The project titled “Synthesis of Pyridine Derivatives and Testing of α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity,” led by PhD. Nguyễn Trường Hải, successfully developed novel catalysts and synthesised various derivatives, achieving high yields and purity. Despite the lack of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, the derivatives showed potential anti-inflammatory properties, and the project garnered recognition for its scientific achievements, including two publications in top-tier journals and the successful training of three graduates.

On 25th October, an evaluation meeting was held in room I.12 at the VNUHCM-University of Science for the scientific project titled “Synthesis of Pyridine Derivatives and Testing of α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity,” led by PhD. Nguyễn Trường Hải, from the Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry. The project was deemed to have met and exceeded its objectives, highlighting its high potential for applications in pharmaceutical research and catalytic technologies.

In this research, the team successfully synthesised the Eutectogel (ETG) material ETG-Acetamide from four different components and applied it as a catalyst in the synthesis reactions of pyridine and chromene derivatives. Structural analysis of ETG-Acetamide using FT-IR, SEM, TGA, and XRD techniques showed that the material met the necessary criteria for effective catalysis. Through a multi-component reaction involving benzaldehyde, malononitrile, and ammonium acetate at 80°C under the influence of ETG-Acetamide, the team obtained 15 pyridine derivatives and 8 chromene derivatives, with isolation yields reaching up to 75%. These derivatives exhibited high structural integrity and purity, confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and demonstrated good recyclability and environmental friendliness of ETG-Acetamide.

Additionally, the team developed an amorphous carbon material containing Brønsted acid groups (AC-SO3H), synthesised from rice husk biomass through carbonisation at 400°C and sulfonation with concentrated H2SO4. The results showed that AC-SO3H exhibited strong catalytic properties and stability, with a coagulated structure and a high content of carbon, oxygen, silicon, and sulphur. With an acid concentration of 1.680 mmol/g, AC-SO3H was used as a catalyst in the synthesis of 1H-pyrrole indolyl derivatives from indole, phenylglyoxal monohydrate, dimedone, and ammonium acetate. The team successfully synthesised 21 indolyl 1H-pyrrole derivatives, with isolation yields of up to 87%, and confirmed their purity and structure via NMR.

Although the pyridine, chromene, and indolyl 1H-pyrrole derivatives did not demonstrate α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, the pyridine and chromene derivatives exhibited potential anti-inflammatory properties, opening up new research directions for potential pharmaceutical applications.

The evaluation council highly praised the project’s outcomes, recognising its many notable achievements, including 2 international publications in SCIE-indexed journals (Q1 ranking) and the successful training of 3 bachelor’s degree graduates, marking a significant success in the fields of catalysis and pharmaceuticals.

Hữu Chí _ Translated by ℙ𝕄ℕ