From the Total Synthesis of Semi-Viriditoxin, Semi-Viriditoxic Acid and Dimeric Naphthopyranones to their Biological Activities in Burkitt B Cell Lymphoma

Dimeric naphthopyranones are known to be biologically active, however, for the corresponding monomeric naphthopyranones this information is still elusive. Here the first enantioselective total synthesis of semi-viriditoxic acid as well as the synthesis of semi-viriditoxin and derivatives is reported. The key intermediate in the synthesis of naphthopyranones is an α,β-unsaturated δ-lactone, which we synthesized in two different ways (Ghosez-cyclization and Grubbs ring-closing metathesis), while the domino-Michael-Dieckmann reaction of the α,β-unsaturated δ-lactone with an orsellinic acid derivative is the key reaction. A structure-activity relationship study was performed measuring the cytotoxicity in Burkitt B lymphoma cells (Ramos). The dimeric structure was found to be crucial for biological activity: Only the dimeric naphthopyranones showed cytotoxic and apoptotic activity, whereas the monomers did not display any activity at all.

A Green Route to Benzyl Phenyl Sulfide from Thioanisole and Benzyl Alcohol over Dual Functional Ionic Liquids

Benzyl phenyl sulfide is a kind of important chemicals with wide usage, which is mainly prepared through a nucleophilic reaction of thiophenol with benzyl chlorides or benzyl alcohols, suffering from inherent drawbacks, such as low efficiency, requirements for equivalent acid or base catalysts and formation of harmful byproducts and waste. Herein, we report a green route to access various benzyl phenyl sulfide derivatives in good to excellent yields under mild conditions via the reaction of thioanisoles with benzyl alcohols over ionic liquid 1-propylsulfonate-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([SO₃ HPrMIm][OTf]). Mechanism investigation indicates that the synergic effect of cation and anion of [SO₃ HPrMIm][OTf] activates thioanisoles and benzyl alcohols via hydrogen bonding, thus catalyzes the dehydration of benzyl alcohol to dibenzyl ether and the subsequent metathesis reaction between dibenzyl ether and benzyl phenyl sulfide, finally generating benzyl phenyl sulfide derivatives. This is a simple, highly efficient, and green approach to produce benzyl phenyl sulfide derivatives, which has promising application potentials.

Lithium Enolate with a Lithium-Alkyne Interaction in the Enantioselective Construction of Quaternary Carbon Centers: Concise Synthesis of (+)-Goniomitine

We report a method for direct enantioselective alkylation of 3-alkynoic and 2,3-alkendioic acids that form quaternary stereogenic centers, and application of this method to the total enantioselective synthesis of a complex alkaloid (+)-goniomitine. The methods were effective in the alkylation of both 3-alkynoic acids, 2,3-alkendioic acids substrates with a broad range of heterocyclic and functionalized alkyl group substituents. Accompanying crystallographic studies provide mechanistic insight into the structure of well-defined chiral aggregates, highlighting cation-π interactions between lithium and alkyne groups.

Total Synthesis of the Tetracyclic Pyridinium Alkaloid epi-Tetradehydrohalicyclamine B

The first total synthesis of a tetracyclic marine pyridinium alkaloid hinged on recent advances in chemoselectivity management: While many classical methods failed to afford the perceptively simple pyridine-containing core of the target, nickel/iridium photoredox dual catalysis allowed the critical C-C bond to be formed in good yield. Likewise, ring closing alkyne metathesis (RCAM) worked well in the presence of the unhindered pyridine despite the innately Lewis acidic Mo(+6) center of the alkylidyne catalyst. Finally, an iridium catalyzed hydrosilylation was uniquely effective in reducing a tertiary amide without compromising an adjacent pyridine and the lateral double bonds; this transformation is largely without precedent. The second strained macrocycle enveloping the core was closed by intramolecular N-alkylation with formation of the pyridinium unit; the reaction proceeded site- and chemoselectively in the presence of an a priori more basic tertiary amine.

Metathesis of P=C Bonds Catalyzed by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

The catalytic metathesis of C=C bonds is a textbook reaction that has no parallel in the widely studied area of multiple bonds involving heavier p-block elements. A high-yielding P=C bond metathesis of phosphaalkenes (ArP=CPh₂ , Ar=Mes, o-Tol, Ph) has been discovered that is catalyzed by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC=Me₂ IMe, Me₂ Iⁱ Pr). The products are cyclic oligomers formally derived from ArP=PAr [i. e. cyclo-(ArP)_n ; n=3, 4, 5, 6] and Ph₂ C=CPh₂ . Preliminary mechanistic studies of this remarkable transformation have established NHC=PAr (Ar=Mes, o-Tol, Ph) as key phosphinidene transfer agents. In addition, novel cyclic intermediates, such as, cyclo-(ArP)₂ CPh₂ and cyclo-(ArP)₄ CPh₂ have also been observed. This work represents a rare application of non-metal-based catalysts for transformations involving main-group elements.

Canopy Catalysts for Alkyne Metathesis: Investigations into a Bimolecular Decomposition Pathway and the Stability of the Podand Cap

Molybdenum alkylidyne complexes with a trisilanolate podand ligand framework ("canopy catalysts") are the arguably most selective catalysts for alkyne metathesis known to date. Among them, complex 1 a endowed with a fence of lateral methyl substituents on the silicon linkers is the most reactive, although fairly high loadings are required in certain applications. It is now shown that this catalyst decomposes readily via a bimolecular pathway that engages the Mo≡CR entities in a stoichiometric triple-bond metathesis event to furnish RC≡CR and the corresponding dinuclear complex, 8, with a Mo≡Mo core. In addition to the regular analytical techniques, 95 Mo NMR was used to confirm this unusual outcome. This rapid degradation mechanism is largely avoided by increasing the size of the peripheral substituents on silicon, without unduly compromising the activity of the resulting complexes. When chemically challenged, however, canopy catalysts can open the apparently somewhat strained tripodal ligand cages; this reorganization leads to the formation of cyclo-tetrameric arrays composed of four metal alkylidyne units linked together via one silanol arm of the ligand backbone. The analogous tungsten alkylidyne complex 6, endowed with a tripodal tris-alkoxide (rather than siloxide) ligand framework, is even more susceptible to such a controlled and reversible cyclo-oligomerization. The structures of the resulting giant macrocyclic ensembles were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Palladium-Catalyzed Cascade Carbonylation to α,β-Unsaturated Piperidones via Selective Cleavage of Carbon-Carbon Triple Bonds

A direct and selective synthesis of α,β-unsaturated piperidones by a new palladium-catalyzed cascade carbonylation is described. In the presented protocol, easily available propargylic alcohols react with aliphatic amines to provide a broad variety of interesting heterocycles. Key to the success of this transformation is a remarkable catalytic cleavage of the present carbon-carbon triple bond by using a specific catalyst with 2-diphenylphosphinopyridine as ligand and appropriate reaction conditions. Mechanistic studies and control experiments revealed branched unsaturated acid 11 as crucial intermediate.

Beyond Takai's Olefination Reagent: Persistent Dehalogenation Emerges in a Chromium(III)-μ3 -Methylidyne Complex

Reaction of CHI3 with six equivalents of CrCl2 in THF at low temperatures affords [Cr3 Cl3 (μ2 -Cl)3 (μ3 -CH)(thf)6 ] as the first isolable high-yield CrIII μ3 -methylidyne complex. Substitution of the terminal chlorido ligands via salt metathesis with alkali-metal cyclopentadienides generates isostructural half-sandwich chromium(III)-μ3 -methylidynes [CpR 3 Cr3 (μ2 -Cl)3 (μ3 -CH)] (CpR =C5 H5 , C5 Me5 , C5 H4 SiMe3 ). Side and decomposition products of the Cl/CpR exchange reactions were identified and structurally characterized for [Cr4 (μ2 -Cl)4 (μ2 -I)2 (μ4 -O)(thf)4 ] and [(η5 -C5 H4 SiMe3 )CrCl(μ2 -Cl)2 Li(thf)2 ]. The Cl/CpR exchange drastically changed the ambient-temperature effective magnetic moment μeff from 9.30/9.11 μB (solution/solid) to 3.63/4.32 μB (CpR =C5 Me5 ). Reactions of [Cr3 Cl3 (μ2 -Cl)3 (μ3 -CH)(thf)6 ] with aldehydes and ketones produce intricate mixtures of species through oxy/methylidyne exchange, which were partially identified as radical recombination products through GC/MS analysis and 1 H NMR spectroscopy.

Dipyrrinato-Iridium(III) Complexes for Application in Photodynamic Therapy and Antimicrobial Photodynamic Inactivation

The generation of bio-targetable photosensitizers is of utmost importance to the emerging field of photodynamic therapy and antimicrobial (photo-)therapy. A synthetic strategy is presented in which chelating dipyrrin moieties are used to enhance the known photoactivity of iridium(III) metal complexes. Formed complexes can thus be functionalized in a facile manner with a range of targeting groups at their chemically active reaction sites. Dipyrrins with N- and O-substituents afforded (dipy)iridium(III) complexes via complexation with the respective Cp*-iridium(III) and ppy-iridium(III) precursors (dipy=dipyrrinato, Cp*=pentamethyl-η5 -cyclopentadienyl, ppy=2-phenylpyridyl). Similarly, electron-deficient [IrIII (dipy)(ppy)2 ] complexes could be used for post-functionalization, forming alkenyl, alkynyl and glyco-appended iridium(III) complexes. The phototoxic activity of these complexes has been assessed in cellular and bacterial assays with and without light; the [IrIII (Cl)(Cp*)(dipy)] complexes and the glyco-substituted iridium(III) complexes showing particular promise as photomedicine candidates. Representative crystal structures of the complexes are also presented.

Collective Total Synthesis of Casbane Diterpenes: One Strategy, Multiple Targets

Of the more than 100 casbane diterpenes known to date, only the eponymous parent hydrocarbon casbene itself has ever been targeted by chemical synthesis. Outlined herein is a conceptually new approach that brings not a single but a variety of casbane derivatives into reach, especially the more highly oxygenated and arguably more relevant members of this family. The key design elements are a catalyst-controlled intramolecular cyclopropanation with or without subsequent equilibration, chain extension of the resulting stereoisomeric cyclopropane building blocks by chemoselective hydroboration/cross-coupling, and the efficient closure of the strained macrobicyclic framework by ring-closing alkyne metathesis. A hydroxy-directed catalytic trans-hydrostannation allows for late-stage diversity. These virtues are manifested in the concise total syntheses of depressin, yuexiandajisu A, and ent-pekinenin C. The last compound turned out to be identical to euphorhylonal A, the structure of which had clearly been misassigned.

Organocatalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of an Advanced Intermediate of (+)-Sarain A

The first organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of an advanced intermediate of (+)-sarain A was achieved. This approach featured the employment of an organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition reaction and a nitrogen-to-carbon chirality transfer to forge three chiral centers, as well as a catalytic hydrosilylation for the chemoselective reduction of a key lactam intermediate. The tricyclic intermediate contained all the required functionalities for elaborating into (+)-sarain A.

The Formosalides: Structure Determination by Total Synthesis

Total synthesis allowed the constitution of the cytotoxic marine macrolides of the formosalide family to be confirmed and their previously unknown stereostructure to be assigned with confidence. The underlying blueprint was inherently modular to ensure that each conceivable isomer could be reached. This flexibility derived from the use of strictly catalyst controlled transformations to set the stereocenters, except for the anomeric position, which is under thermodynamic control; as an extra safety measure, all stereogenic centers were set prior to ring closure to preclude any interference of the conformation adopted by the macrolactone rings of the different diastereomers. Late-stage macrocyclization by ring-closing alkyne metathesis was followed by a platinum-catalyzed transannular 6-exo-dig hydroalkoxylation/ketalization to craft the polycyclic frame. The side chain featuring a very labile unsaturation pattern was finally attached to the core by Stille coupling.

183 W NMR Spectroscopy Guides the Search for Tungsten Alkylidyne Catalysts for Alkyne Metathesis

Triarylsilanolates are privileged ancillary ligands for molybdenum alkylidyne catalysts for alkyne metathesis but lead to disappointing results and poor stability in the tungsten series. 1 H,183 W heteronuclear multiple bond correlation spectroscopy, exploiting a favorable 5 J-coupling between the 183 W center and the peripheral protons on the alkylidyne cap, revealed that these ligands upregulate the Lewis acidity to an extent that the tungstenacyclobutadiene formed in the initial [2+2] cycloaddition step is over-stabilized and the catalytic turnover brought to a halt. Guided by the 183 W NMR shifts as a proxy for the Lewis acidity of the central atom and by an accompanying chemical shift tensor analysis of the alkylidyne unit, the ligand design was revisited and a more strongly π-donating all-alkoxide ligand prepared. The new expanded chelate complex has a tempered Lewis acidity and outperforms the classical Schrock catalyst, carrying monodentate tert-butoxy ligands, in terms of rate and functional-group compatibility.

The Mechanism of the Intramolecular Hydrocarbyl Metathesis within a Planar Triruthenium Cluster: Combining Core Flexibility with Hydride Mobility

The transition metal catalysed formation and cleavage of C-C bonds is of utmost importance in synthetic chemistry. While most of the existing homogeneous catalysts are mononuclear, knowledge of the behaviour of polynuclear species is much more limited. By using computational methods, here we shed light into the mechanistic details of the thermally-induced isomerization of Cp*₃ Ru₃ (μ-H)₂ (μ₃ -η² -pentyne)(μ₃ -pentylidyne) (2) into Cp*₃ Ru₃ (μ-H)₂ (μ₃ -η² -octyne)(μ₃ -ethylidyne) (3), a process that involves the migration of a C₃ fragment between the hydrocarbyl ligands and across the plane formed by the three Ru centres. Our results show this to be a complex transformation that comprises of five individual rearrangements in an A→B→A→B→A order. Each so-called rearrangement A consists of the CH migration from the μ₃ -η² -alkyne into the μ₃ -alkylidine ligand in the other side of the Ru₃ plane. This process is facilitated by the cluster's ability to adopt open-core structures in which one Ru-Ru bond is broken and a new C-C bond is formed. In contrast, rearrangements B do not involve the formation or cleavage of C-C bonds, nor do they require the opening of the cluster core. Instead, they consist of the isomerization of the μ₃ -η² -alkyne and μ₃ -alkylidyne ligands on each side of the triruthenium plane into μ₃ -alkylidyne and μ₃ -η² -alkyne, respectively. Such transformation implies the migration of three H atoms within the hydrocarbyl ligands, and in this case, it is aided by the cluster's ability to behave as a H reservoir. All in all, this study highlights the plasticity of these Ru₃ clusters, whereby Ru-Ru, Ru-C, Ru-H, C-C, and C-H bonds are formed and broken with surprising ease.

Revisiting the Intriguing Electronic Features of the BeOBeC Carbyne and Some Isomers: A Quantum-Chemical Assessment

Extensive high-level quantum-chemical calculations reveal that the rod-shaped molecule BeOBeC, which was recently generated in matrix experiments, exists in two nearly isoenergetic states, the 5 Σ quintet (5 6) and the 3 Σ triplet (3 6). Their IR features are hardly distinguishable at finite temperature. The major difference concerns the mode of spin coupling between the terminal beryllium and carbon atoms. Further, the ground-state potential-energy surface of the [2Be,C,O] system at 4 K is presented and differences between the photochemical and thermal behaviors are highlighted. Finally, a previously not considered, so far unknown C2v -symmetric rhombus-like four-membered ring 3 [Be(O)(C)Be] (3 5) is predicted to represent the global minimum on the potential-energy surface.

Transition-Metal-Mediated Modification of Biomolecules

The site-selective modification of biomolecules has grown spectacularly in recent years. The presence of a large number of functional groups in a biomolecule makes its chemo- and regioselective modification a challenging goal. In this context, transition-metal-mediated reactions are emerging as a powerful tool owing to their unique reactivity and good functional group compatibility, allowing highly efficient and selective bioconjugation reactions that operate under mild conditions. This Minireview focuses on the current state of organometallic chemistry for bioconjugation, highlighting the potential of transition metals for the development of chemoselective and site-specific methods for functionalization of peptides, proteins and nucleic acids. The importance of the selection of ligands attached to the transition metal for conferring the desired chemoselectivity will be highlighted.

A Versatile Approach to Dynamic Amide Bond Formation with Imine Nucleophiles

Dynamic covalent chemistry has rapidly become an important approach to access supramolecular structures. While the products generated in these reactions are held together by covalent bonds, the reversible nature of the transformations can limit the utility of many these systems in creating robust materials. We describe herein a method to form stable and commonly employed amide bonds by exploiting the reversible coupling of imines and acyl chlorides. The reaction employs easily accessible reagents, is dynamic under ambient conditions, without catalysts, and can be trapped with simple hydrolysis. This offers an approach to create broad families of amide products under thermodynamic control, including the selective formation of amide macrocycles or polymers.

Formation and Characterization of a BeOBeC Multiple Radical Featuring a Quartet Carbyne Moiety

Through reaction of beryllium dimers with carbon monoxide, a carbonyl complex BeBeCO is formed in solid neon. Upon visible light excitation, the BeBeCO complex rearranges to a BeCOBe isomer, which further isomerizes to a low-energy BeOBeC species under UV-visible light excitation. These species are identified on the basis of infrared absorption spectroscopy with isotopic substitutions and quantum chemical studies. The BeOBeC molecule is characterized to be a multiple radical species having an electronic quintet ground state featuring an unusual quartet carbyne unit with three unpaired electrons on the carbon center. Bonding analysis indicates that the strong Pauli repulsion between carbon 2s lone pair electrons and the σ electrons of the BeOBe fragment significantly weakens the Be-C bonding and destabilizes the triplet state of the BeOBeC radical with a doublet carbyne unit. The three-center π-bonding of BeOBe is also found to play a role in stabilizing the quartet carbyne.

A Simple Nickel Catalyst Enabling an E-Selective Alkyne Semihydrogenation

Stereoselective alkyne semihydrogenations are attractive approaches to alkenes, which are key building blocks for synthesis. With regards to the most atom-economic reducing agent dihydrogen (H2 ), only few catalysts for the challenging E-selective alkyne semihydrogenation have been disclosed, each with a unique substrate scope profile. Here, we show that a commercially available nickel catalyst facilitates the E-selective alkyne semihydrogenation of a wide variety of substituted internal alkynes. This results in a simple and broadly applicable overall protocol to stereoselectively access E-alkenes employing H2 , which could serve as a general method for synthesis.

Molybdenum Alkylidyne Complexes with Tripodal Silanolate Ligands: The Next Generation of Alkyne Metathesis Catalysts

A new type of molybdenum alkylidyne catalysts for alkyne metathesis is described, which is distinguished by an unconventional podand topology. These structurally well-defined complexes are easy to make on scale and proved to be tolerant toward numerous functional groups; even certain protic substituents were found to be compatible. The new catalysts were characterized by X-ray crystallography and by spectroscopic means, including 95 Mo NMR.

Reactions of a Silylyne Complex with Aldehydes: Formation of W-Si-O-C Four-Membered Metallacycles and Their Metathesis-Like Fragmentation

A tungsten silylyne complex having a W≡Si triple bond reacted with two molecules of aldehydes at room temperature to give W-Si-O-C four-membered metallacycles by [2+2] cycloaddition and subsequent formyl hydrogen transfer from one aldehyde molecule to another. Upon heating to 70 °C, the four-membered metallacycles underwent metathesis-like fragmentation cleanly to afford carbyne complexes and "silanoic esters," in a manner similar to that of metallacyclobutadiene, an intermediate of alkyne metathesis reactions, and dimerization of the latter products gave 1,3-cyclodisiloxanes. The "silanoic ester" was also trapped by pivalaldehyde to give a [2+2] cycloaddition product in high yield.

Well-Defined Alkyne Metathesis Catalysts: Developments and Recent Applications

Although alkyne metathesis has been known for 50 years, rapid progress in this field has mostly occurred during the last two decades. In this article, the development of several highly efficient and thoroughly studied alkyne metathesis catalysts is reviewed, which includes novel well-defined, in situ formed and heterogeneous systems. Various alkyne metathesis methodologies, including alkyne cross-metathesis (ACM), ring-closing alkyne metathesis (RCAM), cyclooligomerization, acyclic diyne metathesis polymerization (ADIMET), and ring-opening alkyne metathesis polymerization (ROAMP), are presented, and their application in natural product synthesis, materials science as well as supramolecular and polymer chemistry is discussed. Recent progress in the metathesis of diynes is also summarized, which gave rise to new methods such as ring-closing diyne metathesis (RCDM) and diyne cross-metathesis (DYCM).

Pseudo-tetrahedral Rhodium and Iridium Complexes: Catalytic Synthesis of E-Enynes

The reactions of the rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes [M(PhBP₃ )(C₂ H₄ )(NCMe)] (PhBP₃ =PhB(CH₂ PPh₂ )₃ ^- ) with alkynes have resulted in the synthesis of a new family of pseudo-tetrahedral complexes, [M(PhBP₃ )(RC≡CR')] (M=Rh, Ir), which contain the alkyne as a four-electron donor. The reactions of these unusual compounds with two-electron donors (L=PMe₃ , CNtBu) produced a change in the "donicity" of the alkyne from a 4e^- to a 2e^- donor to give five-coordinate complexes. These were the final products with the iridium complexes, whereas further reactions took place with the rhodium complexes. In particular, C(sp)-H bond activation of the alkyne occurred leading to hydrido alkynyl complexes. This process is essential for the further reactivity of the alkynes, and if the alkyne itself was used as reagent, E-enyne complexes were obtained. As a consequence of this chemistry, we show that the complex [Rh(PhBP₃ )(C₂ H₄ )(NCMe)] is a very efficient pre-catalyst for the regioselective di- and trimerization of terminal alkynes to E-enynes and benzene derivatives, respectively. Interestingly, acetonitrile significantly enhanced the catalytic activity by facilitating the C(sp)-H bond activation step. A hydrometalation mechanism to account for these experimental observations is proposed.