superoxide anion

Electrochemical synthesis and amidation of benzoin: benzamides from benzaldehydes

The benzoin condensation starting from benzaldehyde and the subsequent benzoin amidation to benzamide can be efficiently carried out under very mild conditions in an electrolysis cell. Among the advantages of using electrochemistry to generate our active reagents, the use of the easily dosed and non pollutant electron, instead of stoichiometric amounts of redox reagents or bases, usually renders the electrochemical methodology “greener” than classical organic reactions. Benzoin is obtained in good yield (85 %) carrying out the reaction in the room temperature ionic liquid BMIm-BF4.

Nitric oxide alleviates cadmium- but not arsenic-induced damages in rice roots

Nitric oxide (NO) has signalling roles in plant stress responses. Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) soil pollutants alter plant development, mainly the root-system, by increasing NO-content, triggering reactive oxygen species (ROS), and forming peroxynitrite by NO-reaction with the superoxide anion. Interactions of NO with ROS and peroxynitrite seem important for plant tolerance to heavy metal(oid)s, but the mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear.

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