One pot conversion of acetyl chloride to dehydroacetic acid and its coordination in a ruthenium(II) arene complex

Conversion of CO2 to Heterocyclohexenol Carboxylic Acids through a Metal-Organic Framework Sponge

The conversion of CO₂ into high value-added chemical products is the focus of current scientific research. We make use of the specific porous structure of nanosized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) loading the highly active yet metastable nano Cu₂O to catalyze the conversion of CO₂ into a series of high value-added bioactive pyridone/pyrone-3-carboxylic acid products via heterocyclic 4-hydroxy-2-pyridones/pyrones, which exhibit high activity, selectivity, and reusability. Nano MOF sponge-covered metastable nanoparticles (NPs) converting CO₂ into high value-added bioproducts provide a facile "dual-side surfactant" strategy, a highly efficient composite catalyst, and a practicable pathway not only for the sustainable use of CO₂ but also for environment-friendly production of bioproducts.

Ruthenium arene complexes in the treatment of 3D models of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Current chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are based on cisplatin, which is usually associated to severe side effects. In general, the exploration for metal-based alternatives to cisplatin has resulted in the development of a series of ruthenium complexes that are able to produce a safe therapeutic action against some neoplasms, among which are lung and ovarian cancers. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of well defined, easily available and robust ruthenium(II) η⁶-arene compounds on 3D models of HNSCCs with or without human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and compare their effects to the state-of-the-art RAPTA-C, a promising ruthenium compound with known anti-cancer activity. One of the compounds induces a significant therapeutic action especially on HPV negative carcinoma. Besides viability and repopulation evaluations, we performed quantitative analysis of the internalized Ru compounds to further validate our findings and elucidate the possible mechanisms of action. These results show that Ru arene compounds represent a promising alternative for the treatment of HNSCCs and pave the way for the composition of innovative (co)therapies.