Silver (I)-promoted asymmetric halohydrin reaction of chiral N-enoyl-2-oxazolidinones: scope and limitations

The halohydrin reaction of chiral N-enoyl-2-oxazolidinones 1 by halogen (Br₂/I₂) and water were efficiently carried out in aqueous organic solvent promoted by silver(I) with high anti- and regioselectivity and moderate to good diastereoselectivities. The alkenoyl, cinnamoyl and electron-deficient cinnamoyl substrates smoothly underwent bromohydrin reaction in aqueous acetone but no iodohydrin reaction, where as electron-rich cinnamoyl substrates preferred to undergo iodohydrin reaction in aqueous acetone with moderate diastereoselectivity and enhanced diastereoselectivity was observed in aqueous THF.     

Biotransformation of 7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene derivatives by Gibberella fujikuroi

The microbiological transformation of 7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene by the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi gave fujenoic acid as the main compound, whilst the incubation of 18-hydroxy-7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene and 3α,18-dihydroxy-7-oxo-ent-kaur-16-ene afforded the corresponding 6β-hydroxy-derivatives. These facts indicate that the formation of fujenoic acid in this biotransformation should occur via a 7-oxo-6β-hydroxy derivative. In the three biotransformations, an 11β-hydroxylation was also produced, in low yield, indicating that a 7-oxo-group also directs hydroxylation at C-11.     

New C2-symmetric 2,2′-bipyridine crown macrocycles for enantioselective recognition of amino acid derivatives

A series of new C₂-symmetric 2,2′-bipyridine-contaning crown macrocycles 1-4 has been developed for enantiomeric recognition of amino acid derivatives. These new macrocycles have been showed to be strong complexing agents for primary organic ammonium salts (with K up to 4.83×10⁵ M⁻¹ and −ΔG₀ up to 32.4 kJ mol⁻¹) and also useful chromophores for UV-vis titration studies. These macrocyclic hosts exhibited enantioselective binding towards the (S)-enantiomer of phenylglycine methyl ester hydrochloride (Am1) with K_(S)/K_(R) up to 2.10 (ΔΔG₀=−1.84 kJ mol⁻¹) in CH₂Cl₂ with 0.25% CH₃OH. The structure-binding relationship studies showed that the aromatic subunit and the ester group of the ammonium guests are both important for good enantioselectivity. In addition, the host-guest complexes have been studied using various NMR experiments.     

Concept and synthetic approach for a kilogram scale synthesis of octa-d-arginine amide nonahydrochloride salt

Oligomers of arginine, such as octa-d-arginine amide, are excellent transporters for active drugs through cell membranes and tissue. The synthesis of octa-d-arginine amide, as the nonahydrochloride salt, was approached via a solution phase synthetic route involving the preparation of an octa-d-ornithine intermediate, which was then converted into the desired octa-d-arginine compound through a guanidinylation step. The multi-step synthesis was carried out at pilot scale, resulting in the preparation of 700 g of the target molecule. No chromatographic purification was needed at any step of the process.     

Lewis acid promoted reactions of γ,γ-dialkoxyallylic zirconium species with various carbonyl compounds

The reactions of γ,γ-dialkoxyallylic zirconium species with carbonyl compounds in the presence of Lewis acid are reported. The reactivity of γ,γ-dialkoxyallylic zirconium species and reaction pathway were strongly dependent on the structure and electrostatic nature of the carbonyl compounds.     

Enantiomerically pure 4-amino-1,2,3-trihydroxybutylphosphonic acids

(1S,2R,3S)-, (1R,2R,3S)- and (1S,2R,3R)-4-amino-1,2,3-trihydroxybutylphosphonic acids were synthesised. The synthetic strategy involved preparation of the respective 4-azido-2,3-O-isopropylidene-l-threose or -d-erythrose, addition of dialkyl phosphites, separation of C-1 epimeric O,O-dibenzyl phosphonates, the reduction of azides and the removal of the protecting groups. The (2R,3S) and (2R,3R) configurations in the final products were secured by employing diethyl l-tartrate and d-isoascorbic acid as starting materials. The stereochemical course of the addition to the carbonyl groups in 4-azido-2,3-O-isopropylidene-l-threose or -d-erythrose followed that established earlier for 2,3-O-isopropylidene-d-glyceraldehyde and similar (3:1-4:1) diastereoselectivities were achieved.     

2-Methylthio-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>]pyrimidin-5- and -7-Ones

The cyclocondensation of methylcinnamates and arylidene derivatives of Meldrums acid with 3-amino-5-methylthio-1,2,4-triazole in DMF gives 2-methylthio-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]-pyrimidin-5-ones. The reaction involving arylidene derivatives of Meldrums acid or its synthetic equivalents in ethyl acetate with a catalytic amount of pyridine gives a mixture of 2-methylthio-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5- and -7-ones.__________Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 246–251, February, 2005.     

Kinetics and mechanisms in carbocationic polymerization: The quest for true rate constants

This article is a critical analysis of kinetic dataavailable on carbocationic polymerizations. A survey of published propagation rate constant (k_p) data revealed several orders of magnitude differences. In this article, an explanation of this apparent discrepancy is offered with a case study involving the carbocationic polymerization of 2,4,6‐trimethylstyrene (TMS). With the polymerization mechanism originally proposed for this system, k_p = 1.35 × 10⁴ L mol^?1 s^?1 was extracted from experimental data with the Predici polyreaction package. The alternative mechanism yielded k_p = 1.01 × 10⁷ L mol^?1 s^?1, close to that predicted by Mayr's Linear Free Energy Relationship (LFER). We propose that true rate constants can only be obtained from direct competition experiments or from kinetic interpretation based on independently proven mechanisms. The second part of this review discusses critical analysis of the temperature and concentration dependence of various living IB systems. Comparison of the temperature dependence in systems initiated with 2‐ chloro‐2,4, 4‐ trimethylpentane (TMPCl)/TiCl₄ from various laboratories yielded of ΔH ～?25 and ?34.5 kJ/mol for high and low TMPCl/TiCl₄ ratios, respectively. Aromatic (cumyl‐type) initiators show ΔH ～ ?40 kJ/mol, whereas H₂O/TiCl₄ in the presence of the strong electron‐ pair donor dimethylacetamide gave ΔH = ?12 kJ/mol. The significant differences indicate different underlying mechanisms with complex elementary reactions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5394–5413, 2005     

Advantages of the Ns group in the reactions of N-SO2R inosines with benzylamine and with NH3

The reactivity of N¹-alkylsulfonyl- and N¹-arylsulfonyl-2′,3′,5′-tri-O-acetylinosine with benzylamine and with ¹⁵NH₃, regarding the attack on C2, has been shown to be in the order CF₃SO₂ (Tf) > 2,4-(NO₂)₂C₆H₃SO₂ (DNs) ? 4-NO₂C₆H₄SO₂ (pNs) ≈ C₆F₅SO₂ (PFBs) > 2-NO₂C₆H₄SO₂ (Ns) ? CH₃SO₂ (Ms) > 4-CH₃C₆H₄SO₂ (Ts) > 2,4,6-(CH₃)₃C₆H₂SO₂ (Mts). In spite of its intermediate reactivity, the Ns group is the most appropriate, since in this case the formation of by-products is minimised during the ring-opening and ring-closing steps of the process. Another advantage of the Ns group is thus disclosed.     

Electrochemical behavior of some triazine derivatives at glassy carbon electrode in non-aqueous media

Electroreduction of 4-amino-6-methyl-3-thio-1,2,4-triazine-5-one (I), 6-methyl-3-thio-1,2,4-triazine-5-one (II), and 2,4-dimethoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine (III) in dimethylformamide was investigated. Electrochemical techniques including differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry, and coulometry were employed to study the mechanism of the electrode process. From the analysis of the voltammetric and spectroscopic experiments a mechanism was proposed for the electroreduction of thio-triazine and triazine compounds. Compounds I and II having thiol groups exhibited similar redox behavior. Both compounds displayed two cathodic peaks, whereas the third compound (III), with no thiol group, showed only one cathodic peak in the same potential range as the second peak of compounds I and II.The results of this study show that in the former wave, the one electron reduction of thiol led to a dimer (disulfide) species and in the latter, the triazine ring was reduced in a two-electron process. The effects of various physical and electrochemical parameters were studied and the electrochemical behavior of the monomers was reported as a function of these parameters. A completely irreversible behavior was observed from cyclic voltammograms obtained under different conditions. Furthermore, in this study some numerical constants, such as diffusion constant, transfer coefficient, and rate constant of coupled chemical reaction were determined.