Lewis acid-promoted rearrangement of 2,3-epoxy alcohol derivatives: stereochemical control and selective formation of two types of chiral quaternary carbon centers from the single carbon skeleton

The Lewis acid-promoted rearrangement of 2,2,3,3-tetrasubstituted 2,3-epoxy alcohols with several kinds of protecting groups was investigated. When SnCl4 is used as a Lewis acid, the reaction proceeds in a regio- and stereo-controlled manner to afford two types of carbonyl compounds selectively from a single 2,3-epoxy alcohol only by changing the protecting group of the alcohol. The method was then applied to the formation of two types of acyclic and cyclic quaternary carbon centers from the single compound in optically active forms.     

Nickel-catalyzed multi-component connection reaction of isoprene, aldimines (lactamines), and diphenylzinc

Ni(acac)₂ catalyzes the four-component connection reaction of diphenylzinc, isoprene, aromatic aldehydes, and aromatic amines in this order and provides stereochemically homogeneous (E)-1-arylamino-1-aryl-3-methyl-5-phenyl-3-pentenes (1) in excellent yields. Aliphatic aldehydes react similarly and give (E)-1-arylamino-1-alkyl-3-methyl-5-phenyl-3-pentenes (1) in slightly reduced yields. When the alkyl groups are bulky, in addition to 1 are formed (E)-1-arylamino-1-alkyl-4-methyl-5-phenyl-3-pentenes (1′) as the minor products. Lactamines prepared in situ from five- and six-membered lactols and aromatic amines are more reactive than alkyl aldehyde aldimines and furnish (E)-4-arylamino-6-methyl-8-phenyl-6-octen-1-ols (4) and (E)-5-arylamino-7-methyl-9- phenyl-7-nonen-1-ols (5), respectively, in good yields with excellent E-stereoselectivity.     

Competitive photoinduced electron transfer by the complex formation of porphyrin with cyclodextrin bearing viologen

Photoinduced electron transfer between a porphyrin and a new guest cyclodextrin bearing viologen occurs by a supramolecular formation with conformational change of a guest molecule.     

An efficient thermally induced RNA conformational switch as a framework for the functionalization of RNA nanostructures

RNA offers a variety of interactions and dynamic conformational switches not available with DNA that may be exploited for the construction of nanomolecular structures. Here, we show how the RNA loop-loop, or "kissing", interaction can be used to construct specific circular RNA arrangements that are capable of thermal isomerization to alternative structures. We also show how this thermally induced structural rearrangement can be used to unmask a functional RNA structure, in this case, a peptide-binding RNA structure, the Rev-response element (RRE) of HIV, thereby acting as a functional peptide-binding switch. The relative ease with which the RRE could be engineered into the RNA substrates suggested that a variety of functional RNA structures may be introduced. In addition, the structural rearrangement was extremely efficient, showing that the "kissing" complexes described in this study may provide a useful framework for the construction of functional RNA-based nanostructures, as well as aid in our understanding of the way RNA functions in biological systems.     

Mechanical control of enantioselectivity of amino acid recognition by cholesterol-armed cyclen monolayer at the air-water interface

Monolayers of the cholesterol-armed cyclen Na+ complex at the air-water interface display a remarkable, surface pressure dependent enantioselectivity of amino acid recognition. Upon compression of the monolayer, the binding constants of amino acids increase accompanying an inversion of chiral selectivity from the d- to l-form in the case of valine.     

Distinction of gases with a semiconductor sensor depending on the scanning profile of a cyclic temperature

A gas-sensing system based on a dynamic nonlinear response is reported to improve the selectivity in the sensor response toward sample gases. A cyclic temperature composed of fundamental and second harmonics was applied to a SnO(2) semiconductor gas sensor and the resulting conductance of the sensor was analyzed by fast Fourier transformation (FFT). The dynamic nonlinear responses to the gas species were further characterized depending on the scanning profile of the temperature. These characteristic sensor responses under the application of second-harmonic perturbation were theoretically considered based on a reaction-diffusion model for the semiconductor surface.     

Determination of atrazine and simazine in water samples by high-performance liquid chromatography after preconcentration with heat-treated diatomaceous earth

A sensitive and selective column adsorption method is proposed for the preconcentration and determination of atrazine and simazine. Atrazine and simazine were preconcentrated on heat-treated diatomaceous earth as an adsorbent and then determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Several parameters on the recoveries of the analytes were investigated. The experimental results showed that it was possible to obtain quantitative analysis when the solution pH was 2 using 100 mL of validation solution containing 1.5 μg of triazines and 5 mL of ethanol as an eluent. Recoveries of atrazine and simazine were 95.7 ± 4.2% and 75.0 ± 1.9% with a relative standard deviation for seven determinations of 4.7% and 2.7% under optimum conditions. The maximum preconcentration factor was 100 for triazines when 500 mL of sample solution volume was used. The linear ranges of calibration curves for atrazine and simazine were 1-150 ng mL⁻¹ and 1-300 ng mL⁻¹, respectively, with correlation coefficients of 0.999 and the detection limits (3Signal-to-Noise) were 0.24 ng mL⁻¹ and 0.21 ng mL⁻¹ for atrazine and simazine. The capacity of the adsorbent was also examined and found to be 0.8 mg g⁻¹ and 1.3 mg g⁻¹ for atrazine and simazine, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of triazines in river water and tap water samples with high precision and accuracy.     

A practical and facile synthesis of azetidine derivatives for oral carbapenem, L-084

An orally active carbapenem L-084, which exhibits high bioavailability in humans, has a 1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidin-3-ylthio moiety at the C-2 position of the 1beta-methylcarbapenem skeleton. We established a practical and cost-effective synthesis of 3-mercapto-1-(1,3-thiazolin-2-yl)azetidine (1) for further scale-up production of L-084. This synthesis method entails an industry-oriented reaction of azetidine ring-closure to yield N-benzyl-3-hydroxyazetidine (16), which is eventually converted to 1 via key intermediates, Bunte salts 19 and 20.     

Efficient synthesis of isothiocyanates based on the tandem Staudinger/aza-Wittig reactions and mechanistic consideration of the tandem reactions

The tandem and stepwise Staudinger/aza-Wittig reactions of several azides were examined in detail. The tandem reaction method (Method I) exhibited superior results in the yield of the corresponding isothiocyanates bearing an electron-withdrawing group than the conventional stepwise method (Method II) which involves the sequential treatment of the azides with triphenylphosphine and then carbondisulfide. The mechanistic consideration for both reaction methods was proposed on the basis of the 1H-NMR analyses.     

Structure and photochemical properties of (mu-alkoxo)bis(mu-carboxylato)diruthenium complexes with naphthylacetate ligands

Two new dinuclear Ru(III) complexes containing naphthalene moieties, K[Ru2(dhpta)(mu-O2CCH2-1-naph)2] (1) and K[Ru2(dhpta)(mu-O2CCH2-2-naph)2] (2) (H5dhpta = 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, naph-1-CH2CO2H = 1-naphthylacetic acid, naph-2-CH2CO2H = 2-naphthylacetic acid), were synthesized. Complex 2 crystallized as an orthorhombic system having a space group of Pbca with unit cell parameters a = 10.6200(5) A, b = 20.270(1) A, c = 35.530(2) A, and Z = 8. EXAFS analysis of 1 and 2 in the solid states and in solution clarified that the dinuclear structures of 1 and 2 were kept in DMSO solutions. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data indicated that the two Ru(III) centers are strongly antiferromagnetically coupled as shown by the large coupling constants, J = -581 cm(-1) (1) and -378 cm(-1) (2). In the cyclic voltammograms of 1 and 2, one oxidation peak and two reduction peaks which were assigned to the redox reaction of the ruthenium moieties were observed in DMF. The large conproportionation constants estimated from the reduction potentials of Ru(III)Ru(III) and Ru(III)Ru(II) indicated the great stability of the mixed-valent state. The mixed-valent species [Ru(III)Ru(II)(dhpta)(mu-O2CCH2-R)2](2-) (R = 1-naph (6) and R = 2-naph (7)) were prepared by controlled potential electrolysis of 1 and 2 in DMF. The electronic absorption spectra of 6 and 7 were similar to that of [Ru(III)Ru(II) (dhpta)(mu-O2CCH3)2](2-) which is a typical Class II type mixed-valent complex. The fluorescence decay of 1 and 2 indicated that there are two quenching processes which come from the excimer and monomer states. The short excimer lifetimes of 1 and 2 were ascribed to the energy transfer from the naphthyl moieties to the Ru centers. The different excimer ratio between 1 and 2 suggested that the excimer formation is affected by the conformation of the naphthyl moieties in the diruthenium(III) complexes.