Synthesis of 4,4-disubstituted 2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid derivatives and their incorporation into 12-helical beta-peptides

An enantioselective synthetic route is reported for trans-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acids (ACPC) bearing geminal side chain pairs at the 4-position. Beta-peptides containing the 4,4-disubstituted ACPC residues adopt the 12-helical conformation, as demonstrated by 2D NMR analysis in aqueous solution. These 4,4-disubstituted ACPC residues display functional groups, including acidic and hydrogen bond donating groups, in a geometrically defined fashion, which should be useful for the design of beta-peptides for specific applications. [structure: see text]     

Asymmetric synthesis of trans-2,3-piperidinedicarboxylic acid and trans-3,4-piperidinedicarboxylic acid derivatives

Asymmetric syntheses of (2S,3S)-3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-2-piperidinecarboxylic acid (1b), (3R,4S)-4-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-3-piperidinecarboxylic acid (2b), and their corresponding N-Boc and N-Cbz protected analogues 8a,b and 17a,b are described. Enantiomerically pure 1b has been synthesized in five steps starting from L-aspartic acid beta-tert-butyl ester. Tribenzylation of the starting material followed by alkylation with allyl iodide using KHMDS produces the key intermediate 5a in a 6:1 diastereomeric excess. Upon hydroboration, the alcohol 6a is oxidized, and the resulting aldehyde 7 is subjected to a ring closure via reductive amination, providing 1b in an overall yield of 38%. Optically pure 2b has been synthesized beginning with N-Cbz-beta-alanine. The synthesis involves the induction of the first stereogenic center using Evans's chemistry and sequential LDA-promoted alkylations with tert-butyl bromoacetate and allyl iodide. Further elaboration by ozonolysis and reductive amination affords 2b in an overall yield of 28%.     

Synthesis and oligodeoxynucleotide binding properties of pyrrolidinyl peptide nucleic acids bearing prolyl-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (ACPC) backbones

A series of novel conformationally rigid pyrrolidinyl peptide nucleic acids (PNA) based on d-prolyl-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (ACPC) backbones has been synthesized. Investigation of the binding properties of four stereoisomeric PNAs possessing different stereochemistry at the ACPC part with DNA revealed that a precise stereochemistry of the backbone is very important in determining the binding properties. Only the PNA containing (1S,2S)-ACPC can form a very stable 1:1 complex with the complementary DNA in a sequence-specific manner.     

Low Temperature Solvent Evaporation-induced Crystallization Synthesis of Nanocrystalline TiO2 Photocatalyst

A novel and efficient methodology for obtaining highly active photocatalyst of bi-phase TiO2 with small particle size and high specific surface area was developed by solvent evaporation-in-duced crystallization (SEIC) method at low temperature. The prepared TiO2 powder was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and BET surface areas. The photocatalyfic activity was evaluated by the photocatalyflc oxidation of acetone in air. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 powder preDared by this method approached that of Degnssa P25. This may be atotributed to the fact that the predated TiO2 powder had larzer specific surface areas (265 m2. g- 1 ) and smaller crystallite size (about 5 nm), but relatively low crystallinity, as compared with Degussa P25.     

Enantioselective synthesis of trans-4-methylpipecolic acid

An asymmetric synthesis for the preparation of both enantiomers of trans-methylpipecolic acids is described. It is based on Sharpless epoxidation as a chirality source, regioselective ring opening with allylamine, and ring-closing metathesis to construct the piperidine ring. The stereogenic center at C-4 is set by stereoselective hydrogenation that is directed by the alcohol functionality of an intermediate and proceeds with good diastereomeric control (trans/cis 16/1). Crystallization of the Boc-protected amino acid afforded the target products with excellent chemical (98% de) and enantiomeric purity (99% ee).     

Synthesis of 1-substituted trans-2-thiahydrindanes and 3-substituted trans-2-thiadecalins

Methods of synthesis of 1-R-trans-2-thiahydrindanes and 3-R-trans-2-thiadecalins from trans-1-methoxymethyl-2-chlorocyclohexane have been developed. The order of the chromatographic elution of the isomeric sulfides formed has been found. The configurations of the compounds have been established by¹H and¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The characteristics of the intermediate and final compounds are given. The splitting of 1-R-trans-2-oxahydrindanes and 3-R-trans-2-oxadecalins by the PBr₃/conc. HBr system has been effected.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1877–1884, August, 1991.     

Synthesis of 3-substituted trans-2-oxadecalins and 1-substituted trans-2-oxahydrindanes

A study was carried out of the intramolecular cyclization of trans-1-methoxymethyl-2-(1-hydroxyalkyl)cyclohexanes and trans-1-methoxymethyl-2-(2-hydroxyalkyl)cyclohexanes by the action of acid chlorides of phosphorous, sulfurous and p-toluenesulfonic acids with the formation of 1-substituted trans-2-oxahydrindanes in low yields and 3-substituted trans-2-oxadecalins in high yields. A relationship has been established between the yields of the cyclization products and the nature of the halogenating agent. The cyclization does not proceed via an intermediate oxonium ion, but by means of an intermolecular electronic transition.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1865–1877, August, 1991.     

Structural properties of cyclic peptides containing cis- or trans-2-aminocyclohexane carboxylic acid

A series of cyclic peptides containing either cis- or trans-2-aminocyclohexane carboxylic acid as mimics for L-proline has been synthesized and their structural properties have been investigated using NMR and MD methods.     

Dipole-induced polymorphs of trans-2-hydroxycycloheptanecarboxylic acid with virtually the same unit cell

The polymorphs of trans-2-hydroxycycloheptanecarboxylic acid have exactly the same lattice parameters and thus mimic isomorphism. They differ only in their space group: Pna21 versus Pn21a. In form II, the screw axes turn the 18-membered rings of hydrogen-bonded tetramers around the b axis. In this way, the stacking of the layers becomes antiparallel, which cancels out the dipoles within the unit cell. In form I, the same turn around the c axis leaves the stacking of the layers parallel. Thus, the dipoles are canceled out by antiparallel domains in the crystals. Between the antiparallel domains of I, each frontier is a double layer of II. This implies that (a) a pure form of I cannot be isolated and (b) the percentage of II in I may alter from crystal to crystal.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 3-substituted 2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid derivatives and their incorporation into short 12-helical beta-peptides that fold in water

A stereoselective synthetic route is reported for the introduction of side chains at the 3-position of trans-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (ACPC). Ring opening of the aziridine 2-benzyloxymethyl-6-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane with selected nucleophiles occurs in a regioselective manner and provides ACPC precursors with functional groups at the 3-position, trans to the 2-amino group. Oligomers composed of the 3-substituted ACPC residues maintain the 12-helical conformation displayed by the nonsubstituted analogues, as shown by their similar circular dichroism signatures. The added diversity of the new residues provides good dispersion of NMR signals, allowing the assignment of nearly all the NOE signals of a selected hexamer in aqueous solution. The NOEs between protons on nonadjacent residues are characteristic of the 12-helix. 3-Substituted ACPC residues allow one to arrange specific functional groups in a geometrically defined fashion, which should facilitate the design of beta-peptides for biological applications.     

Nitration of trans-2-styrylthiophene

The nitration of trans-2-styrylthiophene in carbon tetrachloride, nitroethane and acetic anhydride has been investigated. The nitration products were: β-nitro-2-styrylthiophene as the main product with 3-nitro-2-styrylthiophene and the 5-nitro isomer in smaller amounts. They were identified by the chromato-graphic and spectroscopic (uv and nmr) comparison with the reference compounds. The isomer percentages, determined by glc, were unchanged under different nitration conditions (time, temperature and molar ratio), but were dependent on the solvent used.     

Evaporation-induced formation of fractal-like structures from nanofluids

After the nanofluids are fully dried, the self-assembled nanoparticles can form various structures on the substrate. The fractal-like patterns are among them. The two-dimensional Kinetic Monte Carlo model is developed to predict the drying patterns of the nanofluids in an open domain, where the dewetting front shrinks from the edge toward the center. The simulation reveals that the initially dispersed particles can be deposited into an isotropic branched structure which remains frozen after full evaporation of the base fluid. The well-developed fractal-like particle aggregates are different from the fractal cavities obtained in the previous closed domain simulation. The present prediction of the fractal particle aggregation is verified by the experiments with the water-based nanofluids. The images taken using a scanning electron microscope prove that the evaporation-induced branched microstructures are formed by the nanoparticles as the water is totally dried.