Tuyen Van Nguyen

A novel series of fourteen fluorinated naphtho[2,3- b ]furan-4,9-dione derivatives (5a–n) was designed, synthesized, and structurally mapped as conformational equivalents of the microtubule-disrupting agent combretastatin A-4 (CA-4).

A phytochemical investigation of the ethanolic extract of Ardisia sylvestris Pitard leaves led to the isolation and identification of eight compounds, including 3S,5R,6R,9S-tetrahydroxymegastigman-7-ene (1), myricetin-3-O-rutinoside (2), phenyl ethyl-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), 2-O-(trans-coumaroyl)malic acid 1-methyl ester (4), adenosine (5), gallic acid (6), 5-(8Z-heptadecenyl)resorcinol (7), and mandelic acid (8). Their structures were identified by NMR analysis, supported by MS data where available and comparison with published spectroscopic data. The isolated compounds were evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. Among them, compound 7 showed the most promising biological profile, showing potent α-glucosidase inhibition (IC₅₀ = 7.56 μg/mL), markedly stronger than acarbose (IC₅₀ = 151.09 μg/mL), together with moderate AChE inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 14.75 μg/mL). Compound 7 also displayed strong DPPH radical-scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 10.04 μg/mL), comparable to quercetin, and moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 64 μg/mL). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations revealed favorable binding modes and stable interactions of compound 7 within the active sites of α-glucosidase and AChE. For the antibacterial activity, substrate-similarity-based target prioritization followed by comparative docking highlighted FabI as the highest-priority candidate target for compound 7. These findings identify 5-(8Z-heptadecenyl)resorcinol as a multifunctional bioactive constituent of A. sylvestris and provide complementary structural insights into its interactions with α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase.

A convenient microwave-assisted three-component synthetic approach was developed for the synthesis of new benzo[ a ]pyrano[2,3- c ]phenazine derivatives starting from benzo[ a ]phenazin-5-ol, benzaldehyde derivatives, and enaminone derivatives.

Novel energetic glycidyl azide polymers containing aromatic diol units were synthesized, showing improved glass-transition temperatures, high heat of decomposition, and thermo-mechanical stability.

One-step electrodeposited Co–BDC on GCE enables ultrasensitive SWASV detection of Cd ²⁺ with a low detection limit of 0.035 ppb and good performance in real water samples.

Cpd 8n induced G0/G1 arrest without apoptosis and showed favorable binding to the CDK4/cyclin D1 active site.

A novel hybrid flame-retardant system, named MOF-DOPO, was developed by chemically grafting 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) to an Fe-based metal–organic framework (Fe-MOF-NH₂). The combination of MOF-DOPO and urea–melamine–formaldehyde microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (APP@UMF) markedly enhanced the fire resistance of epoxy resin. Comprehensive analyses indicated a synergistic flame-retardant mechanism between MOF-DOPO and APP@UMF operating in both gas and condensed phases. In the gas phase, phosphorus-centered radicals from DOPO effectively captured flame-propagating radicals, while nonflammable gases (NH₃, CO₂, H₂O) diluted and cooled the combustion zone. In the condensed phase, a compact intumescent char reinforced by thermally stable iron phosphate species (Fe₂P₂O₇, Fe₂P₄O₁₂, Fe(PO₃)₂) served as an efficient physical barrier to heat and mass transfer. Moreover, the formation of the spherical particulate network of iron phosphate species covering the surface of the burning material imparted a “lotus-leaf effect”, minimizing flame impingement and retarding further degradation. Additionally, the incorporation of MOF-DOPO significantly mitigated the mechanical deterioration induced by APP@UMF. This study provides a feasible and effective strategy for developing epoxy nanocomposites with superior flame retardancy and good mechanical properties.

A series of new fluorinated γ‐butyrolactone fused aza‐anthraquinone derivatives were synthesized through a two‐step procedure involving a three‐component reaction followed by dehydro‐aromatization. The final compounds were fully characterized by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high resolution mass spectroscopy. The cytotoxic activity of these compounds was assessed by screening against KB, HepG2, A549, MCF7 cell lines using MTT assay. The result revealed that 10 out of the 13 synthesized derivatives exhibited moderate to high cytotoxicity against all tested cancer cell lines. Among these compounds, compounds 6d (Ar = 2,5‐difluoro‐4‐methoxyphenyl), 6e (Ar = 4‐methoxy‐2‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl), and 6i (Ar = 4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) have exhibited pronounced cytotoxicity for A549 cancer cell line. The interaction of new synthesized compounds with the colchicine‐binding site of tubulin was investigated in silico to examine the tubulin inhibition activity of ten cytotoxic compounds. Molecular docking revealed that compounds 6d , 6e , and 6i had relatively strong binding affinity with the colchicine‐binding site of tubulin and formed stable chelation with Zn ²⁺ . Besides that, physicochemical and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET)‐related properties were predicted to evaluate the drug‐likeness of the most active compounds.

A practical and efficient approach for the acid-catalysed synthesis of bis(1-imidazo[1,5-a]pyridyl)arylmethane (BimPy) derivatives has been described.