The diazo route to diazonamide A: studies on the tyrosine-derived fragment

Various approaches to the tyrosine-derived fragment of the marine secondary metabolite diazonamide A are described. Initial efforts were focused on the originally proposed structure of the natural product, and a feasibility study established that a model 4-aryltryptamine could be readily prepared. Protected 4-bromotryptamine underwent Pd0-catalyzed coupling with the boronic acid derived from 2-bromophenyl allyl ether by Claisen rearrangement, O-methylation and lithiation-boration. The resulting biaryl was elaborated into an alpha-diazo-beta-ketoester, dirhodium(II)-catalyzed reaction of which with N-Z-valinamide gave the desired tryptamine-oxazole following cyclodehydration of the intermediate ketoamide. A potential precursor to the benzofuran ring of the original structure of diazonamide A was prepared in eight steps from N-Z-tyrosine tert-butyl ester. Iodination, O-protection and Stille coupling gave the cinnamyl alcohol 25, converted via the bromide into the allyl aryl ether 27. Subsequent Claisen rearrangement and oxidative cleavage of the alkene gave the lactol 29, converted into the desired benzofuranone 31. The revision in the structure of diazonamide A to 2 resulted in the targeting of an alternative tyrosine-derived model benzofuranone 41 synthesized in four steps from N-Z-tyrosine methyl ester 36 by a route involving Claisen rearrangement of cinnamyl ether 37. Poor yields in this sequence prompted an investigation into the intramolecular Heck reaction as a route to benzofuranone 50. Coupling of 3-iodotyrosine 44 with 2-phenylbutenoic acid 48 gave ester 49 that readily underwent intramolecular Heck reaction to give benzofuranone 50, albeit with poor stereocontrol.     

Synthesis and conformational studies of palladium(II) complexes containing [PhP(O)NP(E)Ph]− (E=S or Se)

The ligands [Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂]⁻ (E=S I; E=Se II) can readily be complexed to a range of palladium(II) starting materials affording new six-membered Pd–O–P–N–P–E palladacycles. Hence ligand substitution reaction of the chloride complexes [PdCl₂(bipy)] (bipy=2,2′-bipyridine), [{Pd(μ-Cl)(L–L)}₂] (HL–L=C₉H₁₃N or C₁₂H₁₃N), [{Pd(μ-Cl)Cl(PMe₂Ph)}₂] or [PdCl₂(PR₃)₂] [PR₃=PPh₃; 2PR₃=Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂or cis-Ph₂PCH=CHPPh₂] with either I (or II) in thf or CH₃OH gave [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E}(bipy)]PF₆, [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E}(L–L)], [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E}Cl(PMe₂Ph)] or [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E} (PR₃)₂]PF₆ in good yields. All compounds described have been characterised by a combination of multinuclear NMR [31 P{1 H} and 1 H] and IR spectroscopy and microanalysis. The molecular structures of five complexes containing the selenium ligand II have been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Three different ring conformations were observed, a pseudo-butterfly, hinge and in the case of all three PR₃ complexes, pseudo-boat conformations. Within the Pd–O–P–N–P–Se rings there is evidence for π-electron delocalisation.     

Controlling the outcome of an N-alkylation reaction by using N-oxide functional groups

Covalent modifiers of proteins are of importance in chemical proteomics, an emerging chemical technology used to assign protein function. In this study, high-field (1)H NMR techniques were used to analyze the reaction of the bioactive compound, 2,3-bis(bromomethyl)quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide, with amines (a model system for proteins containing nitrogen-based nucleophiles). Unexpectedly, the results show that a double nucleophilic substitution reaction involving 2 equiv of the amine is preferred to an intramolecular cyclization pathway. A direct comparison with the reaction carried out on a substrate lacking the N-oxide functional groups is also provided. X-ray crystal structures and computational studies are used to rationalize the observed differences in reactivity between the two systems.     

M(R-dmet)2] bis(1,2-dithiolenes): a promising new class intermediate between [M(dmit)2] and [M(R,R'-timdt)2] (M = Ni, Pd, Pt)

We report the first examples of metal dithiolenes belonging to the class [M(R-dmet)(2)] [R-dmet = formally monoreduced N-substituted thiazolidine-2,4,5-trithione; R = Et, M = Ni (1), Pd (2), Pt (3)]. A comparative spectroscopic, electrochemical, and density functional theory theoretical investigation indicates that [M(R-dmet)(2)] complexes show features intermediate between those of the dithiolenes belonging to the previously reported classes [M(R,R'-timdt)(2)] and [M(dmit)(2)] (R,R'-timdt = formally monoreduced N,N'-disubstituted imidazolidine-2,4,5-trithione; dmit = 2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato). UV-vis-near-IR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry/differential pulsed voltammetry measurements performed on 1 and 3 proved that the new dithiolenes are stable as neutral, monoanionic, and bianionic species and feature a near-IR electrochromic absorption falling at about 1000 and 1250 nm for neutral and monoanionic species, respectively.     

Bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium complexes of naphthalene-1,8-dithiolates, biphenyl 2,2'-dithiolates, and related ligands

Titanocene 1,8-dithiolato-naphthalene and titanocene 2,2'-dithiolato biphenyl are produced by the reaction of naphtho[1,8-cd]-1,2-dithiole [or the biphenyl] with titanocene dicarbonyl (Ti(II)) in toluene at room temperature. The pro-ligands 2,7-di(tert-butyl)naphtho[1,8-cd]-1,2-dithiole, 5,6-dihydroacenaphtho[5,6-cd]-1,2-dithiole, 4,5-dithioacephenanthrylene, and 13,14-dithiapicene have been used in similar reactions with titanocene dicarbonyl to investigate the effect of steric bulk and of varying the naphthalene backbone on the final complex. The resulting Cp(2)TiS(2)Ar complexes (Ar = naphthalene) have been shown by temperature-dependent (1)H NMR spectroscopy to exist in solution in an envelope conformation with the six-membered TiS(2)C(3) rings undergoing inversion on the NMR time scale while the similar Cp(2)TiS(2)Ar complexes (Ar = biphenyl, binaphthalene) interconvert more rapidly. Titanocene 2,2'-disulfinato biphenyl has been synthesized by the salt elimination reaction of titanocene dichloride (Ti(IV)) and the disodium salt of biphenyl 2,2'-disulfinic acid. Finally, the effect of using pro-ligands where the sulfur atoms have been mono- or di-oxidized has been studied, and an interesting oxygen elimination reaction is observed for the S=O fragments but not for the SO(2) groups. All complexes have been characterized spectroscopically and seven X-ray structures are reported.     

The Methoxycarbonylation of Vinyl Acetate Catalyzed by Palladium Complexes of [1,2‐Phenylenebis(methylene)]bis[di(tert‐butyl)phosphine]

Palladium complexes of [1,2‐phenylenebis(methylene)]bis[di(tert‐butyl)phosphine] ( 1 ) catalyze the methoxycarbonylation of vinyl acetate (= ethenyl acetate) in the presence of methanesulfonic acid (Scheme 1). High selectivities to ester products can be obtained if free phosphine ligand is in excess over the amount of added acid (Table 1). Selectivities to methyl 2‐acetoxypropanoate, a precursor to lactate esters, can be as high as 3.6 : 1 at low temperature and pressure (Table 2). Replacing ^tBu by ⁱPr groups leads to less‐active catalysts and lower selectivities to the branched product. Replacing the phenylene moiety by a naphthalenediyl moiety also gives lower activity, but with similar selectivity to the phenylene‐based analogues. Linear hydrocarbon‐chain linkers as the backbone instead of the phenylenebis(methylene) linker leads to poor catalysis, except for a propane‐1,3‐diyl linker, which gives good rates but poor branched selectivity (Table 5). The effect of different reaction conditions on the catalysis is discussed. The syntheses of the new xylene‐based diphosphines 2 – 5 with one to four ⁱPr groups replacing the ^tBu groups at the P‐atoms of 1 and of the ligands 6 and 7 based on 1,2‐ and 2,3‐dimethylnaphthalene are also described (Schemes 2 and 3).     

Control of competing N-H insertion and Wolff rearrangement in dirhodium(II)-catalyzed reactions of 3-indolyl diazoketoesters. synthesis of a potential precursor to the marine 5-(3-indolyl)oxazole martefragin A

Dirhodium(II)-catalyzed reaction of 3-indolyl alpha-diazo-beta-ketoester 25 in the presence of hexanamide results in competing metal carbene N-H insertion and Wolff rearrangement. The corresponding phenyl diazoketoester 32, on the other hand, gives only the product of N-H insertion, suggesting that the indole moiety is more prone to 1,2-rearrangement. The competing processes were investigated in a range of 3-indolyl alpha-diazo-beta-ketoesters (36, 38, 40, 44); these studies established that the Wolff rearrangement could be effectively suppressed by the presence of a strong electron-withdrawing group on the indole nitrogen. Dirhodium(II) catalysts were also more effective than copper or Lewis acid catalysts in favoring the insertion process. The products of N-H insertion, the ketoamides (26, 47, 49, 51, 53), were readily cyclodehydrated to the corresponding 5-(3-indolyl)oxazoles. The N-H insertion/cyclodehydration methodology was used in a formal synthesis of the marine natural product martefragin A. Thus the N-Boc homoisoleucine amide 23, prepared by asymmetric hydrogenation of a dehydro amino acid, underwent N-H insertion with the rhodium carbene derived from the N-nosyl indolyl diazoester 40, followed by cyclodehydration and deprotection to give the 5-(3-indolyl)oxazole martefragin A precursor 75.     

π-facial interactions between Cl and [S4N3]. X-ray crystal structure of [S4N3]Cl

The X-ray structure of [S₄N₃]Cl reveals three independent molecules, which all display π-facial interactions between the Cl⁻ and the pseudo-aromatic [S₄N₃]⁺ rings to produce a structure containing “inverse sandwich” systems.