Biomimetic synthesis of (+/-)-galanthamine and asymmetric synthesis of (-)-galanthamine using remote asymmetric induction

(+/-)-Galanthamine (1) was synthesized in excellent yield by applying PIFA-mediated oxidative phenol coupling of N-(4-hydroxy)phenethyl-N-(3',4',5'-trialkoxy)benzyl formamide (15b) as a key step. Because of the symmetrical characteristics of the pyrogallol moiety in the substrate (15b), the phenol coupling resulted in a sole coupling product except for volatile components from the oxidizing agent. On the basis of the successful results of the above strategy, (-)-galanthamine (1) was synthesized by employing a novel remote asymmetric induction, where conformation of the seven-membered ring in the product of the phenol coupling was restricted by forming a fused-chiral imidazolidinone ring with D-phenylalanine on the benzylic C-N bond of the tri-O-alkylated gallyl amino moiety. The conformational restriction and successive debenzylation of the protected hydroxyl groups on the pyrogallol ring caused diastereoselective cyclization to yield a cyclic ether having the desired stereochemistry for the synthesis of (-)-1.     

A nanometer-sized high-spin polyradical: poly(4-phenoxyl-1,2-phenylenevinylene) planarily extended in a non-Kekulé fashion and its magnetic force microscopic images.

A pi-conjugated, but non-Kekulé- and nondisjoint-type poly(1,2-phenylenevinylene) network bearing 4-substituted di-tert-butylphenoxyls was synthesized through a one-pot polycondensation of the star-shaped subpart and the subsequent oxidation, which was persistent even at room temperature. The polyphenoxyl radical with a spin concentration of 0.4 displayed an average S of 10/2. The polyradical with the molecular weight of 3.2 x 10(4) gave a disklike image of ca. 35 x 0.6 nm with both an atomic and a magnetic force microscopy: the molecular image was examined as a nanoscale and single-molecular-based magnetic dot.     

Ladderlike ferromagnetic spin coupling network on a pi-conjugated pendant polyradical

A poly(9,10-anthryleneethynylene)-based polyradical with two pendant stable phenoxyls in one anthracene skeleton was newly synthesized via polymerization of the corresponding bromoethynylanthracene monomer using a Pd(0) catalyst. The average molecular weight of the polymer reached M(n) = 5 x 10(3) and was soluble in common organic solvents. The polyradical was prepared from the corresponding hydroxyl precursor polymer and was appropriately stable at room temperature. The ESR spectrum of the corresponding monomeric radical suggested an effectively delocalized spin density distribution on the backbone anthracene. The magnetization and the static magnetic susceptibility of the polyradical were measured using a SQUID magnetometer. The large average spin quantum number (S = (5)/(2)) of the polyradical indicated that the ferromagnetic spin coupling network of the polyradical had spread throughout the pi-conjugated chain and that it was considerably insensitive to spin defects.     

Adsorption of metal ions on crosslinked poly(4-vinylpyridine) resins prepared with a metal ion as template

Poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) was crosslinked with 1,4-dibromobutane with a metal ion as template. The adsorption behavior of copper, cobalt, zinc, and cadmium ions on the obtained resin (DBQP) was studied. The DBQP resin prepared with a metal ion as template preferentially adsorbed the metal ion used as template. The stability constant of the copper complex of DBQP was largest for the DBQP resin prepared with a copper ion as template, which was due to its large entropy change for the complexation.     

Polymerization of (p‐vinylphenyl)hydrogalvinoxyl and formation of a stable polyradical derivative

4‐[(3,5‐Di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)(3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐oxo‐cyclohexa‐ 2,5‐dienylidene)methyl]styrene (abbreviated as (p‐vinylphenyl)hydrogalvinoxyl) was polymerized using AIBN as an initiator to give a bright yellow polymer with M w = 3.2 × 10⁴. The polymer was oxidized to give the corresponding polyradical derivative, whose spin concentration could be increased up to about 70 mol % depending on oxidative conditions. ESR signal line‐width in the solid state was greatly increased below 200 K for the polyradical with a high spin concentration (> 50 mol %). The magnetization and magnetic susceptibility indicated weak antiferromagnetic interaction among the radical sites. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 189–198, 1999     

Oxygen permeability of biodegradable copolycaprolactones

Polycaprolactone is one of the biodegradable polymers with good drug permeability. In the present paper, polycaprolactone and three kinds of copolycaprolactone–polycaprolactone–poly(ethylene oxide)– polycaprolactone triblock copolymer (PCE), polycaprolactone/polycaprolactone‐poly(ethylene oxide)/polylactide tricomponents random block copolymer (PCEL) and polycaprolactone/poly(ethylene terephthalate) random block copolymer (PETCL)– were synthesized. The biodegradation behavior of these polymers were shown by degradation tests in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. The oxygen permeabilities of these polymers were in the range of 10⁻¹⁰ ∼ 10⁻⁹ cm³ (STP) cm/cm² sec cm Hg. Copolymers PCE and PCEL displayed O₂ and N₂ permeability coefficients (PO₂/PN₂) ratios of about 9. The effects of composition and crystallinity of the copolymers on biodegradability and the oxygen permeability of the polymer were discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two‐dimensionally extended aromatic polyamines for optimization of charge‐transporting properties by partial oxidation

This article describes the synthesis of the two‐dimensionally extended aromatic polyamines by polycondensation between the tri‐sec‐amine monomer and p‐phenylenediamine‐based dibromide, the polyradical generation by chemical and electrochemical oxidations, and the hole‐transporting properties. The molecular weights (M_n) of the polyamines, 3a and 3b , were 7700 and 5000, respectively, and both polymers were very soluble in the typical organic solvents, ensuring a good film formation capability by a spin‐coating technique. The thermal stability of the aromatic polyamines, elucidated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), was quite high. More important, the cross‐conjugated structure is essential for the controlled radical generation and the maintenance of the radical stability. Cyclic voltammograms of the neutral polyamines in the presence of 1 vol % of trifluoroacetic acid and the intervalence bands of the partially oxidized polyamines with NOPF₆ revealed that the generated radicals delocalize over the p‐phenylenediamine moieties. The half‐life of the polyradicals was about 12 h even under ambient conditions, which allowed us to fabricate and measure the hole‐only devices. The charge‐transporting properties of the polyamines were dramatically changed by the partial oxidation (20 mol %/aminium unit) with NOPF₆. The neutral polyamines showed the conventional injection‐limit behaviors, whereas the hole‐transporting behaviors of the polyradicals are bulk‐limit and highly dependent on the chemical structure. The efficient hole‐transport of the all‐conjugated poly(aminium cationic radical)s was for the first time realized for the polyradical of 3b . © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4577–4586, 2009     

Oxygen-binding property of hemoglobin films

Oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin films were obtained by drying corresponding hemoglobin solutions with maltose (≧0.3 M). The resulting hemoglobin films were homogeneous and smooth, and the methemoglobin formation in the oxyhemoglobin film was well suppressed. The dry, rigid networks of maltose molecules work to preserve the conformation of hemoglobin against the removal of water. The coordination of oxygen to the deoxygenated hemoglobin film was slow and saturated up to 50%, while nearly 100% saturation was achieved if the film contained a residual moisture of 8.7%.     

Oxygen dissolution and transport in cobaltporphyrin-bound organophosphazene membranes

Rubbery poly(organophosphazene)s were synthesized, and were combined with cobaltporphyrin (CoP) which binds molecular oxygen rapidly and reversibly. The apparent oxygen-binding equilibrium constant (K_app) is in proportion to the physical solubility coefficient of oxygen in the polymer, although the reduced equilibrium and thermodynamic parameters are not dependent on the polymer matrix species. Diffusivity of oxygen via the fixed CoP(D_C) is enhanced for poly(organophosphazene) membranes with a larger oxygen diffusion constant. Poly(organophosphazene) membranes with both a large K_app and D_C yield high oxygen permeability.     

Regioselective ring opening of unsymmetrical cyclic ethers with the A1C13-NaI-acetonitrile system: Application to hydroxylation of ent-kaurene.

Unsymmetrically substituted 5-membered cyclic ethers were effectively cleaved with the A1C1₃-NaI-CH₃CN system at the less hindered carbon atom to afford δ-iodoalcohols. Conversion of ent-kaurene to ent-14α- and ent-12β-hydroxykaurene was achieved through the ring opening of the cyclic ether with the present system as a key step.