Flexible polyfluorinated bis-diazirines as molecular adhesives

Motivated by a desire to develop flexible covalent adhesives that afford some of the same malleability in the adhesive layer as traditional polymer-based adhesives, we designed and synthesized two flexible, highly fluorinated bis-diazirines. Both molecules are shown to function as effective crosslinkers for polymer materials, and to act as strong adhesives when painted between two polymer objects of low surface energy, prior to thermal activation. Data obtained from lap-shear experiments suggests that greater molecular flexibility is correlated with improved mechanical compliance in the adhesive layer.

Flexible, highly fluorinated covalent adhesives are synthesized, and are shown to afford comparable C–H insertion efficiency and adhesion strength relative to a rigid analogue, while providing improved mechanical compliance in the adhesion layer.     

Novel ozone-mediated cleavage of the benzhydryl protecting group from aziridinyl esters

[reaction: see text]. N-Benzhydryl aziridines-2-carboxylates can be readily obtained from the catalytic asymmetric aziridination reaction from N-benzhydrylimines and ethyl diazoacetate. Cleavage of the benzhydryl group by hydrogenolysis leads to ring opening when R = aryl. Surprisingly, ozone will selectively oxidize the benhydryl group in these aziridines even when R is an aryl group. This allows for a new deprotection strategy for these aziridines whose generality is explored.     

Total synthesis of carbazoquinocin C: application of the o-benzannulation of Fischer carbene complexes to carbazole-3,4-quinone alkaloids

[reaction: see text] The photoinduced o-benzannulation of 3-(2-vinyl)indolylcarbene complexes provides a direct route to carbazole derivatives that are oxygenated in the 3- and 4-positions. This reaction is quite efficient and provides for a unique synthesis of the lipid peroxidation inhibitor carbazoquinocin C.