A New Natural Lactone from <em>Dimocarpus</em> <em>longan</em> Lour. Seeds

A new natural product named longanlactone was isolated from Dimocarpus longan Lour. seeds. Its structure was determined as 3-(2-acetyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-5-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one by spectroscopic methods and HRESIMS.     

4,4′-Dihydroxy-3,3′,5,5′-tetramethoxyazodioxybenzene: an unexpected dimer formed during hydroxylamine extractions of wheat flour

Neutral hydroxylamine extracts of wheat contained a product that was colourless at pH<5 (λ_max 340 nm) and yellow at pH>9 (λ_max 400 nm). ESI-MS showed a major ion m/z 184.0 and a possible parent ion m/z 367.2 (MH⁺) suggesting that the product resulted from the reaction of 2,6-dimethoxy-p-quinone with hydroxylamine. However, mass spectral and other spectroscopic data indicated that the compound was neither of the 2,6-dimethoxy-p-quinone oximes. A product with identical absorbance, mass spectrum, electrophoretic mobility and HPLC retention time as the pigment from hydroxylamine extracts of flour was observed amongst the reaction products of hydroxylamine and 1,4-dihydroxy-2,6-dimethoxybenzene. The structure of this product was identified by NMR, 2D NMR and IR as 4,4′-dihydroxy-3,3′,5,5′-tetramethoxyazodioxybenzene.     

Distal functionalisation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Subscript>4</Subscript> symmetric tetramethoxyresorcinarene by selective lithiation

Three novel C₄ symmetric O-substituted derivatives of tetramethoxyresorcinarene were synthesised and characterised and the selective distal lithiation of these derivatives was investigated. Lithiation of the tetraethoxy derivative, followed by quenching with dimethyldisulfide selectively afforded the distal product in 36% yield after removal of unreacted starting resorcinarene. Lithiation of the MOM derivative produced the five possible lithiated products, with the mono being the major product; the distally substituted derivative being a minor product. The benzyloxyresorcinarene appeared to be unstable under the lithation conditions. These results suggest that the selectivity of the distal lithation reaction is heavily dependent on the O-substituents of the resorcinarene.     

Photolysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">meta</Emphasis>-azidophenol in water-organic mixtures

Photolysis of m-azidophenol (m-AP) in organic solvents and water-organic mixtures of various composition was studied using the methods of electronic spectroscopy. m-Azidophenol dissolved in water-organic mixtures was shown to form associates with solvent molecules, depending on the composition of the mixture. The nature of m-AP photolysis products and the rate of their formation are determined by the character of m-AP solvation in water-organic mixtures. In acetonitrile solution, a polymeric product is formed via the interaction of the phenol group with the nitrene of an adjacent m-AP molecule. An increase in the mole fraction of water in a water-acetonitrile mixture leads to a decrease in the yield of the polymeric product and an increase in the yield of the hydroxylamine derivative. In water-ethanol mixtures, the hydroxylamine derivative is the main product of photolysis.     

Reduction and diazotization of ethyl 7-amino-3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-butyl-4-oxo-4,6-dihydropyrazolo[5,1-<Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>][1,2,4]triazine-8-carboxylate

The ester group in ethyl 7-amino-3-tert-butyl-4-oxo-4,6-dihydropyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazine-8-carboxylate was converted for the first time to methyl by the action of lithium tetrahydridoborate in the presence of boron trifluoride–diethyl ether complex. This reaction has almost no analogies among other classes of organic compounds. New difficultly accessible 7-chloro and 7-azido derivatives were synthesized via diazotization of the reduction product, and treatment of the latter with acetic anhydride afforded the exhaustively acetylated derivative. Diazotization of ethyl 7-amino-3-tert-butyl-4-oxo-4,6-dihydropyrazolo-[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazine-8-carboxylate, followed by reaction with sodium azide, gave the corresponding azide, and the product of azo coupling with ethyl acetoacetate failed to undergo intramolecular cyclization to tricyclic pyrazolo[3,2-c: 5,1-c′]bis[1,2,4]triazine system.     

Synthetic Approaches to Physiologically Active Polycyclic Compounds: VI. Synthesis of 1-[(2<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>,3<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Benzoyl-phenylisoseryloxy]-4,4-dimethyladamantane

A convenient procedure was proposed for the synthesis of 4,4-dimethyladamantan-1-ol from 2-adamantanone. Esterification of the product with protected amino acid gave 1-[(2R, 3S)-N-benzoylphenyl-isoseryloxy]-4,4-dimethyladamantane.     

Comments on ‘Unusual oxidative rearrangement of 1,5-diazadecalin’

Oxidation of cis or trans 1,5-diazadecalin with (PhIO)_n yields 2-pyrrolidinone and not 1,6-diaza-2,7-cyclodecadione, as reported. This is shown by a comparison of the NMR data of the reaction product with those of 2-pyrrolidinone and 1,6-diaza-2,7-cyclodecadione.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-aryl-2-methyl-4-oxo-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-2,6-methano-1,3,5-benzoxadiazocine-11-carboxamides

N-Aryl-2-methyl-4-oxo-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-2,6-methano-1,3,5-benzoxadiazocine-11-carboxamides were synthesized by three-component reactions of N-aryl-3-oxobutanamides with salicylaldehyde and urea in ethanol in the presence of NaHSO₄ as catalyst. The product structure was determined by IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis.     

Synthesis of ent-ambrox® from (−)-nidorellol

Using ozonolysis of the acid-catalyzed cyclized products of (−)-nidorellol and air-autoxidation as the key steps, (+)-ambrox was obtained in 53% overall yield. In the course of our synthesis, we discovered that (−)-nidorellol provided (+)-ambrox instead of the expected product, (−)-ambrox. Thus the absolute configuration of (−)-nidorellol was proved to be trans-(5R^∗,7R^∗,8R^∗,9S^∗,10R^∗)-labda-12,14-diene-7α,8β-diol, which is opposite to that illustrated in a previous report.     

Further solvent-free reactions of ferrocenylaldehydes: Synthesis of 1,1′-ferrocenyldiimines and ferrocenylacrylonitriles

Grinding of 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxaldehyde with a 2.2 molar equivalent of an aromatic amine in a solvent-free environment provided excellent yields of 1,1′-ferrocenyldiimines. After mixing the aldehyde and amines, a gum or melt formed which eventually solidified to the product. An analytically pure sample of the product was obtained by cold recrystallization. Grinding of ferrocenecarboxaldehyde and 4-substituted phenylacetonitriles under solvent-free conditions provided good yields of the corresponding ferrocenylacrylonitriles. The yield in this reaction was very low when the substituent group para to the acetonitrile group was electron-donating.     

Synthetic studies on (−)-FR182877: construction of the ABCD ring system via the intramolecular cycloadditions (2)

Construction of the ABCD ring system of (−)-FR182877 via the intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction and the highly diastereoselective intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder (IMHDA) reaction is described. The IMHDA reactions of the substrates incorporating the oxabutadiene with the E- or Z-alkene were examined, revealing that the sole product was obtained from both substrates and the E-alkene geometry was found to be crucial to obtaining the desired product.     

Convenient regioselective reaction in presence of H<Subscript>3</Subscript>PW<Subscript>12</Subscript>O<Subscript>40</Subscript>: synthesis and characterization of pyrazolo[3,4-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>]quinoline-3,5-diones

We describe regioselective synthesis of pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline derivatives by multicomponent reaction of dimedone, 5-aminopyrazolone, and aromatic aldehydes in presence of H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ as catalyst. When this multicomponent reaction was investigated without catalyst under reflux conditions, a mixture of products was obtained, while the reaction successfully proceeded to formation of pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline in presence of H₃PW₁₂O₄₀. Good product yield, short experimental time, and low-cost catalyst provide convenient synthesis for formation of pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline pharmacological compounds.     

Azines and azoles: CXXVII. 5-phenyl-7<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-[1,2,4]triazolo[5,1-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>][1,3]thiazin-7-ones: Synthesis and structure

Reactions of 1-acylthiosemicarbazides with methyl 3-phenylprop-2-ynoate provide a new one-step procedure for the synthesis of 2-substituted 5-phenyl-7H-[1,2,4]triazolo[5,1-b][1,3]thiazin-7-ones. The product structure was determined on the basis of scalar spin-spin coupling constants ² J(¹H-¹⁵N) and ³ J(¹H-¹⁵N) in the ¹H and ¹⁵N NMR spectra and was proved by X-ray analysis. Methyl 3-phenylprop-2-ynoate reacted with 1-acetylthiosemicarbazide in ethanol in the presence of H₂SO₄ to give 3-methyl-7-phenyl[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b]-[1,3]thiazin-5-one as the only product.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (S)-(−)-quinolactacin B

The enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-quinolactacin B (−)-1 was performed in seven steps and 33% overall yield from tryptamine. The synthesis features the use of ruthenium catalytic asymmetric hydrogen reaction to introduce the chirality in dihydro-β-carboline 2. Based on Noyori’s work, the hydrogenation using the (R,R)-TsDPEN-Ru complex produces dihydro-β-carbolines possessing the (S) absolute configuration, the corrected asymmetric center of the natural product. The synthetic quinolactacin B displayed optical rotations that was in accordance with that of the natural product, thereby supporting the (S) configuration for natural quinolactacin B. The final product’s stereochemical assignment is in agreement with that proposed by Nakagawa and co-workers.     

<Subscript>N</Subscript>-alkyl-2-halo- and 2,2-dihaloaldimines in the Pudovik reaction

The use of N-alkyl-2-haloaldimines in the imine version of the Pudovik reaction, namely, in the reaction of imines with acid esters of phosphorus acids, much extended the synthetic potential of this reaction due to the fact that the primary addition and protonation product, having quite a mobile single hylogen atom, can undergo both spontaneous transformations and transformations involving other reagents. The reduction of the С–Hlg bond in N-alkyl-2-halo- and -2,2-dihaloaldiminium salts with О,О-dialkyl phosphorodithioic acids was observed for the first time.     

Reactions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Allyl- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Diallyltrifluoromethanesulfonamides with Carboxylic Acid Amides under Oxidizing Conditions

Reactions of acetamide and benzamide with N-allyltrifluoromethanesulfonamide in the presence of t-BuOCl–NaI afforded exclusively 2,5-bis(chloromethyl)-1,4-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)piperazine. Analogous reaction with N,N-diallyltrifluoromethanesulfonamide gave mixed halogenation product at only one C=C double bond of the substrate.     

Novel artificial metalloenzymes by in vivo incorporation of metal-binding unnatural amino acids

Artificial metalloenzymes have emerged as an attractive new approach to enantioselective catalysis. Herein, we introduce a novel strategy for preparation of artificial metalloenzymes utilizing amber stop codon suppression methodology for the in vivo incorporation of metal-binding unnatural amino acids. The resulting artificial metalloenzymes were applied in catalytic asymmetric Friedel–Crafts alkylation reactions and up to 83% ee for the product was achieved.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-substituted bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-ylmethyl benzoates

para-Substituted bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-ylmethyl benzoates were synthesized by the Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene with the corresponding para-substituted allyl benzoates, and optimal reaction conditions were found. The product structure was confirmed by independent synthesis and IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

One-Step Three-Component Synthesis of New 2,5,6,7-Functionalized 5,8-Dihydropyrido-[2,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis>]pyrimidin-4(3<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>)-ones

One-step three-component cyclocondensation of 2,6-disubstituted pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and some aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes on heating or under microwave irradiation afforded new functionally substituted 5,8-dihydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones. Conventional heating was found to be more advantageous. The effects of the 2-substituent in the initial pyrimidin-4(3H)-one and the nature of the dicarbonyl component on the product structure and yield were analyzed.     

Three-Component Condensation of 1,2,4-Triazol-3-amine with Cyclohexanone and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ortho</Emphasis>-Substituted Benzaldehydes

Three-component condensation of 1,2,4-triazol-3-amine with cyclohexanone and ortho-substituted benzaldehydes afforded mixtures of angularly and linearly fused aryl-substituted hexahydrotriazoloquinazolines and octahydrotriazoloquinazolines whose structure was determined by using one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. A probable scheme of product formation was proposed.