Ligand-Induced Activation of Single-Atom Palladium Heterogeneous Catalysts for Cross-Coupling Reactions.

Single-atom heterogeneous catalysts (SACs) are potential, recoverable alternatives to soluble organometallic complexes for cross-coupling reactions in fine-chemical synthesis. When developing SACs for these applications, it is often expected that the need for ligands, which are essential for organometallic catalysts, can be bypassed. Contrary to that, ligands remain almost always required for palladium atoms stabilized on commonly used functionalized carbon and carbon nitride supports, as the catalysts otherwise show limited activity.

Development of Lab-Scale Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor as Flow Process Tool for Oxidation Reactions Using Molecular Oxygen.

The use of sustainable oxidants is of great interest to the chemical industry, considering the importance of oxidation reactions for the manufacturing of chemicals and society's growing awareness of its environmental impact. Molecular oxygen (O), with an almost optimal atom efficiency in oxidation reactions, presents one of the most attractive alternatives to common reagents that are not only toxic in most cases but produce stoichiometric amounts of waste that must be treated. However, fire and explosion safety concerns, especially when used in combination with organic solvents, restrict its easy use.

Up-scaling a Sol-Gel Process for the Production of a Multi-Component Xerogel Powder.

A sol-gel process for the synthesis of a multi-component oxide material from the system SiO2-ZrO2-Al2O3underwent optimization and up-scaling. Initially, on a laboratory scale, components including precursors, catalysts, and additives were methodically evaluated to ensure a safe and efficient transition to larger volumes. Subsequently, the equipment for the whole setup of the sol-gel process was strategically selected.

Reaction Environment Design for Multigram Synthesis via Sonogashira Coupling over Heterogeneous Palladium Single-Atom Catalysts.

Single-atom heterogeneous catalysts (SACs) attract growing interest in their application in green chemistry and organic synthesis due to their potential for achieving atomic-level precision. These catalysts offer the possibility of achieving selectivity comparable to the traditionally applied organometallic complexes, while enhancing metal utilization and recovery. However, an understanding of SAC performance in organic reactions remains limited to model substrates, and their application as drop-in solutions may not yield optimal activity.

Education in Flow Chemistry.

Flow chemistry is a growing and promising technology that can be used in research, development, and production. Nowadays, properly trained staff in flow chemistry is lacking in industry. To efficiently work with this technology, a mix of engineering and chemical skills is required.

Aiming for More Sustainable Cross-Coupling Chemistry by Employing Single-Atom Catalysis on Scale.

Scaling up syntheses from mg to kg quantities is a complex endeavor. Besides adapting laboratory protocols to industrial processes and equipment and thorough safety assessments, much attention is paid to the reduction of the process' environmental impact. For processes including transition metal catalyzed steps, e.

A Review of Polylactic Acid as a Replacement Material for Single-Use Laboratory Components.

Every year, the EU emits 13.4 Mt of CO solely from plastic production, with 99% of all plastics being produced from fossil fuel sources, while those that are produced from renewable sources use food products as feedstocks. In 2019, 29 Mt of plastic waste was collected in Europe.

Melt Polycondensation for the Synthesis of Polyester Amides using Kneader Reactor Technology.

In this work, we discuss the process development and scale-up of the melt polycondensation of polyester amides from a laboratory scale to kg-scale in a kneader reactor. We identified and optimized the most important critical parameters and produced kg-quantities of polyester amides with Mn up to 25'000 g/mol and reproducible thermal and mechanical properties. The special kneader reactor allows safe and efficient scale-up of polymerisation reactions at high temperature and viscous melts due to good mixing and efficient mass transfer.

The Vitamin C Analogue 2-O-β-D-Glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic Acid in Rhizomes, Stems and Leaves of Lycium barbarum.

Awareness of health benefits of goji berries coming from their bioactive compounds, mostly antioxidants like ascorbic acid, has grown. Recently, an ascorbic acid analogue from goji berries, the 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid has been reported. In rats, the analogue is absorbed intact and in the form of free vitamin C and consequently has been proposed as a provitamin C.

4-epi-Isofagomine derivatives as pharmacological chaperones for the treatment of lysosomal diseases linked to β-galactosidase mutations: Improved synthesis and biological investigations.

(5aR)-5a-C-pentyl-4-epi-isofagomine 1 is a powerful inhibitor of lysosomal β-galactosidase and a remarkable chaperone for mutations associated with GM1-gangliosidosis and Morquio disease type B. We report herein an improved synthesis of this compound and analogs (5a-C-methyl, pentyl, nonyl and phenylethyl derivatives), and a crystal structure of a synthetic intermediate that confirms its configuration resulting from the addition of a Grignard reagent. These compounds were evaluated as glycosidase inhibitors and their potential as chaperones for mutant lysosomal galactosidases determined.

One-Pot Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Quinazolin-4(3 H)-ones with Trifluoroacetic Acid as CF Source.

A novel and convenient one-pot sequential cascade method for the preparation of 2-trifluoromethylquinazolin-4(3 H)-ones is described. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was employed as inexpensive and readily available CF source, which in the presence of T3P was condensed with a variety of anthranilic acids and amines to provide the products in up to 75% yield. The protocol was proved to be robust on 80 g scale, and the synthetic versatility of the prepared quinazolinon-4-ones was demonstrated by derivatization to further useful building blocks.

Complete Genome Sequence of ABWA45, an -Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

We present the complete genome sequence of ABWA45, a 16S rRNA methyltransferase-producing wastewater isolate. Assembly and annotation resulted in a 5,094,639-bp circular chromosome and four closed plasmids of 145,220 bp, 113,793 bp, 57,232 bp, and 47,900 bp in size. Furthermore, a small open plasmid (7,537 bp in size) was assembled.

Complete Genome Sequence of 705SK3, an OXA-48-Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

We present the genome sequence of 705SK3, a wastewater isolate harboring an IncL OXA-48-encoding plasmid. Assembly of the genome resulted in a 5,242,839-bp circular chromosome (GC content, 52%) and two closed plasmids of 296,175 bp and 63, 458 bp in size.

Draft Genome Sequence of 704SK6, an OXA-48- and CTX-M-15-Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

The Swiss wastewater isolate 704SK6, encoding OXA-48 and CTX-M-15 β-lactamases, was fully sequenced. The assembly resulted in an open chromosome of 5,208,104 bp in size (G+C content, 57.6%) and four closed plasmid sequences of 209,651, 197,670, 65,998, and 63,605 bp in size.

Complete Genome Sequence of 704SK10, an OXA-48-Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

Here we present the complete genome sequence of 704SK10, a Swiss wastewater isolate encoding an OXA-48 carbapenemase. Assembly resulted in closed sequences of the 4,876,946-bp chromosome, a 111,184-bp IncF plasmid, and an OXA-48-encoding IncL plasmid (63,458 bp) nearly identical to the previously described plasmid pOXA-48.

Continuous Processes and Flow Chemistry at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.

This article provides an overview of activities in the fields of continuous processes, flow chemistry and microreactors at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.

Turn Up the Heat-Food and Clinical Isolates Feature Two Transferrable Loci of Heat Resistance.

Heat treatment is a widely used process to reduce bacterial loads in the food industry or to decontaminate surfaces, e.g., in hospital settings.

Short communication: Heat-resistant Escherichia coli as potential persistent reservoir of extended-spectrum β-lactamases and Shiga toxin-encoding phages in dairy.

Here we report the isolation of heat-resistant Escherichia coli from raw milk cheeses. Detection of the heat-resistance markers clpK and orfI by PCR was followed by phenotypical confirmation of increased heat-resistance. These strains were Shiga toxin-negative and, although several were found to be multidrug resistant, no plasmids encoding extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) were found in any of the isolates.

International Relations at Universities of Applied Sciences.

An overview of international relations at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Switzerland is presented.

Daring the Challenge and Thinking Big: The Value of Early Process R&D.

The production of the L/T channel blocker ACT-280778 required the enantiomerically pure 5-phenylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-one (1) as key building block.