Aleksei Bredihhin

Evaluation of carbohydrates and lignocellulosic biomass from different wood species as raw material for the synthesis of 5-bromomethyfurfural

The influence of different parameters on the conversion of carbohydrates and biomass into the potential biofuel intermediate 5-bromomethylfurfural (BMF) has been studied. Our optimized conditions avoid the use of lithium salt additives, making this method cheaper and environmentally more benign compared to previously reported methods. Different wood species and their potential as a raw material in BMF and furfural production have also been evaluated. In addition, we report a very simple and efficient procedure for conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into BMF or 5-chloromethylfurfural (CMF).

Preparation of potential biofuel 5-ethoxymethylfurfural and other 5-alkoxymethylfurfurals in the presence of oil shale ash

5-Ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) can be prepared from the corresponding halomethylfurfural and absolute ethanol in good yield. The use of significantly more affordable 96% ethanol results in formation of levulinic acid or its ester in considerable amount (up to 16%), which is difficult to separate from the desired EMF. In the present study we report that the addition of oil shale ash prevents the hydrolysis of the furan ring and enables the use of 96% ethanol with great success. The developed procedure is applicable to a wide range of aqueous alcohols, is operationally simple and utilizes an inexpensive basic ash, which is deposited in millions of tons per year. Notably, the basicity of the ash is decreased during the process, making its deposits less hazardous to the environment.

Antiretroviral (HIV-1) activity of azulene derivatives

The antiretroviral activity of azulene derivatives was detected for the first time. A series of eighteen diversely substituted azulenes was synthesized and tested in vitro using HIV-1 based virus-like particles (VLPs) and infectious HIV-1 virus in U2OS and TZM-bl cell lines. Among the compounds tested, the 2-hydroxyazulenes demonstrated the most significant activity by inhibiting HIV-1 replication with IC50 of 2-10 and 8-20 μM for the VLPs and the infectious virus, respectively. These results indicate that azulene derivatives may be potentially useful candidates for the development of antiretroviral agents.

A route towards a new hydrazino-ormosil

We have synthesized a new compound, 3-hydrazinopropyltrimethoxysilane, which can be applied in chemical modification of SiO2 surfaces. The synthesis route is rather simple, including only two major steps. The compound was analysed and confirmed by NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. The new silane can offer a sound alternative to aminosilanes, which are widely applied in several technologies as adhesion promoters.