Phosphorus-containing 1, 3-zwitterions formed in the reaction of tributylphosphine with 3-aryl-2-cyanoacrylates

Tributylphosphine reacts with 3-aryl-2-cyanoacrylates in acetonitrile to afford adducts, viz., phosphorus-containing betaines, thermodynamic stability of which depends on both the nature of the solvent and electronic and spatial characteristics of the aryl substituent in 3-aryl-2-cyanoacrylates.     

Exclusive formation of alpha-methyleneoxetanes in ketene-alkene cycloadditions. Evidence for intervention of both an alpha-methyleneoxetane and the subsequent 1,4-zwitterion

This paper describes a new mechanistic feature for the Staudinger ketene-alkene cycloaddition reactions to give cyclobutanones. Low-temperature NMR (13C, 19F, and 1H) monitoring of a reaction between bis(trifluoromethyl)ketene (1) and ethyl vinyl ether (2) has shown that the Staudinger reaction proceeds to form initially and exclusively an alpha-methyleneoxetane (3) by [2 + 2](C=O) cycloaddition across the ketene C=O bond. The initial intermediate 3 undergoes ring cleavage to produce a 1,4-zwitterion (4), which is converted to the final [2 + 2](C=C)-type product, cyclobutanone (5). The key intermediate 3 has been isolated in its pure form and was found to be converted to the final products 5 on warming, via the 1,4-zwitterion 4. The alpha-methyleneoxetane 3 is so reactive that it reacts with methanol rapidly even at -80 degrees C via solvolysis to afford an adduct 7. The ion 4 derived from the pure isolated oxetane 3 was intercepted with acetone by a 1,4-dipolar cycloaddition to give a 1,3-dioxane 8. An open-chain alpha,beta-enone (6) has been also obtained from 3. We conclude that the (1 + 2) reaction proceeds in a new three-step mechanism; formation of an alpha-methyleneoxetane 3, a [2 + 2]-type cycloadduct across the C=O bond of ketene, followed by ring cleavage to give the zwitterion 4 and by recombination to form the final product, cyclobutanone 5. The zwitterion 4 is not equilibrating with reactants 1 and 2 but comes from the alpha-methyleneoxetane 3. Exclusive formation of another oxetane 12 has been observed in a reaction between diphenylketene (9) and methyl isopropenyl ether (11). The selectivity of initial formation of cyclobutanone or oxetane has been generalized with aid of frontier-orbital theory and ab initio calculations.     

Enantioselective organocatalytic aza-ene-type domino reaction leading to 1,4-dihydropyridines

A new general methodology was developed to access highly enantiomerically enriched 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs) 3 via an organocatalytic asymmetric aza-ene-type cascade reaction, cocatalyzed by (S)-diarylprolinol-TMS ether V and benzoic acid (BA). Both aliphatic and aryl enals 1 reacted smoothly with enaminones and β-enamino esters 2, affording highly functionalized 1,4-DHPs 3 in high enantioselectivities and good yields.     

Stirring-controlled bifurcations in the 1,4-cyclohexanedione-bromate reaction

We report the experimental observation that stirring in a closed 1,4-cyclohexanedione-bromate reaction can induce transitions not only between oscillatory and nonoscillatory states but also between simple and period-doubled oscillations. Notably, the transition from simple to complex oscillations occurs as a result of increasing stirring rate. When illumination was employed to characterize the importance of microfluctuations of concentrations, the threshold stirring rate for inducing a bifurcation was found to increase proportionally to the intensity of the applied light. Numerical simulations with an existing model illustrate that the experimental phenomena could be qualitatively reproduced by considering effects of mixing on diffusion-limited radical reactions, namely, the disproportion reaction of hydroquinone radicals.     

Nano-copper catalyzed three-component reaction to construct 1,4-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles

Three-component reaction of alkyl halides, sodium azide with terminal alkynes can be catalyzed by nano-copper particles under ambient conditions. A series of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles were obtained regioselectively by this one-pot strategy. Nano copper can be reused at least three times without significant deactivation.     

Direct access to 1,4-benzothiazine 4,4-dioxides and 4-oxides via a domino reaction

The domino reactions of 2-fluoro benzensulfonyl acetonitrile and α-chloro oximes in the presence of Cs₂CO₃ in aprotic high boiling point solvents have been achieved to provide isoxazole?fused 4H-1,4-benzothiazine-4,4-dioxides via an unprecedented transition metal-free one-pot addition/cyclization process. The tunable synthesis of either isoxozolo-1,4-benzothiazin-4-oxides or their precursor 5-aminoisoxazoles can be controlled depending on the solvent selection. The observed products were characterized by means of (IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR and HRMS) and physical methods.     

2-Hydroxymethylboronate as a reagent to detect carbohydrates: application to the analysis of the formose reaction

2-Hydroxymethylphenylboronate is described as a reagent that converts neutral 1,2-diols, as found in simple carbohydrates, into 1:1 anionic complexes that are easily detected by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The value of this reagent was demonstrated through its application to analyze complex mixtures of carbohydrates formed in the formose process, often cited as a way that biologically significant carbohydrates might have been generated from formaldehyde under prebiotic conditions. Coupled with isotope studies, the reagent shows that the simplest autocatalytic cycle for the consumption of formaldehyde in this process cannot account for the bulk consumption of formaldehyde.     

Development of a long-wavelength fluorescent probe based on quinone-methide-type reaction to detect physiologically significant thiols

We synthesized a new long-wavelength latent fluorimetric probe BCC (6) to detect physiologically significant thiols. The fluorogenic chemical transformation of BCC triggered by thiols is through a tandem reaction, thiol-induced benzoquinone reduction, and quinone–methide-type rearrangement reaction, which are spontaneous and irreversible at physiological temperature in aqueous media. The fluorescence signal revealed by this process is specific and exhibited in the near-red spectrum region with emission maxima at 595 nm, and it could be competitively inhibited by thiols scavenger, N-ethylmaleimide. The fluorescent response of BCC is insensitive to various non-thiol amino acids and biological reductants. This novel fluorimetric probe demonstrates a good relationship in detecting thiols in 1–100 μM range, which presents to the applicability for the construction of fiber-optic biosensors in the future clinical diagnostic.     

Unexpected interconversion reaction of 1,4-diaminofullerenes

A facile substitution of amine groups attached to the fullerene cage occurs when 1,4-diaminofullerenes C60[NR2]2 are allowed to react with excess of another amine R'2NH; this reaction proceeds rapidly at room temperature without any additional initiators.     

1,4-addition reaction of organometallics to α,β-unsaturated sec-thioamides

Preparation of α,β-unsaturated thioamides and their reactions (1,4-addition and β′-lithiation) with organometallics are described.     

Monte Carlo calculation of a partial reaction in radical cross-linking of 1,4-polybutadiene

In simulation of radical cross-linking of 1,4-polybutadiene the formation of cross-links is assumed to occur in the following steps: Formation of radicals from a low-molecular-weight compound, hydrogen abstraction from the polymer chain resulting in polymer radicals and finally mutual substitution of two polymer chains. The reaction is complicated by a coupled partial double-bond shift. The frequency distribution of the fraction of C atoms between cross-links is investigated as a function of the probability of double-bond shift and the degree of substitution. This distribution depends significantly on the extent of the double-bond shift. The discussion of network structures considering only physical network theories is therefore insufficient and should also include chemical aspects.     

Helical foldamer-catalyzed enantioselective 1,4-addition reaction of dialkyl malonates to cyclic enones

The introduction of a five-membered ring α,α-disubstituted α-amino acid into l-Leu-based heptapeptides preferentially induced right-handed (P) helical structures. Using 5 ～ 20 mol% of a single helical foldamers-catalyst, enantioselective 1,4-addition reactions of dialkyl malonates to cycloalk-2-enones (5 ～ 7 rings) proceeded to give chiral 3-substituted cycloalkanones with 94 ～ 99% ee in moderate chemical yields, regardless of the ring size of substrates.     

A highly diastereoselective three-component tandem 1,4-conjugated addition-cyclization reaction to multisubstituted pyrrolidines

A highly diastereoselective three-component tandem 1,4-conjugate addition-cyclization reaction of diazoacetophenones with anilines and unsaturated ketoesters was developed. The reaction provides general, easy, and highly efficient access to multisubstituted pyrrolidines in good yield with high diastereoselectivity.     

A novel Barton decarboxylation produces a 1,4-phenyl radical rearrangement domino reaction

A novel 1,4-Phenyl radical rearrangement (1,4-PhRR) is described in a typical Barton decarboxylation procedure. While carrying out this reaction in presence of a N,N-disubstituted β-amino acid derivative, the decarboxyphenyl rearranged derivative is obtained, as well as in presence of β-N,N-acylamide. On the other hand, secondary amines give the β-lactam derivative without rearrangement, as well as N-Fmoc derivatives give the normal decarboxylation reaction. In regards of amines which are far away from the carboxylic group, such as δ-amino acid derivatives, the reaction occur through a typical Barton decarboxylation without rearrangement. The diversity of the reaction proves synthetic usefulness paving the way to interesting biologically active compounds.     

Electrostatic model for infrared intensities in a spectroscopically determined molecular mechanics force field

A new electrostatic model for the calculation of infrared intensities in molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics is presented. The model is based on atomic charges, atomic charge fluxes, and internal coordinate dipoles and their fluxes. The internal coordinate dipoles are used instead of atomic dipoles, thus simplifying the derivation of parameters. The model is designed to reproduce ab initio dipole derivatives, and the parameters can be obtained by (iterative) transformations from these, or by linear least squares fitting to them. A first application to linear alkanes has been made. For these molecules, the intensities can be predicted with an average accuracy of 30–40%. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 754–768, 1998     

Synthesis, characterization, and reaction of a ketone-derived 1,4-dienolate compound

The tetrahydrofuran tetrasolvated dimeric lithium dienolate derived from 2,2,7,7-tetramethyloctan-3,6-dione is characterized in the solid state by X-ray diffraction analysis and in solution by diffusion NMR. This dienolate was reacted with tropanone to yield two new products that are also described.