Recent Advances in Catalytic Oxidation of Organic Sulfides: Applications of Metal–Ionic Liquid Catalytic Systems

Catalytic oxidation of organic sulfides is of considerable significance in industrial chemistry and fuel industry. Therefore, numerous methods have been developed for the oxidation. Metal-containing ionic liquid-based catalysts can catalyze the selective oxidation reactions and are highly used in chemical processes, which have also been used as effective solvents, reaction media, extractants, and catalysts for the oxidation of organic sulfides including oxidative desulfurization of fuel oil. Recently, much attention is being drawn to the preparation of heterogenous catalysts based on the immobilization of metal- or nonmetal-containing ILs on diverse solid supports, which can be easily separated after the completion reaction and recycled. Therefore, there is still an increasing interest in developing new and efficient catalytic procedures for the oxidation of organic sulfides. In this review, we have outlined the recent advances in catalytic oxidation of organic sulfides including oxidative desulfurization of fuel oil. The versatilities and adaptabilities of metal–ionic liquid catalytic systems in the selective oxidation of sulfides are considered a powerful research field in these transformations.

5-Iodo-4-thio-2'-Deoxyuridine as a Sensitizer of X-ray Induced Cancer Cell Killing

Nucleosides, especially pyrimidines modified in the C5-position, can act as radiosensitizers via a mechanism that involves their enzymatic triphosphorylation, incorporation into DNA, and a subsequent dissociative electron attachment (DEA) process. In this paper, we report 5-iodo-4-thio-2'-deoxyuridine (ISdU) as a compound that can effectively lead to ionizing radiation (IR)-induced cellular death, which is proven by a clonogenic assay. The test revealed that the survival of cells, pre-treated with 10 or 100 µM solution of ISdU and exposed to 0.5 Gy of IR, was reduced from 78.4% (for non-treated culture) to 67.7% and to 59.8%, respectively. For a somewhat higher dose of 1 Gy, the surviving fraction was reduced from 68.2% to 54.9% and to 40.8% for incubation with 10 or 100 µM ISdU, respectively. The cytometric analysis of histone H2A.X phosphorylation showed that the radiosensitizing effect of ISdU was associated, at least in part, with the formation of double-strand breaks. Moreover, the cytotoxic test against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa line) confirmed low cytotoxic activity of ISdU. Based on the results of steady state radiolysis of ISdU with a dose of 140 Gy and quantum chemical calculations explaining the origin of the MS detected radioproducts, the molecular mechanism of sensitization by ISdU was proposed. In conclusion, we found ISdU to be a potential radiosensitizer that could improve anticancer radiotherapy.

Green chemical engineering in China

In China, the rapid development greatly promotes the national economic power and living standard but also inevitably brings a series of environmental problems. In order to resolve these problems fundamentally, Chinese scientists have been undertaking research in the area of green chemical engineering (GCE) for many years and achieved great progresses. In this paper, we reviewed the research progresses related to GCE in China and screened four typical topics related to the Chinese resources characteristics and environmental requirements, i.e. ionic liquids and their applications, biomass utilization and bio-based materials/products, green solvent-mediated extraction technologies, and cold plasmas for coal conversion. Afterwards, the perspectives and development tendencies of GCE were proposed, and the challenges which will be faced while developing available industrial technologies in China were mentioned.

H2O2 decomposition mechanism and its oxidative desulfurization activity on hexagonal boron nitride monolayer: A density functional theory study

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decomposition mechanism and its oxidative desulfurization activity on hexagonal boron nitride monolayer (h-BN) have been explored by density functional theory (DFT) at M06-2X/6-311 + G (d,p) level. A cluster model which contains seven rings has been constructed to simulate the h-BN surface. It is found that 7 possible species will be generated after the decomposition of H₂O₂. Among them, 2H*+O₂* and 2H*+2O* are relatively unstable while other species, such as HOO*+H*, HO*+HO*, H*+HO + O*, H₂O*+O* are relatively stable and may exist in the current system. In addition, 4 decomposition pathways have been explored. Results show that the H₂O₂* will first undergo an O-H bond break (HOO*+H*), then the HO-O bond decomposes into H*+HO*+O* (Pathway (b)). By considering the concentration and activation energy together, the H₂O*+O* is proposed to be the most possible active species for oxidative desulfurization due to the relative higher concentration and lower activation energy.

Molybdenum-Catalyzed Enantioselective Sulfoxidation Controlled by a Nonclassical Hydrogen Bond between Coordinated Chiral Imidazolium-Based Dicarboxylate and Peroxido Ligands

Chiral alkyl aryl sulfoxides were obtained by molybdenum-catalyzed oxidation of alkyl aryl sulfides with hydrogen peroxide as oxidant in mild conditions with high yields and moderate enantioselectivities. The asymmetry is generated by the use of imidazolium-based dicarboxylic compounds, HLR. The in-situ-generated catalyst, a mixture of aqueous [Mo(O)(O₂)₂(H₂O)n] with HLR as chirality inductors, in the presence of [PPh₄]Br, was identified as the anionic binuclear complex [PPh₄]{[Mo(O)(O₂)₂(H₂O)]₂(μ-LR)}, according to spectroscopic data and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. A nonclassical hydrogen bond between one C⁻H bond of the alkyl R group of coordinated (LR)− and one oxygen atom of the peroxido ligand was identified as the interaction responsible for the asymmetry in the process. Additionally, the step that governs the enantioselectivity was theoretically analyzed by locating the transition states of the oxido-transfer to PhMeS of model complexes [Mo(O)(O₂)₂(H₂O)(κ¹-O-LR)]− (R = H, iPr). The ∆∆G≠ is ca. 0 kcal∙mol−1 for R = H, racemic sulfoxide, meanwhile for chiral species the ∆∆G≠ of ca. 2 kcal∙mol−1 favors the formation of (R)-sulfoxide.

Solventless, selective and catalytic oxidation of primary, secondary and benzylic alcohols by a Merrifield resin supported molybdenum(vi) complex with H2O2 as an oxidant

Here, we have described the synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of a dioxo-molybdenum(vi) complex supported on functionalized Merrifield resin (MR-SB-Mo). The functionalization of Merrifield resin (MR) was achieved in two-steps viz. carbonylation (MR-C) and Schiff base formation (MR-SB). The compounds, MR-C, MR-SB and MR-SB-Mo, were characterized at each step of the synthesis by elemental, SEM, EDX, thermal, BET and different spectroscopic analysis. The catalyst, MR-SB-Mo, efficiently and selectively oxidized a wide variety of alcohols to aldehydes or ketones using 30% H₂O₂ as an oxidant with reasonably good TOF (660 h⁻¹ in case of benzyl alcohol). The catalyst acted heterogeneously under solventless reaction conditions and did not lead to over oxidized products under optimized conditions. The catalyst afforded regeneration and can be reused for at least five reaction cycles without loss of efficiency and product selectivity. A reaction mechanism for the catalytic activity of MR-SB-Mo was proposed and a probable reactive intermediate species isolated.

Synthesis of a Merrifield resin supported dioxomolybdenum(vi) complex. The compound was well characterized and it catalysed the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes or ketones with high TOF.

Oxidoperoxidomolybdenum(vi) complexes with acylpyrazolonate ligands: synthesis, structure and catalytic properties

Oxidoperoxido–molybdenum(vi) complexes Ph₄P[Mo(O)(O₂)₂(Q^R)] and [Mo(O)(O₂)(Q^R)₂] (Q^R = acylpyrazolonate ligands) were synthesised and tested as catalysts in epoxidation, sulphoxidation and epoxide deoxygenation.

Behavior and mechanism investigation of separating Pt and Ir by liquid–liquid extraction using a mixed [C6bet]Br/[C6mim][NTF2] system

Separation of Pt(iv) and Ir(iv) was realized by selectively reducing Ir(iv) to Ir(iii) using NH₂OH·HCl.

Selective oxidation of organic sulfides to sulfoxides using sugar derived cis-dioxo molybdenum(vi) complexes: kinetic and mechanistic studies

Six cis-dioxo molybdenum(vi) complexes of d-glucose derived ligands have been applied as catalysts for the selective transformation of organic sulfides to sulfoxides, and kinetics as well as mechanistic aspects of this reaction have been explored.

A recyclable ionic liquid-oxomolybdenum(vi) catalytic system for the oxidative desulfurization of model and real diesel fuel

The extractive and catalytic oxidative desulfurization (ECODS) of model and real diesel has been studied using the complex [MoO₂Cl₂(di-tBu-bipy)](1) (di-tBu-bipy = 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine) as a (pre)catalyst, aq. H₂O₂ as an oxidant, and either acetonitrile or an ionic liquid (IL) as a solvent and extractant.

Stereoselective formation and catalytic activity of hydrido(acylphosphane)(chlorido)(pyrazole)rhodium(iii) complexes. Experimental and DFT studies

Stereoselectivity assisted by hydrogen bond formation, inhibited by steric hindrance, predicted by DFT calculations.