane-Pd" nanocomposites as recyclable chemoselective hydrogenation catalysts

Polysiloxane-encapsulated "Pd"-nanoclusters were generated by reduction of Pd(OAc)(2) with polymethylhydrosiloxane, which functions as a reducing agent as well as a capping material for production and stabilization of catalytically active "Pd"-nanoparticles. Chemoselective hydrogenation of functional conjugated alkenes was achieved by in-situ- or ex-situ-generated polysiloxane-stabilized "Pd"-nanoclusters under mild reaction conditions in high yields. Electron microscopy, UV-vis, and NMR studies of the reaction mixture during the catalytic transformation were performed and, in conjunction with catalyst poisoning experiments, demonstrated unequivocally the role of polysiloxane-encapsulated "Pd"-nanoclusters as the real catalytic species. The recyclability of the "Pd"-nanoclusters was established by reusing the solid left after the reaction.     

Sulfuryl Fluoride Mediated Conversion of Aldehydes to Nitriles

Aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic aldehydes were readily converted to corresponding nitriles in a one-pot reaction sequence with hydroxylamine and sulfuryl fluoride. The reaction proceeds at room temperature, does not require metal catalysts and special precautions, and produces nitriles in excellent yields. It is compatible with a variety of functional groups, can be performed in aqueous and organic solvents, and is readily scalable to multigram quantities. Mild conditions and high selectivity of the reaction enabled the construction of polyfunctional probes containing nitrile, alkyne, azide, and fluorosulfate groups for further orthogonal derivatization.