Effects of allylic and homoallylic substituents on the ring closing metathesis reaction used to synthesise simplified eleuthesides

During the course of our synthetic studies towards simplified eleuthesides, we have found that p-methoxyphenyl (PMP) protected allylic alcohols are compatible with the RCM reaction and can give better yields than the corresponding free allylic alcohols.     

Structural requirements in chiral diphosphine-rhodium complexes. VIII. Asymmetric hydrogenation of N-acetyldehydroamino acids with rhodium(I) complexes containing chiral carbocyclic analogues of DIOP.

Z--acetamidocinnamic acid was hydrogenated with neutral diphosphine-rhodium(I) complexes containing trans-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl) cycloalkanes to give N-acetylphenylalanine: 86 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclobutane]; 63 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclopentane]; 35 % e.e.-(S) [(1S,2S)-cyclohexane]; and 82 % e.e.-(R) [(2R,3R)-DIOP]. Similarly, -acetamidoacrylic acid was hydrogenated to give N-acetylalanine: 72 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclobutane]; 72 % e.e.-(R) [(1R,2R)-cyclopentane]; 40 % e.e.-(S) [(1S,2S)-cyclohexane]; and 73 % e.e.-(R) [(2R,3R)-DIOP].     

Cyclic PNA-based compound directed against HIV-1 TAR RNA: modelling, liquid-phase synthesis and TAR binding

A cyclic molecule including a hexameric PNA sequence has been designed and synthesized in order to target the TAR RNA loop of HIV-1 through the formation of a "kissing complex". For comparison, its linear analogue has also been investigated. The synthesis of the cyclic and linear PNA has been accomplished following a liquid-phase strategy using mixed PNA and fully N-protected (aminoethylglycinamide) fragments. The interactions of this cyclic PNA and its linear analogue with TAR RNA have been studied and the results indicate clearly that no interaction occurs between the cyclic antisense PNA and TAR RNA, whereas a tenuous interaction has been detected with its linear PNA analogue.     

Structural requirements in chiral diphosphine-rhodium complexes. VI. Inhibition of the asymmetric hydrogenation of Z-methyl-α-acetamidocinnamate catalyed by diop-rhodium catalyst in the presence of Z-adamantyl or bornyl-α-acetamidocinnamate.

The half-life period (6.6 mm.) for the hydrogenation of Z-methyl-a-acetamidocinnamate (catalyzed by a neutral DIOPRh complex) was found to be the same when the Me ester reduction was performed in the presence of equimolar quantities of the corresponding i-Pr or t-Bu ester unsaturated stbstrates. Neither the Me nor the i-Pr or t-Bu esters underwent appreciable Z,E-isomerization. The formation of N-acetylphenylalanine methyl ester product suffered inhibition when the hydrogenation reaction was performed in the presence of the corresponding bornyl or 1-adamantyl unsaturated esters (half-life period of the Me ester: 27 ~ 40 mm., respectively. The greater the inhibition of the Me ester unsaturated substrate, the more the bulky inhibitor itself underwent Z,E-isomerization. In the presence of inhibitors, the Me unsaturated substrate did not undergo appreciable Z,E-isomerization.