Synthesis and characterisation of p-diethylaminomethylthiacalix[4]arene for selective recovery of platinum from automotive catalyst residue

The ability of chloroform solutions of p-diethylaminomethylthiacalix[4]arene 1 to extract platinum from HCl media was tested. As an ion-pair extractant, compound 1 had the highest platinum extraction ability among all the thiacalix[n]arene derivatives tested in this study. Compound 1 was a highly specific extractant for Pt(IV) ions from single-metal solutions and platinum-group metal solutions from automotive catalyst residue. Various conditions such as contact time, pH, concentration of 1, effect of chloride ions, effect of acidity and Pt(IV) concentration were studied. The distribution ratio of platinum ions (D) was calculated. The platinum complex stoichiometry ratio was obtained using slope analysis. The 1–Pt(IV) complex was characterised using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR and ¹H NMR. Finally, the Pt(IV) extraction percentage of compound 1 was compared with that of previously reported thiacalix[n]arene-based extractants.     

Synthesis of (-)-epibatidine and its derivatives from chiral allene-1,3-dicarboxylate esters

(-)-Epibatidine, an excellent candidate of non-opioidal anesthesia, was formally synthesized in short steps from di-(l)-menthyl (R)-allene-1,3-dicarboxylate that was facilely prepared as a single isomer by means of crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation from a diastereomer mixture of (R)- and (S)-allene-1,3-dicarboxylates. Taking advantage of the chiral synthesis, derivatives of (-)-epibatidine were also prepared for targeting diagnostic agents that could bind nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the mammalian central nerve system.     

C‐Selective and Diastereoselective Alkyl Addition to β,γ‐Alkynyl‐α‐imino Esters with Zinc(II)ate Complexes

Since umpolung α‐imino esters contain three electrophilic centers, regioselective alkyl addition with traditional organometallic reagents has been a serious problem in the practical synthesis of versatile chiral α‐amino acid derivatives. An unusual C‐alkyl addition to α‐imino esters using a Grignard reagent (RMgX)‐derived zinc(II)ate was developed. Zinc(II)ate complexes consist of a Lewis acidic [MgX]⁺ moiety, a nucleophilic [R₃Zn]^? moiety, and 2 [MgX₂]. Therefore, the ionically separated [R₃Zn]^? selectively attacks the imino carbon atom ,which is most strongly activated by chelation of [MgX]⁺. In particular, chiral β,γ‐alkynyl‐α‐imino esters can strongly promote highly regio‐ and diastereoselective C‐alkylation because of structural considerations, and the corresponding optically active α‐quaternary amino acid derivatives are obtained within 5 minutes in high to excellent yields.     

Where is the Oxygen? Structural Analysis of α‐Humulene Oxidation Products by the Crystalline Sponge Method

Crystal structures of α‐humulene, a cyclic sesquiterpene, and its oxidized subproducts, were analyzed by the crystalline sponge method. Regio‐ and stereochemistry, including absolute configuration when a chiral oxidant was applied, and the stable conformations of all the scaffold‐related compounds were successfully determined for samples on a 5–50 μg scale.     

A Tray‐Shaped,PdII‐Clipped Au3 Complex as a Scaffold for the Modular Assembly of [3×n] Au Ion Clusters

A tray‐shaped Pd^II₃Au^I₃ complex ( 1 ) is prepared from 3,5‐bis(3‐pyridyl)pyrazole by means of tricyclization with Au^I followed by Pd^II clipping. Tray 1 is an efficient scaffold for the modular assembly of [3×n] Au^I clusters. Treatment of 1 with the Au^I₃ tricyclic guest 2 in H₂O/CH₃CN (7:3) or H₂O results in the selective formation of a [3×2] cluster ( 1 ⋅ 2 ) or a [3×3] cluster ( 1 ⋅ 2 ⋅ 1 ), respectively. Upon subsequent addition of Ag^I ions, these complexes are converted to an unprecedented Au₃–Au₃–Ag–Au₃–Au₃ metal ion cluster.     

Design of Ratiometric Fluorescent Probes Based on Arene–Metal‐Ion Interactions and Their Application to CdII and Hydrogen Sulfide Imaging in Living Cells

Non‐coordinative interactions between a metal ion and the aromatic ring of a fluorophore can act as a versatile sensing mechanism for the detection of metal ions with a large emission change of fluorophores. We report the design of fluorescent probes based on arene–metal‐ion interactions and their biological applications. This study found that various probes having different fluorophores and metal binding units displayed significant emission redshift upon complexation with metal ions, such as Ag^I, Cd^II, Hg^II, and Pb^II. X‐ray crystallography of the complexes confirmed that the metal ions were held in close proximity to the fluorophore to form an arene–metal‐ion interaction. Electronic structure calculations based on TDDFT offered a theoretical basis for the sensing mechanism, thus showing that metal ions electrostatically modulate the energy levels of the molecular orbitals of the fluorophore. A fluorescent probe was successfully applied to the ratiometric detection of the uptake of Cd^II ions and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in living cells. These results highlight the utility of interactions between arene groups and metal ions in biological analyses.     

Generation of ynolates via reductive lithiation using flow microreactors

A new method has been developed for the generation and subsequent reaction of ynolates in a micro flow reactor system. This new procedure allowed for ynolates to be prepared at 0 °C or ambient temperature within 1 min via a reductive lithiation reaction, whereas the corresponding batch processes generally require low temperature control and extended reaction times of up to 1 h. The resulting ynolates were applied to the olefination of carbonyl compounds, with the reactions reaching completion in a much shorter reaction time in the continuous flow reactor than the batch reactor. These results highlight the practical utility of the ynolate reaction, and represent the first reported example of the use of lithium naphthalenide in a flow microreactor, which would contribute to progress of the flash chemistry.     

The first synthesis of (±)-brevione B, an allelopathic agent isolated from Penicillium sp.

Breviones A∼E (1∼5), allelopathic agents isolated from Penicillium brevicompactum Dierckx, are structurally unique pentacyclic or hexacyclic diterpenoid derivatives. The first synthesis of brevione B (2) was achieved by employing the double S_N2′-type tandem reaction as a key step.