Spongistatin synthetic studies. An efficient, second-generation construction of an advanced ABCD intermediate

[reaction: see text] A short, efficient, and stereocontrolled synthesis of (-)-4, an advanced ABCD subunit of the spongistatins, has been achieved. Central to the synthetic strategy is the multicomponent linchpin union of silyl dithianes with epoxides to access both the AB and CD fragments. Fragment coupling was then achieved via an efficient stereoselective aldol reaction. The linear sequence required 22 steps and proceeded in 4.0% overall yield.     

Enzymatic fabrication of DNA nanostructures: extension of a self-assembled oligonucleotide monolayer on gold arrays

Nucleic acid nanostructures are useful as templates for bionanofabrication of composite molecular nanostructures in materials science, molecular electronics, and biosensing. Here, we demonstrate that terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, which repetitively adds mononucleotides to the 3' end of a short DNA initiator, can be used to rapidly fabricate DNA nanostructures up to 121 nm high with lateral dimensions from 0.1 to 4 mum in 2 h. These programmable scaffolds can potentially be employed to build more complex nanostructures consisting of natural or unnatural nucleotides with selective docking sites along the single-stranded DNA.     

Metal Oxide Thin Films Containing Au Nano-Particles Prepared with Gas Diffusion Method

Au particles dispersed thin metal oxide films were prepared from precursor films containing HAuCl₄ with H₂S gas diffusion method. HAuCl₄ was uniformly dissolved in the films as promoted by hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC). The mechanism of the Au particle formation was studied. It was found that HAuCl₄ was converted directly to Au metal particles upon contacting with H₂S gas. Au particles generated by this method were characterized with small particle size, sharp size distribution and high volume fraction in the films. The surface plasma resonance absorption of Au particles shifted to longer wavelength when TiO₂ component was introduced in the matrix.     

A trinuclear heterobimetallic Ru(II)/Pt(II) complex as a chemodosimeter selective for sulfhydryl-containing amino acids and peptides

A trinuclear heterobimetallic Ru(II)/Pt(II) complex, cis-{Ru(phen)2[CN-Pt(DMSO)Cl2]2} (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), is able to function as a "switch-on" luminescent chemodosimeter for sulfhydryl-containing amino acids and peptides via specific binding of the amino acids/peptides with the Pt(II) centers and the subsequent cleavage of the Ru(II)-Pt(II) cyano-bridge.     

Synthesis of 15N-enriched pseudouridine derivatives

[reaction: see text]. A procedure for the chemical synthesis of [3-15N]-labeled pseudouridine and a methylated derivative was developed. A suitably protected pseudouridine precursor was nitrated at N3 followed by treatment with 15NH4Cl to afford the 15N-labeled product in six steps with a 20% yield. This methodology will allow for the production of RNAs with [3-15N]pseudouridine and [3-15N-methyl]pseudouridine at specific locations.     

Bis[(2-diphenylphosphino)phenyl]mercury: a P-donor ligand and precursor to mixed metal-mercury (d(8)-d(10)) cyclometalated complexes containing 2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2)

Treatment of HgCl(2) with 2-LiC(6)H(4)PPh(2) gives [Hg(2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))(2)] (1), whose phosphorus atoms take up oxygen, sulfur, and borane to give the compounds [Hg[2-C(6)H(4)P(X)Ph(2)](2)] [ X = O (3), S (4), and BH(3) (5)], respectively. Compound 1 functions as a bidentate ligand of wide, variable bite angle that can span either cis or trans coordination sites in a planar complex. Representative complexes include [HgX(2) x 1] [X = Cl (6a), Br (6b)], cis-[PtX(2) x 1] [X = Cl (cis-7), Me (9), Ph (10)], and trans-[MX(2) x 1] [X = Cl, M = Pt (trans-7), Pd (8), Ni (11); X = NCS, M = Ni (13)] in which the central metal ions are in either tetrahedral (6a,b) or planar (7-11, 13) coordination. The trans disposition of 1 in complexes trans-7, 8, and 11 imposes close metal-mercury contacts [2.8339(7), 2.8797(8), and 2.756(8) A, respectively] that are suggestive of a donor-acceptor interaction, M --> Hg. Prolonged heating of 1 with [PtCl(2)(cod)] gives the binuclear cyclometalated complex [(eta(2)-2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))Pt(mu-2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))(2)HgCl] (14) from which the salt [(eta(2)-2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))Pt(mu-2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))(2)Hg]PF(6) (15) is derived by treatment with AgPF(6). In 14 and 15, the mu-C(6)H(4)PPh(2) groups adopt a head-to-tail arrangement, and the Pt-Hg separation in 14, 3.1335(5) A, is in the range expected for a weak metallophilic interaction. A similar arrangement of bridging groups is found in [Cl((n)Bu(3)P)Pd(mu-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))(2)HgCl] (16), which is formed by heating 1 with [PdCl(2)(P(n)()Bu(3))(2)]. Reaction of 1 with [Pd(dba)(2)] [dba = dibenzylideneacetone] at room temperature gives [Pd(1)(2)] (19) which, in air, forms a trigonal planar palladium(0) complex 20 containing bidentate 1 and the monodentate phosphine-phosphine oxide ligand [Hg(2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))[2-C(6)H(4)P(O)Ph(2)]]. On heating, 19 eliminates Pd and Hg, and the C-C coupled product 2-Ph(2)PC(6)H(4)C(6)H(4)PPh(2)-2 (18) is formed by reductive elimination. In contrast, 1 reacts with platinum(0) complexes to give a bis(aryl)platinum(II) species formulated as [Pt(eta(1)-C-2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))(eta(2)-2-C(6)H(4)PPh(2))(eta(1)-P-1)]. Crystal data are as follows. Compound 3: monoclinic, P2(1)/n, with a = 11.331(3) A, b = 9.381(2) A, c = 14.516 A, beta = 98.30(2) degrees, and Z = 2. Compound 6b x 2CH(2)Cl(2): triclinic, P macro 1, with a = 12.720(3) A, b = 13.154(3) A, c = 12.724(2) A, alpha = 92.01(2) degrees, beta = 109.19(2) degrees, gamma = 90.82(2) degrees, and Z = 2. Compound trans-7 x 2CH(2)Cl(2): orthorhombic, Pbca, with a = 19.805(3) A, b = 8.532(4) A, c = 23.076(2) A, and Z = 4. Compound 11 x 2CH(2)Cl(2): orthorhombic, Pbca, with a = 19.455(3) A, b = 8.496(5) A, c = 22.858(3) A, and Z = 4. Compound 14: monoclinic, P2(1)/c, with a = 13.150(3) A, b = 12.912(6) A, c = 26.724(2) A, beta = 94.09(1) degrees, and Z = 4. Compound 20 x C(6)H(5)CH(3).0.5CH(2)Cl(2): triclinic, P macro 1, with a = 13.199(1) A, b = 15.273(2) A, c = 17.850(1) A, alpha = 93.830(7), beta = 93.664(6), gamma = 104.378(7) degrees, and Z = 2.     

Synthesis of helix 69 of Escherichia coli 23S rRNA containing its natural modified nucleosides,m(3)Psi and Psi

The synthesis of 3-methylpseudouridine (m(3)Psi) phosphoramidite, 5'-O-[benzhydryloxybis(trimethylsilyloxy)silyl]-2'-O-[bis(2-acetoxyethoxy)methyl]-3-methylpseudouridine-3'-(methyl-N,N-diisopropyl)phosphoramidite, is reported. Selective pivaloyloxymethyl protection of the Psi N1 followed by methylation at N3 was used to generate the naturally occurring pseudouridine analogue. The m(3)Psi phosphoramidite was used in combination with pseudouridine (Psi) and standard base phosphoramidites to synthesize a 19-nucleotide RNA representing helix 69 of Escherichia coli 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) (residues 1906-1924), containing a single m(3)Psi at position 1915 and two Psi's at positions 1911 and 1917. Our synthesis of the fully modified helix 69 RNA demonstrates the ability to make milligram quantities of RNA that can be used for further high-resolution structure studies. Site-selective introduction of the methyl group at the N3 position of pseudouridine at position 1915 causes a slight increase in the thermodynamic stability of the RNA hairpin relative to pseudouridine; RNAs containing either uridine or 3-methyluridine at position 1915 have similar stability. One-dimensional imino proton NMR and circular dichroism spectra of the modified RNAs reveal that the methyl group does not cause any substantial changes in the RNA hairpin structure.     

Type 2 intramolecular N-acylnitroso Diels-Alder reaction: scope and application to the synthesis of medium ring lactams

Heteroatom variants of the type 2 intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction provide an efficient method for the preparation of bridged bicyclic heterocycles. The type 2 variant of the intramolecular N-acylnitroso Diels-Alder reaction is an effective method for the synthesis of bridged bicyclic oxazinolactams. Structural studies of the cycloadducts have allowed for quantification of the deformations of the bridgehead functionalities and provided a strategy for the stereoselective synthesis of substituted seven- and eight-membered ring lactams. Diastereoselective cycloadditions followed by cleavage of the oxazine ring afford azepin-2-ones or azocin-2-ones.     

Preparation of benzyne complexes of group 10 metals by intramolecular suzuki coupling of ortho-metalated phenylboronic esters: molecular structure of the first benzyne-palladium(0) complex

A series of nickel(II) and palladium(II) aryl complexes substituted in the ortho position of the aromatic ring by a (pinacolato)boronic ester group, [MBr[o-C(6)H(4)B(pin)]L(2)] (M = Ni, L(2) = 2PPh(3) (2a), 2PCy(3) (2b), 2PEt(3) (2c), dcpe (2d), dppe (2e), and dppb (2f); M = Pd, L(2) = 2PPh(3) (3a), 2PCy(3) (3b), and dcpe (3d)), has been prepared. Many of these complexes react readily with KO(t)Bu to form the corresponding benzyne complexes [M(eta(2)-C(6)H(4))L(2)] (M = Ni, L(2) = 2PPh(3) (4a), 2PCy(3) (4b), 2PEt(3) (4c), dcpe (4d); M = Pd, L(2) = 2PCy(3) (5b)). This reaction can be regarded as an intramolecular version of a Suzuki cross-coupling reaction, the driving force for which may be the steric interaction between the boronic ester group and the phosphine ligands present in the precursors 2 and 3. Complex 3d also reacts with KO(t)Bu, but in this case disproportionation of the initially formed eta(2)-C(6)H(4) complex (5d) leads to a 1:1 mixture of a novel dinuclear palladium(I) complex, [(dcpe)Pd(mu(2)-C(6)H(4))Pd(dcpe)] (6), and a 2,2'-biphenyldiyl complex, [Pd(2,2'-C(6)H(4)C(6)H(4))(dcpe)] (7d). Complexes 2a, 3b, 3d, 4b, 5b, 6, and 7d have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction; complex 5b is the first example of an isolated benzyne-palladium(0) species.