Recent trends in nanomaterial-based microanalytical systems for the speciation of trace elements: A critical review

Trace element speciation in biomedical and environmental science has gained increasing attention over the past decade as researchers have begun to realize its importance in toxicological studies. Several nanomaterials, including titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO₂), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), have been used as sorbents to separate and preconcentrate trace element species prior to detection through mass spectrometry or optical spectroscopy. Recently, these nanomaterial-based speciation techniques have been integrated with microfluidics to minimize sample and reagent consumption and simplify analyses. This review provides a critical look into the present state and recent applications of nanomaterial-based microanalytical systems in the speciation of trace elements. The adsorption and preconcentration efficiencies, sample volume requirements, and detection limits of these nanomaterial-based speciation techniques are detailed, and their applications in environmental and biological analyses are discussed. Current perspectives and future trends into the increasing use of nanomaterial-based microfluidic techniques for trace element speciation are highlighted.     

Designing the Molybdopterin Core through Regioselective Coupling of Building Blocks

Molybdopterin is an essential cofactor for all forms of life. The cofactor is composed of a pterin moiety appended to a dithiolene‐functionalized pyran ring, and through the dithiolene moiety it binds metal ions. Different synthetic strategies for dithiolene‐functionalized pyran precursors that have been designed and synthesized are discussed. These precursors also harbor 1,2‐diketone or osone functionality that has been condensed with 1,2‐diaminobenzene or other heterocycles resulting in several quinoxaline or pterin derivatives. Use of additives improves the regioselectivity of the complexes. The molecules have been characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR and IR spectroscopies, as well as by mass spectrometry. In addition, several compounds have been crystallographically characterized. The geometries of the synthesized molecules are more planar than the geometry of the cofactor found in proteins.     

Mechanistic Insights into the Post‐Cyclization Isomerization in Gold‐Catalyzed 7‐exo‐dig‐Hydroarylations

The subsequent double‐bond isomerization in the synthesis of dibenzocycloheptenes and their heteroaromatic analogues was investigated. In the case of biphenyls, a basic additive completely prevented an isomerization to the thermodynamic product. With electron‐rich intramolecular heteroaromatic nucleophiles, the isomerization was still observed, but the kinetic product can be obtained by careful control of the reaction times in most cases. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that a slow isomerization is also possible with the gold catalyst at elevated temperatures, but much faster isomerization rates were observed with acidic additives. An observed initiation period for the gold‐catalyzed isomerization indicates that not the homogenous catalyst, but a decomposition product of it may be the catalytically active species.     

Enhanced Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to CO through TiO2 Passivation of InP in Ionic Liquids

A robust and reliable method for improving the photocatalytic performance of InP, which is one of the best known materials for solar photoconversion (i.e., solar cells). In this article, we report substantial improvements (up to 18×) in the photocatalytic yields for CO₂ reduction to CO through the surface passivation of InP with TiO₂ deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Here, the main mechanisms of enhancement are the introduction of catalytically active sites and the formation of a pn‐junction. Photoelectrochemical reactions were carried out in a nonaqueous solution consisting of ionic liquid, 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM]BF₄), dissolved in acetonitrile, which enables CO₂ reduction with a Faradaic efficiency of 99 % at an underpotential of +0.78 V. While the photocatalytic yield increases with the addition of the TiO₂ layer, a corresponding drop in the photoluminescence intensity indicates the presence of catalytically active sites, which cause an increase in the electron‐hole pair recombination rate. NMR spectra show that the [EMIM]⁺ ions in solution form an intermediate complex with CO₂^?, thus lowering the energy barrier of this reaction.     

Total Synthesis of cis‐Clavicipitic Acid from Asparagine via Ir‐Catalyzed CH bond Activation as a Key Step

4‐Substituted tryptophan derivatives and the total synthesis of cis‐clavicipitic acid were achieved in reactions in which Ir‐catalyzed C?H bond activation was a key step. The starting material for these reactions is asparagine, which is a cheap natural amino acid. The reductive amination step from the 4‐substituted tryptophan derivative gave cis‐clavicipitic acid with perfect diastereoselectivity.     

Dual Gold‐Catalyzed Head‐to‐Tail Coupling of Iodoalkynes

Various haloalkynes are converted in the presence of a dual activation gold catalyst. Via a dual activation process a completely atom economic head‐to‐tail coupling delivers gem‐dihalogenated conjugated enynes as valuable building blocks for organic synthesis.     

Bio‐Inspired Transition Metal–Organic Hydride Conjugates for Catalysis of Transfer Hydrogenation: Experiment and Theory

Taking inspiration from yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (yADH), a benzimidazolium (BI⁺) organic hydride‐acceptor domain has been coupled with a 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen) metal‐binding domain to afford a novel multifunctional ligand ( L ^BI+) with hydride‐carrier capacity ( L ^BI++H^?? L ^BIH). Complexes of the type [Cp*M( L ^BI)Cl][PF₆]₂ (M=Rh, Ir) have been made and fully characterised by cyclic voltammetry, UV/Vis spectroelectrochemistry, and, for the Ir^III congener, X‐ray crystallography. [Cp*Rh( L ^BI)Cl][PF₆]₂ catalyses the transfer hydrogenation of imines by formate ion in very goods yield under conditions where the corresponding [Cp*Ir( L ^BI)Cl][PF₆] and [Cp*M(phen)Cl][PF₆] (M=Rh, Ir) complexes are almost inert as catalysts. Possible alternatives for the catalysis pathway are canvassed, and the free energies of intermediates and transition states determined by DFT calculations. The DFT study supports a mechanism involving formate‐driven Rh?H formation (90 kJ mol^?1 free‐energy barrier), transfer of hydride between the Rh and BI⁺ centres to generate a tethered benzimidazoline (BIH) hydride donor, binding of imine substrate at Rh, back‐transfer of hydride from the BIH organic hydride donor to the Rh‐activated imine substrate (89 kJ mol^?1 barrier), and exergonic protonation of the metal‐bound amide by formic acid with release of amine product to close the catalytic cycle. Parallels with the mechanism of biological hydride transfer in yADH are discussed.     

Lipase‐Supported Metal–Organic Framework Bioreactor Catalyzes Warfarin Synthesis

A green and sustainable strategy synthesizes clinical medicine warfarin anticoagulant by using lipase‐supported metal–organic framework (MOF) bioreactors (see scheme). These findings may be beneficial for future studies in the industrial production of chemical, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical precursors.     

A Computational Study of Vicinal Fluorination in 2,3‐Difluorobutane: Implications for Conformational Control in Alkane Chains

A comprehensive conformational analysis of both 2,3‐difluorobutane diastereomers is presented based on density functional theory calculations in vacuum and in solution, as well as NMR experiments in solution. While for 1,2‐difluoroethane the fluorine gauche effect is clearly the dominant effect determining its conformation, it was found that for 2,3‐difluorobutane there is a complex interplay of several effects, which are of similar magnitude but often of opposite sign. As a result, unexpected deviations in dihedral angles, relative conformational energies and populations are observed which cannot be rationalised only by chemical intuition. Furthermore, it was found that it is important to consider the free energies of the various conformers, as these lead to qualitatively different results both in vacuum and in solvent, when compared to calculations based only on the electronic energies. In contrast to expectations, it was found that vicinal syn‐difluoride introduction in the butane and by extension, longer hydrocarbon chains, is not expected to lead to an effective stabilisation of the linear conformation. Our findings have implications for the use of the vicinal difluoride motif for conformational control.