Novel heterocyclic selenazadiphospholaminediselenides, zwitterionic carbamidoyl(phenyl)-phosphinodiselenoic acids and selenoureas derived from cyanamides

2,4-Bis(phenyl)-1,3-diselenadiphosphetane-2,4-diselenide (Woollins’ reagent, WR) reacts with cyanamides (1a-h) in refluxing toluene to afford a series of novel selenazadiphospholaminediselenides (RR′NCN(PhP(Se)SeP(Se)Ph, R=C₆H₅(CH₂)_1-3, 4-n-C₁₀H₂₁C₆H₄ and 4-BrC₆H₄CH₂; R′=H, CH₃, C₂H₅ and C(O)OC₂H₅2a-g). Post-treatment of the reaction mixture with water led to the formation of carbamidoyl(phenyl)phosphinodiselenoic acids (RR′NC(NH₂)P(SeH)₂Ph, R=C₆H₅(CH₂)_2-3, 4-n-C₁₀H₂₁C₆H₄ and 4-BrC₆H₄CH₂; R′=H and CH₃, 3b, 3c, 3e and 3f) and selenoureas (RR′NC(Se)NH₂, R=C₆H₅(CH)_1-2; R′=CH₃ and OC(O)C₂H₅, 4f and 4h) in moderate to excellent yields. All new compounds are characterised spectroscopically and five X-ray crystal structures are reported.     

Addition of selenium dibromide to divinyl sulfide: spontaneous rearrangement of 2,6-dibromo-1,4-thiaselenane to 5-bromo-2-bromomethyl-1,3-thiaselenolane

Synthesis of the novel selenium heterocycles 1, 2, and 3 based on the addition reaction of selenium dibromide to divinyl sulfide is described. The reaction proceeded in CCl₄ at room temperature to give the thiaselenane 1. Even at low temperature in chloroform solution, the 6-membered thiaselenane 1 underwent spontaneous rearrangement to the 5-membered thiaselenolane 2. In turn, the thiaselenolane 2 underwent spontaneous dehydrobromination to the thiaselenole 3 in chloroform.     

Synthesis of 2,4-dimethyl-6-oxo-2,4-heptadienoic acid derivatives from 2,4,6-trimethylpyrylium salts

Reaction 2,4,6-trimethylpyrylium salts with sodium cyanide in boiling water yielded the bicyclic lactone 1,3,5-trimethyl-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-en-7-one (6) along with a series of stereoisomers of 2,4-dimethyl-6-oxo-2,4-heptadienonitrile (5), which were the sole products when the reaction was carried out at room temperature. Compound 6, along with 3,5-dimethylphenol (7), was also obtained by refluxing 5 briefly in aqueous sodium hydroxide. However, when 5 was refluxed for a prolonged period in aqueous sodium acetate, 3,5-dimethyl-5-(2-oxopropyl)-furan-2-one (8), along with some 7, was generated instead. Compound 8 could also be produced from 6 on prolonged refluxing with aqueous sodium acetate, indicating that 6 was the kinetically-controlled and 8 the thermodynamically-controlled product.     

Anion binding with some 22- and 28-membered selenaaza macrocycles: Structural aspects and Se NMR studies

A series of macrocyclic adducts of the 22- and 28-membered selenaaza macrocycles (1 and 2, respectively) with different counter anions such as halides, sulfate, perchlorate, phosphate, trifluoroacetate and nitrate has been prepared. The adducts have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H NMR, ⁷⁷Se NMR and ESI-MS analysis. The ⁷⁷Se NMR spectrum of the adduct (7) shows an upfield shift compared to the parent macrocycle. The bromo (5), iodo (6), sulfate (7), trifluroacetate (10) adducts of the 22-membered selenaaza macrocycle and perchlorate (16), trifluroacetate (18) adducts of the 28-membered selenaaza macrocycle have been structurally characterized. The crystal structures show extensive hydrogen bonding networks. The molecular structures of all the compounds show the macrocycle to be fully protonated except the trifluroacetate adduct of the 22-membered macrocycle (10), which is only diprotonated. The binding constants of the neutral 22-membered selenaaza macrocycle towards, fluoride, bromide, iodide and sulfate ion have been determined by the NMR titration method.     

Synthesis of linked heterocycles via use of bis-acetylenic compounds

Linked bis-pyrazoles, a pyrazolyl-isoxazole, a pyrazolyl-pyrimidine and a pyrazolyl-triazole were synthesized starting with commercially available 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,3-butadiyne 1 or readily available bis-acetylenic diketone 22. A stepwise approach based on the use of 1 allowed the synthesis of nonsymmetrically substituted bis-pyrazoles and linked heterocycles with two different cores whereas a symmetric approach based on the use of 22 allowed a very short synthesis of symmetric bis-pyrazoles.     

Synthesis of novel heterocycles based on the structures of erythrina alkaloids

Erythrina alkaloids represented by structure (1) are known to possess potent CNS activities. In this article, we have completed the synthesis of modified heterocyclic core structures (4) of erythrina alkaloids incorporating groups, which are expected to be metabolically more stable. Finally, we have oxidatively rearranged (4) to yield novel heterocycles (5).     

Deuterated ammonium formate as deuterium source in a mild catalytic deuterium transfer reaction of pyridines, pyrazines and isoquinolines

The application of deuterated ammonium formate as deuterium source in transfer deuteration reactions of aromatic heterocycles (4-6) for the synthesis of highly deuterated, substituted piperidines (1), piperazines (2) and tetrahydroisoquinolines (3) has been developed.     

Two novel 3-D coordination polymers based on isonicotinic acid: Syntheses, crystal structures and fluorescence

The hydrothermal reactions of isonicotinic acid (HIso) and metal salts yielded two novel 3-D coordination polymers {[Cu₄(Iso)₄(μ₃-O)₂(C₂H₅OH)₂]·2C₂H₅OH·C₂H₆N₄}_n (1), {[Cd(Iso)₂(H₂O)]·OHCCHO}_n (2), in which 1 was constructed from 32-membered rings and 3-D interpenetrating network of 2 from 42-membered rings. The fluorescent characterizations show the emissions at 565 nm for 1 and 440 nm for 2 possibly assigned to LMCT and IL, respectively.     

One-pot synthesis of macrocyclic compounds possessing two cyclobutane rings by sequential inter- and intramolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions

Sensitized photocycloaddition reactions of 6,6′-dimethyl-4,4′-[1,3-bis(methylenoxy)phenylene]-di-2-pyrone (1) with electron-poor α,ω-diolefins such as ethylene diacrylate (2a) and polyoxyethylene dimethacrylates (2b-d) afforded site- and stereoselective macrocyclic dioxatetralactones (3a-d) and (4b) having 18- to 25-membered rings across the C5-C6 and C5′-C6′ double bonds, or C5-C6 and C3′-C4′ double bonds in 1, respectively. Similar photoreactions of 1 with electron-rich α,ω-diolefins such as poly(ethylene glycol)divinyl ether (2e and 2f) afforded crown ether-type macrocyclic compounds (5e and 5f) having 18- and 21-membered rings across the C3-C4 and C3′-C4′ double bonds in 1, respectively. The stereochemical features of 3b, 5e-xx, and 5e-nn were determined by the X-ray crystal analysis. The reaction mechanism was inferred by MO methods.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel trans-3-benzyl/(diphenyl)methyl/naphthyl seleno substituted monocyclic β-lactams: X-ray structure of trans-1-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-(diphenyl)methylseleno-4-(4′-methoxyphenyl)azetidin-2-one

Several novel trans-3-benzyl/(diphenyl)methyl/naphthylseleno substituted monocyclic β-lactams (5-7) have been synthesized in high yields. The reaction scheme inolves [2 + 2] cycloaddition (Staudinger) reaction between suitably substituted imines 4(a-h) and ketenes (B) accessed from 2-benzyl/(diphenyl)methyl/naphthylselenoethanoic acids (1-3) using POCl₃ and triethylamine in refluxing toluene. Characterization of these newly synthesized seleno substituted β-lactams has been performed by various spectroscopic techniques viz. NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ⁷⁷Se), FTIR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. The molecular structure of trans-1-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-(diphenyl)methylseleno-4-(4′-methoxyphenyl)azetidin-2-one (6b) has also been established with the help of single crystal X-ray analysis.     

A novel reaction of 2-(arylamino)-1-(methylthio)-1-tosylethenes with hydrogen iodide leading to quinoline derivatives

The reaction of 2-(arylamino)-1-(methylthio)-1-tosylethenes (4) with hydrogen iodide in refluxing toluene gave 3-tosyl-2-(tosylmethyl)quinoline derivatives (6) in good yields. In this reaction, hydrogen iodide dose not only reductively removes the methylthio group of 4 to form an intermediary 1-(arylamino)-2-tosylethene (5), but also serves as a protic catalyst for the subsequent dimeric cyclization of 5 to lead to the quinoline derivatives (6).     

Sodium dithionite initiated addition of 1-bromo-1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane to allylaromatics: Facile synthesis of conjugated dienes substituted with terminal CF3 group

Sodium dithionite effectively promotes the addition of 1-bromo-1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane to the terminal double bond of allylbenzenes 1. The reactions proceeded in MeCN/H₂O to give a 3:1 mole ratio of diastereoisomers of 1-(2-bromo-4-chloro-5,5,5-trifluoropentyl)benzenes 2 as the main products together with small amounts of its reductive debromination products 3. Total yields of 2 and 3 were dependent on the nature of the aromatic ring substituents in 1. Treatment of adducts 2 with DBU in refluxing hexanes resulted in double dehydrohalogenation affording, in good yields, conjugated dienes 4 (1,1,1-trifluoro-5-phenyl-2,4-pentadienes) terminated with the CF₃ group at the one end and the phenyl group at the opposite end. These dienes were found to be sufficiently reactive to undergo Diels-Alder condensation with active dienophiles to give trifluoromethylated carbocycles. The reactions of CF₃CHClBr with allylheterocycles were less successful and lead to low yields of mixtures of hardly separable compounds or to polymeric resins.     

Synthesis of E-deoxypukalide, and its biomimetic conversion into deoxypseudopterolide by photochemical ring contraction involving a 1,3-allylic shift

Irradiation of a solution of synthetic Z-deoxypukalide 10 in acetonitrile (Pyrex; 400 W Hg lamp) resulted in isomerisation, leading to E-deoxypukalide 12, which was isolated recently from the octocoral Leptogorgia spp. Further irradiation of 12, or prolonged irradiation of 10, then gave the ring-contracted product, deoxypseudopterolide 1 (>90%) found in octocorals of the genera Pseudopterogorgia and Leptogorgia. The contraction of the 14-membered rings in 10 and 12 to the 12-membered ring as 1, occurs by way of photochemical [1,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement.     

Zn-promoted regio- and sequence-selective one-pot joining reactions of three components: vinylpyridines, alkyl iodides, and carbonyl compounds (or nitriles)

Addition of alkyl iodides (3) into the solution containing 2-(or 4-)vinylpyridine (1 or 2) and carbonyl compounds (6) in the presence of Zn-powder (99.9%) in acetonitrile under refluxing brought about regio- and sequence-selective joining reaction of three components to give the corresponding (2-hydroxyethyl)pyridines (7 or 8) in good to moderate yields. On the other hand, 2-(2- or 4-pyridyl)ethyl alkyl ketones (10 or 11) were obtained from the similar joining reaction of three components by addition of alkyl iodides (3) into the solution of 2-(or 4-)vinylpyridine (1 or 2), and nitriles (9) in toluene containing Zn-powder (99.9%) under the similar reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of dihydrobenzoimidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolines

A one-pot protocol toward several substituted 5,6-dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[2,1-a]isoquinolines 1 starting with 2-allylbenzaldehydes 2 was described. The process was carried out the one-pot condensation/hydroamination reaction of substituted 2-allylbenzaldehydes 2 with 1,2-diaminobenzenes 3 in refluxing toluene in good yields. Skeleton 2 was prepared via one-pot ortho-metalative PhBCl₂-mediated double alkylation of hydroxybenzaldehyde 4 with LDA in moderate yields.     

The synthesis of 2,4-dienyl fluoroalkyl ketones by a tandem three-stage sequence of propargyl 2-fluoroalkylvinyl ether formation, Claisen rearrangement, and allene-to-conjugated diene isomerization

A tandem three stages process to a series of trifluoromethyl and halodifluoromethyl 2,4-unsaturated ketones 4a-c is described. This process started with the preparation of 2-fluoroalkyl substituted propargyl vinyl ether 3a-d by treatment of a mixture of individual ethyl α-per(poly)fluoroalkyl acetates 1a-d and propargyl alcohol 2 in CH₂Cl₂ with the mixed base (Na₂CO₃/TEA) at ambient temperature. When heated in toluene at 80°C, these ethers readily underwent a tandem propargyl-allenyl Claisen rearrangement and isomerization of the resultant 3,4-dienone to give 2,4-unsaturated fluoroalkyl ketones 4a-c (Z/E mixture). The reaction of ethyl α-per(poly)fluoroalkyl acetate 1 with 1-phenyl propargyl alcohol 5 in refluxing CH₂Cl₂ in the presence of the mixed base (Na₂CO₃/TEA) directly afforded the corresponding unsaturated fluoroalkyl ketone 6a-c in one pot. In the presence of NaH, the reaction of ethyl 3-halo-3-fluoroalkylacrylates 8a-b with 1,1-dimethyl propargyl alcohol 9 at −50°C to 0°C also gave the unsaturated fluoroalkyl ketones 10a-b in one pot. The difluorovinyl propargyl ether 11 produced by reduction of 2-bromodifluoromethyl substituted propargyl vinyl ether 3b rearranged in hot benzene to give the corresponding allene 12 bearing a gem-difluoromethylene group in the middle of the aliphatic chain.     

Are the pyrazolines formed from the reaction of [60]fullerene with alkyl diazoacetates unstable?

[60]Fullerene-fused pyrazolines 1 were prepared by the reaction of C₆₀ with alky diazoacetates under the solid-state high-speed vibration milling conditions as well as in toluene solution. Pyrazolines 1 were stable in refluxing toluene and its thermolysis process in 1,2-dichlorobenzene was investigated, the decomposition rates and activation energies of pyrazolines 1 were obtained. The current work demonstrated that the liquid-phase reaction of C₆₀ with alkyl diazoacetates undergoes via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition pathway at room temperature, or proceeds via carbene mechanism at a temperature of refluxing toluene, thus clarifies the previous ambiguity of its reaction mechanism.     

Synthesis, reactivity and stereochemistry of new phosphorus heterocycles with 5- or 6-membered rings

Syntheses of novel phosphorus heterocycles containing α-amino or α-hydroxyphosphonic or phosphinic acids motifs are developed. 2,3-dihydro-1,3-oxaphospholes (1) and 1,4,2-oxazaphosphinanes (2) exhibit a reactive part, respectively the enolether moiety and the P-H bond, which allows various structural modifications: (i) for 1a, by introduction of amino substituents, (ii) for 2a, by hydroxy- or aminoalkylation, by Michael addition or by P-arylation. These reactions present generally a good or even an excellent kinetic diastereoselectivity which can often be predicted by molecular models of the transition states.     

Synthesis of [13]-membered macrocyclic stevastelins via a transesterification reaction as the key step: total synthesis of stevastelin C3

A new synthesis of stevastelin C3 (3), a [13]-membered ring component of the stevastelin family, whose structure was recently revised, is reported. Initially, a macrolactonization approach was attempted to generate the [13]-membered macrolactone but this met with failure, so a translactonization reaction was tried to obtain the targeted stevastelin C3 (3) from the corresponding [15]-membered ring counterpart. Unfortunately, this strategy did not prove successful, and, consequently, we opted to undertake a transesterification reaction from 23, as a means to accommodate the requisite aminoacid moiety at the correct position, to obtain 24. From 24, and through intermediates 25-28, the acyclic precursor of the [13]-membered ring macrolactone, compound 30, was efficiently prepared. By utilizing the synthetic course developed by Chida, we took 30 forward and completed the total synthesis of stevastelin C3 (3).     

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of exo-methylenesugars with nitrone: approach to new amino-C-ketosyl disaccharides

Stereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of exo-methylenesugars 1a-c to a sugar nitrone 2 were carried out with refluxing a toluene solution and afforded the corresponding cycloadducts, ketosyl spiro-isoxazolidine disaccharides 3a and 4a-c. Followed by reductive cleavage of the N-O bond of the isoxazolidine ring with the treatment of Zn-AcOH-Ac₂O or with catalytic hydrogenation (Pd(OH)₂/C), the cycloadduct 3a could be readily converted into a novel amino-C-disaccharide possessing a ketose form, providing an access to a novel amino-C-ketosyl disaccharides.