A theoretical approach to substituent effects. A comparison of the isoelectronic BH,CH3, and NH groups and their interaction with substituents in disubstituted benzenes

Ab initio molecular orbital theory with the STO -3G basis set is used to examine both charge and energy interactions in a series of meta- and para-substituted phenylborate anions and toluenes. Comparison of the results is made with data for substituted anilinium cations. It is concluded that whereas NH is a powerful σ acceptor, with essentially no π interaction, BH is primarily a π donor, and, to a slight extent only, a π donor. CH₃ is indicated to be both a weak σ and π donor. Energies of interaction of BH and NH with a series of substituents are an order of magnitude larger than corresponding values for CH₃. Interaction energies for BH are of opposite sign to those for NH. The results may be understood qualitatively using perturbation molecular orbital (PMO ) theory.     

5α-24-Norcholestan-3β-ol and (24Z)-Stigmasta-5,7,24(28)-trien-3β-ol,Two New Marine Sterols from the Pacific Sponges Terpios zeteki and Dysidea herbacea

The steroidal components of 2 marine sponges, Terpios zeteki (from Hawaii) and Dysidea herbacea (from Australia) were fractionated through a combination of chromatographic methods, including reversed phase HPLC., and were analyzed by a combination of physical methods, including high resolution GC.-MS. and 360 MHz ¹H-NMR. T. zeteki contains 6 conventional 5α-stanols which comprise 91% of the sterol mixture, and traces (0.5%) of a new C₂₆ sterol, 5α-24-norcholestan-3β-ol. Minor amounts of conventional Δ⁵-sterols (6.5%) and of a single Δ⁴-3-ketosteroid (1.5%) were also present. In contrast, the Australian sponge (D. herbacea) contains 3 Δ^5,7-sterols which comprise 1.5% of the sterol mixture, and one new C₂₉ sterol, (24 Z)-stigmasta-5,7,24(28)-trien-3β-ol, as the major component (75%). In addition, minor amounts of conventional 5α-stanols (0.5%), Δ⁵-sterols (5%) and 5α-Δ⁷-sterols (18%) were present in this complex sterol mixture. The possible dietary or endosymbiotic origins of these sterols are discussed.     

Quinoline syntheses by reaction of hydrazoic acid with α,β-disubstituted cis-chalcones

Hydrazoic-sulfuric acid mixture converted cis-α-phenyl-β-benzoylchalcone (trans-dibenzoylstilbene, 4 ) into 2,3-diphenyl-4-benzoylquinoline ( 5 ) the structure of which was proved by debenzoylation to 2,3-diphenylquinoline. α,β-Diphenyl and cis-α,β-dibromochalcones similarly were converted respectively into 2,3,4-triphenylquinoline ( 19 ) and 2-phenyl-3,4-dibromoquinoline ( 20 ). The structure of 19 was shown by difference from the corresponding isoquinoline 21 (synthesized). Smith's mechanism for the analogous conversion of o-phenylbenzophenone into 9-phenylphenanthridine through the 9-fluorenol and the 9-hydroazide with loss of nitrogen and ring expansion, was supported by methyl label experiments using 2-(p-tolyl)benzophenone which gave a 53:47 mixture of 3- and 8-methyl-6-phenylphenanthridines. Applicability of the mechanism to the reactions with disubstituted cis-chalcones was shown by sulfuric acid conversions of two of these into indenol 22 and 2-bromo-3-phenylindenone ( 24 ), respectively. trans-Dibenzoylstilbene underwent resinification in sulfuric acid, giving the quinoline ( 5 ) only when hydrazoic acid was present.     

Electronic spectra of 12-S-CIS conformationally locked retinals

The electronic absorption spectra of the four new 12-$\text{s}$-$\text{cis}$-locked retinals (1a–1d) bearing 7-$\text{trans}$, 11-$\text{trans}$ double bond geometries are described and compared with those of analogous 7-$\text{trans}$, 11-$\text{cis}$-geometries (1e–1h) and parent retinals (2a-h).     

The resolution of racemic 2-alkyl-1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acids

Practical procedures for the resolution of racemic modification of (1$\text{R}$, 2$\text{S}$)-and (1$\text{S}$, 2$\text{R}$)-1-amino-2-ethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid $\text{1a}$,$\text{b}$,(1$\text{R}$, 2$\text{S}$)- and (1$\text{S}$, 2$\text{R}$)-1-amino-2-methylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid $\text{2a}$,$\text{b}$, and (1$\text{R}$, 2$\text{R}$)- and (1$\text{S}$, 2$\text{S}$)-1-amino-2-methylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid $\text{3a}$,$\text{b}$ are described; the structures as $\text{1a}$,$\text{2a}$, and $\text{3a}$ were confirmed by X-ray-crystallographic methods.     

Determination and characterization of a transition structure for water–formaldehyde addition

Quantum mechanical calculations of the geometric, energetic, electronic, and vibrational features of a transition structure for gas-phase water–formaldehyde addition (FW1?) are described, and a new transition-structure search algorithm is presented. Basis-set-dependent effects are assessed by comparisons of computed properties obtained from self-consistent field (SCF) molecular orbital (MO) calculations with STO-3G, 4-31G, and 6-31G^** basis sets in the absence of electron correlation. The results obtained suggest that STO-3G-level calculations may be sufficiently reliable for the prediction of the transition structure of FW1? and for the transition structures of related carbonyl addition reactions. Moreover, the calculated activation energy for formation of FW1? from water and formaldehyde (?44 kcal mol^?1) is very similar in all three basis sets. However, the energy of formaldehyde hydration predicted by STO-3G (? ?45 kcal mol^?1) is about three times larger than that predicted by the other two basis sets, with the activation energy for dihydroxymethane dehydration also being too large in STO-3G. Calculated force constants in all three basis sets are generally too large, leading to vibrational frequencies that are also too large. However, uniformly scaled force constants (in internal coordinates) give much better agreement with experimental frequencies, scaled 4-31G force constants being slightly superior to scaled STO-3G force constants.     

Gradient expansion of the kinetic energy density functional: Local behavior of the kinetic energy density

Calculations with Hartree—Fock electron densities for the rare gas atoms He through Xe show that the gradient expansion for the kinetic energy functional, T[] = T₀[] + T₂[] + T₄[] + … = ∫t() dτ, approximates the kinetic energy by averaging over the shell structure present in the true local kinetic energy density, t(), and that the accuracy of the gradient expansion improves with increasing atomic number. Components of t(), t₀(), t₂() and t₄(), are exhibited and discussed. The defined function t() is everywhere positive.     

Synthesis of a novel series of 3-substituted [1]benzothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives

A series of 3-substituted [1]benzothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives has been synthesized as possible antileukemic agents by condensation of methyl 3-(ethoxymethylene)amino-2-benzothiophene carboxylate (II) with a variety of amines to afford the corresponding 3-aryl and 3-alkyl [I]benzothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones, Ill and IV, respectively. In addition, Mannich reactions of [I]benzothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one (VIII) with formaldehyde and secondary amines gave the expected derivatives, IX. 3-Amino[I]benzothieno[3,2-d]-pyrimidin-4(3H)-one (VI) reacted with substituted aromatic aldehydes in the presence of boron trifluoride to yield the corresponding imines VII.     

Theoretical analysis of the porphyrin-porphyrin exciton interaction in circular dichroism spectra of dimeric tetraarylporphyrins

Chiral bis-porphyrins are currently the subject of intense interest as chiral receptors and as probes in the determination of structure and stereochemistry. To provide an improved framework for interpreting the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of bis-porphyrins, we have calculated the CD spectra of chiral bis-porphyrins from three classes: I, where porphyrins can adopt a relatively wide range of orientations relative to each other; II, porphyrins have a fixed relative orientation; III, porphyrins undergo pi-stacking. The calculations primarily utilized the classical polarizability theory of DeVoe, but were supplemented by the quantum mechanical matrix method. Class I was represented by three isomers of the diester of 5alpha-cholestane-3,17-diol with 5-(4'-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphin (2-alphabeta, 2-betaalpha, 2-betabeta). Careful analysis of the torsional degrees of freedom led to two to four minimum-energy conformers for each isomer, in each of which the phenyl-porphyrin bonds had torsional angles near 90 degrees. Libration about these bonds is relatively unrestricted over a range of +/-45 degrees. CD spectra in the Soret region were calculated as Boltzmann-weighted averages over the low-energy conformers for each isomer. Three models were used: the effective transition moment model, in which only one of the degenerate Soret components is considered, along the 5-15 direction; the circular oscillator model, in which both Soret components are given equal weight; and the hybrid model, in which the 10-20 oscillator is given half the weight of the 5-15 oscillator, to mimic the effect of extensive librational averaging about the 5-15 direction. All three models predict Soret exciton couplets with signs in agreement with experiment. Quantitatively, the best results are given by the hybrid and circular oscillator models. These results validate the widely used effective transition moment model for qualitative assignments of bis-porphyrin chirality and thus permit application of the exciton chirality model. However, for quantitative studies, the circular oscillator or hybrid models should be used. The simplified effective transition moment and hybrid models are justified by the librational averaging in the class I bis-porphyrins and should only be used with such systems. Two class II bis-porphyrins were also studied by DeVoe method calculations in the circular oscillator model, which yielded good agreement with experiment. Class III bis-porphyrins were represented by 2-alphaalpha, for which the calculations gave qualitative agreement. However, limitations in the conformational analysis with the close contacts and dynamic effects in these pi-stacked systems preclude quantitative results.     

Synthesis, X-ray structure and properties of a new nitrite-bound copper(II) complex with 2-(3,5- dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine in a CuN4(O) coordination

Synthesis and characterization of a nitrite-bound copper(II) compound [CuL⁴)₂(ONO)]ClO₄ have been achieved (L⁴ = 2-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine]. The bidentate ligand L⁴ provides a pyridine and a pyrazole donor site; however, they are separated by a methylene spacer. The complex has been structurally characterized and it belongs to only a handful of complexes having nitrito-bound mononuclear copper(II) centre. The metal atom has a distorted square pyramidal geometry with the copper atom displaced from the equatorial plane by 0.25 Å. In MeCN solution the green complex exhibits a broad ligand-field transition at 655 nm with a shoulder at 675 nm and in dichloromethane-toluene glass (80 K) it exhibits an EPR spectral feature characteristic of the unpaired electron in the d_x²−y² orbital. Variable-temperature (80–300 K) magnetic susceptibility measurements in the solid state as well as room temperature measurement in MeCN solution reveal mononuclear magnetically dilute copper(II) centre. When examined by cyclic voltammetry (MeCN solution) it displays electrochemically irreversible Cu^II---Cu^I response [cathodic peak potential, E_pc (V vs saturated calomel electrode (SCE)): −0.32]. An oxidative response is observed at 1.14 V, probably due to bound-nitrite oxidation and is partially removed to generate a solvated complex at the electrode surface. The latter species gives rise to reversible Cu^II---Cu^I redox response [ ].