Catalyst and base-free, direct oxidation of chitin to lactic acid with hydrogen peroxide.

In recent years, the research on the conversion of chitin to high value-added chemicals has attracted more and more attention. At present, the method of preparing lactic acid from chitin mostly uses strong base or catalyst. The reaction system under alkaline condition not only corrodes the container but also easily harms the human body. Herein, a simple and effective method to convert chitin to organic acids in catalyst and base-free conditions is developed. The use of H2O2 only can efficiently convert chitin to organic acids in the absence of bases and catalysts. Under the optimal conditions of 30 mg chitin, 2.1 mL water, 0.9 mL H2O2 at 230 °C for 1.5 h, the lactic acid yield of chitin can reach 58.2 % and the total organic acid yield can reach 84.0 %. This work provides an efficient method for the resource utilization of chitin biomass.

Toxic effects of ship exhaust gas closed-loop scrubber wash water.

To meet the strict requirements of reducing sulfur emissions, an increasing number of commercial ships have installed exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs). However, wash water produced during the cleaning process is discharged back to the marine environment. We investigated the effects of closed-loop scrubber (natrium-alkali method) wash water on three trophic species. Severe toxic effects were found when Dunaliella salina, Mysidopsis bahia, and Mugilogobius chulae were exposed to 0.63-6.25, 0.63-10, and 1.25-20% concentrations of wash water, respectively. The 50% effective concentration in 96 h (EC50-96 h) for D. salina was 2.48%, and the corresponding total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals were 22.81 and 23.67 µg L-1. The 50% lethal concentration in 7 d (LC50-7 d) values for M. bahia and M. chulae were 3.57% and 20.50%, respectively. The lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) values for M. bahia and M. chulae were 1.25% and 2.5%, respectively, and the corresponding total PAHs and heavy metals were 11.50 and 11.93 and 22.99 and 23.86 µg L-1. M. bahia's body weight was negatively correlated with the amount of wash water. Low concentrations of wash water (0-5%) had no significant effect on the reproduction of M. bahia. Although concentrations of 16 PAHs and 8 heavy metals are known, different compounds might react with each other and form more unknown toxic substances, and the measured toxicity comes from synergistic effects between various pollutants. Therefore, future work is needed to clarify other more toxic contaminants in wash water. We highly recommend that wash water be treated before being discharged to the marine environment.

Magnetic seeds promoted high-density sulfonic acid-based hydrochar derived from sugar-rich wastewater for removal of methylene blue.

Methylene blue (MB) removal from dyeing wastewater using low-cost bio-derived adsorbent is a significant and challenging field. Herein, magnetic sugar hydrochar (MGHC) precursors derived from sugar-rich wastewater with small particle size and rich oxygen-containing functional groups (OCFGs) are prepared from sugar-rich aqueous solution via Fe salt-modified hydrothermal procedure. The role of Fe3O4 nanoparticles formed during the sugar carbonization is to provide numerous magnetic seeds to generate MGHC with core-shell structure, which reduces the particle size of hydrochar. This increases the amount of OCFGs on the surface of MGHC for bonding the sulfonic acid groups. Therefore, sulfonic acid-modified MGHC-SA shows the rapid MB adsorption rate and excellent adsorption capacity. The highest MB capacity is 869.6 mg/g at pH = 11.0 and 298 K. Additionally, the MGHC-SA can be easily recovery by magnet. And the stability of MGHC-SA was also evaluated, no degradation of adsorption performance was observed, even the adsorbent was regenerated 10 times. This study puts forward a promising way to acquire functional groups rich and easy recovery hydrochar from sugar wastewater for MB removal.

Dehydrogenation of Cyclohexanones to Phenols: A Mini Review.

BACKGROUND: Phenol and its derivatives are important intermediates in the chemical industry, especially the pharmaceutical and electronic industries. The synthesis of phenols has attracted the attention of scientists due to their importance. Dehydrogenation of cyclohexanones is one of the promising aromatization strategies for phenols manufacture because the raw materials are low cost and stable. In recent years, some efficient and green methods with the use of H2, O2 and air, alkene, H2 and O2-free are described. OBJECTIVE: This mini-review will summarize some recent developments relating to the dehydrogenation of cyclohexanones to phenols, along with their interesting mechanism aspects. The challenges and future trends of the transformation will be prospected. CONCLUSION: The synthesis of phenols from the dehydrogenation of cyclohexanones has recently attracted much attention. Some synthetic methods have been established, and interesting mechanisms have been proposed in some cases. Lots of catalysts were developed for the transformation to afford the corresponding product. Although the present methods still have drawbacks and limitations, it is supposed that many novel methods would probably be developed in the near future.

Targeted release of stromal cell-derived factor-1α by reactive oxygen species-sensitive nanoparticles results in bone marrow stromal cell chemotaxis and homing, and repair of vascular injury caused by electrical burns.

Rapid repair of vascular injury is an important prognostic factor for electrical burns. This repair is achieved mainly via stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1α promoting the mobilization, chemotaxis, homing, and targeted differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into endothelial cells. Forming a concentration gradient from the site of local damage in the circulation is essential to the role of SDF-1α. In a previous study, we developed reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive PPADT nanoparticles containing SDF-1α that could degrade in response to high concentration of ROS in tissue lesions, achieving the goal of targeted SDF-1α release. In the current study, a rat vascular injury model of electrical burns was used to evaluate the effects of targeted release of SDF-1α using PPADT nanoparticles on the chemotaxis of BMSCs and the repair of vascular injury. Continuous exposure to 220 V for 6 s could damage rat vascular endothelial cells, strip off the inner layer, significantly elevate the local level of ROS, and decrease the level of SDF-1α. After injection of Cy5-labeled SDF-1α-PPADT nanoparticles, the distribution of Cy5 fluorescence suggested that SDF-1α was distributed primarily at the injury site, and the local SDF-1α levels increased significantly. Seven days after injury with nanoparticles injection, aggregation of exogenous green fluorescent protein-labeled BMSCs at the injury site was observed. Ten days after injury, the endothelial cell arrangement was better organized and continuous, with relatively intact vascular morphology and more blood vessels. These results showed that SDF-1α-PPADT nanoparticles targeted the SDF-1α release at the site of injury, directing BMSC chemotaxis and homing, thereby promoting vascular repair in response to electrical burns.

A novel method to prepare a magnetic carbon-based adsorbent with sugar-containing water as the carbon source and DETA as the modifying reagent.

A novel magnetic heavy metal adsorbent was prepared via diethylenetriamine (DETA) modification on magnetic hydrothermal carbon, with glucose and sugar-containing waste water as the carbon source. The prepared materials were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, TEM, EDXRF, TGA, elemental analysis, XPS, and magnetic moment determination. In this paper, the adsorption mechanism of the modified and unmodified adsorbents was well discussed. Four kinds of waste water (watermelon juice, expired sprite, sugar-pressing waste water, and confectionary waste water) were employed to produce heavy metal ion adsorbents; the chemical properties of hydrothermal carbon derived from the proposed sources were analyzed as well. The maximum uptake capacity for Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ of the adsorbent produced from glucose was 26.88, 103.09, and 25.38 mg g-1, respectively. After 5 cycles, the adsorption ability was still well preserved. This work represents an efficient new direction for the treatment of heavy metal ions in water and the reuse of sugar-containing waste water. Graphical abstract The schemetic of DETA-modified magnetic carbon preparing from sugar-containing wastewater.

NaHCO3-enhanced hydrogen production from water with Fe and in situ highly efficient and autocatalytic NaHCO3 reduction into formic acid.

We report a highly efficient water splitting for CO2 reduction into formic acid with a commercially available metal of Fe powder without adding any other catalyst. An excellent formic acid yield of more than 90% was attained.

Synthesis of allylated quinolines/isoquinolines via palladium-catalyzed cyclization-allylation of azides and allyl methyl carbonate.

A novel and efficient strategy for one-step synthesis of allylated quinolines and isoquinolines via palladium-catalyzed cyclization-allylation of azides and allyl methyl carbonate is developed for the first time. The results indicated that the regioselective synthesis of allyl- and diallyl-substituted quinolines/isoquinolines depends on different substituted groups at R(1) and R(4) positions, such as H or other groups. The reactions proceed smoothly in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4 and K3PO4 or NaOAc in DMF at 100 °C to give the corresponding allyl- and diallyl-substituted quinolines and isoquinolines in good to high yields.

Highly efficient conversion of biomass-derived glycolide to ethylene glycol over CuO in water.

The efficient conversion of biomass-derived glycolide into ethylene glycol over CuO in water was investigated. The reaction of glycolide was carried out with 25 mmol Zn and 6 mmol CuO with 25% water filling at 250 °C for 150 min, which yielded the desired ethylene glycol in 94% yield.

Highly efficient and autocatalytic H22 dissociation for CO2 reduction into formic acid with zinc.

Artificial photosynthesis, specifically H2O dissociation for CO2 reduction with solar energy, is regarded as one of the most promising methods for sustainable energy and utilisation of environmental resources. However, a highly efficient conversion still remains extremely challenging. The hydrogenation of CO2 is regarded as the most commercially feasible method, but this method requires either exotic catalysts or high-purity hydrogen and hydrogen storage, which are regarded as an energy-intensive process. Here we report a highly efficient method of H2O dissociation for reducing CO2 into chemicals with Zn powder that produces formic acid with a high yield of approximately 80%, and this reaction is revealed for the first time as an autocatalytic process in which an active intermediate, ZnH(-) complex, serves as the active hydrogen. The proposed process can assist in developing a new concept for improving artificial photosynthetic efficiency by coupling geochemistry, specifically the metal-based reduction of H2O and CO2, with solar-driven thermochemistry for reducing metal oxide into metal.

Improvement of lactic acid production from cellulose with the addition of Zn/Ni/C under alkaline hydrothermal conditions.

The effect of Zn, Ni and activated carbon on the yield of lactic acid from cellulose was investigated to improve the lactic acid yield under alkaline hydrothermal conditions. The results showed that the lactic acid yield increased greatly in the presence of Zn, Ni and activated carbon. Central composite response surface method (RSM) design experimentation was used to find the optimal concentrations of Zn, Ni, activated carbon and NaOH, which indicated that 0.02 g Zn, 0.03 g Ni, 0.07 g activated carbon and 2.5 mol/L NaOH were the optimal concentrations. Under this condition, the highest lactic acid yield was 42%, which was much higher than previous results using only NaOH (15%). The confirmatory experiments on lactic acid yield proved that the proposed model of lactic acid yield can accurately predict the lactic acid yield from cellulose.

A method for the synthesis of substituted quinolines via electrophilic cyclization of 1-azido-2-(2-propynyl)benzene.

A new and efficient strategy for the synthesis of substituted quinolines via electrophilic cyclization is developed. The intramolecular cyclization of 1-azido-2-(2-propynyl)benzene 1 proceeds smoothly in the presence of electrophilic reagents (I(2), Br(2), ICl, NBS, NIS, and HNTf(2)) in CH(3)NO(2) at room temperature or in the presence of catalytic amounts of AuCl(3)/AgNTf(2) in THF at 100 degrees C to afford the corresponding quinolines 2 in good to high yields. In the case of the electrophilic reagents, E of 2 is either I, Br, or H, depending on the reagent type, while E of 2 is H in the case of the electrophilic catalyst.

Iodine-mediated electrophilic cyclization of 2-alkynyl-1-methylene azide aromatics leading to highly substituted isoquinolines and its application to the synthesis of norchelerythrine.

The reaction of 2-alkynyl-1-methylene azide aromatics 1 with iodine and/or other iodium donors, such as the Barluenga reagent (Py2IBF4/HBF4) and NIS, gave highly substituted cyclization products, namely, the 1,3-disubstituted 4-iodoisoquinolines 2, in good to high yields. Not only simple 2-alkynyl benzyl azides 1a-j and their substituted analogues 1k-u and 6 but also heteroaromatic analogues, including pyridine 8, pyrroles 10a-c, furane 10d, and thiophenes 10e-g, gave the corresponding isoquinoline derivatives in excellent to allowable yields. Electron-donating and electron-accepting substituents on the aromatic ring were equally tolerated, and either acidic or basic (or even neutral) reaction conditions, depending on the reactivity of the substrate, could be applied to smoothly convert the azide starting materials into the desired isoquinoline products in moderate to good yields. Limits were found only in connection with the substituent at the alkyne terminus, where electron-neutral or electron-donating substituents are clearly favored. The iodine-mediated electrophilic cyclization of 1 most probably proceeds through the iodonium ion intermediate 4 followed by nucleophilic cyclization of the azide and subsequent elimination of N2. This new methodology was successfully applied to the short synthesis of norchelerythrine.

Palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative aza-Michael addition-allylation reactions between allyl carbamates and activated olefins. Generation of quaternary carbon adjacent to secondary amine carbon center.

The reaction of allyl carbamates with activated olefins in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4 catalyst in THF proceeded smoothly at room temperature to give the corresponding beta,alpha-bisadducts, beta-amino-alpha-allylated products, in high yields. Not only highly activated olefins containing two cyano groups but also 2-cyano enones underwent facile aza-Michael addition--allylation with various allylic carbamates giving the corresponding products in high yields and with high diastereoselectivities. The stereochemistry of the singly formed product was confirmed with the help of X-ray crystallographic technique. It is an excellent method for creating beta-amino alpha-allyl ketones having two contiguous stereocenters: quaternary carbon adjacent to secondary amine carbon center.

Lactam synthesis via the intramolecular hydroamidation of alkynes catalyzed by palladium complexes.

The palladium complexes catalyzed intramolecular hydroamidation reaction of amidoalkynes gives the corresponding lactams in good to high yields. For example, in the presence of 10 mol % of Pd(PPh3)4 and 20 mol % of PhCOOH, the reaction of the amidoalkyne 3a in 1,4-dioxane at 100 degrees C proceeded smoothly to give the corresponding lactam 4a in 92% yield.

Beta-alkyl-alpha-allylation of Michael acceptors through the palladium-catalyzed three-component coupling between allylic substrates, trialkylboranes, and activated olefins.

The palladium-catalyzed three-component beta-alkyl-alpha-allylation reaction of activated olefins has been achieved. For example, in the presence of 5 mol % of Pd(PPh3)4, the reaction of benzylidenemalononitrile 1a with Et3B and allyl acetate 2a in THF proceeded smoothly at 40 degrees C to give the corresponding beta-ethyl-alpha-allylated product 3a in 81% yield.

Facile deallylation protocols for the preparation of N-unsubstituted triazoles and tetrazoles.

Two facile deallylation protocols have been developed for the preparation of N-unsubstituted triazoles and tetrazoles. The first protocol is a direct deallylation using a combination of a catalytic amount of nickel complex, NiCl2(dppe), and a stoichiometric amount of Grignard reagent, tBuMgCl. The second protocol is a stepwise deallylation through consecutive reactions of isomerization and ozonolysis. The isomerization from N-allylazoles to N-vinylazoles is catalyzed by a ruthenium complex, HRuCl(CO)(PPh3)3, and the following ozonolysis of the derived N-vinyl intermediates affords N-unsubstituted azoles. These protocols can be used complementarily depending on the type of functional groups in the parent allylated azoles.

Intramolecular hydroamination of alkynes catalyzed by Pd(PPh3)4/triphenylphosphine under neutral conditions.

The intramolecular hydroamination of alkynes tethered with amino group 1 in the presence of catalytic amounts of Pd(PPh3)4 and PPh3 in benzene at 100 degrees C proceeded smoothly without the use of any additional acid source to afford five- and six-membered nitrogen heterocycles 2 in good to excellent yields. A compulsory addition of carboxylic acid as a cocatalyst was not needed, and the reaction could be carried out under essentially neutral conditions.

A one-pot procedure for the regiocontrolled synthesis of allyltriazoles via the Pd-Cu bimetallic catalyzed three-component coupling reaction of nonactivated terminal alkynes, allyl carbonate, and trimethylsilyl azide.

A one-pot procedure for the regiocontrolled synthesis of both 2-allyl- and 1-allyl-1,2,3-triazoles via the three-component coupling (TCC) reaction between nonactivated terminal alkynes, allyl carbonate, and trimethylsilyl azide (TMSN(3)) under a palladium and copper bimetallic catalyst has been developed. To accomplish the regioselective synthesis of the allyltriazoles, proper choice of two different catalyst systems is needed. The combination of Pd(2)(dba)(3).CHCl(3)-CuCl(PPh(3))(3)-P(OPh)(3) catalyzes the formation of 2-allyl-1,2,3-triazoles, while the combination of Pd(OAc)(2)-CuBr(2)-PPh(3) promotes the formation of 1-allyl-1,2,3-triazoles. The cooperative activity of palladium and copper catalysts plays an important role in the present transformations. Most probably, the palladium catalyst works as a catalyst for generating reactive azide species, pi-allylpalladium azide complex and allyl azide. The copper catalyst probably behaves as an activator of the C-C triple bond of the starting terminal alkynes by forming a copper-acetylide intermediate and thereby promotes the [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction between the reactive azide species and the copper-acetylide to form the triazole framework.

Synthesis of triazoles from nonactivated terminal alkynes via the three-component coupling reaction using a Pd(0)-Cu(I) bimetallic catalyst.

The synthesis of triazoles via the three-component coupling reaction of unactivated terminal alkynes, allyl carbonate, and trimethylsiyl azide under the Pd(0)-Cu(I) bimetallic catalyst is developed. The reaction most probably proceeds through the formation of a pi-allylpalladium azide complex and a copper-acetylide followed by a successive [3 + 2] cycloaddition. The deallylation of the resulting allyltriazoles proceeds very easily by the Ru-catalyzed isomerization followed by the ozonolysis of the resulting propenyltriazoles to give the triazoles in high yields.