Computational Study of the Substitution Effect on the Mechanism for the Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Ring Expansions of Unactivated Alkynylcyclopropanes

The ring expansion reactions of unactivated alkynylcyclopropanes X‐C≡C‐C₃H₅ → X‐C=C₄H₅ (X = H, F, Cl, Me, OMe, NMe₂, CMe₃) were examined using the density functional theory calculations. All of the structures were completely optimized at the B3LYP/6‐311++G** level of theory. For clarify the effect of the cationic gold(I), we also added AuPH₃⁺ as the catalyst into the system and the structures for Au were calculated at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ level of theory. The main finding of this work is that the singlet‐triplet splitting of X‐C≡C‐C₃H₅ play an important role in determining the kinetic and thermodynamic stability of the unactivated ring expansion reactions. When X‐C≡C‐C₃H₅ with a smaller singlet‐triplet splitting is utilized, the reaction has a smaller activation energy and a larger exothermicity.     

SDS/Ac2O/H2O: Surfactant‐Mediated Cleavage of Imines with Acetic Anhydride to Carbonyls and Acetanilides in Water

Surfactant (SDS)‐mediated cleavage of imines was achieved with acetic anhydride to the corresponding carbonyls (aldehydes and ketones) and acetanilides in water at 25–30°C with very good to excellent yields, thus contributing significantly to the green chemistry concept.     

Facile Synthesis and Unusual Methanesulfonylation Reaction of (2R,3R)‐1,4‐Dimethoxy‐1,1,4,4‐tetrasubstituted‐2,3‐butanediols

A facile method for the synthesis of (2R,3R)‐1,4‐dimethoxy‐1,1,4,4‐tetrasubstituted‐2,3‐butanediols involving oxidative cleavage of benzylidene acetal as a key step is described. These sterically hindered diols unusually formed cyclic sulfites as the major product under methanesulfonylation reaction conditions.     

A Ring Expansion Strategy in Antiviral Synthesis: A Novel Approach to TAK‐779

Abstract

A synthesis of TAK‐779 that relies on construction of a key carboxylic acid intermediate by a ring expansion with TMSCHN₂ is described.     

Development of a general approach to the synthesis of a library of isoflavonoid derivatives

Isoflavonoids are a class of organic compounds that act primarily as antioxidants. They are produced almost exclusively by various members of the bean family including soybeans, tofu, peanuts, chick peas, and alfalfa. The antioxidant characteristics that isoflavonoids exhibit help hinder the progression of certain cancers, primarily breast, prostate, and colon cancer. We have developed a three-five step synthesis for obtaining a suite of isoflavonoid derivatives. The synthesis involves an enamine formation, a ring closure and halogenation, a Suzuki coupling, and finally a global deprotection to obtain the respective isoflavonoid derivatives.     

Unexpected cleavage of the Cpy–Cpy bond in the reaction of 2,2′-bipyridine N,N′-diimines with acetylenes

An unusual cleavage of the C_py–C_py bond in the reaction of 2,2′-bipyridine N,N′-diimine and its C-methyl substituted derivatives with acetylenes is described. The effect of the solvent on the yield of 7,7′-bipyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine-2,2′,3,3′-tetracarboxylates and the products of cleavage of the C_py–C_py bond has been studied. The mechanism of the cleavage reaction is discussed on the basis of DFT calculations.     

Ring opening of epoxides with alcohols using Fe(Cp)2BF4 as catalyst

Fe(Cp)₂BF₄ is an efficient catalyst for the alcoholysis of aromatic, aliphatic, and cyclic epoxides giving excellent yields of the corresponding β-alkoxy alcohols under ambient conditions. The methanolysis of styrene oxide using Fe(Cp)₂BF₄ as a catalyst (5 mol %) gave excellent yield of 2-methoxy-2-phenylethanol with complete regio-selectivity. The ring opening of cyclic epoxides gave 77–97% yields of trans-β-methoxy alcohols, in 0.5–6 h. The use of 1,2-epoxyhexane and 1,2-epoxydodecane as substrates gave both regioisomers in excellent yields. The first order rate of reaction with respect to catalyst was observed for the kinetics of ring opening of 1,2-epoxyhexane with methanol.     

Formal and total synthesis of (±)-cycloclavine

A ring fragmentation and intramolecular azomethine ylide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition sequence of reactions was successfully used in the preparation of a known (±)-cycloclavine precursor in good overall yield. Results of efforts to incorporate the tetrasubstituted cyclopropane ring present in cycloclavine are also discussed.     

A practical and efficient synthesis of 6-carboalkoxy-13-cycloalkyl-5H-indolo[2,1-a][2]benzazepine-10-carboxylic acid derivatives

A convenient and practical synthesis of 6-carboalkoxy-13-cycloalkyl-5H-indolo[2,1-a][2]benzazepine-10-carboxylic acid derivatives (6) has been developed. The key step in the synthesis utilizes an intramolecular tandem reaction sequence of a Michael addition followed by a Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons (HWE) olefination reaction between hemi-aminal 11 and methyl 2-(dimethoxyphosphoryl)acrylate 12. The ring construction occurred efficiently and purification of the products 6 was straightforward. The C-10 methyl ester of 6a was hydrolyzed selectively to the carboxylic acid 13 while the olefin of 6d was converted to the cyclopropane 14 using trimethylsulfoxonium iodide in DMSO in the presence of NaH.