Palladium-catalyzed arylation of malonates and cyanoesters using sterically hindered trialkyl- and ferrocenyldialkylphosphine ligands

Palladium-catalyzed reactions of aryl bromides and chlorides with two common stabilized carbanions-enolates of dialkyl malonates and alkyl cyanoesters-are reported. An exploration of the scope of these reactions was conducted, and the processes were shown to occur in a general fashion. Using P(t-Bu)(3) (1), the pentaphenylferrocenyl ligand (Ph(5)C(5))Fe(C(5)H(4))P(t-Bu)(2) (2), or the adamantyl ligand (1-Ad)P(t-Bu)(2) (3), reactions of electron-poor and electron-rich, sterically hindered and unhindered aryl bromides and chlorides were shown to react with diethyl malonate, di-tert-butyl malonate, diethyl fluoromalonate, ethyl cyanoacetate, and ethyl phenylcyanoacetate. Although alkyl malonates and ethyl alkylcyanoacetates did not react with aryl halides using these catalysts, the same products were formed conveniently in one pot from diethylmalonate by cross-coupling of an aryl halide in the presence of excess base and subsequent alkylation.

Air-stable trialkylphosphonium salts: simple, practical, and versatile replacements for air-sensitive trialkylphosphines. Applications in stoichiometric and catalytic processes

Trialkylphosphines furnish unusual, sometimes unique, reactivity in a range of transformations. Unfortunately, their utility is compromised by their sensitivity to oxidation. We have examined a simple but powerful strategy for addressing this problem: convert air-sensitive trialkylphosphines into air-stable phosphonium salts via protonation on phosphorus. These robust salts serve as direct replacements for the corresponding phosphines (simple deprotonation under the reaction conditions by a Brønsted base liberates the trialkylphosphine) in a diverse set of applications. [reaction: see text]

Highly enantioselective Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation based on phosphine-phosphite ligands derived from carbohydrates

A new class of efficient catalysts was developed for the asymmetric hydrogenation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid derivatives by synthesizing a series of novel phosphine-phosphite ligands (4a-d) derived from readily available D-(+)-xylose. Excellent enantioselectivities (> 99%) were achieved under very mild reaction conditions (1 bar H(2) and 20 degrees C). Varying the biphenyl substituents in the phosphite moiety greatly affected the enantioselectivity in the hydrogenation reactions. The results also indicate that the sense of enantioselectivity is mainly controlled by the configuration of the phosphite moiety. (31)P[(1)H] NMR and kinetic studies on intermediates of the catalytic cycle show that the [Rh(P(1)-P(2))(enamide)]BF(4) species is the resting state and that the rate dependence is first order in rhodium and hydrogen pressure and zero order in enamide concentration.

A surprisingly mild and versatile method for palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-couplings of aryl chlorides in the presence of a triarylphosphine

In the presence of new air-stable triarylphosphine 2, palladium-catalyzed Suzuki reactions of a wide array of aryl chlorides can be accomplished in uniformly good yield, including couplings of very sterically demanding and electronically deactivated substrates; activated aryl chlorides can be coupled at room temperature. In terms of scope and mildness, Pd-2 compares well with other catalyst systems that have been described for Suzuki reactions of aryl chlorides, thereby establishing that triarylphosphines should be regarded as fertile ground for future ligand-design efforts for palladium-catalyzed couplings of aryl chlorides.

Ruthenium-catalysed asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketoximes using chiral oxazolinylferrocenylphosphines

Chiral ruthenium(II) complexes, RuCl2(PPh3)(oxazolinylferrocenylphosphine), have been found to be effective catalysts for asymmetric hydrosilylation of ketoximes to give the corresponding primary amines in good yields with high enantioselectivities (up to 89% ee) after acid hydrolysis.

Reaction of arylphosphines with singlet oxygen: intra- vs intermolecular oxidation

[reaction--see text] The chemistry of singlet oxygen with all three isomers of tris(methoxyphenyl)phosphine has been studied. For the severely hindered ortho isomer, intramolecular rearrangement to form phenyl diphenyl phosphinate is preferred to formation of phosphine oxide at low concentration in aprotic solvents. In protic solvents, no intramolecular reactivity is observed. A detailed kinetic analyses has been undertaken. There is no physical quenching, regardless of solvent. Mechanistic implications of these findings are discussed.

Proline-based P, N ligands in asymmetric allylation and the Heck reaction

A series of phosphine-oxazoline ligands based on proline are reported. These ligands are synthesized from commercially available trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline in four steps. The ability of this type of ligand to catalyze allylic alkylation in an asymmetric fashion as well as the asymmetric Heck reaction is reported. The best of these ligands gave a palladium complex, which catalyzed the addition of dimethylmalonate to cyclopentenyl acetate in excellent yield and up to 96% ee. This same system catalyzed the Heck reaction between dihydrofuran and cyclohexene in up to 86% ee. These ligands appear to differ from the traditional phosphine-oxazoline ligands in that the stereochemistry of the stereogenic carbon next to the oxazoline is not necessarily the dominant chiral center in the induction of selectivity.

A novel approach to the high-specific-activity labeling of small peptides with the technetium-99m fragment [99mTc(N)(PXP)]2+ (PXP = diphosphine ligand)

A new labeling approach for incorporating bioactive peptides into a technetium-99m coordination complex is described. This method exploits the chemical properties of the novel metal-nitrido fragment [99mTc(N)(PXP)]2+, composed of a terminal Tc[triple bond] N multiple bond bound to an ancillary diphosphine ligand (PXP). It will be shown that this basic, molecular building block easily forms in solution as the dichloride derivative [99mTc(N)(PXP)Cl2], and that this latter complex selectively reacts with monoanionic and dianionic, bidentate ligands (YZ) having soft, pi-donor coordinating atoms to afford asymmetrical nitrido heterocomplexes of the type [99mTc(N)(PXP)(YZ)]0/+ without removal of the basic motif [99mTc(N)(PXP)]2+. The reactions of the amino acid cysteine was studied in detail. It was found that cysteine readily coordinates to the metal fragment [99mTc(N)(PXP)]2+ either through the [NH2, S-] pair of donor atoms or, alternatively, through the [O-, S-] pair, to yield the corresponding asymmetrical complexes in very high specific activity. Thus, these results were conveniently employed to devise a new, efficient procedure for labeling short peptide sequences having a terminal cysteine group available for coordination to the [99mTc(N)(PXP)]2+ fragment. Examples of the application of this novel approach to the labeling of the short peptide ligand H-Arg-Gly-Asp-Cys-OH (H(2)1) and of the peptidomimetic derivative H-Cys-Val-2-Nal-Met-OH (H2) will be discussed.

Wide bite angle diphosphines: xantphos ligands in transition metal complexes and catalysis

The reactivity of organotransition metal complexes is dependent on the ligand environment of the metal. This Account describes the development and application of new diphosphine ligands, designed to induce large P-M-P angles in transition metal complexes. Aided by computational chemistry, a homologous range of diphosphines based on rigid heterocyclic aromatic backbones of the xanthene-type with natural bite angles of approximately 100-134 degrees have been developed. The special structure of the ligands has an enormous impact on stability and reactivity of various transition metal complexes. Highly active and selective catalysts have been obtained by influencing this reactivity.

New 10-membered inorganic heterocyclic diphosphanes, PhN(PX)(2)[(-OC(6)H(2)((T)Bu)(2))(mu-S)(((t)Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O-)] (x = cl, f). Synthesis and transition metal complexes (molybdenum(0), ruthenium(II), palladium(II), and platinum(II)) of heterocyclic diphosphanes. crystal and molecular structures of the chloro derivative, PhN(PCl)(2)[(-OC(6)H(2)((t)Bu)(2))(mu-S)(((t)Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O-)], and of a molybdenum(0) complex of the fluoro derivative, [Mo(CO)(3)[eta(3)-PhN(PF)(2)[(-OC(6)H(2)((t)Bu)(2))(mu-S)(((t)Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O-)]-kappa P,kappa P,kappa S]]

Bis(dichlorophosphino)aniline, PhN(PCl(2))(2), reacts with stoichiometric amounts of 2,2'-thiobis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol) to afford a 10-membered heterocycle, PhN(PCl)(2)[(-OC(6)H(2)((t)Bu)(2))(mu-S)(((t))Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O-)] (1), in high yield. The structure of the heterocycle has been determined by a single-crystal X-ray analysis. The 10-membered heterocycle 1 reacts with SbF(3) to afford the corresponding fluoro derivative 2 in good yield. The compounds 1 and 2 act as tridentate ligands with molybdenum carbonyl derivatives, forming complexes of the type [Mo(CO)(3)[eta(3)-PhN(PX)(2)[(-OC(6)H(2)((t)Bu)(2))(mu-S)(((t)Bu)(2)C(6)H(2)O-)]-kappa P,kappa P,kappa S]] (3 X = Cl, 4 X = F). A crystal structure of the fluoro derivative 4 showed the facial tricarbonyl complex comprising a relatively strain-free tetracyclic structure with molybdenum in an octahedral environment; the two phosphorus and the sulfur centers were the donor atoms. Compound 2 readily reacts with Ru(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II) derivatives to form chelate complexes, demonstrating the eta(2) mode of coordination.

Re tricarbonyl complexes with ligands containing P,N,N and P,N,O donor atom sets: synthesis and structural characterization

The coordination chemistry of the heterofunctionalized phosphines HPN2 and H2PNO and of an analogue containing a relevant biomolecule, HPN-Pip (Pip = 4-(3-aminopropyl)-1-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine), was studied toward the synthon (NE4)2[ReBr3(CO)3]. The complexes isolated, [Re(CO)3(kappa(3)-PN2)], 3, [Re(CO)3Br(kappa(2)-H2PNO)], 4, and [Re(CO)3Br(kappa(2)-HPN-Pip)], 5, are the first examples of Re(I) compounds stabilized by such a combination of donor atoms. All of the compounds are neutral, but the phosphines, depending on the combination of atoms, act as monoanionic and tridentate (3) or as neutral and bidentate (4, 5). The characterization of 3-5 included IR, 1H NMR, and 31P NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Colorless crystals of compounds 3 and 4 were obtained by slow evaporation of a methanolic solution of 3 and from a boiling acetonitrile solution of 4. Compound 3 crystallizes with two molecules of MeOH per asymmetric unit in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, a = 10.1237(8) A, b = 9.4959(4) A, c = 28.365(2) A, beta = 98.707(9) degrees, V = 2695.4(3) A(3), Z = 4; 4 crystallizes in the triclinic space group Ponebar, a = 10.0241(9) A, b = 11.2060(10) A, c = 13.0656(12) A, alpha = 84.883(11) degrees, beta = 71.163(10) degrees, gamma = 63.650(9) degrees, V = 1241.19(19) A(3), Z = 2.

Mechanism of phosphine photolysis. Application to Jovian atmospheric photochemistry

PH3 is photolyzed to H2 and P2H4 and the P2H4 in turn is converted to red phosphorus. The initial quantum yield of H2 formation was redetermined and found to be 0.93 +/- 0.07. Red phosphorus was identified by its chemical properties and the absence of P-H stretching bands in its infrared spectrum. The reaction pathway was not changed by lowering the PH3 partial pressure from 90 to 11 torr or by performing the photolysis in a 70-fold excess of H2. The initial quantum yields at 11 torr of PH3 are phi P2H4 = 0.04 +/- 0.02 and phi H2 = 0.74 +/- 0.08. The initial rate of P2H4 formation was not affected by lowering the PH3 temperature to 227 or 157 K. The yield was greater at 157 K because the P2H4 condensed and was protected from further destruction. The initial quantum yields for the formation of P2H4 and H2 in PH3-NH3 mixtures were comparable to those observed for PH3 alone. Photolysis of mixtures in which NH3 was absorbing 90% of the light resulted in the rapid formation of P2H4. No N2 was formed when PH3-NH3 mixtures were photolyzed, suggesting that the destruction of NH3 is quenched by PH3. The application of these findings to Jovian atmospheric chemistry is discussed.

Efficient synthesis of 1alpha-fluoro A-ring phosphine oxide, a useful building block for vitamin D analogues, from (S)-carvone via a highly selective palladium-catalyzed isomerization of dieneoxide to dieneol

The 1alpha-fluoro A-ring phosphine oxide 1, a useful building block for fluorinated vitamin D analogues, was synthesized from (S)-carvone in 13 synthetic steps, and only five isolations, in 22% overall yield. In the key synthetic step, a highly selective palladium-catalyzed isomerization of dieneoxide 18 to dieneol 20 was achieved using an appropriately selected fluorinated alcohol as a catalytic proton source.

Biological formation of volatile phosphorus compounds

Phosphine and phosphides are reported to occur at numerous environmental sites such as fresh and marine sediments, landfills, faecal matter, biogas digesters and soils. The concentrations are several log units lower than the time-weighted average exposure standard, i.e. in the order of ng per m3 of gas or ng per kg material. Research about the biological formation of highly reduced gaseous phosphorus compounds dates back more than a hundred years. The early reports had to deal with a lot of scepticism. Thanks to new analytical tools (gas chromatography) it has become clear, during the last decade, that phosphine is a global constituent of the atmosphere. Pure strains of micro-organisms cultivated under highly anaerobic conditions were shown to produce phosphine. Thermodynamic considerations indicate that it is very improbable that the reduction of phosphate to phosphine is endergonic. Therefore the generation of phosphine cannot be compared with sulphidogenesis and methanogenesis. There seems to be a link between the existence of highly reactive gaseous phosphorus compounds and increased levels of metal corrosion. The reactive compounds could be formed by micro-organisms or they are liberated from phosphorus-containing impurities in the iron by the action of bacterial metabolites. The biochemical pathways responsible for the production of gaseous phosphorus compounds have not been characterised yet.

Palladium-catalyzed alpha-arylation of esters

A new and simple one-pot procedure for the palladium-catalyzed intermolecular alpha-arylation of esters is described. A number of esters can be functionalized with a wide range of aryl bromides using Pd(OAc)(2) or Pd(2)(dba)(3) and bulky electron-rich o-biphenyl phosphines 1-3. Under the reaction conditions, using LiHMDS as base, alpha-arylation proceeds at room temperature or at 80 degrees C with very good yields and high selectivities for monoarylation. Important nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug derivatives such as (+/-)-naproxen tert-butyl ester and (+/-)-flurbiprofen tert-butyl ester can be prepared in 79% and 86% yield, respectively. The catalyst system based on the di-tert-butylphosphine (2) is also active for the alpha-arylation of esters using aryl chlorides. Furthermore, using (3) the alpha-arylation of trisubstituted ester enolates can be accomplished to provide compounds that have quaternary centers.

Stereoselective synthesis of styrene oxides via a Mitsunobu cyclodehydration

[reaction: see text] The Mitsunobu cyclodehydration of chiral phenethane-1,2-diols (4), readily accessed from the styrene derivative (5), has been demonstrated to provide the corresponding styrene oxides (2) with high levels of stereoretention (up to 99%). Optimized reaction conditions are described, from which the combination of tricyclohexylphosphine (Chx(3)P) and diisopropylazodicarboxylate (DIAD) in THF and R = EWG provides the best results.

Investigations on benz[1,2]oxaphosphinane derivatives

The structures of two compounds, 3-[1-(2-hydroxyethylamino)ethylidene]-2-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-1,2lambda(5)-benzoxaphosphinane-2,4-dione, C(13)H(16)NO(5)P, and 3-[1-(2-hydroxy-ethylamino)ethylidene]-2-methoxy-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-1,2lambda(5)-benzoxaphosphinane-2,4-dione, C(14)H(18)NO(5)P, have been studied and compared. The oxophosphinane rings have a half-chair conformation and extra six- and five-membered rings are formed by intramolecular N-H...O hydrogen bonds. An intermolecular O-H...O hydrogen bond is also observed.

Kinetic resolution in palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylations by a P,O ligand system

[reaction: see text] Through the investigation of peptide-based phosphine oxazoline ligands, a simple P,O ligand system was developed. This system provides palladium complexes that are capable of a very high degree of kinetic resolution of 1,3-diphenylprop-2-enyl acetate. The isolated palladium complex was synthesized, characterized, and determined to be an effective procatalyst.

Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Mechanism of the Reversible Formation of Oxorhenium(VII) Catecholate Complexes

Mononuclear Re(V) compounds MeReO(mtp)NC(5)H(4)X, 3, where mtpH(2) is 2-(mercaptomethyl)thiophenol have been prepared from the monomerization of [MeReO(mtp)](2) by pyridines with electron-donating substituents in the para or meta position; X = 4-Me, 4-Bu(t), 3-Me, 4-Ph, and H. Analogous compounds, MeReO(edt)N(5)H(4)X, 4, edtH(2) = 1,2-ethanedithiol, were prepared similarly. The equilibrium constants for the reaction, dimer + 2Py = 2M-Py, are in the range (2.5-31.6) x 10(2) L mol(-1). Both groups of monomeric compounds react with quinones (phenanthrenequinone, PQ, and 3,5-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone, DBQ), displacing the pyridine ligand and forming Re(VII) catecholate complexes MeReO(dithiolate)PCat and MeReO(dithiolate)DBCat. With PQ, the reaction MeReO(dithiolate)Py + PQ = MeReO(dithiolate)PCat + Py is an equilibrium; values of K(Q) for different Py ligands lie in the ranges 9.2-42.7 (mtp) and 3.2-11.2 (edt) at 298 K. These second-order rate constants (L mol(-1) s(-1)) at 25 degrees C in benzene were obtained for the PQ reactions: k(f) = (5.3-15.5) x 10(-2) (mtp), (6.6-16.4) x 10(-2) (edt); k(r) = (3.63-5.71) x 10(-3) (mtp), (14.7-22.0) x 10(-3) (edt). The ranges in each case refer to the series of pyridine ligands, the forward rate constant being the largest for C(5)H(5)N, with the lowest Lewis basicity. The reactions of MeReO(dithiolate)Py with DBQ proceed to completion. Values of k(f)/L mol(-1) s(-1) fall in a narrow range, 4.02 (X = Bu(t)) to 8.4 (X = H) with the dithiolate being mtp.

Highly enantioselective hydrogenation of (E)-beta-(acylamino)acrylates catalyzed by Rh(i)-complexes of electron-rich P-chirogenic diphosphines

Excellent enantioselectivities up to 99.7% were achieved in the hydrogenation of (E)-beta-(acylamino)acrylates by the use of Rh(I)-complexes of electron-rich diphosphines, t-Bu-BisP and t-Bu-MiniPHOS. Low-temperature NMR experiments testify that monohydrides with beta-carbon atom of the substrate bound to rhodium are involved in the catalytic cycle.

Determination of the disulfide structure of sillucin, a highly knotted, cysteine-rich peptide, by cyanylation/cleavage mass mapping

The disulfide structure of sillucin, a highly knotted, cysteine-rich, antimicrobial peptide, isolated from Rhizomucor pusillus, has been determined to be Cys2--Cys7, Cys12--Cys24, Cys13--Cys30, and Cys14--Cys21 by disulfide mass mapping based on partial reduction and CN-induced cleavage enabled by cyanylation. The denatured 30-residue peptide was subjected to partial reduction by tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride at pH 3 to produce a mixture of partially reduced sillucin species; the nascent sulfhydryl groups were immediately cyanylated by 1-cyano-4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium tetrafluoroborate. The cyanylated species, separated and collected during reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography, were treated with aqueous ammonia, which cleaved the peptide chain on the N-terminal side of cyanylated cysteine residues. The CN-induced cleavage mixture was analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry before and after complete reduction of residual disulfide bonds in partially reduced and cyanylated species to mass map the truncated peptides to the sequence. Because the masses of the CN-induced cleavage fragments of both singly and doubly reduced and cyanylated sillucin are related to the linkages of the disulfide bonds in the original molecule, the presence of certain truncated peptide(s) can be used to positively identify the linkage of a specific disulfide bond or exclude the presence of other possible linkages.

Asymmetric Pt(II)-Catalyzed Ene Reactions: Counterion-Dependent Additive and Diphosphine Electronic Effects1

[reaction: see text]. Catalysis of the glyoxylate-ene reaction by dicationic P2Pt(II) complexes is subject to anion-dependent additive effects. For [((S)-MeOBiphep)Pt](OTf)2 catalysts, acidic phenols such as 3-CF3-C6H3OH or C6F5OH provide substantial rate increases but do not affect the more active SbF6-based catalysts. Enantioselectivity and reactivity also increased with diphosphine basicity, with 4-t-Bu-substituted MeOBiphep ligands yielding the highest enantioselectivities.

Role of lipophilicity in determining cellular uptake and antitumour activity of gold phosphine complexes

PURPOSE

The lipophilic cation [Au(I)(dppe)2]+ [where dppe is 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] has previously demonstrated potent in vitro antitumour activity. We wished to determine the physicochemical basis for the cellular uptake of this drug, as well as of analogues including the 1:2 adducts of Au(I) with 1,2-bis(di-n-pyridylphosphino)ethane (dnpype; n = 2, 3 and 4), and to compare in vitro and in vivo antitumour activity.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Logarithmic IC50 values for the CH-1 cell line bore a parabolic dependence on drug lipophilicity, as measured either by high-performance liquid chromatography or by n-octanol-water partition. Cellular uptake of drug, as measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, varied by over three orders of magnitude over the series. Logarithmic uptake had a parabolic dependence on drug lipophilicity but a linear relationship to logarithmic IC50 values. Free drug concentrations were determined under the culture conditions and logarithmic free drug IC50 values and uptake rates were linearly related to lipophilicity. Uptake of drug in vivo in tissue from murine colon 38 tumours was approximately proportional to the dose administered. Host toxicity varied according to lipophilicity with the most selective compound having an intermediate value. This compound was also the most active of those tested in vivo, giving a growth delay of 9 days following daily intraperitoneal dosing (10 days) at 4 micromol kg(-1) day(-1). It was also significantly more active than another lipophilic cation, MKT-077.

CONCLUSIONS

Alteration of lipophilicity of aromatic cationic antitumour drugs greatly affects cellular uptake and binding to plasma proteins. Changes in lipophilicity also affect host toxicity, and optimal lipophilicity may be a critical factor in the design of analogues with high antitumour activity.

In Grignard reagent formation from cyclopropyl bromide in diethyl ether, trapping by DCPH is consistent with diffusing cyclopropyl radical intermediates

[reaction: see text] For reactions of magnesium with cyclopropyl bromide in diethyl ether, added DCPH decreases the yield of cyclopropylmagnesium bromide by as much as 75%, while solvent-derived products disappear and cyclopropylcyclohexylphosphine and tetracyclohexyldiphosphine appear. These changes reflect trapping of diffusing intermediate cyclopropyl radicals.