Lanthanoid-containing polyoxometalate nanocatalysts in the synthesis of bioactive isatin-based compounds

Recyclable LaF3·Pd nanocatalyst in Suzuki coupling: green synthesis of biaryls from haloarenes and phenylboronic acids

Herein we prepared the novel LaF3·Pd nanocatalyst characterized by XRD and TEM analysis. The nanocatalyst was applied in Suzuki coupling reaction for the synthesis of biaryls in aqueous medium from readily available aryl halides (bromides and iodides) and substituted phenylboronic acids in the presence of K2CO3 as the base at 70 °C. The present method is capable of giving the C-C coupled product in good to excellent yields (up to 97%). The reactions were conducted under green conditions in aqueous medium and the nanocatalyst used in this study was recyclable. The recyclability and reusability of the catalyst was checked for seven consecutive cycles without significant loss in reactivity.

A stable hybrid catalyst (POM-PPPh3/L/Ni) for the reduction of toxic nitroarene compounds in water

Reduction of nitroarenes to aminoarenes using novel and selective catalysts is an important and desirable approach in green chemistry. In this work, a new heterogeneous nanocatalyst, POM-PPPh3/L/Ni, was designed and prepared via functionalizing a Keggin-type polyoxometalate (H3PMo12O40) with (3-bromopropyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide (BPPPh3Br) through strong electrostatic interactions to prepare [PMo12O40][PPPh3]3 (denoted as POM-PPPh3). The obtained compound was modified via nucleophilic attack of the nitrogen donor of a multidentate Schiff base ligand (L) on its propyl chain to produce [PMo12O40][PPPh3/L]2 (denoted as POM-PPPh3/L), which was finally metallated with nickel cations to achieve [PMo12O40][PPPh3/L/Ni]2 (denoted as POM-PPPh3/L/Ni). After full characterization of the prepared material with various physicochemical methods, its catalytic behavior was investigated in the catalytic nitroarene reduction. The influence of various factors on catalytic conversion and selectivity was considered. The synthesized nanocatalyst showed excellent performance in the reduction of nitroarenes in aqueous media in the presence of NaBH4 as a reducing agent. Mild reaction conditions and a short reaction time (10 min) are the prominent features of this new nanocatalyst. In addition, the catalyst was recovered and reused for up to four cycles of catalytic reduction without any significant loss of conversion.

A series of viologen/POM materials with discoloration properties under the stimulation of X-ray, UV, electricity, and organic amines

At present, viologen-based compounds can undergo reversible chemical/physical changes under external stimuli such as light and electricity. This makes these compounds have potential applications in smart windows, displays, and sensors. In order to obtain such materials, three viologen-POM inorganic-organic hybrid compounds have been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method, namely {[Cu2(cybpy)8(α-P2W18O62)2}·18H2O (1), (Hbpy)·(cybpy)·[H4(α-P2W18O62)]}·32H2O (2) and {(Hcybpy)2(β-Mo8O26)}·2H2O (3) (cybpy·Br = 1-cyclobutylmethyl-[4,4']bipyridinyl-1-ium bromide, bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine). Three compounds exhibit good discoloration behaviors under various external stimuli, especially under the stimulation of X-ray, UV, electricity, and organic amines. In addition, in order to promote the compounds in the actual production of more applications, they were doped into the polymer matrix to construct hybrid films, which not only have the same response to external stimulation but also increase the repeatability of the photochromic process. Moreover, 1-3 powder samples in ethanol solution were ultrasonic treated and deposited on filter paper, which can be successfully used in erasable inkless printing.

Selective Hydrolysis of Ovalbumin by Zr-Based Lacunary Polyoxotungstate in Surfactant Solutions

This study aims to design an artificial metalloprotease based on a Zr-containing polyoxometalate Na8[Zr(W5O18)2] [Zr(W5)2] for the hydrolysis of ovalbumin (OVA) in the presence of different surfactants, which can be used in many areas of the biological and medical sciences, particularly for targeted proteolytic drug design. For this reason, parameters, including the free energy of binding, the chemical nature of amino acid residues, secondary structures, and electrostatic potentials, of Zr(W5)2-OVA and Zr(W5)2-OVA-surfactant were analyzed by molecular docking simulations. The investigations showed that the presence of surfactants decreases the binding affinity of Zr(W5)2 for OVA amino acids, and hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions are formed between Zr(W5)2 and OVA amino acids. Additionally, GROMACS further illustrated the significance of SDS and CTAB surfactants in influencing the conformational changes of the OVA that lead to selective protein hydrolysis. In agreement with molecular dynamics simulation results, the experimental analysis showed more protein hydrolysis for the Zr(W5)2-OVA-surfactant systems. For instance, circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that Zr(W5)2-OVA-CTAB and Zr(W5)2-OVA-TX-100 were more hydrolytically efficient due to the increased level of β-structures rather than α-chains, which showed that surfactants can facilitate the accessibility of Zr(W5)2 to the cleavage sites by inducing partial unfolding of the OVA structure.

Reactivity of metal-oxo clusters towards biomolecules: from discrete polyoxometalates to metal-organic frameworks

Metal-oxo clusters hold great potential in several fields such as catalysis, materials science, energy storage, medicine, and biotechnology. These nanoclusters of transition metals with oxygen-based ligands have also shown promising reactivity towards several classes of biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, nucleotides, sugars, and lipids. This reactivity can be leveraged to address some of the most pressing challenges we face today, from fighting various diseases, such as cancer and viral infections, to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. For instance, metal-oxo clusters and related materials have been shown to be effective catalysts for biomass conversion into renewable fuels and platform chemicals. Furthermore, their reactivity towards biomolecules has also attracted interest in the development of inorganic drugs and bioanalytical tools. Additionally, the structural versatility of metal-oxo clusters allows for the efficiency and selectivity of the biomolecular reactions they promote to be readily tuned, thereby providing a pathway towards reaction optimization. The properties of the catalyst can also be improved through incorporation into solid supports or by linking metal-oxo clusters together to form Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), which have been demonstrated to be powerful heterogeneous catalysts. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical analysis of the state of the art on biomolecular transformations promoted by metal-oxo clusters and their applications, with a particular focus on structure-activity relationships.

Recent developments on microwave-assisted organic synthesis of nitrogen- and oxygen-containing preferred heterocyclic scaffolds

In recent decades, the utilization of microwave energy has experienced an extraordinary surge, leading to the introduction of innovative and revolutionary applications across various fields of chemistry such as medicinal chemistry, materials science, organic synthesis and heterocyclic chemistry. Herein, we provide a comprehensive literature review on the microwave-assisted organic synthesis of selected heterocycles. We highlight the use of microwave irradiation as an effective method for constructing a diverse range of molecules with high yield and selectivity. We also emphasize the impact of microwave irradiation on the efficient synthesis of N- and O-containing heterocycles that possess bioactive properties, such as anti-cancer, anti-proliferative, and anti-tumor activities. Specific attention is given to the efficient synthesis of pyrazolopyrimidines-, coumarin-, quinoline-, and isatin-based scaffolds, which have been extensively studied for their potential in drug discovery. The article provides valuable insights into the recent synthetic protocols and trends for the development of new drugs using heterocyclic molecules.

N-N-Bridged Polynuclear POM-Based Coordination Polymers Based on a V-Type Ligand: Proton Conduction and Magnetism

The construction of polyoxometalate (POM)-based coordination polymers, in the presence of a nitrogen heterocyclic ligand, is intriguing due to the potential for obtaining diverse structures. These structures exhibit extensive application possibilities in the fields of proton conductivity and magnetism. Herein, four new POM-based polynuclear coordination polymers with the formulas of {[Fe2(btb)3(H2O)2(SiW12O40)]·3H2O}n (1), {[Cd2(btb)2(H2O)6(HPMoVI10MoV2O40)]·2H2O}n (2), {[Co3(OH)2(btb)2(H2O)5(HPMoVI10MoV2O40)]·7H2O}n (3), and {[Cu3(OH)(btb)2(H2O)(HP2Mo5O23)]·6H2O}n (4) have been prepared using the V-type 1,3-bis(4H-1,2,4-triazole-4-yl)benzene (btb) ligand. Compounds 1 and 2 feature similar two-dimensional (2D) structures, derived from the binuclear Fe2N6 and Cd2N4 subunits connected by tridentate btb ligands. Meanwhile, in compound 3, hexanuclear Co6(OH)4 units are bound by quadridentate btb ligands forming a 2D layer with the same 4-c sql topology simplification as compounds 1 and 2. In compound 1, Keggin-type polyoxoanions are monodentate-coordinated to metal ions and suspended on the 2D structure, while, in compounds 2 and 3, they act as discrete counterions residing in the interstitial spaces between two adjacent layers, thereby extending the 2D structures into 3D structures through hydrogen bonding interactions. In compound 4, trinuclear Cu3(OH) subunits are further constructed into a 3D framework through cooperation with four tridentate and quadridentate btb ligands as well as Strandberg-type anions. Furthermore, the proton conduction of the four compounds has been investigated. They display high proton conductivities at 358 K and 98% RH with powdered samples, which are 1.26 × 10-3, 1.24 × 10-3, 3.24 × 10-4, and 2.57 × 10-4 S cm-1, respectively. Interestingly, by mixing with Nafion, the composite membranes of compounds 2 and 4 exhibit enhanced proton conductivities, measuring at 4.87 × 10-2 and 1.28 × 10-2 S cm-1, respectively, at 358 K and 98% RH, which suggests excellent potential for applications. In addition, compounds 1, 3, and 4 display antiferromagnetic behaviors due to similar magnetic interactions. This work can provide research insights into the assembly of 2D POM-based coordination polymers with nitrogen heterocyclic ligands and Keggin-type POMs and further promote their research progress in proton conduction.

Deep Reinforcement Learning Environment Approach Based on Nanocatalyst XAS Diagnostics Graphic Formalization

The most in-demand instrumental methods for new functional nanomaterial diagnostics employ synchrotron radiation, which is used to determine a material's electronic and local atomic structure. The high time and resource costs of researching at international synchrotron radiation centers and the problems involved in developing an optimal strategy and in planning the control of the experiments are acute. One possible approach to solving these problems involves the use of deep reinforcement learning agents. However, this approach requires the creation of a special environment that provides a reliable level of response to the agent's actions. As the physical experimental environment of nanocatalyst diagnostics is potentially a complex multiscale system, there are no unified comprehensive representations that formalize the structure and states as a single digital model. This study proposes an approach based on the decomposition of the experimental system into the original physically plausible nodes, with subsequent merging and optimization as a metagraphic representation with which to model the complex multiscale physicochemical environments. The advantage of this approach is the possibility to directly use the numerical model to predict the system states and to optimize the experimental conditions and parameters. Additionally, the obtained model can form the basic planning principles and allow for the optimization of the search for the optimal strategy with which to control the experiment when it is used as a training environment to provide different abstraction levels of system state reactions.

Heteropolyacid coupled with cyanoguanidine decorated magnetic chitosan as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of pyranochromene derivatives

In this study, a novel nanocatalyst was successfully prepared by heteropolyacid immobilization of magnetic chitosan-cyanoguanidine composite and fully characterized by different analysis methods, including FTIR, XRD, TGA, SEM, and EDS. The catalytic activity of fabricated composite was examined in a one-pot three-component reaction, involving the diverse active methylene compounds, various aryl aldehydes, and malononitrile in water. The results revealed the efficient catalytic performance of composite, while all reactions proceeded smoothly and led to the formation of the corresponding pyranochromene derivatives in high to excellent yields.