Synthesis of febrifugine derivatives and a solution to the puzzle of the structural determination of febrifugine

The stereo-structure of piperidine lactone (3), a synthetic intermediate of the antimalarial agent febrifugine ((+)-1) with a piperidine ring in the trans relative configuration, was re-revised to the cis-form. We determined that isomerization to the trans-form from the cis-form occurred in the stage (6 from 5) of deprotection in Baker's synthesis.     

Biaryl synthesis from two different aryl halides with tri(2-furyl)germane

[reaction: see text] The coupling reaction of germanium compounds with aryl halides has been developed. The Pd(0)-catalyzed reaction of aryl halides with tri(2-furyl)germane provides aryltri(2-furyl)germanes in good yield. The cross-coupling reaction of aryltri(2-furyl)germanes with aryl halides is achieved. This allows facile synthesis of unsymmetrical biaryls from two different aryl halides.     

Conformational transition of the core chain in radiation-modified polysilane micelles formed in selective solvents

Poly(methyl acrylate)-grafted poly(methyl-n-propylsilane) (PMPrS-g-PMA) and poly(acrylic acid)-grafted PMPrS (PMPrS-g-PAA) were synthesized by gamma-ray-induced graft polymerization, and the association behavior of these graft copolymers was investigated in selective solvents composed of good and poor solvents for the PMPrS main chain. Fluorescence spectroscopy with perylene as a fluorescent probe revealed that PMPrS-g-PAA in a water/THF mixed solvent self-assembles into micelles with a swollen core of PMPrS chains in the water content range of 50-95%. UV spectroscopy demonstrated that a further increase of the water content gives rise to the conformational transition of the PMPrS chains in the micelle core from the random conformation to the conformation that corresponds to that in the solid state at a water content of ca. 95%, independent of the grafting yield. Similar behavior was also observed in DMSO/THF solutions of PMPrS-g-PMA, for which the conformational transition occurred at the constant DMSO content of ca. 95%. These results indicate that solvatochromic behavior of polysilane, which is a characteristic feature of polysilane, proved to provide information on the inner structure of those micelles: PMPrS chains in the core undergo conformational transition as the content of the poor solvents for PMPrS increases, while maintaining the micelle structure.     

Dynamics of unidirectional exciton migration to the molecular periphery in a photoexcited compact dendrimer

We have studied dynamical natures of electronic excited states in a compact series of phenylacetylene dendrimers. So as to clarify the mechanism of unidirectional migration of a photogenerated exciton in a compact dendrimer, we theoretically investigated the temporal behavior of the photogenerated exciton in the molecule by numerically solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for the electronic excited states. The structure of the dendrimers is optimized in the ground state, and it is fixed during the calculation of the exciton dynamics. The calculated results show that the exciton generated in the dendrimeric framework tends to migrate toward the outside of the molecule rather than the inside, and to itinerate around the periphery via the through-space interaction between the outer crowding benzene units. This is one of the intrinsic properties that originates from a highly branched treelike structure of the compact dendrimers.     

Novel Chiral Building Block: (2R,3S)-2-(1,3-Dithian-2-yl)-3-hydroxybutanoates. Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Baker's Yeast Reduction of 2-(1,3-Dithian-2-yl)-3-oxobutanoates

The baker's yeast reduction of 2-(1,3-dithian-2-yl)-3-oxobutanoates gave (2R,3S)-2-(1,3-dithian-2-yl)-3-hydroxybutanoates in good yiels and in high diastereo- and enantioselectivity.     

Synthesis and structure revision of tyroscherin, and bioactivities of its stereoisomers against IGF-1-dependent tumor cells

Synthesis of the proposed structure of tyroscherin, a growth inhibitor of IGF-1-dependent cancer cells, was succeeded by one-pot Julia coupling. However, spectral data of the synthetic compound were not identical with those of natural tyroscherin. The stereochemistry of tyroscherin is revised to be 2S,3R,8R,10R by syntheses of stereoisomers. Synthetic tyroscherin showed more potent activity than its stereoisomers against IGF-1-dependent cancer cells.     

A Click-Chemistry Linked 2′3′-cGAMP Analogue

2′3′-cGAMP is an uncanonical cyclic dinucleotide where one A and one G base are connected via a 3′-5′ and a unique 2′-5′ linkage. The molecule is produced by the cyclase cGAS in response to cytosolic DNA binding. cGAMP activates STING and hence one of the most powerful pathways of innate immunity. cGAMP analogues with uncharged linkages that feature better cellular penetrability are currently highly desired. Here, the synthesis of a cGAMP analogue with one amide and one triazole linkage is reported. The molecule is best prepared via a first Cu^I-catalyzed click reaction, which establishes the triazole, while the cyclization is achieved by macrolactamization.     

A remark on the normalization of the standard zeta values for Siegel modular forms

In (Katsurada in Math. Z. 259:97–111, 2008), we gave a certain type of normalization of the standard zeta values for Siegel modular forms, and considered the relationship between such values and congruence of cuspidal Hecke eigenforms. In this paper we give more reasonable normalization for such values and improve our previous result.