Bismuth Tri‐ and Tetraarylcarboxylates: Crystal Structures,In Situ X‐ray Diffraction,Intermediates and Luminescence

A systematic investigation of the systems Bi³⁺/carboxylic acid/HNO₃ for the tri‐ and tetracarboxylic acids pyromellitic acid (H₄Pyr), trimellitic acid (H₃Tri) and trimesic acid (H₃BTC) acid led to the discovery of five new bismuth carboxylates. Structural characterisation allowed the influence of the linker geometry and the Bi³⁺:linker molar ratio in the starting solution on the crystal structure to be determined. The crystallisation of three selected compounds was investigated by in situ energy‐dispersive X‐ray diffraction. Three new crystalline intermediates were observed within minutes, and two of them could be isolated by quenching of the reaction mixture. Their crystal structures were determined from laboratory and synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction data and allowed a possible reaction pathway to be established. In depth characterisation of the luminescence properties of the three bismuth pyromellate compounds was carried out. Fluorescence and phosphorescence could be assigned to (mainly) ligand‐ and metal‐based transitions. The polymorphs of Bi(HPyr) exhibit different luminescence properties, although their structures are very similar. Surprisingly, doping of the three host structures with Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions was only successful for one of the polymorphs.     

Convective director structures upon continuous rotation of nematic side group polymers

Abstract

We present the first study of convective director structures in nematic side group polymers. A thin liquid crystal cell (10–500 μm) was continuously rotated about an axis perpendicular to the field of a 7T NMR magnet. The director behaviour was followed by deuteron NMR as well as by polarization microscopy. While by optical studies the development of periodic director structures can be directly monitored, the analysis of the NMR lineshape gives detailed information about the director distribution in these structures. The development of the structures depends sensitively on the rotation frequency and is discussed in terms of non-linear amplification of long wavelength director fluctuations due to the coupling between director rotation and viscous flow of the nematic.     

A new approach to β-amino acids: biotransformation of N-protected β-amino nitriles

A number of novel N-protected β-amino nitriles were prepared as substrates for two nitrile-converting microorganisms, Rhodococcus sp. R312 and Rhodococcus erythropolis NCIMB 11540. The respective biotransformation products, β-amino acids, are known to be pharmacological very potent compounds.     

First synthesis of a beta(2)-homoamino acid by enantioselective catalysis

The enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to the activated nitroolefin methyl 3-nitropropenoate is efficiently catalyzed by copper(I) complexes with BINOL-based enantiopure phosphoramidite ligands. The nitroolefin moiety acts as the predominant Michael acceptor, giving rise to the unambiguous formation of 2-alkyl-3-nitro-propanoates. Moderate to excellent enantioselectivities and high chemical yields are obtained. The product can easily be transformed into a beta(2)-homoamino acid. [reaction--see text]     

Pentopyranosyl Oligonucleotide Systems. 9th Communication

Pyranosyl‐RNA (‘p‐RNA’ ) is an oligonucleotide system isomeric to natural RNA and composed of the very same building blocks as RNA. Its generational, chemical, and informational properties are deemed to be those of an alternative nucleic acid system that could have been a candidate in Nature's evolutionary choice of the molecular basis of genetic function. We consider the study of the chemistry of p‐RNA as etiologically relevant in the sense that knowledge of its structural, chemical, and informational properties on the chemical level offers both a perspective and reference points for the recognition of specific structural assets of the RNA structure that made it the (supposedly) superior system among possible alternatives and, therefore, the system that became part of biology as we know it today. The paper describes the chemical synthesis of β‐d‐ (and L )‐ribopyranosyl‐(4′→2′)‐oligonucleotide sequences, presents a resume of their structural and chemical properties, and cautiously discusses what we may and may not have learned from the pyranosyl isomer of RNA with respect to the conundrum of RNA's origin.     

Inside Cover: Structural and Mechanistic Studies on Substrate and Stereoselectivity of the Indole Monooxygenase VpIndA1: New Avenues for Biocatalytic Epoxidations and Sulfoxidations (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 17/2023)

Flavoprotein monooxygenases are a versatile group of enzymes for biocatalytic transformations. Among these, group E monooxygenases (GEMs) catalyze enantioselective epoxidation and sulfoxidation reactions. Here, we describe the crystal structure of an indole monooxygenase from the bacterium Variovorax paradoxus EPS, a GEM designated as VpIndA1. Complex structures with substrates reveal productive binding modes that, in conjunction with force-field calculations and rapid mixing kinetics, reveal the structural basis of substrate and stereoselectivity. Structure-based redesign of the substrate cavity yielded variants with new substrate selectivity (for sulfoxidation of benzyl phenyl sulfide) or with greatly enhanced stereoselectivity (from 35.1 % to 99.8 % ee for production of (1S,2R)-indene oxide). This first determination of the substrate binding mode of GEMs combined with structure-function relationships opens the door for structure-based design of these powerful biocatalysts.     

Experimental and Theoretical Structure Elucidation of the [2 : 1] Complex Ion of Carbo[n]helicene with n=6, 7 and 8 and Ag+

Gas-phase complexes of [n]helicenes with n=6, 7 and 8 and the silver(I) cation are generated utilizing electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Besides the well-established [1 : 1] helicene/Ag⁺-complex in which the helicene provides a tweezer-like surrounding for the Ag⁺, there is also a [2 : 1] complex formed. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations in conjunction with energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation (ER-CID) experiments reveal that the second helicene attaches via π-π stacking to the first helicene, which is part of the pre-formed [1 : 1] tweezer complex with Ag⁺. For polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of planar structure, the [2 : 1] complex with silver(I) is typically structured as an Ag⁺-bound dimer in which the Ag⁺ would bind to both PAHs as the central metal ion (PAH–Ag⁺–PAH). For helicenes, the Ag⁺-bound dimer is of similar thermochemical stability as the π-π stacked dimer, however, it is kinetically inaccessible. Coronene (Cor) is investigated in comparison to the helicenes as an essentially planar PAH. In analogy to the π-π stacked dimer of the helicenes, the Cor−Ag⁺−Cor−Cor complex is also observed. Competition experiments using [n]helicene mixtures reveal that the tweezer complexes of Ag⁺ are preferably formed with the larger helicenes, with n=6 being entirely ignored as the host for Ag⁺ in the presence of n=7 or 8.     

CycloSiFA: The Next Generation of Silicon-Based Fluoride Acceptors for Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

The ring-opening Si-fluorination of a variety of azasilole derivatives cyclo-1-(iPr₂Si)−4-X−C₆H₃−2-CH₂NR ( 4 : R=2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃, X=H; 4 a : R=2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂, X=H; 9 : R=2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃, X=tBuMe₂SiO; 10 : R=2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃, X=OH; 13 : R=2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃, X=HCCCH₂O; 22 : R=2,6-iPr₂C₆H₃, X=tBuMe₂SiCH₂O) with different ¹⁹F-fluoride sources was studied, optimized and the experience gained was used in a translational approach to create a straightforward ¹⁸F-labelling protocol for the azasilole derivatives [¹⁸F] 6 and [¹⁸F] 14 . The latter constitutes a potential clickable CycloSiFA prosthetic group which might be used in PET tracer development using Cu-catalysed triazole formation. Based on our findings, CycloSiFA has the potential to become a new entry into non-canonical labelling methodologies for radioactive PET tracer development.     

Pyridazines. LIX. Synthesis of c-annelated pyridazines from 3-amino-4-pyridazinecarbonitrile

The utility of the aminonitrile 1 as an educt for the preparation of several new examples of heterocyclefused pyridazines (the [1,2,4]triazolo[1′,5′:1,6]pyrimido[4,5-c]pyridazine 7 , the pyrimido[4,5-c]pyridazines 8, 10a,b , and the pyrido[2,3-c]pyridazine 11 ) is demonstrated.     

A New Strategy for the Synthesis of alpha-Difluoromethyl-Substituted alpha-Hydroxy and alpha-Amino Acids

A new method for the preparation of alpha-chlorodifluoromethyl-, alpha-bromodifluoromethyl-, and alpha-difluoromethyl-substituted alpha-hydroxy and alpha-amino acid esters 11, 19-21 is described. The key step of the synthesis is the regioselective alkylation of ketones 5, 7-9 and imines 16-18 with C-nucleophiles. The ketones 7-9 are readily available from 3,3,3-trifluorolactate 1 by a five-step procedure. Subsequent removal of the protecting groups from 19-21 provides the corresponding free amino acids 25, 26, 28.