Reaction of some diketones with 5-aminolevulinic acid in acid solution

Complexity in structure-directed prebiotic chemistry. Unexpected compositional richness from competing reactants in tetrapyrrole formation

Acyclic reactants afford “partially defective” pyrroles that interfere with chain growth of “normal” pyrroles on the path to tetrapyrrole macrocycles.

Scope and limitations of two model prebiotic routes to tetrapyrrole macrocycles

Aqueous reaction (35 °C, 72 h) of two acyclic compounds, an α-aminoketone + β-ketoester or β-diketone (not shown), affords a pyrrole that self-condenses to give the porphyrinogen.

Complexity in structure-directed prebiotic chemistry. Reaction bifurcation from a β-diketone in tetrapyrrole formation

An unsymmetrical β-diketone with δ-aminolevulinic acid affords both a “defective” and a “normal” pyrrole; upon combinatorial reaction the former terminates chain-growth of the latter on the path to tetrapyrrole macrocycles.

Complexity in structure-directed prebiotic chemistry. Effect of a defective competing reactant in tetrapyrrole formation

A reactive but defective pyrrole, derived from the simple β-diketone acetylacetone, terminates chain-growth in a quantitative combinatorial manner in tetrapyrrole formation.

Simple formation of an abiotic porphyrinogen in aqueous solution

Porphyrins have long been proposed as key ingredients in the emergence of life yet plausible routes for forming their essential pyrrole precursor have heretofore not been identified. Here we show that the anaerobic reaction of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA, 1-5 mM) with the β-ketoester methyl 4-methoxyacetoacetate (2-40 mM) in water (pH5-7) at 70-100°C for >6 h affords the porphyrinogen, which upon chemical oxidation gives the corresponding porphyrin in overall yield of up to 10%. The key intermediate is the α-methoxymethyl-substituted pyrrole, which undergoes tetramerization and macrocycle formation under kinetic control. The resulting type-I porphyrin bears four propionic acid and four carbomethoxy groups, is distinct from porphyrins (e.g., uroporphyrin or coproporphyrin) derivable from ALA alone via the extant universal biosynthetic path to tetrapyrroles, and is photoactive upon assembly into cationic micelles in aqueous solution. The simple self-organization of eight acyclic molecules into a tetrapyrrole macrocycle, from which a porphyrin is derived that is photoactive in lipid assemblies, augurs well for the spontaneous origin of catalysts and pigments essential for prebiotic metabolism and proto-photosynthesis.

New Strategies for the Synthesis of Fluorinated Vinylogous Amidines and beta-Enamino Ketones

Reaction of fluorinated imidoyl chlorides 3 with ketimines 1a provides fluorinated 1,3-diimines, which were exclusively isolated as vinylogous amidine tautomers 2beta, with good yields. Fluorinated beta-enamino ketones 4 are obtained by regioselective hydrolysis of 2. Complementary methods for the synthesis of regioisomeric beta-enamino ketones 4 and 5 are also reported. These methods include the reaction of azaenolates of ketimines with fluorinated esters 6 and reactions of ketone enolates with fluorinated imidoyl chlorides 3. The behavior of these systems in hydrolysis reactions was also tested.