The Effect of Backbone Stereochemistry on the Folding of Acyclic β2, 3‐Aminoxy Peptides

As a new type of foldamer, β‐aminoxy peptides have the ability to adopt novel β N? O turns or β N? O helices in solution. Herein, we describe a new subclass of β‐aminoxy peptide, that is, peptides of acyclic β^{2, 3}‐aminoxy acids (NH₂OCHR₁CHR₂COOH), in which the presence of two chiral centers provides insight into the effect of backbone stereochemistry on the folding of β‐aminoxy peptides. Acyclic β^{2, 3}‐aminoxy peptides with syn and anti configurations have been synthesized and their conformations investigated by NMR, IR, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic, and X‐ray crystallographic analysis. The β N? O turns or β N? O helices, which feature nine‐membered rings with intramolecular hydrogen bonds and have been identified previously in peptides of β³‐ and β^{2, 2}‐aminoxy acids, are also predominantly present in the acyclic β^{2, 3}‐aminoxy peptides with a syn configuration and N? O bonds gauche to the C_α? C_β bonds in both solution and the solid state. In the acyclic β^{2, 3}‐aminoxy peptides with an anti configuration, an extended strand (i.e., non‐hydrogen‐bonded state) is found in the solid state, and several conformations including non‐hydrogen‐bonded and intramolecular hydrogen‐bonded states are present simultaneously in nonpolar solvents. These results suggest that the backbone stereochemistry does affect the folding of the acyclic β^{2, 3}‐aminoxy peptides. Theoretical calculations on the conformations of model acyclic β^{2, 3}‐aminoxy peptides with different backbone stereochemistry were also conducted to elucidate structural characteristics. Our present work may provide useful guidelines for the design and construction of new foldamers with predicable structures.     

Synthesis and structural aspects of N-triflylphosphoramides and their calcium salts--highly acidic and effective Brønsted acids

Recently, 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol (BINOL)‐based N‐triflylphosphoramides emerged as a new class of potent Brønsted acid catalysts. In this paper we describe the efficient synthesis of various BINOL‐based N‐triflylphosphoramides and their calcium salts. Furthermore, X‐ray crystal structure analysis combined with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements confirmed that the synthesised chiral N‐triflylphosphoramides are highly acidic metal‐free catalysts.     

Investigation of Lewis Acid versus Lewis Base Catalysis in Asymmetric Cyanohydrin Synthesis

The asymmetric addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to aldehydes can be catalysed by Lewis acids and/or Lewis bases, which activate the aldehyde and trimethylsilyl cyanide, respectively. It is not always apparent from the structure of the catalyst whether Lewis acid or Lewis base catalysis predominates. To investigate this in the context of using salen complexes of titanium, vanadium and aluminium as catalysts, a Hammett analysis of asymmetric cyanohydrin synthesis was undertaken. When Lewis acid catalysis is dominant, a significantly positive reaction constant is observed, whereas reactions dominated by Lewis base catalysis give much smaller reaction constants. [{Ti(salen)O}₂] was found to show the highest degree of Lewis acid catalysis, whereas two [VO(salen)X] (X=EtOSO₃ or NCS) complexes both displayed lower degrees of Lewis acid catalysis. In the case of reactions catalysed by [{Al(salen)}₂O] and triphenylphosphine oxide, a non‐linear Hammett plot was observed, which is indicative of a change in mechanism with increasing Lewis base catalysis as the carbonyl compound becomes more electron‐deficient. These results suggested that the aluminium complex/triphenylphosphine oxide catalyst system should also catalyse the asymmetric addition of trimethylsilyl cyanide to ketones and this was found to be the case.     

Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Alkylation of Indoles with Tertiary Amines by Oxidation of a sp3 C?H Bond and Lewis Acid Catalysis

Ruthenium porphyrins (particularly [Ru(2,6‐Cl₂tpp)CO]; tpp=tetraphenylporphinato) and RuCl₃ can act as oxidation and/or Lewis acid catalysts for direct C‐3 alkylation of indoles, giving the desired products in high yields (up to 82 % based on 60–95 % substrate conversions). These ruthenium compounds catalyze oxidative coupling reactions of a wide variety of anilines and indoles bearing electron‐withdrawing or electron‐donating substituents with high regioselectivity when using tBuOOH as an oxidant, resulting in the alkylation of N‐arylindoles to 3‐{[(N‐aryl‐N‐alkyl)amino]methyl}indoles (yield: up to 82 %, conversion: up to 95 %) and the alkylation of N‐alkyl or N‐H indoles to 3‐[p‐(dialkylamino)benzyl]indoles (yield: up to 73 %, conversion: up to 92 %). A tentative reaction mechanism involving two pathways is proposed: an iminium ion intermediate may be generated by oxidation of an sp³ C? H bond of the alkylated aniline by an oxoruthenium species; this iminium ion could then either be trapped by an N‐arylindole (pathway A) or converted to formaldehyde, allowing a subsequent three‐component coupling reaction of the in situ generated formaldehyde with an N‐alkylindole and an aniline in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst (pathway B). The results of deuterium‐labeling experiments are consistent with the alkylation of N‐alkylindoles via pathway B. The relative reaction rates of [Ru(2,6‐Cl₂tpp)CO]‐catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions of 4‐X‐substituted N,N‐dimethylanilines with N‐phenylindole (using tBuOOH as oxidant), determined through competition experiments, correlate linearly with the substituent constants σ (R²=0.989), giving a ρ value of ?1.09. This ρ value and the magnitudes of the intra‐ and intermolecular deuterium isotope effects (k_H/k_D) suggest that electron transfer most likely occurs during the initial stage of the oxidation of 4‐X‐substituted N,N‐dimethylanilines. Ruthenium‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of N‐alkyl/N‐H indoles, paraformaldehyde, and anilines gave 3‐[p‐(dialkylamino)benzyl]indoles in up to 82 % yield (conversion: up to 95 %).     

Enantioselective Organocatalytic Addition of Oxazolones to 1,1‐Bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethylene: A Convenient Asymmetric Synthesis of Quaternary α‐Amino Acids

A new, easy, and highly enantioselective method for the synthesis of quaternary α‐alkyl‐α‐amino acids based on organocatalysis is reported. The addition of oxazolones to 1,1‐bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethylene is efficiently catalyzed by simple chiral bases or thioureas. The reaction affords α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino acid derivatives with complete C4 regioselectivity and with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. This methodology is complementary to previously reported enantioselective approaches to quaternary α‐amino acids and allows the synthesis of α‐phenyl‐α‐alkyl‐α‐amino acids and α‐tert‐butyl‐α‐alkyl‐α‐amino acids. It has distinct advantages in terms of operational simplicity, enviromentally friendly conditions, and suitability for large‐scale reactions.     

Rapid qualitative and quantitative ultra high performance liquid chromatography method for simultaneous analysis of twenty nine common phenolic compounds of various structures

Twenty nine phenolic compounds comprising nine phenolic acids, sixteen flavonoids (including eight tea catechins, glycosides and aglycones), four coumarins plus caffeine were analysed within 20 min using ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with PDA detection. UHPLC system was equipped with C18 analytical column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm), utilising 0.1% formic acid and methanol mobile phase in the gradient elution mode. The developed method was tested for the system suitability: resolution, asymmetry factor, peak capacity, retention time repeatability and peak area repeatability. The method was fully validated in the terms of linearity (r² > 0.9990 for all 30 compounds), range (typically 1-100 mg L⁻¹), LOD, LOQ, inter/intra-day precision (<3% and <9% respectively) and inter/intra-day accuracy (typically 100 ± 10%). Subsequently the method was applied to the identification (spectral information and peak purity calculations were profited) and quantification of phenolic compounds and caffeine present in tea infusions and extracts.     

Electrochemical biosensor based on nanogold-modified poly-eriochrome black T film for BCR/ABL fusion gene assay by using hairpin LNA probe

A novel electrochemical biosensor is described for detection of breakpoint cluster region gene and a cellular abl (BCR/ABL) fusion gene in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) by using thiolated-hairpin locked nucleic acids (LNA) as the capture probe. The hairpin LNA probe was immobilized on the nanogold (NG)/poly-eriochrome black T (EBT) film-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The immobilized LNA probe could selectively hybridize with its target DNA on LNA/NG/EBT/GCE surface. The immobilization and hybridization of the LNA probe were characterized with cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The hybridization of the immobilized LNA probe with the target DNA was detected by differential pulse voltammetry with the electroactive methylene blue as an indicator. The results indicated this new method has excellent specificity for single-base mismatch and complementary after hybridization, and a high sensitivity. This novel electrochemical biosensor has been used for assay of PCR real sample with satisfactory result.     

Elucidation of triacylglycerols in cod liver oil by liquid chromatography electrospray tandem ion-trap mass spectrometry

Though liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS²) has been widely used in the structural elucidation of triacylglycerols (TAG) in vegetable oils, its potentiality for the identification of TAG molecules in omega-3 rich oils remains unexplored till date. Hence, this article investigates the applicability of LC-ESI-MS² for the structural characterization of naturally occurring TAG in cod liver oil without the TAG fractionation during the sample preparation. A computational algorithm was developed to automatically interpret the mass spectra and elucidate the TAG structures respectively. The results were compared against the lipase benchmark method. A principal component analysis study revealed that it is possible to discriminate genuine from adulterated cod liver oil.     

The artificial binaphthyl amino acid 6-amino-6′-carboxyethyl-2-methoxy-2′-hydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl (Bna): synthesis and assembly of Bna peptides

The new binaphthyl-based amino acid 6-amino-6′-carboxyethyl-2-methoxy-2′-hydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl (Bna) is presented, which combines the axially chiral binaphthyl core, a phenolic OH-group as well as terminating amino and carboxyl groups in one structure. The large aromatic rings of the compound provide molecular spacing and π-surface attraction in assembled Bna oligoamides. The synthesis of Bna derivatives is reported, both with the (R)- and with the (S)-binaphthyl skeleton. Several dipeptides of (R)- or (S)-Bna units combined with natural amino acids, were prepared as ‘building blocks’ for the synthesis of extended Bna peptides. The tetrapeptide Boc-(S)-Val-(S)-Bna(OH)-(S)-Val-(S)-Bna(OPiv)-O-n-But (12) and the pentapeptide Boc-(S)-Val-(S)-Bna(OH)-(S)-Val-(S)-Bna(OH)-Gly-OH (13) were prepared via conventional solution phase synthesis and solid phase synthetic techniques, respectively. Compound 12 shows an interesting dynamic ¹H NMR spectrum suggesting compact and aggregated forms in dichloromethane. Compound 13 accelerates the enolisation of acetone. The use of more complex Bna peptides as organo catalysts is proposed.     

A mild high yielding synthesis of oxazole-4-carboxylate derivatives

Several 2,5-disubstituted oxazole-4-carboxylates were prepared in high yields from the methyl esters of N-acyl-β-halodehydroaminobutyric acid derivatives by treatment with a 2% solution of DBU in acetonitrile. The scope of this reaction was investigated and it was found that dehydrodipeptides having a β-bromodehydroaminobutyric acid residue gave the corresponding oxazoles in good yields. The photophysical properties of some of the oxazoles prepared were studied in four solvents of different polarity. All compounds have reasonable high fluorescence quantum yields and a moderate solvent sensitivity, which makes them good candidates to be used as fluorescent probes. One of the fluorescent oxazoles prepared was inserted after cleavage of the methyl ester into two model peptides using a conventional solution phase strategy. The photophysical properties of the labelled peptides were studied in ethanol and water and compared with those of the oxazole. The results obtained showed that the oxazole maintains a good fluorescence level and the same solvent sensitivity when linked to a peptide chain.