Asymmetric electrophilic functionalization of amino-substituted heteroaromatic compounds: a convenient tool for the enantioselective synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles.

The catalytic asymmetric electrophilic functionalization of the less reactive N-heteroaromatic compounds has been reported using the approach of the introduction of an exocyclic amino substituent. This strategy has allowed enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation in pyrazoles, isoxazoles and isothiazoles, as well as in aminoindoles, aminobenzofurans and aminobenzothiophenes. Several stereoselective methods have been used for the 1,4-addition or 1,2-addition of these heteroaromatic compounds to different electrophiles employing organocatalysts or chiral metal complexes.

Pepper mild mottle virus as an effective tool in microbial source tracking for deficient domestic on-site water treatment systems.

Pollution from domestic on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) is a significant contaminant pressure in many rural catchments. However, due to their design, and dispersed proliferation, it is difficult to assess their impact. Water testing methodologies employ bacterial culturing methods and chemical analysis which may lose resolution and/or specificity being confounded by diffuse agricultural sources within a rural environment.

Stability of Superhydrophobicity and Structure of PVDF Membranes Treated by Vacuum Oxygen Plasma and Organofluorosilanisation.

Superhydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes were obtained by a surface treatment consisting of oxygen plasma activation followed by functionalisation with a mixture of silica precursor (SiP) (tetraethyl-orthosilicate [TEOS] or 3-(triethoxysilyl)-propylamine [APTES]) and a fluoroalkylsilane (1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane), and were benchmarked with coated membranes without plasma activation. The modifications acted mainly on the surface, and the bulk properties remained stable. From a statistical design of experiments on surface hydrophobicity, the type of SiP was the most relevant factor, achieving the highest water contact angles (WCA) with the use of APTES, with a maximum WCA higher than 155° for membranes activated at a plasma power discharge of 15 W during 15 min, without membrane degradation.

Catalytic Enantioselective Cyclopropylalkynylation of Aldimines Generated In Situ from α-Amido Sulfones.

A convenient procedure of synthesis of -carbamoyl-protected propargylic amines substituted with a cyclopropyl group from α-amido sulfones and cyclopropylacetylene is described. The reaction is catalyzed by a chiral BINOL-type zinc complex and provides the corresponding products in good yields and enantioselectivities.

Modeling human pollution in water bodies using somatic coliphages and bacteriophages that infect Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron strain GA17.

The ability to detect human fecal pollution in water is of great importance when assessing the associated health risks. Many microbial source tracking (MST) markers have been proposed to determine the origin of fecal pollution, but their application remains challenging. A range of factors, not yet sufficiently analyzed, may affect MST markers in the environment, such as dilution and inactivation processes.