Discovery and Characterization of Carotenoid-Oxygen Copolymers in Fruits and Vegetables with Potential Health Benefits.

We reported previously that the spontaneous oxidation of β-carotene and other carotenoids proceeds predominantly by formation of carotenoid-oxygen copolymers and that β-carotene copolymers exhibit immunological activity, including priming innate immune function and limiting inflammatory processes. Oxidative loss of carotenoids in fruits and vegetables occurs during processing. Here we report evidence for the occurrence of associated analogous copolymer compounds.

Preparation, structure and analysis of the bonding in the molecular entity (OSO)2Li{[AlF(ORF)3]Li[Al(ORF)4]} (RF = C(CF3)3).

The (SO(2))(2)Li[AlF(OR(F))(3)]Li[Al(OR(F))(4)] (1) (R(F) = C(CF(3))(3)) molecular entity was obtained by thermal decomposition of Li[Al(OR(F))(4)] followed by crystallization from liquid SO(2). 1, containing two SO(2) molecules eta(1)-O coordinated to Li(+), was structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy in SO(2)(l). Bonding analyses of 1 (bond valency units, AIM analysis, atomic charges, bond orders) show that 1 can be either considered as a Li(OSO)(2)(+) complex stabilized by the large WCA [AlF(OR(F))(3)](-)Li(+)[Al(OR(F))(4)](-) or as consisting of 2 SO(2), 2 Li(+), [AlF(OR(F))(3)](-), and [Al(OR(F))(4)](-) joined by electrostatic interactions into the discrete molecular entity 1.

On the quest for new mixed-metal mu-oxo-bridged complexes: synthesis of compounds containing transition metal-oxygen-main group metal motifs M-O-M1 (M = Ti, Zr; M1 = Al, Ga) without cyclopentadienyl ligands.

The reaction of TiBz4 (Bz = benzyl) with LAlMe(OH), L = (2,6-iPr2C6H3NC(Me))2CH, afforded LAlMe(mu-O)TiBz3 (1) and [LAlMe(mu-O)]2TiBz2 (2), whereas the corresponding reaction with ZrBz4 resulted only in the formation of the trinuclear species [LAlMe(mu-O)]2ZrBz2 (3). The reaction of (Mes 2Ga(OH))2 x THF (Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2) with Ti(NEt2)4 yielded the cluster compound TiGa6O7(NEt2)2(Mes)6 (4). All compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry.

Preparation of Ti(IV) fluoride N-heterocyclic carbene complexes.

1,3,4,5-Tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene (L(Me)) and 1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene (L(iPr )) readily form complexes of trans-TiF4(L(Me))2 (1) and of trans-TiF4(L(iPr))2 (4) with TiF4 in THF, respectively. Complex 1 has been used as a precursor for preparing the Ti(IV) fluoride carbene complexes [{TiF2(L(Me))(NEt 2)}2(mu-F)2] (2) and (TiF4(L(Me))2)(NacNacLi) (3) (NacNac = HC(CMeN(2,6- iPr2C6H3))2). Complex 2 was prepared from the reaction of 1-3 equiv of 1 and 1 equiv of Ti(NEt2)4 or by reacting TiF4 with Ti(NEt2)4 and L(Me) in toluene.