Regioselective Borylation of Porphyrins by C?H Bond Activation under Iridium Catalysis to Afford Useful Building Blocks for Porphyrin Assemblies

Highly regioselective and efficient borylation of a variety of porphyrins has been achieved by reaction with bis(pinacolato)diboron through C? H bond activation under iridium catalysis on the basis of the synthetic protocol developed by Miyaura, Hartwig, and Smith. A boryl group can be selectively introduced at sterically uncongested positions in the peripheral aryl groups of porphyrin substrates whose peripheral β‐positions are sterically hindered. Curiously, β substituents adjacent to the aryl group to be borylated have unexpectedly large effects on the regioselectivity, because the iridium catalyst can discriminate between subtle steric differences. Chemoselective borylation was also achieved for several functionalized porphyrins. This borylation protocol can be applied to various monomeric and oligomeric functional porphyrins, hence offering an efficient route to elaborate multiporphyrin‐based molecular constructs.     

Metal components analysis of metallothionein-III in the brain sections of metallothionein-I and metallothionein-II null mice exposed to mercury vapor with HPLC/ICP-MS

Mercury vapor is effectively absorbed via inhalation and easily passes through the blood–brain barrier; therefore, mercury poisoning with primarily central nervous system symptoms occurs. Metallothionein (MT) is a cysteine-rich metal-binding protein and plays a protective role in heavy-metal poisoning and it is associated with the metabolism of trace elements. Two MT isoforms, MT-I and MT-II, are expressed coordinately in all mammalian tissues, whereas MT-III is a brain-specific member of the MT family. MT-III binds zinc and copper physiologically and is seemed to have important neurophysiological and neuromodulatory functions. The MT functions and metal components of MTs in the brain after mercury vapor exposure are of much interest; however, until now they have not been fully examined. In this study, the influences of the lack of MT-I and MT-II on mercury accumulation in the brain and the changes of zinc and copper concentrations and metal components of MTs were examined after mercury vapor exposure by using MT-I, II null mice and 129/Sv (wild-type) mice as experimental animals. MT-I, II null mice and wild-type mice were exposed to mercury vapor or an air stream for 2 h and were killed 24 h later. The brain was dissected into the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum, and the hippocampus. The concentrations of mercury in each brain section were determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations of mercury, copper, and zinc in each brain section were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mercury accumulated in brains after mercury vapor exposure for MT-I, II null mice and wild-type mice. The mercury levels of MT-I, II null mice in each brain section were significantly higher than those of wild-type mice after mercury vapor exposure. A significant change of zinc concentrations with the following mercury vapor exposure for MT-I, II null mice was observed only in the cerebellum analyzed by two-way analysis of variance. As for zinc, the copper concentrations only changed significantly in the cerebellum. Metal components of metal-binding proteins of soluble fractions in the brain sections were analyzed by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) connected with ICP-MS. From the results of HPLC/ICP-MS analyses, it was concluded that the mercury components of MT-III and high molecular weight metal-binding proteins in the cerebellum of MT-I, II null mice were much higher than those of wild-type mice. It was suggested that MT-III is associated with the storage of mercury in conditions lacking MT-I, and MT-II. It was also suggested that the physiological role of MT-III and some kind of high molecular weight proteins might be impaired by exposure to mercury vapor and lack of MT-I and MT-II.     

TMS triflate-catalyzed cleavage of prenyl (3-methylbut-2-enyl) ester

[reaction: see text] Prenyl (3-methylbut-2-enyl) ester is catalytically cleaved by TMS triflate affording carboxylic acid and isoprene in high yield under mild conditions with high chemoselectivity without causing epimerization of the neighboring chiral center.     

Extraction of alkali metal picrates by crown ethers having uncharged coordinating flexible side-chains

Crown ethers were synthesized which have a flexible, neutral side-chain capable of providing the crown ether-bound metal with an additional binding site from the axial direction. Liquid—liquid extraction of alkali metal picrates with these crown ethers was studied; the extraction is compared with that of the normal crown ethers as well as those crown ethers with a proton-dissociable side-chain. The neutral side-chain may assist or suppress the ease of metal extraction depending on the site of the ligating atom on the chain. An anionic ligating side-chain interacts favorably with the lighter metals, resulting in a net decrease in the metal extraction selectivity.     

Mechanochromism,Twisted/Folded Structure Determination,and Derivatization of (N‐Phenylfluorenylidene)acridane

(N‐Phenylfluorenylidene)acridane (Ph‐FA) compounds with electron‐withdrawing and ‐donating substituents (H, MeO, Ph, NO₂, Br, F) at the para position of the phenyl group were successfully synthesized by Barton–Kellogg reactions of N‐aryl thioacridones and diazofluorene. By using the substituent on the nitrogen atom to alter the electronic properties, both the folded and twisted conformers of p‐NO₂‐C₆H₄‐FA could be crystallographically characterized, which enabled the charge transfer from the electron‐donating acridane moiety to the electron‐accepting fluorenylidene moiety to be understood. Ground‐state mechanochromism, thermochromism, vapochromism, and proton‐induced chromism were demonstrated between the folded and twisted conformations of the conformers. Protonation and chemical oxidation of Ph‐FA gave two stable acridinium compounds, namely, the fluorenylacridinium and acridinium radical cations. The present study will contribute to the development of functional dyes and organic semiconductors.     

Methyl torsional potentials of rotational isomers of m-methylanisole studied by spectral hole-burning spectroscopy

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation spectra of m-methylanisole in a supersonic jet were measured. Two series of progressions were observed in the spectrum, originating at 36048 and 36115 cm⁻¹, which were successfully assigned to the transitions to the methyl internal rotational vibronic levels of the two isomers, i.e. cis and trans isomers, with the aid of hole-burning spectrum measurements and quantum-chemical calculations. The progression for the trans isomer was observed up to the 6a₁ band, while only the 3a₁ band in addition to the 0a₁ and 1e bands was observed for the cis isomer. This finding can be explained by the conformational change upon the electronic excitation; the 60° rotation of the methyl torsional angle takes place for the trans isomer but not for the cis isomer.     

Artificial model for cystathionine β-synthase: efficient β-replacement reaction with thiols employing a novel pyridoxal model compound having an imidazole function

As a second-generation pyridoxal model compound for cystathionine β-synthase, we designed a novel model compound having an ionophore function and an imidazole function, application of which to the β-replacement reaction with various thiols smoothly took place to give S-substituted cysteines. Peptides having a serine-O-carbonate residue at the N-terminal position were also converted to the corresponding peptides having an S-substituted cysteine residue under the catalytic conditions of the novel pyridoxal model compound.     

The formation of clathrate-like hydrates of tetrabutylammonium halogenated carboxylates

The solid-liquid phase diagrams of binary mixtures of tetrabutylammonium halogenated carboxylates with water were examined in order to confirm the formation of clathrate-like hydrates. It was found that, among thirteen carboxylates examined, four carboxylates having CH₂FCOO^–, CHF₂COO^–, CF₃COO^–, and CH₂ClCOO^–, formed a hydrate with hydration numbers around 30 and seven carboxylates having CHCl₂COO^–, CCl₃COO^–, CH₂BrCOO^–, CHBr₂COO^–, CBr₃COO^–, CH₃CHClCOO^–, and CH₃CHBrCOO^– formed a hydrate with hydration numbers around 23. The latter hydrate has not been reported earlier. The melting points of these newly found hydrates were fairly high: they lie between 10 and 16°C. The effect of Cl and Br atoms attached to the carbon atom of the-position of a carboxylate anion both on the type of hydrate formed and on its stability was greatly different from that of a CH₃ group attached to the same position of the carboxylate anion.Dedicated to Dr D. W. Davidson in honor of his great contributions to the sciences of inclusion phenomena.