Insights into the stereoselective BF3-catalyzed hetero Diels–Alder reaction of Garner’s aldehyde with Danishefsky’s diene

A trans-2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyranone was prepared in high yield via a BF₃-mediated hetero Diels–Alder reaction between Danishefsky’s diene and Garner’s aldehyde. Only two of the four possible reaction products were obtained, and excellent diastereoselectivity toward the exo–syn adduct was observed (de = 80%). The origin of this somewhat unusual selectivity can be attributed to the steric interactions between the bulky protecting groups present in the diene and dienophile.     

Bifunctional Hydrogen Bond Donor-Catalyzed Diels–Alder Reactions: Origin of Stereoselectivity and Rate Enhancement

The selectivity and rate enhancement of bifunctional hydrogen bond donor-catalyzed Diels–Alder reactions between cyclopentadiene and acrolein were quantum chemically studied using density functional theory in combination with coupled-cluster theory. (Thio)ureas render the studied Diels–Alder cycloaddition reactions exo selective and induce a significant acceleration of this process by lowering the reaction barrier by up to 7 kcal mol⁻¹. Our activation strain and Kohn–Sham molecular orbital analyses uncover that these organocatalysts enhance the Diels–Alder reactivity by reducing the Pauli repulsion between the closed-shell filled π-orbitals of the diene and dienophile, by polarizing the π-orbitals away from the reactive center and not by making the orbital interactions between the reactants stronger. In addition, we establish that the unprecedented exo selectivity of the hydrogen bond donor-catalyzed Diels–Alder reactions is directly related to the larger degree of asynchronicity along this reaction pathway, which is manifested in a relief of destabilizing activation strain and Pauli repulsion.     

Synthesis of a New System Containing a Pyramidalized Double Bond: Lack of Reactivity of a Strongly Protected Pyramidalized Double Bond

The chemical reactivity of syn‐ 3 was investigated. The experimental results showed that the central double bond of this system is inert toward chemical reactions. To determine the reactivity of this central double bond, we synthesized syn‐ and anti‐ 7 and recorded their photoelectron spectra. Low first‐ionization potentials of syn‐ and anti‐ 7 (7.6 eV) clearly indicated that these compounds should be highly reactive.     

Development of a Simple Adjustable Zinc Acid/Base Hybrid Catalyst for C−C and C−O Bond‐Forming and C−C Bond‐Cleavage Reactions

A newly designed zinc Lewis acid/base hybrid catalyst was developed. By adjusting the Lewis acidity of the zinc center, aldol‐type additions of 2‐picolylamine Schiff base to aldehydes proceeded smoothly to afford syn‐aldol adduct equivalents, trans‐N,O‐acetal adducts, in high yields with high selectivities. NMR experiments, including microchanneled cell for synthesis monitoring (MICCS) NMR analysis, revealed that anti‐aldol adducts were formed at the initial stage of the reactions under kinetic control, but the final products were the trans‐(syn)‐N,O‐acetal adducts that were produced through a retro‐aldol process under thermodynamic control. In the whole reaction process, the zinc catalyst played three important roles: i) promotion of the aldol process (C?C bond formation), ii) cyclization process to the N,O‐acetal product (C?O bond formation), and iii) retro‐aldol process from the anti‐aldol adduct to the syn‐aldol adduct (C?C bond cleavage and C?C bond formation).     

An ab initio study of heterodienophiles addition to 2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene: An example of endo-lone-pair effect on the reaction energy barrier

Transition states for the Diels-Alder reactions of 2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene with ethylene, formaldehyde, formaldimine, cis- and trans- diazene, and nitrosyl hydride were located by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The bond orders of the new forming bonds have been used to determine the asynchronicity of the reactions. Ab initio calculations show that the energy barrier for the hetero-Diels-Alder reactions is relatively high. The highest energy barrier of 34.76 kcal/mol calculated at the MP4/6-31G*//MP2/6-31G* level was found for the exo-cis-diazene addition to 2,3-diaza-1,3-butadiene. In all cases, when two diastereomeric transition structures are possible, the one with the endo hydrogen, exo lone pair was predicted to have a lower activation barrier. This behavior can be explained by the n-π and n-n loan pair repulsion interaction between the dienophile and diene heteroatoms in the corresponding transition state. The barrier is higher for those reactions which in the transition state have more lone electron pairs. Also, the barrier is higher when the lone pairs are endo oriented than when they are exo oriented in the transition state. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

High-pressure [2 + 4]-cycloaddition of dimethylmaleic anhydride to 3,4-dimethoxyfuran; synthesis of dimethoxycantharidin preliminary communication

As an active diene (more active than furan itself), 3,4-dimethoxyfuran ( 1 ) affords with many dienophiles the respective cycloadducts in a high yield [2]. It has recently been found that under thermal conditions 1 easily reacts with maleic anhydride and its monomethyl derivative, but not with dimethylmaleic anhydride ( 2 ) [3]. This is probably due to steric hindrance resulting from the location of two methyl groups on the double bond of the dienophile. Since all Diels-Alder reactions in particular those with steric hindrance are pressure-sensitive [4]. we resolved to perform the title reaction under conditions of static high pressure.     

Hexabromocyclopentadiene V. The Diels-Alder reaction of hexabromocyclopentadiene

The reactivity of hexabromocyclopentadiene (1) as a diene in the Diels-Alder reaction has been determined with a number of dienophiles. The results of the present study show that 1 behaves as an electron-poor diene in that cyclopentadiene is a more reactive dienophile than maleic anhydride. Qualitatively, 1 has been found to be a less reactive diene than hexachlorocyclopentadiene. Several new Diels-Alder adducts of 5,5-dibromo-1,2,3,4-tetrachlorocyclopentadiene are also reported.     

Diels–Alder Additions to 2,2’-Biaceanthrylene

A series of Diels–Alder reactions between the diene 2,2’-biaceanthrylene and several dienophiles is presented. The diene is a cyclopenta-fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with anthracene units linked by two cyclopentene rings. Depending on the dienophile, the major product was the result of a single addition (dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate) or double addition (quinone, benzyne) to the diene. Single crystal X-ray analysis of the quinone-derivative shows a propeller-like structure composed of mixed enantiomers. The synthesis and photophysical properties of these compounds are presented.     

Formation of interstellar vinyl alcohol via simple radical processes: Theoretical study

Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6‐31++G(d,p) level of theory were employed to verify whether the formation of vinyl alcohol (VA) in the interstellar medium can be explained by reactions of common and abundant interstellar species such as acetylene, radicals C₂, HC? C · , · OH, and H · . Several reaction sequences are possible. They include radical combinations, which proceed without activation barriers and are highly exothermic. The reactions of closed‐shell species acetylene and HC?C‐OH with hydrogen atoms, as well as H‐transfer and OH‐rotation processes, might require activation energy. Nevertheless, either the corresponding transition states lay below the reactant level or there are alternative routes that involve no transition states at all, such as the reaction sequences C₂ → HC?C · → HC?CH → trans‐syn‐HC( · )?CH‐OH → syn‐VA; C₂ → HC?C · → syn‐?C?CH‐OH → (trans or cis)‐syn‐HC( · )?CH‐OH → syn‐VA; and C₂ → · C?C‐OH → syn‐:C?CH‐OH → (trans or cis)‐syn‐HC( · )?CH‐OH → syn‐VA. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004     

Stereospecific control of peptide gas‐phase ion chemistry with cis and trans cyclo ornithine residues

We report non‐chiral amino acid residues cis‐ and trans‐1,4‐diaminocyclohexane‐1‐carboxylic acid (cyclo‐ornithine, cO) that exhibit unprecedented stereospecific control of backbone dissociations of singly charged peptide cations and hydrogen‐rich cation radicals produced by electron‐transfer dissociation. Upon collision‐induced dissociation (CID) in the slow heating regime, peptide cations containing trans‐cO residues undergo facile backbone cleavages of amide bonds C‐terminal to trans‐cO. By contrast, peptides with cis‐cO residues undergo dissociations at several amide bonds along the peptide ion backbone. Diastereoisomeric cO‐containing peptides thus provide remarkably distinct tandem mass spectra. The stereospecific effect in CID of the trans‐cO residue is explained by syn‐facially directed proton transfer from the 4‐ammonium group at cO to the C‐terminal amide followed by neighboring group participation in the cleavage of the CO―NH bond, analogous to the aspartic acid and ornithine effects. Backbone dissociations of diastereoisomeric cO‐containing peptide ions generate distinct [b_n]⁺‐type fragment ions that were characterized by CID‐MS³ spectra. Stereospecific control is also reported for electron‐transfer dissociation of cis‐ and trans‐cO containing doubly charged peptide ions. The stereospecific effect upon electron transfer is related to the different conformations of doubly charged peptide ions that affect the electron attachment sites and ensuing N―C_α bond dissociations.     

Thermal Deamination-anation in Cobalt(III) Thiocyanate Complexes. Novel decarbonylation of the equatorial amide ligand

The solid state thermal behavior of trans-[Co(bpb)(amine)₂]NCS⋅H₂O complexes where (bpb)=[N,N’-bis(2-pyridinecarboxamido-N)-1,2-benzene], and amine=pyrrolidine (prldn)(1), and benzylamine (bzlan) (2), and trans-[Co(bpb)(piperidine)₂]ClO₄⋅H₂O (3) (mixed with KSCN), has been studied using thermoanalytical techniques, infrared spectroscopy, and pyrolysis coupled to both infrared and mass spectrometry, PY/FTIR and PY/MS. The deamination-anation reaction is clearly observed for all three complexes. The estimated values of E _a for the deamination-anation are: E _a(1)=246.8 kJ mol⁻¹, E _a(2)=255.7 kJ mol⁻¹, E _a(3)=234.7 kJmol⁻¹. The trend in E _a values is rationalized based on the ligand field strength of the amines and the structural effects. A novel decarbonylation of the amide CO group from the equatorial ligand is observed after the release of one amine molecule. This process has been monitored for complex (1) by FTIR in the carbonyl region and by mass spectrometry for the detection of CO₂ at 280°C. The activation energy of this process is estimated for complex (1) (662.5 kJ mol⁻¹). The reaction scheme for the observed reactions is proposed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Formation and High Reactivity of the anti‐Dioxo Form of High‐Spin μ‐Oxodioxodiiron(IV) as the Active Species That Cleaves Strong C−H Bonds

Recently, it was shown that μ‐oxo‐μ‐peroxodiiron(III) is converted to high‐spin μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) through O?O bond scission. Herein, the formation and high reactivity of the anti‐dioxo form of high‐spin μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) as the active oxidant are demonstrated on the basis of resonance Raman and electronic‐absorption spectral changes, detailed kinetic studies, DFT calculations, activation parameters, kinetic isotope effects (KIE), and catalytic oxidation of alkanes. Decay of μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) was greatly accelerated on addition of substrate. The reactivity order of substrates is toluene<ethylbenzene≈cumene<trans‐β‐methylstyrene. The rate constants increased proportionally to the substrate concentration at low substrate concentration. At high substrate concentration, however, the rate constants converge to the same value regardless of the kind of substrate. This is explained by a two‐step mechanism in which anti‐μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) is formed by syn‐to‐anti transformation of the syn‐dioxo form and reacts with substrates as the oxidant. The anti‐dioxo form is 620 times more reactive in the C?H bond cleavage of ethylbenzene than the most reactive diiron system reported so far. The KIE for the reaction with toluene/[D₈]toluene is 95 at ?30 °C, which the largest in diiron systems reported so far. The present diiron complex efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of various alkanes with H₂O₂.     

Catalytic effect of molecular iodine in Diels–Alder reaction: a density functional theory study

We explore here the feasibility of employing molecular iodine as Lewis acid catalyst for Diels–Alder (DA) reaction using conceptual density functional theory (DFT) based reactivity indices and transition state analysis at the DFT (B3LYP)/6-31G(d) level of theory. Catalytic effect of iodine is probed using reactivity indices considering six different substituents for the diene at the 2-position and five different substituents at the 1-position of the olefinic dienophile. Comparison of HOMO diene–LUMO dienophile gap between the catalyzed and uncatalyzed processes confirms catalytic effect of iodine in DA reaction. Mechanistic details of both the uncatalyzed and the iodine catalyzed processes is achieved through transition state analysis for four possible stereoisomeric reactive channels with respect to isoprene–acrolein model reaction. A significant cutback in activation barrier is observed in presence of iodine. Influence of iodine on regioselectivity of the reaction and asynchronicity of bond formation is analyzed using local version of the HSAB principle and philicity index.     

Dynamics of the glycosidic bond: conformational space of lactose

The dynamics of the glycosidic bond of lactose was studied by a paramagnetic tagging‐based NMR technique, which allowed the collection of an unusually large series of NMR data for a single compound. By the use of distance‐ and orientation‐dependent residual dipolar couplings and pseudocontact shifts, the simultaneous fitting of the probabilities of computed conformations and the orientation of the magnetic susceptibility tensor of a series of lanthanide complexes of lactose show that its glycosidic bond samples syn/syn, anti/syn and syn/anti ?/ψ regions of the conformational space in water. The analysis indicates a higher reliability of pseudocontact shift data as compared to residual dipolar couplings with the presently available weakly orienting paramagnetic tagging technique. The method presented herein allows for an improved understanding of the dynamic behaviour of oligosaccharides.     

Reappraisal of the diastereoselectivity of intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of some o-quinodimethanes generated by benzocyclobutene thermolysis: some complementary results and an improvement

In a synthetic approach to 19-nor steroids and in order to compare the diastereoselectivities observed for the intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of o-quinodimethanes generated either from 1 or 2, the thermolysis of benzocyclobutenes such as 2 was reexamined. The IMDA diastereoselectivity was highly dependent on the nature of the protective group of the hydroxyl substituent at the unique chiral stereocentre of the o-quinodimethane intermediate, in a position α to the double bond of the dienophile. Consistently with previous results reported for benzocyclobutenes 2, the trans-fused cycloadducts were the major products, the trans syn or trans anti predominant isomer being determined by the hydroxyl protective group. In contrast with these previous reports, the cis-fused cycloadducts were always formed competitively, although as minor products. In the present work, the diastereoselectivity was improved by achieving the thermolysis of a benzocyclobutene 2 having a lithium alkoxide which afforded the trans syn adduct in high yield.     

SmI2‐induced cyclizations and their applications in natural product synthesis

Since the isolation of brevetoxin‐B, a red tide toxin, many bioactive marine natural products featuring synthetically challenging trans‐fused polycyclic ether ring systems have been reported. We have developed SmI₂‐induced cyclization of β‐alkoxyacrylate with aldehyde, affording 2,6‐syn‐2,3‐trans‐tetrahydropyran (THP) or 2,7‐syn‐2,3‐trans‐oxepane with complete stereoselection, as a key reaction of efficient iterative and bi‐directional strategies for the construction of these polycyclic ethers. This reaction is also applicable to the synthesis of 3‐, 5‐, and 6‐methyl‐THPs and 3,5‐dimethyl‐THP. The synthesis of 2‐methyl‐ and 2,6‐dimethyl‐THPs was accomplished by means of a unique methyl insertion. Recently, the SmI₂‐induced cyclization was extended to similar reactions using β‐alkoxyvinyl sulfone and sulfoxide. Reaction of (E)‐ and (Z)‐β‐alkoxyvinyl sulfone‐aldehyde afforded 2,6‐syn‐2,3‐trans‐ and 2,6‐syn‐2,3‐cis‐ THPs, respectively. Reaction of (E)‐β‐alkoxyvinyl (R)‐ and (S)‐sulfoxides gave 2,6‐anti‐2,3‐cis‐ and 2,6‐syn‐2,3‐trans‐THPs, respectively. Reaction of (Z)‐β‐alkoxyvinyl (R)‐sulfoxides gave 2,6‐syn‐2,3‐cis‐THP and an olefinic product, while that of (Z)‐β‐alkoxyvinyl (S)‐sulfoxide afforded a mixture of many products. These SmI₂‐induced cyclizations have been applied to the total syntheses of various natural products, including brevetoxin‐B, mucocin, pyranicin, and pyragonicin. Synthetic studies on gambierol and maitotoxin are also introduced. © 2010 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 10: 159–172; 2010: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.200900027     

Stacking and Electrostatic Interactions Drive the Stereoselectivity of Silylium‐Ion Asymmetric Counteranion‐Directed Catalysis

Computational analysis shows that the enantioselectivity of asymmetric Lewis‐acid organocatalysis of the Diels–Alder cycloaddition of cyclopentadiene to cinnamates arises from stacking interactions that favor the addition of the diene to the more hindered face of the dienophile, while electrostatic interactions control the diastereoselectivity by selectively stabilizing the endo transition state. These results not only explain the stereoselectivity of these silylium‐ion‐ACDC reactions but should also guide the development of more effective ion‐pairing asymmetric organocatalysts.     

Stereoelectronic Aspects of the Anomeric Effect in Fluoromethylamine

High-level ab initio calculations have been made for fluoromethylamine to study structural and energetic effects of the relative orientation of the N lone pair to the C? F bond. The anti-conformer (N lone pair anti-planar to the C? F bond) corresponds to the global energy minimum. It has the longest C? F distance, the shortest C? N distance, and is 7.5 kcal·mol^?1 more stable than the related perpendicular conformation (lone pair perpendicular to the C? F bond). The syn-conformation also shows hallmarks of the anomeric effect: long C? F bond, short C? N bond, and energetic stability when allowance is made for the two pairs of eclipsed hydrogens. The transition state for N inversion is close to the syn-structure; rotation about the C? N bond is strongly coupled with this inversion process. Small bond distance changes of ca. 0.02 Å between parallel and perpendicular conformations are associated with dissociation energy differences of ca. 30 kcal·mol^?1. Various criteria for assessing the strength of the anomeric effect are discussed.     

syn-π-Face- and endo-selective, inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reactions of 3,4-di-tert-butylthiophene 1-oxide with electron-rich dienophiles

Diels-Alder reactions of 3,4-di-tert-butylthiophene 1-oxide with oxygen (or sulfur)-substituted dienophiles and with simple alkenic dienophiles, which are classified as an inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction on the basis of DFT calculations, took place exclusively at the syn-π-face of the diene with respect to the SO bond to provide the corresponding adducts in high yields.     

Intramolecular Diels-Alder Reaction of Furans with Allenyl Ethers Followed by Phenylthio and Trialkylsilyl Groups Rearrangement

A new reaction involving an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a furan diene with an allenyl ether dienophile followed by phenylthio group rearrangement was discovered. Treatment of the propargyl ethers 2a-c with t-BuOK in t-BuOH at 85 ° C gave the phenylthio group rearrangement products 5a-c and 6a-c . A reaction involving an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a furan diene with an allenyl ether dienophile followed by trialkylsilyl group rearrangement is also demonstrated.