Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry of reaction products between C3O2 and stabilized phosphorus ylides

A fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometric study on the open-chain compound 1,3-bis(cyanomethylenetriphenylphosphorane)propane-1,3-dione and on the cyclic zwitterionic compounds 4-oxy-5-triphenylphosphonium-6-methyl-2-pyrone and 4-oxy-5-triphenylphosphonium-6-phenyl-2-pyrone, obtained by reaction of carbon suboxide, C₃O₂, with stabilized phosphorus ylides, Ph₃PCHX (X?CN, COMe, COPh), is described. The FAB mass spectrometric behaviour of these compounds is compared with that shown by tri-phenylphosphoranilideneketene, Ph₃P ? C ? C ? O, and by 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone, with the aid of metastable ion data and collision spectroscopy.     

Preparative and NMR studies of 1,3-dienecobalt(I) complexes

The synthesis and the characterization of cobalt(I) complexes of the type [Co(diene)(phosphine)₃]Y (diene = 1,3-butadiene and isoprene; phosphine = PMe₃, PMe₂Ph, and HPPh₂; Y = ClO₄, BF₄, or BPh₄) are reported. The fluxional nature of the five-coordinate cations [Co(diene)(phosphine)₃]⁺ is shown by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy (¹H and ³¹P). Low-temperature spectra are consistent with a square-pyramidal structure in which the diene occupies two basal coordination sites.     

Electron impact mass spectrometry of some macrocyclic polyether lactones

Electron impact mass spectrometry has been used together with linked scans, exact mass measurements and mass-analysed ion kinetic energy spectrometry to study nine inacrocyclic polyether lactones in detail. The presence of abundant hydrogenated oxirane ions has been observed for all the compounds examined, and confirmed by kinetic energy release measurements.     

Synthesis, biological activity and modelling studies of two novel anti HIV PR inhibitors with a thiophene containing hydroxyethylamino core

An efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of a versatile intermediate bearing azido, hydroxyl and ester functions, a useful precursor for peptidomimetic compounds. The two main features for this synthesis were the use of the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation on thiophene acrylate and the subsequent regioselective ring opening by sodium azide of the cyclic sulfite. Highly chemoselective reduction of the azido alcohol led to a key compound which was utilized for the synthesis of two analogues of commercial anti HIV PR such as nelfinavir and saquinavir. The biological activity and molecular modelling study on these two new potential drugs have been evaluated.     

Reaction of substituted sulfenes with N,N-disubstituted α-amino-methyleneketones. I. Synthesis of N,N-disubstituted cis- and trans-4-amino-3,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-3-phenyl-1,2-benzoxathiin 2,2-dioxides

The polar 1, 4-cycloaddition of phenylsulfene (generated in situ from phenylmethanesulfony] chloride and triethylamine) to N, N-disubstituted (E)-2-aminomethylenecyclohexanones I gave in general a mixture of N, N-disubstituted cis- and trans-4-amino-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-hexahydro-3-phenyl-1, 2-benzoxathiin 2, 2-dioxides III and IV, which were separated by column chromatography and whose structural and conformational features were determined from uv, ir and nmr spectral data. In the case of N, N-diisopropylamino enaminone 1c, the cyclo-addition took place with elimination of an alkyl group as propene to give the adduct III?.     

Hyperpigmentation induced by topical 5-aminolaevulinic acid plus visible light

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) is an alternative tool for the treatment of superficial non-melanoma skin cancers. Recently ALA-PDT has been employed with encouraging results also for warts, condylomata and psoriasis. In this study the effects of topical ALA plus irradiation with visible light on intact human skin have been evaluated. Five skin areas (A, B, C, D, and E) on the inner upper part of the arms of five healthy volunteers (skin types III and IV) were treated with (A) ALA 20% in base cream without irradiation, (B) only the vehicle (base cream) without ALA, (C, D and E) ALA cream at the concentrations of 5, 10 and 20%, respectively; all treatments were applied with an occlusive dressing. Four hours after ALA or vehicle application areas B, C, D and E were irradiated with a fixed dose of 40 J/cm(2). ALA penetration through the intact skin was evaluated by in vivo fluorescence determination. The effects on healthy skin were evaluated by clinical and chromometric examinations, light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. RESULTS: (1) in vivo fluorescence demonstrated that ALA is able to penetrate through the intact skin, when applied with occlusive dressing and induces a classical fluorescence peak due to Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) formation, which is the active photosensitiser. (2) Skin areas receiving ALA plus irradiation showed erythema and swelling just after the irradiative session and hyperpigmentation 48-72 h later. (3) Colourimetric data confirmed significant skin colour changes: values a* (representing the erythematous changes) increased only on the skin areas where ALA+irradiation were applied and during the 48 h after irradiation, thereafter a* began to decrease; values L* (pigmentation) increased during the 2 weeks following treatment. (4) Histopathological, immunohistochemical (S100, HMB-45) and electron microscopic findings showed an absolute increment of the number of melanocytes, which appeared clearly activated. In conclusion the application of ALA cream followed by irradiation is able to induce a pigmentation response in healthy human skin, at least in skin types III and IV. This melanocytic activation could have a potential for the treatment of skin disorders characterised by hypopigmentation.     

Reaction of Sulfene wild Heterocyclic N,N-Disubstituted α-Aminomethylene Ketones IV. Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydro-5H-[1]benzothiopyratio [3,4-e]-1,2-oxathiin and 2,3,6,7-Tetrahydro-5H-thiopyrano[3,4-e]-1,2-oxathiin Derivatives

The reaction of sulfene with N,N-disubstituted 3-aminomethylene-2,3-dihydro-4-thiochromanones and-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-4-thiopyranones gave 1,4-cycloadducts which are derivatives of new heterocyclic systems, namely 3,4-dihydro-5H-[1]benzothiopyrano[3,4-e]-1,2-oxathiin and 3,4,7,8-tetrahydro-5H-thiopyrano[3,4-e]-1,2-oxathiin, respectively. Furthermore, some pyrazole derivatives VII and VIII were prepared from 3-hydroxymethylene-2,3-dihydro-4-thiochromanone or 2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-4-thiopyranone and hydrazines.     

Probing the Helical Secondary Structure of Short-Chain β-Peptides

Structural prerequisites for the stability of the 3₁ helix of β-peptides can be defined from inspection of models (Figs. 1 and 2): lateral non-H-substituents in 2- and 3-position on the 3-amino-acid residues of the helix are allowed, axial ones are forbidden. To be able to test this prediction, we synthesized a series of heptapeptide derivatives Boc-(β-HVal-β-HAla-β-HLeu-Xaa-β-HVal-β-HAla-β-HLeu)-OMe 13–22 (Xaa = α- or β-amino-acid residue) and a β-depsipeptide 25 with a central (S)-3-hydroxybutanoic-acid residue (Xaa = –OCH(Me)CH₂C(O)–) (Schemes 1 3). Detailed NMR analysis (DQF-COSY, HSQC, HMBC, ROESY, and TOCSY experiments) in methanol solution of the β-hexapeptide H(-β-HVal-β-HAla-β-HLeu)₂-OH ( 1 ) and of the β-heptapeptide H-β-HVal-β-HAla-β-HLeu-(S,S)-β-HAla(αMe)-β-HVal-β-HAla- β-HLeu-OH ( 22 ), with a central (2S,3S)-3-amino-2-methylbutanoic-acid residue, confirm the helical structure of such β-peptides (previously discovered in pyridine solution) (Fig.3 and Tables 1–5). The CD spectra of helical β-peptides, the residues of which were prepared by (retentive) Arndt-Eistert homologation of the (S)- or L -α-amino acids, show a trough at 215 nm. Thus, this characteristic pattern of the CD spectra was taken as an indicator for the presence of a helix in methanol solutions of compounds 13–22 and 25 (including partially and fully deprotected forms) (Figs.4–6). The results fully confirm predicted structural effects: incorporation of a single ‘wrong’ residue ((R)-β-HAla, β-HAib, (R,S)-β-HAla(α Me), or N-Me-β-HAla) in the central position of the β-heptapeptide derivatives A (see 17, 18, 20 , or 21 , resp.) causes the CD minimum to disappear. Also, the β-heptadepsipetide 25 (missing H-bond) and the β-heptapeptide analogs with a single α-amino-acid moiety in the middle ( 13 and 14 ) are not helical, according to this analysis. An interesting case is the heptapeptide 15 with the central achiral, unsubstituted 3-aminopropanoic-acid moiety: helical conformation appears to depend upon the presence or absence of terminal protection and upon the solvent (MeOH vs. MeOH/H₂O).     

Reaction of dichloroketene and sulfene with N,N-disubstituted α-aminomethyleneketones. Synthesis of pyrano[2,3-e]indazole and 1,2-oxathiino[6,5-e]indazole derivatives

The polar 1,4-cycloaddition of dichloroketene to N,N-disubstituted (E)-5-aminomethylene-1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(1-methyl)(1-phenyl)-4H-indazol-4-ones V, prepared from 1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(1-methyl)(1-phenyl)-4H-indazol-4-ones via the 5-hydroxymethylene derivatives, gave in good yield N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3,3-dichloro-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)pyrano[2,3-e]indazol-(3H)ones VI, which are derivatives of the new heterocyclic system pyrano[2,3-e]indazole. Dehydrochlorination of VI with DBN afforded N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3-chloro-6,7-dihydro(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)pyrano[2,3-e]indazol-2(5H]-ones VII generally in satisfactory yield. Full aromatization with DDQ of VII was tried only in the case of dimethylamino derivatives, giving a moderate yield of 3-chloro-4-dimethylamino(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)pyrano[2,3-e]indazol-2(7H)-ones. Cycloaddition of sulfene to V occurred only in the case of aliphatic N-substitution to give in moderate yield 4-dialkylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)-3H-1,2-oxathiino[6,5-e]indazole 2,2-dioxides, which are derivatives of the new heterocyclic system 1,2-oxathiino[6,5-e]indazole.     

Reaction of sulfene and dichloroketene with open-chain N,N-disubstituted α-aminomethyleneketones. Synthesis of 4-dialkylamino-3,4-dihydro-5,6-dimethyl-1,2-oxathiin 2,2-dioxides and of 6,(5)(di)alkyl-3-chloro-4-methylphenylamino-2H-pyran-2-ones

Cycloaddition of sulfene to N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3-methyl-3-buten-2-ones (III) occurred in fair to good yield only in the case of aliphatic N-substitution to give 4-dialkylamino-3,4-dihydro-5,6-dimethyl-1,2-oxathiin 2,2-dioxides, whereas N,N-disubstituted 1-amino-1-penten-3-ones (II) did not react at all. Cycloaddition of dichloroketene to II, III and N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3-buten-2-ones occurred only in the case of the methylphenylamino derivative, giving in good to moderate yield 6,(5)(di)alkyl-3,3-dichloro-3,4-dihydro-4-methylphenylamino-2-Hpyran-2-ones, which were dehydrochlorinated with DBN to 6,(5)(di)alkyl-3-chloro-4-methylphenylamino-2H-pyran-2-ones.