Synthesis and Characterization of (2E,2 E)‐3,3‐((9,9‐diocyl‐9H‐flourene‐2,7‐diyl)bis(4,1‐phenylene))bis(2‐cyanoacylic acid) as a Symmetrical Metal‐free Organic Dye

In this study a novel symmetrical metal‐free organic dye for applications in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was synthesized. This dye ( D ) was designed with A–π–D–π–A framework and synthesized with 9,9‐dioctylfluorene as electron donor, phenylene as π‐spacer and cyanoacetic acid as electron acceptor. The chemical structure of product was determined using UV‐Vis, FT‐IR, CNMR, HNMR spectroscopy techniques. The presence of a phenylene π‐bridge between the donor and the acceptor units and the di‐anchoring moieties in this structure led to enhancement of conjugation lengths and molar extinction coefficient (ε) that is promising for further improvement of the conversion efficiency of DSSCs.     

Synthesis and structures of photoactive rhenium carbonyl complexes derived from 2‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐1,3‐benzothiazole, 2‐(quinolin‐2‐yl)‐1,3‐benzothiazole and 1,10‐phenanthroline

Carbon monoxide (CO) has recently been identified as a gaseous signaling molecule that exerts various salutary effects in mammalian pathophysiology. Photoactive metal carbonyl complexes (photoCORMs) are ideal exogenous candidates for more controllable and site‐specific CO delivery compared to gaseous CO. Along this line, our group has been engaged for the past few years in developing group‐7‐based photoCORMs towards the efficient eradication of various malignant cells. Moreover, several such complexes can be tracked within cancerous cells by virtue of their luminescence. The inherent luminecscent nature of some photoCORMs and the change in emission wavelength upon CO release also provide a covenient means to track the entry of the prodrug and, in some cases, both the entry and CO release from the prodrug. In continuation of the research circumscribing the development of trackable photoCORMs and also to graft such molecules covalently to conventional delivery vehicles, we report herein the synthesis and structures of three rhenium carbonyl complexes, namely, fac‐tricarbonyl[2‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐1,3‐benzothiazole‐κ²N ,N ′](4‐vinylpyridine‐κN )rhenium(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [Re(C₇H₇N)(C₁₂H₈N₂S)(CO)₃](CF₃SO₃), ( 1 ), fac‐tricarbonyl[2‐(quinolin‐2‐yl)‐1,3‐benzothiazole‐κ²N ,N ′](4‐vinylpyridine‐κN )rhenium(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [Re(C₇H₇N)(C₁₆H₁₀N₂S)(CO)₃](CF₃SO₃), ( 2 ), and fac‐tricarbonyl[1,10‐phenanthroline‐κ²N ,N ′](4‐vinylpyridine‐κN )rhenium(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate, [Re(C₇H₇N)(C₁₂H₈N₂)(CO)₃](CF₃SO₃), ( 3 ). In all three complexes, the Re^I center resides in a distorted octahedral coordination environment. These complexes exhibit CO release upon exposure to low‐power UV light. The apparent CO release rates of the complexes have been measured to assess their comparative CO‐donating capacity. The three complexes are highly luminescent and this in turn provides a convenient way to track the entry of the prodrug molecules within biological targets.     

Synthesis of 4,4′‐bis (4‐oxyphenoxy)benzophenone diglycidyl ether and the thermal stability for blends with 3,4‐epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3,4‐epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate

We synthesized novel aromatic epoxy, 4,4′‐bis(4‐oxyphenoxy)benzophenone diglycidyl ether (DGEEK), by a three step reaction sequence and then it was blended with 3,4‐epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3,4‐epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate (CAE). The DGEEK structure was confirmed by FT‐IR and ¹H‐NMR measurement. Also, we investigated thermal properties of DGEEK/CAE blend epoxy by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetry analyzer (TGA). The glass transition temperature increased but initial decomposition temperature of cured epoxy decreased through the increasing amounts of ether–ether–ketone group of the epoxy network structure. By increasing the DGEEK mole fraction in the DGEEK/CAE blend epoxy matrix, the curing peak temperature decreased and the curing activation energy for DGEEK/CAE blend epoxy systems showed a considerable decrease. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Characterization of New 7‐Substituted 6,14‐Ethenomorphinane Derivatives: N‐{5‐[(5α,7α)‐4,5‐Epoxy‐3,6‐dimethoxy‐17‐methyl‐6,14‐ethenomorphinan‐7‐yl]‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl}arenamines

In this study, (5α,7α)‐4,5‐epoxy‐3,6‐dimethoxy‐17‐methyl‐6,14‐ethenomorphinan‐7‐carboxylic acid hydrazide ( 5 ) was synthesized by the condensation of methyl (5α,7α)‐4,5‐epoxy‐3,6‐dimethoxy‐17‐methyl‐6,14‐ethenomorphinan‐7‐carboxylate ( 4 ) with NH₂NH₂⋅H₂O. The (5α,7α)‐4,5‐epoxy‐3,6‐dimethoxy‐17‐methyl‐6,14‐ethenomorphinan‐7‐carboxylic acid 2‐[(arylamino)carbonyl]hydrazides 6a – 6q were prepared by the reaction of 5 with corresponding substituted aryl isocyanates, and the N‐{5‐[(5α,7α)‐4,5‐epoxy‐3,6‐dimethoxy‐17‐methyl‐6,14‐ethenomorphinan‐7‐yl]‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl}arenamines 7a – 7q were obtained via the cyclization reaction of 6a – 6q in the presence of POCl₃. The synthesized compounds have a rigid morphine structure, including the 6,14‐endo‐etheno bridge and the 5‐(arylamino)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl residue at C(7) adopting the (S)‐configuration (7α). The structures of the compounds were confirmed by high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HR‐MS) and various spectroscopic methods such as FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, APT, and 2D‐NMR (HETCOR, COSY, INADEQUATE).     

Total Syntheses of (−)‐Conidiogenone B, (−)‐Conidiogenone,and (−)‐Conidiogenol

Cyclopianes are novel diterpenes featuring a highly strained 6/5/5/5 tetracyclic core embedded with 6–8 consecutive stereocenters. The concise total syntheses of (?)‐conidiogenone B, (?)‐conidiogenone, and (?)‐conidiogenol have been accomplished in 14–17 steps. The present work features a HAT‐mediated alkene–nitrile cyclization to access the cis‐biquinane, a Nicholas/Pauson–Khand reaction to construct the linear triquinane, and a Danheiser annulation to afford the congested angular triquinane skeleton.     

Total Synthesis of (2Z)‐[(4R,5R,6S)‐6‐(β‐D‐Glucopyranosyloxy)‐4,5‐dihydroxycyclohex‐2‐en‐1‐ylidene]ethanenitrile,a Cyanoglucoside from Ilex warburgii

The total synthesis of the noncyanogenic cyanoglucoside 1 , originally isolated from Ilex warburgii, was achieved in nine steps (9% overall yield), starting from an optically pure Diels–Alder adduct ((+)‐ 3 ). The key step of the synthesis, the glycosidation, was carried out under Koenigs–Knorr conditions closely related to those developed for the total syntheses of (?)‐lithospermoside and (?)‐bauhinin. We had to tune the protecting groups used for the two free cis‐configured OH groups of the aglycone, which afforded the desired β‐d‐ glucoside intermediate 15 in very good yield (62%).     

Mizoroki–Heck and Suzuki–Miyaura reactions mediated by poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid)‐stabilized magnetically separable palladium catalyst

The purpose of this work was to synthesize and characterize a new magnetic polymer nanosphere‐supported palladium(II) acetate catalyst for reactions requiring harsh conditions. In this regard, an air‐stable, moisture‐stable and highly efficient heterogenized palladium was synthesized by the coordination of palladium(II) acetate with poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid)‐grafted modified magnetic nanoparticles with a core–shell structure. The structure of the newly developed catalyst was characterized using various techniques. The catalytic activity of the resultant nano‐organometallic catalyst was evaluated in Mizoroki–Heck and Suzuki–Miyaura reactions to afford the corresponding coupling products in good to excellent yields. High selectivity as well as outstanding turnover number (14 143, 4900) and turnover frequency (28 296, 7424) values were recorded for the catalyst in Suzuki–Miyaura and Mizoroki–Heck reactions, respectively. Magnetic separation and recycling of the catalyst for at least six runs became possible without any significant loss of efficiency or any detectable palladium leaching.     

POSS end‐linked peptide‐functionalized poly(ɛ‐caprolactone)s and their inclusion complexes with α‐cyclodextrin

In this report, we have synthesized organic/inorganic hybrid peptide–poly(?‐caprolactone) (PCL) conjugates via ring opening polymerization (ROP) of ?‐caprolactone (CL) in the presence of two sequence defined peptide initiators, namely POSS‐Leu‐Aib‐Leu‐NH₂ (POSS: polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane; Leu: Leucine; Aib: α‐aminoisobutyric acid) and OMe‐Leu‐Aib‐Leu‐NH₂. Covalent attachment of peptide segments with the PCLs were examined by ¹H and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS) and FTIR spectroscopy. Supramolecular inclusion complexations of synthesized peptide‐PCL conjugates with α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CyD) were studied to understand the effect of POSS/OMe‐peptide moieties at the PCL chain ends. Inclusion complexation of peptide‐PCL conjugates with α‐CyD produced linear polypseudorotaxane, confirmed by ¹H NMR, FTIR, powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Extent of α‐CyD threading onto the hybrid peptide‐PCL conjugated polymers is less than that of α‐CyD threaded onto the linear PCL. Thus, PCL chains were not fully covered by the host α‐CyD molecules due to the bulky POSS/OMe‐peptide moieties connected with the one edge of the PCL chains. PXRD experiment reveals channel like structures by the synthesized inclusion complexes (ICs). Spherulitic morphologies of POSS/OMe‐peptide‐PCL conjugates were fully destroyed after inclusion complexation with α‐CyD and tiny nanoobjects were produced. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3643–3651.     

Ultrasound‐Driven Secondary Self‐Assembly of Amphiphilic β‐Cyclodextrin Dimers

The controlled secondary self‐assembly of amphiphilic molecules in solution is theoretically and practically significant in amphiphilic molecular applications. An amphiphilic β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) dimer, namely LA‐(CD)₂, has been synthesized, wherein one lithocholic acid (LA) unit is hydrophobic and two β‐CD units are hydrophilic. In an aqueous solution at room temperature, LA‐(CD)₂ self‐assembles into spherical micelles without ultrasonication. The primary micelles dissociates and then secondarily form self‐assemblies with branched structures under ultrasonication. The branched aggregates revert to primary micelles at high temperature. The ultrasound‐driven secondary self‐assembly is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and Cu²⁺‐responsive experiments. Furthermore, 2D NOESY NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy results indicate that the formation of the primary micelles is driven by hydrophilic–hydrophobic interactions, whereas host–guest interactions promote the formation of the secondary assemblies. Additionally, ultrasonication is shown to be able to effectively destroy the primary hydrophilic–hydrophobic balances while enhancing the host–guest interaction between the LA and β‐CD moieties at room temperature.     

Supramolecular hydrogen‐bonding patterns in the organic–inorganic hybrid compound bis(4‐amino‐5‐chloro‐2,6‐dimethylpyrimidinium) tetrathiocyanatozinc(II)–4‐amino‐5‐chloro‐2,6‐dimethylpyrimidine–water (1/2/2)

Zinc thiocyanate complexes have been found to be biologically active compounds. Zinc is also an essential element for the normal function of most organisms and is the main constituent in a number of metalloenzyme proteins. Pyrimidine and aminopyrimidine derivatives are biologically very important as they are components of nucleic acids. Thiocyanate ions can bridge metal ions by employing both their N and S atoms for coordination. They can play an important role in assembling different coordination structures and yield an interesting variety of one‐, two‐ and three‐dimensional polymeric metal–thiocyanate supramolecular frameworks. The structure of a new zinc thiocyanate–aminopyrimidine organic–inorganic compound, (C₆H₉ClN₃)₂[Zn(NCS)₄]·2C₆H₈ClN₃·2H₂O, is reported. The asymmetric unit consist of half a tetrathiocyanatozinc(II) dianion, an uncoordinated 4‐amino‐5‐chloro‐2,6‐dimethylpyrimidinium cation, a 4‐amino‐5‐chloro‐2,6‐dimethylpyrimidine molecule and a water molecule. The Zn^II atom adopts a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry and is coordinated by four N atoms from the thiocyanate anions. The Zn^II atom is located on a special position (twofold axis of symmetry). The pyrimidinium cation and the pyrimidine molecule are not coordinated to the Zn^II atom, but are hydrogen bonded to the uncoordinated water molecules and the metal‐coordinated thiocyanate ligands. The pyrimidine molecules and pyrimidinium cations also form base‐pair‐like structures with an R₂²(8) ring motif via N—H…N hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure is further stabilized by intermolecular N—H…O, O—H…S, N—H…S and O—H…N hydrogen bonds, by intramolecular N—H…Cl and C—H…Cl hydrogen bonds, and also by π–π stacking interactions.     

Synthesis of Racemic Δ3‐2‐Hydroxybakuchiol and Its Analogues

The first synthetic approach to (±)‐Δ³‐2‐hydroxybakuchiol (=4‐[(1E,5E)‐3‐ethenyl‐7‐hydroxy‐3,7‐dimethylocta‐1,5‐dien‐1‐yl]phenol; 14 ) and its analogues 13a – 13f was developed by 12 steps (Schemes 2 and 3). The key features of the approach are the construction of the quaternary C‐center bearing the ethenyl group by a Johnson–Claisen rearrangement (→ 6 ); and of an (E)‐alkenyl iodide via a Takai–Utimoto reaction (→ 11 ); and an arylation via a Negishi cross‐coupling reaction (→ 12e – 12f ).     

(E)‐3‐{4‐[(7‐Chloroquinolin‐4‐yl)oxy]‐3‐methoxyphenyl}‐1‐(4‐methylphenyl)prop‐2‐en‐1‐one: a ladder‐like structure resulting solely from π–π stacking interactions

In the title compound, C₂₆H₂₀ClNO₃, the quinoline fragment is nearly orthogonal to the adjacent aryl ring, while the rest of the molecular skeleton is close to being planar. The crystal structure contains no hydrogen bonds of any sort, but there are two π–π stacking interactions present. One, involving the quinoline ring, links molecules related by inversion, while the other, involving the two nonfused aryl rings, links molecules related by translation, so together forming a ladder‐type arrangement     

Iron‐Catalyzed Aminomethyloxygenative Cyclization of Hydroxy‐α‐diazoesters with N,O‐Aminals

A new and efficient cyclization reaction has been developed to synthesize cyclic α,α‐disubstituted β‐amino esters via iron‐catalyzed intramolecular aminomethyloxygenative cyclization of diazo compounds with N,O‐aminal under mild reaction conditions. A broad range of hydroxy‐α‐diazoesters with different substituents and various N,O‐aminals were compatible with this protocol, affording the corresponding α,α‐disubstituted β‐amino esters bearing a five‐ to eight‐membered oxacycle in good yields.     

A–π–D–π–A Electron‐Donating Small Molecules for Solution‐Processed Organic Solar Cells: A Review

Organic solar cells based on semiconducting polymers and small molecules have attracted considerable attention in the last two decades. Moreover, the power conversion efficiencies for solution‐processed solar cells containing A–π–D–π–A‐type small molecules and fullerenes have reached 11%. However, the method for designing high‐performance, photovoltaic small molecules still remains unclear. In this review, recent studies on A–π–D–π–A electron‐donating small molecules for organic solar cells are introduced. Moreover, the relationships between molecular properties and device performances are summarized, from which inspiration for the future design of high performance organic solar cells may be obtained.     

Energetic 4,4′‐Oxybis[3,3′‐(1‐hydroxytetrazolyl)]furazan and Its Salts

Energetic compounds that incorporate multiple nitrogen‐rich heterocycles are of great interest for high‐density energetic materials. A facile synthetic strategy to combine an oxy bridge and furazan groups, as well as tetrazole‐ols, into a molecule ( 5 ) was found. Some energetic salts based on 5 were prepared by neutralization. All of the compounds were fully characterized. Additionally, the structure of 7 has been elucidated by single‐crystal XRD analysis. Physicochemical and energetic properties were also studied; these show that these newly designed energetic salts exhibit good thermal stabilities. Hydroxylammonium salt ( 6 ) has a detonation performance and sensitivities comparable with those of 1,3,5‐trinitroperhydro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX).     

Enantio‐ and Site‐Selective α‐Fluorination of N‐Acyl 3,5‐Dimethylpyrazoles Catalyzed by Chiral π–CuII Complexes

Catalytic enantioselective α‐fluorination reactions of carbonyl compounds are among the most powerful and efficient synthetic methods for constructing optically active α‐fluorinated carbonyl compounds. Nevertheless, α‐fluorination of α‐nonbranched carboxylic acid derivatives is still a big challenge because of relatively high pK_a values of their α‐hydrogen atoms and difficulty of subsequent synthetic transformation without epimerization. Herein we show that chiral copper(II) complexes of 3‐(2‐naphthyl)‐l ‐alanine‐derived amides are highly effective catalysts for the enantio‐ and site‐selective α‐fluorination of N‐(α‐arylacetyl) and N‐(α‐alkylacetyl) 3,5‐dimethylpyrazoles. The substrate scope of the transformation is very broad (25 examples including a quaternary α‐fluorinated α‐amino acid derivative). α‐Fluorinated products were converted into the corresponding esters, secondary amides, tertiary amides, ketones, and alcohols with almost no epimerization in high yield.