Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric cyclodimerization of oxabenzonorbornadienes and azabenzonorbornadienes: scope and limitations

Cationic rhodium(I)-catalyzed cyclodimerization of oxabenzonorbornadienes produced naphtho[1,2-b]furan ring systems in a single step with excellent yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The effect of various Rh(I) catalysts, Ag(I) salts, solvents, and phosphine ligands on the yield and enantioselectivity of the reaction was investigated, and the scope and limitations of this reaction with various oxabicyclic alkenes were studied. Similar results were obtained with the azabenzonorbornadiene analogues, providing the corresponding cyclodimerization products in excellent yields and excellent enantioselectivities.     

Synthesis of 6,19-cyclopregnanes. Constrained analogues of steroid hormones

A procedure for the synthesis of 6,19-cyclopregnanes is described involving an intramolecular alkylation reaction of Delta(4)-3-keto steroids with a 19-mesylate in the presence of KOH in isopropanol. Three 6,19-cyclopregnanes were prepared (4, 5 ,9); in the rat, 6,19-cycloprogesterone (4) and its 21-hydroxy derivative 5 displaced [3H]-dexamethasone from glucocorticoid receptors, the former compound being more active. Both compounds did not compete with [3H]-aldosterone for kidney mineralocorticoid receptors nor with [3H]-R5020 for uterus progesterone receptors.     

Investigation of analytical variation in metabonomic analysis using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Sources of analytical variation in high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS), such as changes in retention, mass accuracy or signal intensity, have been investigated to assess their importance as a variable in the metabonomic analysis of human urine. In this study chromatographic retention and mass accuracy were found to be quite reproducible with the most significant source of analytical variation in the data sets obtained being the result of changes in detector response. Depending on the signal intensity threshold used to define the presence of a peak a sample component could be present in some replicate injections and absent in others within the same run. The implementation of a more sophisticated data software analysis package was found to greatly reduce the impact of detector response variability resulting in improved data analysis.     

An organocatalytic approach to the core of eunicellin

A stereocontrolled synthesis of the core of eunicellin is described featuring a Claisen rearrangement and a diastereoselective organocatalytic Diels-Alder reaction as the key steps.     

Putting mass spectrometry in the hands of the end user

The ease of use of the newer liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry interfaces has made possible the automated acquisition of spectra from large batch queues of samples. This fact, combined with the realization that unit molecular mass determination was the only datum desired by a majority of drug discovery synthetic chemists, led us to develop open access mass spectrometry in the early 1990s. Open access spectrometers now scan over 100,000 samples per year from synthesis laboratories at Pfizer. Our experiences with this novel use of mass spectrometry in a large research facility are discussed and we detail some of the pitfalls we believe to be common to this approach. In addition, we offer some reflection on the cultural changes we have observed in our research environment since this experiment began.     

Absolute photoabsorption oscillator strengths by electron energy loss methods: the valence and S 2p and 2s inner shells of sulphur dioxide in the discrete and continuum regions (3.5–260 eV)

Absolute photoabsorption oscillator strengths (cross-sections) for the valence shell discrete and continuum regions of sulphur dioxide from 3.5 to 51 eV have been measured using high resolution (0.05 eV FWHM) dipole (e,e) spectroscopy. A wide-range spectrum, covering both the valence shell and the S 2p and 2s inner shells, has also been obtained from 5 to 260 eV at low resolution (1 eV FWHM), and this has been used to determine the absolute oscillator strength scale using valence shell TRK (i.e., S(0)) sum-rule normalization. The present measurements have been undertaken in order to investigate the recently discovered significant quantitative errors in our previously published low resolution dipole (e,e) work on sulphur dioxide (Cooper et al., Chem. Phys. 150 (1991) 237; 150 (1991) 251). These earlier measurements were also in poor agreement with other previously published direct photoabsorption measurements. We now report new absolute photoabsorption oscillator strengths using both high and low resolution dipole (e,e) spectroscopies. These new measurements cover a wider energy range and are much more consistent with the previously published direct photoabsorption measurements. The accuracy of our new measurements is confirmed by an S(−2) dipole sum-rule analysis which gives a static dipole polarizability for sulphur dioxide in excellent agreement (within 3.5%) with previously reported polarizability values. Other dipole sums S(u) (u=−1,−3 to −6,−8,−10) and logarithmic dipole sums L(u) (u=−1 to −6) are also determined from the presently reported absolute oscillator strength distributions.     

Protonation of some cyclic triphosphenium ions

Several cyclic triphosphenium ions of various ring sizes have been successfully protonated to form the corresponding triphosphane di‐ium dications, either by a ^tBuCl/AlCl₃ mixture and/or by triflic acid. The latter reagent appears to be harsher, however, sometimes leading to decomposition. The new dications have been identified in solution by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy; recording the spectra proton coupled as well as decoupled has enabled ¹J_PH as well as ¹J_PP to be evaluated in most cases. The protonated derivatives of three compounds could not be observed, with only decomposition products being detected. In the case of the triphosphenium ion derived from bis‐1,4‐diphenylphosphinobutane (dppb), clear spectroscopic evidence for an intermediate in the decomposition process of the di‐ium dication has been obtained, enabling a plausible mechanism to be proposed. In addition, a novel triphosphorus‐containing trication with a norbornane‐like structure has been detected, and characterized by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, as a minor product from the protonation of the triphosphenium ion derived from cis‐bis‐1,2‐diphenylphosphinoethene (dppE). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 16:447–452, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20124