ROMP-generated oligomeric sulfonyl chlorides as versatile soluble scavenging agents

[reaction: see text] A new method for homogeneous nucleophilic scavenging employing oligomeric sulfonyl chloride (OSC) reagents is described. The method utilizes OSC to rapidly scavenge a variety of amines that are present in excess. The OSC reagents are generated from ROM polymerization of 2-chlorosulfonyl-5-norbornene utilizing the second generation Grubbs catalyst to produce oligomers of varying size as stable, free-flowing powders. Following the scavenging event, these oligomers are precipitated with ethyl acetate leaving products in excellent yield and purity.     

Directed ring-opening of 1,5-dioxaspiro[3.2]hexanes: selective formation of 2,2-disubstituted oxetanes

1,5-Dioxaspiro[3.2]hexanes undergo ring-opening reactions with many heteroatom nucleophiles to provide alpha-substituted-beta'-hydroxy ketones. However, certain Lewis acidic nucleophiles provide 2,2-disubstituted oxetanes. Herein, the results of reactions of 3-phenyl-1,5-dioxaspiro[3.2]hexane with a variety of nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic bases are reported. There appears to be a correlation between the pK(a) of the nucleophile and the reaction outcome with more acidic nucleophiles providing 2,2-disubstituted oxetanes. Moreover, the mode of ring opening can be directed toward the substituted oxetane by the addition of a Lewis acid. These results are rationalized by calculation of stationary points on the potential energy surfaces for the various possible reaction pathways using ab initio molecular orbital methods.     

Formation of enamides via palladium(II)-catalyzed vinyl transfer from vinyl ethers to nitrogen nucleophiles

Palladium(II) complexes catalyze the formation of enamides via the formal cross-coupling reaction between nitrogen nucleophiles and vinyl ethers. These vinyl transfer reactions proceed in good yields with amide, carbamate, and sulfonamide nucleophiles, and the optimal catalyst is (DPP)Pd(OCOCF(3))(2) (DPP = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline). [reaction: see text]     

Ring-opening reactions of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) derived quaternary ammonium salts with phenols and related nucleophiles

1,4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) has been evaluated as a starting material for the synthesis of 1-alkyl-4-(2-phenoxyethyl)piperazines and related derivatives. We found that 1-alkyl-1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-1-ium salts, resulting from the alkylation of DABCO, efficiently react with a variety of nucleophiles in polyethyleneglycol (PEG) or diglyme at high temperatures to give piperazine products resulting from the nucleophilic ring-opening reaction. The benzylation side reaction was found to be relevant with softer nucleophiles when using 1-benzyl-1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-1-ium salts, while other types of alkylations were not observed. One-pot methodologies allow for the synthesis of piperazines directly from primary alcohols, alkyl halides or sulfonates, using phenols, or other nucleophile sources, and DABCO.     

α‐Selective Ring‐Opening Reactions of Bicyclo[1.1.0]butyl Boronic Ester with Nucleophiles

The reaction of bicyclo[1.1.0]butyl pinacol boronic ester (BCB‐Bpin) with nucleophiles has been studied. Unlike BCBs bearing electron‐withdrawing groups, which react with nucleophiles at the β‐position, BCB‐Bpin reacts with a diverse set of heteroatom (O, S, N)‐centred nucleophiles exclusively at the α‐position. Aliphatic alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids, thiols and sulfonamides were found to be competent nucleophiles, providing ready access to α‐heteroatom‐substituted cyclobutyl boronic esters. In contrast, sterically hindered bis‐sulfonamides and related nucleophiles reacted with BCB‐Bpin at the β′‐position leading to cyclopropanes with high trans‐selectivity. The origin of selectivity is discussed.     

Intramolecular bromonium ion assisted epoxide ring-opening: capture of the oxonium ion with an added external nucleophile

9-Oxabicyclo[6.1.0]non-4-ene (1) undergoes intramolecular bromonium ion-assisted epoxide ring-opening using N-bromosuccinimide via a presumed oxonium ion that is subject to stereospecific, nonregioselective capture with added external nucleophiles producing novel bicyclo[4.2.1] and bicyclo[3.3.1] ethers. Carboxylic acids (as catalyzed by tetramethylguanidine), alcohols, water, and halides can all function as effective nucleophiles. Stereospecific direct opening of the bromonium ion with carboxylic acids was found to be a competing process where high dilution disfavors this pathway. Halogen-induced isotopic (13)C NMR shifts (Δδ CBr 1.3-1.9 ppb; Δδ CCl 8.6-8.7 ppb) were found to be most useful in unambiguously identifying halogen-bearing carbons, and correlation of these (13)C NMR shifts allowed ready assignment of diastereomeric structures. The structure of adducts 6b, 6c, 7b, 7c, 7d, and 8a-d were all elucidated by X-ray crystallography.     

An organic white light-emitting fluorophore

The synthesis of new benzo[a]- and [b]xanthene dye frameworks is described. A unique benzo[a]xanthene, seminaphtho[a]fluorone (SNAFR-1), is studied in a variety of media. The optimization of solution parameters and excitation wavelengths allows SNAFR-1 to display red, green, and blue emission bands of approximately equal intensities and also to produce white light. Ratiometric red (anion) and green (neutral) emissions are observed upon varying solution pH. A pH-independent violet-blue emission band is due to the addition of nucleophiles to the benzylic carbon of SNAFR-1.     

The reaction of sulphur and nitrogen nucleophiles with [Pt(dien)Cl]+

The reaction of a variety of sulphur nucleophiles [thiourea, S-ethyl mercaptoethylamine (EMEA), glutathione (GSH), dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) and methionine] with the platinum(II) complex [Pt(dien)Cl]+ has been studied at 25°C using the nucleophiles in large excess. The measurements confirm that the sulphur nucleophiles react directly with the platinum complex and that the solvolytic pathway makes little contribution to the reaction. The reactions were monitored by a combination of conductometric and spectrophotometric methods. The oxygen and nitrogen nucleophiles water and imidazole respectively have also been studied. Reagents such as thiourea, EMEA, methionine and glutathione are some 101–102 more reactive than the nitrogen nucleophile imidazole and some 102–103 more reactive than oxygen nucleophile. In a direct competition between sulphur (kS) and nitrogen (kN) nucleophiles for the platinum substrate, as will occur under biological conditions, the kS/kN ratio is at least 10 so that little of the nitrogen-substituted product will be formed in the reaction.     

Scavenge-ROMP-filter: a facile strategy for soluble scavenging via norbornenyl tagging of electrophilic Reagents

[reaction: see text] A new "chemical tagging" method for homogeneous electrophilic scavenging is described. The method utilizes 5-norbornene-2-methanol to scavenge/tag a variety of electrophiles that are present in excess. Once tagging is complete, the crude reaction mixture is subjected to a rapid ROM polymerization event utilizing the second generation Grubbs catalyst. This process yields a polymer that can be precipitated with methanol or ether/hexane, leaving products in excellent yield and purity.     

Gold‐ or Platinum‐Catalyzed Cascade Processes of Alkynol Derivatives Involving Hydroalkoxylation Reactions Followed by Prins‐Type Cyclizations

An efficient method for the synthesis of [3.3.1]bicyclic compounds from easily available alkynol derivatives has been developed. The reaction is based on a gold‐ or platinum‐catalyzed tandem process that involves an intramolecular hydroalkoxylation of a triple bond followed by a Prins‐type cyclization. The reaction has been carried out with differently substituted alkynol derivatives and oxygen‐, nitrogen‐, and carbon‐centered nucleophiles. The incorporation of halogen atoms as nucleophiles and elimination reactions has also been studied. Enantiomerically pure [3.3.1]bicyclic systems were easily synthesized from the chiral pool.     

Gold-catalyzed assembly of heterobicyclic systems

We have described an efficient gold-catalyzed double cyclization of 1,5-enynes to afford a range of heterobicyclic compounds, including oxabicylclo[3.2.1]octenes, azabicyclo[3.2.1]octenes, oxaspiro[5.4]decene, azaspiro[5.4]decene, oxaspiro[5.5]undecene, oxabicyclo[4.3.0]nonene, azabicyclo[4.3.0]nonene, and oxabicyclo[4.4.0]decene. The mechanism of this reaction is proposed to involve a chemoselective gold-based alkyne activation, carbocyclization, intramolecular nucleophilic addition, followed by protodemetalation. The most notable aspect of this process is the efficient and diastereospecific interception of the reactive intermediate of the initial 6-endo-dig (or 5-endo-dig) cyclization with either oxygen- or nitrogen-based nucleophiles.     

The fluorine-containing pi-allylmetal complex. The transition metal-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction of fluorinated allyl mesylates with various carbon nucleophiles

The allylic substitution reaction of [small alpha]-fluoroalkylated allyl mesylates with various carbon nucleophiles in the presence of transition metal catalyst (Pd and Mo) proceeded with high regioselectivity to give the corresponding [gamma]-fluoroalkylated products in excellent yields.     

Substitution behaviour of amine-bridged dinuclear Pt(II) complexes with bio-relevant nucleophiles

Complexes of the type [Pt2(N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)diamine(HO)2]4+ and [Pt2(N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)diamine(Cl)2]2+ were used to study their reactions with a series of bio-relevant nucleophiles, viz. thiourea, L-methionine and guanosine-5'-monophosphate (5'-GMP2-) as a function of nucleophile concentration and temperature. The reactions with the sulfur containing nucleophiles (thiourea and L-methionine) were followed under pseudo-first-order conditions by stopped-flow and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The reaction with 5'-GMP2- was carried out under second order conditions and studied by NMR spectroscopy. The results indicate that the bridged dinuclear complexes remain intact after coordination of the studied nucleophiles for an extended period of time, which differs significantly from that reported for other multinuclear platinum complexes in the literature.     

Diastereoselective additions of nucleophiles to alpha-acetoxy ethers using the alpha-(trimethylsilyl)benzyl auxiliary

We report the diastereoselective addition of a variety of nucleophiles to alpha-(trimethylsilyl)benzyl-substituted oxocarbenium ions. The oxocarbenium ions are generated from alpha-acetoxy ethers, which are easily prepared via reductive acetylation of esters. The alpha-(trimethylsilyl)benzyl auxiliary produces good to excellent facial selectivity with a variety of nucleophiles, including silyl enol ethers, silyl ketene acetals, allylsilanes, and crotylsilanes. The utility of this auxiliary is further demonstrated in a complex ketone aldol coupling reaction. [reaction: see text]     

1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU)-promoted efficient and versatile aza-Michael addition

A convenient and versatile method was developed for aza-Michael addition using a substoichiometric amount of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU). Various nitrogen nucleophiles were efficiently introduced to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds employing 0.5 equiv of DBU. Furthermore, other heteroatomic nucleophiles could also be introduced successfully under the same reaction conditions.     

Regiochemistry of nucleophilic substitution of 4-phenylsulfonyl tetrafluoropyridine with unequal bidentate nucleophiles

The regiochemistry of nucleophilic substitution of 4-phenylsulfonyl tetrafluoropyridine with unequal bidentate nucleophiles was investigated. The first nucleophilic substitution occurs at the 2-position of the pyridine ring by nitrogen nucleophile site (secondary or primary amine) followed by intermolecular ring closure at the geometrically accessible 3-position of the pyridine ring (by S, O and N nucleophiles). From this investigation, difluorinated tetrahydropyrido[3,4-b][1,4]oxazine, thiazine and pyrazine scaffolds were synthesized very readily by a one-pot annelation reaction of 4-phenylsulfonyl tetrafluoropyridine with appropriate unequal bidentate nucleophiles.     

Reactivity of 2‐Thiazolylhydrazonomalononitrile toward Carbon and Nitrogen Nucleophilic Reagents: Applications to the Synthesis of New Heterocycles

2‐Thiazolylhydrazonomalononitrile ( 1 ) was used as key intermediate for the synthesis of polyfunctionally substituted heterocycles (e.g. pyridazine, tetrazole, pyrimidines, 1,5‐benzo diazepine, benzoimidazo[1,2‐a]pyrimidine, triazolo[4,3‐a]pyrimidine, pyrazole, pyrazolo[1,5‐a]triazines, pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine and 1,5‐benzoxazocine) incorporating thiazole moiety via its reactions with some carbon and nitrogen nucleophiles. Structures of the newly synthesized compounds were established by elemental analysis and spectral data. The mechanistic aspects for the formation of the new compounds were also discussed.     

Synthesis of azabicyclo[2.2.n]alkane systems as analogues of 3-[1-methyl-2-(S)-pyrrolidinyl- methoxy]pyridine (A-84543)

This work is connected with the epibatidine field and describes the synthesis of several analogues of compounds that present affinity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, such as 3-[1-methyl-2-(S)-pyrrolidinylmethoxy]pyridine (A-84543). These analogues bear a 3-pyridyl ether substituent at the bridgehead carbon of the azabicyclo[2.2.n]alkane system. Particularly, in the case of the 1-substituted 2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane system, a new synthetic route has been developed, which involves the synthesis of a novel rigid sulfamidate that allows the straightforward introduction of nucleophiles.     

Scavenging effects of metal complexes of water-soluble thiacalix[4]arenetetrasulfonate on superoxide anion radicals

The scavenging effects of metal complexes of thiacalix[4]arenetetrasulfonate (Me-TCAS[4], Me=H?, Fe3(+), Mn3(+), Mn2(+), Cu2(+), and Zn2(+)) on superoxide anion radicals (O??) generated from the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system were investigated by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) method and electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping method using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide as a trapping reagent. As a reference, calix[4]arenetetrasulfonate (H?)-CAS[4]), calix[6]arenehexasulfonate (H?-CAS[6]) and calix[8]areneoctasulfonate (H?-CAS[8]) were also examined. The results by the NBT method indicated that Fe3(+)- and Mn3(+)-TCAS[4] exhibited the highest O?? scavenging activity among Me-TCAS[4] and H?-CAS[n] (n = 4, 6, 8) in this study. The IC?? values of Fe3(+)- and Mn3(+)-TCAS[4] for O?? scavenging activity were estimated to be 5.3 and 7.8 μM, respectively, and were almost the same as those of tannin acid, catechin and their derivatives, which are known as very effective scavengers of O??. Scavenging activities were in the order of Fe3(+)- and Mn3(+)-TCAS[4]>Mn2(+)-, Cu2(+)-, and Zn(2+)-TCAS[4]>H(2)-TCAS[4] and H?-CAS[n] (n=4, 6, 8). Each activity of Me-TCAS[4] (Me=Fe3(+), Mn3(+), Mn2(+), Cu2(+), and Zn2(+)) was higher than that of the corresponding metal ion, indicating that H?-TCAS[4] has the ability to raise the activity of the metal ion itself by forming a complex. Also, the ESR spin-trapping method revealed that Fe3(+)- and Mn3(+)-TCAS[4] showed high O?? scavenging activities, similarly to the results by the NBT method.     

The π-acceptor effect in the substitution reactions of tridentate N-donor ligand complexes of platinum(ii): a detailed kinetic and mechanistic study

The nucleophilic substitution reactions of complexes [Pt{4'-(2'-CH(3)-phenyl)-2,2':6',2'-terpyridine}Cl]CF(3)SO(3), [CH(3)PhPtCl], [Pt{4'-(2'-CH(3)-phenyl)-6-(3'-isoquinoyl)-2,2'bipyridine}Cl]SbF(6), [CH(3)PhisoqPtCl], [Pt{2-(2'-pyridyl)-1,10-phenanthroline}Cl]Cl, [pyPhenPtCl], and [Pt(terpyridine)Cl](+), [PtCl] with a series of nucleophiles: thiourea (TU), N,N-dimethylthiourea (DMTU), N,N,N,N-tetramethylthiourea (TMTU), I(-), Br(-), and SCN(-) were studied in 0.1 M LiCF(3)SO(3) in methanol (in the presence of 10 mM LiCl). The reactivity of the investigated complexes follows the order pyPhenPtCl > PtCl > CH(3)PhPtCl > CH(3)PhisoqPtCl. The lability of the chloride ligand is dependent on the strength of π-backbonding properties of the spectator ligands around the platinum centre. The experimental data is strongly supported by DFT calculations. The dependence of the second-order rate constants on concentration of the nucleophiles as well as the large negative values reported for the activation entropy (ΔS(?)) confirmed an associative mechanism of substitution.