Two Novel and Anti‐Inflammatory Constituents of Artocarpus rigida

With the scope of our search for biologically active compounds, two new phenolic compounds, artocarpols G ( 1 ) and H ( 2 ), and two known compounds, rubraflavone C ( 3 ) and trans‐stilbene‐2,4,3′,5′‐tetrol, were isolated from the root bark of Artocarpus rigida. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods and comparison with data reported in the literature. Compound 4 , previously isolated from this plant, strongly inhibited in a concentration‐dependent manner the release of β‐glucuronidase and histamine from mast cell degranulation caused by compound 48/80, with IC₅₀ values of 10.9±1.4 and 13.2±0.6 μM , respectively. Compound 4 also showed a concentration‐dependent inhibitory effect on the formyl‐peptide‐stimulated superoxide anion formation in neutrophils with an IC₅₀ value of 26.0±5.6 μM .     

Dramatically Enhanced Fluorescence of Heteroaromatic Chromophores upon Insertion as Spacers into Oligo(triacetylene)s

In continuation of a previous study on the modulation of π‐electron conjugation of oligo(triacetylene)s by insertion of central hetero‐spacer fragments between two (E)‐hex‐3‐ene‐1,5‐diyne ((E)‐1,2‐diethynylethene, DEE) moieties (Fig. 1), a new series of trimeric hybrid oligomers ( 14 – 18 and 22 – 24 , Fig. 2) were prepared (Schemes 1–3). Spacers used were both electron‐deficient (quinoxaline‐based heterocycles, pyridazine) and electron‐rich (2,2′‐bithiophene, 9,9‐dioctyl‐9H‐fluorene) chromophores. With 19–21 (Scheme 4), a series of transition metal complexes was synthesized as potential precursors for nanoscale scaffolding based on both covalent acetylenic coupling and supramolecular assembly. The UV/VIS spectra (Fig. 3) revealed that the majority of spacers provided hetero‐trimers featuring extended π‐electron delocalization. The new hybrid chromophores show a dramatically enhanced fluorescence compared with the DEE dimer 13 and homo‐trimer 12 (Fig. 5). This increase in emission intensity appears as a general feature of these systems: even if the spacer molecule is non‐fluorescent, the corresponding hetero‐trimer may show a strong emission (Table 2). The redox properties of the new hybrid chromophores were determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating‐disk voltammetry (RDV) (Table 3 and Fig. 5). In each case, the first one‐electron reduction step in the hetero‐trimers appeared anodically shifted compared with DEE dimer 13 and homo‐trimer 12 . With larger spacer chromophore extending into two dimensions (as in 14 – 18 , Fig. 2), the anodic shift (by 240–490 mV, Table 3) seems to originate from inductive effects of the two strongly electron‐accepting DEE substituents rather than from extended π‐electron conjugation along the oligomeric backbone, as had previously been observed for DEE‐substituted porphyrins.     

Cationic (Azulene)(diene)rhodium(I) Complexes: Spectroscopic,Dynamic, and Catalytic Properties

New [Rh^I(η⁵‐azulene)(η⁴‐diene)][BF₄] complex salts 3 – 5 (diene=8,9,10‐trinorborna‐2,5‐diene (nbd) and (1Z,5Z)‐cycloocta‐1,5‐diene (cod)) were synthesized according to a known procedure (Scheme 1). All of these complexes show dynamic behavior of the diene ligand at room temperature. In the case of the [Rh^I(η⁵‐azulene)(cod)]⁺ complex salts 3 and [Rh^I(η⁵‐guaiazulene)(nbd)]⁺ complex salt 4a (guaiazulene=7‐isopropyl‐1,4‐dimethylazulene), the coalescence temperature of the ¹H‐NMR signals of the olefinic H‐atoms was determined. The free energy of activation (ΔG; Table 1) for the intramolecular movement of the diene ligands exhibits a distinct dependency on the HOMO/LUMO properties of the coordinated azulene ligand. The DFT (density‐functional theory) calculated ΔG values for the internal diene rotation are in good to excellent agreement with the observed ones in CD₂Cl₂ as solvent (Table 2). Moreover, the ΔG values can also be estimated in good approximation from the position of the longest‐wavelength, azulene‐centered UV/VIS absorption band of the complex salts (Table 2). These cationic Rh^I complexes are stable and air‐resistant and can be used, e.g., as precursor complexes in situ in the presence of (M)‐6,7‐bis[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]‐8,12‐diphenylbenzo[a]heptalene for asymmetric hydrogenation of (Z)‐α‐(acetamido)cinnamic acid with ee values of up to 68% (Table 4).