Synthesis of carboalkoxychloro- and bromodiazirines

The first known 3H-diazirines bearing a carbonyl group and a halogen atom on C-3 have been prepared by a novel synthetic method. Carboalkoxychloro- and bromodiazirines 1a-d are formed in up to 45% yields by reductive dechlorination of carboalkoxy-N,N,N'-trichloroformamidines 9a,b using chloride or bromide ion. This method constitutes the first example of the use of N,N,N'-trichloroamidines as starting materials in organic synthesis.     

A new approach to stereospecific synthesis of P-chiral phosphorothioates. Preparation of diastereomeric dithymidyl-(3'-5') phosphorothioates

A new method for stereospecific synthesis of P-chiral phosphorothioates based on intramolecular nucleophile catalysis was developed.     

Chemiluminescence determination of carbofuran and promecarb by flow injection analysis using two photochemical reactions

A flow injection-chemiluminescent method for the determination of carbofuran and promecarb is proposed. The assay was based on the on-line conversion of the pesticides into methylamine by irradiation with UV light. The methylamine generated was subsequently reacted with tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III), which was generated through the on-line photo-oxidation of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) with peroxydisulfate. The emitted light showed a linear relationship with the concentration of the pesticide over the ranges 0.22-11.2 microg ml(-1) for carbofuran and 0.41-16.6 microg ml(-1) for promecarb. The repeatability was 1.6% expressed as relative standard deviation (n = 10) and the reproducibility, studied on five different days, was 2%. The sample throughput was 200 injections per h. The reliability of the method for routine analysis of these pesticides in water, soil and grains is demonstrated.     

A method for the analysis of sucralose with electrospray LC/MS in recipient waters and in sewage effluent subjected to tertiary treatment technologies

A method for the analysis of the artificial sweetener sucralose in sewage water and recipient water was developed. Extraction and clean up was performed with solid-phase extraction utilising Oasis HLB columns. Detection was made by liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. However, ‘pseudo MRM’ was used, a technique where the two quadrupoles monitor the same m/z. The sodium adduct of sucralose was used for quantification, since lower detection limits were obtained as compared to the sucralose quasi-molecular ion in negative ion mode. The two ions with highest intensity in the chlorine isotope pattern were monitored. The reduction of matrix effects with this approach is discussed. The method limit of quantification (MLOQ) for sewage water was 0.2?µg?L^?1, whereas for recipient water MLOQ was 0.02?µg?L^?1. The method was used to analyse effluent samples from an experimental sewage treatment plant (STP) to assess the efficiency of tertiary treatment techniques for removal of sucralose. Filtration through activated carbon was shown to be efficient, while ozonation, advanced oxidation techniques and membrane bioreactors were less efficient. Analyses of receiving waters showed low dilution of sucralose emitted from the STPs.     

On the Possibility of Uphill Intramolecular Electron Transfer in Multicopper Oxidases: Electrochemical and Quantum Chemical Study of Bilirubin Oxidase

The catalytic cycle of multicopper oxidases (MCOs) involves intramolecular electron transfer (IET) from the Cu‐T1 copper ion, which is the primary site of the one‐electron oxidations of the substrate, to the trinuclear copper cluster (TNC), which is the site of the four‐electron reduction of dioxygen to water. In this study we report a detailed characterization of the kinetic and electrochemical properties of bilirubin oxidase (BOx) – a member of the MCO family. The experimental results strongly indicate that under certain conditions, e.g. in alkaline solutions, the IET can be the rate‐limiting step in the BOx catalytic cycle. The data also suggest that one of the catalytically relevant intermediates (most likely characterized by an intermediate oxidation state of the TNC) formed during the catalytic cycle of BOx has a redox potential close to 0.4 V, indicating an uphill IET process from the T1 copper site (0.7 V) to the Cu‐T23. These suggestions are supported by calculations of the IET rate, based on the experimentally observed Gibbs free energy change and theoretical estimates of reorganization energy obtained by combined quantum and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations.     

Isothiourea‐Mediated Asymmetric O‐ to C‐Carboxyl Transfer of Oxazolyl Carbonates: Structure–Selectivity Profiles and Mechanistic Studies

The structural motif within a series of tetrahydropyrimidine‐based isothioureas necessary for generating high asymmetric induction in the asymmetric Steglich rearrangement of oxazolyl carbonates is fully explored, with crossover and dynamic ¹⁹F NMR experiments used to develop a mechanistic understanding of this transformation.     

The use of residual dipolar coupling for conformational analysis of structurally related natural products

Determining the conformational preferences of molecules in solution remains a considerable challenge. Recently, the use of residual dipolar coupling (RDC) analysis has emerged as a key method to address this. Whilst to date the majority of the applications have focused on biomolecules including proteins and DNA, the use of RDCs for studying small molecules is gaining popularity. Having said that, the method continues to develop, and here, we describe an early case study of the quantification of conformer populations in small molecules using RDC analysis. Having been inspired to study conformational preferences by unexpected differences in the NMR spectra and the reactivity of related natural products, we showed that the use of more established techniques was unsatisfactory in explaining the experimental observations. The use of RDCs provided an improved understanding that, following use of methods to quantify conformer populations using RDCs, culminated in a rationalisation of the contrasting diastereoselectivities observed in a ketone reduction reaction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Pleiogenone A: An Antiproliferative Trihydroxyalkylcyclohexenone Isolated from Pleiogynium timorense

The first total synthesis of polyhydroxylated cyclohexenone 1 , isolated from Pleiogynium timorense and named pleiogenone A, is reported that also serves as a proof of structure and absolute configuration. Enzymatic dihydroxylation of benzoic acid with R. eutrophus B9 provided enantiomerically pure diene diol 6 . Elaboration of the carboxylate moiety to the alkyl side chain was followed by singlet oxygen cycloaddition to furnish an endoperoxide whose reduction with thiourea led to cyclitol 19 . Several protective operations were required before oxidation and the final extension of the side chain by a Wittig reaction. After final deprotection of the acetonide functionality the desired pleiogenone A ( 1 ) was obtained in 14 operations from benzoic acid.