Direct synthesis of α-thio aromatic acids from aromatic amino acids

Modified amino acids are useful synthetic components in both chemistry and biology. Here we describe a simple, scalable two-step procedure to generate α-thio aromatic acids from aromatic amino acids with yields of up to 96%. Diazotization and α-lactone mediated bromination efficiently form the α-bromo acid with retention of configuration. Thiol substitution with mild reagents such as sodium hydrosulfide or sodium trithiocarbonate provides the inverted, free α-thio acid. The mildly acidic soft nucleophile can then be utilized in many synthetic applications.     

Are oxocarbon dianions aromatic?

Assessment of the cyclic electron delocalization of the oxocarbon dianions, C(n)()O(n)()(2)(-) and their neutral counterparts C(n)()O(n)() (n = 3-6), by means of structural, energetic, and magnetic criteria, shows that C(3)O(3)(2)(-) is doubly aromatic (both sigma and pi cyclic electron delocalization), C(4)O(4)(2)(-) is moderately aromatic, but C(5)O(5)(2)(-), as well as C(6)O(6)(2)(-), are less so. Localized orbital contributions, computed by the individual gauge for localized orbitals method (IGLO), to the nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS) allow pi effects to be disected from the sigma single bonds and other influences. The C-C(pi) contribution to (NICS(0,pi) (i.e., at the center of the ring) in oxocarbon dianions decreases with ring size but shows little ring size effect at points 1.0 A above the ring. On the basis of the same criteria, C(4)O(4) exhibits cyclic electron delocalization due to partial occupancy of the sigma CC bonds. However, the dissociation energies of all the neutral oxocarbons, C(n)()O(n)(), are highly exothermic.     

Parsing of the free energy of aromatic–aromatic stacking interactions in solution

We report an analysis of the energetics of aromatic–aromatic stacking interactions for 39 non-covalent reactions of self- and hetero-association of 12 aromatic molecules with different structures and charge states. A protocol for computation of the contributions to the total energy from various energetic terms has been developed and the results are consistent with experiment in 92% of all the systems studied. It is found that the contributions from hydrogen bonds and entropic factors are always unfavorable, whereas contributions from van-der-Waals, electrostatic and/or hydrophobic effects may lead to stabilizing or destabilizing factors depending on the system studied. The analysis carried out in this work provides an answer to the questions “What forces stabilize/destabilize the stacking of aromatic molecules in aqueous-salt solution and what are their relative importance?”     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of α-hydroxy aromatic ketones from α-bromo aromatic ketones in water

A reaction ofα-bromo aromatic ketones in water with microwave irradiation gave the correspondingα-hydroxy aromatic ketones in good yields.The use of microwaves was found to significantly improve yields and shorten the reaction time.This reaction afforded a very clean,convenient method for the synthesis ofα-hydroxy aromatic ketones.     

The oxidation of aromatic amines in the presence of “electron-rich” aromatic systems

The oxidation of aromatic amines to the corresponding nitro substituents is performed under mild, nonacidic conditions in the presence of highly nucleophilic aromatic systems such as indoles and furans.     

Are antiaromatic rings stacked face-to-face aromatic?

The stacking of 4n pi electron hydrocarbon rings into superphane structures can eliminate their antiaromaticity and result in through-space three-dimensional aromatic character. This is demonstrated by the bond length equalized geometries and diatropic NICS values of the methano-bridged superphane series with interacting three- to nine-membered 4n pi electron rings. Along with triplet and M?bius strategies, stacking is the third way to achieve aromatic ring systems with 4n pi electrons.     

Synthesis of α-monoglycerides of aromatic acids

The synthesis of -monoglycerides of aromatic acids has been performed by the transesterification of the methyl esters of the corresponding acids with glycerol. The structures of the compounds obtained have been confirmed by their IR, UV, and¹H and¹³C NMR spectra.A. B. Bekturov Institute of Chemical Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, fax (3272) 61 57 65. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedineii, No. 4, pp. 452–457, July–August, 1999.     

Pd-catalyzed modifiable silanol-directed aromatic ch oxygenation

Directing group: A Pd-catalyzed aromatic C?H oxygenation has been developed, featuring a modifiable silanol-directing group. The resulting oxasilacycles can be efficiently modified into a variety of valuable building blocks.     

Condensation of polyfluorinated β-diimines with aromatic aldehydes

Polyfluorinated 2-arylpyrimidines were synthesized by the reaction of polyfluorinated -diimines with aromatic aldehydes.     

Solid state reaction of aromatic ketones with heteroaromatics

The solid state reactions of p-nitroacetophenone,acetyl-ferrocene with indole were catalyzed by anhydrous zinc chloride or aluminum chloride,and gave exclusively the 1:2 condensation products.The solid state condensation of aromatic ketones with l-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone was also investigated,and the 1:1 and 2:1 condensation products were obtained.The structures of eleven new products were determined by IR,MS,1H NMR and elemental analysis.     

Do N-heterocyclic aromatic rings prefer π-stacking?

The IR-UV double resonance spectroscopy of phenylacetylene complexes with triazine, pyrazine and pyridine in the acetylene C-H group of phenylacetylene was investigated. These spectra indicate that in the complexes of triazine, pyrazine and pyridine the acetylenic group is minimally perturbed and the predominant interaction is with the π electron density of the phenyl ring of phenylacetylene. Geometries of the complexes optimized at M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ and MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ levels, combined with highly accurate energy calculations at the complete basis set (CBS) limit of CCSD(T), indicate the formation of π-stacked complexes in all the three cases. Additionally, a C-H...N hydrogen-bonded complex between pyridine and phenylacetylene was also observed. The present results indicate that N-heterocyclic aromatic rings favor formation of π-stacked complexes.     

Spectrometric study of a-methylene aromatic araminenone and aminoketone

Thirteen α-methylene aromatic araminenone and four α-methylene aromatic aminoketones were prepared by modified Mannich reaction. On the basis of isotopic labeling, a plausible way of cleavage was proposed for the formation of the M^＋- 17 fragment peak in the MS of the α-methylene aromatic araminenone and aminoketones. The characteristic chemical shift of the olefinic protons in ^1H NMR is also discussed.     

Synthesis of aromatic polyamidines in Eaton’s reagent

Aromatic polyamidines are prepared via the polycondensation of dicarboxamides and diamines in Eaton’s reagent. The polymers are investigated by elemental analysis and IR and NMR spectroscopy. Polyamidines are well soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated formic acid and in polar organic solvents, and temperatures corresponding to their 10% weight losses are in the range 245–280°C.     

Clar's aromatic sextet and π-electron distribution in nanographene

Cut into pieces: The π-electron distribution in nanographene fragments isolated between oxidized graphene areas is investigated using scanning probe microscopy (see picture). The edge-shape-dependent localization and migration of the Clar sextet explains the observed π-state distributions and enables investigation of the electronic properties.     

Reactivity of aromatic σ,σ-biradicals toward riboses

The gas-phase reactions of sugars with aromatic, carbon-centered sigma,sigma-biradicals with varying polarities [as reflected by their calculated electron affinities (EA)] and extent of spin-spin coupling [as reflected by their calculated singlet-triplet (S-T) gaps] have been studied. The biradicals are positively charged, which allows them to be manipulated and their reactions to be studied in a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Hydrogen atom abstraction from sugars was found to be the dominant reaction for the biradicals with large EA values, while the biradicals with large S-T gaps tend to form addition/elimination products instead. Hence, not all sigma, sigma-biradicals may be able to damage DNA by hydrogen atom abstraction. The overall reaction efficiencies of the biradicals towards a given substrate were found to be directly related to the magnitude of their EA values, and inversely related to their S-T gaps. The EA of a biradical appears to be a very important rate-controlling factor, and it may even counterbalance the reduced radical reactivity characteristic of singlet biradicals that have large S-T gaps.     

Proton transfers in aromatic and antiaromatic systems. How aromatic or antiaromatic is the transition state? An ab initio study

An ab initio study of six carbon-to-carbon identity proton transfers is reported. They refer to the benzenium ion/benzene (C6H7(+)/C6H6), the 2,4-cyclopentadiene/cyclopentadienyl anion (C5H6/C5H5(-)), and the cyclobutenyl cation/cyclobutadiene (C4H5(+)/C4H4) systems and their respective noncyclic reference systems, that is, [structure: see text], [structure: see text] and [structure: see text]. For the aromatic C6H7(+)/C6H6 and C5H6/C5H5(-) systems, geometric parameters and aromaticity indices indicate that the transition states are highly aromatic. The proton-transfer barriers in these systems are quite low, which is consistent with a disproportionately high degree of transition-state aromaticity. For the antiaromatic C4H5(+)/C4H4 system, the geometric parameters and aromaticity indices indicate a rather small degree of antiaromaticity of the transition state. However, the proton-transfer barrier is higher than expected for a transition state with a low antiaromaticity. This implies that another factor contributes to the barrier; it is suggested that this factor is angle and torsional strain in the transition state. The question whether charge delocalization at the transition state might correlate with the development of aromaticity was also examined. No such correlation was found, that is, charge delocalization lags behind proton transfer as is commonly observed in nonaromatic systems involving pi-acceptor groups.     

Spectrometric study ofα-methylene aromatic araminenone and aminoketone

Thirteenα-methylene aromatic araminenone and fourα-methylene aromatic aminoketones were prepared by modified Mannich reaction.On the basis of isotopic labeling,a plausible way of cleavage was proposed for the formation of the M~ -17 fragment peak in the MS of theα-methylene aromatic araminenone and aminoketones.The characteristic chemical shift of the olefinic protons in ~1H NMR is also discussed.     

π-Electron currents in fixed π-sextet aromatic benzenoids

In view of different patterns of π-electron density currents in benzenoid aromatic compounds it is of interest to investigate the pattern of ring currents in various classes of compounds. Recently such a study using a graph theoretical approach to calculating CC bond currents was reported for fully benzenoid hydrocarbons, that is, benzenoid hydrocarbons which have either π-sextets rings or “empty” rings in the terminology of Clar. In this contribution we consider π-electron currents in benzenoid hydrocarbons which have π-electron sextets and C=C bonds fully fixed. Our approach assumes that currents arise from contributions of individual conjugated circuits within the set of Kekulé valence structures of these molecules.