Synthesis and characterization of chiral, bridged resorcinarenes as templates for asymmetric catalysis

A full study of the synthesis of chiral, bridged resorcinarenes (3a-3l, 13a, 13b) is presented using Mannich condensation of C_2v-tetraprotected resorcinarenes with chiral 1,n-diamines bearing homochiral α-methylbenzyl auxiliaries at each terminal nitrogen. The study has revealed the methodology to be applicable to preparing a broad range of bridged structures with varying lengths of bridge, different functionality in the bridge and various protecting groups on the upper rim. Reproducible and satisfactory yields in the reaction were only obtained with the pendant R group as methyl. The bridged adducts have been fully characterized by a range of spectroscopic techniques, and NMR has revealed varying trends in the way the various bridges protrude into the cavity. Low temperature NMR as well as X-ray structures of tetramesylate 15 and tetratoluate 3g has revealed hydrogen bonding to the amine nitrogens in the bridge to be an important control element for positioning the bridge relative to the cavity of the bowl. The derivatives provide chiral templates for asymmetric catalysis studies using cooperative effects in the bowl.     

Azobenzene-bridged calix[8]arenes

An azobenzene bridge was introduced into the lower (or smaller) rim of p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene (1) and 1,5-calix[8]crown-3 (2) to form 1,4-singly bridged (3) and 1,5:3,7-doubly bridged (4) calix[8]arene derivatives, respectively. Trans and cis isomers of conformationally rigid 4 were isolated. The quantum yields of the trans-cis photoisomerisation reactions have been measured.     

Adsorption-induced asymmetric transformation of planar-chiral pyridinophanes

Stereocontrol of cyclophane-type planar chirality was investigated via adsorption-induced asymmetric transformation (AIAT) on a series of inorganic porous adsorbents. The rope-skipping equilibria between bridged nicotinamides (S,3′S)-1 and (R,3′S)-2 shifted preferentially to (R,3′S)-2 to accumulate (R)-configuration of planar chirality with up to 61% de (ca. 4/1 ratio) on alumina. The results are in good contrast to accumulation of the corresponding (S)-configuration via conventional crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation (CIAT) to the solid (S,3′S)-1a-d.     

Highly efficient methods for metacyclophane synthesis

Highly efficient methods for synthesizing metacyclophanes such as 2,6-bridged pyrones and pyridines are described. 4-Hydroxy-2-pyrone derivative 3 bridged at the 3 and 6-positions is readily available. This compound was transformed into 2,6-bridged 4-pyrone 4 on heating in ethanol or in hydrochloric acid. Heating 4 with ammonia or methylamine afforded the corresponding 2,6-bridged 4-pyrone 7 or 8. These pyridones were synthesized directly from 3 by treatment with ammonia or methylamine. These methods have a wide applicability to the bridge length of metacyclophane; compounds with a short bridge (n=8) as well as long bridge (n=18) are synthesized in satisfactory yields.     

Cyclisation of benzo[b]thiophen-3(2H)-one 1,1-dioxide and 1,3-indanedione into novel methylene bridged polycyclic diazocines and their rearrangement into spirocyclic compounds

Methylene bridged polycyclic diazocines 2a and 2b were obtained in reactions of 1,3-indanedione, or benzo[b]thiophen-3(2H)one-1,1-dioxide, or 2,2′-methylene derivatives 3a,b with paraformaldehyde and ammonia or hexamethylenetetramine in acidic medium. A structural revision of methylene bridged benzothieno-diazocine 2b based on results of X-ray diffraction analysis is presented. Internal rearrangement of methylene bridged polycyclic diazocines into spiroheterocycles 4a,b is also described.     

Stereocontrolled total syntheses of (±)-clovan-3-one and (±)-epi-clovan-3-one and a facile total synthesis of (±)-pseudoclovene-A

Stereocontrolled total syntheses of the bridged tricyclic ketones (±)-clovan-3-one (5) and (±)-epi-clovan-3-one (6) and a facile total synthesis of the tricyclic sesquiterpene (±)-pseudoclovene-A (3) have been successfully accomplished involving participation of an aryl intramolecular cyclisation of the bromophenol 11 as a key step.     

The first methyl antimony linked dimeric tetrathiafulvalene and tetraselenafulvalenes

In quest of novel organic donors, dimeric tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and tetraselenafulvalenes (TSFs) linked by a single or double methyl antimony bridge, MeSb(TTF)₂ (1), (MeSb)₂(TSF)₂ (cis-2 and trans-2), and MeSb(TSF)₂ (3), have been synthesized. Singly bridged 1 and 3 show three pairs of redox waves, whereas doubly bridged cis-2 and trans-2 show two pairs of redox waves similarly to TSF. The X-ray structural analyses of neutral crystals, 1, cis-2 and trans-2, have succeeded. In their structures, antimony and chalcogen atoms form close intermolecular contacts useful in constructing supramolecular networks.     

Dimolybdenum complexes containing anions of N,N′-bis(pyrimidine-2-yl)formamidine and N-(2-pyrimidinyl)formamide

The reactions of Mo₂(O₂CCH₃)₄ with different equivalents of N,N′-bis(pyrimidine-2-yl)formamidine (HL1) and N-(2-pyrimidinyl)formamide (HL2) afforded dimolybdenum complexes of the types Mo₂(O₂CCH₃)(L1)₂(L2) (1) trans-Mo₂(L1)₂(L2)₂ (2) cis-Mo₂(L1)₂(L2)₂ (3) and Mo₂(L2)₄ (4). Their UV–Vis and NMR spectra have been recorded and their structures determined by X-ray crystallography. Complexes 2 and 3 establish the first pair of trans and cis forms of dimolybdenum complexes containing formamidinate ligands. The L1 ligands in 1–3 are bridged to the metal centers through two central amine nitrogen atoms, while the L2 ligands in 1–4 are bridged to the metal centers via one pyrimidyl nitrogen atom and the amine nitrogen atom. The Mo–Mo distances of complexes 1 [2.0951(17) Å], 2 [2.103(1) Å] and 3 [2.1017(3) Å], which contain both Mo?N and Mo?O axial interactions, are slightly longer than those of complex 4 [2.0826(12)–2.0866(10) Å] which has only Mo?O interactions.     

Gold catalysis in stereoselective natural product synthesis: (+)-linalool oxide, (−)-isocyclocapitelline, and (−)-isochrysotricine

A stereoselective synthesis of the tetrahydrofuran-containing natural products (2S,5R)-(+)-linalool oxide (1), (−)-isocyclocapitelline (2), and (−)-isochrysotricine (3) is reported. Key steps are the copper-mediated S_N2′-substitution of propargyl oxiranes 7 and the gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of dihydroxyallenes 8/17, resulting in a highly efficient center-to-axis-to-center chirality transfer. The enantioselective total synthesis of (−)-isocyclocapitelline (2) and (−)-isochrysotricine (3) allowed the elucidation of the absolute configuration of these β-carboline natural products.     

Star-shaped triphenylamine terminated difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes: synthesis,photophysical and electrochemical properties

Two new star-shaped difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes (TBC)₃Ph and (TBF)₃Ph, in which the terminal groups of triphenylamine functionalized difluoroboron β-diketonates were bridged by carbazole or fluorene to the core of 1,3,5-benzene, have been synthesized. It was found that they gave high molar extinction coefficients, meaning strong light-harvesting ability, and emitted intense yellow light with fluorescence quantum yields (Φ_F) of 0.73 and 0.67 for (TBC)₃Ph and (TBF)₃Ph, respectively, in toluene as well as red light in solid states with Φ_F of 0.36 and 0.27, respectively. The electrochemical behaviors suggested that they had considerably higher electron affinities than tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (AlQ₃), which indicated that they could be used as electron-transporting materials besides emitting materials.     

Syntheses, crystal structures and magnetic properties of two dicopper(II) complexes and a zigzag 1-D Cu(II) complex of a bidentate pyridyl-pyrazole ligand

Two new dinuclear copper compounds, [Cu₂(pypz)₂(N₃)₂(NO₃)₂] (1) and [Cu₂(pypz)₂(OH)₂(NO₃)₂] (2), and one 1-D polymeric Cu(II) complex, [Cu(pypz)(dca)₃]_n (3) [‘pypz’ = (3,5dimethyl-1-(2′-pyridyl)pyrazole) and dca = (dicyanamide)], have been synthesized and characterized crystallographically and spectroscopically. Complex 1 is pseudo-octahedral, adjacent Cu atoms are connected by a pair of μ(1,1) azido groups and the structure is stabilized by π-π interactions between two pyridyl moieties from two different neighboring complex molecules. Complexes 2 and 3 are square pyramidal. The hydroxo bridged complex 2 is further stabilized through H-bonding. The 1-D polymeric chain of 3 is bridged by an end-to-end dicyanamide bridge and it propagates along the crystallographic b axis, whilst the polymer chains are stacked one upon another along the crystallographic c axis. Low temperature magnetic measurement shows that complexes 1 and 2 are ferromagnetic (J values are 30.81 and 14.79 cm⁻¹, respectively), whereas due to larger Cu-Cu distances, complex 3 shows weak ferromagnetism.     

Synthesis of planar-chiral bridged bipyridines and terpyridines by metal-mediated coupling reactions of pyridinophanes

We have accomplished efficient synthesis of planar-chiral bridged 2,2′-bipyridine (S)-6, C₂-symmetric bipyridinophane (S,S)-7, bridged 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridines (S)-11, and C₂-symmetric terpyridine (S,S)-12 by metal-mediated biaryl cross-coupling or homo-coupling reactions of the corresponding 6-halo[10](2,5)pyridinophanes. Stille-type and Negishi cross-coupling reactions are particularly useful for the syntheses of 6, 11, and 12. On the other hand, nickel-mediated homo-coupling reaction worked best for achieving the synthesis of structurally unique bipyridinophane 7.     

Synthesis, X-ray structures, and catalytic activities of (κ-C,N)-palladacycles bearing imidazol-2-ylidenes

Quaternisation of methylimidazole (1) by methyl substituted benzyl bromides afforded imidazolium salts (2) which were converted to (κ²-C,N)-palladacycles bearing imidazol-2-ylidenes 6 or 7, by either in situ deprotonation or via Ag-NHC intermediate (3), using the bridged palladacycles 4 or 5, respectively. The palladacycles 6 and 7 were characterized by elemental analysis; NMR spectroscopy and the molecular structure of 6c and 7c were determined by X-ray crystallography. The complexes 6 and 7 display high activity in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of a range of aryl bromides.     

First total synthesis of modiolide A, based on the whole-cell yeast-catalyzed asymmetric reduction of a propargyl ketone

While the first total synthesis of modiolide A (1a), a 10-membered ring lactone with a marine-origin was achieved, an important chiral building block for constructing the chirality at C-4 in 1a, (S)-6-[(4-methoxybenzyl)oxy]-1-trimethylsilyl-1-hexyn-3-ol (3a) was obtained in as high as 96.1% ee. Asymmetric reduction of a silylated propargyl ketone (5) mediated by whole-cell of Pichia minuta IAM 12215 was established. This yeast-mediated reduction was also applicable to provide stereochemically pure (3S,5R)-5-[(4-methoxybenzyl)oxy]-1-trimethylsilyl-1-hexyn-3-ol (15), a synthetic intermediate for the related 10-membered lactone, tuckolide (16).     

A common approach to the total synthesis of l-arabino-, l-ribo-C18-phytosphingosines, ent-2-epi-jaspine B and 3-epi-jaspine B from d-mannose

A common strategy for the total syntheses of the protected l-arabino- and l-ribo-C₁₈-phytosphingosine (8 and 9, respectively), HCl salts of ent-2-epi-jaspine B (ent-6) and 3-epi-jaspine B (7) with efficient use of both flexible building blocks 26 and 27 was achieved. The key step of this approach was [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic trichloroacetimidate 21 and thiocyanate 22, which were derived from the known 2,3:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-d-mannofuranose 18 as the source of chirality. The side chain functionality was installed utilizing a Wittig reaction.     

Catalytic enantioselective borane reduction of arylketones with pinene-derived amino alcohols

Both cis- and trans-1,2-amino alcohols 5 and their N-alkylated derivatives 6 were prepared from (−)-α-pinene 7 as chirality source and utilized in asymmetric borane reduction of arylketones 12 employing a one-pot multi-substrate screening. The oxazaborolidine catalysts were generated in situ from amino alcohols 5 and 6 and trimethyl borate.     

Syntheses, crystal structures, and electrochemical properties of multi-ferrocenyl resorcinarenes

Tetraaryl and tetraferrocenyl resorcinarenes 1a-1c have been synthesized by the HCl-catalyzed condensation of resorcinol with aromatic aldehydes or ferrocenecarbaldehyde, which were fully alkylated with ethyl α-chloroacetate to give the activated ethyl resorcinarylacetates 2a-2c. Reaction of 2a-2c with hydrated hydrazine yielded the resorcinarene acylhydrazine derivatives 3a-3c, from which the multi-ferrocenyl functional groups were selectively and efficiently introduced on the upper rim, or on the lower rim, or both on the upper and lower rims of resorcinarenes 4a-4c and calixarenes 4d-4f based upon the condensation reactions of acylhydrazones with ferrocenecarboxaldehyde.     

Synchronized stereocontrol of planar chirality by crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation

Synchronized stereocontrol of two planar-chiral units was accomplished by using crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation (CIAT) of cyclophane-type bridged bisnicotinate derivatives 5b and 7. After screening various linkers, (S)-2-amino-1-butanol and (S)-tert-leucinol were found to be the most effective for CIAT of the corresponding bridged bisnicotinate 5b and 7, respectively, whose diastereomeric ratio finally reached 97% and 88%, respectively.     

Translation of helical chirality from polymer into monomer: supramolecular polymerization of a chirality-memory molecule with an asymmetric Pd(II) complex

A chirality-memorizing saddle-shaped porphyrin (1_2H) with 3,5-dipyridylphenyl side arms at the opposite meso positions underwent supramolecular polymerization in CH₂Cl₂ with a chiral Pd(II) complex of 2,2′-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1′-binaphthyl (Pd^II(BINAP)), forming a ladder-shaped polymer (3_2H) with a prevailing one-handed helical chirality. When this polymer was poured into AcOH containing 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (DPPP) as a decomplexing agent, 3_2H was depolymerized in a stereochemically retentive way to give optically active 1_2H, hydrogen-bonded with AcOH. Although a cyclodimeric reference of 3_2H, formed from 2_2H having two 3-pyridylphenyl meso substituents in conjunction with Pd^II(BINAP), behaved similar to 3_2H, the translation efficiency of helical chirality was lower than that in the case with 3_2H.     

New stibines containing acetal and formyl group: Platinum complex and unexpected oxastibol derivative

A new tertiary stibine ligand (1) containing acetal group at the ortho-position has been synthesized. This new stibine was then complexed with to obtain trans-PtCl₂L₂ (2) where stibine acts as a monodentate ligand. The acetal was hydrolyzed in a slightly acidic medium and forms a very new stibine (3) containing formyl group at the ortho-position. When (3) was reduced with NaBH₄ an unusual oxastibol (4) derivative was obtained under the experimental conditions used.All the compounds were characterized by IR, mass, ¹H, ¹³C, COSY and HETCOR NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of (2), (3) and (4) were determined. Compound (3) crystallizes in two different polymorphs (3a) and (3b) and both the polymorphs show hypervalent antimony with three Sb?O interactions and the molecule exists in O-cis-exo configuration. Compound (4) shows intramolecular Sb?O interactions. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on organoantimony compounds containing carbonyl groups though their phosphorus and bismuth analogues are well known. Compound (2) shows helicoidal chirality, which is a very new concept in antimony chemistry