Microwave‐assisted Chemical Reactions

Microwave (MW) radiation has been used in chemical analysis and chemical synthesis. MW heating under controlled conditions offers distinct advantages over conventional heating. The reactions are carried out in environmentally clean and safe solvents and in many cases, reactions can be carried out under solvent‐free conditions. This method of synthesis has grown rapidly and found its use in various sectors. This paper reviews some of the reactions that have been accelerated with higher yields under MW irradiation. The application of MW‐assisted synthesis in the medicinal and pharmaceutical industries will be emphasized.     

选择性富集分离虎杖中白藜芦醇苷的分子印迹聚合物的制备及分子识别性能研究

以白藜芦醇苷(POL)为模板分子,分别以丙烯酰胺(AM)、4-乙烯基吡啶(4-VP)、甲基丙烯酸羟乙酯(HEMA)、甲基丙烯酸(MAA)为功能单体,二甲基丙烯酸乙二醇酯(EGDMA)为交联剂,偶氮二异丁腈(AIBN)为引发剂,采用本体聚合法制备白藜芦醇苷分子印迹聚合物。采用静态平衡结合实验研究了印迹聚合物对模板分子及不同底物的识别性能。结果表明,以丙烯酰胺为功能单体的印迹聚合物(MIP1)对模板分子的识别性能最好,其次是以4-VP为功能单体的聚合物(MIP2),以HEMA为功能单体的聚合物(MIP3)以及以MAA为功能单体的聚合物(MIP4)的分子识别性能较差。表明功能单体与模板分子之间相互作用的强弱对MIP的识别能力有较大的影响。静态平衡结合法以及Scatchard分析法表明,MIP1对模板分子呈现较好的结合能力和选择性,该印迹聚合物中形成了2类不同的结合位点,离解常数分别为7.43×10-5、3.70×10-3mol/L。将MIP1用于虎杖提取物中POL的固相萃取分离,效果良好。     

Identification of urinary metabolites of imperatorin with a single run on an LC/Triple TOF system based on multiple mass defect filter data acquisition and multiple data mining techniques

The detection of drug metabolites, especially for minor metabolites, continues to be a challenge because of the complexity of biological samples. Imperatorin (IMP) is an active natural furocoumarin component originating from many traditional Chinese herbal medicines and is expected to be pursued as a new vasorelaxant agent. In the present study, a generic and efficient approach was developed for the in vivo screening and identification of IMP metabolites using liquid chromatography-Triple TOF mass spectrometry. In this approach, a novel on-line data acquisition method mutiple mass defect filter (MMDF) combined with dynamic background subtraction was developed to trace all probable urinary metabolites of IMP. Comparing with the traditionally intensity-dependent data acquisition method, MMDF method could give the information of low-level metabolites masked by background noise and endogenous components. Thus, the minor metabolites in complex biological matrices could be detected. Then, the sensitive and specific multiple data-mining techniques extracted ion chromatography, mass defect filter, product ion filter, and neutral loss filter were used for the discovery of IMP metabolites. Based on the proposed strategy, 44 phase I and 7 phase II metabolites were identified in rat urine after oral administration of IMP. The results indicated that oxidization was the main metabolic pathway and that different oxidized substituent positions had a significant influence on the fragmentation of the metabolites. Two types of characteristic ions at m/z 203 and 219 can be observed in the MS/MS spectra. This is the first study of IMP metabolism in vivo. The interpretation of the MS/MS spectra of these metabolites and the proposed metabolite pathway provide essential data for further pharmacological studies of other linear-type furocoumarins.     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of new donor-acceptor benzodithiophene-containing copolymers

Four new alternating narrow band-gap copolymers containing benzodithiophene, 4,8-dithiophen-2-yl-benzo[1,2-c;4,5-c′-bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole, 4,9-bis(thiophen-2-yl)-6,7-di(2-ethylhexyl)-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-g]quinoxaline, 5,8-dibromo-2,3-bis(5-octylthiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline, and 4,7-bis(5-bromothiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2,5] thiadiazole units are synthesized under Stille reaction conditions. The structures, molecular masses, and physical properties of the copolymers are studied via ¹H NMR spectroscopy, GPC, cyclic voltammetry, and thermomechanical and thermogravimetric analyses. The polymers show solubility and a broad absorption region (with the band gap in the range from 0.81 to 1.53 eV). All of the polymers are photostable in air, and their levels of the highest occupied molecular orbital vary from ?4.98 to ?5.30 eV. Polymer solar cells based on these copolymers as donors and fullerene PC₆₀BM as an acceptor show open-circuit voltages in the range 0.16–0.61 V, and the efficiencies of the devices are in the range 0.02–0.49%.     

Synthesis of new conjugated copolymers containing 4,8-bis(dodecyloxy)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene/5,7-bis(3,4-diethylthien-2-yl)-2,3-diphenylthieno[3,4-b]pyrazine and 4,8-bis(dodecyloxy)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene/4,6-di(3,4-diethylthien-2-yl)-thieno[3,4-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole derivatives for photovoltaic applications

Two new donor-acceptor narrow-band-gap photovoltaic copolymers containing various electron-acceptor functional groups, such as thienopyrazine and thienodithiazole derivatives, are synthesized under the conditions of the Suzuki polycondensation reaction and characterized via ¹H NMR spectroscopy and GPC. The optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties of the polymers are examined in detail. Both copolymers have good solubilities, high thermal stabilities, broad absorption regions (350–950 nm), relatively low levels of the highest occupied molecular orbital (?5.01 and ?5.02 eV for polymers I and II, respectively), and narrow band gaps (1.31 and 1.41 eV, respectively). Photovoltaic devices based on a polymer-II-PC₆₀BM (1: 3, wt/wt) mixture under AM 1.5 irradiation of 100 mV/cm² exhibit a power-conversion efficiency of ～0.29%, a short-circuit current of 1.45 mA/cm², an open-circuit voltage of V _oc = 0.67 V, and a fill factor of 0.30. These results are evidence that thienopyrazine functional groups are attractive as electron-acceptor building blocks in organic electronics.     

A rapid and convenient method for preparative separation of three indissolvable polyphenols from Euphorbia pekinensis by the flexible application of solvent extraction combined with counter‐current chromatography

A rapid and convenient method was established to preparatively isolate the three ellagic acid types of compounds, which were the main polyphenols in Euphorbia pekinensis, by flexibly applying solvent extraction combined with counter‐current chromatography (CCC). The total extract (extracted using 95% ethanol) of E. pekinensis was pretreated by two simple steps before CCC isolation, following the procedure: the total extract was extracted by classical solvent extraction using petroleum ether and ethyl acetate, respectively, and then the ethyl acetate extract was suspended using 95% ethanol, after being allowed to stand overnight, the sediment was obtained. Partial sediment (100 mg) was then directly separated by CCC with a two‐phase solvent system composed of chloroform‐95% ethanol‐water‐85% formic acid (50:50:50:5, v/v/v/v). About 22 mg of 3,3′‐dimethoxy ellagic acid (1), 12 mg of 3,3′‐di‐O‐methyl‐4‐O‐(β‐d ‐xylopyranosyl)ellagic acid (2), and 35 mg of ellagic acid (3) with purities of 96.0, 95.2, and 95.4% were obtained respectively in one step within 4 h. After being purified by washing with methanol, the purities of the three compounds obtained were all above 98%. The purities were determined by HPLC and their chemical structures were further identified by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The recoveries were calculated as 84.6, 85.7, and 89.5%, respectively. The result demonstrated that the present isolation method was rapid, economical and efficient for the preparative separation of polyphenols from E. pekinensis.     

Porous V2O5-SnO2/CNTs composites as high performance cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) exhibits high theoretical capacities when used as a cathode in lithium ion batteries (LIBs), but its application is limited by its structural instability as well as its low lithium and electronic conductivities. A porous composite of V₂O₅-SnO₂/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was prepared by a hydrothermal method and followed by thermal treatment. The small particles of V₂O₅, their porous structure and the coexistence of SnO₂ and CNTs can all facilitate the diffusion rates of the electrons and lithium ions. Electrochemical impedance spectra indicated higher ionic and electric conductivities, as compared to commercial V₂O₅. The V₂O₅-SnO₂/CNTs composite gave a reversible discharge capacity of 198 mAh·g^?1 at the voltage range of 2.05–4.0 V, measured at a current rate of 200 mA·g^?1, while that of the commercial V₂O₅ was only 88 mAh·g^?1, demonstrating that the porous V₂O₅-SnO₂/CNTs composite is a promising candidate for high-performance lithium secondary batteries.     

Fingerprints of Phalaenopsis Tissues in Growth and Spike Induction Periods—A Solid‐state 13C NMR Approach

Solid‐state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ss‐NMR) ¹³C single‐pulse excitation spectroscopy in combination with the magic‐angle spinning (MAS) technique was applied to a series of Phalaenopsis tissues, including the leaf, sheath, stem, and root, at different growth and spiking periods. Compared with{¹H}/¹³C cross‐polarization MAS spectra, the ¹³C single‐pulse excitation MAS spectra displayed very distinct spectral patterns, recognizable as fingerprints of the tissues studied. ¹Here, we demonstrate that solid‐state ¹³C single‐pulse excitation NMR spectroscopy provides a direct and robust analytical tool for studying the various tissues of Phalaenopsis in different growth and spiking induction periods.     

Five New Cycloartane‐Type Triterpenoid Saponins from Nervilia fordii

Five new cycloartane glycosides, nervisides D–H ( 1 – 5 ), were isolated from the AcOEt‐ and H₂O‐soluble portions of the 90% EtOH extract of the aerial part of the plant Nervilia fordii. The structures of the isolated glycosides were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis including HR‐ESI‐MS and NMR data. The isolated nervisides D–H were evaluated for the cytotoxic activity in vitro against human‐tumor cell lines (CNE, Hep‐2 and HepG2) with the MTT method.