Ring Opening of Pymisyl‐Protected Aziridines with Organocuprates

The pyrimidine‐2‐sulfonyl (pymisyl) group is introduced as a new protecting group that can be used to activate aziridines towards ring opening. It is readily introduced and removed under mild conditions. Regioselective ring opening of pymisyl‐protected 2‐methyl‐aziridine with organocuprates gives the corresponding sulfonamides in high yields, and the pymisyl group can subsequently be removed upon treatment with a thiolate. The versatility of this new nitrogen protecting group is illustrated with a new synthesis of Selegiline, a monoamine oxidase‐B inhibitor marketed for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.     

Stereocontrolled Synthesis of Functionalized Azaheterocycles from Carbocycles through Oxidative Ring Opening/Reductive Ring Closing Protocols

Fluorine‐containing organic scaffolds are of significant interest in medicinal chemistry. The incorporation of fluorine into biomolecules can lead to remarkable changes in their physical, chemical, and biological properties. There are already many drugs on the market, which contain at least one fluorine atom. Saturated functionalized azaheterocycles as bioactive substances have gained increasing attention in pharmaceutical chemistry. Due to the high biorelevance of organofluorine molecules and the importance of N‐heterocyclic compounds, selective stereocontrolled procedures to the access of new fluorine‐containing saturated N‐heterocycles are considered to be a hot research topic. This account summarizes the synthesis of functionalized and fluorine‐containing saturated azaheterocycles starting from functionalized cycloalkenes and based on oxidative ring cleavage of diol intermediates followed by ring expansion with reductive amination.     

The NICS‐XY‐Scan: Identification of Local and Global Ring Currents in Multi‐Ring Systems

Nucleus‐independent chemical shift (NICS)‐based methods are very popular for the determination of the induced magnetic field under an external magnetic field. These methods are used mostly (but not only) for the determination of the aromaticity and antiaromaticity of molecules and ions, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The ghost atom that serves as the NICS probe senses the induced magnetic field and reports it in the form of an NMR chemical shift. However, the source of the field cannot be determined by NICS. Thus, in a multi‐ring system that may contain more than one induced current circuit (and therefore more than one source of the induced magnetic field) the NICS value may represent the sum of many induced magnetic fields. This may lead to wrong assignments of the aromaticity (and antiaromaticity) of the systems under study. In this paper, we present a NICS‐based method for the determination of local and global ring currents in conjugated multi‐ring systems. The method involves placing the NICS probes along the X axis, and if needed, along the Y axis, at a constant height above the system under study. Following the change in the induced field along these axes allows the identification of global and local induced currents. The best NICS type to use for these scans is NICS_πZZ, but it is shown that at a height of 1.7 Å above the molecular plane, NICS_ZZ provides the same qualitative picture. This method, namely the NICS‐XY‐scan, gives information equivalent to that obtained through current density analysis methods, and in some cases, provides even more details.     

The Synthesis of Structurally Diverse Macrocycles By Successive Ring Expansion

Structurally diverse macrocycles and medium‐sized rings (9–24 membered scaffolds, 22 examples) can be generated through a telescoped acylation/ring‐expansion sequence, leading to the insertion of linear fragments into cyclic β‐ketoesters without performing a discrete macrocyclization step. The key β‐ketoester motif is regenerated in the ring‐expanded product, meaning that the same sequence of steps can then be repeated (in theory indefinitely) with other linear fragments, allowing macrocycles with precise substitution patterns to be “grown” from smaller rings using the successive ring‐expansion (SuRE) method.     

Stable and Rapid Thiol Bioconjugation by Light‐Triggered Thiomaleimide Ring Hydrolysis

Maleimide‐mediated thiol‐specific derivatization of biomolecules is one of the most efficacious bioconjugation approaches currently available. Alarmingly, however, recent work demonstrates that the resulting thiomaleimide conjugates are susceptible to breakdown via thiol exchange reactions. Herein, we report a new class of maleimides, namely o ‐CH₂NHⁱ Pr phenyl maleimides, that undergo unprecedentedly rapid ring hydrolysis after thiol conjugation to form stable thiol exchange‐resistant conjugates. Furthermore, we overcome the problem of low shelf lives of maleimide reagents owing to their propensity to undergo ring hydrolysis prior to bioconjugation by developing a photocaged version of this scaffold that resists ring hydrolysis. UV irradiation of thiol bioconjugates formed with this photocaged maleimide unleashes rapid thiomaleimide ring hydrolysis to yield the desired stable conjugates within 1 h under gentle, ice‐cold conditions.     

Relation between Polymer Conformational Structure and Dynamics in Linear and Ring Polyethylene Blends

Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of ring‐linear polyethylene blends are employed to understand the relationship between chain conformational structure and the melt dynamics of these blends. As observed in previous studies, this study confirms that ring polymers in pure melts do not exhibit screened excluded volume interactions, contrary to linear polymers. Moreover, the average molecular shapes of the rings are quite distinct from both swollen and ideal ring polymers under theta conditions, and instead rather resemble branched polymers with screened binary excluded volume interactions, e.g., percolation clusters. Upon adding linear chains to a melt of pure rings, we find significant swelling of the rings and a corresponding shape change that is qualitatively similar to dissolving rings in a small molecule good solvent. This swelling, arising from altered self‐excluded volume interactions, translates into a large decrease in ring diffusivity, an effect that becomes more amplified when the polymer melt is entangled.     

The Profound Effect of the Ring Size in the Electrocyclic Opening of Cyclobutene‐Fused Bicyclic Systems

Fused cyclobutenes, prepared by the photocycloaddition of propargyl alcohols to cyclic anhydride chromophores, undergo facile thermochemical ring opening to fused γ‐lactones. The size of the fused ring profoundly influences the temperature that is required to facilitate the ring opening (from 50 °C to 180 °C) and the nature of the product that is formed. Our studies provide new insights into the mechanistic course of these reactions and have been extended to facilitate the preparation of lactams fused to medium‐sized rings.     

Ring Expansion and Skeletal Rearrangement of Propargyl Alcohol Substituted Aziridines Induced by Ruthenium Complexes

The ring expansion and skeletal rearrangement of two types of propargyl alcohol substituted aziridines with or without cycloalkane moieties was induced by a ruthenium cyclopentadienyl phosphine complex. In the simple aziridine system with no cycloalkane, the unique cycloisomerization process altered the absolute connectivity of the two‐carbon unit in the three‐membered ring to give organometallic products with substituted pyridine or dihydropyridine ligands. For the aziridine on a cyclohexyl ring, the cycloisomerization process was controlled by an interchange process between vinylidene and allenylidene species, thus creating a better relative configuration of the aziridinyl and the alkynyl units. This determines the stereochemistry of the metal carbene products of the octahydroindole derivatives. The structures of five products were determined by X‐ray diffraction analysis.     

Ring Tension Applied to Thiol‐Mediated Cellular Uptake

The objective of the study was to explore the potential of ring tension in cyclic disulfides for thiol‐mediated cellular uptake. Fluorescent probes that cannot enter cells were equipped with cyclic disulfides of gradually increasing ring tension. As demonstrated by flow cytometry experiments, uptake into HeLa Kyoto cells increased with increasing tension. Differences in carbon‐sulfur‐sulfur‐carbon (CSSC) dihedral angles as small as 8° caused significant changes in uptake efficiency. Uptake with high ring tension was better than with inactivated or activated linear disulfides or with thiols. Conversion of thiols on the cell surface into sulfides and disulfides decreased the uptake. Reduction of exofacial disulfides into thiols increased the uptake of transporters with disulfides and inactivated controls with thiols. These results confirm the occurrence of dynamic covalent disulfide‐exchange chemistry on cell surfaces. Mechanistic and colocalization studies indicate that endocytosis does not fully account for this cellular uptake with ring tension.     

Stereocontrolled Synthesis of Spiro[n.2]alkenes by Ring Contraction of Fused‐Cyclobutanols

An unusual ring‐contraction rearrangement to give spirocyclopropanes from fused cyclobutanols (see scheme) has been developed. It is found that the strain energy of the substrates derived from an additional fused ring and the stereoelectronic effect of the migrating σ bond are important factors. It is noteworthy that the rearrangement proceeds in a stereospecific manner. Moreover, the method provides a spiro(cyclopropane–indane) framework from tricyclo[6.3.0.02,5]undecane, which corresponds to illudane and the protoilludane skeleton.     

分子中的环识别算法

对于化合物结构自动解析系统来说,环的处理是必须的^[1~4],本文设计了环识别模块,该模块以从化合物的二维连接表出发,先获得化合物中的所有环,进一步得到最大环和最小环,并作为环约束,以增加ESESOC系统结构生成器的有效性。     

Counter‐Rotating Spin‐Polarised Ring Currents in Odd‐Electron Carbocycles

We propose a molecular‐orbital model to explain how majority and minority spins in odd‐π‐electron carbocycles sustain counter‐rotating magnetic‐field‐induced ring currents. The model is based on the ipsocentric approach to magnetic response, in which ring currents are dominated by frontier‐orbital contributions obeying angular‐momentum selection rules. Coupled unrestricted Hartree–Fock ab initio calculations of the ring‐current responses for singly charged benzene and planarised cyclo‐octatetraene ions confirm the predictions of the qualitative model, and are consistent with correlated MP2 spin‐polarised current calculations.     

Entropic Sampling of Free and Ring Polymer Chains

Summary: We extend Monte Carlo (MC) methods developed in our previous paper (J. Phys. A, Math. Gen. 2004 , 37, 1573) and based on entropic sampling within Wang‐Landau (WL) algorithm to the simulation of lattice and continuous models of ring polymers. For a continuous freely joined ring chain (an equilateral polygon) with hard sphere monomer units, the excess entropy of rings relative to the corresponding reference system, a phantom ring chain, is obtained. The excess specific entropy is calculated for a set of various diameters of monomer units d and chain lengths N. Its limiting values for ( ) are estimated for each d and coincidence with those for corresponding free chains is demonstrated. We also develop a WL approach to calculate thermal properties of free and ring continuous chains with an Lennard‐Jones attraction between nonbonded beads being added to hard core repulsion at fixed d. The obtained energy distributions provide calculation of canonical properties such as conformational energy, heat capacity, entropy, and mean square radius of inertia. Thermal results for free and ring chains are being finally compared. Analogous calculations are performed for lattice‐free chains and rings.

     

Catalytic,Enantioselective Ring Opening of Aziridines

Cooperative metal centers in a bimetallic catalyst facilitate the highly enantioselective ring opening of meso aziridines 1 with silyl nucleophiles (see scheme; TMS=trimethylsilyl). The 1,2‐azidoamides 2 and 1,2‐amidonitriles 3 obtained in this way in high yields and with up to 99 % ee are valuable precursors to enantiomerically pure 1,2‐diamines and β‐amino acids.

     

中环萜类化合物的合成

本文综述了中环萜类化合物的各种合成方法,它们根据成环方式可以分为四类:1.双环或三环化合物的桥键断裂,2.无环化合物的环合,3.常规环化合物的环扩大,4.大环化合物的环缩小。     

Concentric Ring Pattern Formation in a Competing Crystallization and Phase Separation Process

Spherulitic patterns usually form in the single process of crystallization in polymer blends. But when phase separation intervenes under deep quench, the radial growth of the initial spherulitic patterns tends to invert into concentric alternating crystalline‐/amorphous‐rich ring structures. Within crystalline‐rich regions, lateral lamellae orient in the tangential direction rather than in the usual radial direction. We demonstrate the determining factor for this first observed phenomenon is the concentration deviation enhanced phase separation dynamics at the growth interface of crystals.     

Nucleophile‐Dependent Regio‐ and Stereoselective Ring Opening of 1‐Azoniabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane Tosylate

1‐[(1R)‐(1‐Phenylethyl)]‐1‐azoniabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane tosylate was generated as a stable bicyclic aziridinium salt from the corresponding 2‐(3‐hydroxypropyl)aziridine upon reaction with p‐toluenesulfonyl anhydride. This bicyclic aziridinium ion was then treated with various nucleophiles including halides, azide, acetate, and cyanide in CH₃CN to afford either piperidines or pyrrolidines through regio‐ and stereoselective ring opening, mediated by the characteristics of the applied nucleophile. On the basis of DFT calculations, ring‐opening reactions under thermodynamic control yield piperidines, whereas reactions under kinetic control can yield both piperidines and pyrrolidines depending on the activation energies for both pathways.     

Ring Expansion,Photoisomerization, and Retrocyclization of 1,4,2‐Diazaboroles

Diverse skeletal transformations of 1,4,2‐diazaboroles through ring expansion, photoisomerization, and retrocyclization led to the isolation of various B,N‐dihydroindole (compounds 3 and 6 ), 1,3‐azaborolidin‐2‐imine (compound 7 ), and 1,4,2‐diazaborol‐3‐imine derivatives (compound 11 ).     

Dynamic Photocontrol of the Coffee‐Ring Effect with Optically Tunable Particle Stickiness

When a colloidal drop dries on a surface, most of the particles accumulate at the drop periphery, yielding a characteristic ring‐shaped pattern. This so‐called coffee‐ring effect (CRE) is observed in any pinned evaporating drop containing non‐volatile solutes. Here, the CRE is dynamically controlled for the first time by using light, and an unprecedented reconfigurability of the deposit profile is demonstrated. This is achieved through a new mechanism where particle stickiness is optically tuned on demand, thus offering reliable modulation of the deposition pattern. The system consists of anionic nanoparticles and photosensitive cationic surfactants dispersed in water. It is shown that light‐dependent modulation of surfactant–particle interactions dictates particle attraction and trapping at the liquid–gas interface, which allows us to direct particle deposition into a wide range of patterns from rings to homogeneous disks. Patterning from single drops is photoreversible upon changing the wavelength whereas spatial control in multiple drop arrays is achieved using a photomask.     

Consecutive Ring Expansion and Contraction for the Synthesis of 1‐Aryl Tetrahydroisoquinolines and Tetrahydrobenzazepines from Readily Available Heterocyclic Precursors

Tetrahydroisoquinolines and tetrahydrobenzazepines were prepared by acid‐promoted ring contraction of cyclic ureas, which were themselves formed by ring expansion of indolines and tetrahydroquinolines. The consequent overall one‐carbon insertion reaction gives these 6‐ and 7‐membered heterocyclic scaffolds in three steps from readily available precursors. Other ring sizes may be formed by an alternative elimination reaction of bicyclic structures. Scalability of the method was demonstrated by operating it in a flow system.