Ring Enlargement of Three-Membered Heterocycles by Treatment with In Situ Formed Tricyanomethane

Although the chemistry of elusive tricyanomethane (cyanoform) has been studied during a period of more than 150 years, this compound has very rarely been utilized in the synthesis or modification of heterocycles. Three-membered heterocycles, such as epoxides, thiirane, aziridines, or 2H-azirines, are now treated with tricyanomethane, which is generated in situ by heating azidomethylidene-malonodinitrile in tetrahydrofuran at 45 °C or by adding sulfuric acid to potassium tricyanomethanide. This leads to ring expansion with formation of 2-(dicyanomethylidene)oxazolidine derivatives or creation of the corresponding thiazolidine, imidazolidine, or imidazoline compounds and opens up a new access to these push–pull-substituted olefinic products. The regio- and stereochemistry of the ring-enlargement processes are discussed, and the proposed reaction mechanisms were confirmed by using ¹⁵N-labeled substrates. It turns out that different mechanisms are operating; however, tricyanomethanide is always acting as a nitrogen-centered nucleophile, which is quite unusual if compared to other reactions of this species.     

Experimental and theoretical characterization of the aromatization, epimerization, and fragmentation reactions of bi-2H-azirin-2-yls prepared from 1,4-diazidobuta-1,3-dienes

1,4‐Diazidobuta‐1,3‐dienes (Z,Z)‐ 10 , 17 , and 21 were photolyzed and thermolyzed to yield the pyridazines 13 , 20 , and 23 , respectively. To explain these aromatic final products, the generation of highly strained bi‐2H‐azirin‐2‐yls 12 , 19 , and 22 and their valence isomerization were postulated. In the case of meso‐ and rac‐ 22 , nearly quantitative formation from diazide 21 , isolation as stable solids, and complete characterization were possible. On the thermolysis of 22 , aromatization to 23 was only a side reaction, whereas equilibration of meso‐ and rac‐ 22 and fragmentation, which led to alkyne 24 and acetonitrile, dominated. Prolonged irradiation of 22 gave mainly the pyrimidine 25 . The change of the configuration at C‐2 of the 2H‐azirine unit was observed not only in the case of bi‐2H‐azirin‐2‐yls 22 but also for simple spirocyclic 2H‐azirines 29 at a relatively low temperature (75 °C). The fragmentation of rac‐ 22 to give alkyne 24 and two molecules of acetonitrile was also studied by high‐level quantum chemical calculations. For a related model system 30 (methyl instead of phenyl groups), two transition states TS‐ 30 – 31 of comparable energy with multiconfigurational electronic states could be localized on the energy hypersurface for this one‐step conversion. The symmetrical transition state complies with the definition of a coarctate mechanism.     

Synthesis and structure of a novel molybdenum imido calix[6]arene

Treatment of p-tert-butylcalix[6]areneH₆ (H₆L) with [Mo(OBu^t)₂{[2,2′-(N)-C₆H₄]₂(CH₂CH₂)}] in refluxing toluene affords, after work-up, the complex [Mo(2-NC₆H₄CH₂CH₂C₆H₄NHC(Me)NH-2^/)LH₂]·4MeCN (1), which contains an 11-membered metallocyclic ring as characterised by Synchrotron X-radiation.     

A Hybrid Ring‐Opening Metathesis Polymerization Catalyst Based on an Engineered Variant of the β‐Barrel Protein FhuA

A β‐barrel protein hybrid catalyst was prepared by covalently anchoring a Grubbs–Hoveyda type olefin metathesis catalyst at a single accessible cysteine amino acid in the barrel interior of a variant of β‐barrel transmembrane protein ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A (FhuA). Activity of this hybrid catalyst type was demonstrated by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of a 7‐oxanorbornene derivative in aqueous solution.     

Synthesis of C 2-Symmetric Chiral Amino Alcohols: Their Usage as Organocatalysts for Enantioselective Opening of Epoxide Ring

A series of β-amino alcohols derivatives were synthesized from (R)-2-amino-1-butanol and (S)-1,2-propanediol, and they have been used as organocatalaysts in the racemic ring opening of epoxide in good yields with high enantiomeric excess (up to 97%).     

Synthesis of heliannuol D, an allelochemical from Helianthus annus

A synthesis of heliannuol D 1 is described involving regioselective oxidation of the benzoxabicyclo[3.2.1]octanone 20 followed by hydrogenolysis to generate the benzoxepane ring system of 1.     

PHOTOPHYSICAL STUDY OF SULFONATED POLYSTYRENE

The photophysical properties of a series of sulfonated micromolecule(paratoluenesulfonic acid,HPTS) and macromolecules (linear and crosslinked poiys.tvrene) have been studied by steady-state fluorescence spectra. The results indicate that the ground sulfonated ring associations can form in both the micromolecules and the macromolecules. The fluorescence spectra of the sulfonated crosslinked copolymers appear a red-shift when the copolymers change from hydrogen-type to sodium-t~pe, and some new emission bands appear in the long-wavelength region.These results are explained in terms of synergetic effect of hydrogen bond, π-π interaction and crosslinking effect.     

稠环齐聚物结构的激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱表征

应用激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱对几种不同结构的吡嗪稠环齐聚物进行了表征.样品溶解在二甲基亚砜中,以正离子方式记录谱图,结果发现除了产生目标化合物的质子化的分子离子峰外,还产生了少量的碎片分子离子峰.结果表明激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱能有效地、快速准确地给出这类化合物的分子离子峰,为吡嗪类稠环齐聚物的研究提供了有效的表征方法.     

Efficient Regioselective Ring Opening of Activated Aziridine-2-Carboxylates with [18F]Fluoride

Aziridines can undergo a range of ring-opening reactions with nucleophiles. The regio- and stereochemistry of the products depend on the substituents on the aziridine. Aziridine ring-opening reactions have rarely been used in radiosynthesis. Herein we report the ring opening of activated aziridine-2-carboxylates with [¹⁸F]fluoride. The aziridine was activated for nucleophilic attack by substitution of various groups on the aziridine nitrogen atom. Fluorine-18 radiolabelling was followed by ester hydrolysis and removal of the activation group. Totally regioselective ring opening and subsequent deprotection was achieved with tert-butyloxycarbonyl- and carboxybenzyl-activated aziridines to give α-[¹⁸F]fluoro-β-alanine in good radiochemical yield.