Dehydration for a solid coordination network based on CuII-(py)2C(OH)2 trimers

Abstract de congreso: Póster presentado en 12th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC12), 20 - 23 July 2015, York, United Kingdom

Activation of violaxanthin cycle in darkness is a common response to different abiotic stresses : a case study in Pelvetia canaliculata

Background: In the violaxanthin (V) cycle, V is de-epoxidized to zeaxanthin (Z) when strong light or light combined with other stressors lead to an overexcitation of photosystems. However, plants can also suffer stress in darkness and recent reports have shown that dehydration triggers V-de-epoxidation in the absence of light. In this study, we used the highly stress-tolerant brown alga Pelvetia canaliculata as a model organism, due to its lack of lutein and its non-photochemical quenching independent of the transthylakoidal-ΔpH, to study the triggering of the V-cycle in darkness induced by abiotic stressors. Results: We have shown that besides desiccation, other factors such as immersion, anoxia and high temperature also induced V-de-epoxidation in darkness. This process was reversible once the treatments had ceased (with the exception of heat, which caused lethal damage). Irrespective of the stressor applied, the resulting de-epoxidised xanthophylls correlated with a decrease in Fv/Fm, suggesting a common function in the down-regulation of photosynthetical efficiency. The implication of the redox-state of the plastoquinone-pool and of the differential activity of V-cycle enzymes on V-de-epoxidation in darkness was also examined. Current results suggest that both violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) and zeaxanthin-epoxidase (ZE) have a basal constitutive activity even in darkness, being ZE inhibited under stress. This inhibition leads to Z accumulation. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that V-cycle activity is triggered by several abiotic stressors even when they occur in an absolute absence of light, leading to a decrease in Fv/Fm. This finding provides new insights into an understanding of the regulation mechanism of the V-cycle and of its ecophysiological roles.

Activación de aldehídos a,b-insaturados mediante aminocatálisis en procesos enantioselectivos. Cicloadiciones (3+2) y reacciones en cascada Michael/Henry

During the research that it is summarized in the present memory, the activation of enals via iminium ion catalysis in different transformations has been studied. Firstly, a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between stable azomethine ylides and a,b-unsaturated aldehydes catalyzed by a chiral imidazolidinone derivative has been optimized. Employing this methodology we have synthesized a large range of densely substituted pyrroloisoquinolines and pyrrolophthalazines with good yields and high values of diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Moreover, a mechanistic study has been carried out based on DFT calculations and experimental data which have allowed us to propose that the (3+2) cycloaddition reaction follows a sequential Michael addition/Mannich cyclization pathway. The formation of the iminium ion as a result of the condensation between the a,b-unsaturated aldehyde and the catalyst plays an essential role, regarding both reactivity and stereoselectivity. On the other hand we have developed a methodology to carry out a cascade Michael/Henry reaction followed by a sequential dehydration. Starting from simple substrates (2-nitromethylacrilates and a,b-unsaturated aldehydes) and employing a prolinol-derivative catalyst a series of quiral nitrocyclohexadienes have been synthesized.