Paola Costanzo

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Donepezil-Like Compounds as AChE and BACE-1 Inhibitors

An ecofriendly synthetic pathway for the synthesis of donepezil precursors is described. Alternative energy sources were used for the total synthesis in order to improve yields, regioselectively, and rate of each synthetic step and to reduce the coproduction of waste at the same time. For all products, characterized by an improved structural rigidity respect to donepezil, the inhibitor activity on AChE, the selectivity vs BuChE, the side-activity on BACE-1, and the effect on SHSY-5Y neuroblastoma cells viability were tested. Two potential new lead compounds for a dual therapeutic strategy against Alzheimers disease were envisaged.

An eco-sustainable erbium(III)-catalyzed method for formation/cleavage of O-tert-butoxy carbonates

A new simple and effective method for the formation/cleavage of O-tert-butoxy carbonates of alcohols and phenols is proposed. Mesoporous silica-supported Er(III) (ErIII-MCM-41) was used as an efficient and reusable solid catalyst in the solvent-free ultrasound-assisted synthesis of Boc-carbonate derivatives of a wide range of alcohols and phenols. The fast, selective deprotection of Boc-derivatives is achieved with a very low amount of Er(OTf)3 in ethanol under microwave irradiation. Therefore, the entire protection/de-protection process is very attractive, from the point of view of sustainability.

Non-Conventional Methodologies in the Synthesis of 1-Indanones

1-Indanones have been successfully prepared by means of three different non-conventional techniques, namely microwaves, high-intensity ultrasound and a Q-tube™ reactor. A library of differently substituted 1-indanones has been prepared via one-pot intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation and their efficiency and “greenness” have been compared.

Water excellent solvent for the synthesis of bifunctionalized cyclopentenones from furfural

Chiral cyclopentenones are important precursors in the asymmetric synthesis of target molecules. In particular, C-2 amino cyclopentenones could be utilised as intermediates towards antitumor natural products. On the basis of our previous experience, we report an environmentally friendly protocol for the synthesis of bifunctionalized cyclopentenones in water from furfural. The use of water and MW gives high regioselectivity and good to excellent yields. The reaction can be realized in short times with various nucleophiles.

Simple and efficient Fmoc removal in ionic liquid

A mild method for an efficient removal of the fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) group in ionic liquid was developed. The combination of a weak base such as triethylamine and [Bmim][BF4] makes the entire system more efficient for the cleavage at room temperature of various amines and amino acid methyl esters in short reaction times. The procedure works well even in the case of N-Fmoc amino acids bearing acid-sensitive protecting groups and of N-alkylated amino acid methyl esters. The solvent-free condition provides a complementary method for Fmoc deprotection in solution phase peptide synthesis and modern organic synthesis.

Tunable microwave-assisted method for the solvent-free and catalyst-free peracetylation of natural products

Summary Background: The peracetylation is a simple chemical modification that can be used to enhance the bioavailability of hydrophilic products and to obtain safe and stable pro-drugs. Results: A totally green, solvent-free and catalyst-free microwave (MW)-assisted method for peracetylation of natural products such as oleuropein, alpha-hederin, quercetin and rutin is presented. By simply tuning the MW heating program, polyols with chemical diverse –OH groups or thermolabile functionalities can be peracetylated to improve the biological activity without degradation of the natural starting molecules. An evaluation of the process greenness was performed. Conclusion: The method is potentially universally applicable for green acetylation of hydrophilic biological molecules, potentially easily scalable for industrial applications, including pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry.

Catalyst-free tosylation of lipophilic alcohols in water

The first catalyst-free and on-water method for tosylation of alcohols is presented. Tosylation can be realized in a few minutes under microwave-assistance, exploiting the water insolubility of reagents and products as the driving force of the reaction. A biodegradable water solution of p-toluenesulfonic acid is the only waste produced.

An Erbium-Based Bifuctional Heterogeneous Catalyst: A Cooperative Route Towards C-C Bond Formation

Heterogeneous bifuctional catalysts are multifunctional synthetic catalysts enabling efficient organic transformations by exploiting two opposite functionalities without mutual destruction. In this paper we report the first Er(III)-based metallorganic heterogeneous catalyst, synthesized by post-calcination MW-assisted grafting and modification of the natural aminoacid L-cysteine. The natural acid–base distance between sites was maintained to assure the cooperation. The applicability of this new bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst to C-C bond formation and the supposed mechanisms of action are discussed as well.

Simple and efficient sustainable semi-synthesis of oleacein [2-(3,4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl (3S,4E)-4-formyl-3-(2-oxoethyl)hex-4-enoate] as potential additive for edible oils

A simple and very environmental friendly microwave assisted method to produce oleacein in good yield starting from the easily available oleuropein is here presented. The methodology is proposed to produce the appropriate amount of hydroxytyrosol derivatives to enrich a commercial oil for an oil which provides beneficial effects on the human health.

Biorenewable Deep Eutectic Solvent for Selective and Scalable Conversion of Furfural into Cyclopentenone Derivatives

The development of novel synthetic routes to produce bioactive compounds starting from renewable sources has become an important research area in organic and medicinal chemistry. Here, we present a low-cost procedure for the tunable and selective conversion of biomass-produced furfural to cyclopentenone derivatives using a mixture of choline chloride and urea as a biorenewable deep eutectic solvent (DES). The proposed medium is a nontoxic, biodegradable, and could be reused up to four times without any unfavorable effect on the reaction yield. The process is tunable, clean, cheap, simple and scalable and meets most of the criteria; therefore, it can be considered as an environmental sustainable process in a natural reaction medium.