Synthesis of a highly reactive heterocyclic reactant and its unusual photochemistry; mechanistic and exploratory organic photochemistry

[reaction: see text] A unique new set of reactions has been observed in heterocyclic photochemistry. 2-Methyl-4,4-diphenyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-1(2H)-one has been synthesized and its photochemistry investigated. This compound has been found to lead to a rearranged, dimeric product arising from a unique bond-scission process.     

60]- and [70]Fullerenes are trifluoromethylated across 5:6-bonds

Trifluoromethylation of [60]- and [70]fullerenes occurs across both 6:6- and 5:6-bonds giving unsymmetrical tetramethyl adducts having four contiguous CF3 groups; both fullerenes give bis adducts which do not involve 6:6-addition, and unsymmetrical hexa-adducts (with contiguous CF3 groups) are also obtained from [60]fullerene.     

Preparation and crystal structure ofexo-2,exo-6-dihydroxy-2,6-dimethyl-9-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane

In a further exploration of the structural factors causing alicyclic diols such asexo-2,exo-6-dihydroxy-2,6-dimethylbicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (1) to adopt the helical tubuland inclusion host structure, the title compound (8) has been synthesized and its crystal structure determined. This 9-oxa analogue of (1) has a totally different structure [C₁₀H₁₈O₃; orthorhombic;P2₁2₁2;a 18.989(4),b 19.064(3),c 14.256(3) Å;Z 20; with finalR 0.065] due to involvement of the ether oxygen atom in the hydrogen bonding network. The structure of the diol (8) approximatesP¯42₁ c symmetry, and 16 of the 20 molecules per cell create a hostlike structure of this symmetry, which consists of tightly bound hydrogen bonded pillars parallel toc. The remaining guestlike molecules occupy inequivalent pseudo ¯4 sites separated byc/2 to form weakly bound columns parallel toc. Hydrogen bonds also occur between the pillars and columns. An ordered structure with sensible intermolecular contacts can be formed inP2₁2₁2₁ with thec axis doubled. A difference betweena andb axial lengths correlates with a difference in occupancies of pseudo-¯4-related sites for the guest-like component of the structure.     

Synthesis of homoceramides, novel ceramide analogues, and their lack of effect on the growth of hippocampal neurons

The synthesis of a new series of D-erythro-homoceramide analogues is described. Several synthetic approaches were investigated. Homoceramides can be successfully synthesized from L-homoserine as chiral building block and a protected Weinreb-amide as a key intermediate. The synthesis of short-chain analogues with a heptyl side chain, as well as with a phenyl residue in the sphingoid part (instead of the naturally occurring tridecyl side chain), was effected. The homoceramides 15-17 and 24 were investigated for their potential to reverse the inhibitory effect of fumonisin B(1) on axonal growth. Unfortunately, none of the tested compounds showed any biological activity due to their lack of metabolism to glucosylhomoceramide.     

Synthesis of tetrahydropyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine scaffolds from 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoropyridine derivatives

Reactions between N,N′-dimethylethylene diamine and a range of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoropyridine derivatives provided ready access to the corresponding tetrahydropyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine systems if the substituent located at the 4-position of the pyridine ring was either hydrogen or an electron withdrawing substituent. In contrast, the presence of electron donating substituents at the 4-position made the formation of ring-fused products much more difficult. The two-step sequential nucleophilic substitution procedures from pentafluoropyridine gave convenient and adaptable methodology for the synthesis of polyfunctional tetrahydropyrido[2,3-b]pyrazine scaffolds of interest to the life science discovery arenas.     

Helical tubulate inclusion compounds of ferrocene and squalene

The inclusion compounds of 2,8-dimethyltricyclo[5.3.1.1^3,9]dodecane-syn-2,syn-8-diol,3, with ferrocene and with squalene have been prepared. The crystal structures of these helical tubulate compounds: (3)₃·(ferrocene)_0.75 [P3₁21,a=b=13.7480(6),c=7.0312(5) Å,Z=1,R=0.038] and (3)₃·(squalene)_0.23 [P3₁21,a=b=13.677(1),c=7.0533(9) Å,Z=1,R=0.042] are described. Supplementary Data relating to this article are deposited with the British Library as supplementary publication No. SUP 82151 (16 pages).     

A mass spectrometric study of the pyrolysis of gibberellic acid

The behaviour of gibberellic acid (GA₃) under electron impact and chemical ionization conditions has been examined. The tendency of GA₃ to undergo pyrolysis by the loss of the elements of water and carbon dioxide has been identified. Two methods of sample introduction can be used to minimize the occurrence of this pyrolysis. Accurate mass measurement allows the composition of the pyrolysis product to be determined and metastable techniques confirm the structure of this product to be epi-allogibberic acid rather than its isomer allogibberic acid. This result corrects a misconception in the literature and illustrates the advantage of metastable methods compared with accurate mass measurements, for the determination of small structural differences within a molecule.     

Oxygen rearrangement of molecular ions of 3-phenylpropionates

The oxygen rearrangement in molecular ions of 3-phenylpropionates has been investigated with the aid of mass analyzed ion kinetic energy spectra. Elimination of an allyl radical followed by expulsion of ketene from the molecular ion of allyl 3-phenylpropionate is shown to result in formation of protonated benzaldehyde. The oxygen rearrangement has been found to be inoperative in ionized methyl 3-methyl-3-phenylbutyrate. [M ? CH₃ ? CH₂CO]⁺ ions in the spectrum of the latter compound are formed by elimination of the 3-methyl substituent and subsequent methoxy migration.     

Alkyl- and aryl-substituted corroles. 4. Solvent effects on the electrochemical and spectral properties of cobalt corroles

Solvent effects on the electrochemistry and spectroscopic properties of alkyl- and aryl-substituted corroles in nonaqueous media are reported. The oxidation and reduction of six compounds containing zero to seven phenyl or substituted phenyl groups on the macrocycle were studied in four different nonaqueous solvents (CH(2)Cl(2), PhCN, THF, and pyridine) containing 0.1 M tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate. Dimers were formed upon oxidation of all corroles in CH(2)Cl(2), but this was not the case in the other three solvents, where either monomers or dimers were formed upon oxidation depending upon the solvent Gutmann donor number and the number or location of aryl substituents on the macrocycle. The half-wave potentials were analyzed as a function of the number of aryl substituents on the macrocycle as well as the concentration of added pyridine to PhCN solutions of the compound, and these data were combined with data from the spectroelectrochemistry experiments to determine the stoichiometry of the species actually in solution after the first oxidation or first reduction of each compound. The results of these experiments indicate that reduction of the bispyridine adduct (Cor)Co(III)(py)(2) proceeds via the monopyridine complex (Cor)Co(III)(py) to give in each case the unligated cobalt(II) corrole [(Cor)Co(II)](-). In contrast, pyridine remains coordinated after electrooxidation, and the final product was characterized as [(Cor)Co(III)(py)(2)](+).