Kinamycin-mediated DNA cleavage under biomimetic conditions

The kinamycins are biologically active secondary metabolites characterized by an uncommon diazobenzo[b]fluorene skeleton. Kinamycin D has been shown to potently cleave DNA under mild biomimetic conditions. Use of the endogenously abundant reductant glutathione at 570 μM, kinamycin D effectively cleaved DNA in a concentration, temperature, and time-dependent fashion. Dithiothreitol also proved effective at low concentration while other reductants failed to induce DNA cleavage. Mechanistic consequences of the DNA cleavage results are described.     

Preferential DNA cleavage under anaerobic conditions by a DNA-binding ruthenium dimer

In the absence of dioxygen, the cationic complex [(phen)2Ru(tatpp)Ru(phen)2]4+ (P4+) undergoes in situ reduction by glutathione (GSH) to form a species that induces DNA cleavage. Exposure to air strongly attenuates the cleavage activity, even in the presence of a large excess of reducing agent (e.g., 40 equiv of GSH per P4+), suggesting that the complex may be useful in targeting cells with a low-oxygen microenvironment (hypoxia) for destruction via DNA cleavage. The active species is identified as the doubly reduced, doubly protonated complex H2P4+, and a carbon-based radical species is implicated in the cleavage action. We postulate that the dioxygen concentration regulates the degree to which the carbon radical forms and thus regulates the DNA cleavage activity.     

Hexamethylsilirane; ring cleavage by germanium and tin hydrides

Under the appropriate conditions, organogermanium and organotin hydrides react with hexamethylsilirane to give ring-opening products of type R₃GeSiMe₂(CMe₂CMe₂H and R₃SnSiMe₂(CMe₂CMe₂H), respectively (CMe₂CMe₂H) and R₃SnSiMe₂(CMe₂CMe₂H), respectively.     

Formation of enamine Schiff bases by ring cleavage of pyridine

On treatment with diphenyldichloromethane or anisal chloride in the presence of acetone and aqueous sodium hydroxide, pyridine undergoes condensation and ring cleavage to yield the enamine Schiff bases 1,1-diphenyl-2-azadeca-1,3Z,5Z,7E-tetraen-9-one (1) and 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-azadeca-1E,3Z,5Z,7E-tetraen-9-one (7). The reaction proceeds through attack of acetonyl carbanion on the initially formed bis-pyridinium salt, followed by ring scission with elimination of one equivalent of pyridine. The structure and stereochemistry of the 2-azatetraene (1) was confirmed by X-ray crystallography.     

Glyoxal bishydrazones through facile ring cleavage of hydrazinopyrazine by hydrazines

The reaction of chloropyrazine and hydrazine was reinvestigated and was shown to produce hydrazinopyrazine and glyoxal bishydrazone. The latter was obtained also when hydrazine hydrochloride was allowed to react with Hydrazinopyrazine. The fusion of hydrazinopyrazine at 160° produced glyoxal his(pyrazinythydrazone). The interconversions of glyoxal bishydrazone with Hydrazinopyrazine were studied. Mechanisms to explain the various transformations are discussed.     

Ring cleavage and ring expansion of indoles by superoxide ion

The reaction of indoles ($\text{1}$) with superoxide ion resulted in ring cleavage to give $\text{o}$-formyl and $\text{o}$-acylaminoketones ($\text{6}$) or N-acylanthranilic acid ($\text{8}$) and ring expansion yielding 2-quinolones ($\text{7}$). All reactions are chemiluminescent except that of 2-methylindole ($\text{lh}$), which gave a coupled product ($\text{9}$).     

Mild and efficient method for the cleavage of cyclic and acyclic ethers by iodine under solvent-free conditions

Ethers undergo smooth cleavage with acyl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of elemental iodine under extremely mild conditions to give the corresponding halo esters. This new procedure offers significant advantages such as high conversions, short reaction times and enhanced selectivity together with mild reaction conditions, which makes it an attractive strategy.     

Three-component synthesis of functionalized five-membered ring lactones under Barbier-like conditions

Five-membered ring lactones have been synthesized using a straightforward three-component reaction among in situ-generated arylzinc reagents, dimethyl itaconate and aromatic aldehydes. This Barbier-like procedure, which is characterized by its simplicity, allows the concise synthesis of a range of highly functionalized 4,5-substituted γ-butyrolactones.     

Wet silica-supported permanganate for the cleavage of semicarbazones and phenylhydrazones under solvent-free conditions

Wet silica-supported potassium permanganate was used as an inexpensive and efficient reagent for conversion of semicarbazones and phenylhydrazones to the corresponding carbonyl compounds under solid-state conditions.     

Mechanism of ring expansion in 1-ethylindane under dehydrogenation conditions

Studies of 1-ethyl-(-¹⁴C)-indane dehydroisomerization over a Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst (AP-64) have revealed that 34.5% or 16.5% of the initial tracer label migrates into the -position of the expanded methylnaphthalene ring when the catalyst is pretreated at 763 K in Ar or H₂, respectively. The reaction mechanism is discussed.

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1--(¹⁴C)- -64. , 763 - 34,5% , —16,5%. .

     

Formation of a benzimidazole ring accompanied by the cleavage of a nitrogen-carbon bond

The reaction of thionyl chloride with arylamides of aromatic acids, which usually gives rise to stable imidoyl chlorides, leads in the case of N-(o-dimethylaminophenyl)benzimide and N-(o-piperidinophenyl)-benzimide to the formation of a benzimidazole ring, which is accompanied by the cleavage of the nitrogen-carbon bond. This reaction and the reaction of chloral oxime with o-dialkylaminoanilines studied previously, which also leads to the formation of a benzimidazole ring, are compared with the Braun reaction. It has been shown that when thionyl chloride reacts with N-(o-dimethylaminophenyl)isonitrosoacetamide, no formation of a benzimidazole ring takes place and only N-(o-dimethylaminophenyl)carbamoyl cyanide is formed.     

Carboxymethylcellulose obtained by ethanol/water organosolv process under acid conditions

Sugar cane bagasse pulps were obtained by ethanol/water organosolv process under acid and alkaline conditions. The best condition of acid pulping for the sugarcane bagasse was 0.02 mol/L sulfuric acid at 160 degrees C, for 1 h, whereas the best condition for alkaline pulping was 5% sodium hydroxide (base pulp) at 160 degrees C, for 3 h. For the residual lignin removal, the acid and alkaline pulps were submitted to a chemical bleaching using sodium chlorite. Pulps under acid and alkaline conditions bleached with sodium chlorite presented viscosities of 3.6 and 7.8 mPa x s, respectively, and mu-kappa numbers of 1.1 and 2.4, respectively. The pulp under acid condition, bleached with sodium chlorite was used to obtain carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). CMC yield was 35% (pulp based), showing mass gain after the carboxymethylation reaction corresponding to 23.6% of substitution or 0.70 groups -CH(2) COONa per unit of glucose residue. The infrared spectra showed the CMC characteristic bands and by the infrared technique it was possible to obtain a substitution degree (0.63), similar to the substitution degree calculated by mass gain (0.70).     

Decomposition of aminotetrazole based energetic materials under high heating rate conditions

A T-jump/time-of-flight mass spectrometer (T-Jump/TOFMS) is used to probe the decomposition of several aminotetrazole containing energetic materials under very high heating rates of 10(5)-10(6) K/s. The materials investigated are 5-amino-1-methyl-1H-tetrazolium dinitramide (MeHAT_DN), 1,5-diamino-4-methyl-1H-tetrazolium dinitramide (MeDAT_DN), 1,5-diamino-1H-tetrazolium nitrate (DAT_N), 1,5-diamino-4-methyl-1H-tetrazolium azide (MeDAT_N3), and 5-aminotetrazolium dinitramide (HAT_DN). Subtle differences between materials in functional group placement and anion composition allow for further understanding of the decomposition pathway of the tetrazole structure and various anions. Two decomposition pathways for the tetrazole ring are observed, which result in the primary formation of HN(3) or N(2). The N(2) formation pathway occurs when functional groups are placed symmetrically around the tetrazole ring, whereas asymmetric placement results in HN(3) production. The differing anion compositions also show effects on thermal stability of the salts, as is demonstrated by a lower decomposition temperature for the azide containing salt compared to the similar dinitramide containing material. For the decomposition of the dinitramide molecule, high temperature (N(2)O forming) and low temperature (NO(2) forming) decomposition pathways are observed, as has been previously suggested.     

Novel oxidative aromatic alkene cleavage with sodium nitrite under mild conditions

We have developed a simple and practical process for the oxidation of aromatic alkene to the corresponding carbonyl compounds using NaNO₂ as an oxidant. The practical utility of this oxidative process has been demonstrated in the gram-scale oxidation of 1-(tert-butyl)-4-vinylbenzene.     

Synthesis of 2,6-disubstituted morpholines through regioselective oxiranes ring opening by tosylamide under PTC conditions

Symmetric and non-symmetric 2,6-disubstituted morpholines were synthesized through regioselective nucleophilic ring opening of oxiranes with tosylamide under solid-liquid phase transfer catalysis (SL-PTC) conditions followed by cyclization of the tosylamido diols thus obtained and final deprotection of the corresponding N-tosyl morpholines. The morpholines prepared are interesting building blocks in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.