Indium triflate mediated acetalization of aldehydes and ketones

Synthesis of pyranobenzopyrans from D-glucal using ionic liquids

Imidazolium room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) were used as solvents in the Lewis acid-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions of D-glucal with substituted salicylaldehydes. These reactions selectively led to various, novel, cis-pyrano [4,3-b]benzopyrans in modest yields, different products than those isolated from analogous solution studies. Furan diol was isolated as the major byproduct from all the reactions. The use of RTILs facilitated the use of unprotected sugars in these reactions.

Highly efficient direct visible-light-mediated oxidative esterification of aldehydes

A very efficient one-pot procedure for the direct oxidation of aldehydes to esters mediated by visible-light is presented. Utilizing a combination of indium triflate and N-bromosuccinimide, NBS, with either ortho-esters or alcohols provided rapid access to a variety of esters. Certain substrates convert fully within a few seconds, other more challenging tert-butyl esters were formed in good yield after no more than 4 h.

Zinc- and Copper-Loaded Nanosponges from Cellulose Nanofibers Hydrogels: New Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Synthesis of Aromatic Acetals

Herein we report the synthesis of cellulose-based metal-loaded nano-sponges and their application as heterogeneous catalysts in organic synthesis. First, the combination in water solution of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF) with branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) and citric acid (CA), and the thermal treatment of the resulting hydrogel, leads to the synthesis of an eco-safe micro- and nano-porous cellulose nano-sponge (CNS). Subsequently, by exploiting the metal chelation characteristics of CNS, already extensively investigated in the field of environmental decontamination, this material is successfully loaded with Cu (II) or Zn (II) metal ions. Efficiency and homogeneity of metal-loading is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector and by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis. The resulting materials perform superbly as heterogeneous catalysts for promoting the reaction between aromatic aldehydes and alcohols in the synthesis of aromatic acetals, which play a fundamental role as intermediates in organic synthesis. Optimized conditions allow one to obtain conversions higher than 90% and almost complete selectivity toward acetal products, minimizing, and in some cases eliminating, the formation of carboxylic acid by-products. ICP-OES analysis of the reaction medium allows one to exclude any possible metal-ion release, confirming that catalysis undergoes under heterogeneous conditions. The new metal-loaded CNS can be re-used and recycled five times without losing their catalytic activity.

Single-Crystal-to-Single-Crystal Transformation and Catalytic Properties of New Hybrid Perhalidometallates

Two new organic–inorganic salts of perhalidometallates with protonated organic amine cations have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis. (CHBMAH2)ZnBr4·3/2H2O 1 and (CHBMAH2)ZnCl4 4 [(CHBMAH2)2+: 1,3-cyclohexanebis(methylammonium)] were obtained in single-crystal form. The crystal packing in all of the obtained compounds is governed by the formation of various non-covalent intermolecular forces between tetrahalidometallate anions and organic cations, assisted by water molecules in the hydrates. Hirshfeld surface analysis denotes that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are X···H/H···X (X: Cl, Br, I) and H···H interactions. Interestingly, the compound 1,3-cyclohexanebis(methylammonium)tetrachloridozincate (II) dihydrate, (CHBMAH2)ZnCl4·2H2O 2, undergoes thermally-triggered single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation upon dehydration to produce a supramolecular solid compound, 1,3-cyclohexanebis(methylammonium) tetrachloridozincate (II), (CHBMAH2)ZnCl4 4. The SCSC transformation causes changes in the lattice parameters and a structural rearrangement. Furthermore, the catalytic properties of (CHBMAH2)ZnCl4·2H2O 2 and (CHBMAH2)CdI4·2H2O 3 have been explored in the acetalization process using various uncommon alcohols, beyond methanol or ethanol, for the first time in the literature, with outstanding results, and opening the door to the formation of alternative acetals.

Metal Triflate-Promoted Allylic Substitution Reactions of Cinnamyl Alcohol in the Presence of Orthoesters and Acetals

The product distribution of ethers formed from the reaction of cinnamyl alcohol with orthoesters in the presence of indium (III) triflate (InOTf)3 is dependent on both the reaction temperature and catalyst loading. Carrying out the reaction at room temperature under low loadings of the catalyst leads to a facile reaction generating the unexpected secondary allyl ether as the major product. In contrast, carrying out the reaction under higher catalyst loadings at elevated temperatures provides the expected primary linear ether in high yield and with excellent selectivity. The etherification reaction is also effective in the presence of acetals and ketals in place of orthoesters and allows for the development of the procedure to encompass a telescoped etherification protocol in which the acetal is generated in situ.

Synthesis, structural determination and antimicrobial evaluation of two novel CoII and ZnII halogenometallates as efficient catalysts for the acetalization reaction of aldehydes

Background

Complexes of imidazole derivatives with transition metal ions have attracted much attention because of their biological and pharmacological activities, such as antimicrobial, antifungal, antiallergic, antitumoural and antimetastatic properties. In addition, imidazoles occupy an important place owing to their meaningful catalytic activity in several processes, such as in hydroamination, hydrosilylation, Heck reaction and Henry reaction. In this work, we describe the crystallization of two halogenometallate based on 2-methylimidazole. Their IR, thermal analysis, catalytic properties and antibacterial activities have also been investigated.

Results

Two new isostructural organic-inorganic hybrid materials, based on 2-methyl-1H-imidazole, 1 and 2, were synthesized and fully structurally characterized. The analysis of their crystal packing reveals non-covalent interactions, including C/N–H···Cl hydrogen bonds and π···π stacking interactions, to be the main factor governing the supramolecular assembly of the crystalline complexes. The thermal decomposition of the complexes is a mono-stage process, confirmed by the three-dimensional representation of the powder diffraction patterns (TDXD). The catalytic structure exhibited promising activity using MeOH as solvent and as the unique source of acetalization. Moreover, the antimicrobial results suggested that metal-complexes exhibit significant antimicrobial activity.

Conclusion

This study highlights again the structural and the biological diversities within the field of inorganic–organic hybrids.

Expeditious synthesis of the fused hexacycle of puberuline C via a radical-based cyclization/translocation/cyclization process

The fused 6/7/5/6/6/6-hexacyclic ring system of puberuline C was assembled in 18 steps from 2-(ethoxycarbonyl)cyclohexanone. After the azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivative was sequentially coupled with propargyl magnesium bromide, 2-iodo cyclopentenone and allyl bromide, the pentacycle was constructed in a single step via a radical-based cyclization/translocation/cyclization process. The C11-bridgehead radical generated via C-Br homolysis participated in a 7-endo cyclization, and the 1,5-hydrogen translocation of the resultant radical was followed by transannular 6-exo cyclization to simultaneously realize the construction of the two rings and the introduction of the five contiguous stereocenters. The last 6-exo cyclization was induced by the Mukaiyama aldol reaction, and the C16-ketone was stereoselectively reduced by the action of SmI2/t-BuOH, leading for the first time to the synthesis of the entire hexacycle of puberuline C.

Synthesis of Z-5-Carboxymethylene-1,3-dioxolan-4-ones: A Better Way

The title compounds were prepared by a straightforward two-step procedure. Tartaric acid was first protected as either a bis(ketal) or a bis(acetal). This intermediate was then treated with potassium tert-butoxide at reduced temperature to effect a stereoselective elimination leading to the Z diastereomer of the alpha,beta-unsaturated acid. This protocol is useful for the laboratory-scale synthesis of these compounds but can also be scaled up to produce kilogram quantities of the material.