Comparison of betaine and l-stachydrine as phase-transfer catalysts in Michael addition and Darzens reaction

Betaine and l-stachydrine have been tested as phase-transfer catalysts in Michael and Darzens reactions. The catalytic effect of l-stachydrine was found comparable to that of betaine in Michael addition and even higher when considering Darzens reaction. The desired products have been obtained in higher yields in solid-liquid system than under liquid-liquid bi-phase conditions. The influence of microwave irradiation and ultrasound on the reaction rate has been studied.     

[2]Rotaxane End-Capping Synthesis by Click Michael-Type Addition to the Vinyl Sulfonyl Group

We report the application of the click Michael-type addition reaction to vinyl sulfone or vinyl sulfonate groups in the synthesis of rotaxanes through the threading-and-capping method. This methodology has proven to be efficient and versatile as it allowed the preparation of rotaxanes using template approaches based on different noncovalent interactions (i.e., donor-acceptor π–π interactions or hydrogen bonding) in yields of generally 60–80 % and up to 91 % aided by the mild conditions required (room temperature or 0 °C and a mild base such as Et₃N or 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP)). Furthermore, the use of vinyl sulfonate moieties, which are suitable motifs for coupling-and-decoupling (CAD) chemistry, implies another advantage because it allows the controlled chemical disassembly of the rotaxanes into their components through nucleophilic substitution of the sulfonates resulting from the capping step with a thiol under mild conditions (Cs₂CO₃ and room temperature).     

Unprecedented Diastereoselective Arylogous Michael Addition of Unactivated Phthalides

The first highly enantioselective arylogous Michael reaction (AMR) of 3-unsubstituted phthalides has been described. This phase-transfer methodology, which uses catalytic amounts of KOH/18-crown-6 catalyst in mesitylene in the presence of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide (BSA), gives access to a broad range of 3-monosubstituted phthalides with high levels of syn diastereoselectivity and good yields, starting from 3-unsubstituted derivatives and diverse α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The reaction also applies to unactivated 3-alkyl phthalides to afford 3,3-dialkyl derivatives. A plausible mechanism has been suggested. DFT analysis of possible transition states gives a rationale of the high syn diastereoselectivity observed and its correlation with the solvent's dielectric constant.     

The effect of cationic groups on the stability of 19F MRI contrast agents in nanoparticles

Fluorine‐19 (¹⁹F)‐based contrast agents are increasingly used for magnetic resonance imaging. Conjugated to polymers, they provide an excellent quantitative imaging tool to detect the movement of the polymeric nanoparticles in vivo as there is no background signal in tissue. One of the challenges is the decline in signal intensity when the conjugated hydrophobic fluorinated functionalities aggregate. Therefore, a new fluorinated monomer was prepared from l ‐arginine that carries a 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl functional group for imaging. The resulting monomer, 2,2,2‐trifluoroethylamide l ‐arginine methacrylamide (3FArgMA), was copolymerized with poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA), [2‐(2,3,4,6‐tetra‐O‐acetyl‐α‐d ‐mannopyranosyloxy)ethyl methacrylate or 1‐O‐methacryloyl‐2,3:4,5‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐β‐d ‐fructopyranose, respectively, using poly(methyl methacrylate) macro‐reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization agent. The resulting block copolymers, which varied in 3FArgMA content, were self‐assembled into micelles of hydrodynamic diameters from 25 to 60 nm. The permanently positively charged arginine functionality on the 3FArgMA displayed repulsive forces against aggregation enabling high spin–spin relaxation times (T₂) in acidic as well as alkaline solutions. However, the longer poly(ethylene glycol) side functionality in PEGMEMA enabled better steric stabilization (T₂~30 ms) while the short fructose side chain was not enough to maintain high T₂ values, in particular when a higher 3FArgMA content was used. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1994–2001     

CuI-catalyzed tandem synthesis of thioethers using aryl halides,electron-deficient alkenes,and sodium iso-propyl xanthogenate

A ligand-free, CuI-catalyzed protocol was developed for the one-step preparation of Michael adducts of aromatic thiols in high yields by reacting a mixture of an aryl halide and an electron-deficient alkene with sodium iso-propyl xanthogenate.     

Radical Heteroarylalkylation of Alkenes via Three‐Component Docking‐Migration Thioetherification Cascade

A novel, rational‐designed approach to access various heteroaryl‐substituted alkyl thioethers was developed via docking‐migration cascade process. By utilizing three components involving alkene, dual‐function reagent, and thioetherificating reagent, radical heteroarylalkylation of alkenes followed by thiolation of the alkyl radical intermediates proceeded smoothly, manifesting well compatibility of substrates and cascade transformations. Furthermore, this protocol also features mild conditions, broad substrate scope, and wide product diversity.     

Enantioselective Michael addition of 3-ethyl carboxylate substituted pyrazolones to 5-alkenyl thiazolones catalyzed by squaramide organocatalyst

Asymmetric Michael addition between 3-ethyl carboxylate substituted pyrazolones and 5-alkenylthiazolones catalyzed by a series of chiral bifunctional hydrogen bonding organocatalysts was investigated. Good yields (up to 96%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) were achieved by using a squaramide containing piperidine group derived from (1S, 2S)-cyclohexanediamine. This strategy provides facile access to a diverse library of thiazole-pyrazolone derivatives with potential bioactivity.     

Copper(I)-catalyzed synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted isoindolin-1-ones from enamides via cascade radical addition and cyclization

Copper(I) catalyzed radical benzylation and cyclization reaction of tertiary enamides was investigated and 3,3-disubstituted N-Alkyl isoindolin-1-ones were obtained in moderate to good yields. In this reaction, two new C–C bonds were formed in one step with high atom economy. Possible reaction pathway for the formation of the products was also discussed in this paper.