Rita H. de Rossi

Cyclodextrin enhanced fluorimetric method for the determination of tryptamine

The effect of native cyclodextrins (alpha-, beta- or gamma- with six, seven or eight glucose units, respectively), hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, beta-cyclodextrin solubilized in urea, soluble starch and glucose in water solution on the fluorescence behaviour of tryptamine [3-(2-aminoethyl)indole] (T) was determined. In addition, the effect of methanol and propanol with and without beta-cyclodextrin or hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin was ascertained. From the fluorescence changes with pH and with beta-cyclodextrin or hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, the values of the pKa of the ground and excited states and the association constants of T and TH [3-(2-ammoniumethyl)indole] with the two hosts were determined. The values are pKa = 9.5 +/- 0.2 and pKa* = 8.4 +/- 0.2; KAssocTH = (1.6 +/- 0.3) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3 and KAssocT = (2.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3 with beta-cyclodextrin, KAssocTH = (1.8 +/- 0.5) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3 and KAssocT = (4.9 +/- 0.9) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3 with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin. The ratio of the fluorescence quantum yields for the bound and free substrate (phi b/phi f) were in the range 1.25-1.33. The detection limit for the better conditions where the host-guest interactions produce fluorescence enhancement was 0.454 +/- 0.002 ng ml-1 for the complex T-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin in water. The method is simpler than others reported previously.

Synthesis and characterization of an amphiphilic cyclodextrin, a micelle with two recognition sites.

A cyclodextrin derivative (Mod-CD) was synthesized through the monoesterification of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) with 3-((E)-dec-2-enyl)-dihydrofuran-2,5-dione. The compound is an interesting surfactant that can form large aggregates not only through the interaction of the hydrophobic tails as in common amphiphilic compounds but also through the inclusion of the alkenyl chain into the cavity of another Mod-CD molecule. The self-inclusion of the chain in the cavity of cyclodextrin as well as the intermolecular inclusion was demonstrated by 1H NMR measurements that were able to detect methyl groups in three different environments. Besides, in the aggregates of Mod-CD, the cavity is available to interact with external guests such as phenolphthalein, 1-amino adamantane, and Prodan. Phenolphthalein has the same binding constant with Mod-CD and beta-CD, but the equilibrium constant for the interaction with Prodan is about 2 times larger for Mod-CD than for beta-CD. The latter result is attributed to the fact that this probe interacts with the micelle in two binding sites: the cavity of the cyclodextrin and the apolar heart of the micelle as evidenced by the spectrofluorimetric behavior of Prodan in solutions containing different concentrations of Mod-CD.

Different behaviours in the solubilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water induced by mixed surfactant solutions

Water solubility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), viz, naphthalene and phenanthrene, in micellar solutions at 25°C was investigated, using two series of different binary mixtures of anionic and nonionic surfactants. Tween 80 and Brij-35 were used as nonionic surfactants whereas fatty acids or amphiphilic cyclodextrins (Mod-β-CD) synthesized in our laboratory were used as anionic ones. Solubilization capacity has been quantified in terms of the molar solubilization ratio and the micelle-water partition coefficient, using UV-visible spectrophotometry. Anionic surfactants exhibited less solubilization capacity than nonionics. The mixtures between Tween 80 and Mod-β-CD did not show synergism to increase the solubilization of PAHs. On the other hand, the mixtures formed by Tween 80 and fatty acids at all mole fractions studied produced higher enhancements of the solubility of naphthalene than the individual surfactants. The critical micellar concentration of the mixtures of Tween 80/sodium laurate was determined by surface tension measurements and spectrofluorimetry using pyrene as probe. The system is characterized by a negative interaction parameter (β) indicating attractive interactions between both surfactants in the range of the compositions studied.

Effect of cyclodextrins on the electrochemical behaviour of ascorbic acid on gold electrodes

The study of the inclusion complexes formed by ascorbic acid with β-cyclodextrin at different pH is reported. Special attention is paid to the electrochemical behaviour of ascorbic acid in the presence of the macrocycle on gold electrodes. The modifications observed can be explained by the decrease in the diffusion coefficient of the complex and the presence of an additional chemical step, the dissociation of the complex prior to the electron transfer steps. The inclusion of ascorbic acid in β-cyclodextrin increases the stability of the guest molecule to oxidising agents. Adsorption of β-cyclodextrin on gold is also detected, depending on the pH. No effect of ascorbic acid behaviour owing to the addition of α-cyclodextrin was observed.

The development of an environmentally benign sulfide oxidation procedure and its assessment by green chemistry metrics

Different Iron (III) species were used as catalysts in sulfoxidation reactions giving excellent yields and high chemoselectivity. Among the iron (III) species, the best one was a solid β-cyclodextrin-FeBr3 complex. Sulfoxidation takes place with high chemoselectivity in the presence of other groups such as isothiocyanate. Good results were obtained when these reactions were analyzed using green chemistry metrics.

Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin enhanced fluorimetric method for the determination of melatonin and 5-methoxytryptamine

The effects of native cyclodextrins (alpha, beta or gamma), hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, beta-cyclodextrin solubilized in urea, soluble starch and glucose in water solution on the fluorescence behaviour of melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) (M) and 5-methoxytryptamine [5-methoxy-3-(2-aminoethyl)indole] (5M) were determined. In addition, the effect of methanol and propanol with and without beta-cyclodextrin or hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin was assessed. From the fluorescence changes with pH, the values of the pKa for the ground (9.9 +/- 0.2) and the excited state (7.7 +/- 0.2) for 5M were determined. From the fluorescence changes with beta-cyclodextrin or hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, the association constants of M, 5MH [5-methoxy-3-(2-ammoniumethyl)indole] and 5M with the two hosts were determined. The values with beta-cyclodextrin were KAssoc5MH = (1.4 +/- 0.4) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3, KAssoc5M = (1.6 +/- 0.1) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3 and KAssocM = (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3, and with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin KAssoc5MH = (1.1 +/- 0.3) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3, KAssoc5M = (2.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3 and KAssocM = (1.51 +/- 0.07) x 10(2) mol-1 dm3. The ratios of the fluorescence quantum yields for the bound and free substrate (phi b/phi f) were in the range 1.15-1.48. The detection limits under the optimum conditions were 0.381 +/- 0.001 ng cm-3 for the complex 5MH-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin in water and 0.290 +/- 0.001 ng cm-3 for the complex M-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin in water with 5% of methanol. The recovery of melatonin from pharmaceutical preparations was 98-103% with an RSD of 2%. The recovery from rat pineals was also good. The method is direct, simple and accurate.

Reactivity of the insecticide fenitrothion toward O and N nucleophiles.

The reactivity of Fenitrothion (1) toward several O- and N-based nucleophiles, including ambident and alpha-nucleophiles, was investigated in basic media at 25 degrees C in water containing 2% 1,4-dioxane. In the reactions with HO(-) and HOO(-) quantitative formation of 3-methyl-4-nitrophenoxide (2) was observed indicating a S(N)2(P) pathway. In the reactions with NH(2)OH, NH(2)O(-), and BuNH(2), demethylfenitrothion (4) was formed along with 2, indicating competition between the S(N)2(P) and S(N)2(C) pathways; no evidence of a S(N)Ar pathway was observed in any case. The observed rate constants were dissected into the values corresponding to the S(N)2(P) and S(N)2(C) pathways. The yield of 4 depends on the nucleophile and on the pH of the reaction, being the main product in the case of BuNH(2). With HOO(-), NH(2)OH, and NH(2)O(-) a significant alpha-effect was observed, confirming the participation of the nucleophile in the rate-limiting step of the reaction.

Inhibited Phenol Ionization in Reverse Micelles: Confinement Effect at the Nanometer Scale

We found that the absorption spectra of 2-acetylphenol (2-HAP), 4-acetylphenol (4-HAP), and p-nitrophenol (p-NPh) in water/sodium 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/n-heptane reverse micelles (RMs) at various W(0) (W(0) = [H(2)O]/[surfactant]) values studied changed with time if (-)OH ions were present in the RM water pool. There is an evolution of ionized phenol (phenolate) bands to nonionized phenol absorption bands with time and this process is faster at low W(0) values and with phenols with higher bulk water pK(a) values. That is, in bulk water and at the hydroxide anion concentration used, only phenolate species are observed, whereas in AOT RMs at this fixed hydroxide anion concentration, ionized phenols convert into nonionized phenol species over time. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, independent of the (-)OH concentration used to prepare the AOT RMs, the nonionized phenols are the more stable species in the RM media. We explain our results by considering that strong hydrogen-bonding interactions between phenols and the AOT polar head groups result in the existence of only nonionized phenols at the AOT RM interface. The situation is quite different when the phenols are dissolved in cationic benzyl-n-hexadecyldimethylammonium chloride RMs. Therein, only phenolates species are present at the (-)OH concentrations used. The results clearly demonstrate that the classical definition of pH does not apply in a confined environment, such as in the interior of RMs and challenge the general idea that pH can be determined inside RMs.

One-pot synthesis of 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione derivatives from dithiolmalonic esters

Abstract The reaction of dithiolmalonic esters with P 2 S 5 /S 8 in boiling xylene and with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole/ZnO as catalyst produces 5-R (R=alkyl or aryl) thio-3 H -1,2-dithiole-3-thiones as the major identifiable product. The use of Lawessons reagent as sulfurizing agent gives even better yields. For instance with R=phenyl the yield rises from 44 to 82%.

One-pot synthesis of 5-alkylthio-3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thiones

Abstract Dialkyl malonate esters reacted with P 2 S 5 S 8 in boiling xylene and with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole ZnO as catalyst to yield 5-alkylthio-3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thiones as major products.