Imidazolinium salts derived from amino[2.2]paracyclophane compounds: synthesis and hydrolytic ring-opening

The synthesis of a series of imidazolinium chlorides containing the [2.2]paracyclophane scaffold is described. Attempts to deprotonate the salts with strong bases resulted in hydrolytic ring-opening and yielded N-formylethylenediamine products rather than the intended free carbenes.     

New understanding of aconitine hydrolysis pathway: Isolation,identification and toxicity evaluation based on intermediate products

Aconitine hydrolysis is deemed to be the guarantee for the safe application of Aconitum phytomedicine. Studies have suggested that hydrolysates of aconitine not only include benzoylaconitine and aconine, but other hydrolysates. Moreover, these hydrolysates maybe have a mutual transformation relationship, which has not been confirmed. Herein, hydrolysates of aconitine and their mutual transformation relationship were studied by the theoretical quantum chemistry, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, the separation and identification of target products, etc. Then the toxicity of its hydrolysates was evaluated. The results demonstrate that the probability is the same for aconitine hydrolysis to pyroaconitine and benzoylaconitine, but they are difficult to convert to each other. Aconitine hydrolysis has three independent hydrolysis pathways, 1) to indaconitine, 2) to benzoylaconitine, and aconine, 3) to pyroaconitine and to 16-epi-pyroaconine. The result of embryotoxicity evaluation on zebrafish was aconitine > indaconitine > benzoylaconitine > α-pyroaconitine > β- pyroaconitine > aconine > 16-epi-pyroaconine. In conclusion, aconitine have three independent hydrolysis pathways and the hydrolysates of different pathways cannot be transformed into each other. Pyroaconitine is a hydrolysate of aconitine except for benzoylaconitine, and its toxicity is lower than benzoylaconitine. More importantly, it clarifies the long-standing debate and provides scientific evidence for the processing and detoxification of Aconitum phytomedicine.     

Effects of ultrasound assisted cell wall disruption on physicochemical properties of camellia bee pollen protein isolates

Camellia bee pollen protein isolates were extracted by cell wall disruption using ultrasonication, freeze-thawing, enzymatic hydrolysis, and their combinations. The effects of these methods on microstructure of cell wall, protein release, protein yield, physiochemical properties and structure of proteins were investigated. As compared with physical treatments (ultrasonication, freeze-thawing and their combination), the enzymatic hydrolysis significantly improved the yield of proteins, because it not only promoted the release of proteins from the inside of pollen, but also released proteins in pollen wall. The proteins extracted by enzymatic hydrolysis method also exhibited better solubility, emulsifying and gelation properties due to the partial hydrolysis of proteins by protease. In addition, when ultrasound was combined with freeze-thawing or enzymatic hydrolysis, it could further improve the yield of proteins and the functional properties of proteins, which was mainly related to the changes of protein structure induced by cavitation effect of ultrasound.     

Ultrasound enhanced solubilization of forest biorefinery hydrolysis lignin in mild alkaline conditions

In the forest biorefinery, hydrolysis lignin (HL) is often dissolved with high concentration NaOH solution, followed by acid precipitation to obtain purified HL. For the first time, this study evaluates the effect of ultrasound (US) on the dissolution of industrially produced HL in aqueous NaOH solutions and the acid precipitation yield of HL. The solubility of HL in mild aqueous NaOH solutions was studied with and without US treatment at 20 kHz concerning the solid-to-liquid ratio, molecular weight of dissolved fractions and structural changes in dissolved HL. Results showed that the solubility of HL at 25 °C was strongly dependent on NaOH concentration. However, the US treatment significantly improved the solubility of HL, reaching a solubility plateau at 0.1 NaOH/HL ratio. US treatment enhanced the solubilization of HL molecules with higher MW compared to conventional mixing. The increase of HL solubility was up to 30 % and the recovery yield of purified lignin with acid precipitation was 37 % higher in dilute NaOH solution. A significant result was that the M_w of dissolved HL in homogeneous alkali solutions decreased with US treatment. SEC, HSQC and ³¹P NMR analyses of dissolved HL characteristics showed that both, the mechanoacoustic and sonochemical solubilization pathways contribute to the dissolution process. However, US does not cause major changes in the HL structure compared to the native lignin. Indeed, US technology has the potential to advance the dissolution and purification of HL in biorefineries by reducing the amount of chemicals required; thus, more controlled and environmentally friendly conditions can be used in HL valorization.     

Dipeptide-assisted growth of uniform gallium oxohydroxide spindles

The catalytic dipeptide His–Ser was used as an additive in mineralizing gallium ions to form GaOOH, a solid precursor of Ga₂O₃. This dipeptide was chosen to mimic the enzyme structure of silicatein, similar to the well-known catalytic triad of chymotrypsin. The dipeptide promoted formation of spindle-structured GaOOH under acidic conditions by behaving as a heterogeneous nucleation seed. In contrast, no well-defined, structured gallium species were produced in the absence of dipeptide. The catalytic function of the dipeptide was most pronounced at pH values in the range 3–5, which are lower than the pKa of imidazole in the His side chain. These results suggest that the catalytic role of dipeptide influences the gallium hydroxide conversion and growth. This study suggests that a designed peptide with active functionality can be further exploited to produce inorganic compounds with controlled nucleation and growth.     

Mechanism of generation of volatile species by aqueous boranes: Towards the clarification of most controversial aspects

The state of knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the chemical generation of volatile species (CHG) arising from aqueous phase reaction of classical hydride forming elements, transition and noble metals with borane complexes (mainly NaBH₄), has been critically reviewed in the light of evidences and literature data published in the last fifty years. The mechanisms, which are necessary to describe the reactivity of CHG system, are essentially: (i) the mechanism of hydrolysis of borane complexes, (ii) the mechanism of formation of volatile species, (iii) the mechanism of liquid phase interference and (iv) the mechanism of action of additives. Only the mechanisms (i) and (ii) have reached a good degree of rationalization, whereas more experimental evidences are necessary for the mechanisms (iii) and (iv). A more general reaction model for analytical CHG can be drawn according to the present state of knowledge, which is valid for both classical hydride forming elements and transition and noble metals. It is based on the formation of analyte–borane complex (ABC) intermediates through which takes place the direct, stepwise transfer of hydrogen atoms from boron to analyte substrate ML_n, (M is a metal or semi-metal, L is a ligand). By this way the original analyte substrate is stepwise converted to hydrido metal complexes MH_xL_y, then to the final products (hydride, metal atoms, etc). The clarification of several controversial aspects and the ruling out of wrong concepts, among them the “nascent” hydrogen theory, can been achieved in the light of the present state of knowledge.     

In situ preparation and fluorescence quenching properties of polythiophene/ZnO nanocrystals hybrids through atom-transfer radical polymerization and hydrolysis

In this paper, a new approach for in situ preparing nanocomposites of conjugated polymers (CPs) and semiconductor nanocrystals was developed. Polythiophene grafted poly(zinc methacrylate) (PTh-g-PZMA) copolymer was synthesized by atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of zinc methacrylate (ZMA) initiated from the macroinitiator poly(2,5-(3-(bromoisopropyl-carbonyl-oxymethylene) thiophene)) (PTh-Br) with pendant initiator groups. Subsequently, the polythiophene grafted poly(methacrylate)/ZnO (PTh-g-PMA/ZnO) hybrid heterojunction nanocomposites were successfully prepared by in situ hydrolysis of PTh-g-PZMA casting films in alkaline aqueous solution. The structures of PTh-Br, PTh-g-PZMA and PTh-g-PMA/ZnO were confirmed by the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The morphologies of PTh-g-PMA/ZnO films prepared for different hydrolysis time were observed in the cross-sections by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM images revealed that ZnO nanocrystals were uniformly dispersed in polymers without any aggregation and the appearances of ZnO nanocrystals changed from nanoparticles to nanorods with the hydrolysis treatment time increasing. The optical properties of these nanocomposites were studied by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy showed that the adsorption band of PTh-g-PMA/ZnO hybrids was broader than that of PTh-Br, implying that the existence of ZnO nanocrystals increased the optical absorption region of hybrids. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the hybrids showed that fluorescence quenching occurred in PTh-g-PMA/ZnO blends and a maximum of 85% of the fluorescence intensity quenched in the PTh-g-PMA/ZnO obtained from treatment in NaOH aqueous solution for 2 h, which revealed the existence of photo-induced charge transfer between the polythiophene chains and ZnO. These results indicated that the hybrid heterojunction nanocomposites could be promising candidates for photovoltaic applications.     

Swelling and hydrolytic degradation of poly(d,l-lactic acid) in aqueous solutions

Low molecular weight poly(lactic acid) was synthesized by direct polycondensation of lactic acid. The oligomers were characterized by viscometry, light scattering, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The swelling behaviour of tablets made of the above polymer immersed in buffer solutions at 37 °C was studied. In the same experiments, the hydrolytic stability of d,l-PLA was assessed by measuring the weight loss after drying the tablets. In order to inhibit any degradation due to bacteria, formaldehyde was added in the solution as biostatic factor. The effect of an incorporated drug on the swelling behaviour of d,l-PLA tablets was also considered. It was found that the incorporation of drug in d,l-PLA tablets increases their swelling index, probably due to the creation of additional porosity in the specimens or other interaction between drug and polymeric matrix.     

Formations and structures of cobalt dithiolene complexes with nitrogen group-substituted cyclopentadienyl ligands

The cobalt dithiolene complex with the sulfonylamide-substituted Cp ligand [(C₅H₄-NHTs)Co{S₂C₂(COOMe)₂}] (1, Ts = p-SO₂C₆H₄Me) reacted with TsOH · H₂O to give [(C₅H₄-NH₂)Co{S₂C₂(COOMe)(H)}] (2), [(C₅H₄-NHTs)Co(S₂C₂H₂)] (3) and [(C₅H₄-NHTs)Co{S₂C₂(COOMe)(H)}] (4). Complex 1 was dissolved in a basic aqueous solution, and the anion reacted with Me₂SO₄ to form the N-methylated product [{C₅H₄-N(Me)Ts}Co{S₂C₂(COOMe)₂}] (5); the carboxylic acid complex [{C₅H₄-N(Me)Ts}Co{S₂C₂(COOMe)(COOH)}] (6) formed by a base hydrolysis. The X-ray crystal structures of complexes 4-6 and the methylsulfonylamide-substituted Cp complex [(C₅H₄-NHMs)Co{S₂C₂(COOMe)₂}] (7, Ms = SO₂Me) were determined. In the crystal structures of complexes 4 and 7, intermolecular hydrogen bondings of NH?O (ca. 2.1 Å) and NH?S (ca. 3.1 Å) were observed. Complex 6 showed the OH?O intermolecular hydrogen bonding (ca. 1.6 Å) of COOH moiety between two molecules, and these two molecules were assembling each other. Complexes 5 and 6 showed an intramolecular π-π interaction between the aromatic cobaltadithiolene and benzene rings, and complex 5 also has intermolecular π-π interactions between two benzene rings, and between two cobaltadithiolene rings.     

New highly fluorinated phenazine derivatives: Correlation between crystal structure and NMR spectroscopy

New highly fluorinated derivatives of phenazine which are difficult to obtain in other ways, namely 1,2,2,3,4-pentafluoro-10-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)-2,10-dihydrophenazine (2) and its hydrolyzed product 1,3,4-trifluoro-10-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)-2(10H)-phenazinone (3), were both synthesized and characterized by means of single-crystal X-ray analysis and ¹H, ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. Correlation between the results of X-ray analysis and NMR spectroscopy is established. The formation mechanism of 2 involving oxidation of a cobalt complex bearing two noninnocent o-benzosemiquinonediiminato(1-) ligands is proposed.