Synthesis of the spirocyclic core of the prunolides using a singlet oxygen-mediated cascade sequence

[reaction: see text] A highly efficient and rapid four-step synthesis of the bis-spiroketal core of the prunolide natural products, starting from furan itself, is described. The key step and culmination of the synthesis, responsible for zipping up the spirocyclic core, is a singlet oxygen-orchestrated cascade sequence in which a double photooxygenation of a 1,2-difuryl alkene precursor precedes dehydration and spirocyclization to furnish the intact prunolide core.     

Solid phase insertion of diamines into peptide chains

Diamines derived from naturally occurring aminoacids were inserted into peptide chains by the reaction of the monophthaloyl diamines with amino acid 1-benzotriazolyl esters, bound through their amino functions onto trityl-type resins. The phthaloyl group was removed and peptide chains using N-Fmoc amino acids, were assembled on the liberated amino function. The peptidyl diamides obtained, were cleaved from the resins with ^tBu-side chain protection remaining intact, or fully deprotected.     

Ene hydroperoxidation of isobutenylarenes within dye-exchanged zeolite Na-Y: control of site selectivity by cation-arene interactions

The site selectivity in the singlet oxygen ene reaction of several deuterium-labeled isobutenylarenes depends on the position and the electronic nature of the aryl substitutents. For example, 1-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-methylpropene gives 82% twin selectivity whereas the isomeric 1-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-methylpropene gives 68% twix selectivity. If photooxygenation of these CF(3)-substituted compounds is carried out in solution, the opposite selectivity trends are found. On the basis of DFT calculations, these results are rationalized in terms of oxygen-cation and cation-arene interactions.     

Dye-sensitized intrazeolite photooxygenation of 4-substituted cyclohexenes. Remote substituent effects in regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity

The product distribution in the dye-sensitized photooxygenation of α-terpinyl acetate and terpinen-4-ol is quite similar in solution, however, by zeolite Y confinement, is substantially influenced by the position of the remote polar substituents relative to the reacting double bond. The intrazeolite results were rationalized in terms of Na⁺-substrate and Na⁺-singlet oxygen interactions.     

Solvent-dependent changes in the triazolinedione-alkene ene reaction mechanism

The influence of the solvent on the triazolinedione-alkene ene reaction mechanism has been investigated. Both inter- and intramolecular kinetic isotope effects with tetramethylethylenes and 2,2,2-(trideuterio)methyl-7-methyl-2,6-octadiene-[D3]-1,1,1 provide, for the first time, strong evidence for changes in the mechanism of the reaction on going from non-protic to polar protic solvents. In non-protic polar or apolar solvents, an aziridinium imide that equilibrates to an insignificant extent with an open intermediate (a dipolar or a polarized biradical) is formed irreversibly in the first, rate-determining step of the reaction, which is followed by fast hydrogen abstraction. On the contrary, in polar protic solvents, hydrogen abstraction is rate limiting, allowing the main dipolar intermediate to equilibrate with its open intermediate(s) as well as with the starting reagents.     

Synthesis of cordiaquinones B, C, J, and K on the basis of a bioinspired approach and the revision of the relative stereochemistry of cordiaquinone C

Four members of the cordiaquinone family (cordiaquinones B, C, J, and K) were synthesized on the basis of a bioinspired scenario in five to six steps from trans, trans-farnesol. As key reactions we used the acid-catalyzed cyclization of a suitable epoxy terpenoid and a Diels-Alder reaction between a diene and benzoquinone. The relative stereochemistry of cordiaquinone C is opposite to that reported in the isolation paper and is in agreement with a plausible scenario for the biosynthesis of cordiaquinones from a common (E)-configurated naphthoquinone epoxide precursor. A fast and clean methodology for the synthesis of the naturally occurring (Z)-beta-farnesene from cis-nerolidol is also reported.     

Insertion of functional groups into a Nd3+ metal-organic framework via single-crystal-to-single-crystal coordinating solvent exchange

Single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformations represent some of the most fascinating phenomena in chemistry. They are not only intriguing from a basic science point of view but also provide a means to modify or tune the properties of the materials via the postsynthetic introduction of suitable guest molecules or organic functional groups into their structures. Here, we describe UCY-2, a new flexible Nd(3+) metal-organic framework (MOF), which exhibits a unique capability to undergo a plethora of SCSC transformations with some of them being very uncommon. These structural alterations involve the replacement of coordinating solvent molecules of UCY-2 by terminally ligating solvents and organic ligands with multiple functional groups including -OH, -SH, -NH-, and -NH(2) or their combinations, chelating ligands, anions, and two different organic compounds. The SCSC coordinating solvent exchange is thus demonstrated as a powerful method for the functionalization of MOFs.     

Trace analysis of free and combined amino acids in atmospheric aerosols by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

The analysis of amino acids by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) after their derivatization with N-(t-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide was investigated as an alternative approach for the determination of free (FAA) and combined amino acids (CAA) in aerosols. This technique showed excellent linearity with r² values ranging from 0.9029 to 0.9995 and instrumental limits of detection ranging from 0.3 to 46 pg for the different amino acids. The quality of water used for sample extraction was found to be of utmost importance for achieving low blank levels of FAA and CAA. The addition of isopropanol during the extraction of aerosols was also shown to minimize the coextraction of inorganic salts that interfered with the analysis of FAA, Moreover, the ascorbic acid was found to be the most effective reagent for preventing the oxidative destruction of CAA during the hydrolysis process. By the analysis of spiked aerosol samples, the average recoveries determined for FAA and CAA were higher than 60% and the associated relative standard deviation was lower than 10% for the majority of amino acids. The application of the adopted method in background aerosols of the eastern Mediterranean enabled the unambiguous identification and quantification of 20 amino acids. The total concentration of FAA and CAA in aerosols ranged from 13 to 34 ng m⁻³ and from 29 to 79 ng m⁻³, respectively. The GC–MS based method is proposed to overcome several analytical difficulties usually encountered with the conventional HPLC-fluoresence technique.