A novel treatment and derivatization for quantification of residual aromatic diisocyanates in polyamide resins.

In the scientific context, the environmental and healthy impact of polymers is more related to the residual monomer content rather than their macromolecular structure, due to the monomer capability to interact with membrane cells. For this a novel method to stabilize and quantify residual monomeric isocyanates in high thermal resistance polyamide resins (PAs) has been developed. This new analytical method resulted in an improvement concerning the quantification of residual aromatic diisocyanates in viscous polymeric matrices by using a simple and cheap technique like HPLC-VWD. Diisocyanate monomers were derivatized with dibutylamine, resulting in stable urea derivatives that were simultaneously analysed and quantified. The method was applied to solvent-based polyamide resins, used as primary electrical insulation, for avoiding additional step of solvent removing before the analysis. The quantification of residual monomers answers to the provisions imposed by European Regulation N. 1907/2006 (REACH) for polymer registration, and the necessity of an early evaluation of the occupational risk associated with the use of diisocyanates, due to their toxicity and high reactivity towards moisture.

Metal-Promoted Heterocyclization: A Heterosynthetic Approach to Face a Pandemic Crisis.

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has drastically changed our everyday life and the life of scientists from all over the world. In the last year, the scientific community has faced this worldwide threat using any tool available in order to find an effective response. The recent formulation, production, and ongoing administration of vaccines represent a starting point in the battle against SARS-CoV-2, but they cannot be the only aid available. In this regard, the use of drugs capable to mitigate and fight the virus is a crucial aspect of the pharmacological strategy. Among the plethora of approved drugs, a consistent element is a heterocyclic framework inside its skeleton. Heterocycles have played a pivotal role for decades in the pharmaceutical industry due to their high bioactivity derived from anticancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory capabilities. In this context, the development of new performing and sustainable synthetic strategies to obtain heterocyclic molecules has become a key focus of scientists. In this review, we present the recent trends in metal-promoted heterocyclization, and we focus our attention on the construction of heterocycles associated with the skeleton of drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.