The biosynthesis of the alkaloids of croton sparsiflorus morong

Incorporation of tyrosine, dopa, dopamine, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid, (±)-, norcoclaurine-1-carboxylic acid, -norcoclaurine, -coclaurine, and -N-methylcoclaurine into N-methylcrotsparine, N-methylcrotsparinine and N-methylsparsiflorine in Croton sparsiflorus Morong has been studied. The evidence supports the direct oxidative coupling of (+)-, and (-)-N-methylcoclaurines to give N-methylcrotsparine and N-methylcrotsparinine respectively. Tracer experiment show that N-methylcrotsparine undergoes dienone-phenol rearrangement to give N-methylsparsiflorine. A double labelling experiment with (±)-N[¹⁴C]methyl[1-³H]coclaurine demonstrated that the H atom at the asymmetric centre in the 1-benzylisoquinoline precursor is retained in the bioconversion. The intermediacy of norcoclaurine-1-carboxylic acid and specific incorporation of dehydro-N-methylcoclaurinium salt into the bases have been demonstrated.     

The structure,absolute configuration and biosynthesis of nortiliacorinine a

The incorporation of (±)-norcoclaurine, (±)-coclaurine, (±)-N-methylcoclaurine and dehydro-N-methylcoclaurine into nortiliacorinine A in Tiliacora racemosa colebr has been studied and specific utilisation of the (±)-coclaurine demonstrated. The evidence supports oxidative dimerization of two coclaurine units to give nortiliacorinine A. Experiments with (±)-N-methylcoclaurine and (±)-[1-³H, N-¹⁴CH₃]N-methylcoclaurine established that only one N-methylcoclaurine unit is specifically utilised to constitute that “half” of the base which had phenolic OH group in the benzylic portion and further demonstrated that the H atom at the asymmetric centre in the 1-benzylisoquinoline precursor is retained in the bioconversion into nortiliacorinine A. Double labelling experiment with (±)-[1-³H, 6,0-¹⁴CH₃]N-methylcoclaurine showed that O-Me function of the precursor is lost in the bioconversion into nortiliacorinine A. Parallel feedings of (+)-(S)- and (-)-(R)-N-methyl-coclaurines and (-)-(S)-, and ( + )-(R)-coclaurines revealed that the stereo-specificity is maintained in the biosynthesis of nortiliacorinine A from 1-benzylisoquinoline precursors and established ‘S,S’-configuration at the two asymmetric centres in nortiliacorinine A.     

Electrophilic fluorinating reagent mediated synthesis of fluorinated alpha-keto Ethers,benzil, and 6,6'-dialkoxy-2,2'-bipyridines

Interactions of various fluorinated and nonfluorinated alcohols with trans-stilbene in the presence of electrophilic reagents were studied. Under neat conditions, reactions of trans-stilbene (1) with fluorinated alcohols, R(f)OH (R(f) = CF3CH2-, CFH2CH2-, CF3CF2CH2-, CF2H(CF2)3CH2-, (CF3)2CH-, (CF3)3C- (2a-f) in the presence of an electrophilic reagent, 1-(chloromethyl)-4-fluoro-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bis(tetrafluoroborate) (Selectfluor) or N,N-difluoro-2,2'-bipyridinium bis(tetrafluoroborate) (MEC-31), gave alpha-keto ethers (3a-f) and benzil (4) in good to moderate yields. alpha-Keto ether and benzil formation was very much dependent on the reaction time, the degree of fluorination of the alcohols, and whether a solvent such as CH3CN, DMF or DMA was utilized. In solution, alpha-keto ethers and benzil did not form. Interestingly, under neat conditions, nonfluorinated alcohols, ROH (R = CH3-, CH3CH2-, CH3CH2CH2-, CH3CH2CH2CH2-, CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2-) (5g-k) did not react with trans-stilbene in the presence of MEC-31 but gave 6,6'-dialkoxy-2,2'-bipyridines (6g-k), regioselectively, in excellent isolated yields. On the other hand, fluorinated alcohols did not react with MEC-31. Reaction of MEC-31 with an excess of diethylene glycol (7) gave the bipyridine derivative (8) in 88% isolated yield. Reaction of 8 either with diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST) or bis(2-methoxyethyl)aminosulfur trifluoride (Deoxofluor) readily produced the corresponding difluoro derivative (9) in 85% isolated yield. All new compounds have been characterized by spectroscopic and elemental analysis.     

Novel reactions of phosphorus(III) azides and isocyanates: unusual modes of cycloaddition with dipolarophiles and an unexpected case of ring expansion

New modes of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition are uncovered by the isolation of [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2]P(C(CO2Me)C(CO2Me)N[NP(N3)(OC6H2-6-t-Bu-4-Me)2CH2]N) (3) and [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2]P(C(CO2Me)C(CO2Me)C(O)N) (4) on treating [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2]P-X [X = N3 (1) and NCO (2)] with the dipolarophile MeO2CC identical to CCO2Me; compound 4 undergoes an unprecedented ring expansion upon addition of 2-(methylamino)ethanol to afford the spirocycle [CH2(6-t-Bu-4-Me-C6H2O)2]P(OCH2CH2N(Me)CH(CO2Me)CH(CO2Me)C(O)N) (5).     

Electron-impact-induced 3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement and cyclization in phenyl allenylmethyl ethers

A 3,3-sigmatropic rearrangement in the M^+· of phenyl allenylmethyl ether is proposed for the observed losses of CO, C₂H₄, and CH₃. Direct cyclization in the M^+· also leads to the [M?CH₃] ion. The presence of sulfur as the heteroatom in phenyl allenylmethyl sulfide does not significantly influence the occurrence of Claisen rearrangement. Ortho interaction of the nitro group with the allenyl double bond in the side chain leads to characteristic fragment ions in 2-nitrophenyl allenylmethyl ether. Linked scans, high-resolution mass spectrometry, collision-activated dissociation-B/E linked-scan spectra, and D-labeling have been employed to support the proposed mechanisms and ion structures.     

Synthesis and X-Ray Crystal Structure Study of ]2-Methyl-4-(2-methylbenzoyl)-phenoxy] Acetic Acid Hydrazide

Benzophenone analog 3 has been synthesized and characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The compound crystallizes in a monoclinic space group P2₁/c with cell parameters a = 7.701(8) Å, b = 7.151(5) Å, c= 28.323(3) Å, = 104.639(4)°, Z = 4. The structure exhibits intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the type N–HO, C–HO, and N–HN. The molecules are interlinked through hydrogen bonds forming an infinite chain. This polymeric-like structure may play an important role in biological activity.