The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of carboxylic anhydrides with arylboronic acids: a DFT study

The mechanism of the cross-coupling of phenylboronic acid with acetic anhydride, a viable model of the widely used Suzuki reaction, has been studied by DFT calculations at the BP86/6-31G level of theory. Two alternative catalytic cycles have been investigated, one starting from a neutral Pd(0)L(2) complex, the other from an anionic "Jutand-type" [Pd(0)L(2)X](-) species. The reaction profiles are in good agreement with the experimental findings, as both pathways require only moderate activation energies. Both pathways are dominated by cis-configured square-planar palladium(II)diphosphine intermediates. Despite careful investigations, we did not find in this model reaction any evidence for five-coordinate palladium(II) intermediates, which are commonly believed to cause the profound effects of counterions in palladium-catalyzed transformations. Instead, our calculations suggest that the higher catalytic activity of anionic complexes, such as [Pd(PMe(3))(2)OAc](-), may arise from their stronger ability to coordinate to carbon electrophiles. The transmetalation sequence is the same for both catalytic cycles, involving the dissociation of one phosphine ligand from the palladium. In the decisive transition state, in which the phenyl group is transferred from boron to palladium, the acetate base is found to be in a bridging coordination between these two atoms.     

Theoretical analysis of the 13C NMR of iodoalkynes upon complexation with Lewis bases

Recent experiments have demonstrated that the (13)C NMR spectra of iodoalkynes exhibit a strong solvent effect because of complexation with Lewis-basic solvents. This paper describes DFT NMR calculations (B3LYP-GIAO with LanL2DZ or Sadlej pVTZ basis set) of iodoalkynes and their Lewis acid-base complexes, interpreted by using Natural Chemical Shift (NCS) analysis within the framework of the Ramsey formalism for chemical shift. In particular, the paper presents calculations on diiodoethyne and its complexes with one and two ammonia molecules. Examination of the orbital changes upon forming the mono- and bisammonia complexes indicates that mixing of the nitrogen lone pair with the C-I antibonding orbital increases the paramagnetic deshielding at C1. Further increases can be attributed to increased polarization of the iodine lone-pair orbitals onto C1. The haloiodoalkyne series XCCI (X = F, Cl, Br, I) offers additional support for this model of the solvent effect.     

Mitochondrial targeting of selective electron scavengers: synthesis and biological analysis of hemigramicidin-TEMPO conjugates

Synthetic hemigramicidin S-peptidyl TEMPO conjugates are effectively delivered into cells and mitochondria, where they act as electron scavengers and exert protection against apoptosis. Our delivery approach is based on the use of specific structural signaling features recognizable by cells as mitochondria targeting sequences and offers considerable therapeutic anti-apoptotic potential.     

Implications of enzymatic, acidic and thermal hydrolysis of DNA on the occurrence of cross-linked melphalan DNA adducts

Calf thymus DNA was treated with melphalan, a nitrogen mustard, and the formation of melphalan cross-linked DNA adducts was investigated. These cross-linked adducts could not be detected either in the enzymatically or in the thermally generated DNA hydrolysates. However, a search for DNA cross-linked adducts in the hydrolysates obtained under acidic conditions revealed the presence of different types of cross-links, mainly containing an adenine moiety. These results are very important because they show that the detection of cross-links is dependent on the hydrolytic procedure used and that these cross-linked adducts are formed under totally different reaction conditions from those in in vivo situations. This can explain the very low abundance or even the absence of cross-linked adducts in nitrogen mustard treated animals. The generally accepted theory that the anti-cancer activity of bifunctional mustards such as melphalan is due to cross-linking of DNA strands remains therefore from our point of view questionable.     

Nickel catalysed asymmetric cycloisomerisation of diethyl diallylmalonate

Cationic nickel catalysts with monodentate phosphoramidites and Wilke's azaphospholene as ligands are highly regio- and enantioselective catalysts for the cycloisomerisation of diethyl diallylmalonate.     

Comments on the potentiometric titration of halides including fluoride with a mixed titrant

An attempt was made to verify work reported by others on the potentiometric titration of halides including fluoride with a mixed titrant of silver nitrate and thorium nitrate. The platinum indicator electrode can indeed be used to monitor the titration of bromide and chloride. However, we could not verify the results reported for fluoride. There seems to be no theoretical basis on which to expect the platinum electrode to respond to changes in fluoride ion concentration.