Efficient synthesis and hydrolysis of cyclic oxalate esters of glycols

Based on the mechanism postulated for the formation of the cyclic carbonates 3 in the reactions of glycols 1 with oxalyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine, we present here three efficient syntheses of the cyclic oxalates 2 of various glycols 1 by controlling the formation of 3: replacement of the base by pyridine markedly diminishes yields of 3 in all reactions, realizing dramatic reversals of the product ratios in the reactions with the (R*,R*)-compounds 1g-i,q,r and pinacol (1k); although considerable amounts of the oxalate polymers are formed in the reactions with some (R*,S*)-glycols, this drawback can be removed by the use of 2,4,6-collidine instead of pyridine; 1,1'-oxalyldiimidazole is useful for the synthesis of two selected cyclic oxalates 2e,f. The cyclic oxalates 2 other than trisubstituted and tetrasubstituted ones were found to be very reactive: kinetic studies on the hydrolysis of 1,4-dioxane-2,3-dione (2a) as well as its mono- and some selected 5,6-disubstituted derivatives 2 have revealed that they undergo hydrolysis 260-1500 times more rapidly than diethyl oxalate (12) in acetate buffer-acetonitrile (pH 5.69) at 25 degrees C. Although the cyclic oxalate 21 from cis-1,2-cyclopentanediol (11) was 1.5 times more reactive than 2a, it has been shown with other substrates that increasing number of the alkyl substituents decreases the rate of hydrolysis. On the contrary, the phenyl group was found to have somewhat accelerative effect.     

Rigid-rod polymers with polysiloxane side chains. 2. Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polybenzobisoxazoles with polysiloxane side chains and composite formation with polysiloxane matrices

Aromatic polybenzobisoxazoles, having polydimethylsiloxane side chains (SCPBOs), were prepared using terephthaloyl chloride-terminated polydimethylsiloxane macromonomers and 3,3′-bis(trimethylsiloxy)-4,4′-bis(trimethylsilylamino)biphenyl for the purpose of dispersing rigid-rod molecules in silicone matrices for molecular reinforcement. The degree of polymerization of the side chain was varied from 7.8 to 45.4, and a small amount of (3-butenyloxy)terephthaloyl chloride was copolymerized to give the polymers a functionality that can be linked to the matrices. For all the SCPBOs, the WAXD pattern showed only diffuse reflections, suggesting limited structural regularity, although the polymers were optically anisotropic. No melting transition was observed below the side chain decomposition temperature, 350°C. A polydimethylsiloxane/polybenzobisoxazole composite elastomer was obtained first curing the polysiloxane matrix containing the prepolymer of the SCPBO, followed by in situ thermal ring closure of the prepolymer. Some reinforcement was observed, but the presence of plasticizing effect by the unbound SCPBO was suggested at the same time. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of 6-O-acyl-2-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acids with a branched-acyl chain

We previously reported the chemical synthesis of a series of novel monoacylated vitamin C derivatives, 6-O-acyl-2-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acids (6-Acyl-AA-2G) possessing a straight-acyl chain of varying length from C(4) to C(18), as effective skin antioxidants. In this paper, we describe branched type of 6-Acyl-AA-2G derivatives (6-bAcyl-AA-2G) synthesized by use of a 2-branched-chain fatty acid anhydride as an acyl donor. The stability of 6-bAcyl-AA-2G in neutral solution was much higher than that of 6-Acyl-AA-2G, while they were susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis for exerting vitamin C effect. These branched derivatives as well as 6-Acyl-AA-2G increased the radical scavenging activity against 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and the lipophilicity in octanol/water-partitioning systems with increasing length of their acyl group. In addition, the 6-bAcyl-AA-2G derivative with an acyl chain of C(12), 6-bDode-AA-2G had the excellent solubility to various solvents, suggesting easy handling in cosmetic use. These characteristics of 6-bAcyl-AA-2G may be available for skin care application as an effective antioxidant.     

Determination of heat of mixing and heat of vaporization with a differential scanning calorimeter

A simple method is presented for measuring the heat of mixing and the heat of vaporization of volatile liquids at temperatures below their boiling point. It consists in introducing liquids by a microsyringe into a nearly closed cell of the DSC. The relative standard deviation for 4 to 5 runs is ca. 5% for heat of mixing and ca. 2% for heat of vaporization.     

Stepwise delivery of two methoxy groups of arylaldehyde acetals across the phenyl ring. Vacant site-controlled palladium catalysis

A new catalytic cyclization of o-alkynylbenzaldehyde acetals 1 to the functionalized indenes 2 was found to be strictly controlled by the number of triphenylphosphine ligands on the Pd catalyst. Only complexes with three available coordination sites on Pd catalyze this reaction. Mechanistic study suggests that pi-coordination of Pd to the benzene ring is a key step controlled by the number of vacant coordination sites.     

Reactions of oxalyl chloride with 1,2-cycloalkanediols in the presence of triethylamine

The relationship between the product patterns and the configurations of 1,2-cycloheptane- and 1,2-cyclooctanediols 9 in the cyclocondensations with oxalyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine at 0 degrees C has been shown analogous to that obtained for 1,2-disubstituted acyclic ethylene glycols 1: cis-1,2-cyclooctanediol (9f) produced the cyclic oxalate 14f as the major product, while trans-1,2-cycloheptanediol (9e) and trans-1,2-cyclooctanediol (9g) formed the cyclic carbonates 12e, g as the major products. On the other hand, the cyclic oxalates 14a-d were formed as the major products from 1,2-cyclopentane- and 1,2-cyclohexanediols regardless of the configuration. These results can be accounted for by assuming the boat-like transition states for cyclizations of the half esters of comparatively rigid five- and six-membered diols 9a--d. The cyclic oxalates 14a, c may be directly formed through the resulting tetrahedral intermediates from cis-diols (9a,c), and the cyclic carbonates 12a,c as the minor products after ring inversion of the tetrahedral intermediates. The tetrahedral intermediates from the trans-isomers 9b, d cannot undergo ring inversion, producing no traces of the cyclic carbonates 12b, d.     

Synthesis of indenes by ytterbium-catalyzed carboalkoxylation/Friedel-Crafts reaction of arylidenecyclopropanes with acetals

Ytterbium-catalyzed tandem carboalkoxylation/Friedel-Crafts reaction of arylidenecyclopropanes 1 with acetals 2 afforded the corresponding indene derivatives 3 in good to high yields. For example, in the presence of 10 mol % of Yb(OTf)₃ the reaction of 1-phenylbenzylidenecyclopropane 1a with the dimethyl acetals of benzaldehyde 2a, p-tolualdehyde 2b, and p-anisaldehyde 2c gave 1,3-diphenyl-2-(2-methoxyethyl)indene 3a, 2-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-phenyl-1-(p-tolyl)indene 3b, and 1-(p-anisyl)-2-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-phenylindene 3c in 82%, 80%, and 80% yields, respectively.     

Dynamics and thermodynamics of dimerization of parallel G-quadruplexed DNA formed from d(TTAGn) (n=3-5)

Parallel G-quadruplexes formed from oligonucleotide sequences, d(TTAGn), where n = 3-5, have been shown to form a dimer through end-to-end stacking of 3'-terminal G-tetrads. The monomers and dimers of the G-quadruplexes are in dynamic equilibrium with an exchange rate of approximately 1 s-1. A thermodynamic study demonstrated that the dimerization of the G-quadruplexes is largely enthalpic in origin.     

A new route to 2'-O-alkyl-2-thiouridine derivatives via 4-O-protection of the uracil base and hybridization properties of oligonucleotides incorporating these modified nucleoside derivatives

Oligonucleotides containing 2-thiouridine (s2U) in place of uridine form stable RNA duplexes with complementary RNAs. Particularly, this modified nucleoside has proved to recognize highly selectively adenosine, the genuine partner, without formation of a mismatched base pair with the guanosine counterpart. In this paper, we describe new methods for the synthesis of 2-thiouridine and various 2'-O-alkyl-2-thiouridine derivatives. Oligoribonucleotides having these modified nucleoside derivatives were synthesized, and their hybridization and structural properties were studied in detail by the 1H NMR analysis of these modified nucleosides and Tm experiments of RNA duplexes with their complementary RNA strands.     

Rigid-rod polymers with polysiloxane side chains. I. Synthesis and characterization of rigid-rod polyimides with polysiloxane side chains and their compatibility with linear polysiloxanes

Rigid-rod aromatic polyimdies having polydimethylsiloxane side chains were prepared for the purpose of dispersing rigid-rod molecules in silicone matrices for molecular reinforcement. The polyimides were obtained by imidizing the polyamide-acids bearing the side chains either thermally or chemically, which were synthesized by reacting 4,4′-diaminobiphenyl-terminated polysiloxane macromonomers with pyromellitic dianhydride in THF. The polyamide-acid films obtained by removing the solvent were soluble in THF, but the polyimides were insoluble in any common solvent. The polyimides showed no melting transition below 350°C on DSC analysis, at which temperature the side chain started decomposing. Although all the polyimides were anisotropic as observed by a polarizing microscope, x-ray diffraction analysis suggested the presence of only limited chain organization. Blends with linear polydimethylsiloxanes were prepared by casting the THF solution containing the polyamide-acid and the polydimethylsiloxane, followed by solvent evaporation and thermal imidization. With relatively longer side chains, the polyimides were proved to be compatibilized with polydimethylsiloxanes. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.