Rate Enhancement by Ethylene in the Ru-Catalyzed Ring-Closing Metathesis of Enynes: Evidence for an “Ene-then-Yne” Pathway that Diverts through a Second Catalytic Cycle

Ring-closing metathesis of prochiral oxaenediynes to racemic 4-alkenyl-2-alkynyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrans

The prochiral 4-(allyloxy)hepta-1,6-diynes, optionally modified in the positions 1 and 7 with an alkyl or ester group, undergo a chemoselective ring-closing enyne metathesis yielding racemic 4-alkenyl-2-alkynyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyrans. Among the catalysts tested, Grubbs 1st generation precatalyst in the presence of ethene (Mori conditions) gave superior results compared to the more stable Grubbs or Hoveyda-Grubbs 2nd generation precatalysts. This is probably caused by a suppression of the subsequent side-reactions of the enyne metathesis product with ethene. On the other hand, the 2nd generation precatalysts gave better yields in the absence of ethene. The metathesis products, containing both a triple bond and a conjugated system, can be successfully orthogonally modified. For example, the metathesis product of 5-(allyloxy)nona-2,7-diyne reacted chemo- and stereoselectively in a Diels-Alder reaction with N-phenylmaleimide affording the tricyclic products as a mixture of two separable diastereoisomers, the configuration of which was estimated by DFT computations. The reported enediyne metathesis paves the way to the enantioselective enyne metathesis yielding chiral building blocks for compounds with potential biological activity, e.g., norsalvinorin or cacospongionolide B.

Catalytic enantioselective olefin metathesis in natural product synthesis. Chiral metal-based complexes that deliver high enantioselectivity and more

Chiral olefin metathesis catalysts enable chemists to access enantiomerically enriched small molecules with high efficiency; synthesis schemes involving such complexes can be substantially more concise than those that would involve enantiomerically pure substrates and achiral Mo alkylidenes or Ru-based carbenes. The scope of research towards design and development of chiral catalysts is not limited to discovery of complexes that are merely the chiral versions of the related achiral variants. A chiral olefin metathesis catalyst, in addition to furnishing products of high enantiomeric purity, can offer levels of efficiency, product selectivity and/or olefin stereoselectivity that are unavailable through the achiral variants. Such positive attributes of chiral catalysts (whether utilized in racemic or enantiomerically enriched form) should be considered as general, applicable to other classes of transformations.

Acceleration effect of an allylic hydroxy group on ring-closing enyne metathesis of terminal alkynes: scope, application, and mechanistic insights

An interesting acceleration effect of an allylic hydroxy group on ring-closing enyne metathesis has been found. Ring-closing enyne metathesis of terminal alkynes possessing an allylic hydroxy group proceeded smoothly without the ethylene atmosphere generally necessary to promote the reaction. The synthesis of (+)-isofagomine with the aid of this efficient reaction has been demonstrated. Mechanistic studies of the acceleration effect were also carried out. Results of NMR studies suggested that the reaction proceeded via an "ene-then-yne" pathway. Kinetic studies indicated switching of the rate-determining step as a consequence of the presence of an allylic hydroxy group. These results suggest acceleration of the reentry step of Ru-carbene species by the allylic hydroxy group.

Peptide-assembled optically responsive nanoparticle complexes

The design of active nanostructures whose form and properties can be modulated by remote means is an important challenge in nanoscience. Here we report two types of active nanoparticle complexes, with properties controlled by near-infrared illumination, resulting from the assembly of photothermally responsive plasmonic nanoparticles with thermally labile biomolecular linkers. Au nanoshells (NS) and quantum dots (QD) are assembled using coiled-coil peptides into NS-NS and NS-QD complexes. Illumination of the NS-NS complexes results in reversible disassembly reassembly, while illumination of NS-QD complexes results in a large, reproducible modulation of the quantum dot fluorescence without disassembly of the nanoparticle-peptide complex.

Enyne Metathesis-Oxidation Sequence for the Synthesis of 2-Phosphono Pyrroles: Proof of the “Yne-then-Ene” Pathway

A new tandem reaction sequence has been developed for the synthesis of 2-phosphono pyrroles. The sequence consists of ring-closing enyne metathesis of a substituted aminophosphonate, containing a terminal alkyne and an internal alkene, in combination with in situ oxidation of the produced 3-pyrrolines using tetrachloroquinone. By analyzing the formation of the end and certain byproducts, taking into account the difference in reactivity of different substrates and carefully studying spectroscopic data, it was found that the reaction proceeds by means of the "yne-then-ene" pathway. During the initiation phase, a new ruthenium carbene is formed which continues the propagation cycle.