The Radical Anions of N,N′-Dicyanoquinone Diimines,a New Class of Electron Acceptors

The radical anions of 12 N,N′-dicyanoquinone diimines, a new class of electron acceptors, hace been characterized by their hyperfine data with the use of ESR and ENDOR spectroscopy. The largest coupling constant (0.30–0.45 mT), due to the two ¹⁴N nuclei in the exocyclic positions, gives rise to a conspicuous broadening of the peripheral ESR lines by an incomplete averaging of the hyperfine anisotropy. The most plausible interpretation of the experimental results for the radical anions of N,N′-dicyano- 1,4-benzoquinone diimine ( 1 ) and N,N′-Dicyano-9,10-anthraquinone diimine ( 9 ) is in terms of both ‘syn’- and ‘anti’-configurations contributing to the ESR and ENDOR spectra and having equal proton- and ¹⁴N-coupling constants. The π-spin distribution in the radical anions of N,N′-dicyanoquinone diimines is compared with those in the analogous ions of tetracyanoquinodimethanes and quinones.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of (S)-5,5,5,5′,5′,5′,5′-Hexafluoroleucine

(S)-5,5,5,5′,5′,5′-Hexafluoroleucine ((S)- 13 ) of 81 % ee is prepared from hexafluoroacetone ( l ) and ethyl bromopyruvate (= ethyl 2-oxopropanoate) in 7 steps with an overall yield of 18% (Schemes 1 and 2). Key step in this sequence is the highly enantioselective reduction of the carbonyl group in α-keto ester 4 either by bakers' yeast (91 % ee) or by ‘catecholborane’ 6 utilizing an oxazaborolidine catalyst, yielding hydroxy ester (R)- 5 with 99% ee. The absolute configuration was determined by X-ray analysis of the HCl adduct (S,R)- 9b of (2S)-N-[(R)- l-phenylethyl]-5,5,5,5′,5′,5′-hexafluoroleucine ethyl ester.     

Synthesis and Electron-Diffraction Structure of all-cis-[5.5.5.5]Fenestrane

The efficient synthesis of all-cis-[5.5.5.5]fenestrane ( 2 ) from the readily available intermediate 3 allowed the electron-diffraction analysis of 2 . This structure analysis revealed long C? C bonds in the central C(C)₄ fragment and a twist-envelope conformation for the four cyclopentane substructures. The four bridgehead H-atoms are in a synclinal rather than an ecliptic position with an approximate D₂ symmetry of 2 . Planarizing distortions are evident from the opposite bond angles at the central C-atom being 116.2 ± 0.5° with the remaining four being 103.7 ± 0.2°.     

Structure and electronic structure of [(CF3)2PN]2NVCl2, a molecule involving a planar six-membered ring (N3P2V)

Summary The SCF method is applied to determine the (gas phase) structure of [(CF₃)₂PN]₂NVCl₂, which agrees with the solid-state X-ray structure within typical errors of 2 pm and 2° in bond distances and angles. The electronic structure of atoms forming the ring is best described in terms of divalent N^– and tetravlent P⁺ with appreciable declocalization of nitrogen lone pairs into low-lying empty orbitals of neighbouring atoms P and V. No evidence for aromaticity of the ring system is found.     

Synthesis of 2,3-dimethyltetra-cyclo(5.5.1.04,13.010,13)trideca-2,5-dien-9-one,a new derivative of all-cis-(5.5.5.5)fenestrane

Intramolecular arene-olefin photoreaction of methyl-6-methyl-2-phenylhept-5-enoate (9a) leads to the tetracyclic product 10a, from which the fenestra-dienone, 2, has been obtained. Mechanistic aspects of the photoreaction are discussed.     

Elektrochemische Bildung von Δ1,2-Norbornen

Electrochemical Formation of Δ^1,2-Norbornene The electrochemical reduction of 1,2-dihalogen norbornanes in tetrahydrofuran/furan leads to a mixture of two isomeric cycloadducts 6 and 7. The ratio of these adducts corresponds to those which have been found in reductive bisdehalogenation of 1 and 2 by butyllithium.