β-Ribo- and α-arabinonucleosides containing the 1,2-benzisoxazole and 1,2-benzisothiazole rings

The reaction of the silylated base of 1,2-benzisoxazol-3(2H)-one ( 1 ) and its 7-methyl derivative 5 and 5-methyl-1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one ( 9 ), respectively, with 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranose followed by basic deprotection gave the corresponding β-D-ribonucleosides, and the silylated base of 1 , when treated with 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-α-D-arabinofuranose in the presence of stannic chloride, afforded the corresponding α-arabinonucleoside. Structural proofs of these nucleosides are provided from elemental analyses and ¹H and ¹³C nmr spectra.     

Polymerization of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose and 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose

A new method for preparing D -glucose polymers is described. Isopropylidene derivatives of D -glucofuranose, particularly the 1,2-mono-O-derivative, are treated with Lewis acids, such as boron trifluoride, to eliminate acetone and produce a highly branched polymer with a molecular weight of 12,700. Approximately one isopropylidene unit remains, possibly on the potential reducing end of the glucan. Up to 95% of the polymer units are D-glucopyranoside units indicating that ring expansion occurs during the condensation.     

Polymerization of optically active β-substituted β-propiolactones. IV. β-1,1-dichloroalkyl β-propiolactones polymerized with aluminum triisopropoxide

The polymerization of three optically active β-1,1-dichloroalkyl β-propiolactones has been investigated in toluene, at 55°C, using aluminum triisopropoxide (Al(OiPr)₃) as initiator in a range of monomer/initiator molar ratios smaller than 150. β-1,1-dichloroethyl β-propiolactone polymerizes according to a living mechanism. However, the ability to polymerize decreases with an increase in the length of the alkyl substituent. For instance, β-1,1-dichloro-n-propyl β-propiolactone is obtained only in low yields, whereas β-1,1-dichloro-n-butyl β-propiolactone does not polymerize at all. Actually, each of the lactones investigated reacts with Al(OiPr)₃ in an initiation step that obeys a coordination-insertion mechanism. However, the size of the chloroalkyl substituent has a critical effect on the propagation: when the alkyl group contains more than two methylene units, the insertion of a second monomer becomes exceedingly slow.