Phospha-alkynes - Useful Building Blocks in Organic Chemistry1

Abstract

The syntheses of phospholes (7, [3+2]-cycloaddition), bicyclophosphaalkenes (17, [4+2]-cycloaddition), and phosphabenzenes (15, [4+2]-cycloaddition followed by an extrusion process) starting from the phosphaalkynes (4) are described. The 2–Dewar phosphabenzene 18, obtained from the cyclobutadiene 21 and 4 (R =^tBu), is the starting material for the synthesis of the valency isomers 19, 20, 22, and 23.     

Development of a manual method for the determination of mineral oil in foods and paperboard

So far the majority of the measurements of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) were obtained from on-line high performance liquid chromatography–gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (on-line HPLC–GC–FID). Since this technique is not available in many laboratories, an alternative method with more easily available tools has been developed. Preseparation on a small conventional liquid chromatographic column was optimized to achieve robust separation between the MOSH and the MOAH, but also to keep out the wax esters from the MOAH fraction. This was achieved by mixing a small portion of silica gel with silver nitrate into highly activated silica gel and by adding toluene into the eluent for the MOAH. Toluene was also added to the MOSH fraction to facilitate reconcentration and to serve as a keeper preventing loss of volatiles during solvent evaporation. A 50 μl volume was injected on-column into GC–FID to achieve a detection limit for MOSH and MOAH below 1 mg/kg in most foods.     

Two Unusual Carbohydrate Reactions: Nucleophilic Ring Opening of an Anhydrosugar and Reductive Elimination with Co‐occurring Hydrogenation

Treatment of the 1,6‐anhydrosugar epoxide 5 with a cyano‐Gilman cuprate [(CuCN (6 eq.), MeLi (12 eq.)] surprisingly led to the open chain rearranged (2S,3R)‐1,2‐dihydroxy‐3,6‐dimethylheptan‐4‐one (7), structurally confirmed by conversion to the corresponding diacetate 8. Another unusual reaction was found by hydrogenation of the 2‐tosyl‐1‐bromosugar 11, leading in one operation to the twofold deoxygenated chiral pyran derivative 14. This procedure might prove to be useful in the rapid deoxygenation of sugar derivatives.     

Communication: Furanoside C-Glycosides from an O-Methyl Pyranoside: An Unexpected ß-Hydroxy-1,3-Dithiane Rearrangement

In the course of our investigations on the synthesis of enantiomerically pure anthracycline antibiotics by incorporation of chiral building blocks we prepared the O-methyl 3-deoxy-2-C-ethylribopyranoside 1.¹ The further synthetic plan required the conversion of 1 to the dithioacetal 2 followed by glycol cleavage to a partially protected 1,4-dialdehyde for coupling experiments to leucoquinizarine in a Marschalk reaction. However, the reaction sequence failed¹ and optically active rhodomycinone had to be synthezised in a different way.² A reinvestigation of the synthesis revealed that the thioacetalization of 1 using the acidic conditions recommended by Corey et al.³ did not yield the usual open chain dithioacetal 2 but rather three new unexpected products. The less polar fraction was identified by ¹H and ¹³C NMR as tetrahydrofuran derivative 3a with the dithiane ring in a ß-orientation. The solid polar fraction (12%) consisted of a nonseparable 1:2.2 mixture of the epimeric deoxygenation products 4/5.     

Synthesis of the Aliphatic Subunit of the Macrolide LL‐Z 1640‐2 via Vasella Ring Opening of a 6‐Iodo‐4‐deoxy‐D‐mannose

The synthesis of the aliphatic subunit 9 of the macrolide LL‐Z1640‐2 (I), starting from a 4‐deoxy‐D‐mannose derivative 2a, is described. The procedure includes the first successful application of a Vasella ring opening reaction for a 4‐deoxypyranoside. Nucleophilic addition of an alkynyllithium reagent to the aldehyde 4 led to the propargylic alcohol 7, which was converted to the advanced building block 9 in two further steps.     

Aldehyde‐Assisted Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed C?H Oxygenations

Versatile ruthenium(II) complexes allow for site‐selective C H oxygenations with weakly‐coordinating aldehydes. The challenging C H functionalizations proceed with high chemoselectivity by rate‐determining C H metalation. The new method features an ample substrate scope, which sets the stage for the step‐economical preparation of various bioactive heterocycles.     

Metal Sulfide Nanoparticle Synthesis with Ionic Liquids – State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Metal sulfides are among the most promising materials for a wide variety of technologically relevant applications ranging from energy to environment and beyond. Incidentally, ionic liquids (ILs) have been among the top research subjects for the same applications and also for inorganic materials synthesis. As a result, the exploitation of the peculiar properties of ILs for metal sulfide synthesis could provide attractive new avenues for the generation of new, highly specific metal sulfides for numerous applications. This article therefore describes current developments in metal sulfide nanoparticle synthesis as exemplified by a number of highlight examples. Moreover, the article demonstrates how ILs have been used in metal sulfide synthesis and discusses the benefits of using ILs over more traditional approaches. Finally, the article demonstrates some technological challenges and how ILs could be used to further advance the production and specific property engineering of metal sulfide nanomaterials, again based on a number of selected examples.     

Di-tert-butyldiphosphatetrahedrane as a Source of 1,2-Diphosphacyclobutadiene Ligands

Reactions of di-tert-butyldiphosphatetrahedrane ( 1 ) with cycloocta-1,5-diene- or anthracene-stabilised metalate anions of iron and cobalt consistently afford complexes of the rarely encountered 1,2-diphosphacyclobutadiene ligand, which have previously been very challenging synthetic targets. The subsequent reactivity of 1,2-diphosphacyclobutadiene cobaltates toward various electrophiles has also been investigated and is compared to reactions of related 1,3-diphosphacyclobutadiene complexes. The results highlight the distinct reactivity of such isomeric species, showing that the 1,2-isomers can act as precursors for previously unknown triphospholium ligands. The electronic structures of the new complexes were investigated by several methods, including NMR, EPR and Mößbauer spectroscopies as well as quantum chemical calculations.     

Coordination and Redox Isomerization in the Reduction of a Uranium(III) Monoarene Complex

Synthetic studies on the redox chemistry of trivalent uranium monoarene complexes were undertaken with a complex derived from the chelating tris(aryloxide)arene ligand (^Ad,MeArO)₃mes^3?. Cyclic voltammetry of [{(^Ad,MeArO)₃mes}U^III] ( 1 ) revealed a nearly reversible and chemically accessible reduction at ?2.495 V vs. Fc/Fc⁺—the first electrochemical evidence for a formally divalent uranium complex. Chemical reduction of 1 indicates that reduction induces coordination and redox isomerization to form a uranium(IV) hydride, and addition of a crown ether results in hydride insertion into the coordinated arene to afford uranium(IV) complexes. This stoichiometric reaction sequence provides structural insight into the mechanism of arene functionalization at diuranium inverted sandwich complexes.     

Aldehyde‐Assisted Ruthenium(II)‐Catalyzed CH Oxygenations

Versatile ruthenium(II) complexes allow for site‐selective C? H oxygenations with weakly‐coordinating aldehydes. The challenging C? H functionalizations proceed with high chemoselectivity by rate‐determining C? H metalation. The new method features an ample substrate scope, which sets the stage for the step‐economical preparation of various bioactive heterocycles.