(6Z,9Z,12Z)-6,9,12-Octadecatriene and (3Z,6Z,9Z,12Z)-3,6,9,12-icosatetraene, the novel sex pheromones produced by emerald moths

(6Z,9Z,12Z)-6,9,12-Octadecatriene and (3Z,6Z,9Z,12Z)-3,6,9,12-icosatetraene, hydrocarbons unsaturated more highly than usual lepidopteran Type II pheromones, were identified from geometrid females of Hemithea tritonaria and Thalassodes immissaria intaminata, respectively. The triene was synthesized by a double Wittig reaction between hexanal and an ylide derived from (Z)-1,6-diiodo-3-hexene, and the tetraene was synthesized by a coupling between (Z)-3-undecenal and an ylide derived from (3Z,6Z)-1-iodo-3,6-nonadiene. Each synthetic compound attracted males of the corresponding emerald moths in a field.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (2S,3′R,7′Z)-N-(3′-hydroxy-7′-tetradecenoyl)-homoserine lactone

A concise enantioselective total synthesis of (2S,3′R,7′Z)-N-(3′-hydroxy-7′-tetradecenoyl)-homoserine lactone is described. Key feature of this protocol is a catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation and a prophenol-zinc-catalyzed diazo addition to imine reaction as genesis of chirality. Moreover, flexibility is built in the synthesis to generate enantioenriched analogs using catalytic amount of enantioenriched C₂-symmetric ligands.     

2′,3′,4′,5′-Tetraacetyl-N(3)-carboxymethylriboflavin derivatives: synthesis and fluorescence studies

The hitherto not described 2′,3′,4′,5′-tetraacetyl-N(3)-carboxymethylriboflavin (1) could be prepared starting from 2′,3′,4′,5′-tetraacetylriboflavin by alkylation with tert-butyl α-bromoacetate and benzyl α-bromoacetate, followed by deprotection reaction. The results of fluorescence studies are described.     

Total synthesis of 5,5′,6,6′-tetrahydroxy-3,3′-biindolyl, the proposed structure of a potent antioxidant found in beetroot (Beta vulgaris)

5,5′,6,6′-Tetrahydroxy-3,3′-biindolyl, the proposed structure of a phenolic antioxidant isolated from the red beetroot (Beta vulgaris), has been synthesised. The spectroscopic data of the synthetic material is not consistent with that reported for the natural product.     

Synthesis and optical properties of a poly(2′,5′-dioctyloxy-4,4′,4″- terphenylenevinylene) with high content of (Z) vinylene units

Poly(2′,5′-dioctyloxy-4,4′,4″-terphenylenevinylene) with (E) configuration of the vinylene double bonds was prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura polymerization of (E)-4,4′-dibromostilbene and 2,5-dioctyloxy-1,4-benzenediboronic acid. Attempts to extend this simple procedure to the synthesis of the polymer with (Z) configuration, starting from (Z)-4,4′-dibromostilbene, were unsuccessful. However, the use of (Z)-4,4′-diiodostilbene and a careful choice of Pd catalyst and experimental conditions, lead to a material with a >95/<5 (Z)/(E) ratio of vinylene units. The investigation of optical properties of both the (E) and (Z) polymers evidenced that (Z) linkages act as defects which reduce the effective conjugation length in the polymer backbone.     

Total synthesis of 1-(Z)-atractylodinol

The total synthesis of 1-(Z)-atractylodinol, a natural polyacetylenic alcohol with several biological activities, has been achieved using a newly developed telluride synthon and a novel use for the Negishi type coupling reaction employing vinyl tellurides.     

Application and details of photoinduced oxidative cyclization of 5-(4′,9′-methanocycloundeca-2′,4′,6′,8′,10′-pentaenylidene)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1,3,5H)-triones and related compounds

As novel methodology for synthesizing the furan ring, a photoinduced oxidative cyclization of 5-(4′,9′-methanocycloundeca-2′,4′,6′,8′,10′-pentaenylidene)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1,3,5H)-triones (7a-c) and related compounds 9a-c was accomplished to give 5,10-methanocycloundeca[4,5]furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1,3H)-dionylium tetrafluoroborates (8a-c⁺·BF₄⁻) and related compounds 2a-c⁺·BF₄⁻, respectively. In the photoinduced oxidative cyclization, the molecular oxygen in air is used as oxidant and the reaction proceeds under mild conditions to give desired products without byproducts, and thus, it is interesting from the viewpoint of the green chemistry. On the reactions of the mono-substituted derivatives 7d,e and 9e,f, the selectivity of the photoinduced cyclizations were reversed as compared with those of the DDQ-promoted oxidative cyclizations. By the NMR monitoring of the reactions of 7a and deuterated compound 7a-D₂ under degassed conditions, the details of the reaction pathway were clarified and rationalized on the basis of the MO calculation by the 6-31G^∗ basis set of the MP2 levels as well.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (Z)-axino- and (Z)-debromoaxinohydantoin

(Z)-Axinohydantoin and (Z)-debromoaxinohydantoin, two pyrrole-imidazole alkaloids isolated from different marine sponges, possess moderate activities in inhibiting the progress of the cell cycle at different phases. A stereoselective synthesis of both natural products was achieved. The key step in the synthetic pathway was the installation of the hydantoin northern ring by using 1-benzoyl-2-methylsulfanyl-1,5-dihydroimidazol-4-one.     

A simple and stereodivergent strategy for the synthesis of 3′-C-branched 2′,3′-dideoxynucleosides exploiting (Z)-but-2-en-1,4-diol and (R)-2,3-cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde

Barbier type additions of allylic bromide 4, derived from (Z)-but-2-en-1,4-diol 2 to (R)-2,3-cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde 1 were performed through mediation with Zn employing Luche’s procedure and also with low valent Cu, Co, and Fe which were produced via bimetal redox strategy in THF to afford 5c,d as the major products. From these, 5a,b were prepared following an oxidation-reduction protocol. Compound 5c was exploited as a representative starting material to develop a simple and inexpensive strategy toward the synthesis of 3′-C-branched 2′,3′-dideoxynucleosides having stereodiversity at 3′- and 4′-positions.     

A stereoselective synthesis for the (5Z,9Z)-14-methyl-5,9-pentadecadienoic acid and its monounsaturated analog (Z)-14-methyl-9-pentadecenoic acid

A stereoselective synthesis for the (5Z,9Z)-14-methyl-5,9-pentadecadienoic acid and the monounsaturated analog (Z)-14-methyl-9-pentadecenoic acid was accomplished in six to seven steps where double alkyne coupling was the key step. This synthesis will facilitate the study of the topoisomerase I inhibitory profile of this important class of fatty acids.     

New and efficient synthesis of 5′-amino-5′-(S)-methyl-2′,5′-dideoxynucleosides

A short, efficient synthesis of 5′-amino-5′-(S)-methyl-2′,5′-dideoxynucleosides 1 has been developed through the diastereoselective addition of methylmagnesium bromide or methyllithium to an intermediate tert-butylsulfinimide.     

A simple route for the synthesis of 3,3,3′,3′-tetramethyl-2,3,3′,4′-tetrahydro-1H,1′H-[4,9′-bixanthene]-1,1′(2′H,9′H)-dione and its derivatives catalyzed by Mn and other transition metal cations

A simple and efficient unusual coupling reaction of 9-(2-hydroxy-4,4-dimethyl-6-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl)-3,3-dimethyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-xanthen-1-one and its derivatives was accomplished in the presence of Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe³, or La³⁺. The structure elucidation was accomplished by IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, X-ray crystallography, UV-Visible and elemental analysis. A reaction mechanism is proposed.     

Total synthesis of (3S,4S,2′S)- and (3R,4R,2′S)-viridiofungin A triester

The total synthesis of an alkylcitrate secondary metabolite from the fungi Trichoderma viride is described. An ester dienolate [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement and a S. Julia-Kocienski olefination served as key C/C-connecting transformations. The highly convergent synthesis consists of a longest linear sequence of 17 steps.     

Synthesis, properties and molecular structure of a novel dicyanoheptafulvene derivative, 4′-dicyanomethylidenedispiro[cyclohexane-1, 1′-(1′,4′,7′-trihydrocyclopenta[f]azulene)-7′,1″-cyclohexane]

A novel dicyanoheptafulvene 9 annulated by two spiro[4,5]deca-1,3-dienes was synthesized by the reaction of dispirocyclopentaazulenium cation 8 with bromomalononitrile. Although 9 was found to have a nonplanar heptafulvene structure by its X-ray crystallographic analysis, it is still capable of π-conjugation and thus shows appreciable contribution of the dipolar resonance form 9B based on its spectroscopic data. The degree of the contribution was further evaluated for various dicyanoheptafulvenes in terms of the partial sum of atomic charges of the dicyanomethylene group in the calculated structures besides the interplanar angles of the heptafulvene part and the length of the exocyclic double bond in the crystal structures.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (2R,3R,6R)-N-methyl-6-(deca-1′,3′,5′-trienyl)-3-methoxy-2-methylpiperidine, an insecticidal alkaloid

An insecticidal piperidine alkaloid, (2R,3R,6R)-N-methyl-6-(deca-1′,3′,5′-trienyl)-3-methoxy-2-methylpiperidine, was efficiently synthesized in a stereoselective manner starting from d-alanine. Chiral center at C-6 was controlled by hydrogenation of imine and side chain was introduced by Julia olefination. The absolute configuration of natural product was determined to be 2R, 3R, 6R.     

1,1′-Methylene-bis(1,1′,2,2′,3,3′,4,4′-octahydroisoquinoline): synthesis, reaction, resolution, and application in catalytic enantioselective transformations

The preparation of new chiral 1,3-diamine ligand systems based on the 1,1′-methylene-bis(1,1′,2,2′,3,3′,4,4′-octahydroisoquinoline) framework is described. Synthesis of various mono-, di-, and bridged N-alkyl derivatives are presented. Resolution of one compound, its Cu(I)Br X-ray crystallographic structure and the preliminary results on its application in the enantioselective Henry and Aldol reactions are disclosed.     

Hydrogen-bonded rotamers of 2′,4′,6′-trihydroxy-3′-formyldihydrochalcone, an intermediate in the synthesis of a dihydrochalcone from Leptospermum recurvum

Synthesis of 2′,4′,6′-trihydroxy-3′-methyldihydrochalcone, isolated as a natural product for the first time (ex Leptospermum recurvum), proceeds through 2′,4′,6′-trihydroxy-3′-formyldihydrochalcone. Two stable rotamers of this formyl derivative have been identified and the problems associated with NMR assignments of this type of compound have been attributed to conformational exchange. Rotamer ratios from molecular modelling and ab initio calculations agree well with those obtained from low temperature NMR studies. There is also excellent correlation between experimental NMR chemical shifts for the hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl protons with those derived from ab initio calculations. This formyl dihydrochalcone showed promising bioactivity in antiviral and antimicrobial assays.     

A convergent synthesis of (17R,5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)-17-hydroxyeicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraenoic acid analogues and their tritiated derivatives

17(R)-OH-AA and 14,15-dehydro-17(R)-OH-AA were synthesized from a common tetraacetylenic precursor and their azide derivatives were obtained in moderate yields via the corresponding p-toluenesulfonates. Since the azido group remained stable during tritiation procedure on Lindlar's catalyst in benzene, both 14,15-dehydro-17(S)-N₃-AA and 14,15-dehydro-17(R)-OH-AA constitute useful intermediates in the synthesis of radio-labelled 17(S)-N₃-AA and 17(R)-OH-AA. In contrast, reduction of azide in methanol afforded 17(S)-NH₂-AA with 95% yield.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of 1-alkyl-2,4,6-trioxoperhydropyrimidine-5-spiro-3′-(1′,2′,3′,4′-tetrahydroquinolines)

Knoevenagel products formed by the condensation of N-monoalkyl barbituric acids with o-tert-amino benzaldehydes undergo tert-amino effect reactions (T-reactions) yielding 1-alkyl-2,4,6-trioxoperhydropyrimidine-5-spiro-3′-(1′,2′,3′,4′-tetrahydroquinoline) derivatives as a mixture of (S^∗,S^∗)- and (S^∗,R^∗)-diastereomers. Mostly, the major diastereomer has the S^∗,S^∗-configuration. According to X-ray diffraction data in the solid form and NOE data in solution, diastereoselectivity of the T-reactions can be associated with the structure of the Knoevenagel products whose conformation is fixed by the strong intramolecular C-H?π interaction.     

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.