Bislactonization of unsaturated diacids using lead tetraacetate

The reaction of lead tetraacetate with unsaturated carboxylic acids (or salts) to from bislactones (γ or δ) can be controlled to produce efficiently $\text{cis}$ addition of two carboxylic oxygens to the double bond, in consonance with an initial plumbolactonization step followed by S_N2 displacement of lead.     

Highly effective transition structure designed catalyst for the enantio- and position-selective dihydroxylation of polyisoprenoids

[structure: see text] The chiral monocinchona derivative shown, synthesized in one step from two efficiently prepared chiral building blocks, was designed under mechanistic guidance as a catalyst for the enantio- and position-selective dihydroxylation of the terminal isopropylidene group of polyisoprenoids. Its efficacy as a synthetic reagent for this purpose was demonstrated for several different substrates.     

A short,three-component total synthesis of 12-hydroxyeicosa-5,8,14(Z), 10(E)-tetraenoic acid (12-HETE) via the corresponding ketone

A highly effective synthesis of (±)-12-HETE (1) from the components 2, 3 and 6 is described which employs a new class of cuprate reagents.     

d-orbital stereoelectronic control of the stereochemistry of SN2′ displacements by organocuprate reagents

The $\text{anti}$ stereochemistry observed in organocuprate S_N2′ displacements can be rationalized as a stereoelectronic effect arising from “bidentate” binding involving a d orbital of nueleophilic copper and π* and σ* orbitals of the substrate. The extension of this idea to other reactions of organocuprates including additions to acetylenes and enones is discussed.     

Anion dependent structures of luminescent silver(i) complexes

The reaction of AgX, where X = trifluoroacetate (CF(3)CO(2)(-), tfa), nitrate (NO(3)(-)), trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate, CF(3)SO(3)(-), OTf), hexafluorophosphate (PF(6)(-)), or perchlorate (ClO(4)(-)), with 2,2',3' '-tripyridylamine (tpa) yields five novel silver(I) complexes, which have been structurally characterized. The five complexes have the same 1:1 stoichiometry of Ag/tpa but exhibit different modes of coordination, depending upon the counterion present in the compound. Compound 1, [Ag(tpa)(tfa)](n)(), forms a 1D coordination polymer of [Ag(tpa)(tfa)](2) dimer units linked through bridging tfa counterions. Compound 2, [Ag(tpa)(CH(3)CN)(NO(3))](n), forms a zigzag chain 1D coordination polymer exclusively through Ag-N bonds. In compounds 1 and 2, each tpa ligand is bound to two Ag(I) ions via a 2-py and a 3-py group. Compound 3, [Ag(tpa)(OTf)](n), forms a ribbonlike 1D coordination polymer, in which each tpa ligand binds to three different silver centers via all three pyridyl groups, and the counterion remains coordinated to the Ag(I) center. Compounds 4, [Ag(tpa)(CH(3)CN)](n)(PF(6))(n), and 5, [Ag(tpa)(CH(3)CN)](n)() (ClO(4))(n), display ribbonlike structures resembling that of 3, except that the counterions are not coordinated. All complexes are luminescent in acetonitrile solution, with emission maxima in the near-UV region (lambda(max) = 366, 368, 367, 367, and 368 nm for 1-5, respectively). At 77 K, the emission maxima are red-shifted to lambda(max) = 452, 453, 450, 450, and 454 nm for 1-5, respectively.     

A simple stereocontrolled synthesis of salinosporamide A

A simple and effective stereocontrolled synthesis of salinosporamide A has been developed. This process, the first synthesis of salinosporamide A, is capable of providing the compound in substantial quantities for further biological studies. Salinosporamide A was of special interest as a synthetic target because of its potent in vitro cytotoxic activity against many tumor cell lines (IC(50) values of 10 nM or less).     

Evaporatively cooled M+ (H2O)Ar cluster ions: infrared spectroscopy and internal energy simulations

Rotationally resolved IR spectra of M+ (H2O)Ar cluster ions for M=Na, K, and Cs in the O-H stretch region were measured in a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. Analysis of the spectra yields O-H stretch vibrational band origins and relative IR intensities of the symmetric and asymmetric modes. The effect of the alkali-metal ions on these modes results in frequency shifts and intensity changes from the gas phase values of water. The A-rotational constants are also obtained from the rotational structure and are discussed. Experimentally, the temperatures of these species were deduced from the relative populations of the K-rotational states. The internal energies and temperatures of the cluster ions for Na and K were simulated using RRKM calculations and the evaporative ensemble formalism. With binding energies and vibrational frequencies obtained from ab initio calculations, the average predicted temperatures are qualitatively consistent with the experimental values and demonstrate the additional cooling resulting from argon evaporation.     

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis with rh-diene complexes: 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to unsaturated esters

A general route to enantioenriched tert-butyl 3,3-diarylpropanoates is presented. These useful building blocks are prepared via an asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to unsaturated tert-butyl esters in the presence of chiral dienes as ligands. The addition of both electron-poor and electron-rich boronic acids proceeds smoothly with various enoates in 63-90% yield with high enantioselectivites (89-94% ee). [reaction: see text]     

Total synthesis of (±)-2-isocyanopupukeanane

The first total synthesis of (±)-2-isocyanopupukeanane, a sesquiterpenoid of marine origin, has been completed following a strategy in which a common intermediate serves both for this synthesis and that of an isomeric, naturally occurring allomone, 9-isocyanopupukeanane.     

Epitaxial electrodeposition of Prussian blue thin films on single-crystal Au(110)

Epitaxial Prussian blue (PB) films are deposited electrochemically onto a Au(110) substrate. High-resolution X-ray diffraction shows that the PB films have a [111] out-of-plane orientation. The very large lattice mismatch of 148% is reduced to about 1% by the formation of (1 x 2)PB(111)[onemacr;10]//(6 x 5)Au(110)[onemacr;10] and (1 x 2)PB(111)[01onemacr;]//(6 x 5)Au(110)[onemacr;10] epitaxial relationships. Peaks in the cyclic voltammogram of PB on Au(110) are sharper than those on polycrystalline Au, consistent with higher structural order and a single out-of-plane orientation. The development of epitaxial films of PB and PB analogues will allow the measurement of the orientation-dependent properties of these molecular magnets. It will also open the door to the development of novel molecular spintronic devices, such as those which exhibit spin-dependent electron transfer.