Cavity-directed synthesis within a self-assembled coordination cage: highly selective [2 + 2] cross-photodimerization of olefins

Herein reported is the highly selective [2 + 2] cross-photodimerization of olefins within a self-assembled coordination cage that acts as a molecular flask in an aqueous medium. An M(6)L(4) coordination nanocage that self-assembles from six Pd(II) complexes and four tridentate ligands accommodates two different kinds of large olefin molecules such as acenaphthylene and 5-ethoxynaphthoquinone in a pairwise selective fashion. This prerequisite recognition mode makes possible the selective [2 + 2] cross-photodimerization of the olefins within the cavity. The reaction is extremely efficient in terms of reaction rate, stereoselectivity, and, most importantly, pairwise selectivity. Maleimide derivatives, which themselves are photochemically inactive under ordinary conditions, are also cross-dimerized with acenaphthylene or dibenzosuberenon quite efficiently. These results are in sharp contrast to those of common photodimerization in organic media, where the yields and selectivities are generally poor to moderate. The key step of the exclusive formation of the cross-dimers stems from the selective formation of ternary complexes before irradiation, which is governed by the size compatibility of the guests with the confined space of the cavity.     

An improved protocol for the selective hydroaminomethylation of arylethylenes

The hydroaminomethylation of arylethylenes with anilines proceeds under mild conditions in the presence of [Rh(cod)₂BF₄] and dppf as catalyst system to give the corresponding branched amphetamine derivatives in good selectivity and yield.     

Acetonitrile-assisted highly selective photocatalytic epoxidation of olefins on Ti-containing silica with molecular oxygen

Highly selective photocatalytic epoxidation of olefins proceeds on Ti-containing silica with tetrahedrally coordinated Ti-oxide species with molecular oxygen and a simple addition of MeCN.     

Highly regioselective hydroaminomethylation of terminal olefins to linear amines using Rh complexes with a Tetrabi phosphorus ligand

A highly regioselective hydroaminomethylation of terminal olefins catalyzed by Rh complexes with 2, 2′, 6, 6′‐tetrakis ((diphenylphosphino)methyl)‐1, 1′‐biphenyl (Tetrabi) ligand has been developed. Up to 99 % amine selectivity, 168 linear/branched amine product ratio (n/i), and 97.4 % linear amine yield has been obtained at a substrate/rhodium precursor ratio (S/Rh) of 1000 with this methodology. The turnover number was achieved 6930 at 10000 S/Rh ratio, and the n/i can reach up to >525. Several different olefins and secondary amines have been applied successfully with high chemoselectivity (99 %), yield (>98 %), and regioselectivity (>120).     

Highly selective hydroaminomethylation of internal alkenes to give linear amines

The application of phenoxaphosphino-modified Xantphos-type ligands (1-9) in the rhodium-catalyzed hydroaminomethylation of internal olefins to give linear amines is reported. Excellent chemo- and regioselectivities have been obtained through the use of 0.1 mol % [Rh(cod)2]BF(4)/0.4 mol % xantphenoxaphos (1), providing a practical and environmentally attractive synthetic route for the preparation of amines from internal alkenes. For the first time, both functionalized internal olefins and mixtures of internal and terminal olefins have been converted highly selectively into linear amines. Investigations of the effects of the calculated natural bite angles of ligands on hydroaminomethylation shows that the regioselectivity for the linear product follows a similar trend to that seen in the hydroformylation of internal alkenes with the aid of these ligands. Hydroaminomethylation and each of its individual steps were monitored by high-pressure infrared spectroscopy. The results suggest that hydroaminomethylations take place by a sequential isomerization/hydroformylation/amination/hydrogenation pathway.     

Selective hydroaminomethylation of olefins using simple and efficient Rh–phosphinite complex catalyst

Hydroaminomethylation of various olefins with primary and secondary amines was carried out using a simple and efficient rhodium–phosphinite complex catalyst. The influence of various reaction parameters including the effects of temperature, pressure, catalyst loading, time and solvents has been investigated. The present protocol is general with wider substrate applicability for the synthesis of an important class of aliphatic amines and arylethylamines. High activity and selectivity for amines was achieved with a very good substrate/catalyst molar ratio (turnover number 2500) under mild reaction conditions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A highly selective solid phase extraction sorbent for pre-concentration of sameridine made by molecular imprinting

Summary A novel approach to solid phase extraction, based on the use of a highly selective molecularly imprinted polymer, is presented. The versatility of this type of sorbent for solid phase extraction was demonstrated in a model batch-wise pre-concentration of sameridine prior to gas chromatography. Problems associated with leakage of remaining imprint molecules during the desorption phase could be eliminated by the use of a close structural analogue of sameridine as the imprint species. It was found that a major benefit of the imprinted polymer was its specificity, which lead to distinctly cleaner chromatographic traces and ability to improve sensitivity by extracting sameridine from larger sample volumes.     

Guanidine catalyzed aerobic reduction: a selective aerobic hydrogenation of olefins using aqueous hydrazine

An efficient aerobic reduction of olefins, internal as well as terminal, is developed using guanidine as an organocatalyst. A remarkable chemoselectivity in reduction has been demonstrated in the presence of a variety of functional groups and protective groups and a selective reduction of a terminal olefin in the presence of an internal olefin is revealed.     

Ag@AgCl embedded on cellulose film: a stable,highly efficient and easily recyclable photocatalyst

In this work, cellulose–Ag@AgCl composite films have been fabricated directly through a one-step coagulation of a cellulose/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BmimCl) solution with AgNO₃ and PVP. The AgCl was formed upon the addition of AgNO₃ to a cellulose/BmimCl solution, and underwent further reaction with excess Cl^?, leading to the complete dissolution of AgCl. The AgCl crystals were regenerated on the cellulose matrix during the coagulation process. The AgCl was partial decomposed to Ag⁰ and formed Ag@AgCl under visible light irradiation. The morphology of Ag@AgCl in the cellulose matrix was controlled by varying the concentration of PVP. The addition of PVP enabled the formation of stable cellulose films embedded with Ag@AgCl. The composite film demonstrated efficient photodegradation of methyl orange, which was retained upon recycling. This work thus provides a simple pathway for the preparation of Ag@AgCl embedded on a polymer support via one-step coagulation.     

Serial ligand catalysis: a highly selective allylic C-H oxidation

We are reporting a mild, chemo-, and highly regioselective Pd(II)-catalyzed allylic oxidation of alpha-olefins to furnish branched allylic esters that proceeds via a novel serial ligand catalysis mechanism in which two different ligands (i.e., vinyl sulfoxide 2 and BQ) interact sequentially with the metal to promote distinct steps of the catalytic cycle (i.e., C-H cleavage and pi-allyl functionalization, respectively).     

Highly selective asymmetric Rh-catalyzed hydroformylation of heterocyclic olefins

A small family of new chiral hybrid, diphosphorus ligands, consisting of phosphine-phosphoramidites L1 and L2 and phosphine-phosphonites L3a-c, was synthesized for the application in Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylation of heterocyclic olefins. High-pressure (HP)-NMR and HP-IR spectroscopy under 5-10 bar of syngas has been employed to characterize the corresponding catalyst resting state with each ligand. Indole-based ligands L1 and L2 led to selective ea coordination, while the xanthene derived system L3c gave predominant ee coordination. Application of the small bite-angle ligands L1 and L2 in the highly selective asymmetric hydroformylation (AHF) of the challenging substrate 2,3-dihydrofuran (1) yielded the 2-carbaldehyde (3) as the major regioisomer in up to 68% yield (with ligand L2) along with good ee's of up to 62%. This is the first example in which the asymmetric hydroformylation of 1 is both regio- and enantioselective for isomer 3. Interestingly, use of ligand L3c in the same reaction completely changed the regioselectivity to 3-carbaldehyde (4) with a remarkably high enantioselectivity of 91%. Ligand L3c also performs very well in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylation of other heterocyclic olefins. Highly enantioselective conversion of the notoriously difficult substrate 2,5-dihydrofuran (2) is achieved using the same catalyst, with up to 91% ee, concomitant with complete regioselectivity to the 3-carbaldehyde product (4) under mild reaction conditions. Interestingly, the Rh-catalyst derived from L3c is thus able to produce both enantiomers of 3-carbaldehyde 4, simply by changing the substrate from 1 to 2. Furthermore, 85% ee was obtained in the hydroformylation of N-acetyl-3-pyrroline (5) with exceptionally high regioselectivities for 3-carbaldehyde 8Ac (>99%). Similarly, an ee of 86% for derivative 8Boc was accomplished using the same catalyst system in the AHF of N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-3-pyrroline (6). These results represent the highest ee's reported to date in the AHF of dihydrofurans (1, 2) and 3-pyrrolines (5, 6).     

A highly efficient method for the hydroaminomethylation of long-chain alkenes under aqueous, biphasic conditions

The use of salts of secondary and primary amines with different inorganic and organic acids in hydroaminomethylation enables the quantitative conversion of 1-octene with high selectivity for saturated amines. We propose that a cationic rhodium species is formed under the acidic conditions which catalyses the hydrogenation of the enamine or imine formed subsequently. Thus the use of acids and amine salts enables the hydroaminomethylation of long-chain alkenes under aqueous, biphasic conditions with quantitative conversions and short reaction times.     

Stepwise molding of a highly selective ribonucleopeptide receptor

The structural characteristics of RNA-peptide (RNP) complexes are suitable for molding of a ligand-binding pocket of the RNP complex in a stepwise manner. The first step involves molding of the RNA subunit by in vitro selection of an RNP pool originating from an RNA library and the peptide, as previously reported for the construction of an ATP-binding RNP complex from an RRE RNA-Rev peptide complex. The second step involves selection from an RNP library consisting of Rev peptides with randomized amino acid residues and the RNA subunit selected in the first molding. The ATP-binding pocket produced by sequential molding of RNA and peptide subunits shows higher affinity to ATP and a distinct specificity for ATP versus dATP as compared to the ATP-binding RNP receptor in which only the RNA subunit has been molded. The second step selection from the peptide-based RNP library allows expansion of the ATP recognition surface, consisting of both RNA and peptide subunits, to enhance the affinity and selectivity to discriminate ATP against dATP. Our approach of stepwise molding offers the advantage of increasing the diversity of the RNP library by utilizing characteristics of different biopolymers. The ribonucleopeptide-based, multi-subunit approach is also extendable to other biomacromolecular assemblies, which may yield artificial receptors and enzymes with increased specificity and more diverse chemical activities.     

Development of a highly selective molecular topological index

The highly selective molecular topological indices EAID and 2‐EAID were extended in order to further improve their discrimination capability. The new 3‐EAID index is obtained as a combination of extended EAID index and the Wiener index. They were tested by screening three data sets of structures comprising over 36 million alkane trees with 25 vertices, 15 million benzenoids with 14 benzene rings, and 20 million compounds taken from real data sets. While EAID index respectively exhibited 75, 29, and 10 pair degeneracies in the three data sets, and 2‐EAID index respectively exhibited 15, 1, and 2 pair degeneracies, the 3‐EAID index could discriminate all unique molecules in virtual and real data sets with >107 million compounds including the molecules stated eralier. Therefore, the new index possesses not only significance in theory but also the practical application value for confirming new compounds (the number of registered substances in Chemical Abstracts Service in June 2015 is over 99 million). Also, 3‐EAID and 2‐EAID, as well as EAID could be used for administration of chemical information systems such as large structural data sets, evaluation of organic structures, and computer‐aided synthesis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nickel-catalyzed addition of alkenylzirconium reagents to bicyclic olefins: a highly regio- and stereoselective ring-opening reaction

A highly regio- and stereoselective ring-opening addition of alkenylzirconium reagents to bicyclic olefins catalyzed by nickel complexes was described. Treatment of 7-oxa- and 7-azabenzonorbornadienes (1a-e) with various terminal alkenylzirconium reagents 2a-f (Cp(2)ZrClCH=CHR; R = t-Bu, n-Pr, n-Oct, 1-cyclohexenyl, SiMe(3), and Ph) in the presence of Ni(PPh(3))(2)Cl(2) and Zn powder (or a combination of ZnCl(2) and NEt(3)) in dry THF at 50 degrees C afforded the corresponding cis-2-alkenyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene derivatives 3a-l in moderate to excellent yields. Under similar reaction conditions, internal alkenylzirconium reagents 2g,h (Cp(2)ZrClCR=CHR: R = Et and n-Pr) also undergo ring-opening addition to oxanorbornadienes 1a and 1d to give cis-2-alkenyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene derivatives 4a-c in good yields. Possible pathways involving the transfer of alkenyl group in the alkenylzirconium reagent to the Ni(II) center followed by migration of the alkenyl group from the Ni(II) center to the carbon-carbon double bond of 7-oxanorbornadiene or the reaction of 7-oxanorbornadiene with Ni(0) to form a Ni(II)-pi-allyl prior to the transfer of the alkenyl group as key steps for the catalytic reaction were proposed and discussed.     

Regioselective hydroaminomethylation of 1,1-diaryl-allyl-alcohols: a new access to 4,4-diarylbutylamines

Pharmacologically active 4,4-diarylbutylamines like Fluspirilene and 4-amino-1,1-diarylbutan-1-ols like Difenidol were prepared in high yields via rhodium catalysed hydroaminomethylation of 1,1-diaryl-allylalcohols. Conversion of these olefins with carbon monoxide, hydrogen and secondary amines proceeds with complete regioselectivity. This group can easily be removed under acidic and hydrogenating conditions, enabling the transformation of 4-amino-1,1-diarylbutan-1-ols to 4,4-diarylbutylamines in high yields. Thus Fluspirilene was synthesised in 88% yield in four steps starting from commercially available materials.     

Photo-Fries reaction in water made selective with a capsule

The water soluble capsule formed by a deep cavity cavitand with eight carboxylic acid groups controls product distribution during photo-Fries rearrangement of naphthyl esters in water by restricting the mobility of primary singlet radical pair.