Synthesis of 2-arylpiperidines by palladium couplings of aryl bromides with organozinc species derived from deprotonation of N-boc-piperidine

The organolithium species derived from proton abstraction of N-Boc-piperidine with s-BuLi and TMEDA can be transmetalated to the organozinc reagent, and this organometallic species can be coupled directly with aryl bromides in a Negishi-type reaction using palladium catalysis with the ligand tri-tert-butylphosphine (t-Bu3P-HBF4). The chemistry was applied to a very short synthesis of the alkaloid anabasine.     

A Robertson-type uncertainty principle and quantum Fisher information

Let A₁,…,A_N be complex self-adjoint matrices and let ρ be a density matrix. The Robertson uncertainty principle

     

Crystal-to-crystal transformations in heterometallic yttrium(III)-copper(I) iodide derivatives in a confined solvent-free environment: influence of solvated yttrium cations on the nuclearity and dimensionality of iodocuprate clusters

The solvated yttrium iodide precursors [Y(L)(8)]I(3) (L = DMSO or DMF), prepared in situ by stirring YI(3)(Pr(i)OH)(4) in DMSO or DMF, react with CuI in the presence of NH(4)I to give ionic hetero-metallic species [Y(DMSO)(8)][Cu(2)(mu-I)I(4)] (1) and [Y(DMF)(8)][Cu(4)(mu(3)-I)(2)(mu-I)(3)I(2)] (2) in excellent yields. Re-crystallization of 1 from DMF afforded the mixed-solvate complex [Y(DMSO)(6)(DMF)(2)][CuI(3)][I] (3). Compounds 2 and 3 undergo unique crystal-to-crystal transformation via progressive substitution of DMF by water molecules in a confined, solvent-free environment. Thus, crystals of 3 transform into [Y(DMSO)(6)(H(2)O)(2)][CuI(3)][I] (4), whereas a discrete ion-pair assembly of 2 is first converted into a 1-D zig-zag structure [Y(DMF)(6)(H(2)O)(2)](3+)[Cu(7)(mu(4)-I)(3)(mu(3)-I)(2)(mu-I)(4)(I)](1infinity)(3-) (5) and finally into a 2-D sheet containing mixed-valent copper atoms, [Y(DMF)(6)(H(2)O)(3)](3+)[Cu(I)(7)Cu(II)(2)(mu(3)-I)(8)(mu-I)(6)](2infinity)(3-) (6). The bi- and tetrafurcate H-bonding between water ligands on yttrium and iodides of the Cu-I cluster plays a pivotal role in the evolution of structures 4-6. Formation of a wide range of iodocuprate structures in 1-6, from discrete mono-, di- or tetranuclear units to one- and two-dimensional extended arrays, reflects the influence of solvated yttrium cations on the nuclearity and dimensionality of Cu-I clusters. TG-DTA-MS studies and DFT calculations for these complexes have also been carried out in order to determine their thermal stability and have insight about aforesaid transformations.     

First total synthesis and absolute configuration of naturally occurring (−)-hyacinthacine A7 and its (−)-1-epi-isomer

A convergent synthesis of the naturally occurring alkaloid (−)-hyacinthacine A₇, a glycosidase inhibitor of the pyrrolizidine class, is described. The homochiral starting material was tri-orthogonally protected DMDP 10, derived from d-fructose. Key steps of the synthesis were the carbon-chain lengthening at C(5′) in 10 to the α,β-unsaturated pyrrolidine ketone 12 and the one-pot construction of the bicyclic pyrrolizidine system of 13 and 14. Another key step was the partial inversion of the configuration at C(1) in 13 which led, after total deprotection, not only to the naturally occurring target molecule 9 but also to its (−)-1-epi-isomer 19.     

Strategies to control the particle size distribution of poly-epsilon-caprolactone nanoparticles for pharmaceutical applications

In this work turbulent precipitation through solvent displacement for the production of poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles is investigated; two different PCL molecular weights have been employed, using acetone and water as solvent and anti-solvent, respectively. The main important thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, such as solubility and interfacial tension of PCL in water-acetone mixtures, are determined and the effect of the process operating conditions on the final particle size distribution is also investigated. Particles produced under different conditions into a Confined Impinging Jets Reactor (CIJR) were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering, Zeta potential measurements and Scanning Electronic Microscopy. Results clearly show the strong effect of mixing on the particle size distribution and how mixing must be controlled in order to obtain a product with particular characteristics. Eventually the measured thermodynamic and kinetic parameters are used to interpret the obtained experimental data.     

Semisynthesis of new D-seco-C-nor-taxane derivatives containing a polyfunctionalized furanosyl or cyclopentenyl or cyclopentyl C-ring

The synthesis of new D-seco-C-nor-taxane derivatives in which the D-ring has been deleted and the C-ring has been transformed into a new pentatomic ring, i.e., the polyfunctionalized tetrahydrofuranosyl and cyclopentenyl or cyclopentyl ring, was performed starting from baccatin III derivatives. The synthetic strategy adopted took advantage of the oxetane ring opening and disconnection of the C4-C5 bond, followed by an intramolecular condensation. The formation of furanosyl or cyclopentyl rings is strictly dependent on the presence of unprotected or protected oxygen at C-7 in the starting material. The reactions proceeded with good diastereoselectivity with control of the stereochemistry of one or two stereocenters.     

Fabrication, structural characterization, and applications of langmuir and langmuir-blodgett films of a poly(azo)urethane

The synthesis of a poly(azo)urethane by fixing CO(2) in bis-epoxide followed by a polymerization reaction with an azodiamine is presented. Since isocyanate is not used in the process, it is termed "clean method" and the polymers obtained are named "NIPUs" (non-isocyanate polyurethanes). Langmuir films were formed at the air-water interface and were characterized by surface pressure vs mean molecular area per mer unit (Pi-A) isotherms. The Langmuir monolayers were further studied by running stability tests and cycles of compression/expansion (possible hysteresis) and by varying the compression speed of the monolayer formation, the subphase temperature, and the solvents used to prepare the spreading polymer solutions. The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique was used to fabricate ultrathin films of a particular polymer (PAzoU). It is possible to grow homogeneous LB films of up to 15 layers as monitored using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Higher number of layers can be deposited when PAzoU is mixed with stearic acid, producing mixed LB films. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy and Raman scattering showed that the materials do not interact chemically in the mixed LB films. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-Raman technique (optical microscopy coupled to Raman spectrograph) revealed that mixed LB films present a phase separation distinguishable at micrometer or nanometer scale. Finally, mixed and neat LB films were successfully characterized using impedance spectroscopy at different temperatures, a property that may lead to future application as temperature sensors. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to correlate the data.     

C60/corannulene on Cu(110): a surface-supported bistable buckybowl-buckyball host-guest system

Corannulene (COR) buckybowls were proposed as near ideal hosts for fullerene C60, but direct complexation of C60 and COR has remained a challenge in supramolecular chemistry. We report the formation of surface-supported COR-C60 host-guest complexes by deposition of C60 onto a COR lattice on Cu(110). Variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy studies reveal two distinctly different states of C60 on the COR host lattice, with different binding energies and bowl-ball separations. The transition from a weakly bound precursor state to a strongly bound host-guest complex is found to be thermally activated. Simple model calculations show that this bistability originates from a subtle interplay between homo- and heteromolecular interactions.     

"Supramolecular" assembly of gold nanorods end-terminated with polymer "pom-poms": effect of pom-pom structure on the association modes

We report a predefined self-organization of gold nanorods (NRs) end-terminated with multiple polymer arms ("pom-poms") in higher-order structures. The assembly of polymer-tethered NRs was controlled by changing the structure of the polymer pom-poms. We show that the variation in the molecular weight of the polymer molecules and their relative location with respect to the long side of the NRs resulted in two competing association modes of the nanorods, that is, their side-by-side and end-to-end assembly, and produced bundles, chains, rings, and bundled chains of the NRs. The superposition of the two variables controlling the organization of NRs allowed us to create a map showing the variation in the longitudinal plasmonic bands of the NRs achieved by their self-assembly.