New acetylated flavone C-glycosides from Iris lactea

Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Iris lactea afforded three new flavone C-glycosides including 4?-O-acetyl-embinin (1), 2?,4?-O-diacetyl-embinin (2) and 6″,4?-O-diacetyl-embinin (3) along with the known analogue embinin (4). Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis as well as by HRESIMS data. The sugars were characterized following acid hydrolysis of the respective glycosides and TLC analysis compared to known standards. Duplicated signals can be observed in the NMR spectra, indicating the presence of rotamers caused by rotational hindrance around the glycosyl-flavone CC linkage. All isolated compounds were tested for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities but found to be inactive.     

Iron(II) promoted direct synthesis of dibenzo[b,e]oxepin-11(6H)-one derivatives with biological activity. A short synthesis of doxepin

A novel and efficient synthesis of dibenzo[b,e]oxepin-11(6H)-ones by direct intramolecular ortho-acylation from readily available 2-(phenoxymethyl)benzoic acids was developed. The method takes advantage of a newly developed cooperative system consisting of sustainable FeCl₂ and Cl₂CHOCH₃ as the key components. This methodology is compatible with a wide variety of functional groups in good to excellent yields and high regioselectivity. The synthetic application of new protocol was extended to the synthesis of known tricyclic drug doxepin as well as a small library of oxepin based derivatives. For the first time, the obtained dibenzo[b,e]oxepinone derivatives were evaluated for their biological activities on the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an effective and cost-efficient model system for anthelmintic discovery.     

Unprecedented acid-catalyzed Wurtz-type coupling of meso-bromoindodicarbocyanine dyes

meso-Bromosubstituted indodicarbocyanine dyes produce dimeric molecules, together with the debrominated species, under acid catalysis. The relationship between the dimerization and hydrodebromination routes depends on the aryl substitution of the dyes. A possible reaction mechanism is also proposed.     

Diastereoselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated but-2-enamides to access the chiral 3-(p-tolyl) butanoic acids

An alternative methodology for the synthesis of chiral 3-(p-tolyl) butanoic acids is presented. This was accomplished through the diastereoselective hydrogenation reaction of different chiral N-3-(p-tolyl) but-2-enamides, using Pd/C in EtOH, to produce the corresponding chiral N-3-(p-tolyl) butanamides with high chemical yields and moderate diastereomeric ratios. Removal of the chiral auxiliary from N-3-(p-tolyl) butanamides gave the respective enantiomerically pure acids.     

Determination of vanadium in titanate-based ferroelectrics by INAA with discriminating gamma-ray spectrometry

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used for determination of vanadium mass fraction in crystals of incipient ferroelectric strontium titanate and ferroelectric barium titanate. In order to improve vanadium limit of detection, discriminating gamma-ray spectrometry was used by inserting an absorption filter between the samples and an HPGe detector. The use of the absorption lead filter 6-mm thick yielded improvement of the vanadium limit of detection by a factor of two. The vanadium mass fraction determined in a quality control sample, which was NIST standard reference material SRM 1648 Urban Particulate Matter, was in close agreement with the certified value.

     

Addition of Surfactants and Non-Hydrolytic Proteins and Their Influence on Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Pretreated Sugarcane Bagasse

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG 4000) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated with the purpose of evaluating their influence on enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse. Effects of these supplements were assayed for different enzymatic cocktails (Trichoderma harzianum and Penicillium funiculosum) that acted on lignocellulosic material submitted to different pretreatment methods with varying solid (25 and 100 g/L) and protein (7.5 and 20 mg/g cellulose) loadings. The highest levels of glucose release were achieved using partially delignified cellulignin as substrate, along with the T. harzianum cocktail: increases of 14 and 18 % for 25 g/L solid loadings and of 33 and 43 % for 100 g/L solid loadings were reached for BSA and PEG supplementation, respectively. Addition of these supplements could maintain hydrolysis yield even for higher solid loadings, but for higher enzymatic cocktail protein loadings, increases in glucose release were not observed. Results indicate that synergism might occur among these additives and cellulase and xylanases. The use of these supplements, besides depending on factors such as pretreatment method of sugarcane bagasse, enzymatic cocktails composition, and solid and protein loadings, may not always lead to positive effects on the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material, making it necessary further statistical studies, according to process conditions.     

Optimal Production of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodococcus erythropolis</Emphasis> ATCC 4277 Biocatalyst for Biodesulfurization and Biodenitrogenation Applications

Rhodococcus sp. has a broad catabolic diversity and unique enzymatic capabilities, and it is able to adapt under extreme conditions. Thereby, the production of this remarkable bacterium has a great biotechnological and industrial importance. In this sense, we sought to improve the R. erythropolis ATCC 4277 growth through a central composite design, by varying the components of nutrient medium (glucose, malt extract, yeast extract, CaCO₃), temperature, and agitation. It was found that the concentrations of glucose and malt extract are not statistically significant, being reduced of 4.0 and 10.0 g L^-1 to 2.0 and 5.0 g L^?1, respectively. The CaCO₃ concentration and temperature were also diminished of 2.0 to 1.16 g L^?1and 28 to 23.7 °C, respectively. Optimal growth conditions provided a 240% increase in final biomass concentration, an increment in specific growth rate, and a growth yield coefficient about five times greater. Application of the optimal conditions in biodesulfurization and biodenitrogenation processes showed that desulfurization capability is not associated with optimal growth conditions; however, it was achieved a 47% of nitrogen removal in the assay containing 10% (w/w) of heavy gas oil.

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Fast-switching effect using viscous chiral-nematic materials

We report on chiral-nematic mixtures containing viscous chiral dopants, composed of rigid rod-like chiral molecules, in order to solve the problem of backflow in the middle layers of the liquid crystal cells. During the study, the viscoelastic properties of the liquid crystal compositions have been optimised, as well as the helical twisting power of the chiral compounds, the anchoring energy and the pre-tilt angle of alignment materials, the ratio between the cell gap and the helical pitch (d/P₀). After optimisation, we prepared test cells with low operating voltage – from 1.5 till 5.0 V, fast response time (τ_on + τ_off) – less than 1 ms, wide operating temperature range from ?40°C till +100°C, and good thermal stability. It should be noted that the response time of the new electro-optical mode does not strongly depend on the cell gap, which is in contrast to other known operating modes. We have achieved rather linear than quadratic dependence of the response time when changing the thickness of the cell.     

Fractal geometry concerned with stable and dynamic fracture mechanics

Fractal modeling of the rugged crack geometry is considered for the stable and dynamic fracture mechanics characterizing the morphology of a fracture surface and the influence of its growth. It is shown that the fractal dimension has a strong influence on the rising of the R-curve in brittle materials. For the unstable Griffith–Mott’s approach or dynamical crack growth the fractal dimension has a strong influence on the velocity limit of the crack growth. It is also shown that the limit of crack velocity lowers with increasing surface ruggedness (higher fractal dimension D = 2 − H) explaining the intangibility of the Rayleigh wave velocity by the cracks.