Helical pitch of m-phenylene ethynylene foldamers by double spin labeling

To investigate the helical conformation of oligo(m-phenylene ethynylene)s, a pair of TEMPO spin labels were appended to the backbone. The two TEMPO radicals were separated by the four, five, and six repeating units. ESR spectra of the labeled oligomers were measured in chloroform and in ethyl acetate solvents in which the oligomers are disordered and folded, respectively. The measurement and analysis of ESR spectra revealed that six repeating units make one helical turn.     

Studies directed towards the asymmetric total synthesis of antileukemic lignan lactones. Synthesis of optically pure key intermediate and its utility

By the self-immolative asymmetric synthesis, optically pure key intermediate β-piperonyl-γ-lactone (R)-(+)-$\text{6}$ was found to be prepared in reasonable yield from the easily available chiral γ-lactone synthon ($\text{1}$) which had been also reported to give an antipode (S)-(-)-$\text{6}$. The optically pure (R)-(+)-$\text{6}$ was shown to be converted successfully into several optically pure natural lignan lactones.     

Optimization of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight collision-induced dissociation using poly(ethylene glycol)

Details of the optimization of the collision-induced dissociation (CID) process, using a collision cell on a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, are described using poly(ethylene glycol) 1000 (PEG 1000) as a model analyte. The effects of collision gas identity (helium, air, and argon), as well as collision gas pressure, on the resulting MS/MS data were investigated. With PEG 1000, helium was found to give the best results with respect to signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. The optimum pressure for each gas was found to be in the range where the precursor ion signal was attenuated to approximately 30-50% for helium and 40-60% for argon. The effect of cation choice (Li, Na, and K) on the CID of PEG was also studied. CID spectra were produced for each, but PEG cationized with lithium was found to produce the spectra with the highest S/N ratio. The MALDI-TOF CID spectra that were generated for PEG were compared with the high-energy and low-energy MS/MS spectra obtained from a sector mass spectrometer and from a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, respectively. The results observed for PEG confirm that CID on a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer is a high-energy MS/MS technique.     

First asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-steganacin determination of absolute stereochemistry

(+)-Steganacin was synthesized in a new and highly specific asymmetric pathway based on the novel application of chiral γ-lactone as a chiral synthon. By this synthesis the absolute stereochemistry of natural (?)-steganacin could be determined in unequivocal way.     

Polymerization of methacrylates. I. Polymerization reactivity of picryl methacrylate

The polymerization of picryl (PMA), 2,4-dinitrophenyl (2,4-DNMA),2,6-dinitrophenyl (2,6-DNMA), 2-methyl-4,6-dinitrophenyl (MDNMA), and 2,6-dimethylphenyl methacrylates (DMMA) was carried out in benzene at 60°C. PMA, 2,6-DNMA, and MDNMA did not undergo radical homopolymerization, while 2,4-DNMA and DMMA did. The results suggest that the growing radical readily attacks the oxygen atom of the nitro group at the 2 position of the terminal phenyl group due to the steric effect of the substituent at the 6 position, resulting in chain termination. PMA formed a charge-transfer complex with 2-naphthyl methacrylate (NMA). The stoichiometric composition of this complex was shown to be 1:1 molar complex. PMA was readily copolymerized with NMA. The amount of solvent affected the composition of the copolymer obtained at a given same mole fraction in feed. The results suggest that charge-transfer interaction between the ester groups affects the copolymerization mechanism.     

An atropisomeric M2L4 cage mixture displaying guest-induced convergence and strong guest emission in water

Introduction of atropisomeric axes into a bent bispyridine ligand leads to the quantitative formation of a complex mixture of atropisomeric M₂L₄ cages upon treatment with metal ions. Whereas the isomer ratio of the obtained cage mixture, consisting of up to 42 isomers, is insensitive to temperature and solvent, the quantitative convergence from the mixture to a single isomer is accomplished upon encapsulation of a large spherical guest, namely fullerene C₆₀. The observed isomerization with other guests depends largely on their size and shape (e.g., <10 and 82% convergence with planar triphenylene and bowl-shaped corannulene guests, respectively). Besides the unusual guest-induced convergence, the present cage mixture displays the strongest guest emission (Φ_F = 68%) among previously reported M_nL_m cages and capsules, upon encapsulation of a BODIPY dye in water.

A complex mixture of atropisomeric M₂L₄ cages is shown to undergo perfect convergence to a single isomer upon encapsulation of spherical C₆₀ in water. Moreover, the cage mixture displays very strong guest emission upon encapsulation of a BODIPY dye.     

A novel synthesis of 2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐thieno[3,4‐b]pyrroles via ring transformation of cyclic sulfonium ylides by titanium(IV) chloride‐triethylamine system

A series of cyclic sulfonium ylides 4a‐h reacted with titanium( IV ) chloride in the presence of triethyl‐amine to give the corresponding fused 2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐thieno[3,4‐b]pyrroles 5a‐h , via a ring opening and recyclization. In contrast, treatment of compounds 4a, 4b, 4e and 4f with titanium(IV) chloride, triethy‐lamine and dimethylamine hydrochloride gave the corresponding thiophenes 6a, 6b, 6e and 6f . Furthermore, compounds 6a and 6b easily underwent cyclization with sodium hydride to afford the corresponding 5a and 5b .     

Theoretical study of the thermal interconversion mechanism between the norbornadiene and quadricyclane radical cations

Geometry optimizations at the UHF/6-31G^* and UMP2/6-31G^* levels of theory were performed to find the transition state in the interconversion between norbornadiene (N) and quadricyclane (Q) radical cations. Two transition structures, TS^+·₁ and TS^+·₂, were obtained which have C₁ and C₂ symmetry, respectively. Vibrational analysis at the UHF and UMP2 levels of theory and IRC calculation showed that TS^+·₁ is the true transition state connecting N^+· and Q^+·, while TS^+·₂ is a second order saddle point.     

Stereoselective synthesis of tetrasubstituted (Z)-alkenes from aryl alkyl ketones utilizing the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction

Tetrasubstituted (Z)-alkenes were readily prepared through the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions of methyl 2-[bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)phosphono]propionate with aryl alkyl ketones by employing Sn(OSO(2)CF(3))(2) and N-ethylpiperidine.