Organic Chemistry

In recent years, Palladium (Pd) catalysis has expanded to the use of metallic nanoparticles (NPs), due to their physicochemical properties that are related to catalytic activity. In particular, C-H bond activation reactions catalyzed by Pd attract interest because they can generate new C-C bonds without the need for prior functionalization, shortening synthesis steps and reducing waste generation. An example is phenanthridin-6(5H)-ones and benzo[c]chromenes, which are heterocycles present in various natural products and with important biological activities.

Catalysis plays an essential role in the synthesis of organic compounds, fully aligning with the ninth principle of sustainable chemistry. In recent years, nanomaterials have emerged as promising catalysts, offering stability, recyclability, and high efficiency. Among the most widely used catalysts in organic synthesis are those derived from palladium (Pd), a highly effective but costly and scarce metal.

The efficient design and synthesis of emitters for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is a critical area of research, driven by the demand for cost-effective, sustainable, and high-performance blue emitters. This study presents the design and synthesis of 3,3’-bicarbazole-triazine derivatives as potential thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters. Using computational modeling, donor-acceptor (D-A) structures were rationally designed to exhibit blue emission and low singlet-triplet energy gaps.

Perylene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), is characterized by its inherent rigidity, which imparts exceptional electronic and optical properties. This structural feature supports high fluorescence quantum yields, which are influenced by the nature of the substituents attached. Notably, substituents positioned in the bay or peri regions of the molecule significantly alter these properties, enabling fine-tuning of light emission across a broad spectrum of colors.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a therapeutic alternative for treating several pathologies, from microbial infections to cancer. PDT involves applying a photosensitizer (PS) that interacts with light in an appropriate wavelength, absorbing its energy and going from the basal to the excited singlet state. This excited state can experience intersystem crossing to the excited triplet state (3PS*). 3PS* can generate reactive oxygen species that induce injury and trigger cell death.

In recent decades there has been uprising interest in the medicinal properties of organoselenides. These ubiquitous structural have their wide applications in material sciences, in catalysis and modern organic transformations. Research studies have led to important discoveries regarding selective C–Se bond formation and in this context a notable approach is direct selenylation. In this regard, nitrogen- or oxygen-containing arenes with organoselenides have appeared as a very important class of molecules, with diverse applications in the biological sciences.

Application-specific nanomaterials with longer lifetime can be developed with the aid of interdisciplinary sciences. For that, exploring different synthetic methods and conditions is necessary. Moreover, designing the  surface ligands with required functionalities is considered the key for stabilization and solubility as well as target binding and different applications. Modification of surface ligands at surface of metal NPs and quantum dots (QDs) opens the door of numerous opportunities in terms of applications.

Supported metallic and bimetallic nanocatalysts were synthesized and characterized. They were employed in different steps of the synthesis of a variety of bioactive compounds, taken in place the high atom economy and the sustainability of the process. The recoverability and reusability of the nanocatalysts was studied. The nanocatalyst were used particularly in C-H activation reaction, through a cross dehydrogenative coupling reaction (CDC), to form new C-C and C-heteroatom bonds.

Electrophilic aromatic nitrations are used for the preparation of a variety of synthetic products including dyes, agrochemicals, high energy materials, and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, nitro compounds can be used as intermediates and easily reduced to products such as anilines, that are important feedstock in a broad range of syntheses. Traditional nitration methods use highly acidic and corrosive mixed acid systems which present a number of drawbacks.

Throughout history, natural products have consistently proven to be invaluable sources of solutions for humanity, particularly regarding the development of treatments for diseases. If only small molecules are taken into consideration, almost half of the approved anti-cancer drugs since mid-last century are either natural products or compounds related to them in some way. Among the natural products that have gained increasing interest in recent decades are cannabinoids and related meroterpenoids.