How do Pseudoenantiomers Structurally Differ in the Gas Phase? An IR/UV Spectroscopy Study of Jet‐Cooled Hydroquinine and Hydroquinidine

The gas‐phase structures of the cinchona alkaloids, hydroquinine and its pseudoenantiomer hydroquinidine, are studied in a supersonic expansion by means of laser‐induced fluorescence and IR/UV double‐resonance spectroscopy. Vibrational spectroscopy combined with density functional calculations show that the conformational properties of the two pseudoenantiomers are identical. In both cases, they exist in two isoenergetic forms, with similar IR spectra. Both conformers are similar to the most stable cis‐γ‐open form of quinine; they differ from each other by the position of the ethyl substituent attached to the quinuclidine ring. Further differences between the two conformers are observed in the laser‐induced fluorescence spectrum. The first electronic transition is characterized by time‐dependent density functional theory and RI‐cc2 calculations, and is of ππ* nature. The results described here emphasize the role of the ethyl substituent in the structural differences between pseudoenantiomers of cinchona alkaloids.     

Mimicking natural fibrous structures of opals by means of a microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal method

Silica-based nanomaterials are of great interest because of their potential applications in constructing electronic and optoelectronic nanodevices. Especially significant are those that combine the properties of photonic crystal with a fibrous semiconductor structure. Here we report the use of microemulsion droplet systems as a simple and controllable route for the synthesis of 3D opals materials with an unusual fibrous microstructure similar to those that exist in nature. By this method, we demonstrate the creation of very long fibrils of 30-50 nm diameter and more than 20 μm length showing simultaneous short and long wavelength light emissions and band gap values (5.50 and 4.41 eV) comparable to those obtained for silicon-based metal oxide semiconductors.     

New solid mucoadhesive systems for benzydamine vaginal administration

The aim of this work was the realization of new formulations for vaginal application to improve the pharmacological effect of benzydamine, displaying both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic activities. For this reasons, this drug was formulated in solid dispersions, by using the mucoadhesive polymers HPMC and/or Carbopol(?), then compressed. Tablets were characterized by studies of friability, hardness, hydration, DSC, mucoadhesion and in vitro release. Kinetics, responsible for drug delivery, was investigated as well. Tablets prepared by using only HPMC showed the best results in terms of swelling and mucoadhesion (time and force) together with prolonged and complete drug release, by diffusive mechanism, through gelled layer. Despite the good mucoadhesive properties, Carbopol(?) does not represent a good excipient because, after the contact with water, it generates a spongy gel layer, not homogeneous, stiff, brittle and with breaking tendency when highly swelled. This kind of gel does not guarantee a linear drug release and could provoke discomfort because of fragment release. HPMC mucoadhesive tablets could be a proper delivery system for benzydamine administration representing a good alternative to traditional dosage forms for vaginal topical therapy.     

Chemoselectivity control in the reaction of a dinuclear chloro-bridged cyclopalladated complex with potassium diphenylphosphide

Reactions of KPPh₂ with the dimeric cyclopalladated complex {Pd(N∩C)(μ-Cl)}₂1 derived from N,N-dimethylbenzylamine were studied using different reagent ratios, temperature, reaction time, concentrations and solvents. Complex 3, the μ-Cl-μ-PPh₂ analog of 1, was obtained in 76% yield in the one-hour reaction using the 1:1 ratio of dimer 1 and KPPh₂ in THF at rt. ortho-(Diphenylphosphino)benzylamine 4 was synthesized in 58% yield by reacting complex 1 with 4.5 equiv. of KPPh₂ in THF at rt. A possible mechanism of the aminophosphine formation is proposed on the basis of the experimental data including ³¹P{¹H} NMR spectra of reaction mixtures.     

Preparation and characterization of a reduced chromium complex via vinyl oxidative coupling: formation of a self-activating catalyst for selective ethylene trimerization

Reaction of the divalent [(t-Bu)NP(Ph)(2)N(t-Bu)]CrCl(2)Li(THF)(2) (1) with 1 equiv of vinyl Grignard (CH(2)=CH)MgCl reproducibly afforded the triangulo {π-[(t-Bu)N-P(Ph)(2)-N(t-Bu)]Cr}(2)(μ,μ',η(4),η(4)'-C(4)H(4)){σ-[(t-Bu)N-P(Ph)(2)-N(t-Bu)]Cr} (2) containing a σ-/π-bonded butadiene-diyl unit. The diene-diyl moiety was generated by an oxidative coupling and deprotonation of two vinyl anions. The crystal structure revealed that of the three chromium atoms, each bearing one NPN ligand, two are perpendicularly bonded to the two sides of the π-system of the butadiene-diyl residue in a sort of inverted sandwich type of structure. The third is instead coplanar with the doubly deprotonated C(4) unit and σ-bonded to the two terminal carbon atoms. Despite the appearance as a Cr(II)/Cr(I) mixed valence species, DFT calculations have revealed that the structure of 2 consists of three divalent chromium atoms, while the additional electron resides on the π-system of the bridging organic residue. Complex 2 behaves as a single component selective catalyst for ethylene trimerization.     

Cucurbit[6]uril nanocavity as an enhanced spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of pyrene

The effect of the addition of macrocyclic host cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) on the photophysical properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pyrene (PYR) was analyzed. The fluorescence emission spectra of the aromatic compound were determined at 25.0 °C in different acidic media (HCl 18%, w/v, or HCOOH 55%, w/v) with and without CB6. A significant enhancement in the fluorescence signals in the presence of CB6 was observed. The average values of the association constant (K_A) for the 1:1 stoichiometry complex and the relative fluorescence quantum yield ratio between the complexed and free PYR (?^PYR–CB6/?^PYR) in acidic media were (4.0 ± 0.5) × 10² M⁻¹ and (5.7 ± 0.2), respectively.The analytical parameters improved in the presence of CB6. The relative decrease in the limit of detection was 92%. The matrix effect was evaluated in fortified samples of tap water and tea extracts. Apparent recoveries obtained by the proposed method in tap water and tea extracts were (82–103)% and (89–99)%, respectively. Selectivity studies with inorganic and organic species were performed. The method is rapid, direct, selective and simple.     

The Mean-Field Limit for Solid Particles in a Navier-Stokes Flow

We propose a mathematical derivation of Brinkman’s force for a cloud of particles immersed in an incompressible viscous fluid. Specifically, we consider the Stokes or steady Navier-Stokes equations in a bounded domain Ω⊂ℝ³ for the velocity field u of an incompressible fluid with kinematic viscosity ν and density 1. Brinkman’s force consists of a source term 6π ν j where j is the current density of the particles, and of a friction term 6π ν ρ u where ρ is the number density of particles. These additional terms in the motion equation for the fluid are obtained from the Stokes or steady Navier-Stokes equations set in Ω minus the disjoint union of N balls of radius ε=1/N in the large N limit with no-slip boundary condition. The number density ρ and current density j are obtained from the limiting phase space empirical measure , where x _k is the center of the k-th ball and v _k its instantaneous velocity. This can be seen as a generalization of Allaire’s result in [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 113:209–259, [1991]] who considered the case of periodically distributed x _k s with v _k =0, and our proof is based on slightly simpler though similar homogenization arguments. Similar equations are used for describing the fluid phase in various models for sprays.     

Phase transitions and magnetoelectric coupling in BiFe<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Zn<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> multiferroics

Multiferroic BiFe_1?xZn _x O₃ ceramics were prepared by solution combustion method. Their structure, magnetoelectric, dielectric, magnetic, thermal characteristics were studied. The magnetic M(T) and heat capacity C _p (T) measurements demonstrate an antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition (T _N ) around 635 K. The anomaly on the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant near T _N was observed, which could be induced by the magnetoelectric coupling between electric and magnetic ordering. The magnetoelectric behavior was also confirmed by the linear relation between Δε and M², which is in the agreement of the Ginzburg-Landau theory for the second-order phase transition.     

Effects of Environmental and Electric Perturbations on the pKa of Thioredoxin Cysteine 35: A Computational Study

Here we present a theoretical-computational study dealing with the evaluation of the pKa of the Cysteine residues in Thioredoxin (TRX) and in its complex with the Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). The free energy differences between the anionic and neutral form of the Cysteine 32 and 35 have been evaluated by means of the Perturbed Matrix Method with classical perturbations due to both the environment and an exogenous electric field as provided by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. The evaluation of the free energies allowed us to show that the effect of the perturbing terms is to lower the pKa of Cysteine 32 and Cysteine 35 with respect to the free amino-acid. On the other hand, in the complex TRX-TXNIP, our data show an enhanced stabilization of the neutral reduced form of Cys 35. These results suggest that external electric stimuli higher than 0.02 V/nm can modulate the Cysteine pKa, which can be connected to the tight regulation of the TRX acting as an antioxidant agent.     

From the Streets to the Judicial Evidence: Determination of Traditional Illicit Substances in Drug Seizures by a Rapid and Sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS-Based Platform

According to the 2021 World Drug Report, around 275 million people use drugs of abuse, and 36 million people suffer from addiction, fostering a thriving market for illicit substances. In Italy, 30,083 people were reported to the Judicial Authority for offenses in violation of the Italian Law D.P.R. 309/1990. These offences are sentenced after a qualitative–quantitative analysis of seized materials. Given the large quantity of seized drugs and the need to perform accurate analytical determinations, Italian forensic laboratories struggle to complete analyses in a short time, delaying the entire reporting process needed to achieve sentencing. For this purpose, an UHPLC-MS/MS-based platform was developed at the University of Milano-Bicocca to support law-enforcement authorities. Software was designed to easily manage street seizure acquisition, documentation registration, and sampling. A sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method was fully validated for the quantification of the traditional illicit substances (cocaine, heroin, 6-MAM, morphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine, GHB, GBL, LSD, trans-∆9-THC, and THCA) at the ppb level. The final report is relayed to the Prefecture in 3–4 days, even within 24 h for urgent requests. The platform allows for semi-automatic data handling to minimize erroneous results for an accurate report generation by standardized procedures.