Molecular design based on 3D-pharmacophore. Application to 5-HT subtypes receptors

A first definition of a pharmacophore for the serotonin reuptake inhibitors was carried out by considering a three-dimensional model which correlates the chemical structures of series of reuptake inhibitors with their biological affinities. A molecular design was described by analyzing two different 3D serotonin pharmacophores. This successful approach enabled us to consider the design of new serotonin ligands by the same method.     

Organic cross-linked electropolymers as supported oxidation catalysts: poly((tetrakis(9,9'-spirobifluorenyl)porphyrin)manganese) films

Anodic oxidation of free base and manganese complexes of tetraspirobifluorenylporphyrins leads to the coating of the working electrode by insoluble electroactive poly(9,9'-spirobifluorene-free and manganese porphyrin) films which electrochemical behavior and physicochemical properties are described. After removal from the electrode, the manganese-complexed polymers were evaluated as catalysts for the oxidation of alkenes by iodobenzene diacetate or iodosylbenzene. The results show that the reactions proceeded very efficiently at room temperature with good yields. The electrosynthesized polymer catalysts can be recycled by simple filtration and reused even up to the eighth cycle without loss of activity and selectivity. These results represent an important improvement over those previously described for manganese-porphyrin-catalyzed epoxidation reactions.     

PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF TYPE I ACID-SOLUBLE CALF SKIN COLLAGEN: DEPENDENCE ON EXCITATION WAVELENGTH

Although previous studies have demonstrated that the predominant photochemistry of type I collagen under 254 nm irradiation may be attributed either to direct absorption by tyrosine/phenylalanine or to peptide bonds, direct collagen photochemistry via solar UV wavelengths is much more likely to involve several age- and tissue-related photolabile collagen fluorophores that absorb in the latter region. In this study, we compare and contrast results obtained from irradiation of a commercial preparation of acid-soluble calf skin type I collagen in solution with UVC (primarily 254 nm), UVA (335–400nm) and broad-band solar-simulating radiation (SSR; 290^1–00nm). Excitation spectroscopy and analysis of photochemically induced disappearance of fluorescence (fluorescence fading) indicates that this preparation has at least four photolabile fluorescent chromophores. In addition to tyrosine and L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, our sample contains two other fluorophores. Chromophore I, with emission maximum at 360 nm, appears to be derived from interacting aromatic moieties in close mutual proximity. Chromophore II, with broad emission at430–435 nm, may be composed of one or more age-related molecules. Collagen fluorescence fading kinetics are sensitive to excitation wavelength and to conformation. Under UVC, chromophore I fluorescence disappears with second-order kinetics, indicating a reaction between two proximal like molecules. Adherence to second-order kinetics is abrogated by prior denaturation of the collagen sample. A new broad, weak fluorescence band at400–420 nm, attributable to dityrosine, forms under UVC, but not under solar radiation. This band is photolabile to UVA and UVB wavelengths. Amino acid analysis indicates significant destruction of aromatic amino acids under UVC, but not under UVA or SSR. When properly understood, collagen fluorescence fading phenomena may act as a sensitive molecular probe of structure, conformation and reactivity.     

Lewis acid promoted intramolecular (3 + 2) 'cycloadditions' of methyleneaziridines with alkene and alkyne acceptors

2-Methyleneaziridines can be tethered to a variety of alkene or alkyne acceptors through the saturated carbon of the heterocyclic ring by application of a simple lithiation/alkylation sequence (8 examples, 31-59%). Treatment of the resultant alkene bearing substrates with BF(3)·OEt(2) leads to cis-octahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrroles in which up to four contiguous stereocentres are created in a diastereocontrolled manner after reductive work-up. Using an alkyne based substrate, a 2,4,5,6-tetrahydrocyclopenta[c]pyrrole is produced by rapid tautomerisation of the initially formed bisenamine. Evidence that these (3 + 2) 'cycloadditions' proceed in a stepwise manner via a 2-aminoallyl cation is presented.     

A phosphine-free Pd catalyst for the selective double carbonylation of aryl iodides

The first phosphine-free Pd-catalysed double carbonylation of aryl iodides is reported as a general and practical method, giving excellent conversions and selectivities for a wide range of aryl iodides and amine nucleophiles under atmospheric CO pressure.     

Poly(9,9'-spirobifluorene-manganese porphyrin): a new catalytic material for oxidation of alkenes by iodobenzene diacetate and iodosylbenzene

Anodic oxidation of tetraspirobifluorene-manganese porphyrin lead to the coating of the working electrode by insoluble electroactive poly(9,9'-spirobifluorene-manganese porphyrin) films for which electrochemical behaviour and physicochemical properties are described; these polymeric materials are able to catalyze the heterogeneous epoxidation of styrene with iodobenzene diacetate and iodosylbenzene.     

Controlled pinewood fractionation with supercritical ethanol: A prerequisite toward pinewood conversion into chemicals and biofuels

The objective of this work was to investigate the ability of supercritical (SC) ethanol conditions to attack preferentially the lignin fraction against the carbohydrate fraction and their effects on the product distribution among gases, light products, bio-oils, and chars. In this study, the conversion of each pinewood component was determined by the analysis of solid residues to quantify cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and char contents. It is shown that, by tuning the temperature, hemicellulose and lignin are already transformed in subcritical ethanol conditions, lignin being more reactive than hemicellulose. In contrast, native wood cellulose is recalcitrant to liquefaction in SC ethanol near the critical point (T_c = 241 °C and P_c = 61 bar), but 20% of native wood cellulose is converted in SC ethanol at 280 °C. Besides, the severity of the conditions, in terms of temperature and treatment time, does not significantly influence the yields of gases, light products, and bio-oils but strongly enhances char formation. Interestingly, the increase in SC ethanol density does not change the conversion of biomass components but has a marked effect on bio-oil yield and prevents char formation. The optimum fractionation conditions to convert the lignin component, while keeping unattacked the cellulose fraction with a minimum formation of char, are dense SC ethanol, at 250 °C for 1 h, in batch conditions. However, although lignin is more reactive than hemicellulose under these conditions, these fractions are converted, in a parallel way, to around 50% and 60%, respectively.     

Synthesis of 5-fluoro-2-methyl-3-(2-trifluoromethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-5-yl)-4(3H)-quinazolinone and related compounds with potential antiviral and anticancer activity

The synthesis of ten new substituted 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl-4(3H)-quinazolinones 8–11, 13, 17 , and 20–23 is reported. Compounds 8–11 were prepared by condensation of 5-fluoro-2-methyl-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one (3) and 5-substituted 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles 4–7. Compound 13 was obtained by condensation of 5-fluoro-2-methyl-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one (3) with DL-α-amino-?-caprolactam (12) . Compound 17 was synthesized by condensation of 6-bromo-2-methyl-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one (16) and 2-amino-5-t-butyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole (5) . Compounds 20–23 were obtained by condensation of 5-chloro-6,8-dibromo-2-methyl-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one (19) and 5-substituted 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles 4–7, respectively. The substituted 3,1-benzoxazin-4-ones 3, 16, and 19 were obtained in good yield by refluxing the appropriate anthranilic acid, 1,15 , and 18 with acetic anhydride (2) .     

Conservative numerical methods for the Full von Kármán plate equations

This article is concerned with the numerical solution of the full dynamical von Kármán plate equations for geometrically nonlinear (large‐amplitude) vibration in the simple case of a rectangular plate under periodic boundary conditions. This system is composed of three equations describing the time evolution of the transverse displacement field, as well as the two longitudinal displacements. Particular emphasis is put on developing a family of numerical schemes which, when losses are absent, are exactly energy conserving. The methodology thus extends previous work on the simple von Kármán system, for which longitudinal inertia effects are neglected, resulting in a set of two equations for the transverse displacement and an Airy stress function. Both the semidiscrete (in time) and fully discrete schemes are developed. From the numerical energy conservation property, it is possible to arrive at sufficient conditions for numerical stability, under strongly nonlinear conditions. Simulation results are presented, illustrating various features of plate vibration at high amplitudes, as well as the numerical energy conservation property, using both simple finite difference as well as Fourier spectral discretizations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 31: 1948–1970, 2015