Asymmetric lithiation of 2-alkynyl aryl sulfides—Enantio- and diastereoselective formation of allenyl aryl sulfides and their application in nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions

The enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of allenyl aryl sulfides by asymmetric lithiation of 2-alkynyl (2-hetero)aryl sulfides is described. A dynamic thermodynamic resolution by selective crystallization of the intermediate lithium complexes derived from deprotonation, applying a bis(oxazoline) ligand, was achieved to give enantioselectivities up to 85% ee. Subsequent stereospecific nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with arylzinc reagents established a versatile access to threefold carbon-substituted allenes.     

Copolymerization of 2-methylene-4-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane with electrophilic vinyl monomers through zwitterionic mechanism

Spontaneous copolymerization of cyclic ketene acetal, 2-methylene-4-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane ( I ) with common electrophilic vinyl monomers, such as methyl α-cyanoacrylate (MCA), acrylonitrile (AN), and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were investigated to further explore zwitterion polymerization method with cyclic ketene acetals. In the reaction of I with MCA and AN, spontaneous copolymerization took place at ambient temperature. The copolymers of I with MCA gave low molecular weight polymers, but copolymers obtained with I and AN were high molecular weight polymers. In the reaction of I and MMA, high molecular weight copolymer was obtained only at temperatures above 80°C. Thus, obtained polymers were not the alternating copolymers and possessed high I content in all the cases. From the above results, macrozwitterionic mechanism was suggested as discussed.     

Synthetic studies on oxindole spiro-lactones with thalliumd(III) trinitrate: A formal total synthesis of (±)-tryptoquivaline G

(±)-Tryptoquivaline G was formally synthesized through shortened steps from tryptophan, in which oxidation with thallium(III) trinitrate(TTN) was effected at the crucial stage. The present work also constitutes the first synthesis of oxindole lactones carrying 2-alkyl quinazolinones.     

Planar chiral cyclic ether: asymmetric resolution and chirality transformation

Remarkably stable planar chirality was found in a nine-membered diallylic cyclic ether. Enantiomerically enriched ether was prepared by a kinetic resolution of a racemic one, which is valuable as a novel type of chiral building block.     

Cationic ring-opening transfer polymerization of spiro ortho esters initiated by carbon black

The ring-opening transfer polymerization of spiro ortho esters (SOE) initiated by carbon black was investigated. In the absence of carbon black, no polymerization occurred at all. In the presence of channel black containing carboxyl group, the ring-opening transfer polymerization of SOE was initiated at 50-70°C. to give polyether ester, namely alternating copolymer of epoxide and lactone. The rate of polymerization of 1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.4]nonane and 1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.5]decane was considerably small compared with that of 1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.6]undecane. The activation energy of the polymerization of 2-chloromethyl-1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4.6]undecane was estimated to be 6.0 kcal/mol. The initiating activity of carbon black increased with an increase in carboxyl group content of carbon black. Furnace black that contained no carboxyl group was unable to initiate the polymerization. Furthermore, the carbon black lost the initiating ability of the polymerization upon the blocking of carboxyl group on the surface by the treatment with potassium hydroxide or diazomethane. Based on these results, it was concluded that carboxyl group on carbon black plays an important role in the initiation. During the polymerization, a part of the polymer formed was grafted onto carbon black: the grafting ratio was 10–30%. The mechanisms of initiation and grafting were discussed.     

Synthesis of a novel bridged nucleoside bearing a fused-azetidine ring, 3′-amino-3′,4′-BNA monomer

A novel bridged nucleic acid monomer, 3′-amino-3′-deoxy-5-methyl-3′-N,4′-C-methyleneuridine, was successfully synthesized via a useful and convenient azetidine ring formation under Staudinger's conditions. A ¹H NMR experiment and a PM3 calculation revealed that the sugar moiety of the novel bridged nucleic acid monomer, 3′-amino-3′,4′-BNA, was restricted to S-type conformation.     

Preparation of enol ethers by carbonyl olefination utilizing an alkoxymethyl chloride-titanocene(II) system

Aldehydes, ketones, esters and lactones are transformed into enol ethers or 1,2-dialkoxy-1-alkenes by treatment with organotitanium species prepared from alkoxymethyl chlorides and a titanocene(II) complex.     

A novel scheme of heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene

The heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene initiated by radiation in tert-butyl alcohol was studied. The polymerization was carried out in a 100-ml reactor at 25–100°C and pressures of 200–300 kg/cm² in the presence of 50 ml of tert-butyl alcohol containing 7 wt-% water. The amounts of polymerized monomer, the average molecular weight of polymer formed, and the molecular weight distribution of polymer were measured at various stages of reaction and at various temperatures. The molecular weight distribution was found to be very much dependent on the reaction time and temperature. For the polymer formed at 50–60°C in the very early stages of reaction, the molecular weight distribution is unimodal, and in the intermediate stage a shoulder appears at a molecular weight higher than the first peak which increases as the polymerization proceeds; eventually a bimodal curve is formed. The bimodal distribution curves were analyzed to determine the fractions and average molecular weights of the each peak. On the basis of these data for the molecular weight distribution and kinetic behavior, a new scheme for the heterogeneous polymerization is proposed which indicates that the polymerization proceeds via propagating radicals in two different physical states, namely, loose and rigid states.     

Synthetic studies on (+)-aplasmomycin. 1. Stereoselective synthesis of the C-12˜C-17 segment

The C-12˜C-17 segment of (+)-aplasmomycin ( ) was synthesized stereoselectively starting from (−)-malic acid based on the stereoselective ketone reduction.     

Hydrogen evolution from water by use of viologen polymers as electron transfer catalyst

The behavior of viologen polymer (P-V²⁺) as an electron transfer catalyst in the reaction of hydrogen generation was studied. In the photoirradiation system, which contains triethanolamine (TEA), Ru(bpy)³⁺₃, and P-V²⁺, the amount of hydrogen evolution was less than methyl viologen (MV²⁺); P-V²⁺, however, was more effective in sodium dithionite as the electron donor and showed higher initial rates than MV²⁺.