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Water-Soluble Complexes: Catalytic and Biologic Applications 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 4673

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Centro de Química Estrutural e Departamento de Engenharia Química, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: green chemistry; innovative product design; sustainable processes; functionalized materials (in particular, involving C-scorpionates); catalysis (homogeneous, supported or nano- catalysis); electrochemistry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid developments in the field of catalysis are leading to an increased demand for tailor-made catalysts. Water-soluble transition-metal complexes are attracting a continuously growing interest for catalytic applications, owing to their environmentally friendly processing, simple product separation, and pH-dependent selectivity in aqueous media. Moreover, the search for industrial processes with reduced environmental impact has prompted research on nonconventional solvents. Among the alternatives, water is the green solvent par excellence, as it is nontoxic, safe (even for large-scale applications), readily available, environmentally benign, and inexpensive.

On the other hand, the bioavailability and bioactivity of coordination compounds are often dependent on their hydrosolubility. Therefore, in the search for new bioactive agents as well as in the design of new potentially active metallodrugs, it is of paramount importance, beyond the nature of the metal, to choose appropriate ligands, which affect the thermodynamic and kinetic stability, the solubility, and the lipophilicity of the complexes.

The current Special Issue of IJMS represents an excellent platform for the discussion of recent developments in this field at the molecular level. It welcomes studies on fundamental aspects and applications that can synergically merge in the platform to provide a comprehensive coverage of the field and the bases to boost a rational development of new systems.

Dr. Luísa Margarida Martins
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • coordination compound
  • coordination polymer
  • water-soluble
  • hydro-soluble
  • catalyst
  • bioactive compound
  • biosensor
  • enzyme modelling
  • metallodrug
  • medicinal chemistry

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4239 KiB  
Article
Encapsulation of Clofazimine by Cyclodextran: Preparation, Characterization, and In Vitro Release Properties
by Seong-Jin Hong and Young-Min Kim
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8808; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24108808 - 15 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1200
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of cyclodextrans (CIs) and cyclodextrins (CDs) in improving the water solubility of a poorly water-soluble drug, clofazimine (CFZ). Among the evaluated CIs and CDs, CI-9 exhibited the highest percentage of drug inclusion and the [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of cyclodextrans (CIs) and cyclodextrins (CDs) in improving the water solubility of a poorly water-soluble drug, clofazimine (CFZ). Among the evaluated CIs and CDs, CI-9 exhibited the highest percentage of drug inclusion and the highest solubility. Additionally, CI-9 showed the highest encapsulation efficiency, with a CFZ:CI-9 molar ratio of 0.2:1. SEM analysis indicated successful formation of inclusion complexes CFZ/CI and CFZ/CD, accounting for the rapid dissolution rate of the inclusion complex. Moreover, CFZ in CFZ/CI-9 demonstrated the highest drug release ratio, reaching up to 97%. CFZ/CI complexes were found to be an effective means of protecting the activity of CFZ against various environmental stresses, particularly UV irradiation, compared to free CFZ and CFZ/CD complexes. Overall, the findings provide valuable insights into designing novel drug delivery systems based on the inclusion complexes of CIs and CDs. However, further studies are needed to investigate the effects of these factors on the release properties and pharmacokinetics of encapsulated drugs in vivo, in order to ensure the safety and efficacy of these inclusion complexes. In conclusion, CI-9 is a promising candidate for drug delivery systems, and CFZ/CI complexes could be a potential formulation strategy for the development of stable and effective drug products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Soluble Complexes: Catalytic and Biologic Applications 2.0)
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11 pages, 3801 KiB  
Communication
Aqua/Mechanochemical Mediated Synthesis of Novel Spiro [Indole–Pyrrolidine] Derivatives
by Sodeeq Aderotimi Salami, Vincent J. Smith and Rui Werner Maçedo Krause
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2307; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24032307 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1576
Abstract
Spirocyclic scaffolds are found in many pharmacologically active natural and synthetic compounds. From time to time, efforts have been made to develop new or better processes for the synthesis of spirocyclic compounds. Spiro [Indole–pyrrolidine] Derivatives are readily synthesized in high to excellent yields [...] Read more.
Spirocyclic scaffolds are found in many pharmacologically active natural and synthetic compounds. From time to time, efforts have been made to develop new or better processes for the synthesis of spirocyclic compounds. Spiro [Indole–pyrrolidine] Derivatives are readily synthesized in high to excellent yields by the Michael condensation of 3-dicyanomethylene-2H-indol-2-ones (produced via the Knoevenagel condensation of indole-2,3-dione with malononitrile) with isothiocyanate derivatives under aqueous and mechanochemical conditions. The advantages of this protocol are that the reactions are solvent-free, occur at ambient temperature, require short reaction times, have experimental simplicity, and produce excellent yields. These environmentally friendly reaction media are useful alternatives to volatile organic solvents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Soluble Complexes: Catalytic and Biologic Applications 2.0)
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21 pages, 5981 KiB  
Article
Phase Equilibria and Critical Behavior in Nematogenic MBBA—Isooctane Monotectic-Type Mixtures
by Jakub Kalabiński, Aleksandra Drozd-Rzoska and Sylwester J. Rzoska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2065; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms24032065 - 20 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1168
Abstract
The transition from the isotropic (I) liquid to the nematic-type (N) uniaxial phase appearing as the consequence of the elongated geometry of elements seems to be a universal phenomenon for many types of suspensions, from solid nano-rods to biological particles based colloids. Rod-like [...] Read more.
The transition from the isotropic (I) liquid to the nematic-type (N) uniaxial phase appearing as the consequence of the elongated geometry of elements seems to be a universal phenomenon for many types of suspensions, from solid nano-rods to biological particles based colloids. Rod-like thermotropic nematogenic liquid crystalline (LC) compounds and their mixtures with a molecular solvent (Sol) can be a significant reference for this category, enabling insights into universal features. The report presents studies in 4′-methoxybenzylidene-4-n-butylaniline (MBBA) and isooctane (Sol) mixtures, for which the monotectic-type phase diagram was found. There are two biphasic regions (i) for the low (TP1, isotropic liquid-nematic coexistence), and (ii) high (TP2, liquid-liquid coexistence) concentrations of isooctane. For both domains, biphasic coexistence curves’ have been discussed and parameterized. For TP2 it is related to the order parameter and diameter tests. Notable is the anomalous mean-field type behavior near the critical consolute temperature. Regarding the isotropic liquid phase, critical opalescence has been detected above both biphasic regions. For TP2 it starts ca. 20 K above the critical consolute temperature. The nature of pretransitional fluctuations in the isotropic liquid phase was tested via nonlinear dielectric effect (NDE) measurements. It is classic (mean-field) above TP1 and non-classic above the TP2 domain. The long-standing problem regarding the non-critical background effect was solved to reach this result. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Soluble Complexes: Catalytic and Biologic Applications 2.0)
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