Substituent effects on Ni-S bond dissociation energies and kinetic stability of nickel arylthiolate complexes supported by a bis(phosphinite)-based pincer ligand

Pincer complexes of the type [2,6-(R(2)PO)(2)C(6)H(3)]NiSC(6)H(4)Z (R = Ph and i-Pr; Z = p-OCH(3), p-CH(3), H, p-Cl, and p-CF(3)) have been synthesized from [2,6-(R(2)PO)(2)C(6)H(3)]NiCl and sodium arylthiolate. X-ray structure determinations of these thiolate complexes have shown a somewhat constant Ni-S bond length (approx. 2.20 ?) but an almost unpredictable orientation of the thiolate ligand. Equilibrium constants for various thiolate exchange (between a nickel thiolate complex and a free thiol, or between two different nickel thiolate complexes) reactions have been measured. Evidently, the thiolate ligand with an electron-withdrawing substituent prefers to bond with "[2,6-(Ph(2)PO)(2)C(6)H(3)]Ni" rather than "[2,6-(i-Pr(2)PO)(2)C(6)H(3)]Ni", and bonds least favourably with hydrogen. The reactions of the thiolate complexes with halogenated compounds such as PhCH(2)Br, CH(3)I, CCl(4), and Ph(3)CCl have been examined and several mechanistic pathways have been explored.     

Tautomeric behavior of 3-(arylhydrazono)methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoxalines between the hydrazone imine and diazenyl enamine forms in acidic media. Solvent and substituent effects

The 3-(arylhydrazono)methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoxalines 1a-h and 2a-e showed tautomeric equilibria between the hydrazone imine A and diazenyl enamine B forms in a series of mixed trifluoroacetic acid/dimethyl sulfoxide media. The substituent and solvent effects on the tautomer ratios of A to B in a series of mixed media were studied for compounds 1a-h and 2a-e by the nmr spectroscopy. In compounds 1a-h and 2a-e , the ratios of the tautomer B gradually increased with elevation of acid concentration, and the tautomer B exclusively existed in trifluoroacetic acid media. The various acid concentrations (C v/v%, C' mol/1) giving the 1:1 tautomer ratios [C(A:B = 1:1), C'(A:B = 1:1)] were obtained from all compounds (Figures 1–13), and the linear correlation of the Hammett σ_p values with the log C'(A:B = 1:1) values were observed for compounds 1a-h. The larger Hammett σ_p values brought about the larger acid concentrations C(A:B = 1:1) in compounds 1a-h and 2a-e , indicating that the higher acid concentration was required for the stabilization of tautomer B possessing the electron-withdrawing p-substituents R¹, which weakened the basicity of the azo nitrogen atom. Moreover, the ester group R² of compounds 2a-e was found to decrease the electron density of the azo nitrogen atom, since the acid concentration C(A:B = 1:1) of compound 2c (R¹ = H, R² = COOMe, σ_p = O) was 52%, whose value was larger than that of compound 1b (R¹ = CN, R² = H, σ_p = 0.66) [C(A:B = 1:1) = 42%].     

Kinetics and mechanism of the pyridinolysis of phenacyl bromides in acetonitrile

Kinetic studies of the reactions of substituted phenacyl bromides (YC6H4COCH2Br) with pyridines (XC5H4N) are carried out in acetonitrile at 45.0 degrees C. A biphasic Bronsted plot is obtained with a change in slope from a large (betaX approximately equals 0.65-0.80) to a small (betaX approximately 0.36-0.40) value at pKa = 3.2-3.6, which can be attributed to a change in the rate-determining step from breakdown to formation of a tetrahedral intermediate in the reaction path as the basicity of the pyridine nucleophile increases. This mechanism is supported by the faster rates with pyridines than with anilines and the change of cross-interaction constant rhoXY from a large positive (rhoXY = +1.4) to a small positive (rhoXY approximately +0.1) value. The large magnitude of Hammett rhoX (= -5.5 to -6.9) values for the pyridines with electron-withdrawing substituents and positive deviations of the pi-acceptors, p-CH3CO and p-CN, are quite similar to those for the pyridinium ion formation equilibria. The activation parameters are also in line with the proposed mechanism.     

Synthesis and isomerism of 2-(3,5-diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-benzimidazoles

2-(3,5-Diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-benzimidazoles have been obtained by the cyclocondensation of 2-phenacyl-1H-benzimidazoles with 4-nitro- and 4-methoxybenzoylhydrazines. The reaction mechanism and the isomerism of the obtained products are discussed. According to the data of ¹H NMR spectroscopy the stabilized isomer is that in which the electron-withdrawing aryl substituent is located in position 3 and the electron-donating substituent in position 5 of the pyrazole ring.     

(Thio)ureido anion receptors based on a 1,3-alternate oxacalix[2]arene[2]pyrimidine scaffold

In pursuit of highly preorganized macrocyclic host molecules for the complexation of anions, a series of oxacalix[2]arene[2]pyrimidine-based bis(thio)ureido receptors were synthesized and fully characterized. The pincer-like 1,3-alternate conformation of the oxacalix[4]arene scaffold, essential for an efficient host-guest interaction, was visualized by single-crystal X-ray analysis and supported by variable-temperature NMR studies. The anion binding properties of the receptors were evaluated via (1)H NMR titration experiments, showing intermolecular interactions with H(2)PO(4)(-), AcO(-), BzO(-), and Cl(-) ions. The host molecule bearing 4-nitrophenyl substituents on the bisurea binding pocket showed association constants in the range of 200-400 M(-1) in the strongly competitive solvent mixture of DMSO/0.5% H(2)O.     

Synthesis and properties of a novel family of fluorous triphenylphosphine derivatives

A novel approach to the preparation of perfluorotail-functionalized triarylphosphines using a p-silyl substituent as the branching point has been developed. This approach enabled the attachment of between three and nine perfluorotails per phosphorus atom, resulting in the production of highly fluorous tris[p-(1H,1H,2H, 2H-perfluoroalkylsilyl)aryl]phosphines, P[C(6)H(4)-p-SiMe(3)(-)(n)()(CH(2)CH(2)C(x)()F(2)(x)()(+1))(n)()](3) (n = 1, 2, 3; x = 6, 8), containing between 50 and 67 wt % fluorine. (31)P NMR studies indicate that the phosphorus atoms, and consequently the sigma-donor and pi-acceptor properties of these phosphines, are not influenced by the electron-withdrawing perfluoroalkyltails. The fluorous triarylphosphines are readily soluble in fluorous solvents and display fluorous phase preference in several fluorous biphasic systems. The phase partitioning of these fluorous ligands, as well as their donor properties, is discussed in relation to their potential for fluorous biphasic catalyst separation.     

Aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohols catalyzed by aryl substituted N-hydroxyphthalimides. Possible involvement of a charge-transfer complex

A series of aryl-substituted N-hydroxyphthalimides (X-NHPIs) containing either electron-withdrawing groups (4-CH(3)OCO, 3-F) or electron-donating groups (4-CH(3), 4-CH(3)O, 3-CH(3)O, 3,6-(CH(3)O)(2)) have been used as catalysts in the aerobic oxidation of primary and secondary benzylic alcohols. The selective formation of aromatic aldehydes was observed in the oxidation of primary alcohols; aromatic ketones were the exclusive products in the oxidation of secondary alcohols. O-H bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of X-NHPIs have been determined by using the EPR radical equilibration technique. BDEs increase with increasing the electron-withdrawing properties of the aryl substituent. Kinetic isotope effect studies and the increase of the substrate oxidation rate by increasing the electron-withdrawing power of the NHPI aryl substituent indicate a rate-determining benzylic hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) from the alcohol to the aryl-substituted phthalimide-N-oxyl radical (X-PINO). Besides enthalpic effects, polar effects also play a role in the HAT process, as shown by the negative rho values of the Hammett correlation with sigma(+) and by the decrease of the rho values (from -0.54 to -0.70) by increasing the electron-withdrawing properties of the NHPI aryl substituent. The relative reactivity of 3-CH(3)O-C(6)H(4)CH(2)OH and 3,4-(CH(3)O)(2)-C(6)H(3)CH(2)OH, which is higher than expected on the basis of the sigma(+) values, the small values of relative reactivity of primary vs secondary benzylic alcohols, and the decrease of the rho values by increasing the electron-withdrawing properties of the NHPI aryl substituent, suggest that the HAT process takes place inside a charge-transfer (CT) complex formed by the X-PINO and the benzylic alcohol.     

Two Zinc（Ⅱ） Carboxyarylphosphonates with Unusual Polynuclear Zn（Ⅱ） Units：Syntheses and Crystal Structures

[Zn2(PCP)(phen)(H2O)F]n 1 and {[Zn3(MCP)2(phen)2(H2O)]·2.5H2O}n 2(PCP = p-O2C(C6H4)PO33-,MCP = m-O2C(C6H4)PO33- and phen = phenanthroline) were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction.Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic P21/c space group with a = 7.908(2),b = 20.254(3),c = 13.477(2) ,β = 107.76(3)°,V = 2055.7(8) 3,Z = 4,C20H16FN2O6PZn2,Mr = 561.10,Dc = 1.813 g/cm3,μ = 2.463 mm-1,F(000) = 1128,the final R = 0.0340 and wR = 0.0794.Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic P21/n space group with a = 15.629(3),b = 18.141(4),c = 17.723(7) ,β = 121.89(2)°,V = 4267(2) 3,Z = 4,C40H31N4O13.5P2Zn3,Mr = 1041.70,Dc = 1.620 g/cm3,μ = 1.818 mm-1,F(000) = 2108,the final R = 0.0669 and wR = 0.1775.In compound 1,the tetranuclear Zn4 units are linked together by μ4-PCP3- to build 2D(4,4) layers,which are further interconnected through the μ2-bridging fluorion into a 3D framework with 1D phen ligands-filled channels.As for the 3D supramolecular framework of 2,the novel hexanuclear Zn6 units with "chair" conformation are extended by the moieties of μ4-MCP3- ligand to a 2D(4,4) layer on the bc plane,which is viewed as the 2-folded layers in 1.In both compounds,the structures are stabilized by hydrogen bonding interactions and π-π stacking interactions between the phen rings.Additionally,FT-IR spectroscopy and the fluorescent properties are discussed.     

Bromine as the ortho-directing group in the aromatic metalation/silylation of substituted bromobenzenes

The one-pot metalation/disilylation of selected bromobenzenes bearing electron-withdrawing substituents p-, m-, o-XC6H4Br (X = F, Cl, I, CN, CF3) using 2 equiv of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) and 2 equiv of chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCl) was investigated. The best results of disilylation were obtained for para-substituted bromobenzenes, but the regioselectivity of the reaction is strongly influenced by the ortho-directing power of the substituent. On the contrary, the disilylation of meta-substituted bromobenzenes was not efficient or even failed in some cases and hence monosilylated derivatives were isolated as major or sole products. Diverse reactivity was observed for ortho-substituted bromobenzenes, e.g., 2-bromobenzonitrile and 2-bromochlorobenzene, were converted into corresponding disilylated derivatives in a high and moderate yield, respectively, whereas 1-bromo-2-(trifluoromethyl)benzene underwent only monosilylation.     

BORAZANs: tunable fluorophores based on 2-(pyrazolyl)aniline chelates of diphenylboron

The reaction between 2-pyrazolyl-4-X-anilines, H(pzAnX), (X = para-OMe (L1), Me (L2), H (L3), Cl (L4), CO2Et (L5), CF3 (L6), CN (L7)) and triphenylboron in boiling toluene affords the respective, highly emissive N,N'-boron chelate complexes, BPh2(pzAnX) (X = para-OMe (1), Me (2), H (3), Cl (4), CO2Et (5), CF3 (6), CN (7)) in high yield. The structural, electrochemical, and photophysical properties of the new boron complexes can be fine-tuned by varying the electron-withdrawing or -donating power of the para-aniline substituent (delineated by the substituent's Hammett parameter). Those complexes with electron-withdrawing para-aniline substituents such as CO2Et (5), CF3 (6), and CN (7) have more planar chelate rings, more 'quinoidal' distortion in the aniline rings, greater chemical stability, higher oxidation potentials, and more intense (phiF = 0.81 for 7 in toluene), higher-energy (blue) fluorescent emission compared to those with electron-donating substituents. Thus, for 1 the oxidation potential is 0.53 V versus Ag/AgCl (compared to 1.12 V for 7), and the emission is tuned to the yellow-green but at an expense in terms of lower quantum yields (phiF = 0.07 for 1 in toluene) and increased chemical reactivity. Density functional calculations (B3LYP/6-31G*) on PM3 energy-minimized structures of the ligands and boron complexes reproduced experimentally observed data and trends and provided further insight into the nature of the electronic transitions.     

Impact of ligand modification on hydrogen photogeneration and light-harvesting applications using cyclometalated iridium complexes

To explore structure-activity relationships with respect to light-harvesting behavior, a family of bis-cyclometalated iridium complexes [Ir(C^N)(2)(Hbpdc)] 2-5 (where C^N = 2-phenylbenzothiazole and its functionalized derivatives, and H(2)bpdc =2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylate) was synthesized using a facile method. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of these complexes were investigated and compared to those of analogue 1 (C^N = (4-trifluoromethyl)-2-phenylbenzothiazole); they were also investigated theoretically using density functional theory. The molecular structures of complexes 2-4 were determined by X-ray crystallography, which revealed typical octahedral coordination geometry. The structural modifications involved in the complexes were accomplished through the attributes of electron-withdrawing CF(3) and electron-donating NMe(2) substituents. The UV-vis spectra of these species, except for that of 5, displayed a broad absorption in the low-energy region, which originated from metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions. These complexes were found to exhibit visible-light-induced hydrogen production and light-to-electricity conversion in photoelectrochemical cells. The yield of hydrogen production from water using these complexes was compared, which revealed substantial dependences on their structures, particularly on the substituent of the cyclometalated ligand. Among the systems, the highest turnover number of 1501 was achieved with complex 2, in which the electron-withdrawing CF(3) substituent was connected to a phenyl ring of the cyclometalated ligand. The carboxylate anchoring groups made the complexes highly suitable for grafting onto TiO(2) (P25) surfaces for efficient electron transfer and thus resulted in an enhancement of hydrogen evolution compared to the unattached homogeneous systems. In addition, the combined incorporation of the electron-donating NMe(2) group and the electron-withdrawing CF(3) substituent on the cyclometalated ligand caused complex 5 to not work well for hydrogen production. Their incorporation, however, enhanced the performance of 5 in the light-harvesting application in nanocrystalline TiO(2) dye-sensitized solar cells, which was attributed to the intense absorption in the visible region.     

Structural diversity of the oxovanadium organodiphosphonate system: a platform for the design of void channels

The hydrothermal reactions of a vanadium source, an appropriate diphosphonate ligand, and water in the presence of HF provide a series of compounds with neutral V-P-O networks as the recurring structural motif. When the {O3P(CH2)(n)PO3}4- diphosphonate tether length n is 2-5, metal-oxide hybrids of type 1, [V2O2(H2O){O3P(CH2)(n)PO3}] x xH2O, are isolated. The type 1 oxides exhibit the prototypical three-dimensional (3-D) "pillared" layer architecture. When n is increased to 6-8, the two-dimensional (2-D) "pillared" slab structure of the type 2 oxides [V2O2(H2O)4{O3P(CH2)6PO3}] is encountered. Further lengthening of the spacer to n = 9 provides another 3-D structure, type 3, constructed from the condensation of pillared slabs to give V-P-O double layers as the network substructure. When organic cations are introduced to provide charge balance for anionic V-P-O networks, oxides of types 4-7 are observed. For spacer length n = 3, a range of organodiammonium cations are accommodated by the same 3-D "pillared" layer oxovanadium diphosphonate framework in the type 4 materials [H3N(CH2)(n)NH3][V4O4(OH)2 {O3P(CH)3PO3}2] x xH2O [n = 2, x = 6 (4a); n = 3, x = 3 (4b); n = 4, x = 2 (4c); n = 5, x = 1 (4d); n = 6, x = 0.5 (4e); n = 7, x = 0 (4f)] and [H3NR]y[V4O4(OH)2 {O3P(CH)3PO3}2] x xH2O [R = -CH2(NH3)CH2CH3, y = 1, x = 0 (4g); R = -CH3, n = 2, x = 3 (4h); R = -CH2CH3, y = 2, x = 1 (4i); R = -CH2CH2CH3, y = 2, x = 0 (4j); cation = [H2N(CH2CH3)2], y = 2, x = 0 (4k)]. These oxides exhibit two distinct interlamellar domains, one occupied by the cations and the second by water of crystallization. Furthermore, as the length of the cation increases, the organodiammonium component spills over into the hydrophilic domain to displace the water of crystallization. When the diphosphonate tether length is increased to n = 5, structure type 5, [H3N(CH2)2NH3][V4O4(OH)2(H2O){O3P(CH2)5PO3}2] x H2O, is obtained. This oxide possesses a 2-D "pillared" network or slab structure, similar in gross profile to that of type 2 oxides and with the cations occupying the interlamellar domain. In contrast, shortening the diphosphonate tether length to n = 2 results in the 3-D oxovanadium organophosphonate structure of the type 7 oxide [H3N(CH2)5NH3][V3O3{O3P(CH2)2PO3}2]. The ethylenediphosphonate ligand does not pillar V-P-O networks in this instance but rather chelates to a vanadium center in the construction of complex polyhedral connectivity of 7. Substitution of piperazinium cations for the simple alkyl chains of types 4, 5, and 7 provides the 2-D pillared layer structure of the type 6 oxides, [H2N(CH2CH2)NH2][V2O2{O3P(CH)(n)PO3H}2] [n = 2 (6a); n = 4 (6b); n = 6 (6c)]. The structural diversity of the system is reflected in the magnetic properties and thermal behavior of the oxides, which are also discussed.     

Synthesis and properties of para-substituted NCN-pincer palladium and platinum complexes

A variety of para-substituted NCN-pincer palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes [MX(NCN-Z)] (M=Pd(II), Pt(II); X=Cl, Br, I; NCN-Z=[2,6-(CH(2)NMe(2))(2)C(6)H(2)-4-Z](-); Z=NO(2), COOH, SO(3)H, PO(OEt)(2), PO(OH)(OEt), PO(OH)(2), CH(2)OH, SMe, NH(2)) were synthesised by routes involving substitution reactions, either prior to or, notably, after metalation of the ligand. The solubility of the pincer complexes is dominated by the nature of the para substituent Z, which renders several complexes water-soluble. The influence of the para substituent on the electronic properties of the metal centre was studied by (195)Pt NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Both the (195)Pt chemical shift and the calculated natural population charge on platinum correlate linearly with the sigma(p) Hammett substituent constants, and thus the electronic properties of predesigned pincer complexes can be predicted. The sigma(p) value for the para-PtI group itself was determined to be -1.18 in methanol and -0.72 in water/methanol (1/1). Complexes substituted with protic functional groups (CH(2)OH, COOH) exist as dimers in the solid state due to intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions.     

Nitration of N-(fluorodinitroethyl)pyrazoles

Russian Chemical Bulletin - Conditions for the introduction of the nitro group at the position 4 of N-(fluorodinitroethyl)pyrazoles bearing an electron-withdrawing substituent at the position 3...     

In situ preparation of highly fluorescent dyes upon photoirradiation

Photoswitchable or photoactivatable fluorescent dyes are potentially applicable to ultrahigh density optical memory media as well as super-resolution fluorescence imaging when the dyes are highly fluorescent and have large absorption coefficients. Here, we report on highly fluorescent photochromic dyes, which are initially nonluminous in solution under irradiation with visible light but activated to emit green or red fluorescence upon irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light. The dyes 5a-9a are sulfone derivatives of 1,2-bis(2-ethyl-6-phenyl(or thienyl)-1-benzothiophen-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene. It was found that substitution of phenyl or thiophene rings at 6 and 6' positions of the benzothiophene-1,1-dioxide groups is effective to increase the fluorescence quantum yields of the closed-ring isomers over 0.7 and absorption coefficients over 4 × 10(4) M(-1) cm(-1). The phenyl-substituted derivatives 5a-7a undergo photocyclization reactions to produce yellow closed-ring isomers 5b-7b, which emit brilliant green fluorescence at around 550 nm (Φ(F) = 0.87-0.88) under irradiation with 488 nm light. Any absorption intensity change of the closed-ring isomers was not observed even after 100 h storage in the dark at 80 °C. The closed-ring isomers slowly returned to the initial open-ring isomers upon irradiation with visible (λ > 480 nm) light. The ring-opening quantum yields (Φ(C→O)) were measured to be (1.6-4.0) × 10(-4). When the phenyl substituents are replaced with thiophene rings, such as compounds 8a and 9a, the absorption bands of the closed-ring isomers shift to longer than 500 nm. The closed-ring isomers exhibit brilliant red fluorescences at around 620 nm (Φ(F) = 0.61-0.78) under irradiation with 532 nm light. The ring-opening reactions are very slow (Φ(C→O) < 1 × 10(-5)). The fluorescence lifetimes of these sulfone derivatives were measured to be around 2-3 ns, which is much longer than the value of the closed-ring isomer of 1,2-bis(2-methyl-1-benzothiophen-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene (τ(F) = 4 and 22 ps). The closed-ring isomer 8b in 1,4-dioxane exhibits excellent fatigue resistant property under irradiation with visible light (λ > 440 nm) superior to the stability of Rhodamine 101 in ethanol.     

Oxidation of aromatic compounds: XVI. Radical cations derived from acetylenic compounds with electron-withdrawing groups: Reactions and ESR parameters

One-electron oxidation of aryl-substituted acetylenes ArC≡CX where X is an electron-withdrawing group gives different products, depending on the X substituent. Acetylenic substrates with medium-strength electron-withdrawing substituents, X = CO₂R, COAr, COR, PO(OEt)₂, give rise to tetrasubstituted ethenes X(ArCO)C=C(COAr)X. Compounds with strong electron-withdrawing groups (X = COCF₃, COCO₂R, CN) are converted into furan derivatives. Probable mechanisms of transformations of ArC≡CX radical cations into the final products are discussed. Radical cations derived from disubstituted acetylenes were characterized by ESR spectroscopy.     

Quantum-Chemical Investigation of the Electronic and Spatial Structure of 1-Vinyltetrazoles

Calculations have been carried out of the total Mulliken charges on carbon and nitrogen atoms, the relative stability, and equilibrium populations of the s-cis(R) and s-trans(R) conformers of a series of 1-vinyl-5R-tetrazoles (R = H, Me, n-Bu, tert-Bu, Ph, NH₂, I, CF₃, NO₂) by the ab initio MP2/6-31G** method. Out-of-plane structures correspond to the stable s-cis(R) conformer, and the deviation from planarity grows regularly with an increase in the bulk of the substituent. The proportion of s-trans(R) conformation increases in the same series and reaches 100% for R = tert-C₄H₉. The data of quantum-chemical calculations are in agreement with the results of investigations of the spatial structure of 1-vinyl-5R-tetrazoles by ¹H and ¹³C NMR methods. Values of the total energies of the corresponding homodesmotic reactions were calculated to assess the effect of the nature of the substituent in position 5 of the tetrazole ring on the size of the conjugation energy in planar s-trans(R) conformations of the compounds investigated. The quantum-chemical calculations carried out show that the conjugation energy decreases regularly according to the increase in electron-withdrawing properties of the substituent in position 5 of the ring.__________Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 537–548, April, 2005.     

Keto-enol/enolate equilibria in the isochroman-4-one system. Effect of a beta-oxygen substituent.

The enol of 1-tetralone was generated flash photolytically, and rates of its ketonization were measured in aqueous HClO4 and NaOH solutions as well as in CH3CO2H, H2PO4(-), (CH2OH)3CNH3(+), and NH4(+) buffers. The enol of isochroman-4-one was also generated, by hydrolysis of its potassium salt and trimethylsilyl ether, and rates of its ketonization were measured in aqueous HClO4 and NaOH. Rates of enolization of the two ketones were measured as well. Combination of the enolization and ketonization data for isochroman-4-one gave the keto-enol equilibrium constant pK(E) = 5.26, the acidity constant of the enol ionizing as an oxygen acid p = 10.14, and the acidity constant of the ketone ionizing as a carbon acid p = 15.40. Comparison of these results with those for 1-tetralone shows that the beta-oxygen substituent in isochroman-4-one raises all three of these constants: K(E) by 2 orders of magnitude, by not quite 1 order of magnitude, and by nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The beta-oxygen substituent also retards the rate of hydronium-ion-catalyzed ketonization by more than 3 orders of magnitude. The origins of these substituent effects are discussed.     

A general synthetic entry to the pentacyclic strychnos alkaloid family, using a [4 + 2]-cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade sequence

The total synthesis of (+/-)-strychnopivotine, (+/-)-tubifolidine, (+/-)-strychnine, and (+/-)-valparicine is reported. The central step in the synthesis consists of an intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade of an indolyl-substituted amidofuran that delivers an aza-tetracyclic substructure containing the ABCE-rings of the Strychnos alkaloid family. A large substituent group on the amide nitrogen atom causes the reactive s- trans conformation of the amidofuran to be more highly populated, thereby facilitating the Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The reaction also requires the presence of an electron-withdrawing substituent on the indole nitrogen for the cycloaddition to proceed. The cycloaddition/rearrangement cascade was remarkably efficient given that two heteroaromatic systems are compromised in the reaction. Closure to the remaining D-ring of the Strychnos skeleton was carried out from the aza-tetracyclic intermediate by an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed enolate-driven cross-coupling between the N-tethered vinyl iodide and the keto functionality. The cycloaddition/rearrangement approach was successfully applied to (+/-)-strychnopivotine (2), the only Strychnos alkaloid bearing a 2-acylindoline moiety in its pentacyclic framework. A variation of this tactic was then utilized for a synthesis of the heptacyclic framework of (+/-)-strychnine. The total synthesis of (+/-)-strychnine required only 13 steps from furanyl indole 18 and proceeded in an overall yield of 4.4%.     

Synthesis of biladienone and bilatrienone by coupled oxidation of tetraarylporphyrins

Tetraarylbiladien-ab-ones bearing various substituents (R) in the para position of the phenyl groups were preprared by coupled oxidation of tetraarylporphyrin iron complexes. The yields of 5,10,15-triaryl-19-aroyl-15-hydroxybiladien-ab-ones were 74% (R=H), 85% (R=OMe), 44% (R=COOMe), and 28% (R=CN). Kinetic studies of the iron porphyrin oxidation revealed that the reaction is accelerated by an electron-withdrawing substituent with the Hammett reaction constant rho=0.295. 5,10,15-Triaryl-19-aroyl-15-hydroxybiladien-ab-ones undergo the acid-catalyzed elimination reaction either by acetic acid or by mesoporous silica to afford 5,10,15-triaryl-19-aroylbilatrien-abc-one. The elimination reaction in acetic acid is accelerated by an electron-donating substituent with the Hammett reaction constant rho=-1.48.