Exploring nickel-catalyzed organochalcogen synthesis cross-coupling of benzonitrile and alkyl chalcogenols with computational tools.

The preparation of organochalcogens has increased in recent times due to their promising biological activity properties. This work studies the reaction mechanism of a nickel(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling between benzonitrile and propanethiol to produce new C-S bonds by computational means. The proposed mechanism follows the classical oxidative addition/transmetalation/reductive elimination cross-coupling sequence, involving an unusual oxidative addition of a Ph-CN bond onto the active species.

Single-Molecule Electrical Conductance in Z-form DNA:RNA.

Nucleic acids have emerged as new materials with promising applications in nanotechnology, molecular electronics, and biosensing, but their electronic properties, especially at the single-molecule level, are largely underexplored. The Z-form is an exotic left-handed helical oligonucleotide conformation that may be involved in critical biological processes such as the regulation of gene expression and epigenetic processes. In this work, the electrical conductance of individual Guanine Cytosine (GC)-rich DNA:RNA molecules is measured in physiological buffer and 2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol (TFE) solvent, corresponding to the natural (right-handed helix) A-form typical in DNA:RNA hybrids and the (left-handed) Z-form conformations, respectively.

No Switching Cooperativity between Coordinated Azo Ligands on Complexes Having {M(phosphane-κ)} (M = Pd, Pt) Scaffolds.

A series of square-planar palladium and platinum compounds with -blocking phosphanes and terminal azobenzene ligands [M(dppp)(azo)](OTf) (azo = CN(CH)-N═N-(CH)CN (), CN(CH)-N═N-(CH) ()) and [{M(tpbz)}(azo)](OTf) (azo = CN(CH)-N═N-(CH) ()) have been synthesized and fully characterized. Similarly to the uncoordinated ligands, the new coordination compounds have shown to be photochemically active with respect to their trans-to-cis isomerization process. Their cis-to-trans back spontaneous reaction have been studied as a function of solvent, temperature and pressure and the corresponding activation parameters determined in order to investigate the mechanism of these transformations.

Urinary loss of thyroid hormones: An issue to remember.

A 45-year-old woman suffering from primary hypothyroidism, previously well substituted with levothyroxine, was urgently referred from Primary Care to Endocrinology due to very elevated thyrotropin, free thyroxine at low limit of normality, very high cholesterol and generalised oedema. Hypothyroidism was suspected as the main aetiology of this clinical condition. A detailed examination showed nephrotic range proteinuria and the patient was finally diagnosed with lupus nephritis.