Organoselenium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of 2-Oxazolidinones from Alkenes

An operationally simple method for generating enantioenriched 2-oxazolidinones from N-Boc amines and mono- or trans-disubstituted alkenes via chiral organoselenium catalysis is described. Critical to the success of the transformation was the inclusion of triisopropylsilyl chloride (TIPSCl), likely because it sequestered fluoride generated by the oxidant (N-fluorocollidinium tetrafluoroborate) throughout the reaction and suppressed side reactivity. The scope of both the amine and alkene substrates was explored, generating a variety of 2-oxazolidinones in modest to high yields with high enantioselectivities.

Selective Synthesis of Monofluorinated Compounds Applying Amine/HF Reagents

For nucleophilic monofluorination, amine/HF reagents such as Et3 N⋅3HF, Pyr⋅9HF (Olah's reagent) and similar combinations belong to the most frequently used fluoride sources, whereupon the selectivity of these reagents can be very different depending of its acidity, the nucleophilicity of the fluoride equivalent, and the structure of the particular substrate. These reagents can be used safely in ordinary chemistry laboratories for nucleophilic substitution reactions by fluoride at sp3 -hybridized carbon centers. For ring opening reactions of epoxides, the regio- and stereoselectivity is very much depending of the nature of the epoxide and the acidity of the HF reagent favoring either SN 1 or SN 2 type reactions. Similarly, the outcome of halofluorination and similar reactions with sulfur or seleno electrophiles can be controlled by the particular combination of the electrophile and the fluoride source. Examples for the application of these reaction types for the synthesis of fluorine-containing analogues of natural products or biologically relevant compounds are in the focus of this personal account.

Synthesis and Single-Electron Oxidation of Bulky Bis(m-terphenyl)chalcogenides: The Quest for Kinetically Stabilized Radical Cations

Sterically encumbered bis(m-terphenyl)chalcogenides, (2,6-Mes₂ C₆ H₃ )₂ E (E=S, Se, Te) were obtained by the reaction of the chalcogen tetrafluorides, EF₄ , with three equivalents of m-terphenyl lithium, 2,6-Mes₂ C₆ H₃ Li. The single-electron oxidation of (2,6-Mes₂ C₆ H₃ )₂ Te using XeF₂ /K[B(C₆ F₅ )₄ ] afforded the radical cation [(2,6-Mes₂ C₆ H₃ )₂ Te][B(C₆ F₅ )₄ ] that was isolated and fully characterized. The electrochemical oxidation of the lighter homologs (2,6-Mes₂ C₆ H₃ )₂ E (E=S, Se) was irreversible and impaired by rapid decomposition.

Attempts to Synthesize a Thiirane, Selenirane, and Thiirene by Dealkylation of Chalcogeniranium and Thiirenium Salts

Thiiranium salts [Ad2 SR]+ X- (5, 8, 9, 11, 12; X- =Tf2 N- (Tf=CF3 SO2 ), SbCl6 - ) and seleniranium salts [Ad2 SeR]+ X- (14, 16, 17, 23-25; X- =Tf2 N- , BF4 - , CHB11 Cl11 - , SbCl6 - ) are synthesized from strained alkene bis(adamantylidene) (1). The disulfides and the diselenides (Me3 SiCH2 CH2 E)2 (4, 13), (tBuMe2 SiCH2 CH2 E)2 (7, 22), and (NCCH2 CH2 E)2 (10, 15; E=S, Se) have been used. The thiirenium salts [tBu2 C2 SR]+ X- (34) and [Ad2 C2 SR]+ X- (35, 36) are prepared from the bis-tert-butylacetylene (2) and bis-adamantyl-acetylene (3) with R=Me3 SiCH2 CH2 and tBuMe2 SiCH2 CH2 . Attempts to cleave off the groups Me3 SiCH2 CH2 , tBuMe2 SiCH2 CH2 , and NCCH2 CH2 resulted in thiiranes 27, 30. No selenirane Ad2 Se (33) is formed from seleniranium salts, instead cleavage to the alkene (1) and diselenide (13, 15) occurs. The thiirenium salt [Ad2 C2 SCH2 CH2 SiMe3 ]+ Tf2 N- (35) does not yield the thiirene Ad2 C2 S (37), the three-membered ring is cleaved, forming the alkyne (3) and disulfide (4). All compounds are characterized by ESI mass spectra, NMR spectra, and by quantum chemical calculations. Crystal structures of the salts 8, 12, 25, 17, 26, 36 and the thiiranes 27, 30 are presented.

Can modified DNA base pairs with chalcogen bonding expand the genetic alphabet? A combined quantum chemical and molecular dynamics simulation study

A comprehensive (DFT and MD) computational study is presented with the goal to design and analyze model chalcogen-bonded modified nucleobase pairs that replace one (i.e., A_XY:T, G:C_XY, G_XY:C) or two (G_XY:C_X'Y', X/X' = S, Se and Y/Y' = F, Cl, Br) Watson-Crick (WC) hydrogen bonds of the canonical A:T or G:C pair with chalcogen bond(s). DFT calculations on 18 base pair combinations that replace one WC hydrogen bond with a chalcogen bond reveal that the bases favorably interact in the gas phase (binding strengths up to -140 kJ mol^-1) and water (up to -85 kJ mol^-1). Although the remaining hydrogen bond(s) exhibits similar characteristics to those in the canonical base pairs, the structural features of the (Y-XO) chalcogen bond(s) change significantly with the identity of X and Y. The 36 doubly-substituted (G_XY:C_X'Y') base pairs have structural deviations from canonical G:C similar to those of the singly-substituted modifications (G:C_XY or G_XY:C). Furthermore, despite the replacement of two strong hydrogen bonds with chalcogen bonds, some G_XY:C_X'Y' pairs possess comparable binding energies (up to -132 kJ mol^-1 in the gas phase and up to -92 kJ mol^-1 in water) to the most stable G:C_XY or G_XY:C pairs, as well as canonical G:C. More importantly, G:C-modified pairs containing X = Se (high polarizability) and Y = F (high electronegativity) are the most stable, with comparable or slightly larger (by up to 13 kJ mol^-1) binding energies than G:C. Further characterization of the chalcogen bonding in all modified base pairs (AIM, NBO and NCI analyses) reveals that the differences in the binding energies of modified base pairs are mainly dictated by the differences in the strengths of their chalcogen bonds. Finally, MD simulations on DNA oligonucleotides containing the most stable chalcogen-bonded base pair from each of the four classifications (A_XY:T, G:C_XY, G_XY:C and G_XY:C_X'Y') reveal that the singly-modified G:C pairs best retain the local helical structure and pairing stability to a greater extent than the modified A:T pair. Overall, our study identifies two (G:C_SeF and G_SeF:C) promising pairs that retain chalcogen bonding in DNA and should be synthesized and further explored in terms of their potential to expand the genetic alphabet.

Selone-stabilized aryltellurenyl cations

Controlled bromination of a diarylditelluride, R2Te2 (R = 2,6-dimethylphenyl) (6) in dichloromethane led to the formation of a Te(II)-Te(IV) mixed-valent tellurenyl bromide, RBr2TeTeR (7). A further reaction of 7 with 1,3-dibutylbenzimidazolin-2-selone, C15H22N2Se (L) (9), produced the first selone adduct of the 2,6-dimethylphenyltellurenyl cation with the 2,6-dimethylphenyltellurium dibromide anion, [(2,6-Me2C6H3)Te(L)](+)[(2,6-Me2C6H3)TeBr2](-) (10). The red colored cationic adduct 10 is not stable in acetonitrile and disproportionated to give the selone adduct of 2,6-dimethylphenyltellurenyl bromide, [(2,6-Me2C6H3)Te(L)Br] (11b) and bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)tellurium dibromide, [(2,6-Me2C6H3)2TeBr2], (13). The metathesis reaction of 11b with AgBF4 produced a stable dark red colored selone adduct of the 2,6-dimethylphenyltellurenyl cation with the BF4(-) anion, [(2,6-Me2C6H3)Te(L)](+)BF4(-) (15). The selone adducts of aryltellurenyl halides, i.e. [(2,6-Me2C6H3)Te(L)X] (X = Cl, Br, I) (11a-11c), have been synthesized by a one-pot reaction of 6 with an equimolar mixture of 9 and 1,3-dibutylbenzimidazolin-2-dihaloselones, C15H22N2SeX2 (14a-14c). Triphenylphosphine (PPh3), when treated with [(2,6-Me2C6H3)Te(L)X] (11a-11c), substitutes selone from the adduct to afford the triphenylphosphine adducts of aryltellurenyl halides, [(2,6-Me2C6H3)Te(PPh3)X] (16a-16c).

Synthesis and structures of 1,3-bis(organochalcogenyl) distannatrisilabicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes

The heteronuclear [1.1.1]propellane Sn2Si3Mes6 (1; Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2) was reacted with the dichalcogenyl compounds PhE–EPh (E = S, Se, or Te) to furnish the 1,3-bis(organochalcogenyl) distannatrisilabicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes 3 (E = S), 4 (E = Se), and 5 (E = Te). The E–E bond addition reaction is reminiscent of the formation of FcS–Sn(SiMes2)3Sn–SFc (2; Fc = ferrocenyl) reported previously. Contrary to 2, for which it was shown that its formation can be enhanced by daylight, the analogous clusters 3–5 are very sensitive to light in solution. Solid samples are, however, stable for a prolonged period of time. All three compounds were characterized in detail, including X-ray structure analyses on single crystals of 3 and 5. The core structure connectivities of the clusters were fully confirmed by 119Sn, 77Se, and 125Te NMR spectroscopy, among others. In particular, the 117Sn–119Sn coupling constant between the formally nonbonded bridgehead tin atoms nicely correlates with the interbridgehead distance, i.e., a larger distance is associated with a smaller 117Sn–119Sn coupling constant, and vice versa. This coupling is mediated by so-called “back-lobe-to-back-lobe” interactions through cage. The detection of two different 77Se–119Sn and 125Te–119Sn couplings each (i.e., 1J and 2J) further supported these findings.

On the coordination chemistry of organochalcogenolates RNMe2^E− and RNMe2^E^O− (E = S, Se) onto lead(ii) and lighter divalent tetrel elements

The coordination chemistry of organochalcogenolato ligands containing hard (N, O) and soft (S, Se) atoms onto divalent Ge, Sn and Pb is explored.