Preparative isolation of (+)-beta-eudesmol fromAmyris balsamifera

Summary Optically pure (+)-beta-eudesmol is a possible starting material for the synthesis of several termite defense compounds. A two step procedure for the isolation of gram quantities of (+)-beta-eudesmol from commercially availableAmyris balsamifera oil (syn. West Indian sandalwood oil), containing 8% beta-eudesmol, was developed. Step one consisted of an efficient vacuum distillation of the total oil. Step two was a medium pressure LC separation with an AgNO₃ impregnated silica gel stationary phase. Several other separation procedures failed due to the presence of many closely related sesquiterpene alcohols (75% of the oil).     

Determination of diamine oxidase by a kinetic method with 2,2''-azino-di(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate)

Hydrogen peroxide, the product of diamine oxidase-catalyzed putrescine or cadaverine oxidation, formed in proportion to the enzyme activity, is measured spectrophotometrically by using the above sulfonate (ABTS) and peroxidase. Only one reagent solution containing 3 mmol of putrescine or 10 mmol of cadaverine, 4 mmol of ABTS and 3000 U of peroxidase per litre of 0.2 mol l^-1 Tris—0.1 mol l^-1 HCl buffer pH 7.5 is needed. Absorbance changes are measured at 410 nm over the first 3 min of the reaction. This initial oxidation rate of the chromogen enables diamine oxidase activity up to 230 U l^-1 to be determined.     

Spectrophotometric determination of ethanol by an enzymatic method with 2, 2'-azino-di(3-ethylbenzthiazo- line-6-sulfonate)

The method is based on the oxidation of ethanol in the presence of alcohol oxidase, followed by oxidation of 2,2'-azino-di(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) in the presence of peroxidase.     

Insertion reactions of hydridonitrosyltetrakis(trimethylphosphine) tungsten(0)

[W(H)(NO)(PMe3)4] (1) was prepared by the reaction of [W(Cl)(NO)(PMe3)4] with NaBH4 in the presence of PMe3. The insertion of acetophenone, benzophenone and acetone into the W-H bond of 1 afforded the corresponding alkoxide complexes [W(NO)(PMe3)4(OCHR1R2)](R1 = R2 = Me (2); R1 = Me, R2 = Ph (3); R1 = R2 = Ph (4)), which were however thermally unstable. Insertion of CO2 into the W-H bond of yields the formato-O complex trans-W(NO)(OCHO)(PMe3)4 (5). Reaction of trans-W(NO)(H)(PMe3)4 with CO led to the formation of mer-W(CO)(NO)(H)(PMe3)3 (6) and not the formyl complex W(NO)(CHO)(PMe3)4. Insertion of Fe(CO)(5), Re2(CO)10 and Mn2(CO)10 into trans-W(NO)(H)(PMe3)4 resulted in the formation of trans-W(NO)(PMe3)4(mu-OCH)Fe(CO)4 (7), trans-W(NO)(PMe3)4(mu-OCH)Re2(CO)9 (8) and trans-W(NO)(PMe3)4(mu-OCH)Mn2(CO)9 (9). For Re2(CO)10, an equilibrium was established and the thermodynamic data of the equilibrium reaction have been determined by a variable-temperature NMR experiments (K(298K)= 104 L mol(-1), DeltaH=-37 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS =-86 J K(-1) mol(-1)). Both compounds 7 and 8 were separated in analytically pure form. Complex 9 decomposed slowly into some yet unidentified compounds at room temperature. Insertion of imines into the W-H bond of 1 was also additionally studied. For the reactions of the imines PhCH=NPh, Ph(Me)C=NPh, C6H5CH=NCH2C6H5, and (C6H5)2C=NH with only decomposition products were observed. However, the insertion of C10H7N=CHC6H5 into the W-H bond of led to loss of one PMe3 ligand and at the same time a strong agostic interaction (C17-H...W), which was followed by an oxidative addition of the C-H bond to the tungsten center giving the complex [W(NO)(H)(PMe3)3(C10H6NCH2Ph)] (10). The structures of compounds 1, 4, 7, 8 and 10 were studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.     

Reduction of Aldehydes and Ketones by Transition Metal Hydrides. Part 2. Reaction of trans,trans-[WH(CO)2(NO)(PMe3)2] with pyridine,functionalized aldehydes,and ketones

The reaction of trans,trans-[WH(CO)₂(NO)(PMe₃)₂] ( 1 ) with (pyridin-2-yl)-substituted aldehydes and ketones, (pyridin-2-yl)C(O)R where R = H, Me, Ph, pyridin-2-yl, and with 6-methylpyridine-2-carbaldehyde was studied. In all cases, facile insertion of the C?O bond into the W? H bond was observed, with rapid subsequent extrusionof a coordinated CO ligand affording O,N-bidentate coordinated tungsten alkoxides. Only in case of pyridine-2-carbaldehyde and di(pyridin-2-yl) ketone, the initial n¹ O-bonded insertion product could be observed as unstable intemediates by low-temperature NMR.     

Rhenium‐Dicarbonyl‐Nitrosyl‐Komplexe mit Imidazol

Rhenium Dicarbonyl‐Nitrosyl Complexes with Imidazole Different rhenium‐dicarbonyl‐nitrosyl complexes with imidazole (Im) as monodentate ligand have been synthesized and characterized, starting from [NEt₄][ReCl₃(CO)₂(NO)] and [ReCl(μ?Cl)(CO)₂(NO)]₂. Whereas the complexes [ReCl₂(Im)(CO)₂(NO)] and [ReCl(Im)₂(CO)₂(NO)]⁺ were achieved in high yields, the complex [Re(Im)₃(CO)₂(NO)]²⁺ with three imidazole ligands could only be isolated after complete removal of all halide ions (with AgBF₄) in low yield. The synthesis of a corresponding ^99mTc‐dicarbonyl‐nitrosyl complex with imidazole opens a new perspective for such compounds as potential radiopharmaceuticals and alternatives to the already established ^99mTc‐tricarbonyl complexes.     

Chemistry of (Carbonyl)(nitrosyl)[bis(phosphorus donor)]rhenium Complexes

The chemistry of [Re(CO)(NO)L₂] fragments (L ? phosphorus donor) was explored. Starting from [Re(CO)₅Cl] the synthesis of [Re₂Cl₂(μ-Cl)₂(CO)₄(NO)₂] ( 1 ) was accomplished via the preparation of [Et₄N]₂[Re₂Cl₂(μ-Cl)₂(CO)₆] and nitrosylation of this compound with [NO][BF₄]. Complex 1 was converted to [RecL₂(CO)(NO)L₂] complexes 2 ( a L = (MeO)₃P; b L = (EtO)₃P; c L = (i-PrO)₃P; d L ? Me₃P; e L ? Et₃P; f L ? Cy₃P) by heating with L in MeCN. In the case of the reaction of L = (MeO)₃P, a trisubstitued compound mer-{ReCl₂(NO)[P(OMe)₃]₃} 3 was also obtained. Replacement of the Cl ligands in 2a–e with Me groups was achieved by reacting them with MeLi in Et₂O yielding cis, trans-[Re(CO)(NO)Me₂L₂]complexes 4a–e . Reaction of 2a–e with Li[BHEt₃] led to substitution of one Cl by an H ligand with formation of [ReCl(CO)H(NO)L₂] compounds 5a–;e , displaying trans-H,NO geometries. The hydride-transfer agent Na[AlH₂(OCH₂CH₂OCH₃)₂] transformed 2 into the cis-dihydride systems [Re(CO)H₂(NO)L₂] 6a–f . Reductive carbonylation of 2a–d in the presence of Na/Hg and CO gave pentacoordinate [Re(CO)₂(NO)L₂] complexes 7b–d , and under comparable conditions the Cl substituents of 2b–f were replaced by tolane using Mg or t-BuLi giving trigonal bipyramidal [Re(CO)(NO)L₂(PhC?CPh)] compounds 8b–f . Complexes 5c , 6a , and 8d were characterized by X-ray crystal-structure analysis.     

Crystallisation-induced asymmetric transformation (CIAT) for the synthesis of dipeptides containing homophenylalanine

A novel synthesis of highly enantioenriched dipeptides containing homophenylalanine is described. The process involves a crystallisation-induced asymmetric transformation (CIAT) in a Michael addition followed by exhaustive reduction. A unique example of a formally stereodivergent CIAT in conjugate addition of an achiral N-nucleophile to enantiomerically pure Michael acceptor has been discovered.