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Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) of Brachiaria humidicola has been mainly attributed to the root-exuded fusicoccane-type diterpene brachialactone. We hypothesized, however, that according to the high diversity of fusicoccanes described for plants and microorganisms, BNI of B. humidicola is caused by an assemblage of bioactive fusicoccanes. B. humidicola root exudates were collected hydroponically and compounds isolated by semi-preparative HPLC. Chemical structures were revealed by spectroscopic techniques, including HRMS as well as 1D and 2D NMR. Nitrification inhibiting (NI) potential of isolated compounds was evaluated by a Nitrosomonas europaea based bioassay. Besides the previously described brachialactone (1), root exudates contained 3-epi-brachialactone (2), the C3-epimer of 1 (m/z 334), as well as 16-hydroxy-3-epi-brachialactone (3) with an additional hydroxyl group at C16 (m/z 350) and 3,18-epoxy-9-hydroxy-4,7-seco-brachialactone (4), which is a ring opened brachialactone derivative with a 3,18 epoxide ring and a hydroxyl group at C9 (m/z 332). The 3-epi-brachialactone (2) showed highest NI activity (ED50 ~ 20 μg mL−1, ED80 ~ 40 μg mL−1), followed by compound 4 with intermediate (ED50 ~ 40 μg mL−1), brachialactone (1) with low and compound 3 without activity. In coherence with previous reports on fusicoccanes, stereochemistry at C3 was of high relevance for the biological activity (NI potential) of brachialactones.

The tautomeric preference of guanylhydrazones towards the azine form induces an unprecedented intramolecular to intermolecular mechanistic switch during the I2-catalyzed oxidative transformation leading to 4,5-disubstituted-3-amino-1,2,4-triazoles in contrast to the reaction of semicarbazones and thiosemicarbazones to form 1,3,4-oxa/thiadiazoles. This intramolecular to intermolecular cyclization shift was established through control experiments and was attributed to the high energy demand (∼22 kcal mol−1) for the azine tautomer to adopt the s-cis conformation which is essential for the intramolecular reaction. An I2 induced protocol for an efficient and straightforward synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted-3-amino-1,2,4-triazoles has been developed via tandem oxidative transformation of guanylhydrazones (in its preferentially existing azine tautomeric form) with distinct advantages such as wide substrate scope, use of substoichiometric amounts of iodine, no requirement of external oxidizing agents, base free reaction conditions, short reaction time and moderate to good yields. The role of silver salt in improving the yield and shortening of reaction time was also highlighted.

The laccase-catalyzed iodination of p-hydroxyarylcarbonyl- and p-hydroxyarylcarboxylic acid derivatives using KI as iodine source and aerial oxygen as the oxidant delivers the corresponding iodophenols in a highly efficient and sustainable manner with yields up to 93% on a preparative scale under mild reaction conditions.

The Cu2O-catalyzed reaction between equimolar amounts of easily available 3-substituted-2-bromo-2-propen-1-ols and dicyclohexyl carbodiimide in DMSO at 100 °C using K3PO4 as the base and in the absence of any additive exclusively delivers substituted 2-iminooxazolidines with yields up to 80%. The highly selective transformation is assumed to start with an intermolecular 1,2-addition, which is followed by an intramolecular N-vinylation. The products can also be obtained in the absence of Cu2O, albeit in lower yields.

Considering their growing attention in the field of medicinal chemistry and drug-discovery research, the facile and convenient approaches towards the preparation of 2-aryl benzoxazole derivatives have been described. The transformation is accomplished by using Fe(III)-catalyzed C–H activation of benzoxazoles with boronic acids to obtain a wide range of C2-arylated benzoxazoles in high yields. The developed method excludes the formation of self-coupling compounds as side products. On the other hand, the synthesis of the products is also achieved via a metal-free domino protocol by the reaction between 1-nitroso-2-naphthol and acetophenones using catalytic amounts of CBr4 in the presence of Cs2CO3 as base. The devised tandem method avoids the use of pre-activated α-haloketones as substrates. Due to their immense impact in marketed drugs and molecules under clinical trial, the described method can be a powerful tool for their synthesis which ­restricts the use of precious metals as catalyst.

Molybdenum(VI)-catalyzed domino reductive cyclization of nitroarenes has been devised for the syntheses of 1,4-benzoxazines and 1,4-benzothiazines in the presence of pinacol as deoxygenating agent. The scope of the described method was further extended to the syntheses of the rarely explored scaffolds, 1-hydroxyphenazines and quinoxalines. The present method avoids the use of hazardous deoxygenating agents and operates under solvent-free conditions.

Prebiotics are rising in interest in commercial scale productions due to increasing health awareness of consumers. Under bio-economic aspects, sweet and acid whey provide a suitable feed medium for the enzymatic generation of prebiotic lactulose. Since whey has a broad variation in composition, the influence of the feed composition on the concentration of generated lactulose was investigated. The influence of lactose and fructose concentration as well as enzymatic activity of two commercially available β-galactosidases were investigated. The results were evaluated via response surface analysis with a quadratic model containing pairwise interaction terms. The optimal feed composition yielding a theoretical maximal amount of lactulose was determined as 1.28 or 0.74 mol/kg fructose and 0.17 or 0.19 mol/kg lactose with an enzymatic activity of 2.0 or 2.8 μkat/kg for acid (pH 4.4) or sweet (pH 6.6) whey. Furthermore, the major reaction product was isolated and subsequently, the structural identity was elucidated and verified via extensive NMR analysis.

The laccase-catalyzed reaction between unsubstituted catechol and 2-thioxopyrimidin-4(1H)-ones using aerial O2 as the oxidant delivers novel pyrimidobenzothiazoles with high yields in an aqueous solvent system under mild reaction conditions. With 4-substituted catechols, catechol thioethers are formed exclusively. The synthetic protocols developed provide a sustainable approach for these compound classes. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the products against HepG2 cell line is reported. Most compounds exhibit antiproliferative activities with IC50 values at the micromolar level. A structure–activity relationship study will facilitate the further development of these compounds as cytotoxic agents.

Epilactose (4-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-d-mannopyranose) is a rare disaccharide derived from lactose (4-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-d-glucopyranose) and possesses prebiotic properties. Epilactose is needed for biological studies in high amounts and purified form. The purification of epilactose is challenging because it behaves similarly to lactose, the starting substance of the epilactose production process. Epilactose can be produced both chemically and enzymatically, using cellobiose 2-epimerases for the latter. In this study, a process for semi-preparative epilactose purification is presented. Firstly, epilactose was produced in a buffered system using recombinant cellobiose 2-epimerase from Flavobacterium johnsoniae. After the enzymatic conversion, some of the residual lactose was removed by crystallisation at 6 °C for 72 h. Subsequently, the lactose still remaining in the conversion mixture was separated from epilactose by ligand-exchange chromatography. The conditions for the most effective chromatographic separation of lactose and epilactose were determined using a design of experiments approach with surface response methodology. The best conditions led to an epilactose purity of 99 % with a total yield of 51 %.

Substrates bearing both a β-ketoester moiety and a (het)aryl halide structure element were dimerized to 1-naphthols and related products in the presence of catalytic amounts of CuI in isopropanol. The reaction starts with an intermolecular C-arylation, which is followed by an intramolecular condensation. The final aromatization delivers the highly substituted products with yields up to 81%.

A transition metal-free, diastereospecific reaction between substituted (Z)-1,2-dibromo-3-phenyl-2-propenes and substituted catechols using Cs2CO3 as a base at 140 °C for 18 h delivers exclusively substituted (Z)-2-arylidene-2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxines in yields up to 89%. Experiments as well as quantum chemical calculations support the assumption that the one pot transformation proceeds as an intermolecular O-allylation/intramolecular O-vinylation.

The copper-catalyzed double intramolecular Ullmann coupling of syn-1,2-bis(2-bromoaryl)ethane-1,2-diols with catalytic amounts of CuII oxinate as the copper source, K3PO4 as a base, and KI as a reductant in aqueous acetonitrile selectively delivers 4b,9b-dihydrobenzofuro[3,2-b]benzofurans in diastereomerically and enantiomerically pure form and yields of up to 90 %. The substrates can be obtained in both diastereomerically and enantiomerically pure form by catalytic dihydroxylation of the corresponding (E)-stilbenes.

Uniseriate linear glandular trichomes occur on stems, leaves and flowering parts of Helianthus species and related taxa. Their metabolic activity and biological function are still poorly understood. A phytochemical study documented the accumulation of bisabolene type sesquiterpenes and flavonoids as the major constituents of the non-volatile metabolome of linear glandular trichomes in the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus. Besides known sesquiterpenes of the glandulone, helibisabonol and heliannuol type, four previously undescribed sesquiterpenes named glandulone D, E, F and helibisabonol C were identified by spectroscopic analysis. In addition, four known nevadensin type flavonoids varying in O-methoxy substitutions were found. None of them has previously been reported from Helianthus annuus.

Fucosylated oligosaccharides present a predominant group of free oligosaccharides found in human milk. Here, a microbial conversion of lactose, D-glucose and L-fucose to fucosylated lacto-N-tetraose by growing Escherichia coli cultures is presented. The recombinant expression of genes encoding for the β1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (LgtA) and the β1,3-galactosyltransferase (WbgO) enables the whole-cell biotransformation of lactose to lacto-N-tetraose. By the additional expression of a recombinant GDP-L-fucose salvage pathway together with a bacterial fucosyltransferase, lacto-N-tetraose is further converted into the respective fucosylated compounds. The expression of a gene encoding the α1,2-fucosyltransferase (FutC) in the lacto-N-tetraose producing E. coli strain led to the formation of lacto-N-fucopentaose I, whereas the expression of a gene encoding the α1,4-fucosyltransferase (FucT14) mainly led to the conversion of lacto-N-tetraose to lacto-N-difucohexaose II.

The reaction of 5-substituted 2-nitrosophenols with bromomethyl aryl ketones and related compounds employing K2CO3 as a base in refluxing THF and DMF at 80 °C, respectively, delivers 2-aroylbenzoxazoles in a single step with yields up to 85%. The new method involves an intermolecular nucleophilic substitution followed by intramolecular 1,2-addition and elimination. It allows an efficient and practical access to 2-aroylbenzoxazoles under transition-metal-free conditions.

The CuI-catalyzed domino reaction between 1-(2-bromophenyl)methanamines and amidines using K3PO4 as the base, pivalic acid as the additive, and aerial oxygen as the oxidant gives access to substituted quinazolines in a single step with yields in the range between 43 and 90%. It is assumed that the reaction proceeds as a Cu(I)-catalyzed intermolecular N-arylation followed by an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution and a Cu(II)-catalyzed oxidation. The amidines can be replaced with imidates and the reaction can also be run with 1-(2-iodophenyl)methanamine.

Two methods for the synthesis of 3,5-diaryl-1,2,4-triazoles, both domino reactions, are reported. The first procedure, the Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed reaction between two amidines using NaHCO3 as a base, 1,10-phenanthroline as an additive and K3[Fe(CN)6]/atmospheric oxygen as the oxidant, delivers 3,5-diaryl-1,2,4-triazoles with yields up to 68%. The second procedure for the synthesis of 3,5-diaryl-1,2,4-triazoles with yields up to 64% rests on the Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed reaction between two imidates and ammonium carbonate. This method features the formation of three bonds in a single synthetic step.

The laccase-catalyzed reaction between catechols and thiols using aerial oxygen as the oxidant delivers the corresponding catechol thioethers with yields up to 96% under mild reaction conditions.

The three-component reaction of aniline, benzaldehyde, and dienophiles such as 2,3-dihydrofuran, ethyl vinyl ether, 2,3-dihydropyran, and cyclopentadiene can be promoted by ionic liquids like imidazolium salts and guanidinium salts under thermal as well as microwave conditions. The chemical yield as well as the diastereoselectivity of the Povarov reaction strongly depend on the ionic liquid employed. The guanidinium salts can be recycled and reused several times without loss of reactivity.

The herb of Drosera peltata, commonly named the shield sundew, is used as an antitussive in phytotherapy, although the plants' composition has not been determined in detail so far. Hence, in this study, we present a validated, sensitive, reliable, and cheap narrow-bore LC-DAD method for the simultaneous quantification of flavonoids and ellagic acid derivatives in this herbal drug. In addition, the structures of 13 compounds have been elucidated by LC-MS, LC-NMR, and offline NMR experiments after isolation: herbacetin-3-O-glucoside (1), gossypitrin (2), ellagic acid (3), quercetin-7-O-glucoside (4), isoquercitrin (5), kaempferol-3-O-(6″-O-galloyl)-glucoside (6), herbacetin-7-O-glucoside (7), astragalin (8), gossypetin (9), herbacetin (10), quercetin (11), 3,3'-di-O-methyl ellagic acid (12), and kaempferol (13). Compounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 have been identified in D. peltata for the first time, and compounds 1, 4, 6, 7, and 10 have not been detected in any Drosera species before.

The reductive cyclization of o -nitrobenzylidene amines under microwave conditions employing MoO 2 Cl 2 (dmf) 2 as catalyst and Ph 3 P as reducing agent delivers 2-aryl-2 H -indazoles with yields ranging from 61–92%.

The laccase-catalyzed reaction of 3-tert-butyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one with a number of catechols and aerial oxygen as an oxidant selectively affords 4-substituted 3-tert-butyl-1H-pyrazol-5-ol derivatives with yields ranging from 77 to 99%.

The vitamin E family consists of 4 tocopherol and 4 tocotrienol compounds. During recent years, tocotrienols have gained increased interest due to their biological activities that are beyond the vitamin E activity. Here we report the engineering of plasmid-free Escherichia coli strains for an efficient synthesis of 2-methyl-6-geranylgeranyl-benzoquinol (MGGBQ), the central precursor for all four natural tocotrienol compounds. Heterologous genes needed for the in vivo synthesis of MGGBQ in E. coli (crtE, hpd, and hpt) were individually integrated into the chromosome of E. coli. The yield of MGGBQ after cultivation of the plasmid-free recombinant E. coli strain was significantly higher (604μg/gcdw) compared to an E. coli strain that carries these biosynthesis genes on a multi-copy expression plasmid (325μg/gcdw). Further chromosomal integration of an additional copy of the isopentenyl-diphosphate isomerase gene (idi) and a subsequent increase in expression level of the deoxy-xylulose synthase gene (dxs) increased the MGGBQ yield by 80% (1110μg/gcdw) and 135% (1425μg/gcdw), respectively. MGGBQ which accumulated in the membrane fraction of the recombinant E. coli cells was isolated and its structure was completely elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR and MS measurements. The engineered, plasmid-free E. coli strain is a promising host for the heterologous in vivo production of tocotrienol and its derivatives.

The reaction of 2-(bromomethyl)benzaldehydes with arylhydrazines employing K(2)CO(3) as a base and FeCl(3) as a catalyst in CH(3)CN at 100 °C delivers 2-aryl-1,2-dihydrophthalazines with yields ranging from 60 to 91%. The transformation is considered to proceed as an intermolecular condensation/intramolecular nucleophilic substitution.

Substrates bearing both a β-ketoester moiety and a (het)aryl halide structure element were dimerized to 1-naphthols and related products in the presence of catalytic amounts of CuI in isopropanol. The reaction starts with an intermolecular C-arylation, which is followed by an intramolecular condensation. The final aromatization delivers the highly substituted products with yields up to 81%.

The Cu(I)-catalyzed reaction of 1-bromo-2-iodobenzenes and other 1,2-dihalobenzenes with 1,3-cyclohexanediones in DMF at 130 °C using Cs(2)CO(3) as a base and pivalic acid as an additive selectively delivers 3,4-dihydrodibenzo[b,d]furan-1(2H)-ones with yields ranging from 47 to 83%. The highly regioselective domino process is based on an intermolecular Ullmann-type C-arylation followed by an intramolecular Ullmann-type O-arylation. Substituted products are accessible by employing substituted 1-bromo-2-iodobenzenes and substituted 1,3-cyclohexanediones as substrates. Reaction with an acyclic 1,3-diketone yields the corresponding benzo[b]furan.

The laccase-catalyzed oxidative coupling of sesamol, a naturally occurring phenolic antioxidant, with O 2 as the oxidant proceeds with high selectivity and delivers a previously unknown trimer in 61% yield. Further experiments demonstrate that the outcome of the sesamol oxidation strongly depends on the catalyst and the oxidant employed.

The oxidative dimerization of 2-propenylsesamol to carpanone with O(2) as the oxidant, which probably proceeds as a domino phenol oxidation/anti-β,β-radical coupling/intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reaction, can be efficiently catalyzed by laccases. Experiments with laccases and other catalysts like a Co(salen) type catalyst and PdCl(2) clearly demonstrate that the diastereoselectivity of the carpanone formation does not depend on the catalyst but on the double-bond geometry of the substrate. With (E)-2-propenylsesamol as the substrate, carpanone and a so far unknown carpanone diastereoisomer are formed in a 9:1 ratio. When (Z)-2-propenylsesamol is used as starting material, carpanone is accompanied by two carpanone diastereoisomers unknown so far in a 5:1:4 ratio. All three carpanone diastereoisomers have been separated by HPLC, and their structures have been elucidated unambiguously by NMR spectroscopy, DFT calculations, and spin work analysis. When the oxidation of 2-propenylsesamol with O(2) is performed in the absence of any catalyst two diastereoisomeric benzopyrans are formed, probably as the result of a domino oxidation/intermolecular hetero Diels-Alder reaction. Under these conditions, carpanone is formed in trace amounts only.

Amino-substituted imidazo(1,2-a)pyridines can be prepared with yields up to 98% within a few minutes by microwave-assisted three-component reaction between 2-aminopyridines, aldehydes and isocyanides using montmorillonite as the catalyst and toluene as the solvent. The organic solvent can be replaced by ionic liquids. With guanidinium salts the microwave-assisted reaction can be performed in the absence of any further catalyst.

Highly substituted p-benzoquinones were obtained in yields ranging from 39% to 98% by laccase-catalyzed domino reactions between hydroquinones and cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls using aerial oxygen as the oxidant. In almost all reactions bis-adducts with two adjacent 1,3-dicarbonyl substituents on the quinone moiety were formed selectively. The transformations can be regarded as domino oxidation/1,4-addition/oxidation/1,4-addition/oxidation processes. With unsubstituted hydroquinone as the substrate 2,3-disubstituted p-benzoquinones were isolated. Bis-adducts were also formed exclusively upon reaction with monosubstituted hydroquinones. In almost all cases the 2,3,5-trisubstituted p-benzoquinones were obtained. When 2,3-disubstituted hydroquinones were employed as starting materials the 2,3,5,6-tetrasubstituted p-benzoquinones were isolated. The unambiguous structure elucidation of all products has been achieved by NMR spectroscopic methods including spin pattern analysis of the long-range coupled C═O carbons and (13)C satellites analysis in (1)H NMR spectra.

Droserae herba is a drug commonly used for treatment of convulsive or whooping cough since the seventeenth century. Because of the contribution of flavonoids and ellagic acid derivatives to the therapeutic activity of Droserae herba, an LC-DAD method has been developed for quantification of these analytes in four Drosera species used in medicine (Drosera anglica, D. intermedia, D. madagascariensis, and D. rotundifolia). During elaboration of the method 13 compounds, including three substances not previously described for Drosera species, were detected and unambiguously identified by means of extensive LC-MS and LC-NMR experiments and by off-line heteronuclear 2D NMR after targeted isolation. The most prominent component of D. rotundifolia and D. anglica, 2″-O-galloylhyperoside, with myricetin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside and kaempferol-3-O-(2″-O-galloyl)-β-galactopyranoside, were identified for the very first time in this genus. The LC-DAD method for quantification was thoroughly validated, and enables, for the first time, separation and precise analysis of these analytes in Droserae herba. Simple sample preparation and use of a narrow-bore column guarantee low cost and simplicity of the suggested system, which is excellently suited to quality control of the drug or herbal medicinal products containing this drug.

The laccase-catalyzed domino reaction of o -phenylenediamine and benzaldehydes with aerial oxygen as the oxidant exclusively yields 2-aryl-1 H -benzimidazoles in good to very good yields. It is easy to perform under very mild reaction conditions.

The laccase-catalyzed reaction between catechols and heterocyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls (pyridinones, quinolinones, thiocoumarins) using aerial oxygen as the oxidant delivers benzofuropyridinones, benzofuroquinolinones, and thiocoumestans in a simple fashion, highly regioselectively with yields ranging from 55 to 98%. With barbituric acid derivatives the exclusive formation of dispiropyrimidinone derivatives takes place. The unambiguous and complete structure elucidation of all reaction products has been achieved by means of NMR spectroscopic methods (HSQMBC and band-selective HMBC) as well as by X-ray crystal structure analysis.

The first phytochemical analysis of the aquatic macrophyte Stratiotes aloides afforded two new flavonoid glucuronides, luteolin 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid-(1--2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) and chrysoeriol 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid-(1--2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), as well as the new 2-(2-hydroxypentyl)-5-carboxy-7-methoxychromone (5) and chrysoeriol 7-O-beta-(6-O-malonyl)glucopyranoside (3), which has been assigned via NMR data for the first time. Additionally, free amino acids such as tryptophan, arginine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine along with choline, cis-aconitic acid, the phenolic glycoside alpha-arbutine, the chlorophyll derivative phaeophorbide a, and the flavonoid glycoside luteolin 7-O-beta-(6-O-malonyl)glucopyranoside (4) were isolated. Despite the low quantities obtained in some cases (between 50-300 microg), the structures of all compounds were unambiguously elucidated by extensive NMR and MS experiments. With a delay of 2 days compound 1 (10 and 50 microM test concentration) strongly inhibited the growth of human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas only a moderate growth inhibition of human Patu 8902 carcinoma cells could be observed. Compounds 1 and 2 showed no activities against the bacteria Escherichia coli BW25113, Pseudomonas pudida KT2440, and Enterobacter cloacae subsp. dissolvens.

Since the discovery of Troger’s base numerous structural analogs with a central [1,5]diazocine skeleton were synthesized [3, 4]. Both the chirality and the rigid concave structure of the methano[1,5]diazocine skeleton are the reasons why Troger’s base und derivatives thereof have found interest in the design of receptors for the molecular recognition of neutral molecules [5], as chiral solvating agents [6], and in the field of asymmetric synthesis [7].

The laccase genes lccalpha, lccbeta, lccgamma and lccdelta encoding four isoenzymes from Trametes versicolor have been cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. Biochemical characterization allowed classification of these laccases into two distinct groups: Lccalpha and Lccbeta possessed higher thermal stability, but lower catalytic activity towards 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) compared to Lccgamma and Lccdelta. Activities of the laccases were quite different as well. Laccase Lccdelta showed highest phenolic C-C coupling activity with sinapic acid, but lowest oxidizing activity towards polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Highest activity towards PAHs was observed with Lccbeta. After 72h, more than 80% of fluorene, anthracene, acenaphthene and acenaphthylene were oxidized by Lccbeta in the presence of ABTS. Investigation of the structural basis of the different activities of the laccases demonstrated the impact of positions 164 and 265 in the substrate binding site on oxidation of PAHs.

1-Arylbut-3-en-1-ols react with trimethyl orthoformate in the presence of Lewis acids like InCl 3 , BiCl 3 , TiCl 4 , or BF 3 ·OEt 2 providing homoallyl ethers or homoallyl chlorides in high yields.

The copper-catalyzed double intramolecular Ullmann coupling of syn-1,2-bis(2-bromoaryl)ethane-1,2-diols with catalytic amounts of CuII oxinate as the copper source, K3PO4 as a base, and KI as a reductant in aqueous acetonitrile selectively delivers 4b,9b-dihydrobenzofuro[3,2-b]benzofurans in diastereomerically and enantiomerically pure form and yields of up to 90 %. The substrates can be obtained in both diastereomerically and enantiomerically pure form by catalytic dihydroxylation of the corresponding (E)-stilbenes.

The reaction of 5-substituted 2-nitrosophenols with bromomethyl aryl ketones and related compounds employing K2CO3 as a base in refluxing THF and DMF at 80 °C, respectively, delivers 2-aroylbenzoxazoles in a single step with yields up to 85%. The new method involves an intermolecular nucleophilic substitution followed by intramolecular 1,2-addition and elimination. It allows an efficient and practical access to 2-aroylbenzoxazoles under transition-metal-free conditions.

A new temperature-sensitive paint (TSP) was developed to capture images with high signal-to-noise ratio in wind tunnel tests under cryogenic temperature (100 – 160 K) conditions. Typical applications of TSP are the detection of boundary-layer transition and the measurement of the temperature distribution on the model surface. Conventional TSPs based on Ru(terpy)_2Cl_2 as the temperature-sensitive luminophore have temperature sensitivities of less than 2 %K^-1 at 130 K. This sensitivity is not sufficient enough for TSP measurements in large industrial wind tunnels without considerable post-processing effort. The newly developed TSPs achieved a temperature sensitivity of about 4 %K^-1 at 130 K. Experiments were conducted in the cryogenic low-speed wind tunnel of the German-Dutch Wind Tunnel organization to evaluate the capability of these TSPs to detect boundary-layer transition. The new TSP formulations were proven to be capable to resolve small temperature differences and thereby detect boundary-layer transition with high accuracy.

A strongly fluorescent organic semiconducting polymer doped with a highly temperature dependent fluorescent europium(III) complex is converted into a nanosized material that is capable of optically sensing temperature (T) in the range from 0 to 50 °C via two-photon excitation at 720 nm. The nanosensors are prepared from a blue-fluorescent polyfluorene that acts as both a lightharvesting antenna (to capture two-photon energy) and an energy donor in a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system. The photonic energy absorbed by the polymer is transferred to the T-sensitive red-luminescent europium complex contained in the nanoparticles. The close spatial proximity of the donor and the acceptor warrants efficient FRET. A poly(ethylene glycol)-co-poly(propylene oxide) block copolymer is also added to render the particles biocompatible. It is shown that T can be calculated from a) the intensity of the luminescence of the europium complex, b) the ratio of the intensities of the red and blue luminescence, or c) the T-dependent luminescence lifetime of the Eu(III) complex.

Laccase initiated domino reactions of cyclohexane-1,3-diones with catechols using air as an oxidant afford 3,4-dihydro-7,8-dihydroxy-2 H -dibenzofuran-1-ones with yields ranging from 70% to 97%.

Lewis acids like BF 3 ·OEt 2 , TiCl 4 , ZnCl 2 ·OEt 2 , ZnI 2 , and InCl 3 in liquid SO 2 as a solvent at low temperatures have been found to be highly efficient in epoxyolefin cyclizations with pyrones as terminators.

Tetrahydro(cyclopenta)quinolines are synthesized by combining the reduction of nitroanilines with a Povarov reaction in a three-component one-pot approach.

A variety of 7-[(1,5-dialkyl-1H-1,2,4-triazolyl)methoxy(and methyl)]coumarins were synthesized from cycloaddition of 2-(2H-benzopyran-7-yloxy)acetonitrile and 2-(5-methoxy-4-methyl-2H-benzopyran-7-yloxy)acetonitrile, respectively, with various reactive cumulene intermediates via spontaneous rearrangements. The anticancer (breast, lung, CNS cancers) and antiviral (HIV-1, HIV-2) properties of some compounds were investigated in vitro. 5-Methoxy-4-methyl-7-[(6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]azepin-2-yl)methyl]coumarin showed some inhibition of HIV-1.

A method for the simultaneous determination of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers by HPLC-DAD was developed. For this purpose, ( Z )-isomers of lutein and zeaxanthin were prepared by iodine-catalyzed photoisomerization and their structures elucidated by 1D- and 2D-LC-NMR spectroscopy, by APcI-MS in the positive mode, and by UV/Vis spectroscopy. Near baseline separation was achieved for (13- Z )-lutein, (13′- Z )-lutein, ( all - E )-lutein, (9- Z )-lutein, (9′- Z )-lutein, (13- Z )-zeaxanthin, ( all - E )-zeaxanthin, and (9- Z )-zeaxanthin. The influence of selected thermal treatments on degradation and isomerization of lutein and zeaxanthin was assessed. Sweet corn and spinach were sterilized ( T max = 121 °C, F = 5) and blanched ( t = 2 min, steam), respectively. Heating resulted in decreases in total lutein content in sweet corn by 26% and in spinach by 17%. Total zeaxanthin content in sweet corn decreased by 29%. The amount of ( Z )-isomers of lutein and zeaxanthin increased in sweet corn from 12% to 30% and 7% to 25%, respectively, whereas in fresh spinach a decrease in lutein ( Z )-stereoisomers from 21% to 14% was observed.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is one of the most important tropical fruits and its pulp is known to be a rich source of carotenoids. Investigations on the phenolic composition of the peels of a red-colored cultivar (cv. ‘Tommy Atkins’) revealed the presence of a new anthocyanin, 7-O-methylcyanidin 3-O- β -D-galactopyranoside. Its structure was elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D NMR studies, MS, and chemical transformation.