New cassane butenolide hemiketal diterpenes from the marine creeper Caesalpinia bonduc and their antiproliferative activity

Two new cassane butenolides, caesalpinolide A (1) and B (2), epimeric at the hemiketal position were isolated from the marine creeper Caesalpinia bonduc. The structures were elucidated by the analysis of spectroscopic data and relative stereochemistry was assigned on the basis of ROESY correlations. Compounds 1 and 2 were found to inhibit MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of (μM) 12.8 and 6.1, respectively, along with the inhibition of endometrial and cervical cancer cell lines.     

An efficient modification of the Hofmann rearrangement: synthesis of methyl carbamates

A series of methyl carbamates was synthesized using NaOCl as an oxidant in the presence of KF/Al₂O₃/MeOH at reflux in excellent yields.     

Nature of the emission band of Dergaon meteorite in the region 5700x2013;6700 Å

An emission band system in the region 5700–6700 Å from Dergaon stoney iron meteorite which fell at Dergaon, India on March 2, 16.40 local time (2001) was excited with the help of a continuous 500 mW Ar⁺ laser. The band system is attributed to silicate (olivine), a major component of the meteorite.     

Rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes of triphenylphosphine chalcogenides and their catalytic activity

Rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes [Rh(CO)₂ClL] where L = Ph₃PO, Ph₃PS and Ph₃PSe, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, i.r. and by ¹H-, ¹³C- and ³¹P-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The vBD;(CO) band frequencies in the complexes follow the order: Ph₃PO > Ph₃PS > Ph₃PSe, in keeping with the hard/soft nature of the interactions. The complexes undergo oxidative additions with electrophiles such as MeI, PhCH₂Cl and I₂ to give, e.g. [Rh(CO)(COMe)ClIL] which react with PPh₃ to give trans-[Rh(CO)Cl(PPh₃)₂]. The catalytic activity of the [Rh(CO)₂ClL] complexes in carbonylation of MeOH is higher than that of the well-known [Rh(CO)₂I₂]⁻ species. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of substituents at the heteroatom on the structure and ligating properties of carbodicarbenes and its silicon analogs: a theoretical study

Density functional calculations have been carried out to investigate the effect of substituents attached to the heteroatoms of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) on the structure and ligating properties of carbon(0) [C(NHC)₂] and silicon(0) [Si(NHC)₂] compounds. The substituents were found to have a profound role on the structure and ligating properties of these classes of compounds. Fluoro- and chloro-substituted carbon(0) compounds were found to have quasi-linear geometries in which their C(0) characteristics are “masked.” However, their C(0) characteristics become prominent in their protonated species. Large negative charges and shallow bending potential of the central C_c–C₀–C_c angle provide evidence for the “hidden C(0) characteristics” of these two compounds. Electron withdrawing substituents at N-atoms of the two NHCs dramatically decreases the basicity of these compounds. Both natural bonding and atoms in molecules analysis suggest that the most favorable Lewis structure of C(NHC)₂ and Si(NHC)₂ in their equilibrium geometries should be described (portrayed) as L=C=L and L → Si ← L, respectively, where L = NHCs.     

Rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes of mono selenium functionalized bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and bis(diphenylphosphino)amine chelating ligands and their catalytic carbonylation activity

The chelate complexes of the types (1) and (2) have been synthesized and characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The lower shift of the ν(P-Se) bands and downfield shift of the ³¹P-{¹H}NMR signals for both P(III) and P(V) atoms in 1 and 2 compared to the corresponding free ligands indicate chelate formation through selenium donor. 1 and 2 show terminal ν(CO) bands at 1977 and 1981 cm⁻¹, respectively, suggesting high electron density at the metal center. The molecular structure of 2 has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The rhodium atom is at the center of a square planar geometry having the phosphorus and selenium atoms of the chelating ligand at cis-position, one carbonyl group trans- to selenium and one chlorine atom trans- to phosphorus atom. 1 and 2 undergo oxidative addition (OA) reaction with CH₃I to produce acyl complexes (3) and (4), respectively. The kinetics of the OA reactions reveal that 1 undergoes faster reaction by about 4.5 times than 2. The catalytic activity of 1 and 2 in carbonylation of methanol was higher than that of the well known species [Rh(CO)₂I₂]⁻ and 2 shows higher catalytic activity compared to 1.     

Surfactant/I2/water: an efficient system for deprotection of oximes and imines to carbonyls under neutral conditions in water

I2/surfactant/water system deprotecting oximes and imines to the corresponding carbonyl compounds under neutral conditions in water at 25-40 degrees C with very high to excellent yields.     

AlCl3 · 6H2O/KI/CH3CN/H2O: An Efficient and Versatile System for Chemoselective C–O Bond Cleavage and Formation of Halides and Carbonyl Compounds from Alcohols in Hydrated Media

AlCl₃ · 6H₂O/KI/CH₃CN/H₂O, an efficient and versatile system, cleaves the C–O bonds of esters, acetals, ethers, and oxathiolanes to the corresponding acids, alcohols, and carbonyl compounds chemoselectively at 80 °C in hydrated media with good yields. This system also converts the alcohols (primary/secondary) to halides and oxidizes the alcohols (primary/secondary) to the corresponding carbonyl compounds in the presence of DMSO.     

KF/Al2O3: Solid-Supported Reagent Used in 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction of Nitrile Oxide

The stereoselective synthesis of 2-isoxazolidine through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of nitrile oxide, which is in situ generation from aldoxime in the presence of N-bromosuccinamide and solid-supported reagent KF/Al₂O₃ at room temperature, is reported. KF/Al₂O₃ is sufficiently basic such that it can replace organic bases such as Et₃N used in typical procedures and it catalyses the reaction to enhance the rate of the reaction.     

Diversity oriented synthesis of pyran based polyfunctional stereogenic macrocyles and their conformational studies

A new approach to synthesize a homologous series of 14-, 15-, and 16-membered drug-like, macrocyclic glycoconjugates involving TBAHS promoted azide-propenone intramolecular cycloaddition in designed C-glycopyranosyl butenones from a simple sugar d-glucose and d-mannose is reported.