Preparation and Properties of Polyallenes. II. Phase Transitions of Polyallene

Polyallenes prepared with the aid of organoaluminum-VOCl₃ catalysts appear to exist in three distinct phases: two crystalline phases (I and II) and an amorphous phase. Phase I shows two strong X-ray diffraction peaks at d = 5.62 Å and d = 4.04 Å; phase II has three strong peaks at d = 6.28 Å, d = 5.03 Å, and d = 4.21 Å. The band of the amorphous phase has its maximum at about d = 5.6 Å.     

Bioguided Isolation and Antiproliferative Activity of Constituents from Smilax korthalsii A.D.C. Leaves

Ethyl acetate extract of Smilax korthalsii A.D.C. leaves exhibited antiproliferative activity on leukaemia carcinoma K562, hepatic liver cancer cells WRL and colorectal carcinoma with IC₅₀ of 125.20, 46.10 and 160.00 μM respectively. Isolation of the bioactive ethyl acetate extract of Smilax korthalsii A.D.C. leaves gave eight compounds; 3β‐hydroxyspirost‐5‐ene (diosgenin), 1 , β‐sitosterol, 2 , lup‐5,11,20‐trien‐23‐ol, 3 , uneicos‐9‐enoic acid, 4 , ethylheptadecan‐17‐oic‐9‐enoate, 5 , cis‐octadec‐9‐enoic acid, 6 , hexadec9‐enoic acid, 7 and 11‐methyltridec‐12‐en‐1‐ol, 8 . The isolated compounds were tested against four human cancer cell lines: leukaemia carcinoma, K‐562; hepatic liver cancer cells, WRL; colorectal carcinoma, COLO; and breast carcinoma, MCF‐7 using the MTT assay. Diosgenin 1 exhibited significant antiproliferative activity against all four cell lines (IC₅₀; K562=6.25, WRL=14.34, COLO=38.00, MCF‐7=12.40 μM), while compounds 3, 6 and 7 inhibited the growth of K‐562 at 20, 50 and 100 μM concentrations with IC₅₀ of 90.20, 75.92 and 50.72 μM respectively. Other isolated compounds also showed cytotoxic properties against K‐562, WRL and COLO, but showed low inhibition of MCF‐7.     

Pteridines. Part CXVIII

Our approach to achieve a partial synthesis of methanopterin ( 1 ) started from 6‐acetyl‐O⁴‐isopropyl‐7‐methylpterin ( 20 ) which was obtained either by condensation from 6‐isopropoxypyrimidine‐2,4,5‐triamine ( 19 ) and pentane‐2,3,4‐trione ( 6 ) or from 6‐isopropoxy‐5‐nitrosopyrimidine‐2,4‐diamine ( 21 ) and pentane‐2,4‐dione (=acetylacetone; 22 ) (Scheme 2). NaBH₄ reduction of 20 led to 6‐(1‐hydroxyethyl)‐O⁴‐isopropyl‐7‐methylpterin ( 23 ) which was converted into the corresponding 6‐(1‐chloroethyl) and 6‐(1‐bromoethyl) derivatives 24 and 25 . A series of nucleophilic displacement reactions in the side chain and at position 4 were performed as model reactions to give 26 – 29, 32 – 35 , and 39 – 41 . Hydrolysis of the substituents at C(4) led to the corresponding pterin derivatives 30, 31, 36 – 38 , and 42 . Analogously, 25 reacted with 1‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐1‐deoxy‐2,3: 4,5‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐D ‐ribitol ( 43 ), prepared from N‐(4‐bromophenyl)benzamide ( 47 ) via 49 and 50 to give 1‐{4‐{{1‐[2‐amino‐7‐methyl‐4‐(1‐methylethoxy)pteridin‐6‐yl]ethyl}amino}phenyl}‐1‐deoxy‐D ‐ribitol ( 44 ) in 62% yield (Scheme 3). Acid cleavage of the isopropylidene groups at room temperature led to 45 and on boiling to 1‐{4‐{[1‐(2‐amino‐3,4‐dihydro‐7‐methyl‐4‐oxopteridin‐6‐yl)ethyl]amino}phenyl}‐1‐deoxy‐D ‐ribitol ( 46 ). The next step, however, attachment of the ribofuranosyl moiety with 55 or 56 to the terminal 1‐deoxy‐D ‐ribitol OH group could not been achieved. The second component, bis(4‐nitrobenzyl) 2‐{[(2‐cyanoethoxy)(diisopropylamino)phosphino]oxy}pentanedioate ( 61 ), to built‐up methanopterin ( 1 ) was synthesized from 2‐hydroxypentanedioic acid ( 59 ) and worked well in another model reaction on phosphitylation with N⁶‐benzoyl‐2′,3′‐O‐isopropylideneadenosine and oxidation to give 62 (Scheme 6).     

Pteridines. Part CXIX.

A variety of pyrimidine precursors 12 – 25 were converted into a series of new 7‐hydroxylumazines (=7‐hydroxypteridine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones) 26 – 35 which functioned as starting materials for the transformation into the corresponding 7‐chlorolumazines 36 – 45 . Subsequent reaction with hydrazine led to the 7‐hydrazinolumazines 46 – 55 which gave on nitrosation the 7‐azidolumazines 1 and 56 – 64 . These compounds were subjected to short heating in xylene whereby 1 and 56 – 61 showed a new pteridine–purine interconversion in forming a new type of 1,3‐disubstituted or 3‐substituted xanthin‐8‐amine‐derived nitrilium ylides (2,3,6,7‐tetrahydro‐N‐methylidyne‐2,6‐dioxo‐1H‐purin‐8‐aminium ylides) 11 and 65 – 70 . The presence of an additional 6‐alkyl substituent in the 7‐azidolumazines 63 and 64 or of an unsubstituted N(3) position in 62 caused further rearrangement to xanthine‐9‐carbonitriles 71 – 73 . Prolonged heating of 7‐azido‐1,3‐dimethyllumazine ( 1 ) also afforded theophylline‐9‐carbonitrile (=1,2,3,6‐tetrahydro‐1,3‐dimethyl‐2,6‐dioxo‐9H‐purine‐9‐carbonitrile; 5 ). The nitrilium ylide function was established by NMR and UV spectra as well as by elemental analyses. Confirmation of the nitrilium ylide structures was suggested by the result of the heating of 1,3‐dimethyl‐N‐methylidynexanthin‐8‐aminium ylide 11 in EtOH or of 1 in pentan‐1‐ol leading to 8‐aminotheophylline (=8‐amino‐3,7‐dihydro‐1,3‐dimethyl‐1H‐purin‐2,6‐dione; 74 ).     

The Low Polar Constituents from Bidens Pilosa L. var. Minor (Blume) Sherff

Anew and 20 known compounds were isolated from Bidens pilosa L. var. minor (Blume) Sherff. The new compound was determined as 7‐phenyl‐hepta‐4,6‐diyne‐2‐ol by various physical techniques (MS, IR, UV, ¹H‐, ¹³C‐NMR, and 2D‐NMR).     

Two New Steroidal Alkaloids from Veratrum nigrum L.

Phytochemical studies on Veratrum nigrum L., collected in Shanxi, P. R. China, resulted in the isolation of two new steroidal alkaloids, 23‐methoxycyclopamine ( 1 ) and 15‐O‐(2‐methylbutanoyl)‐3‐O‐veratroylprotoverine ( 2 ). The structures of the two new compounds were established by means of extensive NMR spectroscopic studies.     

Pteridines. Part CXVII

A series of side chain reactions starting from the 6‐ and 7‐styryl‐substituted 1,3‐dimethyllumazines 1 and 21 as well as from the 6‐ and 7‐[2‐(methoxycarbonyl)ethenyl]‐substituted 1,3‐dimethyllumazine 2 and 22 were performed first by addition of Br₂ to the C?C bond forming the 1′,2′‐dibromo derivatives 3, 4, 24 , and 26 in high yields (Schemes 1 and 3) (lumazine=pteridine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐dione). Treatment of 3 with various nucleophiles gave rise to an unexpected tele‐substitution in 7‐position and elimination of the Br‐atoms generating 7‐alkoxy‐ (see 5 and 6 ), 7‐hydroxy‐ (see 7 ) and 7‐amino‐6‐styryl‐1,3‐dimethyllumazines (see 8 – 11 ) (Scheme 1). On the other hand, 4 underwent, with dilute DBU (1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐2‐ene), a normal HBr elimination in the side chain leading to 18 , whereas treatment with MeONa afforded a more severe structural change to 19 . Similarly, 24 and 26 reacted to 27, 32 , and 33 under mild conditions, whereas in boiling NaOMe/MeOH, 24 gave 7‐(2‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenylethyl)‐1,3‐dimethyllumazine ( 30 ) which was hydrolyzed to give 31 (Scheme 3). From the reactions of 4 and 24 with DBU resulted the dark violet substance 20 and 25 , respectively, in which DBU was added to the side chain (Scheme 2). The styryl derivatives 1 and 21 could be converted, by a Sharpless dihydroxylation reaction, into the corresponding stereoisomeric 6‐ and 7‐(1,2‐dihydroxy‐2‐phenylethyl)‐1,3‐dimethyllumazines 34 – 37 (Scheme 4). The dihydroxy compounds 34 and 35 were also acetylated to 38 and 39 which, on catalytic reduction followed by formylation, yielded the diastereoisomer mixtures 40 and 41 . Deacetylation to 42 and 45 allowed the chromatographic separation of the diastereoisomers resulting in the isolation of 43 and 44 as well as 46 and 47 , respectively. Introduction of a 6‐ or 7‐ethynyl side chains proceeded well by a Sonogashira reaction with 6‐ ( 48 ) or 7‐chloro‐1,3‐dimethyllumazine ( 55 ) yielding 49 – 51 and 56 – 58 (Scheme 5). The direction of H₂O addition to the triple bond is depending on the substituents since the 6‐ ( 49 ) and 7‐(phenylethynyl)‐1,3‐dimethyllumazine ( 56 ) showed attack at the 2′‐position yielding 53 and 60 , in contrast to the 6‐ ( 51 ) and 7‐ethynyl‐1,3‐dimethyllumazine ( 58 ) favoring attack at C(1′) and formation of 6‐ ( 52 ) and 7‐acetyl‐1,3‐dimethyllumazine ( 59 ).     

Novel thermoplastic elastomers. II. Properties of star‐block copolymers of PSt‐b‐PIB arms emanating from cyclosiloxane cores

Select mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties of star‐blocks consisting of 5–21 polystyrene‐b‐polyisobutylene (PSt‐b‐PIB) arms radiating from cyclosiloxane cores are described. The tensile properties of products containing 23–41 wt % of PSt are substantially higher (9.6–23.8 MPa) than those of linear triblocks of comparable arm molecular weights and compositions over the 25–85°C temperature range. The mechanical properties of star‐blocks seem to be much less sensitive to diblock contamination than linear triblock thermoplastic elastomers of similar hard/soft segment composition. The tensile strength of star‐blocks increases by increasing the number of arms (N_w,arm) and reaches a plateau in the N_w,arm = 5–10 range. Star‐blocks exhibit higher strengths with lower PSt segmental M_n than linear triblocks. Solvent cast triblock copolymers exhibit higher tensile strengths than compression molded products; however, star‐blocks show no significant property differences between cast and molded samples. The dynamic melt viscosities of the star‐blocks are substantially lower than those of linear triblocks with comparable hard/soft segment compositions, which is consistent with the star's unique microarchitecture and should lead to improved overall processibility. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 815–824, 1999