Synthese und Konfigurationszuordnung von potentiell antimikrobiellen 5,6-Dihydroxyisobenzofuranonen

Summary Oxidation of isobenzofuranone1 yielded in a diastereoselective reaction epoxide2. Acidolysis of2 resulted in a mixture oftrans-glycols6 a (88%) and7 a (4%), which were separated by crystallization. The relative configuration of6 a and7 a at the chiral centers 3 a, 5, 6, and 7 a was determined by¹H-NMR-spectroscopy and X-ray analysis of O-acetylated and 7 a-methylated derivatives.

     

Effect of vibrational excitation of HBr on the H+HBr abstraction and exchange reactions

The effect of vibrational excitation of HBr on the H+HBrH₂+Br and H+HBrH+HBr reactions has been investigated on the extended LEPS surface (ELEPS) constructed on the basis of quantum chemically calculated points of PES. Together with this surface the LEPS surface of Sudhakaran and Raff [1] was used for comparison at two relative translational energies. A quasiclassical trajectory method was used to study the abstraction and exchange reaction dynamics. The reactive cross section was calculated as a function of the relative collision energy and the vibrational state of HBr. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results of the study: (i) vibrational excitation v=0 v=2 more than doubles the reaction cross section, (ii) the increase in the collision energy is most effectively channelled into the product translational energy.Dedicated to Professor J. Koutecký on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Polyamine-based anion receptors: Extraction and structural studies

In the discussion that follows some of the more recent progress in the area of anion binding by synthetic polyamine receptors is presented, with emphasis given to work undertaken by the authors’ groups. A continuing theme in these studies has been the relationship between receptor structure and its anion extraction properties.Systematic solvent extraction and structural studies for halide and perrhenate complexes with polyamines of tripodal, macrocyclic and macrobicyclic architecture that contain both aromatic moieties and four to eight amine functions have been performed in order to derive relevant structure-binding/extractability relationships. The results demonstrate that the binding and extraction behaviour of the polyamines towards halides and perrhenate is a complex function of their structural features, degree of protonation and lipophilic properties. The extraction is characterized by the preferred formation of mono- and diprotonated amine species in the organic phase. X-ray structure studies of iodide and perrhenate complexes with open-chain tetraamino derivatives and octaamino cryptands in different protonation states lead to the conclusion that in the first case only limited chelation of the anion occurs and in the second only highly protonated species are able to encapsulate the anion. The structural patterns observed are strongly influenced by the presence of water molecules in the crystals.     

Solution and X-Ray Crystal Structures of the Di- and Tetra-allyl Ether of tert- utylcalix[4]arene

The di- and tetra-allyl ethers of tert-butylcalix[4]arene 1 and 2 have been prepared by alkylation of tert-butylcalix[4]arene with allyl bromide and K₂CO₃ using different reaction times. Solution ¹H NMR measurement of the di-allyl ether 1 and X-ray crystal structures of the complexes of 1 with chloroform (1a) or methanol (1b) indicate the cone conformation of 1 in which intramolecular hydrogen bonding can be maximized. The crystalline state conformers 1a and 1b are distorted in different grades depending on the solvent. While methanol is incorporated in the macrocycle, chloroform molecules do not occupy the cage. The solution ¹H NMR spectra of tetra-allyl ether 2 show the co-existence of the cone and partial cone conformation. The partial cone conformer of 2 was investigated by X-ray crystallography. In this compound hydrogen bonding is not existent. The conformer distribution is likely affected by steric and template effects.     

Stable gaseous aziridinium ions

Gaseous protonated aziridine ions are produced at the threshold from β-phenoxyethylamine molecular ions. The evidence for this is collisional activation spectra, using various precursors (including labelled analogues) under electron impact and field ionization conditions. Partial conversion to the acyclic \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ {\rm CH}_{\rm 3} {\rm CH = }\mathop {\rm N}\limits^ + {\rm H}_{\rm 2} $\end{document} isomer occurs at higher electron energies and is rationalized by means of a potential energy surface constructed from energetic data.     

Conformational dependence of the electrostatic potential-derived charges of dopamine: Ramifications in molecular mechanics force field calculations in the gas phase and in aqueous solution

The electrostatic potential-derived charges for the catecholamine neurotransmitter dopamine were calculated at the STO-3G and 6-31G* basis sets for six different molecular conformations. The degree of variance of the charges with changing conformations was examined. The 6-31G* basis set produced charges that were more sensitive to changes in conformation than those derived from the STO-3G electrostatic potentials. The implication of the charge variations in molecular mechanics calculations was also investigated. The molecular mechanics results in the gas phase exhibited a variance depending upon the charge set used. The force field calculations varied much less when aqueous solvation was included in the calculations through a continuum model. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Beta-sheet preferences from first principles

The natural amino acids have different preferences of occurring in specific types of secondary protein structure. Simulations are performed on periodic model beta-sheets of 14 different amino acids, at the level of density functional theory, employing the generalized gradient approximation. We find that the statistically observed beta-sheet propensities correlate very well with the calculated binding energies. Analysis of the calculations shows that the beta-sheet propensities are determined by the local flexibility of the individual polypeptide strands.     

Total synthesis of (+)-xyloketal D, a secondary metabolite from the mangrove fungus Xylaria sp.

(+)-Xyloketal D was prepared in a one-pot multistep domino reaction by heating optically active 5-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-methylenepentan-2-one (R) in toluene with 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone. The absolute configuration of the natural product was confirmed by preparation of the starting enone from a lactone of established absolute configuration.     

A Variable-Pressure 2D 1H-NMR Study of the Mechanism of Trimethyl Phosphate Intermolecular Exchange and cis/trains-Isomerisation of Tetrachlorobis(trimethyl phosphate)zirconium(IV)

In chloroform, [ZrCl₄·2(MeO)₃PO] exists in both cis- and trans-isomeric forms. Three reactions can be envisaged in the presence of excess (MeO)₃PO = L: (1) cis-[ZrCl₄·2L] + *L?cis-[ZrCl₄·L*L]+ L; (2) trans-[ZrCl₄·2L] + *L ? trans-[ZrCl₄·L*L] + L; (3) cis-[ZrCl₄·2L]? trans-[ZrCl₄·2L]. To distinguish between these possible reaction pathways, we have used 2D ₁H-NMR spectroscopy. For the first time, variable-pressure 2D exchange spectra were used for mechanistic assignments. cis/trans-Isomerisation was found to be the fastest reaction (in CHCl₃/CDCl₃), with a small acceleration at higher pressure: it is concluded to be an intramolecular process with a slightly contracted six-coordinate transition state. The intermolecular (MeO)₃PO exchange on the cis- and trans-isomer are second-order processes and are strongly accelerated by increased pressure: I_a mechanisms are suggested without ruling out limiting A mechanisms.     

Isomerization of hydrocarbon ions. VIII—The electron impact induced decomposition of n-dodecane

The literature on the mass spectrometry of ²H and ¹³C labelled higher alkanes is reviewed and the decomposition behaviour of both the molecular and the fragment ions of n-dodecane, n-dodecane-1, 12-[¹³C₂] and n-dodecane-1,1,1,12,12,12-[²H₆] studied with special emphasis on metastable decompositions. It is shown that the elimination of alkane molecules and alkyl radicals from the n-dodecane molecular ion occurs primarily by simple splitting of the C? C bond. In addition, both small alkane molecule and alkyl radicals are eliminated with low probability from centreal parts of the molecular ion. The alkane elimination is less specific than the alkyl elimination. The methyl elimination shows an exceptionally high non-specificity, but is of negligible abundance in the 70 e V electron impact spectrum. The metastable ion spectra suggest, but do not prove unambiguously, that those small alkyl ions (with up to four carbon atoms) originating directly from the molecular ion, may be formed both by direct cleavage of the terminal groups and from central parts of the molecular ion. However, the majority of the small alkyl fragment ions in the 70 eV spectrum are formed by secondary decomposition explaining their apparent non-specific formation. The strikingly different fragmentation behaviour of even electron, [C_nH_2n+1]⁺, and odd electron fragment ions, results from differences in the product stabilities. Using collisional activation and metastable ion spectra it is shown that the odd electron fragments have the structure of the linear alkene (most probably the 1-alkene) molecular ion. In contrast to the molecular ions, alkyl fragment ions decompose with complicated skeletal rearrangements, which lead to substantial, but not complete, carbon randomization. The terminal hydrogen atoms, however, show little scrambling.