Lewis base catalyzed aldol additions of chiral trichlorosilyl enolates and silyl enol ethers

[structures: see text] The consequences of double diastereodifferentiation in chiral Lewis base catalyzed aldol additions using chiral enoxysilanes derived from lactate, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate, and 3-hydroxybutyrate have been investigated. Trichlorosilyl enolates derived from the chiral methyl and ethyl ketones were subjected to aldolization in the presence of phosphoramides, and the intrinsic selectivity of these enolates and the external stereoinduction from chiral catalyst were studied. In the reactions with the lactate derived enolate, the strong internal stereoinduction dominated the stereochemical outcome of the aldol addition. For the 3-hydroxyisobutyrate- and 3-hydroxybutyrate derived enolates, the catalyst-controlled diastereoselectivities were observed, and the resident stereogenic centers exerted marginal influence. The corresponding trimethylsilyl enol ethers were employed in SiCl4/bisphosphoramide catalyzed aldol additions, and the effect of double diastereodifferentiation was also investigated. The overall diastereoselection of the process was again controlled by the strong external influence of the catalyst.     

Photo-responsive gel droplet as a nano- or pico-litre container comprising a supramolecular hydrogel

Photo-responsive gel droplets having nano- or pico-L volume that showed photo-induced gel-sol transition were successfully developed, for which the inter-droplet mass transport and the subsequent enzymatic reactions in the interior of the gel droplets were photo-triggered.     

Metal ion induced allosteric transition in the catalytic activity of an artificial phosphodiesterase

An artificial phosphodiesterase () bearing two types of metal binding sites, a catalytic site and a regulatory bipyridine site showed a unique allosteric transition in the catalytic activity against the metal concentration. The rate constants for the hydrolysis reaction of 2-hydroxypropyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNP) and RNA dimer (ApA) with and without an effector metal ion were evaluated; the k(obs) value of HPNP hydrolysis for .(Zn(2+))(3) (2.0 x 10(-4) s(-1)) is 3.3 times larger than that for .(Zn(2+))(2). In the case of and Cu(2+), a 19.4 times larger k(obs) value was obtained for .(Cu(2+))(3) (1.2 x 10(-3) s(-1)) against .(Cu(2+))(2). The increase in the catalytic activity is ascribed to the allosteric conformational transition of induced by the coordination of effector metal ion to the Bpy moiety. A detailed investigation revealed that a conformational change of induced by the third M(2+) complexation enhances the rate of hydrolysis rather than a change in the substrate affinity.     

Novel construction of hydro-2-benzazepines based on 7-endo selective Friedel-Crafts-type reaction of vinyloxiranes

The TMSOTf-promoted Friedel-Crafts-type reaction of vinyloxirane 3 having a nitrogen atom at the benzylic position was found to proceed with a highly selective 7-endo mode to afford hydro-2-benzazepine 4 in high yield.     

Vibrational relaxation of O2(X3 Sigma g-, v = 9-13) by collisions with O2

Vibrationally excited O(2)(X(3) Sigmag(-)) was generated in the UV laser flash photolysis of O(3) and single vibrational level was detected via laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) in the B(3) Sigmau(-)-X(3) Sigmag(-) system. The time-resolved LIF of adjacent vibrational levels has been analyzed by the integrated-profiles method and the rate coefficients for single-quantum relaxation, O(2)(X(3)Sigmag(-), v = 9-13)+ O(2)(v = 0)--> O(2)(X(3)Sigmag(-), v - 1)+ O(2)(v = 1), have been determined. To the best of our knowledge, the rate coefficients for v = 12 and 13 are measured for the first time in the present study. The efficiency of relaxation is higher at lower vibrational levels, indicating that a small energy mismatch is suitable for the energy transfer. The vibrational level dependence of all the rate coefficients for the relaxation measured in the present study and previously reported by several groups can be rationalized by the energy gap law.     

Intramolecular cation-pi interaction in organic synthesis

Controlling molecular conformation is a significantly important issue in a wide variety of organic reactions because the ground state structure is significantly responsible for the transition one. As observed in enzymes and proteins, the cation-pi interaction plays a key role in the formation of the tertiary structure and the biochemical processes. Therefore, the cation-pi interaction would be a promising conformation-controlling tool not only in large molecules, but also in small molecules due to its stronger interaction force. This article describes the utility of the intramolecular cation-pi interaction in various organic syntheses with evidence for the existence of the cation-pi interactions.     

Proton transfer and associated molecular rearrangements in the photocycle of photoactive yellow protein: role of water molecular migration on the proton transfer reaction

The mechanism of the proton transfer and the concomitant molecular structural and hydrogen bond rearrangements after the photoisomerization of the chromophore in the photocycle of photoactive yellow protein are theoretically investigated by using the QM/MM method and molecular dynamics calculations. The free energy surface along this proton-transfer process is determined. This work suggests the important role of the water molecular migration into the moiety of chromophore, which facilitates proton transfer by the hydrogen bond rearrangement and the hydration of the pB' state.     

Atropisomers of meso-conjugated uracyl porphyrin derivatives and their assembling structures

[reaction: see text] We have synthesized a 5,15 meso-substituted methyluracyl porphyrin derivative bearing 6-methyluracyl units directly at the meso positions. The atropisomerization was regulated by steric replusion between the methyl substituents. When the atropisomers were mixed with alkylated melamine as a complementary hydrogen-bonding unit, the hydrogen-bonded assemblies were analyzed by diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) in solution, which clarified that the alphabeta isomer formed a face-to-face dimer, whereas the alphabeta isomer took a zigzag structure.     

Regioselective cycloaddition reaction of alkene molecules with the asymmetric dimer on Si(100)c(4 x 2)

We investigated the adsorption states of 2-methylpropene and propene on Si(100)c(4 x 2) using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. We have found that regioselective cycloaddition reactions (di-sigma bond formation) occur between the asymmetric alkene molecules and the asymmetric dimers on Si(100)c(4 x 2). First-principles calculations have elucidated that the regioselectivity is closely related to the structures of precursor species and these precursor species have carbocation-like features. Thus, we conclude that Markovnikov's rule is applicable for the cycloaddition of asymmetric alkene with the asymmetric dimer on Si(100)c(4 x 2).     

Origin of attraction, magnitude, and directionality of interactions in benzene complexes with pyridinium cations

Geometries and interaction energies of benzene complexes with pyridine, pyridinium, N-methylpyridinium were studied by ab initio molecular orbital calculations. Estimated CCSD(T) interaction energies of the complexes at the basis set limit were -3.04, -14.77, and -9.36 kcal/mol, respectively. The interactions in the pyridinium and N-methylpyridinium complexes should be categorized into a cation/pi interaction, because the electrostatic and induction interactions greatly contribute to the attraction. On the other hand, the interaction in the pyridine complex is a pi/pi interaction. The dispersion interaction is mainly responsible for the attraction in the benzene-pyridine complex. Short-range interactions including charge-transfer interactions are not important for the attraction in the three complexes. The most stable pyridinium complex has a T-shaped structure, in which the N-H bond points toward the benzene, while the N-methylpyridinium complex prefers a slipped-parallel structure. The benzene-pyridine complex has two nearly isoenergetic (Slipped-parallel and T-shaped) structures.