Effects of Flavanone Derivatives on Adipocyte Differentiation and Lipid Accumulation in 3T3-L1 Cells.

Flavanones, a class of flavonoids, are abundant in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. They are known to have several biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities, but their effects on obesity remain unclear. Obesity is closely associated with adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation in adipose tissue.

Tuning π-Acceptor/σ-Donor Ratio of the 2-Isocyanoazulene Ligand: Non-Fluorinated Rival of Pentafluorophenyl Isocyanide and Trifluorovinyl Isocyanide Discovered.

Isocyanoazulenes (CNAz) constitute a relatively new class of isocyanoarenes that offers rich structural and electronic diversification of the organic isocyanide ligand platform. This article considers a series of 2-isocyano-1,3-X-azulene ligands (X = H, Me, COEt, Br, and CN) and the corresponding zero-valent complexes thereof, [(OC)Cr(2-isocyano-1,3-X-azulene)]. Air- and thermally stable, X-ray structurally characterized 2-isocyano-1,3-dimethylazulene may be viewed as a non-benzenoid aromatic congener of 2,6-dimethyphenyl isocyanide (2,6-xylyl isocyanide), a longtime "workhorse" aryl isocyanide ligand in coordination chemistry.

Positional Isomers of Isocyanoazulenes as Axial Ligands Coordinated to Ruthenium(II) Tetraphenylporphyrin: Fine-Tuning Redox and Optical Profiles.

Two isomeric ruthenium(II)/5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin complexes featuring axially coordinated redox-active, low-optical gap 2- or 6-isocyanoazulene ligands have been isolated and characterized by NMR, UV-vis, and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopic methods, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The UV-vis and MCD spectra support the presence of the low-energy, azulene-centered transitions in the Q band region of the porphyrin chromophore. The first coordination sphere in new LRuTPP complexes reflects compressed tetragonal geometry.

Stereochemically controlled asymmetric 1,2-reduction of enones mediated by a chiral sulfoxide moiety and a lanthanum(III) ion.

Enantiomerically pure (Z)-β-sulfinyl allylic alcohols of either handedness can be readily prepared from (Z)-β-sulfinyl enones using NaBH(4) or DIBAL reductants in the presence of LaCl(3) as a chelating agent. A chiral sulfoxide auxiliary induces the remote 1,2-asymmetric reduction (1,4-induction) to afford various chiral allylic alcohols in high yields with excellent stereoselectivities (up to 100% de).