Peptide synthesis in water IV. Preparation of N-ethanesulfonylethoxycarbonyl (Esc) amino acids and their application to solid phase peptide synthesis

A new N-protecting group, ethanesulfonylethoxycarbonyl (Esc), was designed to perform peptide synthesis in both aqueous and organic solvents. Esc-amino acids were prepared by the reaction of Esc-Cl and amino acids. Although Esc-Cl was a highly reactive reagent, it was not stable and decomposed during the purification procedure. A more stable reagent, ethanesulfonylethyl-4-nitrophenyl carbonate (Esc-ONp), was designed for preparation of Esc-amino acids. Esc-ONp was a stable reagent and could be purified by silica gel column chromatography or recrystallization. Esc-amino acids were prepared by the reaction of Esc-ONp and amino acids in good yield. To evaluate Esc-amino acids, Leu-enkephalin amide was synthesized using Esc-amino acids by the solid phase method in water. Removal of the Esc group was performed with 0.025 mol/l NaOH in 50% aqueous ethanol. Leu-enkephalin amide was successfully synthesized on a poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted polystyrene resin. Esc-amino acids have moderate solubility in organic solvents (such as dimethylformamide and acetonitrile). Leu-enkephalin amide was synthesized using Esc-amino acids by the solid phase method in dimethylformamide. Removal of the Esc group was performed with 0.05 mol/l tetrabutylammonium fluoride in dimethylformamide. Synthesis of Leu-enkephalin amide using Esc-amino acids in dimethylformamide was also successful. The yields of synthesis of Leu-enkephalin amide in water and dimethylformamide were 71% and 67%, respectively.     

A novel propargyltitanation of acetylenes. Heteroatom substituent-dependent manifold in intermolecular coupling of allene and acetylene

Titanium alkoxide-mediated coupling of functionalized allenes and acetylenes afforded various types of products, and the first propargyltitanation of acetylenes was achieved by the appropriate choice of allenes.     

Synthesis of homoallyl alcohols by the reaction of π-allyldicyclopentadienyltitanium(III) with carbonyl compounds

Reaction of π-allyldicyclopentadienyititanium(III) complexes, preformed or formed in situ, with aldehydes or ketones proceeds with regiospecificity, high stereoselectivity and chemospecificity, affording, under mild conditions, the corresponding homoallyl alcohols after hydrolysis in excellent yields.     

A family of new boron-containing free radicals

The first spectroscopic evidence for the existence of the HBX and DBX (X = F, Cl, Br) free radicals has been obtained from laser-induced fluorescence and wavelength-resolved emission spectra. The vibrational frequencies measured in emission are in excellent agreement with our ab initio (CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ) predictions. The patterns of resolved rotational sub-band structure and deuterium isotope effects have been used to positively identify the radicals. The experimental data and ab initio predictions will be useful in searches for the matrix infrared and microwave spectra of these new radicals.     

Selective preparation of benzyltitanium compounds by the metalative Reppe reaction. Its application to the first synthesis of alcyopterosin A

Dialkoxytitanacyclopentadienes, prepared from two different acetylenes and a divalent titanium alkoxide reagent, Ti(O-i-Pr)4/2 i-PrMgCl, reacted with propargyl bromide to give directly benzyltitanium compounds. The resultant benzyltitanium compounds underwent deuteriolysis, iodinolysis (with I2), or oxygenation (with O2 gas) to give the corresponding deuterium-labeled compounds, iodides, or alcohols, illustrating their synthetic versatility. The first synthesis of alcyopterosin A, a bicyclic aromatic sesquiterpenoid recently isolated and characterized, has been achieved by this method, starting with an appropriate combination of an acetylene and a diyne.     

Fragmentation selectivity in electron impact ionization mass spectra of substituted dimethoxybenzenes

Several 1-X-sabstitirted-3-methoxy-4-trideuteromethoxybenzens were synthesized and their electron impact ionization mass spectra were measured with an ionizing energy of 20 eV. From the peak intensity ratio of [M ? CD₃ ] and [M ? CH₃] the fragmentation-directing ability of the substituent X was evaluated. The most powerful group was found to be NH₂, which expelled a methoxy methyl group only from its para position. The CH₃ group and four halogen atoms, F, Cl, Br and I, exerted a moderate effect Electron-withdrawing groups such as NO₂, CHO and CN had only a little influence on the fragmentation selectivity. These results were interpreted in terms of the effect of X on the distribution of both the unpaired electron and the positive charge in the molecular ion.     

A convenient method for the preparation of 3-trimethylsilyl-2,5-dihydrofurans and their conversion to furans

Hydromagnesiation of 3-trimethylsilyl-2-propyn-1-o1 (1) followed by reaction with aldehydes or ketones affords (E)-3-trimethylsilyl-2-alken-1,4-diols (2), which can be readily dehydrated to 3-trimethylsilyl-2,5-dihydrofurans (3) by treatment with BF₃OEt₂. The compounds (3) are converted to furans (5) by epoxidation and subsequent treatment with H₂SO₄.     

Quasi-octahedral complexes of pentamethylcyclopentadienyliridium(III) bearing bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenylphosphine (dpmp)

Reaction of [Cp*IrCl2]2 (1) with dpmp in the presence of KPF6 afforded a binuclear complex [Cp*IrCl(dpmp-P1,P2;P3)IrCl2Cp*](PF6) (2) (dpmp =(Ph2PCH2)2PPh). The mononuclear complex [Cp*IrCl(dpmp-P1,P2)](PF6) (4) was generated by the reaction of [Cp*IrCl2(BDMPP)](BDMPP =PPh[2,6-(MeO)2C6H3]2) with dpmp in the presence of KPF6. These mono- and binuclear complexes have four-membered ring structures with a terminal and a central P atom of the dpmp ligand coordinated to an iridium atom as a bidentate ligand. Since there are two chiral centers at the Ir atom and a central P2 atom, there are two diastereomers that were characterized by spectrometry. Complexes anti-4 and syn-4 reacted with [Cp*RhCl2]2 or [(C6Me6)RuCl2]2, giving the corresponding mixed-metal complexes, anti- and syn- [Cp*IrCl(dppm-P1,P2;P3)MCl2L](PF6) (6: M = Rh, L = Cp*; 7: M = Ru, L = C6Me6). Treatment with AuCl(SC4H8) gave tetranuclear complexes, anti- and syn-8 [[Cp*IrCl(dppm-P1,P2;P3)AuCl]2](PF6)2 bearing an Au-Au bond. Reaction of anti- with PtCl2(cod) generated the trinuclear complex anti-9, anti-[[Cp*IrCl(dppm-P1,P2;P3)]2PtCl2](PF6)2. These reactions proceeded stereospecifically. The P,O-chelated complex syn-[Cp*IrCl(BDMPP-P,O)] (syn-10)(BDMPP-P,O = PPh[2,6-(MeO)2C6H3][2-O-6-(MeO)C6H3]2) reacted with dpmp in the presence of KPF6, generating the corresponding anti-complex as a main product as well as a small amount of syn-complex, [Cp*Ir(BDMPP-P,O)(dppm-P1)](PF6) (11). The reaction proceeded preferentially with inversion. The reaction processes were investigated by PM3 calculation. anti- was treated with MCl2(cod), giving anti-[Cp*Ir(BDMPP-P,O)(dppm-P1;P2,P3)MCl2](PF6)(14: M = Pt; 15: M = Pd), in which the MCl2 moiety coordinated to the two free P atoms of anti-11. The X-ray analyses of syn-2, anti-2, anti-4, anti-8 and anti-11 were performed.     

Cp2TiCl2-catalyzed grignard reactions. 2. Reactions with ketones and aldehydes

The reaction of Grignard reagents with ketones or aldehydes in the presence of a catalytic amount of Cp₂TiCl₂ leads to the corresponding reduction products in high yields. Cp₂TiH intermediate was proposed to account for this observation.