Effect of chain length and ring size of alkyl and cycloalkyl side-chain substituents upon the biological activity of brassinosteroids. Preparation of novel analogues with activity exceeding that of brassinolide

A series of brassinosteroids with different alkyl or cycloalkyl substituents in place of the isopropyl group at C-24 of brassinolide (1) were prepared by the CuCN-catalyzed addition of Grignard reagents to (threo-2R,3S,5alpha,22R,23R,24S)-23,24-epoxy-6, 6-(ethylenedioxy)-2,3-(isopropylidenedioxy)-26, 27-dinorcholestan-22-ol (9), followed by deketalization and Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. Compound 9 was employed as part of a 70:30 threo/erythro mixture of epoxides 9 and 10, from which the erythro-epoxide 10 was recovered intact after the Grignard additions. Thus, the corresponding n-dodecyl, n-hexyl, n-propyl, tert-butyl, cyclohexyl, cyclopentyl, cyclobutyl, and cyclopropyl analogues of brassinolide were obtained. A rearrangement byproduct was observed during the preparation of the cyclopropyl-substituted brassinosteroid when ether was used as the solvent in the Grignard reaction, but could be avoided by the use of THF. A method for recycling the undesired erythro-epoxide 10 was developed on the basis of deoxygenation with tellurium and lithium triethylborohydride. The rice leaf lamina inclination assay was then used to measure the bioactivity of the products. In general, increasing activity was observed as the length or ring size of the C-24 hydrocarbon substituent decreased. The novel cyclobutyl- and cyclopropyl-substituted analogues of brassinolide (1) were ca. 5-7 times as active as 1 and thus appear to be the most potent brassinosteroids reported to date. Further enhancement of the bioactivity of all of the above brassinosteroids, except that of the inactive n-dodecyl derivative, was observed when the brassinosteroid was applied together with an auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The synergy between the brassinosteroids and IAA thus increased the bioactivity of the brassinosteroids, including the cyclopropyl and cyclobutyl derivatives, by ca. 1-2 orders of magnitude.     

SUPER TOUGH GELS WITH A DOUBLE NETWORK STRUCTURE

Living tissues work with fantastic functions in soft and wet gel-like state.Thus,hydrogels have attracted much attention as excellent soft and wet materials,suitable tot making artificial organs for medical treatments.However, conventional hydrogels are mechanically too weak for practical uses.We have created double network (DN) hydrogels with extremely high mechanical strength in order to overcome this problem.DN gels are interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels consisting of rigid polyelectrolyte and s...     

Photoinduced omega-bond dissociation of m-halomethylbenzophenones studied by laser photolysis techniques and DFT calculations. Substituted position effects

Photochemical profiles of omega-cleavage of carbon-X (X = Br and Cl) bonds in m-bromo- and m-chloromethylbenzophenones (m-BMBP and m-CMBP) were investigated by laser photolysis techniques and DFT calculations. m-BMBP and m-CMBP were found to undergo omega-bond cleavage to yield the m-benzoylbenzyl radical (m-BBR) at 295 K, and the quantum yields were determined. No CIDEP signal was detected upon 308 nm laser photolysis of both the compounds. From these observations, it was inferred that the omega-bond of these m-halomethylbenzophenones (m-HMBP) cleaves in the lowest excited singlet state (S(1)(n,pi(*))) upon direct excitation. Upon triplet sensitization of acetone (Ac), the m-BBR formation was observed in transient absorption for an Ac-m-BMBP system, and an efficiency of the C-Br bond cleavage in the lowest triplet state (T(1)(n,pi(*))) of m-BMBP was determined. In contrast, formation of triplet m-CMBP was seen for an Ac-m-CMBP system. Absence of C-Cl bond cleavage in the triplet state of m-CMBP indicated the reactive state of m-CMBP for omega-cleavage is only the S(1)(n,pi(*)) state. Based on the efficiencies and DFT calculations for excited state energies, photoinduced omega-bond dissociation of m- and p-HMBPs was characterized.     

An efficient 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between aromatic selenoaldehydes and nitrile oxides or nitrile imines: an easy access to selenium-containing five-membered heterocyclic ring system

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition between aromatic selenoaldehydes, generated by thermal retro Diels-Alder reaction of anthracene cycloadducts, and nitrile oxides or nitrile imines proceeded efficiently to give the corresponding [3+2] cycloadducts as a single isomer in good yields, being 1,4,2-oxaselenazoles or 1,3,4-selenadiazoles, respectively.     

Swallow-tailed perylene derivative: a new tool for fluorescent imaging of lipid hydroperoxides

A swallow-tailed perylene derivative including a triphenylphosphine moiety was synthesized and applied to the detection and the live-cell imaging of lipid hydroperoxides. The novel probe, named Spy-LHP, reacted rapidly and quantitatively with lipid hydroperoxides to form the corresponding oxide, Spy-LHPOx, which emits extremely strong fluorescence (Phi approximately 1) in the visible range (lambda(em) = 535 nm, 574 nm). Spy-LHP was highly selective for lipid hydroperoxides, and the addition of other reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydrogen peroxides, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite, and alkylperoxyl radical, caused no significant increase in the fluorescence intensity. The probe exhibited good localization to cellular membranes and was successfully applied to the confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) imaging of lipid hydroperoxides in live J774A.1 cells, in which lipid peroxidation was proceeded by the stimulation of 2,2-azobis(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride (AAPH). These findings establish Spy-LHP as a promising new tool for investigating the physiology of lipid hydroperoxides.     

A fluorescent photochromic compound for labeling biomolecules

A fluorescent photochromic compound, composed of diarylethene, fluorescein and succinimidyl ester units, was developed for the controllable fluorescent labeling of biomolecules based on a small molecule.     

Direct Transformation of Molecular Dinitrogen into Ammonia Catalyzed by Cobalt Dinitrogen Complexes Bearing Anionic PNP Pincer Ligands

The direct formation of ammonia from molecular dinitrogen under mild reaction conditions was achieved by using new cobalt dinitrogen complexes bearing an anionic PNP‐type pincer ligand. Up to 15.9 equivalents of ammonia were produced based on the amount of catalyst together with 1.0 equivalent of hydrazine (17.9 equiv of fixed nitrogen atoms).     

Nickel‐ and Photoredox‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling Reactions of Aryl Halides with 4‐Alkyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines as Formal Nucleophilic Alkylation Reagents

A combination of nickel and photoredox catalysts promoted novel cross‐coupling reactions of aryl halides with 4‐alkyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines. 4‐Alkyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridines act as formal nucleophilic alkylation reagents through a photoredox‐catalyzed carbon–carbon (C?C) bond‐cleavage process. The present strategy provides an alternative to classical carbon‐centered nucleophiles, such as organometallic reagents.     

Controllable Electronic Structures and Photoinduced Processes of Bay‐Linked Perylenediimide Dimers and a Ferrocene‐Linked Triad

A series of perylene‐3,4,9,10‐bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) dimers linked through the bay regions was systematically synthesized to examine the electronic structures and photophysical properties in dependence on the distance and orientation between the two PDI units. The spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements suggested that the coupling value of a directly linked PDI dimer (PDI)₂ is much larger than those of para‐ and meta‐phenylene‐bridged PDI dimers p‐(PDI)₂ and m‐(PDI)₂. The width of Davydov splitting was quantitatively evaluated to compare the coupling values between the two PDI units in these dimers by absorption spectroscopy in frozen 2‐methyl‐THF. Excimer formation of PDI dimers induced the strong fluorescence quenching and large red‐shifts. Femtosecond transient absorption revealed a broad absorption derived from an excimer in the range from about 600 nm to the near‐IR region. The rate constants of formation and decay of the excimer are strongly dependent on the coupling values. Time‐resolved measurements on ferrocene‐linked p‐(PDI)₂ revealed a competition between the photoinduced processes of electron transfer and excimer formation in PhCN, which is in sharp contrast with the sole electron‐transfer process in toluene.