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Solid-phase synthesis of a farnesylated CaaX peptide library: inhibitors of the Ras CaaX endoprotease.

A solid-phase method, based on Kaiser's p-benzophenone oxime resin, was developed for the synthesis of a series of N-acetyl-S-(E, E-farnesylated) Ca(1)a(2)X tetrapeptides as potential inhibitors of recombinant Ras and a-factor converting enzyme (RCE). N-Acetyl-S-(E, E-farnesyl)-L-cysteine was coupled to resin-bound a(1)a(2) dipeptide using HOBt/DCC activation in conjunction with N-BOC chemistry. The protected farnesylated tripeptide was cleaved from the resin with simultaneous addition of the X residue by treating the resin-bound farnesylated Ca(1)a(2) tripeptide with L-amino acid benzyl ester tosylates under mildly acidic conditions. The benzyl ester was saponified, and the resulting carboxylate precipitated by ether to afford a library of tetrapeptides as a mixture of diastereomers at the cysteine center. The peptides were evaluated as inhibitors of recombinant yeast RCE endoprotease (yRCE) to obtain information about the affinity of the enzyme for the a(1)a(2)X portion of the Ca(1)a(2)X moiety.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Solid-phase directed ortho-lithiation and the preparation of a phthalide library.

An efficient solid-phase synthesis of phthalides is described in which aromatic carboxylic acids or acid chlorides and ketones are used as building blocks. The carboxylic acid or acid chloride is tethered to aminomethylated polystyrene resin, forming a secondary amide, which functions as both the linker and the directing metalation group. This allows the resin-bound benzamides to be ortho-lithiated at 0 degrees C. The ortho-lithiated species can be quenched with benzaldehydes, benzophenones, and even acetophenones, affording resin-bound alcohols. A cyclative cleavage is induced by simply warming the resin in toluene or dioxane, yielding the desired phthalide compounds in exceptionally high purity.

Journal Article↗

UPS on Weinreb resin: a facile solid-phase route to aldehyde and ketone derivatives of "unnatural" amino acids and peptides.

The solid-phase synthesis of "unnatural" amino aldehydes, amino ketones, peptide aldehydes, and peptide ketones was accomplished from commercially available resin in a series of room temperature reactions. The initial step involved addition of an "unnatural" side chain to the N-terminus of a benzophenone imine-activated Weinreb resin-bound amino acid or peptide derivative. The alkylated imine was hydrolyzed, and the amine was converted to the Boc-, Cbz-, or naphthoyl derivative. The resin-bound substrate was then cleaved with DIBAL-H or a Grignard reagent to give the amino aldehyde, amino ketone, peptide aldehyde, or peptide ketone products. Twenty-four reactions were carried out simultaneously using a "Billboard" reaction apparatus to give products in 27-87% (59% average) isolated yield.

Acylation↗

Something from "nothing"--eight weak estrogenic chemicals combined at concentrations below NOECs produce significant mixture effects.

We tested whether multicomponent mixtures of xenoestrogens would produce significant effects when each component was combined at concentrations below its individual NOEC or EC01 level. The estrogenic effects of eight chemicals of environmental relevance, including hydroxylated PCBs, benzophenones, parabenes, bisphenol A, and genistein, were recorded using a recombinant yeast estrogen screen (YES). To ensure that no chemical contributed disproportionately to the overall combination effect, a mixture was prepared at a mixture ratio proportional to the potency of each individual component. The performance of four approaches for the calculation of additive combination effects (concentration addition, toxicity equivalency factors, effect summation, and independent action) was compared. Experimental testing of the predictions revealed that concentration addition and its application, the toxicity equivalency factor approach, were valid methods for the calculation of additive mixture effects. There was excellent agreement between prediction and observation. In contrast, independent action and effect summation led to clear underestimations of the experimentally observed responses. Crucially, there were substantial mixture effects even though each chemical was present at levels well below its NOEC and EC01. We conclude that estrogenic agents are able to act together to produce significant effects when combined at concentrations below their NOECs. Our results highlight the limitations of the traditional focus on the effects of single agents. Hazard assessments that ignore the possibility of joint action of estrogenic chemicals will almost certainly lead to significant underestimations of risk.

Drug Interactions↗

Seasonal variations in concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in drinking water and reclaimed wastewater in southern California.

Southern California imports nearly all of its potable water from two sources: the Colorado River and the California State Water Project (Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin). Sewage treatment plant effluent (STPE) heavily impacts both of these sources. A survey of raw and treated drinking water from four water filtration plants in San Diego County showed the occurrence of several polar organic "pharmaceuticals and personal care products" (PPCP). These included phthalate esters, sunscreens, clofibrate, clofribric acid, ibuprofen, triclosan, and DEET. Several of these were also found in the finished water, such as di(ethylhexyl) phthalate, benzophenone, ibuprofen, and triclosan. Occurrence and concentrations of these compounds were highly seasonally dependent, and reached maximums when the flow of the San Joaquin River was low and the quantity of imported water was high. The maximum concentrations of the PPCPs measured in the raw water were correlated with low flow conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that feeds the State Water Project. The PPCP concentrations in raw imported water in the summer months approached that of reclaimed nonpotable wastewater.

California↗

Aqueous oxidation of phenylurea herbicides by triplet aromatic ketones.

Excited triplet states of dissolved natural organic matter (DOM) are important players for the transformation of organic chemical contaminants in sunlit natural waters. The present study focuses on kinetics and mechanistic aspects of the transformation of phenylurea herbicides induced by well-defined excited triplet states, which have been chosen to model DOM triplet states having oxidative character. The aromatic ketones benzophenone, 3'-methoxyacetophenone, and 2-acetonaphthone were used to photogenerate their triplet states and oxidize a series of eleven substituted phenylureas. Quenching of the excited triplet states by the phenylureas was measured using laser flash photolysis in the microsecond time domain, while the oxidation kinetics of the phenylureas was followed under steady-state irradiation. Second-order rate constants for quenching and oxidation were largely identical for a given pair of ketone and phenylurea. They reached the diffusion-controlled limit (approximately 4 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)) and decreased with increasing free energy of electron transfer from the phenylurea to the ketone triplet. These results confirm those already obtained using phenols as the substrates to be oxidized and suggest that oxidation rates are mainly determined by the bimolecular rate constant for electron transfer, a rule that can possibly be extended to various organic contaminants. A refined estimate of the effective reduction potential of DOM excited triplet states was also obtained.

Chemistry↗

Redox-induced terpyridyl substitution in the Os(VI)-hydrazido complex, trans-[Os(VI)(tpy)(Cl)(2)(NN(CH(2))(4)O)](2+).

Reaction between the Os(VI)-hydrazido complex, trans-[Os(VI)(tpy)(Cl)(2)(NN(CH(2))(4)O)](2+) (tpy = 2,2':6',2"-terpyridine and O(CH(2))(4)N(-) = morpholide), and a series of N- or O-bases gives as products the substituted Os(VI)-hydrazido complexes, trans-[Os(VI)(4'-RNtpy)(Cl)(2)(NN(CH(2))(4)O)](2+) or trans-[Os(VI)(4'-ROtpy)(Cl)(2)(NN(CH(2))(4)O)](2+) (RN(-) = anilide (PhNH(-)); S,S-diphenyl sulfilimide (Ph(2)S=N(-)); benzophenone imide (Ph(2)C=N(-)); piperidide ((CH(2))(5)N(-)); morpholide (O(CH(2))(4)N(-)); ethylamide (EtNH(-)); diethylamide (Et(2)N(-)); and tert-butylamide (t-BuNH(-)) and RO(-) = tert-butoxide (t-BuO(-)) and acetate (MeCO(2)(-)). The rate law for the formation of the morpholide-substituted complex is first order in trans-[Os(VI)(tpy)(Cl)(2)(NN(CH(2))(4)O)](2+) and second order in morpholine with k(morp)(25 degrees C, CH(3)CN) = (2.15 +/- 0.04) x 10(6) M(-)(2) s(-)(1). Possible mechanisms are proposed for substitution at the 4'-position of the tpy ligand by the added nucleophiles. The key features of the suggested mechanisms are the extraordinary electron withdrawing effect of Os(VI) on tpy and the ability of the metal to undergo intramolecular Os(VI) to Os(IV) electron transfer. These substituted Os(VI)-hydrazido complexes can be electrochemically reduced to the corresponding Os(V), Os(IV), and Os(III) forms. The Os-N bond length of 1.778(4) A and Os-N-N angle of 172.5(4) degrees in trans-[Os(VI)(4'-O(CH(2))(4)Ntpy)(Cl)(2)(NN(CH(2))(4)O)](2+) are consistent with sp-hybridization of the alpha-nitrogen of the hydrazido ligand and an Os-N triple bond. The extensive ring substitution chemistry implied for the Os(VI)-hydrazido complexes is discussed.

Journal Article↗

Optically active 4- and 5-coordinate transition metal complexes of bifurcated dipeptide Schiff bases.

Symmetrical and unsymmetrical benzophenone Schiff bases of bifurcated dipeptides [e.g., Ar2C=N-CHR1- CONH-HNCO-CHR2-N=CAr2] have been synthesized using Boc methodology. These ligands may be regarded as chiral porphyrin mimics because of the alpha-carbons of the amino acids. The Schiff bases function as effective ligands for transition metals, particularly the late transition metals Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn. Upon metal insertion, there is loss of the amide protons, resulting in N4 chelating ligands that retain the amino acid based chirality as well as newly generated metal-centered chirality, which for the Ni(II) complexes have been shown by X-ray analysis to be lambda (left-handed helix) if the amino acids are S. For Ni(II) and Cu(II), metal insertion results in highly colored complexes and is easily followed by UV-vis spectrophotometry. Several Ni(II) complexes were also characterized by 1H NMR. Co(II) and Mn(II) complexes were characterized by CW EPR. Two Cu(II) complexes, 7f.CuII and 7k.CuII, were characterized by EPR (ENDOR and ESEEM), which clearly showed the pentacoordinate nature of 7k.CuII.

Journal Article↗

Dizinc alkoxides and amides supported by binucleating bis(amidoamine) ligands.

Several new dizinc complexes that are supported by dianionic bis(amidoamine) ligands are reported. Reaction of N,N'-bis(2-dimethylaminoethyl)dibenzofuran-4,6-diamine ((Me)LH(2)) with 2 equiv of EtZn(O(i)Pr) forms the dizinc bis(alkoxide) (Me)LZn2(O(i)Pr)2 (1), which was isolated in 76% yield. Similarly, (Me)LH2 reacts cleanly with EtZn(OPh) and EtZn(OCHPh2) to form (Me)LZn2(OPh)2 (2) and (Me)LZn2(OCHPh2)2 (3), respectively. The solid-state structures of 1 and 2 feature puckered [Zn2(mu-OR)2]2+ cores, with short intermetal separations (2.81-2.88 Angstroms). Overall, the molecules have approximate (noncrystallographic) C2v symmetry. The use of the more-hindered (i)Pr-substituted ligand N,N'-bis(2-diisopropylaminoethyl)dibenzofuran-4,6-diamine (i(Pr)LH2) to prepare zinc alkoxides gave similar results. Thus, reaction of i(Pr)LH2 with 2 equiv of EtZn(OPh), EtZn(OMe), EtZn(OCHPh2), and EtZn(OCH2Ph) forms i(Pr)LZn2(OPh)2 (4), i(Pr)LZn2(OMe)2 (5), i(Pr)LZn2(OCHPh2)2 (6), and i(Pr)LZn2(OCH2Ph)2 (7), respectively (isolated yields 48-63%). At 70 degrees C, C6D6 solutions of 6 undergo beta-hydride transfer with 2 equiv of benzaldehyde to form 7 and benzophenone in quantitative yield (according to 1H NMR spectroscopy). Benzene solutions of 1 react with 1 equiv of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (Me3SiOTf) to form (Me)LZn2(O(i)Pr)(OTf) (8) in 70% isolated yield. In the solid state, 8 features a bridging alkoxide donor as well as a 1,3-bridging triflate group. The previously reported dinuclear organozinc species (Me)LZn2Ph2 (9) reacts with 1 equiv of tert-butylamine to form the protonolysis product (Me)LZn2(Ph)(NH(t)Bu) (10) in 66% isolated yield. The solid-state structure of 10 (two independent molecules) reveals a somewhat asymmetric [Zn2(mu-Ph)(mu-NH(t)Bu)]2+ core with short Zn-Zn separations [2.6761(5) and 2.6518(5) Angstroms]. In CD2Cl2 solution, the Ph bridge of 10 undergoes rapid reversible cleavage. Cleavage of this bridging interaction followed by rotation about the Zn-Ph bond and re-formation of the bridging interaction results in exchange of the inequivalent ortho (and meta) protons of the phenyl ligand. Variable-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopic data indicate that this exchange occurs with DeltaG = 12.7(1) kcal.mol(-1) (-27 degrees C). At 75 degrees C, toluene solutions of (Me)LH2 react with 2 equiv of EtZnNH(t)Bu to form the dizinc bis(amido) product (Me)LZn2(NH(t)Bu)2 (11) in 46% isolated yield. The solid-state structure of 11 (two independent molecules) features a puckered and fairly symmetric [Zn2(mu-NH(t)Bu)2]2+ core with short intermetal separations [2.775(1), 2.760(1) Angstroms].

Journal Article↗

Oxidation-active flavin models: oxidation of alpha-hydroxy acids by benzo-dipteridine bearing metal-binding site in the presence of divalent metal ion and base in organic solvents.

The oxidizing ability of benzo-dipteridine bearing a bipyridin-6-ylmethyl moiety (4) was found to be increased with Zn(2+) by approximately 10(3)-fold for sulfite addition in MeOH and approximately 10(2)-fold for oxidation of an NADH model in MeCN. It was found for the first time that 4 is able to oxidize alpha-hydroxy acids to alpha-keto acids in the presence of a divalent metal ion such as Zn(2+), Co(2+), and Ni(2+) and an amine base in MeCN or t-BuOH, whereas benzo-dipteridine having a bipyridin-5-ylmethyl moiety (3) is unable to oxidize them under the same conditions. The oxidation reaction was kinetically investigated including the kinetic isotope effect for deuterated mandelic acids (k(H)/k(D) = 2.1-3.7) and the Hammett plots for substituted mandelic acids (V-shaped plots). In the reaction of alpha-substituted alpha-hydroxy acids such as alpha-methyl mandelic and benzylic acids with 4, novel oxidative decarboxylation was found to take place, giving acetophenone and benzophenone, respectively. The oxidation mechanism for mandelic acid was proposed to proceed via a ternary complex of 4.Zn(2+).PhCH(OH)CO(2)(-), in which alpha-oxyanion of mandelate attacks C(4a)-position of 4 to form an adduct followed by 1,2-elimination to afford benzoyl formate and 2e-reduced 4. The roles of the metal ion were proposed as follows; (i) activation of 4, (ii) substrate-binding site, and (iii) activation of the bound alpha-hydroxy acid by lowering pK(a)'s of alpha-OH and alpha-CH. This is a first example that a flavin model oxidizes alpha-hydroxy acids in the presence of a metal ion.

Journal Article↗

Synthesis, structure, and reactions of (acylimino)triaryl-lambda(5)-bismuthanes: first comparative study of the (acylimino)pnictorane series.

The synthesis, structure, and reactions of (acylimino)triaryl-lambda(5)-bismuthanes and a comparative study of the structure and reactivity of a series of (acylimino)pnictoranes are reported. Treatment of ortho-substituted triarylbismuth dichlorides 1 (Ar(3)BiCl(2); Ar = 2-MeC(6)H(4), 2-MeOC(6)H(4), 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)) with amides 2 (H(2)NCOR; R = CF(3), CCl(3), 3,5-(CF(3))(2)C(6)H(3)) in the presence of 2.2 equiv of KO-t-Bu in dichloromethane afforded (acylimino)triaryl-lambda(5)-bismuthanes 3 (Ar(3)Bi=NCOR) in yields of 77-96%. The ortho-substituted aryl ligands and the electron-withdrawing N-substituents afford kinetic and thermodynamic stabilization, respectively, to the reactive Bi=N bond. The structures and properties of a series of (acylimino)pnictoranes (Ar(3)M=NCOR and H(3)M=NCOCF(3); M = P, As, Sb, Bi) are compared by IR and (13)C and (15)N NMR, X-ray crystallography, and ab initio molecular orbital calculations. It was found that the contribution of the M(+)-N=C-O(-) canonical form becomes more prominent and the single-bond character of the M=N bond increases progressively as the pnictogen atom becomes heavier. The Bi=N bond of (acylimino)-lambda(5)-bismuthanes 3 possesses a highly polarized single-bond character, probably due to the differences in orbital size and electronegativity between the bismuth and nitrogen atoms. Thermal decomposition of (aroylimino)triaryl-lambda(5)-bismuthane 3f (o-Tol(3)Bi=NCOAr; Ar = 3,5-(CF(3))(2)C(6)H(3)) produces a gel in dry conditions or aniline 12 (ArNH(2)) in slightly wet conditions with a good recovery of tris(2-methylphenyl)bismuthane (4a). It is likely that the aryl isocyanate 13 (ArNCO) is produced during the thermolysis via a concerted C --> N migration of the Ar group with an elimination of the triarylbismuthonio group as bismuthane 4a. (Acylimino)triaryl-lambda(5)-bismuthanes 3 oxidize 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethanediol, benzenethiol, methanol, and ethanol to benzophenone, diphenyl disulfide, methyl formate, and acetaldehyde, respectively, in two different reaction pathways depending on the structure of the substrates. Compound 3d (o-Tol(3)Bi=NCOCCl(3)) transfers the nitrenoid moiety to triphenylphosphane, triphenylarsane, and tris(2-methylphenyl)stibane to give the corresponding (acylimino)pnictoranes (Ar(3)M=NCOCl(3); M = P, As, Sb) and 4a, suggesting that 3d is thermodynamically much less stable than their lighter pnictogen counterparts. The copper-catalyzed decomposition of 3 (o-Tol(3)Bi=NCOR) afforded N-acyl-o-toluidines 18 (o-TolNHCOR) via a Bi --> N migration of the tolyl group. The observed reactivities of (acylimino)triaryl-lambda(5)-bismuthanes 3 demonstrate a good leaving ability of the bismuthonio group.

Journal Article↗

Hydrogenation without a transition-metal catalyst: on the mechanism of the base-catalyzed hydrogenation of ketones.

The hydrogenation of unsaturated organic substrates such as olefins and ketones is usually effected by homogeneous or heterogeneous transition-metal catalysts. On the other hand, a single case of a transition-metal-free and purely base-catalyzed hydrogenation of ketones was reported by Walling and Bollyky some 40 years ago. Unfortunately, the harsh reaction conditions (ca. 200 degrees C, >100 bar H(2), potassium tert-butoxide as base) limit the substrate spectrum of this reaction to robust, nonenolizable ketones such as benzophenone. We herein present a mechanistic study of this process as a basis for future rational improvement. The base-catalyzed hydrogenation of ketones was found to be irreversible, and it shows first-order kinetics with respect to the substrate ketone, hydrogen, and catalytic base. The rate of the reaction depends on the type of alkali ion present (Cs > Rb - K >> Na >> Li). Using D(2) instead of H(2) revealed a rapid base-catalyzed isotope exchange/equilibration between the gas phase and the solvent as a concomitant reaction. The degree of deuteration of the product alcohols did not indicate a significant kinetic isotope effect. It is proposed that both ketone reduction and isotope exchange proceed via similar six-membered cyclic transition states involving the H(2)(D(2))-molecule, the alkoxide base, and the ketone (solvent alcohol in the case of isotope exchange). Mechanistic analogies are pointed out which apparently exist between the base-catalyzed hydrogenation of ketones studied here and the Ru-catalyzed asymmetric ketone hydrogenation developed by Noyori. In both cases, heterolysis of the hydrogen molecule appears to be assisted by a Brønsted-base (i.e., alkoxide), the latter being bound to the substrate ketone or the catalyst ligand, respectively, by a bridging Lewis-acidic alkali ion.

Journal Article↗

Unusual temperature dependence in the cis/trans-oxetane formation discloses competitive syn versus anti attack for the Paternò-Büchi reaction of triplet-excited ketones with cis- and trans-cylooctenes. Conformational control of diastereoselectivity in the cyclization and cleavage of preoxetane diradicals.

Toluene-d(8) solutions of cis- and trans-cyclooctene (cis- and trans-1a) as well as (Z)- and (E)-1-methylcyclooctene (cis- and trans-1b) have been irradiated at temperatures between -95 and +110 degrees C in the presence of benzophenone (BP) to afford mixtures of the cis- and trans-configured oxetanes 2a,b and the regioisomeric 2b'. Correspondingly, benzoquinone (BQ) gave with cis- and trans-1a the cycloadducts cis- and trans-3a. The cis/trans diastereomeric ratios of the [2 + 2]-cycloadducts 2 and 3 display a strong temperature dependence; with cis- and trans-1a or cis-1b as starting materials, the diastereoselectivity of the oxetane formation is high at low temperature, under preservation of the initial cyclooctene configuration. With increasing temperature, the cis diastereoselectivity decreases continuously for the cis-cyclooctenes; in the case of the cis-1a, the diastereoselectivity is even switched to trans (cis/trans ca. 20:80) at very high temperatures. For the strained trans-1a, the trans-oxetanes are strongly preferred over the entire temperature range, with only minor leakage (up to 10%) to the cis-oxetanes at very high temperatures. Oxetane formation is accompanied by nonthermal trans-to-cis isomerization of the cyclooctene. The methyl-substituted trans-1b constitutes an exceptional substrate; it displays cis diastereoselectivity in the [2 + 2] photocycloaddition at low temperatures for both regioisomers 2b and 2b', and the trans selectivity increases at moderate temperature (cis/trans = 4:96), to decrease again at high temperature, especially for the minor regioisomer 2b'. This complex temperature behavior of the cis/trans diastereoselectivity may be rationalized in terms of the triplet-diradical mechanism of the Paternò-Büchi reaction. We propose that the cyclooctene may be competitively attacked by the triplet-excited ketone from the higher (syn) or the less (anti) substituted side; such syn and anti trajectories have hitherto not been considered. To account for the unusual temperature behavior in the diastereoselectivity of the present [2 + 2] photocycloaddition, we suggest that temperature-dependent conformational changes of the resulting triplet preoxetane diradicals compete with their cyclization to the cis/trans-oxetane diastereomers and retro cleavage to the cis-cyclooctene.

Journal Article↗

Oxygen transfer from sulfoxides: oxidation of alkylarenes catalyzed by a polyoxomolybdate, [PMo12O40]3-.

The polyoxomolydate of the Keggin structure, PMo12O403-, catalyzes, under anaerobic conditions, oxygen transfer from sulfoxides to alkylarenes such as xanthene and diphenylmethane to yield xanthen-9-one and benzophenone, respectively. With use of 17O and 18O labeled phenylmethylsulfoxide it was shown that the sulfoxide is complexed by the polyoxometalate and the oxygen is transferred from the sulfoxide to the alkylarene. There is a good correlation between the reaction rate and the heterolytic benzylic C-H bond energy indicating a hydride transfer reaction from the alkylarene to the polyoxometalate-sulfoxide complex. In the case of triphenylmethane the resulting carbocation reacts to yield 9-phenylfluorene as the major product. The reaction kinetics supports such a reaction pathway.

Catalysis↗

Design of N-spiro C2-symmetric chiral quaternary ammonium bromides as novel chiral phase-transfer catalysts: synthesis and application to practical asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino acids.

A series of C(2)-symmetric chiral quaternary ammonium bromides 10 and 11 have been designed as a new, purely synthetic chiral phase-transfer catalyst, and readily prepared from commercially available optically pure 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol as a basic chiral unit. The details of the synthetic procedures of each requisite chiral binaphthyl subunit have been disclosed, and the structures of the assembled N-spiro chiral quaternary ammonium bromides 11a and 11f were unequivocally determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The reactivity and selectivity of these chiral ammonium bromides as chiral phase-transfer catalysts have been evaluated in the asymmetric alkylation of the benzophenone Schiff base of glycine ester 7 under mild liquid-liquid phase-transfer conditions, and the optimization of the reaction variables (solvent, base, and temperature) has also been conducted. Further, the scope and limitations of this asymmetric alkylation have been thoroughly investigated with a variety of alkyl halides, in which the advantage of the unique N-spiro structure of 11 and dramatic effect of the steric as well as the electronic properties of the aromatic substituents on the 3,3'-position of one binaphthyl moiety have been particularly emphasized. Finally, the potential synthetic utility of the present method for the practical asymmetric synthesis of structurally diverse natural and unnatural alpha-amino acids has been demonstrated by its successful application to the facile asymmetric syntheses of (S)-N-acetylindoline-2-carboxylate, a key intermediate in the synthesis of the ACE inhibitor, and l-Dopa (l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) ester and its analogue.

Amino Acids↗

A general, highly enantioselective method for the synthesis of D and L alpha-amino acids and allylic amines.

Catalytic and enantioselective synthesis of amino acids is a subject of intense interest in the field of asymmetric catalysis. Traditionally, researchers have concentrated their efforts largely on the design and discovery of enantiopure catalysts for the Strecker reaction, alkylation of tert-butyl gylcinate-benzophenone, electrophilic amination of carbonyl compounds, and hydrogenation of N-acyl-aminoacrylic acid; however, the scope of these reactions is limited. In this paper, we report on a different approach to amino acids based on an expeditious route to enantiopure allylic amines. A highly enantioselective and catalytic vinylation of aldehydes leads to allylic alcohols that are then transformed to the allylic amines via Overman's [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of imidates. Oxidative cleavage of the allylic amines furnishes the amino acids in good yields and excellent ee's. The scope and utility of this method are demonstrated by the synthesis of challenging allylic amines and their subsequent transformation to valuable nonproteinogenic amino acids, including both D and L configured (1-adamantyl)glycine.

Alcohols↗

Tuning copper-dioxygen reactivity and exogenous substrate oxidations via alterations in ligand electronics.

Copper(I)-dioxygen adducts are important in biological and industrial processes. For the first time we explore the relationship between ligand electronics, CuI-O2 adduct formation and exogenous substrate reactivity. The copper(I) complexes [CuI(R-MePY2)]+ (1R, where R = Cl, H, MeO, Me2N) were prepared; where R-MePY2 are 4-pyridyl substituted bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]methylamine chelates. Both the redox potential of 1R (ranging from E1/2 = -270 mV for 1Cl to -440 mV for 1MeN vs FeCp2/FeCp2+) and nuCO of the CO adducts of 1R (ranging from 2093 cm-1 for 1Cl-CO to 2075 cm-1 for 1Me2N-CO) display modest but expected systematic shifts. Dioxygen readily reacts with 1H, 1MeO, and 1Me2N, forming the side-on peroxo-CuII2 complexes [{CuII(R-MePY2)}2(O2)]2+ (2R, also containing some bis-mu-oxo-CuIII2 isomer), but there is no reaction with 1Cl. Stopped-flow studies in dichloromethane show that the formation of 2Me2N from dioxygen and 1Me2N proceeds with a k = 8.2(6) x 104 M-2 s-1 (183 K, DeltaH = -20.3(6) kJ mol-1, DeltaS = -219(3) J mol-1 K-1). Solutions of 2R readily oxidize exogenous substrates (9,10-dihydroanthracene --> anthracene, tetrahydrofuran (THF) --> 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran (THF-OH), N,N-dimethylaniline --> N-methylaniline and formaldehyde, benzyl alcohol --> benzaldehyde, benzhydrol --> benzophenone, and methanol --> formaldehyde), forming the bis-mu-hydroxo-CuII2 complexes [{CuII(R-MePY2)(OH)}2]2+ (3R). Product yields increase as the R-group is made more electron-donating, and in some cases are quantitative with 2Me2N. Pseudo-first-order rate constants for THF and methanol oxidation reactions demonstrate a remarkable R-group dependence, again favoring the strongest ligand donor (i.e., R = Me2N). For THF oxidation to THF-OH a nearly 1500-fold increase in reaction rate is observed (kobs = 2(1) x 10-5 s-1 for 2H to 3(1) x 10-2 s-1 for 2Me2N), while methanol oxidation to formaldehyde exhibits an approximately 2000-fold increase (kobs = 5(1) x 10-5 s-1 for 2H to 1(1) x 10-1 s-1 for 2Me2N).

Copper↗

A terminal and four-coordinate titanium alkylidene prepared by oxidatively induced alpha-hydrogen abstraction.

One-electron oxidation of the beta-diketiminate titanium(III) bis-neopentyl complex (Nacnac)Ti(CH2tBu)2 (Nacnac = [Ar]NC(Me)CHC(Me)N[Ar], Ar = 2,6-(CHMe2)2C6H3) promotes alpha-abstraction to afford the rare and terminal four-coordinate neopentylidene (Nacnac)Ti=CHtBu(OTf), which was structurally characterized. Alkylidene (Nacnac)Ti=CHtBu(OTf) reacts cleanly with benzophenone and the imine functionality of the Nacnac ligand to afford the corresponding Wittig-type products.

Journal Article↗