19F-Labeled Probes for Recognition-Enabled Chromatographic 19F NMR

The NMR technique is among the most powerful analytical methods for molecular structural elucidation, process monitoring, and mechanistic investigations; however, the direct analysis of complex real-world samples is often hampered by crowded NMR spectra that are difficult to interpret. The combination of fluorine chemistry and supramolecular interactions leads to a unique detection method named recognition-enabled chromatographic (REC) ¹⁹F NMR, where interactions between analytes and ¹⁹F-labeled probes are transduced into chromatogram-like ¹⁹F NMR signals of discrete chemical shifts. In this account, we summarize our endeavor to develop novel ¹⁹F-labeled probes tailored for separation-free multicomponent analysis. The strategies to achieve chiral discrimination, sensitivity enhancement, and automated analyte identification will be covered. The account will also provide a detailed discussion of the underlying principles for the design of molecular probes for REC ¹⁹F NMR where appropriate.     

Transaminierungen am dimethylaminodifluorarsin

Dimethylaminodifluorarsine reacts with secondary amines with the formation of dialkylaminodifluorarsines. The same compounds are formed by the reaction of AsF₃ with secondary amines. Mechanistic and steric effects associated with these reactions are discussed and IR, ¹H, and ¹⁹F NMR spectral data presented.The reaction of dimethylaminofluorarsine with primary amines yields polymeric aminoarsines.     

Trifluoromethylation of non-activated aldimines with trimethyl(trifluoromethyl)silane in the presence of tetramethylammonium fluoride: A closer look into the reaction route

The reactions of non-activated aldimines with trimethyl(trifluoromethyl)silane and 1 equiv. of tetramethylammonium fluoride proceed via the formation of tetramethylammonium amides which were identified by low-temperature ¹⁹F NMR experiments. Consecutive reactions of the salts formed in situ with electrophiles yielded trifluoromethylated amines. Fluoride elimination is observed in the absence of electrophilic substrates leading to the formation of difluoromethylated ketimines.     

Site-specific incorporation of a (19)F-amino acid into proteins as an NMR probe for characterizing protein structure and reactivity

19F NMR is a powerful tool for monitoring protein conformational changes and interactions; however, the inability to site-specifically introduce fluorine labels into proteins of biological interest severely limits its applicability. Using methods for genetically directing incorporation of unnatural amino acids, we have inserted trifluoromethyl-l-phenylalanine (tfm-Phe) into proteins in vivo at TAG nonsense codons with high translational efficiency and fidelity. The binding of substrates, inhibitors, and cofactors, as well as reactions in enzymes, were studied by selective introduction of tfm-Phe and subsequent monitoring of the 19F NMR chemical shifts. Subtle protein conformational changes were detected near the active site and at long distances (25 Angstrom). 19F signal sensitivity and resolution was also sufficient to differentiate protein environments in vivo. Since there has been interest in using 19F-labeled proteins in solid-state membrane protein studies, folding studies, and in vivo studies, this general method for genetically incorporating a 19F-label into proteins of any size in Escherichia coli should have broad application beyond that of monitoring protein conformational changes.     

NMR spectroscopic investigation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified by amino groups

The results of the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube surface by amines containing different substituents at the nitrogen atom, namely, primary n-hexylamine, secondary izadrine, and tertiary N-benzylmorpholine and dithiline, are presented. It was shown by NMR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental analysis that the interaction of primary and secondary amines with modified nanotubes results in the formation of a covalent bond with the nitrogen atom of amines, while the reactions with tertiary amines afford quaternary ammonium salts; diamine is attached covalently through both amine groups.     

Mass spectrometric analysis of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing pesticides by liquid chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A series of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing pesticides (amines, anilides, carbamates, phosphonates, phenylureas, sulfonylureas, and triazines) was examined by thermospray (TSP) ionization. A method is described that employs off-line and on-line solid-phase extraction and TSP liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with time-scheduled selected ion monitoring (SIM) for environmental monitoring of these pesticides in aqueous samples. SIM detection limits for the pesticides analyzed in conjunction with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography range from 40 to 600 pg. In addition, methods for inducing fragmentation in thermospray LC-MS are presented. The structural information gained therefrom can be used to confirm a tentative identification. Therefore, fragmentation pathways under certain experimental conditions were investigated. Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, electrospray, fast-atom bombardment, ²⁵²Cf plasma desorption, and collision-activated dissociation spectra are presented for several pesticides to confirm the proposed pathways and to gain additional and complementary information. Further confirmation may be achieved by postcolumn addition of different alkylated amines to the carrier stream in the TSP operation to induce postcolumn on-line derivatization (POD) reactions in the condensed phase of the vaporizer probe with selected pesticides. Additional clustering reactions in combination with solvent-mediated chemical ionization are observed by the POD technique. Both processes can be used to enhance the structural information from TSP spectra and thus the specificity of the method.     

Intramolecular cross-linking experiments on cytochrome c and ribonuclease A using an isotope multiplet method.

Mass spectral analysis of tryptic digests of cross-linked proteins offers considerable promise as a simple technique to probe protein structure and study protein-protein interactions. We describe the use of a 1:1 mixture of isotopically labeled and unlabeled cross-linkers, disuccinimidyladipate (DSA) and dimethyladipimidate (DMA), to enhance visualization of cross-linked peptides in a tryptic digest. Optimized intramolecular reactions of cytochrome c and ribonuclease A (RNase A) with DSA yielded an average of two cross-links per protein molecule. After digestion of the cross-linked cytochrome c with trypsin and analysis by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), eight modified peptides, five cross-linked and two end-capped, were detected by virtue of their doublet character. An eighth modified peptide's identity remained ambiguous because of its inability to fragment. The lysine-lysine distance constraints obtained are discussed in the context of the known NMR and X-ray structures of cytochrome c. Analysis of cross-linked RNase A by LC/MS and MALDI yielded nine modified peptides, four of which were modified twice, as indicated by the isotopic triplets. Although seven of these peptides contained cross-links, few distance constraints were gained due to the fact that the cross-linked products were variations of modification of the same three lysine residues.     

Structural characterization and diffusional analysis of the inclusion complexes of fluoroadamantane with β-cyclodextrin and its derivatives studied via 1H, 13C and 19F NMR spectroscopy

This research conducts method development to study the diffusions of β-cyclodextrin and its derivatives (collectively called β-CDs) in biological systems. We proposed using fluoroadamantane (FA) β-CD inclusion complexes as a model system to study the diffusion of β-CDs by using ¹⁹F self-diffusion NMR technique. The use of ¹⁹F signal over ¹H signal arises from the advantage of being able to avoid the interference of ¹H signals from biological molecules and water. Another benefit of using FA is that the ¹⁹F relaxation times are not significantly influenced by viscous biological solutions due to the tumbling nature of FA in β-CD cavities. To synthesize the FA β-CD inclusion complexes, a FA THF (tetrahydrofuran) solution and a β-CD water solution were mixed together followed by lyophilization. The formation of the inclusion complexes in water were determined using HMQC and ROESY NMR experiments with the assistance of molecular modeling. To assess the method, both ¹H and ¹⁹F diffusion NMR were carried out to study the diffusions of four typical FA β-CD inclusion complexes. The results of this study illustrate that the diffusion coefficients obtained from the FA ¹⁹F signal truly measure those of the β-CDs’ diffusion coefficients in water. Thus, the proposed technique using our model system is valid to be used to study the diffusions of β-CDs in biological systems.     

Optimization of reaction conditions for REM resin-bound quaternization reactions

A study into the effect of reaction variables on the quaternization of REM resin-bound tertiary amines was undertaken. The influence of resin matrix, solvent, reaction time, temperature, and amount of quaternization agent on the outcome of reaction was evaluated by reaction monitoring using (19)F NMR. The highest yields of tertiary amine products were seen when DMSO was used as reaction solvent in conjunction with a reaction time of 18 h at room temperature. The use of heating for extended reaction times tended to depress yields, indicating product cleavage during quaternization. Quaternization on PS-DVB resin was found to be more robust than reaction on PS-PEG matrices where yields were generally considerably lower than the observed conversions. DMSO was the most efficient reaction solvent for both resins despite poor swelling of the quaternization starting material.     

CuI-catalyzed domino reactions for the synthesis of benzoxazine-fused isoquinolines under microwave irradiation

A small library of benzoxazine-fused isoquinolines has been synthesized under microwave irradiation (MW) via CuI-catalyzed domino reactions of o-alkynyl aldehydes and amines having embedded nucleophiles. This strategy offers a operationally simple, environmentally acceptable route to synthesize benzoxazine-fused isoquinolines in moderate to good yields. All new compounds were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, infrared, and high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques.     

Mechanistic studies of (porphinato)iron-catalyzed isobutane oxidation. Comparative studies of three classes of electron-deficient porphyrin catalysts

We report herein a comprehensive study of (porphinato)iron [PFe]-catalyzed isobutane oxidation in which molecular oxygen is utilized as the sole oxidant; these catalytic reactions were carried out and monitored in both autoclave reactors and sapphire NMR tubes. In situ 19F and 13C NMR experiments, coupled with GC analyses and optical spectra obtained from the autoclave reactions have enabled the identification of the predominant porphyrinic species present during PFe-catalyzed oxidation of isobutane. Electron-deficient PFe catalysts based on 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin [(C6F5)4PH2], 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octabromo-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin [Br8(C6F5)4PH2], and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(heptafluoropropyl) porphyrin [(C3F7)4PH2] macrocycles were examined. The nature and distribution of hydrocarbon oxidation products show that an autoxidation reaction pathway dominates the reaction kinetics, consistent with a radical chain process. For each catalytic system examined, PFeII species were shown not to be stable under moderate O2 pressure at 80 degrees C; in every case, the PFeII catalyst precursor was converted quantitatively to high-spin PFeIII complexes prior to the observation of any hydrocarbon oxidation products. Once catalytic isobutane oxidation is initiated, all reactions are marked by concomitant decomposition of the porphyrin-based catalyst. In situ 17O NMR spectroscopic studies confirm the incorporation of 17O from labeled water into the oxidation products, implicating the involvement of PFe-OH in the catalytic cycle. Importantly, Br8(C6F5)4PFe-based catalysts, which lack macrocycle C-H bonds, do not exhibit augmented stability with respect to analogous catalysts based on (C6F5)4PFe and (C3F7)4PFe species. The data presented are consistent with a hydrocarbon oxidation process in which PFe complexes play dual roles of radical chain initiator, and the species responsible for the catalytic decomposition of organic peroxides. This modified Haber-Weiss reaction scheme provides for the decomposition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide intermediates via reaction with PFe-OH complexes; the PFeIII species responsible for hydroperoxide decomposition are regenerated by reaction of PFeII with dioxygen under these experimental conditions.     

Structure and dynamics of perfluoroalkane/beta-cyclodextrin inclusion compounds as studied by solid-state 19F MAS and 1H -->19F CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy

The molecular structure and dynamics of novel inclusion compounds (ICs) consisting of n-perfluoroalkane (PFA) guests and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) host (PFA/beta-CD) have been investigated using 19F magic angle spinning (MAS) and 1H-->19F cross polarization (CP)/MAS NMR spectroscopy with the aid of thermal analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction method. The ICs of C9F20/beta-CD and C20F42/beta-CD were successfully obtained as precipitates from mixtures of respective PFAs and saturated aqueous solution of beta-CD. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) revealed that C9F20/beta-CD forms a channel-type crystallite, while C20F42/beta-CD is nearly amorphous at room temperature. The structural orders in both ICs increase at elevated temperatures. The 19F NMR signals obtained by the direct polarization (DP) method for PFA/beta-CD are resonated at higher frequencies than those for original PFA. This can be ascribed to the lower dielectric environment of the beta-CD cavity. Above 80 degrees C, 1H-->19F CP/MAS NMR technique revealed that C9F20 molecules undergo vigorous molecular motion and partly come out of the beta-CD channel. However, the guests hardly degrade or evaporate unless the host is pyrolytically decomposed above ca. 300 degrees C. The spin-lattice relaxation times in the laboratory frame for 19F (T1F) are almost identical for all the fluorines in PFA/beta-CD at each temperature, while significantly different values were observed for fluorines in neat PFA. This indicates that effective intramolecular spin diffusion occurs within a PFA molecule included in beta-CD.     

Modification of the Swern Oxidation: Use of Stoichiometric Amounts of an Easily Separable, Recyclable, and Odorless Sulfoxide That Can Be Polymer-Bound

Readily available 6-(methylsulfinyl)hexanoic acid (1) is employed as a substitute for DMSO in Swern oxidation reactions using oxalyl chloride to smoothly convert primary or secondary alcohols to corresponding aldehydes or ketones in high yield. The resulting 6-(methylthio)hexanoic acid (2) is easily separable by aqueous extraction or by filtration through silica gel and can be reoxidized to 1 with sodium metaperiodate in 97% yield. Low temperature (-60 degrees C) (13)C NMR spectrometry is used to examine the intermediates of this Swern process. The results indicate that any residual unoxidized alcohol is generated during Pummerer elimination of the alkoxysulfonium intermediate and can be minimized by extended exposure to triethylamine at -40 degrees C. Reaction of the potassium salt of 1 with cross-linked chloromethyl polystyrene affords a polymer-bound reagent 12 that quantitatively oxidizes borneol to camphor when used in two-fold excess.     

Reaction monitoring in LPOS by 19F NMR. Study of soluble polymer supports with fluorine in spacer or linker components of supports

Various soluble polystyrene supports with fluorinated spacer or linker were prepared and studied by (19)F NMR for their use in LPOS reaction monitoring. Among three types of systems studied, the perfluoro Wang linker was found to be most efficient for this purpose. Substrates could be easily anchored to and cleaved from this new support-bound linker. The anchoring of the linker and the substrates on the polymer led to significant changes in the fluorine resonances. Therefore, the progress of these reactions could be both monitored and quantified. On the other hand, the chemical transformations on the anchored substrates led only to moderate changes in the fluorine resonances. Nevertheless, the reaction progress could also be monitored in this case. After cleavage of products, the polymer supports were recovered without loss in loading. Membrane separation technology was used to purify some polymer-bound products as well as to obtain the polymer-free cleaved product.     

Synthesis of new 3-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-5-hydroxy-5-(phenylsulfanyl- or phenylsulfonyl-methyl)-1,5-dihydropyrrol-2-ones starting from α,β-unsaturated γ-lactones and primary amines

The paper presents an efficient and straightforward transformation of α,β-unsaturated γ-lactones into 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl substituted γ-lactams, starting from a variety of primary amines. The structures of all new compounds were ascribed using 1D NMR (¹⁹F, ¹H, ¹³C), IR, MS. Selected ¹⁹F, ¹³C NMR and IR data of γ-lactams were compared to those of one which was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. The possible mechanism for the formation of γ-lactams is also presented.     

Synthesis of a new fluoro-Wang resin for solid-phase reaction monitoring by 19F NMR spectroscopy

A new fluoro-Wang resin is presented which facilitates solid-phase reaction monitoring using 19F NMR. The resin is easily synthesized and amenable to scale-up. The method described herein compliments single-bead FT-IR and 13C NMR techniques. This method allows monitoring of solid-phase reactions even if the resin bound intermediate is unstable to the cleavage conditions. In addition, this is a useful tool to study reaction kinetics on the solid phase.     

Roof shape amines: synthesis and application as NMR chiral solvating agents for discrimination of α-functionalized acids

A series of new chiral roof shape amines have been prepared from anthracene involving simple chemical steps and enzymatic resolution of isomers. The amines were screened as chiral solvating agents for the discrimination of enantiomers of several α-functionalized acids by the ¹H NMR analysis. The system can also be used to accurately measure enantiomeric excess of mandelic acid by ¹H NMR analysis. The roof shape CSAs were capable of detecting the shift in the signals for the standard four nuclei of ¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁹F and ³¹P of various optically active acids.     

(19)F-encoded combinatorial libraries: discovery of selective metal binding and catalytic peptoids

A (19)F NMR method for encoding of combinatorial libraries has been developed. Aryl fluorides whose chemical shifts are modified by aromatic substituents were prepared and attached to resin support beads that were used in the split-pool synthesis of peptoids. The detection of the (19)F NMR signal of tags derived from a single "big bead" was demonstrated. The library diversity arises from peptoid amines and the cyclic anhydrides used in their acylation. The resulting 90-compound library was examined for metal ion binding, and novel ligands for iron and copper were discovered. Their binding constants were determined to be in the low micromolar range using conventional methods. The library was also examined for autocatalysis of acylation, and a molecule possessing the catalytic triad of serine proteases was deduced.     

Simple and efficient methods for discrimination of chiral diacids and chiral alpha-methyl amines

The three-component chiral derivatization protocols have been developed for (1)H, (13)C and (19)F NMR spectroscopic discrimination of chiral diacids by their coordination and self-assembly with optically active (R)-α-methylbenzylamine and 2-formylphenylboronic acid or 3-fluoro-2-formylmethylboronic acid. These protocols yield a mixture of diastereomeric imino-boronate esters which are identified by the well-resolved diastereotopic peaks with significant chemical shift differences ranging up to 0.6 and 2.1 ppm in their corresponding (1)H and (19)F NMR spectra, without any racemization or kinetic resolution, thereby enabling the determination of enantiopurity. A protocol has also been developed for discrimination of chiral alpha-methyl amines, using optically pure trans-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid in combination with 2-formylphenylboronic acid or 3-fluoro-2-fluoromethylboronic acid. The proposed strategies have been demonstrated on large number of chiral diacids and chiral alpha-methyl amines.     

Domino nucleophilic trifluoromethylations of alkyl perfluorodithioesters

Under nucleophilic initiation, alkyl perfluorodithioesters react with trifluoromethyl(trimethyl)silane in a domino process beginning with a thiophilic addition-β-elimination of fluoride ion which leads to a perfluoroketenedithioacetal. Further addition-elimination steps eventually gives a mixture of mono, bis- and tris(trifluoromethyl) vinyl sulfides. Although they are difficult to separate, these new compounds were fully characterized by ¹⁹F NMR and mass spectrometry.