Multisubstituted N-fused heterocycles via transition metal-catalyzed cycloisomerization protocols

Two complementary protocols for assembly of multisubstituted N-fused heterocycles have been developed. It was demonstrated that 1,3-disubstituted N-fused heterocycles, including indolizines, pyrroloquinoxalines, and pyrrolothiazoles can easily be synthesized via an exceptionally mild and efficient method involving a novel silver-catalyzed cycloizomerization of propargyl-containing heterocycles. Alternatively, 1,2-disubstituted heterocycles can be accessed through the novel cascade transformation involving an alkyne-vinylidene isomerization with concomitant 1,2-shift of hydrogen, silyl, stannyl, or germyl groups. This mild and simple method allows for selective and highly efficient synthesis of indolizines, pyrroloisoquinolines, pyrroloquinoxalines, pyrrolopyrazines, and pyrrolothiazoles.     

Solvent extraction and self-assembly of nanosized aggregates of p-tert-butyl thiacalix[4]arenes tetrasubstituted at the lower rim by tertiary amide groups and monocharged metal cations in the organic phase

New p-tert-butyl thiacalix[4]arenes functionalized with morpholide and pyrrolidide groups at the lower rim in cone, partial cone, and 1,3-alternate conformations were synthesized, and their receptor properties for monocharged cations (alkali metal and silver ions) were studied using the picrate extraction method and dynamic light scattering (DLS). To evaluate the ability of the p-tert-butyl thiacalix[4]arene derivatives to recognize metal ions, liquid-liquid extraction of their picrate salts has been carried out in a mutually saturated water-dichloromethane system. The degrees of extraction and the extraction constants for monocharged metal cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺) have been determined. The ability of the systems, consisting of host and guest molecules, to self-assembly was proved by DLS using a Zetasizer Nano ZS particle size analyzer. It was shown that all the investigated thiacalix[4]arenes are able to form nanoscale particles with silver cations under the experimental conditions. The pyrrolidide derivative in the cone conformation showed both self-association and aggregation processes with lithium cations. The degree of extraction for all the investigated systems that formed nanoscale aggregates in the organic phase was more than 67% and the extraction constants, log K_ex determined by the picrate extraction method, more than 6.     

High-resolution separation of peptides by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel "focusing"

As a follow-up of our previous report (Anal. Chem. 2007, 79, 821-827) on analytical SDS-PAGE focusing, a refinement of the method for separation of peptides in the small to medium M(r) range (0.5-10 kDa) is here reported, based on a shallow gradient of immobilized positive charges (0-10 mM) onto a minimally sieving polyacrylamide gel matrix (4%T, 2.5%C). Unlike conventional SDS-PAGE, which rarely can achieve the separations of polypeptide chains below a critical value of 10 kDa, the present method can be fine-tuned to perform such separations even down to a size of only 500 Da. In the case of larger fragments, the major peptide zones are shown, under microscope observation, to be composed by envelopes of bands as narrow as 20-100 microm, spaced at regular intervals of 100-150 microm. It is hypothesized that such larger peptides could form complexes with rather small SDS micelles and that such peptide-SDS complexes could differ in charge by just a single negative charge.     

On the validity of the Arrhenius equation for electron attachment rate coefficients

The validity of the Arrhenius equation for dissociative electron attachment rate coefficients is investigated. A general analysis allows us to obtain estimates of the upper temperature bound for the range of validity of the Arrhenius equation in the endothermic case and both lower and upper bounds in the exothermic case with a reaction barrier. The results of the general discussion are illustrated by numerical examples whereby the rate coefficient, as a function of temperature for dissociative electron attachment, is calculated using the resonance R-matrix theory. In the endothermic case, the activation energy in the Arrhenius equation is close to the threshold energy, whereas in the case of exothermic reactions with an intermediate barrier, the activation energy is found to be substantially lower than the barrier height.     

N‐alkylated 3,5‐bis(arylidene)‐4‐piperidones. Synthetic approaches,X‐ray structure and anticancer activity

In a search for cytotoxic fluorescent materials a series of N‐alkylated and N,N‐dialkylated 3,5‐bis(arylidene)piperidones was synthesized. Alkylation of 3,5‐bis(arylidene)‐4‐piperidone afforded quaternary salts only while condensation of N‐alkyl‐4‐piperidones with substituted benzaldehydes was a convenient route to the corresponding N‐alkylated compounds. Compounds and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts demonstrated high activity against resistant human lung carcinoma cell line A549 with IC₅₀ values in the range of 0.3‐6.5 μM.     

Photoswitchable Phosphonate–Fullerene Hybrids with Cholinesterase Activity

Modern progress in photopharmocology calls for new generation of compounds joining bioactivity, photoswitchable properties and high selectivity of response to light wavelength. Introduced here, phosphonate–fullerene hybrids are the first representatives of such compounds. Phosphonate–fullerene hybrids were synthesized on a base of fullerene C₆₀ and organophosphates with the function of photoswitchable cholinesterase activity—phosphorylated thiazolotriazole and aminomalonate compounds and studied with FTIR, UV–VIS spectroscopy and IPC-micro neurotoxin amperometric analysis. As a result of spectroscopic and bioactivity characterization, it was not only demonstrated butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibition increase in phosphonate–fullerene hybrids compared with pure phosphonates but also pronounced response of inhibition degree to laser irradiation of hybrids. It was found opposite behavior of hybrids as a result of laser irradiation—BuChE inhibition drop-off for thiazolotriazole–fullerene and pronounced growth for aminomalonate–fullerene. The other remarkable peculiarity of presented phosphonate–fullerene hybrids is high selectivity of inhibition change degree to laser wavelength (266 or 325 nm).     

Ruin probabilities of small noise jump‐diffusions with heavy tails

Let X^ε(x) be a solution of a stochastic differential equation , where L is a Lévy process with heavy tails. In the limit of the scale parameter ε ↓ 0 we determine the finite horizon ruin probability P . Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Collective Total Synthesis of 4-Azafluorenone Alkaloids

4-Azafluorenones are typically obtained by acid-mediated cyclization of 2-arylnicotinates. However, this approach fails to give 5-oxygenated 4-azafluorenones due to lactonization of 2-(2-alkoxy)phenylnicotinate intermediates. Herein, we report two modifications of established approaches to 4-azafluorenone synthesis that, either in combination or by themselves, enable the flexible preparation of 4-azafluorenones with diverse oxygenation patterns in the benzenoid ring. Undesired lactonization was circumvented via tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-mediated radical cyclization of 2-aryl-3-(hydroxymethyl)pyridines. In the absence of suitable protecting groups for phenolic intermediates, bromide substituents were regioselectively introduced as latent hydroxy groups and later converted under palladium catalysis. We present the first total syntheses of five 4-azafluorenone alkaloids muniranine, darienine, 5,8-dimethoxy-7-hydroxyonychine, 5,6,7,8-tetramethoxyonychine, and 6,8-dihydroxy-7-methoxyonychine in addition to new total syntheses of six 4-azafluorenone alkaloids and one related pyridocoumarin alkaloid.     

The system Na2CO3–CaCO3–MgCO3 at 6 GPa and 900–1250°C and its relation to the partial melting of carbonated mantle

In order to constrain the Na₂CO₃–CaCO₃–MgCO₃ T–X diagram at 6?GPa in addition to the binary and pseudo-binary systems we conducted experiments along the Na₂CO₃–Ca_0.5Mg_0.5CO₃ join. At 900–1000°C, melting does not occur and isothermal sections are presented by one-, two- and three-phase regions containing Ca-bearing magnesite, aragonite, Na₂CO₃ (Na₂) and Na₂(Ca_1–0.9Mg_0-0.1)_3-4(CO₃)_4-5 (Na₂Ca_3-4), Na₄(Ca_1–0.6Mg_0–0.4)(CO₃)₃ (Na₄Ca), Na₂(Ca_0-0.08Mg_1–0.92)(CO₃)₂ (Na₂Mg) phases with intermediate compositions. The minimum melting point locates between 1000°C and 1100°C. This point would resemble that of three eutectics: Mgs–Na₂Ca₃–Na₂Mg, Na₂Mg–Na₂Ca₃–Na₄Ca or Na₂Mg–Na₄Ca–Na₂, in the compositional interval of [45Na₂CO₃·55(Ca_0.6Mg_0.4)CO₃]–[60Na₂CO₃·40Ca_0.6Mg_0.4CO₃]. The liquidus projection has seven primary solidification phase regions for Mgs, Dol, Arg, Na₂Ca₃, Na₄Ca, Na₂ and Na₂Mg. The results suggest that extraction of Na and Ca from silicate to carbonate components has to decrease minimum melting temperature of carbonated mantle rocks to 1000–1100°C at 6?GPa and yields Na-rich dolomitic melt with a Na# (Na₂O/(Na₂O?+?CaO?+?MgO))?≥?28?mol%.     

Questions on generalised Baire spaces

We provide a list of open problems in the research area of generalised Baire spaces, compiled with the help of the participants of two workshops held in Amsterdam (2014) and Hamburg (2015).