Preparation of Protected β2‐ and β3‐Homocysteine, β2‐ and β3‐Homohistidine,and β2‐Homoserine for Solid‐Phase Syntheses

The Ser, Cys, and His side chains play decisive roles in the syntheses, structures, and functions of proteins and enzymes. For our structural and biomedical investigations of β‐peptides consisting of amino acids with proteinogenic side chains, we needed to have reliable preparative access to the title compounds. The two β³‐homoamino acid derivatives were obtained by Arndt–Eistert methodology from Boc‐His(Ts)‐OH and Fmoc‐Cys(PMB)‐OH (Schemes 2–4), with the side‐chain functional groups' reactivities requiring special precautions. The β²‐homoamino acids were prepared with the help of the chiral oxazolidinone auxiliary DIOZ by diastereoselective aldol additions of suitable Ti‐enolates to formaldehyde (generated in situ from trioxane) and subsequent functional‐group manipulations. These include OH→O^tBu etherification (for β²hSer; Schemes 5 and 6), OH→STrt replacement (for β²hCys; Scheme 7), and CH₂OH→CH₂N₃→CH₂NH₂ transformations (for β²hHis; Schemes 9–11). Including protection/deprotection/re‐protection reactions, it takes up to ten steps to obtain the enantiomerically pure target compounds from commercial precursors. Unsuccessful approaches, pitfalls, and optimization procedures are also discussed. The final products and the intermediate compounds are fully characterized by retention times (t_R), melting points, optical rotations, HPLC on chiral columns, IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analyses, and (in some cases) by X‐ray crystal‐structure analysis.     

Mono‐ and Binuclear Rhodium and Platinum Complexes of 1, 3, 5‐Trimethyl‐1, 3, 5‐triaza‐2σ3λ3‐phosphorin‐4, 6‐dionyloxy‐substituted Calix[4]arenes

The reaction behaviour of 1, 3, 5‐triaza‐2σ³λ³‐phosphorin‐4, 6‐dionyloxy‐substituted calix[4]arenes towards mono‐ and binuclear rhodium and platinum complexes was investigated. Special attention was directed to structure and dynamic behaviour of the products in solution and in the solid state. Depending on the molar ratio of the reactands, the reaction of the tetrakis(triazaphosphorindionyloxy)‐substituted calix[4]arene ( 4 ) and its tert‐butyl‐derivative ( 1 ) with [(cod)RhCl]₂ yielded the mono‐ and disubstituted binuclear rhodium complexes 2 , 3 , and 5 . In all cases, a C₂‐symmetrical structure was proved in solution, apparently caused by a fast intramolecular exchange process between cone conformation and 1, 3‐alternating conformation. The X‐ray crystal structure determination of 5 confirmed [(calixarene)RhCl]₂‐coordination through two opposite phosphorus atoms with a P ⃜P separation of 345 pm. The complex displays crystallographic inversion symmetry, and the Rh₂Cl₂ core is thus exactly planar. Reaction of 1 and of the bis(triazaphosphorindionyloxy)‐bis(methoxy)‐substituted tert‐butyl‐calix‐[4]arene ( 7 ) with (cod)Rh(acac) in equimolar ratio and subsequent reaction with HBF₄ led to the expected cationic monorhodium complexes 5 and 8 , involving 1, 3‐alternating P‐Rh‐P‐coordination. The cone conformation in solution was proved by NMR spectroscopy and characteristic values of the ¹J(PRh) coupling constants in the ³¹P‐NMR‐spectra. Reaction of equimolar amounts of 4 with (cod)Rh(acac) or (nbd)Rh(acac) led, by substitution of the labile coordinated acetylacetonato and after addition of HBF₄, to the corresponding mononuclear cationic complexes 9 and 10 . Only two of the four phosphorus atoms in 9 and 10 are coordinated to the central metal atom. Displacement of either cycloocta‐1, 5‐diene or norbornadiene was not observed. For both compounds, the cone conformation was proved by NMR spectroscopy. Reaction of 4 with (cod)PtCl₂ led to the PtCl₂‐complex ( 11 ). As for all compounds mentioned above, only two phosphorus atoms of the ligand coordinate to platinum, while two phosphorus atoms remain uncoordinated (proved by δ³¹P and characteristic values of ¹J(PPt)). NMR‐spectroscopic evidence was found for the existence of the cone conformation in the cis‐configuration of 11 .     

Brominated Trihalomethylenones as Versatile Precursors to 3‐Ethoxy, ‐Formyl, ‐Azidomethyl, ‐Triazolyl,and 3‐Aminomethyl Pyrazoles

5‐Bromo[5,5‐dibromo]‐1,1,1‐trihalo‐4‐methoxy‐3‐penten[hexen]‐2‐ones are explored as precursors to the synthesis of 3‐ethoxymethyl‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐pyrazoles from a cyclocondensation reaction with hydrazine monohydrate in ethanol. 3‐Ethoxymethyl‐carboxyethyl ester pyrazoles were formed as a result of a substitution reaction of bromine and chlorine by ethanol. The dibrominated precursor furnished 3‐acetal‐pyrazole that was easily hydrolyzed to formyl group. In addition, brominated precursors were used in a nucleophilic substitution reaction with sodium azide to synthesize the 3‐azidomethyl‐5‐ethoxycarbonyl‐1H‐pyrazole from the reaction with hydrazine monohydrate. These products were submitted to a cycloaddition reaction with phenyl acetylene furnishing the 3‐[4(5)‐phenyl‐1,2,3‐triazolyl]5‐ ethoxycarbonyl‐1H‐pyrazoles and to reduction conditions resulting in 3‐aminomethyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐5‐carboxyethyl ester. The products were obtained by a simple methodology and in moderate to good yields.     

Co‐crystals of 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐α‐d‐glucopyranose and 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐β‐d‐glucopyranose

3‐Deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐d ‐glucopyranose crystallizes from acetone to give a unit cell containing two crystallographically independent molecules. One of these molecules (at site A) is structurally homogeneous and corresponds to 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐β‐d ‐glucopyranose, C₆H₁₁FO₅, (I). The second molecule (at site B) is structurally heterogeneous and corresponds to a mixture of (I) and 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐α‐d ‐glucopyranose, (II); treatment of the diffraction data using partial‐occupancy oxygen at the anomeric center gave a high‐quality packing model with an occupancy ratio of 0.84:0.16 for (II):(I) at site B. The mixture of α‐ and β‐anomers at site B appears to be accommodated in the lattice because hydrogen‐bonding partners are present to hydrogen bond to the anomeric OH group in either an axial or equatorial orientation. Cremer–Pople analysis of (I) and (II) shows the pyranosyl ring of (II) to be slightly more distorted than that of (I) [θ_(I) = 3.85 (15)° and θ_(II) = 6.35 (16)°], but the general direction of distortion is similar in both structures [ϕ_(I) = 67 (2)° (B_C1,C4) and ϕ_(II) = 26.0 (15)° (^C3TB_C1); B = boat conformation and TB = twist‐boat conformation]. The exocyclic hydroxymethyl (–CH₂OH) conformation is gg (gauche–gauche) (H5 anti to O6) in both (I) and (II). Structural comparisons of (I) and (II) to related unsubstituted, deoxy and fluorine‐substituted monosaccharides show that the gluco ring can assume a wide range of distorted chair structures in the crystalline state depending on ring substitution patterns.     

(+)‐(2R,3S)‐3‐Bromo‐2‐chloro‐N,N‐diiso­propyl‐3‐phenyl­propan­amide and (+)‐(2R,3S)‐3‐bromo‐2‐chloro‐N‐(4‐nitro­phenyl)‐3‐phenyl­propan­amide

The stereochemistries at positions 2 and 3 of the title compounds, C₁₅H₂₁BrClNO, (I), and C₁₅H₁₂BrClN₂O₃, (II), have been confirmed by X‐ray structural analysis. The halogen atoms adopt an antiperiplanar arrangement in each case.     

Concise Synthesis of α‐Methylene‐β‐hydroxy‐γ‐carboxy‐γ‐lactams

A concise protocol for the synthesis of α‐methylene‐β‐hydroxy‐γ‐carboxy‐γ‐lactams has been described via alkylation of amino acid derived iminoesters with α‐bromomethylmethacrylate, followed by allylic hydroxylation. All the synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their cytotoxicity on multiple myeloma cancer cell lines.     

(2S,3S)‐2,6‐Dimethylheptane‐1,3‐diol,the oxygenated side chain of 22(S)‐hydroxycholestrol,and its synthetic precursor (R)‐4‐benzyl‐3‐[(2R,3S)‐3‐hydroxy‐2,6‐dimethylheptanoyl]‐1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐one

(2S,3S)‐2,6‐Dimethylheptane‐1,3‐diol, C₉H₂₀O₂, (I), was synthesized from the ketone (R)‐4‐benzyl‐3‐[(2R,3S)‐3‐hydroxy‐2,6‐dimethylheptanoyl]‐1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐one, C₁₉H₂₇NO₄, (II), containing C atoms of known chirality. In both structures, strong hydrogen bonds between the hydroxy groups form tape motifs. The contribution from weaker C—H...O hydrogen bonds is much more evident in the structure of (II), which furthermore contains an example of a direct short Osp³...Csp² contact that represents a usually unrecognized type of intermolecular interaction.     

Kristallstrukturen und spektroskopische Eigenschaften von 2λ3‐Phospha‐1, 3‐dionaten und 1, 3‐Dionaten des Calciums ‐ ein Vergleich am Beispiel der 1, 3‐Diphenyl‐ und 1, 3‐Di(tert‐butyl)‐Derivate

Crystal Structures and Spectroscopic Properties of 2λ³‐Phospha‐1, 3‐dionates and 1, 3‐Dionates of Calcium ‐ Comparative Studies on the 1, 3‐Diphenyl and 1, 3‐Di(tert‐butyl) Derivatives A hydrogen‐metal exchange between dibenzoylphosphane and calcium carbide in tetrahydrofuran (THF) followed by addition of the ligand 1, 3, 5‐trimethyl‐1, 3, 5‐triazinane (TMTA) furnishes the binuclear complex bis[(tmta‐N, N′, N″)calcium bis(dibenzoylphosphanide)] ( 1a ) co‐crystallizing with benzene. Similarly, reaction of bis(2, 2‐dimethylpropionyl)phosphane with bis(thf‐O)calcium bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] in 1, 2‐dimethoxyethane (DME) gives bis(dme‐O, O′)calcium bis[bis(2, 2‐dimethylpropionyl)phosphanide] ( 1b ) in high yield. The carbon analogues 1, 3‐diphenylpropane‐1, 3‐dione (dibenzoylmethane) or 2, 2, 6, 6‐tetramethylheptane‐3, 5‐dione (dipivaloylmethane) and bis(thf‐O)calcium bis[tris(trimethylsilylmethyl)zincate] in DME afford bis(dme‐O, O′)calcium bis(dibenzoylmethanide) ( 2a ) and the binuclear complex (μ‐dme‐O, O′)bis[(dme‐O, O′)calcium bis(dipivaloylmethanide)] ( 2b ), respectively. Dialkylzinc formed during the metalation reaction shows no reactivity towards the 1, 3‐dionates 2a and 2b . Finally, from the reaction of the unsymmetrically substituted ligand 2‐(methoxycarbonyl)cyclopentanone and bis(thf‐O)calcium bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] in toluene, the trinuclear complex 3 is obtained, co‐crystallizing with THF. The β‐ketoester anion bridges solely via the cyclopentanone unit.     

Physicochemical characterization of α‐chitin, β‐chitin,and γ‐chitin separated from natural resources

We isolated α‐chitin, β‐chitin, and γ‐chitin from natural resources by a chemical method to investigate the crystalline structure of chitin. Its characteristics were identified with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and solid‐state cross‐polarization/magic‐angle‐spinning (CP–MAS) ¹³C NMR spectrophotometers. The average molecular weights of α‐chitin, β‐chitin, and γ‐chitin, calculated with the relative viscosity, were about 701, 612, and 524 kDa, respectively. In the FTIR spectra, α‐chitin, β‐chitin, and γ‐chitin showed a doublet, a singlet, and a semidoublet at the amide I band, respectively. The solid‐state CP–MAS ¹³C NMR spectra revealed that α‐chitin was sharply resolved around 73 and 75 ppm and that β‐chitin had a singlet around 74 ppm. For γ‐chitin, two signals appeared around 73 and 75 ppm. From the X‐ray diffraction results, α‐chitin was observed to have four crystalline reflections at 9.6, 19.6, 21.1, and 23.7 by the crystalline structure. Also, β‐chitin was observed to have two crystalline reflections at 9.1 and 20.3 by the crystalline structure. γ‐Chitin, having an antiparallel and parallel structure, was similar in its X‐ray diffraction patterns to α‐chitin. The exothermic peaks of α‐chitin, β‐chitin, and γ‐chitin appeared at 330, 230, and 310, respectively. The thermal decomposition activation energies of α‐chitin, β‐chitin, and γ‐chitin, calculated by thermogravimetric analysis, were 60.56, 58.16, and 59.26 kJ mol^?1, respectively. With the Arrhenius law, ln β was plotted against the reciprocal of the maximum decomposition temperature as a straight line; there was a large slope for large activation energies and a small slope for small activation energies. α‐Chitin with high activation energies was very temperature‐sensitive; β‐Chitin with low activation energies was relatively temperature‐insensitive. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3423–3432, 2004     

Efficient Synthesis of α‐Benzylidene‐γ‐methyl‐γ‐butyrolactones

A concise synthesis of α‐benzylidene‐γ‐methyl‐γ‐butyrolactones 5a – g from substituted benzaldehydes is described. Compounds 1a – g on reaction with phosphorane 2 , provide the pentenoates 3a – g , which can be hydrolyzed to the acids 4a – g . The latter are cyclized to the corresponding butyrolactones 5a – g in excellent yields. The pentenoates 3a – g , on acid catalyzed cyclization, also provide 5a – g in very high yields.     

(4S)‐3‐[(2R,3S)‐3‐Hydr­oxy‐2‐methyl‐3‐phenyl­propion­yl]‐4‐isopropyl­oxazolidin‐2‐one

The mol­ecule of the title compound, C₁₆H₂₁NO₄, is chiral and has three asymmetric centres. The absolute configuration was not determined via diffraction measurements on the crystal, but was established from the known absolute configuration of the starting material. In the crystal structure, the mol­ecules assemble through inter­molecular hydrogen bonds into a macrostructure with helical channels.     

Polymeric μ‐bromo‐μ‐pyridine‐3‐carboxyl­ato‐κ3O,O′:N‐mercury(II)

The asymmetric unit of the title polymeric complex, [HgBr(C₆H₄NO₂)]_n or HgBr(nic), contains mercury coordinated via two Br atoms [Hg—Br = 2.6528 (9) and 2.6468 (9) Å], two carboxyl­ate O atoms, which form a characteristic four‐membered chelate ring [Hg—O = 2.353 (6) and 2.478 (7) Å], and an N atom [Hg—N = 2.265 (5) Å], in the form of a very irregular (3+2)‐coordination polyhedron. The pronounced irregularity of the effective Hg (3+2)‐coordination is a result of the rigid stereochemistry of the nicotinate ligand. According to the covalent and van der Waals radii criteria, the strongest bonds are Hg—Br and Hg—N. These covalent interactions form a two‐dimensional poly­mer. The puckered planes are connected by van der Waals interactions, and there are only two intermolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds [3.428 (10) and 3.170 (10) Å].     

Formation of α‐SF5‐Enolate Enables Preparation of 3‐SF5‐Quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF5‐Quinolines,and 3‐SF5‐Pyridin‐2‐ones: Evaluation of their Physicochemical Properties

This study describes, for the first time, the generation of a SF₅‐substituted ester enolate from benzyl SF₅‐acetate under soft enolization conditions, which in turn participates in aldol addition reactions in high yield. The reaction was applied in the synthesis of 3‐SF₅‐quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF₅‐quinolines, and 3‐SF₅‐pyridin‐2‐ones, none of which have previously been reported. To provide guidelines for their use in drug discovery, the physicochemical properties of these building blocks were determined and compared with those of their CF₃‐ and t‐Bu‐analogues.     

Formation of α‐SF5‐Enolate Enables Preparation of 3‐SF5‐Quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF5‐Quinolines,and 3‐SF5‐Pyridin‐2‐ones: Evaluation of their Physicochemical Properties

This study describes, for the first time, the generation of a SF₅‐substituted ester enolate from benzyl SF₅‐acetate under soft enolization conditions, which in turn participates in aldol addition reactions in high yield. The reaction was applied in the synthesis of 3‐SF₅‐quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF₅‐quinolines, and 3‐SF₅‐pyridin‐2‐ones, none of which have previously been reported. To provide guidelines for their use in drug discovery, the physicochemical properties of these building blocks were determined and compared with those of their CF₃‐ and t‐Bu‐analogues.     

Bis(μ‐3‐nitrobenzene‐1,2‐dicarboxyl­ato)‐κ8O1,O2:O2,O3;O3,O2:O2,O1‐bis­[triaqua­(2‐carboxy‐3‐nitro­benzoato‐κ2O,O′)lanthanum(III)] dihydrate

The title compound, [La₂(C₈H₃NO₆)₂(C₈H₄NO₆)₂(H₂O)₆]·2H₂O, consists of dimeric units related by an inversion center. The two La^III atoms are linked by two bridging bidentate carboxyl­ate groups and two monodentate carboxyl­ate groups. Each La^III atom is nine‐coordinated by six O atoms from five different carboxyl­ate groups and three from water mol­ecules. Hydrogen bonds between the water mol­ecules and between the solvent water and a carboxyl­ate O atom are observed in the structure. In the crystal packing, there are slipped π–π stacking inter­actions between the parallel benzene rings. Both hydrogen‐bonding and π–π inter­actions combine to stabilize the three‐dimensional supra­molecular network.     

Synthetic studies with 3‐Oxo‐N‐[4‐(3‐oxo‐ 3‐phenylpropionylamino)‐phenyl]‐3‐phenylpropionamide

3‐Oxo‐N‐[4‐(3‐oxo‐3‐phenylpropionylamino)‐phenyl]‐3‐phenylpropionamide 1 and its derivative 2‐benzoyl‐N‐[4‐(2‐benzoyl‐3‐(dimethylamino‐acryloylamino)‐phenyl]‐3‐dimethylaminoacrylamide 12 are used for the synthesis of the hitherto not known bis‐heterocyclic amine and bis‐heterocyclic carboxamide derivatives. Plausible mechanisms are discussed for the formation of the new compounds. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2012).