Synthesis of the four enantiomers of diethyl 1,2-di(N-Boc-amino)propylphosphonates

A simple and efficient synthetic strategy to all four enantiomerically pure diethyl 1,2-di(N-Boc-amino)propylphosphonates has been elaborated starting from the corresponding N-[(R)-(1-phenylethyl)]aziridine-(2S)- and N-[(S)-(1-phenylethyl)]aziridine-(2R)-carboxaldehydes, employing a one-pot three-components Kabachnik-Fields reaction followed by the hydrogenolytic removal of the chiral auxiliary and aziridine ring opening with simultaneous protection of the amino groups as the N-Boc derivatives.     

Synthesis of four enantiomers of 2-acetamido-1-hydroxypropylphosphonates

Enantiomerically pure diethyl 2-acetamido-1-hydroxypropylphosphonates were synthesised from N-[(R)-(1-phenylethyl)]aziridine-(2S)- and N-[(S)-(1-phenylethyl)]aziridine-(2R)-carboxaldehydes via phosphonylation followed by acetylation of the hydroxy groups and the simultaneous hydrogenolytic cleavage of the aziridine rings and the removal of the chiral auxiliaries. In addition, enantiomerically pure diethyl (1S,2R)- and (1R,2S)-2-amino-1-hydroxypropylphosphonates (the phosphonate analogues of isothreonine) were separated.     

Stereochemistry of nucleophilic substitution reactions depending upon substituent: evidence for electrostatic stabilization of pseudoaxial conformers of oxocarbenium ions by heteroatom substituents

Lewis acid-mediated nucleophilic substitution reactions of substituted tetrahydropyran acetates reveal that the conformational preferences of six-membered-ring cations depend significantly upon the electronic nature of the substituent. Nucleophilic substitutions of C-3 and C-4 alkyl-substituted tetrahydropyran acetates proceeded via pseudoequatorially substituted oxocarbenium ions, as would be expected by consideration of steric effects. Substitutions of C-3 and C-4 alkoxy-substituted tetrahydropyran acetates, however, proceeded via pseudoaxially oriented oxocarbenium ions. The unusual selectivities controlled by the alkoxy groups were demonstrated for a range of other heteroatom substituents, including nitrogen, fluorine, chlorine, and bromine. It is believed that the pseudoaxial conformation is preferred in the ground state of the cation because of an electrostatic attraction between the cationic carbon center of the oxocarbenium ion and the heteroatom substituent. This analysis is supported by the observation that selectivity diminishes down the halogen series, which is inconsistent with electron donation as might be expected during anchimeric assistance. The C-2 heteroatom-substituted systems gave moderately high 1,2-cis selectivity, while small alkyl substituents showed no selectivity. Only in the case of the tert-butyl group at C-2 was high 1,2-trans selectivity observed. These studies reinforce the idea that ground-state conformational effects need to be considered along with steric approach considerations.     

Calculated molecular structures and electronic spectra of the geometric isomers of a model carotenoid molecule, 6,11-dimethylhexadecaheptaene

The molecular structures and the electronic spectra of the geometric isomers of a model carotenoid polyene, 6,11-dimethylhexadecaheptaene, were calculated. It was concluded that solvent effects and conformational isomerization must be taken into account in order to satisfactorily explain the observed spectra. Molecular structures were calculated using molecular mechanics (MM2), and electronic spectra using the VESCF-MO-CI method including all singly-excited configurations. A method based on the calculated and observed spectra of simple linear polyenes was devised to estimate the solvent effects.     

Stereoselectivity in the epoxidation of carbohydrate-based oxepines

The facial selectivity in the DMDO epoxidation of carbohydrate-based oxepines derived from glucose, galactose, and mannose has been determined by product analysis and density functional theory (DFT, B3LYP/6-31+G**//B3LYP/6-31G*) calculations. Oxepines 3 and 4, derived from d-galactose and d-mannose, largely favor alpha- over beta-epoxidation. The results reported here, along with selectivities in the DMDO-mediated epoxidation of d-xylose-based oxepine 1 and d-glucose-based oxepines 2 and 5 reported earlier, support a model in which electronic effects, guided by the stereochemistry of the oxygens on the oxepine ring, largely determine the stereoselectivity of epoxidation. Other contributing factors included conformational issues in the oxepine's transition state relative to the reactant, the asynchronicity in bond formation of the epoxide, and the overall steric bulk on the alpha- and beta-faces of the oxepine. Considered together, these factors should generally predict facial selectivity in the DMDO-epoxidation of cyclic enol ethers.     

呋喃查尔酮结构与电子光谱的密度泛函理论研究

在密度泛函理论的PBE1PBE/6-31G(d)水平上对呋喃查尔酮及其衍生物的几何结构进行优化计算.在获得基态稳定结构的基础上,应用含时密度泛函理论计算其电子吸收光谱,探讨了取代基和溶剂对电子吸收光谱的影响,计算结果与实验结果吻合很好,平均绝对偏差仅为3.3nm(0.04eV).结果表明,取代基的引入和溶剂极性的增大均使光谱发生红移.通过前线轨道分析,揭示了该类化合物的主要吸收峰均源自分子中HOMO→LUMO电子跃迁.     

Stereochemical features of the physical and chemical interactions of singlet oxygen with enecarbamates

Oxazolidinone-substituted enecarbamates represent a mechanistically rich system for the study of stereoelectronic, steric, and conformational effects on stereoselectivity and mode selectivity in (1)O(2) [2 + 2] and ene reactions. Photooxygenation of these enecarbamates with (1)O(2) leads to diastereomerically pure dioxetanes that decompose to yield an oxazolidinone carbaldehyde and one of the two enantiomers of methyldesoxybenzoin in enantiomeric excess. Stereoselectivity originates at the allylic stereocenter, a result supported by quenching studies, computational analysis, and deuterium solvent isotope effects. [reaction: see text]     

Mechanism and Selectivity of the Oxidative Ring Contraction of Cyclic α‐Formyl Ketones

The oxidative contraction of α‐formal ketone to form continuous all carbon chiral centers promoted by H₂O₂ is widely used in natural product total synthesis. Typically, using this transformation, chiral cyclic ketones are obtained as the major products and ring‐opening products as the minor products. Herein, DFT calculations have been used to investigate the detailed reaction mechanism and chemoselectivity. In addition, with the widely accepted mechanism of H₂O₂‐promoted transformation, our systematic investigation with various explicit‐solvent‐model calculations for the first time shows that H₂O and H₂O₂ are comparable at catalyzing the rate‐determining step of this reaction, which emphasis the importance of solvent effect in such transformations. It is found that both the less ring‐constrain and a later transition state in an exothermic reaction account for the origin why the reaction favors ring‐contraction pathway rather than ring‐opening one. By a comprehensive analysis for the substituted groups, it has been disclosed that the steric effects of the substituted groups on R² and R³ contribute to the selectivity with larger steric hindrance favoring the chiral cyclic products. Moreover, the electronic effects on R¹ but not R³ affect the selectivity with electron‐donating groups leading to the cyclic products. Based on our calculations, some predictions for higher selectivity have been made.     

A qualitative molecular orbital picture of 2-substituted carbonyl derivatives of furan and pyrrole

The conformational preferences for some 2-substituted furans and pyrroles have been studied by MINDO/3 and a qualitative model including solvent effects is proposed.     

Synthesis of 1-Substituted Pyrrole-3-carboxaldehydes

The Vilsmeier-Haack formylation is the route most frequently employed for the introduction of a formyl group into the 2 or 3 position of a pyrrole ring.^2,3 Factors affecting the extent of substitution in the 2 and 3 positions in N-substituted pyrroles under Vilsmeier-Haack conditions have been investigated and the product distribution appears mainly to be the result of steric interactions.^4,5 Although it is relatively simple to introduce a formyl residue into the 2-position of a pyrrole nucleus, considerable molecular manipulation must normally be undertaken to prepare pyrrole-3-carboxaldehydes which do not bear substituents in the 2 and 5 positions of the pyrrole ring.⁶ An alternative method is the generation of isomeric mixtures of pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde and pyrrole-3-carboxaldehyde by the acid mediated rearrangement of t h e corresponding pyrrole-2-carboxaldehydes.     

Synthesis of beta- and gamma-carbolines by the palladium/copper-catalyzed coupling and cyclization of terminal acetylenes

A variety of 3-substituted beta- and gamma-carbolines have been synthesized from N-substituted 3-iodoindole-2-carboxaldehydes and 2-bromoindole-3-carboxaldehydes, respectively. The coupling of these aldehydes with various terminal acetylenes with PdCl(2)(PPh(3))(2)/CuI as the catalyst readily affords the corresponding alkynylindole carboxaldehydes, which have subsequently been converted to the corresponding tert-butylimines and cyclized to beta- and gamma-carbolines by either copper-catalyzed or thermal processes.     

Effects of Aqueous and Organic Solvents on the Conformational Properties of the Helix-Forming alpha-Methyl-beta-L-aspartamyl Residue

The conformational preferences of N-acetyl-N'-methyl-alpha-methyl-beta-L-aspartamide, which is the model compound for helical poly(beta-L-aspartate)s, have been determined by ab initio SCF-MO computations. Two driving patterns have been found for the existing 13 minimum energy conformations: (i) intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions of both amide-amide and amide-ester type; and (ii) repulsive interactions between the four oxygen atoms contained in the molecule. Self-consistent reaction-field (SCRF) calculations based on the method proposed by Miertus, Scrocco, and Tomasi have been performed in order to evaluate the effect of the solvent on the conformational preferences of the compound subject of study. Water and carbon tetrachloride were the solvents chosen for this purpose, and results have been discussed and interpreted on the basis of their electronic structures. The conclusions drawn from this study are of assistance to understand some features of the conformational transitions experimentally found in poly(beta-L-aspartate)s.     

Efficient and mild method for preparation of allylic amines from aziridine-2-alcohols using PPh3/I2/imidazole

Allylic amines are synthesized in good to excellent yields by treatment of aziridine-2-alcohols with PPh₃/I₂/imidazole in THF as solvent under mild conditions.     

Impact of the solvent on the conformational isomerism of calix[4]arenes: a study based on continuum solvation models

The influence of solvation on the conformational isomerism of calix[4]arene and p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene has been investigated by using the continuum model reported by Miertus, Scrocco, and Tomasi (MST). The quantum mechanical (QM) and semiclassical (SC) formalisms of the MST model have been considered for two different solvents (chloroform and water). The suitability of the QM-MST and SC-MST methods has been examined by comparison with previous results derived from classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with explicit solvent molecules. The application of the continuum model to the solute configurations generated by using in vacuo classical MD simulations provides a fast strategy to evaluate the effects of the solvent on the conformational preferences of calixarenes. These encouraging results allow us to propose the use of continuum models to solutes with complex molecular structures, which are traditionally studied by MD simulations.     

Spectroscopic study of 2-[2-(4-cyclaminophenyl)ethen-1-yl] benzothiazoles and their N-allylbenzothiazolium bromides. Solvent and substituent effects on their ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectra.

UV-vis and fluorescence spectra of 2-[2-(4-cyclaminophenyl)ethen-1-yl] benzothiazoles 1 and their N-allylbenzothiazolium bromides 2 have been measured and interpreted. The substitution and solvent effects on electronic structure and spectra have been investigated. The benzothiazolium salts substituted with saturated cyclamines show strong push-pull character and can be used as potential NLO materials. Formation of aggregated structures was observed at higher concentrations of the benzothiazolium bromides.     

Synthesis of beta- and gamma-carbolines by the palladium-catalyzed iminoannulation of internal alkynes

[reaction: see text] A variety of substituted beta- and gamma-carbolines have been prepared in good to excellent yields by the annulation of internal acetylenes by the tert-butylimines of N-substituted 3-iodoindole-2-carboxaldehydes and 2-haloindole-3-carboxaldehydes, respectively, in the presence of a palladium catalyst.     

Kinetic enolate formation by lithium arylamide: effects of basicity on selectivity

Five ketones R1COCH2R2 (1a-e) were enolized in tetrahydrofuran solvent employing lithium arylamides with different electron-withdrawing and -donating substituents on the phenyl ring (4a-e). Enolate selectivity is unaffected by a moderate electron-releasing or -withdrawing group, but significantly enhanced by strong electron-withdrawing substituents to yield predominantly Z-enolate. Outstanding selectivity was achieved with lithium trichloroanilide (5) and lithium diphenylamide (6). The results are rationalized in terms of electronic effects on the tightness of the transition states.     

Probing the influence of solvent effects on the conformational behavior of 1,3-diazacyclohexane systems

The conformational behavior of a 1,3-diazacyclohexane system has been investigated using the DFT B3LYP/6-311+G** level of theory. The structural parameters and relative energies predicted that anomeric effects are operative in the conformations of 1,3-diazacyclohexane. The stability of conformers predicted in the solvent continuum model (water and acetonitrile) is similar to the gas-phase results. The explicit water molecules stabilized the least-stable conformer, and the predictive trend is opposite to that of the gas-phase results. The stability of the conformers in the gas phase is a compromise between avoiding repulsions and maximizing hyperconjugative stabilization. The NBO analysis suggests that the interactions of explicit solvent molecules with 1,3-diazacyclohexane conformers attenuate the anomeric stabilization. The hydrogen-bonding interactions of explicit solvent molecules with 1,3-diazacyclohexane swamped the anomeric effects to alter the conformational stability compared to the gas-phase and solvent continuum model studies.     

Double ring-closing metathesis reaction of nitrogen-containing tetraenes: efficient construction of bicyclic alkaloid skeletons and synthetic application to four stereoisomers of lupinine and their derivatives

The double ring-closing metathesis reaction of nitrogen-containing tetraenes was studied. The selectivity of the fused/dumbbell-type products can be controlled by the electronic/steric effects of the substituents attached to the C[double bond]C bonds and the s-cis/s-trans conformational ratios of the substrates. This methodology has also been successfully applied to the enantioselective synthesis of four stereoisomers of lupinine and their derivatives.     

S-alkylation of thiacalixarenes: a long-neglected possibility in the calixarene family

Despite the high nucleophilicity of sulfur atoms, thiacalixarenes have been alkylated only on oxygen atoms thus far. Using strong alkylating agents (triflates, trialkyloxonium salts), the substitution of the sulfur bridges has been successfully accomplished. The corresponding sulfonium salts of thiacalix[4]arene are formed regio- and stereoselectively as a completely new type of substitution pattern in thiacalixarene chemistry. These compounds possess interesting conformational behavior and could be used as unusual alkylating agents with uncommon selectivity.