Ferulone A and ferulone B: two new coumarin esters from Ferula orientalis L. roots

Ferula orientalis (Apiaceae) is a well-known perennial herb growing wild in Iran used in traditional medicine. To perform phytochemical studies, dried ground roots of F. orientalis were sequentially Soxhlet-extracted using n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol. A combination of vacuum liquid chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatographic analyses were performed to isolate coumarin esters. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic means, and in vitro free-radical-scavenging property was determined by the DPPH assay. Two new coumarin esters, 7-O-(4,8,12,16-tetrahydroxy-4,8,12,16-tetramethyl-heptadecanoyl)-coumarinand 7-O-(4-hydroxy-4,8,12-trimethyl-trideca-7,11-dienoyl)-coumarin, named ferulone A and ferulone B, respectively, were isolated from the n-hexane extract of the roots of F. orientalis. Both compounds showed a low level of free-radical-scavenging property with the RC₅₀ values of 0.252 and 0.556 mg/mL for compounds 1 and 2, respectively, as opposed to that of the positive control (quercetin) 0.004 mg/mL. This is the first report on the purification of coumarin esters from the genus Ferula.     

Cobalt(II)‐based Metalloradical Activation of 2‐(Diazomethyl)pyridines for Radical Transannulation and Cyclopropanation

A new catalytic method for the denitrogenative transannulation/cyclopropanation of in‐situ‐generated 2‐(diazomethyl)pyridines is described using a cobalt‐catalyzed radical‐activation mechanism. The method takes advantage of the inherent properties of a Co^III‐carbene radical intermediate and is the first report of denitrogenative transannulation/cyclopropanation by a radical‐activation mechanism, which is supported by various control experiments. The synthetic benefits of the metalloradical approach are showcased with a short total synthesis of (±)‐monomorine.     

In memory of Prof. Venkataraman: Recent advances in the synthetic methodologies of flavones

Flavones are present in a variety of medicines and natural products and are important structural motif due to their unique mode of physiological action. Hence the structural importance of flavone moiety has elicited a great deal of interest in the field of organic synthesis and chemical biology to develop some new and improved synthesis of this molecular skeleton. Herein, we have described an up to date overview on the recent advances in the diverse synthetic methodologies of flavones. The review covers the basic conceptual and practical catalytic synthesis like carbonylative annulation, cyclodehydration, Suzuki Miyaura coupling, Heck coupling, green methodologies, metal catalyzed reactions, organocatalytic transformations, microwave irradiation, etc. which are significant for constructing flavone skeleton. This review will satisfy the expectations of readers who are interested in the development of the field and looking for an update. It will stimulate researchers to develop new and creative synthetic access to this heterocyclic system, which will be instrumental in the advancement of flavone chemistry.     

Further sesquiterpenes from Polygonum viscosum (Polygonaceae)

Two new sesquiterpenes, 4-methoxycarbonyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-6-oxo-3,3a,7,8,8a-pentahydroazulene-1-carboxylic acid (viscoazusone) and 1,4-dimethoxy-carbonyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-6-oxo-3,3a,7,8,8a-pentahydroazulene (viscoazulone), were isolated from the whole plant of Polygonum viscosum. The structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic means.     

Swarnalin and cis-swarnalin, two new tetrahydrofuran derivatives with free radical scavenging activity, from the aerial parts of Cuscuta reflexa

The reversed-phase HPLC analysis of a methanol extract of the aerial parts of Cuscuta reflexa afforded a non-separable mixture (55 : 45) of two novel tetrahydrofuran derivatives, named swarnalin (1) and cis-swarnalin (2), and a known coumarin, 5,6,7-trimethoxycoumarin (3). The structures of the compounds were elucidated unequivocally by UV, HRFABMS and a series of 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The mixture of 1 and 2 showed significant free radical scavenging activity in the DPPH assay and the RC50 value was found to be 3.80 x 10(-4) mg mL(-1) for the mixture, compared to 2.88 x 10(-5) mg mL(-1) for the positive control, quercetin.     

Intramolecular O-H...O hydrogen-bond-mediated reversal in the partitioning of conformationally restricted triplet 1,4-biradicals and amplification of diastereodifferentiation in their lifetimes

The photoreactivity and nanosecond transient phenomena have been investigated for a rationally designed set of ketones 4-9 in order to gain comprehensive insights concerning the influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding on (i) the lifetimes of triplet 1,4-biradicals and (ii) the partitioning of the latter between cyclization and elimination. Comparisons of the photochemical results and lifetime data for the biradicals of ketones 6 versus 8 and 7 versus 9 revealed a remarkable influence of hydrogen bonding when superimposed upon steric factors: while 6 and 7 yielded cyclobutanols in poor yields, cyclization was found to be overwhelmingly predominant for 8-anti and moderately so for 9-anti, with a high stereoselectivity in the formation of cyclobutanols (>95% for 8-anti). The diastereochemistry in the case of 8 permitted the occurrence of fragmentation or cyclization almost exclusively (>90% cyclization for 8-anti and >75% elimination for 8-syn). Significantly, the intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the biradicals of 8 and 9 was found to reverse their partitioning between cyclization and elimination compared with the behavior of the biradicals of ketones 3; the ketones 8-anti and 9-anti underwent cyclization in benzene, predominantly leading to cyclobutanols with syn stereochemistry between the C2 and C3 substituents. In accordance with photoproduct profiles, an unprecedented approximately 2-fold difference in the lifetimes of the intermediate diastereomeric triplet biradicals of ketones 8 in nonpolar solvents (e.g., tau(syn) = 123 ns and tau(anti) = 235 ns in cyclohexane) was observed via nanosecond laser flash photolysis, while no such difference in lifetimes was found for the triplet biradicals of acetoxy ketones 9. The intriguing diastereodifferentiation in the lifetimes of the diastereomeric triplet 1,4-biradicals of 8 and the product profiles of ketones 6, 7, and 9 are best reconciled via a unified mechanistic picture in which superposition of steric factors over varying magnitudes of O-H...O hydrogen bonding selectively facilitates a particular pathway. In particular, the diastereodifferentiation in the photochemical outcomes for the diastereomers of ketone 8 and in the lifetimes of their triplet biradicals can be understood on the basis of rapid deactivation of the 8-syn triplet biradical via fragmentation and slow cyclization of the 8-anti triplet biradical from chair- and twist-boat-like hydrogen-bonded conformations, respectively. The photolysis in polar aprotic solvents such as DMSO and pyridine was found to reverse the chemoselectivity, yielding reactivity paralleling that of ketones 3, for which the steric factors between the C2 and C3 substituents control the photochemical outcome.     

Redetermination of ternifoline‐C at 150 K

The relative stereochemistry of ternifoline‐C (7,20‐epoxy‐ent‐kaur‐16‐ene‐1,6,7,15‐tetrol 1‐acetate), C₂₂H₃₂O₆, previously reported by Wu [FudanXuebaoZir. Kex. (1988), 27 , 61–65], has been redetermined at 150 K. The molecular geometry and crystal packing agree well with the previous study.     

Signature of chaos and multistability in a Thomas-Fermi plasma

The European Physical Journal Special Topics - We propose a dynamical system governing from the nonlinear extension of the electrostatic ion-acoustic waves (IAWs) under the influence of external...     

Hydrothermal synthesis of highly crystalline nanotubes/nanoplates of pure and silver-doped anatase-titania using acid-catalyst-modified sol–gel precursors

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology - Highly crystalline nanotubes/nanoplates of pure and Ag-doped anatase-titania (TiO2) having high aspect-ratio have been synthesized, without the...     

Dual Reactivity of 1,2,3,4‐Tetrazole: Manganese‐Catalyzed Click Reaction and Denitrogenative Annulation

A general catalytic method using a Mn‐porphyrin‐based catalytic system is reported that enables two different reactions (click reaction and denitrogenative annulation) and affords two different classes of nitrogen heterocycles, 1,5‐disubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles (with a pyridyl motif) and 1,2,4‐triazolo‐pyridines. Mechanistic investigations suggest that although the click reaction likely proceeds through an ionic mechanism, which is different from the traditional click reaction, the denitrogenative annulation reaction likely proceeds via an electrophilic metallonitrene intermediate rather than a metalloradical intermediate. Collectively, this method is highly efficient and offers several advantages over other methods. For example, this method excludes a multi‐step synthesis of the N‐heterocyclic molecules described and produces only environmentally benign N₂ gas a by‐product.