Stereoselective synthesis of unnatural α-amino acid derivatives through photoredox catalysis

A protocol for stereoselective C-radical addition to a chiral glyoxylate-derived N-sulfinyl imine was developed through visible light-promoted photoredox catalysis, providing a convenient method for the synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids. The developed protocol allows the use of ubiquitous carboxylic acids as radical precursors without prior derivatization. The protocol utilizes near-stoichiometric amounts of the imine and the acid radical precursor in combination with a catalytic amount of an organic acridinium-based photocatalyst. Alternative mechanisms for the developed transformation are discussed and corroborated by experimental and computational studies.

A protocol for stereoselective C-radical addition to a chiral glyoxylate-derived N-sulfinyl imine was developed through visible light-promoted photoredox catalysis, providing a convenient method for the synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids.     

One-carbon chain extension of esters to alpha-chloroketones: a safer route without diazomethane

The reaction of a variety of methyl esters with dimethylsulfoxonium methylide at 0-25 degrees C affords the chain-extended beta-keto dimethylsulfoxonium ylides. Subsequent treatment with hydrogen chloride in THF proceeds with loss of DMSO to afford the corresponding alpha-chloroketones. This sequence has been utilized to convert the methyl esters of CBZ-protected alanine and valine to the anti N-protected alpha-amino epoxides, which are important pharmaceutical intermediates. When the same protocol is applied to BOC-protected phenylalanine methyl ester, epimerization occurs so that the use of a more reactive aryl ester is required. This chemistry provides a practical route to alpha-chloroketones that avoids the use of toxic and explosive diazomethane.     

High frequency titrations: The mercury(ii)-thiocyanate reaction

Soluble complex-formation of mercury(II) thiocyanate has been studied oscillometrically. The titration of mercury(II) nitrate with thiocyanate gives one inflection corresponding to the formation of Hg(SCN)₂, while in the reverse titration the formation of Hg(SCN)⁺ is also indecated. The method is useful for a rapid determination of very small quantities of mercury or thiocyanate in highly dilute solutions. The titrations can be effected in presence of nitric acid provided its total acidity in the system does not exceed about $\text{1}\text{300}$N. Further Work on the mercury(II) -halide and mercury(II)-cyanide reactions is in progress.     

A family of vanadate esters of monoionized and diionized aromatic 1,2-diols: synthesis,structure, and redox activity

The concerned diols (general abbreviation, H(2)L) are catechol (H(2)L(1)) and its 3,5-Bu(t)(2) derivative (H(2)L(2)). Esters of the type VO(xsal)(HL), 2, are obtained by reacting H(2)L with VO(xsal)(H(2)O) or VO(xsal)(OMe)(HOMe), where xsal(2-) is the diionized salicylaldimine of glycine (x = g), L-alanine (x = a), or L-valine (x = v). The reaction of VO(acac)(2) with H(2)L and the salicylaldimine (Hpsal) of 2-picolylamine has furnished VO(psal)(L), 3. In the structures of VO(gsal)(HL(1)), 2a, and VO(vsal)(HL(2)), 2f, the HL(-) ligand is O,O-chelated, the phenolic oxygen lying trans to the oxo oxygen atom. The xsal(2-) coligand has a folded structure and the conformation of 2f is exclusively endo. In both 2a and 2f the phenolic oxygen atom is strongly hydrogen bonded (O...O, 2.60 A) to a carboxylic oxygen atom of a neighboring molecule. In VO(psal)(L(2)).H(2)O, 3b, the diionized diol is O,O-chelated to the metal and the water molecule is hydrogen bonded to a phenoxidic oxygen atom (O.O, 2.84 A). The C-O and C-C distances in the V(diol) fragment reveal that 2 is a pure catecholate and 3 is a catecholate-semiquinonate hybrid. In solution each ester gives rise to a single (51)V NMR signal (no diastereoisomers), which generally shifts downfield with a decrease in the ester LMCT band energy. The V(V)/V(IV) and catecholate-semiquinonate reduction potentials lie near -0.75 and 0.35, and 1.10 and 0.70 V vs SCE for 2 and 3, respectively. Molecular oxygen reacts smoothly with 2 quantitatively furnishing the corresponding o-quinone, and in the presence of H(2)L the reaction becomes catalytic. In contrast, type 3 esters are inert to oxygen. The initial binding of O(2) to 2 is proposed to occur via hydrogen bonding with chelated HL(-).     

Validation of LC/MS electrospray ionisation method for the estimation of ursodiol in human plasma and its application in bioequivalence study

A novel High Performance Liquid Chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometric method has been developed for the estimation of Ursodiol (Ursodeoxycholic acid)--a bile acid, in human plasma using Ornidazole as internal standard. The methodology involved solid phase extraction of the analyte from human plasma matrix. The chromatographic separation was achieved within seven minutes by an isocratic mobile phase containing 1.0 mM ammonium acetate and Acetonitrile (65:35, v/v), flowing through XTerra MS C18, 100 x 2.1, 3.5 microm analytical column, at a flow rate of 0.2 ml/min. Ion signals were measured in negative mode for Ursodiol and internal standard at m/z 391.3 and 278.1, respectively. A detailed validation of the method was performed as per USFDA guidelines and the standard curves were found to be linear in the range 50.0 ng/ml to 3000.0 ng/ml with the mean correlation coefficient more than 0.99. The absolute recovery was more than 54.90% for Ursodiol and 76.51% for internal standard. Ursodiol was stable for sixty-nine days at -70 degrees C and for eight hours at ambient temperature. After extraction from plasma, the reconstituted samples of Ursodiol were stable in autosampler at 10 degrees C for forty-eight hours. Upon subjecting to three freeze thaw cycles, there was no change in the recovery of the analyte. The integrity of the plasma samples remained unaffected even upon four-fold dilution with drug free human plasma. The method was simple, specific, sensitive, precise, accurate and suitable for bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic studies. It was successfully applied to the pilot bioequivalence study of Ursodiol in male human subjects.     

Mechanism of ruthenium tetroxide-catalysed oxidation of aldoses by alkalineN-bromoacetamide

The kinetics of oxidation of three aldoses (glucose, mannose and galactose) byN-bromoacetamide (NBA) in the presence of an alkaline solution of RuO₄ as catalyst and Hg(OAc)₂ as co-catalyst and as a scavenger for bromide have been investigated. The main products of the oxidation are the corresponding aldonic acids. The reaction is zero order with respect to aldose and OH⁻. First order dependence of the reaction on both NBA and RuO₄ at low concentrations shifts to zero order at higher concentrations. Addition of acetamide decreases the reaction rate, while addition of Hg(OAc)₂ has the opposite effect. No significant effect of ionic strength was observed. OBr⁻ is postulated as the reactive oxidising species and a mechanism involving co-catalysis by RuO₄ and Hg^II is proposed. TMC 2588