Synthesis and supramolecular properties of trimethylene-bridged clips

The novel trimethylene-bridged clips 3 and 4 have been synthesized by using repetitive stereoselective Diels-Alder reactions of the benzo- and naphthobismethylenenorbornenes 8 and 19 as dienes and norbornadiene 9 as bisdienophile, and subsequent dehydrogenation of the primary cyclobisadducts 10 and 20 by using 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ). Clips 3 and 4 serve as receptors for a variety of electron-deficient neutral and cationic aromatic substrates, comparable to the molecular tweezers 1 and 2. The thermodynamic parameters of the complex formation, K(a) and DeltaG, were determined by (1)H NMR titration experiments and, in the case of the highly stable complex TCNB 32@4, by the use of isothermal titration microcalorimetry. The finding that clip 4 forms more stable complexes than 3 can be explained by the larger van der Waals contact surfaces of the naphthalene sidewalls in 4 compared to the corresponding benzene systems in 3. In the complexes with 4 as receptor, the plane of each aromatic substrate molecule is calculated to be oriented almost parallel to the naphthalene sidewalls. However, in the complexes of tweezers 2, the substrate is usually oriented parallel to the central naphthalene spacer unit. Due to the more open topology of 4, most complexes were calculated to consist of two or more equilibrating noncovalent conformers.     

Triarylborane ammonia complexes as ideal precursors for arylzinc reagents in asymmetric catalysis

[reaction: see text] The value of arylboranes as precursors for arylzinc reagents in asymmetric catalysis is demonstrated. Kinetic studies on the transmetalation reaction with zinc reagents rationalize the observed differences of three classes of arylboranes in catalytic applications. By using the stable and easily accessible triarylborane ammonia complexes, an array of chiral diarylmethanols in high yield and enantioselectivity was synthesized.     

Biologically active compounds through catalysis: efficient synthesis of N-(heteroarylcarbonyl)-N'-(arylalkyl)piperazines

A practical route for the synthesis of new biologically active 5-HT(2 A) receptor antagonists has been developed. In only three catalytic steps, this class of central nervous system (CNS) active compounds can be synthesized efficiently with high diversity. As the initial step, an anti-Markovnikov addition of amines to styrenes provides an easy route to N-(arylalkyl)piperazines, which constitute the core structure of the active molecules. Here, base-catalyzed hydroamination reactions of styrenes with benzylated piperazine proceeded in high yield even at room temperature. After catalytic debenzylation, the free amines were successfully carbonylated with different aromatic and heteroaromatic halides and carbon monoxide to yield the desired compounds in good to excellent yields. The two key reactions, base-catalyzed hydroamination of styrenes and palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation of haloarenes/heterocycles, showed tolerance towards various functional groups, thereby demonstrating the potential to synthesize a wide variety of new derivatives of this promising class of pharmaceuticals.     

New structural motifs in the aggregation of neutral gold(I) complexes: structures and luminescence from (alkyl isocyanide)AuCN

The preparation and X-ray crystal structures of (CyNC)Au(I)CN, (n-BuNC)Au(I)CN, and (i-PrNC)Au(I)CN.0.5CH(2)Cl(2) are reported and compared with those of (MeNC)Au(I)CN and (t-BuNC)Au(I)CN, which were previously described. These linear molecules are all organized through aurophilic interactions into three structural classes: simple chains ((CyNC)Au(I)CN and (t-BuNC)Au(I)CN), side-by-side chains in which two strands make Au...Au contact with each other ((n-BuNC)Au(I)CN), and nets in which multiple aurophilic interactions produce layers of gold(I) centers ((i-PrNC)Au(I)CN and (MeNC)Au(I)CN). All of these five solids dissolve to produce colorless, nonluminescent solutions with similar UV/vis spectra. However, each of the solids displays a unique luminescence with emission maxima occurring in the range 371-430 nm.     

Hydrogen bonds of RNA are stronger than those of DNA, but NMR monitors only presence of methyl substituent in uracil/thymine

Recently, Vakonakis and LiWang (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 5688) reported experimental evidence for stronger hydrogen bonds in RNA A:U than in DNA A:T base pairs, which was based on differences in NMR shielding for adenine C2. We have analyzed the proposed correlation between NMR shielding and hydrogen-bond strength using density functional theory. Although we agree with the conclusion that A:U is more strongly bound, we find no correlation between the hydrogen-bond strength and the NMR shielding of C2. Our study shows that NMR merely probes the presence/absence of the methyl group in thymine/uracil, without any relation to the strength of the hydrogen bonds involved. In other words, one cannot infer the Watson-Crick hydrogen-bond strength from the NMR shielding constant of adenine C2.     

Reaktionen von 2- und 3-phenylsubstituierten Alkylakyliden-iminium-Ionen in der Gasphase. 5. Mitteilung über stossinduzierte Fragmentierungen von felddesorbierten Kationen

Reactions of 2- and 3-Phenyl Substituted Alkylalkylidene Iminium Ions in the Gas Phase The collision-induced fragmentations of 2- and 3-phenyl substituted alkylalkylidene iminium ions are reported. Besides the homolytic cleavage of the azaallyl bond a nucleophilic attack of the unsubstituted phenyl group at the iminium function is observed in the gas phase, yielding carbonium ions such as cyclopropanspirobenzenium ( 3 ), indanylium ( 10 ) and indenylium ions ( 11 ).     

Determination of internuclear distances in uniformly labeled molecules by rotational-resonance solid-state NMR

Rotational-resonance magic-angle spinning NMR experiments are frequently used to measure dipolar couplings and to determine internuclear distances. So far most measurements were performed on samples containing isolated spin pairs. Thus, extensive structure elucidation, for example in biomolecules, requires the preparation of a whole set of doubly labeled samples. Here, we describe the analysis of the rotational-resonance polarization-exchange curves obtained from a single, uniformly labeled sample. It is shown experimentally that, at a magnetic field of 14.09 T, the rotational-resonance conditions in uniformly (13)C-labeled threonine are sufficiently narrow to permit the measurement of five distances between the four carbon spins with an accuracy of better than 10%. The polarization-exchange curves are analyzed using a modified two-spin model consisting of the two active spins. The modified model includes an additional offset in the final polarization, which comes from the coupling to the additional, passive, spins. The validity of this approach is experimentally verified for uniformly (13)C-labeled threonine. The broader applicability of such a model is demonstrated by numerical simulations which quantify the errors as a function of the most relevant parameters in the spin system.     

Model studies for the synthesis of galbonolide B

The construction of the fourteen membered ring present in galbonolide B 1 is reported. The 10,11-diene system present in the southern portion of has been constructed using an ester enolate rearrangement/silicon mediated fragmentation cascade, whilst the macrocycle has been synthesised following a Johnson rearrangement/mercury assisted ring closure protocol.     

Three‐Component Reactions with (S)‐Methyl Pyroglutamate: An Efficient Way to Diversely Substituted Asymmetric Amidocyclohexenes

Chiral N‐dienyl lactams are crucial building blocks for the synthesis of complex organic compounds. However, their generation is rather challenging. This paper reports the novel one‐pot reaction of (S)‐methyl pyroglutamate as the a mide component with different a ldehydes and d ienophiles (AAD reaction) to give novel chiral 1‐amido‐2‐cyclohexenes. The corresponding N‐dienyl lactams generated in situ undergo subsequent Diels–Alder reactions in good yield and diastereoselectivity. The scope and limitations of the three‐component protocol were investigated. X‐ray and NMR spectroscopic analysis of the products as well as DFT calculations of the intermediates were also performed to explain the observed stereoselectivity and structural features.