Thienylpyrrole azo dyes: synthesis, solvatochromic and electrochemical properties

The synthesis and the evaluation of solvatochromic and electrochemical properties of new donor-acceptor-substituted thienylpyrrole azo dyes 3 are described. These derivatives exhibit dramatic changes in both their electronic and redox properties in comparison with thienylpyrroles 1. In agreement with the solvatochromic and electrochemical studies of push-pull derivatives 3 the new compounds prepared, may find application in the manufacture of new materials with notable non-linear optical properties.Fundação para a Ciència e Tecnologia - POCTI/QUI/37816/2001

Donor-acceptor substituted thienylpyrrole azo dyes: synthesis, solvatochromic and electrochemical properties

The synthesis of thienyl- substituted pyrrole azo dyes and their UV-visible, solvatochromic and electrochemical properties are described. In agreement with the solvatochromic data and also with the electrochemical study the new donor-acceptor systems synthesized could have applications in NLO.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT

Synthesis of formyl-thienylpyrroles : versatile building blocks for NLO materials

Several formyl-substituted 1-alkyl(aryl)-2-(2´-thienyl)pyrroles 3-7 were synthesized by functionalization of the pyrrole or thiophene ring of thienylpyrroles 2 using different methods: Vilsmeier formylation or metalation followed by reaction with DMF.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

Synthesis and UV-visible properties of thienyl- substituted pyrrole azo dyes

The synthesis of thienyl- substituted pyrrole azo dyes and their UV-visible properties are described.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. FEDER - POCTI/QUI/37816/2001.Thanks are due to Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal) for financial support through IBQF (UM) and through FEDER, POCTI (ref. POCTI/QUI/37816/2001)

New fluorescent heterocyclic materials: Synthesis, solvatochromic and fluorescence properties

Thienyl- and bithienyl-1,3-benzothiazoles 1 and 2 were synthesised by reacting various formyl thienyl and bithienyl derivatives with o-aminobenzenethiol in moderate to excellent yields. Evaluation of the solvatochromic and fluorescence properties of these compounds was carried out. Due to their strong fluorescence and also the strong push-pull character, benzothiazole derivatives 1 and 2 can be used as potential NLO materials or as fluorescent markers.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT

Two genotypes of mycorrhizal Pinus pinaster respond differently to cadmium contamination

Fertilization is one of the main anthropogenic sources of Cd accumulation in agricultural soils and when toxic levels have been reached, food crop production is no longer viable. Adequate strategies for the forestation of agricultural metal contaminated sites are of vital importance. The aim of this work was to evaluate the response of two different genotypes of P. pinaster (A and B) to Cd contamination and to assess how inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi influenced each genotype. Seedlings were exposed to soil contaminated at different levels of Cd. At 30 mg Cd kg-1 non-inoculated genotype A accumulated more Cd in the shoots. At the lowest Cd concentration S. bovinus decreased Cd shoot concentration and increased aboveground development in both genotypes. At the highest Cd dosage inoculation with R. roseolus decreased Cd concentration in the roots of genotype B whereas the opposite occurred in genotype A. The results from this study suggest that the selection of an adequate combination between genotype and associated mycobionts may be an important biotechnological tool to enhance the efficiency of forestation and phytoremediation processes of degraded land using P. pinaster

Inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi affects Pinus pinaster performance under cadmium exposure

Afforestation of contaminated sites can represent a valuable approach to restore degraded ecosystems. Studies on the response of woody species to heavy metal contamination in soil are scarce compared to crop species. Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metals and its hazardous effects are well known. The aim of this work was to evaluate Pinus pinaster performance on Cd contaminated soil (15 and 30 mg Cd kg-1) and determine whether inoculation with two ectomycorrhizal fungi, Suillus bovinus and Rhizopogon roseolus influenced such response. Regarding non-inoculated seedlings, Cd exposure led to a lower shoot biomass and metal accumulation on the root system was proportional to its concentration in the soil. Inoculation with S. bovinus was the most favorable treatment for P. pinaster development by enhancing shoot development up to 1.3-fold in contaminated soil. Inoculation with R. roseolus increased Cd concentration in the shoots with no significant effect in any of the biometric traits studied. Metal accumulation on the shoots and roots of P. pinaster seedlings was significantly affected by the interaction between mycorrhizal inoculation and the Cd concentration to which the seedlings were exposed. Results from this study show that inoculation with selected ECM fungi can influence the performance of P. pinaster under Cd exposure and that this biotechnological tool could be of great value for plant establishment in contaminated sites

Synthesis of tricyanovinyl-substituted thienylpyrroles and characterization of the solvatochromic, electrochemical and non-linear optical properties

Tricyanovinyl-substituted 1-(alkyl)aryl-2-(2´-thienyl)pyrroles 1 have been synthesized by direct tricyanovinylation reaction of 1-(alkyl)aryl-2-(2´-thienyl)pyrroles 2 using TCNE. The tricyanovinyl- derivatives 1 display dramatic reductions in both their optical and electrochemical band gaps relative to thienylpyrrole precursors 2. The solvatochromic behavior of compounds 1 was investigated in a variety of solvents. Hyper-Rayleigh scattering was used to measure the first hyperpolarizabilities β of the mentioned compounds. The β values show that the new compounds prepared could be used on the manufacture of materials with good non-linear (NLO) properties.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI, FEDER (ref.POCTI/QUI/37816/2001)

Valorization of expired energydrinks by designed and integrated ionic liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems

Expired energy drinks are rich in bioactive value-added compounds that can be recovered and reused in order to valorize food waste within a circular economy perspective. However, to accomplish such requirements, it is necessary to develop sustainable extraction and recovery processes, which must consist of decreasing the number of steps required or developing integrated strategies. In this work, novel aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) composed of ionic liquids (ILs) and a biocompatible polymer polypropylene glycol (400 g·mol-1, PPG 400) were studied for the simultaneous extraction and recovery of three value-added compounds, namely, caffeine, taurine, and niacin, from expired energy drinks. ILs were designed and synthesized in order to have similar anions to the target compounds, thus allowing enhanced selectivity and biological activity, while avoiding an extra step of separation of these high-value compounds from the IL-rich phase. To this end, cholinium-based ILs comprising the anions lactate, pyruvate, taurate, and nicotinate were synthesized, and their cytotoxicity and ecotoxicity credentials were evaluated. Overall, taurine and niacin are majorly enriched in the IL-rich phase, while caffeine preferentially migrates in the majority of the cases toward the PPG-rich phase. However, caffeine also partitions to the IL-rich phase in the ABS formed by cholinium pyruvate or cholinium nicotinate. The ABS formed by cholinium nicotinate and PPG 400 is the best system identified, allowing the almost complete recovery (recovery efficiencies > 82%) of all target compounds into the IL-rich phase in one step. Furthermore, cholinium nicotinate exhibits marginal cytotoxic potential and is harmless from an ecotoxicological point of view. This system is thus a promising platform to simultaneously extract, recover, and reuse value-added compounds from expired energy drinks without the need of removing the IL or recovering the target compounds from the IL-rich phase, thus contributing to a sustainable and circular food economypublishe