A Trifluorinated Thiazoline Scaffold Leading to Pro‐apoptotic Agents Targeting Prohibitins

A new class of small molecules, with an unprecedented trifluorothiazoline scaffold, were synthesized and their pro‐apoptotic activity was evaluated. With an EC₅₀ in the low micromolar range, these compounds proved to be potent inducers of apoptosis in a broad spectrum of tumor cell lines, regardless of the functional status of p53. Fast structure–activity relationship studies allowed the preparation of the strongest apoptosis‐inducing candidate. Using a high performance affinity purification approach, we identified prohibitins 1 and 2, key proteins involved in the maintenance of cell viability, as the targets for these compounds.     

Reactivity of 2-pyridinecarboxylic esters with cadmium(II) halides: study of (113)Cd NMR solid state spectra and crystal structures of hexacoordinated complexes [CdI(2)(C(5)H(4)NCOOMe)(2)] and [CdI(2)(C(5)H(4)NCOOPr(n))(2)

The series of complexes [CdX(2)(C(5)H(4)NCOOR)] (X = Cl or Br; R = Me, Et, Pr(n)() or Pr(i)()) and [CdX(2)(C(5)H(4)NCOOR)(2)] (X = I; R = Me, Et, Pr(n)(), or Pr(i)()) have been obtained by the addition reaction of esters of 2-pyridinecarboxylic acid to cadmium(II) halides. X-ray crystal structures of two complexes [CdI(2)(C(5)H(4)NCOOR)(2)], R = Me (10) and R = Pr(n)() (12), have been determined. In both cases, the structure consists of discrete neutral monomeric units where the cadmium atom has a distorted octahedral coordination with CdI(2)N(2)O(2) core, two halides being in cis disposition. Structural information is compared with that deduced from (113)Cd CPMAS NMR experiments. Chemical shift anisotropies are discussed in terms of distortions produced in cadmium octahedra. The orientation of the principal axes of (113)Cd shielding tensor is also analyzed and related to the disposition of ligands in the structures of two analyzed compounds.     

Kinetic study of the thermal decomposition of low-grade nickeliferous laterite ores

This study presents an evaluation of the decomposition kinetic of low-grade nickeliferous laterite by thermogravimetric analysis. Kinetic parameters were calculated using the Ozawa and the iso-conversional Friedman methods. Simplified kinetics models like those based on the reaction order were also applied for the simulations. Two-dimensional shrinkage models of the reaction interface mechanism were adopted as describing the thermal transformation process from non-isothermal kinetic analysis. The iso-conversional method (model-free kinetics) reveals that the decomposition of low-grade nickeliferous laterite does not follow a single mechanism because the determined activation energies and pre-exponential factor are not constant during the course of the reaction.