On a sulfurated grignard reagent equivalent to that of 2-chloromethyl-1,3-butadiene. New syntheses of ipsenol (2-methyl-6-methylene-7-octen-4-OL) and of (E)-β-farnesene ((E)-7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene)

Experiments on the synthesis of (3-methylene-4-chloro)butylphenyl sulfide, which is the precursor of the corresponding Grignard reagent, are described. With two typical electrophiles, namely isovaleraldehyde and geranyl chloride, this reagent provides the title terpenes in two further simple steps (oxidation to sulfoxides and thermolysis).     

Double geminal C-H activation and reversible alpha-elimination in 2-aminopyridine iridium(III) complexes: the role of hydrides and solvent in flattening the free energy surface

[H2Ir(OCMe2)2L2]BF4 (1) (L = PPh3), a preferred catalyst for tritiation of pharmaceuticals, reacts with model substrate 2-(dimethylamino)pyridine (py-NMe2; py = 2-pyridyl) to give chelate carbene [H2Ir(py-N(Me)CH=)L2]BF4 (2a) via cyclometalation, H2 loss, and reversible alpha-elimination. Agostic intermediate [H2Ir(py-N(Me)CH2-H)L2]BF4) (4a), seen by NMR, is predicted (DFT(B3PW91) computations) to give C-H oxidative addition to form the alkyl intermediate [(H)(eta2-H2)Ir(py-N(Me)CH2-)L2]BF4. Loss of H2 leads to the fully characterized alkyl [HIr(OCMe2)(py-N(Me)CH2-)L2]BF4 (3a(Me2CO)), which loses acetone to give alkylidene hydride 2a by rapid reversible alpha-elimination. 2a rapidly reacts with excess H2 in d6-acetone to generate [H2Ir(OC(CD3)2)2L2]BF4 (1-d12), 3a((CD3)2CO), and py-NMe2 in a 1:1:1 ratio, showing reversibility and accounting for the selective isotope exchange catalyzed by 1. Reaction of 1 with py-N(CH2)4 gives the fully characterized carbene 2c. A cis-L(2) carbene intermediate, cis-2c, observed by NMR, reacts with CO via retro alpha-elimination to give the alkyl 3cCO, while the trans isomer, 2c, does not react; retro alpha-elimination thus requires the Ir-H bond to be orthogonal to the carbene plane. Consistent with experiment, computational studies show a particularly flat PE surface with activation of the agostic C-H bond giving a less stable H2 complex, then formation of a kinetic carbene complex with cis-L, only seen experimentally for py-N(CH2)4. Hydrides at key positions, together with gain or loss of solvent and H2, flatten the PE (DeltaG) surfaces to allow fast catalysis.     

Isoprenoid biosynthesis via the MEP pathway. Synthesis of (3,4)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-oxohexylphosphonic acid, an isosteric analogue of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate, the substrate of the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reducto-isomerase

(3,4)-3,4-Dihydroxy-5-oxohexylphosphonic acid, an isosteric analogue of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP), was obtained in enantiomerically pure form from (+)-2,3--benzylidene--threitol by a seven-step sequence. This phosphonate did not affect the growth of. It did not inhibit the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), but was converted by this enzyme into (3,4)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-3-methylpentylphosphonic acid, an isosteric analogue of 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate. The enzyme was, however, less efficient with the methylene phosphonate analogue than with the natural substrate.     

Sequences,claws and cyclability of graphs

A subset S of vertices of a graph G is called cyclable in G if there is in G some cycle containing all the vertices of S. We give two results on the cyclability of a vertex subset in graphs, one of which is related to “hamiltonian-nice-sequence” conditions and the other of which is related to “claw-free” conditions. They imply many known results on hamiltonian graph theory. Moreover, the analogous results related to the hamilton-connectivity or to the existence of dominating cycle are also given. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Hydrogen for fluorine exchange in C6F6 and C6F5H by monomeric [1,3,4-(Me3C)3C5H2]2CeH: experimental and computational studies

The net reaction of monomeric Cp'(2)CeH [Cp' = 1,3,4-(Me(3)C)(3)(C(5)H(2))] in C(6)D(6) with C(6)F(6) is Cp'(2)CeF, H(2), and tetrafluorobenzyne. The pentafluorophenylmetallocene, Cp'(2)Ce(C(6)F(5)), is formed as an intermediate that decomposes slowly to Cp'(2)CeF and C(6)F(4) (tetrafluorobenzyne), and the latter is trapped by the solvent C(6)D(6) as a [2+4] cycloadduct. In C(6)F(5)H, the final products are also Cp'(2)CeF and H(2), which are formed from the intermediates Cp'(2)Ce(C(6)F(5)) and Cp'(2)Ce(2,3,5,6-C(6)F(4)H) and from an unidentified metallocene of cerium and the [2+4] cycloadducts of tetra- and trifluorobenzyne with C(6)D(6). The hydride, fluoride, and pentafluorophenylmetallocenes are isolated and characterized by X-ray crystallography. DFT(B3PW91) calculations have been used to explore the pathways leading to the observed products of the exergonic reactions. A key step is a H/F exchange reaction which transforms C(6)F(6) and the cerium hydride into C(6)F(5)H and Cp'(2)CeF. This reaction starts by an eta(1)-F-C(6)F(5) interaction, which serves as a hook. The reaction proceeds via a sigma bond metathesis where the fluorine ortho to the hook migrates toward H with a relatively low activation energy. All products observed experimentally are accommodated by pathways that involve C-F and C-H bond cleavages.     

Détermination par Résonance Magnétique Nucléaire de la Configuration d'alcools Bicycliques [4.2.0] et Tricycliques [6.4.0.02,7] ou [5.4.0.02,6]

The configuration of various bicyclo[4.2.0]octanols has been established by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, with Eu(dpm)₃ as shift reagent. The intrinsic parameters Δ and K have been obtained and used as structural probes. Moreover, detailed data analysis showed that, contrary to the generally accepted concept, the vicinal coupling constant between trans cyclobutanic protons can be larger than that between cis protons. The chemical shifts obtained by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy are consistent with the proposed structures. The results have been extensively used to determine unambiguously the configuration of tricyclo[6.4.0.0^2,7]dodecanols and tricyclo[5.4.0.0^2,6]undecanol.     

Synthesis of a new series of purine derivatives and their anti‐cyclin‐dependent kinase activities

The synthesis of new purine derivatives designed to inhibit cell cycle regulating cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs), is reported. These compounds, related to olomoucine and roscovitine, are characterised by the presence of apyrrolidine methanol substituent at C‐2 and a variety of ortho, meta and/or para substituents on the C‐6 arylamino group.     

Photo-induced magnetic bistability in a controlled assembly of anisotropic coordination nanoparticles

Anisotropic coordination nanoparticles of the photomagnetic network Cs(I)(2)Cu(II)(7)[Mo(IV)(CN)(8)](4) are obtained through a surfactant-free high-yield synthetic procedure in water. These particles are organised as Langmuir-Blodgett films with a preferential orientation of the nano-objects within the film that exhibit a magnetic bistability below 20 K with a very large coercivity due to an efficient photo-transformation.