A short synthesis of koniamborine, a naturally occurring pyrano[3,2-b]indole

An expedient synthesis of the alkaloid koniamborine, the only to date isolated naturally occurring pyrano[3,2-b]indole is presented. The key pyrano[3,2-b]indole forming step is a palladium-catalyzed reductive N-heteroannulation of 2-(4-methoxy-2-nitrophenyl)-(4H)-pyrane-4-one.     

Magnetic alignment of aqueous CTAB in nematic and hexagonal liquid crystalline phases investigated by spin-1 NMR

Spin-1 NMR has been used to characterize the magnetically aligned nematic and hexagonal liquid crystalline phases of aqueous cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). A nematic/hexagonal biphasic region has been identified for the first time in this system. The nematic phase is characterized by an order parameter of smaller magnitude and greater temperature dependence. Magnetic alignment kinetic rates of the two phases differ greatly, with the nematic phase showing magnetic alignment much faster than the hexagonal phase. Equilibration has been monitored over time by measuring the change in quadrupole splitting as a function of temperature. As the sample equilibrates the temperature dependence of the splitting decreases logarithmically. This work also demonstrates how the phase and order of the liquid crystal can be manipulated during the early part of equilibration.     

Effects of electronically neutral impurities on muonium in germanium

Low-temperature measurements of muonium parameters in various germanium crystals have been performed. We have measured crystals with different levels of neutral impurities, with and without dislocations, and with different annealing histories. The most striking result is the apparent trapping of Mu by silicon impurities in germanium.     

Use of region II of the a/q stability diagram for fast scanning of a linear quadrupole mass spectrometer

For evaluation as a detector for high-speed gas chromatography, a linear quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in rf only mode by using Region II (a = 0; 7.514 < q < 7.580) of the Mathieu a/q stability diagram. The available power supply and the diameter of the quadrupole rods of the mass spectrometer placed an upper mass limit of ～ m/z 93. Scan rates of 1000 scans/s were obtained with mass spectral peaks resolved over an 80-u range The m/z 91 and 92 ions produced from the electron ionization of toluene are resolved with an R _1/2 of 135. A potential difference between the source and the quadruple mass filter of up to 1000 V was used to accelerate ions into the quadrupole. Broadening of mass-to-charge ratio peaks results from the time constant of the signal amplification rather than the small number of rf cycles the ions experience. The expected loss of sensitivity relative to Region I is observed, and the problem of mass aliasing is discussed.     

An expedient synthesis of salviadione

An expedient synthesis of the alkaloid salviadione, the only to date isolated naturally occurring 1H-benzo[def]carbazole is described. The key step in the synthesis is a palladium-catalyzed, carbon monoxide-mediated reductive N-heterocyclization of a nitroarene with an adjacent alkene.     

Attempted synthesis of 3-hydroxy-2-octadecylindole. Proposed structural revision of previously prepared 3-hydroxy-2-octadecylindole and a proposed structure of fistulosin

A synthetic route to 3-hydroxy-2-octadecylindole, the putative structure of the novel indole alkaloid fistulosin, starting from 2-nitro-1-iodobenzene was examined. Key steps include formation of a 1-stannylsubstituted 1-methoxy-1-alkene from a Fischer chromium carbene, intermolecular Kosugi-Migita-Stille coupling, and a palladium-catalyzed reductive N-heteroannulation. Demethylation of 3-methoxy-2-octadecylindole, a possible immediate precursor to 3-hydroxy-2-octadecylindole, was unsuccessful and gave instead methyl 2-(1-oxononadecanyl)aminobenzoate. The structure of the isolated alkaloid was suggested to be 2-(1-oxooctadecanyl)aminobenzoate by comparison of analytical data with a synthetic sample. In addition, oxidation of 2-octadecylindole gave a 2,2′-dimer, a compound identical to previously prepared 3-hydroxy-2-octadecylindole.     

Ring-chain tautomerism in solid-phase erythromycin A: evidence by solid-state NMR

Chemical shift modeling, utilizing the DFT B3LYP/D95** method, provides the spectral assignment of the 35 visible 13C resonances from the solid-phase erythromycin A dihydrate. A new resonance at 110.8ppm is observed in the high-resolution 13C CP/MAS spectrum upon the application of heat or sample desiccation. With the use of the dipolar-dephasing spectral editing technique, this resonance is identified as a hemiketal carbon and the alternative hypothesis, a conformational change to the anomeric carbon of the desosamine sugar, is ruled out. Hence, the formation of a cyclic hemiketal in erythromycin A while in the solid phase is proven by solid-state NMR. The principal components of the 13C chemical-shift tensor corresponding to this hemiketal are reported. This is the first measurement of hemiketal 13C principal values. The delta11 and delta22 components are unique compared to anomeric carbon values reported in the literature.