Molecular chirality and chiral capsule-type dimer formation of cyclic triamides via hydrogen-bonding interactions

Chiral properties of bowl-shaped cyclic triamides bearing functional groups with hydrogen-bonding ability were examined. Chiral induction of cyclic triamide 3a was observed by addition of chiral amine in solution, and chiral separation was achieved by simple crystallization to afford chiral capsule-type dimer structure of 4a.     

Anion-induced switching of the helical orientation of a chiral indolocarbazole dimer

An indolocarbazole dimer, containing chiral urea appendages, that adopts a helically folded conformation by intramolecular hydrogen bonds as proven by ¹H NMR and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy has been prepared. Owing to the preferential formation of one helical conformer, strong CD signals appear in relatively non-polar solvents such as chloroform (CHCl₃) and dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂) but the signal is negligible in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In addition, the optical rotation of the dimer is highly sensitive to the polarity of solvents. For example, the magnitude of the specific rotation ([α]_D) is ? 934° in CH₂Cl₂ and ? 657° in CHCl₃ but it is only ? 75° in DMSO. These observations suggest that the dimer folds to a helical structure by intramolecular hydrogen bonds in relatively non-polar solvents but exists in an unfolded extended conformation in polar solvents such as DMSO. The dimer strongly binds anions such as chloride, acetate and sulfate by multiple hydrogen bonds. In addition, anion binding leads to considerable CD spectral changes with the different pattern and degree of Cotton effects depending on the kind of anions. The dimer may be therefore utilised for the construction of an anion-responsive chiroptical sensor or switch.     

Enantiomeric resolution of fluorous mixture by chiral CD columns: asymmetric reduction of a mixture of fluorous ketones

Asymmetric reduction of a mixture of four fluorous ketone analogues was carried out with (R)-oxazaborolidine as a catalyst. The fluorous mixture products were resolved by a reverse phase HPLC with chiral β-cyclodextrin column to result in good separation of the enantiomers.     

Partial resolution through chiral synthesis using a racemic mixture

A racemic mixture of a compound bearing a reactive prochiral center can partially react with a chiral reagent ; diastereomeric products are formed and the starting material is kinetically resolved. The relationships between the relative amounts and the enantiomeric excesses of reaction products and recovered starting material are discussed. Applications are given for asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic AcΔPheAlaOMe catalyzed by a rhodiumdiop complex.     

Thermodynamics of peptide dimer formation

The Replica Exchange Statistical Temperature Molecular Dynamics algorithm is used to study the equilibrium properties of a peptide monomer and dimer and the thermodynamics of peptide dimer formation. The simulation data are analyzed by the Statistical Temperature Weighted Histogram Analysis Method. Each 10-residue peptide is represented by a coarse-grained model with hydrophobic side chains and has an α-helix as its minimum energy configuration. It is shown that the configurational behavior of the dimer can be divided into four regions as the temperature increases: two folded peptides; one folded and one unfolded peptide; two unfolded peptides; and two spatially separated peptides. Two important phenomena are discussed: in the dimer, one peptide unfolds at a lower temperature than the isolated monomer and the other peptide unfolds at a higher temperature than the isolated monomer. In addition, in the temperature region where one peptide is folded and the other unfolded, the unfolded peptide adopts an extended structure that minimizes the overall surface area of the aggregate. It is suggested that combination of destabilization due to aggregation and the resulting extended configuration of the destabilized peptide could have implications for nucleating β-sheet structures and the ultimate formation of fibrils.     

Mixed dimer and mixed trimer complexes of nBuLi and a chiral lithium amide

Multinuclear and multidimensional NMR spectroscopy have shown that lithium (S)-N-isopropyl-O-methyl-valinol (1-[6Li]) exists in a mixed 2:1 complex with nBu[6Li], (1-[6Li])2/nBu[6Li], in non-coordinating solvents such as hexane or toluene. A 6Li,1H-HOESY NMR spectrum indicates that the complex is a cyclic trimer with a large distance between the di-coordinated lithium and the carbanion of nBu[6Li]. Such arrangements are present in the solid state as previously reported by Williard and Sun. The exchange of lithium atoms within the trimer is slow at -33 degrees C. The exchange barrier (deltaG++) was determined to be 14.7 kcal x mol(-1) from quantitative 6Li,6Li-EXSY spectra. Addition of diethyl ether results in the formation of mixed dimers of (1-[6Li])/nBu[6Li], tetramers of nBu[6Li], and homodimers (1-[6Li])2. The apparent equilibrium constant of the mixed dimer was determined from the 6Li NMR integrals as K = 7.     

Detection of C-nitroso dimer formation by field desorption mass spectrometry

Field desorption mass spectrometry is shown to be a useful technique for observing dimer formation in C-nitroso compounds. Mixed dimer formation (RN₂O₂R′) is shown to be readily observed by field desorption mass spectrometry.     

Time-resolved study of thymine dimer formation

The formation of thymine dimers in the single-stranded oligonucleotide, (dT)20, is studied at room temperature by laser flash photolysis using 266 nm excitation. It is shown that the (6-4) adduct is formed within 4 ms via a reactive intermediate. The formation of cyclobutane dimers is faster than 200 ns. The overall quantum yield for the (6-4) formation is (3.7 +/- 0.3) x 10-3, and that of the cyclobutane dimers is (2.8 +/- 0.2) x 10-2. No triplet absorption is detected, showing that either the intersystem crossing yield decreases by 1 order of magnitude upon oligomerization (<1.4 x 10-3) or the triplet state reacts with unit efficiency in less than 200 ns to yield cyclobutane dimers.     

Approach to equilibrium after dilution of a monomer/dimer mixture. Measurement of the rate constant for dissociation of trityl dimer by stopped-flow methods

A general expression is derived for the approach to a new equilibrium when a monomer/dimer solution is diluted by a factor of n. The error introduced by a simple exponential treatment is analyzed. The response of a trityl monomer/dimer equilibrium to dilution by a factor of two in a stopped-flow apparatus has been used to measure the rate constant k₁₁. The results fall on the same Eyring plot with those obtained at lower temperatures, by another method, in the early 1930's by Ziegler and co-workers. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.      

Enantioseparation of novel psychoactive chiral amines and their mixture by capillary electrophoresis using cyclodextrins as chiral selectors

The prevalence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has been increasing during the last decade as well as their constant growth of availability across the whole world. Regardless of the potential health hazard, NPS (often racemic compounds) are frequently sought after and abused for their psychoactive effects that may differ for individual enantiomers. In this work, capillary electrophoresis was used for the chiral separation of a mixture of eleven psychoactive chiral amines using β-cyclodextrin and carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin as chiral selectors at various concentrations. Chiral separation was successful for all the analytes studied. A mixture of these analytes was subsequently analyzed under optimal conditions, i.e., when using 20 mmol/L carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin in 50 mmol/L sodium phosphate buffer, pH 2.5. In this case, chiral separation occurred in nine out of eleven analytes. To our best knowledge, we achieved enantioseparations of seven analyzed compounds by CE for the first time.     

Requirements for the formation of a chiral template

The chemisorptive enantioselectivity of propylene oxide is examined on Pd(111) surfaces templated by chiral 2-methylbutanoate and 2-aminobutanoate species. It has been found previously that chiral propylene oxide is chemisorbed enantiospecifically onto Pd(111) surfaces modified by either (R)- or (S)-2-butoxide. The enantiomeric excess (ee) varied with template coverage, reaching a maximum of approximately 31%. Templating the surface using 2-methylbutanoate, where the chiral center is identical to that in the 2-butoxide species, but is now anchored to the surface by a carboxylate rather than an alkoxide linkage, shows no enantiospecificity. The enantioselectivity is restored when the methyl group is replaced by an amine group, where a maximum ee value of approximately 27% is found. DFT calculations and infrared measurements suggest that the structures of the butyl group on the surface are similar for both 2-butoxide and 2-methylbutanoate species, implying that gross conformational changes are not responsible for differences in chemisorptive enantioselectivity. There is no clear correlation between the location of the chiral center and enantioselectivity, suggesting that differences in the template adsorption site are also not responsible for the lack of enantioselectivity. It is proposed that the 2-butyl group in 2-methylbutanoate species is less rigidly bonded to the surface than that in 2-butoxides, allowing the chiral center to rotate azimuthally. It is postulated that the role of the amino group in 2-aminobutanoate species is to anchor the chiral group to the surface to inhibit azimuthal rotation.     

Dipole-induced chiral smectic-C phase in a eutectic mixture of cholesterol esters

Both cholesteryl oleate (CO) and cholesteryl oleyl carbonate (COC) are thermotropic mesogens with a general cooling phase sequence: isotropic → cholesteric → smectic → crystal. They are almost identical with respect to molecular structure and the central location of molecular dipole. However, the orientation of the latter is axial for CO and transverse for COC. A eutectic mixture of these components shows a phase sequence like the above but involving an induced smectic-C* phase. We explain this discovery on the basis of computer simulation results involving rigid core-dipole-flexible tail model of a mesogen and argue in favor of a ferroelectric liquid crystal model of the induced phase.     

Enhancement of chiral recognition by formation of a sandwiched complex in capillary electrophoresis

For chiral primary amino compounds not separable by cyclodextrins alone, chiral recognition was successfully achieved by the formation of a sandwiched complex of the non-chiral 18-crown-6, the chiral amine and cyclodextrin (CD) [18-crown-6+amino compound+CD]. The separation of 1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthylamine racemates showed the special function of the non-chiral 18-crown-6 on chiral recognition. By formation of the sandwiched complex, the chiral center of 1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine was successfully recognized, and resolution of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthylamine dramatically increased. In these studies, the mobility differences of the enantiomers were evaluated as a function of the concentration of cyclodextrins with and without the 18-crown-6, and as a function of the concentration of the 18-crown-6. In addition, the separations by this method were compared to those by the chiral 18-crown-6 reagent.     

Optical resolution by inclusion complex formation

Novel optical resolutions of guest compounds by inclusion complex formation with optically active host compound are reviewed. Tertiary acetylenic alcohols, cyanohydrins, and secondary alcohols were resolved by complexation with alkaloids such as brucine or sparteine. Cycloalkanones, 2,3-epoxycyclohexanones, and some other neutral compounds were resolved by complex formation with optically active diacetylenic diol. Mutual optical resolution of bis--naphthol and sulfoxides by complex formation was also reviewed.     

Enantioselective beta-lactone formation from ketene and aldehydes catalyzed by a chiral oxazaborolidine

[reaction: see text] A novel catalytic system has been developed for the enantioselective synthesis of beta-lactones from ketene and aldehydes.     

Optical characterization of chiral plasmonic nanostructures

Chiral plasmonic nanomaterials can have circular dichroism and optical rotatory dispersion effects orders of magnitude larger than those observed in ordinary chiral molecules. Understanding this fascinating class of materials has proved challenging and has motivated several research groups to develop entirely new experimental techniques for characterizing chirality driven optical properties. In this review, we first describe the classical method of circular dichroism which measures linear, far-field responses from an ensemble population. We then go on to describe several of the more recently developed methods to probe chiral nanostructures as they expand into the domains of non-linear, near-field, and single particle measurements including spatially and spectrally resolved techniques.     

Facile formation of a meso-meso linked porphyrin dimer catalyzed by a manganese(IV)-oxo porphyrin

A manganese(IV)-oxo porphyrin catalyzes C-C bond formation between zinc porphyrins at the meso-position with a two-electron oxidant to afford the meso-meso linked porphyrin dimer efficiently. The meso-meso linked dimer is formed via formation of the porphyrin radical cation, and the rate-determining step in the catalytic cycle is the formation of a manganese(IV)-oxo porphyrin with a two-electron oxidant.