Publications by authors named "Clares M"

The Cu complexes of three [1 + 1] azacyclophane macrocycles having the 1-pyrazole ring as the spacer and the pentaamine 1,5,8,11,15-pentaazadecane (L1) or hexaamines 1,5,8,12,15,19-hexaazanonadecane (L2) and 1,5,9,13,17,21-hexaazaheneicosane (L3) as bridges show endo- coordination of the pyrazolate bridge giving rise to discrete monomeric species. Previously reported pyrazolacyclophanes evidenced, however, exo-coordination with the formation of dimeric species of 2 : 2, 3 : 2 or even 4 : 2 Cu : L stoichiometry. The complexes have been characterized in solution using potentiometric studies, UV-Vis spectroscopy, paramagnetic NMR, cyclic voltammetry and mass spectrometry.

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Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder considered a rare disease with a prevalence of 5.7 per 100,000 people. It is caused by an autosomal dominant mutation consisting of expansions of trinucleotide repeats that translate into poly-glutamine enlarged mutant huntingtin proteins (mHTT), which are particularly deleterious in brain tissues.

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Due to the urgent need for finding effective and free of secondary effect treatments for every clinical form of Leishmaniasis, a series of synthetic xylene, pyridine and, pyrazole azamacrocycles were tested against three species. A total of 14 compounds were tested against J774.2 macrophage cells which were models for host cells, and against promastigote and amastigote forms of each studied parasite.

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Chagas disease (CD) is a tropical and potentially fatal infection caused by . Although CD was limited to Latin America as a silent disease, CD has become widespread as a result of globalization. Currently, 6-8 million people are infected worldwide, and no effective treatment is available.

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Article Synopsis
  • Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare, genetic neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutant huntingtin protein with excessive glutamines, leading to toxicity and protein aggregation in neurons.
  • A new compound, Mn(II) quinone complex (4QMn), acts as an artificial superoxide dismutase and has been shown to enhance protein clearance pathways, including the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy, in HD models.
  • By activating these pathways, 4QMn can help degrade toxic proteins associated with HD, suggesting it may be a promising candidate for developing effective therapies for the disease.
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Green catalysts with excellent performance in Cu-free Sonogashira coupling reactions can be prepared by the supramolecular decoration of graphene surfaces with Pd(II) complexes. Here we report the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of new catalysts obtained by the surface decoration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphene (G), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPTs) with Pd(II) complexes of tetraaza-macrocyclic ligands bearing one or two anchor functionalities. The decoration of these carbon surfaces takes place under environmentally friendly conditions (water, room temperature, aerobic) in two steps: (i) π-π stacking attachment of the ligand via electron-poor anchor group 6-amino-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-5-nitroso-4-oxo-pyrimidine and (ii) Pd(II) coordination from PdCl.

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Leishmaniasis is one of the world's most neglected diseases with a worldwide prevalence of 12 million people. There are no effective human vaccines for its prevention, and outdated drugs hamper treatment. Therefore, research aimed at developing new therapeutic tools to fight leishmaniasis remains a crucial goal today.

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A self-assembled metallobox from copper(ii) and two macrocycles containing 1H-pyrazole ligands has been prepared. The internal cavity of the box is able to selectively encapsulate a single chloride anion over any other halide anion.

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A scorpionate Zn complex, constituted by a macrocyclic pyridinophane core attached to a pendant arm containing a fluorescent pyridyl-oxadiazole-phenyl unit (PyPD), has been shown to selectively recognize chloride anions, giving rise to changes in fluorescence emission that are clearly visible under a 365 nm UV lamp. This recognition event has been studied by means of absorption, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopy, and it involves the intramolecular displacement of the PyPD unit by chloride anions. Moreover, since the chromophore is not removed from the system after the recognition event, the fluorescence can readily be restored by elimination of the bound chloride anion.

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Three new [1 + 1] macrocycles formed by the reaction of 1H-3,5-bis(chloromethyl)pyrazole with the tosylated amines 1,4,7,10-tetraazadecane (L1), 1,4,8,11-tetraazaundecane (L2) and 1,5,10,14-tetraazatetradecane (L3) are described. Potentiometric studies and HR-ESI-Mass spectrometry show the formation of dimeric binuclear Cu complexes whose organization depends on the type of hydrocarbon chains connecting the amine groups. Furthermore, trinuclear or/and tetranuclear complexes are formed depending also on the length of the polyaminic bridge and on the sequence of the hydrocarbon chains.

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A new G-(HL)-Pd heterogeneous catalyst has been prepared via a self-assembly process consisting in the spontaneous adsorption, in water at room temperature, of a macrocyclic HL ligand on graphene (G) (G + HL = G-(HL)), followed by decoration of the macrocycle with Pd ions (G-(HL) + Pd = G-(HL)-Pd) under the same mild conditions. This supramolecular approach is a sustainable (green) procedure that preserves the special characteristics of graphene and furnishes an efficient catalyst for the Cu-free Sonogashira cross coupling reaction between iodobenzene and phenylacetylene. Indeed, G-(HL)-Pd shows an excellent conversion (90%) of reactants into diphenylacetylene under mild conditions (50 °C, water, aerobic atmosphere, 14 h).

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Despite the continuous research effort that has been made in recent years to find ways to treat the potentially life threatening Chagas disease (CD), this remains the third most important infectious disease in Latin America. CD is an important public health problem affecting 6-7 million people. Since the need to search for new drugs for the treatment of DC persists, in this article we present a panel of new polyamines based on the tripodal structure of tris(2-aminomethyl)amine (tren) that can be prepared at low cost with high yields.

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We report here the remarkable catalytic efficiency observed for two Pd(II) azamacrocyclic complexes supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) toward oxygen reduction reactions. Beyond a main (>90%) 4e process and an onset potential close to or better than those of commercial Pt electrodes, the MWCNTs functionalization strategy, aimed at chemically defined Pd(II)-based catalytic centers, allowed the half-cell to exceed the proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell reference/target mass activity efficiency set by the U.S.

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The binding properties of HL1, HL2, and HL3 ligands toward Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions, constituted by tetraaza-macrocyclic rings decorated with pyrimidine pendants, were investigated by means of potentiometric and UV spectrophotometric measurements in aqueous solution, with the objective of using the related HL-M(II) (HL = HL1-HL3; M = Cu, Zn) complexes for the preparation of hybrid MWCNT-HL-M(II) materials based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), through an environmentally friendly noncovalent procedure. As shown by the crystal structure of [Cu(HL1)](ClO), metal coordination takes place in the macrocyclic ring, whereas the pyrimidine residue remains available for attachment onto the surface of the MWCNTs via π-π stacking interactions. On the basis of equilibrium data showing the formation of highly stable Cu(II) complexes, the MWCNT-HL1-Cu(II) material was prepared and characterized.

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The synthesis, acid-base behavior and Pb coordination chemistry of the new aza-scorpiand like ligand 5-[2-(N-2-fluorenyl)ethylamino]-2,5,8-triaza[9]-2,6-pyridinophane (L1) have been studied by potentiometry, NMR and spectrofluorimetric titrations, and the results are compared with those obtained for the related compounds L2, lacking the fluorenyl group, and L3, the macrocycle lacking the pendant arm. The crystal structures obtained for complexes [PbL1][PbL1Cl](NO)Cl·4HO (1) and [PbL3](ClO) (2) reveal that the metal ion is located over the plane defined by the nitrogen atoms of the macrocyclic core due to its inability to accommodate the large Pb ion in the macrocyclic cavity. For L1, the secondary amino group of the pendant arm is implicated in the coordination of the metal ion, although the stereoactive lone pair of Pb prevents the closed conformation associated with the coordination of metal ions in aza-scorpiand derivatives.

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The Fe(II) coordination chemistry of a pyridinophane tren-derived scorpiand type ligand containing a pyridine ring in the pendant arm is explored by potentiometry, X-ray, NMR, and kinetics methods. Equilibrium studies in water show the formation of a stable [FeL] complex that converts to monoprotonated and monohydroxylated species when the pH is changed. A [Fe(HL)] complex containing an hexacoordinated dehydrogenated ligand has been isolated, and its crystal structure shows the formation of an imine bond involving the aliphatic nitrogen of the pendant arm.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the coordination chemistry of Mn with double scorpiand ligands that are linked by various spacers like pyridine, phenanthroline, and bipyridine, utilizing techniques such as potentiometry, NMR, and electrochemistry.
  • - Results indicate that the Mn-ligand complexes possess high stability across a broad pH range, and DFT calculations validate their structural and geometrical properties.
  • - The complexes exhibit significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, particularly [MnL1], which effectively reduces cytokine accumulation in human macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
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Background: The clinical use of purified SOD enzymes has strong limitations due to their large molecular size, high production cost and immunogenicity. These limitations could be compensated by using instead synthetic SOD mimetic compounds of low molecular weight.

Background/methodology: We have recently reported that two SOD mimetic compounds, the Mn(II) complexes of the polyamines Pytren2Q and Pytren4Q, displayed high antioxidant activity in bacteria and yeast.

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Article Synopsis
  • A new macrocyclic ligand (L1), derived from tris(2-aminoethyl)amine and containing a 6-indazole ring, shows unique coordination chemistry with Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) ions.
  • Potentiometric studies identify four protonation constants and demonstrate that the last protonation occurs at the indazole group, leading to the formation of stable metal-ligand complexes.
  • Kinetic studies reveal distinct decomposition behaviors for Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) complexes, with Cu(2+) exhibiting a more complex reaction pathway involving an intermediate species and unique fluorescence responses.
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Manganese complexes of polyamines consisting of an aza-pyridinophane macrocyclic core functionalised with side chains containing quinoline or pyridine units have been characterised by a variety of solution techniques and single crystal x-ray diffraction. Some of these compounds have proved to display interesting antioxidant capabilities in vitro and in vivo in prokaryotic (bacteria) and eukaryotic (yeast and fish embryo) organisms. In particular, the Mn complex of the ligand containing a 4-quinoline group in its side arm which, as it happens in the MnSOD enzymes, has a water molecule coordinated to the metal ion that shows the lowest toxicity and highest functional efficiency both in vitro and in vivo.

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The extent of biological CO2 fixation was evaluated for outdoor cultures of the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047. Culture conditions were optimized indoors in bubble-column photochemostats operating in continuous mode, subjected to irradiance cycles mimicking the light regime outdoors.

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Chagas disease is today one of the most important neglected diseases for its upcoming expansion to non-endemic areas and has become a threat to blood recipients in many countries. In this study, the trypanocidal activity of ten derivatives of a family of aza-scorpiand like macrocycles is evaluated against Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro and in vivo murine model in which the acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease were analyzed. The compounds 4, 3 and 1 were found to be more active against the parasite and less toxic against Vero cells than the reference drug benznidazole, 4 being the most active compound, particularly in the chronic phase.

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The activity of a family scorpiand-like azamacrocycles against Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis was studied using promastigotes, axenic and intracellular amastigotes forms. All the compounds are more active and less toxic than meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime). Moreover, the data on infection rates and amastigotes showed that compounds P2Py, PN and P3Py are the most active against both species of Leishmania.

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The crystal structure of a binuclear Mn(III) complex of a scorpiand-like ligand (L) displays an unsupported single oxo bridging ligand with a Mn(III)-O-Mn(III) angle of 174.7°. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the two metal centers.

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Mn(II) complexes of scorpiand-type azamacrocycles constituted by a tretrazapyridinophane core appended with an ethylamino tail including 2- or 4-quinoline functionalities show very appealing in vitro SOD activity. The observed behaviour is related to structural and electrochemical parameters.

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