Marco Lessi

Synthesis and properties of trialkyl(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)phosphonium salts, a new class of hydrophilic and hydrophobic glyceryl-functionalized ILs

A series of new ionic liquids (ILs) based on trialkylglycerylphosphonium cations have been prepared starting from 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol or (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methanol, two compounds readily obtainable from glycerol (a widely available and cheap waste product). All the new phosphonium salts were characterized by NMR, IR and DSC, and their efficacy as polar additives in a typical base-promoted Baylis–Hillman reaction was also evaluated.

A New 1,3,4‐Oxadiazole‐Based Hole‐Transport Material for Efficient CH3NH3PbBr3 Perovskite Solar Cells

A new hole-transport material (HTM) based on the 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety (H1) was prepared through a single-step synthetic pathway starting from commercially available products. Thanks to a deep HOMO level, H1 was used as HTM in CH3 NH3 PbBr3 perovskite solar cells yielding an efficiency of 5.8%. The reference HTM (Spiro-OMeTAD), under the same testing conditions, furnished a lower efficiency of 5.1%. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence of the thin films showed good charge-extraction dynamics for H1 devices. In addition, H1 shows a large thermal stability and completely amorphous behavior (as evaluated by thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry).

Integrating computational and chemical biology tools in the discovery of antiangiogenic small molecule ligands of FGF2 derived from endogenous inhibitors

The FGFs/FGFRs system is a recognized actionable target for therapeutic approaches aimed at inhibiting tumor growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. We previously identified a non-peptidic compound (SM27) that retains the structural and functional properties of the FGF2-binding sequence of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), a major endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis. Here we identified new small molecule inhibitors of FGF2 based on the initial lead. A similarity-based screening of small molecule libraries, followed by docking calculations and experimental studies, allowed selecting 7 bi-naphthalenic compounds that bound FGF2 inhibiting its binding to both heparan sulfate proteoglycans and FGFR-1. The compounds inhibit FGF2 activity in in vitro and ex vivo models of angiogenesis, with improved potency over SM27. Comparative analysis of the selected hits, complemented by NMR and biochemical analysis of 4 newly synthesized functionalized phenylamino-substituted naphthalenes, allowed identifying the minimal stereochemical requirements to improve the design of naphthalene sulfonates as FGF2 inhibitors.

Luminescent solar concentrators based on PMMA films obtained from a red-emitting ATRP initiator

This study examines for the first time the use of an aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen, TPE_RED) as an initiator to prepare red-emitting poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymers, i.e. PMMA_TPE_RED, for the realization of high performance luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). TPE_RED is a photostable red-emitting AIEgen with D–A features and a 2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate unit able to initiate the ATRP polymerization of MMA. PMMA_TPE_RED polymers containing 0.98–3.05 wt% of TPE_RED absorb visible light in the range between 400 and 600 nm, and emit fluorescence at around 610–650 nm when aggregated in solution or in the solid state, with a maximum quantum yield (QY) of 26.5%. PMMA_TPE_RED films experience partial fluorescence quenching with the TPE_RED content possibly due to auto-absorption phenomena and the formation of less emissive micro-sized clusters of chromophoric entities. Physical blending of PMMA_TPE_RED with commercially available PMMA provides a film with a smooth texture and LSCs with optical efficiencies of 10% thanks to the superior light harvesting features of the homogeneously distributed AIEgen.

Synthesis and Biological Properties of 2(5H)-Furanones Featuring Bromine Atoms on the Heterocyclic Ring and/or Brominated Substituents

This review with 263 references deals with the synthesis of unnatural and natural 2(5H)-furanone derivatives featuring bromine atoms on the heterocyclic ring and/or brominated substituents, which have been described in the literature since 1951 up to February 2016. The review has been organized on the basis of seven classes of brominated furanone derivatives that were synthesized. Where possible, experimental details of the syntheses have been reported. Furthermore, the biological properties of the target compounds, including their mutagenic, cytotoxic, enzymatic, antiinflammatory and photosynthetic inhibitory activities have been summarized, paying particular attention on the compounds that have demonstrated antimicrobial properties via inhibition of quorum sensing and biofilm formation

Structural, thermal and photo-physical data of azo-aromatic TEMPO derivatives before and after their grafting to polyolefins.

The data reported in this paper are complementary to the characterization of 4-(phenylazo)-benzoyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (AzO-TEMPO) and of the 4-(2-thienylazo)-benzoyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (ThiO-TEMPO) before and after their grafting to two polyethylene matrices (a copolymer ethylene/α-olefin (co-EO) and a high density polyethylene (HDPE)). Particularly the data reported in this paper confirm the structure (FT-IR analysis), the thermal (TGA and EPR) and the photo-physical (UV–vis) properties of the RO-TEMPO derivatives before and after their grafting. Herein, the FT-IR spectrum and TGA thermogram of ThiO-TEMPO were compared with those of AzO-TEMPO. Moreover, the superimposition of UV–vis spectra collected during the irradiation under 366 or 254 nm emitting lamp of AzO-TEMPO and ThiO-TEMPO in acetonitrile solution are reported. Finally, a complete DSC characterization of the functionalized POs is shown. DOI of original article: 〈http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2015.11.018〉 [1]

Synthesis and Biological Profiles of 4,5-, 1,5-, and 1,2-Diaryl-1H-imidazoles

Abstract In the last four decades, great attention had been devoted to the preparation and evaluation of the biological profiles of vicinal diaryl-substituted 1H-imidazoles. A comprehensive description of the literature data in this area was published in 2007. This chapter with 321 references focuses on updating this description providing an overview of the synthetic approaches to 4,5-, 1,5-, and 1,2-diaryl-1H-imidazole derivatives that have been developed from the end of 2006 up to the end of June 2016 and on detailing the biological and sometimes remarkable pharmacological properties of these substances. The results of the studies carried out in these years have in fact revealed that vicinal diaryl-substituted imidazoles include anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, antitubercular, and anti-obesity agents as well as compounds with beneficial effects in treating Alzheimer’s disease and atherosclerosis. However, we need to point out that, due to space limitations, recent results concerning the synthesis and bioactivity of tri- and tetraaryl-1H-imidazoles have not been reviewed.