Novel "Potentially antiaromatic", acidichromic quinonediimines with tunable delocalization of their 6 pi-electron subunits

We present a novel family of "potentially antiaromatic" alkyl-substituted p-benzoquinonediimine pH-dependent chromophores. It appears from the structural data that these overall 12 pi-electron molecules should be better considered as constituted by two chemically connected but electronically not conjugated 6 pi-electron subunits. Molecule 5 appears to be the first example of two separated, conjugated, and localized 6 pi-electron systems that can be tuned by reversible protonation to become delocalized. The mono- and diprotonated derivatives have been characterized by spectroscopic methods and X-ray diffraction. These systems develop supramolecular interactions in the solid state that clearly reflect the degree of protonation and depend on the nature of the counterion. These compounds constitute new chromophores for which the color can be tuned depending on the degree of protonation, going in solution from yellow for 5 to red for 5.HCl and blue for 5.2HCl. Theoretical calculations have provided a deeper insight into the electronic structure of these molecules and allowed an assignment of the experimental UV-vis spectra. The visible and near-UV spectrum of the neutral and protonated benzoquinonediimines can be classically assigned from the coupling of two 6 pi-electron polymethine units. TD-DFT calculations confirm the observed red shift of the two lowest pi --> pi* transitions of the benzoquinonediimines upon protonation and relate it to the moderate energy lowering of the HOMO --> LUMO transition induced by the delocalization of the polymethine pi system.     

General access to iminosugar C-glycoside building blocks by means of cross-metathesis: a gateway to glycoconjugate mimetics

[reaction: see text] Cross-metathesis reactions of alpha-1-C-allyl-1-deoxynojirimycin derivatives 7a,b and various functionalized alkenes mediated by Grubbs's catalyst 3 are reported. The reactions showed reasonable to very good yields and excellent E/Z selectivity. This methodology allows the efficient and convergent synthesis of iminosugar C-glycosides with a great degree of structural diversity in the aglycone, opening the way to a variety of new glycoconjugate mimetics of biological interest.     

1-Methoxycarbonyl-substituiertes 2,3-Dihydropyridin-4(1H)-on (= Methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-4-oxopyridin-1-carboxylat) als Chromophor für die photochemische [2 + 2]-Cycloaddition

1-Methoxycarbonyl-Substituted 2,3-Dihydropyridin-4(1H)-one(= Methyl 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydro-4-oxopyridine-1-carboxylate) as Chromophore for Photochemical [2 + 2]-Cycloadditions With olefins having an electron-acceptor as well as with olefins having an electron-donor substituent, 1-methoxycarbonyl-substituted dihydropyridinone 12 undergoes [2 + 2] cycloaddition in good preparative yields. The photochemical cycloaddition is highly regioselective. For preparative purposes, the ring junction can be equilibrated to the thermodynamically more stable cis-junction. Only the ‘endo’/‘exo’ selectivity at the C-atom bearing the olefin substituent cannot be controlled. The photodimerization of 12 is the only side reaction. Using a slight excess of the olefin, the photodimerization can be suppressed. The protecting group at the N-atom of the dihydropyridinone can be varied in order to introduce an internal sensitizer, as shown with 1-acyl-substituted compound 29 , which underwent the cycloaddition process even with sunlight.     

Preparation and Diels-Alder Reactivity of 2,3,5,6,7,8-Hexamethylidenebicyclo [2.2.2]octane (‘[2.2.2]Hericene’). Force-field calculations of exocyclic dienes as a moiety of bicyclic skeletons

The [2.2.2]hericene ( 6 ), a bicyclo[2.2.2]octane bearing three exocyclic s-cis-butadiene units has been prepared in eight steps from coumalic acid and maleic anhydride. The hexaene 6 adds successively three mol-equiv. of strong dienophiles such as ethylenetetracarbonitrile (TCE) and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) giving the corresponding monoadducts 17 and 20 (k₁), bis-adducts 18 and 21 (k₂) and tris-adducts 19 and 22 (k₃), respectively. The rate constant ratio k₁/k₂ is small as in the case of the cycloadditions of 2,3,5,6-tetramethylidene-bicyclo [2.2.2]octane ( 3 ) giving the corresponding monoadducts 23 and 27 (k₁) and bis-adducts 25 and 29 (k₂) with TCE and DMAD, respectively. Constrastingly, the rate constant ratio k₂/k₃ is relatively large as the rate constant ratio k₁/k₂ of the Diels-Alder additions for 5,6,7,8-tetramethylidenebicyclo [2.2.2]oct-2-ene ( 4 ) giving the corresponding monoadducts 24 and 28 (k₁) and bis-adducts 26 and 30 (k₂). The following second-order rate constants (toluene, 25°) and activation parameters were obtained for the TCE additions: 3 +TCE→ 23 : k₁ = 0.591±0.012 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠=10.6±0.4 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?24.0±1.4 cal/mol·K (e.u.); 23 +TCE→ 25 : k₂=0.034±0.0010 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 10.6±0.6 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?29.7±2.0 e.u.; 4 +TCE→ 26 : k₁ = 0.172±0.035 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ 11.3±0.8 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?24.0±2.8 e.u.; 24 +TCE→ 26 : k₂ = (6.1±0.2)·10^?4 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 13.0±0.3 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?29.5±0.8 e.u.; 6 +TCE→ 17 : k₁ = 0.136±0.002 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 11.3±0.2 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?24.5±0.8 e.u.; 17 +TCE→ 18 : k₂ = 0.0156±0.0003 mol^?1·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 10.9±0.5 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?30.1 ± 1.5 e.u.; 18 +TCE→ 19 : k₃=(5±0.2) · 10^?5 mol^?1 mol^?1 ·l·s^?1, ΔH^≠ = 15±3 kcal/mol, and ΔS^≠ = ?28 ± 8 e.u. The following rate constants were evaluated for the DMAD additions (CD₂Cl₂, 30°): 6 +DMAD→ 20 : k₁ = (10±1)·10^?4 mol^?1 · l·s^?1; 20 +DMAD→ 21 : k₂ = (6.5±0.1) · 10^?4 mol^?1 ·l·^?1; 21 +DMAD→ 22 : k₃ = (1.0±0.1) · 10^?4 mol^?1 ·l·s^?1. The reactions giving the barrelene derivatives 19, 22, 26 and 30 are slower than those leading to adducts that are not barrelenes. The former are estimated less exothermic than the latter. It is proposed that the Diels-Alder reactivity of exocyclic s-cis-butadienes grafted onto bicycle [2.2.1]heptanes and bicyclo [2.2.2]octanes that are modified by remote substitution of the bicyclic skeletons can be affected by changes inthe exothermicity of the cycloadditions, in agreement with the Dimroth and Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle. Force-field calculations (MMPI 1) of 3, 4, 6 and related exocyclic s-cis-butadienes as a moiety of bicyclo [2.2.2]octane suggested single minimum energy hypersurfaces for these systems (eclipsed conformations, planar dienes). Their flexibility decreases with the degree of unsaturation of the bicyclic skeleton. The effect of an endocyclic double bond is larger than that of an exocyclic diene moiety.     

The singlet—triplet accidental degeneracy versus two local doublets problem in copper(II) dimers

In a copper(II) dimer, two situations, I and II, may lead to a J = 0 singlet—triplet energy gap. In situation I, the metal ions do not interact and all the contributions to J vanish. In situation II, the metal ions interact, but the positive and negative contributions cancel. The aim of this letter is to specify the differences between these situations, to analyse how they can be distinguished from a physical point of view, particularly from EPR spectroscope, and to propose some typical geometries corresponding to both situations.     

Stabilisation of [Fe2(CO)9] and [Ru2(CO)9] bu substitution with bridging diphosphorus ligands

Reaction of [Fe₂(CO)₉] with a half molar amount of R₂PYPR₂ (Y = CH₂, R = Ph, Me, OMe or OPrⁱ; Y = N(Et), R = OPh, OMe or OCH₂; Y = N(Me), R = OPrⁱ or OEt) leads to the ready formation of a product which on irradiation with ultraviolet light rapidly decarbonylates to the heptacarbonyl derivative [Fe₂(μ-CO)(CO)₆{μ-R₂PYPR₂}]. Treatment of the latter with a slight excess of the appropriate ligand results, under photochemical conditions, in the formation of the dinuclear pentacarbonyl complex [Fe₂(μ-CO)(C))₄{μ-R₂PYPR₂}₂] but under thermal conditions in the formation of the mononuclear species [Fe(CO)₃{R₂PYPR₂}]. Reaction of [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] with an equimolar amount of (RO)₂PN(R′)P(OR)₂ (R′ = Me, R = Prⁱ or Et; R′ = Et, R = Ph or Me) under either thermal or photochemical conditions produces [Ru₃(CO)₁₀{μ-(RO)₂PN(OR)₂}] which reacts further with excess (RO)₂PN(R′)P(OR)₂ on irradiation with ultraviolet light to afford the dinuclear compound [Ru₂(μ-CO)(CO₄{μ-(RO)₂PN(R′)P(OR)₂}₂]. The molecular structure of [Ru₂(μ-CO)(CO)₄{μ-(MeO)₂PN(Et)P(OMe)₂}₂], which has been determined by X-ray crystallography, is described.     

Quinolinone and pyridopyrimidinone inhibitors of DNA-dependent protein kinase

8-Substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-ones and 9-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones with selected aryl and heteroaryl groups as the substituent have been synthesised as potential inhibitors of DNA-dependent protein kinase. A multiple-parallel approach, employing Suzuki cross-coupling methodology, was utilised in the preparation of 8-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-ones. For this purpose 8-bromo-2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-one was required as an intermediate. This compound was obtained by adapting a literature route in which thermal cyclocondensation of (2-bromoanilino)-morpholin-4-yl-5-methylene-2,2-dimethyl[1,3]dioxane-4,6-dione afforded 8-bromo-2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-one. A multiple-parallel approach, employing Suzuki cross-coupling methodology, was also utilised to prepare 9-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones using 9-hydroxy-2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one O-trifluoromethanesulfonate as an intermediate. 8-Substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-quinolin-4-ones and 9-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones were both inhibitors of DNA-dependent protein kinase. When the substituent was dibenzothiophen-4-yl, dibenzofuran-4-yl or biphen-3-yl, IC50 values in the low nanomolar range were observed. Interestingly, the pyridopyrimidinones and quinolinones were essentially equipotent with the corresponding 8-substituted 2-morpholin-4-yl-chromen-4-ones previously reported (I. R. Hardcastle, X. Cockcroft, N. J. Curtin, M. Desage El-Murr, J. J. J. Leahy, M. Stockley, B. T. Golding, L. Rigoreau, C. Richardson, G. C. M. Smith and R. J. Griffin, J. Med. Chem., 2005, 48, 7829-7846).     

Small multivalent architectures mimicking homotrimers of the TNF superfamily member CD40L: delineating the relationship between structure and effector function

Synthetic multivalent ligands, owing to the presence of multiple copies of a recognition motif attached to a central scaffold, can mediate clustering of cell surface receptors and thereby function as effector molecules. This paper dissects the relationship between structure and effector function of synthetic multivalent ligands targeting CD40, a cell surface receptor of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R) superfamily. Triggering CD40 signaling in vivo can be used to enhance immunity against intracellular pathogens or tumors. A series of multimeric molecules has been prepared by systematically varying the shape and the valency of the central scaffold, the nature and the length of the linker as well as the sequence of the receptor binding motif. The data reported here (i) suggest that radial distribution of CD40-binding units and C3-symmetry are preferred for optimal binding to CD40 and signaling, (ii) underscore the importance of choosing an appropriate linker to connect the receptor binding motif to the central scaffold, and (iii) show the versatility of planar cyclic alpha- and beta-peptides as templates for the design of CD40L mimetics. In particular, the (Ahx)3-B trimeric scaffold-linker combination equally accommodated binding elements derived from distinct CD40L hot-spot regions including AA" loop and beta-strand E. The use of miniCD40Ls such as those reported here is complementary to other approaches (recombinant ligands, agonistic anti-receptor antibodies) and may find interesting therapeutic applications. Furthermore, the results disclosed in this paper provide the basis for future design of other TNF family member mimetics.     

Barbier–Negishi Coupling of Secondary Alkyl Bromides with Aryl and Alkenyl Triflates and Nonaflates

A mild and practical Barbier–Negishi coupling of secondary alkyl bromides with aryl and alkenyl triflates and nonaflates has been developed. This challenging reaction was enabled by the use of a very bulky imidazole‐based phosphine ligand, which resulted in good yields as well as good chemo‐ and site selectivities for a broad range of substrates at room temperature and under non‐aqueous conditions. This reaction was extended to primary alkyl bromides by using an analogous pyrazole‐based ligand.     

Chiral Bifunctional Phosphine‐Carboxylate Ligands for Palladium(0)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C−H Arylation

Previous enantioselective Pd⁰‐catalyzed C?H activation reactions proceeding via the concerted metalation‐deprotonation mechanism employed either a chiral ancillary ligand, a chiral base, or a bimolecular mixture thereof. This study describes the development of new chiral bifunctional ligands based on a binaphthyl scaffold which incorporates both a phosphine and a carboxylic acid moiety. The optimal ligand provided high yields and enantioselectivities for a desymmetrizing C(sp²)?H arylation leading to 5,6‐dihydrophenanthridines, whereas the corresponding monofunctional ligands showed low enantioselectivities. The bifunctional system proved applicable to a range of substituted dihydrophenanthridines, and allowed the parallel kinetic resolution of racemic substrates.