Unprecedented Transformation of a Directing Group Generated In Situ and Its Application in the One‐Pot Synthesis of 2‐Alkenyl Benzonitriles

An unprecedented protocol for the transformation of benzoyl azides into benzonitrile derivatives via iminophosphoranes generated in situ is described. The strategy was successfully applied to the de‐novo synthesis of 2‐alkenylated benzonitrile derivatives from benzoyl azides through ortho C?H activation/alkenylation followed by subsequent rearrangement. The salient features of this protocol involve incorporation of two important functionalities through cyanation and olefination in one pot under mild reaction conditions by using a less expensive Ru catalyst. The mechanism was established by isolating and characterising (using ³¹P NMR) an intermediate with two ortho functionalities, iminophosphorane and olefin, under specific reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of a 7-azaindole by chichibabin cyclization: reversible base-mediated dimerization of 3-picolines

The lithium diisopropylamide (LDA)-mediated condensation of 2-fluoro-3-picoline and benzonitrile to form 2-phenyl-7-azaindole via a Chichibabin cyclization is described. Facile dimerization of the picoline via a 1,4-addition of the incipient benzyllithium to the picoline starting material and fast 1,2-addition of LDA to benzonitrile cause the reaction to be complex. Both adducts are shown to reenter the reaction coordinate to produce the desired 7-azaindole. The solution structures of the key intermediates and the underlying reaction mechanisms are studied by a combination of IR and NMR spectroscopies.     

Chemoenzymatic formal total synthesis of (−)-bestatin

A highly stereoselective, enzymatic reduction of an α-chloro-β-keto ester provided the key intermediate for a total synthesis of the α-hydroxy-β-amino acid moiety of (−)-bestatin. The reduction product was cyclized to a glycidic ester that was opened in a Ritter reaction with benzonitrile, affording a trans-oxazoline, which was hydrolyzed under acidic conditions to the target molecule.     

1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Substituted Benzonitrile Oxide to 5-(R)-(l-Menthyloxy)-2(5H)-furanone

Isoxazoline compounds as key intermediates for construction of natural products have been developed very fast as an hot area in organic synthesis1. 5-(R)-(l-menthyloxy)- 2(5H)-furanone as a valuable chiral synthon has been recently studied for its high stereoselectivity in many reactions2. In this paper, we focused on its reactivity and regioselectivity of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with the substituted benzonitrile oxide3 and several isoxazoline compounds were obtained and characterized…     

Driving forces in substitution reactions of octahedral complexes: The influence of the competitive effect

The reaction of cis-[RuCl₂(P–P)(N–N)] type complexes (P–P = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane or (1,1′-diphenylphosphino)ferrocene; N–N = 2,2′-bipyridine or 1,10-phenantroline) with monodentate ligands (L), such as 4-methylpyridine, 4-phenylpyridine and benzonitrile forms [RuCl(L)(P–P)(N–N)]⁺ species. Upon characterization of the isolated compounds by elemental analysis, ³¹P{¹H} NMR and X-ray crystallography it was found out that the type of the L ligand determines its position in relation to the phosphorus atom. While pyridine derivatives like 4-methylpyridine and 4-phenylpyridine coordinate trans to the phosphorus atom, the benzonitrile ligand (bzCN), a good π acceptor, coordinates trans to the nitrogen atom. A ³¹P{¹H} NMR experiment following the reaction of the precursor cis-[RuCl₂(dppb)(phen)] with the benzonitrile ligand shows that the final position of the entering ligand in the complex is better defined as a consequence of the competitive effect between the phosphorus atom and the cyano-group from the benzonitrile moiety and not by the trans effect. In this case, the benzonitrile group is stabilized trans to one of the nitrogen atoms of the N–N ligand. A differential pulse voltammetry experiment confirms this statement. In both experiments the [RuCl(bzCN)(dppb)(phen)]PF₆ species with the bzCN ligand positioned trans to a phosphorus atom of the dppb ligand was detected as an intermediate complex.     

Pincer complex-catalyzed allylation of aldehyde and imine substrates via nucleophilic eta1-allyl palladium intermediates

Electrophilic allylic substitution of allylstannanes with aldehyde and imine substrates could be achieved by employment of palladium pincer complex catalysts. It was found that the catalytic activity of the pincer complexes is highly dependent on the ligand effects. The best results were obtained by employment of PCP pincer complexes with weakly coordinating counterions. In contrast to previous applications for electrophilic allylic substitutions via bisallylpalladium complexes, the presented reactions involve monoallylpalladium intermediates. Thus, employment of pincer complex catalysts extends the synthetic scope of the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. Moreover, use of these catalysts eliminates the side reactions occurring in transformations via bisallylpalladium intermediates. The key intermediate of the electrophilic substitution reaction was observed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. This intermediate was characterized as an eta(1)-allyl-coordinated pincer complex. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling shows that the electrophilic attack can be accomplished with a low activation barrier at the gamma-position of the eta(1)-allyl moiety. According to the DFT calculations, this reaction takes place via a six-membered cyclic transition-state (TS) structure, in which the tridentate coordination state of the pincer ligand is preserved. The stereoselectivity of the reaction could be explained on the basis of the six-membered cyclic TS model.     

A Tandem In Situ Peptide Cyclization through Trifluoroacetic Acid Cleavage

We present a new approach for peptide cyclization during solid phase synthesis under highly acidic conditions. Our approach involves simultaneous in situ deprotection, cyclization and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) cleavage of the peptide, which is achieved by forming an amide bond between a lysine side chain and a succinic acid linker at the peptide N‐terminus. The reaction proceeds via a highly active succinimide intermediate, which was isolated and characterized. The structure of a model cyclic peptide was solved by NMR spectroscopy. Theoretical calculations support the proposed mechanism of cyclization. Our new methodology is applicable for the formation of macrocycles in solid‐phase synthesis of peptides and organic molecules.     

白藜芦醇的合成新方法

本文探索了合成白藜芦醇的新方法。以3,5-二甲氧基苯胺为原料,经重氮化、还原及乙酰化得到中间体N′-乙酰基-3,5-二甲氧基苯肼(4),中间体4与4-甲氧基苯乙烯经Mizoroki-Heck偶联反应得中间体5,脱去甲基即得到目标产物白藜芦醇,总收率约31.9%。中间体及目标产物的结构均经质谱及核磁氢谱确证。该路线操作简便、条件温和,可用于白藜芦醇的放大制备。     

Reversible Boron-Insertion into Aromatic C−C Bonds

Formation of borabicyclo[3.2.0]heptadiene derivatives was achieved via boron-insertion into aromatic C−C bonds in the photo-promoted skeletal rearrangement reaction of triarylboranes bearing an ortho-phosphino substituent (ambiphilic phosphine-boranes). The borabicyclo[3.2.0]heptadiene derivatives were fully characterized by NMR and X-ray analyses. The dearomatized products were demonstrated to undergo the reverse reaction in the dark at room temperature, realizing photochemical and thermal interconversion between triarylboranes and boron-doped bicyclic systems. Experimental and theoretical studies revealed that sequential two electrocyclic reactions involving E/Z-isomerization of an alkene moiety proceed via a highly strained trans-borepin intermediate.     

Gold catalysis: mild conditions for the synthesis of oxazoles from N-propargylcarboxamides and mechanistic aspects

2,5-Disubstituted oxazoles are synthesized from the corresponding propargylcarboxamides under mild reaction conditions via homogeneous catalysis by AuCl(3). While monitoring the conversion via (1)H NMR spectroscopy, an intermediate 5-methylene-4,5-dihydrooxazole can be observed and accumulated up to 95%, being the first direct and catalytic preparative access to such alkylidene oxazolines. The intermediate was fully characterized and can be trapped at -25 degrees C for several weeks. Deuteration experiments show a stereospecific mode of the two first steps of the reaction.     

PHOTOLYSIS AND RADIOLYSIS OF THE BENZENE-FUMARONITRILE SYSTEM

Abstract— The photolytic and radiolytic product formation of the complex benzene-fumaronitrile are compared. The equilibrium constants for the complexes of benzene-fumaronitrile and benzene-maleonitrile determined by UV and NMR spectroscopy are given. The products which were found in both photolysis and radiolysis of the system benzene-fumaronitrile were biphenyl. phenylsuccinodinitrile and maleonitrile. The production of a 2:1 adduct of fumaronitrile and benzene in very small yields could only be confirmed in the case of photolysis. Additional products in radiolysis were phenylcyclohexadienes and benzonitrile. Experiments using filtered light proved that isomerisation of fumaronitrile to maleonitrile and production of phenylsuccinodinitrile proceed via the excited charge-transfer complex. There are indications that the excited charge transfer complex is likewise an intermediate in the radiolytic formation of these nitriles. The addition of fumaronitrile to benzene reduces the yield of biphenyl in both photolysis and radiolysis.     

Synthesis and structure of aroylamidines and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-arylbenzamidines hydrochlorides

Aroylamidines can be obtained as salts in a reaction of the corresponding arylcarbonitriles with anhydrous ethanol in the presence of dry HCl followed by treating intermediate imidoesters with alcoholic solution of ammonia. N-Arylbenzamidines are obtained by reacting benzonitrile with arylamines in the presence of AlCl₃. The structure of arylamines and the reaction conditions significantly affect the yield of the target product, and sometimes the very possibility of its preparation.     

Synthesis and identification of heterocyclic derivatives of fullerene C60: unexpected reaction of anionic C60 with benzonitrile

During the reaction of reduced C60 with benzyl bromide in benzonitrile, a novel cis-1 C60 adduct, 1,4-dibenzyl-2,3-cyclic phenylimidate C60 (1), was obtained rather than the expected product of 1,4-dibenzyl C60. The structure of compound 1 was analyzed by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, identifying the presence of a five-membered heterocycle at a [5,6] bond of C60. One of the heteroatoms is assigned as a nitrogen atom; however, the identity of the other heteroatom cannot be determined unambiguously by crystallography due to similarity between the nitrogen and oxygen atoms. A related compound (2) bearing the same heterocycle was obtained from anionic C60 benzonitrile solution when no benzyl bromide was added. The structure of compound 2 was determined by NMR, MALDI FT-ICR MS, and UV-vis. Results from MALDI FT-ICR MS for compound 2 show unambiguously that the second heteroatom is an oxygen atom, which is probably from traces of water in the solvent. Control experiments of the reactivity of the neutral, monoanionic, dianionic, and trianionic C60 have shown that the reactive species for the unexpected reaction is the C60 trianion.     

Fixation of carbon dioxide and related small molecules by a bifunctional frustrated pyrazolylborane Lewis pair

The bifunctional frustrated Lewis pair 1-[bis(pentafluorophenyl)boryl]-3,5-di-tert-butyl-1H-pyrazole (1) was employed for small molecule fixation by reaction with carbon dioxide, paraformaldehyde, tert-butyl isocyanate, tert-butyl isothiocyanate, methyl isothiocyanate and benzonitrile, affording the adducts 3-8 as zwitterionic, bicyclic boraheterocycles. Treatment of 1 with tert-butyl isocyanide gave the isocyanide-borane complex 9, whereas the zwitterionic alkynylborate 10 was formed by C-H bond activation of phenylacetylene. The molecular structures of all products 3-10 were established by X-ray diffraction analyses. DFT calculations at the M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory revealed that CO(2) fixation by 1 and formation of the adduct 3 is strongly exothermic and proceeds with a low energy barrier of approximately 7.3 kcal mol(-1) via an intermediate van der Waals complex.     

Highly diastereoselective approach toward (+/-)-tetraponerine T6 and analogues via the double cycloisomerization-reduction of bis-alkynylpyrimidines

A new, short, and efficient approach toward tricyclic alkaloids, involving the double cycloisomerization-reduction of bis-alkynylpyrimidines 3a-m, has been developed. The requisite bis-alkynylpyrimidines 3a-m were readily prepared via regioselective sequential Sonogashira coupling reactions of dibromopyrimidines 1. Bis-alkynylpyrimidines 3a-m were converted into the 5-6-5 tricyclic heteroaromatic cores 4a-m via the Cu(I)-assisted double cycloisomerization reaction. The reaction proceeded stepwise, which was confirmed by the isolation of the mono-pyrrolization intermediate 5. The structure of 5 was assigned by 2D NMR and by independent synthesis. Cycloisomerization of 5 under standard conditions afforded tricyclic 4g in 89% yield. The PtO2-catalyzed hydrogenation of bis-pyrrolopyrimidines 4d, 4g, and 4i in acidic media afforded stable amidinium derivatives, 11a, 11b, and 11c. Further reduction of the latter with LiAlH4 allowed for the highly diastereoselective total synthesis of (+/-)-tetraponerine T6 and its analogues.     

31P NMR Studies of Diethyl Phosphite Derived Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite

³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to determine the structure of the intermediate species of sol derived from triethyl phosphite, calcium diethoxide and acetic acid. NMR spectral data revealed that the reaction proceeds via a dialkyl phosphite intermediate. The use of a dialkyl phosphite precursor (diethyl phosphite) with calcium diethoxide eliminated the aging time required in triethylphosphite method and offered an effective sol-gel procedure for monophasic hydroxyapatite.     

Direct observation of the unstable intermediates in radical addition reaction by using an interfacing microchip combined with an NMR

Direct observation of the unstable intermediate in the radical addition reaction of the oxime ether 1 mediated by triethylborane (Et(3)B) is described using (1)H and (11)B micro channeled cell for synthesis monitoring (MICCS), which was recently developed as an interfacing microchip for NMR. It was possible that the signal of the intermediate was observed as a result of using MICCS technique with a standard NMR instrument. This result supports the structure of the intermediate analyzed by diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR method in a previous paper. The procedure of micro channeled cell for synthesis monitoring-nuclear magnetic resonance (MICCS-NMR) was much easier than that of DOSY method. It was proven that it could be applied to the reaction in an anhydrous condition.     

2,3-anhydrosugars in glycoside bond synthesis. NMR and computational investigations into the mechanism of glycosylations with 2,3-anhydrofuranosyl glycosyl sulfoxides

We report here the combined use of computational chemistry and low-temperature NMR spectroscopy to probe the mechanism of a highly stereoselective glycosylation reaction employing 2,3-anhydrofuranosyl glycosyl sulfoxides (2 and 4). The reaction involves a two-step process that is carried out in one pot. In the first step, the sulfoxide is reacted with triflic anhydride leading to the formation of a single intermediate. Using NMR spectroscopy, we have established the structure of this intermediate as a glycosyl triflate. In the second step, the acceptor alcohol is added to the reaction mixture, which leads to the highly stereocontrolled formation of the glycoside product. The structure of the major product is consistent with a pathway involving an S(N)2-like displacement of the triflate by the alcohol. In the predominant intermediate that is formed, there is a trans relationship between the triflate group and epoxide. Therefore, in the glycoside product there is a cis relationship between the epoxide and the aglycone. In addition to providing insight into these reaction pathways, these investigations have also allowed us to identify conditions under which the glycosylations can be made to proceed with even greater stereoselectivity and in higher yield.     

The mechanism of selective purine C-nitration revealed: NMR studies demonstrate formation and radical rearrangement of an N7-nitramine intermediate

Modified purine derivatives are of great importance in biomedical sciences, and substitution reactions on the purine skeleton are intensively studied. In our laboratory, an efficient and selective purine C2-nitration reaction was developed using a mixture of tetrabutylammonium nitrate and trifluoroacetic anhydride. The resulting 2-nitro moiety appeared to be a versatile handle to introduce a variety of pharmacophores onto the purine skeleton. Since the mechanism of this selective purine C2-nitration reaction has remained unclear, we now present an extensive NMR study leading to its elucidation, using N9-Boc-protected 6-chloropurine as a model compound. Direct electrophilic aromatic nitration of the highly electron-deficient C2 position was excluded, and we demonstrate that this reaction occurs in a three-step process. Electrophilic attack by trifluoroacetyl nitrate on the purine N7 position results in a nitrammonium species that is trapped by a trifluoroacetate anion furnishing N7-nitramine intermediate 11. This intermediate was characterized at -50 degrees C by (1)H, (13)C, (15)N, and (19)F NMR. At T > -40 degrees C, the N7-nitramine intermediate undergoes a nitramine rearrangement, which generates a C2-nitro species that immediately eliminates TFA to give 2-nitro-6-chloro-9-Boc purine 10. The involvement of radicals during the nitramine rearrangement was unequivocally established by (15)N-CIDNP. Moreover, the emission signal observed for the rearranged product, 2-nitropurine 10, showed that it is primarily formed in an intermolecular process. A quantitative radical trapping experiment finally disclosed that 65-70% of the nitramine rearrangement takes place intermolecularly.     

Methoxide Promoted Anionic Cyclization of 2-Alkynylbenzonitrile:A New Synthesis of 3-Substituted Isoqunolin-1-one

The treatment of 2-(2-alkylethynyl)benzonitrile with sodium methoxide in methanol gave 3-alkyl-l(2H)-isoquinolinone in modest yield. Under the same reaction conditions methanolysis of 2-(2-arylethynyl)benzonitrile lead to the formation of 3-alkylidene isoindol-1-one. Partially hydrolysis of 2-(l-hexynyl)benzonitrile to the corresponding benzamide,followed by the treatment of the benzamide with sodium methoxide gave 3-pentylidene isoindol-1-one in 11% yield. This result suggests that benzamide is not the intermediate of the formation of isoquinolinone. The more plausible mechanism of this methanolysis process is involving the iminium anion cycloaromatization to form 2-methoxyisoquinoline and subsequent hydrolyze to isoquinolinone. In one case,2-methoxyisoquinoline product was isolated.