Synthesis of dendritic bisphosphonates as bone targeting ligands

A dendritic bisphosphonate carrying three bisphosphonate (BP) units in close proximity was designed as a ligand to conjugate large therapeutic molecules for their bone selective delivery. The Bu₃P-catalyzed conjugate addition of nitromethane to vinylidene bisphosphonate was effective to construct a quaternary carbon center carrying BP units. Owing to multivalent interactions, the dendritic bisphosphonate showed considerable affinity for the bone mineral hydroxyapatite even in the presence of a competitor, demonstrating potential as a bone targeting ligand.     

Alternative preparation and characterization of platinum(II) organometallic dinuclear complexes and oligomers with 3,8-diethynylphenanthroline derivatives

Novel platinum(II) organometallic dinuclear complexes and oligomers with two types of phenanthroline ligands, namely 3,8-diethynylphenanthroline (L1) and 3,8-bis-(4-ethynyl-phenylethynyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (L2), were synthesized from trans-Pt(PBu₃)₂(1-ethynyl-4-methyl-benzene)Cl and trans-Pt(PBu₃)₂Cl₂ by transmetalation of copper ion. The alternative procedure targeted platinum oligomer termination selection of either chloride or respective phenanthrolines and was successfully performed with different purifications by extraction and column chromatography. The structural formulae of these platinum complexes and oligomers were revealed with by analysis of both ³¹P{¹H}-NMR and ¹H-NMR spectral data. Alternative preparations of platinum oligomers with two types between chloride and respective phenanthroline termination are very useful for the selective synthesis for hybrid polymers with the coupling reaction with two different platinum oligomers with different diethynylaryl ligands. The platinum organometallic compounds showed similar absorption bands in the UV–Vis region. Those prepared with L1 had a strong absorption band at around 400 nm, assignable to the lowest energy metal-perturbed ¹[π–π*] transitions, while in compounds prepared with L2, the strong band appeared around 410 nm, because L2 has an extended π conjugation relative to L1. No distinct differences were observed in the absorption spectra of these platinum oligomers between the different terminal structures, chloride or various phenanthrolines. The luminescence spectra of the platinum compounds prepared with either L1 or L2, however, showed a distinct difference. Those with L1 showed only a phosphorescence assignable to a typical metal-perturbed ³[π–π*] transition with vibronic progressions centered at around 530 nm in deoxygenated CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature, while those with L2 showed weak dual emissions assignable to a mixture of typical metal-perturbed ¹[π–π*] and ³[π–π*] transitions in the visible region.     

Aggregation-induced emission and thermally activated delayed fluorescence of 2,6-diaminobenzophenones

Exploration of novel organic luminophores that exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) in the aggregated state is very crucial for advance of delayed luminescence-based applications such as time-gated bio-sensing and temperature sensing. We report herein that synthesis, photophysical properties, molecular and crystal structures, and theoretical calculations of 2,6-bis (diarylamino)benzophenones. Absorption spectra in solution and calculations using density functional theory (DFT) method revealed that the optical excitation took place through intramolecular charge-transfer from one diarylamino moiety to an aroyl group. While the benzophenones did not luminesce in solution, the solids of the benzophenones emitted green light with moderate-to-good quantum yields. Thus, the benzophenones exhibit aggregation-induced emission. Based on the lifetime measurement, the green emission of the solids was found to include TADF. The emergence of the TADF is supported by the small energy gap between the excited singlet and triplet states, which was estimated by time-dependent DFT calculations. Thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) doped by the benzophenones also showed green prompt and delayed fluorescence whose lifetimes were in the order of microseconds. Linear correlation between logarithm value of TADF lifetime and temperature was observed with the benzophenone in powder, suggesting that the benzophenones can serve as molecular thermometers workable under aqueous conditions.     

A Quintuple [6]Helicene with a Corannulene Core as a C5‐Symmetric Propeller‐Shaped π‐System

The synthesis and structural analysis of a quintuple [6]helicene with a corannulene core is reported. The compound was synthesized from corannulene in three steps including a five‐fold intramolecular direct arylation. X‐ray crystallographic analysis revealed a C₅‐symmetric propeller‐shaped structure and one‐dimensional alignment in the solid state. The enantiomers of the quintuple [6]helicene were successfully separated by HPLC, and the chirality of the two fractions was identified by CD spectroscopy. A kinetic study yielded a racemization barrier of 34.2 kcal mol^?1, which is slightly lower than that of pristine [6]helicene. DFT calculations indicate a rapid bowl‐to‐bowl inversion of the corannulene moiety and a step‐by‐step chiral inversion pathway for the five [6]helicene moieties.     

Liquid structure of room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide

The liquid structure of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (EMI(+)TFSI(-)) has been studied by means of large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS), (1)H, (13)C, and (19)F NMR, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. LAXS measurements show that the ionic liquid is highly structured with intermolecular interactions at around 6, 9, and 15 A. The intermolecular interactions at around 6, 9, and 15 A are ascribed, on the basis of the MD simulation, to the nearest neighbor EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interaction, the EMI(+)...EMI(+) and TFSI(-)...TFSI(-) interactions, and the second neighbor EMI+...TFSI(-) interaction, respectively. The ionic liquid involves two conformers, C(1) (cis) and C(2) (trans), for TFSI(-), and two conformers, planar cis and nonplanar staggered, for EMI(+), and thus the system involves four types of the EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interactions in the liquid state by taking into account the conformers. However, the EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interaction is not largely different for all combinations of the conformers. The same applies alsoto the EMI(+)...EMI(+) and TFSI(-)...TFSI(-) interactions. It is suggested from the 13C NMR that the imidazolium C(2) proton of EMI(+) strongly interacts with the O atom of the -SO(2)(CF(3)) group of TFSI(-). The interaction is not ascribed to hydrogen-bonding, according to the MD simulation. It is shown that the liquid structure is significantly different from the layered crystal structure that involves only the nonplanar staggered EMI(+) and C(1) TFSI(-) conformers.     

Total Synthesis of Taxol Enabled by Inter- and Intramolecular Radical Coupling Reactions

Taxol is a clinically used drug for the treatment of various types of cancers. Its 6/8/6/4-membered ring (ABCD-ring) system is substituted by eight oxygen functional groups and flanked by four acyl groups, including a β-amino acid side chain. Here we report a 34-step total synthesis of this unusually oxygenated and intricately fused structure. Inter- and intramolecular radical coupling reactions connected the A- and C-ring fragments and cyclized the B-ring, respectively. Functional groups of the A- and C-rings were then efficiently decorated by employing newly developed chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective reactions. Finally, construction of the D-ring and conjugation with the β-amino acid delivered taxol. The powerful coupling reactions and functional group manipulations implemented in the present synthesis provide new valuable information for designing multistep target-oriented syntheses of diverse bioactive natural products.     

Linear dichroism of Zn(II)-tetrapyridylporphine aggregates formed at the toluene/water interface

The apparent circular dichroism (CD) and the linear dichroism (LD) spectra of the aggregates of achiral zinc(II)-5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine (ZnTPyP), formed at the toluene/water interface in a centrifugal liquid membrane (CLM) cell, were investigated by comparison with the microscopic CD and LD spectra of a single interfacial aggregate of ZnTPyP about 100 mum in length, measured by a microscope-spectropolarimeter. The interfacial ZnTPyP aggregate showed two types of flat trapezoidal shapes, one had a seedlike core at an edge (type I) and another a needlelike core at an edge (type II). The microscopic CD and LD spectra were observed by varying the angle between the parallel axis of the trapezoidal aggregate and the perpendicular axis of a polarized light for LD. The plot of the CD intensity against the LD intensity for a single aggregate, observed at a given wavelength, showed a rotated elliptical shape with a long axis through the origin, when the orientation angle was changed. From these results, it was concluded that the apparent CD spectra observed by the CLM-CD method were mainly due to the large linear dichroism of the aggregate. Both type I and type II structures showed two transition dipole moments, parallel and perpendicular to the long axis of the structure, but suggesting a more developed J-aggregate in type II structure. AFM measurements showed that the interfacial ZnTPyP aggregate had a multilayer structure, in which the unit monolayer thickness was 1.58 +/- 0.23 nm. Finally, the orientation angle of the interfacial aggregate in the CLM cell was estimated as 41 degrees -44 degrees to the rotating axis of the cell.     

A Bioinspired Synthesis of (±)‐Rubrobramide, (±)‐Flavipucine,and (±)‐Isoflavipucine

A biomimetic synthesis of naturally occurring lactams rubrobramide, flavipucine, and isoflavipucine is described. The key step is a regioselective Darzens reaction between isobutyl glyoxal and an α‐bromo‐β‐ketoamide. The construction of the core tricyclic ring system of rubrobramide was achieved by a cascade reaction in a single step from an α,β‐epoxy‐γ‐lactam. Furthermore, the absolute configuration of naturally occurring (+)‐rubrobramide was determined by vibrational circular dichroism. (±)‐Flavipucine and (±)‐isoflavipucine were synthesized from an epoxyimide, which was prepared by reaction of isobutyl glyoxal with a protected α‐bromo‐β‐ketoamide. Deprotection of the epoxyimide and formation of the pyridone ring gave (±)‐flavipucine, which was converted into (±)‐isoflavipucine by thermal isomerization.     

Selective deprotection of trityl group on carbohydrate by microflow reaction inhibiting migration of acetyl group

The trityl group is an important and useful protecting group for primary hydroxy groups on carbohydrates. However, during deprotection, neighboring acetyl groups can easily migrate to the deprotected hydroxy groups. Hence, deprotection of trityl groups was optimized using a microreactor with regard to flow rate, reagent concentration, reaction time, and substrate concentration. The optimized microflow reaction conditions inhibited migration and could be applied to large-scale reactions and other substrates.