Electrochemical reduction of 1-([(4-halophenyl)imino]methyl)-2-naphthols in aprotic media.

The electrochemical reduction of 1-([(4-halophenyl)imino]methyl)-2-naphthols on graphite electrodes was studied using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, constant-potential coulometry and preparative constant-potential electrolysis techniques. The data revealed that the reduction on graphite was irreversible and followed an EC mechanism. The diffusion coefficients and the number of electrons transferred were determined using the chronoamperometric Cottrell slope and the ultramicro disc Pt-electrode steady-state current. The number of electrons was also determined by bulk electrolysis. The compounds were subjected to constant-potential preparative electrolysis and the electrolysis products were purified and identified by spectroscopic methods. Based on these findings, a mechanism for the electro-reduction process is proposed.     

N-methyl-(R)-3-(tert-butyl)-sulfinyl-1,4-dihydropyridine: a novel NADH model compound

We have synthesized a novel chiral NADH model compound, N-methyl-(R)-3-(tert-butyl)-sulphinyl-1,4-dihydropyridine with high enantioselectivity and used it in the reduction of methyl benzoylformate, producing (S)-methyl mandelate in 95% ee. The absolute structure of its precursor, 3-(tert-butyl)sulfinyl pyridine, was determined by X-ray analysis.     

Synthesis and study of chiral NADH models in the thieno[2,3-b]pyridine series

Thieno[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives, functionalized on the thiophene ring have been synthesized in two different ways: electrophilic substitution of thieno[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives or construction of a pyridine ring starting from disubstituted thiophene compounds. The products obtained were used in the synthesis of chiral NADH models.     

Comparison of core-shell versus fully porous particle packings for chiral liquid chromatography productivity

A loading and productivity study was done using three racemates on vancomycin and teicoplanin-bonded chiral stationary phases of different particle formats. Two columns were packed with 2.7 μm superficially porous particles and two columns were packed with identically bonded 5 μm fully porous particles. The last two columns were packed with specially synthesized 4.5 μm vancomycin and teicoplanin superficially porous particles. The loading of different chiral compounds showed that the columns filled with 2.7-μm chiral stationary phases were inappropriate for preparative separations due to their very low permeability which precluded high flow rates. However, columns containing 4.5 μm superficially porous (core-shell) particles were as effective for small-scale preparative chiral separations as columns filled with classical 5 μm fully porous particles. Comparing the 4.5 μm superficially porous particles and 5 μm fully porous particles teicoplanin columns, the observed respective productivities of 270 and 265 mg/g chiral phase/h for 5-methyl-5-phenyl hydantoin enantiomers were obtained. Particular attention was given to the peculiar case of the mianserin enantiomeric separation on vancomycin columns that gave observed productivities of 200 and 205 mg/g chiral phase/h on the 4.5 μm superficially porous particles and 5 μm fully porous particles, respectively.     

The comparative spreading behavior of enantiomeric and racemic tyrosine amphiphiles

Several derivatives of tyrosine or its methyl ester have been synthesized in which the para hydroxyl group on the aromatic side chain has been converted to a long chain alkyl ether or urethane. The surface behavior of these compounds is discussed. Enantiomeric discrimination, the ability of a chiral molecule to distinguish between mirror-image stereoisomers, has been investigated for the urethane derivates by comparing the surface pressure-area isotherms of the enantiomer with that of the racemic compound. Enantiomeric discrimination was demonstrated for the methyl ester analog, but was not conclusively observed for the zwitterionic compounds. Possible structural requirements for enantiomeric discrimination in a chiral molecule are discussed.     

Isoindoles and dihydroisoquinolines by gold-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of alkynes

The title compounds are enantioselectively synthesized in just two preparative steps, making use of the Ugi-four-component reaction with an amino acid as chiral component, followed by a gold-catalyzed hydroamination.     

Efficient asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes using C2‐novel chiral pyridine β‐amino alcohols as chiral ligands

A series of novel C₂‐symmetric chiral pyridine β‐amino alcohol ligands have been synthesized from 2,6‐pyridine dicarboxaldehyde, m‐phthalaldehyde and chiral β‐amino alcohols through a two‐step reaction. All their structures were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and IR. Their enantioselective induction behaviors were examined under different conditions such as the structure of the ligands, reaction temperature, solvent, reaction time and catalytic amount. The results show that the corresponding chiral secondary alcohols can be obtained with high yields and moderate to good enantiomeric excess. The best result, up to 89% ee, was obtained when the ligand 3c (2S,2′R)‐2,2′‐((pyridine‐2,6‐diylbis(methylene))bisazanediyl))bis(4‐methyl‐1,1‐diphenylpentan‐1‐ol) was used in toluene at room temperature. The ligand 3g (2S,2′R)‐2,2′‐((1,3‐phenylenebis(methylene))bis(azanediyl))bis(4‐methyl‐1,1‐diphenylpentan‐1‐ol) was prepared in which the pyridine ring was replaced by the benzene ring compared to 3c in order to illustrate the unique role of the N atom in the pyridine ring in the inductive reaction. The results indicate that the coordination of the N atom of the pyridine ring is essential in the asymmetric induction reaction. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advances in Asymmetric Hydrogenation and Hydride Reduction of Organophosphorus Compounds

Abstract

This article describes the asymmetric synthesis of chiral organophosphorus compounds using methods of enantioselective hydride reduction and hydrogenation of corresponding unsaturated compounds. Many applications in stereoselective synthesis with reference to updated literature findings as well as the author's original research are discussed. The uses of chiral organophosphorus compounds in some asymmetric transformations leading to the formation of phosphorus analogues of important natural compounds were also presented.     

新型酯键型鹅去氧胆酸分子钳的设计合成

以鹅去氧胆酸为隔离基、芳香族化合物为手臂设计合成了一类新型的分子钳, 其结构经¹H NMR, IR, MS和元素分析确证, 并且考察了其对D/L-氨基酸甲酯的对映选择性识别性能. 初步的结果表明, 这类手性分子钳对D-氨基酸甲酯有较好的识别性能.     

Chemistry and biochemistry of branched-chain sugars

Branched-chain sugars have recently been isolated in larger numbers from microorganisms and higher plants as glycoside components of antibiotics or phenolic compounds. They also occur in plants in cell wall polysaccharides. Sugars with methyl, hydroxymethyl,formyl, hydroxyethyl, and glycoloyl branches have so far been found in nature. Many new methods have been developed for the synthesis of these sugars. With one exception, the branched sugars known at present can be divided biogenetically into three groups. Sugars with methyl branches are formed by C₁ transfer, sugars with hydroxyethyl branches by C₂ transfer to a hexose chain, and sugars with hydroxymethyl or formyl branches by rearrangement of a hexose or pentose chain.     

Synthesis and Catalytic Asymmetric Reaction of Chiral Pyridine Prolinol Derivatives

The enantioselective reduction of prochiral ketones with borane in the presence of a chiral ligand leading to enantiomerically pure secondary alcohols has received considerable attention in recent years. [1] Enantiomerically pure secondary alcohols are important intermediates for the synthesis of various other organic compounds such as halides, esters, ethers, ketones and amines. To the best of our knowledge, the use of pyridine prolinol derivatives in the reduction of ketones has not been reported so far. Thus, it should be of interest to investigate the catalytic a bility of such ligands. We have an ongoing project in the synthesis and application of chiral pyridine derivatives in chiral molecular recognition[2] and we want to evaluate the effect resulting from the introduction of a pyridinyl moiety onto the catalysts. We expect that the cooperation of pyridine unit and chiral prolinol unit in new ligands may result in unique properties for catalytic reaction.     

InspIRED by Nature: NADPH‐Dependent Imine Reductases (IREDs) as Catalysts for the Preparation of Chiral Amines

Imine reductases (IREDs) are NADPH‐dependent oxidoreductases that catalyse the asymmetric reduction of cyclic prochiral imines to amines, with excellent stereoselectivity. Since their discovery, stereocomplementary IREDs have been applied to the production of both (S) and (R) cyclic secondary amines, and the expansion in gene sequences recently identified has hinted at new substrate ranges that extend into acyclic imines and even suggest the possibility of asymmetric reductive amination from suitable ketone and amine precursors. Structural studies of various IREDs are beginning to reveal the complexities inherent in determining substrate range, stereoselectivity and mechanism in these enzymes, which represent a valuable emerging addition to the toolbox of available biocatalysts for chiral amine production.     

Effect of lateral substitution by fluorine and bromine atoms in ferroelectric liquid crystalline materials containing a 2-alkoxypropanoate unit

Two homologous series of ferroelectric liquid crystalline compounds with 2-alkoxypropanoate chiral unit containing biphenyl benzoate core laterally substituted by fluorine and bromine have been synthesized and studied. All compounds possess the ferroelectric smectic C* phase over a broad temperature range. For bromine-substituted compounds values of spontaneous polarization reach high values up to 250 nC cm^-2. The effects of the lateral substitution on the phenyl ring far from the chiral centre by methyl and methoxy groups, fluorine, chlorine and bromine atoms on mesomorphic properties and on values of the spontaneous polarization are discussed.     

Chemical synthesis and biological properties of pyridine epothilones

BACKGROUND: Numerous analogs of the antitumor agents epothilones A and B have been synthesized in search of better pharmacological profiles. Insights into the structure-activity relationships within the epothilone family are still needed and more potent and selective analogs of these compounds are in demand, both as biological tools and as chemotherapeutic agents, especially against drug-resistant tumors. RESULTS: A series of pyridine epothilone B analogs were designed, synthesized and screened. The synthesized compounds exhibited varying degrees of tubulin polymerization and cytotoxicity properties against a number of human cancer cell lines depending on the location of the nitrogen atom and the methyl substituent within the pyridine nucleus. CONCLUSIONS: The biological screening results in this study established the importance of the nitrogen atom at the ortho position as well as the beneficial effect of a methyl substituent at the 4- or 5-position of the pyridine ring. Two pyridine epothilone B analogs (i.e. compounds 3 and 4) possessing higher potencies against drug-resistant tumor cells than epothilone B, the most powerful of the naturally occurring epothilones, were identified.     

Application of monodentate secondary phosphine oxides,a new class of chiral ligands,in Ir(i)-catalyzed asymmetric imine hydrogenation

Secondary phosphine oxides were prepared from R(1)PCl(2) and R(2)MgBr, followed by hydrolysis. They were obtained in an enantiopure form by preparative chiral HPLC. These new monodentate ligands were tested in the iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of imines at 25 bar. Enantioselectivities up to 76% were obtained at L/Ir = 2. Addition of pyridine (Pyr/Ir = 1:2) raised the ee to 83%. Using pyridine as an additive allowed reduction of the L/Ir ratio to 1 without reduction of ee. [reaction: see text]     

Design,Synthesis, Molecular Modeling Study,and Antimicrobial Activity of Some Novel Pyrano[2,3‐b]pyridine and Pyrrolo[2,3‐b]pyrano[2.3‐d]pyridine Derivatives

Novel derivatives of pyrano[2,3‐b]pyridine and pyrrolo[2,3‐b]pyrano[2.3‐d]pyridine were prepared, and their structures were elucidated by spectral and elemental analyses. The newly prepared candidates were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Candida sp., Aspergillus multi, Aspergillus niger, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. All the tested compounds revealed potent to moderate activity toward all tested microorganisms; especially, candidate 10 showed comparable antifungal activity as that showed by the standard drug ketoconazole toward Candida sp., and ethyl 4‐methyl‐1,7,8,9‐tetrahydropyrano[2,3‐b]pyrrolo[2,3‐d]pyridine‐3‐carboxylate ( 12 ) was the most active compound against all the tested bacteria. Furthermore, the newly synthesized compounds are subjected to molecular docking study for the inhibition of the enzyme L‐glutamine: D‐fructose‐6‐phosphate amidotransferase [GlcN‐6‐P], which is a new target for antimicrobials to explain action mode of these target compounds as leads for discovering other antimicrobial agents.     

Effect of lateral substitution by fluorine and bromine atoms in ferroelectric liquid crystalline materials containing a 2‐alkoxypropanoate unit

Two homologous series of ferroelectric liquid crystalline compounds with 2‐alkoxypropanoate chiral unit containing biphenyl benzoate core laterally substituted by fluorine and bromine have been synthesized and studied. All compounds possess the ferroelectric smectic C* phase over a broad temperature range. For bromine‐substituted compounds values of spontaneous polarization reach high values up to 250 nC cm^?2. The effects of the lateral substitution on the phenyl ring far from the chiral centre by methyl and methoxy groups, fluorine, chlorine and bromine atoms on mesomorphic properties and on values of the spontaneous polarization are discussed.     

Asymmetric Reductive Carbocyclization Using Engineered Ene Reductases

Ene reductases from the Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE) family reduce the C=C double bond in α,β‐unsaturated compounds bearing an electron‐withdrawing group, for example, a carbonyl group. This asymmetric reduction has been exploited for biocatalysis. Going beyond its canonical function, we show that members of this enzyme family can also catalyze the formation of C?C bonds. α,β‐Unsaturated aldehydes and ketones containing an additional electrophilic group undergo reductive cyclization. Mechanistically, the two‐electron‐reduced enzyme cofactor FMN delivers a hydride to generate an enolate intermediate, which reacts with the internal electrophile. Single‐site replacement of a crucial Tyr residue with a non‐protic Phe or Trp favored the cyclization over the natural reduction reaction. The new transformation enabled the enantioselective synthesis of chiral cyclopropanes in up to >99 % ee.     

Separation of enantiomers: needs, challenges, perspectives

Chiral drugs, agrochemicals, food additives and fragrances represent classes of compounds with high economic and scientific potential. First the present implications of their chiral nature and necessity of separating enantiomers are summarised in this article. In the following a brief overview of the actual approaches to perform enantioseparations at analytical and preparative scale is given. Challenging aspects of these strategies, such as problems associated with data management, choice of suitable chiral selectors for given enantioseparations and enhanced understanding of the underlying chiral recognition principles, are discussed. Alternatives capable of meeting the requirements of industrial processes, in terms of productivity, cost-effectiveness and environmental issues (e.g., enantioselective membranes) are critically reviewed. The impact of combinatorial methodologies on faster and more effective development and optimisation of novel chiral selectors is outlined. Finally, the merits and limitations of most recent trends in discrimination of enantiomers, including advances in the fields of sensors, microanalysis systems, chiroptical methods and chemical force microscopy are evaluated.     

Enzymatic reduction of ribonucleotides: biosynthesis pathway of deoxyribonucleotides

Ribonucleotide reductases are enzymes that synthesize the deoxyribonucleotides required for the replication of DNA in dividing cells. They thus have a key function for the growth of microorganisms and of all plant and animal tissues. The enzymes reduce all four purine and pyrimidine ribonucleotides (as the 5′-diphosphates or triphosphates) with direct substitution of the 2′-hydroxyl group by hydrogen. The physiological reducing agents are the mercapto groups of thioredoxins, a group of small proteins, which are regenerated from the oxidized form by NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductases. There are two known types of ribonucleotide reductases (I and II), which catalyze hydrogen transfer with the aid of protein-bound iron ions or of 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B₁₂); free radicals can be detected in both cases. The enzymes are regulated by effector nucleotides. There may exist a homeostatic mechanism, which guarantees the supply of DNA precursors to the cell.