Davood Nematollahi

In this study, the redox behavior of mesalazine (MSZ) was investigated to elucidate its oxidative coupling pathways.

Redox activity of niclosamide (NIC) and its metabolites 2-chloro-4-nitroaniline (2CN) and 5-chlorosalicylic acid (5CA) has been comprehensively investigated over a wide pH range. In this work, to gain a better understanding of the electrochemical activity of NIC, its oxidation and reduction have been investigated independently, and the results are compared with those of 2CN, 5CA, and 4-nitroaniline (4NA) (as a model compound). The results show that both oxidation and reduction pathways of NIC are more complex than those of 2CN, 5CA, and 4NA. While the oxidation of the cathodically generated 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine (2CA) and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) produces relative quinonediimines, the oxidation of reduced NIC (NIA) leads to the corresponding chloroniumquinoneimine (NCC). The strong intramolecular electrostatic interaction between the carbonyl oxygen and the positively charged chlorine atom has stabilized the NCC structure. The lack of this interaction during the oxidation of 2CA makes the formed chloroniumquinoneimine (2CC) unstable and converts it to the corresponding quinonediimine. Our results also show that the generated NCC can react with nucleic acids or proteins; however, glutathione can rapidly react with NCC. The predominant reaction of glutathione with NCC and quinonediamines is catalytic. We have also reported for the first time that the nitro group in NIC, 2CN, and 4NA molecules undergoes catalytic reduction in the presence of oxidized glutathione. The results of this study provide new insights into the redox chemistry of NIC that can be used in the synthesis of next-generation drugs with improved pharmacological and physicochemical properties.

The release of antibiotics into urban wastewater, driven by population growth and overconsumption, poses severe risks to ecosystems and human health due to their persistence and resistance to biodegradation. Electrochemical oxidation employing lead dioxide (PbO ₂ ) electrodes is a promising approach for degrading refractory pollutants. In this study, a β PbO ₂ anode was fabricated with sodium dodecyl sulfate and modified for the electrochemical degradation of the macrolide antibiotic Azithromycin in aqueous solution. The β PbO ₂ coating was deposited on a titanium substrate by electrodeposition in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant to tune the surface morphology and improve the electrocatalytic performance. At 15 mA cm ⁻² , pH 7.00, and during 20 min of electrolysis, 100% degradation efficiency and 49.41% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were achieved for 50 ml of 50 mg l ⁻¹ Azithromycin solution. LC-MS/MS analysis suggested a hydroxyl radical-driven degradation pathway. Lead leakage values were obtained at 0.009 mg l ⁻¹ to assess the environmental safety of the anode. This work demonstrates that sodium dodecyl sulfate-modified β PbO ₂ anodes can be considered a promising option for the electrochemical treatment of Azithromycin-containing wastewater, although further studies on scale-up and long-term operation are still needed.

A facile and sustainable galvanostatic strategy was developed for the synthesis of novel sulfonamide derivatives containing anthraquinone moieties.

Low-molecular weight multifunctional molecules (LWMM) are highly valuable building blocks in organic synthesis because target molecules can be synthesized from them through a simple one-step coupling. On the other hand, the synthesis of these multifunctional molecules themselves is relatively complex due to the large number of functional groups. To demonstrate the capabilities of electrochemical methods in the synthesis of complex molecules, we developed a green and facile electrochemical method for the synthesis of such molecules. This goal has been achieved through the direct oxidation of 4-tert-butylcatechol in the presence of nucleophiles such as 3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-oxopropanenitrile. The results show that electrochemically generated 4-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone participates in a Michael-type reaction with the nucleophile and is converted to the final product after reoxidation. The synthesized compounds contain two moieties, indole and quinone, which are important from a pharmaceutical point of view. In this work, three new low-molecular weight multifunctional molecules with good yields were synthesized in water/ethanol mixture, without the use of toxic reagents and solvents, using a graphite electrode under green chemistry conditions. The synthesized compounds show antibacterial activity against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Ti/TiO₂ nanotube arrays (NTA)/CeO₂@PbO₂ and Ti/β-PbO₂-CuO_x electrodes were used for the electrocatalytic degradation of paraquat (PQ2+), a highly toxic and widely used herbicide.