Stereoregular control of poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) on free radical polymerization by using the inclusion complex with randomly methylated β‐cyclodextrin

Highly heterotactic poly(4‐vinyl pyridine)s (P4VPs) with the fraction of mr content (f_mr) > 0.81 were synthesized by free radical polymerization of 4‐vinyl pyridine (4VP) with randomly methylated β‐cyclodextrin (β‐RMCD) in acidic aqueous media of HNO₃ and CF₃COOH at 40 °C. The heterotacticity of P4VP strongly depended on the neutralization of 4VP. The complete neutralization of 4VP with HNO₃ or CF₃COOH increased the heterotacticity of P4VP, whereas atactic P4VP was obtained in water. The partial decomposition of β‐RMCD by HCl reduced the heterotacticity of P4VP (f_mr ≈ 0.74). The structures of inclusion complexed monomers were determined by Job's plot, 2D NMR with nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy analyses, and simulation by MM2. The 1:2 complex with [β‐RMCD]:[4VP] with meso placement of 4VPs in β‐RMCD was formed when 4VP was completely neutralized with acid, whereas the 1:1 complex was formed in water. The mechanism of heterospecific control by using β‐RMCD was proposed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Syntheses,Structures, and Reactivities of Sulfur-Containing Cycloalkenes

Sulfur-containing cycloalkenes possessing disulfide units 1, 2, and 3 were obtained by oxidation of cis-disodium ethene-1,2-dithiolate, and their crystal structures were determined by the X-ray crystallographic analyses. Compound 1 was found to give the ring expansion product 3 in acetonitrile even at room temperature and also form reactive thioaldehyde under irradiation.     

Molecular Chirality Recognized by Achiral Compounds

Abstract

Three cases are described where chirality is recognized by achiral molecules, where chirality is induced into achiral compounds through interactions with chiral compounds, and lastly where induced chirality in the solid-state is utilized for an enantio-selective photoreaction. In the first instance, the thermodynamically and kinetically preferred diastereoisomer of an optically labile chromium complex depended on the nature of the achiral solvent. In the second case, for the first time 1,2-chloroethane was trapped and observed in a chiral near-eclipsed form and 1-chloropropane in the truly eclipsed form at room temperature in a 1:1 inclusion complex with an optically active host molecule. Finally, induced chirality in a prochiral compound in the solid-state was successfully employed in an enantio-selective photoreaction. In the two cases, solid-state CD provided valuable information.     

The Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction: 40 Years of Continuous Development

A directed cross‐aldol reaction of silyl enol ethers with carbonyl compounds, such as aldehydes and ketones, promoted by a Lewis acid, a reaction which is now widely known as the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. It was first reported in 1973, and this year marks the 40th anniversary. The directed cross‐aldol reactions mediated by boron enolates and tin(II) enolates also emerged from the Mukaiyama laboratory. These directed cross‐aldol reactions have become invaluable tools for the construction of stereochemically complex molecules from two carbonyl compounds. This Minireview provides a succinct historical overview of their discoveries and the early stages of their development.     

Characterization of posticlure and the structure-related sex pheromone candidates prepared by epoxidation of (6Z,9Z,11E)-6,9,11-trienes and (3Z,6Z,9Z,11E)-3,6,9,11-tetraenes

trans-11,12-Epoxy-(6Z,9Z)-6,9-henicosadiene (posticlure) has been identified from a pheromone gland of the lymantriid species, Orgyia postica. Since the diversity of Lepidoptera suggests that some species utilize the structure-related epoxy compound as a sex pheromone component, epoxydienes and epoxytrienes derived from (6Z,9Z,11E)-6,9,11-trienes and (3Z,6Z,9Z,11E)-3,6,9,11-tetraenes with a C₁₉–C₂₁ chain were systematically synthesized and the chemical data were accumulated in order to contribute to a new pheromone research. Peracid oxidation of each triene and each tetraene produced, respectively, a mixture of three epoxydienes (cis-6,7-epoxy-9,11-diene; cis-9,10-epoxy-6,11-diene; and trans-11,12-epoxy-6,9-diene) and four epoxytrienes (cis-3,4-epoxy-6,9,11-triene; cis-6,7-epoxy-3,9,11-triene; cis-9,10-epoxy-3,6,11-triene; and trans-11,12-epoxy-3,6,9-triene). While the 9,10-epoxy compounds were unstable and, interestingly, converted into 9-ketone derivatives after chromatography over SiO₂, each positional isomer was isolated by HPLC equipped with an ODS column, and the chemical structure was determined by NMR analysis. On the GC-MS analysis with a DB-23 column, the positional isomers were also eluted separately and characteristic mass spectra were proposed. By comparing the spectral data of the epoxy compounds with a different carbon chain, diagnostic fragment ions reflecting the chemical structure were determined as follows: m/z 79, 109, 113, and M-114 for the 6,7-epoxydienes; m/z 69, 97, 111, 139, and M-111 for the 9,10-epoxydienes; m/z 57, 79, 109, 136, M-151, and M-111 for the 11,12-epoxydienes; m/z 79, 91, 105, and 119 for the 3,4-epoxytrienes; m/z 79, 124, M-124, M-96, and M-69 for the 6,7-epoxytrienes; m/z 79, 95, 109, 137, and M-108 for the 9,10-epoxytrienes; and m/z 79, 134, M-149, M-109, and M-95 for the 11,12-epoxytrienes.     

Officinatrione: an unusual (17S)-17,18-seco-lupane skeleton,and four novel lupane-type triterpenoids from the roots of Taraxacum officinale

Novel 5 lupane-type of triterpenois, i.e., 3β-acetoxy-18α,19α-epoxylupan-21β-ol (1), 18α,19α-epoxy-21β-hydroxylupan-3-one (2), lup-18-ene-3,21-dione (3), lupa-18,21-dien-3β-yl acetate (4), and (17S)-17,18-seco-lup-19(21)-ene-3,18,22-trione (5), named officinatrione, as well as 16 known compounds from the roots of Taraxacum officinale collected in Takatsuki city, Osaka, Japan. Of the above compounds, 5 was the first lupane-type triterpene, of which the D-ring was open to form a nine-membered ring. Compounds 2 and 5 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against L1210 cell line (IC₅₀ 10.5 and 10.1 μM).     

Novel synthesis of zerumbone-pendant derivatives and their biological activity

Zerumbone 1, having powerful latent reactivity and containing two conjugated double bonds and a double conjugated carbonyl group is the major component of the essential oil of wild ginger, Zingiber zerumbet Smith. The conjugation system plays an important role in the expression of biological activity. N-Bromosuccinimide (NBS) reaction of 1 gave high reactive intermediate 2 with an exo-methylene group, which was obtained from 1 quantitatively. Treatment of 2 with nucleophiles gave various zerumbone-pendant derivatives, including C–H, C–O, C–N, and C–C bond formation, maintaining the conjugation system through S_N2′-type reaction. Almost all zerumbone-pendant derivatives showed a good value of IC₅₀ against the suppressive effect of NO generation. Among them, amine derivative 5, binding with 2 mol of zerumbone, showed the strongest activity (IC₅₀: 0.24 μM).     

Control of the Orientation and Photoinduced Phase Transitions of Macrocyclic Azobenzene

Photoinduced phase transitions caused by photochromic reactions bring about a change in the state of matter at constant temperature. Herein, we report the photoinduced phase transitions of crystals of a photoresponsive macrocyclic compound bearing two azobenzene groups ( 1 ) at room temperature on irradiation with UV (365 nm) and visible (436 nm) light. The trans/trans isomer undergoes photoinduced phase transitions (crystal–isotropic phase–crystal) on UV light irradiation. The photochemically generated crystal exhibited reversible phase transitions between the crystal and the mesophase on UV and visible light irradiation. The molecular order of the randomly oriented crystals could be increased by irradiating with linearly polarized visible light, and the value of the order parameter was determined to be ?0.84. Heating enhances the thermal cis‐to‐trans isomerization and subsequent cooling returned crystals of the trans/trans isomer.