Novel Z-selective head-to-head dimerization of terminal alkynes catalyzed by lanthanide half-metallocene complexes

Various terminal alkynes have been cleanly dimerized into the corresponding head-to-head (Z)-enynes by use of the half-metallocene lutetium alkyl complexes Me2Si(C5Me4)(NAr)Lu(CH2SiMe3)(THF) (Ar = Ph, C6H3Me2-2,6, C6H2Me3-2,4,6) as catalysts. Aromatic C-Cl, C-Br, and C-I bonds, which are known to be extremely susceptible to reductive cleavage by transition metals, survived in the present reactions. The corresponding dimeric alkynide species [Me2Si(C5Me4)(NAr)Lu(mu-CCR)]2 are thought to be the true catalysts, some of which have been isolated and structurally characterized. These alkynide species were thermally stable and soluble at the reaction temperatures (80-110 degrees C), but they precipitated upon cooling to room temperature after completion of the reaction. Therefore, this catalyst system works homogeneously but can be separated and reused, thus constituting the first example of a recyclable catalyst system for the dimerization of terminal alkynes and also the first example of (Z)-selective head-to-head dimerization of aromatic terminal alkynes.     

The acid-catalyzed rearrangement of 1-N-allylindolines

Zinc chloride-catalyzed rearrangement of 1-N-allylindoline and 1-N-(2-methylallyl)indoline proceeds readily in refluxing xylene to give 7-allylindoline and 7-(2-methylallyl)indoline in 73% and 86% yields, respectively. The reaction of 1-N-2-butenylindoline and zinc chloride give rise to the mixture of 7-(1-methylallyl)indoline, 7-(cis- and trans-1-methyl-1-propenyl)indoline, and 7-(trans-2-butenyl)indoline. On the other hand, the similar reaction of 1-N-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)indoline with zinc chloride led to the formation of a mixture of 1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-4,4-dimethyl-4H-pyrrolo[3,2,1-ij]quinoline and 7-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)indoline.     

Synthesis and complexing properties of bis-crown ethers incorporating benzo-15-crown-5 and metallocene

Bis-crown ethers in which the benzo-15-crown-5 units were linked to 1,1′-positions of metallocene (M = Fe or Ru) with amide, ester, or ? C? C? bonds were synthesized. Complexing ability of the compounds with alkali, alkali earth, and transition metal cations were measured by the solvent extraction method. The results showed that these crown ethers had high affinity toward alkali metal cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and Rb⁺) and heavy-metal cations (Ag⁺ and Tl⁺). The difference of complexing ability for metal cations between ferrocene and ruthenocene derivatives could not be detected significantly. The extractability of metallocene-bis-crown ethers for metal cations was more larger than that of the corresponding mono-crown ethers, and irregular increments of extractability were explained by assuming the existence of a mixture of 1:1 and 2:1 complexes.     

A regiocontrolled synthesis of substituted indoles by palladium-catalyzed coupling of 2-bromonitrobenzenes and 2-bromoacetanilides

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of 2-bromonitrobenzenes or 2-bromoacetanilides with ethylene has been used to produce a variety of substituted indoles. The mild reaction conditions and selectivity inherent in the coupling reaction have been utilized to produce regiochemically pure 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-substituted indoles.     

Global solvability for the Kirchhoff equations in exterior domains of dimension three

We consider the initial (boundary) value problem for the Kirchhoff equations in exterior domains or in the whole space of dimension three, and show that these problems admit time-global solutions, provided the norms of the initial data in the usual Sobolev spaces of appropriate order are sufficiently small. We obtain uniform estimates of the L¹(R) norms with respect to time variable at each point in the domain, of solutions of initial (boundary) value problem for the linear wave equations. We then show that the estimates above yield the unique global solvability for the Kirchhoff equations.     

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of indoles from 2-nitrostyrenes

In the presence of palladium salts, oxidation of 2-nitrostyrenes 1 with nitrous acid alkyl esters 2 resulted in the formation of 2-nitrophenylacetaldehyde dialkyl acetals 3. Reductive cyclization of the acetals 3 with iron powder in acetic acid afforded indoles 5 in good yield.     

Photoinduced nitric oxide release from a nitrobenzene derivative in mitochondria

We report a novel NO donor (RpNO), containing a 2,6-dimethylnitrobenzene moiety for photocontrollable NO release and a rhodamine moiety for targeting to mitochondria. Photorelease of NO from RpNO in aqueous solution was confirmed by means of ESR analysis. Cellular release of NO from RpNO was confirmed with the aid of DAF-FM DA, an NO-specific fluorescence probe. RpNO was colocalized with MitoTracker Green FM, a mitochondrial stain, in HCT116 colon cancer cells and exhibited photodependent cytotoxicity. Our results indicate that RpNO is an effective NO donor for time-controlled, mitochondria-specific NO treatment.     

Enzymatic resolution of flavanone oximes

The optically active (R)- and (S)-flavanones were prepared by an enzymatically enantioselective hydrolysis of (±)-flavanone oxime O-acylates employing lipases, followed by hydrolysis with acid.