One tool to bring them all: Au-catalyzed synthesis of B,O- and B,N-doped PAHs from boronic and borinic acids

The isoelectronic replacement of C C bonds with ⁻B N⁺ bonds in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a widely used tool to prepare novel optoelectronic materials. Far less well explored are corresponding B,O-doped PAHs, although they have a similarly high application potential. We herein report on the modular synthesis of B,N- and B,O-doped PAHs through the [Au(PPh₃)NTf₂]-catalyzed 6-endo-dig cyclization of BN–H and BO–H bonds across suitably positioned C C bonds in the key step. Readily available, easy-to-handle o-alkynylaryl boronic and borinic acids serve as starting materials, which are either cyclized directly or first converted into the corresponding aminoboranes and then cyclized. The reaction even tolerates bulky mesityl substituents on boron, which later kinetically protect the formed B,N/O-PAHs from hydrolysis or oxidation. Our approach is also applicable for the synthesis of rare doubly B,N/O-doped PAHs. Specifically, we prepared 1,2-B,E-naphthalenes and -anthracenes, 1,5-B₂-2,6-E₂-anthracenes (E = N, O) as well as B,O₂-containing and unprecedented B,N,O-containing phenalenyls. Selected examples of these compounds have been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography; their optoelectronic properties have been studied by cyclic voltammetry, electron spectroscopy, and quantum-chemical calculations. Using a new unsubstituted (B,O)₂-perylene as the substrate for late-stage functionalization, we finally show that the introduction of two pinacolatoboryl (Bpin) substituents is possible in high yield and with perfect regioselectivity via an Ir-catalyzed C–H borylation approach.

Singly and doubly B,E-doped PAHs were synthesized using a protocol that starts from easy-to-handle boronic and borinic acids and offers the possibility to choose between the preparation of B,O- and B,N-PAHs in the final reaction step.     

Advances in Iodine(III)‐Mediated Halogenations: A Versatile Tool to Explore New Reactivities and Selectivities

Within the repertoire of organic chemical transformations, the halogenation of substrates is among the most versatile, reliable, and broadly applicable reactions. Although a multitude of different methods are known today, there is still a huge demand for novel and, in particular, catalytic halogenation methods that exhibit new reactivities and selectivities. The class of hypervalent iodanes meets exactly these needs and thus offers a great opportunity to fuel this highly desirable direction within the field of halogenation chemistry. This Concept gives a short overview of recent examples focusing on selective and/or mechanistically unusual halogenations.     

Radiation‐grafted ion‐exchange membranes: Influence of the initial matrix on the synthesis and structure

A series of commercial fluoropolymer films was irradiated with an electron beam, grafted with styrene, and sulfonated. The influence of the initial fluoropolymer on the grafting yields and the properties of the grafted and sulfonated membranes were investigated. The same synthesis procedure can be followed for most fluoropolymers and samples with a similar degree of grafting, and a homogenous polystyrene distribution can be prepared by varying the absorbed dose. The main difference among different fluoropolymer‐based membranes is the water uptake from liquid water that has a roughly linear dependence on the crystallinity of the sample. The more amorphous the initial material, the greater the water uptake. Mechanical properties of the membranes at 50% relative humidity differ less than those of the starting materials and are comparable to those of Nafion® 105. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3008–3017, 2001     

Biologically Active 1-Aminodeoxy and 1-O-Alkyl Derivatives of The Powerful D-Glucosidase Inhibitor 2,5-Dideoxy-2,5-Imino-D-Mannitol

ABSTRACT

By an Amadori rearrangement of easily available 5-azido-5-deoxy-D-glucofuranose with dibenzylamine and subsequent catalytic hydrogenation of the resulting 5-azido-1-(N,N-dibenzyl)amino-1,5-dideoxy-D-fructopyranose, 1-amino-1,2,5-trideoxy-2,5-imino-D-mannitol was obtained in only two steps and in excellent overall yield. Likewise, other amines were employed to introduce extended side chains ultimately suitable for attachment of the inhibitor to solid supports. The reported rearrangement reaction is a high yielding, convenient and apparently general entry to 1-aminodeoxyketopyranoses modified at C-5, facilitated by the ring enlargement of the aldofuranose to the ketopyranose as an additional driving force. A range of selected chain extended analogues was prepared by acylation of N-1. Inhibitors obtained exhibit K _i-values with D-glucosidases in the micromolar range. Interestingly, 1-N-acylation resulted in superior inhibitory activities, as did the addition of a hexyl chain.     

Computational Insights into β-Carboline Inhibition of Monoamine Oxidase A

Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are an important group of enzymes involved in the degradation of neurotransmitters and their imbalanced mode of action may lead to the development of various neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders. In this work, we report the results of an in-depth computational study in which we performed a static and a dynamic analysis of a series of substituted β-carboline natural products, found mainly in roasted coffee and tobacco smoke, that bind to the active site of the MAO-A isoform. By applying molecular docking in conjunction with structure-based pharmacophores and molecular dynamics simulations coupled with dynamic pharmacophores, we extensively investigated the geometric aspects of MAO-A binding. To gain insight into the energetics of binding, we used the linear interaction energy (LIE) method and determined the key anchors that allow productive β-carboline binding to MAO-A. The results presented herein could be applied in the rational structure-based design and optimization of β-carbolines towards preclinical candidates that would target the MAO-A enzyme and would be applicable especially in the treatment of mental disorders such as depression.     

Cyclic triamines as potential high energy materials. Thermochemical properties of triaziridine and triazirine

As part of our survey of potential high-energy materials, we are considering molecules that have relatively high nitrogen content. Such molecules can decompose or combust to make very stable products. Here, we present calculated thermochemical properties of two molecules containing three nitrogen atoms in a ring: triaziridine and triazirine . Gaussian-2 and -3, CBS-APNO, and CBS-QB3 are the high-precision methods used in this study.     

Site‐Selective Disulfide Modification of Proteins: Expanding Diversity beyond the Proteome

The synthetic transformation of polypeptides with molecular accuracy holds great promise for providing functional and structural diversity beyond the proteome. Consequently, the last decade has seen an exponential growth of site‐directed chemistry to install additional features into peptides and proteins even inside living cells. The disulfide rebridging strategy has emerged as a powerful tool for site‐selective modifications since most proteins contain disulfide bonds. In this Review, we present the chemical design, advantages and limitations of the disulfide rebridging reagents, while summarizing their relevance for synthetic customization of functional protein bioconjugates, as well as the resultant impact and advancement for biomedical applications.     

Design and synthesis of novel rofecoxib analogs as potential cyclooxygenase (COX‐2) inhibitors: Replacement of the methylsulfonyl pharmacophore by a sulfonylazide bioisostere

A group of rofecoxib analogs, having a sulfonylazide (SO₂N₃) substituent in place of the methanesulfonyl (SO₂CH₃) pharmacophore at the meta‐position viz 3‐(4‐methyl, 4‐methoxy, or 4‐ethoxyphenyl)‐4‐(3‐sulfonylazidophenyl)‐2(5H)furanone ( 7a‐c ) and para‐position viz 3‐phenyl‐4‐(4‐sulfonylazidophenyl)‐2(5H)furanone ( 7d ), 3‐(4‐fluoro, or 4‐chlorophenyl)‐4‐(4‐sulfonylazidophenyl)‐2(5H)furanone ( 7e‐f ) of the C–4 phenyl ring, and 4‐(1‐oxido‐4‐pyridyl)‐3‐phenyl‐2(5H)furanone ( 12 ) were designed and synthesized for evaluation as selective cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitors. In vitro COX‐1/COX‐2 enzyme inhibition studies showed that 3‐phenyl‐4‐(4‐sulfonylazidophenyl)‐2(5H)furanone ( 7d ) inhibited COX‐1 selectively (COX‐1 IC₅₀ = 0.6659 μM; COX‐2 IC₅₀ > 100 μM) and 3‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐4‐(4‐sulfonylazidophenyl)‐2(5H)furanone ( 7e ) inhibited both enzymes (COX‐1 IC₅₀ = 0.8494 μM; COX‐2 IC₅₀ = 1.7661 μM). A molecular modeling study was performed where 3‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐4‐(4‐sulfonylazidophenyl)‐2(5H)furanone ( 7e ) was docked in the active site of murine COX‐2 isozyme, which showed that the sulfonylazido group inserts deep into the 2°‐pocket of COX‐2 where it undergoes both H‐bonding (Gln¹⁹², Phe⁵¹⁸) and weak electrostatic (Arg⁵¹³) interactions.     

High‐molar‐mass polypropene with tunable elastic properties by hafnocene/borate catalysts

Elastic polypropene has gained growing industrial and academic interest as a thermoplastic elastomer. In this study, “rac”‐ and “meso”‐dimethylsilyl(3‐benzylindenyl)(2‐methylindenyl)hafnium dichloride complexes (Hfr and Hfm, respectively), activated with [NHMe₂Ph][B(C₆F₅)₄]/triisobutyl aluminum, were used in propene polymerization. Using these catalyst systems, we obtained polymers with high molar masses, up to 550 kg/mol, and moderate isotacticities between 34 and 52%. By varying the polymerization conditions, we could modify the polymer microstructure and molar mass. ¹³C NMR was used to calculate the polymer pentad sequence distributions. The crystalline parts of the polymers were analyzed with the differential scanning calorimetry successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA) technique. The SSA thermograms revealed that Hfr produced polypropene with a more uniform lamellar structure than Hfm. The mechanical properties were tested with dynamic mechanical analysis creep‐recovery tests. In the series, the polymers with the lowest isotacticities and therefore lowest crystallinities showed the best elastic properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4743–4751, 2006