A new sustainable protocol for the synthesis of nitroaldol derivatives via Henry reaction under solvent-free conditions

A new protocol for the Henry addition of nitroalkanes to aryl- and alkyl-aldehydes promoted by PS-BEMP under solvent-free conditions (SolFC) is presented. The corresponding nitroaldol products were obtained in good yields and short times; furthermore minimization of the reaction waste was achieved by reducing the use of organic solvents. Extension of the protocol was obtained by setting up the tandem Michael-Henry reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and nitroalkane to yield the corresponding dinitro derivatives.     

An ethanol‐solvated centrosymmetric dimer of bismuth(III) and thiosaccharinate resulting from `semicoordination' contacts

In the title compound, bis(μ‐1,1‐dioxo‐1,2‐benzothiazole‐3‐thiolato)‐κ³N,S:S;κ³S:N,S‐bis[(1,1‐dioxo‐1,2‐benzothiazole‐3‐thiolato‐κ²N,S)(ethanol‐κO)bismuth(III)] ethanol hemisolvate, [Bi₂(C₇H₄NO₂S₂)₆(C₂H₅OH)₂]·0.5C₂H₅OH, three independent thiosaccharinate (tsac) anions chelate the metal centre through the endocyclic N and exocyclic S atoms. The complex also presnts two `semicoordination' contacts, one from a pendant ethanol solvent molecule and a second one from an S atom of a centrosymmetrically related molecule. This latter interaction complements two π–π interactions between tsac rings to form a dimeric entity which is the elemental unit that builds up the crystal structure. These dinuclear units are connected to each other via a second type of π–π interaction, generating chains along [11]. Two ethanol molecules, one of them of full occupancy at a general position and semicoordinated to the central cation, and a second one depleted and disordered around a symmetry centre, stabilize the structure. The complex was studied theoretically and the vibrational assignations were confirmed by employing theoretical density functional theory (DFT) methods.     

Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxic activity and crystal structures of tri- and di-organotin(IV) complexes constructed from the β-{[(E)-1-(2-hydroxyaryl)alkylidene]amino}propionate and β-{[(2Z)-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-butenylidene)]amino}propionate skeletons

Reactions of potassium β-{[(E)-1-(2-hydroxyaryl)alkylidene]amino}propionates (L¹HK-L³HK) and potassium β-{[(2Z)-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl-2- butenylidene)]amino}propionate (L⁴HK) with R₃SnCl (R = Ph and ⁿBu) and ⁿBu₂SnCl₂ yielded complexes of composition Ph₃SnL¹H (1), Ph₃SnL²H (2), Ph₃SnL⁴H (3), ⁿBu₃SnL¹H (4), and {[ⁿBu₂Sn(L²H)]₂O}₂ (5) and {[ⁿBu₂Sn(L³H)]₂O}₂ (6), respectively. These complexes have been characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn NMR, ESI-MS, IR and ^119mSn Mössbauer spectroscopic techniques in combination with elemental analyses. The crystal structures of 1, 4, 5 and 6 were determined. In the solid state, compound 1 is a one-dimensional polymer built from SnPh₃ moieties bridged by single carboxylate ligands, but two alternating modes of bridging are present along the polymeric chain. Compound 4 is also a one-dimensional polymer built from SnBu₃ moieties bridged by the two carboxylate O-atoms of a single ligand, but only one mode of bridging is present. Di-n-butyltin compounds 5 and 6 are centrosymmetric tetranuclear bis(dicarboxylatotetrabutyldistannoxane) complexes containing a planar Sn₄O₂ core in which two μ₃-oxo O-atoms connect an Sn₂O₂ ring to two exocyclic Sn-atoms. The four carboxylate ligands display two different modes of coordination where both modes involve bridging of two Sn-atoms. The solution structures were predicted by ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopy. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of compound 5 against WIDR, M19 MEL, A498, IGROV, H226, MCF7 and EVSA-T human tumor cell lines is reported.     

LC–MS–MS Determination of Stabilizers and Explosives Residues in Hand-Swabs

The contribution of explosive trace detection in samples from the hands of suspects has been fundamental in several forensic cases involving terrorists. This paper describes a method for the rapid extraction and unequivocal confirmation of some high potential explosives (trinitrotoluene, cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, nitroglycerin) and two stabilizer (diphenylamine and ethylcentralite) residues in hand-swabs using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The extraction procedure of the analytes from the swabs is realized by solvent elution and the extracts are directly analyzed. Recoveries from spiked swabs range from 78 to 96%; the limits of quantification are between 0.04 and 1.8 ng injected and the inter-day method precision is less than 15%. The developed procedure was applied to the detection of explosives traces in samples after handling tests.     

Polarity and Conformations of Phosphazacompounds in Solution

Abstract

A series of iminophosphoranes o-X-C₆H₄-N=PPh₃, where X=H(I),Me (II),Et (III),OMe(IV),OEt(V) were investigated by means of dipole moments method. Because of an orientation of aromatic fragment determines intramolecular interactions in the system (benzene ring - double N=P bond), the problem of internal rotation of N-C_ar bond is important. DM (exp.) of molecules (I-V), determined in dioxane are 4.30(I), 4.34(II), 4.53(III), 4.75(IV), 4.79 D(V), respectively.     

Tris(Trimethylsilyl)Phosphine in Reaction with Bis(Phenylenedioxa)Chlorophosphorane. The Way to Phosphoranylphosphines

Abstract

Tris(trimethy1silyl)phosphine (1) is the key reagent in the synthesis of one- and two-coordinated phosphorus compounds. Its characteristic features are extreme reactivity, high nucleophility of phosphorus atom and the P-Si bonds lability. The interaction of phosphine (1) with bis(catecho1)chlorophosphome (2) has been studied by dynamic ³¹P NMR method. On the reagents ratio 1:1 at first the nucleophilic substitution of chlorine occurs leading to formation of phosphome (3) with P^III-P^v bond (σ_P(III) -117.0, σ^P(V) 17.4 ppm, ¹J_pp 305.0 Hz) which converts then into more stable 2-(trimethylsiloxyphenyloxy)-4,5-bem- 1,3,2-dioxaphospholane (4).     

Membrane mediated regulation in free peptides of HIV-1 gp41: minimal modulation of the hemifusion phase

Membrane-mediated structural modulation in two short fragments of the human HIV-1 envelope protein gp41 is demonstrated. Derived from the C-terminal membrane proximal external (MPE) and N-terminal fusion peptide proximal (FPP) regions, these peptides are widely separated in the primary sequence but form tertiary contacts during the intermediate (hemifusion) phase of HIV infection. The structural perturbations observed at the membrane interface offer evidence of rudimentary regulatory mechanisms operating in the free peptides which may be relevant in the biological system. No such regulatory phenomena were observed for the individual peptides in a membrane environment or between the peptides in aqueous solutions. Structure determination is made using a combination of circular and linear dichroism spectroscopy (supported by calorimetric measurements) and molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we show that these peptides interact locally without the conformational support of helical heptad repeat regions in native gp41 and that the modulation is not mutual with the FPP peptide operating as a primary regulator of the MPE-FPP interactions in the hemifusion phase.     

Chemical Characterization of Three Accessions of Brassica juncea L. Extracts from Different Plant Tissues

Indian mustard or Brassica juncea (B. juncea) is an oilseed plant used in many types of food (as mustard or IV range salad). It also has non-food uses (e.g., as green manure), and is a good model for phytoremediation of metals and pesticides. In recent years, it gained special attention due to its biological compounds and potential beneficial effects on human health. In this study, different tissues, namely leaves, stems, roots, and flowers of three accessions of B. juncea: ISCI 99 (Sample A), ISCI Top (Sample B), and “Broad-leaf” (Sample C) were analyzed by HPLC-PDA/ESI-MS/MS. Most polyphenols identified were bound to sugars and phenolic acids. Among the three cultivars, Sample A flowers turned were the richest ones, and the most abundant bioactive identified was represented by Isorhamnetin 3,7-diglucoside (683.62 µg/100 mg dry weight (DW) in Sample A, 433.65 µg/100 mg DW in Sample B, and 644.43 µg/100 mg DW in Sample C). In addition, the most complex samples, viz. leaves were analyzed by GC-FID/MS. The major volatile constituents of B. juncea L. leaves extract in the three cultivars were benzenepropanenitrile (34.94% in Sample B, 8.16% in Sample A, 6.24% in Sample C), followed by benzofuranone (8.54% in Sample A, 6.32% in Sample C, 3.64% in Sample B), and phytone (3.77% in Sample B, 2.85% in Sample A, 1.01% in Sample C). The overall evaluation of different tissues from three B. juncea accessions, through chemical analysis of the volatile and non-volatile compounds, can be advantageously taken into consideration for future use as dietary supplements and nutraceuticals in food matrices.     

Exploring the Porosity in Ceramics at the nm Scale: From Understanding Historical Ceramics to Innovative Materials Design

Ceramics are complex objects and a rich source of information: they constitute a large part of the staple memory of past and present human activities. A deep understanding of traditional ceramics is an essential key to designing new ceramic materials. The demanding synthesis of ceramics with fine-tuned properties, such as enhanced mechanical, electrical, optical or magnetic characteristics, must be associated with cutting-edge analysis procedures in order to improve the engineering process. In this context, we describe a neutron-based non-destructive approach to investigating the nanoporosity of an historical pottery matrix as an effective investigation technique for exploring both traditional and advanced ceramic materials.