Synthesis of porritoxin

A total synthesis following the sequence in Scheme 1 confirms that porritoxin possesses revised structure 3, not the originally assigned 1. A key reaction was the use of iron pentacarbonyl to formylate an aryllithium when DMF and methyl formate proved insufficiently reactive.     

Crystal structures of phenyl-substituted cyclopropanes. IV. the crystal structure (at 21‡C and −100‡C) and the phenyl ring conformation in 4-cyclopropylacetanilide

The crystal structure of 4-cyclopropylacetanilide was investigated at room temperature (21C) and at –100C in order to determine the orientation of the phenyl ring with respect to the cyclopropane moiety and the effect of this substituent on the stereochemistry of the three-membered ring. The compound was chosen because it is one of the few species containing a simple phenyl ring as the sole cyclopropane ring substituent and whose crystals are suitable for X-ray diffraction at room temperature. The substance crystallizes in space groupP2_l/c at either temperature (no phase transitions) with cell constants: (at 21C)a=9.725(2),b=10.934(3), andc=9.636(2) å,=106.13(1);V=984.21 å³ andd(calc;z=4)=1.182 g cm^–3. The relevant parameters for the –100C structure area=9.557(4),b=10.980(2), andc=9.641(2) å,=106.34(3);V=970.76 å³ and d(calc;z=4)=1.199 g cm^–3. Final values wereR(F)=0.042, R_w=0.035, using unit weights, and its nonhydrogen atoms were used to phase the low-temperature data, whose final discrepancy indices wereR(F)=0.051,R _w =0.061. The phenyl substituent is almost exactly in the bisecting conformation with respect to the C-C-C angle at the point of attachment to cyclopropane and conjugative effects are clearly evident in the lengths of the cyclopropane ring [1.494(3), 1.498(3), and 1.474(4) å, the later being the distal bond]. If one omits the terminal methylene fragments at C10 and C11, the atoms comprising the acetanilide fragment and the substituted carbon of the cyclopropane ring lie in a nearly perfect plane. Molecular mechanics as well as semiempirical (AM1) calculations were carried out in order to determine the structure of the energy-minimized configurations in the two computational environments. The molecular conformations thus obtained are close to that experimentally observed from the X-ray diffraction experiment. In both theoretical models, the lowest energy conformation is that in which the plane of the phenyl ring bisects the cyclopropane C-C-C angle as was experimentally observed. Finally, the shape of the conformational barrier as a function of the orientation of the plane of the phenyl ring was computed, giving a maximum barrier to rotation of 2.2 kcal/mol. Similar calculations were carried out for two other aryl cyclopropanes, whose rings (naphthalene and anthracene) cannot adopt the bisecting position. Comparisons of experimental geometrical parameters as well as of the barriers to rotation are presented.on leave at the University of Houston, 1995–1996.     

Strained aromatic oligoamide macrocycles as new molecular clips

Can one join both ends of a helix? A helical aromatic oligoamide was macrocyclized into a saddle-shaped bifunctional clip molecule that self-assembles into discrete circular dodecamers in the solid state and shows great potential for binding aromatic acid guests in solution. The cyclization step requires that the helix is only partly denatured in the reaction medium.     

Examination of the statistical method in the conjugated circuit theory

Summary The recently proposed statistical method for the calculation of resonance energies in the conjugated circuit theory is tested on the example of polyacenes. It is found that for the estimation of the resonance energy with a 10% average error, the method requires a sample consisting of about 20 (randomly chosen) Kekulé structures. Further increase of the sample size gives no significant gain in the accuracy of the method.

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Überprüfung der statistischen Methode in der Konjugierten-Ring-Theorie

Zusammenfassung Die unlängst vorgeschlagene statistische Methode in der Konjugierten-Ring-Theorie (conjugated circuit theory) wird am Beispiel der Polyacene getestet. Es wurde festgestellt, daß für die Abschätzung der Resonanzenergien bei einem mittleren Fehler von 10% für diese Methode ungefähr 20 (willkürlich gewählte) Kekulé-Strukturen nötig sind. Weitere Erhöhung dieser Anzahl bringt keine signifikante Verbesserung der Genauigkeit der Methode.

     

A first theoretical study on the origin of the metal-mediated regioselective opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols

Hybrid density functional theory (B3LYP) method allows the study of the role of metal ions (Li(+)) in the regioselective opening of 2,3-epoxy alcohols with lithium halides (Cl, Br, I) to the corresponding halohydrins. The theoretical results largely confirm the experimental results, especially with regards to the regioselectivity observed in the opening of the oxirane ring. The C3 halogen attack is always preferred to the C2 attack, with a significant difference in the TS structures with the reaction pathway under kinetic control. The central role of the lithium cation, linked to the oxygen atoms of the epoxy alcohol, is well documented in the reaction mechanisms presented. The energy differences between the two structures of the proposed TS appear to be ascribed to the different contribution of the X-H-O hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl groups of the reactant and the incoming halogen nucleophile.     

High thermodynamic stability and extraordinary kinetic inertness of copper(II) complexes with 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,8-bis(methylphosphonic acid): example of a rare isomerism between kinetically inert penta- and hexacoordinated copper(II) complexes

In an aqueous solution at room temperature, 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,8-bis(methylphosphonic acid) (H(4)L(1)) and Cu(I) (I) form a pentacoordinated (pc) complex, pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-), exhibiting conformation I of the cyclam ring. At high temperature, the complex isomerises to a hexacoordinated isomer, trans-O,O-[Cu(L(1))](2-), with a trans-III conformation of the cyclam ring. In pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-), four ring nitrogen atoms and one phosphonate oxygen atom are arranged around Cu(I) (I) in a structure that is half-way between a trigonal bipyramid and a tetragonal pyramid, with one phosphonic acid group uncoordinated. In the trans-O,O-[Cu(L(1))](2-) isomer, the nitrogen atoms form a plane and the phosphonic acid groups are in a mutually trans configuration. A structurally very similar ligand, 4-methyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,8-bis(methylphosphonic acid) (H(4)L(2)), forms an analogous pentacoordinated complex, pc-[Cu(L(2))](2-), at room temperature. However, the complex does not isomerise to the octahedral complex analogous to trans-O,O-[Cu(L(1))](2-). Because of the high thermodynamic stability of pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-), (logbeta=25.40(4), 25 degrees C, I=0.1 mol dm(-3) KNO(3)) and the formation of protonated species, Cu(I) (I) is fully complexed in acidic solution (-log [H(+)] approximately 3). Acid-assisted decomplexation of both of the isomers of [Cu(H(2)L(1))] takes place only after protonation of both uncoordinated oxygen atoms of each phosphonate moiety and at least one nitrogen atom of the cycle. The exceptional kinetic inertness of both isomers is illustrated by their half-lives tau(1/2)=19.7 min for pc-[Cu(H(2)L(1))] and tau(1/2) about seven months for trans-O,O-[Cu(H(2)L(1))] for decomplexation in 5 M HClO(4) at 25 degrees C. The mechanism of formation of pc-[Cu(L(1))](2-) is similar to those observed for other macrocyclic complexes.     

5-(N-Arylnortropan-3-yl)- and 5-(N-Arylpiperidin-4-yl)-2,4-diaminopyrimidines. Novel Inhibitors of Dihydrofolate Reductase

Based on a computer-assisted analysis of the three-dimensional structure of the binary complex of E.coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) with methotrexate, 5-(N-arylnortropan-3-yl)- and 5-(N-arylpiperidin-4-yl)-2,4-diaminopyrimidines 2 and 4 were designed as inhibitors of DHFR. Syntheses of the designed compounds have been carried out. The most potent compound 2a inhibited E. coli DHFR with K_i = 0.49.10^?9M. The activities within the series of compounds synthesized could be rationalized by molecular-modelling experiments which served as the basis of this work. Several compounds within the presented series exhibit antimalarial activities in vitro and in vivo.     

CTI: A novel charge-related topological index with low degeneracy

A new type of topological index is proposed. Its definition is based on the concept of atomic charge distributions in organic molecules. Introduction of electronic in addition to purely topologic factors allows consideration of heteroatom-containing structures as well. It is demonstrated that the index has a low degree of degeneracy, thus suggesting it can be used for coding chemical structures, discrimination of redundancies in structure generation programs, and studies of quantitative structure-activity relationships for heteroatom-containing structures.     

On a resonance energy model based on expansion in terms of acyclic moments: Exact results

Summary The new concept of the resonance energy in conjugated hydrocarbons introduced by Jiang Y, Zhang H (1989) Theor Chim Acta 75:279 is further developed. This model is based on expansion of the -electron energy in terms of moments which are also equal to numbers of closed walks in a molecular graph. The reference system is established by counting only acyclic walks, i.e. those tracing only on acyclic subgraphs. Because acyclic walks could be counted only up to some finite length, the energy of the reference system has been evaluated by truncating higher terms in the expansion. In this paper a finite expression for the energy of the same reference system is derived, thus allowing its exact evaluation. The exact values differ significantly from the truncated ones. This difference, as well as the discrepancy between exact results and chemical experience, are discussed.     

Some Gauge-natural operators on linear connections

We determine explicitly all geometrical operators transforming a linear connection on a vector bundle :EM and a classical linear connection on the base manifoldM into a classical linear connection on the total spaceE.