Parahydrogen-Based Hyperpolarization for Biomedicine

Magnetic resonance (MR) is one of the most versatile and useful physical effects used for human imaging, chemical analysis, and the elucidation of molecular structures. However, its full potential is rarely used, because only a small fraction of the nuclear spin ensemble is polarized, that is, aligned with the applied static magnetic field. Hyperpolarization methods seek other means to increase the polarization and thus the MR signal. A unique source of pure spin order is the entangled singlet spin state of dihydrogen, parahydrogen (pH2 ), which is inherently stable and long-lived. When brought into contact with another molecule, this "spin order on demand" allows the MR signal to be enhanced by several orders of magnitude. Considerable progress has been made in the past decade in the area of pH2 -based hyperpolarization techniques for biomedical applications. It is the goal of this Review to provide a selective overview of these developments, covering the areas of spin physics, catalysis, instrumentation, preparation of the contrast agents, and applications.

Peroxy steroids derived from plant and fungi and their biological activities

Peroxides represent a large and interesting group of biologically active natural compounds. All these metabolites contain a peroxide group (R-O-O-R). This review describes studies of more than 60 peroxides isolated from plants and fungi. Most of the plant peroxy steroids exhibit high antiprotozoal (Plasmodium) activity with a confidence of up to 95%, while steroids harvested from fungi show more antineoplastic activity with a confidence of up to 94%. In addition, more than 20 different activities of both groups of peroxides with a probability of 78 to 90% have also been predicted using computer program PASS.

Eight-membered-ring diaminocarbenes bearing naphthalene moiety in the backbone: DFT studies, synthesis of amidinium salts, generation of free carbene, metal complexes, and solvent-free copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction

A new type of eight-membered ring N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) bearing a rigid naphthalene moiety in the backbone is reported for the first time. Stereoelectronic properties of 4,5-dihydro-1H-naphtho[1,8-ef][1,3]diazocin-3(2H)-ylidene (NaphtDHD) and smaller ring NHCs were theoretically studied at the DFT level. Amidinium salts were prepared from corresponding amidines and dibromides. Free carbene NaphtDHD-Dipp (Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) was generated in solution by treatment of the corresponding salt with LiHMDS. It is stable in solution at low temperatures, while decomposing rapidly at room temperature. Silver(i) and copper(i) complexes were synthesized and structurally characterized in the solid state. The copper(i) complex [(NaphtDHD-Mes)CuBr] (Mes = mesityl, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) exhibits high catalytic activity in alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction under solvent-free conditions.

A general method of Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of 4- and 5-halo-1,2,3-triazoles in water

A general method of the synthesis of 1,4,5-trisubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles by Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling from 4- and 5-halo-1,2,3-triazoles.

Production of Pure Aqueous 13 C-Hyperpolarized Acetate by Heterogeneous Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization

A supported metal catalyst was designed, characterized, and tested for aqueous phase heterogeneous hydrogenation of vinyl acetate with parahydrogen to produce 13 C-hyperpolarized ethyl acetate for potential biomedical applications. The Rh/TiO2 catalyst with a metal loading of 23.2 wt % produced strongly hyperpolarized 13 C-enriched ethyl acetate-1-13 C detected at 9.4 T. An approximately 14-fold 13 C signal enhancement was detected using circa 50 % parahydrogen gas without taking into account relaxation losses before and after polarization transfer by magnetic field cycling from nascent parahydrogen-derived protons to 13 C nuclei. This first observation of 13 C PHIP-hyperpolarized products over a supported metal catalyst in an aqueous medium opens up new possibilities for production of catalyst-free aqueous solutions of nontoxic hyperpolarized contrast agents for a wide range of biomolecules amenable to the parahydrogen induced polarization by side arm hydrogenation (PHIP-SAH) approach.

An effective one-pot access to polynuclear dispiroheterocyclic structures comprising pyrrolidinyloxindole and imidazothiazolotriazine moieties via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition strategy

An effective and highly regio- and diastereoselective one-pot method for the synthesis of new polynuclear dispiroheterocyclic systems with five stereogenic centers (dispiro[imidazo[4,5-e]thiazolo[3,2-b]-1,2,4-triazine-6,3'-pyrrolidine-2',3''-indoles]) comprising pyrrolidinyloxindole and imidazo[4,5-e]thiazolo[3,2-b]-1,2,4-triazine moieties has been developed. The method relies on a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides generated in situ from isatin derivatives and sarcosine to 6-benzylideneimidazo[4,5-e]thiazolo[3,2-b]-1,2,4-triazine-2,7-diones.