Phosphonium-borate zwitterions, anionic phosphines, and dianionic phosphonium-dialkoxides via tetrahydrofuran ring-opening reactions

Sterically demanding secondary phosphines and phosphides react with (THF)B(C(6)F(5))(3) (THF = tetrahydrofuran) to give the THF ring-opened compounds [R(2)PHC(4)H(8)OB(C(6)F(5))(3)] and [Mes(2)PC(4)H(8)OB(C(6)F(5))(3)Li(THF)(2)] (Mes = C(6)H(2)Me-2,4,6). These reactions also occur consecutively to give the double THF ring-opened compounds [Mes(2)P(C(4)H(8)OB(C(6)F(5))(3))(2)][Li(THF)(4)] and [t-Bu(2)P(C(4)H(8)OB(C(6)F(5))(3))(2)Li].     

The Rhodium(II) Carbenoid Cyclization-Cycloaddition Cascade of alpha-Diazo Dihydroindolinones for the Synthesis of Novel Azapolycyclic Ring Systems

Tandem carbonyl ylide formation-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of α-diazo N-acetyl-tetrahydro-β-carbolin-1-one derivatives occur efficiently in the presence of a dirhodium catalyst to afford bimolecular cycloadducts in high yield. The Rh(II)-catalyzed reaction also takes place intramolecularly to give products derived from trapping of the carbonyl ylide dipole with a tethered alkene. The power of the intramolecular cascade sequence is that it rapidly assembles a pentacyclic ring system containing three new stereocenters and two adjacent quaternary centers stereospecifically in a single step and in high yield.     

Structure and emission spectra of dinuclear lanthanide(III) β-diketonate complexes with a bridging 2,2′-bipyrimidine ligand

The 2,2′-bipyrimidine (bpm) adducts of the β-diketonate complexes of Eu(III), Sm(III), or Yb(III) with 2,2′,6,6′-tetramethyl-2,4-heptanedione (tmhd) resulted in the formation of dinuclear species. The synthesis and X-ray structure of these three new dinuclear lanthanide complexes are found to be similar. Each lanthanide ion is eight coordinate, bound to six O-atoms from the β-diketonates and 2N atoms from the bridging bpm ligand. They exhibit Ln–Ln distances (Sm(III): 6.935 Å, Eu(III): 6.901 Å, Yb(III): 6.679 Å) and Ln–ligand distances that are consistent with the decrease in radii across the lanthanide series. Absorption spectra of the complexes are dominated by ligand absorptions. Both the solution and solid state emission spectra of the complexes resemble ordinary monomeric lanthanide species, indicating independent ions in the dinuclear species. Cyclic voltammetry of all the complexes appear almost identical with discernable ligand centered redox reactions. The complex with Eu(III) ions, having the lowest possible lanthanide redox potential, was not found to display a signal corresponding to metal reduction.     

β‐Ionone reactions with the nitrate radical: Rate constant and gas‐phase products

The bimolecular rate constant of k (9.4 ± 2.4 × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 was measured using the relative rate technique for the reaction of the nitrate radical (NO₃?) with 4‐(2,6,6‐trimethyl‐1‐cyclohexen‐1‐yl)‐3‐buten‐2‐one (β‐ionone) at (297 ± 3) K and 1 atmosphere total pressure. In addition, the products of β‐ionone + NO₃? reaction were also investigated. The identified reaction products were glyoxal (HC(?O)C(?O)H), and methylglyoxal (CH₃C(?O)C(?O)H). Derivatizing agents O‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine and N,O‐bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide were used to propose the other major reaction products: 3‐oxobutane‐1,2‐diyl nitrate, 2,6,6‐trimethylcyclohex‐1‐ene‐carbaldehyde, 2‐oxo‐1‐(2,6,6‐trimethylcyclohex‐1‐en‐1‐yl)ethyl nitrate, pentane‐2,4‐dione, 3‐oxo‐1‐(2,6,6‐trimethylcyclohex‐1‐en‐1‐yl)butane‐1,2‐diyl dinitrate, 3,3‐dimethylcyclohexane‐1,2‐dione, and 4‐oxopent‐2‐enal. The elucidation of these products was facilitated by mass spectrometry of the derivatized reaction products coupled with plausible β‐ionone + NO₃? reaction mechanisms based on previously published volatile organic compound + NO₃? gas‐phase mechanisms. The additional gas‐phase products 5‐acetyl‐2‐ethylidene‐3‐methylcyclopentyl nitrate, 1‐(1‐hydroxy‐7,7‐dimethyl‐2,3,4,5,6,7‐hexahydro‐1 H‐inden‐2‐yl)ethanone, 1‐(1‐hydroxy‐3a,7‐dimethyl‐2,3,3a,4,5,6,‐hexahydro‐1 H‐inden‐2‐yl)ethanone, and 5‐acetyl‐2‐ethylidene‐3‐methylcyclopentanone are proposed to be the result of cyclization through a reaction intermediate. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. *

1 This article is a U.S. Government work and, as such, is in the public domain of the United States of America.

Int J Chem Kinet 41: 629–641, 2009     

Cationic phosphorus-carbon-pnictogen cages isolobal to [C5R5]+

The cationic cages nido-[C2Bu(t)2P2E]+ (E = As, Sb), which are isolobal to the cyclopentadienyl cation, adopt square based pyramidal structures with the heavy pnictogen atom at the apex; NMR and computational methods have been used to probe the dynamic behaviour of the complexes.     

Activity-based chemical proteomics accelerates inhibitor development for deubiquitylating enzymes

Converting lead compounds into drug candidates is a crucial step in drug development, requiring early assessment of potency, selectivity, and off-target effects. We have utilized activity-based chemical proteomics to determine the potency and selectivity of deubiquitylating enzyme (DUB) inhibitors in cell culture models. Importantly, we characterized the small molecule PR-619 as a broad-range DUB inhibitor, and P22077 as a USP7 inhibitor with potential for further development as a chemotherapeutic agent in cancer therapy. A striking accumulation of polyubiquitylated proteins was observed after both selective and general inhibition of cellular DUB activity without direct impairment of proteasomal proteolysis. The repertoire of ubiquitylated substrates was analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry, identifying distinct subsets for general or specific inhibition of DUBs. This enabled identification of previously unknown functional links between USP7 and enzymes involved in DNA repair.     

Discovery of Chemicals to Either Clear or Indicate Amyloid Aggregates by Targeting Memory‐Impairing Anti‐Parallel Aβ Dimers

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) oligomers are implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD). However, their unstable nature and heterogeneous state disrupts elucidation of their explicit role in AD progression, impeding the development of tools targeting soluble Aβ oligomers. Herein parallel and anti‐parallel variants of Aβ(1–40) dimers were designed and synthesized, and their pathogenic properties in AD models characterized. Anti‐parallel dimers induced cognitive impairments with increased amyloidogenesis and cytotoxicity, and this dimer was then used in a screening platform. Through screening, two FDA‐approved drugs, Oxytetracycline and Sunitinib, were identified to dissociate Aβ oligomers and plaques to monomers in 5XFAD transgenic mice. In addition, fluorescent Astrophloxine was shown to detect aggregated Aβ in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid samples of AD mice. This screening platform provides a stable and homogeneous environment for observing Aβ interactions with dimer‐specific molecules.     

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of pederin, psymberin, and highly potent analogs

The potent cytotoxins pederin and psymberin have been prepared through concise synthetic routes (10 and 14 steps in the longest linear sequences, respectively) that proceed via a late-stage multicomponent approach to construct the N-acyl aminal linkages. This route allowed for the facile preparation of a number of analogs that were designed to explore the importance of the alkoxy group in the N-acyl aminal and functional groups in the two major subunits on biological activity. These analogs, including a pederin/psymberin chimera, were analyzed for their growth inhibitory effects, revealing several new potent cytotoxins and leading to postulates regarding the molecular conformational and hydrogen bonding patterns that are required for biological activity. Second generation analogs have been prepared based on the results of the initial assays and a structure-based model for the binding of these compounds to the ribosome. The growth inhibitory properties of these compounds are reported. These studies show the profound role that organic chemistry in general and specifically late-stage multicomponent reactions can play in the development of unique and potent effectors for biological responses.     

Nanoparticle-coated separators for lithium-ion batteries with advanced electrochemical performance

We report a simple, scalable approach to improve the interfacial characteristics and, thereby, the performance of commonly used polyolefin based battery separators. The nanoparticle-coated separators are synthesized by first plasma treating the membrane in oxygen to create surface anchoring groups followed by immersion into a dispersion of positively charged SiO(2) nanoparticles. The process leads to nanoparticles electrostatically adsorbed not only onto the exterior of the surface but also inside the pores of the membrane. The thickness and depth of the coatings can be fine-tuned by controlling the ζ-potential of the nanoparticles. The membranes show improved wetting to common battery electrolytes such as propylene carbonate. Cells based on the nanoparticle-coated membranes are operable even in a simple mixture of EC/PC. In contrast, an identical cell based on the pristine, untreated membrane fails to be charged even after addition of a surfactant to improve electrolyte wetting. When evaluated in a Li-ion cell using an EC/PC/DEC/VC electrolyte mixture, the nanoparticle-coated separator retains 92% of its charge capacity after 100 cycles compared to 80 and 77% for the plasma only treated and pristine membrane, respectively.