Deoxygenative α-alkylation and α-arylation of 1,2-dicarbonyls

Construction of C–C bonds at the α-carbon is a challenging but synthetically indispensable approach to α-branched carbonyl motifs that are widely represented among drugs, natural products, and synthetic intermediates. Here, we describe a simple approach to generation of boron enolates in the absence of strong bases that allows for introduction of both α-alkyl and α-aryl groups in a reaction of readily accessible 1,2-dicarbonyls and organoboranes. Obviation of unselective, strongly basic and nucleophilic reagents permits carrying out the reaction in the presence of electrophiles that intercept the intermediate boron enolates, resulting in two new α-C–C bonds in a tricomponent process.

α-Branched carboxylic acids and other carbonyls are readily accessed by a metal- and base-free deoxygenative α-alkylation and α-arylation of 1,2-dicarbonyls via boron enolates, resulting in a tricomponent coupling with unconventional electrophiles.     

Liquid crystal effects on bacterial viability

The primary objective of this research was to test the hypothesis that lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (neutral grey, red 14, blue 27, cromolyn) are not toxic to bacteria as compared with surfactant-based lyotropic (CPCl and CsPFO) or thermotropic (5CB and E7) liquid crystals. Biocompatibility of most liquid crystals is currently unknown and is required for the development of systems interfacing liquid crystals and biological systems. Potential liquid crystal toxicity was evaluated by two methods. The first examined bacterial survival measured by bacterial growth over 24 hours, after exposure to various liquid crystals. The second toxicity method evaluated liquid crystal effects on bacterial membrane permeability using two fluorescent dyes. Three different types of bacteria were evaluated to assess bacterial structure differences with respect to liquid crystal toxicity. The results of this study indicate that lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals are not toxic to bacteria, whereas thermotropic and surfactant-based lyotropic liquid crystals are toxic to one or more forms of bacteria. We conclude that lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals may be the preferred material in designing liquid crystal-based systems that interact with biological systems, especially in the use of liquid crystal-based biosensors.     

Structure of the neutral metal complex Pt(dddt)2

A neutral metal complex, [Pt(dddt)₂]° (1), has been obtained by oxidation of the [Pt(dddt)₂]^– anion with excess (Bu₄N)AuBr₄ in nitrobenzene. Crystallographic data for 1a=17.854(9) Å,b=18.409(9) Å,c=4.717(5) Å, =68.83(2)°, space group P2₁/n,Z=4,d _calc=2.55 g/cm³. In1 two independent centrosymmetric [Pt(dddt)₂]° molecules are packed in stacks that form layers parallel to the (110) plane. The molecules of1 in the layers have shortened S...S contacts 3.491(9) Å, and 3.594(10) Å. The average bond lengths Pt-S 2.242(7) Å, S-C 1.71(2) Å and C=C 1.40(3) Å, together with the square-planar coordination of Pt in PtS₄, suggest considerable conjugation in the metal cycles.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1207–1209, July, 1993.     

Thermal stability and crystal structure of potassium fluoride monoperoxosolvate KF·H2O2

Potassium fluoride peroxosolvate KF-H₂O₂ was obtained upon action of a 30% aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide on solid potassium fluoride dihydrate. As compared to other peroxosolvates, KF-H₂O₂ is characterized by the highest thermal stability: the decomposition rate constantk ₁, at 120°C is 1.4 10^–3 min^–1, the enthalpy of H₂O₂ addition to KF is 8.1 kcal/ mol. The correlation between the high stability of KF-H₂O₂ and the absence of catalytic properties of KF towards H₂O₂, and the formation of strong intermolecular O-H...F and intramolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds in the crystal is discussed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 38–44, January, 1993.     

Copper (II) complexes of sterically hindered o-diphenol derivatives: synthesis, characterization and microbiological studies

Cu (II) complexes with the sterically hindered diphenol derivatives 3,5-di(tert-butyl)-1,2-benzenediol (I), 4,6-di(tert-butyl)-1,2,3-benzenetriol (II) and the sulfur-containing 4,6-di(tert-butyl)-3-(2-hydroxyethylsulfanyl)-1,2-benzenediol (III) and 2-[4,6-di(tert-butyl)-2,3-dihydroxyphenylsulfanyl]acetic acid (IV) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, TG/DTA, FT-IR, ESR, XPS, XPD and conductivity measurements. Compounds I–III can coordinate in their singly deprotonated forms and act as bidentate ligands. These compounds yield Cu (II) complexes of the stoichiometry Cu(L)₂, which have square planar geometry (g_| > g_⊥ > g_e). Unlike them, compound IV behaves as a terdentate ligand, and its complex Cu(L^IV)₂ has distorted octahedral geometry. According to ESR data, only the Cu(L^II)₂ complex contains a very small amount of phenoxyl radicals. Antimicrobial activities of these ligands and their respective Cu (II) complexes have been determined with respect to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as on yeasts. Their phytotoxic properties against Chlorella vulgaris 157 were also examined.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the structure of N,N-dimethyl-4-nitroaniline derivatives as model compounds for non-linear optical organic materials

Molecular and crystal structure of a series of derivatives of N,N-dimethyl-4-nitroaniline has been studied by both X-ray diffraction method and high-level ab initio calculations. According to these data, the dimethylamino groups were found to have a trigonal-pyramidal configuration and are considerably turned with respect to the ring plane in all molecules having a substituent in the ortho-position; on the contrary, this group is planar in the meta-substituted molecules. Topological analysis of the electron density function for all molecules studied within the framework of Bader's ‘atoms in molecules’ (AIM) theory revealed that introduction of a substituent into the ortho- or meta-position of the ring results in increasing of the contribution of the resonance forms different from the quinoid one. Contribution of the latter form is predominant for the structure of N,N-dimethyl-4-nitroaniline (1). Topological analysis of the electron density distribution was used to explain a decreasing of the molecular hyperpolarisabilites of the ortho- and meta-substituted compounds as compared with those for 1.     

X-ray structural analysis of a novel organic metal (BEDT-TTF)4[Hg2Cl6]·PhCl

X-ray structural analysis has revealed that reaction of (BEDT-TTF)[HgCl₃]^– with PhCl leads to the formation of a cation-radical salt (BEDT-TTF)₄[Hg₂Cl₆]· PhCl, which exhibits a laminar crystal structure. The cationic layer is characterized by a grid or lattice network of contracted S...S intermolecular distances (3.396(4)–3.647(5) Å), which unite the BEDT-TTF cations in ribbons or bands, parallel to the [014] direction, and which also bind the ribbons together in a direction close to the [010] axis. The presence of this type of lattice network explains the metallic nature of the conductivity of this salt (BEDT-TTF)₄Hg₂Cl₆]·PhCl in the temperature range 300.0–1.5 K, and is the basis of assigning this salt to a new class of organic, two-dimensional conductors. The [Hg₂Cl₆]^2– anions and PhCl solvent molecules are united via secondary Hg...Cl 3.176(5) Å and Cl...Cl 3.480(6) Å interaction forces to form centrosymmetric tetramers [Hg₂Cl₆PhCl]₂ ^4–, stretched out along the [014] axis direction.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 2062–2070, September, 1991.The authors wish to acknowledge R. N. Lyubovskaya for supplying the crystals and for helpful discussion of the results.     

Ab initio study of exciton transfer dynamics from a core–shell semiconductor quantum dot to a porphyrin-sensitizer

The observed resonance energy transfer in nanoassemblies of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and pyridyl-substituted free-base porphyrin molecules [Zenkevich et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 109 (2005) 8679] is studied computationally by ab initio electronic structure and quantum dynamics approaches. The system harvests light in a broad energy range and can transfer the excitation from the dot through the porphyrin to oxygen, generating singlet oxygen for medical applications. The geometric structure, electronic energies, and transition dipole moments are derived by density functional theory and are utilized for calculating the Förster coupling between the excitons residing on the quantum dot and the porphyrin. The direction and rate of the irreversible exciton transfer is determined by the initial photoexcitation of the dot, the dot–porphyrin coupling and the interaction to the electronic subsystem with the vibrational environment. The simulated electronic structure and dynamics are in good agreement with the experimental data and provide real-time atomistic details of the energy transfer mechanism.     

A convenient route to 1-(2-oxiranyl)-1,4-diketones and their application to the synthesis of endo-brevicomin, endo-isobrevicomin, frontalin and related compounds via alkylated 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-2-ones

1-(2-Oxiranyl)-1,4-alkanediones were prepared from the ethylene acetals of ethyl 4-oxoalkanoates via the oxidation of the intermediate 1,2-dialkylcyclopropanols having a protected carbonyl group in an aliphatic chain. Intramolecular acetalization of these epoxy dicarbonyl compounds gave alkylated 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-2-ones in good yields. The latter were found suitable to be precursors for (±)-endo-brevicomin and its 2-hydroxy derivative, as well as (±)-endo-isobrevicomin and (±)-frontalin.