One-pot diastereoselective synthesis of α-aminonitriles from aldehydes, chiral amines, and trimethylsilyl cyanide under solvent-free conditions

Treatment of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes with chiral amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide in the absence or in the presence of Lewis acids (including lithium perchlorate) under solvent-free conditions afforded the corresponding α-aminonitriles in good yields and with a diastereoselectivity of 68 to 86%. Published in Russian in Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii, 2006, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 56–59. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Theoretical and experimental vibrational spectroscopy study of K3Ln(PO4)2 phosphates

The monoclinic phosphates with K3Ln(PO4)2 (Ln=rare earth) formula were synthesized. Their infrared and Raman spectra have been reported and analysed. The results of a force field calculation for K3Nd(PO4)2 are presented.     

Microwave-Assisted Aminomethylation of Electron-Rich Compounds Under Solvent-Free Condition

Electron-rich aromatic compounds react with formaldehyde and a secondary amine under solvent-free condition, in the presence of acidic alumina in a commercial microwave oven or at room temperature to produce aminomethylated products in good to excellent yields.     

Catalyst-free regioselective ring opening of epoxides with aromatic amines in water and solvent-free conditions

Without using any catalysts, a variety of epoxides undergo ring-opening by aromatic amines to afford the corresponding 1,2-amino alcohols in high to excellent yields with good regioselectivity in the presence of water as solvent and under solvent-free conditions.     

Curcumin Attenuated Neurotoxicity in Sporadic Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia. Despite research efforts, currently there are no effective pharmacotherapeutic options for the prevention and treatment of AD. Recently, numerous studies highlighted the beneficial effects of curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenol, in the neuroprotection. Especially, its dual antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties attracted the interest of researchers. In fact, besides its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, this biomolecule is not degraded in the intestinal tract. Additionally, CUR is able to cross the blood–brain barrier and could therefore to be used to treat neurodegenerative pathologies associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. The present study aimed to assess the ability of CUR to induce neuronal protective and/or recovery effects on a rat model of neurotoxicity induced by aluminum chloride (AlCl₃), which mimics the sporadic form of Alzheimer’s disease. Our results showed that treatment with CUR enhances pro-oxidant levels, antioxidant enzymes activities and anti-inflammatory cytokine production and decreases apoptotic cells in AlCl₃-exposed hippocampus rats. Additionally, histopathological analysis of hippocampus revealed the potential of CUR in decreasing the hallmarks in the AlCl₃-induced AD. We also showed that CUR post-treatment significantly improved the behavioral, oxidative stress and inflammation in AlCl₃-exposed rats. Taken together, our data presented CUR as a nutraceutical potential through its protective effects that are more interesting than recovery ones in sporadic model of AD.     

Use of thermal analysis to predict the conditions for thermal explosion to occur: application to a Ce triethanolamine complex

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Thermal energy storage (TES) has been identified as a breakthrough concept in development of renewable technologies. However, the main challenges are...     

A Comparative Study of Various Pretreatment Approaches for Bio-Ethanol Production from Willow Sawdust,Using Co-Cultures and Mono-Cultures of Different Yeast Strains

The effect of different pretreatment approaches based on alkali (NaOH)/hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) on willow sawdust (WS) biomass, in terms of delignification efficiency, structural changes of lignocellulose and subsequent fermentation toward ethanol, was investigated. Bioethanol production was carried out using the conventional yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as well as three non-conventional yeasts strains, i.e., Pichia stipitis, Pachysolen tannophilus, Wickerhamomyces anomalus X19, separately and in co-cultures. The experimental results showed that a two-stage pretreatment approach (NaOH (0.5% w/v) for 24 h and H₂O₂ (0.5% v/v) for 24 h) led to higher delignification (38.3 ± 0.1%) and saccharification efficiency (31.7 ± 0.3%) and higher ethanol concentration and yield. Monocultures of S. cerevisiae or W. anomalus X19 and co-cultures with P. stipitis exhibited ethanol yields in the range of 11.67 ± 0.21 to 13.81 ± 0.20 g/100 g total solids (TS). When WS was subjected to H₂O₂ (0.5% v/v) alone for 24 h, the lowest ethanol yields were observed for all yeast strains, due to the minor impact of this treatment on the main chemical and structural WS characteristics. In order to decide which is the best pretreatment approach, a detailed techno-economical assessment is needed, which will take into account the ethanol yields and the minimum processing cost.