One‐Pot Synthesis of 4‐(2,3‐Dihydro‐2‐hydroxy‐1,3‐dioxo‐1H‐inden‐2‐yl)‐Substituted 1‐Aryl‐1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylates via a Tandem Three‐Component Reaction

The hitherto unreported, highly functionalized 1H‐pyrazole‐3‐carboxylates 3 have been synthesized in good yields via a one‐pot three‐component domino reaction of phenylhydrazines, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, and ninhydrin under mild conditions for the first time. No co‐catalyst or activator is required for this multicomponent reaction, and the reaction is, from an experimental point of view, simple to perform (Scheme 1). The structures of compounds 3 were corroborated spectroscopically (IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and EI‐MS) and by elemental analyses. A plausible mechanism for this type of cyclization/addition reaction is proposed (Scheme 2).     

Synthesis of 15‐Cyano‐12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactone and 15‐Cyano‐ 12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactam

15‐Cyano‐12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactone was synthesized in 59% total yield starting from 2‐nitrocyclododecanone by Michael addition to acrylaldehyde, followed by reaction with trimethylsilylcyanide, hydrolysis, ring‐expansion, and Nef reaction. A two‐step, one‐pot synthesis of intermediate 2‐hydroxy‐4‐(1‐nitro‐2‐oxycyclododecyl)butanenitrile from 3‐(1‐nitro‐2‐oxocyclododecyl)propanal was developed and the conditions for the Nef reaction were studied. 15‐Cyano‐12‐oxopentadecano‐15‐lactam was synthesized in 40% total yield starting from 2‐nitrocyclododecanone by Michael addition to acrylaldehyde, followed by Strecker reaction, ring‐expansion, and Nef reaction. The conditions for the Strecker and Nef reactions were studied. The structures of the target compounds, intermediates, and by‐product were characterized by IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and elemental analysis or MS.     

An Efficient One‐pot Synthesis of 2‐Amino‐5‐arylidenethiazol‐4‐ones Catalyzed by MgO Nanoparticles

A mild and efficient protocol for the synthesis of 2‐amino‐5‐arylidene‐1,3‐thiazol‐4(5H)‐ones is reported by three component reaction of aldehydes, rhodanine and secondary amines in the presence of magnesium oxide nanoparticles as heterogeneous nanocatalyst in good yields and short reaction times.     

Iron‐Catalyzed Direct Oxidative Alkylation and Hydroxylation of Indolin‐2‐ones with Alkyl‐Substituted N‐Heteroarenes

Presented herein is the first direct alkylation and hydroxylation reaction between two different C(sp³)?H bonds, indolin‐2‐ones and alkyl‐substituted N‐heteroarenes, through an oxidative cross‐coupling reaction. The reaction is catalyzed by a simple iron salt under mild ligand‐free and base‐free conditions. The reaction is environmentally benign, employs air (molecular oxygen) as the terminal oxidant and oxygen source for the synthesis of O‐containing compounds, and produces only water as the byproduct.     

Computational study of the catalytic synthesis of 5‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐one

In this study, 5‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐one (NTO) was theoretically synthesized from urea via chlorination followed by amination, formylation, and nitration under aqueous and gaseous environments based on experience of experimental methods, and metal chlorides and metal oxides were used as catalysts to promote reaction. Reaction routes closely related to experimental processes were successfully constructed, and the corresponding energy barriers were estimated for each elementary reaction. Reaction conditions distinct from those reported in the literature (including the adoption of aluminum chloride, ferric chloride, aluminum oxide, ferrous oxide, and chromium oxide catalysts, the use of nitric acid and dinitrogen pentoxide as nitration agents, and adjustment of the reaction temperature) were used in corresponding reaction systems, and the modeling results suggested that ferric chloride is a good catalyst for the chlorination reaction, ferrous oxide is suitable for catalyzing amination, formylation, and nitration, and nitric acid is the better agent for nitration. Estimates of the comparable energy barriers for each reaction stage were considered to imply more feasible pathways for NTO synthesis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Synthesis,structure, and antibacterial evaluation of new N‐substituted‐3‐amino‐ 5‐oxo‐4‐phenyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carbothioamides

Novel N‐substituted‐3‐amino‐5‐oxo‐4‐phenyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carbothioamide derivatives were synthesized by means of two methods. First is the cyclization reaction of 1‐(cyanophenyl)acetyl‐4‐substituted thiosemicarbazide, and the second one is reaction of cyanophenyl acetic acid hydrazide with isothiocyanate. Structures of new compounds were confirmed by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, and X‐ray diffraction analysis. Biological evaluation showed that some of them possess promising antibacterial activities. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 21:215–221, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20598     

Preparation of Furo[3,2‐c]coumarins from 3‐Cinnamoyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2H‐chromen‐2‐ones and Acyl Chlorides: A Bu3P‐Mediated C‐Acylation/Cyclization Sequence

A Bu₃P‐mediated cyclization reaction of 3‐cinnamoyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2H‐chromen‐2‐ones though electrophilic addition of acyl chlorides towards the synthesis of highly functionalized furo[3,2‐c]coumarins bearing a phosphorus ylide moiety is described. These unprecedented cyclization reaction proceeds under mild reaction conditions within short reaction times (1 min to 1 h), and can be further applied in the synthesis of alkenyl‐substituted furo[3,2‐c]coumarins by the treatment with carbonyl electrophiles under basic conditions.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of Dispiro[oxindole‐3,3′‐pyrrolidines] by Three‐Component [3+2] Cycloadditions of in situ‐Generated Azomethine Ylides with 3‐Benzylidene‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐indol‐2‐ones

An efficient one‐pot, three‐component synthesis of novel dispiro[oxindole‐3,3′‐pyrrolidines] by 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides, in situ generated by reaction of 1,2‐diones with sarcosine and subsequent decarboxylation, with a series of (E)‐3‐benzylidene‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐indol‐2‐ones is reported. Molecular complexity is generated in only one synthetic step. All reactions proceed with excellent regioselectivity and in good‐to‐excellent yields. The workup is easy, the reaction times are short, and no catalyst is required.     

Bifunctional‐Thiourea‐Catalyzed Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective Aza‐Henry Reaction

Bifunctional thiourea 1 a catalyzes aza‐Henry reaction of nitroalkanes with N‐Boc‐imines to give syn‐β‐nitroamines with good to high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivity. Apart from the catalyst, the reaction requires no additional reagents such as a Lewis acid or a Lewis base. The N‐protecting groups of the imines have a determining effect on the chirality of the products, that is, the reaction of N‐Boc‐imines gives R adducts as major products, whereas the same reaction of N‐phosphonoylimines furnishes the corresponding S adducts. Various types of nitroalkanes bearing aryl, alcohol, ether, and ester groups can be used as nucleophiles, providing access to a wide range of useful chiral building blocks in good yield and high enantiomeric excess. Synthetic versatility of the addition products is demonstrated by the transformation to chiral piperidine derivatives such as CP‐99,994.     

Preparation of 2‐phenyl‐2‐hydroxymethyl‐4‐oxo‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinazoline and 2‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐3,4‐dihydroquinazoline derivatives formation

The cyclization of phenacyl anthranilate has been studied with the aim to develop the synthesis of 2‐(2′‐aminophenyl)‐4‐phenyloxazole. However, a different course of the reaction than expected was observed. 2‐Phenyl‐2‐hydroxymethyl‐4‐oxo‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinazoline ( 3a ) was formed by the reaction of phenacyl anthranilate ( 2 ) with ammonium acetate under various conditions. 3‐Hydroxy‐2‐phenyl‐4(1H)‐quinolinone ( 4 ) arose by heating compound 3a in acetic acid. The same compound was obtained by melting compound 3a , but the yield was lower. Different types of products resulted in the reaction of compound 3a with acetic anhydride. Under mild conditions acetylated products 2‐acetoxymethyl‐2‐phenyl‐4‐oxo‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinazoline ( 7a ) and 2‐acetoxymethyl‐3‐acetyl‐2‐phenyl‐4‐oxo‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinazoline ( 8 ) were prepared. If the reaction was carried out under reflux of the reaction mixture, molecular rearrangement took place to give cis and trans 2‐methyl‐4‐oxo‐3‐(1‐phenyl‐2‐acetoxy)vinyl‐3,4‐dihydroquinazolines ( 9a and 9b ). All prepared compounds have been characterised by their ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR spectra, IR spectra and MS.     

A New Solution—phase Parallel Synthesis of 2—Alkyamino—3—aryl—5—phenylmethylene—3,5—dihydro—4H—imidazol—4—ones

Thirteen new 2-alkylaminoimidazolones(4) wre rapidly synthesized by a new solution-phase parallel synthetic method,which includes aza-Wittig reaction of iminophosphorane(1) with aromatic isocyanate to give carbodi-imide(2) and subsequent reaction of 2 with various aliphatic primary amine in a parallel fashion.The products were confirmed by ^1H NMR,MS,IR and X-ray crystallographic analysis.The unusual selectivity of the cyclization was probably due to the deometry of the guanidine intermediate.     

An Approach to the Synthesis of 7‐Amino‐6‐imino‐9‐phenyl‐6H‐benzo[c]chromene‐8‐carbonitrile Derivatives via a Three‐Component Reaction under Ultrasonic Irradiation

An efficient synthesis of 7‐amino‐6‐imino‐9‐phenyl‐6H‐benzo[c]chromene‐8‐carbonitrile derivatives 3 by a three‐component reaction of salicylaldehydes (=2‐hydroxybenzaldehydes) 1 , malononitrile (=propanedinitrile), and 2‐(1‐arylethylidene)malononitrile 2 under ultrasonic irradiation in EtOH is reported. Good yields, short reaction times, and easy purification are the main advantages of the present method. The structures were confirmed spectroscopically (IR, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and EI‐MS) and by elemental analyses. A plausible mechanism for this reaction is proposed (Scheme 2).     

Space‐ and Time‐Resolved In‐situ Spectroscopy on the Coke Formation in Molecular Sieves: Methanol‐to‐Olefin Conversion over H‐ZSM‐5 and H‐SAPO‐34

Formation of coke in large H‐ZSM‐5 and H‐SAPO‐34 crystals during the methanol‐to‐olefin (MTO) reaction has been studied in a space‐ and time‐resolved manner. This has been made possible by applying a high‐temperature in‐situ cell in combination with micro‐spectroscopic techniques. The buildup of optically active carbonaceous species allows detection with UV/Vis microscopy, while a confocal fluorescence microscope in an upright configuration visualises the formation of coke molecules and their precursors inside the catalyst grains. In H‐ZSM‐5, coke is initially formed at the triangular crystal edges, in which straight channel openings reach directly the external crystal surface. At reaction temperatures ranging from 530 to 745 K, two absorption bands at around 415 and 550 nm were detected due to coke or its precursors. Confocal fluorescence microscopy reveals fluorescent carbonaceous species that initially form in the near‐surface area and gradually diffuse inwards the crystal in which internal intergrowth boundaries hinder a facile penetration for the more bulky aromatic compounds. In the case of H‐SAPO‐34 crystals, an absorption band at around 400 nm arises during the reaction. This band grows in intensity with time and then decreases if the reaction is carried out between 530 and 575 K, whereas at higher temperatures its intensity remains steady with time on stream. Formation of the fluorescent species during the course of the reaction is limited to the near‐surface region of the H‐SAPO‐34 crystals, thereby creating diffusion limitations for the coke front moving towards the middle of the crystal during the MTO reaction. The two applied micro‐spectroscopic techniques introduced allow us to distinguish between graphite‐like coke deposited on the external crystal surface and aromatic species formed inside the zeolite channels. The use of the methods can be extended to a wide variety of catalytic reactions and materials in which carbonaceous deposits are formed.     

Access to 1‐Phospha‐2‐azanorbornenes by Phospha‐aza‐Diels–Alder Reactions

The unprecedented phospha‐aza‐Diels–Alder reaction between an activated electron‐poor imine and 2H‐phospholes yields 1‐phospha‐2‐azanorbornenes in a highly chemoselective and moderately diastereoselective reaction. The intermediate 2H‐phospholes, which act as dienes, are formed in situ from the corresponding 1H‐phospholes. Theoretical calculations confirm that the phospha‐aza‐Diels–Alder reaction is of normal electron demand. The reactive P?N bond in 1‐phospha‐2‐azanorbornenes can be cleaved by nucleophiles leading to the formation of 2,3‐dihydrophospholes.     

SiO2 Nanoparticle‐catalyzed Facile and Efficient One‐pot Synthesis of N‐alkyl‐2,5‐bis[(E)‐2‐phenylvinyl]‐1,3‐dioxol‐4‐amine Under Solvent‐free Conditions

1,3‐Dioxole‐4‐amine derivatives have been prepared efficiently in one‐pot reaction using nanosized SiO₂ as a heterogeneous catalyst. The present method does not involve any hazardous organic solvents or catalysts. The high surface‐to‐volume ratio of SiO₂ nanoparticle has promising features for the reaction response such as the short reaction time, good to excellent yields, easy of operation and work‐up procedure, and purification of products by non‐chromatographic methods.     

New trans/cis tetrahydroisoquinolines. 2. trans‐ and cis‐3‐(1‐methyl‐1h‐pyrrol‐2‐yl)‐1‐(2H)‐oxo‐2‐phenethyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquino‐lin‐4‐carboxylic acids and subsequent transformations

Stereochemical course of the reaction of homophthalic anhydride and N‐(1‐methyl‐1H‐pyrrol‐2‐yl‐methylidene)‐phenethylamine was studied. Mixtures of the expected trans‐ and cis‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroiso‐quinoline‐4‐carboxylic acids trans‐ 4 and cis‐ 4 were obtained along with by‐products 5 and 6 . The ratios of all products and the diastereomers, obtained under different reaction conditions, were established by pmr. THF as a solvent and ultrasonic treatment are applied for the first time in the reaction of this type. The reaction was made diastereoselective towards any isomer. The carboxylic group of trans‐ 4 was transformed in four steps into various cyclic amino‐methyl groups yielding numerous new tetrahydroisoquinolinones trans‐ 10a‐i incorporating a given fragment of pharmacological interest. Reduction of 10a‐i was studied.     

Manganese‐Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Alkylation or α‐Olefination of Alkyl‐Substituted N‐Heteroarenes with Alcohols

Catalysis with earth‐abundant transition metals is an option to help save our rare noble‐metal resources and is especially interesting when novel reactivity or selectivity patterns are observed. We report here on a novel reaction, namely the dehydrogenative alkylation or α‐olefination of alkyl‐substituted N‐heteroarenes with alcohols. Manganese complexes developed in our laboratory catalyze the reaction with high efficiency whereas iron and cobalt complexes stabilized by the same ligands are essentially inactive. Hydrogen is liberated during the reaction, and bromine and iodine functional groups as well as olefins are tolerated. A variety of alkyl‐substituted N‐heteroarenes can be functionalized, and benzylic and aliphatic alcohols undergo the reaction.     

Bimetal‐Catalyzed Cascade Reaction for Efficient Synthesis of N‐Isopropenyl 1,2,3‐Triazoles via In‐Situ Generated 2‐Azidopropenes

A bimetal‐catalyzed cascade reaction for the synthesis of N‐isopropenyl 1,2,3‐triazoles in high yield is reported. This reaction involves the generation of 2‐azidopropenes in situ by C(sp³)‐OAr bond cleavage for click reaction and features a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance and readily available substrates.     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Synthesis of N‐Hydroxy Oxindoles by an Aza‐Nazarov‐Type Reaction Involving Azaoxyallyl Cations

A novel transition‐metal‐free method to construct N‐hydroxy oxindoles by an aza‐Nazarov‐type reaction involving azaoxyallyl cation intermediates is described. A variety of functional groups were tolerated under the weak basic reaction conditions and at room temperature. A one‐pot process was also developed to make the reaction even more practical. This method provides alternative access to oxindoles and their biologically active derivatives.     

Real‐Time Monitoring of Mass‐Transport‐Related Enzymatic Reaction Kinetics in a Nanochannel‐Array Reactor

To understand the fundamentals of enzymatic reactions confined in micro‐/nanosystems, the construction of a small enzyme reactor coupled with an integrated real‐time detection system for monitoring the kinetic information is a significant challenge. Nano‐enzyme array reactors were fabricated by covalently linking enzymes to the inner channels of a porous anodic alumina (PAA) membrane. The mechanical stability of this nanodevice enables us to integrate an electrochemical detector for the real‐time monitoring of the formation of the enzyme reaction product by sputtering a thin Pt film on one side of the PAA membrane. Because the enzymatic reaction is confined in a limited nanospace, the mass transport of the substrate would influence the reaction kinetics considerably. Therefore, the oxidation of glucose by dissolved oxygen catalyzed by immobilized glucose oxidase was used as a model to investigate the mass‐transport‐related enzymatic reaction kinetics in confined nanospaces. The activity and stability of the enzyme immobilized in the nanochannels was enhanced. In this nano‐enzyme reactor, the enzymatic reaction was controlled by mass transport if the flux was low. With an increase in the flux (e.g., >50 μL min^?1), the enzymatic reaction kinetics became the rate‐determining step. This change resulted in the decrease in the conversion efficiency of the nano‐enzyme reactor and the apparent Michaelis–Menten constant with an increase in substrate flux. This nanodevice integrated with an electrochemical detector could help to understand the fundamentals of enzymatic reactions confined in nanospaces and provide a platform for the design of highly efficient enzyme reactors. In addition, we believe that such nanodevices will find widespread applications in biosensing, drug screening, and biochemical synthesis.