Electrochemical functionalization of carbon surfaces by aromatic azide or alkyne molecules: a versatile platform for click chemistry

The electrochemical reduction of phenylazide or phenylacetylene diazonium salts leads to the grafting of azido or ethynyl groups onto the surface of carbon electrodes. In the presence of copper(I) catalyst, these azide- or alkyne-modified surfaces react efficiently and rapidly with compounds bearing an acetylene or azide function, thus forming a covalent 1,2,3-triazole linkage by means of click chemistry. This was illustrated with the surface coupling of ferrocenes functionalized with an ethynyl or azido group and the biomolecule biotin terminated by an acetylene group.     

Time behaviour of the modifier involved in the general mechanism of Botts and Morales assuming rapid equilibrium in the modifier bindings

To date, the classification as activator or inhibitor of a modifier involved in an enzyme catalysed reaction is established according to its kinetic behaviour at the steady state. Inhibitors and activators are defined as modifiers which decrease or increase, respectively, the steady state rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction. At this state, in some cases, a modifier always acts as an activator or as an inhibitor for all its possible concentration values. In other cases the action of a modifier as activator or inhibitor depends on its concentration. In this paper we extend the analysis of the kinetic behaviour of a modifier as inhibitor or nonessential activator to the transient phase of the reaction, i.e. to the whole course of the reaction, including both the transient phase and the steady state. Moreover, concerning to the behaviour of a modifier at the transient phase, we suggest its classification as activator or inhibitor based on the concentration and activator or inhibitor based on the rate. We have studied the behaviour of the modifier involved in the general modifier mechanisms of Botts and Morales in which the reversible bindings of the modifier to the enzyme forms are assumed in rapid equilibrium. The result is that depending on the values of the rate constants, equilibrium constants and the initial concentrations of both the involved substrate and modifier, the latter can act during the whole reaction course only as an activator, only as an inhibitor, first as an activator and then, from a determined reaction time, as inhibitor, or vice versa. Therefore, it is possible that a modifier showing an activating behaviour at the steady state behaves as an inhibitor in the transient phase, or vice versa. Novel indices pointing to the conditions under which the modifier can show any of the behaviours indicated above are suggested. The goodness of the analytical results is tested by comparison with the simulated curves obtained by numerical integration. From these results, those corresponding to several reaction mechanisms involving a modifier, and which can be regarded as particular cases of the general case analysed here, can be directly and easily obtained.     

Total synthesis of neopeltolide and analogs

Neopeltolide, a potent cytotoxin from a Carribean sponge, was synthesized through a brief sequence that highlights the use of ethers as oxocarbenium ion precursors. Other key steps include an acid-mediated etherification and sequence that features a Sonogashira reaction, an intramolecular alkyne hydrosilylation reaction, and a Tamao oxidation. The alkene that is required for the oxidative cyclization can be hydrogenated to provide access to the natural product or an epimer, or can be epoxidized or dihydroxylated to form polar analogs.     

Investigation of the one-pot synthesis of quinolin-2-(1H)-ones and the discovery of a variation of the three-component Ugi reaction

Rapid access to the quinolin-2-(1H)-one scaffold is afforded by a sequential 4 component Ugi–Knoevenagel condensation of an aminophenylketone, an aromatic aldehyde possessing electron donating moieties, cyanoacetic acid and an aliphatic isocyanide, in moderate to good yields (49–71%). Interestingly, when the reaction is performed using aromatic aldehydes bearing electron withdrawing moieties or isocyanides containing aromatic or ester units, a mixture of a quinolin-2-(1H)-one and an α-amino amide (Ugi three-component adduct) is afforded in varying ratios. Further when the reaction is performed utilizing a combination of an isocyanide-containing aromatic or carbonyl unit, and an aldehyde possessing an electron withdrawing functionality, the Ugi three-component adduct is exclusively afforded. In our hands this new variation of the Ugi 3CR proved to be efficient and robust affording analogues in good yields (51–70%).     

Reactions of Neomycin B under Mitsunobu Conditions: A Correction of the Literature

Reaction of N‐Boc neomycin with triphenylphosphine and diissopropyl azodicarboxylate in either toluene or THF results in an epoxide in ring IV, not an aziridine or azetidine as previously reported.     

Straightforward three-component synthesis of diarylmethylpiperazines and 1,2-diarylethylpiperazines

Several functionalized diarylmethylpiperazines and 1,2-diarylethylpiperazines have been synthesized in moderate to high yield according to a one-step three-component coupling between an aromatic or a benzylic organozinc reagent, a piperazine derivative, and an aromatic aldehyde. The procedure can be extended to the synthesis of benzylpiperazine derivatives or β-arylethylpiperazines toward the use of paraformaldehyde or aliphatic aldehydes.     

Cascade cyclization intermolecular dipolar cycloaddition by multi-component couplings—synthesis of indolizidines and pyrrolizidines

A three-component coupling reaction of a primary amine (an amino-acid or amino-ester or hydroxylamine), an alkene or alkyne dipolarophile and an aldehyde bearing a halide as a leaving group has been developed. Condensation of the amine with the aldehyde and cyclization (intramolecular N-alkylation) provides, after decarboxylation or deprotonation, a cyclic azomethine ylide (or nitrone) that undergoes intermolecular dipolar cycloaddition with the dipolarophile. This sets up, in a single step, the bicyclic indolizidine or pyrrolizidine ring system, depending on the length of the tether between the aldehyde and the halide. The reaction is successful with stabilized and non-stabilized azomethine ylides that result from using primary amino-esters or amino-acids, respectively.     

Multi‐Resolution Simulation of Biomolecular Systems: A Review of Methodological Issues

Theoretical‐computational modeling with an eye to explaining experimental observations in regard to a particular chemical phenomenon or process requires choices concerning essential degrees of freedom and types of interactions and the generation of a Boltzmann ensemble or trajectories of configurations. Depending on the degrees of freedom that are essential to the process of interest, for example, electronic or nuclear versus atomic, molecular or supra‐molecular, quantum‐ or classical‐mechanical equations of motion are to be used. In multi‐resolution simulation, various levels of resolution, for example, electronic, atomic, supra‐atomic or supra‐molecular, are combined in one model. This allows an enhancement of the computational efficiency, while maintaining sufficient detail with respect to particular degrees of freedom. The basic challenges and choices with respect to multi‐resolution modeling are reviewed and as an illustration the differential catalytic properties of two enzymes with similar folds but different substrates with respect to these substrates are explored using multi‐resolution simulation at the electronic, atomic and supra‐molecular levels of resolution.     

Curtius rearrangement of aromatic carboxylic acids to access protected anilines and aromatic ureas

The reaction of a chloroformate or di-tert-butyl dicarbonate and sodium azide with an aromatic carboxylic acid produces the corresponding acyl azide, presumably through the formation of an azidoformate. The acyl azide undergoes a Curtius rearrangement to form an isocyanate derivative which is trapped either by an alkoxide or by an amine to form the aromatic carbamate or urea. The reaction conditions are compatible with a variety of functional groups and allow the synthesis of a number of aniline derivatives containing alkyl, halide, nitro, ketone, ether, and thioether substituents. [reaction: see text]     

Versatile Use of Carbon Dioxide in the Synthesis of Carbamates

Summary. Organic carbamates classically have been synthesized using harmful and toxic reagents like phosgene, its derivatives, and carbon monoxide. Recently, carbon dioxide was used as a cheap and harmless reagent for the synthesis of organic carbamates in the gaseous or supercritical state, or in an electrochemical process, or organic carbonates as sources of carbon dioxide as an alternative to the harmful reagents. The present review will deal with the extensive use of carbon dioxide in the synthesis of organic carbamates.     

Influences of Steric Factors on the Reactivity and Structure of Diorganoalkoxysilylamides

The combination of an alkoxy and an amino function combined in one silane is rarely found due to the difficult synthesis and isolation.^[1] However, this combination offers unique opportunities to investigate the influence of steric requirements or the size of a metal on the structure or reactivity of alkoxysilylamides towards electrophiles by varying the metallating reagent (n-butyllithium or di-n-butylmagnesium) or the organo group on the amino function. For this purpose, we synthesized two alkoxyaminosilanes with acidic NH units that can be metalated. On the one hand, the tert-butylamino-substituted (tert-butylamino)-methoxydiphenylsilane ( 1 ) and on the other hand the isopropylamino-substituted methoxydiphenyl(isopropylamino)silane ( 2 ). The resulting structures showed an interesting interrelation between the Si–O or Si–N bond lengths and the strength of the coordinative bond to the corresponding metal cation (lithium or magnesium).     

Intramolecular Interactions of Trityl Groups

Trityl group, Tr, is a molecular dynamic rotor of which the conformation and helicity depend on other groups in the close vicinity. Interactions with another covalently linked Tr group and with other substituents are analyzed in terms of transfer of chirality to the trityl group. Two trityl groups in a molecule can mutually interact at a distance of two, three, or five bonds. Despite its size, a Tr group attached to a cyclohexane or cyclopentane ring through an oxygen or nitrogen atom adopts either an axial or equatorial position, depending on additional stabilizing interactions, such as hydrogen bonding.     

Four levels of pattern recognition

Problems of pattern recognition in chemistry and other subjects can be divided conveniently into four different types depending on the level of scope of the problem.(1) Classification into one of a number of defined classes. As an example blood samples taken from persons known to be either controls or welders are considered. The problem is whether trace element concentrations in these samples contain information on whether or not a person is a welder.(2) Level 1 plus the possibility that an object is an outlier, i.e. does not belong to any of the defined classes. As an example, the üse of ¹³C-n.m.r. data to decide whether 2-substituted norbornanes have the exo or endo structure is discussed. (2A) Level 2, asymmetric. This situation occurs when one class does not have a systematic structure, but another class is homogeneous and can be described by a level 2 model. This occurs in the classification of materials or compounds as good or bad, active or inactive, and in binary classifications. As an example the use of trace element data to classify steel samples as having good or poor properties of strength is discussed.(3) Level 2 plus the ability to relate the variables measured to external properties of continuous character. As an example, the classification of a series of chemical compounds as β -receptor blockers, β -receptor stimulants, or neither, on the basis of their structural variables is discussed. In addition, relations between these structural variables and the measured biological activity are sought within each of the two classes.(4) Level 3 with the difference that several external property variables in the objects are measured. It may be desirable to use variables of the objects both for classification and for relations to several property variables: such examples are numerous in analytical chemistry.     

Syntheses of Cyclopropylcarbonyl Compounds

There are three important direct routes to cyclopropylcarbonyl compounds: 1. Cyclization of chains of three carbon atoms, the first or third of which is adjacent to a carbonyl or potential carbonyl carbon atom (this type includes syntheses by intramolecular alkylation of γ-halogeno ketones or related compounds in alkaline media); 2. insertion of a methylene group or substituted methylene group into the olefinic double bond of an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound; and 3. introduction of an acetonyl group into the double bond of an olefin. However, cyclopropylcarbonyl compounds can also be obtained from 1,2-epoxycyclobutane and 2-bromocyclobutanone derivatives by ring contraction. Another possibility is the dehalogenation of α,α-bis(bromomethyl) cycloalkanones. This review concludes with a discussion of these little known routes and of a particularly suitable method which involves the reaction of methylene iodide, a Zn? Cu couple, and α,β-unsaturated ketones.     

Synthesis, characterization and primary evaluation of the synthetic efficiency of supported vinyltins and allyltins

Supported vinyltins and allyltins grafted to an insoluble cross-linked polystyrene matrix were prepared using methods usually employed in solution, like hydrostannylation of alkynes, transmetallation of a tin halide with organomagnesium or organozinc reagents, and substitution of an allyl halide by a supported stannylanion or S_N2′ substitution of a supported β-stannylacrolein acetal by cyanocopper reagents in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate. The insoluble grafted organotin reagents were analysed by HRMAS NMR, allowing an unambiguous assignment of their isomeric distribution or the identification of side products. When involved in Stille cross-coupling reactions (vinyltins) or in addition on aldehydes (allyltins), these supported reagents exhibit similar reactivity and similar stereoselectivity when compared to the tributyltin analogues, with the advantage to prevent problems due to the contamination by tin residues.     

Voltammetry of Ferrocenated Gold Nanoparticles on a Nanometer‐Sized Electrode

So far, almost all electrochemistry theories are based on an assumption that the size of an electroactive molecule is negligible. However, this assumption will not be true if the size of an electroactive molecule is comparable to or smaller than the size of an electrode being used to study the electroactive molecule. In this paper, the electrochemical behaviors of ferrocenated gold nanoparticles have been studied using an electrode with a radius that is smaller than the radius of the particle. This allows for the observation of phenomena which cannot be explained by conventional electrochemical theories. Also, stochastic collision current, which cannot be observed on a macro‐ or microelectrode, can be directly observed.     

Viscosity-Temperature Behavior of Hydroxypropyl Cellulose Solution in Presence of an Electrolyte or a Surfactant: A Convenient Method to Determine the Cloud Point of Polymer Solutions

The viscosity of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) solution with or without an additive has been measured continuously as a function of temperature with the help of a vibro-viscometer. The viscosity of the polymer solution showed a gradual decrease initially with increase in temperature until a particular point beyond which there was a sharp decrease in the viscosity, which coincided with the clouding of the solution. The cloud point temperature (CP) of the polymer solution was determined from the first derivative plot of viscosity vs. temperature. Effect of addition of an electrolyte or a surfactant on the CP of HPC solution has also been studied. While a decrease in CP of HPC solution in presence of fluoride, chloride, or bromide ions was observed, presence of iodide or thiocyanide ions led to an increase in the CP. However, presence of an ionic surfactant initially lowered the CP but beyond a particular surfactant concentration a sharp increase in cloud point was observed due to interaction of the surfactant with the polymer. The results suggest that surfactants with longer hydrophobic tail or more hydrophobic groups have more affinity for HPC.     

Enantioselective synthesis of cyclopropane aminoalcohols containing quaternary stereogenic centers

Some title compounds have been synthesized in enantiomerically pure form starting from d- or l-glyceraldehyde as chiral precursors. A new synthesis of (+)-(Z)-methanohomoserine, one of the key intermediates employed, is also described. The target molecules are densely functionalized. Thus, in addition to one or two hydroxyl groups on a side-chain, an amino group is attached to a quaternary carbon of the cyclopropane ring, and the fourth substituent of such a stereogenic center contains a halogen atom, an alkyl group, or an alcohol, thioether or ester function. Some of these compounds are useful precursors in the synthesis of new cyclopropane nucleosides.     

The Effect of Position Replacement of Functional Groups on the Stepwise character of 1,3‐Dipolar Reaction of a Nitrile Oxide and an Alkene

It is a well‐known fact that by changing the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition (1,3‐DC) reaction mechanism from concerted to stepwise, the stereospecificity is lost; since in synthesizing the required heterocyclic molecules that reaction is a requisite, it is important to study the concertedness of that reaction. Several papers on this subject have already stated that the existence of electron withdrawing groups (EWG) or electron donor groups (EDG) on dipole or dipolarophile leads to a high‐energy differentiation between the dipole HOMO and dipolarophile LUMO (or vice versa) as well as the emergence of an intermediate in the reaction pathway. This paper seeks answering the question of when an EWG on dipole and an EDG on dipolarophile could be a factor in making the reaction mechanism stepwise, and does repositioning of functional groups in replacing dipole and dipolarophile switches the reaction mechanism from stepwise into concerted or vice versa?     

A paradigm for the mechanisms and products of spontaneous polymerizations

In spontaneous vinyl and ring‐opening copolymerizations, polar and resonance effects on the intermediates from bond‐forming initiation offer a continuous spectrum of reactivities and polymer structures. In bond‐forming initiation, an electron‐rich donor monomer forms a bond to an acceptor monomer. The donor monomer may be a vinyl monomer with O, N, or aryl substituent or it may be an aza‐ or oxacycle. The acceptor monomer may be a vinyl monomer carrying CN, COOR, or SO₂R substituent or it may be a cyclic anhydride or maleimide. Beyond this, the donor may have a π‐like strained single bond, whereas the acceptor may be an electrophilic quinodimethane. Lewis acids may be used to enhance the electrophilicity of acceptor monomers. Reaction rates and polymer composition are determined by systematically varying the stability of the first intermediate, designated P (for polymethylene). The nature of the intermediate will vary from a highly reactive trans biradical, which initiates chain alternating copolymerization, to a cis/gauche zwitterion, which can initiate chain ionic homopolymerization, to an extremely stabilized zwitterion, which cannot add monomer, but builds up in concentration and terminates by combination, forming alternating copolymer. This model embraces the existing literature for a wide variety of monomers and possesses predictive power. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2009