EBC‐219: A New Diterpene Skeleton,Crotinsulidane, from the Australian Rainforest Containing a Bridgehead Double Bond

EBC‐219 ( 4 ), isolated from Croton insularis (Baill), was established by spectroscopic and DFT methods as the first member of a new diterpene skeletal class, uniquely defined by the presence of a bicyclo[10.2.1] bridgehead olefin. The proposed biogenetic pathway to 4 from the co‐isolated natural products EBC‐131 ( 1 ), EBC‐180 ( 2 ) and EBC‐181 ( 3 ) is highly likely. EBC‐180 ( 2 ) and EBC‐181 ( 3 ) showed moderate to strong cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines.     

EBC‐219: A New Diterpene Skeleton,Crotinsulidane, from the Australian Rainforest Containing a Bridgehead Double Bond

EBC‐219 ( 4 ), isolated from Croton insularis (Baill), was established by spectroscopic and DFT methods as the first member of a new diterpene skeletal class, uniquely defined by the presence of a bicyclo[10.2.1] bridgehead olefin. The proposed biogenetic pathway to 4 from the co‐isolated natural products EBC‐131 ( 1 ), EBC‐180 ( 2 ) and EBC‐181 ( 3 ) is highly likely. EBC‐180 ( 2 ) and EBC‐181 ( 3 ) showed moderate to strong cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines.     

Anticancer Agents from the Australian Tropical Rainforest: Spiroacetals EBC‐23, 24, 25, 72, 73, 75 and 76

EBC‐23, 24, 25, 72, 73, 75 and 76 were isolated from the fruit of Cinnamomum laubatii (family Lauraceae) in the Australian tropical rainforests. EBC‐23 ( 1 ) was synthesized stereoselectively, in nine linear steps in 8 % overall yield, to confirm the reported relative stereochemistry and determine the absolute stereochemistry. Key to the total synthesis was a series of Tietze–Smith linchpin reactions. The novel spiroacetal structural motif, exemplified by EBC‐23 ( 1 ), was found to inhibit the growth of the androgen‐independent prostate tumor cell line DU145 in the mouse model, indicating potential for the treatment of refractory solid tumors in adults.     

9,10‐Diarylanthracenes as Molecular Switches: Syntheses,Properties, Isomerisations and Their Reactions with Singlet Oxygen

A series of 9,10‐diarylanthracenes with various substituents at the ortho positions have been synthesised by palladium‐catalysed cross‐coupling reactions. Such compounds exhibit interesting physical properties and can be applied as molecular switches. Despite the high steric demand of the substituents, products were formed in moderate‐to‐good yields. In some cases, microwave conditions further improved yields. Bis‐coupling afforded two isomers (syn and anti) that do not interconvert at room temperature. These products were easily separated and their relative stereochemistries were unequivocally assigned by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray analysis. The syn and anti isomers exhibit different physical properties (e.g., melting points and solubilities) and interconversion by rotation around the aryl–aryl axis commences at <100 °C for fluoro‐substituted diarylanthracenes and at >300 °C for alkyl‐ or alkoxy‐substituted diarylanthracenes. The reactions with singlet oxygen were studied separately and revealed different reactivities and reaction pathways. The yields and reactivities depend on the size and electronic nature of the substituents. The anti isomers form the same 9,10‐endoperoxides as the syn species, occasionally accompanied by unexpected 1,4‐endoperoxides as byproducts. Thermolysis of the endoperoxides exclusively yielded the syn isomers. The interesting rotation around the aryl–aryl axis allows the application of 9,10‐diarylanthracenes as molecular switches, which are triggered by light and air under mild conditions. Finally, the oxygenation and thermolysis sequence provides a simple, synthetic access to a single stereoisomer (syn) from an unselective coupling step.     

Single‐breath analysis using a novel simple sampler and capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductometric detection

The analysis of ionic content of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) from one single breath by CE with C⁴D is demonstrated for the first time. A miniature sampler made from a 2‐mL syringe and an aluminum cooling cylinder for collection of EBC was developed. Various parameters of the sampler that influence its collection efficiency, repeatability, and effect of respiratory patterns were studied in detail. Efficient procedures for the cleanup of the miniature sampler were also developed and resulted in significant improvement of sampling repeatability. Analysis of EBC was performed by CE‐C⁴D in a 60 mM MES/l ‐histidine BGE with 30 μM CTAB and 2 mM 18‐crown‐6 at pH 6 and excellent repeatability of migration times (RSD < 1.3% (n = 7)) and peak areas (RSD < 7% (n = 7)) of 12 inorganic anions, cations, and organic acids was obtained. It has been shown that the breathing pattern has a significant impact on the concentration of the analytes in the collected EBC. As the ventilatory pattern can be easily controlled during single exhalation, the developed collection system and method provides a highly reproducible and fast way of collecting EBC with applicability in point‐of‐care diagnostics.     

Thioxanthone–anthracene‐9‐carboxylic acid as radical photoinitiator in the presence of atmospheric air

Thioxanthone–anthracene‐9‐carboxylic acid (TX‐ANCA) namely 14‐oxo‐14H‐naphthol [2,3‐b]thioxanten‐12‐carboxylic acid, is synthesized and characterized as part of our continuing interest for syntheses of polyaromatic initiators. Photoinitiator, TX‐ANCA have good absorption properties in the UV and visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum (ɛ₃₇₀: 9080 M⁻¹cm⁻¹, ɛ₄₃₀: 6151 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹). The fluorescence quantum yield is calculated as 0.1 which is slightly higher than of the parent thioxanthone compound (φ_f: 0.07). The phosphorescence lifetime is found to be 39 ms. The possible initiating mechanism of TX‐ANCA is based on photoexcitation of TX‐ANCA and quenching of triplet excited states of TX‐ANCA by molecular oxygen generates singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen reacts with the anthracene moiety of TX‐ANCA possibly forms an endoperoxide. The endoperoxides undergoes photochemical or thermal decomposition to form radicals which are able to initiate free radical polymerization. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1878–1883     

Helicene‐Grafted Silica Nanoparticles Capture Hetero‐Double‐Helix Intermediates during Self‐Assembly Gelation

A mixture of a pseudoenantiomeric ethynylhelicene (M)‐tetramer and a (P)‐pentamer forms a hetero‐double‐helix in a solution, which self‐assembles and gelates solvents. When gelation was conducted in the presence of chiral silica (P)‐nanoparticles grafted with (P)‐helicene, the resulting hetero‐double‐helix intermediate was adsorbed on the (P)‐nanoparticles, and was removed from the solution by aggregation and precipitation. The resulting precipitates contained only the hetero‐double‐helix, not random coil or clusters of the hetero‐double‐helix. (P)‐Nanoparticles did not extract the hetero‐double‐helix from the self‐assembly gels. The hetero‐double‐helix was then isolated by liberating it from the precipitates in 2‐bromopropionic acid, and was crystallized from the solution. The crystalline hetero‐double‐helices were isolated for several other combinations of pseudoenantiomeric ethynylhelicene oligomers.     

Synthesis of 4‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazolidine‐3,5‐dione derivatives through cyclic transformations of 3‐(2‐phenylcarbazoyl)‐2(3H)‐benzoxazolone derivatives

Four 3‐(3‐benzylidene‐2‐phenylcarbazoyl)‐2(3H)‐benzoxazolone derivatives 3 have been synthesized from benzoxazolone derivatives 1 and benzaldehyde N‐chloroformylphenylhydrazone 2. By acid hydrolysis, these compounds yielded 3‐(2‐phenylcarbazoyl)‐2(3H)benzoxazolone derivatives 4 which were not isolated and were transformed via an intramolecular reaction into 4‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐triazolidine‐3,5‐dione derivatives 5 in a good yield. Attempts to cyclize these compounds by intramolecular elimination of water into tricyclic compounds 6 with various dehydrating agents were unsuccessful.     

Isolation and spectral study of 4‐methyl‐6,8‐dihydroxy‐7H‐benz[de]anthracen‐7‐one

4‐Methyl‐6,8‐dihydroxy‐7H‐benz[de]anthracen‐7‐one was isolated from the sap of Aloe by column chromatography. Its ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra were completely assigned by utilizing two‐dimensional ¹H‐detected heteronuclear one‐bond (HMQC) and multiple‐bond (HMBC) chemical shift correlation experiments together with ¹H–¹H COSY and DEPT techniques. These techniques were also valuable in assigning the protons and carbons of those benzanthrone compounds which were previously incompletely reported because of the overlap of proton signals. The molecular structure was elucidated by 2D NMR analysis. The spectral properties (MS, IR and UV) are also presented. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cycloaddition Reactions of 7‐Benzylidenecycloocta‐1,3,5‐triene with Ethenetetracarbonitrile and 4‐Phenyl‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3,5(4H)‐dione

An (E)/(Z) mixture (3 : 2) of 7‐benzylidenecycloocta‐1,3,5‐triene ( 5 ) is obtained when 1‐benzylcycloocta‐1,3,5,7‐tetraene ( 7 ), prepared by an improved procedure, is treated with t‐BuOK in THF. Alternatively, a ca. 9 : 1 mixture (E)/(Z)‐ 5 can be prepared in a Wittig reaction involving benzaldehyde and cycloocta‐2,4,6‐trien‐1‐ylidenetriphenylphoshorane ( 9 ). Treatment of (E)/(Z)‐ 5 88 : 12 with ethenetetracarbonitrile (TCNE) gave a complex mixture of products, from which seven mono‐adducts and two bis‐adducts were isolated (Sect. 2.2.1). Of the mono‐adducts, four are π4+π2 adducts: two ((E)‐ and (Z)‐isomers) are derived from valence tautomers of the two isomers of (E)/(Z)‐ 5 , while it is tentatively suggested that the other two (again (E)‐ and (Z)‐isomers) are formed from the intermediacy of a pentadienyl zwitterion (Sect. 2.3). The remaining three mono‐adducts, two of which are epimers, are π8+π2 adducts. It is suggested that they are derived from the intermediacy of homotropylium zwitterions (Sect. 2.3). For the two bis‐adducts, it is postulated that they are derived from an initial π2+π2 cycloaddition involving the homotropylium zwitterions followed by π4+π2 cycloaddition to the valence tautomer of each of the π2+π2 cycloadducts. With 4‐phenyl‐3H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3,5(4H)‐dione ( 6 ), (E)/(Z)‐ 5 91 : 9 yielded two π4+π2 cycloadducts ((E)‐ and (Z)‐isomers) as well as two epimeric π8+π2 cycloadducts (Sect. 2.2.2). The intermediacy of pentadienyl (tentative suggestion) and homotropylium zwitterions accounts for the formation of the products (Sect. 2.3).     

Synthesis of 3‐thiocyanato‐1H,3H‐quinoline‐2,4‐diones

4‐Hydroxy‐1H‐quinolin‐2‐ones ( 1 ) react with thiocyanogen in acetic acid to the corresponding 3‐thiocyanato‐1H,3H‐quinoline‐2,4‐diones ( 2 ) in good yields. In some cases, 3‐bromo‐1H,3H‐quinoline‐2,4‐diones ( 4 ) were isolated as minor reaction products. Compounds 2 are very reactive towards nucleophiles and easily hydrolyze to the corresponding 4‐hydroxy‐1H‐quinoline‐2‐ones ( 1 ).     

Synthesis of (±)‐Trinervitadiene‐2,3‐diol

The first synthesis of trinervita‐1(15),8(19)‐dien‐2β,3α‐diol ( 2a ) and its 2α‐isomer 2b , which have been isolated from termite soldiers, where they are used as defense chemicals, is documented starting from geranylgeranioic acid in 33 steps. The route for construction of the key intermediate of the trinervitane skeleton 8 has been developed previously (Scheme 1). Noteworthy features include the efficient construction of the trinervitane framework from the corresponding bicyclic 7(16)‐secotrinervitane skeleton and Me₃SiCl (TMSCl)‐induced ring‐opening of tetrasubstituted epoxide to give the corresponding allyl alcohols (Scheme 7). The synthetic route developed in the present study seems applicable to the syntheses of other trinervitane‐type natural products.     

Multiple intramolecular hydrogen bonds in 2,4‐di‐tert‐butyl‐6‐[N‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)‐P,P‐diphenylphosphorimidoyl]phenol

The title compound, C₃₈H₄₈NOP, isolated from the reaction of (2‐diphenylphosphanyl‐4,6‐di‐tert‐butyl)phenol with 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl azide at 273 K, can act as an N,O‐bidentate ligand. Crystal structure analysis shows a deviation from ideal tetrahedral symmetry around the P atom. The molecule exists as a monomer in the solid state, whose conformation is stabilized via multiple intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Geometric parameters from both experimental and theoretical calculations are compared.     

Access to New Endoperoxide Derivatives by Electrochemical Oxidation of Substituted 3‐Azabicyclo[4.1.0]hept‐4‐enes

A series of substituted 3‐azabicyclo[4.1.0]hept‐4‐ene derivatives were prepared and analysed by cyclic voltammetry. Preparative aerobic electrochemical oxidation reactions were then carried out. Three original endoperoxides were isolated, characterised and subjected to antimalarial and cytotoxicity activity assays.     

An Efficient Two‐Step Synthesis of New 5‐Substituted‐1H‐tetrazoles of Biological Interest

A simple procedure for the synthesis and characterization of new 3‐alkoxy‐3‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)propionic acids and 2‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)tetrahydrofuran‐ and ‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)‐2H‐pyran‐3‐carboxylic acids from the [2 + 3] cycloaddition reactions between the nitrile group of β‐cyanocarboxylic acids with sodium azide in the presence of zinc chloride is described. The tetrazolic acids were isolated in moderate to good yields and are structurally analogous to succinic acid.     

Finding Degradation Trigger Sites of Structural Materials for Airplanes Using X‐Ray Microscopy

Macroscopic properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced plastic (CFRP) and environmental barrier coating (EBC), widely used for airplanes, can be deteriorated by local cracks or degradation (“trigger sites”). We have tried to find these trigger sites using x‐ray microscopy (XM), which can provide the 2D or 3D images of the chemical states and microstructures. Crack initiation in CFRP was observed in a non‐destructive manner in multi‐scales (nm‐mm). 3D chemical‐state mapping of Yb in EBC was achieved with high resolution (<50 nm). In addition to XM, in‐situ observations at high temperatures were conducted for obtaining complementary information. X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were performed simultaneously up to 1773 K. Dynamic XAS with short time‐resolution (<10 ns) was conducted to investigate changes in the local structure of metal. These approaches can help us identify degradation trigger sites in the materials.     

Nitrosation of Sugar Oximes: Preparation of 2‐Glycosyl‐1‐hydroxydiazene‐2‐oxides

Oximes of glucose, xylose, lactose, fructose, and mannose have been prepared. Nitrosation of the oximes of glucose, xylose, and lactose with NaNO₂/HCl afforded 2‐(β‐glycopyranosyl)‐1‐hydroxydiazene‐2‐oxides, which were isolated as salts 13 , 22 , and 28 . Nitrosation of fructose oxime 29 furnished fructose, whereas nitrosation of mannose oxime 30 with NaNO₂/HCl afforded the 1‐hydroxy‐2‐(β‐d‐ mannopyranosyl)diazene‐2‐oxide 32 , from which the p‐anisidinium salt 31 and the sodium salt 33 were prepared. However, nitrosation of 30 with isopentyl nitrite in aqueous solutions of CsOH or KOH resulted in the formation of the 2‐(α‐D ‐mannofuranosyl)‐1‐hydroxydiazene‐2‐oxide salts 34 and 35 , respectively. Methylation of the ammonium 2‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl)‐1‐hydroxydiazene‐2‐oxide 13 yielded the 1‐methoxy compound, which was benzoylated to afford the tetra‐O‐benzoate 14 a , the structure of which was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analysis. From the glucose O‐methyloximes 15 and 16 the N‐methoxy‐N‐nitroso‐2,3,4,6‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosylamine 18 was prepared. The structure of this compound was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analysis. Treatment of acetobromoglucose with cupferron furnished the 1‐(2,3,4,6‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐2‐phenyldiazene‐2‐oxide 20 .     

Purification of lignans from Fructus Arctii using off‐line two‐dimensional supercritical fluid chromatography/reversed‐phase liquid chromatography

As a common traditional Chinese medicine, Fructus Arctii has important clinical medical values. Its main components are lignans, which are difficult to separate and analyze because of the complex composition, similar chemical structures, and close properties. In this study, an off‐line two‐dimensional supercritical fluid chromatography/reversed‐phase liquid chromatography method, as well as an effective sample pretreatment method based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography material, was developed to enrich the minor lignan fractions and obtain high‐purity compounds. In total, 12 high‐purity compounds were isolated from Fructus Arctii . Their structures were identified by using high‐resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which showed that all were lignans and that most of them were isomers. The results demonstrated the effective off‐line two‐dimensional supercritical fluid chromatography/reversed‐phase liquid chromatography method for the purification of lignans from Fructus Arctii . The separation protocol established here will be beneficial for the separation of complex samples from other kinds of natural products.     

Synthesis of 8‐Desoxythunberginol A and (±)‐8‐Desoxy‐3,4‐Dihydrothunberginol A

A two step synthesis of title isocoumarin isolated from Homalium longifolium and its conversion into corresponding 3,4‐dihydroisocoumarin has been described. 3,4‐Dimethoxybenzoyl chloride on condensation with homophthalic acid afforded 3‐(3′,4′‐dimethoxyphenyl)isocoumarin which was demethylated to furnish the 8‐desoxythunberginol A, whereas its sequential saponification, reduction and demethylation yielded the (±)‐8‐desoxy‐3,4‐dihydrothunberginol A. The synthesized compounds were examined in vitro for antibacterial activity.     

Synthesis of 2‐amino‐4h‐thiazolo[5,4‐b]indole and characterization of its colored conversion products with protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitory activity

In DMSO‐solution 2‐amino‐4H‐thiazolo[5,4‐b]indole is converted into a complex mixture of colored products. The three major conversion end‐products, of which two are inhibitors of protein tyrosine phos‐phatases (PTPs), were isolated by chromatographic methods and their structures characterized by spectro‐scopic analysis, including NMR and MS combined with computer assisted structure elucidation, and, finally, confirmed by independent chemical synthesis. Synthesis of 2‐amino‐4H‐thiazolo[5,4‐b]indole as well as its N‐acetyl derivatives prepared from either oxindole or 2‐bromo‐1‐(2‐nitro‐phenyl)ethanone is described.