Easy access to phosphonothioates

A new and particularly mild method for the formation of phosphorus-sulfur bonds has been achieved through base-catalyzed addition of thiocyanate to the corresponding H-phosphine oxide, phosphinate, or phosphonate. This reaction procedure offers many advantages: the use as starting material of a stable and not oxygen-sensitive phosphorus(v) species, particularly mild and nonaqueous reaction conditions and workup (a pivotal point for these sensitive phosphonothioates), and, through optimized access to thiocyanates, a wider scope of substrates. This method has been applied to achieve the synthesis of substrate analogues for the study of antibody-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor PhX (11).     

Formation of tubules and giant vesicles from large multilamellar vesicles

This study reports an observation of submicrometer multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) prepared by simply freeze-thawing a phospholipid dispersion at full hydration that transformed into giant vesicles (GVs) and tubules (TUs) when confined between microscope glass slides. Cover slide cleaning and surface treatment did not hamper the formation of GVs or TUs. However, when small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) were prepared or when MLVs were not confined but rather freely moved between the glass slides or when the phospholipid was in its gel phase, neither GVs nor TUs were observed. Altogether, our results suggested that MLVs would play a role as a lipid reservoir and that the liquid flow between the glass slides induces the peeling of the external bilayers, yielding the formation of tubules and giant unilamellar vesicles.     

Catalyse multifonctionnelle—VI : Isomerisation de la Δ-5 cholestenone par les melanges phenols-amines

Kinetic study of Δ-5 cholestenone isomerisation in benzene, catalysed by phenols-triethylamine mixtures indicates a transition state with a mole of phenol and a phenol-triethylamine complex. Catalytic activity of phenols-triethylamine mixtures according to versus those complexes association constants in benzene shows a clear maximum for m-nitrophenol. Besides, activation enthalpies are decreasing with phenols acidities, while activation entropies become more negative.     

Preparation of Functionalized Dialkylzincs via a Boron-Zinc Exchange. Reactivity and Catalytic Asymmetric Addition to Aldehydes

The hydroboration of olefins with Et(2)BH provides diethyl(alkyl)boranes 2 which readily undergo a boron-zinc exchange with Et(2)Zn providing a range of polyfunctional primary, secondary, and benzylic diorganozincs. The resulting diorganozincs 3 have been reacted with various electrophiles (allylic halides, acid chlorides, alkylidenemalonates, ethyl propiolate, nitroolefins) in the presence of CuCN.2LiCl with excellent yields. With secondary dialkylzincs prepared from diastereomerically pure diethyl(alkyl)boranes, the boron-zinc exchange occurs with loss of stereochemistry. The asymmetric addition of 3 to aldehydes in the presence of the chiral catalyst 55 furnishes optically active polyfunctional secondary alcohols (50 to over 96% ee).     

Synthesis and cytotoxic and antitumor activity of 1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydrobenzo[b]acronycine diacid hemiesters and carbamates

A series of cis-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydrobenzo[b]acronycine diacid hemiesters and dicarbamates were prepared by acylation of cis-1,2-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-3,3,14-trimethyl-1,2,3,14-tetrahydro-7H-benzo[b]pyrano[3,2-h]acridin-7-one. The cytotoxicity of the dicarbamates depended on the steric hindrance of the esterifying groups at positions 1 and 2. Diacid hemiesters displayed significant in vitro cytotoxic activities and induced cell cycle perturbations similar to those obtained with cis-1,2-diacetoxy-1,2-dihydrobenzo[b]acronycine (S23906-1) currently under preclinical development. cis-1-Acetoxy-2-hemiglutaryloxy-1,2-dihydrobenzo[b]acronycine was the most promizing compound of the series, inducing complete inhibition of tumor growth when tested against C38 colon adenocarcinoma implanted in mice.     

Fluorinated squaraine as near-IR label with improved properties for the labeling of oligonucleotides

A new squaraine dye with fluorinated benzothiazole rings was synthesized. This new label possesses improved photophysical properties and chemical stability as compared to the corresponding non-fluorinated and the dicyanosquaraines. These squaraines were used for the labeling of a series of oligonucleotides with various sequences, lengths, and chemistries. The conjugates involving the fluorinated squaraine possess the best properties: emission wavelength >670 nm, high quantum yields (0.27-0.39).