N-Alkyl- and N-aryl-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole-containing organic dyes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Two new organic sensitizers, 2-cyano-3-(6-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-4-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrol-2-yl)acrylic acid and 2-cyano-3-(6-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-4-(4-(hexyloxy)phenyl)-4H-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrol-2-yl)acrylic acid, consisting of electron donating (triphenylamine) and electron accepting (cyanoacrylic acid) functionalities linked by two different rigidified π-spacers, N-alkyl- and N-aryl-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole, were designed, synthesized and applied for dye-sensitized solar cells, respectively. The materials were successfully synthesized through Knoevenagel condensation reactions. Ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra revealed that the use of either of rigidified π-spacer resulted in similar charge transfer transition, however, enhanced spectral response was observed when compared with an oligothiophene analogue. In terms of their photovoltaic performance, new dyes outperformed the reference bithiophene sensitizer when tested with nitrile-based and ionic liquid-based electrolytes.     

First synthesis of 4-aminopyrido[2′,3′:4,5]furo[3,2-d]pyrimidines

This Letter describes for the first time the synthesis of pyrido[2′,3′:4,5]furo[3,2-d]pyrimidines substituted by a primary or secondary amino group on position 4 of the pyrimidine ring. Application of microwave irradiation technology allowed fast and convenient procedures.     

A convenient synthesis of benzofuro[3,2-c]isoquinolines and naphtho[1′,2′:4,5]furo[3,2-c]isoquinolines

A convenient method for the preparation of benzofuro[3,2-c]isoquinoline derivatives is described. The condensation reaction of methyl 2-(chloromethyl)-benzoate with substituted salicylonitriles 7a-c and intramolecular cyclization of the resulting substituted methyl 2-[(2-cyanobenzyl)oxy]benzoates 10a-c using potassium tert-butoxide results in the substituted benzofuro[3,2-c]isoquinolin-5(6H)-ones 1a-c. The same sequence of reactions starting from 2-(chloromethyl)benzonitrile and compounds 7a-c gave substituted 5-aminobenzofuro[3,2-c]isoquinolines 13a-c. In addition, this method is useful for the synthesis of other heterocycles. For example, using 1-cyano-2-naphthol 16, instead of the salicylonitriles 7a-c, gives naphtho[1′,2′:4,5]furo[3,2-c]isoquinolines.     

Synthesis, spectrophotometric pH titrations and DNA binding properties of a cyclometalated iridium(III) complex of tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c:3″,2″-h:2?,3?-j]phenazine

A new cyclometalated iridium(III) complex [Ir(ppy)₂(tpphz)]Cl {Hppy = 2-phenylpyridine and tpphz = tetrapyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c:3″,2″-h:2?,3?-j]phenazine} has been synthesized and characterized. The pH effects on UV-vis absorption spectra have been studied, and three ground-state acidity ionization constant values have been derived. The calf thymus (ct) DNA binding properties of the complex have also been investigated with UV-vis absorption spectrophotometric titrations, DNA competitive binding with ethidium bromide, DNA melting experiments, viscosity measurements, and density functional theory calculations. The complex was demonstrated to act as a DNA intercalator with a binding constant of (9.29 ± 1.26) × 10⁵ M⁻¹ more than one order of magnitude greater than that previously reported for DNA intercalator of [Ir(ppy)₂(dppz)]⁺.     

New iminophosphorane-mediated synthesis of thieno[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones and 5H-2,3-dithia-5,7-diaza-cyclopenta[c,d]indenes

Mono(iminophosphorane) 4 was selectively prepared from the reaction of 3,4-diaminothieno[2,3-b]thiophene 3 with excess triphenylphosphine, C₂Cl₆, and Et₃N due to intramolecular double hydrogen bond formation. Mono(iminophosphorane) 4 reacted with aromatic isocyanates to give stable carbodiimides 8, which were further treated with aliphatic secondary or primary amines to give 2-amino substituted thieno[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 10 or 12 in the presence of a catalytic amounts of EtO⁻Na⁺. However, in the presence of a catalytic amounts of potassium carbonate, the carbodiimides 8 were transformed into previously unreported 5H-2,3-dithia-5,7-diaza-cyclopenta[c,d]indenes 13 via direct cyclization in high yields. The reaction of carbodiimides 8 with phenols in the presence of a catalytic amounts of potassium carbonate gave a mixture of 2-aryloxy substituted thieno[3′,2′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 14 and 13. X-ray structure analysis of 10m supported the structure and the proposed reactivity of amino group.     

The preparation of substituted bithiophenyl aldehydes via the ring opening of dithieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]thiophene in the presence of n-BuLi

In the presence of n-BuLi in THF at low temperature, the phenomena of ring opening of symmetric substituted dithieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]thiophenes were observed. After quenching the organolithium intermediates with dry DMF, a series of substituted novel bithiophenyl aldehydes were prepared in good to excellent yields. The mechanism shows the key step for the ring opening of dithieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]thiophene is the nucleophilic attack of butyl anion onto the sulfur atom of the central ring. Total ten samples of symmetric substituted dithieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]thiophenes and their ring-opened products, the substituted bithiophenyl aldehydes were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and HRMS. Two ring-opened products were confirmed by X-ray single crystal analysis.     

Highly diastereoselective chemoenzymatic synthesis of (2′R)- and (2′S)-2′-deoxy[2′-H]guanosines

In an effort to develop an efficient synthetic method of highly diastereoselective (2′R)- and (2′S)-2′-deoxy[2′-²H]guanosines, chemoenzymatic conversion was investigated. The synthesis of (2′R > 98% de)-2′-deoxy[2′-²H]guanosine was achieved by biological transdeoxyribosylation using (2′R > 98% de)-2′-deoxy[2′-²H]uridine, 2,6-diaminopurine, and Enterobacter aerogenes AJ-11125, followed by treatment with adenosine deaminase. (2′S > 98% de)-2′-Deoxy[2′-²H]guanosine was synthesized from (2′S > 98% de)-2′-deoxy[2′-²H]uridine and 2,6-diaminopurine using thymidine phosphorylase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase instead of E. aerogenes AJ-11125.     

Grignard reagent-promoted 6-endo-dig cyclization: instantaneous synthesis of original dipyrido[1,2-a:3′,4′-d]imidazole

Dipyrido[1,2-a:3′,4′-d]imidazole derivatives can be readily synthetized from various 3-alkyne-2-cyanoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines via an efficient Grignard reagent-promoted 6-endo-dig cyclization of nitrile to alkynes. A previous optimization of the Sonogashira coupling reaction at C(3) of the 2-cyanoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine was necessary as this coupling reaction is known to be largely influenced by the nature of the 2-substituent.     

From N,N-diphenyl-N-naphtho[2,1-b]thieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]dithiophene-5-yl-amine to propeller-shaped N,N,N-tri(naphtho[2,1-b]thieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]dithiophene-5-yl)-amine: syntheses and structures

Three unique propeller-shaped helicenyl amines compounds: N,N-diphenyl-N-naphtho[2,1-b]thieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]dithiophene-5-yl-amine (1), N-phenyl-N,N-di(naphtho[2,1-b]thieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]dithiophene-5-yl)amine (2), and N,N,N-tri(naphtho[2,1-b]thieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]dithiophene-5-yl)amine (3) were efficiently synthesized by Wittig reaction and oxidative photocyclization. The crystal structures of 1, 2 and molecular configuration optimization (DFT-B3LYP/6-31+G(d)) of 3 reveal that the steric hindrance from the moiety of trithia[5]helicene effectively forces the nitrogen atom and the three bonded carbon atoms to coplanar and the interplanar angles of the facing terminal thiophene ring and benzene ring becoming larger when the helical arm increased from 1 to 3. Electrochemical properties and UV–vis absorption behaviors of 1, 2, 3 were primarily determined by the moiety of trithia[5]helicene.     

A novel one-pot and efficient procedure for the synthesis of 3H-spiro[isobenzofuran-1,6′-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine]-2′,3,4′,5′-tetraones

A novel and practical one-pot procedure is described for the preparation of several new of 3H-spiro[isobenzofuran-1,6′-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine]-2′,3,4′,5′-tetraones based on the addition reaction of ninhydrin and 6-aminouracils followed by oxidative cleavage of their corresponding dihydroxyindenopyrrolopyrimidines.     

One stone kills four birds: a novel diazaperinone 12H-pyrazino[2′,3′:3,4]pyrrolo[1,2-a]perimidin-12-one recognizes four different metal ions

A novel diazaperinone 12H-pyrazino[2′,3′:3,4]pyrrolo[1,2-a]perimidin-12-one has been successfully synthesized through a one-step condensation. Single crystal X-ray analysis shows that the product is of planar structure with strong π?π interactions and H-bonding. Interestingly, the 12H-pyrazino[2′,3′:3,4]pyrrolo[1,2-a]perimidin-12-one can recognize three different metal cations Cu²⁺, Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ via naked eye visualization, and shows turn-on fluorescence for Fe³⁺ and Ag⁺ among the 22 metal cations.     

First synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2:1′,2′]azepino[5,6-b]indole derivatives

A new family of pyrrolo[1,2:1′,2′]azepino[5,6-b]indole derivatives 8,15 related to anthramycin skeleton was prepared in good yield from indole-2-carboxylic acid and β-aminoesters 4 through intramolecular cyclisation.     

Synthesis and conformational analysis of naphth[1′,2′:5,6][1,3]oxazino[3,2-c][1,3]benzoxazine and naphth[1′,2′:5,6][1,3]oxazino[3,4-c][1,3]benzoxazine derivatives

A new functional group, the hydroxy group, was inserted into a Betti base by reaction with salicylaldehyde, and the naphthoxazine derivatives thus obtained were converted by ring-closure reactions with formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde or phosgene to the corresponding naphth[1′2′:5,6][1,3]oxazino[3,2-c][1,3]benzoxazine derivatives. Further, the conformational analysis of these polycyclic compounds by NMR spectroscopy and an accompanying molecular modelling are reported; especially, both quantitative anisotropic ring current effects of the aromatic moieties in these compounds and steric substituent effects were employed to determine the stereochemistry of the naphthoxazinobenzoxazine derivatives.     

Dual optical and electrochemical saccharide detection based on a dipyrido[3,2-a:2′3′-c]phenazine (DPPZ) ligand

We report a new molecular sensor based on dipyrido[3,2-a:2′3′-c]phenazine (DPPZ) functionalized with boronic acid groups. The sensor binds to saccharides and upon binding results in changes in fluorescence intensity as well as cathodic shifts in the sensor’s formal potential. The ability of the new DPPZ-based sensor to provide both electrochemical and optical signal outputs demonstrates the viability of this family of molecules to be developed as dual-signal detectors. Measurements to determine the stability constants with four saccharides are shown.     

Cycloalkano[1″,2″:4,5;4″,3″:4′,5′]bis(pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyrimido[5,4-e]pyridazines): synthesis, structure and mechanism of their formation

Reactions of 3-alkylamino-6,8-dimethylpyrimido[4,5-c]pyridazine-5,7(6H,8H)-diones with cyclohexyl- and cycloheptylamines in the presence of AgPy₂MnO₄ produce novel cycloalkano[1″,2″:4,5;4″,3″:4′,5′]bis(pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyrimido[5,4-e]pyridazines). Detailed information concerning the scope and mechanism of these transformations is discussed.     

Efficient synthesis of novel dipyridoimidazoles and pyrido[1′,2′;1,2]imidazo[4,5-d]pyridazine derivatives

Novel dipyrido[1,2-a;3′,4′-d]imidazoles 7a-d, dipyrido[1,2-a;4′,3′-d]imidazoles 8a,c and pyrido[1′,2′;1,2]imidazo[4,5-d]pyridazine derivatives 9a-d were synthesized by two pathways: thermal electrocyclic reaction of 3-alkenylimidazopyridine-2-oximes 10 and direct condensation of ethyl glycinate (or hydrazine) with 2,3-dicarbonylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines 11.     

An efficient one-pot three-step domino synthesis of substituted bis(pyrazino[2′,3′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones)

A convenient and efficient one-pot three-step domino approach to bis(pyrazinothienopyrimidinones) from ethyl 3-(triphenylphosphoranylideneamino)-thieno[2,3-b]pyrazine-6-carboxylate 1 has been developed. In this method, treatment of phosphazene 1 with a mixture of isocyanates, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen bis(nucleophiles) and K₂CO₃ in refluxing THF regioselectively furnishes the corresponding bis(pyrazino[2′,3′:4,5]thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones) in satisfactory to good yields. This methodology is highly versatile and efficient for the generation of these functionalized bis(triheterocyclic) compounds that are not readily available by other synthetic methods.     

Self-assembled multilayer films of poor water-soluble copper(II) complexes constructed from dipyrido[3,2-d:2′,3′-f]quinoxaline (Dpq) ligand as well as their fluorescent properties

New multilayer films were prepared by alternating adsorption of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and a new complex of [Cu₂(Dpq)₂(Ac)₂(H₂O)₂] (ClO₄)₂·H₂O (1) (Dpq=dipyrido[3,2-d:2′,3′-f]quinoxaline, Ac=acetate) or a related complex [Cu(Dpq)₂(H₂O)] (ClO₄)₂·H₂O (1a) by electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technique, respectively. Compounds 1 and 1a have been synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Single-crystal X-ray analyses show that complexes 1 and 1a possess a dinuclear and a mononuclear structure, respectively, which are further extended into layered frameworks by π-π stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The multilayer films were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray reflectivity measurements, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. UV spectroscopy shows that the deposition process is regular and highly reproducible from layer to layer. AFM image indicates that the film surface is uniform and smooth. The fluorescent properties of the films were studied and the results showed that the forming condition of the films had great influence on their properties.     

A novel and efficient one-pot synthesis of furo[3′,4′:5,6]pyrido[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives using organocatalysts

A novel approach to one-pot synthesis of dihydrofuro[3′,4′:5,6]pyrido[2,3-c]pyrazole and indeno[2′,1′:5,6]pyrido[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives have been investigated using organocatalysts that are recyclable. This new protocol has the advantages of environmental friendliness, higher yield, low cost, as well as convenient operation. The catalytic efficiency of various small organocatalysts such as l-proline, trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline, l-thiaproline, cinchonidine, (+)-cinchonine, and dl-2-phenylglycine has also been studied.     

Cascade assembly of N,N′-dialkylbarbituric acids and aldehydes: a simple and efficient one-pot approach to the substituted 1,5-dihydro-2H,2′H-spiro(furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6,5′-pyrimidine)-2,2′,4,4′,6′(1′H,3H,3′H)-pentone framework

Cascade assembly of N,N′-dialkylbarbituric acids and aldehydes in the presence of bromine leads to the selective and efficient formation of substituted 1,5-dihydro-2H,2′H-spiro(furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6,5′-pyrimidine)-2,2′,4,4′,6′-(1′H,3H,3′H)-pentones in 70-88% yields via a complex cascade process. Spirobarbiturates containing the furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine framework are a class of compounds with interesting pharmacological and physiological activity.