An unsymmetrical approach to the synthesis of bismethylene triphosphate analogues

A protected, unsymmetrical bismethylene triphosphate analogue was prepared by sequential Michaelis-Arbuzov reactions on ethyl bis(halomethyl)phosphinates. This species was monodeprotected at one of the terminal phosphonate groups in high yield. The resulting monodeprotected compound was used to achieve the first syntheses of the bismethylene triphosphate analogues of UTP and CTP.     

Synthesis of methylene- and difluoromethylenephosphonate analogues of uridine-4-phosphate and 3-deazauridine-4-phosphate

Cytidine triphosphate synthetase (CTPS) catalyzes the formation of cytidine triphosphate from glutamine, uridine-5'-triphosphate (UTP), and adenosine-5'-triphosphate. Inhibitors of CTPS are of interest because of their potential as therapeutic agents. One approach to potent enzyme inhibitors is to use analogues of high energy intermediates formed during the reaction. The CTPS reaction proceeds via the high energy intermediate UTP-4-phosphate (UTP-4-P). Four novel analogues of uridine-4-phosphate (U-4-P) and 3-deazauridine-4-phosphate (3-deazaU-4-P) were synthesized in which the labile phosphate ester oxygen was replaced with a methylene and difluoromethylene group. The methylene analogue of U-4-P, compound 1, was prepared by a reaction of the sodium salt of tert-butyl diethylphosphonoacetate with protected, 4-O-activated uridine followed by acetate deprotection and decarboxylation. It was found that this compound undergoes relatively facile dephosphonylation presumably via a metaphosphate intermediate. The difluoromethylene derivative, compound 2, was prepared by electrophilic fluorination of protected 1. This compound was stable and did not undergo dephosphonylation. Synthesis of the methylene analogue of 3-deazaU-4-P, compound 3, was achieved by ribosylation of protected 4-(phosphonomethyl)-2-hydroxypyridine. Electrophilic fluorination was also employed in the preparation of protected 4-(phosphonodifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxypyridine which was used as the key building block in the synthesis of difluoro derivative 4. These compounds represent the first examples of a nucleoside in which the base has been chemically modified with a methylene or difluormethylenephosphonate group.     

Tubularenes

We report the synthesis and characterization of conjugated, conformationally rigid, and electroactive carbon-based nanotubes that we term tubularenes. These structures are constructed from a resorcin[n_b]arene base. Cyclization of the conjugated aromatic nanotube is achieved in one-pot eight-fold C–C bond formation via Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling. DFT calculations indicate a buildup of strain energy in excess of 90 kcal mol⁻¹. The resulting architectures contain large internal void spaces >260 ų, are fluorescent, and able to accept up to 4 electrons. This represents the first scaffolding approach that provides conjugated nanotube architectures.

First scaffolding approach to obtain tubular-shaped contorted aromatic architectures.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of spiro-functionalized tetraalkyl benzoisoquinopyrrolonaphthyridine-tetracarboxylates from isoquinoline, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, and indane-1,3-dione

An effective route to spiro-functionalized fused polycyclic derivatives of isoquinoline is described via tandem reaction of isoquinoline, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, and indane-1,3-dione.     

Green oxidations. The use of potassium permanganate supported on manganese dioxide

Permanganate supported on active manganese dioxide can be used effectively for the oxidation of organic compounds under heterogeneous or solvent-free conditions. The residue that remains after extraction of the organic products, manganese dioxide, can be recycled, making the process infinitely sustainable, in theory. The use of this approach for the oxidation of arenes, alcohols and sulfides is described.     

[Omim][BF4], a green and recyclable ionic liquid medium for the one-pot chemoselective synthesis of benzoxazinones

An efficient procedure for the one-pot chemoselective synthesis of 2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-3(4H)-one derivatives from their corresponding o-aminophenols is developed using DBU in the ionic liquid [omim][BF₄]. Upon completion of the reaction and separation of the product, the ionic liquid is recovered and successfully reused over nine recycles without any noticeable loss of performance.     

Electronic structure of sulfur terminated zigzag boron nitride nanotube: A computational study

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to investigate the electronic and structural properties of sulfur (S) terminated models of zigzag boron nitride (BN) nanotube. Four models including pristine, boron (B) tip terminated by S, nitrogen (N) tip terminated by S, and both of B and N tips terminated by S have been considered for optimizations and chemical shielding (CS) parameters calculations. The results indicate that the B–N bond lengths do not detect any changes due to the S-termination but the band gaps and dipole moments detect notable changes especially for the model of the N-tip terminated by the S atoms. The CS parameters also indicate that the atoms of the models are divided into layers with similar parameters in each layer. In the model of the B-tip terminated by the S atoms, the CS parameters indicate strong chemical bonding of N- and S-layers; however, only some attractions between the B- and S-layers of the model of the N-tip terminated by the S atoms have been detected. In the model of B and N tips terminated by the S atoms, the most significant changes among the models are detected.     

A computational study of aluminum phosphide nanotubes

Electronic structures of two representative zigzag and armchair models of aluminum phosphide nanotube (AlPNT) were investigated by density functional theory calculations. The structures were optimized and the bond lengths, tip diameters, band gaps, and dipole moments were calculated. Moreover, the quadrupole coupling constants (C_Q) were calculated for the Al‐27 atoms of the optimized structures. The same values of Al? P bond lengths were calculated for both models. The larger value of band gap of armchair model than the zigzag model indicated the stronger dielectric property for the former model. The values of C_Q(²⁷Al) were the largest for the Al atoms placed at the tips of both zigzag and armchair AlPNT than other Al atoms, which could reveal dominant role of the Al atoms placed at the tips of nanotube in determining the electronic properties of the AlPNT. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

A computational NQR study on the hydrogen-bonded lattice of cytosine-5-acetic acid

A computational study at the level of density functional theory (DFT) employing 6-311++G** standard basis set was carried out to evaluate nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy parameters in cytosine-5-acetic acid (C5AA). Since the electric field gradient (EFG) tensors are very sensitive to the electrostatic environment at the sites of quadruple nuclei, the most possible interacting molecules with the target one were considered in a five-molecule model system of C5AA using X-ray coordinates transforming. The hydrogen atoms positions were optimized and two model systems of original and H-optimized C5AA were considered in NQR calculations. The calculated EFG tensors at the sites of (17)O, (14)N, and (2)H nuclei were converted to their experimentally measurable parameters, quadrupole coupling constants and asymmetry parameters. The evaluated NQR parameters reveal that the nuclei in original and H-optimized systems contribute to different hydrogen bonding (HB) interaction. The comparison of calculated parameters between optimized isolated gas-phase and crystalline monomer also shows the relationship between the structural deformation and NQR parameters in C5AA. The basis set superposition error (BSSE) calculations yielded no significant errors for employed basis set in the evaluation of NQR parameters. All the calculations were performed by Gaussian 98 package of program.     

Study of hydrogen bonds in crystalline 5-nitrouracil. Density functional theory calculations of the O-17, N-14, and H-2 nuclear quadrupole resonance parameters

Hydrogen bond interaction properties of backbone uracil was studied in crystalline structure of 5-nitrouracil. To this aim the electric field gradient tensors were calculated at the level of density functional theory in two single (non-hydrogen bonded) and cluster (hydrogen-bonded four-molecule) models of 5-nitrouracil. The electric field gradient tensors at the sites of O-17, N-14, and H-2 nuclei were converted to the experimentally measurable nuclear quadrupole resonance spectroscopy parameters, quadrupole coupling constant and asymmetry parameter. The results indicated different hydrogen bond interaction properties at the sites of various nuclei and also the protective role of ?NO₂ group for contribution of O1 to hydrogen bond interactions in comparison with uracil. The density functional theory calculations were performed using GAUSSIAN 98 package employing B3LYP method and 6-311G** and 6-311++G** basis sets.