The synthesis of cypridina etioluciferamine and the proof of structure of cypridina luciferin

An unambiguous synthesis of Cypridina etioluciferamine was accomplished in order to prove the structure of this important bioluminescent natural product. Several 2-aminopyrazine 1-oxides were synthesized in order to establish a spectroscopic method for determining the placement of substituents on the pyrazine nucleus of Cypridina etioluciferamine. Titanium tetrachloride was used to improve the yields of these compounds; for example, the yield of 2-amino-3-methyl-5-phenylpyrazine 1-oxide (19) from reaction of phenylglyoxal 1-oxime and α-aminopropionitrile was raised from 3% to 51% by the use of titanium tetrachloride. The pyrazine ring proton is found at τ 1·37 (DMSO-d₆). The isomeric 2-amino-3-methyl-6-phenylpyrazine 1-oxide (22) was similarly prepared and its pyrazine ring proton is found at τ 2·18. This large difference (0·81 ppm) in chemical shift was used to determine whether a 2-aminopyrazine 1-oxide was 5- or 6- substituted. Prepared in an analogous fashion were 2-amino-5-(indol-3-yl)-3-methylpyrazine 1-oxide (23) and 2-amino-5-(indol-3-yl)-3-(3-phthalimidopropyl)pyrazine 1-oxide (16). The structures of these compounds were verified by NMR spectroscopy. By treatment with Raney nickel and hydrogen gas, then 100% hydrazine hydrate, 16 was converted to 2-amino-3-(3-aminopropyl)-5-indol-3-ylpyrazine (5), isolated as the dihydrochloride. This compound, with the indole moiety definitely placed at C-5, is identical with Cypridina etioluciferamine dihydrochloride (IR, UV, TLC). These results show that the structures of Cypridina etioluciferamine and luciferin are correct as published.     

Cyclization of methyl 6,7-epoxycitronellate to methylcyclopentane derivatives : Alkoxide induced conversion of γ-lactones to γ,δ-unsaturated acids

The reaction of sodium hydride or potassium t-butoxide with methyl epoxycitronellate (1) in dimethylformamide affords a mixture of cis,cis-puleganolide (2) and cis,trans-puleganolide (3) in high yield. When the cyclization is conducted at 110°, the isomeric 2-isopropenyl-5-methylcyclopentanecarboxylic acids (8a–d) become the major products. It is demonstrated that γ-lactones undergo alkoxide-induced elimination to afford γ,δ-unsaturated acids.     

Micelle studies using a metal ion/murexide indicator system

Summary Complex formation between divalent metal ions and the hydrophilic murexide anion in the presence of anionic micelles has been employed to study aspects of micelle formation, the binding of divalent metal ions to micelles, and the kinetics of metal-complex formation in the presence of micelles.

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Zusammenfassung Die Komplexbildung zweiwertiger Metallionen mit dem hydrophilen Indikator Murexid wurde in Gegenwart anionischer Mizellen untersucht. Die Indikatorreaktion wurde benutzt, um Aussagen über Mizellbildung, Bindung zweiwertiger Metallionen an Mizellen und die Kinetik der Metallkomplexbildung bei Anwesenheit von Mizellen zu erhalten.

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With 8 figures and 1 table

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Dedicated to Prof.G. Rehage on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Time resolved spectroscopy of carbenepyridene ylides: Distinguishing carbenes from diazirine excited states

The photochemistry of diazirines and diazo compounds is not as simple as nitrogen extrusion and carbene formation. The C-H bonds adjacent to the diazo and diazirine moieties can migrate in the excited state and produce stable products without the benefit of a relaxed carbene intermediate. Additionally, cyclobutyl substituted systems exhibit carbon migration. It is unfortunate that the products of photochemical rearrangement of precursor excited states are identical to the products of thermal rearrangement of carbenes. This has prevented accurate measurement of the yield and absolute reactivity of alkylcarbenes. That pyridine reacts selectively with carbenes and not with the excited states of their nitrogenous precursors has allowed the separation of these two pathways and an appreciation of their relative importance with structural variation.