Metal ions exchanged montmorillonite as catalyst for alkylation of benzene with 1-dodecene

Summary About 8.5% of benzene was alkylated with 1-dodecene in the presence of Na⁺-montmorillonite. When the reaction was carried out with montmorillonite exchanged with Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Fe²⁺ ions as catalyst (M²⁺/mont.), 91 to 95% of 1-dodecene was remarkably converted to a mixture of linear monoalkylbenzenes.     

Facile Diastereoselective Synthesis of Carbohydrate-Based Thiochromans

An efficient and novel diastereoselective thiochroman synthesis using the carbohydrate chiral pool via intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation is presented. The scope and limitations of the method are investigated.     

New Route to N‐Alkylated trans‐Pyrrolidine Diols from 2,2,3,3‐Tetramethoxybutane‐Protected Dimethyl Tartrate

A short synthesis of some trans‐pyrrolidine diols is described starting from (2R,3R,5R,6R)‐5,6‐dimethoxy‐5,6‐dimethyl[1,4]dioxane‐2,3‐dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester 3. The key step was the occurrence of a tandem azide reduction/cyclization sequence on mono‐azide intermediate 6 upon catalytic hydrogenation. This method afforded both (3R,4R)‐(+)‐1‐benzyl‐3,4‐pyrrolidinediol 9a and (3R,4R)‐(+)‐1‐allyl‐3,4‐pyrrolidinediol 9b starting from 3. Cytotoxicity tests were performed on compounds 9a and 9b using the brine shrimp bioassay, but each showed no activity, as were anti‐oxidant tests using the stable free radical diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH).     

Syntheses and X-Ray Crystal Structures of Cassiferaldehyde and Analogs

Cassiferaldehyde, a recently discovered naturally occurring tyrosinase inhibitor, and six of its analogs, in which the aldehyde group has been replaced by various other functionalities, have been synthesized by a short and simple sequence starting from 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. Single-crystal x-ray structures of cassiferaldehyde as well as its methyl ketone, nitrile, and carboxylic acid analogs are reported.     

Determination of pKa values of fluoroalkanesulfonamides and investigation of their nucleophilicity

The pK_a values of a series of fluoroalkanesulfonylamides were measured by potentiometric titration. Different kinds of alkyl halides and tosylates were employed to investigate the nucleophilicity of fluoroalkanesulfonylamides. Fluoroalkanesulfonylamides with longer fluoroalkyl chain have weaker nucleophilicity.     

The selective mono and difunctionalization of carbocyclic cleft molecules with pyridyl groups and X-ray crystallographic analysis

The diesterification and selective mono and dialkylation of carbocyclic analogues of Tröger’s base with pyridyl groups has been achieved in high yield and good selectivity giving access to a novel range of cleft molecules capable of binding events. Reaction conditions for the selective functionalization of this carbocyclic cleft molecule are discussed as well as the solid state structures of these newly synthesized ligands.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of three copper coordination polymers with pyridine derivatives from hydro(solvo)thermal in situ decarboxylation reactions of 2,5-dicarboxylpyridine

The hydro(solvo)thermal self-assembles of CuI, KI and 2,5-dicarboxylpyridine [2,5-(COOH)₂py] in different molar ratios in H₂O/alcohol solutions produced three Cu coordination polymers as 2-D [N-C₂H₅py][Cu₃I₄] 1, 1-D [N-CH₃py][Cu₂I₃] 2 as well as 1-D [Cu(2-COOpy)₂]H₂O 3 (N-C₂H₅py=N-ethylpyridine, N-CH₃py=N-methylpyridine, 2-COOpy=2-carboxylpyridine). N-C₂H₅py in 1 and N-CH₃py in 2 derived from the solvothermal in situ simultaneous decarboxylation and N-alkylation reactions of 2,5-(COOH)₂py. The semi-decarboxylation reaction of 2,5-(COOH)₂py into 2-COOpy occurred in the preparation of 3. X-ray single-crystal analysis revealed that CuI is transformed into a 2-D [Cu₃I₄]⁻ layer in compound 1 and a 1-D chain in compound 2, templated by [N-C₂H₅py]⁺ and [N-CH₃py]⁺, respectively. Compound 3 is a divalent Cu compound. The Cu(II) centers with a 4+2 geometry are coordinated by μ₃-mode 2-COOpy ligands. All of the title compounds were characterized by CHN analysis, IR spectrum analysis and TG analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit fluorescence properties with the maximum emissions at 581 nm for 1 and 537 nm for 2.     

Tandem SN2-Michael addition to vinylogous carbonates for the stereoselective construction of 2,3,3,5-tetrasubstituted tetrahydrofurans

A stereoselective method for the synthesis of substituted tetrahydrofuran derivatives employing a tandem alkylation-Michael addition sequence to vinylogous carbonates is developed. The method could be used to synthesize THFs bearing tertiary ethers. Further, the method is extended to the synthesis of adjacent bis-THFs.     

Fe(II)-catalyzed N-alkylation of sulfonamides with benzylic alcohols

The FeCl₂/K₂CO₃ catalyst system was developed successfully for the N-alkylation of sulfonamides with benzylic alcohols via borrowing hydrogen method. XPS analysis suggested a possible catalyst cycle between Fe(II) and Fe(0). Under the optimized condition, the scope of the protocol was demonstrated in 21 different alkylation reactions. High yields, in general >90%, are achieved in most cases.     

A simple route towards peptide analogues containing substituted (S)- or (R)-tryptophans

We investigated the Lewis acid-promoted Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indole and substituted indoles with dehydroalanine-containing dipeptides R-Xaa-Dha-OR¹. The reaction proceeded with modest to sufficient diastereoselectivity, and yields strongly varied depending on the Lewis acid selected. The substituent R¹ of the ester group revealed some impact on the preferential formation of (S)-Trp or (R)-Trp. We exploited the reaction to prepare different peptides containing substituted tryptophans. To test the efficacy of this method for preparing biologically relevant compounds, we synthesized two unprecedented analogues of endomorphin-1, the endogenous agonist of the μ-opioid receptor, having either (S)- or (R)-2-methyltryptophan in position 3.