Enzymatic kinetic resolution studies of racemic 4-hydroxycyclopent-2-en-1-one using Lipozyme IM®

Enzymatic kinetic resolution studies of (±)-4-hydroxycyclopent-2-en-1-one 2 were taken up in organic solvents by transesterification with vinyl acetate and alcoholysis of its acetate 3 as an alternative to the desymmetrization of meso-cyclopentenediol to provide faster and economic access to enantiomerically pure 4-(R)-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxycyclopent-2-en-1-one 1. Parameters were screened using Lipozyme IM^® as catalyst. Although enantioselectivity observed was moderate (E=24, by alcoholysis of 3 with 2-butanol), trends in the effect of solvent, water content and alcohol structure showed useful directions for screening of other enzymes for optimization of the method to useful levels of efficiency.     

Kinetic resolution of β-lactams via enantioselective N-acylation

Enantioselective N-acylation of 4-aryl-β-lactams in the presence of acyl transfer catalyst Cl-PIQ provides an effective method for their non-enzymatic kinetic resolution.     

Shape‐similarity relations based on topological resolution

Shape‐similarities of electron density clouds of molecules provide important clues concerning chemical and physical properties, including information about their reactivities in biochemical systems. The concept of topological resolution is used for quantifying molecular similarities: within a hierarchy of finer and cruder topologies, the crudest topology that already provides discrimination between two objects (such as two fuzzy electron density clouds) is used to define a measure of their similarities. The finer this topology, the more similar the two objects. This approach, the method of topological resolution‐based similarity measures (TRBSM), can be combined with a geometrically motivated resolution‐based similarity measure (RBSM) within a metric space. Some of the relations between these two approaches are discussed in this contribution, with special emphasis on applications to electron densities. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High resolution electron attachment to CO₂ clusters

Electron attachment to CO? clusters performed at high energy resolution (0.1 eV) is studied for the first time in the extended electron energy range from threshold (0 eV) to about 10 eV. Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to single molecules yields O(-) as the only fragment ion arising from the well known (2)Π(u) shape resonance (ion yield centered at 4.4 eV) and a core excited resonance (at 8.2 eV). On proceeding to CO? clusters, non-dissociated complexes of the form (CO?)(n)(-) including the monomer CO?(-) are generated as well as solvated fragment ions of the form (CO?)(n)O(-). The non-decomposed complexes appear already within a resonant feature near threshold (0 eV) and also within a broad contribution between 1 and 4 eV which is composed of two resonances observed for example for (CO?)(4)(-) at 2.2 eV and 3.1 eV (peak maxima). While the complexes observed around 3.1 eV are generated via the (2)Π(u) resonance as precursor with subsequent intracluster relaxation, the contribution around 2.2 eV can be associated with a resonant scattering feature, recently discovered in single CO? in the selective excitation of the higher energy member of the well known Fermi dyad [M. Allan, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2001, 87, 0332012]. Formation of (CO?)(n)(-) in the threshold region involves vibrational Feshbach resonances (VFRs) as previously discovered via an ultrahigh resolution (1 meV) laser photoelectron attachment method [E. Leber, S. Barsotti, I. I. Fabrikant, J. M. Weber, M.-W. Ruf and H. Hotop, Eur. Phys. J. D, 2000, 12, 125]. The complexes (CO?)(n)O(-) clearly arise from DEA at an individual molecule within the cluster involving both the (2)Π(u) and the core excited resonance.     

Lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of Baylis–Hillman products

Lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of the various Baylis–Hillman products, α-methylene-β-hydroxy compounds, were examined. When lipase PS was used as a biocatalyst in acetonitrile, transesterification of racemic ethyl 3-hydroxy-2-methylenebutanoate or 3-hydroxy-2-methylenepentanoate proceeded in a practical enantiomeric excess. The resolution by hydrolysis of the acetate derivatives was also tried. In contrast, in case of racemic ethyl 3-acetoxy-2-methylenepentanoate, under the conditions using lipase AK, the E value of the resolution was >321.     

Synthesis and resolution of naphthyl-Tröger's base

A naphthyl analogue of Tröger's base {8H,16H-7,15-methanodinaphtho[2,1-b][2′,1′-f][1,5]-diazocine (NTB)} was prepared and successfully resolved using (−)- and (+)-di-p-toluoyl-tartaric acid. Enantiomers obtained show extremely high specific rotations related to (i) the rigid [1,5]-diazocine skeleton with molecular asymmetry and (ii) the presence of condensed aromatic rings, similar to helicenes.     

Enzymatic resolution of (±)-2-(Nβ-t-butoxycarbonyl-Nα-methylhydrazino)cycloalkanols

Racemates of cis- and trans-2-(N_β-t-butoxycarbonyl-N_α-methylhydrazino)cyclopentanols and -cyclohexanols 1–4 were resolved through lipase PS- or Novozym 435-catalysed asymmetric acylation of the secondary OH group at the (R)-stereogenic centre. High enantioselectivity (E >200) was observed when vinyl acetate or vinyl butyrate was used in diisopropyl ether, resulting in the enantiopure hydrazino esters 1a–4a and hydrazino alcohols 1b–4b. Methanolysis of the esters 1a–4a afforded the corresponding 2-hydrazinocycloalkanols 1c–4c (ee usually >95%).     

Spline wavelet in the resolution of overlapping voltammetric peaks

Spline wavelet transform is used to resolve overlapping voltammetric peaks. A suitable resolving factor is chosen to multiply the filters of spline wavelet and make it a peak resoluter. Simulated overlapping voltammetric peaks are processed by the peak resoluter and satisfactory results are obtained. Base-line separation can be achieved, the relative errors of peak position are less than 3.0%, and the relative errors of peak area are less than 5.0%. The effect of different resolving factors and spline wavelet basis are discussed. To test the procedure, two systems, cadmium (Ⅱ)-indium (Ⅲ) and lead (Ⅱ)-thallium (Ⅰ), are used.     

Enzymatic resolution of (±)-1-ferrocenylethylamine

(±)-1-Ferrocenylethylamine was resolved by a highly enantioselective acetylation catalyzed by Candida antarctica B lipase.     

Synthesis and resolution of new paramagnetic α-amino acids

New, paramagnetic unnatural α-amino acids were synthesized by the O'Donnell method. In the new amino acids nitroxide is condensed with thiophene, benzene, and tetrahydroisoquinoline ring, or linked through a methylene, benzyl or propargyl spacer. Some of the racemic paramagnetic α-amino acid esters described earlier or in this work were resolved by fractional crystallization of diastereomeric salts. Another approach for optically active paramagnetic amino acids is the modification of S-tyrosine derivatives with Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with paramagnetic acetylene and with a paramagnetic boronic acid.     

Asymmetric dehydration of β-hydroxy esters via kinetic resolution

Catalytic asymmetric dehydration of β-hydroxy esters via kinetic resolution has been investigated. The kinetic resolution of rac-β-hydroxy esters in the presence of prolinol chiral ligand 2a and BrZnCH₂CO₂t-Bu can provide highly enantioenriched β-hydroxy esters 3 and 5-11 with selectivity factors ranging from 15 to 42.     

Enantiomerically pure N-aryl-β-amino alcohols by enzymatic resolution

N-Aryl-β-amino acetates, obtained by opening epoxides with aromatic amines followed by acetylation of the hydroxyl group, were resolved using crude pig liver esterase (PLE) enzyme in DMSO in high enantiomeric excess.     

Enzymic resolution of an α-methylene-γ-lactonic ester

The possibility of using enzymes for the kinetic resolution of an α-methylene-γ-lactone was explored. The probe molecule, ethyl 2-methyl-4-methylene-tetrahydro-5-oxo-2-furancarboxylate was successfully resolved with Porcine pancreatic lipase and Candida rugosa lipase, in the presence of a cosolvent, leading to both enantiomers of the corresponding acid with high enantiomeric excesses.     

The three-dimensional structure of trichosanthin refined at 2.7resolution

The three-dimensional structure of trichosanthin crystallizing in space group C2 has beenrefined at 2.7 resolution from a previously reported starting model at 3 resolution based on asolvent flattened map and the revised primary structure consisting of 247 amlno-acids.The finalR-factor is 19.2% with the root mean-square deviations of 0.018 from ideal bond lengths andof 2.2° from ideal bond angles.Trichosanthin molecule is composed of two domains,the largedomain consisting of 181 amino-acld residues starting from N-terminus and the small domain con-sisting of the rest of the amino-acid residues.The molecule contains eight α-helices,five β-sheetsmade of sixteen β-strands,and some reverse turns.It is noteworthy that some of the α-helicesand β-sheets show irregular hydrogen bonding patterns.Six of the thirteen residues absolutelyconserved in eleven ribosome-inactivating proteins are located in a cleft near the interface ofthe two domains and they are likely to be active sites.Three additional conservative residueslocated in the cleft region might make some functional contribution as well.     

Synthesis,resolution and application of 2,2′-bis(di-2-furylphosphino)-1,1′-binaphthalene

A six step synthesis and resolution of (±)-2,2′-bis(di-2-furylphosphino)-1,1′-binaphthalene 4 (TetFuBINAP) is described along with its use in asymmetric inter- and intramolecular Heck reactions.     

Efficient transesterification 4-hydroxytetrahydropyran immobilized lipase resolution of 2-（4-chlorophenyl）- with magnetically separable

We report an efficient kinetic resolution of racemic 2-（4-chlorophenyl）-4-hydroxytetrahydro-pyran （CLP-4-HTHP） via Pseudomonas cepacia lipase （PSL）-catalyzed transesterification, where PSL is immobilized on a core-shell MnFe204@SiO2-（CH2）3-NH2 carrier and used as a magnetically separable catalyst. The as-synthesized PSL/MnFe204@SiO2-（CH2）3-NH2 catalyst exhibits enhanced catalytic activity for resolving racemic CLP-4-HTHP to the corresponding optically pure （2R,4S）-CLP-4-HTHP compared to the free PSL. The ees for the former is 2.3 times larger than that for the latter under optimized conditions （99.4% and 44.1%, respectively）, although the eep for them are same （99.2%）. Meanwhile, the PSL/MnFe204@SiO2-（CH2）3-NH2 catalyst possesses a high saturate magnetization of 59.7 emu/g and could be easily recovered by magnetic separation and reused. The catalytic activity in six recycling tests did not significantly decrease, suggesting its great potential for industrial applications.     

High resolution photoemission and x-ray absorption spectroscopy of a lepidocrocite-like TiO2 nanosheet on Pt(110) (1 × 2)

The electronic structure of TiO(2) nanosheets on the Pt(110)-(1 × 2) surface has been investigated by using high resolution photoemission spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The Ti 2p XAS spectra of the deposited TiO(2) films have been theoretically evaluated and, from the comparison with the experimental data, the assignment to a lepidocrocite-like structure is confirmed. Coexistence of TiO(2) islands with PtO(2) stripes for incomplete nanosheets is confirmed by high resolution photoemission data. The location of the valence and conduction band edges of the nanosheet has been experimentally determined allowing us to describe in details subtle electronic effects due to the interface with the substrate. The locations of the valence band maximum and the leading peak in the O 1s XAS spectrum indicate a band gap similar to anatase but with the Fermi level closer to mid-gap than found for bulk, n-type TiO(2).     

Kinetic resolution of aromatic β-amino acids by ω-transaminase

Racemic aromatic β-amino acids have been kinetically resolved into (R)-β-amino acids with high enantiomeric excess (>99%) by a novel ω-TA with ca. 50% conversion.     

High resolution Lα X-ray fluorescence spectra of palladium compounds

High-resolution Pd Lα (L₃–M_4,5) X-ray fluorescence spectra of several Pd compounds were measured on a double-crystal X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. It was found that the chemical shifts of Pd Lα₁ line in Pd metal, Pd–Ag alloy, PdCl₂, PdBr₂, PdI₂, Pd(NO₃)₂ and Pd(acac)₂ were relatively small (less than 0.1 eV with metallic Pd as reference). We adopted the charge transfer effect to elucidate this seemingly anomalous experimental result. For divalent Pd, at the moment of the creation of a 2p⁻¹ core hole, one or two electrons were transferred from the ligand to the central Pd atom. Therefore the divalent Pd (II, 4d⁸) may have valence electron configuration similar to metallic Pd (0, 4d¹⁰), and this eventually results in the small chemical shifts.     

Synthesis and resolution of an α-phenyl substituted ortho-palladated matrix

A novel ortho-palladated benzylaminate matrix bearing phenyl substituent at the α-carbon stereocenter was prepared in the racemic state by direct intramolecular palladation of tertiary diphenylmethylamine with palladium(II) acetate; its structure and palladacycle conformation were determined by ¹H NMR studies of the mononuclear triphenylphosphine adduct. The resolution of the dimeric complex was performed via recrystallization of its diastereomeric (S)-prolinate derivatives. The absolute configuration (R_C,R_C) of the enantiopure dimer thus obtained was determined by an X-ray diffraction investigation of the less soluble (R_C,S_CS_N)-diastereomer of its (S)-prolinate adduct.