Optimization and degradation studies of cellulose transesterification to palmitate esters in superbase ionic liquid

Cellulose palmitates (CPs) were synthesized with varying degrees of substitution (DS) via a catalyst-free, homogeneous transesterification of cellulose in a novel superbase ionic liquid (SB-IL) system, specifically 5-methyl-1,5,7-triaza-bicyclo[4.3.0]non-6-enium acetate [mTBNH][OAc], combined with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a co-solvent, using vinyl palmitate as the acylating agent. We examined the influence of reaction temperature, reaction time, and the molar ratio of vinyl palmitate to anhydroglucose unit (AGU) on the DS, which ranged from 0.5 to 2.3 under the given conditions. Notably, the reaction order of the three hydroxy groups was C6-OH > C2-OH > C3-OH. To elucidate the chemical structure of CPs and confirm the transesterification process, various spectroscopic techniques including 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR, heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC), and solid-state NMR were employed. Higher reaction temperatures and extended reaction times led to a decrease in the DS of CPs, potentially due to the degradation of some of the involved chemicals during the transesterification process. We also investigated the stability of the pure ionic liquid (IL) and the IL + DMSO solvent system at elevated temperatures by heating them at 100 °C for 5 h, confirming their chemical integrity through 1H NMR analysis. Additionally, we assessed the compatibility between the solvent system and cellulose by subjecting a mixture of cellulose and the solvent system to 100 °C for 5 h. To compare the structures of untreated cellulose and regenerated cellulose, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was employed. Furthermore, we determined the molar mass of both untreated cellulose and regenerated cellulose, as well as CPs synthesized at higher reaction temperatures and longer durations, using intrinsic viscosity measurements. Lastly, we examined the solubility properties of CPs.

Small organic molecules containing amorphous calcium phosphate: synthesis, characterization and transformation

As the primary solid phase, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) is a pivotal precursor in cellular biomineralization. The intrinsic interplay between ACP and Howard factor underscores the significance of understanding their association for advancing biomimetic ACP development. While organic compounds play established roles in biomineralization, this study presents the synthesis of ACP with naturally occurring organic compounds (ascorbate, glutamate, and itaconate) ubiquitously found in mitochondria and vital for bone remodeling and healing. The developed ACP with organic compounds was meticulously characterized using XRD, FTIR, and solid-state 13C and 31P NMR. The morphological analysis revealed the characteristic spherical morphology with particle size close to 20 nm of all synthesized ACP variants. Notably, the type of organic compound strongly influences true density, specific surface area, particle size, and transformation. The in vitro analysis was performed with MC3T3-E1 cells, indicating the highest cell viability with ACP_ASC (ascorbate), followed by ACP_ITA (itaconate). The lowest cell viability was observed with 10 %w/v of ACP_GLU (glutamate); however, 1 %w/v of ACP_GLU was cytocompatible. Further, the effect of small organic molecules on the transformation of ACP to low crystalline apatite (Ap) was examined in Milli-Q® water, PBS, and α-MEM.

Stereoselective Michael addition of O-nucleophiles to carbohydrate-based nitro-olefin

Michael addition reactions of O-nucleophiles to C(3) exocyclic nitromethylene derivative of diacetone glucose are reported. The reactions with primary alcohols proceed at ambient temperature in the presence of different bases with good yields and give products with excellent diastereoselectivity. The addition of the nucleophile occurs from the β-face of the carbohydrate as shown by single crystal X-ray analysis. The reactions with secondary alcohols give low yields of products while phenolic compounds do not react. Under certain conditions, isomerization of starting material is observed.

Crystal structure of 3-de-oxy-3-nitro-methyl-1,2;5,6-di-O-iso-propyl-idene-α-d-allo-furan-ose

The title compound, C13H21NO7 {systematic name: (3aR,5S,6R,6aR)-5-[(R)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl]-2,2-dimethyl-6-(nitro-meth-yl)tetra-hydro-furo[2,3-d][1,3]dioxole}, consists of a substituted 2,2-di-methyl-tetra-hydro-furo[2,3-d][1,3]dioxolane skeleton. The furan-ose ring A adopts a (o)T 4 conformation. The fused dioxolane ring B and the substituent dioxolane ring C also have twisted conformations. There are no strong hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure: only weak C-H⋯O contacts are present, which link the mol-ecules to form a three-dimensional structure.

{(3aR,5S,6R,6aR)-5-[(R)-1,2-Di-hydroxy-eth-yl]-2,2-di-methyl-tetra-hydro-furo[2,3-d][1,3]dioxol-6-yl}methyl methane-sulfonate

In the title compound, C₁₁H₂₀O₈S, the furan­ose ring has a pseudorotation phase angle equal to 31.3° and assumes a ³T₄ conformation, with deviations of 0.297 (4) and −0.152 (4) Å for the corresponding C atoms. The dioxolane ring adopts an envelope conformation. One of the O atoms is at the flap and deviates from the least-squares plane formed by the other four ring atoms by 0.405 (2) Å. The dihedral angle between the planar fragments of the rings is 63.53 (8)°. In the crystal, mol­ecules are associated into sheets perpendiculer to the b axis by means of O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. A few weak C—H⋯O inter­actions are also observed.