Efficient cyclopropanation of active methylene compounds. A serendipitous discovery

Cyclopropanation of active methylene compounds has been achieved in good yields with ethylene carbonate as the cyclopropanating agent in the presence of a simple base.     

Novel formation of a fluorinated aziridino[60]fullerene

Reaction of MEMN₃ (methoxyethoxymethylazide) with C₆₀F₁₈ results in replacement of two fluorines by the >NCH₂OCH₂CH₂OMe function giving a C_s symmetrical aziridinofluorofullerene, C₆₀F₁₆NCH₂OCH₂CH₂OMe.     

Catalytic cyclopropanation of fullerene[60] with diazomethane

The selective cyclopropanation of C₆₀-fullerene with diazomethane was performed under the catalysis with Pd(acac)₂, and individual 5,6-open and 6,6-closed cycloadducts were obtained.     

Thermal and catalytic reactions of ethyl diazopyruvate with [60]fullerene

New stable [6,6]-methano cycloadducts and fulleropyrazolines containing electron-withdrawing groups have been obtained by the reaction of ethyl diazopyruvate with [60]fullerene. The results obtained by a systematic study conducted both in thermal and catalytic conditions have provided crucial indications concerning the mechanism of this important cluster opening process in fullerene chemistry.     

Reaction of [60]fullerene with free radicals generated from active methylene compounds by manganese(III) acetate dihydrate

The reaction of [60]fullerene with dimethyl malonate and diethyl malonate in the presence of manganese(III) acetate dihydrate (Mn(OAc)3.2H2O) for 20 min afforded singly bonded [60]fullerene dimers 1a and 1b in a 1,4-addition pattern. When the reaction time was extended to 1 h, 1,4-bisadducts 2a and 2b were obtained. Unsymmetrical 1,4-adduct 5 and C2 symmetrical 1,16-bisadduct 6 were obtained when diethyl bromomalonate was used as the active methylene compound. Reaction of [60]fullerene with malononitrile and ethyl cyanoacetate with the aid of Mn(OAc)3.2H2O produced methanofullerenes 7 and 8. It is proposed that all these products were formed the addition of free radicals from the active methylene compounds generated by Mn(OAc)3.2H2O.     

Efficient photocleavage of DNA utilising water-soluble lipid membrane-incorporated [60]fullerenes prepared using a [60]fullerene exchange method

Various types of lipid membrane-incorporated C60 with high C60 concentrations can be prepared easily in several hours using the C60 exchange method and the photocleaving activity of cationic lipid membrane-incorporated C60 was appreciably higher than that of the C60.gamma-CDx complex.     

Synthesis of new ferrocenyl derivatives and their use in the first cyclopropanation of fullerene C60 with ferrocenes

New ferrocenyl derivatives (a β-ketoester and a β-diester) were synthesised and linked to fullerene C₆₀, with the aim to elucidate factors involved in intramolecular electronic communication. These are the first examples of fullerene functionalised with ferrocenes via the cyclopropanation reaction. The resulting dyads were characterised.     

Revisit to the reaction of [60]fullerene with nitrile ylides generated from imidoyl chlorides and triethylamine

The reaction of [60]fullerene (C₆₀) with nitrile ylides generated from N-benzyl-4-nitrobenzimidoyl chloride/N-(4-chlorobenzyl)-4-nitrobenzimidoyl chloride and triethylamine gave only isomeric monoadducts of C₆₀ with [6,6]-closed structure. No [5,6]-open adduct of C₆₀ could be identified from these reactions. The previously reported [5,6]-open product of C₆₀ should be reassigned as a [6,6]-closed product.     

Catalytic [2+1] cycloaddition of diazo compounds to [60]fullerene

A catalytic method for the efficient synthesis of 5,6-open and 6,6-closed (2π+1π) fullerene adducts by [2+1] cycloaddition of ethyl 2-alkyl(hetaryl)-2-diazoacetates to [60]fullerene in the presence of a three-component catalyst Pd(acac)₂—PPh₃—Et₃Al have been developed.     

Formal cycloaddition of ethyl 2-aroyl-1-chlorocyclopropanecarboxylates:facile synthesis of diversified tetrahydrocyclopropa[b]chromenes

Tandem reaction of ortho-hydroxy chalcone with ethyl 2-aroyl-1-chlorocyclopropanecarboxylates has been disclosed, affording facile synthesis of diversified tetrahydrocyclopropa[b]chromenes via electron-deficient cyclopropene intermediate.     

Enantioselective syntheses of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane carboxylic acid derivatives by intramolecular cyclopropanation

Enantioselective syntheses of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane carboxylic acid derivatives are described. The syntheses were achieved by an intramolecular cyclopropanation as the key step, starting from enantiomerically pure starting materials that are commercially available.     

Synthesis of fulleropyrrolidines through the reaction of [60]fullerene with quaternary ammonium salts and amino acids

The reactions of [60]fullerene with amino acids and quaternary ammonium salts in toluene afforded two fulleropyrrolidine derivatives. One fulleropyrrolidine derivative contained a RCH moiety originating from quaternary ammonium salts through C–N bond cleavages and other fulleropyrrolidine derivatives contained a PhCH moiety originating from toluene through C–H bond cleavage. By using chlorobenzene instead of toluene as solvent, only one fulleropyrrolidine derivative containing a RCH moiety was obtained in the reactions.     

Electrical rectification from a fullerene[60]-dyad based metal-organic-metal junction

Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer films of C60-didodecyloxybenzene dyad, with a C60 acceptor and didodecyloxybenzene donor, exhibit rectification with high rectification ratios of 87-158 at 3 V.     

Molecular photoelectric switch using a mixed SAM of organic [60]fullerene and [70]fullerene doped with a single iron atom

We describe a photoswitch fabricated on indium tin oxide (ITO) as a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of two fullerene molecules, a purely organic [60]fullerene that generates an anodic current and a [70]fullerene doped with a single iron atom. This device generates a bidirectional photocurrent upon irradiation at 340 and 490 nm. The new [70]fullerene iron complex bearing three rigid carboxylic acid legs, Fe[C(70)(C(6)H(4)C(6)H(4)COOH)(3)]Cp, generates only a cathodic current upon photoexcitation between 350 and 700 nm, whereas the organic [60]fullerene absorbs at wavelengths shorter than 500 nm. The quantum efficiency of the photocurrent generation by the mixed SAM is comparable to that of a single-component SAM, indicating that the individual diode molecules on ITO generate photocurrents independently with little cross talk.     

Indium-mediated, highly efficient cyclopropanation of olefins using CH2I2 as methylene transfer reagent

The indium-mediated, one-pot cyclopropanation of a variety of olefins with methylene iodide proceeds smoothly with excellent yields of products.     

Synthesis of a linear benzo[3]phenylene-[60]fullerene dyad

The synthesis of a new linear benzo[3]phenylene-[60]fullerene dyad 1 is achieved over 10 steps in 15% overall yield by using an efficient sequence combining a double cobalt(I)-mediated cyclotrimerization with a Bingel reaction.     

Cycloaddition of diazocycloalkanes to [60]fullerene in the presence of Pd-containing complex catalyst

A catalytic method for the selective and efficient synthesis of cycloalkylidenehomofullerenes by cycloaddition of [60]fullerene to diazocycloalkanes generated in situ from the corresponding hydrazones in the presence of a complex catalytic system [Pd(acac)₂-PPh₃-Et₃Al] has been developed.     

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of spiro[cyclopropane-1,3′-indolin]-2′-ones via catalyst-free cyclopropanation using ethyl diazoacetate

Substituted 3-methyleneindolin-2-ones were efficiently cyclopropanated with ethyl diazoacetate to yield spiro[cyclopropane-1,3′-indolin]-2′-ones in a catalyst-free and highly diastereoselective reaction in a mixture of ethanol–acetonitrile (1:1 v/v) as solvent.     

Ionic liquid as catalyst and solvent: the remarkable effect of a basic ionic liquid, [bmIm]OH on Michael addition and alkylation of active methylene compounds

A basic ionic liquid, 1-methyl-3-butylimidazolium hydroxide, [bmIm]OH, catalyzes the Michael addition of active methylene compounds to conjugated ketones, carboxylic esters and nitriles. It further catalyzes the addition of thiols to α,β-acetylenic ketones and alkylation of 1,3-dicarbonyl and -dicyano compounds. The Michael addition to α,β-unsaturated ketones proceeds in the usual way, giving the monoaddition products, whereas addition to α,β-unsaturated esters and nitriles leads exclusively to the bis-addition products. The α,β-acetylenic ketones undergo double conjugate addition with thiols producing β-keto 1,3-dithio-derivatives. In the alkylation reaction the acyclic 1,3-diketones are monoalkylated, whereas cyclic ketones undergo dialkylation under identical conditions. All these reactions were carried out without any organic solvent. The ionic liquid can also be recycled.