Propargyloxycarbonyl (Poc) as a protective group for the hydroxyl function in carbohydrate synthesis

[reaction: see text] The propargyloxycarbonyl (Poc) group can be used for the selective protection of the hydroxyl function in carbohydrates and can be removed under neutral conditions using tetrathiomolybdate MoS(4)(2-) (1) in CH(3)CN at room temperature. Under the conditions of deprotection benzylidine acetals, benzyl ethers, acetyl and levulinoyl esters, and allyl and benzyl carbonates are left untouched. It has also been shown that the new protective group (Poc) is compatible with acidic, basic, and also glycosylation conditions.     

Determination of trace metallic impurities in high-purity quartz by ion chromatography

A method has been developed for the determination of relevant trace impurities (alkali, alkaline and transition metals) in high purity quartz by ion-chromatography. In situ reagent (HF) purification and simultaneous sample dissolution was achieved in a multichannel vapour phase digestion assembly. Twenty-one samples can be digested at a time in this vapour phase system. Significant decrease in the process blank levels for all the analytes was observed. Drastic reduction (250 times) of NH4+ blank was achieved in the described vapour phase digestion, which enables the determination of trace concentration of sodium in high purity quartz. After volatilisation of the matrix and unreacted HF, the clear water leached solutions were injected into an ion-chromatograph equipped with conductivity detector for the determination of alkali and alkaline earth metals. In the case of transition metals, the trace residues were leached with 10 mM HCl and after separation on a mixed bed analytical column (IonPac CS5) were detected by spectrophotometry after post column derivatisation using 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR). The accuracy of the result was checked by their comparison with those obtained by independent methods like inductively coupled plasma (ICP) MS and ICP atomic emission spectrometry. The achievable detection limits are between 0.4 ng/g (Li) and 22 ng/g (Mn). The application of the method to the determination of the above trace metals in two high-purity-grade quartz samples is demonstrated.     

Synthesis and Molecular Structures of Pyridine-Containing Large-Membered Cyclic Bis(alkoxy)silanes(1)

The new cyclic silanes [(C(5)H(3)N)(CH(2)O)(2)SiMe(2)](2) (1) and (C(5)H(3)N)(CH(2)CPh(2)O)(2)SiMe(2) (2) containing 16-membered and 10-membered rings, respectively, were prepared by the condensation reaction of Me(2)SiCl(2) with an appropriate pyridine diol in the presence of Et(3)N. X-ray studies show that the dimeric formulation for 1 represents a tetracoordinate cyclic silane, whereas 2 has a geometry halfway from a tetrahedron toward a trigonal bipyramid (TBP) as a result of Si-N(ax) donor action. (29)Si and (1)H NMR indicate retention of the coordination geometry for 2 in solution that undergoes rapid Si-N cleavage and ring rearrangement. In comparison with other silanes containing five- and six-membered rings that exhibit nitrogen or oxygen coordination, the presence of larger rings, as in 2 and related silanes having sulfur coordination, indicates that retention of donor action persists, thus largely ruling out ring size as a dominant factor controlling the possibility of donor action at silicon. The dimeric silane 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr; with a = 6.347(3) ?, b = 12.455(4) ?, c = 14.289(5) ?, alpha = 101.63(3) degrees, beta = 102.99(3) degrees, gamma = 104.71(3) degrees, and Z = 2. The cyclic silane 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr; with a = 9.733(4) ?, b = 10.938(2) ?, c = 14.312(3) ?, alpha = 89.03(2) degrees, beta = 74.59(3) degrees, gamma = 79.24(3) degrees, and Z = 2. The final conventional unweighted residuals are 0.040 (1) and 0.039 (2).     

Increasing protein stability by engineering the n → π* interaction at the β-turn

Abundant n → π* interactions between adjacent backbone carbonyl groups, identified by statistical analysis of protein structures, are predicted to play an important role in dictating the structure of proteins. However, experimentally testing the prediction in proteins has been challenging due to the weak nature of this interaction. By amplifying the strength of the n → π* interaction via amino acid substitution and thioamide incorporation at a solvent exposed β-turn within the GB1 proteins and Pin 1 WW domain, we demonstrate that an n → π* interaction increases the structural stability of proteins by restricting the ϕ torsion angle. Our results also suggest that amino acid side-chain identity and its rotameric conformation play an important and decisive role in dictating the strength of an n → π* interaction.

Amino acid residues adopt a right-handed α-helical conformation with increasing strength of the n → π* interaction. We also demonstrate a direct consequence of n → π* interactions on enhancing the structural stability of proteins.     

Regioselective cleavage of the bis-benzylidene acetal of d-mannitol under oxidative and reductive conditions: a new approach to C2-symmetric chiral ligands

A highly regioselective oxidative cleavage of 1,3:4,6-di-O-benzylidene-d-mannitol was carried out using NBS and the resultant product was readily converted to the C₂-symmetric chiral ligand, (R,R)-3,4-dihydroxy-1,5-hexadiene. On the other hand, reductive cleavage of 1,3:4,6-di-O-benzylidene-d-mannitol was achieved in a highly regioselective manner using BF₃·OEt₂ and Et₃SiH to give a highly functionalized benzyl ether, which was converted to a synthetically useful C₂-symmetric bis-amino alcohol derivative.     

Selective reduction of anomeric azides to amines with tetrathiomolybdate: synthesis of beta-D-glycosylamines

A number of beta-d-glycosyl azide derivatives undergo reduction on treatment with tetrathiomolybdate to produce the corresponding beta-d-glycosylamines exclusively without anomerization under very mild and neutral reaction conditions. Acetyl, allyl, benzoyl, and benzyl protective groups are left untouched under the reaction conditions. An exclusive selectivity in the reduction of anomeric azides is observed, while the C-2 and C-6 azides are left untouched.     

Highly selective deblocking of propargyl carbonates in the presence of propargyl carbamates with tetrathiomolybdate

Propargyloxycarbonyl chloride, 1, has been used to protect the hydroxyl and amino functionalities of amino alcohols and aminophenols in one pot using triethylamine or pyridine as a base. The increased reactivity of benzyltriethylammonium tetrathiomolybdate, 2, toward propargyl carbonates over propargyl carbamates is studied in detail and has been exploited further to develop an orthogonal protection strategy for the hydroxyl and amino functionalities. For example, 2-amino-1-butanol, 6a, was treated with 1 to get the N,O-diPoc compound 7a in 90% yield, which when treated with 1.1 equiv of 2 at room temperature removes the Poc group attached to oxygen while leaving the one attached to nitrogen intact to yield compound 8a in 85% yield. This particular observation offers a new protecting strategy where an amine and an alcohol group can be protected simultaneously in one pot, and in a later synthetic step, if the alcohol group has to be deprotected selectively, it can be achieved with 1 equiv of 2.     

Axial Site Occupancy by the Least Electronegative Ligands in Trigonal Bipyramidal Tetraoxyphosphoranes(1)

Analogous to the formation of CH(2)[(t-Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O](2)P(Ph)(O(2)C(6)Cl(4)) (1), the new bicyclic tetraoxyphosphoranes CH(2)[(t-Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O](2)P(Et)(O(2)C(6)Cl(4)) (3) and CH(2)[ClC(6)H(3)O](2)P(Ph)(O(2)C(6)Cl(4)) (4) were synthesized by the oxidative addition of the appropriate cyclic phosphines with o-tetrachlorobenzoquinone. For the formation of CH(2)[(t-Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O](2)P(Ph)(O(2)C(2)Ph(2)) (2), a similar reaction was followed with the use of benzil (PhCOCOPh) in place of o-tetrachlorobenzoquinone. X-ray analysis of 1-3 revealed trigonal bipyramidal geometries and provided evidence for the first series of complexes in the absence of ring strain in which the least electronegative group, ethyl or phenyl, is located in an axial position, in violation of the electronegativity rule. Thus, the two oxygen-containing ring systems occupied two different sets of positions in the trigonal bipyramid (TBP) with the eight-membered rings at diequatorial sites. X-ray analysis of 4 revealed a trigonal bipyramidal geometry with electron-withdrawing chlorine substituents on each ring assumed the more conventional geometry with the rings occupying axial-equatorial positions and the phenyl group located in the remaining equatorial site. The fact that molecular mechanics calculations favorably reproduced the observed geometries suggests that a steric contribution associated with the ring tert-butyl groups for 1-3 is partly responsible in favoring diequatorial ring occupancy for the eight-membered ring. NMR data supported rigid pentacoordinated structures in solution at 23 degrees C. Phosphorane 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Fdd2 with a = 44.787(5) ?, b = 34.648(8) ?, c = 10.3709(9) ?, and Z = 16. Phosphorane 2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna2(1) with a = 20.658(8) ?, b = 10.342(2) ?, c = 19.879(6) ?, and Z = 4. Phosphorane 3 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pcmn with a = 9.807(2) ?, b = 16.632(4) ?, c = 23.355(3) ?, and Z = 4. Phosphorane 4 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a = 35.699(5) ?, b = 12.187(2) ?, c = 14.284(3) ?, beta = 107.08(1) degrees, and Z = 8. The final conventional unweighted residuals are 0.0395 (1), 0.0518 (2), 0.0540 (3), and 0.0868 (4).     

Bioanalytical method development,validation and quantification of dorsomorphin in rat plasma by LC‐MS/MS

The present investigation describes the development and validation of a sensitive liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method for the estimation of dorsomorphin in rat plasma. A sensitive LC‐MS/MS method was developed using multiple reaction monitoring mode, with the transition of m/z (Q1/Q3) 400.2/289.3 for dorsomorphin and m/z (Q1/Q3) 306.2/236.3 for zaleplon. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a reverse phase Agilent XDB C₁₈ column (100 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm). The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 5 mm ammonium acetate buffer (pH 6.0) 90:10 v/v, at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The effluence was ionized in positive ion mode by electrospray ionization (ESI) and quantitated by mass spectrometry. The retention times of dorsomorphin and internal standard were found to be 2.13 and 1.13 min, respectively. Mean extraction recovery of dorsomorphin and internal standard in rat plasma was above 80%. Dorsomorphin calibration curve in rat plasma was linear (r² ≥ 0.99) ranging from 0.005 to 10 µg/mL. Inter‐day and intra‐day precision and accuracy were found to be within 85–115% (coefficient of variation). This method was successfully applied for evaluation of the oral pharmacokinetic profile of dorsomorphin in male Wistar rats. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Photochromic Properties of Configurationally Varied Azobenzene Glycosides

Spatial orientation of carbohydrates is a meaningful parameter in carbohydrate recognition processes. To vary orientation of sugars with temporal and spatial resolution, photosensitive glycoconjugates with favorable photochromic properties appear to be opportune. Here, a series of azobenzene glycosides were synthesized, employing glycoside synthesis and Mills reaction, to allow “switching” of carbohydrate orientation by reversible E/Z isomerization of the azobenzene N=N double bond. Their photochromic properties were tested and effects of azobenzene substitution as well as the effect of anomeric configuration and the orientation of the sugars 2-hydroxy group were evaluated.