One-pot Three-component Condensation Reactions in Water. An Efficient and Improved Procedure for the Synthesis of Furan Annulated Heterocycles

Summary. The environment-friendly one-pot three-component condensation reactions of 4-hydroxycoumarin or 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyrone, p-substituted benzaldehyde, and alkyl or aryl isocyanides to afford furocoumarines or furopyranones in water in good yields after about one hour at 75°C are reported.     

Theoretical studies on tautomerism of imidazole-2-selenone

The tautomerism of all possible forms of imidazole selenone (ISe1–ISe6), induced by proton transfer was studied theoretically in different environments including gas phase, continuum solvent, and microhydrated environment with one explicit water molecule. The calculations were performed at the MP2 and CAM-B3LYP levels of theory, separately. It was found that the imidazole selenone, in the form of ISe3, is the most stable isomer in both gas phase and solvent. The activation energy for conversion of ISe3 to imidazole selenol (ISe6), as the second stable form, is 41.72 and 43.0 kcal/mol in the gas phase and water, respectively. The infrared spectral frequencies as well as the vibrational frequency shifts were reported and assigned to their corresponding vibrational modes. In addition, the variation of dipole moments and charges on the atoms with change of solvent was studied. The energies of HOMO, LUMO, and HOMO–LUMO gap were calculated in both gas phase and solvent. Specific solvent effects with addition of water molecule near the electrophilic centers of tautomers and the transition states of proton transfer, assisted by water molecule, were investigated. It was found that the water molecule can form different hydrogen bonds with the molecule. Aggregation of the isomers with water molecule does not change the order of stability of isomers, but proton transfer reaction assisted by a water molecule needs less energy than when the proton shifts through the intramolecular process.     

One-pot synthesis of 5-(furo[3,4-b]chromenyl)-5-hydroxybarbiturates via a three-component cascade reaction

A three-component domino reaction between a 3-formylchromone, an isocyanide, and 1,3-dimethylalloxan which affords novel 5-(furo[3,4-b]chromenyl)-5-hydroxybarbiturate derivatives is reported. The reaction sequence consists of an initial [4+1] cycloaddition followed by an activated electrophilic heteroaromatic substitution on the furan ring to afford the products. This novel cascade reaction sequence represents an atom-economic route to biologically interesting molecules.     

Selective complexation of alkali metal ions and nanotubular cyclopeptides: a DFT study

A density functional theory based on interaction of alkali metal cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺ and Cs⁺) with cyclic peptides constructed from 3 or 4 alanine molecule (CyAla3 and CyAla4), has been investigated using mixed basis set (C, H, O, Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ using 6-31+G(d), and the heavier cations: Rb⁺ and Cs⁺ using LANL2DZ). The minimum energy structures, binding energies, and various thermodynamic parameters of free ligands and their metal cations complexes have been determined with B3LYP and CAM-B3LYP functionals. The order of interaction energies were found to be Li⁺ > K⁺ > Na⁺ > Rb⁺ > Cs⁺ and Li⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺ ? Rb⁺ > Cs⁺, calculated at CAM-B3LYP level for the M/CyAla3 and M/CyAla4 complexes, respectively. Their selectivity trend shows that the highest cation selectivity for Li⁺ over other alkali metal ions has been achieved on the basis of thermodynamic analysis. The main types of driving force host–guest interactions are investigated, the electron-donating O offers lone pair electrons to the contacting LP* of alkali metal cations.     

Reaction between alkyl isocyanides and 3-formylchromones in the presence of monocyclic unsaturated acyl compounds: Competition between Friedel-Crafts acylation and Diels-Alder cycloaddition

The highly reactive alkylaminofurochromenone intermediate, produced from the reaction between 3-formylchromones and alkyl isocyanides, was trapped by monocyclic unsaturated acyl compounds such as maleic anhydride or maleimide derivatives to yield new types of organic fluorophores 4-(alkylamino)-1H-furo[3,4-b]xanthene-1,3,10-triones or 4-(alkylamino)chromeno[2,3-f]isoindole-1,3,10(2H)-triones, which exhibited strong sky blue emission in solution. The reaction is very simple from an experimental point-of-view and allows the creation of a fused benzene ring with concomitant formation of three new C–C bonds in a single operation.     

RAFT-mediated emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate: a challenge towards producing high molecular weight poly(vinyl acetate)

The preparation of poly(vinyl acetate) with well-controlled structure has received a great deal of interest in recent years because of a large number of developments in living radical polymerization techniques. Among these techniques, the use of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerization has been employed for the controlled polymerization of vinyl acetate due to the high susceptibility of this monomer towards chain transfer reactions. Here, a novel water-soluble N,N-dialkyl dithiocarbamate RAFT agent has been prepared and employed in the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate. The kinetic results reveal that the polymerization nucleation mechanism changes from homogeneous to micellar and RAFT-generated radicals can change the kinetic behavior from conventional emulsion polymerization to living radical polymerization. At higher concentrations of the modified RAFT agent, as a result of an aqueous phase reaction between RAFT and sulfate radicals, relatively more hydrophobic radicals are generated, which favors entry and propagation into micelles swollen with monomer. This observation was determined from the investigation of the polymerization rate and measurements of the average particle diameter and the number of particles per liter of the aqueous phase. Molecular weight analysis also demonstrated the participation of the RAFT agent in the polymerization in such a way as to restrict chain transfer reactions. This was determined by examining the evolution of polymer chain length and attaining higher molecular weights, even up to 50?% greater than the samples obtained from the conventional emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate in the absence of the synthesized modified RAFT agent.     

Aryloxy tetrazoles with axial chirality: Synthesis and partial resolution of 5‐(1‐(2‐methoxynaphthalen‐1‐yl)naphthalen‐2‐yloxy)‐1H‐tetrazole

5‐(1‐(2‐Methoxynaphthalen‐1‐yl)naph‐ thalen‐2‐yloxy)‐1H‐tetrazole as the first aryloxy tetrazole with axial chirality was synthesized. Partial resolution was achieved using (S)‐proline and methylbenzylamine as the resolving agents. Best results were obtained using methylbenzylamine with 75–85% ee. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 17:416–419, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20241     

Facile synthesis of oxaspirobicyclic butenolides via a domino Michael addition/aldol reaction/γ-lactonization sequence

A three-component domino reaction approach between a primary amine, a dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and 1,3-dimethylalloxan that affords novel oxaspirobicyclic γ-butenolidobarbiturate derivatives is reported. The reaction sequence consists of an initial Michael-addition of primary amines to dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates, followed by aldol-like reaction with 1,3-dimethylalloxan, and then γ-lactonization to afford the products. This cascade reaction sequence represents a rapid and unprecedented route to the described biologically interesting molecules.