Full Functionalization of the Imidazole Scaffold by Selective Metalation and Sulfoxide/Magnesium Exchange

A simple, flexible, and straightforward method for the functionalization of all the positions of the imidazole heterocycle through regioselective arylations, allylations, acylations, and additions to aldehydes is disclosed. Starting from the readily available key imidazole 1 , highly functionalized imidazole derivatives have been synthesized in a regioselective manner from directed metalations and a sulfoxide/magnesium exchange. Moreover, the selective N3‐alkylation followed by deprotection of N1 (trans‐N‐alkylation) allows the regioselective N‐alkylation of complex imidazoles.     

Measurement of Total and Unbound Mycophenolic Acid and Its Glucuronide by LC Coupled with MS. Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study of Mycophenolate Mofetil in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases

Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for the determination of total and unbound mycophenolic acid and its major metabolite in human plasma has been developed. Sample preparations were based on a fully automated solid-phase extraction process and ultrafiltration. Mass spectrometric data were acquired in a single-ion monitoring method. The analytes and nevirapine (internal standard) were well separated in an isocratic mode over 8 min. Validation study exhibited excellent linearity, with intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy of less than 12%. The assay was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of mycophenolic acid in patients with autoimmune diseases.     

Diastereoselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated but-2-enamides to access the chiral 3-(p-tolyl) butanoic acids

An alternative methodology for the synthesis of chiral 3-(p-tolyl) butanoic acids is presented. This was accomplished through the diastereoselective hydrogenation reaction of different chiral N-3-(p-tolyl) but-2-enamides, using Pd/C in EtOH, to produce the corresponding chiral N-3-(p-tolyl) butanamides with high chemical yields and moderate diastereomeric ratios. Removal of the chiral auxiliary from N-3-(p-tolyl) butanamides gave the respective enantiomerically pure acids.     

Rearrangement of 5-phenylthiazolidine-2,4-diones to chiral α-ketoamides via α-elimination

An unexpected reaction took place when 5-phenylthiazolidine-2,4-diones were treated in basic media to produce phenyl-α-ketoamides in good yields. The 5-phenylthiazolidine-2,4-diones used as reactants were achieved through a rearrangement, which took place in the corresponding N-acyloxazolidinethiones.     

Stable isotope-free quantitative shotgun proteomics combined with sample pattern recognition for rapid diagnostics

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful tool for the quantitative analysis of complex protein samples. A high-throughput strategy for the comparative analysis of multiple protein samples with high complexity becomes more and more important. Two strategies, spectral count and peak intensity, for label-free MS analysis of prefractionated complex mixtures have been described recently to be useful for quantitation. Here we compare both strategies for rapid and quantitative 1-D shotgun LC/MS/MS analyses of highly complex protein mixtures using silica-based monolithic columns. First, we validated linearity and sensitivity of these methods by spiking varying amounts of an internal standard protein in a complex plant protein extract. Secondly, quantitative data of proteins of Medicago truncatula nodules were visualized with independent components analysis using data either obtained from spectral count or peak integration performed with commercial software. Spectral count showed apparent advantages over peak integration because several peptides per protein are automatically averaged, the linear dynamic range of quantitation increases in complex matrices and the number of quantified proteins surpasses the number of proteins using peak integration. Thus, for the need of rapid comparative analysis of highly complex protein samples, spectral count enables sample pattern recognition and identification of biomarkers in nongel based proteomic studies.     

Synthesis of N-substituted 2,4-thiazolidinediones from oxazolidinethiones

A novel reaction has been found between oxazolidinethione and bromoacetyl bromide to afford N-substituted 2,4-thiazolidinediones through an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction. Interestingly a step of elimination was carried out in trisubstituted oxazolidinethiones forming a double bond.     

Mild hydrothermal synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic and magnetic properties of the [M=Fe, x=2.08, y=1.58; M=Co, Ni, x=2.5, y=2] compounds

The [M=Fe (1), x=2.08, y=1.58; M=Co (2), x=2.5, y=2; Ni (3), x=2.5, y=2] compounds have been synthesized using mild hydrothermal conditions at 170 °C during five days. Single-crystals of (1) and (2), and polycrystalline sample of (3) were obtained. These isostructural compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic system, space group Aba2, with a=9.9598(2), b=18.8149(4) and c=8.5751(2) Å for (1), a=9.9142(7), b=18.570(1) and c=8.4920(5) Å for (2) and a=9.8038(2), b=18.2453(2) and c=8.4106(1) Å for (3), with Z=8 in the three phases. An X-ray diffraction study reveals that the crystal structure is composed of a three-dimensional skeleton formed by [MO₅F] and [MO₄F₂] (M=Fe, Co and Ni) octahedra and [HPO₃] tetrahedra, partially substituted by [PO₄] tetrahedra in phase (1). The IR spectra show the vibrational modes of the water molecules and those of the (HPO₃)²⁻ tetrahedral oxoanions. The thermal study indicates that the limit of thermal stability of these phases is 195 °C for (1) and 315 °C for (2) and (3). The electronic absorption spectroscopy shows the characteristic bands of the Fe(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) high-spin cations in slightly distorted octahedral geometry. Magnetic measurements indicate the existence of global antiferromagnetic interactions between the metallic centers with a ferromagnetic transition in the three compounds at 28, 14 and 21 K for (1), (2) and (3), respectively. Compound (1) exhibits a hysteresis loop with remnant magnetization and coercive field values of 0.72 emu/mol and 880 Oe, respectively.     

Al versus Si competition in FeSiAl alloys

In FeSiAl alloys, when Si substitutes for Al, important changes take place in the magnetism as well as in the structural properties. Alloys in the two composition series Fe₇₅Al_25−xSi_x (x=0, 7.5, 12.5, 17.5, 25) and Fe₇₀Al_30−xSi_x (x=0, 9, 15, 21, 30) were prepared by induction melting; afterwards they were crushed and then annealed in order to recover the DO₃ stable phase. The deformed FeAl samples show larger lattice parameters than the ordered ones; however, this difference (Δa) decreases when Si substitutes for Al until it becomes zero (i.e. until the ordered samples and the deformed ones have the same lattice parameters). This trend is the same for both sample series and does not depend on the Fe content of the alloy. However, the magnetization has a different behaviour depending on the Fe content. For deformed Fe₇₅Al_25−xSi_x alloys the saturation magnetization decreases with increasing Si content while for Fe₇₀Al_30−xSi_x deformed alloys the saturation magnetization has a plateau in which the saturation magnetization values do not vary.     

Diastereoselective alkylations of oxazolidinone vinylogous glycolates

A highly Z-selective isomerization (double bond migration) was observed when oxazolidinone vinylogous glycolate was exposed to a strong base to give N-acyl oxazolidinone, bearing an electron rich olefin. The corresponding enolate was exposed to alkyl halides to provide alkylated compounds on the γ-position with respect to OBn group, with high regioselectivity and moderate diastereoselectivity. However, the nature of the chiral oxazolidinone leads to a significant increase in the reaction diastereoselectivity. A stereospecific formation of cis-olefin was also observed in these alkylated compounds.