Re2O7‐Mediated Dehydrative Cyclization Reactions: Total Synthesis of Herboxidiene and Its 12‐Desmethyl Analogue

Re₂O₇ catalysis effects efficient and stereoselective dehydrative cyclization reactions from monoallylic diols, with stereocontrol arising from thermodynamic equilibration. This method was applied to a rapid synthesis of the spliceosome inhibitor herboxidiene. The route was also utilized for the synthesis of an analogue that highlights the importance of a single methyl group in biasing the conformation in the acyclic region of the molecule.     

A convergent and stereoselective synthesis of a seco-precursor of macrolactin A

A seco-precursor of macrolactin A was synthesized by coupling two advanced segments. Wittig reaction and Horner-Emmons reaction were utilized to construct the three characteristic E,Z and E,E dienes. The C₁-C₁₀ segment was synthesized through Horner-Emmons reaction with phosphonate reagent. The α-alkylation of sulfone stabilized anion with allyl bromide followed by desulfonation gave the C₁₁-C₂₄ segment.     

Au-catalyzed cyclization of monoallylic diols

The Ph3PAuCl/AgOTf-catalyzed cyclization of monoallylic diols to form tetrahydropyrans is reported. The reactions proceed rapidly at temperatures as low as -78 degrees C with catalyst loadings as low as 0.1 mol % to provide the products in 79-99% yield. A broad range of structurally diverse substrates perform well in the reaction. When 2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans are produced, the reaction is highly diastereoselective for the 2,6-cis product.     

Alkynylcyanation of alkynes and dienes catalyzed by nickel

Alkynyl cyanides are found to add across alkynes and 1,2-dienes in the presence of a catalyst prepared in situ from Ni(cod)₂, xantphos, and BPh₃. A range of functionalized conjugated cis-enynes are obtained with high regioselectivity. The addition reaction across norbornadiene proceeds in the absence of BPh₃ to give exo-cis adduct exclusively. A stoichiometric reaction of an alkynyl cyanide, Ni(cod)₂, xantphos, and BPh₃ gives trans-(xantphos)Ni(CNBPh₃)(CCSiMe₂t-Bu), which is suggested to be a plausible reaction intermediate of the alkynylcyanation reaction.     

Kinetics and mechanism of cyclohexene hydrocarbomethoxylation catalyzed by a Pd(II) complex

The kinetics of cyclohexene hydrocarbomethoxylation catalyzed by the Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂-PPh₃-p-toluenesulfonic acid (TSA) is reported. The reaction is first-order with respect to cyclohexene and TSA and of order 0.5 with respect to Pd(PPh₃)₂Cl₂. The reaction rate as a function of CO pressure or methanol or PPh₃ concentration passes through an extremum. The chloride anion inhibits the reaction. A mechanism involving cationic hydride complexes as intermediates is suggested. A rate equation is set up by the quasi-steady-state treatment of experimental data.     

How does the extent of substitution of methane with chlorine influence the mechanism and kinetics of the reactions between chloromethanes and atomic chlorine

A theoretical investigation of the reaction mechanism and kinetics of the reaction between chloromethanes CH_4–xCl_x (x = 1–3) and chlorine atoms was performed. The height of the reaction barrier was found to decrease with the degree of substitution of chloromethanes with atomic chlorine. A direct dynamics method was employed to study the kinetic nature of these hydrogen-abstraction reactions. The sequence of calculated reaction rate coefficients is: k(CH₃Cl + Cl) < k(CH₂Cl₂ + Cl) < k(CHCl₃ + Cl).     

Dynamic aspects of the reaction O(1D) + H2S → OH + SH

The energy distribution of nascent OH(²Π, υ, J) produced in the reaction of O(¹D) with H₂S has been measured by laser-induced fluorescence. The rotational distributions in υ″ = 0 and υ″ = 1 are Boltzmannian with temperature parameters T_r″-0 = 2300 ± 100 K and T_r⁻-1 = 2650 ± 150 K. A population ratio N(υ″ = 1)/N(υ″ = 0) = 0.17 is observed. The product-state distribution over the different spin and A components is statistically within the experimental uncertainty of 20%. A comparison of the OH product populations from the title reaction with the well known OH yield from the O(¹D)+H₂O reaction shows that 25% of the reactive encounters follow the reaction channel which produces OH in υ″ = 0 and υ″ = 1.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of thioamides: a concise asymmetric synthesis of (R)-fluoxetine

A direct catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction of aromatic aldehydes and thioamides is described. A soft Lewis acid/hard Brønsted base cooperative catalyst comprising (R,R)-Ph-BPE/[Cu(CH₃CN)₄]PF₆/Li(OC₆H₄-p-OMe) promoted the title reaction efficiently, triggered by in situ generation of the active thioamide enolate through a soft–soft interaction of Cu(I) and the thioamide. The aldol product was transformed into (R)-fluoxetine, an antidepressant agent.     

The production of H(2S) atoms in the energy-transfer reaction of O2(1Δg) with HO2(X̃2A″)

The reaction of O₂(¹Δg) with HO₂(X?) was studied in an isothermal flow reactor in the pressure range 7?p? 10.7 mbar at temperatures between 299?T? 423 K. H-atom production was observed in the reaction O₂(¹Δg) + HO₂(òA′) - H(²S)+ 2O₂ (³Σ_g^?). The rate of this reaction (k₁) is estimated to be k₁ = (1 ± 0.5) × 10¹⁴ CM³ Mol^?1 s^?1. The implications of this reaction to recent determinations of the rate of the reaction H + O₂(¹Δg) are discussed.     

Alkenoxy radicals in gas-phase reactions of alkenes with oxygen atoms or ozone

Observations in the O₃ + trans-2-butene reaction system and in the O + trans-2-butene + O₂ reaction system suggest the intermediacy of alkenoxy radicals. A mechanism is proposed for the production of C_n and C_m (m <n) alkenoxy radicals by the reaction of C_nH_2n alkenes with oxygen atoms or with ozone.     

Concise synthesis of quinazoline alkaloids, luotonins A and B, and rutaecarpine

The total synthesis of luotonin A was achieved in excellent yield by using a Pd-assisted biaryl coupling reaction of N-(bromoquinolinyl)methylquinazolinone with Cy₃P and KOAc. The successive treatment of luotonin A with NBS and aq. AgNO₃ gave luotonin B in good yield. Although the Pd-assisted coupling reaction of N-(2-bromoindolyl)ethylquinazolinone with Cy₃P and KOAc yielded rutaecarpine in poor yield, N-acetate under the same reaction conditions yielded the desired rutaecarpine directly in excellent yield.     

A new reaction of diazomethane with norbornyl α-diketones

A new reaction of diazomethane with norbornyl α-diketones in MeOH as solvent leading regioselectively to ketals is described. The mechanistic details of this intriguing reaction were investigated employing d₄-MeOH, EtOH and d₆-EtOH. The surprising observation of complete deuterium incorporation in the diazomethane-derived methoxy group was accounted for by sequential deuterium exchange between the initially formed hemiketal d₄-18 and diazomethane in the presence of d₄-MeOH as solvent.     

Stereoselective anti-SN2′ Mitsunobu reaction of α-hydroxy-α-alkenylsilanes

A novel silyl group-directed anti-S_N2′ reaction of allylic alcohols under Mitsunobu reaction conditions is described. The Mitsunobu reaction of α-hydroxy-α-alkenylsilanes with a TBS or TIPS group gave the anti-S_N2′ product, in which regio- and stereochemical outcomes of the reaction depended on the steric bulkiness of the silyl group.     

Preparation and thermal degradation kinetics of terpolymer poly(?-caprolactone-co-1,2-butylene carbonate)

Poly(?-caprolactone-co-1,2-butylene carbonate) (PBCCL) was successfully synthesized via terpolymerization of carbon dioxide, 1,2-butylene oxide(BO) and ?-caprolactone (CL). A polymer-supported bimetallic complex (PBM) was used as catalyst. The influences of various reaction conditions such as reaction content, reaction time and reaction temperature on properties of terpolymers were investigated. When CL content increased, the viscosity-average molecular weights (M_v), glass transition temperature (T_g) and decomposition temperature (T_d) of PBCCL improved relative to those of poly(1,2-butylene carbonate) (PBC). Prolonging the reaction time resulted in increase in M_v and T_g. As reaction temperature increased, the molar fractions of CL (fCL) increased obviously. When the reaction temperature went beyond 80 °C, the resulting copolymers tended to be crystalline. The thermal properties and degradation behaviors of PBCCL were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The apparent activation energy and thermal degradation model of PBCCL was estimated by means of Ozawa-Flynn-Wall method and Phadnis-Deshpande method, respectively. The results showed that T_g and T_d of the terpolymer PBCCL were much higher than those of PBC. The thermal degradation behavior of PBCCL was evidenced by one-step thermal degradation profile. The average apparent activation energy is 77.06 kJ/mol, the thermal degradation kinetics follows the power law thermal decomposition model.     

Influence of unsaturated aliphatic and aromatic volatile organic compounds on the oxidation of aqueous sulfur dioxide by oxygen in aqueous medium

The trace atmospheric volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are reported to influence the oxidation of dissolved sulfur dioxide, S(IV), by oxygen, which is an important reaction in atmospheric acid formation. In this work, the influence of 15 VOCs on uncatalyzed oxidation of S(IV) by oxygen has been investigated by following the disappearance of [O₂]. The inhibition of oxidation reaction by toluene, aniline, benzene, cinnamic acid, hydroquinone, acrylamide, acrylonitrile and allyl alcohol was defined by the rate law(A):k_VOC = k₀/(1+B [Inh]) (A)where, k_VOC, and k₀ are the first order rate constants in the presence and the absence of VOCs respectively. B is the inhibition parameter and [Inh] is the concentration of inhibitor.On the other hand, fumaric, maleic and crotonic acids, which have conjugated CC bonds, catalyze the reaction defined by the rate law(B):k_VOC = k₀ + k_cat [VOC] (B)where k_cat is catalytic constant and [VOC] is the concentration of catalytic VOC.Interestingly, presence of 1-hexene, cyclohexene, methacrylic acid, methyl acrylate was without any significant effect on the rate of reaction.     

The oxidation of thiosulphate ions by octacyanotungstate(V) in weak acidic medium

The kinetics of the oxidation of thiosulphate ions by octacyanotungstate(V) ions has been studied in the pH range 3.9–5.0. The reaction showed zero-order kinetics with respect to [W(CN)₈^3?] and is consistent with the rate law R = k[H⁺][S₂O₃^2?]². A reaction mechanism is proposed for the reaction with a third-order rate constant of 0.26 M^?2 s^?1 at 25°C.     

A simple conversion of azlactones into indenones via H3PW12O40/Al2O3 catalyzed intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction

A rapid and simple procedure for the synthesis of the indenone derivatives, N-(1-oxo-1H-inden-2-yl)benzamides, via intramolecular Friedel-Crafts (IFC) reaction of (Z)-4-arylidene-2-phenyl-5(4)-oxazolones (azlactones) catalyzed by H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ supported on neutral alumina under microwave irradiation has been developed. The reaction is straightforward and allows easy isolation of the product. The catalyst could be re-used up to four times after simple filtration.     

Direct catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reactions of isomerizable aliphatic imines: chemoselective enolate formation from a hydroxyketone by a Zn-catalyst

A direct catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction of isomerizable aliphatic imines is described. A Et₂Zn/(S,S)-linked-BINOL complex was suitable for chemoselective enolate formation from a hydroxyketone in the presence of isomerizable aliphatic N-diphenylphosphinoyl imines. The reaction proceeds smoothly and β-alkyl-β-amino-α-hydroxyketones were obtained in good yield and high enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee), albeit in modest to low diastereoselectivity.     

Reply to comment on an unexpected symmetry of the Coulomb potential in the Debye-Smoluchowski equation

A properly modified inner boundary condition is used in an analysis of the conditional reaction probability, φ^*_R (r₀, t), using the Debye-Smoluchowski equation. It is shown that the Coulomb potential modifies the reaction velocity at the boundary by the addition of a drift term. φ^*_R (r₀, t) is identifical for attractive and repulsive cases if a constant term is added to the boundary velocity for the attractive potential.     

A sliding mass model to rationalize effects of reagent rotation on reaction cross sections

A sliding mass model for three-center reactions is formulated which proves to be useful to rationalize the dependence of integral reaction cross section (σ_r) on reagent rotation (j) by topographic attributes of the potential energy surface (PES). The model allows a clear definition of frequently used terms like “cone of acceptance” and “disruption of the favoured orientation” by rotation. A computational study of reaction probabilities uncovers intimate relations between steric properties of reagent interaction and the shape of σ_r(j). The oscillatory structure of σ_r(j) predicted by NoorBatcha and Sathyamurthy for the reaction Li + HF → LiF + H is shown to be due to the ill asymptotic behaviour of the used PES (Carter and Murrell's best fit function to the ab initio of Chen and Schaefer).