Publication

A Biocompatible Cinchonine-Based Catalyst for the CO2 Valorization into Oxazolidin-2-ones Under Ambient Conditions

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L. Invernizzi, C. Damiano, E. Gallo Chem. Eur. J. 2025, 0, e202500473 A metal-free, biocompatible catalyst for the cycloaddition of CO2 to N-alkyl aziridines was easily obtained by protonating the natural and nontoxic alkaloid (+)-cinchonine. This bifunctional catalytic system promoted the synthesis of the desired products under very mild experimental conditions (room temperature and atmospheric CO2 pressure) … Read more

Synthesis of α-Arylglycosides by Ni-Photoredox Arylation of Sugars with an Organic Photocatalyst

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G. Cavazzoli, I. Gamberoni, S. Mazzotta, A. Bossi, M. Penconi, A. Bernardi, L. Pignataro ChemCatChem 2025, e202500042 Herein we report a Ni-photoredox catalytic methodology for the synthesis of C-aryl glycosides via arylation of monosaccharides unprotected at the anomeric position. In our work, the iridium-complex previously employed as photocatalyst in this kind of Ni-photoredox arylation of … Read more

Design, synthesis and in vitro validation of bivalent binders of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein: Obeticholic, betulinic and glycyrrhetinic acids as building blocks

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Martina Pedrini, Luca Pozzi, Francesca Sacchi, Andrea Citarella, Valerio Fasano, Pierfausto Seneci, Stefano Pieraccini, Lorenzo Ruberto, Helena Perez Peña, Alfredo Garzino-Demo, Adriana Vitiello, Leonardo Sernicola, Alessandra Borsetti, Arianna Calistri, Cristina Parolin, Daniele Passarella Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Volume 121, 15 April 2025, 118124 Novel bivalent compounds, combining bile acids and triterpenoids natural products derivatives, can bind … Read more

Revisiting the Reduction of Vinpocetine

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Simone Borsoi, Luca Pozzi, Valerio Fasano, Andrea Citarella, Giovanni Macetti, Leonardo Lo Presti, Giuseppe Paladino, Umberto Ciriello, Daniele Passarella ChemistrySelect 2025, 10, e202406175 Hydrogenation of the semisynthetic vinca alkaloid vinpocetine produces two epimers that have previously been investigated as chiral additives. However, the absence of a full characterization generated some ambiguities in their stereochemical identification. In this study, computational methods, NMR analysis, and X-ray crystallography … Read more

Bifunctional Photocatalysts Display Proximity-Enhanced Catalytic Activity in Metallaphotoredox C–O Coupling

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Luigi Dolcini, Andrea Solida, Daniele Lavelli, Andrés Mauricio Hidalgo-Núñez, Tommaso Gandini, Matthieu Fornara, Alessandro Colella, Alberto Bossi, Marta Penconi, Daniele Fiorito, Cesare Gennari, Alberto Dal Corso, Luca Pignataro ACS Catal. 2024, 14, 18651−18659 Dual catalytic reactions may be made more effective through improved integration of the catalytic cycles achieved using bifunctional catalysts. Herein, we describe … Read more

Semiclassical description of nuclear quantum effects in solvated and condensed phase molecular systems

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Riccardo Conte, Giacomo Mandelli, Giacomo Botti, Davide Moscato, Cecilia Lanzi, Marco Cazzaniga, Chiara Aieta and Michele Ceotto Chem. Sci., 2025, 16, 20 In this perspective we deal with the challenge of investigating nuclear quantum effects in solvated and condensed phase molecular systems in a computationally affordable way. To this end, semiclassical methods are promising theoretical … Read more

Achieving High Affinity for a Bacterial Lectin with Reversible Covalent Ligands

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Giulia Antonini, Anna Bernardi, Emile Gillon, Alberto Dal Corso, Monica Civera, Laura Belvisi, Annabelle Varrot and Sarah Mazzotta J. Med. Chem. 2024, 67, 19546−19560 High-affinity monovalent ligands for lectins are challenging to develop due to weak binding interactions. This study investigates the potential of rationally designed covalent ligands targeting the N-terminal domain of BC2L-C lectin … Read more

Synthesis of α-fluorocinnamate derivatives as novel cathepsin S inhibitors with in vitro antiproliferative activity against pancreatic cancer cells

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Andrea Citarella, Serena Petrella, Davide Moi, Alessandro Dimasi, Tommaso Braga, Lorenzo Ruberto, Stefano Pieraccini, Maurizio Sironi, Nicola Micale, Tanja Schirmeister, Giovanna Damia, Valerio Fasano, Alessandra Silvani, Clelia Giannini, Daniele Passarella

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 117987, 2024