Furfural to 1,4-Butanediol/Tetrahydrofuran - A Detailed Catalyst and Process Design.

The feasibility to convert furan, a direct derivative of furfural, to a mixture of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) is demonstrated with industrially acceptable performances using mm-sized pellets of a carbon-supported RePd catalyst for 2000 h of operation. The reaction schemes were unraveled by spiking potential reaction intermediates and a full kinetic model was developed. Finally, we developed a comprehensive process flow scheme that integrates the conversion of furfural to furan, the recovery and purification of furan, its reductive hydration to BDO/THF as well as the recovery and purification of BDO and THF.

Antibacterial activity of the novel semisynthetic lantibiotic NVB333 in vitro and in experimental infection models.

NVB333 is a novel semisynthetic lantibiotic derived from the amide coupling of 3,5-dichlorobenzylamine to the C-terminal of deoxyactagardine B. The in vitro activity of NVB333 includes efficacy against clinically relevant pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. NVB333 shows no cross-resistance with other antibiotics tested and a very low propensity for resistance development.

Synthesis of peptides containing overlapping lanthionine bridges on the solid phase: an analogue of rings D and E of the lantibiotic nisin.

A methodology for the solid-phase synthesis of the overlapping lanthionine bridges found in many lantibiotics has been developed. A novel Teoc/TMSE-protected lanthionine derivative has been synthesized, and this lanthionine, and an Aloc/allyl-protected lanthionine derivative, have been incorporated into a linear peptide using solid-phase peptide synthesis. Selective deprotection of the silyl protecting groups, followed by sequential cyclization, deprotection of the allyl protecting groups, and further cyclization, enabled the regioselective formation of an analogue of rings D and E of nisin.

Moesin1 and Ve-cadherin are required in endothelial cells during in vivo tubulogenesis.

Endothelial tubulogenesis is a crucial step in the formation of functional blood vessels during angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. Here, we use in vivo imaging of living zebrafish embryos expressing fluorescent fusion proteins of beta-Actin, alpha-Catenin, and the ERM family member Moesin1 (Moesin a), to define a novel cord hollowing process that occurs during the initial stages of tubulogenesis in intersegmental vessels (ISVs) in the embryo. We show that the primary lumen elongates along cell junctions between at least two endothelial cells during embryonic angiogenesis.

Redox chemistry and electronic properties of 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine-bridged diruthenium complexes controlled by N,C,N'-biscyclometalated ligands.

To investigate the consequences of cyclometalation for electronic communication in dinuclear ruthenium complexes, a series of 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (tppz) bridged diruthenium complexes was prepared and studied. These complexes have a central tppz ligand bridging via nitrogen-to-ruthenium coordination bonds, while each ruthenium atom also binds either a monoanionic, N,C,N'-terdentate 2,6-bis(2'-pyridyl)phenyl (R-N(wedge)C(wedge)N) ligand or a 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (tpy) ligand. The N,C,N'-, that is, biscyclometalation, instead of the latter N,N',N''-bonding motif significantly changes the electronic properties of the resulting complexes.