Stereoselective Synthesis of Polysubstituted Alkenes through a Phosphine‐Mediated Three‐Component System of Aldehydes, α‐Halo Carbonyl Compounds,and Terminal Alkenes

Geometrical control : PPh₃ and methyl acrylate (or acrylamide) are able to mediate the one‐pot Wittig reaction of aldehydes with α‐halo carbonyl compounds for the synthesis of 1,2‐disubstituted and trisubstituted alkenes in an excellent stereoselective fashion. Furthermore, the first one‐pot, three‐component reaction of aldehydes, α‐halo acetates, and terminal alkenes has been developed in the presence of PPh₃ to produce trisubstituted alkenes with excellent E selectivity (see scheme).

     

Hydrogen‐Atom Transfer in Reactions of Organic Radicals with [CoII(por)]. (por=Porphyrinato) and in Subsequent Addition of [Co(H)(por)] to Olefins

Do the hydrogen shuffle! DFT calculations and experiments reveal low‐barrier multistep pathways for hydrogen‐atom transfer from organic radicals to [Co^II(por)] ^. to form [Co(H)(por)], and for the radical pathway leading to net olefin insertion into the Co? H bond of [Co(H)(por)] (see scheme). The results suggest that hydrogen‐atom‐transfer pathways could be important in numerous addition reactions of M? H complexes with unsaturated substrates.

     

Application of the Perimeter Model to the Assignment of the Electronic Absorption Spectra of Gold(III) Hexaphyrins with [4n+2] and [4n] π‐Electron Systems

Expanded porphyrins : The electronic excited states of two forms of meso‐hexakis(pentafluorophenyl)‐substituted gold(III) hexaphyrin(1.1.1.1.1.1), such as that depicted, have been investigated by density functional calculations and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy to assign their low‐energy excited singlet states.

     

Gold‐Catalyzed Stereocontrolled Synthesis of 2,3‐Bis(acetoxy)‐1,3‐dienes

Change the ligand, change the stereochemistry : 2,3‐Bis(acetoxy)‐1,3‐dienes are obtained in a stereocontrolled manner by a novel tandem 1,2‐/1,2‐bis(acetoxy) rearrangement (see scheme, R¹ and R² are δ⁺ stabilizing). Upon stabilization of the reaction intermediates, the ligand attached to gold controls the stereochemistry of the alkene in the second acetate migration, that is, N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) favor cis alkenes, whereas phosphine ligands selectively afford trans olefins.

     

Palladium(0)‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Potassium (Z)‐2‐Chloroalk‐1‐enyl Trifluoroborates: A Chemo‐ and Stereoselective Access to (Z)‐Chloroolefins and Trisubstituted Alkenes

Original and ambivalent : We describe the preparation of a series of new potassium trifluoroborates 1 , and the study of their behaviour in a Pd⁰‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction. We found that compounds 1 are endowed with original properties as they behave as nucleophilic cross‐coupling partners chemoselectively, but also as ambivalent synthons. The usefulness of this methodology has been successfully illustrated by the first total synthesis of an N‐acyl spermidine.

     

Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of β‐Aminophosphinates with Two Stereogenic Atoms and Their Conversion into Optically Pure Ethyl β‐Amino‐H‐phosphinates

β‐Amino acid analogues : The nucleophilic addition of ethyl (diethoxyethyl)methylphosphinate to a variety of (S)‐(tert‐butanesulfinyl)imines leads to the isolation of two enantioenriched β‐aminophosphinates (>95 % ee; see scheme). Subsequent removal of the protecting groups through pivotal metal‐catalyzed thiophenolysis leads to optically pure ethyl β‐amino‐H‐phosphinates.

     

Highly Water‐Soluble,Fluorescent, Conjugated Fluorene‐Based Glycopolymers with Poly(ethylene glycol)‐Tethered Spacers for Sensitive Detection of Escherichia coli

Know your bacteria! Two fluorene‐based, conjugated polymers with oligo(ethylene glycol)‐ and poly(ethylene glycol)‐tethered spacers have been prepared by the Suzuki coupling polymerization reactions. β‐Glucose and α‐mannose residues were covalently attached to the conjugated polymers by post‐polymerization functionalization with thiol‐functionalized carbohydrates under basic conditions. Investigations on their use as biosensing materials for the detection of Escherichia coli are reported (see figure).

     

Copper‐Mediated Coupling of 1,1‐Dibromo‐1‐alkenes with Nitrogen Nucleophiles: A General Method for the Synthesis of Ynamides

Mild reaction conditions are the advantage of the title reaction, which allows straightforward entry to a variety of ynamides starting from readily available 1,1‐dibromo‐1‐alkenes, which act as attractive alkynylating agents (see scheme; EWG=electron‐withdrawing group, DMF=N,N‐dimethylformamide).

     

A facile regioselective synthesis of (5‐amino‐4‐cyano‐1h‐imidazol‐1‐yl) benzoic acids

A simple and efficient method was developped for the synthesis of 3‐(5‐amino‐4‐cyano‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)‐4‐substituted benzoic acids 3 . These compounds were isolated by intramolecular cyclisation of the corresponding 3‐{[(Z)‐2‐amino‐1,2‐dicyano‐vinyl]amino}methyleneaminobenzoic acids in the presence of base.     

α‐Chiral Acetylenes Having an All‐Carbon Quaternary Center: Phase Transfer Catalyzed Enantioselective α Alkylation of α‐Alkyl‐α‐alkynyl Esters

Going through the phases : The title reaction was found to proceed by an initial base‐mediated isomerization to allenyl esters and subsequent phase transfer catalyzed alkylation at the α position of the ester (see scheme).

     

An interesting cyclization of N‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐N‐(2‐(Z)‐phenylethenyl)‐cis‐oxiranecarboxamide

Under Lewis acid condition, N‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐N‐(2‐(Z)‐phenylethenyl)‐cis‐oxiranecarboxamide undergoes elegant double cyclizations to give interesting products.     

A C‐linked Glycomimetic in the Gas Phase and in Solution: Synthesis and Conformation of the Disaccharide Manα(1,6)‐C‐ManαOPh

The effect of carbon is subtle but sweet : The flexible C‐linkage in the newly synthesised C‐glycosyl mimetic, Manα(1,6)‐C‐ManαOPh allows OH? π bonding, both in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. This interaction is absent in the O‐linked disaccharide (see figure).

     

Synthesis of Single‐Crystal Tetra(4‐pyridyl)porphyrin Rectangular Nanotubes in the Vapor Phase

Stacking up : One‐dimensional single‐crystalline rectangular nanotubes (RNTs) of 5,10,15,20‐tetra(4‐pyridyl)porphyrin (H₂TPyP, see picture) are synthesized by a vaporization–condensation–recrystallization process. The single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and selected‐area electron diffraction data reveal that the H₂TPyP RNTs form by self‐stacking of H₂TPyP units through hydrogen‐bonding, H–π, and π–π intermolecular interactions.

     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Formation of Stereocontrolled Trisubstituted Alkenes from Baylis–Hillman Adducts

Efficient and general conditions for the formation of stereodefined trisubstituted alkenes by using the rhodium‐catalyzed reaction of unactivated Baylis–Hillman adducts with either organoboronic acids or potassium trifluoro(organo)borates are reported (see scheme).

     

Solvent‐Assisted Organized Structures Based on Amphiphilic Anion‐Responsive π‐Conjugated Systems

Just subtract water : Amphiphilic π‐conjugated acyclic oligopyrroles form solvent‐assisted H‐aggregates that give rise to vesicular structures in aqueous solution (see figure). The H‐aggregates are sensitive to the conditions and are transformed into J‐aggregates by the removal of water.

     

Hydrogen Molecules Trapped in Interstitial Host Channels of α‐Hydroquinone

Easy come, easy go: Hydroquinone forms a channel structure of cages with hydrogen‐bonded hexagons. These may provide an ideal route for the fast inclusion and facile release of hydrogen molecules (see figure), which can lead to reversible hydrogen storage under mild conditions.