New routes to beta-cycloalkylalanine derivatives using serine-derived organozinc reagents

Two distinct routes to beta-cycloalkylalanine derivatives have been developed. The first route employs the reaction of the iodoalanine-derived zinc-copper reagent 2 with cycloalk-1-en-3-yl phosphates, and the second uses the palladium-catalysed coupling of the iodoalanine-derived zinc reagent 1 with cycloalkenyl triflates; in each case, catalytic hydrogenation of the unsaturated product leads to the protected beta-cycloalkylalanine. The latter route allows access to a range of cycloalkyl derivatives, with ring sizes of 5-8. beta-(1-Methyl-1-cyclohexyl)alanine may be prepared using reaction of the zinc-copper reagent 2 with 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenyl chloride, followed by hydrogenation. The corresponding cyclopentyl derivative may be prepared by reaction of the same zinc-copper reagent 2 with diethyl geranylphosphate, followed by ring-closing metathesis and hydrogenation.     

Biomimetic zinc funnel complexes based on calix[6]N3ArO ligands: an acid-base switch for guest binding

The coordination chemistry of Zn in an N(3)ArOH environment has been explored. The ligands are based on calix[6]arenes that present two imidazole arms and an amino phenol moiety at the narrow rim. Three different types of complexes have been characterized. One is dicationic with Zn(2+) coordinated to the three nitrogen atoms and to the oxygen of the phenol group of the calix[6]ligand. This complex is very sensitive to exogenous coordinating molecules and exists as a 5-coordinate species due to the endo-complexation of a guest. The second species is a monocationic complex for which the phenol group has been deprotonated. The resulting N(3)ArOZn complex can also bind a guest ligand albeit with a lower affinity than the dicationic complex. The third species is neutral. It can be obtained upon reaction with a base to yield a hydroxo complex or with an anion such as a chloride that coordinates the metal center from the outside of the calixarene cavity. The simultaneous binding of two anionic donors decreases the Zn Lewis acidity, allowing an impressive conformational reorganization of the system. One imidazole arm is released by the metal center. The other one undergoes self-inclusion into the pi-basic calixarene cavity because the low affinity of the metal center for neutral ligand does not allow the endo-coordination of an exogenous guest. Hence, the calix[6]N(3)ArOH-based Zn complexes act as an acid-base switch for guest binding. Several aspects of this system appear reminiscent of Zn-peptidases of the astacin and serralisin families.     

Higher Hopf formulae for homology via Galois Theory

We use Janelidze's Categorical Galois Theory to extend Brown and Ellis's higher Hopf formulae for homology of groups to arbitrary semi-abelian monadic categories. Given such a category A and a chosen Birkhoff subcategory B of A, thus we describe the Barr-Beck derived functors of the reflector of A onto B in terms of centralization of higher extensions. In case A is the category Gp of all groups and B is the category Ab of all abelian groups, this yields a new proof for Brown and Ellis's formulae. We also give explicit formulae in the cases of groups vs. k-nilpotent groups, groups vs. k-solvable groups and precrossed modules vs. crossed modules.     

A type 2 Ferrier rearrangement-based synthesis of d-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate

The synthesis of d-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP₃) from methyl α-d-glucopyranose, via a type 2 Ferrier rearrangement is reported. A key intermediate in this synthesis possesses orthogonal protecting groups at the 1-, 4- and 5-position, making it a versatile starting point for the synthesis of unnatural InsP₃ derivatives. Biological evaluation of the synthetic InsP₃ demonstrates that this compound evokes selective Ca²⁺ release via activation of InsP₃ receptors.     

Synthesis and characterisation of medium-sized ring systems by oxidative cleavage. Part 2: Insights from the study of ring expanded analogues

Variable temperature NMR analysis and computational methods have been used to develop a detailed understanding of the ¹H NMR spectra of a family of medium-sized ring containing compounds. The family consists of analogues containing 10-, 11- and 12-membered rings and in all cases the NMR spectra at room temperature showed a series of diastereotopic methylene signals despite the lack of a stereogenic centre in these systems. On repeating the NMR analysis at higher temperatures, all the signals coalesced for the 12-membered ring system consistent with full interconversion of ring conformers. This was not observed in the analogous 10- and 11-membered ring systems with the interchange of conformers remaining slow on the NMR timescale. However, 1D gs-NOESY/EXSY NMR experiments showed that in the smaller ring systems interconversion of diastereotopic protons did occur. Computational studies suggest that the dynamic process observed by NMR for the 10- and 11-membered rings systems is different from that observed in the 12-membered ring containing compound.     

Determination of Diaryliodonium Species by Reverse Iodometric Titration with Ascorbic Acid

Diaryliodonium salts are used in organic chemistry, materials science and pharmaceutical chemistry. For the quantitative analysis of diaryliodonium salts, only instrumentally demanding techniques requiring highly skilled operators are available. Surprisingly, no titration method taking advantage of the oxidising ability of diaryliodonium is available in the literature. In the present work, a titration method for the determination of diaryliodonium salts is presented. It is based on the reaction of diaryliodonium species with ascorbic acid, whose excess is subsequently determined by means of iodometric potentiometric titration. Application of the protocol to various diaryliodonium salts revealed the scope and limitations of the method.     

X-ray structure and UV spectroscopic studies of (adenmato-N9)triethylphosphinegold(I)

The preparation, characterization, and X-ray structure analysis of (adeninatoN9)triethylphosphinegold(I) is reported. The crystal structure consists of discrete molecules, the adeninate anion coordinates via the N(9) atom with a Au-N(9) bond distance of 2.057(5) Å and the linear geometry about the Au atom is completed by the P atom of a disordered Et₃P ligand; the Au-P(1) bond distance is 2.238(2) Å and the N(9)-Au-P(1) bond angle is 178.8(2)°. The crystals are orthorhombic, space groupPbca, with unit cell dimensionsa=8.528(1),b=17.797(3),c=18.526(2) Å andZ=8. The structure was refined by a full-matrix least-squares procedure to finalR=0.030 andR _w =0.033 for 1749 reflections withI>2.5a(I). The electronic spectrum of the complex dissolved in water in the near ultraviolet is consistent with essentially separate -electron systems of the adenine and phosphinegold moieties; a conclusion which corroborates the X-ray structural results.     

Polarization selection rules in scattering of cavity polaritons

We theoretically discuss scattering of polaritons in semiconductor microcavities by means of a microscopic model. Taking into account the composite character of excitons (formed by an electron and a hole), we analyze the relation between polarizations of incoming and outgoing polariton states under resonant excitation by linearly polarized laser beams with opposite in-plane momenta. In addition to these polarization selection rules, we investigate the nonlinear processes up to the sixth order and we show the origin of an induced anisotropy due to the excitation beams which is responsible for the operation of an optical gate based on polariton–polariton scattering in a microcavity.