Pyrone Diels–Alder Routes to Indolines and Hydroindolines: Syntheses of Gracilamine,Mesembrine, and Δ7‐Mesembrenone

Although the Diels–Alder reaction has long been utilized for the preparation of numerous heterocycles, opportunities to extend its power remain. Herein, we detail a simple, modular, and robust approach that combines various amines regioselectively with 4,6‐dichloropyrone to create substrates which, under appropriate conditions, can directly deliver varied indolines and hydroindolines through [4+2] cycloadditions with substitution patterns difficult to access otherwise. As an initial demonstration of the power of the strategy, several different natural products have been obtained either formally or by direct total synthesis, with efforts toward one of these—the complex amaryllidaceae alkaloid gracilamine—affording the shortest route to date in terms of linear step count.     

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of conjugated side chains polymers with different electron‐withdrawing and donating end groups

A series of novel low band gap polymers containing conjugated side chains with 4,7‐dithien‐5‐yl‐2,1,3‐benzodiathiazole and different electron‐withdrawing end groups of aldehyde ( PT‐DTBTCHO ), 2‐ethylhexyl cyanoacetate ( PT‐DTBTCN ), 1,3‐diethyl‐2‐thiobarbituric acid ( PT‐DTBTDT ), and electron‐donating end group of 2‐methylthiophene ( PT‐DTBTMT ) have been designed and synthesized. All polymers exhibit good solubility in common organic solvents, film‐forming ability, and thermal stability. These conjugated polymers show the broad ultraviolet‐visible absorption and the narrow optical band gaps in the range of 1.65–1.90 eV. Through changing the end group of conjugated side chains, the photophysical properties and energy levels of the polymers were tuned effectively. Bulk heterojunction solar cells based on the blend of these polymers and (6,6)‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM) reached the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.72%. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis,characterization, and electrochemistry of monophosphine‐containing diiron propane‐1,2‐dithiolate complexes related to the active site of [FeFe]‐hydrogenases

Five monophosphine‐substituted diiron propane‐1,2‐dithiolate complexes as the active site models of [FeFe]‐hydrogenases have been synthesized and characterized. Reactions of complex [Fe₂(CO)₆{μ‐SCH₂CH(CH₃)S}] ( 1 ) with a monophosphine ligand tris(4‐methylphenyl)phosphine, diphenyl‐2‐pyridylphosphine, tris(4‐chlorophenyl)phosphine, triphenylphosphine, or tris(4‐fluorophenyl)phosphine in the presence of the oxidative agent Me₃NO·2H₂O gave the monophosphine‐substituted diiron complexes [Fe₂(CO)₅(L){μ‐SCH₂CH(CH₃)S}] [L = P(4‐C₆H₄CH₃)₃, 2 ; Ph₂P(2‐C₅H₄N), 3 ; P(4‐C₆H₄Cl)₃, 4 ; PPh₃, 5 ; P(4‐C₆H₄F)₃, 6 ] in 81%–94% yields. Complexes 2 – 6 have been characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopy, and X‐ray crystallography. In addition, electrochemical studies revealed that these complexes can catalyze the reduction of protons to H₂ in the presence of HOAc.     

A highly selective dual-channel Hg2+ chemosensor based on an easy to prepare double naphthalene Schiff base

Science China Chemistry - A non-sulfur chemosensor based on an easy to prepare double naphthalene Schiff base is reported for the colorimetric and fluorometric dual-channel sensing of Hg2+ ions by...     

Synthesis of the Novel Chiral Catalysts by Click Chemistry and Their Application

Novel cinchonine ammonium salt derivatives have been prepared by 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition. Their chiral catalytic efficacy was investigated in the asymmetric alkylation of N‐diphenylmethyleneglycine t‐butyl ester in the water phase. As the special structure of the catalyst, its asymmetric alkylation catalytic behavior both in organic solvents and in water is satisfactory, which is environmentally friendly.     

Complex dynamics in equilibrium asset pricing models with boundedly rational,heterogeneous agents

We study a simple model based upon the Lucas framework where heterogeneous agents behave rationally in a fully intertemporal setting but do not know other investors' personal preferences, wealth or investment portfolios. As a consequence, agents initially do not know the equilibrium asset pricing function and must make guesses, which they update via adaptive learning with constant gain. We demonstrate that even in this simple environment the economy can, depending on parameters, exhibit either stable convergence to equilibrium, or chaotic dynamical behavior of asset prices and trading volume without converging to the rational expectations equilibrium of the Lucas model. This contradicts the assertion that the Lucas model is stable in the face of modest deviations from the strong assumptions required to compute the equilibrium. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 19: 38–55, 2014     

Studies on oral bioavailability and first‐pass metabolism of withaferin A in rats using LC–MS/MS and Q‐TRAP

Withaferin A (WA) is one of the major bioactive steroidal lactones with extensive pharmacological activities present in the plant Withania somnifera. The absolute oral bioavailability of WA remains unknown and human‐related in vitro data are not available. Therefore, in the present study, the absolute oral bioavailability of WA in male rats and the in vitro screening of absorption factors by Q‐trap and LC–MS/MS analysis were conducted to explore possible clinical properties of WA. The developed and validated analytical methods were successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies and in vitro measurement of WA. The oral bioavailability was determined to be 32.4 ± 4.8% based on intravenous (5 mg/kg) and oral (10 mg/kg) administrations of WA in male rats. The in vitro results showed that WA could be easily transported across Caco‐2 cells and WA did not show as a substrate for P‐glycoprotein. Moreover, the stability of WA was similar between male rat and human in simulated gastric fluid (stable), in intestinal microflora solution (slow decrease) and in liver microsomes (rapid depletion, with a half‐life of 5.6 min). As such, the first‐pass metabolism of WA was further verified by rat intestine‐liver in situ perfusion, revealing that WA rapidly decreased and 27.1% remained within 1 h, while the content of three major metabolites (M1, M4, M5) identified by Q‐trap increased. This perfusion result is consistent with the oral bioavailability results in vivo. The first‐pass metabolism of WA might be the main barrier in achieving good oral bioavailability in male rats and it is predicted to be similar in humans. This study may hold clinical significance.