Phosphorescent iridium-containing nanomicelles: synthesis, characterization and preliminary applications in nanomedical imaging.

Diagnostic nanomedicine constantly requires the development of novel contrast agents with intrinsic imaging capabilities. Phosphorescent Ir(iii)-complexes represent good candidates when delivered through polymeric nanoparticles. In this work, we propose a biocompatible nanoparticle made from an intrinsically phosphorescent copolymer, synthesized directly with an imaging tag present on its backbone. Polymeric nanoparticles can be obtained with the exact amount of phosphorescent moieties needed to maximize their output signal. Complete characterization and ex vivo studies confirmed that this nanosystem is suitable as a future diagnostic tool.

The role of the alpha-stereogenic center in the control of stereoselection in the reduction of alpha-alkyl-beta-hydroxy ketones: a highly diastereoselective protocol for the synthesis of 1,2-syn-2-alkyl-1,3-diols

Accurate investigations on the role played by an alpha-stereogenic center in controlling the reduction of various classes of beta-hydroxy ketones allowed us to set up a general and highly diastereoselective protocol for the synthesis of 2-alkyl-1,3-diols with 1,2-syn relationship. This methodology is based on the conversion of a beta-hydroxy ketone into the corresponding titanium alcoholate that permits us to organize the substrate in a stable and rigid structure, which stereofacially favors attacking hydride ions. The use of THF as solvent makes available a variety of hydride donors that cover a large spectrum of steric demand: the choice of the more appropriate one depends on the conformational stability of the cyclic intermediate. Excellent results are obtained also in the presence of an additional stereogenic center in the beta-position, even if it exerts a concordant or an opposite steric effect with respect to the alpha-substituent.

A novel route to the vinyl sulfide nine-membered macrocycle moiety of Griseoviridin.

The synthetic potentialities of cerium(III) chloride are demonstrated by the synthesis of a nine-membered ring heterocycle component of Griseoviridin (3) in optically active form. The key step involves the stereospecific formation of the alpha-carbalkoxy alkenyl sulfide moiety using a combination system of cerium(III) chloride heptahydrate and sodium iodide.

An Efficient Procedure for the Diastereoselective Dehydration of beta-Hydroxy Carbonyl Compounds by CeCl(3).7H(2)O/NaI System.

The dehydration of beta-hydroxy ketones and beta-hydroxy esters is a synthetically useful method for the conversion of these compounds to the corresponding alpha,beta-unsaturated derivatives. Cerium(III) chloride heptahydrate in combination with sodium iodide in refluxing acetonitrile acts as an efficient reagent for this conversion. The present procedure, which utilizes cheap and "friendly" reagents, offers the corresponding (E)-enones in good yields as the only isolable products.

TiCl4-mediated reduction of 1,3-diketones with BH3-pyridine complex: a highly diastereoselective method for the synthesis of syn-1,3-Diols

[reaction: see text] 1,3-Diketones can be reduced in high yields and with excellent diastereoselectivity to the corresponding syn-1,3-diols by carrying out the reaction with BH3-pyridine complex in CH2Cl2 at -78 degrees C in the presence of an equivalent of TiCl4 and 0.1 equiv of pyridine. This protocol shows a general character: excellent results are obtained when the groups bound to the carbonylic functions are linear or branched carbon chains and aromatic or benzylic frameworks as well.