Anion dependent molecular recognition of cations

In DMF-d₇ tetrabenzimidazole cavitands 2 exist as monomeric species and vase-like conformers. Several possible arrangements of the four benzimidazole NHs are indicated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The cavitands form 1:1 inclusion complexes with tetraethyl ammonium and phosphonium cations only when strong hydrogen bonding anions like chloride or acetate are present. These complexes are stable on the NMR time scale at 295 K feature a C_2V-symmetrical arrangement of benzimidazole functions. The stability of the C_2V-symmetrical tetramethylammonium acetate complex is independent of the temperature. In contrast, tetramethylammonium and phosphonium chloride complexes exist at 233 K as several isomers. This complicated behavior is, in part, attributed to the hydrogen bonding interactions between the anions and the NH groups of benzimidazole functions.     

Iridium-catalyzed consecutive and enantioselective [2+2+2] cycloaddition of tetraynes and hexaynes for the construction of an axially chiral biaryl system

A chiral iridium complex catalyzed a consecutive and enantioselective [2+2+2] cycloaddition of polyynes to give axially chiral compounds. Intermolecular reaction of tetraynes, possessing aryl groups on their termini, with protected but-2-yne-1,4-diols gave C₂-symmetrical quateraryl compounds. Intramolecular reaction of hexaynes, possessing aryl or alkyl groups on their termini gave C₂-symmetrical biaryl compounds. The catalytic synthesis of a pentacene derivative with axial chiralities is also discussed.     

Facile and efficient synthesis of C2-symmetrical 1,3,5-triazine polycarboxylate ligands under microwave irradiation

A rapid and efficient method for preparation of C₂-symmetrical 1,3,5-triazine polycarboxylate ligands was developed. The reactions included either selective mono- or di-substitution of 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine with various nucleophiles containing carboxyl group(s), followed by nucleophilic displacement of the remained chloride(s) in aqueous media under microwave irradiation. Novel C₂-symmetrical tripodal ligands were afforded in good yields and purities under short reaction time with simple work-up, which are potentially useful as structural directing units in metal-organic frameworks.     

Chloride anion-induced dimer capsule based on a polyfluorinated macrocycle meta-WreathArene

[1_n]metacyclophanes are a class of important building blocks for supramolecular assembly of artificial capsules. Herein we present the preparation and properties of a novel polyfluorinated macrocycle meta-WreathArene, a C₂-symmetrical [1₄]metacyclophane. Adopting a cone conformation in acetone solution, the macrocycle can form dimer capsules through hydrogen bonds induced by chloride anions. Each dimer capsule consists of two meta-WreathArene and two chloride anions, and has been unambiguously characterized both in solution and in solid state.     

Self-assembly via ionic interactions of calix[6]arene-based receptors displaying remarkable host-guest properties toward neutral guests

The association of a C_3v-symmetrical calix[6]tris-amine with different concave tris-carboxylic acids of various degrees of flexibility has been explored by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. In all cases, self-assembled structures directed by the selective inclusion of a neutral guest molecule were obtained, the more preorganized being stable in protic solvents. With a rigid C₃-symmetrical cap, chiral guest recognition in the calixarene cavity resulted. A large tris-acidic partner gave a unique molecular ditopic receptor that is able to simultaneously accommodate two neutral molecules in two distinct hydrophobic cavities with different binding processes.     

Asymmetric synthesis of dimethyl-1,2-bis-(diphenylphosphino)-1,2-ethanedicarboxylate by means of a chiral palladium template promoted hydrophosphination reaction

An optically pure C₂-symmetrical diphosphine ligand containing two ester functional groups at the two chiral carbon stereogenic centres was prepared efficiently from the asymmetric hydrophosphination reaction between diphenylphosphine and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in the presence of an organopalladium(II) complex derived from (S)-N,N-dimethyl-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylamine.     

A straightforward and modular synthesis of enantiopure C2- and C1-symmetrical 2,2′′-phosphino-1,1′′-biferrocenes

A new practical and highly flexible synthesis of enantiopure C₂- and C₁-symmetrical 2,2′′-phosphino-1,1′′-biferrocenes is presented. The structural properties of two of their PdCl₂ complexes and preliminary Ru-catalysed hydrogenations using the biferrocene ligands, giving enantioselectivities of up to 82%, are described.     

Selective functionalization of a resorcin[6]arene

The Mannich-type condensation of hexaethylresorcin[6]arene with achiral primary amines results in S₆-symmetrical hexadihydro-1,3-oxazine derivatives, which are mesoforms. The reaction with individual enantiomers of α-phenylethylamine leads to C₃-symmetrical enantiomeric hexaoxazines, which crystallize from reaction mixtures in an analytically pure form.     

The X-Ray Crystal Structures of a 1,9- and a 7,8-Diels-Alder monoadduct of C70

Accurate low-temperature X-ray crystal structures of the isomeric Diels-Alder monoadducts of C₇₀ 1a , bridged at the [6,6] bond between C(1) and C(9), and 1b , bridged at the [6,6] bond between C(7) and C(8), have been determined. The latter structure is the first one solved for a 7,8-C₇₀ monoadduct. The C₁-symmetrical 1a and C_s-symmetrical 1b co-crystallize with CS₂ molecules in the space groups P2₁/c and Pnma, respectively, and the distances between bridgehead atoms are 1.603(3) and 1.584(3) Å. The degree of pyramidalization of atoms involved in [6,6] bonds near the ‘unsubstituted’ pole and near the equator of the fullerene was estimated; it is shown for the unsubstituted pole region that atoms corresponding to C(1) and C(9) are slightly more pyramidal than those corresponding to C(7) and C(8), in agreement with ab initio calculations obtained for the C₇₀ spheroid. Some aspects of the crystal packings are discussed.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α-substituted alkylphosphonates based on symmetrical dialkyl phosphites

Chiral C₂-symmetrical dialkyl phosphites and C₃-symmetrical trialkyl phosphites, derived from (−)-borneol, (−)-menthol, and 1,2∶5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-glucofuranose, were studied as the starting reagents for the preparation of chiral organophosphorus compounds. The reactions of C₂-symmetrical dialkyl phosphites and C₃-symmetrical trialkyl phosphites with aldehydes and amines or aldehydes are accompanied by asymmetrical induction at the α-carbon atom to yield optically active α-aminoalkylphosphanates or α-hydroxyalkylphosphonates, respectively. The stereoselectivity of the reaction depends on the structure of the starting compounds and the reaction conditions. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii, Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1588–1593, August, 1999.     

Correlation analysis of characteristic infrared spectral data of hydantoin derivatives: evidence for vibrational coupling

The characteristic vibrations (ν_CO and ν_CC) of a large number of hydantoin derivatives are reported. Especially the very fine correlations ν_CO(sym) versus ν_CO(asym) (r²=0.985) but also successful correlations of the vibration wave numbers to HAMMETT's substituent constants and some other experimental parameters (pK_s, OxPot, RedPot) as well, corroborate reassignments of previously obtained results [Monatsh. Chem. 92 (1961) 361] and prove the doublet obtained in the region of the CO stretching vibrations to be the symmetrical and anti-symmetrical vibrational modes of a mechanically coupled system of two quasi-symmetrical CO bonds.     

Chiron approach to (−)-deoxocuscohygrine

A facile chiron approach to C₂-symmetrical (?)-deoxocuscohygrine is described by using cross metathesis as the key step.     

New C2-symmetrical ferrocenyl diamines as ligands for ruthenium catalyzed transfer hydrogenation

The new C₂-symmetrical ferrocenyl diamines 5–7 and 13 proved to be good ligands for the ruthenium catalyzed enantioselective transfer hydrogenation of unsymmetrical ketones. The stereocontrolled and highly flexible synthetic route to the new diamines made it possible to vary the ligand structure in an efficient manner. A short trial and error process led to a very active catalytic system with diamine 6a as the ligand, which is capable of reducing ketones even at −30°C using 2-propanol as a hydrogen source. Enantioselectivities up to 90% were reached in the reduction of 1′-acetonaphthone.     

BINAM-prolinamides as recoverable catalysts in the direct aldol condensation

New BINAM-prolinamides were developed and tested as organocatalysts in the direct aldol condensation between aldehydes and several aliphatic ketones. C₂-symmetrical (Sa)-BINAM-l-prolinamide gives the best enantioselectivities for this transformation, being recovered and reused after the reaction by simple extractive techniques. The reaction was performed in DMF/H₂O at 0 °C to give the aldol products in up to 95% ee for acetone. For 2-butanone, the corresponding iso-regioisomers were regioselectively obtained in up to 96% ee working in DMF at rt. In the case of cyclohexanone, dr up to 10:1 in favour of the anti products, which were obtained in 90–93% ee, was achieved.     

Do pentaurea calix[5]arenes form hydrogen bonded dimeric capsules?

Calix[5]arenes substituted at their wider rim by five urea residues do not form hydrogen bonded dimeric capsules in aprotic, apolar solvents, in contrast to their calix[4]arene analogs, although molecular dynamic simulations predict very similar geometrical parameters for both cases. The reason for this different behavior is most probably the higher energetic cost which must be paid to arrange the calix[5]arene skeleton in the C₅-symmetrical conformation required for the dimerization.     

A study of electronic structures of some C9H9- carboanions

The electronic structures of five C₉H₉^-, carboanions have been studied by ab initio STO-3G calculations, and some general conclusions on related C₉H₉^- and C₉H₉⁺ structures are presented. Large antibonding interactions in one occupied MO make barbaral-9-yl anion (2) unstable as its cationic counterpart (8). The proposed D_9h-symmetrical cation and D_3h-symmetrical anion (3) do not exist due to Jahn-Teller distortions. A study of the MO correlations confirms that the two tetracyclic anions with C_2v symmetry (5 and 6) are the results of the Jahn-Teller distortions of 3. Anion 5 is identified as the proper intermediate of the Cope rearrangement of anion 2.     

Use of chiral Ti(IV) complexes in the cycloaddition of C,N-diphenylnitrone to tert-butyl vinyl ether

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of C,N-diphenylnitrone to tert-butyl vinyl ether in the presence of several chiral Ti(IV) species which incorporate different bidentate C₂-symmetrical ligands has been investigated. Several complexes have shown very efficient catalytic activity. The endo/exo selectivity of the process can be dramatically reversed in relation to the uncatalysed reaction, but low enantioselectivities up to 41% ee are found.     

Synthesis of C2-symmetrical bis-β-amino alcohols from (R)-cysteine and their application in enantioselective catalysis

Six new sulfur-containing C₂-symmetrical bis-β-primary and sec-amino-tert-alcohols have been synthesized from (R)-cysteine and applied successfully in the enantiocontrolled catalytic addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. The resulting 1-phenyl-1-propanol could be obtained in good enantiomeric excess of up to 94%. Using the same chiral auxiliaries in the enantioselective borane reduction of acetophenone afforded 1-phenyl-1-ethanol in enantiomeric excesses of up to 82%.     

A practical, solvent free, one-pot synthesis of C2-symmetrical secondary amines

A novel one-pot reductive amination of ketones using the combination Ti(OⁱPr)₄/H₂/Pd-C is reported. This practical procedure does not require any solvent, and affords C₂-symmetrical secondary amines in high yields and excellent diastereoselectivities.