Tryptophan–water interaction in Monellin: Hydration patterns from molecular dynamics simulation

Femtosecond spectroscopy carried out earlier on Monellin and some other systems has given insights into the hydration dynamics of the proteins. In the present work, molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on Monellin to study the hydration dynamics. A method has been described to follow up the molecular events of the protein–water interactions in detail. The time constants of the survival correlation function match well with the reported experimental values. This validates the procedure, adapted here for Monellin, to investigate the hydration dynamics in general.     

A short synthesis of the erythrina skeleton and of (+/-)-alpha-lycorane

[reaction: see text] A new nonchain 5-endo radical cyclization starting with xanthates was exploited in a short synthesis of (+/-)-alpha-lycorane and the erythrina ring system.     

Efficient unimolecular deprotonation of aniline radical cations

[reaction: see text] Deprotonation of the radical cations of aromatic amines, such as anilines, generally occurs much more slowly than other fragmentation reactions. Here we report a stereoelectronic effect involving twisting of the anilino group out of the plane of the benzene ring that results in a significantly increased rate of reactivity toward deprotonation. Quantitative studies of the rate constants for deprotonation as a function of aniline radical cation pKa (Br?nsted plots) demonstrate that the effect is not simply due to a change in the reaction thermodynamics. By combining this stereoelectronic effect with covalent attachment of carboxylate as a base, aniline radical cations that undergo unimolecular deprotonation with rate constants as high as 10(8) s(-1), even in unfavorable protic media, are described.     

Two approaches for efficient synthesis of (−)-colletol

The synthesis of (−)-colletol was achieved from (R)-pent-4-en-2-ol by using enantioselective allyltitanations to control the stereogenic centers at C5 and cross-metathesis, ring-closing metathesis reactions to control the configuration of the double bonds.     

Evidence for an Iminium Cation Intermediate and its Non-Oxidative Decarboxylation in a Cerium (IV)-Mediated Oxidative Decarboxylation. Preliminary communication

Evidence is provided for the occurrence of a non-oxidative decarboxylation in an iminium cation intermediate which is produced in an oxidative decarboxylation induced by cerium (IV).     

Synthesis of erythro-alpha-amino beta-hydroxy carboxylic acid esters by diastereoselective photocycloaddition of 5-methoxyoxazoles with aldehydes

A new photoaldol route to alpha-amino-beta-hydroxy carboxylic acid esters is initiated by the photocycloaddition of aromatic or aliphatic aldehydes to 5-methoxyoxazoles. The 4-unsubstituted 5-methyloxazole 1 gave the cycloadducts 8a-f in high yields and excellent exo-diastereoselectivities. Hydrolysis of 8a-f gives the N-acetyl alpha-amino-beta-hydroxy esters 9a-f, which could be subsequently converted into the corresponding Z-didehydro alpha-amino acids 10a-f. Quartenary alpha-amino-beta-hydroxy esters 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20, which are stable against dehydration, were obtained from the 4-alkylated 5-methoxyoxazoles 2-6, in most cases highly erythro-selective due to the high degree of stereocontrol (exo) at the photocycloaddition (to give 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19) level. The relative configurations of the N-acetyl alpha-amino-beta-hydroxy esters were determined by NMR spectroscopy and comparison with chiral pool-derived compounds as well as by X-ray structure determination of the ester 23, formed by hydrolysis of the cycloadduct 22, derived from photocycloaddition of propionaldehyde to the isoleucine-derived oxazole 21.     

Reductive Elimination of Phenylsulfonyl Groups in the 3‐Position of Benzo[a]heptalene‐2,4‐diols

3‐(Phenylsulfonyl)benzo[a]heptalene‐2,4‐diols 1 can be desulfonylated with an excess of LiAlH₄/MeLi?LiBr in boiling THF in good yields (Scheme 6). When the reaction is run with LiAlH₄/MeLi, mainly the 3,3′‐disulfides 6 of the corresponding 2,4‐dihydroxybenzo[a]heptalene‐3‐thiols are formed after workup (Scheme 7). However, the best yields of desulfonylated products are obtained when the 2,4‐dimethoxy‐substituted benzo[a]heptalenes 2 are reduced with an excess of LiAlH₄/TiCl₄ at ?78→20° in THF (Scheme 10). Attempts to substitute the PhSO₂ group of 2 with freshly prepared MeONa in boiling THF led to a highly selective ether cleavage of the 4‐MeO group, rather than to desulfonylation (Scheme 13).     

Cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 5-(2-carboxyphenylazo)-2-thiohydantoin

A new series of hexacoordinate cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 5-(2-carboxyphenylazo)-2-thiohydantoin HL having formulae [LM(OAc)(H₂O)₂] · nH₂O (M = Co^II, Cu^II and Ni^II), [LMCl(H₂O)₂] · nH₂O (M = Co^II and Ni^II), [LCuCl(H₂O)]₂ · 2H₂O, [LCu(H₂O)₃](ClO₄) and [LCu(HSO₄)(H₂O)₂] were isolated and characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductivities and magnetic susceptibilities, and by i.r., electronic and e.s.r. spectral measurements, as well as by thermal (t.g. and d.t.g.) analyses. The i.r. spectra indicate that the ligand HL behaves as a monobasic tridentate towards the three divalent metal ions via an azo-N, carboxylate-O and thiohydantoin-O atom. The magnetic moments and electronic spectral data suggest an octahedral geometry for Co^II complexes, distorted octahedral geometry for both Ni^II and Cu^II complexes with a dimeric structure for [LCuCl(H₂O)]₂ · 2H₂O through bridged chloro ligands. The X-band e.s.r. spectra reveal an axial symmetry for the copper(II) complexes with unsymmetrical M_s = ± 1 signal and G-parameter less than four for the dimeric [LCuCl(H₂O)]₂ · 2H₂O. The thermogravimetry (t.g. and d.t.g.) of some complexes were studied; the order and kinetic parameters of their thermal degradation were determined by applying Coats–Redfern method and discussed.     

Rapid access to 3-(N-substituted)-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-ones using palladium-catalyzed C-N bond coupling reaction

A series of 3-(N-substituted)-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-ones have been synthesized by the palladium-catalyzed C-N coupling reaction starting from 3-bromoquinolin-2-(1H)-ones. Various nucleophiles including amines, amides, sulfonamides, carbamates and ureas have been used successfully. In all the cases, the reactions take place rapidly in 1,4-dioxane and proceed in good to excellent yield using palladium acetate as a catalyst, Xantphos as a ligand and Cs₂CO₃ as a base.     

Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate using a combination of rhodamine 6G and benzoyl peroxide as photoinitiator in nonaqueous media

Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in visible light was studied at 40°C using Rhodamine 6G—Benzoyl peroxide combination as photoinitiator. The photopolymerization proceeds by a free radical mechanism and the radical generation process occurs by an initial complexation reaction between the initiator components. Kinetic data indicated a lower-order dependence of R_p on initiator concentrations (initiator exponent < 0.5). Initiator-dependent chain termination was significant along with the bimolecular mode of chain termination.