Theoretical and Experimental Local Reactivity Parameters of3‑Substituted Coumarin Derivatives

International audienceLocal reactivity descriptors, such as atomic charges, atomic electrostatic potential andatomic Fukui indices were computed for a series of 3-substituted coumarin (2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran)derivatives, using density functional theory (DFT) and Möller−Plesset methods (MP2). The variationof those properties as a function of the substituents was compared with the variation of the measuredXPS binding energies. The atomic electrostatic potentials and XPS binding energies serves as indicatorsof the electrophilicity of a given center within a molecule, while the atomic Fukui indices describe itsdegree of electronic localization, known as atomic softness. The correlation between those theoreticaland experimental properties allowed us to follow the effect of electron withdrawing substituents on theelectrophilicity of a given atomic center. The Fukui indices provided additional information about thesoftening/hardening of the center of interest due to presence of different substituents to the coumarin system. On the basis ofthese analysis, the 1,2-addition would be favored for 3-acetyl, 3-phosphono, and 7-diethylamino substituents, while 3-carboxyl, 3-ethoxycarbonyl, and 3-nitro substituent would favor 1,4-addition. The substituted coumarins would preferably react with softnucleophiles at position 2 and with hard nucleophiles at position 4

Setagin and secretagogin-R22: Posttranscriptional modification products of the secretagogin gene

We describe two new variants of the recently identified hexa-EF-hand calcium binding protein secretagogin. The first variant (secretagogin-R22) is characterized by one single amino acid exchange (Q/R) at codon 22, most likely due to RNA editing. The second variant of secretagogin (setagin) consists of 49 amino acids. Due to a frame shift, only the first 27 amino acids are identical to secretagogin. We demonstrate that this protein truncation results in complete loss of the calcium binding capacity. Setagin expression was found in considerable amounts in the pancreas whereas secretagogin and secretagogin-R22 were also found in the central nervous system and organs containing neurendocrine cells. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

P-block single-metal-site tin/nitrogen-doped carbon fuel cell cathode catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

This contribution reports the discovery and analysis of a p-block Sn-based catalyst for the electroreduction of molecular oxygen in acidic conditions at fuel cell cathodes; the catalyst is free of platinum-group metals and contains single-metal-atom actives sites coordinated by nitrogen. The prepared SnNC catalysts meet and exceed state-of-the-art FeNC catalysts in terms of intrinsic catalytic turn-over frequency and hydrogen–air fuel cell power density. The SnNC-NH3 catalysts displayed a 40–50% higher current density than FeNC-NH3 at cell voltages below 0.7 V. Additional benefits include a highly favourable selectivity for the four-electron reduction pathway and a Fenton-inactive character of Sn. A range of analytical techniques combined with density functional theory calculations indicate that stannic Sn(iv)Nx single-metal sites with moderate oxygen chemisorption properties and low pyridinic N coordination numbers act as catalytically active moieties. The superior proton-exchange membrane fuel cell performance of SnNC cathode catalysts under realistic, hydrogen–air fuel cell conditions, particularly after NH3 activation treatment, makes them a promising alternative to today’s state-of-the-art Fe-based catalysts