13,14-Seco-steroids: A New Type of Modified Steroids Containing a Nine-Membered Ring

Oxidations of 14α-hydroxy-5α-cholestan-3β-yl acetate ( 5 ) with lead tetraacetate under thermal or photolytic conditions or in the presence of iodine proceed mainly by fragmentation of the C(13)−C(14) bond to give as the primary products the 13,18-didehydro-13,14-seco derivative 6 and the (E )-Δ¹²-13,14-seco ketone 11 , respectively. Further transformations of these compounds under conditions of their formation afforded, in addition, the acetoxy derivatives 7 – 9 (from 6 ), and the D-homo-C-nor compound 12 and (12R,13R)-epoxide 13 (from 11 ). Unexpectedly, the photolytic lead-tetraacetate oxidation of 5 resulted partly (to ca. 20%) in a reversible fragmentation involving scission and recombination of the C(8)−C(14) bond followed by formation of the 14β,22-ether 10 . Possible mechanisms for the observed transformations are discussed.     

Single-Molecule Observation of Intermediates in Bioorthogonal 2-Cyanobenzothiazole Chemistry

We report a single-molecule mechanistic investigation into 2-cyanobenzothiazole (CBT) chemistry within a protein nanoreactor. When simple thiols reacted reversibly with CBT, the thioimidate monoadduct was approximately 80-fold longer-lived than the tetrahedral bisadduct, with important implications for the design of molecular walkers. Irreversible condensation between CBT derivatives and N-terminal cysteine residues has been established as a biocompatible reaction for site-selective biomolecular labeling and imaging. During the reaction between CBT and aminothiols, we resolved two transient intermediates, the thioimidate and the cyclic precursor of the thiazoline product, and determined the rate constants associated with the stepwise condensation, thereby providing critical information for a variety of applications, including the covalent inhibition of protein targets and dynamic combinatorial chemistry.     

A new aliphatic ester of hydroxysalicylic acid from fermented Carica papaya L. preparation with a potential hair growth stimulating activity

Abstract

An aliphatic ester of hydroxysalicylic acid (6), reported for the first time from a natural source in addition to five known compounds were isolated from the fermented Carica papaya L. preparation, a commercialized functional food. The known compounds were identified as 5-hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde (1), trans-caffeic acid (2), butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (butylparaben) (3), lycopene (4), benzyl isothiocyanate (5). Compounds 1 and 3 were reported for the first time from Papaya fruits through this study. The new compound showed a moderate antioxidant activity and a potent hair growth stimulating activity in vitro.     

Fluorotrimethyl[(Z)-pentafluoropropen-1-yl]phosphorane: Structure,Bonding, and Reactivity

In this contribution we report on fluorotrimethyl[(Z)-pentafluoropropen-1-yl]phosphorane as a phosphorus based fluorinating reagent. Its solid state structure can be described as a trigonal bipyramid featuring elongated axial bonds due to the formation of a 3-center 4-electron bond. Abstraction of the fluoride ion leads to a shortening of the axial P–C bond. Thus the title compound can be utilized for substitution of bromine with fluorine and for the transfer of fluoride ions onto electrophilic compounds. Reaction with Sn(C₂F₅)₂Br₂ afforded salt [P(CH₃)₃(C₃F₅)]₂[Sn(C₂F₅)₂F₄]. When fluorotrimethyl[(Z)-pentafluoropropen-1-yl]phosphorane was treated with P(C₂F₅)₂F the primarily produced anion is sufficiently nucleophilic to attack the propenyl group of the cation in β-position to the phosphorus atom to yield zwitterionic [Me₃PCF=C(CF₃)–PF₃(C₂F₅)₂].     

5,10:13,14-Disecosteroids: novel modified steroids containing 10- and 9-membered rings

In this paper a synthetic pathway to the modified 5,10:13,14-bisfragmentation cholestane derivatives 8-14 is described. The synthesis involves introduction of the 5α- and 14α-hydroxyl groups in the cholestane molecule and subsequent cleavage of the C(5)-C(10) bond in 5α,14α-dihydroxycholestan-3β-yl acetate (4) with the HgO/I₂ reagent and the C(13)-C(14) bond in the stereoisomeric 14α-hydroxy-5,10-secosteroids 5 and 6 with the Pb(OAc)₄/I₂ reagent. Complete and unambiguous ¹H and ¹³C NMR resonance assignments of the obtained secosteroids, as well as the solution conformations of their 10- and 9-membered rings were determined by extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectral data. The structures and the solid-state conformations of 5,10-secosteroids 5-7 were confirmed by X-ray analysis. All diseco-compounds have a novel 5,10:13,14-disecocholestane skeleton.     

Rapid measurements of neptunium oxidation states using chromatographic resins

The Savannah River Site’s (SRS) H-Canyon facility uses ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) to separate impure neptunium (Np) from a nitric acid feed stream containing 0.5–1.0 M concentrations of iron, sodium and sulfate impurities. The material is processed using a two-pass solvent extraction purification which relies on CAN to oxidize Np to Np(VI) during the first pass prior to extraction. Spectrophotometric oxidation-state analyses normally used to validate successful oxidation to Np(VI) prior to extraction were compromised by this feed stream matrix. Therefore, a rapid chromatographic method to validate successful Np oxidation was developed using Eichrom Industries’ TRU and TEVA^® resins. The method was validated and subsequently transferred to existing operations in the process analytical laboratories.