A Catalytic Oxidative Quinone Heterofunctionalization Method: Synthesis of Strongylophorine‐26

The preparation of heteroatom‐substituted p‐quinones is ideally performed by direct addition of a nucleophile followed by in situ reoxidation. Albeit an appealing strategy, the reactivity of the p‐quinone moiety is not easily tamed and no broadly applicable method for heteroatom functionalization exists. Shown herein is that Co(OAc)₂ and Mn(OAc)₃?2 H₂O act as powerful catalysts for oxidative p‐quinone functionalization with a collection of O, N, and S nucleophiles, using oxygen as the terminal oxidant. Preliminary mechanistic observations and the first synthesis of the cytotoxic natural product strongylophorine‐26 is presented.     

Syntheses and structures of highly hindered N-functionalised alkyl and amido group 12 complexes MR2 (M=Zn, Cd, and Hg), [MRCl]2 (M=Zn and Hg)

The reaction of MCl₂ (M=Zn, Cd and Hg) with Li(2-(C(SiMe₃)₂)(6-Me-C₅H₃N)), [Li(MeR)], affords mononuclear metal(II) alkyls. These, in the solid state, show intramolecular M-N interactions in their four-membered chelate rings, which progressively weaken down the series, the C-M-C angles becoming more open (〈M-N〉= 2.30(2), 2.52(2), 2.913(4) Å, C-M-C=160.7(2), 168.5(2), 180(-)°). Alkylmercury chloride complexes have been prepared by the reaction of HgCl₂ with [Li(MeR)], Li(2-(C(SiMe₃)₂)(C₅H₄N)), [Li(HR)], or Li(2-(NSiMe₃)(6-Me-C₅H₃N)), [Li(mpsa)], or from the redistribution reaction of the dialkyl (or amido) mercury complex with HgCl₂. The alkylmercury chloride complexes are dimeric or polymeric in nature with near-linear 2-coordination; (Hg-Cl=2.329(5), 2.318(4), 2.272(8) Å, Cl-Hg-C(N)=175.0(4), 174.7(4), 175.6(5)°). Cd(2-(CH(SiMe₃))(6-Me-C₅H₃N))₂(tmen), prepared from the reaction of Li(2-(CH(SiMe₃))(6-Me-C₅H₃N)) and CdCl₂ in the presence of tmen, has also been structurally authenticated as the rac isomer with the ipso protons directed towards the tmen.