Efficient Solution-Phase Dipeptide Synthesis Using Titanium Tetrachloride and Microwave Heating.

Microwaves have been successfully employed in the Lewis acid titanium tetrachloride-assisted synthesis of peptide systems. Dipeptide systems with their amino function differently protected with urethane protecting groups have been synthesized in short periods of time and with high yields. The formation of the peptide bond between the two reacting amino acids was achieved in pyridine by using titanium tetrachloride as a condensing agent and heating the reaction mixture with a microwave reactor.

Forensic Anthropology in the identification of human remains found at sea: History of two judicial cases connected by the same marine context of discovery.

Background: Calculating the immersion time at sea of human skeletal remains is a challenge for forensic investigations and the answer to this question would solve many court cases in the shortest possible time. Remains in water create profound structural changes due to countless variables that lead to difficulties in interpretation during investigations.

Case Report: In this paper, two forensic cases found at sea were analysed, Case A, an extensively skeletonised corpse, and Case B, an isolated, intact foot with soft tissue, both found only 9 km away from the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Southern Italy).

Postmortem or Perimortem Injury? Presentation of an incredible court case in which flames are the protagonists of a murder.

Background: Establishing the cause of death when analysing burnt human remains is limiting due to thermal degradation. The heat generated by high combustion degrades the bone structure, definitively hiding the perimortem trauma in most cases, which is crucial for solving a court case.

Case Report: In November 2019, a completely burnt corpse was found inside a car set on fire near a location in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Engineered Mesoporous Silica-Based Nanoparticles: Characterization of Surface Properties.

Mesoporous silica-based nanomaterials have emerged as multifunctional platforms with applications spanning catalysis, medicine, and nanotechnology. Since their synthesis in the early 1990s, these materials have attracted considerable interest due to their unique properties, including high surface area, tunable pore size, and customizable surface chemistry. This article explores the surface properties of a series of MSU-type mesoporous silica nanoparticles, elucidating the impact of different functionalization strategies on surface characteristics.