Aromatic Superhalogens

No organic molecules with electron affinities near or above those of halogens are known. We show for the first time that aromaticity rules can be used to design molecules with electron affinities far exceeding those of halogen atoms either by tailoring the ligands of cyclopentadienyl or by multiple benzoannulations of cyclopentadienyl in conjunction with the substitution of CH groups with isoelectronic N atoms. Results based on density functional theory revealed that the electron affinities of some of these organic molecules can reach as high as 5.59 eV, thus opening the door to new class of superhalogens that contain neither a metal nor a halogen atom.     

Synthesis, reactions, and applications of fluorine-containing multifunctional carbon compounds

The chemistry of compounds containing a carbon atom bearing three or four different labile functional groups has received little attention. These compounds should be of considerable significance in theoretical and synthetic organic chemistry. Among the compounds with multifunctional structures, those having both carbonyl and halogen groups in addition to other heteroatom groups seem especially valuable from a synthetic viewpoint. Their potential use as probes in pure and applied synthetic chemistry has not been exploited, presumably because of structural instability and a paucity of synthetic approaches. Keeping this background in mind, we focused on the synthesis of a new class of multifunctional carbon compounds in which ester carbonyl, halogen, and other heteroatom-derived functional groups are directly attached to the central carbon atom. Fluorine was chosen as the halogen because of the inherent stability of the CF bond and because of the fundamental chemical and biological interest in fluorine-containing compounds. The synthesis, reactions, and some applications of various fluorine-containing multifunctional carbon compounds are described.     

Azulen-1-yl diazenes substituted at C-3 with phenyl-chalcogene moieties: dye synthesis, product characterization and properties

Abstract  

Two synthesis strategies were used for the generation of azulene-1-yl diazenes substituted at C-3 with a phenyl-chalcogenyl moiety, the synthesis of azulenes substituted at C-3 followed by azo-coupling and azulene substitution at C-3 in azulene-azo dyes. The last synthetic route seems to give more satisfactory results for the synthesis of the desired chalcogenic derivatives. Another target of this study was to investigate the changes induced by the phenyl-chalcogenic substitution on the NMR and UV-vis spectra, and also to compare this effect with the one exerted by halogen atoms and by strongly electron donating groups such as AcNH or PhCOO. Whereas the latter groups exhibit a strong influence on the NMR and UV-vis spectra, PhS, PhSe, or PhTe groups as well as halogen atoms produce only a small effect because of the moderate change in electron distribution over the entire molecule.     

Three characteristic reactions of organocobalt compounds in organic synthesis

Organocobalt compounds in organic synthesis have three characteristic reactions. The first occurs because cobalt has a high affinity to carbon–carbon π‐bonds or carbon–nitrogen π‐bonds. The second occurs because cobalt has a high affinity to carbonyl groups. The third is due to cobalt easily tending to form square‐planar bipyramidal six‐coordination structures with four nitrogen atoms or two nitrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms at the square‐planar position, and to bond with one or two carbon atoms at the axial position. The first characteristic reactions are the representative reactions of organocobalt compounds with a mutually bridged bond between the two π‐bonds of acetylene and the cobalt–cobalt bond of hexacarbonyldicobalt. These are reactions with a Co₂(CO)₆ protecting group to reactive acetylene bond, the Nicholas reactions, the Pauson–Khand reactions ([2 + 2 + 1] cyclizations), [2 + 2 + 2] cyclizations, etc. These reactions are applied for the syntheses of many kinds of pharmaceutically useful compounds. The second reactions are carbonylations that have been used or developed as industrial processes such as hydroformylation for the manufacture of isononylaldehyde, and carbonylation for the production of phenylacetic acid from benzyl chloride. The third reactions are those reactions with the B₁₂‐type catalysts, and they have recently been used in organic syntheses and are utilized as catalysts for stereoselective syntheses. These reactions have been used as new applications for organic syntheses. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

氮自由基环化反应的新进展

三十年前,自由基反应在有机合成中的应用已经非常普遍,但其主要集中在碳自由基的应用上,而杂原子自由基却一直得不到发展.氮自由基环化反应是在近十年内才逐步应用到有机合成中的,它对合成一系列的氮杂环化合物有重要的意义,如内酰胺类、吡咯烷类、生物碱类物质等.从四个方面对氮自由基经环化反应合成多种氮杂环化合物的研究进展做一介绍.     

Halogen-Mediated Membrane Transport: An Efficient Strategy for the Enhancement of Cellular Uptake of Synthetic Molecules

The poor uptake of fluorescent probes and therapeutics by mammalian cells is a major concern in biological applications ranging from fluorescence imaging to drug delivery in living cells. Although gaseous molecules such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, hydrophobic substances such as benzene, and small polar but uncharged molecules such as water and ethanol can cross the cell plasma membrane by simple passive diffusion, many synthetic as well as biological molecules require specific membrane transporters and channel proteins that control the traffic of these molecules into and out of the cell. This work reports that the introduction of halogen atoms into a series of fluorescent molecules remarkably enhances their cellular uptake, and that their transport can be increased to more than 95 % by introducing two iodine atoms at appropriate positions. The nature of the fluorophore does not play a major role in the cellular uptake when iodine atoms are present in the molecules, as compounds bearing naphthalimide, coumarin, BODIPY, and pyrene moieties show similar uptakes. Interestingly, the introduction of a maleimide-based fluorophore bearing two hydroxyethylthio moieties allows the molecules to cross the plasma and nuclear membranes, and the presence of iodine atoms further enhances the transport across both membranes. Overall, this study provides a general strategy for enhancing the uptake of organic molecules by mammalian cells.     

Intramolecular halogen bonds in 1,2-aryldiyne molecules: a theoretical study

Intramolecular halogen bonds have been the subject of several current experimental and theoretical studies. In this work, intramolecular halogen bonds in a series of 1,2-aryldiyne molecules were investigated using density functional theory calculations at the M06-2x level of theory. For comparison, some dimeric complexes between halogenated aryldiynes and quinolinyl compounds were also considered. The calculated interatomic distances and interaction angles of intramolecular halogen bonds compare fairly well with those determined experimentally, and the triangle motifs retain almost perfectly planar in all the studied molecules. Many of the well-known properties of conventional halogen bonds are reproduced in intramolecular halogen bonds: the interaction strength tends to increase with the enlargement of the atomic radius of halogens (I > Br > Cl); the attachment of electron-withdrawing moieties to halogens leads to much stronger intramolecular halogen bonds; the X···N (quinolinyl) interactions are stronger than the X···O (carbonyl) halogen bonds. On the basis of the shorter interatomic distances and the larger values of electron densities at the bond critical points, intramolecular halogen bonds become stronger in strength than corresponding intermolecular halogen bonds. However, these interactions have similar structural, energetic, atoms in molecules (AIM), and noncovalent interaction index (NCI) characteristics to traditional halogen bonds. Therefore, these interactions can be recognized as halogen bonds that are primarily electrostatic in nature. Particularly, the formation of intramolecular halogen bonds gives rise to the essential coplanarity of the molecules, whereas the two subunits in the dimeric complexes deviate from planarity to a large degree. In addition, a small number of crystal structures containing intramolecular halogen bonds were retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD), to provide more insights into these interactions in crystals. This work not only will extend the knowledge of noncovalent interactions involving halogens as electrophilic centers but also could be very useful in molecular design and synthetic chemistry.     

The Halogen Bond: An Emerging Supramolecular Tool in the Design of Functional Mesomorphic Materials

Owing to their dynamic attributes, non-covalent supramolecular interactions have enabled a new paradigm in the design and fabrication of multifunctional material systems with programmable properties, performances, and reconfigurable traits. Recently, the “halogen bond” has become an enticing supramolecular synthetic tool that displays a plethora of promising and advantageous characteristics. Consequently, this versatile and dynamic non-covalent interaction has been extensively harnessed in various fields such as crystal engineering, self-assembly, materials science, polymer chemistry, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry and nanotechnology. In recent years, halogen bonding has emerged as a tunable supramolecular synthetic tool in the design of functional liquid-crystalline materials with adjustable phases and properties. In this Concept article, the use of halogen bond in the field of stimuli-responsive smart soft materials, that is, liquid crystals is discussed. The design, synthesis and characterization of molecular and macromolecular liquid crystalline materials are described and the modulation of their properties has been emphasized. The power of halogen bonding in offering a large variety of functional liquid crystalline materials from readily accessible mesomorphic and non-mesomorphic complementary building blocks is highlighted. The article concludes with a perspective on the challenges and opportunities in this emerging endeavor towards the realization of enabling and elegant dynamic functional materials.     

Not Your Usual Bioisostere: Solid State Study of 3D Interactions in Cubanes

Previous studies by Desiraju and co-workers have implicated the acidic hydrogen atoms of cubane as a support network for hydrogen bonding groups. Herein we report a detailed structural analysis of all currently available 1,4-disubstituted cubane structures with an emphasis on how the cubane scaffold interacts in its solid-state environment. In this regard, the interactions between the cubane hydrogen atoms and acids, ester, halogens, ethynyl, nitrogenous groups, and other cubane scaffolds were cataloged. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of cubane as a substitute for phenyl. This could be achieved by analyzing all contacts that are directed by the cubane hydrogen atoms in the X-ray crystal structures. As a result, we have established several new cubane interaction profiles, such as the catemer formation seen in esters, the preferences of halogen–hydrogen contacts over direct halogen bonding, and the stabilizing effects caused by the cubane hydrogen atoms interacting with ethynyl groups. These interaction profiles can then be used as a guide for designing cubane bioisosteres of known materials and drugs containing phenyl moieties.     

Halogen bonding: a paradigm in supramolecular chemistry

The term halogen bonding describes the tendency of halogen atoms to interact with lone pair possessing atoms. The binding features and structural properties of halogen bonding are discussed and applied to drive the intermolecular self-assembly of hydrocarbons and perfluorocarbons in chemo-, site-, and enantioselective supramolecular synthesis. The halogen bonding is thus an effective and reliable tool in crystal engineering at the disposal of the supramolecular chemist.     

The Remarkable Effect of Halogen Substitution on the Membrane Transport of Fluorescent Molecules in Living Cells

Small‐molecule‐based fluorescent probes have become important tools in biology for sensing and imaging applications. However, the biological applications of many of the fluorescent molecules are hampered by low cellular uptake and high toxicity. In this paper, we show for the first time that the introduction of halogen atoms enhances the cellular uptake of fluorescent molecules and the nature of halogen atoms plays a crucial role in the plasma membrane transport in mammalian cells. The remarkably higher uptake of iodinated compounds compared to that of their chloro or bromo analogues suggests that the strong halogen bonding ability of iodine atoms may play an important role in the membrane transport. This study provides a novel strategy for the transport of fluorescent molecules across the plasma membrane in living cells.     

Structural Transformation and Stabilization of Metal–Organic Motifs Induced by Halogen Doping

The structural transformation of supramolecular nanostructures with constitutional diversity and adaptability by dynamic coordination chemistry would be of fundamental importance for potential applications in molecular switching devices. The role of halogen doping in the formation of elementary metal–organic motifs on surfaces has not been reported. Now, the 9‐ethylguanine molecule (G) and Ni atom, as a model system, are used for the structural transformation and stabilization of metal–organic motifs induced by iodine doping on Au(111). The iodine atoms are homogeneously located at particular hydrogen‐rich locations enclosed by G molecules by electrostatic interactions, which would be the key for such an unexpected stabilizing effect. The generality and robustness of this approach are demonstrated in different metal–organic systems (G/Fe) and also by chlorine and bromine.     

Carbosilanes

Carbosilanes are compounds in which the elements carbon and silicon occupy alternate positions in the molecular framework. Formal replacement of every second carbon atom in the diamond lattice by a silicon atom gives silicon carbide, which exists, however, in several modifications characterized by different stacking orders. The SiC lattice is the basis of most carbosilanes.^[1] These are divided on the basis of structural differences into carborundanes, silascaphanes, and molecules that no longer contain elements of the silicon carbide structure. In the carborundanes the Si–C six-membered rings are arranged in the chair form, in the silascaphanes in the boat form. The molecular framework of the third group is derived from barrelane and asterane. The reactivity of the carbosilanes is determined mainly by the substituents on the skeletal atoms. The presence of SiH or Si–halogen groups leads to a high reactivity, while derivatives with organic groups on the silicon atoms and CH₂ or CH groups in the skeleton are much less reactive. However, even such CH₂ and CH groups permit certain characteristic reactions. Because of their structural features and the range of substituents that can be introduced, the carbosilanes are presently of considerable interest with respect to technological developments as precursors for ceramics.     

吲唑酮化合物合成研究进展

吲唑酮作为氮杂环分子当中的重要一员,其分子骨架不仅是有机合成当中的重要中间体,还是许多天然产物和药物分子的核心结构。因此,该类化合物的高效合成一直是合成化学家们的研究热点。本文综述了近二十年来利用过渡金属、高价碘、酸、碱、光、过氧化物以及付-克环化等方法合成吲唑酮骨架的研究进展并展望了吲唑酮化合物合成的研究方向和应用前景     

Geminal bis(boron) compounds: Their preparation and synthetic applications

Geminal bis(boron) compounds have recently emerged as valuable building blocks for the synthesis of molecules with structural diversity. They have advantages of unique stability, operational simplicity and can be engaged in several kinds of transformations. This review covers the synthetic methods of geminal bis(boron) compounds and their applications in organic synthesis.     

Supramolecular engineering of intrinsic and extrinsic porosity in covalent organic cages

Control over pore size, shape, and connectivity in synthetic porous materials is important in applications such as separation, storage, and catalysis. Crystalline organic cage molecules can exhibit permanent porosity, but there are few synthetic methods to control the crystal packing and hence the pore connectivity. Typically, porosity is either 'intrinsic' (within the molecules) or 'extrinsic' (between the molecules)--but not both. We report a supramolecular approach to the assembly of porous organic cages which involves bulky directing groups that frustrate the crystal packing. This generates, in a synthetically designed fashion, additional 'extrinsic' porosity between the intrinsically porous cage units. One of the molecular crystals exhibits an apparent Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 854 m(2) g(-1), which is higher than that of unfunctionalized cages of the same dimensions. Moreover, connectivity between pores, and hence guest uptakes, can be modulated by the introduction of halogen bonding motifs in the cage modules. This suggests a broader approach to the supramolecular engineering of porosity in molecular organic crystals.     

Competition between Halogen,Hydrogen and Dihydrogen Bonding in Brominated Carboranes

Halogen bonds are a subset of noncovalent interactions with rapidly expanding applications in materials and medicinal chemistry. While halogen bonding is well known in organic compounds, it is new in the field of boron cluster chemistry. We have synthesized and crystallized carboranes containing Br atoms in two different positions, namely, bound to C‐ and B‐vertices. The Br atoms bound to the C‐vertices have been found to form halogen bonds in the crystal structures. In contrast, Br atoms bound to B‐vertices formed hydrogen bonds. Quantum chemical calculations have revealed that halogen bonding in carboranes can be much stronger than in organic architectures. These findings open new possibilities for applications of carboranes, both in materials and medicinal chemistry.     

Visible‐Light‐Driven Halogen Bond Donor Based Molecular Switches: From Reversible Unwinding to Handedness Inversion in Self‐Organized Soft Helical Superstructures

Visible‐light‐driven molecular switches endowing reversible modulation of the functionalities of self‐organized soft materials are currently highly sought after for fundamental scientific studies and technological applications. Reported herein are the design and synthesis of two novel halogen bond donor based chiral molecular switches that exhibit reversible photoisomerization upon exposure to visible light of different wavelengths. These chiral molecular switches induce photoresponsive helical superstructures, that is, cholesteric liquid crystals, when doped into the commercially available room‐temperature achiral liquid crystal host 5CB, which also acts as a halogen‐bond acceptor. The induced helical superstructure containing the molecular switch with terminal iodo atoms exhibits visible‐light‐driven reversible unwinding, that is, a cholesteric–nematic phase transition. Interestingly, the molecular switch with terminal bromo atoms confers reversible handedness inversion to the helical superstructure upon irradiation with visible light of different wavelengths. This visible‐light‐driven, reversible handedness inversion, enabled by a halogen bond donor molecular switch, is unprecedented.     

Cyclizations of Alkenyl(Alkynyl)-Functionalized Quinazolinones and their Heteroanalogues: A Powerful Strategy for the Construction of Polyheterocyclic Structures

Quinazolin-4-one, its heteroanalogues, and derivatives represent an outstandingly important class of compounds in modern organic, medicinal, and pharmaceutical chemistry, as these molecular structures are noted for their wide synthetic and pharmacological potential. In the last years, ever-increasing research attention has been paid to quinazolinone derivatives bearing alkenyl and alkynyl substituents on the pyrimidinone nucleus. The original structural combination of synthetically powerful endocyclic amidine (or amidine-related) and exocyclic unsaturated moieties provides a driving force for cyclizations, which offer an efficient toolkit to construct a variety of fused pyrimidine systems with saturated N- and N,S-heterocycles. In this connection, the present review article is mainly aimed at systematic coverage of the progress in using alkenyl(alkynyl)quinazolinones and their heteroanalogues as convenient bifunctional substrates for regioselective annulation of small- and medium-sized heterocyclic nuclei. Much attention is paid to elucidating the structural and electronic effects of reagents on the regio- and stereoselectivity of the cyclizations as well as to clarifying the relevant reaction mechanisms.     

萘并呋喃类化合物的合成研究进展

萘并呋喃是一类重要的有机芳杂环,其分子骨架不仅是许多天然产物、药物分子的核心结构,而且还是重要的有机合成中间体,在材料化学中也具有广泛的应用价值。因此,萘并呋喃及其衍生物的合成一直是有机合成的研究热点之一。本文将对已有的萘并呋喃类化合物的主要合成策略、方法,结合笔者课题组的部分研究工作进行综述,包括如下几个方面:(1)碱或酸促进的环化反应;(2)过渡金属催化的串联环化反应;(3)自由基引发的环化反应;(4)其他非金属催化的环化反应。最后展望了萘并呋喃衍生物合成的研究和发展方向。