Asymmetric synthesis of 2-substituted butane-1,4-diols by hydrogenation of homochiral fumaramide derivatives

Diastereoselective hydrogenation of homochiral fumaramides 1 derived from (2R)-Oppolzer’s sultam was observed by analysis of the ¹H NMR spectra of the succinamide mixtures with de’s of 77–88%. Reduction of these succinamides using LiAlH₄ gave the corresponding (2S)-butane-1,4-diols and established that addition of hydrogen takes place selectively on the re-face of fumaramides 1. The stereoselectivity was confirmed by estimating the ee’s from the ¹⁹F NMR spectra of the Mosher’s diesters of the diols. This methodology was applied to the synthesis of selected pyrrolidine natural products in homochiral form.     

Two-photon sequential absorption spectroscopy of iodine-127 and 129 in the 5 eV region

The two-photon sequential absordtion of iodine to electronic states in the 5 eV energy region has been re-examined using both the ¹²⁷I₂ and ¹²⁹I₂ isotopic species. The vibrational and rotational constants for the E excited state have been determined and an RKR potential curve constructed. Further information on other excited states in this region has been obtained, and the isotope effect used to locate electronic origins.     

On the representation of integers as sums of triangular numbers

Summary In this survey article we discuss the problem of determining the number of representations of an integer as sums of triangular numbers. This study yields several interesting results. Ifn 0 is a non-negative integer, then thenth triangular number isT _n =n(n + 1)/2. Letk be a positive integer. We denote by _k (n) the number of representations ofn as a sum ofk triangular numbers. Here we use the theory of modular forms to calculate _k (n). The case wherek = 24 is particularly interesting. It turns out that, ifn 3 is odd, then the number of points on the 24 dimensional Leech lattice of norm 2n is 2¹²(2¹² – 1) ₂₄(n – 3). Furthermore the formula for ₂₄(n) involves the Ramanujan(n)-function. As a consequence, we get elementary congruences for(n). In a similar vein, whenp is a prime, we demonstrate ₂₄(p ^k – 3) as a Dirichlet convolution of ₁₁(n) and(n). It is also of interest to know that this study produces formulas for the number of lattice points insidek-dimensional spheres.     

The nicotinic pharmacophore: thermodynamics of the hydrogen-bonding complexation of nicotine, nornicotine, and models

The thermodynamics of the hydrogen-bonding complexation of the acetylcholine agonists nicotine and nornicotine and of model pyridines, pyrrolidines, and N-methylpyrrolidines has been measured in CCl(4) by FTIR spectrometry toward a reference hydrogen-bond donor, 4-fluorophenol. Various methods are devised for measuring separately the hydrogen-bond acceptor strength of each nitrogen of nicotine and nornicotine: variation of the stoichiometry of complexation; correlations with electrostatic potentials on nitrogens and with substituent constants in the series of 3-substituted pyridines, 2-substituted pyrrolidines, and 2-substituted N-methylpyrrolidines; and linear free energy relationships between 4-fluorophenol and hydrogen fluoride hydrogen-bonded complexes. It is consistently found that nicotine and nornicotine have two active hydrogen-bond acceptor sites, the pyridine and pyrrolidine nitrogens, and that ca. 90% (for nicotine) and 80% (for nornicotine) of the 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complexes are formed to the pyridine nitrogen, although the pyrrolidine nitrogen is the first protonation site of nicotine and nornicotine in water. The low hydrogen-bond basicity of the pyrrolidine nitrogen in nicotine is mainly explained by the inductive electron-withdrawing and steric effects of the 2-(3-pyridyl) substituent. The partition of the Gibbs energy of the isomerism of complexation (AH...Nsp(2) <==> AH...Nsp(3)) into enthalpic and entropic contributions shows that the selectivity in favor of the pyridine nitrogen is driven by entropy. It is important to recognize the bifunctionality of nicotine in hydrogen bonding for understanding its lipophilicity and molecular recognition in non protonic media. When monoprotonated on their sp(3) nitrogen, nicotine and nornicotine keep, through their sp(2) nitrogen, a significant hydrogen-bond basicity which is greater than that of the ester group of acetylcholine.     

Synthesis and In Vivo antitumor and antiviral activities of 2′-deoxyribofuranosyl and arabinofuranosyl nucleosides of certain purine-6-sulfenamides,sulfinamides and sulfonamides

2′-Deoxyribofuranosyl and arabinofuranosyl nucleosides of certain purine-6-sulfenamides, sulfinamides and sulfonamides have been prepared by sequential amination and controlled oxidation of the corresponding 6-thiopurine nucleosides, and evaluated for antiviral and antitumor activities in mice. Amination of 2′-deoxy-6-thioinosine ( 4a ) and 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-6-thiopurine ( 4c ) with chloramine solution gave the corresponding 6-sulfenamides 5a and 5c , respectively, which on selective oxidation with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (MCPBA) gave diastereomeric 9-(2-deoxy-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)purine-6-sulfinamide ( 6a ) and 9-β-D-arabinofuranosylpurine-6-sulfinamide ( 6c ), respectively. However, oxidation of 5a and 5c with excess of MCPBA gave the corresponding 6-sulfonamide derivatives 7a and 7c , respectively. Similar amination of 2′-deoxy-6-thioguanosine ( 4b ), ara-6-thioguanine ( 4d ) and α-2′-deoxy-6-thioguanosine ( 8 ) gave the respective 6-sulfenamide derivatives 5b, 5d and 9 . Controlled oxidation of 5b, 5d and 9 gave (R,S)-2-amino-9-(2-deoxy-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)purine-6-sulfinamide ( 6b ), (R,S)-2-amino-9-β-D-arabinofuranosylpurine-6-sulfinamide ( 6d ) and the α-anomer of ( 6b) (10 ), respectively. The diastereomeric mixture of (R,S )-10 was partially resolved and the structure of S -10 was assigned by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Oxidation of 5b, 5d and 9 with excess of MCPBA afforded the respective 6-sulfonamide derivatives 7b, 7d and 11 . Nucleosides 5c and 7c were significantly active against Friend leukemia virus in mice, whereas 6c was somewhat less active. Of the 20 nucleosides evaluated, 12 exhibited biologically significant anti-L1210 activity in mice. Nucleosides 6b and 7a at 173 mg/kg/day × 1 showed a T/C of 153, whereas 7d at 800 mg/kg/day × 1 showed a T/C of 153 against L1210 leukemia. The α-nucleoside 9 at 480 mg/kg/day × 1 gave a T/C of 172. A single treatment with 6b, 7a, 7d and 9 reduced the body burdens of viable L1210 cells by more than 99.2%. The antileukemic activity of these novel nucleosides tended to parallel solubility.     

The synthesis of furan-based secoprostacyclins

Furan-based secoprostacyclins ($\text{2}$–$\text{6}$) have been synthesised by two routes differing in the stage at wich the furan ring is generated.     

Reaction of 5-aminopyrazole derivatives with ethoxymethylene-malononitrile and its analogues

A one-pot synthesis using 5-aminopyrazole derivatives 1 with ethoxymethylenemalononitrile (EMMN), ethyl ethoxymethylenecyanoacetate (EMCA) or diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate (DEMM) gave pyrazolo-[1,5-a]pyrimidine compounds 2,4,8 . Also, the one step reaction of EMCA with hydrazine hydrate afforded ethyl(4-ethoxycarbonyl-5-pyrazolyl)aminomethylenecyanoacetate 3c . On the other hand, the reaction of 1-substituted 5-aminopyrazole-4-carboxamide 9 with EMMN afforded pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine compounds 10 .