Chemistry of pyramidalized alkenes

Total Synthesis of Taxol Enabled by Intermolecular Radical Coupling and Pd-Catalyzed Cyclization

Taxol (1) is a clinically used antineoplastic diterpenoid. The tetracyclic ring system comprises a 6/8/6-membered carbocycle (ABC-ring) and a fused oxetane ring (D-ring) embedded with a bridgehead double bond and decorated with multiple oxygen functionalities. Here, we report a convergent total synthesis of this exceedingly complex natural product. The C-ring fragment was designed to possess a bromocyclohexenone and an extra tetrahydrofuran ring to control the reactivity and selectivity, as well as to minimize functional group manipulations en route to 1. The α-alkoxyacyl telluride of the A-ring served as a radical precursor, and intermolecular radical coupling with the C-ring realized the installation of the C2- and C3-stereocenters and reductive removal of the bromide. After the C8-quaternary stereocenter was constructed by exploiting the three-dimensional shape of the intermediate, the C11-vinyl triflate of A-ring and the C8-methyl ketone of C-ring were utilized for Pd(0)-catalyzed cyclization of the central eight-membered B-ring with the bridgehead olefin. Adjustment of the oxidation level and attachment of the oxetane D-ring completed the total synthesis of 1 (28 steps, as the longest linear sequence). The fragment design principle and implementation of the powerful radical coupling reaction described in the present synthesis provide valuable information for planning and executing syntheses of diverse densely oxygenated terpenoids.

Bending Enamine Patterns of Stabilized Pentalenes into "Polymethine Ylides"

We report the synthesis and structural study of 2-substituted 1,3-bis(dimethylamino)pentalenes. The two electrons donating substituents shift the formally anti-aromatic pattern toward more suitable polarized structures. A subtle steric trade-off can result either in planar cyclopentadienyl vinamidiniums or in distorted structures featuring a pyramidalized ylidic carbon adjacent to a stabilized π-conjugated iminium (polymethine). This latter pattern mimics a postulated activated distorted geometry for key Breslow intermediates in the active site of thiamine-dependent enzymes. It highlights how the energetic drive to avoid anti-aromaticity can be used to access models for unconventional distorted conformations of organic molecules.

Nonconjugated Hydrocarbons as Rigid-Linear Motifs: Isosteres for Material Sciences and Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry

Nonconjugated hydrocarbons, like bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane, triptycene, and cubane are a unique class of rigid linkers. Due to their similarity in size and shape they are useful mimics of classic benzene moieties in drugs, so-called bioisosteres. Moreover, they also fulfill an important role in material sciences as linear linkers, in order to arrange various functionalities in a defined spatial manner. In this Review article, recent developments and usages of these special, rectilinear systems are discussed. Furthermore, we focus on covalently linked, nonconjugated linear arrangements and discuss the physical and chemical properties and differences of individual linkers, as well as their application in material and medicinal sciences.

Reactions of a tetrasilabicyclo[1.1.0]but-1(3)-ene with carbon tetrachloride and methanol

A tetrasilabicyclo[1.1.0]but-1(3)-ene was synthesized as orange crystals and its reactions were investigated.

Generation and Reactions of an Octacyclic Hindered Pyramidalized Alkene

Octacyclo[10.6.1.0^1,10.0^3,7.0^4,9.0^8,19.0^11,16.0^13,17]nonadeca-5,8,14-triene (27), a hindered pyramidalized alkene, has been generated from a diiodide precursor. Contrary to the usual behavior of known pyramidalized alkenes, no Diels-Alder adducts were obtained from the present alkene when it was generated by different standard procedures in the presence of different dienes. However, products derived from the reduction, t-BuLi addition, condensation with the solvent, or dimerization were isolated from these reactions, depending on the conditions used to generate it. No [2 + 2] cross product among this pyramidalized alkene and tricyclo[3.3.1.0^3,7]non-3(7)-ene was formed when a mixture of the corresponding precursor diiodides was reacted with sodium amalgam. The analysis of selected geometrical and orbital parameters determined from quantum mechanical calculations indicates that the degree of pyramidalization of this alkene and its higher steric hindrance compared with other polycyclic pyramidalized alkenes may explain its peculiar reactivity.

Palladium-catalyzed cocyclotrimerization of arynes with a pyramidalized alkene

A pyramidalized alkene and diverse arynes are generated in the presence of a Pd-catalyst to afford [2+2+2] cocycloaddition products.

Dearomative cycloadditions of a silylene with pyrazine and quinoxaline

The dearomative cycloaddition of a dialkylsilylene with pyrazine affords an eight-membered heterocyclic compound with a trans-cycloalkene moiety.

Viability of dodecahedrane-forming radical polycyclizations

The results of density functional theory calculations on thiyl radical-promoted polycyclization to form dodecahedrane are described. On the basis of these results, the proposed polycyclization is predicted to be both highly exergonic and fast. These results showcase the potential power of radical polycyclization reactions in constructing complex molecular architectures.

Short Access to Belt Compounds with Spatially Close C=C Bonds and Their Transannular Reactions

Two domino Diels-Alder adducts were obtained from 3,7-bis(cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-ylidene)-cis-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate or N-methylmaleimide under microwave irradiation. From the first adduct, a C20H24 diene with C2v symmetry was obtained by Zn/AcOH reduction, hydrolysis, oxidative decarboxylation, and selective hydrogenation. Photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition of this diene gave a thermally unstable cyclobutane derivative, which reverts to the diene. However, both the diene and the cyclobutane derivatives could be identified by X-ray diffraction analysis upon irradiation of the diene crystal. New six-membered rings are formed upon the transannular addition of bromine or iodine to the diene. The N-type selectivity of the addition was examined by theoretical calculations, which revealed the distinct susceptibility of the doubly bonded carbon atoms to the bromine attack.

Atomic and molecular analysis highlights the biophysics of unprotonated and protonated retinal in UV and scotopic vision

Unprotonated (UR) and protonated (PR) retinal have marked atomic and molecular differences in cis and trans configurations. In conclusion, UR and PR uphold UV and light vision through their different biophysical properties.

Tandem dienone photorearrangement-cycloaddition for the rapid generation of molecular complexity

A tandem dienone photorearrangement-cycloaddition (DPC) reaction of novel cyclohexadienone substrates tethered with various 2π and 4π reaction partners resulted in the formation of polycyclic, bridged frameworks. In particular, use of alkynyl ether-tethered substrates led to (3 + 2) cycloaddition to afford strained alkenes which could be further elaborated by intra- and intermolecular cycloaddition chemistry to produce complex, polycyclic chemotypes.

Tri-cyclo-[3.3.1.0(3,7)]nonane-3,7-diyl bis-(4-methyl-benzene-sulfonate)

The title compound, C23H26O6S2 was synthesized by esterification of tri-cyclo-[3.3.1.0(3,7)]nonane-3,7-diol with p-toluene-sulfonyl chloride. The mol-ecule has symmetry 2 and is situated on site 4e. The C-C bond length between the quartenary C atoms is 1.598 (2) Å, which is considerably longer than other C-C bonds in the mol-ecule. There are C-H⋯O inter-actions present in the structure. As a consequence, the packing of the molecule (viewed along [100]) appears as chains where the molecules run parallel, but each chain has the opposite direction to the neighboring ones.

Mechanisms and transition states of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of phenyl azide with enamines: a computational analysis

The transition structures for the 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of phenyl azide to enamines derived from acetophenone or phenylacetaldehyde and piperidine, morpholine, or pyrrolidine were located using quantum mechanical methods. These cycloadditions were studied experimentally in 1975 by Meilahn, Cox, and Munk (J. Org. Chem. 1975, 40, 819-823). Calculations were carried out with M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p), SCS-MP2/6-311+G(d,p)//M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p), and B97D/6-311+G(d,p) methods with the IEF-PCM solvation model for chloroform and ethanol. The distortion/interaction model was utilized to understand mechanisms, reactivities, and selectivities.

2,9-Diiodo-hexa-cyclo-[9.3.1.1(2,6).1(4,8).1(9,13).0(1,8)]octa-deca-ne

The title compound, C₁₈H₂₄I₂, has an adamantanoid structure with tetra­hedral cages having four C atoms lying on the same plane [(I—)C—C—C—C(—I) torsion angle = 0°]. The plane is extended by the two I atoms, each having a deviation of 1.0 (6) Å [C—C—C—I torsion angle = 178.9 (4)°]. The central C—C bond connecting the two quaternary carbons seems enlarged [1.593 (9) Å] in comparison to the corresponding bond in [2]diadamantane [1.554 (3) Å]. This is attributed to the presence of the electronegative I atoms, which affect inductively the C atoms of the four-C-atom plane, making the central C—C bond weaker.

Unexpected tautomeric equilibria of the carbanion-enamine intermediate in pyruvate oxidase highlight unrecognized chemical versatility of thiamin

Thiamin diphosphate, the vitamin B1 coenzyme, plays critical roles in fundamental metabolic pathways that require acyl carbanion equivalents. Studies on chemical models and enzymes had suggested that these carbanions are resonance-stabilized as enamines. A crystal structure of this intermediate in pyruvate oxidase at 1.1 Å resolution now challenges this paradigm by revealing that the enamine does not accumulate. Instead, the intermediate samples between the ketone and the carbanion both interlocked in a tautomeric equilibrium. Formation of the keto tautomer is associated with a loss of aromaticity of the cofactor. The alternate confinement of electrons to neighboring atoms rather than π-conjugation seems to be of importance for the enzyme-catalyzed, redox-coupled acyl transfer to phosphate, which requires a dramatic inversion of polarity of the reacting substrate carbon in two subsequent catalytic steps. The ability to oscillate between a nucleophilic (carbanion) and an electrophilic (ketone) substrate center highlights a hitherto unrecognized versatility of the thiamin cofactor. It remains to be studied whether formation of the keto tautomer is a general feature of all thiamin enzymes, as it could provide for stable storage of the carbanion state, or whether this feature represents a specific trait of thiamin oxidases. In addition, the protonation state of the two-electron reduced flavin cofactor can be fully assigned, demonstrating the power of high-resolution cryocrystallography for elucidation of enzymatic mechanisms.

Stereoinduction by distortional asymmetry

Stereoselective chemical synthesis requires the two faces of a π bond to be differentiated. Theoretically sound qualitative models for understanding stereoinduction seem to break down in sterically unbiased cyclic systems. Presented here as the distortional asymmetry model is new insight that identifies circumstances where distortional ground state contributions are highly asymmetric and thereby contribute significantly to face selectivity. Out-of-plane distortional potential calculations, transition state calculations and molecular orbital analysis agree with experimental data that cannot otherwise be attributed to steric, torsion, polar or emergent transition state stabilizing effects. The model is readily understood in terms of reaction theory. The explanatory power of the model is also discussed.

Tricyclo[3.3.1.03,7]nonane-3,7-diyl bis(methanesulfonate)

The crystal structure of the title compound, C₁₁H₁₈O₆S₂, was determined to investigate the effect of the eclipsed mesyl groups on the bond length of the vicinal quaternary C atoms. The two quaternary C atoms of the noradamantane skeleton and the two O atoms to which they are connected all located essentially in the same plane [maximum deviation 0.01 Å], resulting in an eclipsing conformation of the C—O bonds. The C—C bond of the quaternary C atoms is 1.597 (3) Å is considerably longer than the other C—C bonds of the mol­ecule.

DFT and MP2 study on the electrophilic addition reaction of bromine to exo-tricyclo[3.2.1.0(2.4)]oct-6-ene

The geometry and electronic structure of exo-tricyclo[3.2.1.0(2,4)]oct-6-ene (exo-TCO) was investigated using DFT methods. The two faces of the endo-pyramidalised double bond of the molecule are not equivalent. The exo face of the double bond has regions with high electron density (q (i,HOMO)) and greater negative potential. Molecular complexes of exo-TCO with bromine were investigated using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method; the exo-TCO . . . Br(2)(exo) molecular complex was found to be relatively more stable than the exo-TCO . . . Br(2)(endo) complex. The cationic intermediates of the reaction were studied by DFT and MP2 methods. The solvent effect was evaluated using the self-consistent isodensity polarised continuum model (SCI-PCM). The exo-bromonium cation was found to be more stable than the endo-bromonium cation. Exo-facial selectivity due to electronic and steric factors was observed upon addition of bromine to exo-TCO. The multicentre nonclassical delocalised bromocarbonium cation IV and the exo-bridged-bromonium cation I are more stable than the rearrangement cation V. The reaction products are formed via exo-bridged-bromonium I and nonclassical IV cations, which are the most stable intermediates and whose stabilities barely differ. The mechanism of the addition reaction is also discussed.