Acidity trends in alpha,beta-unsaturated alkanes, silanes, germanes, and stannanes.

The gas-phase acidity of ethyl-, vinyl-, ethynyl-, and phenyl-substituted silanes, germanes, and stannanes has been measured by means of FT-ICR techniques. The effect of unsaturation on the intrinsic acidity of these compounds and the corresponding hydrocarbons was analyzed through the use of G2 ab initio and DFT calculations. In this way, it was possible to get a general picture of the acidity trends within group 14. As expected, the acid strength increases down the group, although the acidity differences between germanium and tin derivatives are already rather small. As has been found before for amines, phosphines, and arsines, the carbon, silicon, germanium, and tin alpha,beta-unsaturated compounds are stronger acids( )than their saturated analogues. The acidifying effect of unsaturation is much larger for carbon than for Si-, Ge-, and Sn-containing compounds. The allyl anion is better stabilized by resonance than its Si, Ge, and Sn analogues, [CH(2)(-)(delta)--CH(+)(delta)(') --CH(2)(-)(delta)](-) vs [CH(2)(-)(delta)()II = CH(-)(delta)()III - XH(2)(-)(delta)()IV](-) (X = Si, Ge, Sn). The enhanced acid strength of unsaturated compounds is essentially due to a greater stabilization of the anion with respect to the neutral, because the electronegativity of the alpha,beta-unsaturated carbon group increases with its degree of unsaturation. The phenyl derivatives are systematically weaker acids than the corresponding ethynyl derivatives by 15-20 kJ mol(-)(1). Experimentally, toluene acidity is very close to that of propyne, because the deprotonation of propyne takes place preferentially at the =CH group rather than at the -CH(3) group.     

Furan derivatives of tellurium: Synthesis and structural comparison with the thiophene analogues

α-Bromo-2-acetylfuran adds oxidatively to elemental tellurium and aryltellurium(II) bromide at ambient temperature to afford (2-furoylmethyl)tellurium(IV) dibromides, (FuCOCH₂)₂TeBr₂ (1b) and Ar(FuCOCH₂)TeBr₂ (Fu = 2-C₄H₃O; Ar = 1-C₁₀H₇, 2b; 2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂, 3b). The iodo analogues 1c-3c can be obtained by metathesis of the bromides with an alkali iodide. Condensation reactions of the parent methyl ketone with Te(IV) chlorides results in the corresponding chloro analogues, (FuCOCH₂)₂TeCl₂ (1a) and Ar(FuCOCH₂)TeCl₂ (2a, 3a and Ar = 4-MeOC₆H₄ (4a)). These diorganotellurium dihalides are reduced with aqueous bisulfite to diorganotellurides 1-3, which can be oxidized readily with dihalogens to the desired diorganotellurium(IV) dihalides. The tellurated furan derivative, bis(2-furyl)tellurium(II), Fu₂Te (5), obtained by detelluration of bis(2-furyl)ditelluride with electrolytic copper, gives crystalline bis(2-furyl)tellurium(IV) dichloride (5a) upon chlorination. Crystal structures of Te(IV) compounds 1a, 1b, 2a-4a, and the telluride 3 together with its thiophene analogue (2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂)((2-C₄H₃S)COCH₂)Te, 6 have been studied. Among the Te(IV) compounds, the functionalized organic moiety, FuCOCH₂-, behaves as a (C, O) chelating ligand, resulting in a intramolecular 1,4-Te?O secondary bonding interaction. Such an interaction is absent in Te(II) compounds 3 and 6, though they differ in the conformation adopted by the organic ligand. The chalcogen atoms in the heteroaroyl moiety are trans in 3 but cis in 6 which also possesses intermolecular Te?O interaction in its lattice.     

Evaluation of sulfur, selenium and tellurium catalysts with antioxidant potential

Oxidative stress is implicated, either directly or indirectly, in the pathology of a range of human diseases. As a consequence, the development of efficient antioxidants for medical use has become increasingly important. We have synthesised a range of structurally related organo-sulfur, -selenium and -tellurium agents and demonstrated that a combination of electrochemical methodology, in vitro assays and cell culture tests can be used to rationalise the antioxidant activity of these catalytic agents. Based on its exceptionally low anodic oxidation potential (Epa) and high activity against the representative oxidative stressors tert-butyl hydroperoxide and peroxynitrite, 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenyltelluride is predicted to be a potent antioxidant. This compound exhibits a correspondingly high activity with a remarkably low IC50 value of 20 nM, when tested in PC12 cell culture using a bioassay indicative of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.     

Regioselective reactions of sulfur, selenium and tellurium chlorides with allyl trimethyl silane

Electrophilic addition of SCl₂, SeCl₂ and SeCl₄ to 2 equivalents of allyl trimethyl silane proceeds regioselectively to give bis[2-chloro-3-(trimethylsilyl)propyl] sulfide, selenide and selenium dichloride, respectively. The reaction with TeCl₄ affords only diallyl tellurium dichloride. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C, ⁷⁷Se and ¹²⁵Te NMR techniques.     

Asymmetric dihydroxylation of d-glucose derived alpha,beta-unsaturated ester: synthesis of azepane and nojirimycin analogues

The asymmetric dihydroxylation of a d-glucose derived alpha,beta-unsaturated ester 3 afforded syn vicinal diols in good to high diastereoselectivity. The conversion of these vicinal diols to the corresponding cyclic sulfate, regio-, stereoselective nucleophilic ring opening by sodium azide, and LAH reduction afforded amino heptitols 7a,b that were converted to azepane 1c,d and nojirimycin analogues 2c,d.     

Fragmentation and rearrangement processes in the mass spectra of perhalogenoaromatic compounds—VI. Perfluoroaromatic heterocyclic derivatives of sulfur,selenium and tellurium

The mass spectra of the compounds C₁₂F₈M₂ (M = S, Se), (I), C₁₂F₈M (M = S, Se, Te), (II) and C₁₂F₈SX₂ (X = Br, I), (III), have been measured. Results indicate that sulfur-carbon bonds are more stable under electron bombardment than either selenium-carbon or tellurium-carbon bonds. Numerous metastable-supported transitions are evident, which are incorporated into comprehensive fragmentation schemes for these compounds. Many metastable transitions, not previously reported, were observed for the fluorocarbon fragments and a fragmentation scheme is reported. The bromine and iodine-containing compounds behave remarkably like the heterocyclic systems, I and II, presumably due to initial loss of Br₂ or I₂ to form a ring system of type II.     

Tandem addition of trialkyl phosphites to alpha,beta-unsaturated imines: a comparison with silylated phosphites

Trialkyl phosphites were evaluated for addition reactions to alpha,beta-unsaturated imines. An acidic medium is required to allow consecutive 1,4- and 1,2-addition to occur. In this manner, 3-phosphonyl-1-aminophosphonates, phosphonic acid analogues of glutamate, are obtained in good yields (32-90%). The reaction is mainly influenced by the steric bulk of the nitrogen substituent: less steric N-substituents lead to better yields of the tandem adducts.     

Highly regio- and stereoselective asymmetric bromoazidation of chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives: scope and limitations

Lewis acid catalyzed asymmetric bromoazidation of chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives was performed using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and trimethylsilyl azide (TMSN3) as the bromine and azide sources. Among the Lewis acids, Yb(OTf)3 was found to be the best catalyst. Regio- and anti-selectivity of 100% and moderate to good diastereoselectivity (up to 89:11) with good yields were obtained when Oppolzer's bornane sultam chiral auxilairy was used. Diastereoselectivity of >95:05 was observed when (2S,5S)-2,5-diphenylpyrrolidine was used as the chiral auxiliary.     

Functionalization of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters and ketones: a facile and highly stereoselective one-pot approach to N-protected alpha,beta-dehydroamino acid derivatives

A new, facile, and highly stereoselective protocol toward alpha,beta-dehydroamino acid derivatives has been developed. The one-pot synthesis was very convenient to perform by using the aminohalogenation reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters and ketones followed by treatment with specific bases. Only two [2.2.2] bicyclic organic bases were found to be effective for this transformation. Good yields (58-68%) and excellent Z-selectivity were obtained for 12 examples. [reaction: see text]     

Acylation of alkylidenecyclopropanes for the facile synthesis of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone and benzofulvene derivatives with high stereoselectivity

[reaction: see text] A variety of substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone and benzofulvene derivatives were readily prepared in good to excellent yields via the reaction of alkylidenecyclopropanes with various acyl chlorides in the presence of aluminum chloride. The stereochemistry of the acylation and cyclization is discussed.     

Addition compounds of sulfur,selenium, or tellurium tetrachloride with niobium or tantalum pentachloride Conductometric and Raman spectroscopic study in the molten and solid state

Electrical conductance measurements on the molten binary systems TeCl₄NbCl₅ and TeCl₄TaCl₅ at 240°C show a low degree of ionization in the melts. Raman spectra of the molten 1 : 1 mixtures indicate the form TeCl₃⁺, M′Cl₆⁻. Evidence for a binuclear structure similar to that of Tl₂Cl₉³⁻ is discussed for the 1 : 1 iion pair in the melt. Raman spectra are further reported for the solid compounds MCl₄·M′Cl₅, where M is S, Se, or Te and M′ is Nb or Ta. The spectra of the sulfur compounds can be satisfactorily assigned, assuming the presence of pyramidal SCl₃⁺ and wekaly perturbed octahedral NbCl₆⁺ and TaCl₆⁻ ions in the crystals. The spectra of the selenium and tellurium compounds cannot be assigned on this basis. The spectra give evidence that the addition compounds are structurally closely related to SeCl₄·SbCl₅ and TeCl₄·SbCl₅ for which the presence of heteronuclear chloridebridged dimers have previously been postulated.     

Platinum(II) complexes with thiourea derivatives containing oxygen,sulfur or selenium in a heterocyclic ring: computational studies and cytotoxic properties

Platinum(II) complexes with 1-(2-oxolanylmethyl)-2-thiourea, 1-(2-thiolanylmethyl)-2-thiourea and 1-(2-selenolanylmethyl)-2-thiourea were synthesized in order to compare their cytotoxic activities with those of the free thioureas. Their equilibrium geometries and bonding energies in the gas phase and in solution were calculated using density functional theory at the MPW1PW/LanL2DZ level. The IR spectra of the complexes and their free ligands were compared. Stability of the complexes in 0.9% saline aqueous solution was tested by means of HPLC. The cytotoxic activities of the species against five human cell lines were evaluated, as well as the antimicrobial activities against twelve bacterial strains.     

Organocatalytic asymmetric direct phosphonylation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes: mechanism, scope, and application in synthesis

The first direct organocatalytic enantioselective phosphonylation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with phosphite, in combination with a Br?nsted acid and a nucleophile, is presented. Mechanistic investigations have revealed that the first step in the catalytic process, after the formation of the iminium intermediate, is the addition of phosphite to the beta-carbon atom, leading to the phosphonium ion-enamine intermediate. The rate-determining step for the reaction is the transformation of P(III) to P(V), which occurs via a nucleophilic SN2-type dealkylation, and a screening of various nucleophiles shows that soft nucleophiles in combination with a Br?nsted acid improve the reaction rate and enantioselectivity. The reaction conditions developed show that the use of 2-[bis(3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl)trimethylsilanoxymethyl]pyrrolidine as the catalyst and tri-iso-propyl phosphite as the phosphonylation reagent, in the presence of stoichiometric amount of benzoic acid and sodium iodide, gave the beta-phosphonylation of aromatic and aliphatic alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes in good yields and enantioselectivities. The products formed by this new reaction have been used for the synthesis of a number of biologically important compounds, such as optically active hydroxyl phosphonate esters, phosphonic acids, and especially glutamic acid and fosmidomycin precursors, of which the two latter are showing important properties for the treatment of central nervous system diseases and as anti-malarial compounds, respectively. DFT calculations have been applied to explain the approach of the phosphite to the reactive carbon atom in the iminium intermediate in order to account for the observed absolute enantioselectivity in the reaction.     

Gas-phase C-F bond cleavage in perfluorohexane using W-, Si-, P-, Br-, and I-containing ions: Comparisons with reactions at fluorocarbon surfaces

Gas-phase reactions of W-, Si-, P-, Br-, and I-containing ions with the target molecule perfluorohexane at low collision energies (<15 eV) parallel known ion/surface reactions of the same projectile ions at fluorinated self-assembled monolayer surfaces. Charge exchange, dissociative charge exchange, and fluorine atom abstraction are observed and the majority of the projectile ions also undergo reactive charge exchange to produce specific fluorocarbon fragment ions of the target molecule in distinctive relative abundances. Abstraction of up to five fluorine atoms is observed upon collision of W⁺ with gaseous perfluorohexane, while similar experiments with CI⁺, SiCl⁺, and PCl^+· show abstraction of one or two fluorine atoms. Other projectiles, including Si^+·, PCl ₂ ⁺ , Br⁺, CBr⁺, and I⁺, abstract only a single fluorine atom. These patterns of fluorine atom abstraction are similar to those observed in ion/surface collisions. Also paralleling the ion/surface reactions, halogen exchange (Cl-for-F) reactions occur between the Cl-containing projectile ions and perfluorohexane to produce C₆F₁₂Cl⁺, a product of chemical modification of the target. Collisions of PCl^+· and PCl ₂ ⁺ also result in production of C₆F ₁₂ ^+· , indicating that the corresponding surface modification reaction involving molecular defluorination should be sought. Implications for previously proposed mechanisms, new ion/surface reactions, and for the use of gas-phase studies to guide investigations of the ion/surface reactions are discussed.     

Comparison of side-on and end-on coordination of E2 ligands in complexes [W(CO)5E2] (E=N,P, As,Sb, Bi,Si-, Ge-, Sn-, Pb-)

Complexes of W(CO)(5) with neutral diatomic pnictogen ligands N(2), P(2), As(2), Sb(2), and Bi(2) and anionic Group 14 ligands Si(2) (2-), Ge(2) (2-), Sn(2) (2-), and Pb(2) (2-) coordinated in both side-on and end-on fashion have been optimized by using density functional theory at the BP86 level with valence sets of TZP quality. The calculated bond energies have been used to compare the preferential binding modes of each respective ligand. The results were interpreted by analyzing the nature of the interaction between the ligands and the metal fragment using an energy partitioning method. This yields quantitative information regarding the strength of covalent and electrostatic interactions between the metal and ligand, as well as the contributions by orbitals of different symmetry to the covalent bonding. Results show that all the ligands studied bind preferentially in a side-on coordination mode, with the exception of N(2), which prefers to coordinate in an end-on mode. The preference of the heavier homologues P(2)-Bi(2) for binding in a side-on mode over the end-on mode in the neutral complexes [(CO)(5)WE(2)] comes mainly from the much stronger electrostatic attraction in the former species. The energy difference between the side-on and end-on isomers of the negatively charged complexes with the ligands Si(2) (2-), Ge(2) (2-), Sn(2) (2-), and Pb(2) (2-) is much less and it cannot be ascribed to a particular bonding component.     

Dissociative protonation and proton transfers: fragmentation of alpha, beta-unsaturated aromatic ketones in mass spectrometry

In mass spectrometry of the alpha,beta-unsaturated aromatic ketones, Ph-CO-CH=CH-Ph', losses of a benzene from the two ends and elimination of a styrene are the three major fragmentation reactions of the protonated molecules. When the ketones are substituted on the right phenyl ring, the electron-donating groups are in favor of losing a styrene to form the benzoyl cation, PhCO(+), whereas the electron-withdrawing groups strongly favor loss of benzene of the left side to form a cinnamoyl cation, Ph'CH=CHCO(+). When the ketones are substituted on the left phenyl ring, the substituent effects on the reactions are reversed. In both cases, the ratios of the two competitive product ions are well-correlated with the sigma p(+) substituent constants. Theoretical calculations indicate that the carbonyl oxygen is the most favorable site for protonation, and the olefinic carbon adjacent to the carbonyl is also favorable especially when a strong electron-releasing group is present on the right phenyl ring. The energy barrier to the interconversion between the ions formed from protonation at these two sites regulates the overall reactions. Transfer of a proton from the carbonyl oxygen to the ipso position on either phenyl ring, which is dissociative, triggers loss of benzene.     

Reagent-controlled stereoselectivity in titanocene-catalyzed epoxide openings: reductions and intermolecular additions to alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds

The generation and addition reactions of metal bound radicals derived from normal and meso epoxides by electron transfer from titanocene(III) reagents is described. The control of enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity of these transformations is investigated by variation of the ligands of the metal complex. The reaction can lead to unprecedented and highly selective reactions, in which synthetically useful alcohols may be prepared. The synthesis presented also circumvents the use of toxic metals. Another advantage is that there is no loss of two functional groups as usually observed in reductive radical chain reactions.     

Oxidations with alkaline permanganate using monovalent thallium for the back titration: Estimation of lead. selenium,tellurium and chromium

Monovalent-thallium can be successfully used for the back titration of KMnO₄ in the course of estimating Pb⁺², Sc⁺⁴, Te⁺⁴ and Cr⁺³.Reduction of KMnO4 with Tl+ in alkaline solution yields MnO₄^-2 which then passes to MnO₂. he end-points are attained late, but in presence of telluric acid the end-point at MnO₂ stage corresonds to the theoretical value. Reduction at the MnO₄^-2 stage can be checked in presence of Ba⁺² ns and good results obtained with 1–1.5N NaOH.