A synthesis, including asymmetric synthesis, of α-quaternary α-amino aldehydes from ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide via sulfinylaziridines

Treatment of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, prepared from ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, with N-lithio arylamines resulted in the formation of sulfinylaziridines in good to high yields. The sulfinylaziridines were treated with N-lithio aniline or N-lithio p-chloroaniline to afford α-quaternary α-amino aldehydes in good yields. From α-quaternary α-amino aldehydes, α-quaternary α-amino acid esters and β-quaternary β-amino alcohols were obtained. When optically active chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide was used in this procedure, a method for the synthesis of optically active α-quaternary α-amino aldehydes was realized. The reaction mechanism, including asymmetric induction, for the formation of the sulfinylaziridines is described.     

A new synthesis, including asymmetric synthesis, of spiro[4.n]alkenones from three components: cyclic ketones, chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, and acetonitrile; and a formal total synthesis of racemic acorone

1-Chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides were synthesized from several kinds of cyclic ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide in good yields. Treatment of the 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides with cyanomethyllithium at −78°C to room temperature gave spirocyclic enaminonitriles in high yields. Acidic treatment of the enaminonitriles afforded spiro[4.n]alkenones in good yields. By using an unsymmetrical cyclic ketone, α-tetralone, and optically active chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, this procedure afforded enantiomerically pure spiro[4.5]decenone in good yield with excellent asymmetric induction from the sulfoxide chiral center. By using this method a formal total synthesis of a racemic spirocyclic sesquiterpene, acorone, was realized.     

Detection of varicocele by using 99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid human serum albumin (99mTc-DTPA human serum albumin)

In order to detect the varicocele, scrotal scintigraphies by using 99mTc-HSA-D were performed in 14 patients with male infertile or palpable mass in left scrotum on physical examinations. Abnormal pooling of 99mTc-HSA-D, indicative of varicocele lesion, could be found in left scrotum in 9 cases, confirmed surgically or clinically. Compared with 99mTc-HSA, 99mTc-HSA-D was superior in high uptake ratio of varicocele to soft tissue and in nonvisualization of bladder. Thus, 99mTc-HSA-D scrotal scintigraphy seemed to be of a great use to detect the varicocele.     

Reactivity and catalytic activity of cationic lonomers for the nucleophilic substitution reactions

Polystyrene-based crosslinked cationic ionomers containing ammonium or phosphonium chlorides (AxRCI and PxBuCI) were reacted with decyl methanesulfonate. The kinetic data were correlated with the swelling behavior of the ionomers and the solution viscosity of the corresponding linear ionomers. The reactivity of the ionomers was independent of the particle size of the ionomer beads, indicating no diffusion control of the reaction. The solvent and the ion content of the ionomers greatly affect the reactivity. In nonpolar solvents with a low acceptor number, A_N, such as toluene, the aggregation of ionic groups with an increasing ion content reduces the reactivity. A solvent with a high value of A_N, such as chloroform, led a very low reactivity independent of the ion content. Aprotic polar solvent, such as acetonitrila, promoted the dissociation of the ionic groups and furnished a relatively high reactivity independent of the ion content. Several catalytic substitution reactions were carried out under liquid-solid-solid triphase conditions. The kinetic results were accounted for in terms of slow nucleophile transport and fast chemical reaction within the ionomer particles. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystal Structure, Electric and Magnetic Properties of Layered Cobaltite β-NaxCoO2

The layered oxide thermoelectric material β-Na_0.67CoO₂ has been studied by powder neutron diffraction, electric and magnetic measurements. This compound includes an edge-sharing CoO₆ slab and a highly vacant Na⁺ sheet in a unit cell (space group symmetry C2/m, a=4.9023(4) Å, b=2.8280(2) Å, c=5.7198(6) Å and β=105.964(6)° at 300 K). The evaluated formal valence of cobalt ion, +3.33(1), is ascribed to the coexistence of Co³⁺ and Co⁴⁺ in the ratio 2:1. Polycrystalline β-Na_0.67CoO₂, a p-type thermoelectric material, exhibits metallic behavior of the electric resistivity below 300 K. The Curie-Weiss-type magnetic susceptibility indicates antiferromagnetic interactions between magnetic cobalt ions in the edge-sharing CoO₆ slab.     

Synthesis of planar-chiral paracyclophanes via samarium(II)-catalyzed intramolecular pinacol coupling

[reaction: see text] A series of [n]paracyclophanediols (n = 8-12) was synthesized by samarium-catalyzed pinacol coupling for their ansa-bridge formation. Enantiomerically pure [n]paracyclophane esters were derived from the diols in a several steps via chiral resolution (for n = 10) or via crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation (for n = 11) by using amino alcohol auxiliaries and their selective cleavages.     

π-Allyl nickel halide–oxygen system as a catalyst for polymerization of butadiene

The π-allyl nickel halide-oxygen system was found to be active as catalyst for stereospecific polymerization of butadiene. The catalyst from π-allyl nickel chloride or π-allyl nickel bromide yields the polymer of 90% cis-1,4 content with high activity, whereas the catalyst from π-allyl nickel iodide affords a polymer of 70% or less cis-1,4 content. The catalyst systems can be fractionated into two parts on the basis of solubility in benzene. It is concluded that the catalyst activity originates essentially from the benzene-insoluble nickel complex which is composed of oxygen, halogen, σ-allyl group, and nickel. The structure of growing polymer terminal is discussed in relation to the mechanism of the stereospecific polymerization.     

Time-dependent density functional theory calculations of the photoabsorption of fluorinated alkanes

Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations of the transition energies and oscillator strengths of fluorinated alkanes have been performed. The TD-DFT method with the non-local B3LYP potential yields transition energies for the methanes, which are smaller by about 10% as compared to the experimental values. An empirical linear correlation was found between the calculated and experimental transition energies both at the B3LYP/DZ+Ryd(C, F) and B3LYP/cc-pVTZ+Ryd(C, F, H) levels for a total of 19 transitions of the fluorinated methanes with linear correlation coefficients of 0.987 for the former and 0.988 for the latter. This empirical correlation for fluorinated methane molecules is found to agree well with the previously obtained empirical correlations between calculated and experimental values for non-fluorinated molecules. The results show that a single empirical-correlation relationship can be used for both non-fluorinated and fluorinated molecules to predict transition energies. This linear relationship is then used to predict the photoabsorption spectra of ethane, propane, butane, and partially and fully fluorinated derivatives. A key result of these calculations is the dominance of Rydberg transitions in the spectral region of interest.     

Regioselectivity of Friedel-Crafts acylation of aromatic compounds with several cyclic anhydrides

The Friedel-Crafts acylations of various aromatic compounds with cyclic anhydrides such as 2-(p-substituted phenyl)butanedioic, 3-phenylpentanedioic and homophathlic anhydrides were carried out under various conditions in order to obtain informations about the regioselectivity of the ring opening of the cyclic anhydrides and about the possible reaction pathways in the acylations.     

Cytotoxic diterpenoids from Vietnamese medicinal plant Croton tonkinensis GAGNEP

Six new ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids were isolated from the leaves of the endemic Vietnamese medicinal plant Croton tonkinensis GAGNEP. (Euphorbiaceae) together with three known ent-11alpha-acetoxy-7beta,14alpha-dihydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (1), ent-kaur-16-en-15-one 18-oic acid (5) and ent-18-hydroxykaur-16-ene (7). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses to be ent-7beta-acetoxy-11alpha-hydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (2), ent-18-acetoxy-11alpha-hydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (3), ent-11alpha-acetoxykaur-16-en-18-oic acid (4), ent-15alpha,18-dihydroxykaur-16-ene (6), ent-11alpha,18-diacetoxy-7beta-hydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (8), and ent-(16S)-1alpha,14alpha-diacetoxy-7beta-hydroxy-17-methoxykauran-15-one (14). ent-Kaurane-type diterpenoids from Croton tonkinensis 2-4, 6, and 9-13, were tested for toxicity in the brine shrimp lethality assay. Compounds 9, 10, and 12 demonstrated significant activity, compounds 2, 3, 6, and 11 showed weak activity, and compounds 4 and 13 were inactive.