Asymmetric lithiation-substitution sequences of substituted allylamines

[reaction: see text] (-)-Sparteine-mediated asymmetric lithiation-substitution sequences of 2- and 3-substituted N-(Boc)-N-(p-methoxyphenyl) allylic amines with electrophiles have been investigated. Asymmetric lithiation-substitutions of N-(Boc)-N-(p-methoxyphenyl) allylic amines 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 provide highly enantioenriched enecarbamates in good yields. Further transformations to give aldehydes, acids, ketones, and a Diels-Alder adduct are reported. The 1,4-addition products from reactions of the lithiated allylic amines from 14 and 15 with conjugated activated alkenes gives enecarbamates with two and three stereogenic centers in good yields with high diastereomeric and enantiomeric ratios. Synthetic transformation of these products by acid hydrolysis and subsequent cyclization provide stereoselective access to bicyclic compounds containing four and five stereogenic centers with high diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. It is suggested that allyllithium complexes generated by asymmetric deprotonation react with most electrophiles with inversion of configuration.     

Comparison of enantiomer separation on two chiral stationary phases derived from (+)-18-crown-6-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid of the same chiral selector

Liquid chromatographic comparisons for enantiomer resolution of α-amino acids and chiral primary amino compounds were made using chiral stationary phases (CSPs) prepared by covalently bonding (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid (18-C-6-TA) of the same chiral selector. The resolution of all α-amino acids on CSP 1 developed in our group was found to be better than that on CSP 2 reported by Machida et al. All α-amino acids examined in this study were well enantioseparated on CSP 1 (α=1.22–2.47), while four analytes were not resolved or all the other analytes were poorly resolved on CSP 2 than on CSP 1. However, in resolving the primary amino compounds without a carbonyl group, CSP 1 was comparable with CSP 2. Although (+)-18-C-6-TA of the same chiral selector was used to prepare CSP 1 and CSP 2, this study showed that different connecting methods for the CSPs might influence their ability to resolve the analytes depending on their structures related to the chiral recognition mechanism.     

Activation of 1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane by Os3(CO)12 to form amidino [(MeN)2CH] cluster complexes

Reaction of 1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane [(MeNCH₂)₃] with Os₃(CO)₁₂ in refluxing toluene results in C-H and C-N bond activation of the (MeNCH₂)₃ ligand to afford three amidino cluster complexes (μ-H)Os₃(CO)₁₀[μ,η²-CH(NMe)₂] (1), (μ-H)Os₃(CO)₉[μ₃,η²-CH(NMe)₂] (2), and Os₂(CO)₆[μ,η²-CH(NMe)₂]₂ (3). The controlled experiments show that thermolysis of 1 yields 2, and heating 2 in the presence of (MeNCH₂)₃ ligand produces 3. The molecular structures of 1 and 3 have been determined by an X-ray diffraction study.     

Arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis is independent of stress-responsive signaling pathways but sensitive to inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase in HepG2 cells

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) has been found to be remarkably effective in the treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Although evidences for the proapoptotic activity of As(2)O(3) have been suggested in leukemic and other solid cancer cells, the nature of intracellular mechanisms is far from clear. In the present study, we investigated As(2)O(3) affect on the stress-responsive signaling pathways and pretreatment with antioxidants using HepG2 cells. When treated with micromolar concentrations of As(2)O(3), HepG2 cells became highly apoptotic paralleled with activation of caspase-3 and members of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) but not p38 MAP kinase. However, inhibition of each kinase activity failed to inhibit apoptosis by As(2)O(3). Addition of n-acetyl cysteine (NAC) or diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) effectively protected cells from apoptosis and significantly lowered As(2)O(3)-induced activation of caspase-3. However, neither NAC nor DPI was able to effect ERK or JNK activation induced by As(2)O(3). Guanidinoethyldisulfide dihydrochloride (GED) and 2-ethyl-2-thiopseudourea (ETU), known inhibitors of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), also suppressed the apoptotic activity of As(2)O(3). These results suggest that As2O3 induces caspase-mediated apoptosis involving a mechanism generating oxidative stress. However, activation of some stress-responsive signaling pathways by As(2)O(3) may not be the major determinant in the course of apoptotic processes.     

New Acetylcholinesterase‐Inhibitory Pregnane Glycosides of Cynanchum atratum Roots

Three new pregnane glycosides, cynatroside A ( 1 ), cynatroside B ( 2 ), and cynatroside C ( 3 ), isolated from the roots of Cynanchum atratum (Asclepiadaceae), were characterized as 7β‐{[O‐α‐L ‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐β‐D ‐digitoxopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐β‐D ‐oleandropyranosyl]oxy}‐3,4,4a,4b,5,6,7,8,10,10a‐decahydro‐6α‐hydroxy‐4b‐ methyl‐2‐(2‐methyl‐3‐furyl)phenanthren‐1(2H)‐one ( 1 ), 7β‐{[O‐β‐D ‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐α‐L ‐diginopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐β‐D ‐cymaropyranosyl]oxy}‐3,4,4a,4b,5,6,7,8,10,10a‐decahydro‐2,6α‐dihydroxy‐4b‐methyl‐2‐(2‐methyl‐3‐furyl)phenanthren‐1(2H)‐one ( 2 ), and 7β‐{[O‐α‐L ‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1→4)‐O‐β‐D ‐digitoxopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐β‐L ‐cymaropyranosyl]oxy}‐3,4,4a,4b,5,6,7,8,10,10a‐decahydro‐2,6α‐dihydroxy‐4b‐methyl‐2‐(2‐methyl‐3‐furyl)phenanthren‐1(2H)‐one ( 3 ), respectively. In addition, ten known constituents were identified, i.e., cynascyroside D ( 4 ), glaucoside C ( 5 ), glaucoside D ( 6 ), atratoside A ( 7 ), 2,4‐dihydroxyacetophenone ( 8 ), 4‐hydroxyacetophenone ( 9 ), syringic acid ( 10 ), azelaic acid ( 11 ), suberic acid ( 12 ), and succinic acid ( 13 ). Among these compounds, 1 – 4 significantly inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity.     

Coupling and Cyclization of Sydnone Compounds

Cyclization were occurred via the coupling reactions of some mercuric chloride derivatives of sydnone with LiPdCl₃-CuCl₂. A unique six-membered ring, 3,3′-ethylene-4,4′-bissydnone, was obtained by the cyclization reation of 1,2-di[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]ethane. However, the seven-membered 3,3′-trimethylene-4,4′-bissydnone and 1,3-di[3-(4-chloro)sydnonyl]-propane were obtained from the corresponding mercuric chlroide of sydnone. Onyl substitution reaction took place when 4,4′-di[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]biphenyl, 4,4′-di[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]benzene, di(p-[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]-phenyl}methane and, di(p-[3-(4-chloromercuric)sydnonyl]phenyl]ether were treated using the same process.     

Control of Enzymatic Degradation of Microbial Polyesters by Plasma Modification

The rate of enzymatic degradation of surface‐modified microbial polyesters, poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] and poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate], was studied. The plasma treatments were carried out in a CF₃H or O₂ environment. It was found that the CF₃H plasma‐treated polyesters exhibited significant retardation of enzymatic erosion because of the surface fluorocarbon groups induced by CF₃H plasma. These surface fluorocarbon groups act as retardants on enzymatic degradation due to increased hydrophobicity and of the inactivity of enzymes. However, the increased surface hydrophilicity of polyesters induced by O₂ plasma results in no significant acceleration of the enzymatic erosion, which may be due to the thin modified layer.

Weight loss profiles of P(3HB) film exposed to CF₃H plasma as a function of plasma exposure time.     

Preliminary investigation of the application of on-line membrane extraction of trifluoroacetic acid as an aid to improvement of negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry data

We have recently investigated the biodegradation of a number of acidic aromatic compounds that give excellent chromatography using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) based HPLC methods. Unfortunately HPLC methods using TFA are not usually compatible with detection by negative ion mass spectrometry as TFA suppresses ionisation of the analyte during the electrospray process. We present a preliminary investigation of the use of an anion-exchange micro-membrane suppressor to remove TFA on-line post column with the aim of improvement of mass spectral data using an aromatic acid as an example, Thus LC-MS using a TFA based HPLC method with negative ion mass spectral detection is shown to be possible with good sensitivity.     

Highly efficient Heck reactions of aryl bromides with n-butyl acrylate mediated by a palladium/phosphine-imidazolium salt system

[reaction: see text] A new phosphine-imidazolium salt, L.HBr (1, L = (1-ethylenediphenylphosphino-3-(mesityl))imidazol-2-ylidene), has been prepared. A combination of 0.5 mol % of Pd(dba)(2) and 0.5 mol % of L.HBr in the presence of 2 equiv of Cs(2)CO(3) as base has proven to be highly efficient in the Heck coupling reactions of aryl bromides (from electron-deficient to electron-rich aryl bromides) with n-butyl acrylate.     

Determination of triphenyltin hydroxide derivatives by capillary GC and tin-selective FPD

A new method for the determination of triphenyltin hydroxide using capillary column gas chromatography with a tin-selective flame photometric detector has been developed. Triphenyltin hydroxide and its potential metabolites are converted to methyl derivatives and separated on glass capillary columns coated with OV-101. Derivatization of triphenyltin hydroxide, triphenyltin chloride, diphenyltin dichloride, phenyltin trichloride, and bis-triphenyltin oxide is nearly quantitative with a minimum of redistribution products. The selectivity of the flame photometric detector is cearly demonstrated by the comparison of chromatographic profiles obtained from using both the flame photometric and flame ionization detectors. The use of this chromatographic system in the analysis of triphenyltin hydroxide in a fortified water sample demonstrates the potential use of this system in organotin residue chemistry.