Purines, pyrimidines, and related fused systems. 20. Heterocyclizations of 6-alkynyl-1,3-dimethyllumazines. Synthesis of pyrrole and thiophene analogs of some natural pteridines

Sonogashira cross-coupling of 6-chloro-1,3-dimethyllumazine with terminal alkynes gave 6-alkynyl derivatives in good yields. Oxidative amination of the latter with primary alkylamines was accompanied by the pyrrole-ring closure to form 1-R"-2-R-6,8-dimethylpyrrolo[3,2-g]pteridine-5,7(6H,8H)-diones. The addition of bromine to 6-alkynyllumazines afforded the corresponding dibromoalkenes whose treatment with sodium trithiocarbonate gave rise to 2-R-6,8-dimethylthieno[3,2-g]pteridine-5,7(6H,8H)-diones. The latter compounds are close analogs of the metabolite of molybdenum cofactor (molybdopterine).     

Free-Radical Carbonylations: Then and Now

Although known since the 1950s, free-radical carbonylation has not received much attention until only recently. In the last few years the application of modern free-radical techniques has revealed the high synthetic potential of this reaction as a tool for introducing CO into organic molecules. Clearly now is the time for a renaissance of this chemistry. Under standard conditions (tributyltin hydride/CO) primary, secondary, as well as tertiary alkyl bromides and iodides can be efficiently converted into the corresponding aldehydes. Aromatic and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes can also be prepared from the parent aromatic and vinylic iodides. If the reaction is carried out in the presence of alkenes containing an electron-withdrawing substituent, the initially formed acyl radical subsequently adds to the alkene, leading to a general method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical ketones. This three-component coupling reaction can be extended successfully to allyltin-mediated reactions. Thus, β,γ-enones can be prepared from organic halides, CO, and allyltributylstannanes. In a remarkable one-pot procedure alkyl halides can be treated with a mixture of alkene, allyltributylstannane, and carbon monoxide in a four-component coupling reaction that provides β-functionalized δ,?-unsaturated ketones by the formation of three new C? C bonds. The reaction of 4-pentenyl radicals with CO leads to acyl radical cyclization, which provides a useful method for the synthesis of cyclopentanones. Certain useful one-electron oxidations can be combined efficiently with free-radical carbonylations. These findings and others discussed in this article clearly demonstrate that free-radical carbonylation can now be considered a practical alternative to transition metal mediated carbonylation.     

RuO4-promoted oxidative polycyclization of isoprenoid polyenes. A further insight into the stereochemistry of the process

Further studies on the RuO₄-catalyzed oxidative polycyclization of isoprenoid polyenes have been carried out. The configuration of the tris-THF product from the oxidation of geranylgeranyl acetate has been determined by a combination of spectral and chemical correlation methods. The oxidation of (E,Z)-farnesyl acetate, synthesized from nerol, has been carried out. This process stops at the first cyclization indicating that an E configuration of the Δ⁶ double bond is needed for the second cyclization to occur. The results are discussed in comparison with previous knowledge on the related Re(VII) polycyclization of polyenic bis-homoallylic alcohols.     

Hexacyanoferrate‐based ionic liquids as Fenton‐like catalysts for deep oxidative desulfurization of fuels

Two hexacyanoferrate‐based ionic liquids, [C₄Py]₃Fe(CN)₆ and [C₁₆Py]₃Fe(CN)₆, were synthesized and characterized using Fourier transform infrared and mass spectroscopies and CHN analysis. They were employed as Fenton‐like catalysts in extraction and catalytic oxidative desulfurization of model oil with dibenzothiophene (DBT), benzothiophene (BT), 4,6‐dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6‐DMDBT), 4‐methyldibenzothiophene (4‐MDBT) and 3‐methylbenzothiophene (3‐MBT) as substrates. Various polar solvents, such as ionic liquids, water and organic solvents, were applied to choose a suitable extractant. The results showed the removal of DBT reached 97.1% with [C₄Py]₃Fe(CN)₆ as a catalyst and 1‐n‐octyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C₈mim]PF₆) as an extractant under optimal conditions. The activity of sulfur removal followed the order DBT > 3‐MBT > BT > 4‐MDBT >4,6‐DMDBT. The effect of water content on sulfur removal was investigated by adding various concentrations of H₂O₂. It was found that excess water had a positive effect on sulfur removal but the catalysts were less sensitive than [FeCl₄^?]‐based catalysts to water. The mechanism was studied using electron spin‐resonance spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. O₂^?? may be the active oxygen species in the catalytic oxidative desulfurization process and the oxidation products of various sulfur compounds were the corresponding sulfoxides and sulfones. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A UPLC‐TOF/MS‐based metabolomics study of rattan stems of Schisandra chinensis effects on Alzheimer's disease rats model

A UPLC‐TOF/MS‐based metabolomics method was established to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of rattan stems of S. chinensis (SCS) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Experimental AD model was induced by intra‐hippocampal Aβ_1–42 injection in rats. Cognitive function and oxidative stress condition in brain of AD rats were assessed using Morris water maze tests and antioxidant assays [malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px)], respectively. UPLC‐TOF/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis were conducted to study the changes in metabolic networks in serum of rats. The results indicated that the AD model was established successfully and the inducement of Aβ_1–42 caused a decline in spatial learning and memory of rats. The injection of Aβ_1–42 in rat brains significantly elevated the level of MDA, and reduced SOD and GSH‐Px activities. In addition, SCS showed significant anti‐AD effects on model rats. A total of 30 metabolites were finally identified as potential biomarkers of AD and 14 of them had a significant recovery compared with the AD model after SCS administration. Changes in AD metabolite profiling were restored to different levels through the regulation of 13 pathways. This is first report on the use of the UPLC‐TOF/MS‐based serum metabolomics method to investigate therapeutic effects of SCS on AD, and enrich potential biomarkers and metabolic networks of AD.     

Electro-Oxidative Selective Esterification of Methylarenes and Benzaldehydes

A mild and green electro-oxidative protocol to construct aromatic esters from methylarenes and alcohols is herein reported. Importantly, the reaction is free of metals, chemical oxidants, bases, acids, and operates at room temperature. Moreover, the design of the electrolyte was found critical for the oxidation state and structure of the coupling products, a rarely documented effect. This electro-oxidative coupling process also displays exceptional tolerance of many fragile easily oxidized functional groups such as hydroxy, aldehyde, olefin, alkyne, as well as neighboring benzylic positions. The enantiomeric enrichment of some chiral alcohols is moreover preserved during this electro-oxidative coupling reaction, making it overall a promising synthetic tool.     

Efficient alkyne homocoupling catalysed by copper immobilized on functionalized silica

Copper immobilized on a functionalized silica support is a good catalyst for the homocoupling of terminal alkynes. The so‐called Glaser–Hay coupling reaction can be run in air with catalytic amounts of base. The copper catalyst is active for multiple substituted alkynes, in both polar and non‐polar solvents, with good to excellent yields (75–95%). Depending on the alkyne, full conversion can be achieved within 3–24 h. The catalyst was characterized by TGA, inductively coupled plasma and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Leaching tests confirm that the catalyst is and remains heterogeneous. Importantly, the overall reaction requires only alkyne and oxygen (in this case, air) as reagents, making this a clean catalytic oxidative coupling reaction. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient Imine Formation by Oxidative Coupling at Low Temperature Catalyzed by High-Surface-Area Mesoporous CeO2 with Exceptional Redox Property

High-surface-area mesoporous CeO₂ (hsmCeO₂) was prepared by a facile organic-template-induced homogeneous precipitation process and showed excellent catalytic activity in imine synthesis in the absence of base from primary alcohols and amines in air atmosphere at low temperature. For comparison, ordinary CeO₂ and hsmCeO₂ after different thermal treatments were also investigated. XRD, N₂ physisorption, UV-Raman, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction, O₂ temperature-programmed desorption, EPR spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to unravel the structural and redox properties. The hsmCeO₂ calcined at 400 °C shows the highest specific surface area (158 m² g⁻¹), the highest fraction of surface coordinatively unsaturated Ce³⁺ ions (18.2 %), and the highest concentration of reactive oxygen vacancies (2.4×10¹⁵ spins g⁻¹). In the model reaction of oxidative coupling of benzyl alcohol and aniline, such an exceptional redox property of the hsmCeO₂ catalyst can boost benzylideneaniline formation (2.75 and 5.55 mmol h⁻¹ based on >99 % yield at 60 and 80 °C, respectively) in air with no base additives. It can also work effectively at a temperature of 30 °C and in gram-scale synthesis. These are among the best results for all benchmark ceria catalysts in the literature. Moreover, the hsmCeO₂ catalyst shows a wide scope towards primary alcohols and amines with good to excellent yield of imines. The influence of reaction parameters, the reusability of the catalyst, and the reaction mechanism were investigated.