Direct Reductive Cyclocondensation of the Nitro Group with the Amido Group: Key Role of the Iminophosphorane Intermediate in the Synthesis of 1,4-Dibenzodiazepine Derivatives

A class of dialkylamino-substituted dibenzodiazepines and their hetero analogues was synthesized by the intramolecular aza-Wittig condensation of the amido group with iminophosphoranes. The one-pot, two-step procedure includes reductive synthesis of the intermediate iminophosphoranes from the corresponding nitroamides and tributylphosphine.

Solvent-controlled chemoselective N-dealkylation-N-nitrosation or C-nitration of N-alkyl anilines with tert-butyl nitrite

A metal-free, acid-free and chemoselective N-dealkylation-N-nitrosation or C-nitration of N-alkyl anilines has been developed.

Revealing the unusual role of bases in activation/deactivation of catalytic systems: O-NHC coupling in M/NHC catalysis

Numerous reactions are catalyzed by complexes of metals (M) with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, typically in the presence of oxygen bases, which significantly shape the performance. It is generally accepted that bases are required for either substrate activation (exemplified by transmetallation in the Suzuki cross-coupling), or HX capture (e.g. in a variety of C-C and C-heteroatom couplings, the Heck reaction, C-H functionalization, heterocyclizations, etc.). This study gives insights into the behavior of M(ii)/NHC (M = Pd, Pt, Ni) complexes in solution under the action of bases conventionally engaged in catalysis (KOH, NaOH, t-BuOK, Cs2CO3, K2CO3, etc.). A previously unaddressed transformation of M(ii)/NHC complexes under conditions of typical base-mediated M/NHC catalyzed reactions is disclosed. Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) complexes widely used in catalysis react with the bases to give M(0) species and 2(5)-oxo-substituted azoles via an O-NHC coupling mechanism. Ni(NHC)2X2 complexes hydrolyze in the presence of aqueous potassium hydroxide, and undergo the same O-NHC coupling to give azolones and metallic nickel under the action of t-BuOK under anhydrous conditions. The study reveals a new role of NHC ligands as intramolecular reducing agents for the transformation of M(ii) into "ligandless" M(0) species. This demonstrates that the disclosed base-mediated O-NHC coupling reaction is integrated into the catalytic M/NHC systems and can define the mechanism of catalysis (molecular M/NHC vs. "NHC-free" cocktail-type catalysis). A proposed mechanism of the revealed transformation includes NHC-OR reductive elimination, as implied by a series of mechanistic studies including 18O labeling experiments.

Folding Patterns in a Family of Oligoamide Foldamers

A series of small, unsymmetrical pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylamide oligoamide foldamers with varying lengths and substituents at the end groups were synthetized to study their conformational properties and folding patterns. The @-type folding pattern resembled the oxyanion-hole motifs of enzymes, but several alternative folding patterns could also be characterized. Computational studies revealed several alternative conformers of nearly equal stability. These folding patterns differed from each other in their intramolecular hydrogen-bonding patterns and aryl-aryl interactions. In the solid state, the foldamers adopted either the globular @-type fold or the more extended S-type conformers, which were very similar to those foldamers obtained computationally. In some cases, the same foldamer molecule could even crystallize into two different folding patterns, thus confirming that the different folding patterns are very close in energy in spite of their completely different shapes. Finally, the best match for the observed NOE interactions in the liquid state was a conformation that matched the computationally characterized helix-type fold.

N-Heterocyclic tridentate aromatic ligands bound to [Ln(hexafluoroacetylacetonate)3] units: thermodynamic, structural, and luminescent properties

Herein, we discuss how, why, and when cascade complexation reactions produce stable, mononuclear, luminescent ternary complexes, by considering the binding of hexafluoroacetylacetonate anions (hfac(-)) and neutral, semi-rigid, tridentate 2,6-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine ligands (Lk) to trivalent lanthanide atoms (Ln(III)). The solid-state structures of [Ln(Lk)(hfac)(3)] (Ln=La, Eu, Lu) showed that [Ln(hfac)(3)] behaved as a neutral six-coordinate lanthanide carrier with remarkable properties: 1) the strong cohesion between the trivalent cation and the didentate hfac anions prevented salt dissociation; 2) the electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl substituents limited charge-neutralization and favored cascade complexation with Lk; 3) nine-coordination was preserved for [Ln(Lk)(hfac)(3)] for the complete lanthanide series, whilst a counterintuitive trend showed that the complexes formed with the smaller lanthanide elements were destabilized. Thermodynamic and NMR spectroscopic studies in solution confirmed that these characteristics were retained for solvated molecules, but the operation of concerted anion/ligand transfers with the larger cations induced subtle structural variations. Combined with the strong red photoluminescence of [Eu(Lk)(hfac)(3)], the ternary system Ln(III)/hfac(-)/Lk is a promising candidate for the planned metal-loading of preformed multi-tridentate polymers.