A DFT Study on Estrone – TNT Interaction

Trinitrotoluene, known as TNT, is a widely used powerful explosive. It is a poisonous material, which injures almost all cells, especially those of liver, bone marrow, and kidney. Estrone is a sex hormone having an electron rich aromatic (phenolic) ring that is capable of forming a π complex with molecules containing an electron deficient π system. This study has focused on investigating the tendency of the complex formation of TNT with estrone. It has been thought that the formation of estrone‐TNT π complex might take place in a human body exposed to acute or prolong period of this hazardous chemical and consequently estrone activities might be impaired. The complex formation reaction was investigated mainly using DFT method with B3LYP/6‐31G(d, p) basis set in gas phase. The existence of π interaction between estrone and TNT was demonstrated by computational spectroscopic analyses (UV/Vis, IR, and ¹H NMR techniques). The frontier molecular orbital (HOMO and LUMO) analyses have shown that the considered π complex is very resistant to oxidation with respect to its components, estrone and TNT.     

Complexation and transport of amino acid esters and their salts with synthesised chiral novel aza crown ether derivatives

The syntheses of four aza-15-crown-5 ethers bearing phenyl and phenoxymethyl moieties attached to a stereogenic centre on the crown ring were achieved. Macrocycles have exhibited strong binding ability (K_a = 5364–12,969 M^? 1) and modest enantiomeric discrimination towards the enantiomers of amino acid methyl ester salts by UV titration method in CHCl₃ at 25°C. Computer modelling results supported experimental data providing a detailed understanding of the molecular recognition mode between hosts and guests and the likely binding sites involved. Macrocycles were used for chiral discrimination of amino acids in their zwitterionic forms or as potassium and sodium salts in transport experiments across a bulk chloroform membrane with satisfactory selectivity.     

Statistical Extensions of Some Classical Tauberian Theorems for Cesàro Summability of Triple Sequences

Some growth conditions of the resolvent function of a Banach space operator are investigated using higher order Cesàro means. More precisely, Abel and Nevanlinna estimates are obtained under the condition of boundedness of some weighted Cesàro averages. Also, certains results related to the (strong or uniform) convergence of Cesàro means are mentioned.     

Palladium(II) complexes bearing N‐alkylpiperidoimidazolin‐2‐ylidene derivatives: Effect of alkyl chain length of ligands on catalytic activity

A series of piperidoimidazolinium salts which differ in the chain lengths (butyl, octyl, dodecyl, octadecyl) and their Pd–N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes with pyridine were synthesized and characterized using elemental analysis and spectroscopic methods. The effects of these ligands on catalyst activation and the performance of the complexes were studied in Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of arylboronic acid with aryl chlorides. The complex with the ligand having the longest chain length was found to be most active. The results demonstrated that the length of the alkyl chain of the piperidoimidazolin‐2‐ylidene controlled the dispersion and composition of the nanoparticles and it affected the catalytic activity. The impact of alkyl chain length of piperidoimidazolin‐2‐ylidene on the Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of arylboronic acid with aryl halides was systematically investigated.     

Synthesis,characterization and biological evaluation of some novel sulfonylthiosemicarbazides

Abstract

A series of thiosemicarbazides were synthesized and structurally characterized by spectroscopic techniques (NMR, FT-IR) besides elemental analysis. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cell line MCF7 and prostate cancer cell line PC3 and nonmalignant fibroblast L929 cell line by MTT assay. Among the compounds, N-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-2-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]hydrazinecarbothioamide (3d) and 2-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]-N-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]hydrazinecarbothioamide (3f) were found to display significant cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ of 13.87?μM (against PC3 cell line) and 1.47?μM (against MCF7 cell line), respectively. These compounds were non-cytotoxic to normal cell line with IC₅₀>100?μM. Western blotting studies demonstrated that compound 3f induced apoptosis and caused cell death in the MCF7 and PC3 cell lines via an increase in Bax protein expression and a slight decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression. The gene expression ratio Bax/Bcl-2 showed the induction of mitochondrial apoptosis in cancer cell lines. All of synthesized compounds have also been tested for antioxidant activity and all compounds achieved strong inhibition of the DPPH radical. These findings showed that compound 3f, displays potential to be further explored in the development of new anticancer agents.     

Zeta Potential as an Analytical Tool for Graft Copolymers and for Polymer Surfaces

Polymers with electrically charged groups exhibit a zeta potential when in contact with electrolyte solutions in water. This can be measured with solid polymers as fibers, foils, or granulates. The method of streaming potential/streaming current allows the determination of the carboxyl content of cellulose grafted with poly-(acrylic acid). Since zeta-potential measurements concern the surface of the sample, the method yields information on the type of grafting; i.e., whether it takes place mainly on the surface or throughout the bulk. By measuring the pH dependence of the zeta potential it is possible to obtain the pK value of the charged groups. The significance of zeta potential as an analytical tool is emphasized.     

The Synthesis of Novel Macrocycles,Part V. The Coumarin Crown Ethers and Cation Binding with Fluorescence Spectra

Abstract

The 4-H, 4-methyl and 4-phenyl derivatives of benzo-α-pyrone of 12-crown-4 and 15-crown-5 were synthesised starting from 4-substituted-6,7-dihydroxy- and 7,8-dihydroxybenzo-α-pyrones which reacted with dichloropolyethylene glycols in DMF/water/alkali carbonate. The coumarin-macrocycles were identified by elemental analysis, IR, EI-GC-MS as well as ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The full experimental and spectral data is reported along with ion binding data studied in acetonitrile using fluorescence spectroscopy. The binding of the fluorogenic coumarin-crowns with Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ were recognized as specific alterations on their fluorescence spectra that strongly originated from the structures. The observed CEQFS depending on the bound cation radii and macrocycle size evidenced the rules of cationic recognition of macrocycles. Some 15-crown-5 derivatives exhibited interesting Li⁺ and Na⁺ binding selectivities.     

Computational Enzyme Design

Recent developments in computational chemistry and biology have come together in the “inside‐out” approach to enzyme engineering. Proteins have been designed to catalyze reactions not previously accelerated in nature. Some of these proteins fold and act as catalysts, but the success rate is still low. The achievements and limitations of the current technology are highlighted and contrasted to other protein engineering techniques. On its own, computational “inside‐out” design can lead to the production of catalytically active and selective proteins, but their kinetic performances fall short of natural enzymes. When combined with directed evolution, molecular dynamics simulations, and crowd‐sourced structure‐prediction approaches, however, computational designs can be significantly improved in terms of binding, turnover, and thermal stability.     

Voltammetric methods of reboxetine analysis and the mechanism of its electrode reactions

Reboxetine (RBX) electrochemical redox behavior at hanging mercury drop (HMDE) and glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) was studied in various pH Britton-Robinson universal buffers using cyclic voltammetry and square-wave voltammetry. RBX was reduced at the HMDE and oxidized at the GCE with reversible adsorption controlled and irreversible diffusion controlled processes respectively. The anodic peak is due to the amine and the cathodic peak may correspond to oxygen protonation. An oxidation reaction mechanism is proposed. The linear relation between peak currents and RBX concentration allowed simple, sensitive, precise and inexpensive voltammetric procedures to be developed. The limit of detection was 0.04 µM RBX. The procedures were successfully applied to human urine and RBX tablet assay. Therapeutic RBX concentrations in human serum were not detected due to strong drug-protein binding. Using bovine serum albumin, the methods were used to investigate the effect of serum protein binding on RBX determination.