Trapping of the oxocarbonium ion intermediate in the hydrolysis of acetophenone dimethyl ketals

Isothiourea-Catalysed Acylative Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Tetra-substituted Morpholinone and Benzoxazinone Lactols

The development of methods to allow the selective acylative dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of tetra-substituted lactols is a recognised synthetic challenge. In this manuscript, a highly enantioselective isothiourea-catalysed acylative DKR of tetra-substituted morpholinone and benzoxazinone-derived lactols is reported. The scope and limitations of this methodology have been developed, with high enantioselectivity and good to excellent yields (up to 89 %, 99 : 1 er) observed across a broad range of substrate derivatives incorporating substitution at N(4) and C(2), di- and spirocyclic substitution at C(5) and C(6), as well as benzannulation (>35 examples in total). The DKR process is amenable to scale-up on a 1 g laboratory scale. The factors leading to high selectivity in this DKR process have been probed through computation, with an N-C=O⋅⋅⋅isothiouronium interaction identified as key to producing ester products in highly enantioenriched form.

Reactivities of electrophilic N-F fluorinating reagents

Electrophilic fluorination represents one of the most direct and useful methods available for the selective introduction of fluorine into organic compounds. Electrophilic fluorinating reagents of the N-F class have revolutionised the incorporation of fluorine atoms into both pharmaceutically- and agrochemically-important substrates. Since the earliest N-F reagents were commercialised in the 1990s, their reactivities have been investigated using qualitative and, more recently, quantitative methods. This review discusses the different experimental approaches employed to determine reactivities of N-F reagents, focussing on the kinetics studies reported in recent years. We make critical evaluations of the experimental approaches against each other, theoretical approaches, and their applicability towards practical problems. The opportunities for achieving more efficient synthetic electrophilic fluorination processes through kinetic understanding are highlighted.

Substituted Benzothietes: Synthesis and a Quantum Chemical Investigation of Their Cycloreversion Properties

A flexible synthesis for highly substituted benzothietes that does not require flash-vacuum pyrolysis was developed. This allows for the use of a number of functional groups and nonvaporizable molecules. Highly stabilized derivatives were isolated. The molecular orbital properties of various benzothietes were evaluated by density functional methods. The mechanism of the cycloreversion of the four-membered ring was compared to that of the oxygen-containing analogues.

Cation Clock Reactions for the Determination of Relative Reaction Kinetics in Glycosylation Reactions: Applications to Gluco- and Mannopyranosyl Sulfoxide and Trichloroacetimidate Type Donors

The development of a cation clock method based on the intramolecular Sakurai reaction for probing the concentration dependence of the nucleophile in glycosylation reactions is described. The method is developed for the sulfoxide and trichloroacetimidate glycosylation protocols. The method reveals that O-glycosylation reactions have stronger concentration dependencies than C-glycosylation reactions consistent with a more associative, S(N)2-like character. For the 4,6-O-benzylidene-directed mannosylation reaction a significant difference in concentration dependence is found for the formation of the β- and α-anomers, suggesting a difference in mechanism and a rationale for the optimization of selectivity regardless of the type of donor employed. In the mannose series the cyclization reaction employed as clock results in the formation of cis and trans-fused oxabicyclo[4,4,0]decanes as products with the latter being strongly indicative of the involvement of a conformationally mobile transient glycosyl oxocarbenium ion. With identical protecting group arrays cyclization in the glucopyranose series is more rapid than in the mannopyranose manifold. The potential application of related clock reactions in other carbenium ion-based branches of organic synthesis is considered.

Hydrogen-bonding catalysis and inhibition by simple solvents in the stereoselective kinetic epoxide-opening spirocyclization of glycal epoxides to form spiroketals

Mechanistic investigations of a MeOH-induced kinetic epoxide-opening spirocyclization of glycal epoxides have revealed dramatic, specific roles for simple solvents in hydrogen-bonding catalysis of this reaction to form spiroketal products stereoselectively with inversion of configuration at the anomeric carbon. A series of electronically tuned C1-aryl glycal epoxides was used to study the mechanism of this reaction based on differential reaction rates and inherent preferences for S(N)2 versus S(N)1 reaction manifolds. Hammett analysis of reaction kinetics with these substrates is consistent with an S(N)2 or S(N)2-like mechanism (ρ = -1.3 vs ρ = -5.1 for corresponding S(N)1 reactions of these substrates). Notably, the spirocyclization reaction is second-order dependent on MeOH, and the glycal ring oxygen is required for second-order MeOH catalysis. However, acetone cosolvent is a first-order inhibitor of the reaction. A transition state consistent with the experimental data is proposed in which one equivalent of MeOH activates the epoxide electrophile via a hydrogen bond while a second equivalent of MeOH chelates the side-chain nucleophile and glycal ring oxygen. A paradoxical previous observation that decreased MeOH concentration leads to increased competing intermolecular methyl glycoside formation is resolved by the finding that this side reaction is only first-order dependent on MeOH. This study highlights the unusual abilities of simple solvents to act as hydrogen-bonding catalysts and inhibitors in epoxide-opening reactions, providing both stereoselectivity and discrimination between competing reaction manifolds. This spirocyclization reaction provides efficient, stereocontrolled access to spiroketals that are key structural motifs in natural products.

Factors controlling the mechanism of NAD(+) non-redox reactions

β-Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) is an indispensable coenzyme or substrate for enzymes involved in catalyzing redox and non-redox reactions. ADP-ribosylating enzymes catalyze cleavage of the nicotinamide-glycosyl bond of NAD(+) and addition of a nucleophilic group from their substrate proteins to the N-ribose anomeric carbon of NAD(+). Although the role of the nicotinamide-ribose fragment in the mechanism of NAD(+) hydrolysis has been examined, the role of the doubly negatively charged, flexible, and chemically reactive NAD(+) diphosphate moiety in the reaction process has largely been neglected. Thus, the participation of the pyrophosphate group in stabilizing intra- and intermolecular interactions in the ground state and transition state has not been explored. Furthermore, the roles of other factors such as the type/nucleophilicity of the attacking nucleophile and the medium in influencing the reaction pathway have not been systematically evaluated. In this study, we endeavor to fill in these gaps and elucidate the role of these factors in controlling the NAD(+) nicotinamide-glycosyl bond cleavage. Using density functional theory combined with continuum dielectric methods, we modeled both S(N)1 and S(N)2 reaction pathways and assessed the role of the diphosphate group in stabilizing the (i) NAD(+) ground state, (ii) oxocarbocation intermediate, (iii) reaction product, and (iv) nucleophile. We also assessed the chemical nature of the attacking nucleophile and the role of the protein matrix in affecting the reaction mechanism. Our results reveal an intricate interplay among various factors in controlling the reaction pathway, which in turn suggests ways in which the enzyme can accelerate the reaction.

Structure-reactivity effects on primary deuterium isotope effects on protonation of ring-substituted alpha-methoxystyrenes

Primary product isotope effects (PIEs) on L(+) and carboxylic acid catalyzed protonation of ring-substituted alpha-methoxystyrenes (X-1) to form oxocarbenium ions X-2(+) in 50/50 (v/v) HOH/DOD were calculated from the yields of the alpha-CH(3) and alpha-CH(2)D labeled ketone products, determined by (1)H NMR. A plot of PIE against reaction driving force shows a maximum PIE of 8.7 for protonation of 4-MeO-1 by Cl(2)CHCOOH (DeltaG(o) = 1.0 kcal/mol). The PIE decreases to 8.1 for protonation of 4-MeO-1 by L(3)O(+) (DeltaG(o) = -2.8 kcal/mol) and to 5.1 for protonation of 3,5-di-NO(2)-1 by MeOCH(2)COOH (DeltaG(o) = 13.1 kcal/mol). The PIE maximum is around DeltaG(o) = 0. Arrhenius-type plots of PIEs on protonation of 4-MeO-1 and 3,5-di-NO(2)-1 by L(3)O(+) and on protonation of X-1 by MeOCH(2)COOH in 50/50 (v/v) HOH/DOD give similar slopes and intercepts. These were used to calculate values of [(E(a))(H) - (E(a))(D)] = -1.2 kcal/mol and (A(H)/A(D)) = 1.0 for the difference in activation energy for reactions of A-H and A-D and for the limiting PIE at infinite temperature, respectively. These parameters are consistent with reaction of the hydron over an energy barrier. There is no evidence for quantum mechanical tunneling of the hydron through the barrier. These PIEs suggest that the transferred hydron at the transition state lies roughly equidistant between the acid donor and base acceptor and contrast with the recently published Brønsted parameters [Richard, J. P.; Williams, K. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 6952-6961], which are consistent with a product-like transition state. An explanation for these seemingly contradictory results is discussed.

Substituent dependence of the diastereofacial selectivity in iodination and bromination of glycals and related cyclic enol ethers

The stereochemical course of the electrophilic iodination and bromination of tri-O-benzyl-D-glucal under various conditions has been compared to that of substituted dihydropyrans 2-5. IN(3) addition in acetonitrile affords trans-alpha-iodoazides (80-87%), besides small amounts of trans-beta-adducts, in the presence or the absence of benzyloxy substituents at C-3 or C-4, and in agreement with bridged iodonium ion intermediates. In contrast, the diastereofacial selectivity of bromine addition in dichloroethane going through open bromo oxocarbenium ions depends strongly on the substituents. Whereas the trans-alpha-dibromides are the main (85-95%) adducts in the absence of C-4 and C-5 substituents, in their presence a moderate to exclusive selectivity for cis-alpha-addition (60-99%) is observed. The predominance of trans-alpha-addition is again observed whatever the substituents when the bromination is carried out in the same solvent but with a tribromide ion salt, supporting a concerted addition of the two bromine atoms under these conditions. Finally, bromine addition in methanol exhibits a completely different behavior with the nonselective formation of trans-alpha- and trans-beta-methoxybromides and a small dependence on the substituents. In agreement with the absence of azide trapping of any cationic intermediate, it is concluded that these brominations which do not go through an ionic intermediate are concerted additions of bromine and methanol with very loose rate- and product-determining transition states. Finally, the substituent conformation at C-4 influences drastically the stereoselectivity in all these brominations. Evidence for alpha-anomeric control of the nucleophile approach at C-1 is given by the highly predominant formation of alpha-adducts, except in the methanolic bromination. The factors determining the versatile selectivity of the electrophile approach are discussed in terms of PPFMO theory and of the special mechanisms of glycal reactions.

Rate and equilibrium constants for formation and hydrolysis of 9-formylfluorene oxime: diffusion-controlled trapping of a protonated aldehyde by hydroxylamine

Equilibrium constants Kadd = 440 and Kox = 3.0 × 108 for formation of a carbinolamine adduct and oxime, respectively from 9-formylfluorene and hydroxylamine, and pKa = –1.62 for protonation of the oxime, have been evaluated at 25°C in aqueous solution, based on measurements in hydroxylamine buffers, acetic acid buffers, and dilute HCl. Rate constants for hydrolysis of the oxime have been measured in the acidity range pH 4–12 M HClO4. At the highest acidities, a reaction pathway via protonated carbinolamine has been identified: evidence is presented that the reverse of this reaction involves rate-determining attack of hydroxylamine upon protonated 9-formylfluorene. By assuming that the attack of hydroxylamine is diffusion-controlled, with rate constant 3 × 109 M –1 s–1, a pKa for O-protonation of the aldehyde (–4.5) is derived. Taking account of the equilibrium constant for enolization of 9-formylfluorene (KE = 16.6), a pKa for for C-protonation of the enol tautomer ((–5.7) may also be obtained. Comparison of this pKa with that of the enol of acetophenone shows that the enol of 9-formylfluorene is less basic by a factor of 1010. By combining pKas for protonation of the aldehyde and oxime with measured or estimated equilibrium constants for addition of water, hydroxide ion, and hydroxylamine to 9-formylfluorene, it is also possible to obtain values of pKR = –5.3, 4.1, and 12.25 for the protonated 9-formylfluorene, protonated oxime, and 9-formylfluorene, respectively. The usefulness of pKR in providing a general measure of equilibrium constants for electrophile-nucleophile combination reactions is discussed.Key words: oxime, formyfluorene, hydrolysis, protonation, diffusion-control.

General acid-catalyzed addition of methanol to (E)-N-benzylideneanilines

The reaction of equilibrium addition of methanol (α-amino ether formation) to benzylideneanilines (C6H5=NC6H4Y, with Y = H (1a), 3-Cl (1b), 3-NO2 (1c), 4-CN (1d), and 4-NO2(1e)) in methanol is shown to be general acid-catalyzed in carboxylic acid buffers. The mechanism involves fast iminium ion formation followed by base-assisted addition of methanol. The α Brønsted exponents are in the 0.67-0.88 range, and α increases with the electron-withdrawing ability of Y. The same mechanism is valid for MeOH2+-catalysis, meaning that two solvent molecules are involved in the addition process, one of them playing the role of base. The equilibrium constant, K, is increased by electron-withdrawing substituents, log K depending linearly on the σ- substituent parameters. The substituent effects on the forward and reverse catalytic rate constants are analyzed by means of the log k = ρnσn + ρr(σ- - σn) + constant (Young-Jencks) equation. For carboxylic acid catalysis, the ρn and ρr parameters are in keeping with ca. half C—O bond forming or breaking at the transition state. The catalytic rate constants and α exponent for elimination of ClCH2CH2OH in methanol from the C6H5CH(OCH2CH2Cl)NH(4-CNC6H4) chloroethyl adduct are compared with those for the elimination of methanol from C6H5CH(OCH3)NH(4-CNC6H4). The chloromethyl group makes the reaction slower and α lower. This indicates that proton transfer is a little ahead of C—O bond cleavage at the transition state. Y substituent effects, α values, and the effects of the CH2Cl group are interpreted on the basis of a More O'Ferrall - Jencks diagram.Key words: imine, free energy linear relationship, nucleophilic addition, More O'Ferrall - Jencks diagram, Schiff base

Article

Equilibrium and rate constants have been determined for the acid-catalyzed heterolysis of two alcohols, 9-xanthydrol and p-anisyldiphenylmethanol, and two sulfides, (9-xanthyl) methyl sulfide and (7-tropyl) methyl sulfide. These data together with literature information are compared with rate constants for acid-catalyzed C-C heterolysis of several (9-xanthyl) compounds, (7-tropyl) compounds, a set of 3-arylcyclobutanones, and two 2-arylnitrocyclopropanes, all of which fragment to carbocations plus a carbon-centered nucleofuge. The fragmentation mechanisms are shown to be A1 or A1(ion pair) except for the 2-arylnitrocyclopropanes which cleave in trifluoroacetic acid by a concerted mechanism. Rate comparisons among several unstrained substrate sets indicate that O-centered nucleofuges undergo acid-catalyzed heterolysis ca. 103-104 faster than S-centered nucleofuges and ca. 109-1014 faster than the C-centered nucleofuges used here. Factors assisting C-C heterolysis (and their effectiveness) include the acidity of the medium (strong); the basicity and nucleofugality of the nucleofuge (moderate); the stability of the electrofugic carbocation (strong); and relief of ring strain (enormous). Compared with acyclic cleavages, rate accelerations worth ca. 15 kcal/mol (for cyclobutanones) and ca. 27 kcal/mol (for nitrocyclopropanes) are found. These effects are discussed in terms of transition-state structure, aided by computational evidence.Key words: C-C heterolysis, fragmentation, acid catalysis, carbocation, ring strain.

The decomposition of methyl hemiacetals of benzaldehyde in aqueous solution: a study of the effect of aromatic substitution

The acid-base catalysed decomposition of hydrates and hemiacetals of carbonyl compounds are classical examples of reactions where (slow) proton transfer is coupled with heavy atom reorganization, i.e., C—O bond breaking and solvent reorganization. We have studied the influence of m- and p-substitution in the carbonyl electrophile on the kinetics of the acid and base catalysis of the decomposition of methyl hemiacetals of benzaldehyde. The experimental data are well described by three-dimensional More O'Ferrall - Jencks energy contour diagrams according to principles developed by Jencks (the BEMA HAPOTHLE). Thus, for acid catalysis, a Cordes cross-interaction coefficient pxy' = δρ/δpKa = 0.15 indicates the coupled nature of the rate-limiting step in a class e mechanism, similar to conclusions reached from systematic substitution in the nucleophile. Our more extensive set of data for base catalysis permits a more rigorous analysis according to the BEMA HAPOTHLE. The data are consistent with a class n mechanism as also suggested earlier on the basis of substitution in the nucleophile. A slight upward curvature observed in the Hammett plots for the various catalysts is described by the direct correlation parameter py = -δρ/δσ = -0.11. This second derivative demonstrates the concerted nature of the C—O bond cleavage and O-H formation in the transition state, which changes with changing substituent. A class n mechanism for base catalysis is also supported by the observation of a Cordes cross-interaction parameter pxy = -δρ/δpKa = -δβ/δσ = 0.03, which describes the experimentally observed decrease in Hammett ρ with increasing pKa of the catalyst. This change may be rationalized by the movement of a saddle point on a diagonal reaction coordinate in the energy contour diagram, as a resultant of shifts parallel and perpendicular to the coordinate, when the energy along one side of the diagram is changed. It is concluded that observed rate changes as a result of substitution in the electrophile are consistent with and present further confirmation of earlier suggested mechanisms of hemiacetal decomposition reactions.Key words: methyl hemiacetals of benzaldehydes, acid-base catalysed breakdown, Hammett plots, More O'Ferrall - Jencks diagrams.

The refined structures of goose lysozyme and its complex with a bound trisaccharide show that the "goose-type" lysozymes lack a catalytic aspartate residue

The structure of goose egg-white lysozyme (GEWL) has been refined to an R-value of 15.9% at 1.6 A resolution. Details of the structure determination, the refinement and the structure itself are presented. The structure of a complex of the enzyme with the trisaccharide of N-acetyl glucosamine has also been determined and refined at 1.6 A resolution. The trisaccharide occupies sites analogous to the B, C and D subsites of chicken (HEWL) and phage T4 (T4L) lysozymes. All three lysozymes (GEWL, HEWL and T4L) display the same characteristic set of bridging hydrogen bonds between backbone atoms of the protein and the 2-acetamido group of the saccharide in subsite C. Glu73 of GEWL is seen to correspond closely to Glu35 of HEWL (and to Glu11 of T4L) and supports the established view that this group is critically involved in the catalytic mechanism. There is, however, no obvious residue in goose lysozyme that is a counterpart of Asp52 of chicken lysozyme (or of Asp20 in T4L), suggesting that a second acidic residue is not essential for the catalytic activity of goose lysozyme, and may not be required for the activity of other lysozymes.

NAD hydrolysis: chemical and enzymatic mechanisms

The pyridine nucleotides have important non-redox activities as cellular effectors and metabolic regulators [1-3]. The enzyme-catalyzed cleavage of the nicotinamide-ribosyl bond of NAD+ and the attendant delivery of the ADPRibosyl moiety to acceptors is central to these many diverse biological activities. Included are the medically important NAD-dependent toxins associated with cholera, diphtheria, pertussis, and related diseases [4]; the reversible ADPRibosylation-mediated biological regulatory systems [5,6]; the synthesis of poly(ADPRibose) in response to DNA damage or cellular division [7]; and the synthesis of cyclic ADPRibose as part of an independent, calcium-mediated regulatory system [8]. As will be presented in this chapter, all evidence points to both the chemical and enzyme-catalyzed cleavage of the nicotinamide-ribosyl bond being dissociative in character via an oxocarbenium intermediate.

Antibodies against active-site peptides common to glucosyltransferases of mutans streptococci

Polyclonal antibodies were raised against peptides derived from an active-site sequence common to the family of mutans streptococcal glucosyltransferases (GTFs). The sequence contains an aspartic acid residue that functions in formation of the enzyme transition state in catalysis. Two GTFs were targeted with similar but not identical sequences in this region: one that synthesizes an alpha-1,3-linked water-insoluble glucan and a homologous GTF that synthesizes an alpha-1,6-linked water-soluble glucan. For each enzyme, an 8-mer and 22-mer peptide were prepared. The two peptide lengths were chosen in order to increase the likelihood of the peptides folding in a conformation similar to that of the native enzyme. Each peptide immunogen produced high titers of antibody in rabbits, and all antisera cross-reacted with all peptides, albeit to various degrees. Native enzyme showed weak interaction with antisera, which, on the basis of enzyme denaturation experiments, likely reflects binding to a small but finite population of denatured enzyme in the sample. GTF was assayed for inhibition in the presence of protein A-purified immunoglobulin G from each antiserum. Given the mass of the antibody and catalytic importance of the peptide, any enzyme-antibody complex formation would result in enzyme inhibition. No significant inhibition was observed, which demonstrates that either polyclonal antibodies raised against each of the four peptides cannot access this active-site region, or antibodies do not recognize the native enzyme conformation. The advantages and challenges of generating antibodies against enzyme active-site peptides are discussed in the context of the crystal structure of Aspergillus oryzae alpha-amylase, which has a homologous peptide segment which serves the same catalytic function.