Chemical Communications Blog

Useful small molecules with potential applications in the cosmetics and fine chemical industries have been recovered from waste plastics by scientists in the US.

Petroleum based polymers such as polyesters and polycarbonates make up a significant proportion of the 100 million tonnes of plastic waste generated globally every year, of which only between 5–30% is recycled. Traditional recycling commonly leads to new plastics with inferior properties that frequently find use in lower grade applications, such as fibres or carpeting.

The pincer catalyst hydrogenates the ester linked backbone of the polymer, unzipping it into small molecules

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in ChemComm – it’s free to download until 2^nd May:
Controlled hydrogenative depolymerization of polyesters and polycarbonates catalyzed by ruthenium(II) PNN pincer complexes
Eric M. Krall, Tyler W. Klein, Ryan J. Andersen, Alex J. Nett, Ryley W. Glasgow, Diana S. Reader, Brian C. Dauphinais, Sean P. Mc Ilrath, Anne A. Fischer, Michael J. Carney, Dylan J. Hudson and Nicholas J. Robertson  
Chem. Commun., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C4CC00541D

Here are this month’s referee-recommended hot articles – all free to download until 13th April:  

High gas storage capacities and stepwise adsorption in a UiO type metal–organic framework incorporating Lewis basic bipyridyl sites
Liangjun Li, Sifu Tang, Chao Wang, Xiaoxia Lv, Min Jiang, Huaizhi Wu and Xuebo Zhao  
Chem. Commun., 2014,50, 2304-2307
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC48275H, Communication  

Hydrosilylation catalysis by an earth alkaline metal silyl: synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of bis(triphenylsilyl)calcium
Valeri Leich, Thomas P. Spaniol, Laurent Maron and Jun Okuda  
Chem. Commun., 2014,50, 2311-2314
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC49308C, Communication  

Nano-sized heterometallic macrocycles based on 4-pyridinylboron-capped iron(II) clathrochelates: syntheses, structures and properties
Ying-Ying Zhang, Yue-Jian Lin and Guo-Xin Jin  
Chem. Commun., 2014,50, 2327-2329
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC49038F, Communication  

Structural analysis and reactivity of unusual tetrahedral intermediates enabled by SmI2-mediated reduction of barbituric acids: vinylogous N-acyliminium additions to α-hydroxy-N-acyl-carbamides
Michal Szostak, Brice Sautier and David J. Procter  
Chem. Commun., 2014,50, 2518-2521
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC48932A, Communication  

The genesis of a heterogeneous catalyst: in situ observation of a transition metal complex adsorbing onto an oxide surface in solution
Antoine Hervier, Juliette Blanchard, Guylène Costentin, John Regalbuto, Catherine Louis and Souhir Boujday  
Chem. Commun., 2014,50, 2409-2411
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC48838A, Communication  

Click here to see more hot ChemComm articles for March

Anchoring aspirin onto cisplatin could create a cancer treatment capable of overcoming drug resistance in cisplatin resistant cells, new research shows.

Cisplatin, along with other chemotherapeutic drugs, is used to treat various types of cancer, including testicular, ovarian, lung and bladder cancer. However, clinical use of cisplatin is limited by developing resistance, earning it the nickname the ‘penicillin of cancer’. Resistance mechanisms to cisplatin are well defined, but there are still no treatments available to surmount or reverse it.

Upon cellular uptake, asplatin is reduced by ascorbic acid to give cisplatin and aspirin

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in ChemComm – it’s free to access until 22nd April:
The Ligation of Aspirin to Cisplatin Demonstrates Significantly Synergistic Effect to Tumor Cells
Qinqin Cheng, Hongdong Shi, Hong-Xia Wang, Yuanzeng Min, Jun Wang and Yangzhong Liu  
Chem. Commun., 2014, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C4CC00419A