Tl₂Te and its relationship with Tl₅Te₃

The crystal structure of Tl(2)Te, dithallium telluride, has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The analysis of the structure shows that this compound is the first known representative of a new crystal structure type. The structural relationship with the related Tl(5)Te(3) phase is discusse

Engineering a GABA endowed with pharmacological CNS activity when given by an extracerebral route

International audienceGamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter physiologically active in the central nervous system (CNS), being synthesised and delivered by GABAergic neurons. It is, however, pharmacologically devoid of CNS activity when presented externally to brain because of limited blood-brain barrier diffusion and intensive breakdown by astrocyte GABA transaminase. We show herein that extracerebral administration may be, however, pharmacologically effective in controlling experimental convulsive attacks when GABA is submitted to sublimation under vacuum just before use. Though initially enigmatic because nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) analyses identified the sublimation-derived compound to be the reference zwitterionic GABA, this observation was understood by showing that the reference and sublimated GABAs were monoclinic and tetragonal phases of GABA solid, respectively