Desaturase reactions complicate the use of norcarane as a mechanistic probe. Unraveling the mixture of twenty-plus products formed in enzyme-catalyzed oxidations of norcarane

Norcarane, bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, has been widely used as a mechanistic probe in studies of oxidations catalyzed by several iron-containing enzymes. We report here that, in addition to oxygenated products, norcarane is also oxidized by iron-containing enzymes in desaturase reactions that give 2-norcarene and 3-norcarene. Furthermore, secondary products from further oxidation reactions of the norcarenes are produced in yields that are comparable to those of the minor products from oxidation of the norcarane. We studied oxidations catalyzed by a representative spectrum of iron-containing enzymes including four cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP2B1, CYPDelta2B4, CYPDelta2E1, and CYPDelta2E1 T303A, and three diiron enzymes, soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), toluene monooxygenase (ToMO) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1, and phenol hydroxylase (PH) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1. 2-Norcarene and 3-norcarene and their oxidation products were found in all reaction mixtures, accounting for up to half of the oxidation products in some cases. In total, more than 20 oxidation products were identified from the enzyme-catalyzed reactions of norcarane. The putative radical-derived product from the oxidation of norcarane, 3-hydroxymethylcyclohexene (21), and the putative cation-derived product from the oxidation of norcarane, cyclohept-3-enol (22), coelute with other oxidation products on low-polarity GC columns. The yields of product 21 found in this study are smaller than those previously reported for the same or similar enzymes in studies where the products from norcarene oxidations were ignored, and therefore, the limiting values for lifetimes of radical intermediates produced in the enzyme-catalyzed oxidation reactions are shorter than those previously reported.     

Evaluation of norcarane as a probe for radicals in cytochome p450- and soluble methane monooxygenase-catalyzed hydroxylation reactions

Norcarane was employed as a mechanistic probe in oxidations catalyzed by hepatic cytochome P450 enzymes and by the soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) enzyme from Methylococcuscapsulatus (Bath). In all cases, the major oxidation products (>75%) were endo- and exo-2-norcaranol. Small amounts of 3-norcaranols, 2-norcaranone, and 3-norcaranone also formed. In addition, the rearrangement products (2-cyclohexenyl)methanol and 3-cycloheptenol were detected in the reactions, the former possibly arising from a radical intermediate and the latter ascribed to a cationic intermediate. The formation of the cation-derived rearrangement product is consistent with one or more reaction pathways and is in accord with the results of previous probe studies with the same enzymes. The appearance of the putative radical-derived rearrangement product is in conflict with other mechanistic probe results with the same enzymes. The unique implication of a discrete radical intermediate in hydroxylations of norcarane may be the consequence of a minor reaction pathway for the enzymes that is not manifest in reactions with other probes. Alternatively, it might reflect a previously unappreciated reactivity of norcaranyl cationic intermediates, which can convert to (2-cyclohexenyl)methanol. We conclude that generalizations regarding the intermediacy of radicals in P450 and sMMO enzyme-catalyzed hydroxylations based on the norcarane results should be considered hypothetical until the origin of the unanticipated results can be determined.     

Kinetic isotope effects implicate two electrophilic oxidants in cytochrome p450-catalyzed hydroxylations

Intramolecular kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) were determined for cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation reactions of methyl-dideuterated trans-2-phenylcyclopropylmethane-d2 (1-d2), which gives two products from oxidation of the methyl group, trans-2-phenylcyclopropylmethanol (2) and 1-phenyl-3-buten-1ol (3). In oxidations of each enantiomer of 1-d2 with three P450 enzymes (CYP2B1, CYPDelta2E1, and CYPDelta2E1 T303A), the apparent intramolecular KIEs were different for products 2 and 3 in all cases and different for each enzyme-substrate combination. In oxidations of each enantiomer of undeuterated 1-d0 and trideuteriomethyl 1-d3 by CYP2B1 and CYPDelta2E1, the ratio of products 2/3 decreased for 1-d3 in comparison to 1-d0 in all cases. The results require multiple pathways for P450-catalyzed hydroxylation and are consistent with the "two-oxidants" model, where hydroxylation is effected by both the hydroperoxy-iron species and the iron-oxo species. The results are not consistent with predictions of the "two-states" model for P450-catalyzed hydroxylations, where oxidations occur from a low-spin state and a high-spin state of iron-oxo.     

Revisiting the mechanism of P450 enzymes with the radical clocks norcarane and spiro[2,5]octane

Norcarane (1) and spiro[2.5]octane (2) yield different product distributions depending on whether they are oxidized via concerted, radical, or cationic mechanisms. For this reason, these two probes were used to investigate the mechanisms of hydrocarbon hydroxylation by two mammalian and two bacterial cytochrome P450 enzymes. Products indicative of a radical intermediate with a lifetime ranging from 16 to 52 ps were detected during the oxidation of norcarane by P450(cam) (CYP101), P450(BM3) (CYP102), CYP2B1, and CYP2E1. Trace amounts of the cation rearrangement product were observed with norcarane for all but CYP2E1, while no cation or radical rearrangement products were observed for spiro[2.5]octane. The results for the oxidation of norcarane with a radical rearrangement rate of 2 x 10(8) s(-1) are consistent with the involvement of a two-state radical rebound mechanism, while for the slower (5 x 10(7) s(-1)) spiro[2,5]oct-4-yl radical rearrangement products were beyond detection. Taken together with earlier data for the hydroxylation of bicyclo[2.1.0]pentane, which also suggested a 50 ps radical lifetime, these three structurally similar and functionally simple substrates show a consistent pattern of rearrangement that supports a radical rebound mechanism for this set of cytochrome P450 enzymes.     

Electronic and Steric Structure of Thermal Isomerization Products of 1-Methyltricyclo[4.1.0.02,7]heptane Radical Cation

Distributions of the positive charge and unpaired electron in stable conformers of the thermal isomerization products of 1-methyltricyclo[4.1.0.02,7]heptane radical cation, having bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-ene, and 1,3-cycloheptadiene skeletons, were estimated by the PM3 semiempirical method.     

Contraction de cycle a partir de la tosyloxy-8 bicyclo[4.2.0]octanone-7 cis

Cis 8-endo tosyloxybicyclo[4.2.0]oct-3-en-7-one treated with H₄AlLi undergoes a stereospecific ring contraction to give endo 7-formyl bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-ene and endo 7-hydroxymethyl bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-ène. On the contrary, the same compound treated with MeONa in ether or methanol (conditions of the Favorski rearrangement) gives, beside solvolysis products when CH₃OH is solvent, the two epimeric esters 7-endo and 7-exo carbomethoxybicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-ène. Several pathways are postulated for the rearrangement.     

Synthesis and Chemistry of Bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-1,6-ene

Bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-1,6-ene has been generated by elimination of 1-chloro-2-(trimethysilyl)bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane in the gas phase over solid fluoride at 25 degrees C. The cyclopropene dimerizes by a rapid ene reaction forming two diastereomeric cyclopropenes. In tetrahydrofuran or chloroform the ene dimers couple to form a single crystalline triene tetramer, whereas a mixture of tricyclohexane tetramers is formed when the neat dimers are allowed to warm to room temperature. Oxidation by dimethyldioxirane or dioxygen gives carbonyl products. Quantum mechanical calculations yielded an increase in strain of approximately 17 kcal/mol over that for 1,2-dimethylcyclopropene. The potential enegy barrier to flexing (folding) along the fused double bond of bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-1,6-ene is only approximately 1 kcal/mol at the highest level of theory investigated.     

Umsetzungen des Cyclohex-3-en-carbaldehyd-p-toluolsulfonylhydrazons

The vacuum thermolysis (80–90°) of the sodium salt of cyclohex-3-ene-carbaldehyde p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone ( 1 ) in silicone oil gave diazomethyl-cyclohex-3-ene ( 2 ). Pyrolytic and photolytic decomposition of this diazo compound 2 lead to methylenecyclohex-3-ene ( 5 ) and bicyclo [4.1.0]hept-2-ene ( 6 ) (about 3:1), while the CuCl catalyzed cleavage yielded only 5 . The postulated carbene mechanism should also apply under the direct aprotic decomposition conditions of the sodium salt of 1 in diglyme, where methylenecyclohex-3-ene and bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-2-ene (about 3:1) were formed besides small amounts of 1-methylcyclohexa-1, 3-diene ( 9 ) and bicyclo [4.1.0]hept-3-ene ( 8 ). Under protic conditions (in ethylene-glycol) methylenecyclohex-3-ene, 1-methylcyclohexa-1, 3-diene and 1-methylcyclohexa-1, 4-diene ( 14 ) were produced in a ratio of 1:1:1. The direct mild thermolysis of cyclohex-3-ene-carbaldehyde p-toluenesulfonylhydrazone ( 1 ) in benzene solution afforded N-(p-toluenesulfinyl)-O-(p-toluenesulfinyl)-cyclohex-3-en-yl-α-methanolamine ( 15 ) and di-(cyclohex-3-en-yl-methyl)-ammonium p-toluenesulfonate ( 16 ), the structures of which were supported by their nmr. spectra and by alkaline cleavage.     

Bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-(1,5)-ene and bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-(1,6)-ene

The formation and trapping of bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-(1,5)-ene and bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-(1,6)-ene from the corresponding vicinal dibromides is described.     

Hydration of 3-methyl-3-norcarene epoxides under acid and basic catalysis conditions

Conclusions The hydration of the cis- and trans-epoxides of 3-methyl-3-norcarene under acid catalysis conditions is characterized by a retention of the bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane structure and cleavage of the tertiary C-O bond of the epoxide rings; a regiospecificity of the opening is not observed under alkaline conditions.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1636–1638, July, 1982.     

Photoreaction of 5-dicyanomethylenebicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene

Irradiation of 5-dicyanomethylenebicyclo[2.2.1lhept-2-ene induces new types of photoreactions, i.e., unprecedented skeletal rearrangement leading to 7,7-dicyano-6-methylenebicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene, and novel 1,3-carbon shifts to bicyclo[3.2.0]- and bicyclo[4.1.0]heptene.     

Palladium-catalyzed polycyclizations of substituted dienynes: Stereoselective routes to highly complex polycycles

12-Substituted 2-bromo-1,11-dien-6-ynes were found to undergo a palladium-catalyzed biscyclization followed by a diastereospecific 6π-electrocyclic rearrangement or a Diels-Alder reaction to give substituted angularly bisanellated cyclohexadienes or polycyclic bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-2-ene derivatives containing a three-membered ring, depending on the type and pattern of substituents.     

Conformation of bicyclo[n.1.0] derivatives: Part 2. Norcarane and cyclohexene epoxide

The conformation al geometries and the possible interconversion paths for bicyclo[4.1.0] heptane (norcarane) and cyclohexene epoxide have been studied by both quantum mechanical and molecular mechanics calculations. The half-chair conformation is the most stable in the two compounds even if conformational equilibria with other forms cannot be excluded. Theoretical results are compared with the experimental data of molecular geometry, heat of formation, rotational constants, dipole moment, molar Kerr constant and proton coupling constants. The results obtained by the force-field method are satisfactory and consequently the extension of the method to derivatives of this kind seems possible.     

The skeletal rearrangement of gold- and platinum-catalyzed cycloisomerization of cis-4,6-dien-1-yn-3-ols: pinacol rearrangement and formation of bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenone and reorganized styrene derivatives

With gold and platinum catalysts, cis-4,6-dien-1-yn-3-ols undergo cycloisomerizations that enable structural reorganization of cyclized products chemoselectively. The AuCl3-catalyzed cyclizations of 6-substituted cis-4,6-dien-1-yn-3-ols proceeded via a 6-exo-dig pathway to give allyl cations, which subsequently undergo a pinacol rearrangement to produce reorganized cyclopentenyl aldehyde products. Using chiral alcohol substrates, such cyclizations proceed with reasonable chirality transfer. In the PtCl2-catalyzed cyclization of 7,7-disubstituted cis-4,6-dien-1-yn-3-ols, we obtained exclusively either bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenones or reorganized styrene products with varied substrate structures. On the basis of the chemoselectivity/structure relationship, we propose that bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenone products result from 6-endo-dig cyclization, whereas reorganized styrene products are derived from the 5-exo-dig pathway. This proposed mechanism is supported by theoretic calculations.     

A Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis ofN-Boc-beta-Methylphenylalanines

An efficient, stereodivergent, and enantioselective synthesis of the syn and anti diastereomers of N-Boc-beta-methylphenylalanine has been developed. Starting from enantiomerically pure (2S,3S)-2,3-epoxy-3-phenyl-1-propanol, a three-step sequence, consisting of the oxidation of the primary alcohol up to the carboxyl stage, ring opening of the epoxy acid with Me(2)CuCNLi(2), and esterification of the resulting hydroxy acid with methyl iodide, leads to the hydroxy ester anti-10, which has been converted in a stereodivergent manner into both the (2S,3R) and the (2R,3R) diastereomers of N-Boc-beta-methylphenylalanine, syn-1 and anti-1, respectively. Activation of the secondary hydroxy group in anti-10 as a mesylate, followed by nucleophilic displacement with sodium azide, hydrogenolysis with simultaneous protection of the amino group, and saponification with LiOH, affords syn-1. The same reaction sequence applied to syn-10, obtained in turn by Mitsunobu reaction of anti-10 with p-nitrobenzoic acid followed by the hydrolysis of the resulting p-nitrobenzoate, leads to anti-1. Both products have been obtained with >/=99% enantiomeric excess.     

Pd‐Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 4‐Aza‐1,6‐enynes to 3‐Aza‐bicyclo[4.1.0]hept‐2‐enes

A method for the synthesis of bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes from 1,6‐enynes through Pd‐catalyzed cycloisomerization has been developed. N‐ and O‐tethered 1,6‐enynes were successfully transformed to their corresponding 3‐aza‐ and 3‐oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes in reasonable‐to‐high yields using the catalysts [PdCl₂(CH₃CN)₂]/P(OPh)₃ or [Pd(maleimidate)₂(PPh₃)₂] in toluene. The computational calculations using density functional theory indicate that [PdCl₂{P(OPh)₃}] in the oxidation state Pd^II acts as the active catalyst species for the formation of 3‐azabicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes through 6‐endo‐dig cyclization.     

Catalytic Oxidation of Cyclohexene by Dendrimer-bond Metal Catalysts

Since Tomalia and Dovornic discussed the promising outlook of surface-functionalized dendrimer catalysts in 1994, [1] dendritic catalysts have been proposed to many kinds of catalysis.These well-defined macromolecular structures enable the construction of precisely controlled catalyst structures. The large number of the peripheral functionalities enhanced their activity in many processes. [2,3] We report herein a new method of using the dendritic catalysts in the oxidation of cyclohexene. The reactions give some interesting results.In short, the synthesis of the dendritic catalysts was initiated from the well-known PAMAM dendrimers by using their peripheral ammonia groups. The condensation reactions of these ammonia groups and salicyaldehyde (SA) offer the ligands PAMAMSA with different generation (G) numbers.dendrimer-bond PAMAMSA-Ni(Ⅱ) complexes.In the presence of the dendritic PAMAMSA-Ni(Ⅱ) catalysts, cyclohexene was fully oxidized under 1 atm of molecular oxygen at 70℃. All the oxidations give 7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane 1,2-cyclohexen-l-ol 2, 2-cyclohexen-1-one 3 and 7-oxabicyclo [4.1.0]heptan-2-one 4 as the major products. The results of the oxidation are shown in the table below (table 1):Table 1 Oxidation of cvclohexene bv PAMAMSA-Ni2+ catalysts** Reaction condition: cat. 2mg, cyclohexene 5mL, 1atm O2, 6hat 70℃.**Oxygen absorption (mL) per mol catalyst.It can be seen from table that the oxidations give a new product 7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-2-one 4, which is the first reported product in this oxidation. Meanwhile, product 4possesses relatively high selectivity in the six oxidation processes. It will arise much more emphasison the optimizing of these reactions.     

Reaction of vinylidenecyclopropanes with aromatic imines in the presence of Lewis acids

1-Methyl-2-(2-methylpropenylidene)-1-phenylcyclopropane, 7-(2-methylpropenylidene)bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, and (Z)-9-(2-methylpropenylidene)bicyclo[6.1.0]non-4-ene react with N-benzylideneanilines in the presence of boron trifluoride-ether complex to give pyrrolidine derivatives. Reactions of 1-methyl-1-phenyl-2-diphenylvinylidenecyclopropane with N-benzylideneanilines in the presence of BF₃·Et₂O, Yb(OTf)₃, or Sc(OTf)₃ lead to the formation of substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines. 7-Diphenylvinylidenebicyclo[4.1.0]heptane in the presence of BF₃·Et₂O undergoes isomerization into 5-phenyl-8,9,10,11-tetrahydro-7H-cyclohepta[a]naphthalene.     

Quasi-octahedral complexes of pentamethylcyclopentadienyliridium(III) bearing bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylphosphine (dpmp)

Reaction of [Cp*IrCl2]2 (1) with dpmp in the presence of KPF6 afforded a binuclear complex [Cp*IrCl(dpmp-P1,P2;P3)IrCl2Cp*](PF6) (2) (dpmp =(Ph2PCH2)2PPh). The mononuclear complex [Cp*IrCl(dpmp-P1,P2)](PF6) (4) was generated by the reaction of [Cp*IrCl2(BDMPP)](BDMPP =PPh[2,6-(MeO)2C6H3]2) with dpmp in the presence of KPF6. These mono- and binuclear complexes have four-membered ring structures with a terminal and a central P atom of the dpmp ligand coordinated to an iridium atom as a bidentate ligand. Since there are two chiral centers at the Ir atom and a central P2 atom, there are two diastereomers that were characterized by spectrometry. Complexes anti-4 and syn-4 reacted with [Cp*RhCl2]2 or [(C6Me6)RuCl2]2, giving the corresponding mixed-metal complexes, anti- and syn- [Cp*IrCl(dppm-P1,P2;P3)MCl2L](PF6) (6: M = Rh, L = Cp*; 7: M = Ru, L = C6Me6). Treatment with AuCl(SC4H8) gave tetranuclear complexes, anti- and syn-8 [[Cp*IrCl(dppm-P1,P2;P3)AuCl]2](PF6)2 bearing an Au-Au bond. Reaction of anti- with PtCl2(cod) generated the trinuclear complex anti-9, anti-[[Cp*IrCl(dppm-P1,P2;P3)]2PtCl2](PF6)2. These reactions proceeded stereospecifically. The P,O-chelated complex syn-[Cp*IrCl(BDMPP-P,O)] (syn-10)(BDMPP-P,O = PPh[2,6-(MeO)2C6H3][2-O-6-(MeO)C6H3]2) reacted with dpmp in the presence of KPF6, generating the corresponding anti-complex as a main product as well as a small amount of syn-complex, [Cp*Ir(BDMPP-P,O)(dppm-P1)](PF6) (11). The reaction proceeded preferentially with inversion. The reaction processes were investigated by PM3 calculation. anti- was treated with MCl2(cod), giving anti-[Cp*Ir(BDMPP-P,O)(dppm-P1;P2,P3)MCl2](PF6)(14: M = Pt; 15: M = Pd), in which the MCl2 moiety coordinated to the two free P atoms of anti-11. The X-ray analyses of syn-2, anti-2, anti-4, anti-8 and anti-11 were performed.     

Herstellung der reinen,bicyclischen Olefine Bicyclo[4.2.1]non-2-en,Bicyclo[4.2.1]non-3-en und Bicyclo[4.2.1]non-7-en

Synthesis of the pure, bicyclic olefines Bicyclo[4.2.1]non-2-ene, Bicyclo[4.2.1]non-3-ene and Bicyclo[4.2.1]non-7-ene The synthesis of the olefines bicyclo[4.2.1]non-2-ene ( 3 ), bicyclo[4.2.1]non-3-ene ( 4 ) and bicyclo[4.2.1]non-7-ene ( 5 ) of high ‘certified’ purity from one common precursor ( 7 ) is described.