Alkylation of Catechol with tert-Butyl Alcohol Catalyzed by Mesoporous Acidic Montmorillonite Heterostructure Catalysts

The liquid phase alkylation of catechol with tert-butyl alcohol to produce4-tert-butyl catechol (4-TBC) was carried out over MCM-41, HZSM-5, H-exchanged montmorillonite andnovel acidic porous montmorillonite heterostructures (PMHs). Upon all catalysts tested, 4-TBC is themain product and 3-tert-butyl catechol (3-TBC) and 3,5-di-tert-butyl catechol are the sideproducts. The synthetic PMHs showed higher conversion of catechol and better selectivity to 4-TBCcompared to other solid acid catalysts tested. Over the PMHs derived from H-exchangedmontmorillonite through template extraction processes, the suitable reaction temperature is ca 410K, the ratio of catechol to tert-butyl alcohol is 1:2. Increasing the amount of catalyst (lowerweight hourly space velocity) can improve the conversion of catechol and influence the selectivityslightly. The reasonable reaction time is ca 8 h. The type and strength of acidity ofH-montmorillonite and PMH were determined by pyridine adsorption FT-IR and ammoniatemperature-programmed desorption techniques. The medium and strong acid sites are conducive toproducing 4-TBC and the weak acid sites to facilitating the 3-TBC formation. The differences betweenthe PMHs from calcination and those from extraction are attributed to proton migration and aciditychange in the gallery surface.

A DFT Study on Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond in Substituted Catechols and Their Radicals

Density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level was employed to calculate intramolecular hydrogen bond enthalpies (HIHB), O-H charge differences, O-H bond lengths and bond orders for various substituted catechols and their radicals generated after H-abstraction. It was found that although the charge difference between hydrogen-bonded H and O played a role in determining HIHB, HIHB was mainly governed by the hydrogen bond length. As the oxygen-centered radical has great tendency to form a chemical bond with the H atom, hydrogen bond lengths in catecholic radicals are systematically shorter than those in catechols. Hence, the HIHB for the former are higher than those for the latter.

SYNTHESIS OF POLYCATECHOL WITH ELECTROCHEMICAL ACTIVITY AND ITS PROPERTIES

The electrochemical polymerization of catechol on platinum has been carried out using repeated potential cycling between -0.2 and 1.1 V (versus SCE). The electrolytic solution consisted of 0.2 mol dm(-3) catechol, 0.5 mol dm(-3) NaCl and 0.1 mol dm(-3) Na2HPO4 with pH 8.72. Catechol can not be polymerized at pH greater than or equal to 10.12. Polycatechol has an electrochemical lactivity at pH less than or equal to 4. The anodic and cathodic peak potentials of polycatechol shift towards more negative values as the pH of the solution increases from 1 to 4. The electrochemical activity of polycatechol hardly changes in this pH region, but it decreases slowly with time. This is caused by oxygen in air, which leads to an irreversible oxidation of polycatechol. This property is favorable for protecting metals from corrosion. Raman and FTIR spectra of polycatechol and catechol are quite different. AFM images of polycatechol films provide evidence that the image of the oxidized state of polycatechol is markedly different from that of the reduced one. This difference is caused by doping and dedoping of polycatechol.

Fluorescence quenching method for the determination of catechol with gold nanoparticles and tyrosinase hybrid system

The determination method of catechol by fluorescence quenching was developed.The assay was based on the combination of the unique property of gold nanoparticles with tyrosinase enzymatic reaction.In the presence of tyrosinase,the fluorescence of gold nanoparticles was quenched by catechol which can be employed to detect catechol.Under the optimal conditions,a linear range 5.0×10^(-7)-1.0×10^(-3) mol L^(-1) and a detection limit 1.0×10^(-7) mol L^(-1) of catechol were obtained.o-Quinone intermediate produced...

phytoestrogens/insoluble fibers and colonic estrogen receptor β: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

AIM:To assess the safety and effect of the supplementation of a patented blend of dietary phytoestrogens and insoluble fibers on estrogen receptor (ER)-β and biological parameters in sporadic colonic adenomas. METHODS:A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial was performed. Patients scheduled to undergo surveillance colonoscopy for previous sporadic colonic adenomas were identified, and 60 eligible patients were randomized to placebo or active dietary intervention (ADI) twice a day, for 60 d before surveillance colonoscopy. ADI was a mixture of 175 mg milk thistle extract, 20 mg secoisolariciresinol and 750 mg oat fiber extract. ER-β and ER-α expression, apoptosis and proliferation (Ki-67 LI) were assessed in colon samples. RESULTS:No adverse event related to ADI was recorded. ADI administration showed a significant increases in ER-β protein (0.822 ± 0.08 vs 0.768 ± 0.10, P = 0.04) and a general trend to an increase in ER-β LI (39.222 ± 2.69vs 37.708 ± 5.31,P = 0.06), ER-β/ER-α LI ratio (6.564 ± 10.04 vs 2.437 ± 1.53, P = 0.06), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (35.592 ± 14.97 vs 31.541 ± 11.54, P = 0.07) and Ki-67 (53.923 ± 20.91 vs 44.833 ± 10.38, P = 0.07) approximating statistical significance. A significant increase of ER-β protein (0.805 ± 0.13 vs 0.773 ± 0.13,P = 0.04), mRNA (2.278 ± 1.19vs 1.105 ± 1.07, P < 0.02) and LI (47.533 ± 15.47 vs 34.875 ± 16.67,P < 0.05) and a decrease of ER-α protein (0.423 ± 0.06vs 0.532 ± 0.11,P < 0.02) as well as a trend to increase of ER-β/ER-α protein in ADI vs placebo group were observed in patients without polyps (1.734 ± 0.20 vs 1.571 ± 0.42, P = 0.07). CONCLUSION:The role of ER-β on the control of apoptosis, and its amenability to dietary intervention, are supported in our study.

Vapour-phase O-methylation of Catechol with Methanol on Ti-containing Phosphate Catalysts

Ti-containing phosphate（ Ti-P-O ） catalysts with different molar ratios of P to Ti （0--2. 0 ） were synthesized and characterized by XRD, N2-adsorption/desorption, IR and temperature-programmed desorption （TPD） methods. The catalytic properties of Ti-P-O samples in the vapor-phase O-methylation of catechol with methanol were also studied. The catechol conversion increases with the increase of the molar ratio of P to Ti in a range of 0-0. 33, while a further increase in the P content leads to a decrease of the catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the selectivities of the catalysts to the main product（guaiacol） increase gradually with the increase of the molar ratio of P to Ti. The presence of relatively strong Lewis acidic and/or basic sites in the P-free catalyst should be responsible for the formation of C-alkylation products. The weak acid-base characteristics of the catalysts are favourable for the mono-O-methylation of catechol. In comparison with the Lewis acidic sites, the Bronsted acidic sites on the catalysts are more active for the title reaction.

Protective effects of estrogens and caloric restriction during aging on various rat testis parameters

Aim： To investigate the effects of 17β-estradiol （E2）, Peganum harmala extract （PHE） and caloric restriction （CR） on various testis parameters during aging. Methods： Twelve-month-old male rats were treated for 6 months with either E2 or PHE, or submitted to CR （40%）. Results： Our results show that estrogens and CR are able to protect the male gonad by preventing the decrease of testosterone and E2 levels as well as the decrease of aromatase and estrogen receptor gene expressions. Indeed, E2, PHE and CR treatments induced an increase in the superoxide dismutase activities and decreased the activity of testicular enzymes： gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate deshydrogenase as well as the aspartate and lactate transaminases in aged animals. In addition, the testicular catalase and gluthatione peroxidase activities were enhanced in E2, PHE and CR-treated rats compared to untreated animals at 18 months of age. Moreover, the positive effects of estradiol, PHE and CR were further supported by a lower level of lipid peroxidation. Recovery of spermatogenesis was recorded in treated rats. Conclusion： Besides a low caloric diet which is beneficial for spermatogenesis, a protective antioxydant role of estrogens is suggested. Estrogens delay testicular cell damage, which leads to functional senescence and, therefore, estrogens are helpful in protecting the reproductive functions from the adverse effects exerted by reactive oxygen species （ROS） produced in large quanti- ties in the aged testis.

Characterization and Catalytic Activity of Titanium-containing Aluminum Phosphate Prepared by Sol-gel and Nonuniform Precipitation for O-Alkylation of Catechol with Ethanol

Three titanium-containing aluminum phosphate catalysts with a general formula Al 0.77 Ti 0.23 PO 4 were prepared by the sol-gel method at room temperature(APTS), and a nonuniform precipitation procedure at room temperature(APTR) and under reflux(APTF), respectively. The structural features and the surface properties of the three catalysts were determined by means of the physical adsorption of nitrogen at liquid N 2 temperature, XRD, UV-Vis, NH 3-TPD and IR of adsorbed pyridine. The vapor phase O-alkylation of catechol with ethanol over the prepared catalysts was studied. It was found that the activity and the selectivity of these catalysts are greatly dependent on the preparation method, and catalyst APTF shows the highest activity and selectivity. The characterization evidence indicates that the weak Brnsted acid sites were more effective for the reaction.

Xenoestrogens challenge 17β-estradiol protective effects in colon cancer

Several epidemiological,cellular,and molecular studies demonstrate the role of environmental chemicals with endocrine disrupting activities,typical of Westernized societies,in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases including cancer.Nonetheless this information,the design and execution of studies on endocrine disruptors are not yet cognizant that the specific actions of individual hormones often change with development and ageing,they may be different in males and females and may be mediated by different receptors isoforms expressed in different tissues or at different life stages.These statements are particularly true when assessing the hazard of endocrine disruptors against 17β-estradiol(E2)actions in that this hormone is crucial determinant of sexrelated differences in anatomical,physiological,and behavioral traits which characterize male and female physiology.Moreover,E2 is also involved in carcinogenesis.The oncogenic effects of E2 have been investigated extensively in breast and ovarian cancers where hormone-receptor modulators are now an integral part of targeted treatment.Little is known about the E2preventive signalling in colorectal cancer,although this disease is more common in men than women,the difference being more striking amongst pre-menopausal women and age-matched men.This review aims to dissect the role and action mechanisms of E2 in colorectal cancer evaluating the ability of estrogen disruptors(i.e.,xenoestrogens)in impair these E2 actions.Data discussed here lead to define the possible role of xenoestrogens in the impairment and/or activation of E2signals important for colorectal cancer prevention.

Estrogens and the pathophysiology of the biliary tree

The scientific framework concerning estrogen effects on different tissues has expanded enormously during the last decades, when estrogen receptor （ER） subtypes were identified. Estrogens are not only essential for the female reproductive system, but they also control fundamental functions in other tissues including the cardiovascular system, bone, brain and liver. Recently, estrogens have been shown to target the biliary tree, where they modulate the proliferative and secretory activities of cholangiocytes, the epithelial cells lining bile ducts. By acting on both estrogen receptors （ER-α） and （ER-β） subtypes, and by activating either genomic or non-genomic pathways, estrogens play a key role in the complex loop of growth factors and cytokines, which modulates the proliferative response of cholangiocytes to damage. Specifically, estrogens activate intracellular signalling cascades JERK1/2 （extracellular regulated kinases 1/2, PI3-kinase/AKT （phosphatidylinositol-3＇ kinase/AKT）] typical of growth factors such as insulin like growth factor （IGF1）, nerve growth factor （NGF） and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, thus potentiating their action. In addition, estrogens stimulate the secretion of different growth factors in proliferating cholangiocytes. This review specifically deals with the recent advances related to the role and mechanisms by which estrogens modulate cholangiocyte functions in normal and pathological conditions.

The Separation of Catechol from Carbofuran Phenol by Extractive Distillation

In this study, extractive distillation has been applied to separate catechol （CAT） from carbofuran phenol （CFP） with high purity and yield. The relative volatility of CFP to CAT was measured, and the choice of separating agents was investigated. The experimental results indicated that CFP/CAT is an azeotropic system with an azeotropic point at 93.40℃/0.400 kPa and an azeotropic mixture containing 49.96% of CFP and 50.04% of CAT. Data from the determination of the relative volatility have shown that separating agents such as diglycol and 4-butylcatechol （4-TBC） are able to increase the relative volatility up to 1.90. In one shot process batch extractive distillation of CFP mixture with 3% （by mass） diglycol as separating agent, the purity and yield of the obtained CFP was 99.0% and 95.0%, respectively, while the distillation without separating agent provided a purity and yield of only 98.0% and 90.0%, respectively, There was no residual separating agent found in the product.

Hydroxylation Reaction of Phenol to Catechol on Lanthanide-Zirconia Catalyst

The selective H2O2 oxidation reaction of phenol to catechol on Ln-ZrO2 catalyst has improved the selectivity to 85%, to compare with the conventional titania catalyst. With addition of rare earth such as lanthanum, neodymium, to zirconia as catalyst, the selectivity is increased by 72% and 60% respectively in comparison with the bare titania catalyst.

Estrogens and the regulation of glucose metabolism

The main estrogens:estradiol,estrone,and their acyl-esters have been studied essentially related to their classical estrogenic and pharmacologic functions.However,their main effect in the body is probably the sustained control of core energy metabolism.Estrogen nuclear and membrane receptors show an extraordinary flexibility in the modulation of metabolic responses,and largely explain gender and age differences in energy metabolism:part of these mechanisms is already sufficiently known to justify both.With regard to energy,the estrogen molecular species act essentially through four key functions:(1)Facilitation of insulin secretion and control of glucose availability;(2)Modulation of energy partition,favoring the use of lipid as the main energy substrate when more available than carbohydrates;(3)Functional protection through antioxidant mechanisms;and(4)Central effects(largely through neural modulation)on whole body energy management.Analyzing the different actions of estrone,estradiol and their acyl esters,a tentative classification based on structure/effects has been postulated.Either separately or as a group,estrogens provide a comprehensive explanation that not all their quite diverse actions are related solely to specific molecules.As a group,they constitute a powerful synergic action complex.In consequence,estrogens may be considered wardens of energy homeostasis.

Inhibitory Effect of Estrogens,Phytoestrogens,and Caloric Restriction on Oxidative Stress and Hepato-toxicity in Aged Rats

Objective To investigate the protective effect of 17β-estradiol （E2）, peganum harmala extract （PHE） administration and calorie restriction （CR） treatment （60%） on oxidative stress and hepato-toxicity in aged rats. Methods Eighteen months old animals that were treated at the age of 12 months were divided into 4 groups： normal control group with free access to food, E2 treatment group, PHE treatment group and CR treatment group of the food given to control group. Six male rats at the age of 4 months were used as a reference group. Results Aging significantly decreased superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT） and glutathione peroxidase （GPX）, and increased lactate deshydrogenase （LDH）, gamma-glyiamyl transferase （GGT）, pbosphatase alkalines （PAL）, aspartate and lactate transaminase （AST and ALT） activities in the liver. Aging also induced an increased lipid peroxidation level, histological changes and a decreased E2 level. However, treatment with E2, PHE, and CR increased 17β-estradiol, and decreased hepatic dysfunction parameters and lipid peroxidation as well as histological changes in the liver of aged rats. Conclusion The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of PHE and CR is possibly attributed to its ability to increase E2 level, which as an antioxidant, acts as a scavenger of ROS. Further studies on the pharmaceutical functions of E2 in males may contribute to its clinical application.

Adsorption of catechol from aqueous solution by aminated hypercrosslinked polymers

Adsorption of catechol from aqueous solution with the hypercrosslinked polymeric adsorbent NDA-100 and its derivatives AH-1, AH-2 and AH-3 aminated by dimethylamine, the commercial resin Amberlite XAD-4 and weakly basic anion exchanger resin D301 was compared. It was found that the aminated hypercrosslinked resins had the highest adsorption capacities among the tested polymers. The empirical Freundlich equation was successfully employed to describe the adsorption process. Specific surface area and micropore structure of the adsorbent, in company with tertiary amino groups on matrix affected the adsorption performance towards catechol. In addition, thermodynamic study was carried out to interpret the adsorption mechanism. Kinetic study testified that the tertiary amino groups on the polymer matrix could decrease the adsorption rate and increase the adsorption apparent activation energy.

Effects of Coverage,Water,and Defects on Catechol/TiO2 Interface

Catechol adsorbed on TiO_(2)is one of the simplest models to explore the relevant properties of dye-sensitized solar cells.However,the effects of water and defects on the electronic levels and the excitonic properties of the catechol/TiO_(2)interface have been rarely explored.Here,we investigate four catechol/TiO_(2)interfaces aiming to study the influence of coverage,water,and defects on the electronic levels and the excitonic properties of the catechol/TiO_(2)interface through the first-principles many-body Green’s function theory.We find that the adsorption of catechol on the rutile(110)surface increases the energies of both the TiO_(2)valence band maximum and conduction band minimum by approximately 0.7 eV.The increasing coverage and the presence of water can reduce the optical absorption of charge-transfer excitons with maximum oscillator strength.Regarding the reduced hydroxylated TiO_(2)substrate,the conduction band minimum decreases greatly,resulting in a sub-bandgap of 2.51 eV.The exciton distributions in the four investigated interfaces can spread across several unit cells,especially for the hydroxylated TiO2substrate.Although the hydroxylated TiO_(2)substrate leads to a lower open-circuit voltage,it may increase the separation between photogenerated electrons and holes and may therefore be beneficial for improving the photovoltaic efficiency by controlling its concentration.Our results may provide guidance for the design of highly efficient solar cells in future.

Simultaneous Determination of Four Estrogens in Compost Based on Ultrasonic Solvent Extraction, Solid-Phase Extraction Clean-Up and Analysis by UHPLC-MS/MS

A rapid, cost effective and reliable analytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of four estrogens (17 β-estradiol, 17 α-ethinylestradiol, estrone, and estriol) in compost samples from the biodegradation of biological infectious hazardous wastes. Ultrasonic solvent extraction, using methanol as extraction solvent, coupled with SPE clean-up, using cartridges HLB 60 mg - 6 ml Supelco® and acetonitrile for reconstitution of eluents, was used for the simultaneous extraction of the four estrogens. Mean recoveries in the range of 98% - 107% were obtained. All compounds were separated in a single gradient run by UHPLC KinetexTM 2.6 μm XB-C18 100 ÅLC (50 × 4.6 mm) column. Analytes were detected via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using an AB SCIEX API-5000TM triple quadrupole (Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX) with electrospray ionization in negative mode. Isocratic mobile phase of Water:ACN (50:50) resulted to be the optimum. Limits of detection and quantification were on the order of 0.66 ng·g-1 and 2 ng·g-1 for all the estrogens. These limits were lower than most of the values reported in the literature for similar matrices. Suitable level of linearity, good repeatability and reproducibility with coefficients of variation is lower than 11.7%, 6.8% and 8.3%, respectively.

Catechol-Bisphosphonate Conjugates: New Potential Chelating Agents for Metal Intoxication Therapy

In a quest for better chelating therapy drugs for the treatment of intoxication by Fe, Al, oractinides, two new series of mixed catechol-bisphosphonate through amide linkage were synthesized.Benzyl group was used as protecting group to avoid the breakage of amide by acid hydrolysis orimcomplete reaction in silylation-dealkylation using bromotrimethylsilane.

The Effects of Oxidation States, Spin States and Solvents on Molecular Structure, Stability and Spectroscopic Properties of Fe-Catechol Complexes: A Theoretical Study

In this study, in order to explain the solvent and spin state effects on the molecular structure of catechol-Fe complex [Fe(cat)3]n﹣?where n = 2 and 3, Hartree Fock (HF)-Density Functional Theory (DFT) hybrid calculations are performed at the B3LYP/6-311g(d,p) level of theory. The binding energies of Fe2+ and Fe3+ in high-spin state are higher than intermediate and low-spin states which show that the complex formation in a high spin state is more favorable. The calculated binding energies at different solvents indicate that the binding energies in polar solvents are lower than non-polar solvents. Furthermore, spectroscopic studies including FTIR and Raman spectrum in various solvents reveal that the formation of intermolecular bonds between the oxygen atom of carbonyl group and the hydrogen atom of solvent causes a spectral red shift. The calculated FTIR and geometry parameters are in good agreement with previous experimental data. Donor-acceptor interaction energies are evaluated due to the importance of the charge transfer in the complex formation. It is observed that the free electrons of oxygen atom interact with the antibonding orbitals of the iron. Finally, some correlations between the quantum chemical reactivity indices of the complexes and solvent polarity are considered. The study indicates a linear correlation between chemical hardness and binding energies of [Fe(cat)3]3﹣?complex.

Synthesis and Characterization of Model Complexes of Catechol Dioxygenases Supported by the Anionic Hydrotris-3,5-dimethyl-pyrazolylborate Ligand

An iron（Ⅲ） complex [Fe^Ⅲ（Tpz^Me2）（Hpz^Me2）Cl2]（1） has been synthesized at a low temperature, which contains tripodal ligand, namely, the anionic hydrotris-3,5-dimethyl-pyrazolylborate（Tpz^Me2）. A series of iron（Ⅲ） catecholate complexes 2-5 has been obtained via the reaction of compound 1 with catecholate or substituted catecholates. These complexes were characterized by X-ray crystallographic analysis, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis, and the results show that TpzMe2 ligand has the beneficial effect on the stabilization of iron（Ⅲ） catecholate complexes.