Enzymatic desymmetrization of prochiral 2,3-bis(acetoxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene and 2,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene

Enzymatic desymmetrization of the title compound 1 is reported using various commercially available lipases in hydrolysis and alcoholysis reactions or ester synthesis. In this area, lipase Amano AK (Pseudomonas sp.) proved to be the best lipase whatever the experimental conditions used. The monoacetate product 2 is indifferently obtained with more than 95% enantiomeric excess (ee) as the levorotatory enantiomer 2a or the dextrorotatory one 2b.     

Transition metal-catalyzed [4 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-dienes (norbornadienes) and bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-dienes

The transition-metal-catalyzed [4 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions of norbornadienes, bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-diene, and benzobarrelene with 1,3-butadienes proceed in excellent yields using cobalt-based catalytic systems. Two key distinctions between these [4 + 2 + 2] cycloadditions and the corresponding transition-metal-catalyzed [2 + 2 +2] reactions of norbornadiene are the requirement of a bimetal catalytic system with a bisphosphine ligand for the former and exclusive regioselectivity in the [4 + 2 + 2] reaction of 2-substituted norbornadienes to produce 1-substituted adducts. These distinctions may indicate two distinct mechanisms for the [4 + 2 + 2] and [2 + 2 + 2] reactions.     

Opening the [4 + 2 + 2] cycloadducts of bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-dienes (norbornadienes) to cis-fused bicyclo[5.3.0]decanes

Tetracyclo[5.4.0.0.(2,4)0(3,7)]undec-9-enes, prepared by the transition-metal-catalyzed [4 + 2 + 2] homo-Diels-Alder reactions of norbornadiene and 1,3-butadienes, can be opened using either acid-promoted or Zeise's dimer-mediated cyclopropane ring cleavage, ultimately leading to cis-fused bicyclo[5.3.0]decanes (perhydroazulenes). Stereoselective functionalization of the olefin unit in the tetracycloundecenes to an alcohol or diol prior to ring opening is tolerated by the Zeise's dimer ([Pt(C(2)H(4))Cl(2)](2)) catalyst to yield highly functionalized bicyclo[5.3.0]decanes, which form the core structure of numerous sesquiterpenes.     

Dimers of 3,7-dehydrotropones (bicyclo[3.2.0]hepta-1(7),2,4-trien-6-ones)

2-(tert-Butyl)-3,7-dehydrotropone (7-(tert-butyl)bicyclo[3.2.0]hepta-1(7),2,4-trien-6-one; 1 ) was found to dimerize reversibly to 2A by [2 + 4]-cycloaddition/cycloreversion reaction. The equilibrium lies on the side of the highly strained dimer 2A in the solid state, and on the side of the monomer 1 in solution. The [2 + 4]-reaction is fully perisite-, regio- and stereoselective. Above room temperature, 1 irreversibly formed a decarbonylated dimer 6 , probably via the intermediate 9A or 9B , which resulted either from a dimerisation of 1 by [4 + 6]-cycloaddition or from a sigmatropic rearrangement of the originally formed dimer 2A or 2B . Similary, the 6-bromo derivative 14 afforded the corresponding decarbonylated dimer 15 . Should the formation of 6 and 15 be due to a primary cycloaddition then that reaction is fully peri-, site- and regioselective. Mild LiAlH₄-reduction of 6 and subsequent acetylation yielded the acetate 11 , the structure of which was established by an X-ray analysis. More vigorous LiAlH₄-treatment also reduced the terminal fulvenoid double bond of 6 and acetylation of the crude product led to the acetated 12 and 13 .     

Specifically (π → π*)-Induced Cyclohexenone Reactions 4a-(Z-1-Propenyl)-bicyclo[4.4.0]dec-1 (8a)-en-2-one and 4a-Z-1-Propenyl-bicyclo[4.4.0]deca-1(8a), 7-dien-2-one

4a-(Z-1-Propenyl)-bicyclo[4.4.0]dec-1(8a)-en-2-one ( 6 ) and 4a-(Z-1-propenyl)-bicyclo[4.4.0]deca-1(8a), 7-dien-2-one ( 17 ) undergo an intramolecular hydrogen transfer from the methyl group of the propenyl substitutent to the α-carbon atom of the enone group, and cyclization to the [4.4.3]propellane derivatives 9 and 30 , respectively, when excited in the π → π* wavelength region. The quantum yield for (Z)- 6 → 9 under optimum conditions is 0.29 at 254 nm. These reactions occur specifically from the S₂ (π,π*) state, competing with the S₂ → T decay. The triplet reactions of 6 are E–Z double-bond isomerization, double-bond shift to (E,Z)- 8 , and rearrangement to (E)- 10 . Further investigations concern some structural limitations in the scope of the reaction type 6 → 9 and enone S₂ reactivity in general.     

Crystallographic and Spectroscopic Evidence for an Intramolecular (OH … π)-Interaction

Crystallographic and spectroscopic evidence for an intramolecular (OH … π)-interaction in anti^9,10-10endo-hydroxy, 10exo-butyltricyclo [4.2.1.1^2.5]deca-3, 7-dien-9-one ( 1 ) is presented.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of 2-(Diphenylphosphine oxide)-3-(diphenylphosphine oxide ethynyl) spiro [bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene-7,1''''-cyclopropane]

1 INTRODUCTION Organic phosphine compounds always attract great interest for their unique properties and extensive uses in biochemistry, pesticide chemistry and synthetic organic chemistry. In the last two decades, much attention has been paid to phosphorus-containing olefin and acetylenic compounds for their applications in transition metal chemistry, asymmetric catalysis and photorearrang- ement [1~7 ]. Previously, we have reported the crystal structure of a novel host compound which …     

The competition between the intramolecular hydrogen bond and π‐electron delocalization in trifluoroacetylacetone—A theoretical study

Conformational study of trifluoroacetylacetone was carried out using the HF, B3LYP, and MP2 methods with the 6‐31G(d, p) and 6‐311++G(d, p) basis sets. All of the results show that the chelated enol structures (E11 and E31) have extra stability with respect to the other forms and one of them (E11) is global minimum. The energy gap between the chelated forms is in the range 0.7–5.9 kJ mol^?1. Theoretical calculations show that this compound has an asymmetric double minimum potential energy surface which is in contrast with the electron diffraction result. Moreover, the computational results predict that due to the withdrawing effect of CF₃ group, hydrogen bond in trifluoroacetylacetone is weaker than the acetylacetone. Because of the more stability of E11, it is expected that the hydrogen bond energy in E11 is greater than the E31, but at all of the computational levels with most extended basis set the converse results were observed. These results clearly show that the hydrogen bond is not a superior parameter in conformational preference and the contribution of resonance is probably greater than the hydrogen bond. Finally, the analysis of this system by quantum theory of atoms in molecules and natural bond orbital methods fairly support the ab initio results. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010     

The Radical Cations of Bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene (8,9,10-Trinorborna-2,5-diene) and bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-diene (2,3-Dihydrobarrelene). An ESR and ENDOR study

The radical cation of bicyclo[2-2.1]hepta-2,5-diene (8,9,10-trinorborna-2,5-diene; 1 ) in CF₂ClCFCl₂, and CF₃CCl₃ matrices and that of bicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-diene (2,3-dihydrobarrelene; 2 ) in CFCl₃ and CF₃CCl₃ matrices have been studied by ESR and ENDOR spectroscopy. For ${\bf 1}^{+ \atop \dot{}}$, the coupling constants of the olefinic, methano-bridge, and bridgehead protons are ?0.780 ±0.005, +0.304±0.002, and ?0.049±0.002 mT, respectively. The hyperfine tensor for the methano-bridge protons is axial, A_x = +0.263 ± 0.002 and A_y = +0.386 ± 0.002 mT, while that for the olefinic protons is orthorhombic, A_x = ?0.594 ± 0.005, A_y= ?0.913 ± 0.005, and A_z = ?0.834 ± 0.005 mT (x parallel to C? H- z parallel to 2p_π axis). For ${\bf 2}^{+ \atop \dot{}}$, the coupling constants of the olefinic, ethano-bridge, and bridgehead protons are ?0.68 ± 0.01, +0.162 ± 0.005, and ?0.108 ± 0.005 mT, respectively. The hyperfine data for ${\bf 1}^{+ \atop \dot{}}$ and ${\bf 2}^{+ \atop \dot{}}$ fully support the presentation of their singly occupied orbitals as antisymmetric combinations, b₂(π), of the two bonding ethene π-MO's.     

Tricarbonyl(η5‐formylcyclopentadienyl)manganese(I) and tricarbonyl(η5‐formylcyclopentadienyl)rhenium(I) containing short π(CO)...π(CO) and π(CO)...π interactions

The structures of tricarbonyl(formylcyclopentadienyl)manganese(I), [Mn(C₆H₅O)(CO)₃], (I), and tricarbonyl(formylcyclopentadienyl)rhenium(I), [Re(C₆H₅O)(CO)₃], (II), were determined at 100 K. Compounds (I) and (II) both possess a carbonyl group in a trans position relative to the substituted C atom of the cyclopentadienyl ring, while the other two carbonyl groups are in almost eclipsed positions relative to their attached C atoms. Analysis of the intermolecular contacts reveals that the molecules in both compounds form stacks due to short attractive π(CO)...π(CO) and π(CO)...π interactions, along the crystallographic c axis for (I) and along the [201] direction for (II). Symmetry‐related stacks are bound to each other by weak intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds, leading to the formation of the three‐dimensional network.