(+)-saxitoxin: a first and second generation stereoselective synthesis

A stereoselective synthesis of the bis-guanidinium toxin (+)-saxitoxin (STX), the agent infamously associated with red tides and paralytic shellfish poisoning, is described. Our approach to this unique natural product advances through an unusual nine-membered ring guanidine intermediate 39 en route to the tricyclic skeleton that defines STX. The effectiveness of this strategy is notable, as only four steps are needed to transform 39 into the target molecule, including a four-electron alkene oxidation catalyzed by OsCl3. Construction of the critical monocyclic guanidine has been achieved through two channels, the first of which makes use of Rh-catalyzed C-H amination and highlights a novel class of heterocyclic N,O-acetals as iminium ion equivalents for crafting functionalized amines. A second route to 39 relies on a stereoselective acetylide dianion addition to a serine-based nitrone, thereby facilitating the preparation of STX in just 14 linear steps from commercial material.     

Influence of electronic and steric effects on stability constants and electrochemical reversibility of divalent ion complexes with glycine and sarcosine. A glass electrode potentiometric, sampled direct current polarographic, virtual potentiometric, and molecular modelling study

Cd^II complexes with glycine (gly) and sarcosine (sar) were studied by glass electrode potentiometry, direct current polarography, virtual potentiometry, and molecular modelling. The electrochemically reversible Cd^II–glycine–OH labile system was best described by a model consisting of M(HL), ML, ML₂, ML₃, ML(OH) and ML₂(OH) (M = Cd^II, L = gly) with the overall stability constants, as log β, determined to be 10.30 ± 0.05, 4.21 ± 0.03, 7.30 ± 0.05, 9.84 ± 0.04, 8.9 ± 0.1, and 10.75 ± 0.10, respectively. In case of the electrochemically quasi-reversible Cd^II–sarcosine–OH labile system, only ML, ML₂ and ML₃ (M = Cd^II, L = sar) were found and their stability constants, as log β, were determined to be 3.80 ± 0.03, 6.91 ± 0.07, and 8.9 ± 0.4, respectively. Stability constants for the ML complexes, the prime focus of this work, were thus established with an uncertainty smaller than 0.05 log units. The observed departure from electrochemical reversibility for the Cd–sarcosine–OH system was attributed mainly to the decrease in the transfer coefficient . The MM2 force field, supplemented by additional parameters, reproduced the reported crystal structures of diaqua-bis(glycinato-O,N)nickel(II) and fac-tri(glycinato)-nickelate(II) very well. These parameters were used to predict structures of all possible isomers of (i) [Ni(H₂O)₄(gly)]⁺ and [Ni(H₂O)₄(sar)]⁺; and (ii) [Ni(H₂O)₃(IDA)] and [Ni(H₂O)₃(MIDA)] (IDA = iminodiacetic acid, MIDA = N-methyl iminodiacetic acid) by molecular mechanics/simulated annealing methods. The change in strain energy, ΔU_str, that accompanies the substitution of one ligand by another (ML + L′ → ML′ + L), was computed and a strain energy ΔU_str = +0.28 kcal mol⁻¹ for the reaction [Ni(H₂O)₄(gly)]⁺ + sar → [Ni(H₂O)₄(sar)]⁺ + gly was found. This predicts the monoglycine complex to be marginally more stable. By contrast, for the reaction [Ni(H₂O)₃IDA] + MIDA → [Ni(H₂O)₃MIDA] + IDA, ΔU_str = −0.64 kcal mol⁻¹, and the monoMIDA complex is predicted to be more stable. This correlates well with (i) stability constants for Cd–gly and Cd–sar reported here; and (ii) known stability constants of ML complex for glycine, sarcosine, IDA, and MIDA.     

Enhanced quantum well infrared photodetector focal plane arrays for space applications

A 30 months European Space Agency project started in March 2008, whose overall purpose is to expand and assess the performance of broadband (11–15 μm) quantum detectors for spectro-imaging applications: Dispersive Spectrometers and Fourier Transform Spectrometers. We present here the technical requirements, the development approach chosen as well as preliminary experimental results. Our approach is fully compatible with the final array format (1024 × 256, pitch 50–60 μm). We expect the requested uniformity, operability and SNR levels to be achieved at temperatures close to the goal values. The performance level will be demonstrated on 256 × 256, 50 μm pitch arrays. Also, operability and uniformity issues will be addressed on large mechanical 1024 × 256 hybrid arrays.     

Eigenvalue density of linear stochastic dynamical systems: A random matrix approach

Eigenvalue problems play an important role in the dynamic analysis of engineering systems modeled using the theory of linear structural mechanics. When uncertainties are considered, the eigenvalue problem becomes a random eigenvalue problem. In this paper the density of the eigenvalues of a discretized continuous system with uncertainty is discussed by considering the model where the system matrices are the Wishart random matrices. An analytical expression involving the Stieltjes transform is derived for the density of the eigenvalues when the dimension of the corresponding random matrix becomes asymptotically large. The mean matrices and the dispersion parameters associated with the mass and stiffness matrices are necessary to obtain the density of the eigenvalues in the frameworks of the proposed approach. The applicability of a simple eigenvalue density function, known as the Marenko–Pastur (MP) density, is investigated. The analytical results are demonstrated by numerical examples involving a plate and the tail boom of a helicopter with uncertain properties. The new results are validated using an experiment on a vibrating plate with randomly attached spring–mass oscillators where 100 nominally identical samples are physically created and individually tested within a laboratory framework.     

Sur la forme de Seifert entière des germes de courbe plane à deux branches

Two plane curve germs with two branches, which are isomeric, are shown to have isomorphic integral Seifert forms. The weight filtration on the integral homology of the Milnor fiber is the key ingredient of the proof. To cite this article: P. du Bois, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 336 (2003).     

A stereoselective synthesis of (-)-tetrodotoxin

An asymmetric synthesis of the fugu fish poison, (-)-tetrodotoxin, is described. The route to this extraordinary target employs a number of unique transformations, foremost of which are two stereospecific C-H bond functionalization reactions. Accordingly, Rh-catalyzed carbene and nitrene C-H insertions facilitate rapid entry to the cyclohexane core of the natural product and make possible the late-stage installation of the tetrasubstituted carbinolamine center.     

A unique and highly efficient method for catalytic olefin aziridination

A facile, high yielding, and stereospecific method for olefin aziridination is described. This process capitalizes on the unique reactivity of sulfamate esters in combination with 1-2 mol % Rh2(tfacam)4 and PhI(OAc)2 as the terminal oxidant to promote N-atom transfer reactions. A range of structurally and electronically disparate alkenes are found to react under conditions that employ substrate as the limiting reagent and only a slight excess of H2NSO3CH2CCl3 as the nitrogen source. The product alkoxysulfonyl aziridines are useful intermediates that react smoothly with nucleophiles to generate 1,2-amine derivatives. Following aziridine ring-opening, the N-trichloroethoxysulfonyl group can be removed under mild reductive conditions (Zn(Cu)/AcOH-MeOH) to give the corresponding 1 degrees amine. The efficient and convenient performance of this chemistry should establish it as a useful tool for synthesis.     

Étude thermochimique des sels alcalins de quelques amino-acides

Standard enthalpies of formation of alkaline earth salts M(NH₂RCOO) of several amino acids

are determined by calorimetry.The thermochemical radii, the standard enthalpies of formation and the protonic affinities of ions (NH₂RCOO^?) in the gaseous state are calculated.In the case of unbranched carbon chain amino acids, the thermochemical radii are an approximately linear function of protonic affinities of their conjugate bases.