A new color of the synthetic chameleon methoxyallene: synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinol derivatives: an unusual reaction mechanism, a remarkable crystal packing, and first palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions

Addition of lithiated methoxyallene to pivalonitrile afforded after aqueous workup the expected iminoallene 1 in excellent yield. Treatment of this intermediate with silver nitrate accomplished the desired cyclization to the electron-rich pyrrole derivative 2 in moderate yield. Surprisingly, trifluoroacetic acid converted iminoallene 1 to a mixture of enamide 3 and trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinol 4 (together with its tautomer 5). A plausible mechanism proposed for this intriguing transformation involves addition of trifluoroacetate to the central allene carbon atom of an allenyl iminium intermediate as crucial step. Enamide 3 is converted to pyridinol 4 by an intramolecular aldol-type process. A practical direct synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinols 4, 10, 11, and 12 starting from typical nitriles and methoxyallene was established. Pyridinol 10 shows an interesting crystal packing with three molecules in the elementary cell and a remarkable helical supramolecular arrangement. Trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridinol 4 was converted to the corresponding pyridyl nonaflate 13, which is an excellent precursor for palladium-catalyzed reactions leading to pyridine derivatives 14-16 in good to excellent yields. The new synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted pyridines disclosed here demonstrates a novel reactivity pattern of lithiated methoxyallene which is incorporated into the products as the unusual tripolar synthon B.     

New polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines derived from enantiopure 3,6-dihydro-2H-1,2-oxazines

[reaction: see text] Diastereoselective hydroborations of enantiopure 3,6-dihydro-2H-1,2-oxazines led to dihydroxy-substituted 1,2-oxazines. Samarium diiodide-induced N-O bond cleavage generated 1,4-amino alcohols which were recyclized to polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines which are potential glycosidase inhibitors.     

Stability and recovery of triazine and chloroacetamide herbicides from pH adjusted water samples by using empore solid-phase extraction disks and gas chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry

Empore disks were used to successfully extract herbicide residues from a difficult-to-analyze surface water source and deionized water. Herbicide recoveries were lower in surface water at 7,14, or 21 days after fortification and storage at 4 degrees C, presumably due to chemical sorption onto precipitated organic particulates. The addition of acid to the samples, as recommended in EPA Method 525.2, did not affect recoveries of alachlor and metolachlor, but reduced recoveries of atrazine, simazine, and cyanazine. Treatment of water samples with sodium hypochlorite did not affect alachlor or metolachlor recoveries, but greatly reduced the recovery of all triazine herbicides. This indicates that addition of acid or sodium hypochlorite to water samples may be detrimental to triazine analysis.