The dimerization of arylethynes catalyzed by vanadium phthalocyanine to give substituted biaryls has been investigated. The reaction yield is always high and for many examples is only slightly affected by the aryl substituents. This fact is also related to the results obtained with metalloporphyrins, which give lower selectivities due to the presence of variable amounts of triphenylbenzenes.

Following some previous work by some of us on the second order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of Zn(II) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnP), fullerene, and ferrocene (Fc) diads and triads, in the present research, we explore the NLO response of some new hybrids with two-dimensional graphene nanoplates (GNP) instead of a zero-dimensional fullerene moiety as the acceptor unit. The experimental data, collected by Electric Field Induced Second Harmonic generation (EFISH) technique in CH₂Cl₂ solution with a 1907 nm incident wavelength, combined with Coupled-Perturbed (CP) and Finite Field (FF) Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, show a strongly enhanced contribution of the cubic electronic term γ(−2ω; ω, ω, 0), due to the extended π-conjugation of the carbonaceous acceptor moiety.

Within the framework of plant biostimulation, a pivotal role is played by the achievement of low-cost, easily prepared nanoparticles for priming purposes. Therefore, in this report, two different synthetic strategies are described to engineer zinc oxide nanoparticles with an inulin coating. In both protocols, i.e., two-step and gel-like one-pot protocols, nanoparticles with a highly pure ZnO kernel are obtained when the reaction is carried out at T ≥ 40 °C, as ascertained by XRD and ATR/FTIR studies. However, a uniformly dispersed, highly homogeneous coating is achieved primarily when different temperatures, i.e., 60 °C and 40 °C, are employed in the two phases of the step-wise synthesis. In addition, a different binding mechanism, i.e., complexation, occurs in this case. When the gel-like process is employed, a high degree of coverage by the fructan is attained, leading to micrometric coated aggregates of nanometric particles, as revealed by SEM investigations. All NPs from the two-step synthesis feature electronic bandgaps in the 3.25–3.30 eV range in line with previous studies, whereas the extensive coating causes a remarkable 0.4 eV decrease in the bandgap. Overall, the global analysis of the investigations indicates that the samples synthesized at 60 °C and 40 °C are the best suited for biostimulation. Proof-of-principle assays upon Vicia faba seed priming with Zn5 and Zn5@inu indicated an effective growth stimulation of seedlings at doses of 100 mgKg⁻¹, with concomitant Zn accumulation in the leaves.

In this study, a new and very quick method to depolymerize PET plastics is reported. The depolymerization experiments were conducted using a type-IV deep eutectic solvent containing ZnCl₂ and urea, and a microwave oven as reactor. Different combinations of power and reaction times were employed while keeping the total energy constant. Successful conversions were obtained carrying out the process at 180 W for 2 min and 360 W for 1 min, whereas at higher powers and shorter times, an inclusion likely occurs of some solvent into the structure of the recovered PET flakes, as suggested by the porosity of the flakes, imaged by SEM microscopy. The flakes increase their crystalline character during the treatment, as indicated by the appearance of narrow diffraction peaks in the XRD patterns, at variance with the broad signals observed in the case of the pristine amorphous polymer. The NMR analysis of the supernatant liquid above the partially solubilized PET shows the presence of terephthalic acid peaks. The infrared spectra of the solid powder achieved upon the acidic treatment of the extract reveal the presence of C=O stretching peaks and the absence of typical CH₂ wagging absorptions that satisfactorily comply with the presence of terephthalic acid.

Context: Metabolomics is becoming increasingly popular for detecting markers that indicate the presence of a specific disease. However, it is usually applied to studying individual ailments, yielding results that may not be directly relevant to people with multiple health conditions. Objective: Our study proposes a different approach to explore metabolic crosstalk between various disease states. Design, Setting, and Patients: We conducted a study on subjects at medium to high risk of developing coronary artery disease. We measured the plasma levels of 83 metabolites using nuclear magnetic resonance and analyzed the connections between these metabolites and various risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Linear regression and multivariate analysis were combined for this purpose. Results: Inspection of the metabolic maps created by our analysis helped us efficiently compare profiles. In this way, it was possible to discover opposing metabolic features among single conditions and their combination. Furthermore, we found compensating metabolic effects between diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia involving mainly ketone body metabolism and fatty acid β-oxidation. Conclusion: Our study introduces a novel approach to investigating how metabolism reacts to the simultaneous presence of multiple health conditions. This has allowed the detection of potential compensatory effects between diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, highlighting the complexity of metabolic crosstalk in patients with comorbidities. A better understanding of metabolic crosstalk like this could aid in developing focused treatments, resulting in improved therapeutic results.

Porphyrins belong to a peculiar class of natural molecules involved in many different biological processes of paramount importance, from photosynthesis in green plants, to the oxygen binding and transportation in breathing and to the oxidation reactions catalyzed by the enzymatic family of cytochromes P450. This versatility is due to the tight structure/properties relationship of these macrocycles. Many different synthetic strategies have been used to modify the porphyrin core by connecting electro- and photo-active moieties in both meso- and beta-pyrrole positions. Among them all, C–C bond formation still remains one of the most useful approaches to ensure fine control over the chemical–physics properties of porphyrins. In this work we successfully tested the catalytic system Pd(dba)₂/AsPh₃ in the Heck cross-coupling reaction between β-monobrominated tetraphenylporphyrin and ferrocenyl-alkene derivatives, avoiding the use of excess alkene and Ni(II) or Zn(II) porphyrinate complexes. The preferential formation of the alpha- versus trans-isomer was observed when vinylferrocene was used as the starting alkene, compared to styrene and 4-ferrocenylstyrene, either at lower (60 °C) or higher (90 °C) reaction temperature. Subsequent electrochemical and photochemical studies on ferrocene–porphyrin dyads pointed out the importance of the type of β-C–C bond between the two chromophores in modulating/affecting the electron-transfer processes. Such studies can be useful for the realization of highly sensible fluorescent-redox switches or even in the development of highly efficient ferrocene/porphyrin-based chemodynamic therapy agents.