Preparation of planar‐chiral multidonor phosphanylferrocene carboxamides and their application as ligands for palladium‐catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation

Amide coupling of (S_p)‐2‐(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene‐1‐carboxylic acid with appropriate terminal amines mediated by 1‐hydroxybenzotriazole and a carbodiimide affords multi‐donor amides terminally functionalized with planar‐chiral (S_p)‐2‐(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocen‐1‐yl moieties in good to excellent yields. Palladium catalysts based on these ligands efficiently promote asymmetric allylic alkylation of 1,3‐diphenylallyl acetate with in situ generated dimethyl malonate anion to give the C‐alkylated product with ees up to 93% at room temperature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

XNBR/LDH nanocomposites: Effect of vulcanization and organic modifier on nanofiller dispersion and strain‐induced crystallization

In elastomer/organo clay nanocomposites, the morphological characteristics, and hence the mechanical properties, of the vulcanizates are strongly influenced by the organic modifier and the vulcanization process. When the elastomer itself undergoes strain‐induced crystallization, both the organic modifier and the dispersed filler particles could significantly influence the crystallization process. These phenomena are very common in case of natural rubber‐based vulcanizates. In this study, the similar effects have been demonstrated with carboxylated nitrile rubber (XNBR) and organically modified layered double hydroxide (O‐LDH)‐based nanocomposites. The effect of size of the organic modifier was obviously visible on the interlayer distance of O‐LDH and also on the morphological reorganization of the dispersed O‐LDH particles during vulcanization process. The strain‐induced crystallization of the XNBR was found to be strongly dependent on the morphological change that occurs during vulcanization process. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010     

Transition‐Metal Complexes Based on the 1,3,5‐Triethynyl Benzene Linking Unit

The synthesis of a unique series of heteromultinuclear transition metal compounds is reported. Complexes 1‐I‐3‐Br‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃ ( 4 ), 1‐Br‐3‐(bpy‐C≡C)‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃ ( 6 ), 1,3‐(bpy‐C≡C)₂‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃ ( 7 ), 1‐(XC≡C)‐3‐(bpy‐C≡C)‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃ ( 8 , X = SiMe₃; 9 , X = H), 1‐(HC≡C)‐3‐[(CO)₃ClRe(bpy‐C≡C)]‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃ ( 11 ), 1‐[(Ph₃P)AuC≡C]‐3‐[(CO)₃ClRe(bpy‐C≡C)]‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃ ( 13 ), 1‐[(Ph₃P)AuC≡C]‐3‐(bpy‐C≡C)‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃ ( 14 ), [1‐[(Ph₃PAuC≡C]‐3‐[{[Ti](C≡CSiMe₃)₂}Cu(bpy‐C≡C)]‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃]PF₆ ( 16 ), and [1,3‐[(tBu₂bpy)₂Ru(bpy‐C≡C)]₂‐5‐(FcC≡C)‐C₆H₃](PF₆)₄ ( 18 ) (Fc = (η⁵‐C₅H₄)(η⁵‐C₅H₅)Fe, bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridiyl‐5‐yl, [Ti] = (η⁵‐C₅H₄SiMe₃)₂Ti) were prepared by using consecutive synthesis methodologies including metathesis, desilylation, dehydrohalogenation, and carbon–carbon cross‐coupling reactions. In these complexes the corresponding metal atoms are connected by carbon‐rich bridging units comprising 1,3‐diethynyl‐, 1,3,5‐triethynylbenzene and bipyridyl units. They were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and partly by ESI‐TOF mass spectrometry., The structures of 4 and 11 in the solid state are reported. Both molecules are characterized by the central benzene core bridging the individual transition metal complex fragments. The corresponding acetylide entities are, as typical, found in a linear arrangement with representative M–C, C–C_C≡C and C≡C bond lengths.     

Hydroperoxides and aryl diazonium salts as reagents for the functionalization of non-activated olefins

Hydroperoxides, olefins, and arenediazonium salts selectively combine to give azo compounds via an iron(II)-mediated three-component reaction. Starting with a fragmentation liberating acetic acid, the hydroperoxides act as radical source and the diazonium ions as nitrogen-centered radical scavengers.     

3D ToF-SIMS Analysis of Peptide Incorporation into MALDI Matrix Crystals with Sub-micrometer Resolution

The analytical sensitivity in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is largely affected by the specific analyte-matrix interaction, in particular by the possible incorporation of the analytes into crystalline MALDI matrices. Here we used time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to visualize the incorporation of three peptides with different hydrophobicities, bradykinin, Substance P, and vasopressin, into two classic MALDI matrices, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) and α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (HCCA). For depth profiling, an Ar cluster ion beam was used to gradually sputter through the matrix crystals without causing significant degradation of matrix or biomolecules. A pulsed Bi₃ ion cluster beam was used to image the lateral analyte distribution in the center of the sputter crater. Using this dual beam technique, the 3D distribution of the analytes and spatial segregation effects within the matrix crystals were imaged with sub-μm resolution. The technique could in the future enable matrix-enhanced (ME)-ToF-SIMS imaging of peptides in tissue slices at ultra-high resolution.

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Thuggacins, macrolide antibiotics active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis: isolation from myxobacteria, structure elucidation, conformation analysis and biosynthesis

Two novel antibiotics, thuggacin A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum. 1 and 2 are unique thiazole-containing macrolides with side chains on both sides of the lactone group. Upon standing in solution, thuggacin A (1) rearranges by acyl migration of the lactone group to give a mixture with thuggacins B (2) and C (3). NOEs and vicinal coupling constants within the lactone ring provided distinct data for the generation of a structure model by PM3 calculations, which allowed an analysis of the conformation in solution and the relative configuration of six asymmetric centres. A minor sorangium metabolite was identified as 13-methyl-thuggacin A (4). Furthermore, two natural thuggacin variants, 5 and 6, were found in another myxobacterium, Chondromyces crocatus. In these variants, one side chain is replaced by a methyl group and a hydroxy group is repositioned to give a primary alcohol at the former methyl site, in an alpha position with respect to the thiazole ring. 1 proved to be active against clinical isolates and reference strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Preliminary studies on the mechanism of action indicate inhibition of the cellular electron-transport chain.     

Accurate solubility prediction with error bars for electrolytes: a machine learning approach

Accurate in silico models for predicting aqueous solubility are needed in drug design and discovery and many other areas of chemical research. We present a statistical modeling of aqueous solubility based on measured data, using a Gaussian Process nonlinear regression model (GPsol). We compare our results with those of 14 scientific studies and 6 commercial tools. This shows that the developed model achieves much higher accuracy than available commercial tools for the prediction of solubility of electrolytes. On top of the high accuracy, the proposed machine learning model also provides error bars for each individual prediction.     

Novel rhenium chelate system derived from dimercaptosuccinic acid for the selective labeling of biomolecules

This work is part of an effort to develop chelating agents for stable binding and easy conjugation of Re-188 to biologically interesting structures. Starting from the well-known in vivo stability of [(188)ReO(DMSA)(2)](-), we want to exploit this coordination system for the design of (188)ReO(V) chelates, which are stable toward reoxidation to perrhenate and toward ligand exchange under all conditions of radiopharmaceutical development. Therefore, a new type of tetradentate ligand has been synthesized by bridging two molecules of N,N'-diisobutyl-2,3-dimercaptosuccinamide with N-(3-aminopropyl)propane-1,3-diamine. The resulting stereoisomeric tetrathiolato S(4) ligand of composition ((i)()Bu)(2)N(O)C-C(SH)-C(SH)-C(O)NH-(CH(2))(3)-NH-(CH(2))(3)-NHC(O)-C(SH)-C(SH)-C(O)N((i)Bu)(2) forms anionic five-coordinate oxorhenium(V) complexes by a ligand-exchange reaction of NBu(4)[ReOCl(4)] in methanol. In the absence of a base, the compounds were isolated as "betaine", [ReO(S(4))], with the protonated nitrogen of the bridge serving as an internal "counterion". Two representatives have been fully characterized in both the solid and solution states and found to adopt the expected square-pyramidal coordination geometry. The equatorial plane is formed by four thiolate sulfur atoms, whereas the oxygen occupies the apical position. The orientation of the metal oxo group is exo in relation to the carbamido groups in both isomers. Both complexes are stereoisomeric regarding the junction of the triamine chain.